NELSON.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 30 September 1842, Page 4

NELSON.

(From the Nelson Examiner.) ‘

We extract from the Australasian Record the following particulars on the proposed alterations in the prohibitory duties existing on oil of foreign catch. The measure was passed with some slight modifications.

“ Sir Robert Peel has very wisely, in our opinion, proposed no alteration in the duty on foreign wool ; which, as heretofore, is to come-in at a duty of one halfpenny if of less value than Is, per pound, if exceeding that value Id.; colonial wool being free of duty. “ On oil, however, a very important alteration is intended. Train and sperm-oil of foreign catch are now subject to a duty of ,£26 125., which in fact is a prohibition, except when our prices are excessively, high; but under the new tariff, train-oil is to be admitted at a duty of £6 per tun, and sperm at £ls. The plan of a differential duty on the two descriptions is perfectly correct, train-oil not usually being more than a third of the value of sperm; there can be no doubt that the price of sperm oil, owing to the exclusion of foreigners, has been exorbitant; and which is a matter of serious importance, so much being used by our manufacturers for their machinery. At the present moment train-oil is rather high in price; and as one of the chief purposes for,which it is used is cloth-making, it also affects, the same individuals ; besides, very high prices are not desirable for the parties engaged in the British for they invariably check the consumption, and drive the manufacturer to the substitution of seed and other oils. A differential duty of £5 19s. (the duty on British oil being Is. per tun) per tun in favour of train-oil, and of £l4 19s. in favour of sperm the produce of our own fisheries, appear to us to be a sufficient protection. There is also to be an alteration in the duly on whalebone: at present the duty on British whalebone-is £]L per tun, on foreign £95 (prohibitory). It is in (if the scheme is carried, as no doubt it will) to be 20 per cent, on the value of foreign whalebone, apd one per cent, on British —a difference quite sufficient^ x, “ We,have to complain, however, of another plan, quite, distinct from the English tariff;; it is a proposed Alteration to admit .qil and ..whalebone of foreign catch into England, on the same terms as British,, after having paid a duty of 15 per cent, ad valorem , in a British colortjt, provided it is brought to this country in a British bottom. Now, whilst we fully appreciate the motives which prompted this proposition, viz., the benefit of the colonial revenues, and the encouragement, which, alas, is but too greatiy needed, of the British shipowner, we must yet protest against 15 per bent, ad valorem,) being any thing like a-sufficient ’protection to the colonial fisheries. Why we should have all our'Colonial ports

nundated by the American and French whalers, as thej would probably he able on this plan, to send their sperm--0(il into. London, at not. more than .two-thirds the duty that it would pay if coming, direct,, and the train-oil, from its. staalier value, would not pay more than pne-hati the duty proposed by Sir ■Robert' Peel in the* Englisl tariff. We have not' the slightest objection to give the foreigner a slight advantage; by landing his oil iii one of Pur colonies, for the sake ■of the trade it would confer upon them and our homeward-bound ships; but the rate proposed is’too low—it. should be at least 20 per . cent, on sperm, and 25 1 pet cent, on train, which would be quite sufficient inducement to the French and Americans to send their oil and bone,to England via)* British colony. Our .idea that. 15 per cent.’ is too low a rate, is folly borne out by the opinions of the oil-trade; a depul tation of gentlemen connected, with it intending to have an enterview with the President of the Board, for the purpose of procuring some further protection."

Blasting by Galvanism. —The new plan

proposed by Mr. Martin Roberts, of blasting rocks and mines by galvanism to explode the gunpowder, is detailed by him in a letter just published/addressed to the Agricultural Society of Scotland. This process of exploding gunpowder by galvanism, has been, in some degree, familiarised by the practice of it by Colonel Paisley, in his operations to blow up the wreck of the Royal George. This mode of operating, however, Mr. Roberts also claims as his own, By applying it to blasting, it offers many and peculiar advantages. In the first place, it prevents all danger from the fuse firing the gunpowder* before the man who lights it has time to it enables all the men to remove to a place of safety before the explosion takes place. The plan adopted by Mr. Roberts, of charging the hole with gunpowder and closing it with loose sand, is extremely curious, and involves a principle that deserves further consideration. He finds, that by merely filling up the hole with dry sand, instead of ramming it with pieces of stones, the explosion is effectully confined within the orifice as if it were rammed down in the tightest manner. After putting half the required quantity of gunpowder into the boring in the rock, he introduces the insulated wires, which are to be connected with the galvanic battery. To make the action more certain, he forms small tin cartridges, inside of which, the wire that is to explode the powder is adjusted. The remainder of the powder is then put into the hole, but not rammed down. A piece of wadding is then thrust into the bore, to within a few inches of the powder, and the hole is merely filled up with some dry sand. By connecting the ends of the two wires with the galvanic battery placed at any distance, the fine piece of wire inside the cartridge becomes red hot, and the gunpowder explodes. There is a great saving of gunpowder by this method of explosion, for the old method of thrusting down a straw filled with powder, or a fuse to communicate with the gunpowder in the borehole, a quantity of the exploded powder was blown out, and its force diminished. — New South Wales Examiner.

Solution of Common Salt as an Eye Lotion in Opthalmia. —Dr. Hays, of Philadelphia, strongly recommends a saturated solution of common salt as a lotion in Opthalmia. He thinks that, in many cases of chronic granuel Opthalmia, it has contributed more to the cure than any other application. In some conditions of chronic granular opthalmia, as when the eye is irritable with injection of the conjunctiva oi the ball and lacrymation, he knows of no remedy which affords such prompt and marked relief. — Ibid.

Exquisite Anecdote of Woman’s Affection. —Sir Robert Barclay, who commanded the British Squadron in the Battle of Lake Erie, was horribly mutilated by the wounds he received in that action, having lost his right arm and one of his legs. Previously to his leaving England he was engaged to a young lady, to whom he was most tenderly attached. Feeling acutely, on his return, that he was a mere wreck, he sent a friend to the lady, informing her of his mutilated condition, and generously offering to release her from her engagement. “ Tell him,” replied the noble girl, “ that I will joyfully marry him, if he only has enough left to hold his soul.”— lbid . Damp Walls. —Several months ago, a correspondent applied to us to know if we could advise him how to remedy the nuisance of damp walls. We were not at the time aware of any receipe for the purpose; but we, happened to meet with a paragraph, the other day, in a respectable work, which we shall here transcribe, in order to afford our correspondent the opportunity to put it to the test:—A hall, of which the walls were constantly damp, though every means, were employed to keep them dry, was about to be pulled down, when Mons. Schmithall recommended, as a last resource, that the walls should be washed with Sulphuric acid (vitroil). It was done, and thel deliquescent salts being, decomposed by thel acid, the walls dried, and thq hall was after-l wards free from dampness.— lbid. I A curious annecdote is related of Captainl Souter, of her Majesty’s 44th Regiment in onel of the letters we have seen. When the troopsl were attacked at Jugdulluck, he tore the Queen’sj colour from the staff, and wrapped it round hisj body to save it, as he hoped, from falling intoj the hands of ' the euemy . Just as he had done! so a ball lodged in his new made cummerband,! which was thus, miraculously instrumental inj preserving his life. — Englishman,