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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 269, 20 November 1878, Page 2

Shanghai telegrams to tho Press Agency dated Sept. 21, state :— "An article has appeared in tho Foochnw Herald in which pleasure is expressed at the prospect of a large increase to trade between China and New Zealaud. The importation of Australian wool into Japan for manufacture is also beiug commented on, and the Southern Colonies are just now attracting much attention. — A private letter to Singapore reports the sinking of the large floating dock at Batavia, which is a serious catastrophe, altogether impeding docking operations. —C. R. Thatcher, well-known in Australia and New Zealand, and who had paid several visits to China as a collector of curios, died suddenly here a few days ago from cholera. He had arrived from England only a week previously. A Yokahama telegram says :— The Minister of Fiuance estimates the total revenue at about £9,750,000 0ne-eighth of whichisyielded by land tax. It is proposed to set apart £5,000,000 yearly towards the liquidation of the national debt, which is now twelve times greater than in 1873. Nine new national hanks have been established during the last six weeks. This makes about 130.— 0n tho 2nd the Kokonoye mountain, after groaning and trembling for some time, one of its peaks broke offi, slid down tho mountain, killing several people in a house at the bottom. — At another mountain, at the village of Shibaki on the 15th, a portion slipped down to its foot, destroying a number of houses.— There have been great floods and the damage done is heavy. Houses and bridges were carried away. Rivers rose 15 and 20 feet in places. At the mouth of one river 37 houses and a Buddhist temple were carried away. Numbers of persons were drowned. Yesterday afternqon (says the Wellington Chrmiqle of Thursday) a public trial of the Btone-breaking machines (Hope's Patent Excelsior), recently imported by Messrs Jay and Roberts, took place at Kaiwarra, in the presence of thoMayor, Mr Blackett, Engineer-in-Chief for North Island, the City Engineer and a number of other profesional gentlemen and contractoi-3. The trial was entirely successful. These two machines can crush 150 yards of metal per day, as much as could be broken by fifty men in that time. The cost of crushing is about 6d per yard. Blocks of 9in. x 16in. can be crushed by tho. machines with the greatest of ease. The followiug is from Saturday's _V. Z. Times:— The wind and dust of yesterday were more severe than usual, the " oldest inhabitant " when appealed to of course declaring that in 'the whole of his experience ho had not seen the like before &o. But an idea of the force of the gale may be gathered from the fact that two birds were killed by being knocked against buildings in the centre of the city. A sparrow flying in Feather-ston-street wa3 caught suddenly by a gust blown violently against pno of the stores' and dropped on the street immediately quite dead. Abeut an hour afterwards one of tho recently acclimatised minahs, which was perched on tho iron which surmounts Mr E. W. Mills' establishment in Hunter-street, was taken up by the wind aud dashed against the parapet. It recovered itself and attempted to fly, but fell into the road. Af (ier a minute or two a passer by approached it, when it made another attempt to rise,' aud was this time caught by the wind and hurled agianst the Atbensuum with such force that in a few minutes it died. ' Outsiders should feel respectful admiration for Wellington " blowing " after tbis.

The Auckland Star says :'— A seriofts epidemic is raging amopg pea6h trees; whole groves being ije.iz'ed with a species of blight. This tiflfbrttinate disease is noticeaW6 throughout the whole of the Auckland district. In old times the natives treated this disease in a vigorous manner by cutting the trees down, allowing them to throw out fresh wood In a Victorian Police Court the other day a cheap practitioner was among the tipsy watchhouse waifs, and was duly fined ss. On the saiiib moaning, a little later on, he appeared on benalf of a client. After the rising of the Court, a highly respefctripte attorney,talking with the Chairman of the Bench, expressed his surprise at the man who had just been fined for drunkenness being permitted to appear-in a case— at any rate for that day. .' Well," said the very practical magistrate, " I observed on the watchhouse -sheet that when his pockets were searched there was nothing in them, and I thought I might Ss well let him earn as much as would discharge the fine I had inflicted. Otherwise we should nerer have got it.

The Poverty Biy Standard (Upon what anthority -we know not) givea the following a* s-naif of the changes about to take place in the police department :— lnspector Atchison is to removed to Nelson; Inspector Eiely to Hokitika; Inspector James to Wellingtou; Inspector Brohatn to Duuedin*, Inspector Weldon to Christchurch; Inspector fe.tihy to the Thames; Inspector Bullen to Taur*nga; and several other changes in the South. A Wodei H_»el.~Tn no city in the United States is the travel-stained, weary traveller taken as good care of as he is in a San Antonio Hotel. The manners and customs of the guest are carefully studied. A ybuhft man frora the frontier, stopping at one of the hotels, told the clerk that he waa going to be out late. " Just wait a minute, replied the accommodating clerk, as he rushed off, soon re-appenring with 'a large envelope, which he placed in the guest's breast pocket, with tbe remark, " That is a bond, properly signed, for your appearance before the Seconder. As soon as you are arrested for feeing incapable and disorderly, jost give the bond to the policeman, mention my name to bim, and he will bring you home in a hack. Good night '"—American Paper. Mr Elijah Hitchcock was a Connecticut constable, whose character was under •scrutiny. Deacon Solomon Rising was enquired of about him. "Decon Solomon Eising,' said the questioner, 'do you think Mr Hitchcock i3 a dishonest man ?" (Very promptly), « Oh, no, Sir; not by any means.* 'Well, do you think he is a mean man ?' * Well, with regard to that,' said the Deacon, * little more deliberately, « l may say that I ■don't really think he is a mean man; I've sometimes thought he was what you might call a keerful man— a prudent man so to apeak. 5 ' Whit do you mean by a prudent roan ?' " Well, I mean this ; that one time te had ap execution of four dollars against the old Widow Witter back here, and he went op to her hoose and levied on a flock of docks, and chased the ducks, one at a time round the house pooty. much all day, and ■every time he catcbed a duck, he'd set right; down and wring its neck, and charge mileage; an' his mileage mounted to more than the debt. Nothin* mean about it, as I know of,* but, I always thought, after that, Mr Hitchcock was a very prudent man,'— PraisieJFarmer, •*,,-"' The, following remarks by the Lyttelton Jnw-rnpon the late session are .significant, from the fact of their appearing in one of ; the radst influential journals iv the colony,: which has hitherto been a strong supporter Uf the present Government:—" The political, reriew of the session would not be complete 'without referring to the position of the •Ministry in relation to its proceedings. We ■cannot _ say. _tbat that position has. been strengthened. On the contrary, and we say Ifc with regret, it is materially weaker. We .tegret the fact, because we should like to see the proponndera of a policy in which we! ? Believed gathering power from day to day in givirig.to.it practical effect. The jnaih cause <tf -Ministerial failure has been, that Minis-: •ters have-not had one mind of their own. In ; Sir George Grey's enunciations during the recesMbere was some unity of view. But he does not appear to have represented the Cabinet. As Premier, therefore, his public ■utterances were a mistake. When it was found that what was said by the Premier differed materially from what was said by: the Colonial Treasurer at Marton, and by the Attorney .General at Dunedin, the public wa3 surprised. But when it was afterwards found (hat the measures still further diverged from tbe men, and that tbe voices on the Treasury Bench, with respect to those mea-' cures, were also at discord, public surprise has grown, rapidly in many quarters into public distrust. This divisionhas precluded Minister-* f ronr having that firm hold and distinct lead which they should exercise with respect to the House, if they wish to sit firmly in their seats. The pronounced antagonism between the Premier and the At-torney-General on two such important questions as the Judicial Commission Bill and the Broomhall contract did not tend to the consolidation of the Cabinet. We. cannot compliment the Government on their lead of the Legislative Council. That body, irritated from within by unnecessary petulance from the Colonial Secretary,- and disparaged from without by the Premier, has, we think, been very forbearing to the Government. .The weakness. of the one Minister among them, perhaps, has. from generous mptiVes; been allowed to constitute his strength. ~ But still, while we think that the want of union In the Cabinet, and its "consequent want of decision in Parliament, added to questionable administration in many cases, have weakened 'the Ministry and disorganised itssuppprters, there is yet time to mend before Parliament meets again. Let tbem consult more in Cabinet, and act more on its conclusions than on* their own individual ideas. Let them, in "their future navigation, trust -less to tacking tinder sail, and more to steaming ahead on a •direct course." In the palmy days of the Colony, when the .new and opening goldflelds presented such jtemptations'to unguarded modes of living, .'mjiny a hale and hearty, fellow received the germs of sickness and disease, which in after years spread their malign influence through , 3he system, and lay their Victim prostrate. Many sach, hearing of the introduction of those invaluable medicines—" Ghollah's .Gei-at'lhdian C_n_zs"~into New Zealand, availed themselves of tbe fact, took the r medicines, and got cubed See testimonials. tfheae medicines are, positively unfailing remedies. Sold by all'Chemlsts. „! Holloway's Pills.— Liver, . Lungs, and Kidneys. — A large number of internal maladies arise from obstructions, over the .removal of which the celebrated Pills exercise the most perfect control. , A course of them ie strongly recommended aa- a remedy tor almost all chronic, affections — es liver , complaint, congestion of the lungs, torpidity : of the kidneys, and other functional dis- . orders which cause much present suffering, . and if neglected lay the foundation of dan- , gerous diseases. Holloway's Pilla are o -specially adapted for the young and delicate; . their gentle and purifying action ranks them -•above all otber : medicines. In .indigestion, -nervous -affections,; gout, . and rheumatism these Pills have achieved for themselves universal . fame. The expel all imparities from the blood and thus restore cheerfulness and vigour.