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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 178, 10 June 1864, Page 5 (Supplement)

Price op the Breadstupps in Australia. —Wheat aud flour are still high in the Australian markets. In Adelaide," on the 23rdfinst., several hundred tons of flour of favorite brands sold at .£25, and sales of wheat for export were made at 10s. per bushel, but it is added in the telegram large parcels are worth more. In Melbourne, on the'same date, .£25 10s.' per ton was offered for 100 tons of flour and refused, and 5,000 bushels of wheat sold at 10s. 6d. Similar prices rule at Sydney. The latest dates from Tasmania report markets unsettled, transactions in flour very limited at .£2O to .£2O 55., wheat quoted at Bs. to 9s. Militia Hardships. —A correspondent in Wanganui Writes :—“ ‘ Militia Hardships’ is the beading to a paragraph in the Wanganui Chronicle of the 14th iust., showing in what a disgraceful manner our citizens are dealt with by those in power. The officers, with two or three exceptions, are men disliked by their brother settlers, and in several instances they have been turned out of volunteer companies for their habitual non-attendance to the duties—now they are rewarded for shirking drill, &c., by being placed over better men. How the volunteers have been fostered was lately ably exposed by ex-Cap-tain W. Kells. The Militia duties are now harassing, almost past shops are frequently closed —all are seriously affected, the working classes especially, two days work weekly is the most they can do—and in some cases not even that. The three night patrols men are on weekly is causing much sickness, and it is to be feared laying the foundation of much after suffering. The soldiers are much better cared for than the civilian force; the fault is said to be in the Commander, and a memorial is now numerously signed asking for his removal. The general feeling is that danger is remote and that there is no necessity for all this fuss, which is principally started and kept up by a few Panic Mongers to suit their own selfish ends. The effect will be if not speedily put an end to that all who can possibly get away will leave the settlement.”— lndependent. Perilous Adventure. —The Marlborough Press, May 28, has the following : —“ On Thursday morning, a boatman, named Bradshaw, and five companions, came alongside the wharf, having made the passage from Waikouaiti, in the Otago Province, to this Province in an open boat, no portion of it being decked or covered over, even in the most temporary manner. The passage occupied ten days, and it was only at Moera i, near Waikouaiti, and another port that the men were able to touch at, to obtain a supply of provisions. For two days the men were compelled to live upon porpoises, which they secured with the harpoon. Before arriving in Queen Charlotte’s Sound, the boat was encountered by a most terrific gale of wind, and there is no question, but for the skill of those to whom the management of the frail craft was entrusted, every soul would have met a watery grave. On arriving here the six men received the hearty greetings of the watermen, when they had learned that such an exploit had been successfully carried out, in the face of such difficulties. Yesterday, Bradshaw and party once more took to their boat and the water, to go up the Pelorus Sound.”

Alleged Bankruptcy of Southland Province.— The Daily News of the 12th instant lias the following rather mysterious paragraph in reference to the financial embarrassments of the Province : —“ Although we are not at liberty to be communicative as to particulars, vve may possibly to some extent restore public confidence by stating that consequent upon the failure of Air. Beavan’s mission to Dunedin, the Government have taken other and more practical measures for the relief of the temporary financial embarrassment of the Province. There is ground for hoping that arrangements may yet be made which will save the public credit, and prevent any stoppage of our public works.” This mission to Dunedin was for a loan of .£40,000, to pay current, salaries, policemen’s and railway labourers wages, and railway contractors. This mission failed, and the province came to a perfect stand still. We have since learned by private advices that the province of Southland has suspended payments —and has actually become bankrupt. Promotions. —A recent Gazette contains the following promotion in the 14th Begt.: —“ 14th Foot —Major William Cosmo Trevor to be Lieut.-Colouel, -'without purchase, vice Brevet-Col. Charles Wilson Austin, died of wounds; Captain William Hanbury Hawley to be Major, without purchase, vice Trevor ; Dec. 8. Captain Charles Edward Grogan to be Major, without purchase, vice Edward John Holworthy, drowned; Jan.

14. Lieut. Alexander Gordon to be Captain, without purchase, vice John Shaw Phelps, died of wounds: Nov. 22. Lieut. Peter Barlow, to be Captain, without chase, vice Hawley ; Dec, 8. Lieut. John Glancey to be Captain, without purchase, vice Grogan ; Jan. 14. Ensign Denis Creagh, to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Gordon ; Nov. 22. Ensign Cecil Thomas M’Mahon to be Lieutenant, vice Barlow; Dec. 8. Ensign William Thornhill Blois to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Glancey, Jan. 14. Gentleman Cadet Brook Taylor Ottley, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Creao-h ■ March 1. Gentleman Cadet Arthur Walter Noyes, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without purchase, vice M’Mahon ; March 9. Gentleman Cadet George Howard Moore Lane, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Blois; March 10.

A Fair, Retort. —At the Assizes at Naas many years back, while Mr. Parsons was addressing the Court, an ass in the streets happened to bray so loudly as to interrupt the learned gentlemen ; whereupon the Judge, Lord Norbury, said, “One at a time, one at a time, gentlemen, if you please.” The sally caused much merriment in the Court, buLdidjiot in the least discompose Mr. Parsons, who pursued the tenor of his] discourse as if nothing of the kind had happened. He was not, however, insensible to the merits of a Joke, nor willing to let it go unrewarded, and an opportunity was soon afforded him of giving a “ Roland for an Oliver.” When his Lordship was charging the jury, the same ass, which seemed fond of the Court, brayed again, and “ deeper and deeper still. Rut at tliis moment the Judge was so entirely taken up with the business in progress that he quite forgot his own joke, and, startled at the sound of Neddy’s sweet voice, lie hastily said, “ What’s that ?—what is that noise ?” “It is'only the echo of the Court, my Lord,” said Mr. Parsons, gravely. The justice and excellence of this retort was acknowledged by the loud and continued peals of laughter with which the Court resounded, and in which the Judge himself could not refrain from’joining. Great Match for £IOOO at Newmarket An extraordinary match has been made, which may bo considered one of the most novel in the history of the Turf. Sir Joseph Hawley and the Earl of Westmoreland i ave accepted a wager of £I,OOO that they transmit a message by horse and jockey 30 miles within the hour, and they are allowed to employ any number of horses, and as light jockeys as they please. It is stipulated that the message must be a written one. It will be seen that each mile will have to be performed in two minutes, and considering that the best Derby time recorded is Blink Bonny’s (2 min. 45 secs), and Kettledrum’s (2 min., 43 secs.), Sir Joseph Hawley and Lord Westmoreland will have to employ’ some good horses, bearing in mind the inevitable stoppages which must occur for change of horses and jockeys. One of the backers of time offers to lay £5,000, with the condition of £I,OOO forfeit. The match is appointed to some of the Newmarket autumn meetings.— Home News. Readers of Newspapers. —ft is curious to observe the different effects which the various articles of intelligence have on different persons. Thus one person will turn up his nose at an article on manufactures and railroads, and looks for paragraphs on more original subjects—one delights in a tale of slander ; another in an essay replete with pious instruction —one is in ecstacies with a violent political article; another eschews politics and looks for romantic incidents and stories, one searches for scientific information ; and another snaps at a humorous anecdote or conundrum—one is in rapture with a piece of poetry; another reads eagerly the account of the money market—one devours with eagerness whatever relates to war and military glory ; while another reads with delight every paragraph illustrating the blessings of peace —one values a newspaper for its numerous lists of deaths, another for its long array of marriages —and generally, no reader is entirely satisfied with the contents of the paper. The following is from Revenge, a novel by tiie author of The Smiling A.xe and The Sanguinary Crowbar: —“ His eyes were ript from their sockets and melted lead poured in, and the fiend yelled again : ‘Ha! Tophet’s furies! wretch! fiend ! demon ! blood ! daggers! frenzy! parricide! fratricide! matricide! suicide! murderer! villain! pirate ! robber ! rascal! scoundrel! revenge!! ha! ha! he! he! ho! ho! oh !oh ! o—o —o!!!!!!!!!!! —and he died.”

The Englishman sketched bt an Ameiucan. —There are other defects which are visible even in his most favored circumstances. Such is his bigotry, surpassing everything, in a quiet passive form, that has been witnessed since the more act' ive bigotry of the times of the Spanish Philips. Such, too, is the exclusive, limited range of his knowledge and conceptions of all political and social topics and relations. The Englishman, the cultivated Englishman, has no standard of excellence borrowed from mankind. His speculations, never travel beyond his own little—great-little—-island. That is all the world to him. True, he travels, shoots lions among the Hottentots, chases the grizzly bear over the Rocky Mountains, kills elephants in India and salmon on the coast of Labrador, comes borne, and very likely makes a book. But the scope'of his ideas dees not seem to be enlarged by this. The body travels, but not the mind. And however he abuses his own country, he returns home as hearty a John Bull, with all his prejudices and national tastes as deeply rooted as before. The English—the men of fortune—all travel. Yet how little sympathy they show for other people or institutions, and how slight is the interest they take in them ! They are islanders, cut off from the great world. But their island is, indeed, a world of its own. With all their faults, never lias the sun shone—if one may use the expression in reference to England—on a more noble race, or on one that has done more for the great interests of humanity.