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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 121, 24 May 1877, Page 2

A Duoedin lawyer is alleged to have prepared a bill of sale to enable a debtor to defraud his creditors, and, not being paid his bill of costs, wrote to his client's creditors saying that if they would engage Ivm he would show them the bill of sale was prepared to defraud them. The Law Society is expected to take the matter up. Fifteen mongoose (says a contemporary) have been imported to Southland from Ind'a by Mr C. Basstian to kill rabbits. A Scotch correspondent of a contemporary says :— lt is rumored that the German Government is about to conclude, through the celebrated Herr.Krupp, the purchase of a shipbuilding yard at Govan, the price of which is stated at between £200,000 and £250,000. It is known that the German Government has for some time been desirous eof ffecting a purchase of the kind. Our attention (says the Star) has been called to a somewhat novel swindle perpetrated upon unsuspecting Aucklaud importers by some rather too clever person jn Hobarton. The plan is to pack a number of apples in a case, which by the peculiar fastening cf the boards can be conveniently opened at one end ouly. At this end two or three rows of fiue apples are temptingly arranged on top, while beneath are nothing but very diurnutive specimens. Mr Hannaford was the victim -in this case, having bought the apples at auction, but fully exonerates the auctioneer, who was equally deceived The price paid was 3£d a pound. It would be well for our Hobarton friends to bear in mind that by this course they will iujure their own trade. A recent telegram to the Post from Dunedin says: -Part of the National Insurance meeting was very stormy. At the outset Air Rees complained of the insufficiency of the information on the balance-sheet, saying that shareholders at a distance could not satisfy themsel ves. Mr Driver has retired from his candidature for the directorship because thoughjhe had 5000 votes in his favor, the other three candidates, by joining together and giving a block vote, got 8000 each This was denied by Mr Oliver, another candidate and by the Chairmau. Mr Walters described it as a "rottenly blackguard state of things " Mr Leary wanted to retire from his candidature for the auditorship for the same reason, but as this was refused, on going to the poll he was at the bottom. The Foreign Office has published as a Parliamentary paper the followiug copy of a telegram addressed by the Earl of Derby to Si. Henry Elliot :— " Foreign Office, 29th August, 1676, 11.55 pm. I think it right to mention, for your guidance, that the impression producted here by tho events in Bulgaria has completely destroyed sympathv with Turkey. The feeling is universal, and so strong that even if Russia were to declare war against the Porte, her Majesty's Government would find it practically impossible to interfere. Auy such event would place England in a most unsatisfactory situation Peace is, therefore, urgently necessarv. Use your discretion as to the language which you shall hold, but you will see how essential it is that that the Turkish Ministers should be alive to the situation, and that you cannot be too strong in urving upon the Porte a conciliatory disposition."

"Alticus," inthe Leader, says:— Various signs in the political horizon poi tend an early termination of the system of payment of members. It commenced on the 25th of April, 187 1 , and after a six years' e ;peri ,uce politicians on both sides of the House are testifying to its utter failure. Even Sir C. G. Drffiy, who was in realitv the Parliamentary sponsor of the Reimbursement of Members Act, freely admits lbr. the measure which he took so much trouble to initiate has by no means aqswered his expectations. It is a noteworthy fact that only one member of the Assembly (Mr Higinbotham) declined to draw the money. In the Council Mr Bear has not received any siuce the renewal of the Act in 1874, norSir Charles Sladen since his election iu' August last. Messrs Mocßain and Spensley took care to pocket their screws diuing their leaves of absence from the colony, aud , Messrs Micbie, Graham, and Fraser of the Council, did not forget to do likewise. The only members of Parliament who disdained to bill the Treasury for back pay whilst away are Mr Bear, a present, and Mr M-Kellar, an ex-member of the Legislative Council. There is a good round sum accruing to the Hon. N. Fitzgerald who has just returned from his European starring excursion, but whether he intends figuring as a "claimant" this deponent knoweth not. " There is an "eternal fire " on the shores o; a peninsula in the Caspian Sea. The flames rise to a height of 15 to 18 feet, and are fed by a sort of oil of naptha which exudes f reai the soil, and all about the spot the surface cau be set ablaze by applying a match. A number of Parsee fire-worshippers live near, a\id their mode of cooking is singular. The' ' fire is lighted by simply applying a light to oil on the surface, and is extinguished by throwing on a few shovelfuls of earth. A bright light is obtained by sinking a hollow rsed into the ground, and lighting the tonmost end. * In reply to a question asked in the House of Commons it was stated that the cost of the ceremony at Delhi of proclaiming Queen Victoria Empress of India was £65,000. In the opinion of the Government the political advantages likely to accrue therefrom are cheap at the price.

Referring to the importation of American workmen into New South Wales, the Sydney Echo suggests that it. would be as well to' send back as return freight a few huudreds of the loafers who are to b& found hanging about the public streets, and who cannot be persuaded to do honest hard work. . "_Egles" writes in the Australasian:— "A. Gentleman who takes a lively interest in Australian trade development some time ago sent an experimental shipment of 50 firstclass sheep from Melbourne to Calcutta. He paid lis 6d. for them here, say £28 15s, and paid freight and shipping expenses £25. 10s, together £54 ss. Six dsed on the voyage, and the remaining 44, realised 13 to 14 rupees each; but as rupees were at a discouut, the sterling was only worth £53 lis. From this was deducted the feeding after landing in Calcutta of the 44 sheep for 11 days,°l4o rupees (!), and the totai charges for selling, &c.' amounted to £24 12s 9d; so that the spirited introducer iuto India of Australian mutton was rewarded for his cn te. prize by a loss of £25 6s 9s. He suspected h.'s agents of sarcasm when they 'tr-.ted the result would be satisfactory;' adding, J lf you could send us another lot, to be here by November br December next, they will be sure to sell to advantage.' He fails to appreciate Calcutta advantages." At the late meeting of ex-provincial officers in Christchurch some of the gentlemen present stated that after services varying from ten to neaaly seventeen years, their claims for compensation had been disallowed by the General Government because their appointments bad never been gazetted, nor had they stamped letters of appointment. The following resolutions were carried: — (1) " That this meeting— being dissatisfied with the present action of the Colonial Government in withholding the compensation granted to discharged civil servants, uuder the Abolition of Provinces Act — resolve by every legal and constitutional means to assert, and if necessary enforce its claims;" (2) "To give effect to the foregoing resolution this meeting does hereby agree to form itself into an Association for the protection of the civil servants so discharged, and that' it invites the co-operation of officers similarly sitnated in other provinces;" (3) "That with the view of carrying out the objects ofthe above resolutions a committee be formed, consisting of Messes Warner, Ward, Triphook, and Bull, with power to add to their number;" (4) "That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the discharged civil servants of the o.her provinces."