ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 72, 27 June 1877, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

■ xr » ' *We hear that the -grand piano, once - belonging -to Beethoven, is for sale. The Tn^tru'ment was made especially for him by the piano manufacturer Graf, m Vienna, at a time when the composer was already beginning to be deaf, and m. order to increase the tone it was strung with four strings- instead of the usual three.- After the death. of the composer, Graf took the instrument ■back again,, and sold it to "a lady m ~ % Vienna.- There appears to be no doubfr as to its genuineness; and as an interes- - ting relic it would worth purchasing for some public institution." Further particulars can be obtained from Messrs. j&ugener, the music publishers, of New-gate-street. — " Academy." Father- Hyacinthe has lectured 'at Paris, the subject being " The Reform of. Family Relations," which, he ai'gued, wore imperfectly constituted m France, lie'enlarged on the defective education s of girls. The husband, not the priest, should be the confidant of .the woman. God had given man head, and" woman l-.-art, and the two should be united by i i'O synthesis of marriage. Cleverly al]siiling to exisiSSffg circumstances, he protested against two morals, one for individuals, another for governments, a i id' inferred that the right understanding of the commandment, " Thou shalt not kill," would prevent war. He did not presume' to dictate a particular religion, but was sure any religion was ■ better than none. For himself, he believed m Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, a"nd ¥or ever. " * - 'The prospect of a war m which 'England may have to engage or suffer dis- - advantage', not to say humiliation, is viewed with" evident satisfaction by her enemies iii this country. Their senti- • nients find expression m the congenial /columns of the "Irishman," which forecasts the issue m a prophetic tone, -and -predicts that Russia will indemnify herself for her expenses by taking, not the European principalities — though they must be materially changed—but

a slice of Asiatic territory from Turkey, which it seems will be England's "crowning catastrophe." Some day Russia' may take Constantinople, but thatis not her present* object, as the "Irishman" thinks, and if not, "the Englishfleet at Constantinople will play a foolish part.". The pleasing conclusibn'at which ; the writer arrives is that " this warfare against . Turkey is an indirect but "most effectual warfare against England." f : The ship Lady Turner, from Melbourne for Ceylon, 56 days oufr, has been lost by .spontaneous combustion of cargo of ■ bone dust. The captain and crew were rescued by the China steamer 100 miles off Ceylon. The area m orchards m America for, various.ldrids of fruits was m 1875 no less than 4;500,000 acres. The shipment m apples alone amounted m 1873 to 1,185,803 barrels, arid about the same quantity are retained for home consump- ■ tion. ■"'. •'.;.' ■...'■ ,; ; ; .. -I- ■ • . . If report speaks truly i we shall shortly havesa work f rom a royal author. It is understdod that Prince Leopold contemplates issuing a -volume of original poems. . . "The Times" correspondent at Rome says that of "the twenty Cardinals upon whom the hat was^ imposed the other day, nine only were able to take theirs away with ' them, for the Pontifical hatter had not finished the rest. • The officers of the disbanded PontificaLarmy are subscribing spontaneously for the manufacture of a sword, richly •oriamented with gems and brilliants, which will be pvesented to the Pope,, that; he? m turn may bestow it on a .certain exalted personage who is invested with the qualities of a sovereign. It is supposed to.^be destined for Marshall MacMahon. .."■■■