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Southland Times, Issue 665, 3 May 1867, Page 2

The Sydotjy Sovbbeicht in Londok. — The " Economist," of 26th January, in reference to the circulation of the Sydney sovereign remarks : — Many persons have been puzzled by the appearance in this country of the " Australian sovereign." They hare hardly known what to make of a coin not our sovereign, but yet so like it. It/is true that there was a committee of the House of Commons upon it, that there' was much discussion a short time since respecting it, and that ah Act of Parliament was passed about it. But the mass of the public do not heed such discussions, and, in consequence, many tradespeople, and even some, bankers, do not like to take these new things. The facts are these : By an Act passed three years ago, the Queen was empowered to declare the sovereign coined at the branch Mint in Sydney (which has been in exis- • tence since 1854) a legal tender in the United Kingdom, and by proclamation, February, 1866, she did so. The Australian sovereign is, therefore, as good as any other, and whoever refuses it refuses it at his peril. The Australian sovereign is, in fact, a little better than any other, and it is being sougnt after now by exporters, because the silver alloy may be used after melting. But this difference is of no practical acoount in common business. It is a legal tender for just as much as, and for no more than, any other sovereign. Thb "Sboond Beast." — A new competitor has appeared in the field to dispute with Mr Baiter his interpretation of revelation. The author of a small book, published anonymously, contends that the second beast is neither the Eomish hierarchy nor Louis Napoleon — that it is not any man, nor indeed any system, but that it is a power that is to appear on the earth, and that this power is nothing else than modern physical science. Science, he says, is the great enemy of re f elation, and is therefore symbolised as coming up out of the earth. The two twins are the two powers of reason and experimental research, corresponding to the , two natures — Divine and human — of the "Lamb." It speaks as a dragon, because it is subtle and deceptive like tho old serpents. Its great wonders are the modern triumphs of mechanism and chemistry. It makes fire to come down from heaven by means of lightning conductors. Its deception is the rationalism produced by science. The speaking of the image of the beast is the modern Press. Tho restriction of buying and selling to tfiose that have the mark is the dominance of political economy. The number 666 is meant to intimate human perfection, or a stage below divine perfection, which would be represented by a trinity of sevens. The subject is not a suitable one for discussion in our columns, and so we cannot undertake to refute the puthor's theory. But those \vho think there is any insrinsic probability in it can consult the book, which is brief, and which, is not writtsn in the oracular dictatorinl and anathematising style assumed by some af the modern prophets. — " Sydney Morning tiered." . Tjik Custom-hottse opfickr3 of Belgium, in rammry last, seized, a man, horse, and cart, engaged in an ingenious method of smuggling. On i sipall hor6a c, larger sfciu had been Cwtfyilly ad« Miitfldi fin ft th fl fa nt&ffViri w ith£to^>aopo