THE REPRESENTATION BILL THROWN OUT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 376, 31 December 1863, Page 3

THE REPRESENTATION BILL THROWN OUT.

The return of the Southern members from the General Assembly lias put us in possession of the concluding events of this important session, which wiil demand notice in our columns in many successive numbers. But perhaps the most prominent feature of the concluding struggles of the session is that presented by the bill for readjusting the representation of

the colony with a view to increasing the weight of the South in proportion to its enormously, increasing political importance. That Auckland with its 30,000 population or thereabouts, importing A'Boo,ooo worth of produce and paving for it with less than i 90,000; worth of exports, should enjoy a representation by 15 members, whilst Canterbury with its 25,000 inhabitants, its .4700,000 of im ports and nearly 4 300,000 of exports, should have but 9 members, and Otago, with its 50,000 or 60,000 inhabitants and its more than 42,000,000 of imports and little less .than the same value of exports, should be represented by otdy 9 members—this is a state of things which could not be allowed to continue ; and the injustice bore with equal or even greater hardship upon Southland, whose population, which must now reach 10,000, with a corresponding trade, returns but two members to the General Assembly. Mr Bell, one of the members for Southland, opened the proceedings by asking for leave to bring in a bill for giving additional members for Southland and Otago By some mistake he left out Canterbury in his notice of motion, but the bill as drawn and printed proposed to give two additional members to Canterbury, five to Otago, and three to Southland. Mi‘. Bell, on moving his motion, asked for leave to amend it by the introduction of the. word ‘ Canterbury this, however, was opposed by the Auckland members, and was thrown out on a division, evidently by some mistake on the part of the House as to the terms of the motion itself, as subsequent proceedings showed. Mr. Bell then replanted his Bill so as to confine it to Southland and Otago, in which form it was introduced. After some discussion it passed the second reading and was referred to a select committee. That Committee reported that one additional member should be given to Auckland ; that the Otago members should be made equal to the Auckland members, that is 16.; time Canterbury should have two more members, by dividing the present Cheviot district and giving an additional member for that part lying between the Ashley and the Rakuia and by giving two members to Christchurch. A new district was also created to be called the Waitaki, half of which should lie in Canterbury and half in. Otago, to which one meniberwas asigned. Southland was to have three new members. At an early period of the discussion Mr. Fitz Gerald, gave notice that if Auckland received any increase to her representation already much greater in proportion to her importance than most other parts of the colony, Canterbiny would not be satisfied with less than four new members so as to bring up its representation to a fair„equality with that of Auckland in proportion to their respective population and "wealth. ./When the Bill got into Committee of the whole House, the rscommendations of the Select Committee ■were not strictly adhered to. To the district of the Clutha, for which two members had been recommended, only one was; granted, and it was moved that the member cut .off should be given to- the Goldfields. This was rejected by the House, and the member was given to Riverton, that is to Southland. But an additional member beyond that recommended was given to Dunedin City, so that Otago obtained thereby all she had asked for and all that the Select Com mittee had recommended, that is 16 mem bers, with half of the member for- the Waitaki, 16| ,in all. When the increase for Canterbury came under discussion Mr. Thomson moved for an additional member for the- Heathcote and another for the Avon, which would give Canterbury new members or in all. In order to comprehend what followed it must be understood that a great change had taken place in the aspect of parties in the House, owing to the discussions which had taken place in connection with the removal of the seat of Government. Our readers are all aware that there has existed tor some time in Otago a party mainly composed of the now or Melbourne section of that community -which has raised a cry for the separation of the two islands. A Union seems to have been formed between the Otago members representing this faction, and the Auckland members (who were eager to avenge themselves far the removal of the seat of Government) having for its object the dismemberment of the Colony; Auckland to remain the seat of Government of the North and Dunedin of the South. The increase of political power in Canterbury was of course likely to be a great blow to the ill-assorted league. Auckland was willing enough to give increased members to Otago who would assist in the work of breaking up the colony, but not willing to listen to the obvious claims of Canterbury in the same direction who might oppose her design. The discussion came on on Saturday evening, the sth inst. It was well known that a considerable majority of the committee were in favour of the proposed addition, and there was not the slightest attempt made to reply to the arguments by which Mr. Thomson and Mr. FitzGerald showed from the returns of population, export, import, and revenue, that Canterbury was only asking . what was justly her due. It is indeed quite true that the representation of Canterbury ■would then have been somewhat in excess of that of Otago as computed by the same elements of population and trade ; but it would have been less than its fair share as compared with Auckland ; and as regards Otago, it was ne er argued, and never has been claimed, that a gold-dig-ging population, which is necessarily, to a certain extent, a one, and one less closely connected with the soil and the colony, should be so fully represented in proportion to population as those parts whose inhabitants are permament setlers in the country. Otago got

all she asked for, and the real question was, whether Canterbury was to be left under represented as compared with other parts of the colony permanently I settled, especially as comparedjwith AuckI land In the absence of all argument one Auckland member, Mr. John Williamson the late Superintendent of the province, resorted to the expedient which a recent change in the Standing Orders of the House for the first time rendered possible, namely, that of talking against time. One by one, in utter disgust at a Jine of conduct unseemly and disgraceful in the last degree, the members on the Auckland side left the House. Successive motions for adjournment, moved every quarter of an hour, prolonged the debate till three o’clock on Sunday morning, thirteen or fourteen members voting on one side, and the Honorable Mr. Gillies, the Postmaster-General speaking against time, and dividing on the other. Few more utterly shameful scenes have ever been witnessed in a legislative Assembly, the only saving feature being the patient endurance with which an overwhelming majority submitted to a mode of opposition never resorted to by honorable men, except for the purpose of appealing from a temporary majority to a full House —utterlyunjustifiable in a ease where the full House would have passed by a consider able majority the proposal before it. The spectacle of a responsible minister of the Crown helping to talk out an overwhelming majority- of the House was one which had not the session come virtually to a 'close, would have been followed by a vote which would have removed Mr. Gillies from office.

At three o’clock in the morning it became apparent that the struggle could no longer be continued. From the approaching conclusion of the session and the breaking up of the House on the following Tuesday, the Bill must have been passed that night or not at all ; and Mr. Bell, who had charge of the Bill, reluctantly moved that the chairman should leave the chair, in other words that the Bill be thrown out. So ended the struggle. The representation remains the same as before ; and Otago has to thank one of her own members that she remains for two years longer with a mei-e fraction of a representation in the General Assenbly. But a great lesson has been taught the colony—that it will be a more difficult task than is supposed to crush the smaller settlements of the colony. The Canterbury members stood to their posts like mea, and, aided by Wellington, proved that the only condition on which the stronger provinces can obtain their just rights, is by granting to the smaller provinces the .same meed of justice which they claim for ‘themselves. Neither Canterbury nor Wellington desires to deny- to Otago and Southland their full share of representation, but they are powerful enough and resolute enough to resist any attempt, even if made by a league of the two powerful ends of the colony-, to obtain an undue political ascendancey over their numerically weaker neighbours.— I'he Press.

OUR NEW AR'TILLERY. A series of experiments are being carried out in the gunnery ships, and in batteries manned bv the Royal Marines, with 40 and 70-pounders, to test the value of the wedge principle of breechloading, in order to its substitution for the plan of closing the breech of the gun by the vent-piece, which has hitherto proved so unsatisfactory for large guns. The result of these experiments is stated by the Time* of the 16th instant as follows:—“The general opinion which has been formed thus far of the wedge gun is, that in its present state it is not at all fit for sea service.” In some of the earlier trials the tin cups were not shifted after every discharge, and in ccnsequenuce they got thrown out of the gun with great violence, an escape of gas taking place, and damaging the wedges ; but owing to the careful and skilful manner in which the guns have been lately worked similar accidents have been avoided The navy, however seem to prefer the safer closed breach of the muzzle loader, which cannot get out of order, and two 70-poundersare being altered accordingly. This alteration will necessitate the abandonment of lead-coated shot, and the adoption of some other system of rifling —a change which, after the experience gained at Newhaven, we consider to be highly neccessary ; for there, despite the attention of skilled mechanic to the placing the tin cups and screwing up the vent-piece tightly-, the bore of the 110pounder became enlarged when the gun warmed, and the escape of gas could not be prevented.

The Ordnance Select Committee now sitting, under the presidency of Captain Heath, R.N., C. 8., have taken a very practicable mode of discovering the causes of the . yielding of the Shorncliff guns, having caused one of the former and several of the latter, which had failed in experiments, to be cut open. The gun is one of those which had been objected to on account of being “lined,” but it was found that the lining had remained sound and kept the gun together,*though the inner tube and outside coil, covered by- the trunnion, had separated more than half an inch. This separation is, it is feared, going on in all the guns, and seems to be owing to the m uz-.de nip, which, by- slightly arresting the shot when in rapid flight, tends to pull the gun open longitudinally. In the 12-pouudersthis nip has been removed.by catting a foot off the muzzle, and we t hink it would be well at once to treat the other guns, in a similiar manner.

Forty of the improved Armstrong 12pounders, which were shortened a foot at the muzzle, had had a strong coil placed

in front of the trunnions, and had been provided with thicker vent-pieces, and different pattern breecli-screws, sights and fittings, were shipped off to Canada last week ; and a battery of similiarjweapons is to be forwarded to New Zealand with all despatch. We trust that these guns which have been altered in accordance with the suggestions of experienced artillery officers, will on service amply repay the cost which has been incurred- — Army and Navy Gazette.

JAPAN. Battle of Kagosima.— The Kagosima correspondent of the Japan Commercial News, under date 16th August, gives the following particulars of this affair : “ The squadron which left Yokohama on the 6th instant, consisting of H.B.M.’s ships Euryalus, (Flag-ship of Vice-Admi-ral Kuper, C. 8.), Pearl, Coquette, Perseus, Racehorse, Argus, and gun-boat Havoc, anchored off the town of Kagosima, the residence of Prince Satsuma on the morning of the 12th instant. Shortly afterwards several officials came on board and had an interview with H.B.M.’s Charge d’Affaires. A letter containing the demands of Great Bl’itain was sent by them. The particulars of the negociations were of course kept secret by those intrust el with them. As they did not appear to molest us boats from all ships were sent in different directions to survey the bay, and in the evening Captain Josliug, with one or two other officers, discovered three Japanese steamers at anchor some distance up the bay. On Thursday, the 13th, an official of high rank came on board accompanied by a guard of forty soldiers. His stay was a short one, and the result was evidently unsatisfactory, as the squadron immediately removed out of range of their guns, a very necessary precaution against treachery-. On Friday nothing of importance occurred except that the Admiral proceeded in the Havoc to view the Japanese steamers and reconnoitre the Bay. These steamers were taken possession of at daylight on Saturday with a view to intimidate them, .but it had quite a contrary effect, for precisely- at twelve a.m. all their batteries on both sides of the Bay- opened fire on us. The Perseus and Pearl replied almost immediately, but some little delay occurred in getting the Euryalus under way, owing to' the quantity of cable out, and the wind being high with a heavy- sea running. This, with the occasional heavyshowers, was a serious disadvantage to us. The three prizes which were lashed alongside the Argus, Coquette, and Racehorse respectively-, were immediately set on fire, those ships coming into action as soon as it was accomplished. At 2 p.m. the ships formed line to engage in succession, and were gallantly led on by the Admiral, than whom a more cool or collected officer does not exist in the service. He led on the ships nobly at 400 yards range and in this position .remained about three quarters of an hour, by which time the Japanese had deserted their guns, but while they remained at them, their firing was rapid, and made with excellent precision, as is evidenced by the damage they inflicted, especially on the Euryalus, which being ahead took the hi unt of the fire, and consequently received most damage-—at about 2.30, while the shot and shell were flying round like hail, one shell struck Captain (Josling) and Commander Wilmot, killing both instantly- ; another burst on the main deck with fearful effect, killing and wounding the officer of the quarters and all the remainder of guns’ crew, except one man. Shortly after this most of the batteries having ceased firing, all the ships hauled off except the Racehorse, which got ashore immediately- under one of their batteries, which fortunately for her was deserted. The Argus and Coquette went to her assistance, and continued firing on the town and a battery to the left of it. The Racehorse floated about half-past five. The Coquete and Havoc continued shelling the town until dark. The towu took fire shortly after the engagement commenced, and as a matter of course burnt furiously. The Havoc also set fire to five immense junks moored off some factories. As they burnt they dlifted on shore, setting fire to the factories also. Towards night the wind had increased to a gale, and at ten o’clock, when the fire was its height, its extent was over a mile in length ; its breadth, which must have been considerable, could not be correctly ascertained owing to our being so far off. The destruction of property must have been tremendous.

“On Sunday morning the town and factories were still burning. The steamers and junks had burnt through and sunk, except one of the former which was sunk by the Havoc. At ten a.m. the weather began to clear, when the last offices for the unfortunate dead were performed. At half-past two p.m. the fleet weighed again, and proceeding under slow speed, commenced shelling the batteries and town as we passed them at long ranges not move than twenty shots were fired by the former, all of which fell harmless. The town again took fire further to westward, and their fortifications must have been greatly damaged by- the practice from all the ships being excellent. At night we anchored off a small village some few miles distant from Kagosima.” The letter concludes with a detailed list of the killed and wounded, and the nature of the injuries received. On board the Euryalus there were eight killed and 23 wounded ; the Pearl had 7 wounded and none killed ; the Coquette, 2 killed and 4 wounded ; the Perseus, 1 killed and 9 wounded : the Argus, 6 wounded ; and the Racehorse, 3 wounded. The total number of casualties, including killed and wounded, was 63.

ORDINARY INVENTION. We have this week the pleasure to record the success of the most extraordinary invention of the age, if not the most so of any the world ever saw—at least the greatest stride in invention ever made by a single individual. In October last Dr. Solomon Andrews, of Perth Amboy, N.J., commenced the construction of a war aerostat, for reconnoiteririg purposes, on his own personal responsibility, not being able, after submitting his plans to the War department, to make the honorable Secretary of War “ see the utility” of a machine which would go over into secess and reconnoitre the force and position of the enemy. His plans showed on the face of them to any one not stupid that the machine could not do otherwise than goahead in any direction in which the bow was pointed, and . that, too, with any amount of power or foi’ce which might be desired, and which greenbacks would readily procure. The power required and the propelling apparatus added but little weight to the aerostat, whether of large or small dimensions ; consequently it did not increase the dimensions of the aerostat beyond that of balloons of ordinary construction, much less in size than many- that are now made. The machine made by- Mr. Andrews would carry up tln-ee men in addition to all the fixtures and paraphernalia for' its forward movement. Jt contained 26,000 cubic feet of hydrogen gas. It carried him, weighing 172 lb., and 256 lb. of ballast.

Upou his invitation last spring we have sent our reporters at three different times to witness his experiments with his machine, and have watched its progress with great interest. Its form was that of three segars pointed at both ends, secured together at their longitudinal equators, covered by a net, and supporting by 120 cords a car 16 feet below and under its centre.

The car was 12 feet long, made of basket-work, and was 16 inches wide at the b. t m. The aerostat, or cylindroids, were made of. varnished linen, like ordinary balloons.

On Friday-, the 4th instant, he made Ills last experiment, and demonstrated to an admiring crowd the possibility of going against the wind, and of guiding her in any and every- direction with a small rudder having only 17 square feet of surface. He made no long flight in one straight line, lest his modus operandi should be divulged ; but by a most ingenious plan demonstrated her capabilities beyond all possibility of doubt, whilst he prevented a public knowledge of his method of propelling. After a few short flights, to satisfy himself and a few friends that all was right, and that she would do all lie had contemplated, ho set her off iu a spiral course upwards, she going at a rate of not less than one hundred and twenty miles per hour, and describing circles iu the air of more than one and a half miles in circumference. She made twenty revolutions before she entered the upper strata of clouds and was lost to view. She passed through the first strata of dense white clouds, about two miles high, scattering them as she entered in all directions. In her upward flight could be distinctly seen her rapid movement in a contrary direction to the moving clouds, and as she came before the wind passing by- them with great celerity. As she was distinctly- seen thus to move, both below and above the clouds on the clear blue sky at five o’clock p.m., with the sun shining clear upon her, there could be no mistake or optical delusion to the beholder.

As to her propelling power and motive apparatus, it behoves us not now to speak, It might be considered contraband of war, or affording aid and comfort to the enemy; for with such a machine in the hands of Jeff. Davies the armies around Washington would be powerless to preserve the capital.

We think Dr. Andrews deserves more praise for the patriotic ingenuity with which he has preserved his secret, and y-et tried his grand experiment in the open air before the public, than even that manifested in the conception and construction of his machine. Of that and its beautiful simplicity- we may have occasion to speak hereafter. We have the documents. —New York Herald, September 8.

“What is Greek Fire?” the use of which in the siege of Charleston has been so universally condemned, and which has been for ages rejected by all civilized nations as an instrument of warfare. The exact composition of this combustible element is not generally known, in fact the secret of the real Greek fire has long been supposed to have been lost. Still the researches of modern chemical science have brought to light many circumstances and elements which can be employed to produce similar effects to the original Greek fire. As known to moderns this terrible agent is a composition of inflammable substances, of which naptha, nitre, and sulphur, are supposed to be component parts. Greek fire is said to have been invented by Callinicus, an ingenius engineer of Heliopolis, in Syria, in the seventh century, in order to destroy the ships of the Saracens, which was effected by the general of the fleet of Constantine Pogonatus, and 30,000 men were killed. This fire burnt in water and diffused itself on all sides. It was blown out of long tubes of copper, and shot out of crossbows and. other instruments. It is said nothing but a composition of oil, vinegar, urine, and sand, could extinguish it. The invention was for a long time kept a secret by the Court of Constantinople, but was at last acquired by the Turks, and subsequently lost or preserved only among the arcana of the alchemists.

THE WIZARD OF SIBLE HEDINGHAM. (‘Times’ September 24,) In the parish of Sible Hedingham, in the county of Essex, lived, till last month, an old man who was popularly credited with supernatural powers. He had every qualification suitable to the character. He was aged, he was afflicted, he was eccentric, he was poor, and he: was mystery. No one knew whence be came, what he was, or even what was his name. He was a Frenchman, and he was deaf and dumb, and with those two scraps of information ended all knowledge of the man and his history. He had resided at Mble Hedingham in a wretched hut, and all alone, for seven or eight years, when, on the 3rd of August last, he was barbarously hustled away iu a crowd of people to the sluice of a water-mill, thrown into the stream, and so cruelly used that about a month afterwards he died according to medical evidence, of the injuries received. It will be easily seen that the poor creature was “ swum”' for a wizard—that is to. say, he was thrown into the water in pursuance of the traditions still unhappily surviving. The original idea pointed only to the detection of diabolical dealings by the floating or sinking of the alleged culprit ; but in practice'a witch was “ ducked” either as a punishment for her doings or as a countevoliarm against her sorceries, and this appears to have been the nature of the atrocity in the case before us. It is a shocking story, but in its particulars will be found much to instruct us.

\\ e have first the benefit of a strange piece of evidence. Emma Smith, the wife of a village publican, was, according to the story and the charge, both the victim and the destroyer of this unfortunate wizard Ir she proved the death of him, there is reason to believe that he almost proved the death of her. Being charged with the homicide, and asked iu due course what she had to allege in her own behalf, she told a story which we are not inclined to discredit. She said that the old Frenchman, who seems to have no other name than “ Dummy,” came to her shop about ten months before, and asked leave to sleep in a shed on the premises, which she allowed him to do. A few days afterwards she wanted him .to leave, when he “made signs,” and at length wrote up legibly on a door that she would be ill in ten days time The curse was fulfilled. She did sicken, and had remained ill ever since She believed herself bewitched, could get no good from any of the doctors, and was firmly persuaded that only the wizard himself could cure the evil which he had caused. This was the origin of the case, and the details of the catastrophe were supplied by other witnesses. The rendezvous at the public-house on the fatal night appears to have been accidental. r J he tap-room was full of people, including Mrs. Smith and poor old “Dummy.” Mrs. Smith was bewailing her sickness, and charging it all on Dummy’s witchcraft. She turned to him and begged him to remove the charm. She said that if he would go back home with her and do’ her good she would give him three sovereigns and use him well. When these proposals were explained to him he “drew his fingers across his throat,” meaning, it seems, that he would rather have his head cut off than consent. It was after these good words had failed that the men present began to “ twist him about” till at length he got out of the house. Then, through some instinct or instigation, he was hustled or dragged to a brook adjacent, and fi'om the brook to the deeper water of a mill-head, where, mainly, as is alleged by the woman Smith and a man committed with her for trial, he was “ swum.” He survived this inhuman handling, and found people charitable enough to help him home ; but the shock was to much for a poor shaky old creature of fourscore, and after lingering till the fourth of this month, he expired. As we read the report, we can easily understand that people were really bewitched—that is to say, were actually smitten in mind and body by the imprecations of a fellow-creature pretending to exert such power. There is no need to doubt the truth of the stories related ; but neither, on the other hand, is there any need to accept the traditional moral, nor to assume any intervention of the devil. Wizards and witches have undoubtedly existed, but they were not people in league with the powers of evil. They were people, possibly, with greater knowledge than their neighbours, possibly with no superiority at all, but capable of unscrupulously turning to account the attributes with which popular belief had invested them. The rest followed as a matter of course. Their pretentions gave them actual power. I‘ossunl qui jiosse videntur. The ° results they produced were just as real as if the faculty had been derived, in very truth, from' the devil. The people at Hedingham stood iu such awe of this old Frenchman’s power that even after his death they were afraid of" him. Emma- Smith was in obvious alarm as she made her defence, and there was an extraordinary difficulty in obtaining evidence. What more could have been done by a real sorcerer ? We are not disposed to conclude that every witch was unjustly prosecuted. In so far as they were condemned to a barbarous death for dealing with the Devil, the proceedings were both shocking and groundless ; but if we presume, as we most reasonably may, that many of these reputed sorcerers did, by their threats and curses, produce in positive form the results vulgarly ascribed to incantations and charms, we cannot hold them guiltless of cringe, They were really evil-doers, though not of the kiud supposed. They did work charms and cast spells, though not by the Devil’s aid. Their operations were based upon the

influence of imagination over the fuudk.on. of the.physical body, and the veryßelief which gave them their reputa£j<M«L%£ve them also their power. Thig*power we can hardly doubt, was often wickedly exercised, and the old stories of witchcraft may resfrupon better foundations of fact than has been commonly imagined. FRUIT v. BIRDS. The Times has had a vast deal of correspondence about the destruction of birds. On the one hand it is that the birds are the police appointed by nature to keep down insect life, which would otherwise swarm so as to devour crops and poison the air, a plague which, is beginning to be felt in France, where a war of extermination has been waged with birds. On the other hand, it is asserted that birds are nothing but thieves, that they rob gardens of all their fruit, and- will not trouble themselves to pick up a caterpillar while a cherry, a raspberry, or a plum can be had. “ A Country Parson ” writes a long letter of mixed lament and complaint He bus, he says, a weakness- for fruit and & fonduess for birds, but he finds it impossible to have both— non bene conveniunt ncc in una sede mnrantur. The blackbirds ate all his strawberries, with some help from thrushes and robins. The gosseberries followed ; but there was balm in Gilead, and the Parson comforted himself with the thought of the ripening peal’s, for which the good man has a “ particular weakness.” Indeed, he seems to have a weakness for everything eatable in his garden, and would have been much misplaced in Eden. The- destruction, of half his crop of-pears he lays to the charge of the birds, and accuses them of having designs on the winter sort. , The sanguinary conclusion the rev. gentlman arrives at is, that the -small birds must be destroyed or fruit cannot be had at a price suiting his pocket. Another clergyman, “ A London Incumbent,” accuses the birds as follows :

“ They consumed all the currants and all the gooseberries, they devoured all the peas, and we left them making holes in the plums to see if they were ripe iu the intervals of their hammering at the nuts and filberts.’

Now, one of two things must be certain either that the incumbent bad very little fruit, orthat the birds must have swarmed in his garden in numbers never yet seen or-heard of except in this complaint. If birds could collect in force capable of tbs havoc described, they would have some quarrels and grudges to settle amongst themselves which would seriously inter fere with the business of regaling. We believe the destruction to be enormously exaggerated in these representations. The confessed weakness for fruit has introduccda vindictive spirit into the report magnifying the trespasses of the poor birds.

But the question is not, as stated, between birds and fruit, but between birds, and insects, and if the country parson destroys the small birds to preserve his strawberries.and gooseberries, will he bo content to be overrun and choked with insects 1

A writer who signs himself “ Sense,” denies, indeed that the birds render the service of destroying snails, caterpillars, &e., and it is possible that in certain short seasons they prefer a vegetable diet ; but the experience of France proves that where birds have been exterminated, insects and vermin have multiplied to a disgusting, destructive, and noxious extent. And birds, we take it?, have the same manners and habits in all lands. It is remarkable that most of the Witnesses against the bii’ds are clerical, and their judgments marked with the severity that generally characterises the cloth in the magistracy. . We are sorry for it, as the example of the parson is too likely to counteract the gndeavous (hitherto pro mising well) to put an end to the wanton destruction of nature’s police for the suppression of insects and vermin. It is. a very shortsighted policy and economy to grudge this force their wages, for'which besides their more substantial services, they please our eyes with their beauty and our ears with their song. But what, asks the country parson, are these- gratifications compared with gooseberries? —> Examiner. ■

Worth Knowing. —A letter in a recent number of the "Sew Zealander mentions that a man of the Ist Waikato regt., having poisoned himself by eating tutu berries, became convulsed, and was apparently in great- danger. The surgeon of the regt., Dr. Giles, was of course scut for, and observing that the symptoms strongly resembled those of poisoning by strychnine, he administered chloroform, the inhaling of which gave speedy relief and effected a perfect cure.

Holloway's Ointment. —Sores, wounds, ulcerations, and other diseases affecting the skin, are amendable by this cooling and healing unguent. It has called forth the loudest praises from persons who had suffered for years from bad legs, abscesses, and chronic ulcers, after every hope of cure had long passed away. None but those who have experienced the soothing effect of this Ointment can form an idea of the comfort it bestows, by restraining inflammation and allay - ing pain. Whenever this Ointment has been once used it has established its own worth, and has again been eagerly sought for as the easiest and safest remedy for all ulcerous complaints. In neuralgia, rheumatism, aud gout, the same application,' properly used, gives wonderful relief.