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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 240, 7 November 1876, Page 4

Tfc is suspected that fashionable ladies in Paris commence to indulge in arsenic eating, in order to make them " beautiful for ever." Dr Buiilet advocate-? its .use afea stornuch stimulant, and an aid in respiration. In patts of Austin people use arsenio lik« tobacco ; ihey ' crunch it and suc-k it like a bon-bon, ; till, their bodies, like lhat of Mithridales become inured to the poisor. Arsenic imparls an agreeable fuineas to the figure, »nd a youtblul, animated expression. It makes horses more vigorous?, confess on tbem shiMDg ' coits, and produces foaming raoutha; oxen,' sheep, und pifis, when slighily dosed with arsenic, acquire un excellent appetite, improve! digestion, and hence fatten sapiiily. A ,n«w schema of settlement is propounded by a coireKpundeot of tbe Sydney Morning Herald. He suggests tbat the Government should throw. open all tbe lands available for selection free of charge, and give to each soleclor Binglo rations for a year, which would cost the country £16 17s 2d per mau. In t'.is way he thinks population would ba attracted, and expenditure on immigration avoided. Recently (says tho Elgin Courant) Captain Cbetwynd shot on tbe Main, near Elgin," a wood pigon, which has since been examined by medical men, and declared to be evidently affected with foot and mouth dishes?. Lar<;e dark brown lurm>3 cluster between tbo toes of both, its feef. — lumps extremely like the uioers seen in catile when they are affected witb foot and mouth disease. The bill did not seem effected; but the shot had struck the head, and manifestations of disease would not have been so easily seen . there. No wonder -$ disease spreads mysteriously if a bird

can carry it from one part of the country to another. The pigeon has been sent to the veterinary department of the Privy Council in London, and may throw a now Hght on a subject that is of great importance to the country at Ihe present time. The Otago Daily Times of Monday last has the iollowiug : — Tbe Rev; Mr. Upton Davies in his morning service yesterday, iutroduced somewhat of a novelty, by spechlly directing the intercessions of tbe congregation on behalf of "those who have the direction of the Press io this place." We have often wondered when Kings, Governors, Houses of Parliament, Ministers, and teacherß,.flnd all those who influence us and exercise control over us, have been specially prayed for, why newspaper editors and writers should be so systematically omitted. Perhaps it is that they are looked open as hopeless, or it is just possible they are regarded as rivals ; bnt looking'to the enormous influence and power of the Press of the present day, we cannot help thinking tbat if the Christian Churches showed a little more of the community of feeliog and work, which is implied in the recognition of them in public prayer, there would be fewer misunderstandings, and lesß antagonism. For ourselves, we accept Mr Davies' act as an omen of a better state of things, and thank him for the kindly, liberal spirit in which it was dooe. The fate of several members of the Yogel Ministry, says tbe New Zealand Herald, ought to be a warning to our public men not to retain office for more than a reasonable time — not to be too greedy of power. Sir Julius Yogel although still a young man, is a confirmed invalid, and. it is doubtlul if he will ever again recover robust health. Sir Donald M'Lean ought to have retired two years ago, when he received bis knighthood. He has been suffering for some time from ill-healib, and worse than all, ho has lost for evtr his fame j and prestige as Native Minister, That he might have retained, and have kept his f»me for ever, if he had been wise enough to retire from office in time. Dr Pollen haß been in weak boalth for some considerable time, and probably this ia the inst session during which he will take any prominent part in the Legislative Council. He also ought to have retired come year or two ago. Q.iip says that there is a sleepiug-car on the New York Central for lying-io, and (hat there are many berths there; but Quipus an intolerable punster. The Mercury reports the death of one of the Oldest cricket veterans in Australasia, Mr John Marshall, of fiobarton, at the good old age of 81 years. The Hawke's Bay Herald Bays :-— "The value of the sheep of the Cotswold breed is well known to m»ny of our settlers, but it is not perhaps appreciated so thoroughly as it ought to be. We recently saw a flock of ewes belonging to James Lyon r ag,, Kereru in which the per centage of lambs will prove prodigious, viz., over 200 per cent. Mioy ewes had three, aud nearly all had twin-lambs followiog, while one favored ewe gave birth to five healthy average-siaed lambs. S_ch an unparalleled occurence might fairly oe doubled by some, but tbe evidence of parentage in this case is conclusive. Tho offspring of this favored sheep. are beiug reared by hand and strange enough one of thesd,lamb3 is a phenomenon, in possessing two perfect tails. Farmers will surely do well to own stock of such a desiruble und profitable nature. We must not omit lo add that the ewes are seven-eighths, aud the rams pure-bred Cotswolds, from tbe "flocks of J. D. Conning, Esq , Porangahau. The delicate organisation of some people is truly wonderful. The Palmerston .(Ofcago) 'Times says: — "A. few days ago a lady, whose- nerves appear to be of a very flimsy calibre, and who resides not a hundred miles from this place, was recounting to some of. her lady friends how she sometimes experienced most unpleasant effects, even from the perfume of flowers. ' I have ' paid she, ' a sort of giddy, unsteady ' sensation.' * Ah, yaas,' said a would-be exquisite. 'No doubt, it's weally vewy sad; it is indeed.' • At this moment a handsome girl came into the room with a flower in ber bosom. The lady of delicate nerves lifted up ber bauds in a beseeching manner, and then became apparently insensible. The newcomer was informed that tbe odor of the flower she wore bad caused the indisposition of their friend, but the astonishment of all, when convinced that the flower was only an artificial one, may be better imagined than described."

The Hon Sir John Richardson addressed the Council yesterday on the subject of defence, suggesting that a portion of the vote for that purpose should be devoted to external defence. He pointed out the necessity for being thoroughly prepared in the event of this colony having to contend .with _ poorer hostile to the mother country, and seemed to think that a war in which England would engage might probably arise at no distant date. The Hon Dr Pollen did not think there was any danger, and looked to the cable communication with England aa a. safeguard against surprise in such a direction.: He also pointed out the improbability of the Home Government failing to j acquaint us here with their intention to go to war. — N. Z. Times., j