WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 369, 12 November 1863, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Steam Navigation Co.—The l'esult of meetings of shareholders oxx the 20th and 22nd insts., was to increase the capital to £250,000, a power being left to tiie Dii-ectors to raise the capital from time to time in such amounts and in such a way as they might deem conductive to the interests of the shareholders—such amount not exceed a quarter of a million. I am informed that the dii’ectors in consequence have made the folio wing arrangements :—to issue a 2nd series of 10,1*00 shares, of A 10 each

with a deposit of 10s. per share on application ; Jt'2 on allotment, and balance by calls of A'l each, at intervals of not less than three months ; and that in order to equalize the interests of old and new shareholders, the .sum of 20s. per. share be passed to the credit of shareholders who were registered on the 31st August last, such amount to meet the call due on the Ist; February next. The success of the'Company nmy now'be considered as thoroughly established. The old shares nmy now be estimated as worth <£B.

Court op Appeal. —Pursuant to adjournment this court sat yesterday morning at 10 o’clock for the purpose of judg-. inent being delivered in the case of Woodward v. Beard. All the Judges were pres ent, except his Honor Mr. Justice Richmond, who was, we regret to learn unavoidably absent on account of ill-health. Their Honors respectively delivered elaborate judgments, each agreeing that the objection raised by the learned counsel for the defence —that the action was. wrongly brought in the name of Mr. Woodward, and that the Superintendent was the only person who had a right to sue on behalf of the Province—was fatal, and the appeal should he dismissed with costs, His Honor Chief Justice sa\d that lie had consulted with h.is Honor Mr, Justice Richmond on the matter, and he desired that it should b.e intimated to the Court, that lie saw no reason to differ from the decision arrived at by l\is bretheru, At its rising the Court adjourned until next Saturday morning, in order to give counsel an opportunity of making a motion in the matter of Teschmaker and another v. McLean.

OTAGO. From a paragraph in a Canterbury paper we learn that the new Gold-field-is on Boyd’s run, near Wallace’s, and not far from a place called the Fortifications. It is about 30 or 40 miles from Dunedin. There was of course great excitement in that city, and a soj;t of exodus of its inhabitants. Coaches were, already started to the new diggings by the enterprising Cobb. The Daily Times of the 17th contains, a long letter fropi their special reporter, which tends rather to falsify the previous accounts, as. will be seen from the following concluding paragraph of the letter I will conclude by stating that I coYcped a sort of committee meeting of intelligent miners, when the following verdict on Taieri Rush was carried unanimously,—“ That the place never will he a goldfiehl. It may keep a small company of men together for a limited period, but it is as a gold diggings essentially a duffer.” 1 would therefore not advise any person to leave Dunedin or elsewhere to try their fortunes at Nicol’s Gully. There is no room for one quarter of the miners already on the ground ; and it will be the business of every person who goes there to become a prospector for himself. In. a few words, a, gentlemen of considerable experience ou the Hew Zealand goldfields gave liis opinion—--41 One hundred men could work out the old and new gullies, in a fortnight.” The same journal of the 2nd instant, says :—“We have news from the West Taieri Rush, from our special reporter up to ten a.m,, of yesterday. On Thursday last an application was made for an extended claim by a party who reported a prospect of fifteen (15) ounces, to. a tin dish in a gully situated about two miles from the township. On receipt of the news the Commissioner accompanied by many hundreds of miners proceeded to the spot, but little gold was, however* found beyond the claim of the prospectors. This shows most clearly the patchy and unequal character of the gold deposits on this field Very rich finds have been .made during the past week by parties of miners as the gold when found at all, is generally found iu quantity. A small blind gully at the hack of the township is stated to have yielded gold by the pound weight. Reports of many cases of individual success are numerous, and the gold bearing country is evidently of very wide extent. Our reporter expresses his belief that gold will be traced down to the very commencement of the Ranges or to within very few miles of this city. The field is not one in whi;h miners can set iu indiscriminately and ensure earning even a livlihood, but tu those who have means to prospect the. numerous gorges and gullies of the West Taieri District and sufficient power of endurance to brave the task ot going up and down its steep and rugged ranges, our reporter believes it presents a good opening and a very fair chance of success. With respect to the cattle trade Driver, Maclean, and Go., on the 2nd Nov., ye--puvt that, —The transaction of the week do not show any changes in the value of store • stock. The demand continue active, and tbe limited supply to hand this week has been disposed of at full rates. The supply of fat stock (both beef and mutton) has not been sufficient for our requirements, consequently the few lots yarded realised a considerable advance upon quotations. We are advised that the fine steamer Hero, 900 tons, has been purchased in Melbourne for the stock trade to this Province, and that other arrangements are being made for the shipment of sheep and cattle during the season. We have at various times cautioned our constituents against the consequence of an over-supply of stock in this market. The limited quantity heretofore .sent has been disposed of at apparently paying prices,- but after deducting freight, loss by deaths, attendance, &c., &c,, we are satisfied that but few shipments have resulted with profit to the importer. Should shipments materially increase prices must decline, as there is a limit to the demand, and stock cannot he held over without* considerable loss and expense.

STEWART’S ISLAND. The-following portion, of our General Assembly intelligence was crowded out last week : Stewart's Island Annexation Bill. The Hon. Mr. Domett, in moving the second reading of the Stewart’s Island Annexation Bill, said Stewart’s Island was at present unattached to any province, nor was there any machinery, such as provincial government or-police, by which the law might be maintained. The necessity for this had been frequently felt of late years, as squatters and others from the Australian and other colonies were purchasing up the land from the natives, and consequent upon settlement there were breaches of the peace, which, for want of a police could not be prevented. Latterly, the government had had information, reliable or otherwise, of gunpowder having been landed there, which was to be sent up to the North, although it was a circuitous way of sending it ; and a native who in our own vernacular would b,e called Toby, it was said had collected a large quantity of gunpowder. Whatever might be the truth of this, it was quite clear that Such proceedings might be carried on, and it was therefore nccesssary to provide against them.

Mr. Stafford suggested that in the absence of nearly all the members yearly interested, the question should be postponed. He knew that the Islaud contained considerably more than a milliou acres, and it was a question for consideration whether the territory was in itself sufficient to form into a separate government, and if not sufficient, either from its extent o.r the nature of the. soil and ite mountainous character, he should have no'objection, to, its being annexed to some other government. A question would arise so;n.e (.fay, as to what should be done with what might be called the outlying portions of the colony,—he. alluffed to the vvhole. of the West Coast of the Middle Island. It was true that intelligence laid reached them, within the last few days or ho.uys, that owing to. reeen.t discoveries made by Dr. Hector, Dunedin would be brought into immediate communication with what it had hitherto been separated from—that was, a portion of the West Coast. If these discoveries were true, and there were easy means of communication with the, West Coast, then the doubt whjch had existed on lfi& mind for some time as to what should be done with that territory would be removed. He thought this would be a proper question for consideration when the whole of that portion of the colony ou the West Coast was likely to be colonized. Mr. Fitzgerald thought the question before the House was one that ought to be referred select committee. It was a question that occurred every day in the United States, although on a larger scale and it arose out of that preparatory state of settlement where there was not sufficient population to make a separate State, but where there was a necessity for local government. It was a question which afiected the whole west coast of the- middle Island to a great degree ; and this point arose—if they spent money in making roads and bridges, and the localities were afterwards formed into provinces would they k-ave any mode by which they, could get theii money back 1 The best course to pursue would, in his opinion, be to refer the matter to a select committee.

Mr. Gillies thought the-second readings would commit them to the principle that it was a right and proper thing to annex to a province other portions of Crown territory. It would be carrying the house a little farther than he thought it desired to go at present. The New Pi*o viuces Act was, it was well known, passed by a very small majority, and then only on the ground that there were certain limits laid down in that Act beyond ■which the operation of it would not go. Et involved a graver principle than the annexation of Stewart’s Island, and he would therefore move the adjournment of the debate for one week.

The Hon. Mr. Domett assented, and the bill was adjourned, accordingly.

The English papers received by last mail contain; further particulars and details respecting the Rifle shooting at Wimbledon. We learn that Sergeant Roberts, who won the Queen’s prize with a score of' fin. points, (it was, won last year with 44), is a working man, and went through the course of musketry instruction at Hythe in 1861, when he won a sectional prize; but that from that time till the Wimbledon meeting lie had had no opportunity of firing at a longer range than 600 yards ; and that he had never, until the i*ecent contest, fh*ed a Whitworth or or other small-bore rifle. He only just won ; a Sergeant Graham, of tbe 2nd Wilts R.V., having scored G 4 points. A very curious result has been elicited in connexion with the rifle contests at Wimbledon and elsewhere during the last few years,—namely, that the winners of prizes, and in fact all the crack shots, are either blue or grey eyed n.ien. Although the idea of calm temperament has been usually associated with light complexion and eyes of the above colours, it is only lately that notice has been taken of what, nevertheless now it appears to be a recognized fact,— namely-, that such eyes are moi’e to be relied on for accuracy of vision than those of a darker hue.

Holloway's Pills- —Confidential advice. —To all persons who suffer from bilious headaches, disordered stomach, biliousness, or flatulency, these Pills are most strongly recommended as the safest, best, and quickest mode of obtaining ease, without weakening or irritating the nervous system. Pills are especially useful in clearing away any excess of bile, which usually produces fever, unless remedial measures he adopted without delay. In asthma, hrojichitis, and' congestion of the lungs they may be relied upon for removing all danger,

SHEEP BREEDING. The following communication, from Mr, Monckton Synuot, appeared in the Melbourne Economist of 23th ultimo. Addressing the editor, he says ; —- My only apology -for troubling you with a letter on the subject of sheepbreeding, is, that just at this season of the year the advocates, and breeders, of what they aye pleased to call the “pure Australian merino. ” will, I persume, again carry all before them at th.e agricultural shows ; and in the after-dinner speeches the benighted patrons of the German slieep. will receive tfieaocvystomed lashing. It will be in the recollection of most of your readers that, some months ago a sharp controvercy was being carried on, on the Australian Merino versus, the German. Merino.” I believe it began in this way. A Mr. Noufllavd addressed some remarks to the sheep-farmers, through the columns of the Sydney Minting Herald , attributing a fallingjoff in the quality of their wool to the use of Rambouillet and other coarse-bi*ed rams. This brought the Baron Daurier’s celebrated reply, followed (by a number of others, which appeared in the Economist ; and, as the argument proceeded, it soon came to iuclude both cattle and horses.

I took a deep interest in the yont'roveep from the commencement, beg to say that all persons interestecPiu stock breeding have reasons to; feel grateful to the writers of some of these letters, several of which contained an amount of reliable information, in a condensed form which few persons have the opportunity or ability to collect for themselves. I allude particularly to the letters ot Mjr. M’Knight and Mr. M’Dougall, both of whom have quoted largely from authorities, and cited facts which cannot be disputed—in addition to their personal @xpsvience in stock-breeding, which is evidebly considerable. I will first take a few extracts from those advocating “ -in-breeding from imported stock,” and afterwards some others from letters by opponents to the “ intro dnetion of imported sheep on any terms,” when I think the arguments of the latter can be shown to rest entirely upon assertions in no way borne out by facts, at least taking Mi*. Shaw of Darling Downs, as an exponent of their opinions. Mr. M’Knight, in a letter dated 22nd July, 1362, say.—-“ The authenticated re cords winch exist, prove beyond a doubt that the best breed of sheep in England, the best breed of cattle, and the best breed of horses in the world, have been produced and perpetuated by in-breeding including every conceiveable kind of incest.” In the same letter are a number of instances which fully prove the above assertion. In another letter, dated 29th October following, he says—“ I repeat that it is the fact, that the finest horses, the finest cattle, and tlfb finest sheep in the world have been bred in this way, and no quantity of facts of any apparently opposite bearing, renders it certain that in-breeding has no other inherent quality or neccessary and invariable tendency, good or bad, than the power of reproducing and developing the characteristics of the animal bred in to. If the present discussion should have the effect of leading the sheep-breeders of the colony to clearer and more scientific view on this most important subject, a great good shall have been done. If we have not yet ob tained, we may, and should obtain the best blood and quality that Europe can afford of both sexes, so as to have perfect pure blood to begin with. That done two courses are open to us. Persisting in the unscientific system of perpetually infusing fresh blood, we may throw away time, money, and the beneficial effects of o highly favoured climate, without ever obtainingour idea ofperfection m a certain type of sheep and wool ; but by careful and judicious selection of the largest and finest animals of both sexes, and by breeding into them and their acclimatised descendants, we may render ourselves independent of foreign supplies, and may most reasonably expect to produce in timo, the finest sheep and wool that the world has yet seen. Mr. M’Dougall, in a letter dated gad duly, 1862, after giving a great number of instances of celebrated cattle bred in this way, says :—“ I now speak of Mr. Richard Booth, who has, without any exception, the best shorthorn cattle in the world. This prince of breeders uses always the 6esf sire irrespective of relationship.” In a former part of the same letter Mr. M’Dougall says : “ Indeed I feel certain that similar results, namely a satisfactory type, combined with a permanent character, can even be secured in any department of stock breeding, but by adopting the one course ; that is, selecting the right parents to begin with, and breeding continuously afterwards from this family, without any external mixture or foreign cross. Again Mr. M’Dougall says, speaking of Baron Daurier, “ the Baron’s system in its elementary points, is the essence of success, the very best parents to begin with. These found, no strange strain of blood must, ever he introduced. The nearer the relationship the better, yon have more geuiul excellence —you have fewer culls.” Another person signing “ Yeneda,” writes “ I for one believe the mare to be more essential for producing a good horse than the sire, but if the sire he admitted to his own progeny, his characteristics become predominant.”

Baron Daurier, on the same subject, says “ The formation of progeny is .due to the influence of two agencies emanating from both the ram ami the ewe, one of them is the 8 nrce of heredity, the other of tenacity ; the first is due to the influence of the immediate progenitors, that is it is individual; the latter is that of the whole race, the collective influence of the whole part of their mutual races. This tenacity i; iotto be mistaken for the casual and quite unexpected likeness of a young animal, to one of his ancestors.” •

From the evidence contained in the letters from which the above short extracts are made, it is quite impossible to my mind to draw any other conclusion, but that in breeding has been more successful iu developing those qualities desired by the breeder than any other system yet tried. In fact it does not seem possible'to set down another theory at once so concise, so perfect, as proved by results, and so easily understood. In Mr. M’Dougall’s word, select the right, parents at first, and never change the blood in the slightest degree. No other can be so simple, which contemplates a change of family to avoid incestous intercourse, oi for any other reason; because there at once is a point impossible to define, and no two would be found who could agree perfectly on the degrees of consanguinity to be forbidden, unless we be furnished with a table of affinity. liiibreeding has either produced the finest animals in the world, or it has not! The finest of which we have any well authentiticated records certainly were produced by this system, and I believe the great difficulty and the number of failures infestablishing fixed breeds, may be attributed to thje stumbling-block prejudice against incestuous intercourse. It seems to me noj sheep can be pure unless bred in this way ; with the blood of two families in his veins, he may be thoroughbred after his kind but not pure. Me cannot have the power of heredity if of more than one family. To him the phrase “ Like begets like ” is inapplicable, because in him are two or snore opposing®influences.

I believe what Mr. M’Knight says to be perfectly correct, namely, in-breeding has no other neccessary and invariable tendency good or bad, than the power of reproducing and developing the characteristics of the animal bred into, which of course may be valuable or worthless, according to the amount of judgement and skill in,' the selector.

Pure breeding, then, as I understand it is this:—When an animal is derived from one individual, both sire and dam sprung from one common sire, then their offspring is pure ; and under no other condition would be possess the full force of heredity necessary to stamp his likeness upon all lu3 progeny. ' ! Have imported blood horses effected as much change in horse stock for the better as the imported bulls have in those, herds where they have been used 1 I fancy not. Perhaps a reference to the letters of those gentlemen whom I take as authorities, may give a satisfactory reason why'it could not be otherwise.

Mr. M’Dougall proves beyond a doubt that the best breed of cattle lias been raised and is now kept up, by a persistent course of in-breeding; consequently many of the imported bulls must be so bred, and have the power of heredity in a considerable degree. Mr. M’Night,on the,subject of horses states in-breeding to have been practiced in the days of “ Eclipse,” and other celebrated horses a s an exception ; consequently few possess the power to perpetuate their own good qualities in the persons of their .progeny. With regard to breeding the ordinary merino sheep of Victoaia tc a state of perfect purity, and at the same thorough-bred, it does not seem to me such a work of time as at first sight one might be led to suppose It is quite .within the power of any sheepfarmer to effect upon his station, and entirely from one sire, which sire, I would humbly venture to advise, should not be Australian. To the want of a settled system of breeding, and to each sheep-farmer in Victoria, buying from otheis instead of breeding bis own rams, I ascribe the fact that the bulk of Victorian wool has long since taken the first place in the English market. A ft w and only a very few clips range at high prices tlirougheut; and lam not aware that any of the chief breeders of the so-called “ pure Australian merino” take a very distinguished lead among the few. Some time during last year, one of tbe most celebrated of the breeders above alluded to, writing on the subject of breeding advised every sheepJamer to obtain ami study the pamphlet ou the subject by Mr. Shaw of Darling Downs. With considerable trouble I did so, it not being obtainable in Melbourne. I found a very small amount of study Mould suffice to render any one master of the argument, which was directed chiefly against the introduction of foreign sheep, with hymns in praise of the pure Australian Merino. I was told that the Australian sheep, derived originally, I believe from Spain, hs,d now arrived at shell a pitch of perfection as no other sheep in the world had attained to; also that the same animal sioce its introduction into Germany, had improved immensely, and had''to a certain exeat supers* dec! the use of Spanish wool by the English manufacturer, but on no account was 1 to use the German and highly improved merino ; that what' had been done successfully’’ in Sydney by Mr. Macarthur could not now be done in Victoria, but if attempted would infallibly introduce catarrh and all other ills incident to. slieep. Breeding from imported merino.istss is universally termed “ crossing” by the pure Australians. Mr. Shaw says, “ Catajrlih lias entirely disappeared in Port Phillip; the reason is simply this: for many there has been no such crossing, and tliesheep have become more acc’imatised.”

The fact, however, is exactly the reverse. Crossing has been going on, and is increasing at the preseut ti/ij.e, to an extent, unknown ten years ago., 'Pfip Ipst case of catarrh which I can remiensber is. at Station Peak in 1849 or 185& when a flock of sheep of Mr. George Synnet’s were burnt. They had lately arrived from the neighbourhood of Gumlagai in Njew South Wales. The number of rams imported to Victoria within the last six years, exceeds in number all ever imported iijfo the Austifljiap colonies previously, and includes varieties, the names of which were hardly even known out of thetr own locality. I will herq give a few varieties now in use in this neighbourhood, viz., Leicester of degrees, V.z., full, half, and qiyytQr heed ; South-

down, of several degrees; Cheviots, tlie) same, “Pure Australian Merino” of every possible degree, both of purity and impurity ; besides several breeds of imported German and French rams. I venture to say these crosses only a fair sample , of what is unfortunately to common in many, parts of this great wool-growing country. There is no foundation whatever for Mr. Shaw's assertions—in both I believe him to be mistaken. Crossing is very common ; catarrh was never caused by chat or any other system of crossing.

Again Mr. Shaw says “ Should the best ewes be selectod for the fresh imported rams, the lambs are few in number and without character, The wool is short, weakly, sick, and delicate in its growth ; the yolk scanty, dull, ami thick, sure signs of defective health.” This argument ' and statement is incorrect in every particular I have this day had an opportunity of examining a cross of lambs, about three months old, the progeny of imported Ger man rams, landed in Melbourne just twelve months ago. These rams had a good of rough usage after landing, for nearly two months before arriving on this station, ami two out of four died—they never recovered the effects of the voyage and subsequent journey up the country. The other two are the sires of one hundred a&J ninety-two lambs. Coutrary to my expectation the lambs at birth were all strong and lively ; during the lambing there was not a single oue died that I know of. The ewes were lambed in a paddock, and were left very much to themselves. The remarks on wool anjd, eonstitulion sre equally incorrect, but are far more applicable to the progeuy of some pure Australian merinoes which are mentioned by name in one of Mr. Shaw’s letters, as being an instance of the perfection to which this animal has been raised by some in Victoria. In fact Mr. Shaw’s pre jtuliee against German sires carries him to the verge of absurdity. Of imported sheep generally, he says (of what he pleases to call crossing), imt choosing; to distinguish between the English and German breeds.— “It lias introduced into them (Australian sheep) debility, weakness, and consequently permature death. It is the true father of catarrh,” &c. He ought to have added—scab, fluke, footrot, and broken mouths. Mr. Shaw says again—-“I am quite convinced that a very grieq.t improvement is stid to be made in the weight-of the carcase of sheep, still keeping up the quantity and qualify of the wool, by proper attention to breeding.” I think he is wrong: you cannot breed to increase the carcase, and by that means gain a, greater number of fibres ; but the fleece will become more open, and apparently of greater bulk, coaser and with less yold ; —in fact, nothing can better describe whut happens in the “ pure Australian merino,” when all his German or Spanish characteristics are thoroughly purged off, and he stands acclimatised. This acclimatisation which sheep are supposed to have to undergo in the persons of iiis progeny is by no means the insurmountable obstacle he would have us believe. We never hear much about it in either cattle or horses.

Again, he says—“ There are- many, of the present breeders, in the Mureton Bay district, who are making praiseworthy attempts to redeem the lust character cf their flocks, hut it is to be deplored, in •many cases with little or no good result; aud it never will be accomplished by the use of newly imported sheep, it matters not from what country they come, or of what description of breed they may he.” This, implies the wool had once been more valuable than at the time he wrote these lines. Iu answer to that I would refer to the articles headed “ agriculture,” iu the ‘ Economist’ of tiie 7 th instant, .where you draw attention to the price obtained in London for a large lot of wool produced by Mr. N. P. Bayly, of Mudgee. He, at least, seems to be more fortunate than either the settlers of Moreton Bay, or any of our distinguished Victorian breeders of the “ Pure Australian article.” Mr. Bayly is, and lias been an importer of German rams, and I believe a constant breeder from them, of his own rams, for general use among his flocks, and consequently to a certain extent, practising inbreeding. With, regard to your remarks upon the competition which took plack last January in Melbourne, I do not think many of the lots were from the progeny of imported sheep, possibly none ; a very large proportion of the bales were from the West, the headquarters of the so-called “ Pure Australian Merino.” The prize was awarded by tj, curious rule. The judges fixed a price per pound, leaving the weight to determine whfch bale should take the prize. As well as I can remember, these prices would not compare favourably with Mr. Boyly’s, takingjinfo. consideration at the same time that they were the very best fleeces, less than one hundred in''each lot, which our ‘•pure Australians” could produce, while Mr. Bayly’s was a very large lot. These few fleeces were- by selection, not by importation ; they were th.e fruits of industry, intelligence, and of superior management.” The gentlemen who made use of these remarkable words should know, for I have heard somewhere that lie had been employed to class these flocks for breeding, which produced this Wooland of course liis opinion, if such was the fact, would be very valuable. I will only take one other extract from the ‘Economist’ of the same date, singly : : —“ A great deal has lately been wiiijtteu about the sheep-breeding, in which Mr. Bayly took a prominent part, and from a perusal of the London sales before us, we are incliued to believe that gentlemqnhiis proved that tlie Mudgee district- produces by far the most valuable wool in tliq colony. It will be observed that with the exception of two noted clips from this district, the NPB wool has realised, upwards of one shilling per pound niQr-e than- any wool sold at the May sales now at hand.” Mr. Stables, in forwarding the accountsides of the foregoing to Mr. Bayly, wrote

as follows;;:- —“ There, was agreat;<B&opetition for your wool, and as the different lots were knocked down there was immense cheering. The prices realised are very much higher than the current rate, and you may now safely say that your wool is the best the countiy has yet produced.” So much for the progeny of imported rams, bred in the way Mr. Shaw and ! his believers are pleased to call “ crossing.” Should such remarks be addressed to a breeder of the pure Australian, I can easily fancy the sensation which such an event would cause at the following Skipton meeting. The unfortunate patrons of the German rams, might hide their diminished heads. To gain the highest prices at the London sales is the end and object of all wool-growers, and therefore 1 feel inclined to doubt the decisions of any one oil sheep or - wool, whose opinions are not endorsed when submitted to that final and certain test. When the so-called “ pure A ustralian ’ ’ Merino’s wool asserts his supremacy in the market, then I become liis most humble and devoted admirer.

POCKET REFORM. We see it gravely ann&uneed-that the head master of Harrow has issued an order against side pockets in trousers ; and “ Schoolmaster,” in a Conservative daily paper, thus glorifies the proposed reform and points out the bad;habits and misfortunes that have sprung from the misplaced pocket :—“ All honour to the man who liad the moral courage to set himself against a bad habit, which' has become so general. Roys with their hands continually in their pockets no doubt ‘ contract lounging,. stooping habits.’ It is;'a lazy, disgusting, and eveihdangerouseustmn as I have heard of persons falling and , having their hands in their pockets, and therefore no means of saving themselves, being very- seriously injured, I call upon all parents to second the movement of the head master of Harrow,- in his endeavour to root out a fashion the offspring and promoter of idleness.” To have the-hands continually in the pocket is certainly highly dangerous, and we have known too many cases of consequent falls into the Gazette and Insolvent Courts. Indeed we have heard some fathers of boys at Harrow complain that their hands were for ever in their pockets to meet some requirement or other. Main cn poehe is a* French phrase of no agreeable purport. But except the danger of the metaphorical fall into beggary from having the hands too. often in, the pocket, we must confessourselves, ij&sredulous of the perils conjured up by “a- Schoolmaster” in the Herald. There are, however, other objection to side pockets. Whenever a mar> assumes a swaggering air his bauds dive down into his side pockets, and most of the’disgusting representations- of John Bull figure him in that purse-proud overbearing attitude. To side pockets too, perhaps we owe the awkward distress of young Englishmen in society, at a* loss to dispose of their hands when good breeding forbids pocketing them. It would often be a charity to give young men troubled with, their hands some plaything a rattle or toy, to occupy them ; for without some sncliikelp.it is passing hard for them, in military phrase to stand afe ease. We heard an ingenuous youth declare that he would’ prefer being put in the parish stocks to having the use of liis limbs in a drawing-room, without knowing what on earth to do ■with them, and thinking all eyes fixed on them in their embarrassment. If the master of Harrow, by sewing uj>. side pockets, gives his boys a mannerly use of their hands, he will.relieve a very common and very ridiculous distress. Rut we trust his reforms will extend farther and grapple with slang, more detrimental to speech than side pockets are to carriage. The faculty of expression is in danrger of being seriously impaired, if not lost from the use of ready-made slang phrases, half-a-dozen of which will suffice for a days wants. It is indeed perfectly astonishing what a small currency will do. You have a specimen at every railway station, where “ All right,” and “ Here you are,” suffice for all the varied business. The virtue of “ Here you are ”is specially remarkable, as it would be difficult for you to be anywhere else. But let it not be supposed that this penury of expression is confined to railway porters. We have heard the conversation of educated youths carried on in the same though current coin. Indeed, when we see perambulators for childhood, and slang for more advanced youth of both sexes we cannot but have our misgivings that the next generation will neither be able to walk nor to talk. Thoy cannot get the proper use of their legs or of their tongues.