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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4809, 21 August 1876, Page 2

It is stated that Sir George Grey contemplates visiting England after the session, for the purpose of bringing under notice of the British Government the wrong done to the people of New Zealand by the Vogel administration.

The chess match between the House of Representatives and the city of Wellington commences this evening. The former team consists of Me-'srs. Ballance, Bryce, Lusk, and Rees, M.ILR.’s, and Dr. Greowood, Sergeant-at-Arms, The Wellington will be represented by Messrs. Benbow, W. R. E. Brown, Orholl, Reeves, and Skey. The match will be conducted in the same style as was observed in the late match Town v. Civil Service.

The committee of the Wellington Club have finally decided upon the erection of a new building, and Mr. Turnbull has been instructed to prepare plans at once. We understand that it is to be a handsome building, and the site is on the Terrace, behind the shop of Mr. Lindsay, bootmaker. The situation is retired, and at the same time convenient, A Provincial Government Gazette was issued on Saturday. It contains: Abolition of Awahurl pound, Carnarvon block; proclamation of pound at Sandon, and appointment of Mr. Joseph R. Oakley to be keeper thereof; appointment of John Ncilson to be poundkeeper at Taueru pound, East Coast district; the elections of Hr. J. N. Owen to commissionorship for the local district of Palmerston, Mr. J. G. Cox to chairmanship, and Mr, J. Donald to the treasurership of Featherston Local Board, are published; notice is given that a plan and specification of a proposed road; leading from the Oroukainga-road to the back portion of the Pahara reserve, together with schedule of the lands intersected thereby, &0., may bo inspected at the office of the Waitotara-Wanga-nui Highway Board; a similar notice is given by the chairman of the Wangaehu Highway Board in respect to the Denlair-road, and a proposed road from Wanganui Valley to Wangaehu. The by-laws of the Carterton Local Board are given., We have received a copy of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act of South Australia. It seems a very , carefully drawn Bill, and should bo of immense service to the legal profession in that colony. Messrs Tickle and Co.’s Export Prices Current and Trade Review of June. 28th, remarks of New Zealand flax dr Kemp: “Very small sale, getting lost sight of in the, market,”

It Is announced in another column .that the fourth anniversary of the Wesleyan Church, Adelaide Hoad, will be celebrated by a soiree -and-public .meeting on Tuesday evening. ; ; •

■The art-union, drawing,for Mr. E, Brandon a pictures came off oil, Saturday afternoon.’ There were seven-prizes,'and they fell In the following order First, Mr. Gr. Friend ; second, Mr, William Hickson ; third, Mr. J. Saunders ; fourth, Mr. J. Cherrett; .fifth, Mr. J. Saunders ; sixth, Mrs. Oemino ; seventh, Mr. C. P. Powles, •

There were only two cases for hearing on the charge-sheet of the Resident Magistrate on Saturday. A man named Luke Harris was summoned for failing to obey a maintenance order issued by the Court, and he was allowed one week's grace to enable him to make some arrangement. John Johnston, who had been confined in gaol in consequence of his being slightly mad through excessive drinking, was discharged.

At the Theatre Boyal on Saturday night there was a good attendance ; each part of the house was filled, and the audience were highly appreciative. Friday night's programme was repeated with unmistakeable• success, the farce “ Lend me Five Shillings ” being played first. The fairy extravaganza, “ The King of the Peacocks,” was received, as on the night of its first production here, with lively demonstrations of approval; in fact, it seems to improve on acquaintance. One good feature about this burlesque, and one which it is always recognised proves effective, is that the music, vocal and instrumental, is plentiful and well chosen, and the performers display a liberal share of good nature in responding to encox’es, which, though unquestionably flattering, must be occasionally wearisome to the “ poor player.” (i The King of the Peacocks” will be repeated, and the farce of ft Poor Pillicoddy” will be substituted for that which was played on Saturday. It may be mentioned that th© celebrated Hegarty Troupe appear in connection with the Bates company on Saturday next.

Mr. Todd, Superintendent of Telegraphs, South Australia, in speaking at a meeting of the Adelaide Philosophical Society lately, said that he had no reason to believe that the cable was seriously injured, or that it had been attacked by sea insects to any great extent. He gave it as his opinion that the cable had been damaged in only a few places, and that only in shallow water, and that it would be to the advantage of the colonies to subsidise the psesent line on the understanding that a second cable should be laid down from Port Darwin to Batavia and thence to Singapore, with an independent land line, worked by English operators, through Java, and the rates greatly reduced. He thought that a subsidy of £<lo,ooo to £50,000 would accomplish this. A telegram from Captain Sims,of the repairing steamer Edinburgh, conveys the.'gratifying intell'gence that the Java cable has been completely repaired. The Inglewood correspondent of the Bendigo Advertiser sends the following:—A comical incident occurred at one of our churches last Sunday evening at the termination of service. A Chinaman has been in the habit of attending the church lately, having apparently been struck with the beauties of the Christian religion as compared with the barbarous practices of his own; but, from what occurred on Sunday evening, it appears John must have been struck with something else; for when the congrgation had left, he remained, and when asked the cause thereof, said, pointing to a lady whose duties required her presence for a short time after other people had gone, “ Lady love ’em me; me marry her !” and he was so persistent in his determination to enter into the holy bonds that he had to be forcibly ejected. Nothing daunted, however, the love-sick Celestial ran round, and got in at the back door of the church, and again had to be turned out; and even after the lady reached her home, the impudent fellow went there crying out, “ Me want to marry lady ?” It has frequently been necessary to call attention to the wretched landing accommodation provided for passengers by some of the vessels which come alongsidethe wharf. Considerable improvements have taken place in the landing stages used by steamers, compared with those in vogue some time ago, but the wretched planks and ladders provided by sailing vessels are still cause for great complaint. The danger of them was exemplified on Saturday night. A sailor going on board the barque Auatralind fell down between the vessel and the wharf, and were it not for the vigilance of the watchman there is reason to think that the man„,would .have ; been drowed. Tiie means provided by the vessel for getting on board was a rope: ladder, surmounted by a dimly lighted lamp. The vessel was lying about four feet from the wharf, thus making it dangerous to get .hold of the ladder, not to speak about getting on board. Most of the other sailing vessels at the wharf provide no better accommodation ; some having,nothing 'at all, while others have a narrow plank about a foot wide, over which people wanting to get on board are expected to walk—be the night ever so dark. It is to be hoped sailing vessels will follow the example of the steamers, and provide better accommodation for persons who have to embark and disembark at all hours.

The Belgian Ultramontanes (says an English paper) have reminded their fellow subjects of the Liberal political persuasion that two parties can play at the game of rioting. The town of Louvain, in South Brabant, is a Catholic stronghold ; and one of the results of the supremacy of the Popish party is that the famous university, founded in 1426, was forty years ago suppressed to make way for a Roman Catholic college. Other and more modern results fare that lately the Ultramontane students, provoked by the hostile demonstrations made by their opponents in the larger cities, have risen against the Liberals; the lecturers on philosophy, whose orthodoxy is suspected, have been suspended ; and to prevent further excesses. civil guards have been summoned to the college to act as policemen.

Prom the first number of the Whitehall liet'i'ciu we take the following extract :—“Members of no less than fifty different tribes of North-American Indians will bo represented at the Philadelphian Exhibition. Six of them are said to be remarkable athletes. One can climb up a rope two hundred feet high. One can stand On his head for eleven hours consecutively. Two can throw a spear a hundred and twenty yards or thereabouts. One can dive under water a hundred and ton yards in seventy seconds. And the last has accomplished the feat of jumping with the polo six feet six inches high, and twenty-one feet two inches long. One representative of a tribe will be a woman, mother of twelve children! who is said to be the best boxer of the whole fifty, and can give any one of them a ‘ tarnation thrashing 1’ One Choctow Indian is said to speak French like a Parisian, and will keep a cafe with lei on parle Fran<;ais inscribed over it. A gigantic ‘ Westerner’ will also exhibit himself. He stands about seven feet five inches high. Altogether, the exhibition promises large things. If it be true that, in the concerts, cannon are to supplant big-drums, the exhibition may prove rather noisy and be occasionally enveloped in smoke.” An American journal mentions that in the lobby of the Boston and Providence station at Boston is exhibited a stick of timber about 6ft. long. The outside is decayed, and apparently its original proportions are considerably reduced by decay ; but most of the stick is still sound. It bears the following inscription; “ This old red cedar, sleeper was laid in the Boston and Providence railroad track, November, 1834, and has just been removed. It was cut on the John 0. Dodge estate in the town of Attleboro. The tree furnished two sleepers.” A Homo paper states that four ladies who interest themselves in the' employment of women of, the middle classes recently put four separate advertisements in The Times asking for lady helps.’ They did this to see how many answers would come to them. The four advertisements drew over ,9000 applications from young girls, married women, and widows, but mostly widows—-a large number of whom were the; widows of clergymen and doctors. It'is a fact, by the way, as stated in one of the applications, .that doctors and clergymen seldom insure their lives ?

A South Australian lady who recently died' showed her appreciation of the great singer Madame Anna Bishop by leaving her a legacy of £IOOO.

Hon. members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly appear to be getting weary of their duties. On one day a quorum did not attend. The next day there was but a thin House, and the proceedings lasted only two or three hours ; and on the third day, there being only nineteen members in their places, the House stood adjourned. Mr. John Lawrence Hall, a few years since one of the most talented and popular actors in the colony, with his clever wife, has arrived in Auckland, after playing with great success in England and America,-and' has engaged the new Theatre Royal. In another portion of this issue Mr. Hall’s agent advertises for a dramatic company. Horseflesh fetches high prices in England. At the Cobham yearly sales 41 lots were sold at an average price of 361 guineas, the highest sums being 750 guineas, 1050 guineas, 1150 guineas, and 2300 guineas. Afterwards Mr. Combe’s yearlings were sold, when six sold for the splendid average of 1133 guineas, the highest price lot, a colt by Macaroni out of Grand Duchess, fetching the unprecedented sum of 4100 guineas. Mr. Rutherford Hayes, whom the Republicans have nominated their candidate for the Presidency of the United States, isdesoribed by the Press as being 54 years of age. He was trained to the law, but volunteered for military service during the civil war, and rose to the rank of brigadier-general. In 1864 he was elected to represent Ohio in the Congress. He resigned his seat in 1867, and was soon afterwards elected governor of Ohio, an office which he still holds.

The Voce della Verita, in reviewing the long and remarkable career of the Pontiff, says he has increased the hierarchy all the world over, that he has elevated to metropolitan grade twenty-three episcopal sees, has created five other metropolitan episcopates where none previously existed, and has established 129 new episcopal sees, three apostolic delegations, 31 apostolic vicariates, and 14 apostolic prefectures ; and, finally, that during his occupancy of the Chair of Peter, no fewer thorn 35 monarchs have passed away.

The Paris Constitutionel in a recent issue gives a foreign view of England’s position : “ England is continuing her militai-y preparations as if war were going to break out in twenty-four hours ; but the English are a practical people. Si vis paeon para helium. Such is the rule of their present conduct ; and as they passionately long for peace they are eagerly preparing for war - . It is a mistake to suppose that England’s power is waning. She is formidable, fearless, and clever. When she undertakes an expedition it succeeds, no matter at what cost nor by what means. Those who fail to see how threatening England really is, and what danger Eussia, who is now reorganising her army, would incur by offending her, must be blind. All this is as well known in Eussia as in England. The firmness of the Cabinet of St. James’ will, as an immediate

consequence, moderate the attitude of the St. Petersburg Government. In our opinion, the gravity of England’s resolution goes further towards ensuring the peace of Europe than

hesitation or weakness could have done. As to ourselves, who are placed altogether outside the question, let us be content with watching events, and endeavor to find consolation by strengthening our forces, grateful to Marshal McMahon, whose firm and wise protection procures us peace and quietness.” The Times of India says :—“ A pistol that can kill at 500 yards has been patented by Captain Burton. The butv is that of an ordinary pistol ; the barrel is that of a good rifle, cut short, but giving sufficient ‘ turn ’ to send the bullet on its errand with the properspin. The chief object is to send a rifle bullet at an enemy, or at game, without having to use the shoulder, especially when on horseback. To accomplish this the barrel is fitted with a steel handle to be grasped by the left hand, while the arm is extended as in archery. The recoil is scarcely felt ; it does not affect the firer so much as the kick to the shoulder would do. The pistol can.also be used with one hand like an ordinary pistol. The inventor has also provided a patent safety bullet which will enplode as a shell when it crashes against, the bones of large game, but will pass through brushwood, or through the skin of a wild animal, like an ordinary ball. It will not explode if let fall upon its apex, but it fired into a box of ammunition it will blow up everything.” The origin of the name “ Kangaroo ” is thus described in a recent work of Mr. E. Buckland :—“ When Captain Cook first discovered Australia he saw some natives on the shore, one of them holding a dead animal in his hand. The captain sent a boat’s crew ashore to purchase the animal, and finding on receiving it that it was a beast quite new to him, he sent the boatswain back to ask the natives its name. ‘ What do you call this ’ere animal ?’ said the sailor to the naked native. The native shook his head and Jjjbwered ‘ Kan-ga-roo,’ which means, in Australian lingo, ‘ I don’t understand.’ When the sailor returned to the ship the captain said, ‘ Well, and what’s the name of the animal ?’ The sailor replied, ‘ Please, sir, the black party says its a kangaroo.’ The beast has kept this name ever since.”

A correspondent. of the Daily Telegraph, writing from Stamboul on the Reforms of Turkey, gives the following amusing quotation from a local newspaper :—“ Within the last few days one of the Turkish journals of this city has published an apologue, showing how a former Caliph—a Caliph of theoldentime—who was anxious to impose a fresh tax upon his people, applied to the Sheikh-ul-Islam for the necessary fetvah, The Sheikh-ul-Islam pondered and replied ; ‘ 0 Caliph of the age, the felvah shall be written, but first I must know whether thy Royal treasury is empty.’ The Caliph at once replied that he had not a sequin left. Then said the Sheikh, ‘ 0 Light of the world, the fetvah shall be written, but first I must know whether thou hast the jewels which were in thy harem.’ The Caliph was forced to admit that ho had still in his harem a large commodity of precious stones and much wrought gold. Then Sheikh-ul-Islam said, ‘Verily, 0 Wonder of our time, the felvah may not be written, for the Caliph may not tax the poor while he hath jewels and gold wherewith he can obtain coin.’ Bear in mind that this story has been printed in a Turkish newspaper, that large numbers of the Turks can read, that the new Sheikh-ul-Islam was chosen by the Elemas and Softas ; and then prepare for the result which assuredly will soon arrive,” The Liverpool Courier, noting the present depression of English commerce, says :—“ The number of magnificent steamships lying idle in Liverpool and Birkenhead docks is unparalleled in the history of commerce, and the probability is that the number will increase instead of diminish. The Cunard Company are about to send their steamers Scotia, Calabria, and Tiba to the Clyde, to await the revival of the Atlantic trade. This is not to interfere, however, with their regular service weekly to New York and fortnightly to Boston. There ia now some indication that, although emigration and freight traffic* show no sign of improvement, the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia is beginning to attract passengers. The steamer Bothnia, on Saturday, took 240 saloon passengers, and the Abyssinia, which sails next Saturday, ia already engaged for a full complement.” Mr. D. A. Hawkins, of New York, has published a number of tables, which test by experience the respective values of the denominational and the common school system in making good citizens. He took for investigation twenty-one States in the Union which have a free school system. These contain twenty millions of American-born persons, brought up under the influence of free schools, and five and a half millions of foreign-born inhabitants, who, “ in general, as in England and Ireland, have received their education in parochial schools.” From this census Mr. Hawkins develops the following facts : “ Parochial school system produces; illiterates, 1400 ; paupers, 410 ; criminals, 160 to 10,000' inhabitants.- Public school system, twenty-

one'States, produces: illiterates, 350; paupers, 170 ; criminals, 75 to 10,000 inhabitants. Public school system in Massachusetts produces; illiterates, 71 ; paupers, 49 ; criminals, 11 to 10,000 inhabitants.”

At a meeting held at Eudunda to discuss the rabbit nuisance, Mr. D. Moody is said by the S. A. Register to have stated that in wheat alone the losses he had sustained from the ravages of rabbits amounted to between £2OOO and £BOOO. -In;speaking on the same subject, Mr. H. T. Morris said that on behalf of the Anlaby Estate he had paid for about 40,000 scalps before the Rabbit Act came into operation. Now, allowing the does (half of the number) to produce twenty young ones within the year, which is a moderate calculation as they breed at four months old, it shows a reduction of 1,400,000 ; and since the Act came into operation the District Council had paid for 9000 ; now, allowing that each of the rabbits actually paid for (149,000) would average 21bs., that was equal to 298,0001b5. of rabbit meat, which at say 6d. per lb. represented a money value of £7450.