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Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1629, 17 November 1874, Page 429

The total coinage of the United States' Mints for the last fiscal year amounted to 32,523,670 coins, and to §38,689,183 in value. The Mortlake Despatch states that at Penshurst a wager was made between two men as to the quantity of whiskey that each could driuk. The trial took place some time during last Sunday week, Mullens, a publican, and one Welsh being the parties to the affair. The former drank off three tumblers of whisky, after which Welsh did the same. The effect of the whisky upon Mullens was that he afterwards died. Welsh adopted the precaution of taking a quantity of butter before contesting for the wager, and the result was that the dangerous effects of the whisky upon him were to some extent nullified. He is, however, reported to be in a very bad state. A most singular suicide, or what is supposed to have been a suicide, is reported by a Christchurch contemporary. A young woman, named Agnes Mouatt, aged twenty years, a native of the Shetland Isles, who arrived by the ship Canterbury, was found drowned in a pig-tub, at Mr W. B. Andrews' place, Green Park. Mr Andrews had only engaged her on Thursday, at the Addington barracks, and on Friday night she went upstairs to bed about 9 o'clockOn Saturday morning at 6 o'clock, some workmen, who were sleeping in the house, observed her room door open, and mentioned the circumstance, when search was made for her, and she was found as described, quite dead. An inquest was held, and a verdict returned that deceased had committed suicide whilst laboring under temporary insanity. The N.Z. Herald writes :—A very novel feature in connection with our Sundayschool Union calls for public attention, as likely to be attended with unusual interest. This is an industrial exhibition, the articles exhibited being the hand or brain-work or both of the boys attending the Sunday-schools of the province. Already over 1000 exhibits are promised, a large number of which, we are told, show much ingenuity, great constructive ability, and no little amount of taste. What should be demanded of this exhibition is, that the exhibits, of whatever kind they may be, shall really be the result of the ingenuity or labor of the boy. or girl in whose name the article is entered. Mamma may have laid the foundation, and have effected all the nicer manipulations of a delicate piece of embroidery or lace work, while the exhibitor may have done little more than thread the needle or wind the wool upon the spool. Again, the young mechanic may be indebted to papa for the idea of a model steamboat, or a windmill, or some other piece of toy machinery; and he may also have no more connection with the making of the model than holding a candle while the work was proceeding at night. Some guarantee must be given that the exhibits are the veritable productions of the boys or girls whose names are attached to them. Unless there is a good assurance of this, much of the interest of the undertaking will be lost. Again, no exhibit should find a place without it possesses some degree of merit either for ingenuity in design or execution, or shows industry, patience, or skill. If this rule be adhered to, the thousand exhibits .will probably be reduced by onehalf, and the interest felt in the several displays in no way lessened,