Untitled

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5651, 9 October 1889, Page 2

An amendment of the regulations under the Post Offic Act was published in last Thursday's Gazette. As very few people see that official organ, and few of thoiu who do receive it, read its contents, it may bo useful to the public to plitcn before them the following information :—By prepayment of a fee of threepence, in addition to the full postage, any letter, newspaper, book, or other picket or parcel may be registered to any place within New Zealand. The rates for registration to the United Kingdom, British colonies, and certain foreign countries are printed in the table of rates of postage. The registration of a packet makes its transmission more securo ; and the loss of a registered packet is a very rare occurrence. Nevertheless, the Post Office is not responsible for the safe delivery of registered packets, though any ofiicer who may neglect his duty in this point will bo called to strict account. Valuable articles sent in uu-

nyixtrnd letters are exposed to risk. All inland and colonial letters or packets, therofore, which unquestionably contain coiu or bank notes, even though they be posted without registration, are treated as registered, uud cl'arged oil delivery with a registration fee of one (shilling, in addition to the ordinary postage ; and any such letters which cannot be registered in time to be forwarded by the mail for which they are posted me detained for tho next despatch. No letter or packet ooutaiuing coin or articles of value liable to Customs duty, addressed to any Postal Union country will be received at any Post Office. Kvery letter to be registered should he presented at the counter, and a receipt obtained for it, and should on uo account be dropped into the letter-box. If, contrary to this rule, a letter marked " Registered" be dropped into the ktterbox, it will, if directed to any place in the lufoii;/, tin- United Kiitffdum, or the lirit'o-lt

coloiiicsjhu liable to a double registration feo. Letters may be registered during tho ordinary office hours, and for despatch by any mail, one hour before tho closing of such mail. No letter-currier, messenger, or other servant of the Post Office is allowed to carry a letter for any person to be registered. _ A registered letter, which has not been delivered, when re-directed to any phico within the colony, is not liable to any further charge than an ordinary re-directed letter. If, however, a registered letter be re-directed to any place outside the colony, except the United Kingdom and Australia, the second postage and registration fee must bo prepaid. No letter or other postal packet addressed to initials, or to a fictitious name, can be registered.

Waipa is an ill-omened constituency. Of the five members who have at different periods represented it in Parliament, three have met with violent deaths. Mr M'Minn was killed by a fall, Mr F. A. Whitaker shot himself, and now Major Jackson has disappeared. In the shop window of Mr G. Nicholson, cabinetmaker, Emerson street, there is on view a number of locally made a> tides of rustic furniture, ehown by Mr Jorgeneen. Mr Yuille shows Borne fine samples in the taxidermy 'me, and the birds are excellent specimens. . These exhibits , will be forwarded to the Dunedin Exhibition. .' It is reported that gold has been discovered in Corea in such quantities that stream washing has been found most payable. A ten stamper quartz crushing machine ; has lately arrived from the Government, and active operations will commence at once. A concession to seek for gold at Cotie on the east coast of Borneo has been applied for. ■ A Maori named Kaugi was arrested at Auckland on Monday night for breaking and entering. He was brought up at the B.M. Court yesterday morniugandrenianded till Friday. Kangi, who is the son of a Maori chieftainess in the Hawke's Bay district, is well known in consequence of his connection with tho Salvation Army and other religious bodies in Auckland.

A Gisborue telegram under yesterday s dute says: — Very heavy westerly winds havo been prevalent here since Saturday. To-day a heavy gale was Mowing, and reports come from the country of numerous small damages, such as the blowing down of outhouses, the uprooting of trees, &o. This morning half the roof of the newly erected grand stand of the Gisborne Ruciug Club was torn off and scattered about. An unrehearsed scene occurred in the Theatre Royal, "Wellington, which sent the audience into convulsions of laughter. Mr Maccabe was in good voicej and during his sketch of ventriloquism he very successfully imitated the bark of a dog. Now there happened to be a member of the canine tribe in the stalls of the theatre, and recognising as he probably thought the natural sounds of a friend or foe, gave vent to hie feelings in a series of blood-curdling howls whioh brought down the house. The public holiday yesterday was entirely marred by as disagreeable weather as it was possibles to conceive. A westerly gale, accompanied by rain squalls, blew the whole day with almost' hnrricane force, and the road to the races could only be compared with a sand storm ie the desert of Sahara. As a consequence the Park was not nearly so well patronised as on former occasions, people preferring to keep within doors. It was estimated there were about fifteen hundred persons at the races. Talking about capital punishment, the Woodville Examiner says : —" In France and America the system of execution by electricity has been thoroughly established. It is much more humane and should bo substituted for hanging." Our contemporary is not quite right in this statement. There has boen only one man sentenced to death by olectricity in the States, and his execution has been stayed on tha ground that it is illegal to sentence a criminal to death by torture. Scientists are still arguing the matter out. A correspondent of Notes and Queries throws doubt on Dickon's attainments as a Biblical scholar, as exhibited in " Dorabey, and Son." The edition known to me is the original one, ns it came out in parts; and I am unable to say whether the mistake, which is ns follows, has been corrected since. Dr. Blimber, who, notwithstanding his pompofity, &c, 13, I presume, iutended to bo a scholar, not in ignoramus like Squeers, imposes it as a penalty on the, boy Johnson to repeat by heart from the Greek Testament St. Paul's first Epistle to the Ephesiuns. Could Dickens have been ignorant that there is only one Epistle to Ephesians in tbo New Testament ? To the Editor, Sir, —Kindly allow me to draw attention to what I think was an exhibition of uncommonly bad taste yesterday. A young gentleman, bettor known at Hastings than in Napier, attended the races, and with the most cool effrontery smoked his pipe on the grand stand in defiance of the rules. I do not know whether the stewards noticed him, but as they recognise a Park meeting as a day of pleasure for the people, they do not expect in showing laxity of tho regulations that liberty will degenerate into licence. The voting ninti to whom I allude would no more have dared to smoke on the grand stand at Hastings than in a lady's drawingroom, and therefore his conduct at the Park was the more noticeable for its utter snobbishness.—l am, &c, IS. The police locked up two drunks last night. "John Huuter, charged nt the R.M. Court this morning, before Mr Lyndon, J. P., with having been found in an intoxicated state, pleaded that ho only came out of tho Refuge yesterday, intending to go to h job which he hnd obtained at Hastings, lmt he could not resist tho temptations of a n'aysido publuhouse. Having two or three glasses of beer, the liquor proved too much for him, und he fell into the arms of a constable. That was his story. The presiding Justice discharged him with a cuution. Miiry Rons, an old oifeuder, was once more charged with drunkenness, being her fourth offence within the last five months. She asked to be denlt with leniently, but the police gave her a bad character, and she was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment. Mr Jamee Payne, business manager for tbo celebrated Payne Family of musicians, has arrived in Napier and made arrangements for their appearance at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Tho company, which is a very capable one, and highly spoken of by all who have heard them, are, as mentioned by u.s last week, natives of Ballarat, where they acquired much fame for their excellent part finjring- us well as soloists, violinists, and piauistes. The head of the combination is a tenor, two of the jrirls are sopranos, another girl is a contralto, and the son is a baritone. Then there is a Mr Steele, who is also a baritone singer. Tho performance is said to be superior to that of the celebrated Kennedy Family, and therefore our reader* can well understand the musical treat that is in store for them next week.

The members of St. Paul's Mutual Improvement Association brought their session to a close last evening, wheu a social gathering was held as a fitting termination, 'there was a large attendance, almost every seat in the schoolroom being occupied. Tho Rev. J. G. Peterson, the president, acted as chairman. The programme that was submitted was a vtry enjoyable one, and tho different contribution.- were much applauded. Misses Bowman nud Bicknell gave a pianoforte duet, after whiei< (he secretary read tho report of tho work d;mu during the session, which was of a very satisfactory character. Thoeo wh« assisted by songs and recitations wero Missi-s Bo i\ man, Large, and Townshend, and Messrs Aplin, Davie, Finch, Wilofiiiks, Rum, Neilson, Todd, Creriir, and Kelly. Tho gathering terminated by the siuging of tho National Aiulietn.

A woman iiiinir\l Ann Corrado, wife of Pietro Corrado, irn Italian, a clerk in the Colonial Insurance office, Wellington was arrested last night on the charge of murdering her infant girl, four months old. "When Corrado went homo last evening his little daughter, five years old, told him that her mother had put the baby into thu btith in the momiiijr face downwards and kept it there all duy. .Running upstairs ho found the child iiend on the bed, and sent for Dr. Fell, to whom, us well as to the police, *terward« Mrs Corrado confessed that she had deliberately drowned the infant, adding that it wan not hers; that thu child had been changed, and that it was tho best thing to do with it. She seemed perfectly rational while making tho strunge statement, but some sis years ago she was for a shcrt time in a private asylum nenr Duuudin. Since then it ie stated that i-he has .shown no signs of insanity. Mrs Conodo is an Englishwoman, about 35 yeaw of age.

It ia not in New V? aland alone that there in an excess of dipnrtnrrs over arrivals. The Sydney Telegraph in a recent issue says:—" VVe published a few weeks back Home figures obtained from official sources snowing that during , tho three mouths ending in August la.-t the arrivals from Now Zealand very greatly exceeded the departnres to that, colony. We are now enabled to present the figures for Queensland so far as the passage by sea is concerned. While thase figures are not so startling as those for New Zealand, they are sufficiently pronounced as to afford food for reflection, i'tiring the month of June there arrived from the northern colony by steamei UlO persons, and there loft for the northern ports G55 persons, a difference in favor of New South TV'ileS of l>6l persons. In July tin numbers were: .From Queensland, 743 passengers; to Queensland, 020 ; an advantage to New South Wales of 114. In August the figures came to !>l3 from Queensland and GSS to that colony, or 22S persons toour good."

From Royalty to Socialism is a big step (wrote a London correspondent); but my business is social contrasts : and so away goes the t-oenerj r again for » new set. I wonder whether any of my readers have cast eyes on a remarkable article in the Nineteenth Century, called " Wanted a Gospel for the Century." T:he author is Father Barry, who the other day startled tho world with a remarkable novel—get it if you have not read it—called " The New Antigone," dealing with tho marriage (picstion in what, to my mind, is afar more suggestive and interesting fashion than Mrs. Moua Caird has dono. Father Barry is a jolly, round-faced, simple-winded, heßvty Irish priest, who lives iv Dorchester, iiud is known for miles round for his works and kindly nature. What he has to say on tho social question is practically that the Church must tako up the Sermon on tho Mount, and make it tho basis of the polities of the future. in fact, it is Christian Socialism, the Socialism of Mediieval Catholicism, and of Kingsloy and Maurice in our own Church, over nirain. Father Barry is a delightful imiu," and a food fellow.

A telegram from New York snys: — Horrible stories come from Port-an-lMnoe of rapine and murder ly the two factions of Franco-negroids engaged iv thu civil war in Huyti. Au awful tragedy was unacted iv tho market-place of Port-au-Frinco on July 2o'th. General Lrgitiino's Minister of War caused eight prisoners to be led there ami tied arm to arm. An immense crowd had oulkx'ted. which was at a fuvt-r liv.a of (.si.'iiemi-nt. Una hy one the men were

gagged in plain view of everybody, and then with the utmost deliberation their throats were out like so mauy beasts, the crowd yelling vociferously us each man fell to the ground. In the middle of the killing one man managed to remove his «ag, and he filled the air with the most piercing cries of fright. This pleased the crowd ao much that the gags of the remaining prisoners were taken out and the cries of agony of the wretohed men fairly rent the air. When the butchery was completed, a groat yell went up from the crowd for General Legitime, and it was evident that the southern leader had gained a point in the confidence of his followers. The captain of an Atlas Hue steamer and the American consul witnessed the scene, . Quite a chapter of accidents recently occurred among the tents near the Smelters"' tit Port Pirio during a thunderstorm. A tent occupied by a man named Pitcon was hit pretty hard, tho 'upright pole being shatteie-i into fragments, and the back of thetentbeingblownout. Piteouwasreudered unconscious for several. minutes by the shock. For some considerable time afterwards there was a sulphur.us smell plainly discernible in the tent. Near tho same plae* and at the same time a young ,man; named G. A. Turtin had a remarkably fnarrow , escape. He was passing along the embankment when the, electric fluid struck his

watch-chain, and travelling down his left leg settled in the grouud. Turtiu was completely Winded for a few minutes, his lesr paralysed, and altogether he had a rather severe shock. In Ms helpless condition he fell over the embankment and remained there for some time until he recovered. A matried woman named Mrs Day was holding her infant child during the storm, and tho electricity came so close that the child was rendered uuconsoious,, and remained in that condition until the following morning. Mr." and Mrs. - Berry also felt the shock considerably while they were in their tent. — Port Pirie Standard. There is a celebrated play entitled "A ■ now way to pay old debts," which forcibly recalls to mind a afcory told of Phil Dignam, a former representative of Goal- '.' burn in the New South Wales. Legislative ' Assembly in the early days of Responsible Government. Phil in his palmy days was * a popular character in his way, and when he " tuk his sate on the flure of die House" for tho first time he created quite an impression. But few people, however, are aware how he came to secure his first election, as at the time his candidature was regarded as hopeless. Tradition explains it in this way: Phil was a wealthy storekeeper and miller at Goulburn. He never addressed .the electors, being, as a matter, of fact, unable to do so. Oa the day of nomination hie chances were set down at nil, and long . odds were laid; on the smart young barrister to whom •he was opposed. But when at last, his turn to. address the crowd came, Phil' appeared on the hustings with a brown paper parcel, from whioh he carefully and deliberately produced a ponderous ledger, arid casting a comprehensive glance around,' good-humoredly remarked, " Divil a bit o , spache will yez get from me." Here a number of the electors laughed derisively, but Phil, nothing abashed, observed, " But" I tell ye phwat it is. If I don't goto Parliament I shan't be sorry, fur bedad it'll pay me better to go through this book, and get in my debts. If I'm sint to Parliament I'll have to postpone the debt collectin' fur a bit, I suppose." The hint was too significant to bo disregarded. The election came off, and Phil was elected. When the vital system has been weakened —use Wolfe's Schnapps to renovate it. When tho lamp of life burns low tme Wolfk's Schnapps. It will give you a new life. " ,■