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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 200, 20 August 1873, Page 2

High Price of Oats. — The prices ruling for oats in this district just now are sufficiently liigh to make them a most profitable crop for farmers about here this sowing. We have heard of parcels within the past few days having changed hands at as high as 6s 6d and 7s per bushel owing to the bare state of the market. The demand for horsefeed owing to the large public works now going on all over the colony is steadily increasing, and without farmers prepare to meet it, the price next year will be even higher than it has as yet reached.— -Wanganui Chronicle, Aug. 9. The Napier Telegraph says ; — " The reward offered by the Provincial Government for the destruction of hawks has resulted in the capture and death of 993 birds during the year ending the 30th of June last. The reward first offered was five shillings a dozen, or fivepence per head, but for that sum very few persons were found who would take the trouble to kill a hawk, the price was therefore raised to one shilling per pair of feet— the feet being more easily preserved than heads — and then no hawk was safe; as many as 833 were brought into the Treasury office

in one day. Bushmen and shepherdo amuse themselves in snaring, poisoning, and shooting these hawks. The feet are cut ofi and dried in the sub, and when sufficient numbers to make it worth while are accumulated, they are forwarded to the Provincial Treasurer to be converted into a cheque." A young ami apparently smart Maori wao eubpoenaed lately as a witness in a civil case in Auckland. The newspapers describe his behaviour with great gusto. First he refused to take oath till assured he would be paid his expenses. Next, he wanted to know what sum would bo allowed, fixing the least he would take at 30a a day. After much talk he was told be would be allowed the same as other witnesses. Finally he coolly told the Judge that be should like to see the money down first. This was too much for his Honor's equanimity, and called forth a peremptory order to <;ive his evidence, or he would be committed for contempt of Court. If this be a fair specimen of the race, our dusky fellow-countrymen ought to be able to take care of their own interests, without ihe paternal and costly supervision which the Native Office is supposed to exercise over them. — Otago Daily Times, Drunkenness and Death. • — While that accomplished actress, Miss Florence Colville, was going through the dying scene in the last act of <( Camille," last evening, a considerable commotion was caused through the maudlin remarks of a drunken man who was seated in the front row of the stalls, and whose soul appeared to be stirred to ita utmost depths, either at the pathetic manner in which the actress was representing the character of a dying woman, or as the result of repeated libations of beer. For a few minutes Miss Colville endeavored to die in peace, but finding this to be impossible, she got up and went to the side of the scene?, where she remained during the row which followed. A stalwart policeman at once came forward and endeavoured to drag the interrupter from bis seat, but he held on like grim death, and it was some minutes before the constable, assisted by half-a-dozen men from the stalls, had succeeded in dragging him out. In the meantime Mis 3 Colville had maintained her position at the right entrance, doubtless considerably annoyed at the unpleasant manner in which her dying secene had been interrupted. However, wheu the drunkard had been removed, she returned to her couch, and died in a most pathetic and praiseworthy manner; but it, is needless to say that the effect of the entire scene was spoiled by the very unseemly proceedings as above narrated.— -Guardian. The Suez Mail Service. — The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Herald writes under date August 6 : — Yesterday afternoon Mr Yogel announced that the House would go into committee on Messrs. M'Meckan and Black wood's offer to connect New Zealand with the Suez mail, short notice papers having only then been distributed. Nevertheless, as the offer had to be replied to nt onco, at half-past seven the House went into it. Mr Yogel spoke for an hour and a-half. He commenced with a history as to the existing negotiations entered into through Mr Russell; then a history of all his San Francisco contracts; then an indication of his proposals ; then a pathetic appeal to the House on the ground of his health being broken down under the anxiety of these contracts ; then a resolution for a three year's contract with Messrs. M'Meckan, Blackwood and Co., to deliver Suez mails via Otago. The resolution, as often happens?, nearly went by the board from the fear of any one to break the ice; but Mr John White, of Hokitika, performed the operation, and thereafter the game went on cheerily. But meanwhile (about 4 p .m) a request came round from Mr Macandrew for the Auckland members to meet the Otago members on the subject at 5*30 p.m. They met. MrMacandrew pointed out the claims of Otago, and tried to cajole tho Auckland members into adherence, with a promise of support for the Sou Francisco service when established. Mr Gillies insisted on an iinmediata quid pro quo in the shape of a service by Sydney to Auckland. Thai;, it appears, was agreed to. Mr Webster, of Otago, stalked to the door, and, with the handle in his hand, said, in a severe tone, " I see that this is a most selfish arrangement, therefore I shall not vote for it; " shortly after this the meeting broke up. No sooner had the debate commenced in the House than Mr Macandrew, who had evidently meanwhile apprised Mr Yogel of the caucus proceedings, tried to get Mr Sheehan (who moved an amendment to carry out the resolution of the said caucus) to withdraw the resolution, on a vague assurance that the Auckland interest be secured. Most of the Auckland members did not see the proposition, unless reduced to definite terms. They had been sold too often before. Meanwhile, a Wellington caucus had been held, which had agreed to support the Auckland view, viz, of one service to Cook's Straits; but if two could be got, one to Auckland and one to Ofcago. Mr Collins, of Nelson, moved an amendment in favor of a Cook's Straits line but the caucusses were too many for him, and on a division, it was negatived by nearly three to one, Opposition members voting on both sides quite contrary to their opinions, in order to exhibit to the Government an utter disorganisation of pnrties. Being in committee the whole thing got into a muddle, and after questions of order and so on had wasted an hour after midnight, Mr Yogel gave an assurance that a line from Sydney to Auckland should be established if it cost no more than five thousand pounds. So the Otago route from Melbourne was passed, instead of the Cook's Straits route. The latter, however, would have been more equitable for the whole colony, unless Mr Yogel carries out the spirit rather than the letter of his assurance.

t, i ' ii • ' '■ ~ ' ' ' ' ~ ■■■—■■ ' ■■-'—-— The following advertisement is effective :— " The shades of mght were falling fast, As through our little village passed A youth who bore, 'mid snow and ice, A model with thia strange device — Eich's spring bed.' ; Adulterated Adulterations. — The Standard, speaking of the International Exhibition, says that " There is one dreadful collection of cases in the food section which we recommend no dyspeptic visitor who values his peace of mind to look at. It is a collection made by Dr Frankland, F.R.S., showing specimens of pure food (these are very few), and specimens of them as they stand adulterated, and what they are adulterated with. One turns from this dreadful exposure of trade dishonesty with a sort of feeling that if you hope to thrive you should live on eggs. Of course, we all know that adulteration goes on, but we don't expect it in everything. Yet this is not the worst. To the deep there is yet a lower depth. The very artioles used in adulteration are themselves adulterated before they come into the hands of the fraudulent tradesman for use. Thus the coculus Indieus is adulterated before the publican gets it to adulterate and drug his beer, the chicory is adulterated before it goes to adulterate the coffee, the vitriol is adulterated before it goes to adulterate the gin. Some of the adulterations used are perfectly harmless except to the consumer's pocket, who pays for wha* he does not get; some, on the contrary, are highly injurious, though they all stop short of being actually poisonous. That would never pay. A Cure for a Cold, — One of our citizens who haß been troubled with a severe cold on the lungs effected his recovery in the following simple manner : — He boiled a little boneset and horehound together, and drank freely of the tea before going to bed. The next day he took five pills, put one kind of plaster on his breast, another kind under his arms, and still another on his back. Under advice from an experienced old lady, he took all these off with an oyster knife in the afternoon, and slapped on a mustard paste instead. His mother put some onion drafts on his feet, and gave him a lump of tar to swallow. Then he put Borne hot bricks to his feet, and went to bed. Next morning another old lady came in with a bottle of goose-oil, and gave him a dose of it in a quill, and an aunt arrived about the Bame time from Bether, with a bundle of sweet fern, which she made into tea, and gave him every halfhour until noon, when he took a big dose of salts. After dinner his wife, who had seen a fine old lady of great experience in doctoring, in Franklyn-street, gave him two pills of her own make, about the size of an old English walnut, and of a similar shape, and two table-spoonfuls of home-made balsam to keep them down. Then^he took half-a-pint of rum at the suggestion of an old sea captain in the next house, and steamed his legs with an alcoholic bath. At this crisis two of the neighbors arrived who saw at once that his blood was out of order, and gave him a half-gallon of spearmint tea, and a big dose of castor oil. Before going to bed he took eight of a new kind of pills, wrapped about his neck a flannel soaked in hot vinegar and salt, and had feathers burnt on a shovel in bis room. He is now thoroughly cured, and full of gratitude. We advise our readers to cut this out, and keep it where it can be readily found when danger threatens ! — American Paper.