Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1634, 4 December 1874, Page 450

Although a transverse fissure about a mile hi length has made its appearance on (he north side of Mount Etna, Professor Silvester is of opinion that the eruption has spent itself for the present, and that only a few slight eruptions may now be expected. Twenty fresh craterß all in a row (we presume in connexion with the new fissure) have been thrown up, one of them with a cone 75ft. high.

The attitude assumed by the German Government in Schleswig towards inhabitants with Danish proclivities, it is said, is due to a desire entertained by Prince Bismarck that Denmark itself should enter the German Federation. It has been declared positively that Prince Bismarck has submitted to the Danish King a project for entering the German Bund with the whole of his territory. In accordance with this plan Germany would guarantee the integrity of Denmark and cede the whole of Schleswig to King Christian ; in return for which the Danish fk'et would become an integral part of the German fleet, and German ports would be established in the different Danish colonies. It is understood that King Christian has rejected these propositions.

writes in the Australasian:—l am not sure that the roughness of bush life does, not sometimes stifle the instincts of humanity, not of necessity, but occasionally. In illustration of this, a gentlemen who was on a 500 mile journey in Queensland met a man travelling with his wife and child. The wayfarers ate their mid-day meal together, and the lady became communicative. Her little one was sick, and she was full of bitterness. She said that at the place she had stayed the night before no milk was obtainable. In the morning tea was supplied, but again no milk. At length she appealed to the household drudge, explained how ill her infant was, and how urgent was the need for a little milk. Still none was forthcoming. " But," pleaded the anxious mother, " I heard the cows lowing in the stock-yard this morning, and the calves answering. Surely there must be some milk?" "Of course," said the girl, " there is some milk, but it has tp be kept for the lambs dropped by the ewes in the travelling flocks and left behind. We bring them up by hand, so of course there is no milk to spare for anything else." Nor was there any.

" F." writes in the Nelson Evening Mail:—" Wanted, a Mayor! This is the cry that comes to us from Wellington. Our neighbors across the Straits were not happy in their last selection, and now they want to improve upon it, but under the present regime the Council has sunk into such disrepute that a difficulty is experienced in finding any one who is willing to occupy the civic chair. Brawls, squabbles, and disgraceful scenes have of late characterized the meetings of the Wellington City Council, and a Hercules equal to the task of cleaning the Auggean stables has not yet come to the fore. A position once lost is not easy to regain and so it appears to be in Wellington. At one time the proceedings of the Council were, no doubt, conducted with decency and order, but that was some time ago, and now—well, now it seems that every respectable citizen shrinks from assuming an office that should be an object of ambition and not of contempt. Let us take warning in Nelson by the experience of Wellington, and check by every means in our power any attempt to render the deliberations of our Council disorderly." The late race meeting in Melbourne has brought to view a passion for reckless gambling among the men, and wanton and vulgar extravagance among the females that shows a most ominous condition of society in the Victorian capital. The Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes:—" But all other attractions fail before that of the ' Cup Day.' Last year there was talk of employers setting their faces against the devotion to racing that is becoming so marked a feature of this community, and which sometimes leads to highly unpleasant results. But the attempt and the pretence of it have been given up this year. There is no talk of anythiug of the kind. All business establishments, banks, aud nearly all the Government offices will be closed, so as to allow everybody to atteud the great holiday. The preparations for the display are this time something extraordinary. The usual modes of extravagance being insufficient, a large number of ladies have this year adopted the plau of importing their toilets from London and Paris. Several dresses have been obtained from Worth, the celebrated man-milliner of Paris. I hear that diesses. costing 120 guineas, exclusivo of freight, aud 22£ per ceut. duty, aud other charges, will not be uncommon on the lawn to-day. To make the thing complete, they ought to have their price ticketed ou them, or half the effect will be lost. The men capable of distinguishing the subtle nuances between one of Buckley and Nun's best and one of Mr Worth's worst, are not very numerous. But the ladies, dear creatures, do not, we are told, dress to please the men, but to spite each other, aud no doubt their own quick eyes will detect the minute difference that our senses are too gross to apprehend."

The writer of Passing Notes in the Christchurch Star gives the following amusing sketch of the scene that usually occurs on the arrival or departure of a steamer:—What an inspiring spectacle it is to watch a Melbourne steamer, behind time, come in to the wharf, every one in a flutter to get away. First on the wharf with the truck comes the Eon. Tobias Shortcut, with "That's my box, sir, be careful of it, and keep the top side up; it is to go into my cabin." Sounding above these instructions and other din is the mate's voice, with " Bundle them in, boys." " Easy that winch." " 'Aul tight, and knock down those strops." "That portmanteau is for Melbourne."—" All right, sir." " That hat-box for Dunedin." —" Aye, aye, sir." " The umbrella for the Bluff."—" Right you are." It's all gabble gabble. Excited passengers rush about iu a frantic state; these and the bewildered shipping clerk look as inspired as half-sucked lemons. A rather good story is told of a Melbourne steamer which was behind its time, and from the-captain to the cook all was anxiety to get away. The luggage was being taken on board, when a box—belonging to the late.P. Secretary, about the size of a No. 3 schiedam case, was landed by the exSecretary. "Mr Mate, that box goes to my cabin." Mate: "It cannot be taken to your cabin ; it is too large. Ex-Secre-tary : " I must take it, sir. Do you know who I am?" Mate :"I don't know or care." Ex-Secretary: lamMr K ." Mate: " And who the is Mr K ■ ? Dou't stand in my way. Easy, boy, with the winch. Put that box below. (To exSecretary) : Go ashore, sir, and don't bother me about your box. You go ashore, or anywhere else, so long as you get out of my way." The box went down the hold, and the ex-Secretary, copying, as it weie, Goethe's hero, Mephistophiles, when he consented to take the shape of a poodle, slunk away with his narrative considerably lowered.

A preacher in Kentucky owns a trotting horse, for which he has been offered $50,000. This horse is said to be able to eclipse the fastest time on record. Seeing that Goldsmith Maid has recently done her mile in 2 minutes 14 seconds, Blackwood, the name of the new horse, has his work cut out. The raising of a trotting horse by a parson is another indication of the pace which the " advanced" theory is making in the United States. An incident occurred yesterday (says the Wellington Tribune), which throws a curious light upon the present mode of doing municipal business. An opinion of the City Solicitor had been requested touching the power of the Provincial Government to sell the land about to be reclaimed in the harbor, and it had been sent in to the Town Clerk. Of course the Provincial Government were informed by some busybody of the tact, and they wished for a sight of the document. The Town Clerk refused, whereupon he received a written order from the Mayor to furnish Mr Bunny with what he wanted. This order of the Mayor having been accidentally seen by a Committee of the Council yesterday, and having ascertained that the document was then in the possession of the Provincial Government, they requested the Town Clerk to recover it at once and not give it to anyone until it had been read to the Council. This was done, but the document was partly copied at the time. A late Canterbury Press records the following sad accident by which two young ladies were very seriously injured. They with two elder females and two children were in a spring cart, joined in the funeral cortege of the late Mr Whelan, which had started from the Catholic chapel. On arriving at Tuam-street the cortege stopped for a few moments, and the driver of the trap got out and tied the reins of the horse to the cab preceding him. When the kearse moved on the cab followed, but the horse in the spring cart hung back, and in so doing broke the reins, when the blinkers fell off. He at once bolted down Bar-badoes-street, and in turning the belt towards the railway, the cart caught the edge of the footpath, throwing the two children out, and completely turned over on the inmates. Two of the young ladies, Miss Elizabeth Layton Smith (who is a boarder at the convent) and Miss Cunningham were picked up insensible, and one of the other ladies had her arm hurt. The children escaped unhurt. Miss Layton Smith was removed to the hospital, and at a late hour last night was still insensible, Having received concussion of the brain, and was reported in a very dangerous state. Miss Cunningham, who had been removed to her own home, had also received concussion of the brain, but was progressing favorably under the care of Dr Patrick.—Later info mation reports the death of Miss Smith from the effects of the accident.

Many of our New Zealand politicians are consistent only in their systematic inconsistency. We have already shown how thoroughly both Mr Vogel and Mr Fitzherbert have changed their respective sides on the provincial question. The following, from the Wellington Tribune, is apropos .'—Visitors to the General Assembly Library lately would have seen a nice map suspended over one of the fireplaces, showing the division of the Province of Wellington into Counties ! One naturally remarks that the General Government are taking time by the forelock in the abolition movement. Not a bit of it. The members of the General Government are busy, and have not yet been able to turn their attention to anything so much a matter of detail. We may, therefore, explain that the map is one of some age, just rescued from a dark pigeon-hole or out-of-the-way receptacle of unconsidered trifles, and is valuable chiefly as an historical document. It was drawn at the instigation of Mr Fitzherbert, Treasurer of the Stafford Government, at a time when he was fully convinced that the Provinces had done their work and should cease. Mr Fitzherbert is now Superintendent of Wellington, and maintains that Provinces—" the poor persecuted Province of Wellington" at all events—have not nearly done their work, and Bhould continue at least during the term of his natural life. Such are Time's changes upon certain mental constitutions. Further comment is unnecessary. Put not your trust in lawyers, was exemplified at the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning (says the New Zealand Times of the 21st inst). During the hearing of the case Cleland v. Bowler, Mr Izard, counsel for the plaintiff, found it indispensable to his case to submit as evidence a document which contained certain conditions of sale, and which should have borne a Is duty stamp. Mr Ollivier, the opposing counsel, objected to the document being received as evidence, alleging that it was illegal. He called his Worship's attention to the stamps, which proved to be two sixpenny postage stamps. Mr Cleland (plaintiff) then explained that it was Mr Travers (Mr Ollivier's partner) who had drawn out the deed and affixed the stamps, and also stated that he had pointed out the fact to Mr Travers at the time. That gentleman, however, said it was hardly worth altering; it was probable the conditions of sale would never again be called for. Mr Ollivier still remained inflexible in refusing to allow the document to be submitted. The plaintiff expostulated with him, and considered it the unkindest cut of all on his part to take advantage,of the lache. Ultimately Mr Izard paid the penalty stipulated by the Stamp Act. viz., £5, and the document was received. As there was no attempt at defrauding the revenue, Mr Izard held out a hope to his client that the fine wonld bo refunded, A nonsuit was given in the case.

The death is announced; in Edinburgh, of Lord Benholme, one of the Judges in the Second Division of the Court of Session. His Lordship was in his 78th year. Lord George Manners, M.P., and Mr Chas. Gilpin, M.P., are dead. The Rev Dr Cook, of Haddington, is also in the obituary.

The English correspondent of a contemporary says:—Have yon seen the strange comment on Carlyle's letter of some months ago, in which he prophesied evil things to come, if England still persisted in doing her work " ill, swiftly, and mendaciously ?" Our export trade, for the first five months of this year shows a decrease of just eight millions ! The newspapers note, with a hot rifled amazmont, that the Continental nations decline dealing any longer at the " old shop," and fall back on home products, and try to explain it by reference to the capital and labor question. Carlyle foresaw Germany's future, and told us plainh of it; he foresees England's decadence, and warns us just as plainly of that; and the price we have already paid, in this year of grace 1874, for telling him to hold his tongue, is just eight millions.