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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 36, 11 February 1871, Page 2

The Echo says : — Otago has as yet only returned one member pledged to the scheme of the Fox and Yogel Ministry, tbat is Mr. Haughton, and he got in by a narrow majority. Besides, no one knows how Mr. Haughton may yet vote. Messrs. Reynolds, Bathgate, Cantrell, M'Lean, and Calder, are all opposed to the scheme in its present shape, and we have Dot the slightest doubt but that a large majority, at all events, of the Otago members, will go up pledged, if that means much, to demand a modification of the scheme more favorable to the Middle Island. Paris is not yet taken, but the pen with which Count Bismarck is to sign the treaty of peace, is already prepared. Herr Bissenger, of Pforzheim, has manufactured out of massive gold an imitation of an ordinary goose quill. The quill itself is polished, in order that it may be moreV conveniently handled,, but the feathei* closely resembles a real quill, every fibre being represented, while the back of the feather is thickly studdied with brilliants, and below them the count's monogram is engraved. Besides tho engraver and maker, two goldsmiths were engaged on it for five weeks. The gold employed is of eighteen carats, and tbat part in which the brilliants are set is of twenty-one carats. The steam power employed by America is equal to 130,000,000 of men, but that of Great Britain is superior, being equal to 400,000,000 of men. Trying- to do business without advertising (says an American paper) is like winking iv the dark ; fou may know that you are keeping up a powerful winking, but nobody else has any idea of it. Why will the Parisians, when theseige is over, be tho most intelligent people in the world ? Because all the asses in Paris will have been eaten. Tivo Sides op the Question. — Nurse : I canuot allow butter and jam, too, on your bread, Master Alfred. It is very extravagant. — Master Alfred ; it can't be extravagant, Mary, if the same piece of bread does lor bott.

The other day, in Paris, a lady returned from a promenade at dinner-time to her house. She went into tlie kitchen to see if everything was all rij>ht theie, find, as the inspection did not have the wishedfor result, she sent Justine, her servant girl, to huy some more provisions. Suddenly the door-bell was rung, and when the lady opened -the door a man rushed iv, and menacingly brandished a knife, uttering the words, ''Your plate or your life!" Perfectly dumb-foundered, the frightened lady pointed to a large clothespress standing in the kitchen. Perhaps her only intention was to «am time, for the plate was not thero at all. Tho robber hasleued to the clothes-press any opened it ; but to his terror, aud to tire great surprise of the lady, there stepped from it a tall grenadier, who disarmed the robber, and took him to the station-house, previously saying to the lady, "Excuse me, madame — I was waiting here for Ju stipe."

The Echo dv Nord gives the following account by an eye witness of the fighting near Amiens:-— "On Saturday evening the right of our small army was established at Boves and Dury, our left leaning on Villers-Bretonneux. Considerable masses of the enemy were in front of us, but positions were unfavorable as we were impeded by the river Somme. On the tight of Saturday to Sunday, the engineers of the left wing were ordered to construct the earthworks in front of Villers for batteries to be established there. I accompanied Captain A , who started for that purpose with his men. The works were built at a short distance from a mill and a brick6eld, which I mention on account of the share they afterwards had in the issue of the affair. Our artillery were placed iv positiou and opened firo at dawn. The enemy's guns had already been thundering for some time. Our skirmishers afc once deployed, supported by a battalion of Mj.* rine Infantry, which during the whole day showed great firmness, and a courage above all praise. Most of the skirmishers were Mobiles. They behaved bravely, did not once break out of their I line, advanced or withdrew, according as the necessity of the fight demanded, just as would have been done by experienced troops. The fight lasted thus till ths evening. At 4 p.m. the enemy were repulsed, and we had gained ground. Our artillery, handled with the utmost bravery and skill, had caused considerable injury in the ranks of the enemy, who, attacked on all sides by our projectiles, in spite of numerical inferiority of our batteries, had been compelled to withdraw. At half-past 4 all fire had ceased, the skirmishers had reformed, each preparing for departure, and congratulating himself on an incontestable victory which had beeu obtained without much' loss. We only waited for orders from Head-Quarters to go and find food and rest, which we needed extremely, Suddenly an orderly came up at full speed, and having exchanged a few words with an artillery officer, galloped off. whereupon the artillery immediately left its positions. Not receiving any orders, we determined to follow the artillery. Captain A and his men proceeded down the road, aud I accompanied thera. A party of ten engineer pioneers was detached to go and fetch the tools which had been deposited in the morning at the above-mentioned mill, some 300 paces from the road, which mill had been during the day used as a refreshment place for our soldiers, who had only just left it. We waited for a quarter of an hour. Nobody was to be seen ; the party of pioneers not returning, Captain A , growing impatient, pushed on to the house. At the -same moment a wounded sergeant came out of it, sboutiug, ' Do not go in ; it is full of enemies.' He had hardly spoken, when a tremendous firing was opened from the inside of the mill, of the bricklayer's house, and from the adjacent hedges. Captain A , miraculously preserved, ordered a quick retreat, which was effected under a shower of bullets. Darkness soon saved us from complete destruction. We ran at the double towards Villers-Bretonneux, which we reached sadly decimated. At the extremity of the high street of Villers, we saw a black, motionless mass, above which a white flag was waved. An incredible thing ! There again were Prussians in occupation of the positions in the rear which we had just left, and where our reserves ought to have been. Well knowing what the Prussians were capable of, Capt. A— — ordered us to enter a bystreet. It was high time we did so, as we had hardly turned the corner when a volley swept the street. At the extremity of the street we had entered, another black mass was seen approaching. They were the Prussians again. We made another move to the left, and found another street obstructed. We were surrounded. What were t Je to do ? Surrender ? Never. We cfljrekly agreed to try each of us to eaflMWc as best we could. With Captain.iS?— -|& lieuteuant, a sergeant, and one pioneer, I entered a small house. . We . hid ourselves in a kind of dark granaray. An old woman came aud ordered us to be off. ' I am old and lonely,' she said, you will cause me to be murdered. Be off ! or I will denounce you.' We were indignant. We heard the Prussians as they passed and repassed along the street, howling, firing in all directions, and breaking open doors. We preferred to stay where we were. We had at least a chance of escape. The old woman did not denounce us. After some hours of anxiety she brought blouses and caps, fa? which •we paid 40 f; and protected by darkness •we left the house. Wo succeeded in reaching Albert in spite of dangers of all kinds. Here we are now ready again to encounter the enemy." From the foregoing, the Echo says, we may conclude that we were out-flanked, and that the Prussians must have received considerable reinforcements at the last moment. A

wounded German officer told us that the enemy's plan was to reach Lille and Dunkirk, and to occupy the north with a view to check the operations of the 22nd Army porps .