EXTRACTS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 958, 2 April 1872, Page 3

EXTRACTS.

The views of tbafc small but dogmatic school of political economists, who would limit the functions of government to the protection of life and property, are not much regarded by men of culture of the present day. In the November number of the " Fortnightly Review" there is an article by Professor Huxley on " Administrative Nihilism," which ably states the case in favor of such an extension of government functions as will comprehend the requirements of all classes in the kingdom. It is claimed simply as an indispensable condition to good government, that the people shall be sufficiently educated to understand its functions, and appreciate their faithful performance- That being granted, there is, the writer points out, practically no limit to the duties that a government may be expected to undertake. The stock objection of the orthodox school of political economists is, thst when the state attempts any undertaking it manages worse than private enterprise would do. To this it is pertinently replied that the state lives in a glass house, and that we see all its failures, whereas private enterprise is sheltered under good opaque bricks and mortar ; that the public rarely knows what the latter tries to do, and only hears of J failures, when they are gross, and patent to all the world. But admitting thatgovernments, like private individuals, make mistakes, that is no sufficient argument for the operation of government being limited to little more than police protection. Professor Huxley in the views he has given to the public leaves no room to doubt that the intelligence of the age demands that statesmen shall fully know their profession, and that knowing if they shall not draw an arbitrary line and say, Thus far we manage the business of the nation and no further. Government is a matter, he observes, to be entirely decided by evidence as to what tends to the highest good of the people, whether we keep our present laws or whether we modify them.—" .Melbourne Leader." A Liverpool captain writes that last January, after ho had left port for Now York, cholera broke out on board his ship, and in a shoit time twentyseven passengers had oicd of it, though they were treated according to the stereotyped remedy provided by " the book." The skipper then applied a method of treatment that bad been re-

commended by his predecessor in command, and did not lose another patient on that voyage or since. The remedy was this:—A. tablespoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of red pepper, in a half pint of hot water. He was himself attacked by a violent cholera, but- the medicine carried him through. He adds:—The medicine acts quickly as an emetic, say in one or two minutes. It brings up a very offensive matter, which sticks like glue. Provided with this simple receipt, I no longer consider the cholera an unmanageable disease. Purchaser: K-a-t-1 is ho the way to spell " cattle."—Drover (writing the receipt): ' Naebody could spell wi' this pen. There's been ower money druncken bodies usin' it!' Josh Billings says that whenever yu see a ilok of gees all standing on one leg, except tho old gander, and he chawing his cud, look out for a southwind tew-morrow, or the next day, or the day after, or at some fewter tima. Can girls stand a college course of study? Mrs Stanton thinks they can, and says:—' I would like you to take 1300 young men and late them up, and hang ten to twenty pounds' weight of clothes on their waists, perch them on three-inch heels, cover their heads with ripples, chignons, rats and mice, and stick ten thousand hair-pins into their scalps ; if they can stand all this they will stand a little Latin and Greek.' A young married woman in the country says she wishes she had a magic mirror to see how her husband amuses himself in her abssnce. Times are so bad in some places just now that people can't even pay attention. Before hanging a man in Louisiana they let from fifteen to forty reporters for the newspapers " interview " him for three weeks. The poor fellow is then not only willing but anxious to be hanged- " Sam," said a mother to one of her " wery obedient" sons one day, " how many logs have you sawed, eh ?" " Why marm, when I get this and three other ones done, I'll have done four." A Caution.—Laura: " Oh, Amy ! you ought ■ never to wear a ring on your third finger, unless you are really engaged. Mamma says it often prevents a good offer !" A doctor lately informed his friends in a large company that he had been eight days in the country. "Yes," said one of the party, " it has been announced in the newspapers." "Ah !" said the doctor, stretching his neck importantly, "pray in what terms ?" " Well, as well as I can remember, in the following : " There were last week seventy-seven deaths less than the week before !" ' Tho " Food Journal " gives the following description of American appetites—l have seen a man with six dishes beside him at breakfast, and doinp; ample justice to each. Only imagine what gastronomic powers must be possessed to dispose of a couple of mutton chops, a steak, eggs, fried bacon, hot rolls, fried potatoes, oystei's, toast and milk, tea and coffee, smoking hot buck-wheat bread covered with treacle, or black syrup, and then to wash it all down with a glass of new milk or ice- water, the whole within the space of twenty minutes.! A man in Cincinnati is organising a brass band of 20 women.

A Tennessee editor was so rejoiced at the death of a rival that he announced it under the head of " Amusements." A specific for cholera is reported to have been discovered in India. Women are largely employed as bank clerks in Sweden. "I should like a ticket for the train," says a New York lady,. Ticket agent (who thinks he will make a joke): " Tes'm ; will you go in the passenger train or in the cattle train ?" Lady : "Well, if you're a specimen of what I shall experience in the passenger train, give me a ticket for the cattle train by all means." With, reference tothedeathof Bishop Shiel, the Geelong " Advertiser" of Saturday says —Alluding to him last evening, the Rev. Father Dilhvorth said in St. Mary's Church wherein some four or five hundred mourners had assembled, " You see the altar draped in black, you see me in a black stole, and some of you may perhaps ask why? It is because a great calamity has come upon us, a great bishop, a great man, a high-souled Irish gentleman, who left his home and all that was nearest and dearest to him to do battle for his faith, is dead. The rev. gentleman, in eloquent terms, dwelt upon the example the right reverend prelate had shown them by taking as his motto ' Charity unto all men.' The Ven. Archdeacon Slattery was to have preached upon this occasion, but he, being an old friend of Dr. Shiel's, was too much affected to undertake his task, and at the conclusion of the ser- ! mon there was not a dry eye in the church." Can an individual be said to be head and ears in debt when he hasn't paid his hatter ? Men make fools of women, and when they get a fool for a wife they spend the rest of their days in cursing the sex. Some girls are like old muskets ; they use a good deal of powder, but won't go off. A young German ofiicer having got his head hit a): Gravelotte, was told by the doctor that the brain was visible. " Do write and toll father," said the poor fellow, "for he always swore I had none." A thief once said he had a brief acquaintance with his barrister;