OFFICIAL IGNORANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 5 June 1883, Page 3

OFFICIAL IGNORANCE.

flic roup of the World has always been.the weak point of English Ministers, whoso rule extends over so large a section of its surface. When Lord Palmerston was for tho first time appointed a Secretary of State, he.ran over the papers which g, subordinate put before him, and, after looking as puzzled as that jaunty statesman possibly could, remarked that "Now we will bare a look at tip. atlas, and see where all these plua'.s «iv." Tim old Duke of Newcastle was quite dolighted when told that Gape Breton was an island—for," tho King would be so glad to hear it"—and declared-' with an oath—that "Annapolis must be defended," though lie was compelled to ask in an undertone, "where the deuce Annapolis wasl" A Colonial Secretary, wo bclievo still living, when asked to sanction better mail communication between Victoria and Tasmania, suggested, as he glanced, at one of those small-scaled maps anathematised of Lord Salisbury, that it would be better to" throw a bridge over" Bass Straits, '* and we can guarantee the loan." Another statesman was for long under the belief that Victoria was an island, a second that Vancouver Island was infested by tigers. The same gentleman proposed putting all the New South Wales convicts on Cockatoo Island—a spot so small that it would barely give them standing room, It is still common to receive lettors for Mclbourno addressed South Australia; and it was a daily subject, for jeering in British Columbia that the members of Parliament who owlishly discussed the San Juan question had hardly the remotest idea of the locality about which they were talking. During tho Transvaal war—

SO it is affirmed in South Africa,—an admiral on tho station was direoted not to bombard Potchefstroom, which happens to be 400 miles in the interior; and it is not surprising to hear that a Government which sent vessels to the Baltic of such a draught that they not approach within bombarding range of Cronstadt forced an irate old commodore to blaspheme " My Lords, when they suggest that, in view of the disturbed condition. of Germany, the flcot had better anchor ofFFrankfort-qn-se-Majn." Shakespeare, we know, ponsidored Bohemia an island, as di(j Greene jii treating the same story, which is tho basis ol the " Winter's Tale," and the old Danish Folkedigter always speaks of Bohmerland as lying • by the stormy sea,

A London lecturer deolares that England has spent during the last ten years £1,440,000,000 in liquor. Toronto, in Canada, following the example of Chicago, is engaged in laying out a boulevard which is to encircle the whole city, and is to consist ef a road Jooyds wide, adorned occasionally with flower beds. A " Botten Bow" or riding alley is also to be provided, and fhe whole js to b,e. preserved and kept jn qicjer at t|ic public expense. Tha similar boulevards at Chicago are a great success, and are much appreciated by that densely peopled city, A gentleman tells a delightful story ftt his own expense about a. small donkey which lib sent up to Ms country seat for the use of his children, One of his little daughters, going out with her nurse to admire the animal in its paddock, was sorely distressed when the donkey lifted up his voice and brayed dolefully. " Poor thing I" exclaimed the sympathic child; and suddenly brightening up, she turned to her nurse mid said, " Oh, I'm so glad. Papa will be here on Saturday, and then it won't feel so lonesome:" A novel waj of collecting taxes h,as been hit upon by the Mayor of Vadulesti, a small Koumanian community, He found much difficulty in collecting taxes, until one day, when tho men were all in the fields, he descended with twenty subordinates upon their houses and carried oft' their wives to his lockup, When tho men returned from their work at- night and discovered tj}e desolation which had been wrought fhey all with one accqi'd wont to the ' public house to drown their sorrows, or perhaps, to celebrate their delivorance, But a few days afterdards, recollection having brought them to their senses, tlioy paid the taxes and recovered their wives. A correspondent of the Times related' a romantic incidect which has recently occurred in a prosperous London suburb. ' A devoted young High Church curate of interesting appearance and great popularity in. his district was kTOtedupoubyayqung lady of cpn : P|aer.^le i l)jitr.!iqtiQi|, ijtjt «;il| an air qf (jeep, melancholy, and clap! Ip a sqmewhqt aspetic garb. After confusion and the'Bhedding of a tear she reveajecj to him'tfiat she hiu| ventured tq Yisjt him on avptter deeply atfpcting her happiness.' s|ie feared lier life. TJie -jpjiter, however, was pp of such deep jmportanpe that she cqu]d not impart it except at her own abode, where she implored him as hor spiritual friend to visit her. The reverend gontleman promised to do so, and the next day he called at the address given him. Then the young lady revealed to him the fatal secret, She had conceived a deep, a passiouate love for the curate himself. She knew, she said, that her passion was hopeless; he, in his devotion to the Church, for which she loved him all the more, had vowed himself to a- Jife.of celjbacy, and she jyQu)c| resignedly parry her attachment to the grave, which sl)o felt was nqt, far off, But there was one kindness which it was in his power to grant her, the re: membrance of which would bring consolation to hor dark and tyeary path, Would he, before they parted for ever give her one kiss) After, some timidity and agitation the young' curate touched with pity complied. The lady shed another tear, bade him adieu in a hollow voice, and ho departed, A few days afterwards he received a neat little parcel gracefully tied with apiece of blue ribbon, and on opening it found an instantaneous photograph (cabinet size) of himself kissing the , young lady, Accpmpanying tb|3 was ;ift poftinjumcafon from tjjfe fair; creatpiiq ; hdrsblf • thai; there 'were eleven tndre 'dp'pies, and that'he'might'have the .', .whole dozen at ,£2O a piece, Negocia.tions on ihe subject.are said to be.proceeding, ■ .■:.-.■■

Frederick.Waite, who \v.\i .'hanged last month at Franklin, in Toxus:seomed to regard hia ,m v -i <■'< rib much philosophy. Ii; >;•':',;!,.,!, ■{;: -.- a doctor for 25d/ils, V,j n. -,■>]: r.-'r and with this \muh t-'ui.ih? ■'■• .i. i.U.. to pass tho'short lvmuin o; life. : left' to him in toli-rabin comfort. Central Queensland ■is composed of a vast plateau, comprising about 170,000,000 acres, an almost unbroken tract of line sheep country, by far the most extensive and even cxpansa of pastoral land in Australia. -When the whole U fully occupied it will be capable of carrying 50,000,000 sheep, 1 lie Japanese army, which now numbers fifteen regiments, will be increased to eighteen next year, and to twenty-four in I§B7. Meauwhilo every exertion is being used to increase the strength of the navy by tho building and buying of ships. Out of nearly 37,000,000 of people in the United States above ten years of age, 5,000,000 are reported unable to read, and over 6,000,000 unable to write. More than three-fourths of this number are found in the focmer slave States,