THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 167, 15 July 1872, Page 2

THE WEEK.

-Or It is not often that I have to comment upon the fact of Nelson having, in any way whatever, taken the lead of the rest of New Zealand, but .surely it is quite, pardonable for the settlers in this province to indulge in an expression of the utmost satisfaction,and even. -in a .-moderate amount of self-glorification in cbnhectKb with ihe unlooked;-f6r * esultifbf^^the<receiit examinations for the, , University,,; t Scyolarßhips, ■■•;-.;•.••■ ;.. .'-. ■•-■ : .:)y,'-r:.-r>?\wjsxv\i.tfw

That an institution comprising but seventy pupils should be in a position to furnish ten out of the total number of thirtyeight competitors is, in itself, exceedingly gratifying, but when the whole of those ten are successful in obtaining honors, then, indeed, may we fairly congratulate ourselves most heartily on the success that has attended our efforts in the cause of education. But, in connection with this subject, there is yet another fact upon which, to my thinking - , not nearly sufficient emphasis has been kid. It is, that an unbroken chain of communication has, as the result of the recent competition, been established between our common schools and the highest educational institution in tbe colony. The Provincial Scholarships, which were so wisely provided for by the Council two years ago, are prizes which have been most eagerly sought for. by those attending the Government schools, and the offering them for competition has proved the means of stimulating ( tbe more studious to increased efforts in the pursuit of knowledge. One of those who successfully competed for them has eagerly availed himself of the higher class of education to be obtained at the Nelson College which was thua placed at his disposal, and the consequence is that we now find him occupying lhe proud position of second on the list of those who have distinguished themselves in tho first educational tournament in which competitors from all parts of tbe colony have entered the lists. I shall take this opportunity of offering my most sincere congratulations both to the masters who trained them, and to the youths of Nelson who have obtained such honorable positions in the great race, bur, without depreciating in the smallest degree the talents and abilities of his fellow students, I- would say, all honor to Frederick Severue,whohas, by dint of unwearying application and hard work, won his way upwards from the bottom to the topmost rung of the ladder. His brilliant success has served a double purpose. It has secured to him a well-earned reward, which he will doubtless turn to the very best advantage, but it has done more; it has proved the wisdom and fore-sight of our Provincial Councillors, in removing the barrier that stood in the way of those whose pecuniary circumstances prevented their obtaining tbafc education which alone was wanting to enable them to take a high position among their follow men. The receipt of English news per transcontinental telegraph is an occurrence well worthy of notice in a letter devoted to the events of the week. I can well remember how, some sixteen years ago, a writer in a local paper waa ridiculed for prophesying that the time would come when we should be within two months of England, but, daring as he was considered to be in his prognostications, he never dreamt of asserting that we should ever know what was taking place in London nineteen days previously, much less of hinting at the fact — as ? fact it will be in auother month or two — that the time would come when we should be in weekly communication with the* old country. But I will go further even than tbis, and venture to say that* witbin three years from <,n *- s date, the e°f telegraphic- communication will he complete, and that a thin line of wire will connect us with the metropolis of the world. I cannot refrain from repeating here one of the wildest remarks that ever reached my ears. I happened to state on Thursday last in the presence of one or two bystanders that English telegrams had been received, when one of them exclaimed : — " What, haß the San Francisco mail arrived ? " I trust that the speaker felt duly crushed and humiliated by the withering look of contempt I bestowed upon him. I put it to my readers, who, I am proud to think, are somewhat numerous, whether it was within the bounds of possibility that even under the most favorable combination of circumstances, the San Francisco mail boat could perform such an extraordinary, unheard-of feat as to arrive four 'days before its time. Of one thing I am quite sure, namely, that in that very valuable faculty known as " presence 1 of mind," the gentleman to whom I have alluded would, on the slightest emergency arising, prove lamentably deficient. While on the subject of this mail service, I should like to place before my readers an amusing paragraph which occupied a very prominent position in the London Mail of April 29 : • — "The following telegram has been received by the Agent-General .for New Zealand from the Postmaster-General of that Colony :■— c Concluded highly satis- ; factory partnership arrangement between 'Victoria and. .New Zealand, for, California^ mail service ?'" What sort of telegram would tbe Postmaster-General have to forward, to the Agent-General inow? If I had to write it, it would; with telegraphic brevity, <x 'run' something as follows :-— " Californian service" come to grief. Nothing : !,; ; - ! eyc»liiiSfißdvV-**?nt', , iritrodiic'tjfon.: J small Dox. v \i v - > * '

A terrible significance haß that word "smallpox" just now. Already are twq deaths from this loathsome disease reported from Auckland, where there is also another patient not expected to recover. At Maketu, as well, a place about 20 miles south of Tauranga, bas it shown itself iv the person of a boy who had recently gone down there from Auckland, so that there is grave reason to fear that it is gradually obtaining a hold in the colony. That it was originally introduced in the Nebraska is now placed beyond doubt, a3 the Australian telegrams state that a passenger by that ship had died from it at Melbourne, but tbe question for consideration at the present time is, not bow it came here, but how its further spread can be checked. For tbis there is but one known remedy, and that is vaccination, which is being largely resorted to in Nelson and, so far as I can learn, throughout the colony generally. The method of familiarly accosting a man by laying hold of his arm is not altogether a- safe one just now. The action is often followed by an involuntary shrinking and a doubling of the fist on the part of the person touched, which in some instances is suggestive of danger to him who touches. F. July 13, 1872. For remainder of news see fourth page.

AD Invercargill, another Chinaman has received two years for selling spurious gold. Tee Melbourne Corporation has constructed on the banks of the Yarra a bath 120 ft. by 60ft., and increasing regularly in depth from 3 ft. at one to 7ft at the other. The total cost of the work is about £1500. Mk. Geoege Augustus Sala, the well known magazine writer, novelist, essayist, and journalist, is expected to reach Adelaide shortly on a lecturing tour through the Australian Colonies. What's in a Nat* c. — The name of his Majesty the King of Siam is as follows : — Pra Bat Somdetch Prabaramain Taramaha Chulalonkorn Klae Pra Chao Pen Din Siam. — Times of India. The Auckland Provincial Treasurer was in one day enriched to the extent of about £3000 by publicans' Hcense-fee3. The Atlantic Cable Companies are taking a step in the right direction. Pending a general reduction in tbe tariffs, a one-word tariff will be introduced, thus allowing the sending of three words. The charge for each word is to be 4s. It is five years since nitro-glycerine came into use. The one thousand seven hundred persons whom it has killed or maimed for life, and the millions of property which it has destroyed, may be styled recommendations of its efficiency. The Resident Minister of the Middle Island has accepted a tender for the construction of quarantine barracks on Ripa Wand, Lyttelton Harbor. The successful tenderers are a Dunedin firm, and their tender was £603 under the lowest Canterbury tender. The Wanganui Chronicle says that Taranaki is a semi-fossilined Province which seems to sleep the greater portion of its time, and only wakes up when the Provincial Council meets; then for a short time it is wonderfully active, but like the fat boy ii Pickwick, it soon falls to sleep again, and forgets to do the work it laid out for itself during its waking moments. The Czar of Russia's income averages £5000 a day, or 365 times as much as President Grant receives. The Sultan of Turkey struggles along on £3600 per day. Louis Napoleon lost a place that paid him £2800 per day. What the pay of the Emperor William of Prussia may be is not at present known, but as King of Prussia he was paid £1642 per day. Victor Emmanuel of Italy enjoys an income of £1650, Queen Victoria about £1050 a day. The Prince of Wales receives £290 per day. An Application was recently made by Mr. G. Simmons, of Greymouth, for a lease of portion of the Coal Reserve on the WestJand side of the river. In reply to his application, he has received from the County Chairman a letter enclosing the following telegram from Mr. Reeves, Minister of Public Works in the Middle Island : — " As the Government intend soon to adopt measures which wili lead to the working of the Grey Coalfield on a large scale, they do not think it advisable to encourage prospecting with the view of leasing small areas." The schoolmaster is wanted at Graytown — the correspondent of the Heathcote Advertiser, writing under date the llth June, remarks : — " Our mayor cut a fine figure on the bench to-day, in the case of the Queen v. Kievan. The prisoner, out of the mouth of two respectable witnessess, was proved to have obtained goods and board by false representations. Not a witness was called for or on behalf of the prisoner who had been ' arrested at Learmouth. Yet what did his Worship say ? Here are his own words in the record book, ' Case dismist, heang of oppinion that Both are to Maim. The Auckland Evening Star, of the 52nd June, has the following : — " We learn, that a private letter was received to- j day by a gentleman in Auckland, stating that the Dominion of Canada has determined to send a Minister to New Zealand and Australia for the purpose of obtaining information and statistics respecting the trade and resources of the colonies, with a view to the establishment of a mail route to Europe by way of British Columbia. The Minister will be the Hon. S. L. Tilley, C. 8., Minister of Marine and Customs for the Dominion, and he will be empowered to negotiate with the respective Governments of the various colonies for the establishment of a first-class mail and passenger service when the railway bow in course of construction through Canada is completed. The Hon. Mr. Tilley writes to a relative here that the proposed service will be run in connection with the Cunard line of steamers from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and that he visits British Columbia in September next, and from thence will proceed to Australia, and onto New Zealand. The northern rail-, ■way, now being constructed through. Canada, will shorten the overland journey by at least two days, and there will be no delays caused jihrough isnow 'blockades." ;

At Mount Ida, the frost and snow put a stoppage to mining operations. Bt the collapse of the Tichborne case a distinguished officer .of the army, of high rank, is said to have lost £16,000. The Provincial Council, Hawke's Bay, was prorogued as it was opened — without a speech.