CLIPPINGS FROM OUR MAIL FILES.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1702, 2 June 1883, Page 2

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR MAIL FILES.

An electric car, constructed by the Millwall Electric Storage Company, was on the lino of the West Metropolitan Tramway Company, from Uxbriflge- road to Kew Bridge. The electric power is stored under the scats, and the car moves along with out any perceptable propelling power. A marked honour has been conferred on Mr Forstcr, who, with Mrs Forster, has been invited to Windsor by Her Majesty. It needs very little reflection to understand that recent disclosures of the imminent perils and miraculous escapes Mr Forster has had from the hands of the assassins have been heard of by his Sovereign with deep sympathy, and that it has been Her Majesty's desire to express it in this exceptional way. Doubtless his conduct throughout has also met with the highest approval, and rugged Liberal as he may be, he has show n himself staunchly loyal throughout. — Cotnt Journal. Prof. A. G. Bell, the inventor of the telephone, who has recently taken Broadhead House in Boston has devised an elaborate system of electrical wires and bells that connect every doorandw indow in the house with a room which he oalls bis central office. An indicator in that room shows instantly whenever a door is opened or shut. At night it would be impossible for any one to enter the house without having his presence announced by the bells. The Town Council of Stratford-on-Avon has adopted a suggestion made by Mr. Halliwell Phillipps, that the Corporation records, w Inch are of great historical and Shakespearian interest, dating back several hundred years,-, should be reproduced by means of the autotype process and give to the world. Mr. Phillipps undertook to superintend the reproduction and to defray the whole costofthu work, merely stipulating that thcr Council should, when the copies were delivered into their hands, arrange for their sale at Stratford, the proceeds to be placed at the disposal of the Coiporation. It was stated that the records date almost from the time of the Conquest. — British Trade Journal. The daughter of Napoleon I. and of a joung lady of noble family whom Napoleon met at Cologne in 1811, has justdiedin that city, She was known as the Countess Falkenberg, and for the last thiity ye-irs of her life she was compelled to work as a dicssmaker, and was buried at the expense of the parish. She lived in one small loom, upon the walls of which were several portraits of tiie Bonaparte family and just before her death she asked the woman who was nursing her to give her a packet of letters out of a drawer and had them burnt. Napoleon had her educated in Italy, where she lived for many years, but having spent what little fortune she had, she came back to Cologne about twenty years ago. A resident at Cologne who was acquainted with her circumstances sen t a petition to the l.t te Euipei or Napoleon asking him to help her ; but nothing was done, and the only pecuniary assistance she received of late was an allowance of thirty marks a month from a family living on the banks oE the Rhine, and related to Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia. — World. We are told that the lush man sighs for the separate independence of his little island liomic. Some Irishmen pet haps do, but it is not so certain that a majoutyof them are that way inclined. At any rate, it is \ery sure that a very large and most active, influential and deserving minority aie more opposed to any such separate independence than any Englishman or Scotchman can be to ghe it to them. They, even better than their neighbours, know what Irish independence means, and want none of it. Even had the supposed majority conqueied their way and gainc I independ euce, what would they do with it ? They once had it, and that up to a compaiativsly recent petiod. They voted it away and gladly joined in the Biitish Union, just as the original thirteen colonies joined in the American Union called the United States. Tina country has dcclau-d that Union "one and indivisible for over," and has fonghta great war m order to preserve it so. If union is necessary to 113, it is infinitely more so to the British Isles. It does not he in the mouth of Americans who desired the preservation of the Union to argue that Irishmen ha\c an inalienable r.glit to disrupt tiie Empire, to the lights, privileges and immunities ol winch they are admitted to an equal participation. But we take leave no doubt whether any pane in in in Ireland does really believe in separation. Wo incline to the belief that it is only pretended to be desired by politicians and conspirators who thrive on the money that agitation brings. Ireland is a land in wlvch agitation pays. That fact accounts for not a little that is happening. Yet if there is profit in agitation, it will piove that there is dire loss in assassination, as the conspirators will learn about the time they reach tho gallows. — S.F. News Letter, Upon tie expulsion of the Jesuits from France somu English sympathizers purchased the Imperial Hotel and grounds, at St. Heliers for the use of a community of Jesuit students. This settlement has not been viewed with fa\ our by some in the island, aud an agitation has recently been promoted by the Jersey Protestant Defensive Union, apprently with the object of driving the Jesuits fioin Jeisey. Notice of a bill to piovide for the visitation of all scholastic establishments has been given in the States Assembly by the rector of St. Martin s, and a petition has been presented to the same body, in which it is set forth that tho " petitioners have learnt with feellings of the deepest apprehension that real property of gieat extent and of very considerable value has been purchased for the use of a foreign society known as the Society of the Congregation of Jeaiis, and that a laige number of membeis of the society are now domiciled in the island in full enjoyment of the said real property ; that in the different countries in which this society or congregation has established itself experience has taught that its acknowledged principles and aims and hostile to the liberty of the subject, to the rights of conscience, to the happiness of families, and to the authority of the State, in consequence of which the Governments of these countries have been compelled to resort to precautionary and repressive measures ; that for similar reasons the States of Jersey, in 1842, preveiitid the establishment of a community of Jesuits in the island ; finally, the petitioners pray the Assembly to adopt such measures as the urgency of the case may require in order to prevent the dangers which might arise," ect. From comments in the local newspapers 01 the bill and petition, it would seem that public opinion in Jersey i 3 by no means generally in favor of measures of religious intolerance. — Public Opinion. Barbtom's Show. — Two hundred times last year Barnum's shows attracted a daily atttendance of 30,000 people ;it represents a capital of over £600,000 ; its actual daily expenses are over £950 j it uses'nearly a mile of its own railroad cars ; requires eight acres for its tents; employs 600 men and women, 300 horses, 160 advanced advertisers and five spacious advertising cars. It exhibits 29"elephants, 10 giraffes, 10 ostriches and 32 camels and dromedaries. It has lost over £16,000 worth of animals and purchased £52,000 worth more. The mere search for novelties cost not less than £20,000 in 1882. The Ebekch Crown Jkwels. — After much discussion it has at last been resolved that the Crown Jewels of France shall be sold towards the end of April. Fiom the general sale the followiug are to be reserved, by reason of their exceptional interest : — L The Regent, or Pitt diamond, bought from Pitt, Governor of Madras, by Phillippe, d'Orle'ans, in in 1717. This is reckoned the second largest diamond in the,world, being sur« passed only by the Orjoff stone" in the Jnijjorial Bqe|>tr.e of Rnssi% 2., A IW°rd ?

with, a hilt of brilHanta and magnificent goldsmith's T^qrV/ made' in 1 1824. 3. A reliquary, mounted with brilliants art in a triangle, that dates from 1479. 4. The Mazarin diamonds, presented by the Cardinal to Louis XIV. ,5. The watch given to' Louis' XlV. by the Dey of Algiers. 6. A, ruby- engraved, a chiincm, which is said to be * the" largest engraved ruby known.' i And 7. A "dragon and elephant of Denmark," marvellously wrought' in enamel.— Academy.

Raising the Austral.— The splendid \essel, which, as will be remembered, sank in fifty feet of water in Sydney Harbor, lias now been raised and is on her way home. The weight to be lifted was "approximately 6,000 tons, >and the means adopted consisted in securing to the ship's side artificial watertight bulwarks, reaching to several feet above the water-line, thus transforming her from a submerged to a stranded vessel full of water, but having the gunwale above the water-line. To render it possible to turn the vessel lengthwise she was divided into two equal compartments, by means of a traverse bulkhead amidships, the doors, in the other bulkhead benij; left open. The vessel, thus prepared, Mas pumped out by- powerful pumps, placed equally before and abaft the tramerse bulkhead. The vessel first came upright, and then steadily left the bottom, and as the pumping proceeded was towed into shallower water. This general scheme of raising was settled in London by the managers, guided by the advice of Mr John Stanfield. — Enginejriiiff.

Truth and Sweakisg. — If we are to believe Mr Bright, every legal tribunal throughout the world, from the timo when law begin until now, has, in conducting its proper business of ascertain* ing the truth, succeeded only in propagating falsehood. " The practice," he says, "of swearing to the truth of anything, makeS two kinds of Truth." If witnesses wore not human beings, but were always honest, and never forgetful, Mr Bnght's criticism would be just. Expeiiencc shows that the oath, or its equivalent, assists in extracting the truth both from the dishonest and inaccurate witness. The dishonest witness not infrequently attempts to emade th« oath by not kissing the book, or otherwise in a manner which shows that he makes a distinction between what he says w hen sworn and what he says un. sworn. The honest witn'ss, again, has his memory stimulated and his sense o^r responsibility quickened by taking the oath. Men do not speak with the same percision in a casual conversation as they do in a witness box ; and everything w hich tends to the extraction of truth ought to be present in the witness-box. Iv employing oaths, the law makes no distinction between two kinds of truth j but acknowledging this, takes that from the best source. — Law Times.

Caufobnia Crops.— The Stockton Imhpavknt says of the crops: This subject has been spoken of several times lately by the Stockton papers, but it may be well to state again that the crops are good. Cornelius Swain say that from his place, a few miles from Stockton, to Woodbridge the Grain is of the first class. In the \ iciinty of Acampo the Grain is better than on this side. All the north side of this country is safe and booming. Hay m ill be a little short, but there is not a solitary grain-field that is a failure. W. L. Pr.ither, near Linden, speaks very encouiagingly of the crop prospects in this sect on, and his four or five thousand sheep never did better than this year. Mi Prathor will commence shearing today. The wool is clean and of good quality, and he has been able to save at least 90 per cent, of the lambs. Grain in the Linden section was never better at the time of the year, and farmers are correspondingly jubilant. J. R. W, Hitchcock, a well-known farmer south of French Camp, s.iys the Grain on tho plains is 30 per cent, better than last year. Every farmer is confident of a fair crop, but all the above gent 1 emeu siy that Hay will be shorter than usual, although of good quality, Patrick Egan.— This gentleman is at present in the United States, and his opinions are eagerly sought after and quoted by a sensational prcsB on this couutiy. He was the Treasurer of the Lind League, and from Paiis, his headquarters, directed much of his action. After the " no rent" manifesto had been withdrawn by ihe other signatoiies, Egan issued another still more atrocious manifesto, and proclaimed war to tho knife against the British Government ar.d Irish landlords. He did so in the full consciousness that minders and other terrible crimes had followed the fiist manifesto, and that its authors, except himself, felt some remorse and shrank fiom the responsibility of staining^ the hind more deeply with blood. He caied not how many victims lie consigned to fire and sword while he kept his own precious person safe, as he took care to do from the first, and only directed the attack from a remote distance. The fact was that Eag-in collared some £30,000 or more of the huids of the organization of which he was treasurer. Having secured sufficient for himself, he resigned his office, left Paris and returned to Ireland, giving a most unsatisfactory account of his stewardship to those who had trusted in him. Whilst living in retirement in li eland cci tain revelations in connection with the recent massacres in that country were made to tht authorities, showing Eg.m's complicity in those outrages. His residence was accordingly watched by detectives ; but he was equal to the occ.ision. He protended to be very sick, and was daily visited by Doctor Kenny and a priest. Finally, he eluded the vigilance of the detectives and effected his escape by a stratagem. He saw the toils being drawn more closely around him, and he contrived to slip through them in good time. The priest and the doctor paved his neck so far, and Mr Charles Steward Parnell and his party may still congratulate themselves that they have a fitting representative of their cause in America, where they count on continued contributions to the Assassin's Fund. — S.F. Ncios Letter.

Ten> t y.so>* smokes American navy plug tobacco. And we suppose— we haven't seen it in print, but we just infer — that Mrs. Tennyson sleeps with a clothespin on her nose.

Occasioxallly the emotions produce magical results — as, for example, when fear makes the stoutest heart quail, which is not making game of fright, either. A Starting Discovery. — A rather sad affair took place iv one of our streets the other day. A young lady with her arms full of bundles emerged from a dry goods store, when oue of them fell on the sidewalk without her noticing it. Stust behind her was a young man, and^jA Belfast young man who is not polite not anything, and he quickly stepped forward to pick it up. Now a bundle done up in a piece of paper with a dry goods advertisement on it is apparently as harmless as a mother's spanking, and there it lay as guileless as an angle- worm on a side- work after a rain. Just as he stooped to pick it up there was a rustling of the paper, the twist began to come out of the ends, and in another instant a bright red thin*, a sort of a cross between a balloon and a devil-fish flew into' the air before his eyes, and a number ten, 36 inches, double-jointed, duplex, elliptic, steel-bowed, bustle-attachmeut, dollar-and-a-half red headed hoopskirt waltzed around and gyrated and opened and shut up and fell on the walk as flat and thin as a restaurant pie ; and the the young man straightened himself up, looking aa if he wished the tail of comet No. 2 would sweep him from this fair land j and the young lady ca-ne back, with a face that resembled a sunset on a fifty-cent chromo ; and she picke.i up the wire contrivance and then she went toward the east and he went towards the west, and the sun ducked his head behind a cloud and laughed, and doubled themselvea u,p in a , manner that would have made a mess of green apples hang their heads in shame, — American Paper.