MISCELLANEOUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 300, 30 October 1873, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS.

At an entertainment at Ross, a Ghinaruan assisted at a local entertainment. The " Ross Guardian " reports : — Mr Wong Quin then treated the audience +o a fantasia on the Chinese fiddle, and also sang a song. As we are not posted in Celestial music, we aie somewhat at a loss how to criticise the performance. If a shrill sound like a boatswain's whistle, dinned into one's ears for a quart^frof an hour, be the acme of Chinese melody, then Mr. Wong Quin did wonders." Relativeto incidents in the Tichborne trial the Melbourne " Telegraph " writes as follows : — The Tichborne trial will be memorable in the annals of the Bar, for it established the important precedent that a barrister may argue <i case without a wig. Pleading the heat as an excuse, Dr Kenealy obtained leave to dispense with the forensic ornament, and the event made as much of a sensation as if the Sovereign had kicked her crown into the gutter^ or the Princess of Wales had dispensed with her " pads." How very much does Dr Kenealy 'a excuse apply here, where we have a thermometer that goes up to £130 in the sun and low courts that no bench would license for beer shanties. In the interests of suffering humanity we feel justified in raising the cry, " Off with the wigs." Were it only the barristers who suffered, silence would be commend able — for no layman will ever sympathise with their distress — but their clients are also injured. The brain of a cat, it has been proved, gives way at a beat under the skull of 118 degrees, and the heat beneath the wig is doubtless the reason for some of the melancholy errors that so perplex ,us and offend in our legal luminaries. Common sense cannot always be let into a lawyers noddle, but we may let cool air play gratefully about the place where the legal brains should be. The "New Zealand Herald" is responsible for the following piece of intelligence:—"e :—":—": — " It is pretty well l:nown that immediately the session closes^ Mr. Yogel will leave- for England. It is unnecessary to say what the Premier's object is, as it is well understood, he goes to raise more millions. But its is not so well known whether Mr. Yogel \stiU be Kurited to the amourvt he i& to

pay for the money, or whether he is to use his own discretion at what rate he borrows. Mr. Yogel has not disclosed his intentions. When he has borrowed as much as he can get the money-len-ders to part with, and upon such terms to they may exact, he will return and state what he has done. This has hitherto been his custom, and it is not likely he will depart from it." The story of the late President Lincoln's duel, has, says the Pall Mall ; Q-azette, been recalled by the murder lately commited in New York by Frank Walworth the parricide, which has attracted so much attention. Walworth's mother, it seems, is the daughter of Colonel Hardin, who on the occasion of a meeting between Mr Lincoln and General Shields, by his interference at the last moment, prevented the serions results which would otherwise have ensued, Mr. Lincoln and General Shields were intimate friends, and their quarrel arose from the following circumstances ; — A young lady sent a contribution to one of the Springfield newspapers, which, in General Shields' opinion, obtained passages personally offensive to himself. He therefore called upon the editor to give up the name of his correspondent or take the choice of being horsewipped in three days. The editor, unwilling to bieak faith with theyouny lady, consulted Mr. Lincoln as to the course he should adopt. Mr. Lincoln could think of but one plan to save the editor. •' When Shields comes round to his club," be said, " tell him that Abo Lincoln wrote that letter." The suggestion was acted on, and the indignant General was requested to call upon Mr. Lincoln for satisfaction. Thia altered the view of the case entirely. General Shields knew that it was useless to oome fooling about Lincoln with a cane. The late President was in those days a great long armed muscular fellow, good-natured and resolute, and could deal such blows -with his fists as to make his antagonists think that railsplitting was pastime. It was too late, however, for Shields to draw back after all this bluster, and therefore sent »" challenge to Mr Lincoln, which was accepted, and to- the dismay of the challenger, " long swords " were selected by that gentleman as the weapons. Mr. Lincon had no skill with the sword, but his tremendous length of arm and ' muscular power would have enabled him to have chop off General Sheilds* head before the latter could get himself into position for a scientific thurst. When the fatal morning arrived, Mr, Lincoln, with his second, was the first on the ground, and on the arrival of the others was discovered clearing away with an hatchet the bushes that would have interfered with the fight. This incident provoked a smile, and Colonel Hardin, who then appeared upon the field, took advantage of the momentary mirth to appeal to both parties not to make fools of themselves. This appeal was fortunately successful, and Mr. Lincoln often said afterwards that ho looked upon his own participation in the affair as the meanest aek of his life. Colonel Harding was subsequently killed at the battle of Buena Vista. The deputation of school teachers" (says tbeMelbourne" Daily Telegraph*) which waited on the Attorney-General recently to urge him to reconsider the instructions issued with respect to the administration of punishment to school children has been informed that no reasons have been advanced to justify a modification of the regulations : The flogging of girls is to be strictly prohibited, and the punishment of boys must take place after school hours by the head master only. It is contended by some persons, who have bad experience in the tuition of yontb, that that skilled teachers need but very rarely have recourse to corperal punishment. On the other hand there may bo cases where extreme measures are necessary in order to maintain discipline during school hours. It has been suggested that power be given to a master, to report. the conduct of incorrigible boys, and should the necessity arise, "arrangements might be made to subject them to a special course of treatment in a school established for that purpose. It is believed that this would have a more salutary effect in checking disorder than the most vigorous applicatian of the rod. The "Age" says.— "The first bar of iron made from New ZeaJand ore was turned out yesterday at theMelbourne Rolling Mills, Dudleystreet, West Melbourne, at the request of Mr Alexander Borthwick. Some of the surface ore* was put into thefurnace, and it produced, when rolled > even in its first stage, a really first-class malleable iron, and could be bent and twisted into any shape. Some cold bam of iron were then put to the severest test, and were bent double under the largest hammer in the establishment without showing any sign of weakness. The iron produced from this New Zealand ore when cut has a brighb clean surface which resembles poMshed steel. The proprietors ot the Rolling Mills» who have been accustomed to the manufacture of iron, state that the iron produced from tbe ore is the best they have worked in the colony, and that considering the hurried and necessarily imperfect way in which it was tested,, no imported iron would stand the same treatment with auch a satisfactory result. The iron it is alleged can be pat on to tbe -market at fifty .per cent lower than the most inferior description oi iron imported; from England