MISCELLANEOUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 21 April 1870, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

No Moke Coppers. — No more coppers. " Please your honour, shy us a copper!" Of all such forms of supplication there is an end. On the fir-tet day of January, 1870, the old copper coiuage ceised to be a legal tender. One's first idea is, that this will be a serious embarrassment to the youug gentlemen who are in the habit of playing at pitch-and-toss — preferably on Sundays, and in the immediate neighbourhood of churches and chapels. These bronze coins have not, and cannot have those remarkable spots of verdigris — that metallic mildew, as one might say — which used to make them .so clear to us. There was a nasty, but yet agreeable traditionaiy force about the old coinage. Try the new forms, " Let us shy a bronze !" ." Up goes a bronze. Heads I win, tails you lose." There is no jocular power about the new coinage. To be sure, it is a different story from the substitutes of one form of monetaiy calculation for another. It took the French R evolution to carry through the introduction of the decimal system into France. Now that we are parting with our last copper, we have a sort of kindly feeling for the dirty old coin — no doubt associated with the lollipops of our younger days. A " copper " had, however, this one main disadvantage • that, brilliant as it was when delivered from the Mint, its beauty was of the most perishable kind. Four " new " farthings looked almost as delightful as four new sovereigns ; but as for four "old" farthings — why, they were things to wrap- up in pieces of brown paper, and handle with one's fingers' ends. On the whole, we take leave of our old coppers with a feeling of sorrowful satisfaction. They were useful, but nasty, and have had their time. Other coppers will probably follow in the train of our pence and half-pence. Not even St. George and the Dragon will save them. — "Daily Telegraph."

The Influence of "Sensational" Literature on Crime. — In his annual report to the Court of Alderman, the' Ordinary of Newgate again draws attention to the baneful effects of what is known as" sensational" literature upon the minds of the youn^ and iguorant. He mentions a striking incident in support of his position! In August last a soldier shot his corporal at Aldershot, and a polico-sheet produced an illustration purporting to convey the details of the crime. The paper was circulated in the Raglan Barracks, at Devonport, where a soldier was under arrest for a trifling offence. Hewasunible to read, but the picture gave him the idea of obtaining similar revenge. Next day he shot his corporal, and was afterwards hanged at Exeter. " That picture,', said he to the Ordinary of Newgate^ "put it into my head." Drunkenness and betting are likewise mentioned as having a prominent connection with crime.

A novel mode was resorted to the other day," says a Victorian contemporary, _" by one of the betting fraternity in Melbourne to recover bets from a defaulter. The winner of the money quietly went to the countinghouse of the loser, and cooly told the defaulter that he had two boards painted with the words ' Defaulter, on them and that he had engaged a man to wear these boards ancf to follow the defaulting better wherever he went. The unfortunate loser was so terrified at the prospect that he immediately handed over a cheque fgr the amount claimed, and besauglit his merciless creditor not inform any of the other persons to whom he had lost money by the occurrence. How the creditor kept his promise may be known from this paragraph."

"The Now Zealand Gfazette" just recived contains the following despatch from Lord Granville to the Gfovornor. It is dated Downing street, - Dec. 13 : — I have recived your Despatch No. 12-4, of the 18th September last, recommending that the members of the late Ministry of New Zealand, viz., Messrs E. W. Stafford, W. Fitzberbert, J. Hall, J. C. Richmond and Colonel T. M. Hau.tain, should be permitted to retain the title of Honourable ; and to acquaint you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve of those gentlemen retaining the title withinNew Zealand, In conveying Her Majesty's decision, I have much pleasure in placing on record my appreciation of the services rendered to the colony by Mr Stafford during a long and distin* gu-ished political career ; and Mr Fitzherbet, in the able and judicious conduct of his recent negotiations with the J&ovemment of this country, respecting the adjustment of the Imperial and Colonial claims arising out of the war in New Zealand.

The following affectionate advertise, ment appeared in the "Times" on December 14:— "G-eo. E , Paddington. Tour own Totty will meet you in the saloon of the new Green, wich Theatre on- December 16, or else at the old bootmaker's at Chapelstreet. You must be a. silly old dear to think Tooty had forgotten her pretty linnet. No, George, never, Sally is in Wales.

We ("Nelson Examiner)" are glad to learn- that leverets have been seeniu Suburban-north, and in the valley of the- Mraitai, so that no doubt can exist of the hares which were brought down from Melbourne by Mr. Huddle* ston having bredv