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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6302, 15 July 1882, Page 2

The Bey. David Sidey will deliver in St. Paul's Church, to-morrow evening, the sixth of his series of lectures on " Calvin and the Eeformation."

The railway crossing near Awatoto is much in need of attention on the part of the railway authorities. The road crosses the )ine at an easy angle, and the rails from the centre being uprotected by a plank the wheels of vehicles must, in crossing, collide with the metals. It was through this, we are informed, that Rymer's coach broke down on Wednesday evening when proceeding to Hastings with the Orangemen. The wheels on striking the rail glided parallel with the metal, and the heavy weight on the coach pressed so much on the two near wheels that they were totally destroyed. The Orangemen of Lodges Nos. 5 and 24 celebrated on Wednesday last, at the Hastings Town Hall, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. The members of Lodge No. 5 with their friends, to the number of thirty, left Napier at 6.45 in Rymer's four-horse coach, but owing to a mishap in crossing the railway line at Awatoto they did not arrive at Hastings uutil 11 o'clock. The dinner and refreshments were provided by Mr Beecroft in excellent style. After dinner a number of toasts were proposed and duly honered. In proposiug " The Queen aud Boyal Family," the Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 5 remarked that it was the duty of Orangemen to uphold the Throne of England, and to look with reverence and respect to our present Sovereign, whose reign had been marked with a success unequalled by any of her predecessors. The toast "'.The Governor of New Zealand" was proposed by Bro. Moore, and " The Charter" by Bro. Spencer. Bro. the Hey. J. C. Eccles proposed " Success to Orangmen round the world," coupled with the name of the Imperial Grand Master of the Orange Institution, the Earl of Enniskillen. In proposing the toast Bro. Eccles referred to the crisis in Egypt, remarking that England had struck the first blaw of what might prove a most serious European difficulty. The strength of a nation depended on the loyalty of its subjects, and in that respect Orangemen would be found true and steadfast in whatever difficulty England might be engaged. The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. Dancing commenced at midnight to the excellent music of Mr Newbould's string band, and was kept up until 4.20 Thursday morning. The Napier contingent returned to town at 6.30 Thursday morning.

The unofficial religious census, recently talcen in England, has been followed by one of the votaries of Bacchus. The result, in some cases, is startling. In Bristol, witk a population of 206,000, only 60,000, or less than one -third, attended places of worship on the Sunday. Between seven and eleven on Saturday evening 104,000, or more than half the population, visited the public- house. Of men, there were 54,000 j women, 36,000 ; and children, 14,000.

On the day of the marriage of Prince Leopold a State banquet (says the Lon-

doh\ correspondent of the New -Zealand Times) was given in: the evening in Wt. George's Hall, covers being laid for 100 guests/: The immense room was hung with all the banners of the ECnights of the Garter enrolled since the institution of the Order in 1350. The whole of the service was in gold — valued at something over £2,ooo^ooo— while the side-board was adorned by the gold lyre bird, studded with £30,000 worth of precious stones, and the tiger's head foot-stool of silvergilt, with ' crystal tusk and gold tongue, captured from Tippo Saib in 1800, and valued at £10,000. Her Majesty occupied the centre bf the table* and the whole display Was almost barbaric it its splendour.

AH American stopping at an inn in Londo i was ' continually boasting about the superiority of everything in the States, and depreciated tlie productions of Old England. The landlord at length gdt rather tired of this sort ot thing, and determined to be even with the man. Procuring half-a-dozen five healthy crayfish, he poured them into the Yankee's bed, and telling his guest that his bed was ready, he lighted a candle and escorted him lip-stairs. Upon reaching the door the landlord managed to put out the light. Of course this didn't make much difference to the American, who undressed and jumped into bed. Immediately he gave a terrific yell, and cried— "Landlord ! Oome here ! What are these things in my bed H" The landlord, who was outside the door and. who had lit the candle, came and looked at the bed and coolly remarked — " Them's bugs. Can you beat them in the States?"

The restoration of the pillory in England is advocated by Mr T. D. Sullivan, M.P. In a bill introduced by him he proposes that, where a male above the age of 15 unlawfully beats, wounds, or grievously assaults a woman, the Court shall be authorised to sentence the offender to be exposed for four hours or less in a pillory erected in some place of public resort in the parish where the offence has been committed. Above the offender's head is to be erected a board setting forth in large letters his name and the words " Woman-beater," or " "Wife-beater," or others indicative of the nature of the offence. The same punishment is also reserved by the bill for those who grievously assault or illtreat children under 12 years old. On a second offence being committed within three years, the bill authorises the punishment of three or less whippings of 50 or fewer strokes each. The punishments are altogether irrespective of other penalties.

An extraordinary proposal made a few years ago by Professor Shaler, of Harvard, has been lately revived, and is being discussed in American papers. The climate of the northern portion of America has, during a few centuries, been growing colder, and this Professor Shaler attributes to the rise of the land at Behring Straits interrupting the warm Japanese current which penetrated the Arctic Ocean, thus turning it towards California and Oregon. The upheaval has now ceased, and will probably be followed by subsidence, restoring the old state of things. Professor Shaler proposes to hasten the result by clearing away three small islands in the narrowest part of Behring Straits (which is 86 miles wide, with a depth of 30 or 40 fathoms), as also some obstructing rocks and reefa along the shore. If civilised nations would unite in giving the money, men, and energy they now devote te keeping themselves ready te fight each other, the thing might easily be done (Professor Shaler thinks), and a vast empire reclaimed for civilisation.

The Times' Philadelphia correspondent gives an interesting account of the failure of the American Steamship Company to compete with English steamers in the Transatlantic trade. The company was promoted by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which guaranteed the bonds of the company to the extentjof 6 per cent., and every possible facility was given to the company by the City of Philadelphia. It possessed four American-built vessels splendidly fitted up for passengers, and so large was the traffic that the company had to charter six large British steamers to supplement their own. Great, therefore, was the surprise of the Americans to learn that their own steamers were not paying, while the British chartered vessels were realising 10 per cent, profit. This arose from the higher first cost of the American steamers through the protective tariff, and from the cheaper working of the British steamers, which can be run at from 20 to 30 per cent, less expense. r J he Railway Company announce that they will no longer sapport the company financially. " The result of the experience," adds the correspondent, " is sorrowfully received by the American people."