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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 203, 8 September 1879, Page 2

That " honesty is the best policy " (the Wanganui Herald says) was demonstrated at Palmerston a day or two ago. A laboring man found a cheque for £9 on the road. Not being able to read it, he showed it to a saddler, of Palmecston. The latter made euquiries, found that the signature was good, and feeling probably in an accommodating mood,, obligingly offered the finder a £1 note for the £9 cheque. The offer was accepted, and the euterprising settler, after a visit to the Bank, found himself £8 in pocket. Unfortunately for him it invariably turns out that "He who takes what isn't his'n, whea he's caught must go to prison." The rightful owner of the cheque soon discovered his loss, and also made enquiries, which resulted in the arrest of the finder and speculator in the lost document, both of whom were committed for trial. At the last annual meeting of the New Zealand Shipping Company, at Chnstchurch, the chairman, in referring to colonial youths joining the company's ships a3 apprentices, said:—" With the directors the shareholders felt great interest in the matter of colonial apprentices on board their ships, and they would be glad to learn that they now had fifty apprentices in their vessels. Of these nine were acting as third mates. One who joined their service as a sailor boy before it was decided to take apprentices was now acting as chief officer. He mentioned these facts not only as interesting to shareholders— and he knew they were— but also that they might act as an incentive to the boys now under their flag. He might say here that they would shortly have vacancies in their ships for boys, and the managers at all the branches would be ready to receive names to lay before the directors for selection." A correspondent of the Lyttelton Times has interviewed Titokowaru. He found him suffering from chest disease, and very unfit to take the field. He expressed pleasure at the correspondent having seen Te Whiti, but struck him as being jealous of Te Whiti's influence. In Te Whiti's camp the men and women appeared happy and jofial; in Titokowaru's the men were morose and sullen and the women held aloof. Nevertheless,' food was abundantly prepared for the visitors, the Maoris eating what was left Titokowaru's pah is 40 miles nearer Colonel Robert's headquarters than Parihaka, and as the men can see the operations of the troops who are building redoubts, this may account for their sullenness. The only question TUokowaru asked was— How many Maori prisoners had been sent to Dunedin. The writer adds that throughout the whole of the disturbed district the feeling is one of uncertainty and intense anxiety. Business and cultivation are almost entirely suspended He is of opinion that the settlers and others over-rate the danger of a Maori outbreak. If there should be an outbreak, the military authorities will have to take care not to underrate Te Whiti's preparations for defence, and the imir.enae natural strength of his position. Except againat artillery or

rockets, of which the force have none, Parihaka could be held by a handful of men against the tvhole of the colonial forces. There i 3 abundance of food and water to stand a siege for months if necessary* An English journal frankly gives credit to American genius for at least fifteen inventions and discoveries which, it say 3, have been adopted all over the world. These triumphs of American genius are thus enumerated:— First, the cotten gin ; second, the planing machine; third, the grass mower and grain reaper; fourth, the rotary printing press; fifth, navigation by steam; sixth, hot air or caloric engine; seventh, the sewing machine, eighth, the India rubber industry; niuth, the machine for the manufacture of horse shoes; tenth, the sand blast for carving; eleventh, the gauge lathe; twelfth, the gram elevator ; thirteenth, artificial ice manufacture on a large scale; fourteenth the electro-magnet and its practical application; fifteenth, the composing machines for printers. j The German residents in Wellington eele- \ brated the anniversary of the battle of Sedan last Tuesday, by a ball. At midnight, says »# v tl there was nn intermission, when Mr Krull, German Consul, proposed the national toasts. In doing so he disclaimed all desire on the part of Germans to perpetuate national animosities, and paid a graceful tribute to the bravery and honor of the French, which nation he was glad to see was represented there that night. A burst of cheers greeted the coming forward of two Frenchmen to acknowledge the compliment. One of them, an A.C. man, was actually at the battle of Sedau, and the other had fought in the Franco-German war. Both spoke very modestly, and warmly testified to the good feeling which their nation bore to the Germans. Returning thanks for his unopposed return at the Avon, Mr Rolleston remarked :— " The real question of policy which will eventually come before you to decide is to whether we shall have constitutional government in the country or personal government. This is the question the— real question— which will have to be decided. It really means this, whether the Ministry of the day is to be bound to abide by the decisions of the Assembly, or whether they are to be allowed to jockey— if I may use the expression — the representatives of the people, as soon as their backs are turned, or whether the government of the colony 19 to be conducted in a way consistent with constitutional government, which Is the only way in which the liberties of the people can be secured. That is what you will have to decide. Your representatives have decided that the Government had disregarded these principles, and have gone outside the law in a manner entirely subversive of the liberties of the people. The Parliament has decided this, and now the people are asked to come to a decision whether Parliament had been right or wrong in doing so. lam very sorry that the country should have been put to the expense and trouble of deciding this question, because it is one, not of policy, but of administration. It is a question of whether Ministers have governed the country in a constitutional manner and in accordance with the principles of responsible government or not."