CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 196, 18 August 1881, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

ENTERTAINMENTS POR LUNATICS. To the Editor of tub "Evening Mail.'' Sir,— l think that every action belonging to our public institutions should be open to scrutiny, and I wish to complain through the medium of your paper of tbe treatment some friends and myself received last evening. We were told we could get admission to the Asylum to hear the entertainment, but we found we were wrong-, as there was an uncultivated son of Erin's lale (at least I should think so by bis brogue) at the door, who after letting about tea personß in Blammed tbe door in the faces of my wife and friend' 3 Bhter besides several other ladies who were strangers to me, as he shut the door putting up his hand and saying, " doan't kerush." He kept opening the door and admitting any well known face. As strangers we submitted to what we thought a singular rule, until at length I asked him to send for Mr Mills when bey 1 presto 1 the tune of his fiJdie changed and he immediately aliered bia tone, saying that any friend who mentioned bis name could have a ticket, at the time proffering one. My friend reminded him we had two ladies with us, at tbe same time insisting on Beeiog Mr Mills who when he came treated U8 with courtesy, and very mildly told Mr Hugh Gray to treat any one'who came there with respect. Getting this slight rebuff from his chief Mr Hugh Gray stepped on the verandah, snapped his finger ia my face and said he did not care a d for any man in Nelson (without getting a mild rebuke from his chief). If I might make a suggestion I would advise Mr Hugh Gray to change hia situation lower down to the College, and take a few lessons in civility and courtesy Hoping you will give publicity to this. I am, &c, K. Bdelet, Tasman-street, The Wood.

We ( Post) understand that Mr David Proudfoot, contractor, who has just left Wellington after a few days' sojourn here, has preferred a claim of £25,000 a.gainst the Government, that sum being alleged to be due to him on account of work done on the Western and Awamoko Railway, Ofa^o The outrages perpetrated a few months ago at Ravelston and Leith, by two men from Australia, who shot several policemen and others, will not be forgotten by our readers. They will remember that one of tne men shot himself, and that the other was captured on the failure of a similar attempt at suicide made by him. This miscreant, who passed by the name of James Grant, was tried in Edinbnrgh on May 23rd and found guilty of each of the four charee« brought against him. The Jurl^e (Lord Young) thereupon sentenced him to 14 years' penal servitude, saying that if the crimes of which the prisoner had been convicted had not been so rare, he would have passed a much heavier sentence Grant, who seemed utterly callous throughout, asked the Judge to sentence him to death, saying he had intended to kill himself, and had no wish to 7% The Judge, with characteristic sang frmd, chided him as a foolish follow, and sent him away. On reaching his cell, Grant again expressed a wish that the capital sentence should be passed on him. lie is only 2C years of age. Divines like doctors, differ. A Melbourne paper calls attention to Hie remarkable opposition of opinion in tivo very competent authentic. Dr. MacdonnM of Emerald-hill, and the Bishop of Melbourne, who have given to the public their estimates of the changes intnvlm-cd in tl, P revised Torsion of the fcevr Testament. These two authorities arrive at exactly opposite conclusions Their opinions may be summed up and contrasted thus :-Dr. Macdonald : " A markod effect of the revision .. . to bring out more darkly and more strongly ib an before* the dark side of eternity as contained in the teacnmgs as to the dcvii, hell, and eternal punishment, instead of eliminating siich i teachings, as certain sceptics had hoped and anticipated." Dr. Moorhouse : "The net I result is a decided drift, a tendency to obliterate some of the sterner features of the old translation. . . . The effect of the alterations in such passages is to subdue the accent of threatening and to rob the awful face of retribution of something of its dread sternness." j