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Southland Times, Issue 1734, 29 April 1873, Page 3

A ceetain city was about to be destroyed. The women were allowed to leave, and were told that they might carry away on their backs whatever they moet prized. Each woman took a man. Mb J. S. Mill, in a second communication on the land laws which he has addressed to the Examiner, discusses the question, " Should public bodies be required to sell their lands ?" He argues that if such bodies are required to part with their lands, they should part with them to the State, and to that alone; and concludes by urging that " the time has come for announcing, with the utmost decision, that no private appropriation of land, nor yet private property, shall hereafter take place under any circumstances or on any pretext." The export of printed books from Britain continues to increase largely. In the year 1872 it amounted to 81,510 cwt. of the declared value of £833,149.

A Norwegian House. — A Devon shire gentleman has imported a wooden Norwegian house. The Times, in an interesting description of it, says : — The walls are made of pine wood, about 6 in. thick, the interstices of the logs being filled with oakum, and the whole surface being plastered with a mixture of cow. hair and lime. Outside the main wall there is a shell of wood, which is protected with paint against the action of the weather ; and again inside there 'is another shell, which serves as a panelling to the rooms. By staining and varnishing this, a good effect is produced. The cornices are carved, by the use of tho riband saw, in devices of excellent taste. Neither paper for the walls nor plaster for the ceiling is used throughout the house. The logs are placed vertically, which prevents the unevenness so often to be observed in the woodwork of English houses. To avoid the resonance, dry sand to the depth of 4 in. ia placed between ceilings and floors. In addition, • the floors of both stories are laid with deals, 2 in. thick, and millboard is placed under each, with the effect of thoroughly deadening all sound. The house, which presents externally the appearance of a handsome villa residence — brighter, indeed, in color than we commonly see in this country — is an oblong of about 74ft. by 56ft. The total cost will be something under £2,000. The estimates previously obtained for a stone house containing about the same amount of accommodation, had reached £4,000, extras not included.