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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 242, 9 November 1876, Page 4

While the women ot America were engaged in a whisky war against publichouses the belles of Melbourne are laying siege to the Licensing Bench, and becoming the licensees of prosperous dramshops. Recently a good-looking young woman 0f,22 succeeded in obtaining a license for an hotel, notwithstanding the objections of the police who stated that the applicant represented a staff "of sisters and cousins whose personal attractions proved an irresistible spate to a numerous collection of infatuated young men. The Liverpool Mercury states that a borough magistrate has made a rough calculation of the amount of money spent upon drink in Liverpool per week and per year. He points out that there are 1240 public-bouses where drink only iB sold, and 500 where food is sold in addition to drink. This latter number does not include hotels and eatinghouses. Of these 500 he holds that at least a third — namely— l7o— are drinking, houses pure and simple. He adds this number to the 1210 which sell nothing but drink, making the total number of drinking-bouses 1410. He confines his calculations ,to these, and makes the following estimates of their weekly receipts : — lO at £200, £ 2000; 20 at .£l5O, £3000; 30 at £100, £3000 ; 50 at £75 £3750 ; 100 at £60, £6000 ; 200 at £50, £10000 ; SOO at £40, £1 2,000; 300 at £30, £9000 ; 200 at £20, £4000 ; 100 at £10, £1000 ; 100 at £7, £700 ; making a, grand total per week of £54,450. This. weekly total multiplied by the number-of weeks in the year gives an annual expenditure of £2,831,400, whioh he considered under rather than over the mat k. The Hon. Dr Menzie's reply to Mr Macandrew'a invitation to attend the convention to be held at Dunedin, was teie'graphed to the Post yesterday. It is as follows: — " I may say at once that viewing as I do, the suppression of the Provincial form of Government in favor of the County and Borough system as a step in the right direction of localising tbe administration of matters partly local, I do not recognise as an evil the results leading in that direction that are likely to flow from the Abolition of Provinces, aod if such should appear itnmiuent.as your Honor sfeema. to anticipate, the local authorities of tbe : Council and Borough Councils, &c, will be the proper and most competent Boards to deal witb any difficulties that may arise. The present occasion may, no doubt, be considered critical, because our instttutious are undergoing a change, but I apprehend that the legally constituted authorities will be proper parties to consider and make such recommendations as. may appear necessary lor executive action, if tbat should be required, and for such furiher legislation as wili be wanted- Io carrying out their functions they will deserve and should receive the hearty support of all residents in tbe proviuce whose character and position give them any influence among their fellowfeettlers. Your Honor will see that, holding these views, I cannot concur in the opinioo (hat a private convention such as that cou tem plated ia an ad visa ble proceeding, or that, in the absence of any stamp of official authority, any positive benefit will be likely to accrue iroia its assemblage." A; correspondent of the Grey Biver Argus, in uescribiug a trip from Melbourne to Greymouth jd the Gieauer, states: — "Even the sailors were 'all at sea' ou this voyage, and one aud all declared they had never known or heard of such a prevalence of easterly weather in these waters as this, or indeed any other time of the year. Oqo said he felt positively unwell in consequence, and atked Cuptaiu A«new for a dosa of Holloway'a pills. 'ihe captain gave him about a do .en, and vvith them a piloted bill, salting forth the manifold virtues of these famed remedies for all diseases under the sun. Presently the sailor returned and the following dialogue ensued : — Hailor : ' Please sir, cau you give ma a piu ?' Captain Agnew : 'A pin? Yes; wbat do you want a piu for ? ' iShilor : 'To stick it into indigestion, sir." Captain Aguew (surprised) : 'To stick it into the I What on earth do you mean ? ' Sailor : « Well sir these here pills cure a lot of things, and 1 want a pin to stick it into my complaint — which is indigestion — on Holloway's bill which you gave me. Eisa how would the pills know for what sickness I took them ? They might think I took them for general debility, or dizziness, or shortness of breath, or eruptions on the skin. If I stick a pin into " indigestion " on tbe bill they will work lor indigestion. I always stick a pin io tbe disease when I t«ke Holloway's pills.' Captain Ai;new (to the sailor after a long and amazed pause) : 'All right here's a pin.' (To himself): ' Heavens above ! And tbis is the nineteenth century. But per-haps its tbe confounded easterly winds that have knocked him off hia chump.' " At the recent opening of the Forbury. Branch Railway, near Dunedin, Mr Bathgate, in tbe course of a speech, is reported to have said : — " There is another suggestion which I have to make, and which, if adopted, would tend to create traffic. It is this: Iu .. other places railway companies have given free passes extending from three to seven years, to those who bave within the limits of the railway traffic built houses costing £300, £400, or £500. The result of this plan was that houses sprung up like magic. The companies lost nothing by the reason of the free ticket, and they gained the whole of the traffic incidental to a large popula.ion.

The revenue officials in San Francisco have discovered an underground pipe leading from Bay View Distillery, South Sin Francisco, to an outlet under the wharf of the establishment, whence, evidently, large amounts of crooked whisky have been shipped.