The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3890, 9 February 1870, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

JH7CEO, NOW URO. If I have bean extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beaoo'ns from the »park I bore.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARYS, 1870.

We are working out, on a small «cale, in this country, the political problem which is being demonstrated on a large scale in the United States of America— namely, the capacity of all races for local self-government. Our population is not drawn from one country exclusively, nor is it composed of the members of a single nationality. There are representatives of every European nation in this country ; and as the capabilities of New Zealand are better known and appreciated, there can be no reason to doubt that it will become a special favourite with the adventurous classes of continental Europe as well as of the United Kingdom. There are two things, however, which at preBent_ tend to divert the stream of emigration to other shores instead of to JSTew Zealand. The first and most directly operating cause, is the length of the sea passage and the cost, as compared with the much shorter voyage and less expense, of going to any port of British America or the Atlantic States. The second and more remote cause is the distui bed state of the country, combined with the absence of inducements, in the shape of land grants, which are held out to those who may settle in Canada. There is the further consideration also, which must deter not a few, that, owing to the comparative paucity of population, there is not a certainty of ready employment for any large number of working-men, which class forms the bulk of the emigrants that leave Europe to find a better market for their labour in the new cities or territories of America But notwithstanding these drawbacks, the population of New Zealand is steadily increasing by immigration. The progress is slow, but it is nevertheless noticeable ; and it should be the policy of the Government to encourage immigration and settlement by every means in its power. A main cause of the material progress of the North American communities has been tho facilities for travelling which existed, or were created by the enterprise of the people and tho fostering care of the authorities. The groat natural highways of rivprs and lake? were early taken advantage of ; and railways and stage coaches supplied the means of travelling where water communication was not available. In this colony, the chief drawback to its developniPiit haa been the want of facilities for rapid and certain communication. Not that Nature has been less bountiful to New Zealand than to other countries. On the contrary, in point of natural advantages, we believe this country is far above the average, There are abundant navigable rivers and harbours. Nature has been prodigal in its gifts iv these respects ; but we have been slow to avail ourselves of our "water privileges," as the " Ciockmaker" would say. In noothernew country, with similar advantages, has there been less done in the way of utilising natural highways than in New Zealand Now, if we are to progress as rapidly as wo should, we must avail ourselv.es of these natural advantages. In the matter >f inland navigation, the performances :>f the ' Gemini' on the Waitemata, and the ' Bluenose and other vessels on the Waikato, are examples of what may be ione to promote the settlement and profitable occupation, of the country ; but, to be of any great service to the public at large, what has been done for the Waitemata and Waikato must be done for the Kaipara, and other rivers traversing this province. The rivers need no repairing, like roads ; and as the most fertile lauds, in the Northern districts at least, are upon the banks of navigable rivers or tidal creeks, the beneficial occupation of the country would be best promoted by encouraging steam enterprise on our inland waters. But there is another aspect in which we should regard this question, and it is that with which we set out. It will not do to look upon it purely as a local jr provincial question. We must regard it from a colonial stand-point. Every little settlement, every province, should regard itself as parts, one if another, having common, not separate or adverse interests. To create Ma state of feeling, it will, however, oe necessary to bring distant communities together by means of more direct 3omnaunication than now exists. In tshe Middle Island this has been, in »reat measure, accomplished. Highways unite the communities of Southland, Otago, and Canterbury ; and the railways, incouise of formation in these provinces, will still further tend to assimilate the views and feelings of bhe inhabitants of these rival districts. And when Nelson and Marlborough shall have been joined to the more advanced Southern provinces, by means of roads, there will be an end of provincial jealousies in the Middle Island. The problem of local selfgovernment, which we are working out in New Zealand, would be solved, so far as the Middle Island was concerned; and from the moment a community of interests were recognised throughout the South, its advance in material prosperity would be n.We rapid, and less liable to disturbing causes, than it ia at present. In the North Island, we have nothing to prevent us from at once openiug covnraunication between. Auckland and Wellington, except "the native difii- " culfcy." But, like all other difficulties, this one will be found to vanish, when we grapple with ib. We have seen how the opposition of the Hauhaus, to the ! extension of th« telegraph, along the West Coast, gave way when the Government were firm in their determination to push ou with the work. In like manner, we believe, the King party would offer no lerioua objection to

running a line of coaches between the" seat of Government and Auckland. There are no great physical obstacles to surmount ; and the fact that "the Government, about three years ago,' received proposals from private iudi-i viduals willing to incur the risk of theenterprise, on certain conditions, is a proof that even then the opposition of the natives was not thought an insuperable barrier. And, if such a thing were feasible three years ago, how much more so is it now 1 Then, the force of Titoko Waru was unbroken on the West Coast ; the power of Te Kooti had not risen to disturb us on the Bast Coast and interior ; and the King and principal adherents were unapproachable .Now, the power of Titokowaru is utterly broken, and the "West Coast settlements, whioh he devastated, are being re-occupied Te Kooti is a fugitive from our forces, if he be not at this moment in our hands ; and the King and his counsellors manifest a desire to live on friendly terms with the Europeans. The times axe favourable, therefore, for renewing this question. To unite Auckland with Wellington by a stage line, would do much towards pacifying the natives and settling the interior ; and if would, by bringingtheCook'sStraits settlements into direct contact with the North, tend \ to obliterate ill-feeling, and to do away j with local and provincial jealousies. What we see taking place in the Middle Island would happen in the North Island ; and, whilst each community would have its own local objects to promote, they would also have a common interest in the prosperity of the whole. We hope, if proposals be again made to the Government to establish a stage line between Auckland and Wellington, that they may be favourably received. Where the stage-coach goes people would go ; and before long, the native race would earn to look upon Euiopeans as their aends, and not in the light of enemies.

Home time ago we invited the attention of the authorities to the condition of the three trust estates— St. Stephen's, Parnell ; Three Kings, near Onehunga ; and St. Mary's, North Shore ; — in connection with the question of a reform*, tory for juveniles. "We had some faint ' hope that a subject of so much importance would have received a little attention from the Provincial Legislature ; but this hope has been disappointed. The Council has managed to occupy almost a month, in utterly profitless talk, of which nothing can possibly come, and this m<Kt mrpoitunfc topic, amongst others of gio.it interest to the province, has nob been dealt with. "Very possibly the present Council has its own notions of its duty • but we believe the public will not agree with honourable members in thinking that the " bald, disjointed talk," which passes current for debate in the Council, is all that might to be expected from it. Surely, it cannot be argued that the reformation of juvenile criminals is a matter of less importance to the community at large than the " payment of "members;" yet tie latter has been debated with great zeal, whilst the former has been ignored. Is it of no consequence to Auckland, and to society at large, that valuable estates, set apart for the education and maintenance of that class of children from which the ranks of the criminal army are recruited, should be left wholly unproductive ; — or if productive to a small extent, useless for the purposes of the Trust? We all know that crime is on the increase amongst the juvenile population in the city and suburbs, and the other populous districts of the province ; we all know that there are scores of homeless aud destitute children in the province, who are not criminals, simply because private charity, aided by the State, has stepped in between them aud crime ; and we all know, or should know, that thei'e are ample means wherewith to provide foy the reformation of the criminal young, and for the education of orphan and destitute children of good character, if these means were only made a proper use of. Should any member of the Council plead ignorance of these facts, he may inform himself by perusing the papers in connection with the sick and destitute fund, and the minutes of evidence taken la3t session by the Destitute ChildiWs Schools Committee. And, having read these, should he desire to enlarge his information, he may readily procure the further evidence taken before the Royal Commission on Educational Endowments. The minutes of evidence, and the Commissioners' Report, were presented to both Houses of Parliament last session, by his Excellency's command, and contain much valuable information, which it was impossible for the select committee appointed by the Council, to elioit. We are quite sure that the Superintendent, in reply to an address from the Council, would submit a copy of the first report by the Royal Commissioners, which has inference to the Auckland trust estates, and thus make it pait of the records of the Council. Indeed, the case as it stands in the blue-book is incomplete without this addition. It should be remembered that a communication from the Superintendent of Otago was transmitted to the Council, offering to take charge of the destitute children of Auckland. If Otago cau afford to provide for our destitute children, in addition to its own, there is some reason for expecting that Auckland might take its own burden on itself But Auckland does not do so. It neglects this primary duty ; and its Legislature receives a communication of the character referred to, without manifesting any feeling of humiliation which such a proposal is well calculated to create. We trust the Council will, even now, awake to a sense of its public duty. To speud its first session as it has hitherto done ia to promise little for ! the future. Even the last Council, ! with all its faults, really did initiate new measures, and resolutely tackled the abuses connected with the management of the trust estates referred to, protected as that management' vas by

the three-fold shield of clerical influence — an influence at all times great, but greater in this case, when the representatives of three powerful ecclesiastical bodies made common cause. If the, session comes to a close without action being taken in this matter, with the view to legislation in the General Assembly next session, the Council will most deservedly lose the confidence of that great body of the public.

t In the Provincial Council yestorday the ; Members Remuneration Bill -was further . considered in committee ; but tie only progress ' , made was to resolve not to reduce the diar tance of residence from town from twenty miles to seven, and then to stopprogresa, with a view to an address to the Superintendent to increase the amount payable from 10s. per sitting-day to £3 10s. a-wees, with a fine of £1 a day for non-attendance. Committee of Supply was resumed, and it occupied until 20 minutes after 11, whan an adjournment was agreed to. The section of the Estimates dealt with was "Miscellaneous ;" and nearly every item was rnide the subject of a lengthy debate. The longest debate was on the item £481 for payment to schoolteachers, for the quarter ending March 31st, 1868. The item was eventually affirmed, the Government undertaking that no payment should be made unless upon proof that the claimant had continued to teach during the March quarter. We give in another column an account of the presentation yesterday of an address by the Standing Committee, and other members of the Diocesan Synod, to the Right Rev. Dr. Cowie, at the Cathedral Library. Last night the Auckland Jockey Club Committee met at the City Club, for the purpose of handing over the prizes won at the last annual meeting. Everything passed off satisfactorily. Mr. Carleton has given notice to move the followingintheProvincial Council to-morrow : — "That, in the opinion of this Council, it would be conducive to the better transaction of public business were his Honor the Superintendent empowered by Standing Order of this Council to sit m this Council, taking part in the debates, but retiring so often as the question shall be put by Mr. Speaker." We notice by advertisement in another column that a preliminary meeting of those interested in a movement to obtain le°islative encouragement by protection to manufac- ! tunng industries will be held at Mr. Coch- [ rane s Exchange Rooms, Fort-street thia afternoon at 4 o'clock. We understand that the mam object of the meeting is to endeavour to form a manufacturers' association in this province, and to discuss the propriety ®f advocating a temporary alteration in the duties on all imports that come in competition with established industries. By an error in transcription, the Rev. Dr. Puzchas was yesteiday stated to have presented the clergy address to the Venerable Archdeacon Lloyd. The presentation was made by the Rev. Dr. Maunsell. A Provincial Government Gazette published last evening contains a notification by his Honor the Supeiintendent that the piece of land between a line drawn fioni the eastern point of Judges' Bay on the .South Shore to Depfit Point on the JSToi hh tinoie, and a line drawn due north from the western point of Judges,' Bay to the opposite shore, has been set ap.irt as a gunpowdei anchorage. The magazines at the Jlount Eden Gaol and KaiakaCieek die pioclanned public magazines, ft is notified that six applications for leases have been refused ; that eleven have been withdrawn. The Supeiintendent notifies that unless objections are lodged it as his intention to grant five other leases. The public pound, Otahuhu, is changed to the sale yards of Messrs. Carey, Gilles, Hunter, and Co. Mi-. A. Jervis has been appointed poundkeeper at Otahuhu, and a list of the charges is published. An application by Mr. Kilgour for a renewal of his private slaughterhouse is notified ; also the names of trustees of the Kirikinroa and the Whangaroa districts. Mr. T. B. Hannaford is appointed collector for the Omaha district ; Mr. J. W. Diddams, collector for the Devonport Hall Board. Mr. S. Cochrane notifies that a public pound has been established on allotment No. 18a, section 2, Parish of lakapuna. The Gazette also containb four applications to register companies, and tlie balancesheets of nineteen companies. " M P.O. writes to us : "On the Turnpike , Question" He says: — "I should say it could be beneficially reduced, but not (lone away with, in the present state of the country. Because the keeping of any general road of traffic in repair would be too heavy on the thin-populated district, whose lands are mostly pastoral, and occupied as building sites ; nor for business depending on the traffic of the road. Also carriages, carts from'towus, and goods imported or in transitu, would wear the road to a much greater expense; but would pay nothing towards its repair. The example of old countries, and their large towns, depending as they do on the amount of traffic coming into them, and whose suburbs have building sites in large groups, on account of that traffic does not accord with the state of a new country, in winch the pursuits are mostly pastoral, and to whom the roads might be of use, but not the traffic on the roads. Nay. roads are demanded to be made eonlinually with a view of bringing traffic to assist in payingthe heavy rate already pressing on the pastoral lands. But it would be a better equalisation of used up road if one payment satisfied the whole day. A person situated then near town might go twice, and then would use less road than one from a distance. The actual quantity of road used by the users exactly accords with the Customs, whichfalls in exact consumption portion of every one consumer. If this were taken off, the selfdenying economiser and the poor man, although paying only a percentage portion on capital, would nevertheless be paying for duty upon articles and quantities used only by the more rich. The pressure both on persons and property in d new country just emerging from a wild state does not admit (with its scattered population) the same free trade principles of taxation. Because a new country is always rated on expectancy, above its producing value ; but man old country below its producing value, being taken on an average ot years gone by. While the lower rate of wages in and water transport from an old country are both much less burdensome on capital than wages and road traffic in any new country. Both the Turnpipe Tax and the Customs Tax, which in my opinion, if levied in fair proportions, are the fairest in practical operation, would, if entirely removed, destroy the principle of minor proportions, and be infinitely more heavy on the self-denying and i> dustrious settler, while it would become a large relief to the greater and richer consumer. The advocates of free Lrade, like Mr. Bright, aimed at a reduction of the staple in favour o£ their home manufacture, to enable them, to make a profit in their own case, and to compete in the markets of foreign countries, where food and labour were cheaper. But in a new country both food andlabour are dearer, and, as they introduce no staple nor export any manufactures, the relief of Customs or road tax would throw the burden from the capital of the consumer on the primitive and food-producing capital of the industrious labouring population. Therefore there should be a general producing road rate by users of the road, and a general Customs Tax upon consumers, both of which would adjust themselves to demand. Aud therefore also there should always be a slight pressure on imported manufactures, but not on staple. Supposing a duty existed on articles of common, consumption, as the imported article still be cheaper than the produce of home labour, the labour class would bear such pressure, while the greatsr consumption of high-priced goods would be properly confined to the richer capitalist, for whom the importation was made." ' A dividend of 3s. per share will be payable on Eriday, at noon, to shareholders in the All Nation* Golc|mining Company. '

,To, the Editor , of- the .Daemt- $Pjra?HEßi{ Cross. —Sir, —J.'have to.ejcpi-ess my acfenowl ledgmenta for, the prominence which ypugave to my letter in your issue of Saturday, but, aqi the heading "Education' without religion, " if as omitted, the letter would Jbe c phacure,' at least the first sentence. I observe that you' qualify your remarks upoa it by the expresj sion, "if we understand him aright. '** I therefore beg to explain that you stretch my reference {which was only cautionary) to the Prussian compulsory system, much further than 1 intended or the reference will justify. London, and other large towns' may be very bad, but there is ,a measure pf light and truth, there which I fear can hardly be found , in Berlin. Iby no means implied that " Broadhead must be a product of the denominational system." But I agree with " Clericus," that there are certain great' "facts *' of Christian doctrine common to all denominations, Roman Catholic as well as Protestant, which shine out far beyond any sectarian differences. If these were fixed upon as the basis of our public education, it would form a bond of union without compromising principle, and it could not then be stigmatised as sectarian. There are several examples of various denominations thus joining in a common work, so that the principle is not new or untried. If sectarianism is so unmanageable that it will yield nothing to secure an inculcation of fundamental truth to the young, the great enemy has sown tares in the field with sad effect — conquering by dividing ; but I am loth to judge so hardly of it till an attempt ia made. I did not say anything about the Bible being a "class book," but that is a very different thing from excluding it altogether. The Bible is the only source of light and truth, and the only instructor of duty, social or religious. If we are going to put it under a bushel, whence shall we obtain light ? I hope you will not deem these reckless assertions, but words of truth and soberness. — I am, &c. An Old Teacher (not Britisher). Mr. Crombie announces that, as it has been found impossible to meet the demands for his t view of the fleet, copies can be forwarded to such as desire it. The annual meeting of members of the Mechanics' Institute will be held in the Hall on Wednesday, the 23rd instant, at seven o'clock p.m. Meetings of creditors in the estates of Cunningham and Coleman were convened for twelve o'clock yesterday, at the Supreme Court ; but, none of the creditors putting in an appearance at that hour, the meetings were adjourned till next Tuesday, at the same time and place. In Parnell the Highway Boai'd are actively putting the main street into shape, the operations of forming the footpaths and laying kerbstones being pushed forward vigorously. It is announced in our advertising columns, that Thomas Kelly, of Cook-street, grocer, has filed a schedule of inability to meet engagements with his creditors. James Brand Hannah has been adjudged a bankrupt, and the first meeting of creditors is convened to be held on February loth, at noon. Another case of bolting occurred yesterday afternoon in Queen-street. A horse and cart belonging to a settler residing at Epsom had been left for a few moments by the owner, when the horse started off at a furious rate, but, in turning up Wakefield-sfcreet, was most clevei ly and pluckily stopped by a seaman named James Bairy. A constable subsequently took charge of the runaway. The opening of the Victorian Mining Museum wag a notable event. The ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of Mines and other members of the Ministry, the Judges, the membei s of both Houses of the Legislature, and gentlemen interested m mineral science. Mr Brough Smith in his opening address stated that there are over 4,000 groups of specimens in the mining department, and the facts connected with each ai-8 preserved by the aid of a numbered card attached to them, referring to a catalogue. Mr. Smith says: — "In order to test practically the theories of those geologists who maintain that quartz veins decrease in productiveness m a ratio with the depth from the surface, I caused to be collected in all parts of the colony blocks of quartz from the veins. From the descriptions in the catalogues you will observe that each block is carefully desciibed ; its obvious physical characteristics are noted, tlie piopoitiou of sulphides in it, the yield of gold per ton, the depth from the suiface at which it was obtained, the depth of the water-line, and the thickness of the reef, are given on the : authority of the mine- owners. All the facts are plainly and clearly stated, and tlie result has been to prove beyond doubt that reefs do not as a rule decrease in richness with the increase of the depth from the surface." Amongst the specimens were seveial from the New Zealand mines. The Melbourne Chamber of Commerce appear to haA'e adopted a resolution m favour of a system of free assisted immigration. The Melbourne Clas and Coke Company have declared a, dividend of S per cent. The indefatigable Roman Catholic clergyman of Shortland, the Rev. Father Nivard, has, notwithstanding the depression of the times, erected a substantial and roomy schoolroom on the allotments opposite the church in Willoughby-street. A horse attached to a dray took fright on Monday at some object near the Kiiaka tramway, opposite Vickery's machine, and started off at a rapid pace across the rails and through a number of people. The horse ran over a tent, knocking it to the ground, and finally upset himself and the dray into a hole. A boy who was in the dray had a very narrow escape from being killed. He was j thrown out of the dray a few moments before I it upset. Rascaldom ia rapidly on the increase in Melbourne. Every clay the papers are full of complaints cf outrages committed upon females, and of the inadequacy of the police to afford protection. The An/us says :—: — " There is a large mass of juvenile savagely, forming a flourishing nursery, from which the more advanced institution receives its accessions of strength. Reformatory schools have done little to check this nursery of savagery. The comparative freedom from parental control, the early age at which the colonial boy begins to earn money, and so virtually to relieve himself of the discipline of home supervision, necessarily occasion in him an offensive defiance of authority, and a demonstrative exercise of self-will. The colonial boy sees that the rough is paramount in his savage domination, and he yearns for the period when he too shall possess the power of enlarging the scope of his operations. There is no hope, therefore, that the Rough is in process of extinction. Ho bids fair to be an institution, like the bravo, the brigand, or the bushranger, but with none of the picturesqueneas of these. He represents a difficult problem in sociology, and that man would be a real philanthropist who could devise a scheme for exterminating him." Recent statistics show that in New South Wales, "of the 1.000 persons, more or less, annually .apprehended on charges of felony, larceny, assaults, and other offences, and tried before the superior Courts, from 600 to 700 were sentenced to undergo punishments in gaol, for periods of longer or shorter duration. This amounts to about one person in every 625 of the population. Beyond this, it was ascertained that there were, in ISOB, 11,727 summary punishments inflicted upon males and -females, on account of offences committed against the person, against property, or for disorderly conduct arising from drunkenness. This, which is a great increase on 1867, amounts to one person in every 37 of the population, or thereabouts." These numbers are said to be unsatisfactory compared with the expenditure on education. Thre6 bushels of sifted coal-ashes mixed with two of gas lime and made into stiff i mortar with gas tar, spread on a level bed of small stones, well rammed down, produce a good pavement for a stable. An East Indian journalist says it must be a happy thought to a lover that his blood and that of his sweetheart mingle in the aame-^-mosquito!

fi , Fdot-^ndiXaoutK disease "is ■ a light Initieij 1 among stirks r and lean ( cattle — they will he little, if any,- the worse for it ; but it ia very serious amongst *hejayy feeding cattle and nrilch cows. 'If fat r cattle are attacked, they •hould have their turnips Sliced, \vdtl*,crnaned bil cake and meal. There is no' treatment of any avail in the fever stages. When ilia fever is gone, there will be a beast or twa out of a lot whose feet will require attention.' The horn of the hoof gets loosened from the flesh. The animal may be required to be thrown, and the dead horn cut away. 11l must be remembered that it will never attach itself a<pin. The veterinary surgeon should generally perform the operation, unless the owner is skilful himself. Cows require great attention. The disease seats itself in their udders, and unless they are most carefully milked out they may be rendered useless as milkers — losing one, two, or even all the quarters of the udder. The foot and mouth disease is very infectious. I recollect having carried it home from a neighbouring farm, by merely handling a bull which was down with the disease. I came straight home, and handled the first beast opposite the door in one of my own byres ; in three days he was seized with the complaint ; and in two or three days thereafter nearly every beast through the steading was down in it. Out of forty fat , cattle thirty- eight had it, only two escaping. Upon 'inquiry I found that one of them had had it before. I lost from £4 to £5 of condition on an average of every one of the thirty-eight. From the same farm and at the same time a veterinary surgeon had been called in. He went straight to another farm six miles distant, and in a few days every animal there was seized with the same complaint. It is the general belief that an animal will not take the foot-and-mouth disease twice. This is a mistake. I have a cow that took it twice, but there was seven years between the attacks. — Cattle and Cattle Breeders, by W. McCombie, M.P. I saw a capital dodge here the other day for tying up a watch dog on the premises of an English engineer engaged on the railway, which had lately been entered and a large robbery committed, and which, as I have never seen it in England or elsewhere, I fancy may give a hint to some of your English readers. Instead of tying a dog with the usual length of chain to his kennel, a piece of ordinary telegraph wire was stretched across the yard for about 100 ft. in length, and about 3ft or 4ft. from the ground : at the end of the chain was a ring of 3in. in diameter, and through this ring the wire passed. The dog had therefore the run of the wholelengthof the wire — the ringof course travelling easily alongthe wire, which couldbe attached at one end to the kennel ; the other end made fast to a post, tree, wall, entrance gate, or anywhere, in fact, clear of an obstacle. The plan struck me as having so many advantages, that I thought it worth perhaps communicating, not one of the leaat of which is the humanity to the animal itself. Instead of being limited to the usual 6ft. of chain, as in the case of most watch dogs tied up from week's end to week's end, here he can have a good scamper up and down for any length you like to fix the wire, and still be safely chained-up to all intents and pur- j poses (shun proximity to the wire, howevei-, as you would to that of a spring gun). Another advantage is, the further end of the wire can be shifted at night to guard or cover the front or back of a house, a gate, door, or window. The fact, too, of seeing a dog rushing towards him for such a length as 100 ft. would be sufficient of itself to strike terror to an evil-doer, who would not be likely to wait to ascertain the kind of fastening, or, in fact, dream the dog was fastened at all. I know in my own case, where my intentions were strictly honest, I stepped back sharply when I saw the animal in question coming full swing in my direction ; for the end of the wire was led near to the end of the gate I entered by, though, the kennel was at the bottom of the yard. It was in the daytime too, so of course I soon saw the whole thing, and 1 must confess it Struck me as a "capital dodge.-"— Ohas. - Edwd. Read, C.E. (Poti and Tiffis Railway Company, Caucasus. ) — Field. A Nottinghamshire clergyman writes to Notest and Queries that in some villages it is the custom, on the death of the master of a family, not only to inform the bees of the death, but to give them a bit of the funeral cake and beer sweetened with sugar. The bees die if not told of their master's death.