Untitled

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1596, 31 December 1885, Page 2

) Small boys who ke«p pet rabbits will probably be surprised to learn that they are committing an illegal ict, as one of the results of last session's legislation od the rabbit question was to absolutely prohibit keeping live rabbits under any circumstances, it having been found thai tame rabbits were frequently allowed toescape. The first news to hand ref arding ths long silent Wanganui Prospecting Com* pany's prospectors comes from the Waikato Times. Id its issue of the 19th is the following item from an Alexandra correspondent : — The Wanganui peopl* have been the first to take ad ran tag* ef the natives 1 permission to prospect the King Country for gold. A well equip* ped party left Kihikihi on Monday last, consisting of two prospectors and firs natives, taking with them five pack horseß loaded with provisions, &c. Mr Barry, the Thames prospector, is at Ts> Awamatn, and is also desirous of forming another prospecting party. Alexandra will «lso soon have a party out, so it is to be hoped the question, of gold or no gold will soon be settled. The Otago Daily Times layg : -Tbs> more Sir Julius Vogel's proposal! are examined, the more evident does it . be-t.-ome that all the other lines are so many ' bribe? to' the rest of the colony to get the East and West Coast and Nelsosi railway. The Minister of Public Work* stated last session upon the authority of the department that if this line wers> constructed by the Government it weuld with the accumulation of iutereet duringthe course of construction, coat over. four mi llions sterling, so that the real of the colony will have to divide tha> - fragments that remain of the loans. ' ' Iti a quiet unostentatious manner tbs . Kev Father M'Vanus is setting an excellent example to his fellow- clergymen in the district in Hie matter of imparting religious instruction to the youth of his congregation at Foxton. As often as 3 he can— once a week, when possible— • the rev. gentleman visits Foxton, when the children assemble at the church, and are given two hours' instruction. Thin is an example that might with v*ry great profit be followed by. others who prats very giblv about the godless character of the present system, bat de very little indeed towards obviating the evil of which they complain. FoxtOQ . paper. Since efforts were first made torn* time ago to secure a supply of Japanese) labor for Hawaii, the number of applicants for permission to emigrate to that island from Japan amount to no less ■ than 30,000. A scheme for making Rome a aeaport town by means of a ship canal haa be*a recently brought before the public by an Italian engineer, Mr Gabuai, who, dur« ing the construction of the Suez Canal, was engaged under M. de Lessep*. Thit proposal is considered by competent authorities to be perfectly feasible. The canal, which would be 25 kilometres (25£ miles) long, would be made fromnear the Church of Paul to the §ea^ Its width at bottom is proposed lobe 22? millimetres (72 feet), and witb a depth of water of eight millimetres (26festj} k so that it would be navigable for ships of war and merchant- vessels of lar*s>' ' tonnage, which would be able to discharge their cargoes at the gates of the city. The cost of this undertaking ii ' estimated at 135,262,000f. (£7,410,480 sterling,). A London paper sayi :— " Most pso- t pi* will he glad to hear that the poliosof Paris have nt length made up thnir mind* to take advantage of exist ins; legislation to put a stop to the mutilation of song-biro's and especially to thebarbarous maiming of those eliaf-finche* which are trained to take part jn the* combats de pinsons. These combats' are held every Sunday from April to the* end of June, and are nothing niore thaisT singing competitions for which specially, prepared chaffinches are (entered. It S» not the combat but the mode of prepaMrt?oi> that is cruel. A blind bird sings* more steadily than an nnntaimed one*. possibly because it is less liable to bV«s ' its attention distraered ; and each cosfe* peting chaffinch is, therefore, bfrodvdl by the application of a hot wire ; no.£,]M it be understood, in order that its- i*»creased propensity to sing may o*aee> pleasure to its owner, but in ordeo- that the amiable Antole who is intaresfceoVui' the bird may with some confident* bet that the poor little champion wiJl! go through its song 40 or 60 tHaes-wiahin. % given period." It is stated that " Robin Hood, 1 * ft* well-known •' oonsultationigt," has sK ready sold his hatrdresittng and tobacco-* nist Astabhshment in Chriatofcurch, and] is at once going over to Sydney to carry on tho business which the recent amendment of the Gaming and Lotteries Act has prevented his continuing iu this colony. A peculiar custom in the Capo Verd* Islands ia noted by a recent visitor. Her hostess was smoking a cigarette, whea suddenly shew drew it from her lips sod offered it to him. Though somewhat ■ aUrtledj he accepted it with the best ; grace that he could command, aad<ba •' • subsequent inquiry found that it was eon si d bred among the islanders one «f the greatest compliments a lady cosli • pay to a gentleman.