MR. SEVERN'S LECTURES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 120, 23 May 1877, Page 2

MR. SEVERN'S LECTURES.

To the Editor of the 'Evening Mul. Sir — I am not commissioned to speak on behalf of the public, but you are, and I trust that you will not allow Mr Severn to leave Nelson without a word of public thanks for his interesting and instructive lectures. He has given us a glimpse of some of the infinite wonders that surround us, but through which we pass, for the most part, absolutely unheeding. It is well said:— • The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in Nature that is ours. But I hope that what he has told and shown us will induce so ue of the younger among us to follow the road he has pointed out. and even induce some of us, the elders, to lessen a little that profound and varied ignorance in which we are commonly content to live.— l am, &c, A.

[We quite agree with our correspondent that the public of Nelson are very largely indebted to Mr Sevei.i for a series of lectures which for interest and for the beauty of the illustrations by which they were accompanied have never been equalled here.— Ed. N.E.M.~]

In commenting upon Mc O'Shea's bankruptcy, the Evening Post is rather severe upon that gentleman. Our comtempbrary sa/s:— lt is to be noted that in the present case Mr O'Shea has piously remarked " that if God should please to prosper him in his future undertakings, he would consider himself under a moral obligation to pay up his debts." Doubtless the creditors will be much consoled by this assurance. We, however, scarcely think that the blessiug of the Almighty is likely to attend Mr O'Shea's efforts in the future unless they are made on an entirely different system to that which has characterised them in tbe past. Up to the present time the colony of Victoria has spent £2073 874 upon her'defences. This is shown by the information embodied in the late Volunteer Commissioners' report. Remarking on this fact, the Argus says it is simply disgusting to think jthafc 'the colony is not iv a position to await the issue of events with calmness and confidence, and that the event of possible war finds them unprepared to guard their belongings or defend their honor, and still musing on the best means, that can be adopted to secure the safety of that colony. A San Francisco telegram dated April 25 says: -Russian accounts show that the rosds m Bessarabia were very bad, indeed almost impassable for heavy baggage waggons. The Russian plan of operations was to march one army on Galatz while another army marched to attack Dobrudscha. The Russian armies were to attach the Danube at Kalafat, Guigeoo, and Kalarsh. It is believed that the Russian forces which would be necessary for the war bave beeu much under-estimated, and that their movements would be slow a id tedious. The following items of American news dated San Francisco April 25 are from the Evening Post:— There has been a fight with the Indians on the .Buffalo Ranges by hunters. Fifteen of the latter were killed.— In Mexico a battle took place near Manezath in the state of Cauca, between General Tongillos and the enemy. It lasted seven hours. Tongillos was victorious. The losses on both sides were heavy.— The brig Roanoke has been wrecked and eleven persons drowned. —A terrible explosion of powder took place afc a powder mill near Santa Cruz. Several persons were injured.— Sixty thousand miners are idle in the coal regions of Pennsylvania. The ship Leo was burned at sea. The captain and thirteen of the crew escaped in a lifeboat. Three passengers and eighteen of the crew are missing.— Paul Morphy, the; chess-payer is in New Orleans Lunatic Asylum.—A terrible tornado occurred at Rutherford Tennessee. It blew down fourteen houses and killed three persons and wounded eight: —The Great Dukes Alexis and Constantine and the admirals of the Russian fleet have visited New York.— The small-pox in Sm Francisco originated on board the Alaska from China— The labor market in California is terribly depressed.— Mexico outraged the American flag by the seizure of the schooner Montana and the arrest of the United States Consul afc Acapulcho. Two American war vessels have been sent to inquire into the matter.