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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 87, 12 April 1875, Page 2

The Napier Telegraph recently expressed a mild regret at the absence of crime in lhat province in the following terms: — "There is .a good opening at the Gaol, just at present, for a few industriously dieposed persons who have no respect for the law, and have no objection to work in prison garments in company with the chain gang. Tho hard labor party is short handed, and a» it is desirable to push on with tbe Lunatic Asylum, the liberation of several prisoners last week who had served their time, is felt to be rather inconvenient." A judgment worthy of Solomon haa been rendered by the tribunal of La Dombes. A debtor gave his bill for 150 francs, payable on "St Fortunat's Day." As uo such Saint exists in the calendar, tho day for payment could not, therefore, ever arrive. The Judge decided that after examining the Calendar of Saints, the name ofthe one in question could not be found, nor had the Court anything to do with that ; the Church bad appointed one day in the year, Ist November, as the anniversary of all the Saints, and the bill thus fell due at that date. Rule atieordingly. We have another good story from iE_,les, of the Australasian, this week. He says ; — " Our cousins on the Pacific Slope don't do things by halves. They go in for big things. They have had a ruining excitement, and now they have a reaction. But just see what an excitement in San Francisco meant. The two great stocks most favorably affected by tho discovery of the " Bonanza" — the gigantic silver lode — were California aud Consolidated Virginia. In each of these companies there were 108,000. shares, and, at the average prices of the first fortnight of January, these two slocks represented a market value of 28_\ millions — not dollars, but pounds sterling ! To talk of amounts of that kind must raise a man in his own estimation. Ordinary finance must appear to him a mere matter of detail. But an Ameriean is not afraid of large figures. Dauiel Webster once said in an oration (after dinner), " Gentlemen, there's the national debt — it should be paid — yes, gentlemen, it should be paid — I'll pay it myself. How much is it ?■'

(.For remainder of News see fourth page.}