Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 91, 16 April 1872, Page 2

A Child, 19 months old, has died at Napier from the effects of poison contained in lucifer matches which it had sucked. Gas Extension is being vigorously proceeded with in Dunedin. We notice that the use of gas is becoming more general in Wellington. Auckland Goldfields. — The following are the latest quotations : — Caledonian, £20; Thames, £5 7s. ; Moanatairi. £4 ; Tokatea, £4; Bismarcks, £1 125.; Central Italy, £1 15s. New Zealand University. — At a recent meeting of the Council, applications for affiliation were received from the Auckland College and Grammar School, the Canterbury Collegiate Union, and the Nelson College, and resolutions tbat these institutions be affiliated were carried. The Oldest Freemason in the World. — The mail brings news of tbe death of Mr. Matthew Greathead, of Bichmond. The deceased was iu the 102nd year of his age having been born on the 23rd of May, 1770. He entered the Lennox Lodge, No. 123, of Freemasons iu tbe year 1797, and was a member of the lodge 75 years. He was the oldest Freemason in England, and supposed to be the oldest in the world. Electoral — Mr. John Jebson, of the Canterbury colliery, Malvern Hills, has been requested by a number of the Coleridge electors to offer himself as a candidate fer the representation of that district in the General Assembly. No previous announcement of a vacancy for the district, or cf tbe resignation of Mr. Karslake, has been made. If we remember rightly, Mr. Karslake was distinguished iu tbe House last session for his talent for silence, and for tbe care with which his hair was dressed. — Post. What Next ? — The following advertisement appeared iu the London Times: — "England to Australia in 30 days, via tbe Cape of Good Hope in au Unsinkable Skimmer of the Seas. £10,000 wanted, by a thoroughly practical and scientific sea-

man, to demonstrate the practicability of the above invention. Principals or tbeir solicitors, only treated with. Addresß ." It is to ba hoped that the advertiser got his £10,000, and that tbe practicability of his invention will soon be demonstrated to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. A cclimatisation. — The following birds recently arrived in Auckland by the Wild Duck for the Acclimatisation Society of that city : — 4 plovers, 109 redpolls, 2 house sparrows, 3 robins, 3 woodlarks, and 3 hedge sparrows — One hundred thousand ealmon ova, presented by the Duke of Northumberland to the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, arrived by the Nevada recently, but owing to their having been 100 days instead of 50 in transitu the whole of the ova had perished. — Mr. Larnacb, of DunediD, received from Victoria, by the Albion, three hares — a jack and two does. He iutends to liberate ihem on his property near Dunedin. The Alabama Question. — The New York commercial correspondent of the JVetos of ihe World writes : — That there are no grave apprehensions in commercial and financial circles regarding serious disturbance in the Gold and Exchange market 2 , growing out of the Alabama question, may be gathered from the steady ruling of rales. The advance in gold apparently had no other basis than sensational reports touchiug improbable consequences of the present hitch in the negotiations between the United States and British Governments ; it has had very little effect on trade, except for tbe time being to bring buyers aud sellers of some kinds of imported commodities and exportable products nearer together. The Aust kalian Mail Subsidy. — The advocates of the Australian line subsidy have made common eause ia Congress with the friends of the Cbin a steamship semimonthly service, with a very fair prospect of success. In consequence of the importance of maintaining our commerce with Australia, subsequently to the opening of the Suez route, the necessity of granting a subsidy to the Australian line is selfevident, The bill, therefore, for that purpose will undoubtedly pass. Senator Cole's bill also increasing the service of the China Steamship Company to twice a month will meet no obstacle. The best sign of this is that the House Committee on Commerce have agreed, by a vote of seven against two, on recommending the appropriation for that purpose. If these two measures be carried out tbe benefits that will accrue to our city cannot be over estimated. If, for instance, we suppose that tea and coffee be placed on the free lißt, the trade in tea alone will be almost wholly concentrated in this route. The only thing that remains to make our commerce very prosperous is for the Union Pacific Railroad to obviate all blockades. — Alia California. A Nice Lot. — It will be remembered that two incipient bushrangers were recently arrested at Wellington through the instrumentality of a Maori who had been iuvited to join them in their rascally uuderlakiug. With reference to this matter the Post of Saturday says : — Karaitiana Te Puna, the principal witness yesterday against Alfred Knocks, was, this morning, charged in the Magistrate's Court, with having, two years ago, murdered a man named " Bob," and was remanded for a week. This is a remarkable, instance of honest men benefitting by the quarrels of rogues. The rumpus in the nest at Otaki resulted in the highway robbery and murder scheme being " blown upon," and the committal of one of the blackguards. He is no sooner in gaol than he volunteers tbe intormation tbat Karaitiana murdered poor "Bob" — whoever he was — in January, 1870, and, in consequence, the committal of the innocentlookiDg Maori seems probable. After having recovered from surprise at his arrest and remand, tbis Maori sends in amusing haste for the interpreter, saying he has another horrible tale to disclose. He could " split" on Knocks, but he cannot stand such ingratitude as is shown by Knocks "peaching" on him. And so between them we hope the police will be able to root out a nest of villains. A Steam-whistle, 18in. diameter, supplied by a boiler with steam of 601b. per square inch has recently been constructed for tbe lighthouse department of the^ United States. It can be heard afc a distance of five miles. The Pall Mall's Boon correspondent tells an admirable story of a German general who, on inspecting his troops not long ago, addressed them thus : — '' Now, my childten, we can once more get seriously to work. The pastime of war is at an eud, and drill must go on regularly as heretofore."