News in a Nutshell.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 16, 17 December 1883, Page 2

News m a Nutshell.

— :oo: — Australian wines are, meeting with farour on the Continent. It ie rumoured that Sir John Gorrie is to be the next Governor of Fiji, The lasmnnian Legislature has decided to abolish postage on newspapers. - Sydney can~boast of two lepers. They are kept at Coast Hospital; Little Bay. Eggs of theEnglish perch are adw daily being hatched at Opawa, Canterbury. The Auckland police authorities con* template instituting some further prose* cutions for cruelty to, animals, ;, At a recent inquest m Victoria a State schoolboy showed,. deplorable igaoranoe'of . all religious knowledge. ' Captain Armit and Mr IrTing'iptend to return to New Guinea after they : nave got oter the effects of fever. . An orange weighing 400z5., and with a circumference of 16£ inches, has been ' grown on the rarramatta Ri ver; The population of New South Wales, according to latest returns; is 8tf,468, Out of every hundred persons 65 are males and 45 females,: .."•_.. .;, Baby-farming is said to be extensively practised at Ballarat, • New South Wales farmer* generally have better prospects than they have had for ten years. ' A society m Germany is agitating for the establishing of a German colony m the Pacific. _ - : Native birds are being destroyed by thousands aft Taree, New South jjjfcles, for the sake of their skins. Insect«^E in* creasing accordingly. . , >^ The Ballarat Courier protests against criminals and vagrants being sent m railway carriages m which deoent folks have subsequently to ride. According to a return laid •- on the table of +he Victorian Legislative Council, 2576 men are employed m the Government departments, oe S undaya. , - ■ The Victorian Premier, has directed a cable message'fo be sent to T the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, expressing thanks for the support 1 afforded to 1 the annexation movement. •■• The -Queensland Government received oaly two applications' for JB pace at the Calcutta Exhibition. The Government declined to send any Queensland exhibit! to Calcutta, A well-known individual was raoantly holding forth to an audience, . behind a public bar on the subject of Banks, which -rhad perhaps been cruel enough to fail to negotiate a temporary overdraft. He designated them as parasites preying on the vitals of the community. * What are they?' continued Demosthenes, waxing eloquent, ( do they ever grow a potato ? Do they ever rear a sheep ? ' No,* replied a very old runholder, 'they don't rear 'em] but, by the holy poker, they shears a good lot of 'em, anyhow J < Niece ; * Aunty, dear, the: young artist, Herr. Schmidt* again, entreated me at the ball last evening to lend him my photograph* which, ,he say?, will b.e of iaostimable value to him ia painting hU new picture. He promises to return it as soon as tbe picture is finished. May I give it to him !' Aunt : ' Well, I think it will be all right if you enclose with it a picture of your mother, or some. other elderly per. son i to send your picture alone would be a terrible breach of etiquette.'