MISCELLANEOUS,

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 400, 17 October 1874, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS,

An article in a New York paper givfs tho nnrnbor of churches wiahin the cihy limits at about 350, which allows one church to every 2357 inhabitants. The t.vtal number of se.its in theie buildings is SOO, OOO. The Rof ormed Church, founded by the Dutch, the first settlers on the island, has twenty-two churches, seating 18,000 people. The Jews, who settled next, in 1660, have accommodation for 17,000. The Presbyterians, who commenced their services in 1710, have now fifty-two churches, seating about 40,000. The most costly Protestant Church in America ia in process of erection for the Presbyterians ; it will cost 900,000 dols. The first Baptist Church was erected in 1772 ; there are now thirty buildings belonging to this sect, with seats for 25,000. The highest salary paid to a Baptist minister is OOOOdols. The Methodists, who commenced preaching in 1766, have now 48 churches, with 45,000 members, and the value of the "real estate" of the society is estimated at 3,000,000d015. The Congregationalists have five churches, and 6000 members. The Unitarians have four churches, and the Universalists five. There are more than forty Roman Catholic churches, some of which are splendid structures. The cathodral now being built iv Fifth Avenue will be the most costly marble edifice on the American continent. It is expected that at the present rate of progress twenty or thirty years will elapse before it is finished, although a portion of it will soon be completed and ready for use. The first Roman Catholic church was built; in 1785. Tho largest minister's salary in the city is paid to Henry Ward Beecher, of Brooklyn, who receives 15,000d015. Dr Morgan Dix, of the Church of Holy Trinity, receives 12,000d015. , and Dr Potter of Grace Church, the same. The highest salary in the Methodist body i 3 5000dols. The incomes of the Roman Catholic priests are under lOOOdols. A heavy price was obtained on Tuesday for a young bull, sold by Messrs Richard Gibson and Co., for Mr, Richard Morton, of Mount Derrimut. It was the colonial-bred short-horned trail calf loth Duke of Derrimut, 10 months old, got by 2nd Duke of Bruswick, dam Roan Duchess 3rd. It was sold to Mr. William M'Millan, of Landcox, Brighton, for his Caldormeado herd, for the sum of £525. The climate and soil of many parts of Australia seem peculiarly well adapted to the camelia, double flowera of fine quality being frequently produced from seed judiciously saved. One of tho finest camelias in this colony is a seedling brought by Mr. R. K. Hammond, of Brighton, from Sydney about three years ago. The flower is a beautiful clear pink, resembling very closely a large self-coloured Valtevaredo ; the foliage, however, is smaller and more pointed. The raiser, a German, will doubtless be gratified to hear of this result of hia skill in hybridi3--. ing. - : Tho multiplicity of her governing institutions hat? long been a reproach to New Zealand. Nothing so much astonishes a stranger to that colony as to find that a community of less than 250,000 inhabitants possesses not only a Croneral Government, with two Chambers o£ Legislature, and all tho apparatuo of Parliamentary and representative in--stitutions, but also that each or the provinces into which the colony is divided has a smaller system of Parliamentary and responsible Grovernmcn*; of its own. Earl Gray lately laid down the principle that no colony could find materials for moro than one Chamber of Legislature, and here is a colony recklessly providing about a dozen; Such a state of things has nothing to plead in favor of its continuance, save that it exists. But it exists merely till a strong Minidter has the courage to grapple with the condition of provincialism, and to sweep away these petty legislatures, and take over their powers and responsibilities to the General Government of the colony. A.nd the colony possesses in Mr. Vogcl a Minister who combines tho strength with' tho daring, and with tho tendency for innovating, necessary to induce him to take in hand a reform which, if not undertaken by him, must be entered upon by ono of hi 3 successors. Mr. Yogel feels and says that the time has come when the work of abolishing these Provincial Governments should at any rate be begun. He accordingly proposes to commence with the North Island, in which, owing to the absence of natural boundaries, there is no real line separating ono province from another. He proposes doing away with these artificial divisions and the p*>tty little legislatures, the councils, and the Superintendents that are founded upon them, and to consolidate the administration of government in this island gn the General Government of the colony.

This step is but the first towards the object of abolishing provincial institutions altogether. But instead of laying down any general sweeping principle, Mr. Yogel, for the present merely purposes to deal witq the island where these institutions are found most inebnvenieut, and where the reasons for their removal are the strongest. Even in this ho does not contemplate acting with precipitancy, but, having sketched this plan, leaves it to mature in the mind of the country, before proceeding to give it effect in action. — "Australasian." In tho County Court, Sandhurst, recently an action — presenting features interesting to brokers and others dealing in mining stocks — was brought by a Air* M'Kean against Mr. Richard S. Danson, a broker well known under the Verandah, for^/he recovery of £2 15s. 6d., for calls and expenses. Tho evidence for the plaintiff showed that in June, 1873, Mr. Danson sold 450 Whihe and Black Lead Tribute aharoa for Mr. M'Kean at Is per share. Subsequent to the sale, a call of a Id. was mado on the shares, and for which the plaintiff was sued, the shares still standing in his name. He made application to Mr. Danson for the payment of this call, which application was not complied with, and hence the action in the County Court' for the recovery of the amount. In cross-examination tie plaintiff stated that he was not sure whether the sale was made in February or June ; that he did not know the date when the call was made, and that the defendant, when making the oifer for the shares, said they were for Messr3 Ohappelin and Rowe. The plaintiff was nonsuited, on tlie ground tlarvt tlie defendant bad disclosed his principals, and was therefore not liable himself, acting merely as broker intha matter. From the "Melbourne Gossip" of the " Castlemaine Representative " we loam that the unexpected dcatli of poor Mrs. Hallam (Miss Hafctie Sheppardc) has been the main topic of conversation during the past week, and since her death, the disgraceful scene at her interment. In the papers the ordinary intimation as to the time of her funeral was given, and one must assume that the mob which assembled at the cemetery and -hustled the mourners, thought a number of the profession to which the deceased belonged would attend, and came to see them, since it was manifest it was not a desire to pay any tribute of respect to the dead which induced thorn to come. The procession formed itself, and would have presented a solemn appearance had not Ihe larrikin women thrust themselves in and o'if, and hustled tlie mourners and tho vfry coffin-bearers out ol their path. The coil wi of these women cannot be too strongly denounced, but dennnciaiions are of no effect, and I am glad to see the Press generally taking up the subject and demanding that the present defective regulations regarding the management of cemeteries shall be amended. ( It is simply monstrous that the feelings of tho->e who arc in bitter prief at losing the la-st earthly remains of a lored one should be uoti'fl.gc'l by tlie indecorously impertinent laments of a brutal crowd. I will do tha men present the justice to say they were nofc so ba'l as the women. These creatures did everything but lift the veils from the mourners' faces. Their comments were loud and free on the personal appearance of those in attendance, and their laugtiter at some fancied smartness of their own was as unrestrained as though they had been in a bear garden. "That's Maggie Moore." " She don't wear her own hair." — "Oh, ain't that one crying !" — " Who's that one with tho fair hair ?"— " There's Docy Stewart."—" I say, there's Harwood" ; anl, "Don't O'Brien look miserable ?" were the kiud of openmouthed remarks passed constantly during the walk from the gates to the grave. I hare never held any very high opinion, of Victorian women of the class that composed the mob, but I have now arrived at the conclusion that they arc about the very ronghand coarsest the whole world could produce. . An English paper gives the following account of the great bicycle race, of which we have already published some particulars: — •' On Monday morning, at 5 o'clock, a bicycle race, from bath to Kensington, 106 miles, for the captaincy and sub-captaincy of the Middlesex Bicycle Club, commenced, in the i Bath Marketplace, tho competitors being Messrs. Pearce, Leaving Groulding Percy, ! 3?yne, Spencer, and "Walker. The diameters of the driving whcel3 varied from. 43 to 53 inches. Although tha start took place so early in the morning, many thousands of people assembled to witness-it. The firbt six miles of the race, which .was over a capital road, were done in a very short space of time. At Newbury, which is about mid-way, the first two riders to arrive were Walker and Pyne, who rode in at 9.45. Among tho remainder were Pearce, the Captain of the Club, who led as far as Hungerford, where the wheel of his machine collapsed, making him lose two hours in tho fir3t half of the race. He went on again, but was quite out of the running. The race was won by Mr. Walker, of tho Middlesex Bicycle Club, who started at ten minutes past five a.m., and arrived at Kensington at fifteen minutes past three p.m. — tho greatest speed on record for the distance." . Laud in Victoria. Available fob ' Settlement — A return has been issued by the Government printer showing the area of land available for settlement in the colony, exclusive of mountainous districts and mallee scrub. The total ; area of Victoria as re-estimated is 56,447,720 acres ; from this is deducted 23,000,000 acres of scrub, lagoon, lakes, and unavailable land, leaving an available area of 33,440,720 acres. Of this quantity 7,426,720 acres were taken up prior to December, 18(54 ; 3,702,321 acres were alienated under the Land Act 1869 ; 30,000 acres are included in cities and towns ; 350,000 acre3set!apart as reserves ; 1,012.016 acres are- auriferous ; and 606,000 acres are State forests. These make a total of 16,384,983 acres, and after deducting them from the number of acres originally available it will be seen that 17,061,787 acres were still remaining for settlement. This return was up to January, 1874. Since then, and up to 31st May, 1874, the returns show that 1,371,805 acres have been selected. " And so they go," one of the late Portland school Committee is reported to have said ; " our great men are fast departing — first G-reeley, then Chase, and now .^umuer, — and I dou'fc feel very well myself." The disposition of tac I>eaa. — Aa far »a we are acquainted, "vritfa them, the den 4 appear to be of a quiet disposition. A Californian piper tells of a boy who climbed a tomato vine to get away from a mad dog. Tomato vines atfciin an enormous size in California, and so do lies. " I take ray tex dis morning," said a coloured preacher, c-fromc -from dat portion ob de Scriptures whar do Postal Paul pints hia pistol at the Fosians." A school committee hi a rural district are reported to have summed np the ; r opinion of an examination which they had attended by making to the pupils this address : •• You'vespelled well and you've ciphered good, but you aint sot still." _ . • . In the course of a hot political discussion at a Parisian restaurant, a Radical atontly maintained th:wt a Republic was a necessity. "Then seeing that 'necessity land law, 1 " remarked a bystander, " You are simply advocating anarchy." The following was found scribbled on the back of a brief that had been held by coanaal in the trial of a divorce pass :—: — " Fair woman was made to bewitch. A companion, a nurse, A blessing, a curse Fair woman wa3 made to be which f