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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1251, 21 April 1880, Page 2

Dra. Wait and Garland baring certified to the insanity of Julia Paul, she was, in accordance with the Lunatics Act and on receipt of a communication from the Colonial Secretary, forwarded to the Danedin Lunatic Asylum by the early train this morning. Mails for Anstralia per Rotorua close at the Bluff on Friday at 11.30 a.m. Telegrams will be accepted at the Oamaru office accordingly.

A correspondent writes to us as one of the unemployed, urging that there should be a permanency of wages in connection with the work on the Windsor-Livingstone line. He complains bitterly of the cry made in the

Colony by some persons for more immigrants, and of the representations made by the Emigration Agent 3 as to the condition of working men in the Colony. To quote hie own words, " There is nothing more iui--reaaonaUe than the desire to have more immigrants introduced—to bring them from one state of misery to another. Shiploads of famine-stricken people have been brought from Home to give this Colony a riae, and then they have been turned to work for the morsel of food that they eat, without any | consideration of the other things that are necessary to their existence. What we want is that a regular weekly wage should be given to the men employed on the work—a wage that would leave the men 10s or 12s a week to provide necessaries, not included in the bare returns supplied by the Government. 7 '

In another column is published a state» raent of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Corporation of Oamaru for the current year. The statement will, no doubt, be perused with considerable interest. At the R.M. Court this morning, Peter "Walshe and Edward Price, for committing 4 breach of the peace by fighting in Thames' street last evening, were each fined 40s, or go to gaol for seven days with hard labor. George Stanton, charged with drunkenness, was cautioned and discharged. 1 The Australian Sketcher for April 10 | hand, and is of more than usual interest to J Xew Zealand readers, as it contains a portrait of Te "Whiti, the Maori Prophet pf Parikaka. The likeness was contributed by Mr. W, Gordon, of this town, and was sketched by Jinn when at Parihaka last January. The portrait was sketched from memory, for Te Whiti ha 3 a strong objection to hi 3 head being taken off. Those who have seen the original nay the likeness is a very good one.

The monthly meeting of the Committee of the North Otago Coursing Club was held yesterday, when there werepreeent—Messrs, Otterson (in the chair), Fleming, Llntott, Connell, Thomson, Hedley, and Ronayne (hwi. sec.) A letter was read from Mr. C. S. Allen, tendering his resignation as a member of the Committee. The resignation was r.ccepted, and writc.to Mr. -Aii- i., c:-.:.-;<T.:-iity tiiu i'-.Viik# of tf»e committee for the services he had reu.-

dered the Club while acting as treasurer. Mr. J. F. Eeid was elected to fill the vacancy. It was decided to advertise f6r a slipper, power to conclude the engagement being given to Messrs. Otterson, Thomson, and the Secretary, who were also appointed to draw up a programme for the year. It having been stated that many owners were desirous of having an All-aged Dog Stake run at the same time as the Puppy Stakes, it was decided to hold a Vice-Presidents' Stakes for 16 dogs at L 4 each, the Vice-Presidents' agreeing to give a piece of plate for the winner. It was decided to write to Mr. T. Brydonc, asking him to act as marshal at the meeting, and the Committee, with Messrs. J. Holmes and J. Macpherson, were apto act as stewards. Tenders were ordered to be called for the supply of refreshments on the field. It was resolved that all dogs should run in collars. The Secretary was directed to write to the various landowners in the district, requesting permission to course over their grounds. Messrs. J, Macpherson (Totara) and F. Bromley (Kakakui) were elected members of .. the Club, and the meeting terminated, A coroner's inquest was held at the Hospital this afternoon upon the body of Henry Aitken, who died in the Hospital on Monday afternoon from injuries received by falling from an express near Dnntroon on the 16th instant. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, caused through dislocation of the back. Mr. George Sumpter acted as Coroner,

The Osservatore Romano has just published the text of the expected Encyclical letter of the Pope condemning divorce, as " contrary to religion and morality, and a sign of moral depravity." "Why then did His Holiness, only the other day, sanction the divorce of the Prince of Mouaco by his Princess ? Whilst the Austrians are merely talking about fortifying Vienna, the Italians are busily at work in surrounding Rome with a mature system of defence. It is intended to protect the Eternal City by seven forts, commenced in 1877, and now approaching completion. Six of these forts occupy various points of the hills in front of the ancient Leonine Walls, and the seventh is near the Appian Way, and is rapidly being finished. The Appian Fort, or whatever it is to be called, will mount twenty-four guns of large size, and protect the Naples railway. It is four kilometres from the old walls of Rome and eight kilometres from theColonna Square, the centre of Rome. Tho best bomb-proof shelter has begn provided for the garrison. It is intended by those seven forts to prevent any enemy making an attack upon the capital whilst the bulk of the anny is on the plains of the Po.

The Otago Daily Times says:—" In another colum 11 will be found an interesting account of the exploits of our New Zealand kea, contributed to the Zoologist by Mr. Wharton, one of the naturalists appointed to act as a committee for the purpose of revising the nomenclature of birds. It seems that Dr. de Lautour, of Oamaru, sent Home a certain specimen, and that Mr. John Wood discoursed thereon before the Pathological Society of koqfion. The kea was once wont to feed on berries snd insect?, but, since the pakeha introduced sheep, the bir4 has acquired a taste for mutton. It gratifies this by settling on its victims, and literally eating the sheep alive. The kea has a tremendously powerful bill, and generally attacks the sheep on the right side of the loin. First it tears off the wool; then it devours the flesh. Before the bird has worked his wicked will, it sometimes happens tljat the intestine is reached, and rarely that the sheep recovers from the effects of this strange treatment. If it does recover, the opening made heals, but does not close; and this constitutes the operation known as colotomy, or would, were it designedly performed. Surgeons are pretty familiar with Amnaset's operation, but until Dr. de Lautour sent Home tiiis specimen few Englishmen would have dreamed that it had been successfully effected by a parrot on a sheep." In spite of the conflicting reports from St. Petersburg, there seems no doubt that the greatest exertions are being made to hurry on the Merv expedition. It is understood that the army will be divided into three corps. One will be commanded by General Kaufip.ann, another General Soack, while the third will be a reserve under the command of Grand Duke Michael.. The chief control of the expedition will devolve upon General Skobeloff. How far the Persian arrangement with England as regards Herat will interfere with this programme, can scarcely yet be seen; but as the route through the Attrek Valley chiefly depends upon the good-will of Persia, it must have gomo influence. In connection with this, the proposed pilgrimage of the Shah to Meshid, which was mentioned s.pme time ago, 'deserves again to be called to mind. It is likely, after all, that the occupation of Herat, which is in the neighborhood of Meshid, is the real object of this pious journay, _