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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1879, Page 2

The Address in Reply from the Legislative Council (says the Chronicle) was yesterday afternoon presented to Sir Hercules Robinson by two honorable gentlemen who had donned their war paint and feathers, in accordance with the usual custom. They were disgusted to find that the Governor, instead of being in full dress, was en deshabille, and received the Address with a simple " Thank you." Sir Hercules is a plain, blunt man, who dislikes show. The Chronicle of Wednesday last says:— Never in the history of Wellington has there been greater political excitement than over last night's division. The Strangers' gallery, the Speaker's gallery, the Importer's gallery, and the Ladies gallery of the House, were crammed to suffocation at 4 o'clock. Well ia it indeed that the reign of crinoline is over, or the husbands of Wellington, after last night's crush, would have been halfruined by bills for nevrjupoits. The expenditure of the five millions to be shortly raised on loan is proposed to be according to the following schedule :— For carrying on Public Works and Immigration authorised by any Act of the General Assembly now in force, or that hereafter may be in force, and for defraying the costs, charges, and expenses of raising the Loan authorised by this Act, £3,490,000. For purchase of Native Lands, £250,000. For Lyttelton Harbor Works (in lieu of amount authorised to be raised under " The Lyttelton Harbor Works Loan Act, 1872," as amended by "The Financial Arrangements 1876,") £100,000. For defraying such costs, charges, and expenses (including liabilities) for Colonial Defence as shall be authorised by the General Assembly for the year ending the 30th day of June, 1880, £180,000. For defraying such costs, charges, and expenses (including 'liabilities) for Colonial Defence a3 shall be authorised by the General Assembly for the year ending the 30th day of June, 1881, £180,000. For redeeming Guaranteed Debentures, £800 000. Total £5,000,000. The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says:—" Native character i 3 a great mystery— such a compound of good and evil, of noble qualities and mean vices — that it is hard to say what to make of the Maoris. To-day, donning a blanked and declaiming against Civilisation; to-morrow, as an exquisite, adorning the dress-circle of the theatre, and patronising opera-bouffe. Lately some of the Northern (Kaipara) natives, on disposing of blocks of land, have developed a new line, namely, investing, on the friendly counsel of the resident Wesleyan missionary, a portion of the proceeds in the bank and local insurance shares, against a rainy day. The unfailing regularity with which the tiwitene (dividend) is forthcoming, is, with the lucky native investors, a never-failing source of delight, and that very old bird, ' the goose that lays the golden eggs,' has been the subject of unmeasured eulogy in the eternal koreros with which the natives beguile their evenings in a Maori kainga. One native, however, ' lost his head ' with his good fortune, and recklessly struck a beeline, on his own account, for the first jointstock concern that was placed temptingly under his view, in the belief than any of these concerns was as good as another, and a great deal better. Time rolled on and he got no tiwitene,though hopefully and patiently he waited to be blessed; at last a portentouslooking document reached him, notifying him of of a • call.' The hopelessly- obfuscated savage took the note to his missionary, who explained to him that ' he had put his money on the wrong goose; that that bird, in fact, was in a bad way, and had scarcely a feather to fly with; but that by feeding it with ' calls ' it might possibly grow strong, acquire plumage, and in the distant future lay goiden eggs like the other goose.' That Maori's visage was a picture, and he returned to his settlement convinced that there were more things in Heaven and earth than were dreamt of in Maori philosophy." The Chinese plan for stopping larrikinism is to lock a wooden collar round the necks of the culprits on conviction, and compel them to keep the gutters and streets clear.