EXTRACTS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1192, 10 July 1874, Page 4

EXTRACTS.

DETAINED LETTERS. The New Zealand Post-office authorities pursue the same objectionable course as is done in Victoria, namely detaining letters which have been dropped into the box with deficient postage. The following is from the Melbourned Age, which shows in its full light the absurdity of such a regulation: " Memo. —A letter to your address, No.—, now lies in (his office, detained for one penny postage. On your filling up the form at the bade, and enclosing New, South Wales postage stamps or cash to the above amount, it will be forwarded." Could absurdity be made more absurd ? The letter might be most important, and by its detention the person addressed might lose a quantity of- money. Why not have sent .-the letter, and charged the recipient with the postage, or even double or treble postage bj way of penalty, if it comes to that ! Nothing that we can imagine is more cruel than detaining a letter because the sender in ignorance, or by error, has omitted to attach the proper value of postage-stamps, which in ninety nine cases out of every hundred could be collected without demur. A\ r e know of several instances where parties to whom letters have been so sent have been put to serious inconvenience and loss by this bit of red-tape formality. Wi 11 some one or other of our representatives draw attention to this matter from his seat in the Assembly. ELEGANT DAIiWINISM. Darwin has a practical supporter of j his theory in the :diapc of the first | gorilla ever tamed and now in London. A small party (lined with him not long ago, and we nie told that Monsieur Gorilla behaved like any courteous diner-out, except that his conversation was not brilliant, and that at one point in the medal he calmly extended his paw and removed from bis neighbor's plate to his own some pretty tiny kickshaws, which particularly pleased him. lie drank claiebwith his steak, lounged in his chair between the courses, and cracked his walnuts and took his afterdinner glass of port with the most graceful ease. He is very particular in bis food, and always takes hot nun and water, sweetened with honey, before retiring. Darwin ought to be a happy man. EKGLtSII CILASSEL ItAILWAV. A scheme of Mr George .Kennington, C. E., for the proposed Channel railway tunnel from Dungeness to Cape Grisnez, has been fully discussed by the Preuch Mhrister of Works and Directeur Cncale des Pqnts, ct Chausses, et des Chemins do Per, and it has also been before our Board of Trade. Before putting forward his scheme for the construction of a tun-

nel, Mr Bennington ascertained, as far as possible, the nature of the geological strata forming the bed of the Channel; and as it iB well known that the coast in the neighborhood of Dover and Folkestone consists of chalk, which extpnd across to the Calais shore, it is evident that this formation, porous as it is and containing many fissures, cannot be suited for tunnelling under a groat head of water. Mr Kennington, on examination of the \ybolo line of shore, satisfied himself the Weal don formation, consisting of very strong clay, bod- of freestone, and fresh-water limestone, iVoin Dutigen'osa across the Channel to Cape Grianez, and having concluded that this was the proper course for the construction of the tunnel, prepared plans and sections, and laid them before the Board of Trade, the Minister of Works, Paris, and others, in England and France. The line is extended to commence at the town of Lrdd, where it will join the branch railway from the South-eastern at Appledoor. It will descend from Lydd at an inclination of 1 in 70 the distance of 3J- miles to the point of Dungencss, where the level of the rails is 210 feet below the level of low water spring tides. The rails will then rise from Dur.goness shaft at the rate of 1 in 8705 for about 7 miles, then fall at the rate of 1 in 1200 for about 8 miles to the centre shaft on a ridge or shoal existing at that spot, from thence fall at the rate of 1 in 3205 for 11 miles, to Cape Grisnez. and then rise at the rate of 1 in 70 and 1 in 8L to join the French railways near Ambleteuse. The height of the tunnel, as shown in the printed section, will Le 20 feet from the soffit of the arch to the centre of the invert, and there will be a clear headway of 20 feet for the trains passing. The apace between the rail and the invert will bo occupied by a spacious sewer running along the centre line of tho tunnel, and on each side of it two air-tunnel or pipes for the purposo of providing perfect ventilation. The width of the tunnel will be 21 ft. It will be constructed of brick-work and masonery, surrounded with concrete. There will bo three main Shafts of large dimensions ; the centre otic on the ridgo will bo protected by a break-water formed of rubble, and faced with ashlars. The strata through which tho tunnel is intended to be formed will furnish good building materials, good brick clay, freestone, and limestone. Some square miles of Dungeness are spread over with gravel and shingle to the depth of 9 ft or 10 ft. There will be no want therefore of the requisite materials for the formation of concrete in any quantity. Under the data Mr Bennington has made an approximate estimate of the probable cost of the works, which ho fixes at £5,500,000 for a double line. This amount must appear moderate, considering the importance of thcunder taking and the greatness of the object to be attained.

DK KENNEALX's NEW PAPEE. The first number of Dr Kennealy's new paper, the Englishman, was issued on the 11th April. Its matter—unless to such as believe that in this world there is nothing but Dr Kennealy and the person lately a claimant—is wholly worthless. The articles and extracts with one exception, are full of "Sir Roger" and his suffering counsel, and the exception—an article on Bismarck finds a place because Bismarck is smashing up the Jesuits. Judging from Di- Kennealy's prospectus to his readers there are two powers in this universe—a clique composed of the Tichborne family and the Jesuits, and Dr Kennealy. The first is all that is evil, aud the second is all that is good. The mission of tho first is to crush the last, and tho last being firmly convinced that if he falls all that is cherished by Englishmen liuisfc fall with him, has resolved to overthrow the clique by means of the " Englishman." The"Englishmah," asheinforrns the world, is to be great on purity of law anl freedom of speech. It is to be the tool of no parly. It is to advocate woman suffrage, and the cause of liberty generally, and anions its writers arc to bo persons distinguished in journalism. Of each distinguished persons the first number gives noshm. Not excepting even Vac extracts from such papers as the Morning Advertiser, the contents real as if they had been written by Dr Kennealy himcelf. The style throughout is the style of i liis speech in the Court of the Queen's Bench. It ij as wild as need be. A description of " Sir Roscer" in prison shews that deserving person ahut up in a small hole, clad in a convict's garb, fed on skilly and such-like miserable diet, deprived of writing materials and books, and treated altogether in a manner which the Doctor considers a •'disgrace" to England. Eur the rest, there is an advertisement by a patriot named Orr quifo in the Doctor's style, calling on tho '•Lieu of England" to subscribe £30,000, that tho Doctor may have an income of £IOOO a year. The price of the paper is 2nd. It is to take advertisements, and the first copy fittingly contains a couple —one about Enoch and the other about the Apocalypse. DUEL BETWEEN IJOT3. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus says: —Among the social curiosities of tiie last lew days baa been a duel with toy pistols between two boys. These lads were boarders in a school near Lincoln. They quarrelled, and in order to settle then- differences agreed to light a duel. Taking advantage of an hour in the day allowed for recreation, they, accom.panied by their seconds started, for a secluded spot, purchasing at a toy-shop '

on their route two pistols, for which they gave Is. Ammunition was also purchased of a gunsmith. Arriving on the ground, one of the secouds loaded one pistol while another boy performed a like office for the other combatant. Both pistols were loaded with ball. The distance agreed upon (13 paces) was then measured, and the antagonists placed in position. Stepping back a few yards, tho seconds slowly counted three, the boys taking deliberate aim at each other during the time. On pronouncing the word " Three," a handkerchief was dropped, and both duellists fired together. One of them immediately cried out '■ I'm hit," staggered a few paces, and then lay down. The now frightened youngsters ran to his assistance, and found that ho had received a wound in the leg, and that his weapon had burst. They tied up his limb with their handkerchiefs and assisted him home. The affair gradually became kuowu, and tho wounded boy was immediately placed in the doctor's hauds. Meanwhile, the police were informed of the circumstances, and apprehended the other lad and both the seconds. In the trial which quickly followed, it came out that this was not the first duel fought in tho school, and it was pleaded that the lads thought that tho balls would " hit, but not hurt." The culprit was reprimanded, but acquitted, THEE CULTURE. A village priest in France established the rule that whenever a child was brought to him to bo baptized the parents should plant a fruit tree ; and by a species of co-operation he induced the people to plant also a large tract of waste land, whim in time became of great value. .Suppose some of our ministers should undertake to follow his example, and even improve upon it. They could do worse.