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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 218, 14 September 1871, Page 4

The Munificent Bequest of £6,000 by the late John Abbot, Esq, oLflalifax has, after ssme demur, been accepted - by the University of Oxford for the purpose of founding three " Abbot/ scholarships, which are intended by the donoiiio "assist clergymen of the Church of England in sending their sous to the University, which they could not otherwise be able to do, as well- as to assist orphans of clergymen under similar circumstances; ; An American Editx>b withdraws from his profession in the following valedictory : "The undersigned retires from the editorial chair with a complete conviction that all, is vanity. From the .hour he started his paper to the present time be has been solicited to lie upon every given subject, he can't remember having, told a wholesome truth without diminishing his subscriptton list, or. making an enemy. Under these circumstances of trial; and having a .thorough contempt for himself, he retires in order "*to recruit his moral constitution. Conviction of an American ■ Governor. — The conviction of. a Governor of one of the Stales of the American Union of stealing the public funds is thus related by the Sao Francisco.BM//ete'rcof June 16: — "Some months ago articles of impeachment were presented in the Nebraska Legislature against the Governor, David ButJer. He succeeded in staving off final action for a time, hoping, no doubt to influence a. favorable verdictl A few days ago the state Senate met, took up his case, and convicted him on, one of the many charges brought against him, viz., that of converting 17.000d0|. of public school money to his own use. The Omaha Republican enumerates his offences as follows: — * That he/converted to his own use nearly 17,000 dols. of school money, without securing the state, when he ought to have paid them into the public treasury, is now undeniable; and it is equally clear that, on the-etump, and to the Legislature, he misrepresented the facts connected with that transaction. It is also in proof that he accepted large snms of money from parties who,:_were favoured with state contracts; and there cannot be a doubt that he repeatedly bartered the influence of official position for bis own emolument.' But while the proof was clear enough that he received bribes; and did directly demand a money consideration for letting contracts^, as for instance: 5,000d015. demanded and received for letting the contract for the state university, the Senate declined to convict on this charge. Butler was known as" a clever, stump speaker and politician. He appears to have been utterly without integrity of character, and used his high: office tp ; pro- ', mote his private schemes. He is neither better 1 nor worse, " says the Bulletin, Vthan a large class of politicians who haraogue glibly .from the stump, .but are morally and financially bankrupt. When- 5 ever one of this .class is elected to office, stealing from the public treasury, or taking bribes, , is ouly a : question of time and opportunity." i , The Beefits of Protection.— "The; experiment begins to tell," -says' the J Mount Alexander Mail. "There are symptoms of sickening and nausea, even before the draught hasbeen well swallowed. The most sanguine -friend of free- trade and common sense could scarcely have desired , a more' exhilarating spectacle than the contortions of the protectionists at the first taste of the consequences! ol protection to their pockets. From all parts, letters of complaint flock into the papers that the shopkeepers are raising their prices, and that very soon a man with an ordinary income-andean ordinary famjly to spend it on,k won't b ! e: able to live in Victoria. Shoes that , used to r cost ; 10s. , a pair have gone' up to 14s. and Tss., writes one consumer. If the Treasurer -doesnot take off.balf , the duty. on. .calfskins,, says a producer, I shall be obliged to dismiss a -third -of the hands -from my establishment! ; A fetailer.: sends from" Ecbuca" to order a piece of lslotu from the importer at 6s. 6d a s .|ard: < Cant sei|d it under Bs. 6d., in consequence of the tariff*;- * telegraphs back ..the importer, , .Two Mel-, bourne tailoring 'firms ; hnve reduced the wages, of. their, 20 per cent righ toff the free!,. >anid/ in .sevfirall of (the clothing eptamisKmentl;-- I ]^' aW small; HliS unfortunate sempstresses Jbaye .been. r c_ut_ djown Id. aud 2<J. per article, making a difference pfj 2s» r or „33y per j,week,in Ib^e earnings o&tno|t|of Mj>erai-| Ana these>re only a few eximpki, culled Eastily from a single perusal of the morning's papers, of ;the--4mmediatei efFecWof the beneficent pslicy of protection upon Urn classes iii, whose interests it was inalsnoßiidi.7§ f Js* Protection r iir Austbalia.— When rogues faU ; xMitiihon«iit?m6n.!cbmQbyJtneir ,ow«i*U Hitherto the battle between the

free-traders, who merely wish to prosecute their business in quietness without any state favours, aud the protectionists, who desire tb. r make their respective trades pay by laying :their neighbours under contribution, has been falsely represented. as one between the wicked importers on the one hand and those sainted individuals , who pant to establish unprofitable native industries on the other. But thanks* to 1 Mr. Berry's; .latest financial ma.sterpeice,ii;hese amiable .creatures have been brought out in their rtrue colours; "^ We now .know what a'genuine protectionist means when he yells ijinnself hoarse-in favour of those Boeotian candidates who periodicallv'appeal to his capidity. If he spoke out honestly, •he would be forced to say? ■ " The protection I want is protection forsmy self alone. Do Dot think fpr'pne minute that I give^you my vote un dec, the impression or with theUesire that you should do evenrhanded justice to all. Far from it. Indeed, if in attempting to, afford 'equal protection to other trades you should happen to put a tax on anything which I require in the^ profitable -pTosecution of ray own, it will be a duty^l owe to myself |b" work and vote against you on the next occasion ."'' E.g. The , boot manufacturers are up kfarms because the Treasurer has agreed to]j)rotectthe tanners. They have met and protested, and foretold ruin to -their trade,and all mannerpf unpleasaut consequences, as being likely to ensue. One, gentleman" .has discharged several of his hands, and another announces his intention of closing his shop. ' And yet it would trouble them, we imagine, to give any?teiiable reasqn.why they should be accorded licence to levy black mail on the community, and the tanners be excluded from any participation in the plunder. If we must.Jbave protection at all, sorely it ought to "be as nearly as possible- all found. However fairly the distribution may be madej,some must suffer, owing to the impossibility of levying a tax on brains and some other stocks in" trade. But if tliiif "tanners wish to be folded in the deadlyembrace of Mr. Berry's tariff, by all means let them gratify their suicidical tastes without let or hindrance from the consumers of their leather. In fact, the sooner they mutually ruin each other, the sooner will they recognise the fact; that " though-hand join in hand, the peculator, by Parliamentary permission, shall not go unpunished."-: Anything more disgusting than the selfishness displayed in these squabbles it is impossible to conceive. — Australasian.