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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 140, 13 June 1872, Page 2

" New Lights." — Victoria, says ihe Australasian, appears likely to earn a notoriety of a wry unenviable nature simoug the colonies as- the birthplace of a Itrge number of spasmodic religious manifestations. Thedistrict of Cres wick especially has for a long time been troubled by the presence of some people afflicted by religious mania, who call themselves, or are called by others, " New Lights," and seem to live in expectation of some speedy forthcoming interposition of Providence and general wind up of the present regime. A curious tale was supplied to the papers the other day illustrative of the sad consequences to society that are constantly arising where a distuibiug element, such as this principle of fanaticism, exists in its midst. A respectable farmer named Boyes, living at Smeaton, fell into the snares of some of the apostles of this new faith, and was gradually stripped of his property for the benefit of the church. There would be little reason to sympathise with Boyes, who serenely bore the consequences of his blind credulity and trust in a lot of pious sharpers, but that the foolish roan had a wile and family dependent upon him, whom he was, by his conduct, reducing to a state of poverty. At length the residue of property was to be disposed ot at auction in the interests of the church, and his compassionate neighbors, aided by the good-natured auctioneer, arranged to buy the stock at low rates on behalf of ti.e wife and children of the deluded Boyes. Surely a," knock out" was never entered into with more praise-worthy motives. It is gratifying to read, although, we suppose, the act is incapable of a , legal defence, that two of the prophets who were super-

intending the transaction were very roughly used and subjected to a little mild martyrdom. The worst of the affair is that the wife is still without any protection, aud may at. any time be dispossessed of her property by the man in whom, as it seems, fanaticism has extinguished all traces of the feelings of a husband and father. In reading: of such cases as this, it would be some relief to the sentiment of impatient disgust that they occasion if it, could be believed that the spread of pouplar education would tend toward their prevention. Unfortunately, the not (infrequent occurrence of cases of a very similar character amongst persons of education se^ms to negative this expectation, and the remedy for evils of this nature is rather to be hoped from the growth in the general mind of the community of those rapidly developing principles of inquiry and belief which are radically hostile to the views and feelings in which all superstitious displays such as tbis we have noticed have their source. For remainder of news see fourth page.