Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 72, 26 March 1870, Page 2

The Canterbury Provincial Council is about to be dissolved. Mr. Pratt, whose premises were destroyed in the late fire at Christchurch, has lost £1000 by omitting to renew his policy which expired on the day previous to that on which the fire took place. Canterbury has shipped this year over 4000 bales of flax ; she is clso sending to England about 100,000 bushels of wheat. It is believed that altogether the province will have some 800,000 bushels of this grain for export, for whicli the farmers are beginning to fear they will experience some difficulty iu finding a remunerative market. A Disastrous fire occurred at the Wairarapa last week resulting in the destruction of a large quantity of grain and hay, together with a large block of buildings which were erected some time back at the cost of £3000. Manuka — A conti ibutor of turf notes, in the Argus of March 8, says : — There is also in this (St. Kilda Park) stable that much fancied son of the Peer, Manuka, from whom so much was expected last year, but who, unfortunately, went amiss in his training just before the Cup. Ile has been very neatly fired by Jack Ewart, whose nerve >s unequalled in operations of this description.. Manuka is now four years old, and has grown into a magnificent horse. . He looks as handsome and as great a tower of strength as Panic, when he ran second for the Cup iu Tory boy's year. In the Government Gazette, of 23 vd inst., is a circular letter from Earl Granville, stating that the Queen hasbeen pleased to approve of the retention by the mem ners of the late Ministry, of the titie of "Honorable." Earl Granville says: — ''lu conveying her Majesty's decision, I have much pleasure in placing on record my appreciation of the services re ude red to the colony by Mr. Stafford, during a loug and distinguished political career; aud, by Mr. Fiizherbert, in the able and judicious conduct of liis recent uegociatious with the Government of this country, respecting the adjustment of the Imperial and Colonial claims arising out of the war in New Zealand.

The Grey Argus expresses itself thus freely, on the management of the colony by the present Ministry: — "Of the effectiveness of our field force we can say no more than that since the present Ministry came into office it has done nothing but aUow Te Kooti to slip through its fingers at every poiut. The Fox Government has , failed thoroughly and completely, and the peualty of those who obtain office under false pretences awaits it. Already murmurs nre arising throughout the Colony, and it is a significant fact tbat those journals that have hitherto loyally supported the Ministry, are the strongest, in denouncing its failure. But what n sad thing it is that the fortunes of the Colony are thus sacrificed to the intrigues iv.al exigences of political party warfare. The Stafford Ministry were sincere in their intentions to subdue tlie Native insurrection, and experience has proved that they adopted the only possible policy. Most probably they would long ngo have settled Te Kooti, and checked any further spn ad of rebellion, but the Assembly was unpatriotic enough to withdraw its support and give it to a .Ministry whose actions were influenced by the only motive of getting into office. But the day of reckoning is at hand, and ■\ve venture to predict that it will aho be a day of retribution." A Wizard at Large.— The other day, a pleasant-looking gentleman, of somewhat foreign appearance and accent cf speech, entered a tobacconist's shop in one of the market-towns of South Durham and re quested that he might be supplied mith a good cigar. The article having boen furnished him, ho prodcccdcd to apply it to his nose with the air of a coi..?ioisseur, and then to protest that its flavor was most peculiar, not to say offensive. The worthy tradesman declared that the cigar was 'm excellent one ; his visitor as stoutly maintained that it was not, and that he was so couvinc d of the fact that he was at once determined to try what the cigar was really made of. Taking a pen-knife from his pocket, therefore he began to cut the " weed " in two, and he had no sooner commenced to do so than a quantity of feathers dropped from the ciga;-. The tobacconist looked astonished ; his customer looked triumphant, and went on cutting. The more he cut the faster the feathers flew, until the whole ci^-ar had been whittled away, and the shop looked more like an upholsterer's than a tobacconist's. Having given- this ocular and practical proof that he had nor remarked ihe peculiar flavor of the cigar without reason, the foreign gentlemau look his departure, leaving the shopkeeper utterlj- bewildered, and the possessor of a quantity of feathers enough to stuff any ordinary cushion. Of course these things were talked about, and it was not long before the discovery was mr.de that Signor Bosco, tho renowned wizard, was staying in town, and that he had been amusiug himself by the performance of a few of those feats that have so frequently astonished and delighted audiences iu all parts of the kingdom." — Sunderland Times.