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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 413, 22 February 1877, Page 3

Instrumental music was introduced for the first time in the Lawrence Presbyterian congregation on Sunday, the 28th ult. Monsteb Oednance. —The gunß are growing bigger and bigger at an alarming rate. Last month, I told you that in consequence of the successful performance of i;he 100-ton gun at Spezia, out own Government purposed constructing one of 100 tons. Now the projected monster has further swollen in size to 200 tons, and its proposed dimensions are : —Total length, 50 feet; length of bore, 44 feet; diameter, 21 inches. This popgun will be charged with 9501bs of gunpowder, and a shot weighing 6000 lbs., or 2 tons 13£ cwt., and 5 feet in length. It ia believed the gun will be capable of throwing this shot, or one not much smaller, a distance of 12 miles, or three miles farther than the Italian gun can throw a 1-ton shot. It could thus bombard the extreme west end of London from the ?>utts at "Woolwich. A monster like this, however, cannot be built in a day; and even if its construction should be at once proceeded with, it could not bo ready for testing before the beginning of 1879. There is something grimly ludicrous in this perpetual making of cannon larger and larger, until their very report has been known to smash half the windowß in the neighborhood of the firing point, besides bursting in not a few doors.—' Daily Times' correspondent.

The negotiations between our Government and that of Sydney and the Pacific Mail Company have been concluded on the following basis:—The company agreed to accept a total subsidy of £72,500, of which Sydney pays £40,000 (contingent on the ratification by Parliament of the new contract) and the New Zealand Government £32,500. The steamers are to call at Auckland, and optionally with the company at Honolulu, but not at Fiji. By this route the New Zealand mails will be delivered about two days earlier than under the former contract. They are to be distributed from and taken to Auckland at the expense of our Government. The services is to commence immedeatly, and no more of the company's steamers will come down the coast.