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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 44, 20 February 1879, Page 2

tt has beeti reserved for a New JSealafld journalist to make a brilliant discovery regarding the pilnciple on which Englaftsl manages her diplomatic affo'rs. According to this new authority) the Foreign Office considers very second-rate men, men of no paiticular ability, the best sort of persons to deal with Gortscuakoff, Andrassy, and Bismarck. Kngiaiid does not want a maa of great ability or genius to represent her at St Petersburg, Vienna, and Berlin, and it ia no compliment to a colony, but indeed, rather the reverse, thit a diplomatist, who has represented bis Sovereigu at these courts, and has held his own with the first statesmen of the age, should be sent out as its Governor. • We would not for a moment attempt to compare Lord Loftus with Mr Wakefleld, the member for Geraldine, for instance ; but, after all, perhaps he is good enough for New South Wales. Had the Timaru Herald intimated to her Majesty's Government rome time ago that the services of Mr Wakefleld might be obtained, we have no doubt that Lord Loftr 1 * word have had to be content with remaining at some European Court, and the New South Welshmen would have had a genuine compliment paid them by Mr Wakefield's appointment to the vacant Governorship. They have certainly sustained a severe loss, and we pity them. For some time they must be content with an ex-ambas-sador in place of an ex-editor, and it is just possible that, when the said Augustus Loftus has fulfilled his term of office, they may have to put up with being ruled Ijy a Royal Duke— a very secoud-rate sort of person of course. There would be nothing apprising in a Governor of the position of Lord Augustus Loftus being succeeded by a member of the Royal Family, and there are some people — who perhaps can see as far as the Editior of the Timaru Herald— who see indications of a settled policy on the part of the present Government of England to consolidate the Empire, and d*aw closer the bonds which unite the family of the Sovereigu with the people. The Ptince Louise is in Canada. The Duke of Edinburgh and his Duchess, we are told, are going there also. Prince Arthur is to rule as permanent Viceroy of Ireland, and it is by no means a wild supposition that Lord Augustus Loftus may have been sent io this side of the Equator to pave the way for the advent of some still higher personage. — Evening Post. We (Huwke's Bay Herald) are informed that the volcano of Tangariro has recently been in eruption. In May of last year there was a cone about 120 feet in diameter at the north-west side of the crater. It was closed at the bottom, but vapors issued at its sides. At the present time, whilst the above cone has vanished, as if it had never been in existence, a large one has been thrown up, with a diameter of 500 feet at the top, and extending along nearly the whole north side of the crater. At the bottom of the cone there are three large vents through which sulphurous fumes are issuing, at times in considerable volumes. The floor of the crater, which may be reckoned as 1500 feet in diameter, shows increase of sulphurous stream in all directions, and the precipices | above, as well as at the outside of the mountain (except to the south) for some distance downwards, are actively steaming. There are several bed 3of snow upon cool parts of the floor of the crater— one at the south side under the precipice has been melting from the hot vapers below it,.- till it has been fashioned into a cave with a scalloped roof, as of white marble. A Dublin paper has an amusing fictitions cable despatch of inordinate length, purporting to emanate from a staff correspondent who has been sent across the sea* to find Mr Edison, the idea being evidently suggested by the way in which that gentleman is overdone by the American papers : — When the correspondent landed m New York, President Hayes went tearing down Broadway to the Battery in an open carriage drawn by six cream-coloured horses, and preceded by a number of out riders in scarlet and gold, and a squadron of siege artillery in full gallop. The President carried his guest off to the White House, where they had birds' nest soup, blue fish, bread fruit pilaff, and oysters in every style. After lunch the President drove the correspondent out (without the artillery) to see the sights in the immediate neighborhood — the Falls of Niagara, the prairies, the Yosemite Valley, and giant trees in Mariposa county. When he learned that the Irishman had crossed the seas to talk with Mr Edisou, the President urged him to do nothing of the sort He remarked that the inventor was hardly ever at home, being generally in tbe Patent Office registering some new discovery, and besides he was so highly charged with electricity that it was dangerous to approach him. The President remarked that the inventor was frequently seen with a regular nimbus around his head, a sort of domesticated aurora boreal is, and one man who shook hands with him in a casual way, weut home, took to hia bed, and was prostrated by the violence of the shock. The authorities in Victoria have circulated throughout Australia and New Zealand photographs of Edward Kelly, the most famous personage in these colonies at tbe present moment, and undoubtedly the mau who is becoming a hero and receiving a kird of hero worship, especially from boys and from tbe whole larrikin element of society. It used to be very common for boys in the old country, after a perusal of Mr Harrison -Ainsworth's exciting novel, to imagine themselves Jack Sheppard, or at least to think how glorious it would be to emulate his career. Dick Turpin continues a popular hero to this day, chiefly by the mediums of travelling circuses and Black Bess. Boys now play at " the Kelly gaug," and order each other to " bail up." The serious aspect of the affair is, that the long continued defiance of the police, the escapes on splendid bo:ses, the sticking-up of whole townships, putting crowds of people under lock and key like sheep, the strutting about in police uniform, ia likely to bring the administration of justice into contempt, and to cause lawlessness in various ways. To return to the portraits. One is of Edward Kelly when received into gaol on the 2nd of August, 1871, and the other of him in 1874, when he was released. Through the boyish look which he has in 1871, not devoid of sweetness, cau be traced the criminal cast of countenance, and seeing he comes of a criminal family, this was only to be expected. But what a change there is in his look in 1874 I In the three years he is developed into a man, but has not assumed true manhood. Constant association and companionship with hardened and debased natures has developed the bad qualities in him, and the possibilities of better things which the first portrait shows have become obliterated.— N. z. Herald. The total wool-clip of the world in 1877 was about 1,497,500,0001b5. This, when scoured, would yield about 852,000,0001b5. of clean wool.

The Wairarapa Daily says that the rabbits may prove to be the meaua of forcing the proprietors of large estates to cut them up into small holdings. Referring to tbe Huangaroa estate he adds :— " We fancy the Hon. .lohn Martin would have liked to have lived on bis purchase, and ridden over miles of the best land in the provincial distiict as their proprietor. Bat the Hon. John Martin is not the man to sacrifice a fine estate to sentiment and rabbits, and so he is cutting it up into 3mall holdings. If the project turns out, as we believe it will do, a profitable speculation, other large proprietors will follow suit, and there will be au influx of population into the Wairarapa that will soon double and treble its present productive powers. The question whether poor bunny is a friend or a foe is yet to be detei mined. We ourselves are 'nclined to believe that ultimately he will prove to be the former." Of fifteen funerals conducted by one firm of undertakers in Wellington during the hat fortnight the cause of death ia live cases was English cholera, fid in seven cases dfairhoca. A letter from Sir J. Yogel to the Colonial Secretary appears in the Gazette, suggesting that the promoters of the White Island Sulphur Works should send in tenders for the supply of 1225 cwt of brimstone to the gunpowder factor/ at Mac'-as. Sir Julias encloses the necessary form of tender. It is high time (says a Wairarapa paper) that the Press and the public denounced the frauds of all kinds with wbich we are surrounded, including in some instances bogus land sales. The city of Wellington is getting tolerably fall of smart professional men who, though they may steer clear of 'any legal penalty, have no conscientious scruples in letting the pubic "in" by trickery or misrepresentatioi. The Harbor Board has just received from London a diviug apparatus supplied with electric light, and a concrete testing machine. The diving machine is from the hand of Messrs Siebe and Gorman, the well-known London manufacturers. It is described as a three-motion machine, possessing an air pump with three large-sized metal cylinders, forged iron crank, copper cooling cistern with water apparatus to keep the cylinders cool, a patent indicating gauge to denote the depth, and the pressure of the air; and is supplied with spare helmet valves, nut, &c, and, indeed, everything requisite. The helmet is of copper, fitted with a segmental screw to remove the headpiece by one-eighth of a turn; has strong plate glasses in brass frames; a brass colla- with wbich the dress is fastened watei tight; one outlet and one inlet valve, with a regulating valve on the headpiece, and a helmet cushion strffed with horsehair. The waterproof diving dresses ore ma le of solid sheet indiambber between tauned twill, with vuloir ; sed iodi»rubber collar and cuffs, and other belongings. The Alliance dynamite electilc irichine, in connection with the dning apparatus, is also the work of Messrs Siebe and Gorman. It is to be worked by steam-power for producing the electilc current; and is supplied with an improved electric lamp. The cement-testing machine is a very neat and compast piece of work, manufactured by P. Adie, of London. The total cost of the above machine is £340, including all extra ch9rges.— Timara Herald. The Cincinoata Gazette states that a middle-aged lady living at Springfield, Ob'.o, died recently from some mysteiious disease located in the head. The symptoms had long been manifested, but no treatment seemed to have permanent effect. After death there was an examination made, in which Cincinnati physicians took purt, and resulted ia the unanimous decision that death was caused piim»rily by the use for a long peiiod of chemical compounds foi- dyeing the hoir. There is said to li.ivc been a coating formed over the brain, cau'uj* something M.ke paralysis of that organ. Six children and two laborers were poisoned at ftlaitland, in South Australia, on the 11th Jauuary, through eating bad sardines They recovered under mediril treatment. A Bad Lung Tester.— We don't want a Lancasb<ne witch for a lung tester. At a singing school up there the other night a young man was bragging about the strength of his bis lungs, and invited a young girl in the company to hit him in the breast. She said she was left-handed, had been washing that day, and was tired, and didn't feel very active, but at this earnest request she let go at him. When his friends went to pick him up he said he thought he would die easier lying down. He had lost all recollection of hay Ing any lungs, but the youug woman consoled him by admitting tint she didn't tit as hard as she might have done, because she rather liked him. — Ameiican paper. The Wangauri Chronicle says a sharp frost on the I lth instant, did considerable damage to tbe gardens. Mr Henry Churton informs us that he has no recollection of a frost so early in the season during r-'s residence in New Zealand. "Atticus" wiltes in the Melbourne Leaden— We hear a go< 1 deal about the temerity of Steve Hart in visiting the haunts of men ia female costume, but his disguise has not even the merit of oiiginality. In the old bushrangtng days of New South Wales Charley O'Malley, I tHnk it was, who adopted the same tactics. He made a bet that he would [be present at some races, and attired in habit and felt hat, and riding a well-bred nag, he appeared on the race course. The easy manner in which he sat his sidesaddle attucted the attention of the Inspector of Police, the late Sir Fredeiick Pottinger, who entered into conversation with the ff : .r strriger, and fell a victim to her charms. After acting as escou all day the police officer solicited the pleasure of escorting the would-be damsel home, an offer, however thai was declined with tbanks. Sir Frederick growing persistent, O'Malley put his horse at a fence, cleared it, and when at the other side, before galloping away, pulled off his hat and veil, and disclosed to the astonished gaze of b ! s admirer, not the damask cheek of a rustic besuty, but the features of a criminal upon whose head a heavy reward was set.