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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 101, 1 May 1877, Page 2

If the telegram which reached us yesterday is to be accepted as a sample of what we are to expect duriug the whoie time war is being waged, the interest that naturally attaches to these messages will be considerably lessened, for we shall not know whether to rejoice over the good, or bewail the ill, fortune that has attended that particular side on which our sympathies are enlisted until sufficient time has elapsed to allow of contiadiction of the first account that reaches us of each battle to be made. Yesterday we were told that the Turks had been defeated in the first engagement; today we are informed that it was not the Turks but the Russians who got the worst of it. It may be that before night we may receive another message stating that the whole story is a myth, and that there has been no fight at all. Mistakes in names of places we may naturally look for, seeing how numerous are the transmitting stations on the line, but it is not too much to expect that the results of great battles shall be telegraphed with accuracy,' aud that the issues shall not be reversed as the news passes along the wires. It appears that Mr Gisborne has proved the successful candidate for the representation of the district of Ross in Parliament, his ascertained majority of 21 not being likely to be affected by the returns from the out districts. The annual meeting of the City Cadels was held at the Nelson Hotel last evening, Captain Scott in the chair. The accounts, duly audited, were read to the meeting, and as they showed the company to be in anything but a flourishing condition, it was decided to hold a concert aud ball on a future date with the view of replenishing the

funds. A secretary was elected for the ensuing year, and several new rules were passed, after which a vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and the meeting separated. The following are the Customs receipts at the Port of Nelson for. the month ending April 30 :— Spirits, £595 17s 3d ; tobacco, £326 7s 6d ; wines, £62 14s ; ale ,and beer, £20 Is 7d ; tea, £260 0s 6d ; sugar, ■£457 17s Id ; goods by weight, £120 Is 5d ; ad valorem, £593 16s 4d ; other duties, £272 18s 5d ; total duties, £2699 14s 2d. Other receipts, £331 13s 7d. Total receipts, ■£3031 7s 9d. In the Resident Magistrate's Court this afternoon, T. Goodman, bill-sticker, sued J. O'Brien, the agent for the Chicago Minstrels, for 12s 6d, for work done and material supplied. It appeared that plaintiff had been engaged to post bills for 15s, of which 2s 6d had been paid in advance for the purchase of paste. The balance was lodged with Mr Cother, to be handed by him to plaintiff when defendant left for Wanganui, if the plaintiff in the meantime took care that the bills were not covered over with others. Judgment for amount claimed, without costs. We understand that a much needed work is about to be undertaken, namely, the utilisation of the water power for the purpose of ringing the firebell at tho station. The fitting of the necessary machinery has been entrusted to Mr Levestam. The days of the Wakatu, the oldest hotel in Nelson, are at last numbered, the corner ou which it aud the adjoiuing oyster saloon stand having been purchased by the Bank of New South Wales, who are about to erect new premises. The Bank is to be congratulated on having secured one of the best business sites in the town. Mr. Evans, who was in Nelson some time ago as the manager of the Euglish Opera Company, announces that the celebrated Davenport Brothers, accompanied by Professor Fay ancl E. D. Davies, the well known ventriloquist, with the speaking dolls Tom and Joe, will appear at the Oddfellows' Hall on Friday ahd Saturday evenings next. So much has beeu published of the clever and wonderful performances of the Brothers that there can be little doubt that on these occasions they will add to their other marvellous feats that of drawing a crowded house. Paragraphs are so constantly appearing in papers published in other parts of New Zealand descriptive of disgraceful scenes that have occurred in the local Borough Councils that there is good reason for believing that, as a rule, these bodies stand very low in tbe public estimation. Nelson may, therefore, congratulate herself upon having' entrusted the management of her affairs to an orderly, painstaking set of men, who devote much time, trouble, aud study to the conduct of municipal affairs, and set an example which might be followed with advantage to themselves ancl their constituents by others who are placed in a similar position. The latest scene in a Council of which we find notice taken is thus delicately hinted at by the Wanganui Chiontcle: — "The Wanganui Municipal Council will attain a much higher position in the opinion of the ratepayers when it is purged of a rowdy bacchanalian element, which has found its way into and which manages to lower and degrade its' proceedings at nearly every meeting."

The commander of the Turkish army is Abdul Kerim, who, it may bo interesting to our readers to learn, has, as chief of his staff, Campbell Pacha, who is a Scotchman, and, it is said, a good soldier. A general order, issued from head-quarters Melbourne, congratulates the Volunteers on the satisfactory manner in which the lato encampment at Sanbury was carried out. The general, discipline of the troops was considered very efficient. The commandant concludes by referring to the encampment as being highly creditable to the local forces of tbe colony. A correspondent of the Ha aid writing on cruelty to pigs, says:—" The Auckland polico are very tender-hearted as we see from their zeal in suppressing cruelty to animals. If they would look into some pig-styes iv the country they would see shocking cruelty; pigs made to lie in slush and muck and their own dung in the coldest weather without a dry spot to rest on. I have one respectable man's pig-styes in my eyes at this time of writing." The following passage, which occurs at the conclusion of lectures ou the " History of the Turks " by Dr. Newman, published in 1854, has a remarkable significance just now:—" Many things are possible. One thin"is inconceivable : that they (the Turks) should as a nation accent of civilisation; aud in default of it, that they should bo able to stand their ground against the enchroachments of Russia, the interested and contemptuous patronage of Europe, and the hatred of their subject populations." It is rumored that Mr David Proudfoot, the contractor, is about to marry the eldest : daughter of Mr Macandacw. ! This is the year of wonders. AMr Clark of Tokomairiro, who has been elected Chairman of the Bruce County Council, has absolutely refused to accept a salary. The creditors of a Wanganui insolvent George Purchas, have decided to prosecute and one of them has sworn a criminal information against him for obtaining goods under false pretences. The Resident Magistrate iv Dunedin has non-suited a man who, having gone into a sweep at the racecourse and drawn the winner, sought by legal process to recover the stakes from the stakeholder. Margaret Gillespie, stewardess of the Hero has beeu fined £19 in Auckland for smu«r- ----| ghng. A landing waiter observed a peculiar looking pillow caseamongst some dirty clothes being taken ashore to wash, ancl on search he fonnd it to contain a cardboard box in which was a piece of velvet duty not paid He seized it, and the stewardess who had sent it ashore was sued for three times the value. This she said she could not pay. and she was about to be sent to gaol for six months, wheu some gentleman in Court offered to pay the £17 for her. We learn from a northern journal that the Colonial Secretary has written to the President of the Thames Hospital, stating that the Government recognises the necessity of maintaining hospitals throughout tho colony, tor which purpose arrangements of a definite nature will have to be made during the forthcoming session of Parliament, by handing them over to the control of Borough and County Councils ou such terms as may he decided on." J MrMcGaffiii, oue of the candidates for lotara, in a late speech, said:— lf returned, 1 will go to the House as an independent member, and am unfavorable to the present Government, who have deceived us in every way. They have been guilty of shady transactions, and have made representations which they never intended to carry out; but the present Premier is said to be a very good man I will not say I will be a party toWn out the Government. It would be sheer impudence for me to say so; but any Ministry who does not act fair to my district will uot have my support, if elected. '

The New York Sun states that a large number of physicians went to Tony Pastor's Theatre lately to see the Mexican dwarf Lucia Zarate. They measured ber and ascertained her height to be twenty-one inches, her feet three inches long, her legs below the knee four inches in circumference, and her bands one inch and a quarter broad. Her mother, who is robust, and of a medium size, soys that Lucia is twelve year. old. Her face ia older than that. Her features are Spanish and her complexion dark. Her activity is incessant. She played pranks witb the physicians, and talked fast in j Spanish. She stepped into a high eilk i hat, crouched down, and was out of j sight excepting her head. She squeezed one of her pliable little hands through a rather large finger ring. Tbe hand of an adult made an ample seat for ber. Standing on a chair, and holding to the back of it, her fingers stuck through the spaces in the cone work— holes that just admitted the passage of a email penholder. She was not weighed but her weight is said to be 51bs., and poised in tbo band Bhe does not seem heavier. Her clothing is comically small, as though intended for a doll, the shoes and stockings especially toy-like. Tom Thumb has grown appreciably since he was exhibited by Barnum ; but when he first astonished the publio he was twice aB large as Lucia, and he was then about her present age. She has not grown "any," her mother says, since she was a year old. '• The wisest schemes of mice and men gang oft aglee." The loyal people of the flourishing little township of Milton, in Otago, bave just been treated to a very striking illustration of the truth of the old adage. It had been intimated to the Mayor that his Excellency the Governor would condescend to pay a flying visit of fifteen minutes on his way. Forthwith, tie loyal citizens of Milton began to exert themselves for a demonstration on a. large scale. An elaborate^address was prepared, the conspicuous places were decorated with evergreens, flags and banners were hung out, tbe Bruce Rifles turned out in uniform, with 150 ladies aa spectators and admirers of their martial bearing, and all went merry as a marriage bell. Tbe people wero resolved to make a grand display, and to mark tbe Governor's visit as a red-letter day in the annals of Milton. Everything was in readiness, tbe Mayor and Borough Councillors turned out in their go-to-meeting habiliments, his Worship waa quietly rehearsing the little spaech which he intended to make in introducing the illuminated address,, and the ladies adjusted their head gear nnd pull-backs, and put on their sweetest .miles. Anou, it was aunouced that the train was in sight, and the excitement became intense. The expected moment arrived, when hey 1 presto, the train flew past at tbe of 30 miles an hour, and was Boon lost to the view oo the distant horizon. The Mayor exclaimed "by jingo I" the Councillors blamed the Committee, who blamed the Mayor, and the ladies blamed everybody. Tbe fair ones then rustled away indignantly, and tbe Committee and others adjourned to drown their sorrows in tbe flowing bowi. In Parliament (writes the London correspondent of the Auckland Star) there has been a little sparring over the Eastern Question. The policy of the Liberal party has been to lay traps for the different members of the Ministry, and watch for them to stumble over tbem. Tbe aim of the Cabinet on the other hand, has been to say as little as possible. This was the wisest course. on the principle of the least said tbe Boonest mendeJ, for really I don't think they had very much to say for themselves. It is so very manifest that od this question the Government changed front with the moat startling rapidity in spite of their denials. Their dispatches show that at tbe outset Mr Disraeli fuily intended to commit England to a thick aud thin support of the Ottoman Empire, and was ouly deterred from doiug so by the agitation consequent upon the Bulgarian horrors. The Government have been very anxious that the Opnosstion should bring on a want of confi Jeuce motion, but the latter are far too wary for tbat just at present, feeling Bure tbat tbe tide of popular favor bas turned round, and that if only they wait a wee, they will bave no difficulty in oustiug Earl Benjamin and hia party. As lor iha Eastern question itself, it just remains in statue quo. Russia haß got an immense army massed on her side of tbe Piuth, and Turkey is all but ruined

in the armaments she has to maintain. But this is Russia's waiting game, for she knows Turkey can get no money, and tbat if she waits long enough the Porte will be utterly bankrupt without even the flashing of a sword-blade. Of course the World .'prophecies coming financial troubles for Russia, that is the World's game. And so we go on, wheels within wheels, all actuated by a motive, and all selfishly wishing everybody else removed out of our path. It is said that lazy folks take tbe most pains. To a man well housed, well fed, and well clothed, it certainly appears that the tramps bave a hard time of it. One of them, who has lately had a railway ride for nothing, ia certainly entitled to something moderately akin to pity. He boarded a train at Omaha, and, having neither money nor ticket to recommend him to the good graces of tbe conductor, he was ejected, put off, dropped, and left behind. Thus made wary.' he ensconced himself in the fire-box of a stationray engine of a flat car that was going through to San Francisco. Somebody shut tbe door, and the poor tramp was a prisoner. He could not sit. He could just turn about. He bad only a few crackers in hia pocket. He had nothing to drink. In this situation he rode 900 miles ; then he arrested the attention of a conductor by stratching on the inside of the engine with his finger nails. They released him more dead than alive, and probably more in love with pedestrianism than ever J The American type-writer, cays "Atlas" ih the World, is gradually becoming popular. With several authors it has superseded the use of the pen altogether. Some ofthe people habitually use it for writing letters ; and this givesjrise to a curious question. If a man writes a letter or agreement with a type-writer, |and signs bis name to a letter or agreement with the same instrument's the document so produced as legal and as binding as one signed with a pen ? Undoubtedly there is a most useful field for the type-writer among the blind. If the stops had the letters [in relief upon them, with little practise a blind person might be able to write letters with as great ease as he could ~- play the pianoforte. The Cincinnati Saturday Night relates the following ; — A young woman recently answered an advertisement for a dining room girl, and the lady of the house seemed pleased with ber. Before engaging her there were some questions to ask. "Suppose," said the lady, — "now, only suppose, understand — that you "were carrying a piece of steak from the kitchen, and, by accident, let it slip from the plate to the floor, what would you do in that case?" The girl looked the lady straight in the before asking, "Is it a private family, or are there' boarders?" " Boarders," answered the lady. "Pick it up and put it back on the plate," firmly reI plied the girl. She was engaged.