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Colonist, Issue 41, 12 March 1858, Page 3

"Substantial Justice."—A good specimen of this favorite commodity is furnished in.the following well-known decision of a. County Court judge:—-A defendant haying alleged his" inability to pay the plaintiff's demand, the plaintiff admitted, it, but maintained that though the defendant could not himself pay, he had an aunt who could; and the judge being "of this opinion, made an order against the aunt. This is said to be a leading County Court authority, and is commonly cited as my aunt's casOi"— Melbourne Age.

European Mails.—We are glad to learn that the Government have at last taken steps to -have the European mails conveyed hither with more regularity than they have hitherto been, 'No tenders haying been offered to convey the mails from, Canterbury to Otago, the Postmaster at Pert Lyttelton has been requested by. our Provincial Government to charter a vessel if 6ne does not happen to be coming on here at the tima, and forward the mails with as little delay as possible, at the expense of the Otago Government.— Otago Witness.

Mr. Carnegie sold by auction on Thursday list the entire Arab horse 'Ackbar,' which realised <£70. . A number of horses were offered, but, owing to the scarcity of purchasers, several wore-withdrawn.— Otago Witness.

Genius Extinct.—lt is curious how few of the great men-of England; whether in literature, science, or government, have left descendants. The line of Shakespeare is extinct, as we have s^en; so is that of Milton, Bacon, Newton, Harvey, Pope, Gibbon, Johnson, Swift, Lord Mansfield, Pitt, Fox, Gray, Cowper, Collins, Thompson, Goldsmith, Gay, Conwreve, Hume, Bishop,. Butler, Locke, Hobbes, Adam Smith, Bentliam, Wollaston, Davy, Sir Joshua Rennolds,' Flaxman, Gainsborough, Sir Thomas Lawrence, either never married or never had children. Burkes son died before him, and so did Smollett's daughter. Addison's daughter died unmarried. We are not aware that there are aivv, lineal representatives of Chaucer, Spencer, Dryden, Jeremy Taylor, Hooker,, or Barrow. We have mentioned only such names as occurred to us without a book: a little research might doubtless much increase the list.;

Sydney.—lt is pretty well understood in political circles that Ministers have underconsideration the project of establishing a National Bank of issue. The unaccommodating spirit manifested by the existing banking institutions has, it is suspected, mainly served.to direct the attention of Government to this subject at the present time. But, Independently of the accidental force of circumstances, at least one "of the ministers has long entertained strong opinions in favour of a measure of this nature. Mr. Martin for some years has been an avowed opponent of our private banking system, and, therefore, it will not surprise us to see a bill introduced under the auspices of the learned gentleman for restricting the issue of paper money to a national establishment. Indeed, it wiil be recollected that in the session of 1855, a motion affirming the principle was placed on the business paper of the Legislative Council by Mr. James Macarthur, who acted in the matter on consultation with Mr. Martin, which motion was only withdrawn in view of the more important functions of the new Parliament. The subject recently engaged the attention of our neighbours in Victoria; and the public mind will not be unprepared for its discussion here. Should it turn out,-as we anticipate, that a Government bill is introduced early in the ensuing session for establishing a National Bank, and withdrawing the power of issuing notes from the present banking institutions, in accordance with the principle of the Imperial Bank Charter Act of 1844, it is scarcely probable that it will become law. : But the question will be opened, and the result, we may rest assured,will be a speedy alteration in our monetary system. — Empire, February 5.

. Contentment.—As for a little more money and a ltttle more time, why ten to one if either the one or ihe other would make you a whit happier. If you had more time it would be sure to. hang heavily. It is the working man is the happy man. Man was made to be active, and is never as happy as when he is so. It is the idle man is the miserable man. What comes of holidays and far too often of sight seeingl, but evil ? Half tho harm that happens is on those days. And as for money;—don't you remember the old saying, " Enough is as good as a feast." Money never made a man happy yet; nor will it. There is. nothing in its nature to produce happiness. "The more a man has, the more he wants." Instead of its filling a vacuum it makes one. If it satisfies a want it doubles and trebles that want another way. ' That was a true proverb of the wise man depend upon it: " Better -is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith."— 'Sayings of Old Jonathan. ■

Hollow ay's Ointment. —General debility, low spirits, and nervous irriation, are the inevitable consequence of indigestion. Renovate the stomach, clear the bowels, and regulate the secretions with these wonder-working Pills, and this strength returns, the depression ceases, the nerves become calm. This is not theory, but practical truth founded on long years of experience, volumes of testimony, and the concurrent admission of all medical men who have ever witnessed the effects of the- remedy. In this country, dyspepsia has heretofore been so common a complaint, that it might; almost be termed a "national institution." If, howfever, dyspeptics generally are wise enough to resort to this remedy, the diseases will soon become.a rarity.

In a Scotch contested election in -shire, one of the candidates entering the house of a voter was taken aback by the looks of the ' gudewife.' He observed two fine eats. 'Very fine cats.' 'Ye may say that.' 'Would you sell one?' 'Well, may be I Would.' WiH you take ten pounds?' 'Yes.' He secured his prize.- The gudewife observed, 'Yell tak' care o' the, cat; Mr. -—- gave me twenty pounds for the fellow to him.'

The Baby Tower.— 0 Vice-Consul Harvey < —doctus utriusque Mnguoe —to whom the manners and the language of China are even aa; the manners and the; language of Paris or of London, tell me what means that more than usually pestilential stench. It seems to radiate from that decaying peppei'-box-shaped tower, which although not 20 feet high, we must, by the courtesy of China, call a pagoda. , Undismayed, the energetic Vice-Consul, who sometimes acts as guide, philosopher and friend, and expatiates with me over this maze, advances through a vapour so thick that I wonder the Chinese do not cut it into blocks and use it for manure—and at a distance of five yards from the building puffed hard at his cheroot and said,— ■ ; " That is the baby tower." ,

." The———'.?" said I, inquiringly. ; :t. " Baby to \yer. Look through that rent in the stone-work—not too close, or the stream of effluvia may kill you. You see a mound of whisps of straw. It seems to move, but it is only the crawling, of the worms. Sometimes a. tiny leg or arm, or. a little fleshless bone, protrudes from the straw. The tower is not so full now as I have seen it ; they must have cleared it out recently." ;: " Is this a cemetery or a slaughterhouse V ' " The Chinese say it is only a tomb., Coffins are dear and the peasantry are poor. When a child dies, the parents wrap it round with bamboo, throw it in at that windW; and all is done. When the towers full the proper authorities burn the heap and spread the ashes over the land."

There.is ho inquiry, no check. The.parent'has. power to kill or to save. Nature speaks in the heart of a Chinese mother as in the breast of an English matron. But \vant and shame, sometimes; shout louder still. There? is a foundling hospital in the Chinese city with a cradle outside the door and a hollow" bamboo above it. Strike a blow upon the bamboo, and th 6 cradle is drawn inside. If it contain an infant,: it is taken and cai'ed foiy and no questions asked. There is also a system of domestic ] slavery in China. At an early age a child is worth dollars, a father or mother may' for money delegate their own, absolute power—-dele-gate without losing it-rfor, although the, father may have sold his son to a stranger, or although a mother may have sold her daughter to prostitution —and concubines iii China, are only thus to be obtained-—the duty from child; to parent remains ■unimpaired, and is strictly.performed. , .. ..,: The incentives- thus offered to Mammon, and' the alternative proffered' by native charity, may save livesjhat would otherwise be destroyed ; but this baby-tower is a terrible institution. It. stands there, close.to the walls of a crowded city, an intrusive invitation to infanticide.— Times' Chinese Correspondent ■ :