PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 207, 18 January 1872, Page 6

PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

Mi\ Didsbiuy, the Government printer, considers the expense of " Hansard," when finally issued, bound, with indices complete, at -"about £235 per week, including the intermediate issues, or, in an ordinary session about £3000.

A gentleman who has recently returned to Daylesford, after a trip to Tasmania, relates the f blowing anecdote at the expense of the slow-going inhabitants of that beautiful island. The passengers by the steamer in which our informant sailed, were greatly struck by the contrast between -the energetic movements of the inhabitants of Melbourne, and the^^K^jfifk; of those of Hobart Town. At length* one of the visitors saw a lad runniug, and was so pleased at this sign of vitality, that he stopped the youngster, and said to him, " Here, boy. ! ther?'s sixpen-je for you. You're the first person I've seen alive in this place." — " Daylesford Mercury."

In proposing the reduction"of the Governor's salary in the Tasmanian Legislative Assembly, the Premier of that colony said that "he trusted the day was not far distant when the colony would be able to restore the Governor's salary to the amount which it was now proposed to reduce. He had no donbt that the goldfields would be successful, and that the day was not far distant when they wonld be. in such a prosperous coiididition as to be able to restore something to the salary, which they were about to modify." The Lavinceston Chronicle suggests that future Governors of Tasmania be paid in mining scrip. The idea is well worthy of consideration — not only in Tasmania but all the Australian Colonies, where Governors, according to existing relations between these colonies and the Imperial Government, are more ornamental than useful.

The people of Ross appears to have somewhat singular ideas as to what censtiutes .Christmas sports. In the programme for Boxing-day appear the following interesting items : — Smoking match, one prize, . £\ : eating hot porridge, £1. It is a pity that the names of the successful competitors are not published for general information.

No one who travels much in the Middle Island of New Zealand can fail to be struck by the amount of groui d occupied by the river beds, nor fail to observe the rapid increase in size of most of the streams on the banks of which clearing is going on, and it is with the view of obviating this that planting of the river banks is so generally advocated.