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Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 395, 26 September 1884, Page 5

|Baß—Hwgggannp"V ■■■■■' . "i.ibiii ff & Sankey, Moody's fellow evangelist, is hopelessly brokah down in health. • A woman named' Kate Smotzy, at Fort Blain, <N.Y., was . lately in the I7oth< day of fasting." She takes no nourishment, and desirea-none. - A'cunous case is reported from.Damascus, Penn.,i°f » merchant named Condback, who had <„ been lying helpless arid paralysed for three months, being ' cured in an instant by a stroke of lightning. He was hurled across the ;ro,om by the" shock, and immediately arose with his limbs' strong and flexible. The' Salvation Army continues its nocturnal processions at. Blenheim, with torches and hymn-singing, notwithstanding the prohibition order by the Boraugh Council. It is believed the latter has no power; to stop them.—T he Adelaide City Council has rejected a bylaw framed to stop processions of a like nature! ' • ■ : ) The Telegraph Department notifies that on and after the Ist. October all charges . for the transmission bf telegrams are to be paid in stamps, which must be affixed to: the top right band corner . of the message, by the senders, themselves, ..before the message is presented for transmission. j A deputation from- the temperance bodies of Wellington waited on the • Premier on Tuesday in reference to Mr Steward's Licensing Act Amendment Bill. They strenuously opposed the- proposed bill. Mr Stout said he sympathised with them,; and he thought that tne 'bill- would mr doubt be considerably modified- in Committee. The Balclutha 'Mutual Improvement Society has, alter an animated discussion, negatived .a resolution to the effect' that it is desirable -to attempt to suppress consultation* by Legislative enactment. The 'Leader' says' that "the. membership of the Society embraces -clergy men ; ■ elders, 'deacons, and. other office-bearers of the Christian, churches, also managers and'officers of banks, Borough councillors, merchants, and the leading citizens of the town generally. The following 'telegram from Wellington appeared, ;in the Dunedin ' Star :—"Th e Joint Sheep ' arid Rabbit Committee .have discovered that a sum of L 15,000 'in excess of the amount at the disposal of the department has been spent during the past year in an irregular' manner, but whence the amount was obtained had not been ascertained. The committee have appointed a subcommittee to examine the' books of the department,and have demanded; the production of all vouchers.' It is stated that the Committee will report recommending the dismissal of thewliple, Department with a view of its reorganisation. At a meeting of the Ashburton A. and P. Association last week, the question of the size of wheat bags was considered, and a resolution proposed instructing the Secretary to "communicate with all kindred societies in Canterbury and Otago, with a view to. obtain their co-operation in getting the size of wheat bags reduced, and that the Govern-, ment be memorialised to induce them "to carry wheat by the ton. There; was some little difference of opinion on tha subject. One member .considered that the first step would be to s'eeure the carriage of grain by actual weight, leaving the farmer to regulate the size of the sacks as he thought fit. Ultimately the , proposition wa,s .'withdrawn, and the matter referred to the Farmers' Co-operative Association, the Corn Exchange, and the .Chamber of Commerce, with a strong recommendation. ,to. have the size of the bags reduced,, and to get the Government to move in the matter. Thus a contemporary! — "The man who has no faith. in missions is invited to see what missionaries have done for the inhabitants of the Fiji Islands. Infanticide, polygamy, and cannibalism prevailed among the people, 108 human beings, have been cooked at one feast, even after the missionaries arrived" at the Islands, and one man was found who confessed to having partaken of nearly 1000 bodies. . On the Island are now more than 1000. places where, the gospel is preached, there. are fifty native preachers, '62 catechists and 1000 native teachers supported by the people, on the Islands. There are 25,000 church members, 41,000 children in the public schools under the care of 2,900 ' native teachers. New Guinea was in a worse state of barbarism than Fiji." People eat too much meat nowadays, says a writer in the '. Graphic,' and, neglecting vegetables, do not . learn the many ways in which these can be cooked so, as. to provide a diet 'cheaper than meat, and as agreeable for a change. Therefore the vegetarians who have been banqueting to show j what may be done with vegetables have rendered' a service. But it . is.. a. pity that some of them should create .prejudice against themselves and their dishes . by nonsenical talk about I, killing the animals for food. -Have they not heard that according to certain scientists the vegetable feels [and perhaps thinks? It may be demonstrated to future, generations that the blushing carrot . is suspectible ■to tender emotions,, and that the retiring ways of 'the truffle are due to a well reasoned aversion to the 'wickedness which is [tribe witnessed above ground! But, again, "every vegetable contains animalcules, and we never condemn 'a potato to boiling without dooming to death thousands io£ little creatures who' may' be as interesting in their ways as the lobster is in his.: The truth is, 'all' nature liyes, and the man who would eat without' destroying life will find his task a difficult' one if he sets'abOut it honestly with the help' of a microscope. ! However, we j may boi'row dishes from experienced vegetarians Without taking their opinions. Meat we'musthave to some, extent, .because nature 'h'asmade'us carnivprous ; but being vgrami-. i n'i'vorous ' also -we ' shall find ourselves '. the • r better for letting vegetables : play .a 'greater j part in Our. interior economy than they do '-at present. - ■-\ •,.-■ a ■ { ..^