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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1881, Page 2

Thf tiawera correspondent of the WaDga nui Chronicle says that settlement in that district goes on apace, numerous buildings being in course ,of ereetion both at Mania and on several of the rlirai allotments ou the plains; and, notwithstanding the season of the year, ditch and bank fencing is being proceeded with. What has been put up seems to stands well, despite the predictions to the contrary of the pioneers. The pige have had a hard, time of it, as both pakeha and Maori have been active in' the work of extinction. Nowhere in the district is progress more noticeable than in tbe bush country between Normanby and Stratford. Large areas of bußh have been felled on both sides of the road, and the majority of those who purchased land immediately after the "Maori scare," have comfortable homes on their holdings* with neat gardens attached, and a few acres Under graas. Bush settlements, as a rule, advance slowly, as men with capital have been tardy in purchasing bush while fern land was to be had, but the Ngaire settlement seeniß to be an exception. It numbers amoDgst its occupiers a fair sprinkling of the wealthier class of settlers, and although the land is not yet twelve months sold, their mark can be .teen in the extent of some of the clearings. A fancy bazaar in aid of a religious institution was to be held in a northern town, and photographs of young ladies who were to preside at the stalls— several in fancy costumes — were displayed in the show windows. A travelling burlesque company happened to arrive in the district, and straightway other photographs of fair creatures in scanty clothing appeared by ihe bazaar attractions. Great was the indignation of the faithful, and the horrified clergyman caused his pictured beauties to be at once withdrawn from preliminary exhibition. Then the theatrical manager placarded the actresses' pictures with — " These artists have no connection whatever with the amateur performance at the Baptist Church, and can only be seen at the Theatre Royal. It is announced that Sir Francis Lycett has left a fortune of £250,000. He has left £23,000 for the building of Wesleyan Chapels, and afc the death of his widow the greater part of his property will go to the stme object. The yeteran soldier, Von Moltke, in a letter to Mr C. A. Curtis, of Wellington, dated Berlin, 29th October (his 80th birthday), concludes with the earnest prayer that " it may be the destiny of his countrymen who have emigrated beyond seas ever to guard German language, custom, and genius, in faithful Bnd loyal unison," A Cape of Good Hope journal, in its commercial report, thns writes of the present war: — Never in its history has this colony been engaged in war a so ruinous and so unnecessary as that which is now being waged with the natives on our borders. It was begun without justification, and without preparation, and, owing to the want of means of suppression at the beginning, it has assumed such proportions that a force of 16,000 men is now engaged on our side, the greater part of whom have been taken from their occupa tions, and are now wasting their time, and exhausting the resources of the colony, instead of being engaged in the profitable pursuits of peace; and a double difficulty would appear to exist, in the effective eu.ployment of such a large number of men, and the meansj of feeding them. An expenditure of £10,000 per day is now being incurred for this wretched war, and, as it appears to be doubtful when it will end, we may have to faco an outlay of £3,000,000, besides the incalculable loss arising from destruction of property, interruption of trade, loss of life, ruin to many from leaving their occupations and families, in many instances but ill provided for, to engage in the hardships and risks of warfare to which many will succumb, and from which others will return with impaired health, the effects of which they will feel for life. The work of civilisation which has been carried on for the last twenty-five years amongst the Basutos has been undone. The trade of the whole colony is paralysed by the present unhappy struggle, the effects of which will long be felt after the war is at an end, when, with crippled resources, we sba'l bejweighted with a burden of debt which we shall find it difficult to bear. Mr Herbert Spencer is to start on his philosophical tour of the world in the spring of next year, and we may see him in New Zealand. He will be accompanied by two secretaries, and it is not unlikely that his friend Professor Huxley will, for biological purposes, form one of the party. Mr Spen. cer's work on the subject will, like his study of sociology, be published in instalments in the magazines. This is the way a Canadian paper heads its report of Hanlan's victory over Trickett :— "Victory I"—" The Little Canuck Scoops the Antipodean I " — " Ned Stops to Wipe his .Face in the Thameß !"— "Utter discomfiture of the Corn-stalk's Friends and Backers !"— " The Championship of the World won in 26 Minutes 19 Seconds 1 " In connection with the congregation of St. John's, Milton (says the Bruce Herad), the sacrament of baptism has been solemnised no less than one thousand times, within a period of 14 years, and the last baptism which makes this remarkable total was celebrated on Sunday last by the Eev W. Ronaldson.