The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4356, 1 August 1871, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON URO. If I hare been extinguished, jet there riie A thousand beacons from the *p»rk I bore.

TUESDAY, AUGUST \ t 1871.

We recently drew attention to the report of 3Mr. Paley, the Inspector of Lunatic Asylums in Victoria, on the subject of lunacy, and to the different conclusions at which he arrives, as compared with the sentiments ordinarily entertained on the subject. He seems to prove that there is even less lunacy in Victoria, and we may assume in the colonies, than iv England, proportionately to population; and he essays to establish, though «n much less satisfactory and sufficient data, that but a very small proportion; of that lunacy can be traced to excessive indulgence in intoxicating drinks. Mr f Paley is not content with running thus far in opposition to established belief, Hut he takes up the subject of inebriate asylums, and speaks of their operation in a most depreciatory tone. He is nq>ti> opposed to the wisdom, of these insti-' tutions when used by those who voluuarily^'enter them, an 4 .willingly remain

there ftr their own cure j but he>gives as his opinion, founded onjthree "years' experience of the working of the compulsory restraint of)- inebriates, {hat the results are ; wholly other fihan: satisfactory. He has found that when such persons < have bee,n . skept sin confine merit for' an extended period f the^ invariably resent their confinement as cruelty, become morose and irritable and desponding, and ar& more inclined than others to rush again into excesses on the first opportunity. There cannot be a doubt that, such is a likely result of forced restraint" of tiny kind ; and if the inebriate so restrained .retained his, love of /strong liquors to' tfie iastjiwid left the asylum filled with resentment againstthosewhohadbeenlabouringwith some degree of cruelty in manner f»r his moral reformation, that the opportunity would be seized for taking a species of revenge on his would-be reformers by rushing into excess. But so far as we can judge of the principles of the American institutions, there is an effort to enlist the voluntary action of the patient in his own cure, and everything in connection with such institutions is calculated to impart the most pleasing and wholesome impressions to the mind. If inebriate asylums were formed on the principle evidently contemplated by Mr. Paley, viz,, that of rigorous and inflexible incarceration, no other results than those indicated by him could be expected. But if there is an effort made to infuse a, better spirit into the reformed drunkard in the room of the demon expelled, and if his mind as well as his body is operated upon during the term of his stay in the asylum, it is difficult to believe that if his physical taste for strong drinks has been destroyed, as it is alleged it can be, he will deliberately and voluntarily subject himself again to the slavery of the debasing vice. It is quite reasonable to suppose that Mr. Paley's experiences of such a reformatory institution as known in "Victoria incline him to proneunce againit asylums for the inebriate ; but the practical proofs furnished by the success of Binghampton and other similar establishments in the United States are conclusive against any amount of theorising. The remarks of Mr. Paley with reference to dipsomania are sound and deserving of attention. He admits that there is such a disease, but he denounces the ha^it of calling any case of wilful and deliberate drunkenness by the name of dipsomania. He holds that such a practice tends to make men excuse their gratification of a degrading passon. j and that telling men that their bad propensity is uncontrollable has a tendency to cause them to make no effort to control it. He does, however, admit the existence of such a disease as dipsomania, regarding which he uses the following words : That there is such a disease admits of no doubt; for, though it may often be hard to separate the malady from the vice, its typical features are distinct. A man born with a transmitted disposition, if not to insanity, at least to nervous disorders, has sudden and uncontrollable paroxysms of drinking, separated of ten by intervals during which he looks back on his fall with horror and remorse. He will do anything to ward off a renewed attack of the impulse. The craving is not the result of indulgence— not an acquired habit, as in the ordinary inebriate. With scarcely any rise and progress it comes on capricieusly, sometimes in very early youth. Complete abstinence, aided by everything that can strengthen the voluntary power of self-control, is the only remedy. But, out of the number of cases admitted to the Melbourne Asylum, only two could be assigned to this form of mental disease.

Fuller details have come to hand with respect to the projected Darien canal, from which it ■would appear that the completion of this most interesting and important undertaking may be much nearer than has been supposed. It appears from the report of Commander Selfridge, the leader of the Darien expedition, that, with a cutting of fifty miles through country presenting not one engineering difficulty, the largest vessels will be enabled to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. At the point selected for the future site of the canal, the distance from sea to sea is considerably longer than in most if not all the portions of Central America to which attention has hitherto been directed as presenting % place for the transit of overland traffic. It is of course muck greater than the short space traversed by the Panama railway, and even greater than the route so often contemplated via Lake Nicaragua. But as a countervailing advantage ther* is a great extent of river navigation, the Atrato river on the one side being navigable for the largest ships afloat, and the Cacurien on, the Pacific side being navigable for twelve miles of its course. The intervening distance is but fifty miles, and throughout the whole length there does not seem to be one engineering difficulty of any importance. Thei*e is abundance of water for a lock canal, but the recommendation of the leader of the surveying party is strongly in favour of an open canal, the feasibility of which he vouches for. The foundation of the hills that require excavation has been found to be of soft earth, very easily worked, and the report is altogether of the most encouraging character; respecting the facility with which the work can be performed. The surveys have not yet been completed, especially on the Pacific side, and explorations are being continuously made to see if even an easier deviation may not be found on the basis of the navigation of the two rivers before mentioned. So far as harbour accommodation is concerned, it appears that everything that could be desired has been obtained at the mouths of the two rivers, and the completion *of the work is now a question of money. . As the project has been taken up with, characteristic spirit in the United States, we really appear Warranted in expecting that this singular and important, work will be/ accomplished within a few years, and that, without passing by the circuitous and stormy routes of the Horn and the 'f Cape of Storms," vessels will' be enabled to pass continuously from Eng4and r to, her Southern "dependencies, the greater portion, ljai l% tie' VYPJllge ' Dling' through tropical ßea^-The/value of this important undertaking^ 'jfo „tracle_ and

commerce in these seas cannot be overestimated, and viewing the special beariig that it must have on the position and prospects of New Zealand every information respecting the progress of the Darien canal must be invested to us with surpassing interest.

We understand that his Honor the Superintendent will leave Auckland for the South | to-day by the s.s. ' Wellington.' This early departure for the Southern ports has no doubt been caused by the sudden decease of his father, who died in Otago, at the advanced age of 7Q years, from, we believe, inflammation of the lungs. Mr. Joseph May, r who .was , fleputy-Superintendent during, Mr. Gillies' absence' at the General Assembly last session, will occupy the same position this year, and is expected to commence his duties to-day. Our Thames correspondent says:— "The carelessness or something worse that has left the Thames without commonly decent harbour accommodation is beginning to bear bitter fruits, of which the first crop is ripe and about to be gathered in. A week or two ago I notified to you that, owing to the bad weather, and want of harbour accommodation, several coal-laden vessels— part of the fleet of regular traders between this place and the Bay of Islands— were unable to land their cargoes, and that a dearth of coal was threatened in consequence. Quite a fortnight was lost by these craft, which have not yet had time to put in another appearance with more coal, whilst that which they brought is so nearly spent that several crushing machines, and two or three ef the deep-min« engines, will have to stop if a fresh supply does not arrive in a clay or two. A few have already ceased work, the Imperial Crown Company and the Criterion and Herald machines, and Brissenden and _ Masters's pyrites machine, being"amongst' the number. The probability of the Tookey • Company having to stop is openly spoken about, and also the pooaibility of the Caledonian Company's machine having to be put on short allowance for a day or two. In short, a serious loss is threatened to the Thames community, and also to that of Auckland as well, and all for the want of a judicious expenditure of a few hundred pounds in the construction of a mooring place off Grahamstown hard. A scarcity of coal at the Thames means a decrease in the yield of gold, and the throwing hundreds of men out of employment. The dissatisfaction here is wide-spread, and is exciting a very bitter feeling of discontent against the provincial authorities." His Worship the Mayor, and J. Ritchie, Esq., were the presiding Magistrates at the Police Court yesterday. The highway lobbery case, which was adjourned from Saturday, came on for hearing. The facts, as published in some of our contemporaries, and as currently reported, gave the case a most serious appearance, and in fact were of a nature to cause considerable alarm in the minda of the public, who could come to no other conclusion than that a mo t daring robbery hid been committed by two hardened ruffians in one of our moat crowded streets at nine o'clock in the evening, and that it was attended with brutal violence. There appeared to be some doubt regarding the truth, of the alleged robbery at the time of the arrest, and we therefore refrained from giving publicity to any unconfirmed particulars until the matter had besn investigated by the Court. The real facts, as published in our police report, put quite a different aspect on the affair. The prosecutor adhered to his former statement, that he had been robbed and assaulted by the persons charged ; but the evidence of Mr. Winter, a gentleman who was an eye-witness to the whole affair, was to the effect that the two young men, for exercising feelings of humanity in trying to dissuade the prosecutor from continuing to brutally ill-treat a poor horse, were assaulted by him, and afterwards apprehended and kept in prison on a charge of having committed a highway robbery with violence. There were several witnesses to corroborate Mr. Winter's testimony, but the Bench did not think it necessary to call them. It is amusing sometimes to note how anything unusual sets quidnuncs agape. A species of curiosity amounting almost to anxiety appears to be felt respecting a device placed over certain stables recently erected in Jermyn-street. Persons that have never seen much beyond the brass-plate emblems of fire insurance companies have been puzzling their heads with the "strange device," and we have heard that some wiseacre has started the idea that it is the crest assumed by the proprietor of the stables. To allay the anxiety that seems to be felt at this innovation on colonial usages, and to show that it is no subtile device to undermine democratic institutions, we hasten to afford the information that the device refers to ■fcHe properties of tKe peculiar snbstance employed in the construction of the stables — concrete; and is intended to show its power of resistance to fira. It represents St. Michael overcoming the archfiend, who is depicted as belching forth flames which will be extinguished by the destruction of the enemy. The simile lies in the fact that, as the force of fire is overcome in the one case, so by the employment of concrete in the construction of the stable are its destructive qualities rendered powerless. The device is a simple and appropriate one, and, having reference to the material which the proprietor has so laboured to popularise, is as applicable as if affixed to the walls of a mansion. A supplementary list of persons entitled to receive New Zealand war medals has been gazetted. Whanganui has petitioned for Municipal privileges under the Corporations Act, 1867. The Wanganui Herald thus refers to the death of Captain Taylor, reported i* our yesterday's issue: — "Captain Taylor was one of the oldest settlers in Whanganui — one of its fathers, and one, more than most others, who helped to make it a place of trade and importance. It is now more than twenty- seven years since he first came up the river with his little vessel, and commenced trading between Whanganui and Wellington, both of them small places enough then — the former, indeed, but a few raupo whares. How keen Captain Taylors interest was in the growth of the township — and how the firm of Taylor and Watt helped on many a settler, and led ' the van in improvements— is not so well known by new-comers as it deserves to be. Little or no business has been done in town to-day. Banks and other offices have been partially closed, and the shutters have not been taken off the windows of the stores." It is notified in a New Zealand Gazette issued on July 17 that Mr. James Tannock Mackelvie and Mr. Andrew Wardrop retired from the firm of Brown, Campbell, and Co. on tho 30th June, 1871. Return of sick treated in the Provincial Hospital during the week ending Saturday, July 29, 1871 :— Remained last return, 66 ; admitted since, 10 j discharged, 3 ; died, 0 ; remaining, 73 (males, i 60; females, 13). Arrangement of cases : Scrofula, 2 ; cancer, j 1 ; phthisis, 9 ; rheumatism, 5 ; lunacy, 2 ; ophthalmia, 2 ; amaurosis, 2 ; epilepsy, 2 ; paralysis, 10 ; pleurisy, 1 ; bronchitis, 7 ; heart disease, 1 ; aneurism, 1 ; dyspepsia, 1 ; albuminuria, 2; abscess and ulcer, 8; wounds and contusions, 4; fracture, 1; anchylosis, 1 j necrosis, 1 ; whitlow, 1 ; fistula, 1 ; miscarriage, 1 ; cutaneous, 1 ; debility, 6. Bronchitis cases are prevalent in the Old Men's Refuge, and at the stockade. Supplies of old linen, from Mrs. McElwain and Mrs. Brassey are acknowledged with thanks. ' To the Editor : Sir,— Through your courtesy allow me to say to, f Bojly Plum " that I have survived her, last aplenetio effusion,and willingly leave her in possession of what she considers ker own mission, ? and be sorry to vie with her_iujHclj!.exuJtation,— l. am, *c, OW> Pjuowoai*

The pionthly meeting of the Auckland Institute was held last night. Arrangements have been made for tpening the Museum on Wednesday evenings to nine o'clock, thus affording an opportunity of working men attending. Arrangements are in progress for giving a series of pdpular lectures on various subjects in the same place. It will be seen by the list of donations to the library that Captain Hutton has made a most valuable present in books and a sot of chemical appaiatus. The forthcoming bazaar in aid of the Choral Society will be a great success, if we may judge' from the interest that is being taken in the preparation of articles for exhibition. We were shown yesterday a beautiful work of art executed by Mr. E. B. Dickson for the bazaar. The whole of the scripture text of Psalm cl. is illuminated on paper, and its execution leaves the impress of a skilful artist, although it was a pity vellum was not employed, as it would have shown the artist's skill to better advantage, and given the whole work a more finished appearance than it is possible to obtain on paper. As it is intended to to exhibit the illumination at Mr. Wayte's stationery shop to-day and to-morrow, those desirous «f seeing it before it is forwarded to the bazaar will have an opportunity of doing so. The s.s ' Lord Ashley will take her departure for Southern ports from this harbour on Saturday evening next. John Lockwood, settler, Wakefield-street, late of the Robert Burns Hotel, Union-street, has filed a declaration of insolvency in the Supreme Court. A meeting of the members and others interested in the Total Abstinence Society is advertised to be held this evening at halfpast seven o'clock. The meeting is to be held in the Young Men's Christian Association Booms. The public trial of Thomson's road steamer, of whose performances we have several times taken notice, is to take place on Thursday at noon. The line of route will be from Fort-street round by Shortland-street and Grey-street, thence up Wakefield-street to Symonds-street, and down Upper Queenstreet to the point of departure. Drivers of horses and vehicles are warned to keep out of the line of march, the full details of which will beseen in our advertising columns, between the hours of twelve and two o'clock. Intelligence had been received from Wellington that the convictions in the Arms Act cases, obtained during the last criminal session of the Supreme Court, were confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The prisoners convicted will consequently undergo the sentences passed upon them, and of course all previous convictions under the x\.ct will stand good. A first meeting of creditors in the estate of Charles Grey, confectioner, Auckland, was to have been held at the office of the Provisional Trustee yesterday, but no creditors attended and the meeting stands adjourned for a week. The Napier Telegraph, referring to the opening of the road from Auckland to, Cambridge, says: — "The Ngatiraukawas have, till quite recently, been the firmest opposers of the progress of European civilisation within the districts over which they could exert their influence. In this determination they have been firmly supported by the Waikato tribe, who, we may presume, regard an hostile attitude towards us as a point of honour. Adjoining the country of the Ngatiraukawas lies that of the Taupo natives, whose principal chief Poihipi has been for so many years our friend and ally. To any one unacquainted with Mr. McLeans method of dealing with the natives, it may appear strange that a tribe, such as the Ngahrauka was, thus placed as it were between two tribes holding opposite opinions with regard to Europeans, should, after siding for so long a period with the hostile party, I turn suddenly round, and, abandoning their friends the Waikacoa, adopt the sentiments of those whom they previously considered , their enemies. Those, however, who have had opportunities of watching Mr. McLean while conducting a negotiation with the Maoris can well understand why success almost invariably attends him. The whole secret lies in his system of appealing to their intelligence., and in leaving them undisturbed to discus 3 the proposals he may have made them. For some time past there has been a small but gradually increasing party amongst the- Ngatitaukawas, who have been in favour of opening their country to Europeans. This party has at length leavened the whole, and now, by having simply allowed the tribe time to think over and to discuss the question, they have come to the conclusion that there are greater advantages to be derived from a connection with feus than with their old friends the Waikatos." What may happen where drunken Ministers are tolerated is shown by the following sketch from the Pall Mall Gazette of March 28 :—": — " There was a tremendous hubbub in the Rue cl© Jerusalem yesterday evening, which arose, as I learned on inquiry, from the fact «f the Prefect of Police being in a state of inebriety, or, rather, rabid intoxication. Some of the National Guards on duty declared that his Excellency (sic) was indulging in freaks which called for immediate interference, for the fellow's liquor had gone against the grain, and he was issuing orders for the arrest of his friends, and among them several members of the Central Committee; and the Civic Guard was seriously alarmed for the safety of the Government. The prefect is a man of great physical force, having been engaged before his elevation to his present dignity in carrying bars of iron at a foundry, a calling which gave him more strength of muscle than brain. A long consultation having been held, a few intrepid warriors ascended the stairs of the Prefecture, and after a horrible overture of violent oaths and broken furniture the monster was secured and dragged by the heels from his sanctum. Being a man of colossal size, it took half a dozen National Guards to remove him, and his struggles on the stairs were exceedingly creditable to his early tiaining. He flung his long red hair about like a mane, and his large blue eyea rolled furiously. While a cab was being sought for the accommodation of this jovial functionary he was confined in a room on the ground floor, and, horrible to relate, when a fiacre was captured it was found that his Excellency had improved the shining hour to undress himself. Needless would it be to relate the time that was wasted and the struggle which ensued while the prefect was being forced into his clothes, and, finally, bellowing like a mad bull, bundled into the cab in attendance The National Guards on duty endeavoured to present arms, but their state was only a few shades less deplorable than that of the gentleman who was being carted home to Montrouge roaring like a wild beast. As the fiacre was driving off, the Prefect forced his head out of the window and shouted lustily for his insignia of office, and was somewhat appeased on getting his portfolio, scarf of office, and a swallow-tailed coat. The vehicle, as it disappeared in the distance, swayed from side to side, probably with fresh efforts made by his Excellency to escape,"

The Broad Arrow says :— "Her Majesty's Emigra ion Comuiissioners, having been desired by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make known some changes which have been made in the regulations under which privileges are granted to Military and Naval officers in the acquisition of land in certain colonies," have issued an intimation that the privileges in the acquisition of land heretofore offered to Naval and Military officers settling in Ceylon or Newfoundland will,for the future, be discontinued. The only colonies which continue to offer such privileges are British Gambia, Natal, and Western Australia. In all, the formal grant for the land an officer may select shall be retained for two years; and before it is issued he will be required to show — in British Columbia, that he or his family hare resided continuously on the land for two years, and have built a house and made improvements—in Natal, that he has resided on the land not less than six months in each of the two yews, bw built

and^jf|?m building! to the salisf||||ptt Sffigfi 16 Surveyor • General, and 1»S cultivated or stocked the land in such a way as to show a bond, fide intention to settle— iv Western Australia, that he has resided, on the land for at least half of the two years, and has made substantial and useful improvements to the extent of at I least 10s. an acre. Notwithstanding the foregoing announcement, we have ieason to believe that the New Zealand Government are about to resume the system of making grants of land to military and other settlers, at least so far as the province of Auckland is concerned." I