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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 82, 7 April 1874, Page 2

A Colonial Bishop — Dr. Perry— in reply to a question why marriages are much fewer in the colonies than they used to be, sajß: — "I have no hesitation in asserting that the ignorance of household duties, the unbounded love for dress, the increasing desire for music and dancing, all unfold the mystery of decreasing marriages; and the desire to dress gaily, and take the shine out of their neighbours or acquaintances, are the true obstacles to marriages. There are thousands who have no friends, and who hardly know what to do to spend their evenings, who would be glad to find a wife who could make the salary meet the expenses, and have a clean, comfortable home to go to after the duties of the day; but the fact that, as a rule, they are Bpendthrifts, prevents this running into bankruptcy. I do not deny that there aro faults on the other side, but I do say that if ladies Btudied plain dressing, and would tarn their thoughts to management, they would increase their chances of finding husbands, and good, husbands, too/

The Charleston Herald say 8 : — The long-continued drought and exodus of miners from this district to the Palmer and other new fislds of mining enterprise is causing much anxiety on all sides a3 (o what ia to be the ultimate fafo of the district. Storekeepers are clamoring loudly for money to meet their bills, and miners of good standing are compelled to seek payment of their debts through the medium of the District Court Thi3 community, financially, has never had such a severe trial before, and we hope that the crisis we are now passing through will never more occur, and that business men and miners may not have to struggle against such misfortunes as they have had to, and are at the present time doing. As this deplorable state of affairs baa been broughc about entirely through the want of water, we ought, individually nnd collectively, to " put our shoulder to the wheel,.' and have the Four- mile water-race brought in before the next dry season comes round, Had this race been running since Christmas last it would have been the means of a circulation of several thousand pounds in the town aud every day complaints of the scarcity of money would not be heard. The New York papers publish the prospectus of a mammoth scheme for tbe formatiou of a stoamship company whose veesels will ply between England and various ports in the United States, the sailings being daily throughout the year. The company proposes to build on the Delaware river, and of American material, a fleet of 45 first-class steamships, of 4000 tons each, which will have accommodation for 100 cabin passengers, 1000 emigrants, and 2500 tons cargo. The estimated cost of these vessels is about 36,000,000 dols.; and it is proposed to issue bonds payable in 20 jears at 6 per cent interest, the Government to guarantee the bonds and pay the interest half-yearly in consideration of the mails being carried without subsidy to and from Liverpool for 20 years. In order to make the company a thoroughly national one, it is suggested that the sailings from the States should be alternately throughout the week from the four northf-ra poits of Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, by which arrangement all the principal shipping centres will be secured in the iuterest of the company. The scheme is said to be put forward by eminent and practical capitalists, who have the means to carry out the undertaking. What We Eat and What We Drink. — Upon this subject Dr. Lankeßter recently delivered a lecture at Preston, Lancashire, in which he eaid that "he considered that tinued meat which would enable the sailors to have it fresh all over the world was a safe and useful thing. The wonderful way in which meat could be preserved in those tins had been seen in the fact that cans of meat which were sent out to Sir James Ross, in one of tho Arctic expeditions had baeu rocovered and opened. He had tested a quautity of it, and although it had been in the tin for 40 years it was quite as fresh as the best fresh meat. It was not quite so nice, but that was a mere matter of taste — (laughter). He expressed his entire conviction that the meat wbic*i was put down in those tins was just as good, for purposes of human nutrition, for purposes of food, m the freshest beef which was ever killed and eaten. It had enabled us to lay hold of the great flocks which were in Australia, in New Zealand, in Bolivia, in various parts of America, and othev places of the world. They were ours practically, and they would be ours more practically than ever by and by. In 1866, there were imported from abroad £320 worth of meat in these tins. But in 1873 there would be £1,000,000 worth imported. It was now exercising an influence on the market, and those who were crying out against high prices knew that fresh meat was not so costly as ifc was. It was this £1,000,000 worth of Australian meat that had reduoed it. The average price of this Australian meat was 6d a pound, and the average price of frosh meat in Great Britain, for prime joints, was 8d and 9d, so that it looked as if they only got 2d a pound ; but, in the first place, in these tins they had no bone, and, in the second place, the meat had been cooked at a temperature of 240 degrees, and had lost more than half its water, so that really 6d worth of Australian meet was equal to 16d worth of fresh meat. WheD they applied that to the groat mass of our people, the hard-working men and women of Great Britain, there must bo a saving of millions by this Australian meat. Some might say they did not like it. He did not care whether they liked it or not, but he would say this, that if they took it, it would not hurt them —it would not poison them. (Laughter)."