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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 249, 16 October 1873, Page 2

Referring to the publication of import notices in tho shipping columns of newsI papers, tbo Westport Times informs its ; readers that " our notices of importa comprise only goods received by consignees who use our advertising columns. The i greatly increased cost of production of newspaper will no longer admit of gratuitous advertising." Otago has adopted an excellent plan upon the outbreak of a fire to indicate its locality. It ivculd be well if our Brigade would initiate a similar method. It is this: — The city is divided into east, west, north, and aouisi. For the first, there is one toll and a peal; for the second two tolls and p. pni-.l; and for the third and fourth an additional toll, followed in each case by a pcn 1 ,. But tben in Dauediu there is a fire watchman, who remains up all nigh*, standing on a tower erected on a hill, which commands a view of the whole city. Should, however, an outbreak escape his notice, the police nre instructed in the signals to be used, so that when a fire occurs the brigades and the inhabitants generally know where to ruu in order to render assistance. The effect of railways in agricultural districts is marvellously described by a Canterbury correspondent, who writes to the London Times: — " Every mile of raiiway," he Bays, "as it is formed, opens so much more land to the agriculturist, and enables the paetoral tenant to increase the carrying capacity of his land. The agriculturist follows the railway, and aB each station is erected further inland, the sheep, which comprised the former tenants, are rudely disturbed by an increase of double, treble, and even five-fold farrow ploughs, by steam machinery of all kinds, and by the constant rush of heavilyfreighted trains bearing ihe produce of 318,000 acres, which the Canterbury farmers have this ye3r under cultivation. Nor do the runholders suffer by the invasion. The railway is their best friend, if the land they occupy is sufficiently good to produce grain." Dr. Murray, of Carl notoriety, has been writing n, book, and this is what fbo Australasian has to say about it: — " Beally there is something sublime, colossal, Titonic in the impudence of Dr. Murray, of South Sea renown. H will he remembered that, elated with his success at Sydney in aiding at the profiecution mi conviction of some of the miserable instruments of his villany, this man offered his services to ihe Government in the work of suppressing the labor trade, in the blackest scenes of which he had just before been engaged. His offer was declined, and since that Murray dropped for a time out of aipht. Now we hear that bo has turned up in London, and offered the Secretary of State for the Colonies Borne information as to the best means of suppressing slavery in the South Pacific, Lord KimberJey declined lo have anything to do with Murray or his information, on which he determined to write a book on the subject, and took steps to secure a publisher. It seems that the Jste Bishop of Winchester, Dr. Wilberforce, heard of the book, and thought that the Anti-Slavery Society might have it published under the auspices of the society. Murray may yet make a profitable thing out of his murderous expedition. Skilfully used, his crimes and his narrow escape from the gallows would help the sale of the book immensely. In recounting the atrocities of the trade, he could use the quorum pars magnafui with great point. The whining hypocrisy of his letter to the Sandhurst City Council gives us a specimen of the way in which Dr Murray could handle this subject. We can imagine the manner in which the preface would allude to the business as " one with which, from certain painful circumstances possibly still fresh in the recollection of readers, the author has enjoyed unusual opportunities of making himself familiar. These opportunities, under the giiidnnce of Divine Providence" —but although it is easy to imagine, it is not pleasant to pourtray the loathsome hypocrisy of which Murray has before given us a remarkable specimen. And in this way it may easily come to pass that in this t; Age of Shams," as Mr Carlyle calls it, Murray may make a very great hit, and be the lucky author of the season. Nay, more, this man, who as richly deserved the gibbet as any man who ever swung upon it, may yet be brought out at Exeter-hall under philanthropic patronage, and be testimonialised and belauded as a pious and devoted apostle of the cause of anti-slavery. And if so, it will only show us once again what a bubble is reputation, and what a shallow liar is fame."