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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3888, 3 April 1877, Page 2

We learn that the Telegraph Clnb have entered a protest against the starting in the Junior Four-oared race of yesterday's Regatta. The Chicago Minstrels' performance last night attracted a crowded house, the programme being entirely changed. To-nighla very successful season will be brought to a close, when a complimentary benefit will be given to the musical director of the troupe, Mr Towle. An excellent programme, as will be seen from our advertising columns, is announced for this occasion, including a number of operatic duets, choruses, &c. There will no doubt be a bumper house, as it will be the last appearance of the Chicago Minstrels in Napier. The sale of racehorses announced by Mr Miller for to-morrow is postponed for a week. A gentleman bought an entire horse in Wangaimi the other day for 150 guineas. It subseqiiently transpired that a bill of sale over the horse had been given to the Bank of New Zealand in Blenheim (whence the animal had been shipped) by the vendor for £80. This was registered in Wellington on the 12th, and on the 15th the horse was sold. The bank has intervened, and claims possession until the bill of sale be satisfied. A most distressing story is told by the Dunedin newspapers. Mr J. H. Pope, long connected with the Dunedin High School, was offered a similar situation in Victoria. He sold his property and ■went across to Victoria, but through bad faith did not obtain his appointment. This preyed upon his mind, he went mad, and is now an inmate of the Kew Asylum. The Otago Guardian has the following: — A correspondent has kindly sent us the following extract from a San Francisco paper, to be irablished for the benefit of rabbit-stricken rvmholders : — ' ' San Francisco, January 30, 1877. Messrs Murray. Roberts and Co. Gentlemen, — As rabbits are such a pest in New Zealand, the following mixture for poisoning them may be useful : 'Mr Souther gives the Kern Courier-Californian the following mixture for poisoning rabbits : To one hundred pints of wheat, take nine gallons of water, and one pound of phosphorus, one pound of sugar, and one ounce of rhodium. Heat the water to boiling point, and let it stand all night. Next morning stir in flour sufficient to make a sort of paste. The rabbits cat it with avidity, and thousands are being killed on Kern Island every Aveek." Benjamin Keeton, a well-known Slief" field cricketer, died lately, and his wife set up a tombstone over him, in the churchyard, having representations of a bat, ball, and wickets upon it. The Vicar attempted to remove the stone, and the widow resisted. When the last mail left, the affair was causing much excitement. Latest news from Fiji states that it is generally believed that Suva will carry the day as the seat of Government. A decision on the subject is expected shortly from England. A Co-operative Society has been started at Christchurch, which is likely to be successful. The Cologne Gazette publishes a report, which it announces has been presented to the King of Italy, signed by the Ministers Demartis, Mancine, Nicotera, and Mezzacapo, respecting the steps to be taken by the Italian Government in tho contingency of the demise of Pope Pius the Ninth, and after that event. The proposals made by the Ministers are as follow : — To immediately occujjy by a military force the neighborhood of the Vatican. On the death of his Holiness, j the Prefect of Rome will at once request • the Camalango, the Major-domos, the Maestro Delia Camera, two Papal physicians, and the Papal Secretaries to be present at the viewing of the body and the other necessary formalities. In the event of refusal, the Prefect will forcibly enter the Vatican, accompanied by the Quiestor physician, two notaries, and four witnesses, and, after viewing the body, | will take possession of the fisher's ring, | and will send it, together with a formal record of the proceedings, to the Cardinal Deacon. Seals will be attached to all the furniture in the apartments of the Pope, and will remain until the body shall have been removed. The necessary measures for maintaining order within the Vatican, as well as a complete inventory of all the objects fouud in it, will be made. After the expiration of 24 hours the body will be at the disposal of the clergy of the Vatican Basilica in order that they may make the funeral arrangements. Another stud company, with a capital of £100,000 paid-up, will shortly be started on a very large scale. The object of this new undertaking is to breed horses for riding and driving, as well as for the English and Anglo-Indian cavalry. The headquarters and all the breeding farms will be in Egypt, where the climate is exceedingly well adapted for an undertaking of this kind. One of the chief objects for which the company has been got up is to breed a horse which will have the size and stamina of the English thoroughbred combined with the pluck and endurance of the Arab. If the undertaking can be carried out we shall very soon have a cavalry troop-horse far superior in all its best qualities to anything of the kind that has yet been seen. — Whitehall Review. If a report be correct (writes the Home News), an announcement Avill shortly be made from the Vatican which will startle all Scotland from Berwick to Kerkwall. The Holy See is preparing a plan for the division of Scotland into ecclesiastical dioceses, and its regular admission into the fold of the Roman Church. Scotland, as our readers are aware, is at present in the eyes of the Papal Court -in partibua infidelium. Its bishops have no local ties, and it does not come within the ordinary organisation of the Roman Catholic Church. All this, it is said, is now to be changed, and Scotland is to be provided with a regular hierarchy like England, and Cardinal Manning is now at Rome assisting in the preparation of the scheme. It is now becoming the custom in the London theatres to throw upon canvas, by means of the oxhydrogen light, an enlarged photograph, instead of painting scenery.

The alleged increase of drunkenness in Ireland lias lately been the theme upon which many English public men and newspapers have preached eloquent sermons, and it is unfortunately too true that the consumption of intoxicating liquors in Ireland is not decreasing — " we own it ; we deplore it ; we condemn it " — but it is at least some consolation to know that we arc not so bad in that respect as some of our neighbors. During the year 1875 it appears that no less than 203,989 persons were apprehended for being " drunk and disorderly "in England — a far larger proportion of the population than the same class of unhappy people in Ireland. It is also stated that 450,000 out of the 600,000 paupers in England have become pauperised by excessive drinking, and that 2,500,000 men, women, and children are recorded as being members of drunkards' families. The number of gallons of pure alcohol contained in the liquor consumed in England is estimated at 84,000,000 gallons, which is valued at £130,000,000 ! Beside these tremendous figures the statistics of drinking in Ireland appear, by contrast, almost insignificant. The latest return gives the number of gallons of spirits consumed in Ireland as (3,170,501. — Irishman. The Auckland Herald is sorry to learn that Sir George Grey is still in very feeble health. The Oamaru Harbour Board have accepted the tender of Mr. D. Miller, for £18,029, for the proposed breakwater extension and the construction of three wharves. Messrs. Peyman and Walkem threaten to take legal proceedings to preany new works being undertaken until their claims are settled. The Auckland Star learns upon unquestioned authority that the servant maids of Auckland, although receiving good wages, are the least provident of the working . classes, and occupy the lowest position on the list of savings bank depositors. This may be accounted for in two ways — short | periods of service and love of dress.