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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 262, 28 December 1880, Page 2

Dr Lemon informs us (N.Z. Time*) that last evening he carried on a telephonic conversation by means of the Edison bell telephone with an operator at Napier with perfect success. Though the distance is 218 miles, the conversation was sustained with almost the same facility as would ensue were the two speakers in the same room. This is a most conclusive test of the merit of the invention. The newly-elected Mayor of Masterton has, nccordiDg to the local Daily, laid down a set of golden rulea for the guidance of his Council, namely, that each member should be allowed to speak as often as he liked. The first discussion under the new rule illustrated its advantages. It practically took up the entire evening, and it consisted of 33 speeches, which crossed and recrossed the subject in every direction. His Worship the Mayor contributed 9 out of the 33 addresses — the highest number scored on that particular occasion. The Daily says the cbarra of the whole thins; was that the S3 speeches, beyond confusing the speakers and confounding the subjeot matter, lad to nothing. When a resolution was pressed, the Mayor chucked it out as if talking, and not voting, was the' real business of the Council. There is a good story told concerning one of the candidates at the recent elections in New South Wales, who forfeited his £40 deposit. A number of persons felt satisfied thnt he bad no chnnce of being returned, aud that be would not risk the deposit by being nominated and going to the poll. The candidate was just as confident the other way, and supported his confidence in himself by offering to " lay odds" tkat he would be duly nominated and contest the election. It is said that he bet two to one at first, and afterwards three and four to one, until he stood to win more than £1 00. On the day of the election he paid his £40 and went to the poll, and, though he forfeited his deposit, he won his wagers, clearing something over £60 by the transaction. The health of Prince Bismarck is causing the greatest anxiety in Berlin. The German Chancellor is much tbiuner and weaker than he was a few months ago, and bo seriously is the matter regarded that it is even whispered about who is probable successor will be. Though the doctors, who are constantly attending on the Prince, may patch him up, yet the fact remains that his life is fast on the ebb, and a few months may see great and important changes in Germany. He himself has for many years held the opinion that he would djo in. JBsl,

An old Scotchman attributes the disappearance of ghosts from the Scottish moors to the custom of tea-drinking at social meetings. It requires Scotch whisky on the top of old ale to enable a man to see a ghost really worth talking about. A Holiday correspondent of the Wallgamri Chronicle writes? s—" We saw more beggars in the streets of Melbourne than might naturally be expected, whilst dimes of unemployed daily besieged Ministers, demanding work. Protection has bolslrced up the towns and destroyed the country, until now the injury to the latter is nmkintf itsolf unpleasantly felt in the former, and statesmen are anxiously watching for a favorable opportunity to make ' a new departure' and retrace their steps to a state of prosperity aud peace. Victoria has paid ft big price for ' univcrsal'suffnige,' and is now in a serious state, as matters commercial were never so bad before ; in fact, it is only the wool and gold which are k o,v.ng things afloat, and Mr. Berry and his frends are doing tbeir best to destroy the wool industry, because they hate squatters." It is said, now tbat the Dulcigno trouble has been cleared away, tbnt at the time tbe English Cabinet were sitting, and when the fleet were awaiting orders to bombard Dulcignp, Ministers rrcre served individually with notice that, if they undertook any act of war against Turkey, without first obtaining the sauction of Parliament, they would be impeached, It is not impossible the incident may have awakened Ministers lo a sense of their responsibilities, for it is an absolute violation of constitutional law to embark oppn any war, however small, except in defence of #fltish possessions, without the sanction of Parliament. A terrible balloon accident OCcKrfed at Courbevoie, close to Neuilly. A Montgolfier baloou was advertised to make an ascent, with a female aeronaut, but at the last momeiii n professional gymnast volunteered for the sum of two pound* to make an ascent hanging on to a trapeze, fcifneh^e'd to the baloou. He was advised to have hinis'&if tied to the trapeze, but refused saying he knew his business. He was seen hanging by his hands apparently inert for a long time, and ultimately when near Courbevoie he fell, , turning over and over, to the horror of the spectators, from a height of 700 yards, and as he fell on the lawn of a garden is said to have made a hole in the soil nearly two feet deep. He was, of course, dead.