THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 161, 5 July 1873, Page 2

THE WEE K.

What a wealthy, flourishing community this would bo if prosperity depended merely upon excellence of climate. After such a week as that we have just experienced, onr purses' would be fairly bursting ; but as it is, if sny change is observable in them it is that of depletion | rather than repletion. Still,T should not wonder if there were lo be found residents | in cold, sleety Dunedin, windy Christchurch, or blowy, rainy Wellington, who, ! if if were possible to make tbe exchange, would willingly lay out a portion of tbeir incomes in the purchase of such weather as wo have enjoyed of late. It is a pity that bright sunshine, and a pure, healthy atmosphere, were not a rrarketable commodity. What -an immense amount of capital we should have at our disposal for investment. But even it wore so, lam not at ali sure that we should find a majority of the public, each of whom has a share in the magnificent property, prepared to barter it away for mere filthy lucre ; that is to say, if in addition to our neighbors' money we had to take their weather in the place of our own. Very likely we should grumble then just as much ae we do now. That was a case of no slight importance that was decided by the railway assessors on Thursday last. A question cropped up that will bave to be decided some day, so the sooner it is settled the better, namely, whether in taking land for railway purposes, ihe Government are, in the remuneration they make for it, to take into consideration the damage that may at some future date be occasioned to the remainder of the property by embankments damming up the water, or by faulty drainage. In this particular case, it appears, there was no evidence to prove that these evils were likely to arise, but no doubt there will be instances in which it can be proved beyond doubt thatsuch consequences will follow the construction of railway works. Is the owner of the land to re^ ceive compensation at once for all such possibJe damage, or is he to wait until it actually occurs and then to sue the Government in the Supreme* Court ? This is a nice little point which will certainly one of these days force itself upon the attention of both lawyers and legislators. As for tbe clause relating to costs, that should be amended without any unnecessary delay. In one portion of it the wording is most ambiguous, in another tbe provision is as unfair as it possibly cau be. In the former part of the clause it is laid down that "If the amount awarded be not greater than the amount offered, the owners or persons claiming compensation shall not be entitled to any costs of the inquiry." This would seem to .imply that, under the circumstances stated, he is not to receive his own costs, but at the same time is not to be compelled to pay those of the other side. Further on it' is provided that if the amount awarded is less by one.sixth than that claimed, the appellant is to pay the costs of both sides. If this bo the correct interpretation it stands thus;—lf Mr White had been merely awarded the amount offered by Mr Brunner he would have had • to 'pay his own costs only, but as he was awarded £15 more than that sum, he haa to pay the costs of both sides. And the same would have been the case had he .obtained a judgment for £270 in the place of the £120 offered by the Government, £270 being less by one-sixth than £327 which was the amount claimed, notwithstanding that the Government had been shown to have offered"£lso Ipss than the real value of the property. The clause in question must have beeu passed through Committee at an early hour of the morning when members were very very sleepy. Some facts are stranger than fiction, at least so I have been told more than once, and really lam beginning to believe that there is some truth in the assertion. Here is a fact that, had it been narrated in a romance no one would have believed. Six months ago, a harmless lunatic was sent up to Nelson, and placed under the care of a private individual. In a few days he,made his escape from the house, and was entirely lost sight of. Those wbo were acquainted with the circumstances probably had long ere this given him up as dead, but on Thursday last he was found at Stoke. How, in the meantime, haß he contrived to exist ? Some three or four months ago a tale was told of a wild man having been seen on the . Wakapuaka ranges The constables and a small party of men were sent out in search, but no ono was seen, nor were any traces found of him. Still however, those who bad gardens in the district had to lament the nightly disappearance of carrots and other vegetables. Latterly, that is to say, ior the last five or six weeks, the slaughter-houses at Stoke were found to have been constantly visited and some of the contents extracted therefrom, but notwithstanding much watching the thief could never be discovered. On Thursday, the unhappy individual wbo had so long ago made his escape was found in a deserted cottage at Stoke, in possession of a large quantity of beef, comprising the coarsest part of the flesh of a bullock. The supposition is that for a long time this man had been living on garden produce in Suburban North, and then, finding perhaps that a vegetable diet was not suited to his constitution, had changed hia quarters, and taken up his abode in a neighborhood where meat was plentiful. Was it natural instinct that led him to the slaughter-houses, and was it that there was an under stratum of consciousness that he would probably be detected did he visit them in the daytime which led him to go forth on his predatory expeditions only at night ? Mad, he certainly is, and it would be interesting to know what induced him to seek his food at such, times only as those when he was least likely to be discovered. Culinary operations do not appear to have had any attraction for him,

and it is said that his whole person was saturated with the odour of raw meat to such an extent as to7rendcr it almost impossible for any perison to remain in the same room with him. But the strangest part of the story is that lie should have contrived to remain undiscovered within a {aw milea of Nelson for nearly six months. For fathers of large families, Blenhiem, I should think, must be one of the cheapest places in which to reside in the whole world. Bread forma nn important item in the articles of homo consumption in those houses where olive branches abound-and olive branches bave contracted a bad habit of growing very extensively in New Zealaud — aud iu Blenheim the bakers actually give bread away foe nothing. There is no nonsense about if. I have the best authority for making this statement, namely that of a newspoper, aod everybody knows that newspapers never say anything that is not absolutely correct. Listen to what the Marlborough Express has to tell an astonished public: — "Inspector Emerson informs us tbat he made an inspection of the bread in one of our local bakeries yesterday; and found all the loaves of full weight, and several in excess." Now I am quite willing to believe that every baker invariably turns out loaves of full weight, but that " in excess " — are there any marines about ? The information might be interesting to them. F. For remainder of ncios see fourth page.

Holloivay''s Ointment and Pills .-ire the best, cheapest, ana the most popular remedies : at 'all seasons and under all circumstances they may be used with safety nnd with the certainty of ■?oing goo. . Eruptions, rashes, and all descriptions bl skin diseases, sores, ulcerations, and burns, are at once benefitted and ultimately cured by these healing, soothing and purifying medicaments. The Ointment rubbed upon the abdomen checks all tendency to irritation in the bowels, and averts diarrhoea and other disorders ol the intestines so prevalent during the summer and fruit seasons. Heat lumps, blotches, pimples inflammations of the skin, muscular pains, neuralgic affectious, and enlarged glands, can be effectually overcome by using Holloway's reniedies'according to the instructions accompanying every packet. 1795

An Australian exchange Btates that it is not true, as reported, that the Cape route line of steamers Messrs Gibbs, Bright and Co, of Liverpool, were attempting to organise, has collapsed. Messrs Gibbs, Bright and Co bave telegraphed to Mr Reginald Bright, of Melbourne, the information that negotations for the starting of the line are going on satisfactorily, and that in a fortnight's time they hope to be able to announce that the company is a complete success. The Difficulties Experienced by Immigration Agents. — A correspondent ■writes as follows to a Melbourne paper: — I wrote home some Bix years ago to my relations, in a country district in the south of Scotland, requesting them to find out any poor people in the neighborhood who would like to emigrate to Australia. I also wrote to our parish minister to the same effect, promising that I would gladly forward a dozen warrants or more, free of all. cost whatever j moreover, that I would lend a hand on arrival as far as I was able. I am thoroughly known in the district, as were my relations for generations. I also went home to the said district a few years years ago, and never lost an opportunity of speaking well of Victoria. I conversed with tbe peasantry often. I learned their condition. I asked a colter's wife if she was allowed a bit of garden ; she said yes, but it was useless on account of the game I eating up everything as it came above' ground. I saw a poor old man of threescore and ten on the loch -side one evening picking up a few bits of dry sea-weed from amongst the stones with a little pitchfork, and on the other side of the road, iu a field beneath a brae, I saw half-a-dozen hulking rabbits belonging to a noble Whig peer busy eating up the poor old man's little crop as it peered above the surface, aud he dare not throw a stone at ' them. Here you would suppose was a fine field for an immigratoin agent. I have told you what I offered, and I have oftP- tried to instil a little life into the dry bones, but I regret to say my efforts were a most unmitigated failure. I have a lot of cousins — four sons four daughter?, in one family, all single. Here, too, my efforts were in vain. I tried my eloquence on some of the country squires with a long pedigree and a small rent roll. What a splendid country, I maintained, for a gentleman grazier. Why doesn't Sir W. A., for instance, or Captain _£, clear out of their petty little places of £2000 a year, and take up a parish or so in Queensland. The gentjeman I addressed is now member for a Scotch county, and he appeared as if he would rather believe that I was not in earnest "Do you mean Sir W. A. ? " he answered. " I really do," said I, and added, " Would you believe that there 'are persons in Australia whose salary would make two of the worthy baronet's income ? " Such was my experience, with high and low. It had no I result, except this-*^ — a poor halkpauper j aeked our old parson how' touch' I myself was to receive as a bonu ■* "-'for every one I sent out. About, theseaports I saw bills issued by the- A'gents-General stuck round in tbe^anie style as the recruiting sergeant's. It thus appears there is absolutely no feeling throughout the country districts for Australia at present. . A Woman's Wit Saves her Life. — The" Paris * Spir ' relates the following story: — " A Madame Bonneau, living in the Rue Descartes, was sitting in her parlor a few days since, awaiting her husband's return to dinner, when a man of wild and haggard-appearance entered, and seating himself opposite to her, addressed her in the following terms: — ( I am a great „-d octor. I can effectually cure all headaches. I have heard that you suffer from that cause, and I am cometocureyou.' The lady perceiving that she bad to deal with a madman, prudently seemed to fall into his humour, and asked what was hiß method of treatment. ' Simple enough, Madame,' said he, drawing a razor from bis pocket. 'I cutoff the head, and then, after having well cleaned it, I replace it upon the shoulders.' Upon this he prepared to suit the tbe action to his words. Madame Bonneau with great coolness professed her readiness to submit to the operation, but suggested that she should fetch a towel from the next room to prevent her dress from being stained, Her visitor assented to the reasonableness of this suggestion, and. she left the room, locking tbe door behind ber. Upon her return, with some police-officers they found that the unfortunate maniac had cut his own throat, but not fatally. It was ascertained tbat he had escaped from a lunatic asylum at Clermont les Pres, and had been vainly sought lor uring a whole moDth." The Effect of Competition. Another illustration of Irish Bjmpii_..y,B j m pii_..y, not wit, is afforded by the reply of a youiJ g

candidate for the ofiice of teacher. Archbishop Whately was endeavoring to elicit the candidate's idea on the market value of labour, with reference to demand and supply j but, being baffled, the prelate put a question in this simple form — "If there are in your village two shoemakers, with just sufficient employment to live tolerably, and no more, what would follow if a third shoemaker set up. in the same village ?" " What would follow, your grace ?" said the candidate — " Why, a fight, to be sure !" Which was likely enough, but it was not the reply the prelate looked for. Sundries. — An amusing circumstance connected with geueral average has occurred in China. On the 13 th March the German barque Georges, irom Honolulu, arrived at HoDg Kong, She left Victoria, Vancouver's Island, twelve months ago for tbat port, laden with, amongst other "sundries," 112 coffins, containing tbe bodies of defunct Chinamen. She encountered a storm after leaving port, which compelled ber to put back. The needful repairs having been effected she again put to sea, and this time succeeded in reaching Honolulu, in the vicinity of which she again encountered severe weather, which compelled ber to put into that port. At Honolulu she was pnt in quarantine, and it was impossible to land the cargo for a considerable time. It was proposed to throw tbe coffins overboard, but tbe Chinese there entered so strong a protest against this that the idea was abandoned. Eventually tbe coffins were landed and buried, until the repairs were effected, and on these being finished, they were exhumed again and re-embarked. Of course all these puttings back and repairs necessitated an average statement, but it seems that the consignees of the coffins at Hong Kong could not see why the coffins, the deceased inmates of which they contended were only passengers, and therefore not liable to contribute towards general average expenses, should contribute. The captain, on the other hand, contended that passengers usually bad tickets, whereas these sundries were deliverable on production of a bill of lading, and came under the statute of goods. The matter was finally compromised by the consignees paying towards the general average 500 dols to obtain the remains of their friends. . It would defy the cleverest and most experienced average ad jus tor to arrive at the nett market value of dead Chinamen. | The humour of that heathen Chinee in j describing the defu.nct dessicated Celestials as sun dries is too palpable to be commented on. The Printing Press. — A speaker at a meeting in England says :-— oPerhapß it was not generally known that the Tract j Society originated in consequence of two merchants, whose names he could not J tell tbem, having guaranteed £10,000 for j its establishment upon the understanding I that tbe profits should go towards helping on tbe Society. And this undertaking had so grown tbat they were now turning over annually £122,000, and the profits arising out of this sum yearly waß between £3000 and £4000, which went into the same fund as people's contributions here and elsewhere. It appeared from tbe annual balance sheet, that the Society during the past year gave away in grants £3325 more than they received. Tbe rev. gentleman Baid tbat tbe following grants had beep made during tbe past year: — Italy, £s2o; Spain, £667; France, £372; Germany, £1688. Perhaps they might deem it strange that nearly double the amount granted to France should be given to Germany, a Protestant country, but it was chiefly owing to some special grants arising out of the war, and also form the fact that they , included the empire of Austria with Germany. To Switzerland was -grantod, £318; Rueeia and Sweden, £119. In reference to Russia he might say that a little work, entitled " JVssicr.s First Prayer," had become extensively circulated in that country, having found a place in every national school throughout the empire. And who could tell what would be the , result of these grants to Russia ? To Turkey there had been a grant of £36<S; India, £675; China, £325; _. e w Sonth Wales, £250; other small g raD . 8> £52. Not an emigrant ship j e f t our shores which was not lib- jra jiy supplied with tracts by one - 0 "f t __e' Society's agents. Touching thic, point, the rev. gentleman mentioned \ nat t he unfortunate emigrants on boaru> the Northfleet had been supplied with r^ DUm ber of tracts before entering u P r ,n their intended voyage. He said the "'ociety's publications were -issued in 122 languages, and something like 1,000,000 copies a week were circulated — 50,000,000 a year — what he considered an amazing circulation, and was very nearly one copy for every family in the whole human race.