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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 53, 1 March 1873, Page 4

.Mr Bills, has recently landed at Dun-; edin 70 partridges*, 36 rooks, 50 starlings, 100 blackbirds and thrushes, 65 goldfinches, 135 linnets and redpoles, 100 yellow hammers, a few skylarks, two pair silver "pheasants, : two pairs golden pbeasants, two pairs ducks, a pair crusoes. An i^terestentg challenge is reported! by the Napier ' Telegraph:— -Mr J. D. Canning of Oakburne, has challenged Mr. J.-Rhodes,of Clive, to show his two rams, the fleeces; of wich where exhibited this year at Canterbury, against his (Mr. Canning's) champion ram and another, at the next Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Show, for £100, a side; The judges to be selected from out of other' provinces affd-'tfre-wdol-merits of the sheep to be tested according to the rules laid down at the Sydney Exhibition last year. The object of the challenge is that sheep breeders may, from the judgement, decide as to the most profitable cross of long-woolled sheep fcyftgenerai purposes. Mr Canning favarfeiawfiAtewold croBS, while Mr Rhodes strong ij^d^Pfev^s" in the advantages of crossing withjfrhApfeicester breed. San Francisco ( Mail Service. — The Canterbury Press says : Wehope that Government will let us know as soon as possible, through some of the many means at its disposal, what has been done at the Intercolonial Conference about postal contracts. At present the position of New Zealand is very unsatisfactory. We are committed to what is, without exception, the worst mail service ever known — so bad that even Mr Yogel, its originator, is forced to confess its lamentable inefficiency — and, unless our obligations are dissolved by consent, we are bound to it by contract for eigLt years. The sura paid by the colony for this mockery of a service is £40,000 per annum. As yet the money is almost a dead loss. For postal purposes the San Francisco line is next to useless. We could get our letters carried more cheaply, more expeditiously, and with a hundred times more punctuality by the P. and O. Company. The passengers to and from New Zealand are not numerous; nor, if they were ten times as many, could the, taxpaying public consider the pleasure or convenience to individuals of traveling by the American route a sufficient return for an outlay of £40,000. In short, the colony is in an unpleasant predicament.

Within the last few days a valatile and cheerful auctioneer was seduced from Collins-street to conduct the sale of a piece of building land at a fashionable marine township. A very short time

after the arrival of the steamer which conveyed him to the scene of action, he was expatiating on the splendour of the situation to an admiring but somewhat silent crowd. During one of his most poetic flights as to the altitude of the position, he was interrupted by a sheepish-looking lad, who said, "i*ure, it's under water in winter; wasn't it there- the circus was drownded out ? " It was do use going on. Yielding to inevitable fate, the auctioneer took down the lots he had put up, adding with playful irony, " Gentlemen, I thank you. very muchfpr. your attendance, but would suggest, upon any future occasion of the kind, the employment of the local auctioneer ! " — Australasian. Bishop Moran at Reeeton. — The following rather florid address was pre-

Ben ted to Bishop Moran by the Catholics

of Reeftou:— " To the Right Reverend Moban, D.D., Lord Bishop of and administrator of the Diocese Wellington. — The dark chain of silence ; has hung over this western coast of New Zealand for many years, and those among us who are Parents, seeing their children rapidly developing into young men and women without the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation, felt tbeir hearts grow sick

with"**hope~ deferred. We cannot meet your Lordship 03 we could wish 'mid splendour aud prosperity as becomes your Lordship's high position, as befits the Apostle of Education, but we can with hearts containing a depth of love. Love regenerated-of-sorrow forthe hapless" time in which we have longed to look upon our Bishop's countenance, and listen to the words of grace which in rich showerß fall from the lips of the anointed of the Lord. We^pray. ,your Lordship take wings of Fancy, and, ascending momentarily, conceive the joy of your devoted people when the glad tidings came of your intended visit. We see you now all crowned with gold, a central warmth diffusing bliss by your most gracious presence, glance, and smile. Your sacred ring we kiss, and bid this valley echo back the music of our welcome to the heart of those lone hills.

" Henceforth, wb'erever °'tbqu. raay't roam, : Our prayers, like flx'd stew tif light, , For th.cc aria ever day and Trnghi,, \ ~ Alike a beacon guard the home.' " t There is nothing like advertising I beard the/ otter tfay^f^^ tised f6r a '(^ife^^ii^glk^^knß^fir.''-fr6m. 1 O^lius^ndfl^^jac^ of ). whom wanted to get rid o^hw.^rltifl ha^ ifatnbng^ a Dumber he could not :ge^saitß^rl^-f '^Liti*' '