CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9926, 4 January 1893, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

A special Vienna correspondent of Reuter enters into details respecting a new rifle lately invented by Herr von Manulicher, which he describes as a weapon of terrible destructiveness. A* many as one hundred and twenty rounds per minute have been fired from it, and it has no more recoil than a rook rifle. An Austrian engineer, at a meeting of an Engineers' Society in Vienna, announced the invention of an electric locomotor which would bo capable of travelling at the rate of two hundred kilometres—over one hundred and twenty-three mjlea —per hour. A lady master of hounds has in due time, appeared upon the sporting scene, Od Saturday, Nov. 12, the Lady Ileene Heath ings, sister of the Earl of Huntingdon, formally opened the season 1892-93 of the Huntingdon Harriers, King’s County, Ire' land, as the holder of the horn. Her ladyship, is still in her teens and an intrepid horsewoman. Her huntsman Is her brother, the Hon Aubrey Hastings. The thousand-mile telephone lino be« tween New York and Chicago is now open* At the inaugural ceremony forty-two receivers were employed, and, notwithstanding this, conversation could be heard perfectly. A cornet solo was also audible, bub was no doubt toned down by distance till no longer fatal. The Ijad consists of two No. 8 B.W.G. hard-drawn copper wires, on 30 feet to 35 feet poles* about 45 to the mile. No. 8 is, of ooure#* a very large wire to use for telephone! service. The Nice correspondent of the Times records the arrival at Cannes of tan of the French soldiers wounded in Dahomey. According to their statements thi? Dahomeyan climate placed many more of the troops hors de combat than the attacks of the Dahomeyans. They also fought under great difficulties by reason of the nature of the country. They found the women much more redoubtable than the men. These Amazons carried repeating rifles and had cords round their waists for the purpose of bindinguny Frenchman who might fall into their hands. The soldiers added that they had bfe)t| served with good food during the campaign, but that the fatigues were very great flji| the heat unbearable. A cultivator at Benares was recently tilling bis ground when he came upon a copper plate. A search brought others" to light. Twenty-four of the plates ajrg about eighteen inches long by twelve, inches broad, and three twelve inches by eight inches. The former have hqgfl copper seals with rings attached to the plates, while three, which appear to corpetitute one book, were linked together by a copper hook. The plates bear inscriptions supposed to relate to the sale of lapd in the time of Govind Chandra Dev(i, Sambat 1196=1149 a.d. The chief organ of the German Colonial party, the National Zcitv/ng, publishes! a leading article headed “ Uganda a;n| Wadelai,” in which England’s policy P regards these countries is commented upon. The paper broadly shares the views lately expressed by Captain Lugard, but comes to the conclusion that tho Belgian expedition under Captain van Eerokhoyeii is in some secret way connected with England’s African policy, and therefore, deserves great attention. It appeals, Buys this journal, that the British Government would like to get the Congo State to play the same part regarding Uganda as tiiafc taken by Italy at the time of the expedition to Khartoum. At that time the English looked for active support on the part of the Italians, who were to advaQOg as far as Kasaala. In the present case the task of the Kerckhoven expedition may possibly bo to prevent Franco from taking possession of Wadelai and Uganda after the evacuation of the latter by England* In a secret understanding with England, the Congo State would then take possession of these territories with the reservation fif British rights, A proposition has been made to the Victorian Customs department for the protection of the kangaroo during part of year by means of proclaiming a elds® season, as there is a probability of the race being extinct in that Colony if unrestricted slaughter is carried on much longer. At present a number of people make a living at trapping, and the export of kangaroo skins is a considerable industry. Thif fact is a consideration with the authorities in relation to the absolute protection p£ the kangaroo all over the Colony, and a modified course is suggested by which this protection would be limited to certain areas. The Forest department is desirous that tho animal should be protected in some of the forest reserves, but under the present Game Act there is no power to proclaim any isolated portion of the Colony, and any proclamation of the kind must take effect throughout Victoria. The matter has been brought under the notice of the Commissioner of Customs, who baa decided that on the first opportunity he will introduce a Bill amending the Act to allow of local proclamations. As the period of the proposed close season, however, is now about at an end, it is not likely that any immediate action will be taken. The amending Bill would provide further protection for birds of various kinds; also, in the shape of local proclamations, to make the law harmonise with the periods of the breeding seasons in different parts of the Colony. With regard to the platypus, an application to the department for permission to take twenty specimens out of the Colony draws attention to the fact that the platypus is fully protected, and anyone having a platypus in his possession is liable to a heavy penalty.

On Oct. 20 an ancient and annual ceremony in connection with the shrievalty of the City and certain services to be rendered to the Crown on behalf of the Corporation of London was gone through at the office of the Queen’s Remembrancer (Mr George Pollock), in the Eoyal Courts of Justice. The City Solicitor (Mr Homo-: wood Crawford), and the Secondary (Mr Eoderick), attended on the part of the Corporation. The proceedings were opened with the recitation of a warrant addressed to the late Sheriffs, Mr Alderman Tyler and Mr H. S. Foster, M.F., calling upon them to render an account of the issues of their office from Michaelmas Day last year until the same day in the present year, and another warrant appointing an attorney to account on behalf of the Sheriffs. The warrants, cn the application of the Secondary, were filed and recorded. Proclamation was then made in the following terms: “Oyez, oyez, oyez. Tenants and occupiers of a piece of waste ground called * The Moors,* in the county of Salop, come forth and do your duty." The City Solicitor thereupon'' as the agent of the Corporation, cut one faggot with a hatchet and another with a bill-hook, as was formerly done at West-' minster by the senior alderman below the chair. Next, a proclamation was made commanding “the tenants and occupiers,, of a certain tenement called the Forge, in the pariah of St Clement’s Danes, to' come forth and do their service.” The City ■ Solicitor then proceeded to count six horse- I shoes and sixty-one nails. The Queen's fl Remembrancer asked *• How many shoes P” ■ The City Solicitor replied “ Six ehoes and the Queen's Remembrancer said “Good number," and having counted the noils, i the City Solicitor said “ Sxxty-one nails," i and the Queen’s Remembrancer again said I “Good number." With that the quaint I formality, which was witnessed by the . I Lady Mayoress ana a number of ladies, ■ ended. The forge in St Clement’s Danes M was pulled down in a riot in the reign of ■ King Richard 11., and never restored.® Prior to 1860, this custom was annually “ observed before the Gursitor Baron of the Exchequer, who used afterwards to dine with the Sheriffs.