PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 229, 20 June 1872, Page 8

PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

Leeches have been successfully acclimatised ia the Waikato district, where many of the creeks and swamps swarm with them. The hon. Mr. Watherhouse stated the other day that he estimated there were at least 100 red deer in Wairarapa district.

The "Wairaiapa Mercury" thus reports an event which occurred in the town where it was published, while the Wellington journals sjive a full report of the proceedings: — "The Odd Fellows. — The first anniversary of the establishment of this Lodge was celebrated on the Ist inst., in the usual manner — procession — dinner — ball. . There was a very fair attendance, and if the members would not dress themselves in the trumpery gewgaws, which they are so fond of doing, they would not look so " ricli ulous. The Hall was very tastefully decorated, and the dinner at Mr. Fuller's was very well ar ranged. .

The following sensible remarks are from a leading articlein the " Evening Post " :—": — " In all the versatile devices of the Government for obtaining immigrants, we find no indications of any attempt or desire to attract employers as well as workmen. We do not hear of any gentlemen, or clergymen, or capitalists, among the Scandinavians who have arrived on our shores, and proceeded to clear roads for us. Wo" are not aware whether Mr. M'Leod expects to induce British North Americans of any of those classes to take up their abode in^New Zealand. Dr. Fealherston, they say, is now gone to the Highlands to look up likely immigrants, who are at present living in a state of ignorance, enforced idleness, and comparative destitution. Is he taking any pains — do !iis instructions enjoin him — to hold out inducements to some of the lairds to accompany their expatriated clansmen ? Are Messrs. Birch, Farnall, and Seaton so instructed? Even if they arc, do they possess the necessary qualifications for preaching a colonist crusade among persons of the higher class as respects education, honourable character, and the means of giving workmen employment? Is Colonel Fielding's Association going to send leaders as well as mere hewers of v ood and drawers of water ? This part of the question is by no means to be lightly set as i# de. The success of the whole immigration projected depends upon it. So long as the Government is the only employer, there will be a constant demand for artificial* employment by means of public works of an unremunerative character, and far exceediug in costliness and extent the existing wants of the community."

The "New York Tribune" mentions that " a curious memorial of the great fire has been brought to light in Chicago. A mong fhe ruins of the Western News Company's establishment, where an immense stock of "periodicals and books were reduced to ashes, there was found a single leaf of a quarto Bible charred around the edges. It contained the first chapter of the Lamentations of Jeremiah,' which opens with the following words : — ' How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people? how is she become as a widow ? she that was great among the nations and princes among the provinces ? -how is she become tributary ? She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks ; among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her.' And that was the only fragment of literature saved from the News Company's great depot."

Mr. Bradlaugh delivered a lecture recently at Glasgow upon the superior advantages of the Republican system of government. • There was great excitement, and large crowds assembled round the hall, but there was no serious disturbance of the peace. The Birmingham Town Council has by a majority consented to allow the use of the Town-hall to Mr. Bradlaugh for the delivery of a lecture called " The Impeachment of the House of Brunswick."

Under the heading of "The Ingenious Barnacle in the North " the "Thames Star "'says :— " Mr. Haughton (the distinguished billetee) told the deputation, in the first instance, that he merely met them as one private gentleman would meet a number of others. Afterwards he spoke about " works being commenced on his report," and such like. Well, as the Yankees say, " his talk dosn't hang together," be contradicts himself. We wouldask him toletusknow definitely in what capacity he has come here. As a Government official ? Then his manner to a civil questioner unfits him for the office. As a private gentleman ? Then the more private be keeps the better. From the first we professed not to understand?the exact nature of his mission. Let us now say that his conduct since he has been here has not enlightened us much. May we proffer advice to Mr. Haugbton ? ' It is this : You have come to a place where the fitness, of men for public positions is honestly discussed. If you find our atmosphere unwholesome under these circumstances, the sooner you- go in for a change of air the better." This is plain speaking.

The present phase of trading enter' pri§e is the exportation frqin Birmingham of spurious diamonds to the diamond fields at the Cape qf Qooa Hop©:

A widow advertised in Chicago, as king " every Christian in the city " to send her ten cents, as the amouut would not oppress them, aud the collection would benefit her greatly. For a wonder the class called upon did all contribute as requested, and the widow realised twenty cents. Eeferring to Chinese labour the " New York Times " says :— -: We do not think we are over estimating tho importance of the advantages once held out to these people, and which are now slowly declining, when we say that at the present day, if it were not tor the colony of seventy, or eighty thousand of them now in California there would be no immigration at all ; and that ten years" hence, unless some tremendous political change takes place in China, we doubt whether ten thousand of them will be found in this country. As it is, there are now equal benefits pi offered to both Japanese ai d Chines j and if, as the past four years have proved, they are not of sufficient worth to excite desire in the restless mind of the former^ we may be sure that their influence is waning in the attraction they have for the latter." A Glasgow paper thus defines the word "adumbrating." It is defined to menn the " individualism of preliminary and precipituous prognostication, as eliminated in the irrefragability of never flinching and neverto-yield-an inch discomboberation of spontaneous combustion, whether or not, and evincing antediluvian invisibilities, contemporaneosly elicited by uuregenerating consanguinity when ycoelephautical, and scintillating approximately to scientific elaboration.

There has been a good laugh at the story of the smart young lady in the coach who took her seat between two young gentlemen. Before she had been sitting long she felt a haud introduced into her muff on one side, and in a few moments the young gentleman on the other side introduced his hand too. The lady removed her own hands; and let the gentlemen squeeze one another, under the cover of the muff, to their hearts' content. But this has almost been equalled by the conduct of a young lady in one of our hotels, and, as the matter has got abroad, there has been a good deal of fun over it. A young comic singer, who only arrived at Ballarat two days ago, put up at a certain hotel, and did all he could to get into the good graces of the barmaid. During the afternoon he asked her to lend him a needle and cotton, as, being a bachelor, he had to tew on his own buttons. She promised to bring the articles to his own room, and when he had been there for a few moments he heard a gentle tap at the door. He opened it gently, and a hand and arm were put in, and the needle and cotton were handed to him. He took the needle and not satisfied with this, took hold of the hand also, and impressed several loving kisses upon it. The hand was not withdrawn, and when the door was opened our comic singer discovered, not the object (for the time being) of his soul's' adoration, but an old lady of considerably over fifty summers, who seemed to enjoy the joke immensly. — B* Star.