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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 176, 23 July 1878, Page 2

The Government of New South Wales are about to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into and report upon the whole subject of prison decipiine. The Globe hears that a London engineering firm has despatched to Russia, via Hamburgh and Revel, £12,000 worth of torpedo fittings during the past fortnight. ■, Captain Howard Smith is now in England superintending the building of three powerful vessels for the Melbourne Steamship Company. American Communistic societies, fully officered and drilled, have been discovered in Virginia. George Eliot has cleared £40,000 on Daniel Deronda." The strides lately made in some parts of Canterbury by the farming interest are really wonderful (says the Rangiora Standard). In the Waimate district one gentleman has broken up, and is about sowing, no less than 10,000 acres of virgin soil this season. The representatives of three American firms, who were here not loDg since seeking customers for binding and reaping machines, have succeeded in obtaining nearly £100,000 worth of orders, which are to be executed in good time for the next harvest. An American paper, commenting on the fact that the British Government had ordered one million pounds wnght of lint for the medical stores for the army, says: When it comes to providing a million pounds of lint, the jig is up. Lint is the snowflake which antecedes and accompanies the hurricane of war; lint is war. Nothing but a square, completa backdown on the parC of Kussia c»n r,ow prevent a wa r.

A Fowchow telegram to the Press Agency says v—The steamers are here for tea, and the pl&c'e 14 Dinning to gsi brisk. Certain native Kongs have \yithiti ♦!&', latrf fe\v days purchased a quantity of willow ami other spurious leaf with a view to its mixture with genuine tea leaf. This " lie " tea is pickled ' in this neighborhood, sun dried in the ordinary way, and brought down in tea-bags. It is then manipulated like ;ordiuary te<a-leuf, which It closely resembles ; only a small portion is mixed with the genuine tea-leaf, I and its presence can oilly be detected T>y+ery careful inspection. The Chamber- of Commerce has taken the matter up. | The following telegram to the Press Agency is dated May 10: — Actual famine can scarcely be said to have reached the capital, but there is great mortality amongst the refugees, and dead bodies are often in the streets. Millet gruel is given ont by the authorities, and all comers are supplied with a large bowlful I twice a day. Goterflment is much perplexed at the long continued drought, and many are the devices used to divert popular indignation. Seven of the Emperor's ten daily dishes have been cut off. Several Princes have baen sent to different temples, with orders to remain there till rain falls. Chengtu, the former commander-in-chief, was condemned to death several years ago, but through the powerful influence of his wife's relatives, he still lives in prison, and people believe rain will not fall till he is beheaded. Meanwile the Empresses are giving every- ' thing they can to help the people. Thefts in the streets of Pekin are very common, so that vendors of eatables have a difficulty in carrying on their business. | An English paper referring to the double return for South Northumberland, . says : — " Mr Ridley and Mr Grey, who were both returned for the vacant seat for South Northumberland, in consequence of having received an equal number of votes, were introduced amidst cheers from both sides of the House. Mr Grey was accomnanied to the table by Mr Beaumont and Sir A. Middleton, and Mr Ridley by Earl Percy and Sir W. M. Ridley. Both lion, gentlemen took the oath 1 and subscribed the roll of Parliament, shook hands with the Speaker, and then withdrew." Every precaution (says the Wellington Chronicle) is being taken to prevent the spreading of any fire which may break out m the Parliamentary buildings. ludiarubber hose has been laid on every flat, and numbers of buckets of water are kept in readiness in case of emergency. There are no fewer thau seven fire-plugs round the buildings, and any | part of them can easily be reached. Krupp, the cannon-maker, says : — "Der Lordt has been goot to me. He makes lots of war to help my poor varaily along."