New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4876, 7 November 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

A favorite cry of the Opposition last session was that our railway construction, after all the credit taken for its good effects by the! 'Government, had not progressed as it should have done. • The Opposition have only to assert anything in order to consider it proved ; and. it seems almost useless to subsequently cite facts which show how utterly groundless their assertions ! are. Now, _ in reference to this matter of progress in railway construction," it so happens, that facts show the Opposition to be totally in the wrong. Speaking at a banquet on. the opening of the Maryborough arid Avoca railway in Victoria lately. Governor Bowen is reported as pointing out the advantages enjoyed by the population of that colony in regard to facilities for railway travelling, which he somewhat incorrectly; asserts are beyond those of any other country with the single,exception of the' United States of America. ' As he very correctly, however, says the proportion of railway mileage to is a fair test of the advantages enjoyed by a country in respect to facilities for travelling ; and he then;; shows 'that in the United States in 1875, there was one mile of railway for every's9l persofas ; in the United Kingdom m 1875, there was one mile 1 for every 1916 persons ; in Germany, one for every 2428; in France, one for

every 2940 ; in Europe, taken as a whole, one for every 3461 persons. “Now,” (says Governor Bowen), “at the end of next year, 1877, there will'be in Victoria one mile for about every 890 persons ; in other words, the facilities for railway travelling in Victoria in comparison with the population, will next year be twice as areat as they now are in Great Britain, and four times as great as they now are in Europe generally.” Wo do not’ intend to deny the advantages of Victoria in the matter of railway construction over the countries enumerated by his Excellency the Governor of that colony; but it will be surely permissible to point out to him that New Zealand, though she started railway construction many years later than did Victoria, has outstripped her in. the race, and in the comparison of mileage to population is now ahead of her. This,’too, in the face of the fact that New Zealand, whilst carrying on railway construction, has been adding to her population by a system of free immigration, whilst Victoria has been doing nothing ot the kind. It will be noticed that to produce his proportion of mileage to population Governor Bowen has to take credit for constructed railways as they will appear over a year hence, and then the proportion is one mile for every 890 people. Evidently the proportion at present is much less favorable. However, we are content to give Victoria the advantage of a year and a half, and to point out that: in July last the proportion of railway mileage to population in New Zealand was as one mile of constructed railway at work to 684 people. What it will be at the end of 1877, the period on which Governor . Bowen ’ congratulates Victoria by anticipation, may be gathered from the last Public Works statement, which showed that the mileage of railway was—North Island, 362 authorised : 145 open for traffic ; and in progress 183. South Island, 638 authorised ; 404 open for traffic ; and in progress 199. Total, 1030 authorised ; 549 open for traffic; and in progress 382. There need be no fear that at the end of 1877, the period at which Victoria is to outstrip every country under-the sun except the United Kingdom, she will • have gained a fraction from the advantages New Zealand now possesses over her.

In the preceding article we have commented upon the favorable comparisons which this colony shows in respect to railway construction with Victoria and other countries. It may be well at this moment also to draw attention to the fact that the condition of our revenue shows us to be absolutely the soundest of the Australian Colonies from a financial point of view. This may not suit the ideas of Sir George Grey and some patriots, who contend that we have been going headlong to financial destruction for some years, and that our present condition is a sight for gods and men. Yet, nevertheles, it is a fact that notin Victoria, and far less in New South Wales, is the legitimate revenue of the country in the same safe condition as it is with us. In the former colony, the blessings of protection have so settled the revenue and fettered industry, that the Colonial Treasurer has been compelled to boulster up.a mock surplus by taking credit for probate duties on the estate of a deceased millionaire, which legacy duties are now disputed by the executors under the deceased’s will as being excessive. But it is New South Wales that perhaps of all shows best by comparison with New Zealand, how utterly fictitious is the financial position of the former as compared with that of the latter. This is themore remarkable, because we are assured by telegram every now and again that the revenue‘ofj;-Now South Wales is-increas-ing* in a* most rapid manner. Sydney Morning Herald of the 26th ult., however, in an exhaustive article shows how this'increase of the revenue is altogether attributable to immense sales by Government of waste lands of the Crown, to a sacrifice of the public estate; in fact, so far as the revenue proper of the country is concerned, that is, the revenue derivable from the tax paying powers of the people, the country is really in a most deplorable condition, as under every head is a decrease shown, and more especially under those which show most directly the capacity of the people to consume and expend. It appears that for the twelve months ending with the 30th September last, the total taxation of New Soutlx Wales was equal to nearly £2 per head of the population, whilst in England it was £2 Bs. per head, -with the average rate of wages in England only half what it was in the colony, “ It follows,” says the Herald, “that nowhere could heavy taxes be borne more easily than here, and yet nowhere are they lighter absolutely, and still more relatively, to the resources of the people. Deducting the cost of collection and management, our real income from taxes of all kinds is not more than a million per annum. Will anybody pretend for a moment that it is possible to govern the country as it is governed at present for so small a sum as that ? Why, the mere departmental expenses would absorb every penny of that sum without leaving a farthing for the general purposes of government.”/ That these words of the Herald are perfectly true is shown by the following facts. The estimated expenditure of New South Wales for the year 1876 is over four millions sterling. Excluding that part which is bn account of reproductive expenditure, it amounts to three millions. “ How,” asks the Herald, “ is it possible for this to be met out of a gross taxation equal to only a million and a quarter per annum?” The question is a most , pertinent one, especially when the serious decline in such sources of income as railways is noticed. From' the returns it appears that the expenditure on account of railways for the quarter was £162,345, the receipts were £142,229, showing a lossbf £10,116, in addition to the quarter’s interest on the capital invested. In ali a loss of half a million a year, it may be said, is shown on railways, telegraphs, and postages. Our contemporary enquires how this deficiency is met, and shows that it is, met from the land sales, and the land sales alone. For the whole year the pastoral rents are only £224,806, whilst the receipts from land sales are £2,304,475 for the year ending the 30th September last. For the same period the receipts from taxes were only £1,219,422. It is evident that without the receipts from the land sales New South Wales would be •worse tlxan bankrupt. It is these sales that keep the Exchequer full. ‘ ‘ They began,”, states,.the, Herald, in ,1872. They cannot last many years longer.” Let the position be clearly understood. This is no disposal of land in order to spend the proceeds in reproductive public works, nor is it such a disposal of the public estate as our Provincial Government here have carried on in past years, not to the best end We fear in many instances. This is a simple, sale “of ■ estate to provide ordinary income, a living upon the natural assets themselves, which must sooner or. later come to an end. Such is hot the state'of affairs here. Our taxation may bo heavy, but that is no sympton of financial unsoundness. It

shows the capability of the people to bear the burdens they have voluntarily and nobly taken upon themselves in order to develops the reaorfrees of the country, and is the best proof possible to the public creditor that we are able and willing to pay him. The ■ same cannot be said of New South Wales, where the population is unable to bear the necessary taxation, and the national estate is sacrificed in consequence. For purposes of comparison with the condition of things in New South Wales, we give the following figures concerning New Zealand for the year 3875. . The estimated population, exclusive of Maoris, was 375,856. The total ordinary revenue, including provincial revenue, was £2,047,234. Of this Customs gave £1,234,967, and the territorial revenue was £688,928 ; stamp duties were £110,341. The territorial revenue, it must be remembered too, was almost purely provincial. ,

Communication was interrupted last evening between this station and. Auckland. During the storm which occurred on Sunday, one of the telegraph towers which support the line across the Thames river, . was struck by the lightning. Communication was temporarily restored, however, but in sending through the English telegrams last night it was again interrupted, and a message from Grahamstown stated that it would not be restored until some time to-day. _ ~ Pursuant, to announcement, a meeting of the members of the Wellington Athenseum and Mechanics’ Institute was held ih the reading room last evening. The attendance was good, notwithstanding the fact of its being pretty generally known that .the meeting was to be of a formal character only. Mr. J. Woodward occupied the chair, and opened proceedings by reading a resolution passed at the former meeting, and which it was the business of the present one to "consider, namely :—“That the committee be hereby l empowered to sell, pull down, and remove the buildings and erections now situated on the land vested in the Association, with power to enter into, do, execute, and perform all contracts, agreements, acts,, deeds, and things for the erection of a new building on’such lands, and to apply all moneys, whether borrowed from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., or other wise, belonging to the Association,' to the above purposes.” He explained ; that the present meeting had of necessity been convened, inasmuch as an opinion had been obtained from the highest legal authority in the colony, the SolicitorGeneral, to the; effect that however plainly it might have been put before the last general meeting, that the money, which power had been given to borrow, should be expended in the removal of the old building and erection of a new one, still it was necessary that there should be a distinct resolution of a general meeting empowering the committee to act in that direction. It was pointed out by Mr. Stafford, to whqsp )egal acumen the committee were indebted, jthat a contract entered into by those who had noi legal right to do so would necessarily be invalid, and that such was the case of the committee at present. It was therefore in deference to the.;opinion obtained that the present meeting ha,d been called. Mr. Woodward concluded hy saying it was scarcely necessary to remind those, who had been present at the former meetipg that it was distinctly understood that building, in accordance with plans submitted, should be erected, or at least that one more suited to the wants of the city should be -substituted for the present inadequate accommodation. He therefore hoped that some gentleman would move the resolution which; ha bad just, read.—Mr. Stafford moved the resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Plimmer. and parried unanimously. The meeting thpn dispersed, there being no other business.

Referring to the debate on the drainage of towns at the Philosophical Society meeting as reported by us in our issue of yesterday, we are requested - by Mr. Charles O’Neill, 0.E., to state that ,the rainfall mentioned by him of a quarter of an inch ever the area of Wellington, would amount to fourteen millions of gallons in ; twenty-four hours, and not in one hour (eyidehtly p. misprint) as shown-in-the rer marks by Mr.-Campbell. During the same' debate Mr., O’Neill stated that tl e opinion of an eminent chemist in London obtained through Dr. Fergus, of Glasgow, as to the use of salt water for flushing the sewers, was to the effect that sea water introduced into sewers would make the gases worse instead of better. Perhaps nobody ever heard of singing as a means of satisfying the pangs of hunger. However, that does not prevent the possibility of a person , trying the experiment when “hard up,’’;i asi such a condition is commonly known. Yesterday evening, in the premises of the Police Station, there was heard a weird attempt at vocalisation. So far as could be ascertained, the music, if such it might be called, was modern,, and the effect was indescribable, quite. A member of the force went to ascertain what was the matter, and after inquiry ascertained from the incarcerated artist ■ that he was hungry, and was attempting to satisfy the cravings of nature by a song. It must not be understood from the above that the prisoner had any absolute need of wasting talent as he did, for the reason that prisoners generally receive treatment in the police cells of a character far more liberal than they could possibly hype to expect. Mr. Barton applied on a summons in chambers in the Supreme Court yesterday morning for a rule to show cause why writs of habeas corpus should not be issued in the cases of Louisa Smith, sen., and Louisa Smith, jun.,_at present in' custody, charged respectively with indictable offences, and also why the prisoners should not bo respectively admitted to bail. Mr. Bell appeared for the Crown at the hearing of the summons. - His Honor the Chief Justice granted a rule as to the admission to bail, returnable on Thursday, but the writs of habeas corpus were refused.

“ Our Boys ” was repeated at the Theatre Royal last' night, the house being again crowded in part; in fact, the sitting room in the circle being insufficient. The piece : ran even - more smoothly than on Saturday, and was enthusiastically received by the audience—the principal c haracters being called before the curtain at the end of each act. The play will be reproduced to-night. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning there were five cases of drunkenness, and as none of the offenders had appeared before on a, similar charge they were all dealt, with in the most lenient manner. (On, a/fraud; summons 'as to to disposal, of a cart and 'other chattels by: bill of sale, the defendant, Robert Roberts, was ordered to pay XIB 13s. 4d. to the plaintiff, Mr. Mcllvride, or- in default to be imprisoned for a month. . A-charge of drunkenness and refusal of duty was laid against a seaman pamed Sadler, who threatened and abused the chief officer and boatswain of the St- Leonards. He also used what the mate termed some very funny language. In delivering judgment the Resident Magistrate said that as it was the first offence he should not deal with it under the Merchant Shipping Act, but treat it as a simple case of drunkenness. The defendant was 1 fined 20s. and costs, with the usual alternative. Tho other business of the Court was on the civil side, and of no .public interest. We understand that during the present week a .vigorous effort will be made in the way of collecting funds to ’ meet the expenses in connection with the proposed visit of the All England Eleven. The committee have not a very pleasant duty before them in this respect, and we can only wish them the success which their object deserves. Capital progress is being made with the improvements to the - Basin Reserve ground, the men engaged doing their work thoroughly well. A horse has been used in the work during - the past week, and if the improvements continue* as they have begun, the ground will be in first-rate condition by the time of the arrival of the English cricketers; Lots were drawn for the practice wickets on Saturday, and. if .our- Wellington team is to make anything of a show, frequent practices should be the order of the day for the next few weeks.

The cable steamer Agnes left here at 12.45 p.m. yesterday for ; Cook Strait to lay the second cable, ; j ! . ' i The acceptances for the Prince of Wales’ Birthday Cup will close to-night at the New Zealander Hotel, at 8 o’clock. A subscription list has been opened at Slattery’s Hotel, Eeefton, for the purpose of providing funds for stocking the Inangahua Kiver with trout. The salmon ova brought by the City of. New York from San Francisco to Auckland yesterday have, it is stated in a telegram, arrived in splendid condition. A meeting of the Governors of the Wellington College was to have been held yesterday, at 12 o'clock, but there being a small attendance of members at that hour, and as there was, in reality, no important business on the order paper, the meeting was adjourned sine die. During the last fortnight the Acclimatisation Society have liberated eighteen- pairs of ■chaffinches and fifteen pairs of Australian quail in different parts of the province. Some minas that were set at liberty a few months ago have been seen,’ and appear to be thriving. The K.M.S.S. City of New York arrived at Auckland yesterday morning with the English and American mails on board. She left: there at 8 o’clock last evening for Napier, and may therefore be expected here either to-morrow night late or Thursday morning. : There was again a very good attendance at Barlow's circus last evening, and the performance was well appreciated. It speaks well for the popularity of this show that it should should be so well patronised, there being other attractions elsewhere.

The annual general meeting of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club will be held at the Pier Hotel this evening at half-past 7 o'clock, when ; the election of officers for the ensuing year will take place, and other important business will be transacted. The Boulcott-street Hall was crowded last evening, when the Amateur Christy Minstrels gave a performance in aid of Mr. Hughes. The programme provided was really an excellent one, and the performers did themselves great credit. Applause was frequent. Some of the songs and dances were quite equal to most professional performances, and the entertainment was generally successful. The fifth of November falling on Sunday the Wellingtonian youths were disappointed of their customary celebration. Last night, however, “Guy Fawkes” found his way to the bonfire in proper historic fashion, and crackers, squibs, and other fireworks were the order of the day from Te Aro to Kaiwarra. The effect of the various bonfires on Mount Victoria as reflected in the bay was very beautiful and attracted a number of spectators. ! The Waitekauri part of the new goldfields in connection with the Thames and Ohinemuri is showing up well, according to recent telegrams, one mine there giving' monthly returns of gold. Last Saturday a Press Agency telegram stated that the last month’s return for the Waitekauri Company was 3300z5., which is not much certainly, but quite sufficient to be encouraging, when it is recollected that;not so very long back all faith in the Ohinemuri and adjoining districts had departed. ; We take the following items from the Kumara Times of Saturday week:—The favorable weather and the success of O’Connor and party have given quite an impetus to mining during the past week. The abandoned ground in the neighborhood of the Larrikins has been taken up in every direction, and both prospectors and “shepherds” are having a busy time of it, sinking being carried on night and day.—Wo mentioned a few days since that O’Connor and party had struck the wash at a depth of 52ft., with a prospect averaging over two grains to the dish. They bottomed yesterday, with 6ft. of wash, averaging from one to six grains per dish.—To the west of the Lucky Hit, two claims from O’Connor’s, Mullins and party struck the wash in a hollow at a depth of only 26ft., averaging from two to three grains to the dish.—Biggs and party; to the south of Mullins’ claim, struck the wash this morning, at a depth of 42ft„ and obtained a prospect of one grain to the dish,—Mitchell and party, two claims to the south of the Lucky Hit,'are .down jmd expect to bottom next week.—Donnolly and party, the adjoining claim to Mitchell’s, are still driving, but have struck nothing payable.—Cunningham and party, next to the last-named claim, are down 52ft., and on the wash ; but at the present depth do not consider it payable. An adjourned meeting of theKaiwarra Local Board was held at the Toll-gate House last night at 7 o’clock. There were present, Messrs. Guilford, Donald, Cameron, Phillips, and Wyatt (in the chair). The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter from Mr. H. A. White, enclosing a copy of resolutions passed at a meeting of the ratepayers of Upper Kaiwarra, requesting the annexation of their district to the Kaiwarra Local Board district. It was resolved that the application should be declined. A letter was read from Mr. P. Pickering, requesting that the street boundaries should be defined. It was resolved that a letter should be written to the chief surveyor enclosing u copy of Mr. Pickering’s letter, and requesting him to accede to the application. A letter was read from Mr. E. M. Taylor, which it was agreed should (stand over for the present. An application was made by Messrs. Pollock and Young for a slaughterhouse license, Mr. Pollock waiting on the Board personally, and promising to adhere to the by-laws. The license was granted on this understanding. A similar application was made by Mr. Gear, and it was resolved that the slaughterhouse should be inspected by two members of the Board, and on their report the license to be withheld or granted as the case may be. The assessment for the ensuing three years was brought down by the assessor, Mr. Thomson, and agreed to. The meeting then adjourned sine die.

It is not at all times, writes a correspondent of the Coohtovm Herald, one can enter an occupied bedroom, even of a well-ordered Edwardstown hotel, with safety. Business called me early one morning to visit a casual lodger of the Grand Imperial—a boss miner, largely interested in’dams and . sluicing claims at Stony Creek, and a large employer of Chinese labor at £3 per week. Donald was asleep, but the whole floor was literally sprinkled with lithpfracteur, cartridges, and caps, luoifer matches, and loose powder, and such like harmless material, which had escaped from the swag of my Scotch acquaintance. I did what was necessary under the, circumstances, and ho harm befel, but one almost shudders to contemplate what he sometimes meets with in this way in the mining districts of the North. One man belts away at the rock with a steel-pointed pick, to draw a charge that has not exploded, while in another case the fuze is ignited by a miner who retires to a nook in the drive a short distance away, with an open barrel of powder alongside of him ! In the former case, only mutilation and blindness was the consequence; in the latter, sudden death. Nine or ten months ago Colonel Faddy, R.A., arrived at Auckland with his two children, aged respectively eight and twelve years. He informed his friends that ha had been appointed to the command of tlm Napier Militia District, and proceeded accordingly to take command of that district. When he arrived, the friend who had induced him to come to the colony, under promise of. a military appointment, threw him over, and the poor old man, who found himself without means or friends, died of a broken heart, leaving his two children, totally unprovided for, to the care of a Mrs. Palin, the lady with whom he had lodged during his stay in Napier. When Colonel Faddy was still alive, Mrs. Palin made repeated applications for assistance to the gentlemen who placed him and his family with her, but was told in reply that it she did not like tokeep them for nothing she should turn them out in the street; and, although she was in great difficulty herself, she refused to act so inhumanly. When the Uoloneldied,his twofriends ordered him a pauper’s funeral, and refused to have anything to do with the children; but ultimately they made use of their influence, with a view of getting the elder boy placed in

the training ship, leaving the younger one to Mrs. Palin, without any offer to remunerate her. Mrs. Palin.kept and nursed Colonel Faddy, provided for his children from the day he arrived in Napier to his death, and is now providing for his two children,- treating them as her own. One she has now placed in a situation, where he earns Bs. a week, sending him to a night school in the evenings. The other is too young for any employment, and is consequently kept at home. The following sad story of a misspent life is related by the Inangahva Times : —“The intelligence was received in Reefton on Monday morning last of [the death, at Hokitikft, of Alexander Brooks. The deceased came to Beefton from Nelson about four or five months ago, and put up at one of the hotels here. During his stay here he received several remittances of money from his friends in England. These [payments usually came through Judge Fenton, Auckland, who it would appear, had the custody of Brooks’ income. The last sum received by the deceased must have been for a considerable amount, as he was enabled to keep up a protracted spree, and display the greatest liberality in the entertainment of the horde of! acquaintances attracted by his prodigality. He left here about a month ago to have a look at the Knmara, intending after completing his detour of the colony, to return to England. It seems that bis revels were continued in Greymouth and later at Kumara, where his excesses culminated in an attack of delirium. He was taken to Hokitika and placed under medical treatment, but long outraged nature would not forgive the debt, and the unfortunate young man died as stated. Possessed of a gentlemanly and refined mien, highly educated, with all the accidental advantages of fortune, influence and friends, he has . fallen ah early victim to the vice of intemperance, and thus a career commenced meritoriously in the army has ■ been ended thus sadly.” ; r A remarkable piece of coral, taken off the submarine cable near Port Darwin, is spoken of by the Cooktown Herald. It is of the ordinary species, about five inches in height, six inches diameter at the top, and about two inches at the base. It is perfectly formed, and the base bears the distinct impression of the cable, and , a few fibres of the coir rope used as a sheath for the telegraph wire still adhering to it. As the cable has been laid only four years, it is evident that this specimen must have grown to its present height in that time, which seems to prove that the growth of coral is much more rapid than our scientific men have hitherto admitted. This rapid growth may account for the new coral reefs that are constantly being discovered off our coast and in the coral seas.

“ Half-a-dozen steel corvettes,” the Daily News says, “are forthwith to be added to the navy, swift, well-armed vessels, to serve as cruisers. For some time past steel has been regarded by shipwrights with a favorable eye, being tougher, and altogether far less liable to fracture than iron, and now the admiralty has taken the bold step of concluding a contract for building six war ships of this material without delay. They are to be built on the Clyde, and to be ready for service with their engines on board within two years, so we may expect that for some time at least we shall hear no more about the shipbuilding industry in that district being in a depressed condition. These corvettes will not serve in any fleet along with big ironclads, but are designed especially for foreign service in China and the Pacific, as also for cruising in the vicinity of our colonies and foreign possessions. They will be remarkably fleet sailers, and, it is anticipated, will be able to make 20 miles an hour without difficulty. Their armament is to consist of 14 guns of different calibres, and besides the steel casing their bulwarks are to be covered with two thicknesses of teak. The* will not, of course, be in a position to withstand heavy battering charges from big naval guns, but still, ordinary shot and shell will be unable to penetrate their sides. As their great speed will always enable them to show their sterns and prevent hostile craft from approaching, these steel corvettes should prove most useful additions to our navy ; and it may safely be taken for granted that where they are-likely to cruise there will be little chance of falling in with heavy ironclads, which, by reason of the small amount of coal they carry, are unable to trust themselves very far from land. The corvettes are to measure 2300 tons, and in every respect are to be built alike. The engines will naturally be of a most powerful character to enable so high a speed to be attained, and a strong armoured deck running round the vessels will serve as a protection to the machinery. Such vessels as these will be able to perform the specially important service of pursuing and destroying the swift torpedo boats, of which a large number, it is said, are to be introduced into the navies of Europe. Vessels as fleet as these torpedo outriggers, as they are called, will be absolutely necessary if we are to have any protection against such troublesome and deadly craft.” Re the bombardment of Auckland business Mr. F. H. Troup writes to the Serald :—“ As Sir George Grey has thought fit to deny from his place in Parliament that he ever threatened armed resistance should provincialism be abolished,- I feel 1 am not transgressing the rules of civilised society if I narrate the following, which I do upon my honor as a gentleman. One day during the recess, I was present with Sir George Grey at his luncheon in the Star Hotel, and afterwards accompanied him to the Provincial Government offices. Near the Post Office, if I remember rightly, we met either Mr. James Coates or Sir George’s friend, Mr. George. When we three ascended Shortland-street Sir George said, addressing me, ‘ If I were young again, like you, I would take up arms rather tban allow this Bill to pass,’ or words to that effect. My reply may be conjectured from my epistles to your journal.” We take the following from the Westport Times of the 27th ult.: —“There was a lively fracas at the Karamea on Saturday last, at least so it is reported. The steamer Kennedy had arrived with supplies and cattle for the settlement, and on board was the Provincial Secretary, B. J. O’Couor, who superintended the delivery of the goods to the settlers. One of them, named Jerry G'Oonor, got into an altercation with the Provincial Secretary, owing to not getting all the flour and sugar he expected, and, so our informant says, the Provincial Secretary pushed him back out of the way, whereupon Jeremiah went for Eugene, and there was a very, lively scrimmage, Eugene getting by far the worst of it, as also one or two others who tried to defend him. Eventually the warlike Jerry was subdued, and the Provincial Secretary smoothed his ruffled feathers and dignity.” The Rochdale Observer of August 12 makes the following important statement in reference to the forthcoming French tariff :—“ The new arrangements which will be proposed by the French authorities in reference to the tariff which is to succeed Mr. Cobdeu’s treaty of 1860 are now completed, and we are in a position to state from the highest authority that the actual system now in force will be adopted with little or no change. The French Republic will maintain the free trade policy of the Empire.” Mr. Sealey, for so long Resident Magistrate at Napier, sat on the Bench for the last time on Saturday. About ten justices attended to bid him farewell. Mr, Rhodes was spokesman, and expressed in warm terms the feelings of esteem in which Mr, Sealey was held, and referred to the long term he had been an efficient public officer. Mr. Sealey replied in suitable terms. The Spectator says that “ the Governor of Fiji, Sir Arthur Gordon, is, perhaps, the most noteworthy man now in the colonial service—■ a man, we fear, of domineering temper, who accumulates dislikes on himself as other menaccumulate money, but for all that, a- godfearing, just, and able man, who thinks the poor and weak ought to have justice, and will sacrifice not only his time but his comfort in the effort to insure that they do have it. His testimony is beyond all doubt.” We are requested by Mr. G. Thomas to call attention to his large sale of surplus stores, &c., at the Armed Constabulary Barracks this day; sale to commence at 11 o’clock. The whole of the goods are for absolute sale, and consist of some very valuable lines.

A Japanese paper named the Ntchi-nichi-shinbun has recently published a wonderful account of the ascent to heaven of a water snake near the village of Ni-irrimura, in the province of Chikuzen. A large snake ascended to heaven from the Lake Itachi, where he had lived for many-years. The following report, containing a full account of the event, has been presented to the provincial Governor by the Kucho. The letter is' headed, “The Ascent to Heaven of a-Large Snake.—Reported with respect. To-day, I, Morimasa, and seven others, were attending to our usual business in the district office. About twelve minutes past 1 p.m., the office boy, by name Heisuke, ran in and informed us, in great haste, that just then a shake was ascending to heaven. We; asked him, . ‘ Where ? ’ in a dubious manner. He replied, ‘You can see it before the front gate!’ Each of us started from his chair, and to our great wonder we found the boy’s words were true. The white clouds flew high in the air. We saw one dark cloud, under which half the body of the snake was visible. It was about sloft. in length, and the end ot its tail was seen about 180 ft. high in the air. The body was about 3ft. in diameter in its largest part, and the point of the tail was about IJft. in diamete;. Its movement seemed like that of.-the rolling waves. For about five m : notes this serpent was creeping into the cloud. It was seen no more again. It was just like a small snake creeping on the ground.. No wind was blowing at the time, and no rain fell. But the dark cloud turned round on itself. In fifty minutes it ascended up high into heaven, and the white clouds dispersed in all directions gradually. We write the above account of what we have really seen, without the slightest stretch of imagination. We report this respectfully. — Suyenaga-Moeimasa."

. The Hon. Rupert Oarington,. who came forward as a candidate in the Liberal interests for the; representation .of .Buckinghamshire, in place of Lord Beaconsfield, and was defeated by a majority of only 186, issued the following racy address in reference to the policy of the present Government’:—“ Whether they have increased the efficiency of the army. and navy remains to be seen ; that they have largely increased the expenditure on them is certain. The late war in the Straits' Settlement, the state of the Fiji Islands, the failure of Mr. Froude’s mission to confederate South Africa, and the Barbadoes disturbance offer no convincing proof of successful colonial administration. From the Foreign Office two fugitive slave circulars were issued, and created the universal indignation of the country. A third has just been published, which leaves a naval captain exactly in that position of doubt in which Her Majesty’s Government solemnly declared it was unfair and impossible to leave him. The British Empire and the United States have become the refuge of each other’s criminals in consequence of the Foreign and Home Offices. Mr. Cave's mission, unasked for by the Khedive, has communicated his financial difficulties, has given him just cause of complaint against this country, and has increased the influences in Egypt of foreign capitalists. In the Eastern question the policy of the Government probably ascelerated the outbreak of the wa-, and has certainly not succeeded in restraining-its horrors. , The long suppression of the real reason of the movement of the fleet to Bessica Bay not only deceived this country, but has encouraged the Porte to think themselves supported by England in whatever means they might adopt for the suppression, if not the extermination, of the Christian insurgents. The discordant language of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on important foreign questions is without precedent, and throws difficulty in the way of those who feel it their duty, whatever the party feeling may be, to support the Government of the day in their dealings with foreign nations. After referring to some of the Home measures of the Government, Mr. Carington concludes by observing that as he believes ‘that a majority of the constituency are not of opinion that the Government of this country is best permanently carried on based on Tory principles, tempered with occasional concessions to extreme Radical opinions,’ they will not consider it presumptuous in him, in the absence of other candinates, to ask ,:their.-suffrages, and to give them a practical opportunity of expressing their opinions.”

The Coromandel Mail thus refers to recent criticisms on the conduct of certain parties connected with the Native Office ;—“Now there are certain members of the General Assembly and certain newspapers who say that Sir Donald McLean and Mr. Mackay, jun., and their friends and relations benefit themselves, and take advantage of their position to secure land for themselves which they ought not to do, and that it is very wrong, to say which, in our humble opinion is very silly. We don’t know whether Mr. Mackay has bought land for himself or whether he has not. If he has not, then we must take him to be a very weakminded man, which' we do not think he is after listening to him on Thursday talking to the Maoris, as an interpreter cold us, like a book. Why, here is a man who has twenty times, or more, risked his life going among these savages when they were armed,- breathing revenge, and threatening slaughter upon the Europeans. He has gone among them, and so .managed them, that the white man now no longer takes a gun when he goes to the plough, and the white woman reckons to a certainty of her husband coming home without bringing his head in two or more pieces. And this is the man who for years has carried his life in his hand who is not to have the privilege of buying; a few hundreds of acres of Maori land. Go to, all of you, oh, stupid heads. A man because he buys land for the Government, shall not buy for himself ! Why not ? My dear Sir George Grey, when your cook sends up soup to your table to dinner, do you think he waits for the tureen to come down with the chance of none being left. No, not if he knows it. He takes out what he wants, puts it in the basin and keeps it in the oven till he can use it. That’s what he does. Do you think you get the freshest eggs sent to your table, if your servant who looks after the fowls is fond of fresh eggs ? Do you think your gardener sends you the best peach in the orchard or the finest grapes in the vinery, or do you think he takes them to his wife and children ? Don’t my dear Sir .George. be so exceedingly simple as to suppose anything of. the kind. You say Mr. Mackay or Sir Donald McLean shouldn’t buy land for themselves because they have the best opportunity of knowing what of it is best worth having. Now didn’t you buy that little Island of yours from'your own knowledge of it ? You are a brave man, and a conscientious, honorable man, with a large store of knowledge, and a fine estate, with almost any amount of money out on good interest upon sound securities, so don’t begrudge, other men a thin slice of the same loaf from which you have cut a tolerable large junk yourself.” ' ' The Minister of Railways for Victoria presented a return in the Legislative Assembly, says the Argus of the 12th October, to an order on the motion-of Mr. Woods, furnishing certain information respecting the railwayp. The gross revenue for 1874-5 was £920,007 11s. od., comprising from passengers, £293,012 12s. Bd.; from parcels,: £57,404 12s. 9d.; from goods,. £529,752 136. Id.; from live stock, £39,837 13s. 3d. The gross revenue for 1875-6 was £994,767 os. 5d., showing an increase of £74,759 Bs. 5d., comprising from passengers, £822,787 96. Bd.; increase, £29,774 17s. Id.; from parcels, £65,440 Is. 2d.; increase, £8035 Bs. 5d.; from goods, £564,042 15s. Bd.; increase, £34,290 2s. 7d,; from live stock, £42,496 13s. 4d.; increase, £2659 os. Bd. The return also showed the special goods rulings from 9th September, 1875, to July 6, 1876. It is noted that these special rates and rulings were made irrespective of persons, and although occasionally made on particular lota of goods, applied to all after consignments of a similar nature. In reply to-the inquiry for allinstanoes where the department had declined to carry goods at the published rates, the answer given was that there was no record of any such instance. The reply to another query, as to all known instances of inability on the part of the railway department _ to cany goods, owing, to the want of rolling.

stock, station, and siding conveniences on the opened lines, was that delay had occurred throngh scarcity of rolling stock, but it was , not thought that any traffic had been actually ' lost in consequence. ; : J The writer of “ London Town Talk ”in the Melbourne Argus says : —“ 1 came upon a copy of the Englishman to-day, a journal which I *• . had fondly hoped was dead. It is no longer ‘edited by Dr. Kenealy, Q.C.,* but by ' ‘Kenealy’ without either Christian name or initial, as though the creature knew he was less than human. In compensation for this homage to truth the paper seems more fuU or lies and coarse invective than ever. One ' curious and rather humorous feature of;it is that it takes the Queen under its special protection ; it thinks that ‘ noble lady ought to i be pitied rather than calumniated, mainly, however, because she has not been permitted ‘ (by her base Ministers) the opportunity of pert • using Kenealy’s works. ‘ Whatever in general may think of the great doctor, we are told, ‘ tew will have any doubt of his honor, integrity, and sacrifice of all considerations to principle, and none to (sic) his i ■ profundity of thought and extraordinary erudition.”