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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2605, 15 May 1877, Page 2

In the Resident Magistrate's Court today a small boy was ordered to be sent to the : Naral Training Schoal, at the instance of his father,, until he arrives at the age of fifteen years, he being beyond his parents' control. The only other business was a charge of haying unstamped weights, which was dismissed, it being intended as a cautionary case to storekeepers and others, and to draw atten lien'"to the fact that there is an inspector of weights and measmes in the district. We. would; in rite the attention of butchers, bakers, grocers and others who supply articles of food, tp this matter, and advise them to make themselves acquainted with the provisions of the Act, as the Eegistrate Magistrate has intimated that he will inflict a. fine on conviction in any future?; case, -leaving unstamped weights or light weights are ofFeaces under the Act. \ '

The Borough Health Officer's report was rather keenly criticised by some councillors on Thursday night last, .and especially in respect of his opinions, it being said that none but a professional man should indulge in such decided opinions. In some respects, perhaps, councillors were correct. They criticised the Health Officer's opinions as to the causes of deaths ,in the Borough, when probably he obtained his information from the .Registrar's records, and they followed a similar course as to his opinion on the influence of pipes connecting water tanks with cesspools, but not a word .was said as to what appears to us a very important part of the Health Officer's duties, namely, enquiry into the matter of the number of cases of infectious diseases existing, but which have not reached the climax of " fatal." This, rather than the number of deaths, appears to be more in the province of a health officer. We do not say there are cases of infectious disease in the Borough, but some definite information would be more acceptable than that which anybody could learn on enquiry at the registrar's office, or from* llMhmonthly report furnished by the Registrar General. \ »

Decidedly wintry weather has set in. The last few days until to-day have been characterised by squally showeis, with a low temperature, Sunday, perhaps, being an exception as regards cold. Yesterday there was an apparent sign of clearing up, but towards evening there was vivid lightning, in

the south-west, and shortly after sharp showers of rain, which culminated in a wet, miserable night. The season of winter seems to be coming on earlier" than usual, but its unpleasantness may yet be varied with intermissions of bright frosty weather, preferable to cold rains. To-day an agreeable change set in, which it is hoped, will last for a good spell.

The Queen's Hotel, Albert street,: which during the occupancy, of Mr o.' Burton was celebrated for its luncheons and suppers, is likely to recover something of its old character, Mr Drew having lately opened a restaurant there, and made arrangements for supplying luncheons and suppers. An excellent bill of fare is provided daily, including chops, steaks, fish and soups for the convenience of business men who require a slight repast at noon. Being centrally situated the Queen's should do a fair shave of business.

The Marton Advocate, a Wellington paper, says :—" A remarkable illustration of the curious freaks which nature sometimes indulges in is now in theßangitikei district. There is within a hundred yyrds of Marton a baby 18 years old. This may seem a misnomer, but we know of no more appropriate term, for .though ' the little thing' has a head of the normal proportions belonging to a girl of that age, with long dark hair, the body is that of an infant some six months old. She is carried about by a nurse, is in evei'y way tended as an infant, and unable to articulate a single sound."

We have. received New Zealand Gazettes of dates April 30, May 2 and 3.

A New Zealand Gazette of April 3Ot,h contains Kales and Regulations for the conduct of:the traffic, and for the guidance of the officers and meu in the service of the New Zealand Railway Department, made in accordance with an Order in Council of the 17th day of April, 1877.

The New Zealand Gazette of Majr 3rd contains a report on analysis of water from Rotorua district; return of agricultural statistics of the provincial district of Hawke's Bay ; return of the value of imports and exports at the several ports of New Zealand during the quarter ended 31st March, 1877 ; statement of the number and amount of money order and savings bank transactions in the several postal districts of the Colony of New Zealand during the quarter ended 31st March, 1877; statement of receipts and expenditure of the public account for the quarter ended 31st March, 1877 ; statement of receipts and expenditure of goldfields revenue and gold duty for the quarter ended 31st March, 1877, under the Financial Arrangements Act, 1879.

According to the New York Tribune, which is altogether favourable to the Moody and Sankey business, the luaatic asylums are receiving additional inmates, owing to the mental derangement which so frequently results from religious excitement. In its issue of the 2nd February that paper, says : —" A few weeks ago a young man who had been attending the revival service at Chicago shot himself at bis boarding-house while singing' Sweet by and by.' A commercial traveller who had listened to Mr Moody's sermons in the same city left his room in an Evansville, Ind., hotel one evening last week, walked down stairs without so much as a collar to protect him-from the cold, and informed the clerk that he was going out doors to do penance for his sins. Eeligious excitement had crazed his brain. On Saturday night a young man who had lost his reason. through the same cause made a desperate attempt to wreck a train on the Erie Railway. After forcing open the switch and obstructing the track near the bridge, he seated himself on a freight car and waited for another Ashtabula horror, which happily did not come to pass. When he was arrested he remarked that he had been reading about Mr Eliss's death, and was anxious to see a big accident. These incidents illustrate the dangers that are inseparable from emotional religion."