MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 235, 5 September 1873, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Nice Old Man.—lt is recorded that one nice old Native, a chieftain of Rakiraki, kept a register of his own consumption of prisoners, by means'ofa row of stones, which, when reckoned up after the old gentleman's demise, amounted to 872; and yet these Maoris were a healthy race enough when civilisation looked them up. If they bred in-and-in, they also fed in-and-in.

Clerical Presumption. Coal-mine overlooker (to Curate),—" I can assure you,-sir, lhat these 'ere colliers,^ow they're m full work, can make, their ten an' twelve shillin'a day!" Curate—"Dear me ! Ah ! it's actually more rthan I get! " Overlooker - " More than .you get! Why it's more than I get!"—' Punch.'. On, the Blue Spur mining operations continue in their usual style-.. All the claims are in full work, with plenty of water; The iron piping from which so much was expected has turned out so far a complete failure. Instead of carrying 1,000 inches of water, as intended, something like 400 inches could only be got through. A most serious mistake, no "doubt originating. from a miscalculation of the pressure. However, steps have been taken to remedy the evil by ordering a fresh supply of larger pipes, from which better results are expected.—'Tuapeka Times.' ; Did you, ever see a mad Chinaman? There are six of them in the Lunatic Asylum, who are said to. be mad. Now there, if you will- are cases for the Hon. Captain Eraser. How does any one know that they are mad? Who made the medical examination? It is no joke to talk to a- Chinaman at any time, even through ?ft 'the. medium of an interpreter, but to question him as to his madness I regard as nearly impossible. As for their own doctors or interpreters, pronouncing them mad, that I look upon as sheer nonsense. Any one who was in Victoria ten years ago will bear me out in this. Chinamen, as a rule, are peaceful industrious fellows, who will work ground on which Europeans would starve, and whose pertinacity in growing cabbages amongst paving stones by the aid of liquid manure is beyond praise, as is indeed their ingenuity in robbing hen roosts and cleaning out puddling machines, but as for their going mad Ido not believe it. It is just a piece of what was the custom of Bendigo in the happy old days. If a robbery were committed and a Chinaman were suspected,, the Chinese policemen went into the camp brought up a Chinaman and a number of witnesses who swore the thing home at one. As the accused could never speak English, and his only mode of communication was the interpreter, it followed that the people in Court were quite ignorant, whether he admitted his guilt or protested his innocence. Knowing, too, that Chinamen will swear that there is no hole in a ladder, or will swear one right through an iron pot, I am doubtful of the resulfc°of any legal process in which they are concerned. That is one idiosyncrasy about them. Another is;that you can never tell t'other from which. There is but one Chinaman whom I should undertake to recognise again. Two fellows caught him cleaning out a puddling machine in California Gully, Bendigo, in 1863. As usual in such cases they were countrymen <sf mine, Germans. As they put it themselves in evidence at the Police Court the that is they operated on hi s head and face for next day "they chastised him wid a hoe," ten minutes with a thing weighing about 14 lbs. I could swear to him wherever I met him.—Correspondent to the 'Guardian.' Exposition of scripture was formerly much more in vogue than at present, especially in Scotland, and gave frequent occasion for the display of wit. '-One divine, commenting on Peter's boast to our Lord. " Lo, we have/left all and followed thee," said "A puir all, Peter, to mak' a boastof! —a bit of a boat and a few auld nets!"

The late Rains at Dunedin.—As might have been expected, after the unusually heavy rains of Wednesday, the low-lying lands about St. Kilda and Kensington.have suffered very severely through flooding. On awakening yesterday morning, the residents supposed their houses to be surrounded with snow, but on looking from the windows at once discovered they were in the midst of a sea of water, which covered many acres; Some of the houses were in but a few inches; others, in the more low-lying ground, were in as many feet. Fully a hundred acres were under water, and the houses, cut off from each other, presented a very curious appearance. But if it was a source of inconvenience to the occupiers of the houses, it was by no means so to the youngsters, who found deligbt in 1 the state., of affairs. Heedless of the cautions of their parents, they embarked in'- tubs and on planks, and sailed in high glee " upon the'briny deep." In some places where the trenches were, the water was as much as seven feet deep; in others it was three or four. Through the. whole of yesterday the members of the various

households were in a state of blockade, and the heads of families could their way to town after having waded a considerable distance up to their knees. Last evening the water had fallen but a very few inches ;■ and St. Kilda and the immediate vicinity of the gasworks promise to be under water for some days. It is said to be twelve years since such a very heavy fall of rain has occurred in Dunedin.—' Guardian.' Parliamentary Papers.—We have to acknowledge the receipt of a number of printed papers, and copies of Hansard,from the Government printer. , The preafc financial debate -was virtually settled last week.by the Government earring their resolution for a uniform rala of lOpercent. against Mr. Johnston's amendment for 7i per cent. The ad valorem syslem has been almost universally ceded in spite of the past outcry against it; but still had not Mr Vofel taken .the firm st;»nd he did last week, it is hard to say to what extent the tinkering process might have been carried, for the Opposition are now in the position of a company j of free lances, as like Hal o' the "Wynd, every man fights for his own hand, and though, from want of organisation, are powerless for much positive evil, still are capable of doing a deal of mischief, and, at all events, cause the | loss of an infinity of valuable time. Mr Fitzherbert's speech, though it reads well and had some good points in it, Avas nevertheless a most dreary production, having taken upwards of four hours in delivery, owing to the needless length, with, which, he elaborates N every paltry little point, but still it is felt that, in the matter of provincial borrowing lie and those who think with him have the best of the argument, and that the Premier is taking a retrograde step which he will be ultimately obliged to abandon. It is much to be regretted, that owing in a great measure .to the Premier's late state of health, and the aihount of business thrust on his shoulders, that he has allowed: a number of crude indigested to be brought down to the House, but it i 3 a matter of congratulation that- he has Ha.d the pluck and good sense to withdraw them, and not insist on -cramming them down the throats of the House, right or wrong, as many other men. in as strong a position as he is in, might well be tempted to do. Notic ■ has been given that the Electoral -Bills have been withdrawn, and judging from the tone of the ' Independent' last week, the Education Bill will be similarly served, its untimely end being regretted by none, as it seems to be mere waste of time to discuss the merits of a Bill which not a single one out of the whole of the proviuces was ever likely to adopt.—Wellington correspondent of the 'Guardian.' .... •

No one who has the slightest knowledge of the abuses ;of our licensing benches, and is free _ from ulterior motives, will advocate th e continuance of things as tbey are. We are inclined _to think too much stress is laid upon prohibitory laws as a means of curing drunkenness ; and that too little attention has been given to amusements conducted by and connected with public houses. - The multiplication, of hotels under our present system is an evil, for it reduces the chance of all being well conducted. The higher, class houses, through profits being interfered with by temptations unscrupulously, presented to frequent less reputable establishments, are compelled, in self-defence, to wink at or sanction proceedings that would not otherwise be allowed. It is therefore equally the interest of respectable licensed victuallers to advocate a reform, as it is that of the. public to demand it. Experience proves that Justices of the Peace are not the parties to decide upon licenses to be granted ; and that it should be remitted to persons not likely to be swayed in their judgments by merchants and dealers anxious to sell their liquor to the occupant of a newlyerected housp. If the Maine Liquor Law has failed to .check drunkenness, society is no worse than it was before it was passed. Drunkenness was indulged in before it became law, and, so fir. as the vice .is concerned, we do not see that it matters to the drunkard ind'vidually, or to eociety, whether he indulged in a public-house, a friend's hous3, or his own. Notwithstanding the maudlin sentimentalism talked and written about it, we believe^ the last preferable. The probability is thatnie would be drunk half-a-dozen times at a public-house to once at home. If, therefore, the Maine Liquor Law is a failure, things are no worse than they were. It only proves that people in the State of Maine drink now as hard as they did before. But we are inclined to believe they are better than they wouldJiave been, because it is impossible to move forcibly in a right direction without carrying some-portion of the masses with you. —«' Star.'