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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 78, 31 March 1873, Page 4

A Special correspondent of the Thames Advertiser says : — " The luncheon provided for us daily by the people of Nelson .isof a style to suit the most dainty ; and after our four miles' ride and four or five hours' shooting the caterer is not troubled with any waste." The following are the numbers of Volunteers enrolled and efficient in the two islands : — North Island, eurolled, 4038; efficient, 3584, South Island, enrolled, 2004; efficient, 1517. The Cadets in the both Islands enrolled, are — North Island, 1004; efficient, 866. South Island—enrolled, 439; efficient, 356.. The Dido cannot be the pleasantesfc of H.B.M. ships if the " Cross's" account of her is to be believed, Ifc says that in less than twelve monthsmore than one hundred men have escaped from tbe Dido, which has been described in Auckland as "a floating hell," owing to the intensely severe discipline, or tyranny, systematically practised on board that ship. A man belonging to her, and wearing several " good conduct " stripes, somewhat hesitatingly remarked " God knows, it is only too true that the Dido is a miserable vessel to sail in." Ask any seaman of the Blanche for his opinion of the Dido — or rather of her captain. The San Francisco correspondent of the Southern Gross writes as follows: — "I see that the committee on Colonial In-" dustry offer a bonus for the first 100 tons of printing paper made by machinery. This is a step in the right direction, bnt why confine this advertisement to the Colonial newspapers. If they would also advertise in the leading scientific and mechanical papers of England, Germany, and America, and also offer grants of land, &c, you might induce some men of capital in that branch of industry to ship machinery, and bring working men with him to settle in New Zealand. By that means you would not only help industries, bufc immigration afc the same time. My next and last remark in this letter is about the steel sand found on the west coast. Let a very large bonus be offered for the first 100 tons of steel manufactured in the colony, and let the same be advertised in the leading mechanical, jpapers in England, and Germany, let a few: tons of the sand be sent to agents jn each of these

countries, so that the sand could be seen and samples given to parties who wished to experiment with it. Once abletb manufacture steel cheaply in the colony, there would be no end to the industries that would spring from it, " A Feat which a few years ago would bave beon considered Utopian, and which even twelve months since would have been impossible, has been performed by the proprietors of the Daily Telegraph. On Christmas Day- tbey published 36 telegrams from all parts of -the habitable globe, conveying Christmas greetings to the people of England from the capitals of Europe, from the cities that form the chain of communication with our Eastern Empire, from China and Japan, frora the Australian Colonies, and from San Francisco on the Pacific shore, and St. John's on the Atlantic shore of the American Continent. As a hit at the numerous quack doctors in the United States, the American Agriculturist gives the following receipe for getting rich :r-" Get from the medical dispensatories, or elsewhere any simple stimulating compound or tonic, or take cheap whisky and- color it, adding any cheap stuff to give it a medical taste. , Adopt any name you choose, the more nonsensical or mysterious the better — one having an Indian or Japanese, or Turkish sound, will be all the better. Employ the j glass-blower or printer, or both, to get up fanciful bottles or boxes, or labels. Look out that the packages, contents included, do not cost over five to eight cents. Assume to yourself a name as near as that of some noted phygican as you dare go and add to the end of it M.D., F.Pv.S., D.M.D., &&, &c. Write a long story about your great age, experience, and success abroad. Invent 50 to 100 or 1000 wonderful cures wrought by your medicines, giving names in full, with residences, date, etc., but be careful not to blander into giving any real name of eny person living in the same place. These matters arranged, advertise your medicines largely. Print and scatter circulars, pamphlets, and pictures by the ton. — Result. — You will reach a multitude of weak, nervous ignorant people who are slightly ailing, or think they are. They will tske your stimulating or tonio preparations, and * feel better ' right away. They will believe they have escaped or been cured of some terrible disease (the symptoms of which you should take care to set forth vividly in your circulars). Henceforth you have not only a regular customer, but one who will sign your certificates of cure as strong as you can write tbem, and will talk up the wonderful virtues of ypur medicines to others, " What Idea in the mind of a judge is carried out by giving a prisoner two concurrent sentences? To the ordinary apprehenson it seems that it is equivalent to only passing a single sentence and declining to pass sentence at all on the j second conviction. A curious case suggesting these questions bas jnst attracted notice at Sydney. In 1865 a notorious bushranger, known as "Thunderbolt " (not the ruffian of the same name who was shot in 1870) was convicted of two cases of bushranging, and was sentenced to 15 years for "each offence. It would appear, that a very dangerous criminal was safely provided for for 30, years. Not at all. He was released eight or nine months ago, having served his period. Tha explanation is "that the sentences," says the Sydney Morning Herald, were made 'concurrent,' that is, tbey were to begin and end ou the same days Thus, then, instead of 30 years, he got off with only 15. This — by the goodconduct dodge, and by the persistentenergy of criminal and philanthropic, sympathy, as expressed in petitions to the Executive — was worked down to seven years (seven instead of 30), and John Thompson, alias 'Thunderbolt,' was let loose, again to prey upon society, on the 3rd of last July. He planned and com-7. mitted a burglary with two worthy associates, and, when nearly taken by the police, fired twice on them with his revolver. Fortunately, bis prison life had not improved him as a marksman, and he missed; but it is not his fault that he was not then a murderer. He has now received a ten years' sentence for the burglary." This, according to the same rule, Bhould be served in less than a couple of years. But this mode of dealing with these enemies of society mates bur criminal jurisprudence a farce, 'Returning to the original point, what can be the: meaning of concurrent sentences? Surely, in this case the prisoner was either unjustly sentenced to two separate punishments, or he was unjustly let, off T wifeh one. Unless' be deserved two sentences, why were two, passed? AnoL if he deserved two, why was he let off "with Bervingf one?; ' 'The ' system wanting any. special explanation mnst' be 1 taken to be a part: of the 'dangerou'siynfe of criminals which so_often surprises us in those who have to administer the criminal la.^^Ausp'ala^n^ ;'y\y y ■ / ' . '7' .- , ,ci