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Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 396, 30 September 1884, Page 5

The ' New Zealand Times ' advocates the petition of Captain Kaymond, signed by Otago and Southland settlers, in reference to the rabbit nuisance. It says :' We should be pleased to hear that the petition of the Otago and Southland settlers had met with a favorable reception, but it would be a sad satisfaction, apart from that, portion of the subject, to learn that the Government . had taken steps to. push the use of this remedy through all the districts troubled by rabbits, and that it was being extensively employed on Crown land as well as on private estate. But of this we feel sure, namely, that until.! the Colony fully realises the extent of the evil, and commits itself to a large expendi-' tare, the rabbit plague will never be got .ridpf." . ■ There is likely (says the 'Mail') to be considerably less land in the Ashburton district under grain this season. ;On the other hand, an unusual quantity 'of grass seed has. been put in, many of the merchants being quite cleaned out^of that article. Apparently, farmers intend to*go into sheep breeding on : a more extensive scale than hitherto, in the hope of the frozen meat trade greatly expanding, and thus creating a better demand for sheep than scorns probable m the case of wheat. ■ ' ' j In moving the second reading of the. Licensing Amendment Bill Mr Steward [said that the present system of annual elections cost the country a large sum. There, was nicr less than 354 licensing committees 'in tl^e Colony, while the expenditure on elections in 1882 had been L 6.459. We're those elections to be triennial, something like L 14,000 would be saved every two. years, by the taxpayers. The cost of 120 elections had been a little under L 5 each, while that of three elections on the West Coast had been of.no less than LI 20 each. ; Mr Whyte's Bill now before the' House amends the Town Districts . Act as . regards the majority required before loans can b,e raised ; the retirement of a majority of the Board at the end of the second year ; also, as regards the liability of Town Districts as to County rates. . The majority now required to authorise a loan is three-fifths of the entire roll. This is found to be simply impossible in some cases. For instance, at Cambridge 177 voted for a certain loan and 10 against it, and yet it could not be authorised. Mjr Whyte proposes that the, majority shall be of those polled, but that it should bo a great one— say, two or three .to one, • ■■ j Two cardinals recently superintended ;a minute inventory of the contests of the Vaticum from its artistic, and literary tresrirca down' to the most trivial articles. , The origin, position, value, of every .objeot wefe set down, and an inventory was signed with all the legal formalities, A copy was handed to each of the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, and even to the ambassadors accredited to the King of Italy, including those powers not having relations with the Vatican. Such a step, it is claimed, is indisputable proof of the Pope having contemplated the possibility of quitting Rome. A strange phenomenon -is reported from .America. A young lady of Philadelphia, named Morgan, lias, it is said, golden curls reaching to her vvaist.and skin as black as ebony Until within a short time she was noted for her beauty, and moved in the best p^pcles fif s.qcie|:y. ft'was finally discovered tfyat %. some time she tyi'd bgen an." habitual araenio eater. 'Steps' wore.' taken to overcome the un.natural habit, shortly a.ffcer whioh she became SQraousiy ill, and for a long time her life was despaired of. Upon her recovery a remarkable change was noticed in her complexion. Dark yellow spots began to show themselves on her face. These rapidly extended and grew darker, vrati,l she was as black as an Ethiopian,-' The young lady is otherwise in good health, but - is, however, .mprbidly sensitive, and has insolated herself from the world, refusing even to see her most (ntimate -friends,' '' , '"' ' •'.■••-