THE Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4742, 5 November 1872, Page 2

THE Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NCW URO. If I have been extinguished, jet tlicre rise A thousand bcacoiib from the^uik I bore.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 18?2. It is to be regretted on many grounds that the Hon. E. W. Stafford, before finally concluding to bid a long farewell to the colony, did not avail himself of the generous offer of the new Government to test the feelings of the House directly on the subject of a dissolution. He was, perhaps, unduly sensitive in his anxiety to spare himself the pain of witnessing the humiliation of the countiy. Bat no doubt the member for Timaru was much of the same opinion as ourselves as to what the result of such an experiment would have been, and, though he would fain have climbed, he feared to fall. Still we regret that the attempt was not made. It would have been edifying to have ascertained who the parties are that; are said to be so desirous of being sent; back again to their constituents. We have heard a good deal of vapouring on this subject within the past few days ! Some of the more demonstrative of the leaders of the defunct Government it is known had been in the; habit of declaring that there was; a strong desire on the part of the " House " to go once more -before the' country, and to have the whole question, not of the policy that should be pursued, but of the men that were to, rule, definitely fought out before the' electors/ The same tale is being industriously circulated, we find, by some of. the members returned from Wellington. '■ These gentlemen are quite certain that the spirit of sacrifice aud patriotism ran so high among their party that had bhe opportunity been afforded them every representative would have voted for a dissolution, with the certain prospect of securiug a victory. But such was their moderation that they forebore the advantage held out to them. They declined > to t take, the Hpii., the Colonial Treasurer &p his word, deferring the exhibition of their prowess to a more convenient , opportunity. Such inconsiderateness ought not to go unreward.ed; and it is to, be laoped thafc^if tine otner side should ever be so for- ; tu'riaie 'as to have the refusal in ! ,,their ! hands of "a similar • advantage, ithey will ' not forget , to imi* itate at some humble, distance this, ' Bright "example of party disinterestedness. * Th'e&e are &6wever .very harmless attempts ■ at throwing dust in the eyes' {of the public. Tlx<? fact "is tha^. sihcei reliable; information has been obtained," it becomes a -matter of never-ending astonishment how the late ill assorted L organisation > under Mr. Stafford could' lasffjk he]d(, together .so. long^as'it.dM,'.' looking at the heterogeneb;us;:elemens, pi wmciji-.oit > was; .composed.' fxfevep< before in the^Mstoryrbf.C/oris^itu^^ (Government in-NewiZeaia^nd^ks^tber^' f°.' .W*J>JW>misuig &> i for" 'the,' organisation of r a workipg'X^'overn.itteihl; , It had not a single elenWt of stability' aboq. fr jt,' f and \o, a%,r yeer,ing, f 'to ,eyery) point of the political compass during f'*!.*soJ&»- lunar )C moi)bh,V..:it • ifinaily" iucL-umbed, Jess from the attacks of it^ opponents ihscn 'from itssown inherent w-eakiiess^-lE^dnt'th^ iiifornaatibn whicli 1

has since come to hand respecting their proceedings between the time of the unseating of the present Government and its return to office, renewed in strength and influence, it is a marrel to us th^t the state of affairs ia the froverument departments at Wei lington did not long before call forth a vigorous protest from che more reliable men on both sides of the House. The public business, it is asserted, was in a state of the most complete disorganisation. The several members of the pirtinlly-formod Government wero at sixes and sevens on every important question, and the advice of the more moderate section of their supporters, once the principals were in the saddle, was systematically disregarded. In fact thescene presented was one uninterrupted saturnalia of disorder. Of course, we are referring here to the internal disorganisation reigning within the camp of the Government. The great object among the numerous subsections into which they were cut up, and the only thing apparently they agreed upon, was to " get through " with as little delay as possible— that is, get away from under the uncomfort- | able ten of Parliament, and shut out the daylight from the interminable wranglings within the Cabinet. Now, ' what, we ask, would have been the state of the country in another 1$ months had its destinies, in the existing crisis of' its large scheme of public works, been committed to such management 1 It is, of course, just now impossible to foretell, thsugh few, we imagine, will find any difficulty in coming to their own conclusion on this subject. Yet this is the prospect which some amongst us have been commending to the admiration and approval, of their readers. It may be very well, for the mere sake of appearing in opposition to the Government, to defend a cause that is practicably indefensible ; but the notoriety acquired by such means is 'of a very unenviable description. In our judgment it is dear at any price, and the prostitution of the Press to such j purposes amongst us which it involves lis certainly greatly to be regretted. >

Last year the Provincial Council again voted a sum of money for subsidising steamers of light draught to run regularly at stated intervals between Auckland and the numerous settlements - to ~ tlie North. To some extent this provision, has been acted upon, but we fear everything has "not been done that was poßsible to meet' the expectations of the settlers and the necessities of the case. We have received various complaints on this subjeot from time to time, especially from the Kaipara district. A correspondent in our yesterday's issue points out some of the disadvantages to 1 the -prosperity of the important settlements in the Northern Wairoa in consequence of ttle uncertainty and irregularity of the communication. There can be no doubt, that our settlers in that locality, and in many other parts of the province as .well, are seriously inconvenienced from thjs cause. For years past, we have urged upon tho local authorities the necessity for making aa effort to meet the difficulty, if it were only half-way. There ought to be at least two steamers between Helensville and the settlements situated on the Upper Wairoa, and the numerous estuaries of that extensive river. This has been long talkedt of, and the promise is still held out? that when j the Kaipara liailway is completed something will be done. But our provincial authorities move very slowly in ' these matters, and , the expectations of the settlers in that part of the province have been kept painfully upon the stretch, for many years. In no other portion of j the colony ia the inland communication in a more deplorable condition. But if regular and speedy communication could be had with Helensville from the various settlements north and east of that position, it would be a relief until something caa be done to improve the connecting roads of the various districts. Aa for the completion of the Kaipara Railway, we can- see no good reason whatever for, postponing the initiation of the steam services which have been authorised by the Provincial Council until that work is completed. S&ther, these services should i -be organised without delay, in order -that i the settlers may learn in the meantime'to depend upon them, so that when the railway is ultimately opened to Biverhead. there will be established an efficient. 1 means of communication between the terminus at Helensville aad the outlying, districts of the North.

, I I 1I 1 We are glad to learn that there is evejyj probability of the Agricultural Show 1 to-! morrow being a great jauccess. The rain 1 which fell early 'yesterday morning wily' in '\ all probability secure good weather during' the continuance of the show. The entries in almost every branch have been far beyond the expectation of the committee, ,and if, ,aa we hope, the entries increase in a like ratio in following years, the time ia nofc far distant when the show will assume the appeal ance of an -Agricultural Show in the old country, and the period^ of exhibition will have to be extended over one day! !In almost every class hare the entries largely increa'secl this year, buj; <Jhe^ { committee have been equal to the occasion, and arrangemantsjiavje been 1 made accordingly. Yesterday "a long aeries of stockyards had r been, greeted, for the safe keeping' of the great cattle to be brought forward., and a long range of sheep-pens were erected for Jihe,i;epresentatives, of^theigolden fleece; J A, considerable area ,wa9. /also bjftufg enclosed for the purpose, of-keeping the spec* tators off the «heapshie«rerB'Wnen tho opera, iion - of sheep-shearing ' jbiajgjns, ' ' The exp«rience'tho 'oommlttee gained' last year", is " being, ..availed u of , this . add many defects found in the arrangements ' last ye»r;,*re being guarded against this ' season, a'nd we have evary reason to belieye thairthepublio who patfonwelihe^eTliibrtion 'this ya*r -will Mpt^fail-, ,to notice many marked improvementi. We believe that a number of exhibits of; a v bat,unexpected/ class has* bQen, received from [George Grey. Th©r-coa«Bt of a collection ;of basket iwillow*, 6 limes, ■4, citrons, ' 12 jlemons, 12 i sweel; lemons, ,12 .^eyill^oran^a, n ■together with' nampjes bf<jbeßohemerianivea, .the, plant which produces the celebrated fibre called ramie or-China grassland 3 species 1 of jbhe bamjbop. , FjrpmjaJl^fchatwe can learn the ' exhibition of local prodirctions'will Be v4fy jsreditable indeed. ,We t understand thai; oub^ ijigar ■ > man ! af»ctory t will be ' worthily r'epref ienfed.i jandn^ven^sarojjTes,^ of , wina locally" njiQUfacturea froniT.lo'callyiigroVn fruits and' •rapes will find a .plafce* iWtiM 'exbiKtira'" .isc, and w« hope alao they willibe if>f auffi*, cient m^rit; to' demand a judge's award. ! • Mr. W, A. 'Ihomson, lecturer for the | Australian. li^utuaLrProvideijt^S.ociety^ g*y« a lecture "in the' Bchool-room at Matakanag advocating ,the r mutual system,^ and (the greaf',' advantages; to' >te derived trom,ob», operation or mutuality,' The audienoe ap.' predated the subject, and many joined th« ;

Our correspondent regrets to record the death, on Saturday last, of Mr. James Smith* late managing engineer "at the Kuranui Company a battery j .and , who, some weeks ago, whilst in the discharge of bis duties, met with a serious accident, his right hg being nearly severed from the body. Atnpu tation of tiie thigh was performed, and for a time the sufferer pro^res^ed favourably, but subsequently succumbed to the shock the system had sustained, never rallied, and died as above. His remains were interred yesterday afternoon in the Shortland cemetery, anJ the funeral was numerously attended. The General Assembly, by adopting the repoit of the Joint Committee on Colonial Industries, have recommended a bonus of £5,000 for the production of the first 1,000 tons of pig iron produced in the colony from native iron ore or iron-sand. The pii;-iron is to be produced in quantities of not less than 100 tons. The bonus offered is therefore at the rate of £5 per ton of marketable pigiron produced : a price which should tempt competition. The iron ore found in the estate of the Miranda Coal Company, and analysed a short time ago, should now be in requisition. ' By erecting blast-furnaces for the reduction of the ore to a metallic state, juddling-furnaces and rolling -mills would also be established, and malleable iron could be brought into the market! The rotary mechanical puddling-machines whioh have been erected within the last year .in so many districts of Britain ' and America should tend largely to the equalisation in the former price of puddling iron, although the wages here would be somewhat higher than in old countries like Britain. The large increase in the radge r, of iron, and the extraordinary demaUpKrinch has sprung up in , so many countriesyjßt supplies, should act as a/ spur to induce" l'o^il capitalists to engage iniron manufacture, which would help to profitably employ some of that, plethora of unused capital which is now ' stated to be lying idle in our banks. Ihose interested in thoisuccesa of the annual racea and athletic sports, met 'at Hamilton's Globe Hotel, Papakura, on Saturday last, to take measures to carry out the same. Captain Clifford was voted 'to the chair. The secretary was desired to write to several gentlemen requesting them "to form a working committee ; and also, to call a meeting at the same place, for Saturday, the 9th, instant, at six "o'clock in the evening. There is little doubt that this year's races will tqualj if not excel, those of list year, which were certainly most successful. — [Correspondent.] The Prince of Wales Theatre opened last night for a short season to a very fair house, under the old* dramatic company. The comic drama, by J. M Merton, of <r Our Wife, or The Kos'e of Amiens," was presented in a more than creditable manner ; for it was admirably played, and well placed on the' stage in all respects. The scene of the events illustrated is at Amiens, and the period 1634. Tt is one of those dramas in which the cpmicjand the, .dramatic elements are so adjusted as to give great interest to the play. The 1 cast was excellent, every one of the company" taking a part ' admirably ' suited to his 1 or her particular line of acting. The afterpiece was a, laughable farce known as "The Misadventures of Podge," which sent the audience away in the best of humours, and much delighted at the first night of a new season by a very favourite con pany. Mr. Alfred King gave an entertainment at the Public Hall, JMahurangi, October 31, consisting of humorous and dramatic readings. The jjubjects chosen were "The Execution," from " Ingoldsby," "Seeing not Believing," "Early Rising," selection from Sheridan's famous comedy of "The Rivals," concluding with! ' the trial scene from the " Merchant of Venice." The audience fully appreciated' Mr. King's great ability, and the masterly way in which he rendered the several parts'at once proved to hia hearers that he was destined to become a mo3t popular /reader. t Bounds of applause" followed each selection. — [Correspondent.] We have before us the return of the proceedings of the NatiVfe Lands Court of New Zealand from the Ist July, 1871, to the 30th June, 1872. It is compiled by Judge Fenton, and printed as a Parliamentary paper. .From it we learn that there were 952 claims to land pending' from last year," and of these Auckland had do fewer, than - 626, and Wellington 178- The other 'provinces had very diminutive numbers. During the year under review' there were 289 new claims to land received by the Court, Auckland contributing 182, Wellington 95, and Hawke's Bay the remaining 12. There were 467 cases disposed ! fif during the year, 308 belonging to Auckland, and the remaining 159 belonging to the Wellington province. There were 280 cases adjourned, and at the time the return .closes, its record there wete 494 new cases pending. There have been 14 certificates ordered to issue,, but which have not been issued on account of alteration in plans, &c, and^these 14 certificates embrace an area of 122,219^ acres of; .land. ' Under clause 29 of the Act, therej have been issued 255 certificates, covering an', area of 401,509 acrea 3 roods 20 perches. ,This; is divided amongst three, provinces' as"' 1 tol-| lows -.—Auckland, 212 certificates, 326,736, acres ; Welliue;fcnn,9 certificates, 3, 93s acres ; and Hawke's Bay, 34 certificates, covering an area of 70,838 acres. In' the above we> have omitted the fractional parfcs of acres, j Interlocutory orders have been issued to the ' number of 94, for an , estimated area of 370,395 acres, thus - showing- that the total , number of acrgs ,to whjch < < tjitle , has * been ordered^ "Jjy, , the Court, iai*. For Auckland, 688,081 a. 2r. 2p.; for Weilington, 135,205 a., Or. dip,; anfliHawke's Bay, i 70,§38a. Or. ,15p,; iot across .total 'for 'the colony duringthe year/of 894,124a. .2r. 28p. Thus the extinguishment 1 of bhe* native title proceeds nearly at the rate of a million of acres a 'year, and were ifc, p,dt for 1 the', 'fee's payable upon the grants,, cost' of survey, &c, we believe the native title-would-be- extinguished much more rapidly]*/ We 'believe there are 'at the present time nearly '"a thousand Crown grants issued for natives in this province, „KufcVwhjph remain untaken up in consequence of the f eeB,&c, td pay 1 upon t*hem before they/can be tak^en, aWayV $he return b/efore J u,S;Bho ws th.afc the] total! pfjfche fees pay- , able on the^year's transactions was £531 145,/ of- which £339183. '6d. was chargeable up,ph ; oertjfio^te^ t( i»ijs jfd to nitres ;ii ,this province," \ and the * balance to those issued to natives ] i« tfce pjdvincgof Wellington"! We^alao'lear)i , that of the^fees thus "demanded Auckland 1 pjis^^l/j&;jlud. W,eUingfcpn. ; ;e29;93^< lea'v- j ingdjp4B3los*U»mftndt/di undernsfebtion 1 ' 83; s ' but un^aid^ rf JWethink <lf it t p I robk6le*'that,''in" ! the imme4iitTe;future>a't TeaW, less progre&s i will be. made, im the - extinguishment • of '-'tine native titl« than has b'eW'the, case for the 1 , last few years^ttyt; from 'any .change in the j j Maori -tnougtit^ ' T -PBP,nj<? fjfte " subject, but from the want of fundg oa their • part p tqj pay^ the o Court extern §£'« j •surveyors' fees, registration fees, &c. This ■discovery made 1 * by, , Europeans yhat, .settle- ' menv Insofar country, districts' where" no j roads are ,made is, fluently, attended iwith ! jbut little"prQfit,, iWhm ro*ds ,arß. extended, i ( and the means oi conveying produce to marYefc multiplied, the , demand lor rural lands' v wifL J fwgain increase, 'and* then there will be 1 no' want of fjin^s to relieve the j Maori Crown_ grants from Vhe safe keeping- \ of Registrars of. ( Deeds. A probable conse-, | quence i)f this inactivity in the' 'purchase oi? ! native lands , will be diminished employ- \ kient tot fchV N&kW L ( a T M7 'upon the j same scale us th»t, upon; wb,ich it has been i |tept up for sevefal^ears past? Maoris will I not bring their cUima before the Court when ] ikey have no prospect of selling their hold- I hgs afterwards. j j iTo,' f the,i/Editor jvSif,-i-3etwefo?"two -and | three years ago, a respectable tradesman in,, ] $hortland- street requested me to' design and put up forjbim an jron ,Btore M( Xdid so.under the inspection of the City Surveyor, A letter which appeared in ydurjjoamal caused i tjhat to be demolished, and now permission ( h« i bfle r n*cco f t-deaiQ >nptSer ' p'ar'tfc t aod'Mof tiaa precisely the J3ame,adrt s pf buMiDg, next the United dttviceJlatel^ i Queen-«treefc/'ComaientisuaAl«rt,— laKi;&d#' < T.:B7H^iiQ^»;;,;;;r in ' ; .-".;.,* •>'.. !/:„■» «Ai

ttefcurn of sick treated during the weete ending Saturday, November 2, 1872, at the ! Provincial Hospital :— Keraaiued last return, 68; admitted since, 17; discharged, 11; died, 3; remaining, 71 (males, 63j females, 8) Arrangement of cases : Feret (typhoid), 3 ; syphilis, Ac., 2; scrofula, 3; phthisis, 6; rheumatisn\B; dropsy, 1 ; pleurisy, 1; cystitis, 1; bronchitis, 3; ophthalmia, 2j amaurosis, 1; melancholy, 1; delirium tremena, 2; chorea, 1 j paralysis, 4 ; aneurism, 1 j heart disease, 1 ; dyspepsia, 3 j diarrhoea, 1 ; fistula, 1 ; amputation, I; caries and necrosis, 4; wounds and contusions, 4 ; abacesa and ulcer, 6 j dislocation, 1 ; fractures, 5 ; uterine disease, 1 ; debility, 3. Three men died during the week— one on 30fch ultimo of fever, oue on the 31st of phthisis, and one on November 2 of apoplexy. JNT.B.— Old linen much needed. The inaugural services in connection with the Methodist Free Church in this city were delivered on Sunday by the Rev. G. H. Turner, in the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms. The services were conducted in the afternoon" and in the evening. On each occasion the attendance of worshippers was good. There were special collections made at the close of each Bervice, which together amounted to £6 14s. The inaugural soiree will be held to-morrow evening in the same place, when interesting discourses will be delivered upon topics suitable for the occasion. ■ By the last Australian mail we learn that Mr. P. D. Beach, of Adelaide, has set an example to the rest of the Australias, which should be followed by some of our settlers in this province. After several years of perseverance and experimenting, Mr. Beach has at length been enabled to introduce into the Adelaide markets candied lemon,orange, and citrpn;peel, in a condition exceeding in excellence the imported article, and he has inaugurated two new industries which should recommend themselves to the public— the manufacture of chow-chow and lemon syrup. The former article is a delicious conserve, and it is gratifying to know that one fellow-countryman in an adjoining colony can thus utilise the fruits of the orchards which have been alleged to waste under the trees for years past. "What has been done in South Australia, in this respect can be done by the fruit-growers in this province. The lemon syrup, which is made from the pure jui3e of the lemon, without the aid of acids generally used in sucb preparations, is described as a most palatable and agreeable drink. The chow-chow anci candied peel are packed in tin canisters anc thus sent into the market. We learn that Mr. Beach has in preparation for exporl between three and four tons of candied peel, and that, notwithstanding the many disad vantages incident to a new industry, he v. able to sell at a profit at a price one-thin under that of the imported article. Wha has been done in Adelaide in this respec can be done in Auckland, and all that i: wanted is a hearty co-operation betweei some of our country fruit-growers and som< town manufacturers of the different articles

There is nothing like advertising. I heard the other day of a man who advertised for a wife receiving an answer from 1,987 husbands, each of whom wanted to get rid of his. It is hard if amongst such a number he 'could not get suited. — "Atticus" in Melbourne Leader. We hear that the members of the Sir Walter Scott (Masonic) Lodge purpose celebrating the festival of St. Andrew's Day by a grand pionio. They hare made arrangements for the use of the Elysium gardens at Tararu for that day. A Jarge number df Masonic brethren and their friends are expected from Auckland to participate in the festivity. — A dvertiser. The Manchester, Sheffield, and Leicestershire Railway is importing coal to Grimsby from Belgium, and consumers of iron aie sending to Sweden, and even to America, rather than pay the prices asked in England. Sonth Staffordshire is supplying Newcastle with coal; and even in the former county, at a sale of iron- works at Wolverhampton, so great waa the demand that even the refuse coaldust,' which at ordinary times would not be accepted as a gift, was haggled for as if it was gold dust, and was ultimately knocked down for double the price of large coal. There is now on view (says the Canterbury Press) at Mr. Chudley's seed shop, Colombostreet, a very interesting natural curiosity in the shape of a petrified potato. The eyes of the potato are remarkably distinct, and in one part a portion of the outer skin appears to have beeniqut avvay at some time previous to petrifaction baking place, and theie is plainly visible the smooth cut inner substance of a potato with the line of the outer skin plainly defiued. It was picked up, we understand, on the Ninty-Mile Beach. [The petrifaction is doubtless a piece of beach shingle ; just as the Christchurch petrified baby turned out to be a boulder.] There seems to be an encouraging prospect (says hhe'Australasian) that, by the time con-, struction of the overland telegraph is com- , pleted, it will all have to be done over again — a danger, which has before been casually , alluded to, has, upon further experience, grown to appear much more serious than was + at first thought. The danger is from the voracity of the white ants<. These pests of < all tropical climates seem to exist in great force in North Australia. A writer to the South Australian Register describes their ravages in a very graphic manner. It appears -that they devour the growing trees and sometimes eat off the living boughs. The rapidity with which they consume even welldried timber is astounding. It is put into a roof to-day, and, before a week, fine' powdery dust is observed f&lling from it as the minute .agents of destruction are at work. Wooden buildings must be renewed every three or four years at the furthest. But this interesting insect appears to have an especial down on the telegraph poles. Many of them are scooped out and honeycombed, and now stand mere shells, waiting for the first strong wind to blow them over. The insulation pins are coated with a non-con-ducting varnish, but it makes no difference — they arc riddled "and eaten up bodily by the ants. ' They have not yet taken to eat the wire, but it seems likely that very soon there will be nothing left but the wire. It appears ! thai before long it; will be found needful to reconstruct the line with iron posts through ; the territory thus infected. 1 ! Californian wool-growers, are making rapid progress in the improvement of the breeds ' of their flocks, and by continuing the importation of fine bloods \witt r iu a few" years, have their flock's" bred, up to a very high .standard Even now Californjan wools rank , \ very high in' "line Eastern markets, and the 'product, of the State, is sought after more ; and more each year. • - 'Nothing,'! observes HalV* 'Journal ~of Health, "but the proboscis of an elephant compares in muscular ' flexibility with the tongue. It " varies in length and size in reptiles, birds, and mammalia, according to ,the peculiar organic circumataoces of each.' A tongue has the functions of a finger". lit is hooked over a high branch, its strength (being equal to ,breaking off, large strong (branches of tree», from which the tender ileaves are then stripped. An ant-bear's tongue, ia a long, and, round, like a whip-lash. The animal teara^op'en dry clay walla of aat- , hills, 'thruaWin' its iongue,' which sweeps round the apartments', and by its adhesive saliva brings out a yard of ants at a swoop. The mechanism by wEich it is protruded so far is both -^mpiicatsd'and^ beautiful. A dog's tongue > in>p.ping water takea »,form by a mere act of volition that cannot be imitated byvjm-y-ingenioae "meehanismr~ J f he -human' tongue, in the • articulation- of language, i Buxnaaaes-in- variety "'oTmotionstho wildest | ef p,oet. -E^ve/i in swallowing ! food, ~ it& office is „ .ao 1 extraordinary thaf physiologists i cannot explain, phenomena of deglutition without, employing the aid of several sciences."' i -■-• > ' • • •The dog crop in 'America ; is estimated at twenty-on^ 'million head. At a> moderate ( computation each, animal costs eight dollars aycJar.raakmgfatdtalof one 'hundred arid Sjixty-eight million "dollars. ,Of the number up.waVds of one thousand. go mad annually, and bite about ten thotnand people. On the b irboljj the crop ojuujok besaid to pay.

Whether the equine breed is improved by the racing of two- and three-y ear-old horses „ may bo left for others to decide ; but there IS no doubt; that such shows as take place ™ every year at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, « London, are much less dubious in their P 1 benefits. No horse show has been opened so I? 1 good as that which has be°n held. The J . entries were more than ago in number, and fcl the display of high-claaa animals unprece- w dented. Foreign buyers were busy at work, Ci and the equerry of Prince Humbert bespoke u for Italy some of the leading horses at long l£ prices so much as 450 guineas being given » for a four-year-old chestnut hunter, 16 hands d bi^n. One or two useful inventions were °. shown at the Hall. By Mr. Dixon's Roman d bib the horse is restrained easily and without c irritation by pressure applied to the nose ;it 1 can "be instantly checked or stopped by v the action of the strap on the nose, and the l bit gives the holder an immense increase of c power over the horse, and consequently c greatly lessens the strain on the hands ' c Mr. Huckvale has devised what adds much t to the security of riders, viz., a movable c pad attached to the flaps of saddles, and « a bearer which will immediately release the ] stirrup leathers, should the rider fall or be ' thrown, and have his feet entangled in the l stirrup irons." i The KmpresaJJoaephine was a passionate j lover of roses, and her interest in the flower j greatly increased its culture in Prance. At Malmaison she superintended the raising of the rarest species, and Dupont, her head gardener, prepared a bed of roses which formed her name. Rouen, Versailles, and Lyons were celebrated for roses, and large green-houses were constructed for their use ; at Luxembourg, Hardy became a most? successful roaarian. The rose will grow all over the globe. On the rocky heights of the Alps we see the Rosa alpina and Rosa rubrifolia ; under the snows of Lapland flourish the fragrant Rosa majilis, aad Rosa rubella; even on the borders of the desert of Sahara is 1 found the white moss-rose ; and amid the Rocky Mountains, thousands of deliciously J sweet, single roses bud and bloom in beauty ' and loveliness. Asia possesses a greater ' number of species and varieties than all the ' rest of the globe. Thirty -nine native species 1 grow within her borders, and fifteen of them ' belong to China alone. j It seems that a tanner in England has given , an opinion favourable to honeysuckle bark I for tanning purposes. 1 A Melbourne firm has received orders to b buy 5,000 bales of wool for a Berlin house. I A large wool trade is expected to spring up , between Victoi la and Germany. Applications are invited by Senor Don s Carlos Gutierrez, the Honduras Minister, J for a ten per cent. Government ship railway * loan for fifteen million pounds sterling ( nominal capital The object is to adapt 9 the present Interoceanic Railway, now a in course of construction, to a ship railway c across the republic of Honduras. ' It is asserted by the French technical I journals that the experiment of using petroa leum as fuel in the puddling furnace, which '• has been in progress at a large iron-produc >f ing establishment during three months, has c proved itself to be very successful. In point 1- of convenience, efficiency, and in the superior quality of the iron produced, it is asserted [r that petroleum affords the best fuel that has I- yet been employed. y M. Maitrasse • Duprex has introduced a '' process which may become invaluable in <c hydraulic works, namely, for the protection . and preservation of iron bolts and ties emz ~ bedded in wooden constructions. This cone sists simply in lining the bolt-hole with a compound of grease and zinc-filings, which p- is found to galvanise the iron, as it were, y and so perfectly protect it. ** Some sensation has been created in Inyo ;r county by the "jumping" of the Eclipse J* mining claim, belonging to an English comi pany, on which some thousands of pounds l ® have been spent. The jumpers take the y ground that the Eclipse company, being coml~l ~ posed of aliens, cannot hold their claim ?* under the laws of the United States. But '* the title to the property was acquired by the a company through I. Friedlander.of San Francisco, a citizen of the United States, the ,y price paid for it being stated at $250,000. d- The influx of English visitors has induced a the London pickpockets to try their fortunes jf in the French Capital. n A decree has been issued by the Governor -s of Poland promising full pardon to all Polish [ a exiles who return home. , c Boldo is the name of a plant found in n Bolivia, and prescribed extensively by Gere man physicians for liver complaints, c The Episcopal See of Treves is to be made h an archbishopric, which will contain the d dioceses of Metz and Strasbourg. The Prince of Wales lately played whist .j; at Florence with Signor Brambilla, and kept j.l it up until 2 o'clock in the morning.

Mr. H. N. Abbott, so long and favourablyknown as host of the Waitemata Hotel, but whose failing health compelled him to retire from business a short time ago, has now sufficiently recovered to once more become a caterer to the public. Mr. Abbott has taken the City Club Hotel, untilrecently occupied by Mr. Campion. His business announcement will be found ia our advertising columns. Mr. Thomas Macffarlane has been appointed trustee under the Bankruptcy Act in the estate of William Henry Philp, contractor, Whangapoua, near Coromandel. Mr. T. Macffarlane, as Curator of Intestate Estates, intimate 3 that all parties having claims against the estate of the late Robert Moore, of Auckland, must prore the same within eight days from the date of the notice given in our advertising columns. Tenders for the erection of a Presbyterian church at Howick are invited by Mr. Wrigley, architect, to be sent in on or before noon of the 9th instant.