T H E W E E K.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 38, 13 February 1875, Page 2

T H E W E E K.

In looking over that page of my note book in which should be jotted down ihe occurrences of the week, I find it almost a blank, and I think if any one who should feel disposed" to wonder at this will coat a retrospective glauce from the present Saturday to the last Sunday they will cease to be surprised. One subject of conversation and dis» scussion there certainly hns beeo, and it has extended from private houses to public houses, from lawns und gardens to the Street corners. It. is scarcely necessary for me to say that I refer to tb.e list bf toasts at the Hibernian Society's dinner on Monday last. A newspaper correspondent, who was the first to take the matter up, has handled the subject in so telling and yet bo quiet a manner^ that he has thoroughly eucceedefl in obtaining, *-wtrott imagine must have been his object io writing, a perfect outburst of loyalty from the citizens of Nelson. Even should the correspondence that has arisen atop at the point it had reached last night it will have been satisfactory to him who commenced it, for the opinions that have been ekprea3ed in the newspapers, and ore to be heard outside in every direction, afford a most conclusive proof that, the attachment of the to the Queen is in no way lessened by the fact that thousands of miles of ocean iutervene between their present home and the mother country. For the future, it will probab'y be rtimembered by all who have the arrange"'imnt of dinners which parrialse eVeu in the smallest degree of a public nature' that if, after the cloth is removed, ifrere are to be any loyal toasts, that of the Queen must take precedence of all the others. However, I have no desire to take part iv a discussion in which the leader of the attack hap, co far, proved himself quite equal to the emergeucy. lam content id extract from it the obvious moral. Who are to be our next Councillors ? This is a question that everyone is asking, but to which none appear able to reply, or, if .they are, they are carefully nursing their secret. Considering that by four o'clock on Tuesday after* noon all the uominationa have to be sent in, 1 don't think that this is altogether a healthy or a deairr&lo state of affairs. It, looks as though the burgesses were likely to be placed in the awkward position of huviog but very few to select from, and such, I fear, is the frue explanation. It is a bad sign when a constituency has to hunt about for representatives, and to beseech men in whom they are willing- to place their confidence to accept offices of trust. When wo shall havo succeeded in making a seat in tho Council a thing to be sought for, and a position worth fighting for, we may hope to have our affairs properly and satisfactorily managed, but not until then, for a public position easily obtained is but lightly vnlued. >vl liked that idea, so successfully carried into execution the other duy, of establishing swimming prizes for boys in our schools, aad wish that as much attention was generally paid to the attainment of physical, as to that of moral aud intellectual excel!euce,by the youths of the province. If the experiment made on Tuesday with the lads of the Hishop'a school were extened to the College and the Government schools, it would bo a step in the right direction. Aud this leads me to say that, in my opinion, not half euough attention is paid to the carriage ol the boys attending our scheols. A regular iind frequeut system of drill is required, and this must be admitted by all who have attended the annual distribution of prizes at the College, for none who hnve been present on such occasions could have failed to notice the slouching and ungainly bearing of the boys as each came up to receive the. reward of his devotion to his studies during the year. Perhaps I may offend some of the parents and teachers by these remarks, but they are none the less true, and upon consideration I think they will agree with me and insist upon the evil being remedied. I am not sure that it is a wise thing when illness of a particular kind, such as fever, makps its appeatance in any particular locality to raise a tremendous outcry and create a panic. Such, however, has been done with regard to a cerfcaiu portion of Waimea-streef, which, in consequeuce, is carefully avoided by non-residents in the district, while those who live there are frightened to that extent that I hey are reduced to v condition that renders them peculiarly susceptible to the attack of a disease which they require all their energies to combat. By all means take every precaution to shut the enemy out, but those within the walls should be encouraged to resist hid attacks instead of being disheartened. Perhaps it will be some relief to those who live in the neighborhood referred to to find that doctors differ as to the cause, and Ihe probability of the spread, of the fever which gave rise to so much alarm a ' few days ago, but is now sensibly abating. Those who are tired of walking nbout streets that are not lively should during next week pay a visit to the Wood, when a busy scene will meet their eyes. Hop gathering will then bo iv full awing, and the thirty or forty acres that are devoted to the culture of this particular crop will be ahve with men, women, and children, all hard at work picking the fragrant blossoms. The

crop jg sold fo U uhus'iio'llt goyd\> with the high prices ruling, the hopgrowers should, if no unforeseen disaster occur, such as that of last year, when acres wore damaged by a salt gnl<?, put a handsome sum into their pockets. A good harvest and a proliGe hop crop ought to bring Binilee to the countenances of our agriculturists, and produce a beneficial effect upon the province geuerally. F.