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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 285, 2 December 1874, Page 2

The following will interest Freemasons: — In the course of his address on the occasion of laying the foundation of the new Episcopal Church at Naseby (Otago), Bishop Nevill remarked: — I cannot close ray remarks without noticing the presence of a special body, whose regalia at oooe strike the eye. First, theD, I thapk tbose gentlemen for the readiness with which they have come forward. Some, however, might say: * Why do you, as a special church officer, the Bishop in the province, seek assistance from others?" I reply: When I perceive the readiness which the lodge, as in ibis place, displays to assist such works, I ask myself, * Wbat am I tbat I Bbould discourage the expression of it?' If anything would be a justification, if justification were needed, this would be; but when I rscull the history of the Freemasons, and look into the vista of the past, these men often were the only ones who could undertake such works; in all history being tbe readiest, and in some places, as I have Baid, tbo only body that could, from their intelligence do so—l say they are doing a work cognate to the principles they profess. I need scarcely remind you, my Masonic brethren, of the works they bave done — the Caihedrals of Milan, Cologne, and York Minster, which were built, not in one age, but by the continuous efforts of the body of Masons from age to age. The archives of this have been proved; io York, to this day, there exists the history of these. The age in which we live is not satisfied wi h teaching, aad therefore I gladly note that the body of Freemasons, without slightiDg one of the least of those secrets and mysteries, always are found to take part in works of ven*- ration and religion. Therefore, I accepL tbeir services, end invite the Worshipful Master to put in these foundation?, after the forms peculiar to the oilice, on behalf of the Cburch of England." The Engineer- in Chief, Mr Carruthers, will probably be in Greymouth in a day or two, and eome advantage should be taken of his presence to urge upon bim the necessity of expediting the completion of the Brunner railway, the d* lay in the construciioo of which is a \ory serious loss to tbis community, and retards the developement of tbe coal-fields. The delay iu completion is no doubt due to mistakes in design, aod to the effects of accidents which might have been calculated for, but surely, now that experience must have enable .l the engineering department to know what is required, it is possible tbat the works could be pushed on with greater rapidity than heretofore. In other part, of the colony in the case

of mil way lines of no greater immediate importance and utility tban tbe Brunner railway, extra inducement has been held out to the contractors to hurry on their contracts, by means of a bonus for early completion. In the case of the Brucner line, we presume that the condition of time has been entirely upset by the numerous alterations from the original plan that have had to be made, but we should think that there would be no difficulty in a mutual arrangement being made betweeu the contractor and the Government as to a fairly estimated date of completion with a bonus in case this condition is complied with before the stipulated time Itia now eighteen months since this Hne was commenced, and it is very unsatisfactory that at present it appears to be as far from completion now as it was half a year ago.—- G. R. Argus. " The devastating power of lightning," the Lanc<?6eld Mercury saye, "may be seen by any one travelling on the old Bendigo road, about two miles from Mr Musty 'a residence, oo the motn road between the properties of Messrs Seymour and Conway. An immense tree baa been completely shuttered, huge pieces have been thrown a distance of several hundred yards, and even the trunk has been uprooted as if it had been grubbed, and may now be seen lying at a distance of a chain at least from where it stood." "How much better it would have been to have shaken hands, and allow jt was all a mistake," eaid a Detroit judge. "Theo the lion and the lamb would have lain dowu together, and white-robed peace would have fanned you with her wings and elevated you with her smiles of approbation. But, no ; you went to clawing and biting and rolling in the mud, and here you are. It's five dollars apiece. The Alta California says :— - "The Egyptians were Borely plagued— had seven plague visitations, but then they did not all come at once. They came by turns and there probably were respites, giving the people a chance to believe and repent. But it is not so with this miserable, pitiful, execrable Beecher-Tilton-Moulton scandal. Itis coming all the time, any page of which is worse tban all tbe seven plagues combined. We have been where the yellow fever was a terror, and have bad his pains in all our body, and his complexion like saffron on ua. But it was not as bad as this scandal. Give as ' Yellow Jack' in preference to the Brooklyn abomination. We have looked upon wards of the Charity Hospital in New Orleans, full of writhing wretches, cramped aod dying with the Asiatic cholera It was sad enough — that exhibition. But here comes the diagnosis of a mental « Black Voraito,' with a physical « Yellow Jack' combined ; worse than the West Indian fever and the cholera of Hindostan. We could wish this Brooklyn horror confined to Brooklyn, but it is proof against all quarantine regulations."