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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 263, 29 December 1880, Page 2

Treating on the educational system of New Zealand, the Dunedin Morning H*r*d says the one unsatisfactory featara of the ■J«tem i« its aevere sacularism. The ■Xelusion of all religious teaching is a iad and serious loss to the scholars — a loss that adults brought up in the old ways can neither com prehend nor estimate. It would b« all rery well if adequate religious instruction were given elsewhere, but it is not, and the majority of the scholars in our public schools are growing up with only the haziest ideas of their duty to God and man. If an amendment ware made in the direction of a reintroduction of tha old order that obtained in our Otago schools, our system of primary education would be near enough perfection for all practical purposes. There are signs that this alteration will not be long delayed. London publicans are getting terrified by the prospect wbieh is in atere for them in regard 10 Sunday closing They hare platttfded London all orcr with large colored billii, signed "An Englishman," declaring that Sunday closing will be an infringement of the liberties of the people, and they are' sending' men with sandwiches about the town with the same piece of information on their backs aftd fronts.

There is no gainsaying the fact (flays the Uangiora Standard) that some of the crops thin yertr will be exceptionally light in parts of the North Canterbury district, notably those at Holstot), on the road to Amberley, where there are a few paddocks of wheat that will hardly pay for the reaping. The season, however, has been a good one for grass, and fat cattle are the rule at the anleyards, and not the exception. The crops in the main, however, are looking well, and afford fair proepecta of a good average yield. The Morning Herald says : — " Th<2 love of sport itself, at least of such sport as is most congenial to Englishmen, is probably a relic of barbarisil), and will no doubt be purged clean out of our horseand-dog fancying nature when opitit-rapping and the evolution philosophy have between them regenerated the world ; but meanwhile it ia an honest healthy instinct and the source of a great deal of ihnofc'ent rind invigorating pleasure. It has of late, however, grown 1 terribly corrupt, and if it does not reform, it will richly deserve the fate with which it is threatened by our philoßopbic friends. The truth is the love of nport has become almost synonymous with the love of money, and a very base and vulgar love of money into the bargain. What interest, it might be asked, would be taken in a race meeting if betting were entirely and effectually forbidden ? Is it not the fact that horse-racing is at present maintained almost solely in the interest of gamblers ?" ■ It was understood (say the Lytlehon Times) that the Wellington Chronicle had been purchased by the frOprletora of. the Post and Time* jointly, with the view of suppressing it altogether. The editor of the Chr»»icle relieved the last moments of his official existence by Writing a sarcastic paragraph relative lo tho transaction. A few copies of the paper containing the above had been printed when Mr McTavisli, one oi tho P ro / prietora, ordered the machine to be stopped. Mr Allan Anderson, one of the late proprietor!, interfered, and a violent scene followed, Anderson sectired the copies ttlrtady printed, whan Mr McTaviih sent for the police, threatening to give Anderson into custody. Anderson, pbweter, sttick to the papers, and when a policeman arrived he was told he was not wanted. Before leaving the office the compositor! printed an " In Memoriam " card of a remarkably warm description . County Council, notwithstanding the invincible Fyke is at the belm, owes only £11,212, with a balance in band of £1469 towards meeting it. Keferring to the defection of Mr Shanks from the Grey party, a southern paper says he deserted the ship in a gale, and Sir George Grey's sealegs gave way because he lost his shanks. The following remarkable example of the use of telegraphy in the capture of criminals is worthy of passing notice : — A man was ' wanted ' in Norway on a cnininal charge. The Norwegian authorities, after careful inquiry, had ascertained that the fugitive had left for Scotland, with the intention of taking passage by the first steamer sailing from Glasgow for America. The criminal had a start of two or three days, and not a moment was to be lost. At seven minutes before 7 o'clock p.m. a telegram describing the man, in about 40 words, was put on to the Norwegian end of the North Sea cable, which enters Scotland at Pelerhead. Theie is a slight difference between the time at one end of the cable and the other. At four .minutes before 7 o'clock the message had passed through feterhead to Aberdeen, whence after translation, it was forwarded to Glatgaw. The detectives of St Mugo received the message a few minutes past 7 o'clock, and the next trans-Atlantic liner was to have sailed at Id past ? with the wanted man on board. Before the posted sailing time however, the Norwegian was in custody, having been arrested on the steamer by the Glasgow detectives. It is a significant fact that within 30 minutes of the time of the despatch of the Norwegian telegram to this country a return message was on its way from Glasgow to Norway announcing the capture and safe custody of the criminal.