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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5392, 27 May 1879, Page 2

A well-known settler in the Arapawanui district writes to us supporting our view that the district under the Rabbit Acts should extend beyond the Tutaekuri river. It is true that there are not many rabbits there now, but our correspondent wisely argues that "prevention is better than cure," and says that ho and his neighbors would rather pay a small rate now than be heavily taxed years hence. The money raised on that side of the river would assist in exterminating the rabbits where they are more plentiful. Our correspondent also resents the insinuation of Mr Sutton and other speakers that rabbits have been turned loose by those who calculate that they will in time bo paid for destroying them. He tells us that rabbits were introduced into the Tongoio and Aripawanui districts by an accident some years ago. A settler brought a few of the animals as pets for his children. Subsequently the Maoris were seen to have rabbits, probably the progeny of these pet animals, and they were allowed to run loose about the pa. Not long afterwards they were found wild in the Waipataki valley. For the last two years, however, they have not been, seen, the wild cats having most likely exterminated them. Our Wairoa correspondent telegraphs that the cricket match between the Napier Star Club and the Wairoa County Club was played yesterday, resulting in a victory for the Star team with eight wickets to spare. Both sides played under disadvantageous circumstances, the ground being very soft. The Napier team wore to leave Wairoa at 9 o clock this morning. Mrs Emily Hainos, Meanee, desires through our columns to return her "sincore and heartfelt thanks to those who so generously assisted her at the time of her great bereavement,"

We understand that tho directors of the Napier Gas Company have offered to the Corporation, free of charge, as much coal-tar as they can use for asphalting tho paths of the town. Shingle can easily be obtained, and the only cost of the footpaths would be the labor. Asphalte is much better for paths in many respects than concrete; as it is-softerto the tread, and not so slippery, While, if well made, it lasts a long time. The Resident Magistrate's Court was crowded all day yesterday during the hearing of the charge of wife murder against.. M ! Lennan. It was originally intended to adjourn the case at the end of the day until Wednesday, but as Dr Hector's evidence, could not be taken yesterday, and he is anxious to leave Napier as soon as possible to attend to other duties in Wellington, Mr Kenny consented to sit this morning, to take his evidence. Tho other witnessos will not be required until to-morrow. The entertainment at the Athenteum last evening drew a large audience. Indeed, the reading-room was so crowded that not a few had to be content with outside places in the passage, and so, though they could hear well enough the singing or the reading, they were deprived of the pleasure of seeing singer or reader. The programme was commenced with a selection on the piano by Miss Oliver and Mrs Hutchinson. Other musical selections were afterwards played by Miss Reardon and the Misses Hutchinson. Songs were sung by Miss Caul ton, Miss M' Alpine, Miss Raven, Miss Rose,. Mr Watkins, and-Mr Aplin. Miss Raven and Mr Elsori sang a duet in the first part, and Mesurs Watkins and M'Alpine in the second. Readings were given by Mr Lee, Mr Norman, and Dr. de Lisle, Mr Lee contributing two readings in consequence of the absence of Mr Monteith. The entertainment went off exceedingly well. The singers were in . good voice, the readers were happy in the pieces selected, the instrumental playing was excellently well executed, and the audience were highly appreciative. And better still, for the Athennaum, the monetary reflult was highly satisfactory, the reoeipts amounting to £13 17s 6d. A meeting of the members of the Napier Cricket Club will be held at 8 o'olbck this evening, at the Criterion Hotel, for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the clvib. Dr. Hector, in the course of his remarks at the meeting of the Sydney Exhibition Commissioners at Wellington the other day, said that evidences of a visitation of what is known as the English black rat, occurring once in every four or five years, had already appeared, and he advised that the strongest possible precautions should be taken to prevent their ravages. People are actually beginning to complain on the West Coast of the Middle Island of want of rain, a most uncommon want indeed in thoae parts. A gentleman named Clayden writos to the New Zealander a letter on the colony as a field for immigration, in the course of which he says : — " I came to New Zealand 1 some four months since, with the two-fold object of seeing how the agricultural laborers, whom we had been sending out on a wholesale scale, fared in their now home, and what prospect there was for another large class of Englishmen whom the exigencies of existence must, sooner or later, drive from their snug little island home— the poorer middle- class population. I am glad to say that in each case niy investigations have been pre-eminently satisfactory. As regards the laborers, the case is almost too good. All the conditions of their ideal paradise, as set forth in a popular doggrel— Eight hours' work, :md eight hours' play ; Eight hours' sleep, and eight hob a day, are more than fulfilled. I should suppose there are no working-men on the face of the earth who are, on the whole, better circumstanced than the workingmen in New Zealand. They are, in an emphatic sense, masters of the position, and there can be no doubt that, as the facts respecting their welfare get a wider publicity at Home, a considerable impetus will be given to working-class emigration in this direction." At a battue at Waroo, Australia, at which 14 guns were employed, 8088 kangaroos, seven horses, and five dogs were killed, at an expanditure of 11,378 cartridges. This gives the high average of one death to each 1.25 th cartridge. There is a pottery manufactory in Southland which is stated to be turning out all sorts of superior pottery, including ornaments, butter - coolers, spittoons, &C. At a banquet given at Madrid by the : advocates of the abolition of slavery, it was resolved that a society for promoting the total disappearance of slavery from Spanish colonies should bo organised. We cull from the Christchurch Press ' the following morceaux, uttered at a ' meeting of the unemployed. One man aaid the " working classes must bring .pressure to bear, and not only demand work, but compel the Government to give it to them. . . . . The. working men were nine-tenths of the people, and. if they liked. could carry .everything before them." Another speaker declared that it was a sin to bring people out to the country. Why, instead of being fed, lodged, and housed as was represented, they had to lie among the ■pigs. . [Hear, hear.] They were told they would have work all the year round, but they had it three or f our months at the outside. For his part, he: had only had one month's work since January last. This was the longest job he had had in the country. If he had his way he would have Julius M'Vogol (sic) strung up by the heels. [A Voice — Yes, let him die.] Ho was not fit to be let die. The country, no doubt, was all very well for women, but poor Jack was left out in the cold. A Bill has been introduced into tho French Chamber of Deputies to legalise the marriage of priests and of brothers and sisters-in-law. The bill maintains the prohibition of marriages between uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews ; but a clause is inserted giving the President of the Republic power to issue dispensations in grave cases. The Roslyn people are growling. They got a reserve of 500 acres granted by Parliament last session. They have just discovered that it is situated somewhere towards the summit of Maungatua. It commands a grand outlook, arid the air in the immediate vicinity is assumed to contain a larger percentage of ozone than that found, immediately inside the Harbour Board's retaining wall. The surveyors are highly delighted at the extent of the prospect, but owing to the perpendicular outlines of the locality, they have not yet been able to get a footing on the section. It has been suggested to us (Dunedin Morning Herald) that the Borough Council might judiciously speculate in a few goats. Commenting on the sketch of the Australian Colonies contributed by. Sir Julius T^Ogel to the jPrincetoion JSeview, an American periodical, the Melbourne Argus pavstho following high tribute to our Agent-General : — "The colonies could have no more competent critic. If in their corporate capacity they have ever sighed with Arthur dough — Oh. for some friend, or moro than friend severe, To make mo know myself, and make me fear ;' the wish may bo taken to bo gratified in the person of the ox-Premier and present Agent- General of Now Zealand. His gi'asp of mind and his abilities have been tolerably well demonstrated, and with his brilliant and so far successful Now Zealand policy in viow, ho must be placed , first amongst progressive statesmen in ' the'colonjeg,", . |

Discussing the proposition assumed by Mr Thornley that "supposing people gave up drinking, those now engaged in the Kqupr trade would be thrown but of work,"' Mr William Hoyle, the famous statistician, of Bury, writes to the 'Manchester Examiner and. Tiniesy stating that it is a ""fact that the money now spent upon drink would, if spont upon useful manufacturing goods, employ at least ten times as many people as it does now. At the Caledonian Distillery in Edinburgh, they turn over yearly some £1,5000,000 worth of spirits. They employ 150. hands. If the saino amount of money were turned over yearly in a "cotton mill they would employ some 7000 or 8000 hands." Early rising (says a contemporary) is generally supposed to be conduoive to .. health and happiness, and indeed it has been alleged that few live to a great age, and fewer still become distinguished, who have not acquired this habit. A German doctor, however, who has devoted some attention to this subject, has arrived at an opposite conclusion. He has taken the troublo to collect information as to the habits in this respect' of several persons who have lived J to ah advanced age, and he finds that in the majority of the cases he has investigated the long-livers have indulged in late hours. At least eight out of 10 persons who attained the age of 80 years and upwards were in the habit of hot' retiring to rest until the early hours of thd morning, and of remaining in. bed until tho day was far advanced. On the other hand, he has failed to discover, 'after careful observation, . extended over a 'con- ■ siderable length of time, of the health of several early risers, that it was in any degroe better than that of a . similar number of "lato risers," "although the former, by retiring to rest in good time, , obtained their full modioum of sleep. Ho inclines to the opinion that, so far- from any decided 'benefit being • gained by; getting up early in the morning, it' rather tends to exhaust physical power and to shorten life. '-^ . A bullet through the brain is generally supposed to ; cause 'Certain if not instant taneous' death. It seems, however,' that] this is a mistake. There are two cases now under medical treatment in. Newark, New Jersey, which, it is stated; " puzzle the attending physicians and ercite the wonderment of the whole community.", i One is that of a Dr Trevanian Haight, who on the 27th of February, during a fit of melancholy produced by financial troubles, put a bullet into his head ;with the object of- destroying, himself. He; was, however, doomed to disappointment, being still alive and /likely to recover. The ball took a tranWerse course;: through the substance of the anterior* lobes of the brain. Its effect has been merely to occasion partial derangement. The other case is that of a robust German, by name Charles Hoehule, 28 years old, who also attempted to commit suicide, on the 20th of February, by 'shooting himself through then head. The. j bullet entered the head a little to the left of the. centre of the frontal bone .and lodged somewhere in the brain.. On the follow-* ing day the young man'« respiration and; pulse were normal ; but ; not so his appetite, which was wonderfully improved by his attempt at self-destruction. In violation of his physician's orders to keep quiet, he got put of bed several times and went to. the kitchen for something to eas. By. latest accounts lie "appears io ' be all the better for the bullet in his brain v Of Colonel Percy Wyndham,, "who fought in the American Oiyij War, and who 'was killed recently by a fall from a balloon . in India, the Albany Argus , gives some entertaining stories. At the close of his military service, it says, some one questioned his title in the New York Herald. In a reply he showed that Victor Emmanuel gave it to him for his gallantry at Solf erino, and he left a challenge for. the writer of the Herald letter. On being told that that would lead the Grand Jury to indict him, he expressed his willingness to challenge the Grand Jury in detail, and could not get it through hia head that law had any right to interfere with " the private pursuits and differences of gentlemen. '* His 1 favorite method of dealing with refractory servants was throwing them put of the window, and in a Justice's Court he made an able defence by showing that he always roomed on- the ground floor 1 , arid that his course of discipline did not injure those who were subjects of it. No officer below him could complain of the respect and formality he exacted, because he was just as careful to conduct himself with punctilio to his official superiors. A brigadiergeneral, who sent an aide to him in action, with a request for a v pinch of tobacoco,'.' was a person whom, he always regarded with suspicion and astonishment. He was a splendid speoimen of manhood in appearanosj was 6ft. high, of a commanding mien, and could tie hit moustaches in a double-bow knot behind. . . ■ ,