MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1273, 18 May 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

— : — .♦ ■ ', — . ■ ■ ■ A clergyman said a clever tiling- ti» other .day to amuse his congregation---namely, that there was still mauy a oa&i who, whilst engaged in singing, apparently with all his heart, ' the lines — ■ i Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small, - was diligently engaged, with one hand in his pocket, in scraping the edge pi a threepennypeice to make sore it was not a fourpennypiece ! An exhibition billiard match was played at the Australasian Hotel yesterday evening by Messrs W. Sbipton, and F. Edmunds, the former conceding 825 .points in .1000. A large number of people assembled to witness the play, which was Very good oh the whole, although both men showed uneven form at times. The scoring was tolerably rapid, moderate breaks being the order of -the' day. The high- | est runs were 46 on each side; Shipton > drew gradually upon his opponent throughout, the game being called at the interval — Edmunds, 605 ; Shipton, 863. From that point the scratch man continued to make up his leeway, but too-slowly to ensure him a'victory, '(Edmunds eventually running out a winner by 67 points. .. • ' • The educational movement (observes : the "" |& James's Gazette "of February21stj seems . to be rapiaijNimpYoving^ * the class of- persons serit'tQ^gabßj'^pli^;' chaplain of PentbnviUe prison, \a report for the past year,. ju§t printed, again refeikto the increasing number^ of educated pnspnew^^festaMsh" ment. The proportions jof men wholly uninstructed is, he -says, now very small ; while as many as 50 per cent, are found to be sufficiently well educated to be left to improve themselvep , without help from the schoolmasters. Indeed, it seems probable that in the | course of a very few years there will be little if any necessity for providing for schooling of prisoners. Prisoners of " superior education " are, the chaplain fears, an incrersing element of our convict population. Cases of embezzlement and other sorts of dishonesty by persons holding situatious of trust appear to come before the prison authorities more frequently than of old; and are, in the chaplain's opinion, for the most part to be accounted for by the one cause of betting alone. The, most frequent examples of such men coming under notice in the prison are furnished by young men in offices and places of business. " If," adds the chaplain, " those who are being led into this most ruinous and deinoraising habit could only visit the uu-

happy- occupants of many of the] <sells at Pentonyille prison, and hear their cry of mental distress, and read the letters from mothers and sisters and- young wives, telling oC broken hearts and Wasted prospects and tomes that are homes no longer, they would] surely pause and consider the terrible xisk .they were incurring." The chaplain suggests that perhaps a more kindly interest in their servant* on the part of employers, leading to a better acquaintance with their kabits of life; ! might be couduoive to the advantage of both; Oh the other hand, it must be remembered that employer^ -often btt with *a much g«sto i.m their cfcrks andY Meed, coaduct their whole business onbettirig^rinoif* 68 - Perhaps if a few of then* went *• Pentohville with their clerks, and kad the benefit of the chaplain's advice, business would sooa be pkeed «* » leas B P ecu " latbe footing than that on which it stands." We fekd «ie following from the Timant Herald.— "ln the Flowery Irtma-creditors have a very summary method of squaring accounts with debtor* New Year* Day is the date fixed 'by law for a siptttement of all <jetta,a«d*pew»awb» fails to come wo to "S«e gets «c matey. Kecently, in Foo <3h«w, %tto wh« did n«t pay up was set upon %y his indignant creditors and diwned. The Foo Chow Herald states the officials rarely interfere in these cases, and according to <3hine«e ethios there is no reason why they should. in Ins native country a Cbinaniaii who cannot meet his New Year settlements is expected to commit suicide, and by failure to follow this custom he. forfeits the respect of his fellows, and becomes an outlaw. How would smek a custom as this anwer in New Zealand 1 We are afraid that if ■we were legalise^ wd the present bankruptcy laws repealed, there would be* a. good deal of all round Kilkenny >cat play going ou on the en 4of the •Einara Breakwater on New Year's I)ay. The fun, indeed, , if carried, out legitimately, Would be so fcst and furious that Mr Cooper would nave Jittle trouble in making up his census returns. 7 ' . ••■ ■'■•' •'■ •• : - The ease against the three Chinese for creating* nuisance at the cemetery, occupied the Court a great portion of yesterday,, but without eliciting any new facts 'Of . evidence. Counsel . for the defence -endeavored to show that defendants ' imA acted according to agreement^ •*■* "were therefore not liable. good deal of evidence had bees taken the case was adjourned until tins morning, in order to obtain the evidence of His Worship the Mayer. T?be excitement over this •cope had abated considerably yester«day, and 'the Court .was .* good deal less crowded then on the previous ocflwmftb wteita; ! ; • The ReV, 'Mr tudke'e, <ef Christ church,' Melbourne, h&to fcroad views on die subject of Sabbatarianism. '•There should," urges the rev. gentleman, "be no restriction as to the manner of observing Sunday. People ■shquld be permitted to do as they like, . providing they do not interfere . with 1 others nor disturb the peace and quiet; of the (community. If they desire to £0 into the country, er ±o visit the libraries or museasss or other befitting resorts, they should be permitted to do •so; wMle the Church, em her part, should seek to «how them something better, and to meet and beat the world in the fair open field."