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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 157, 8 July 1867, Page 3

A correspondent saggests that the belli lately presented to St. Mary's Church) and the use of which has been discontinued, in consequence of the resemblance of its tone tb that of the Fire Bell, should be purchased by the Fire Brigade, with a view to its erection at the Provincial Buildings, where, he informs us, it has, for some time past, been in contemplation to place an alarm bell, in order to give warning to the inhabitants of the eastern portiou of the city, in which locality the present fire bell is now quite inaudible: In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Saturday, John Smith, who had been fined for drunkenness oh the previous day, was again brought up, eharged with a similar offence, and fined 10s. and costs. John Jervis and Wm. Beer, charged with allowing the chimnies of their respective houses to take fire, were severally flne'd 10s. and costs. This morning, Frank fcrodliag and Mary Butler, charged with drunkenness, were each fined in the usual penalty of 10s. and costs. William Elwood, charged with assaulting and using threatening language to Winifred Robinson, was ordered to enter into recognisances to keep the peace towards the complainant for six calendar months, himself in £30, and two sureties in the same amount each. Richard Guy, charged with assaulting Anne Hilton last night near the Yictoria Hotel, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment with hard labor. It may interest our horticultural and agricultural readers to learn that the Colonial Geologist, Dr. Hector, has arranged to make a thorough analysis of the soils of New Zealand, with the object of publishing the results for general information. l"ne New.. Zealand Gazette contains a notice, in reference to this subject; from the Colonial Secretary, to the effect that Dr. Hector will receive, through Superintendents of Provinces, specimens of surface and subsoil for analysis; Instructions for contributors of such soil and for ms for filling up, which must be forwarded along with the specimens for analysis, will be sent to the several Superintendents for distribution in their provinces; and will doubtless be shortly printed in the Provincial Gazette. Considerable excitement has prevailed in town duriiig the day, owing to a report that a large nugget had been discovered on the Lyell. On enquiry we find that there is no doubt that a nugget; weighing 68 ounces has been found at the Lyell Creek, a tributary, we believe; of the Lyell river, and a locality in which several other nuggets of large size have been previously discovered, and that a storekeeper in that locality has left town for the purpose of purchasing it, and bringing it down to Nelson:

The Estimates of the Receipts and Expenditure for the West Coast Gold Fields have been laid before the Canterbury Provincial Council. They only cover a period of nine months, owing to the Superintendent having altered the termination of the financial year to the 31st March. The receipts are estimated to reach a total of £123,870, made up from the following sources: — Three-eighths of Customs duty, £44,000; gold export duty, £35,000 j miners rights, licenses, &c, £15,000; spirit licenses, £8000; auctioneers' do £720; boatsmen's do £150; wharfage dues, £2200; pilotage fees, &c,, £400; hospital fees, £500; telegraph do, £1500; mining surveys, £800; dog tax, £500; miscellaneous, £100; land sales, £15,000. The expenditure is calculated to amount to £110,476 — showing an estimated surplus of revenue over expenditure of £13,394. The Expenditure is classified under the following heads: — Commissioner's Department, £1000; SubTreasurer's Department, £450; Waste Lands Board, £500; Surveys, £10,956 5s Engineer's Department, £1996 10s; Meteorological do, .£37 10s; Administration of Justice, £24,497 2s Id ; Hospitals and Lunatic Asylum, £8920 10s ; Charitable Aid, £1125 ; Harbors, £3084 2s 6d ; Telegraph Department, £1755 ; Weights and Measures £425 ; Public Buildings, £6650; Public Works, £38,000; Education, £1500 ; Miscellaneous, £6950 10s ; refund to' Ordinary" Account of Expenditure, £2620 10s. ' This last item is the West Coast share of the {salaries of the Superintendent and Executivej Provincial Council and Lunatic Asylum. Mrs. Malaprop cannot understand all this fuss about Household Suffering and vote by the Ballet. Having just parted with another servant-of-all-work — the fourth since Martinmas — she has her own ideas on the subject of Household Suffering; but, why anybody should wish to give votes for Members of Parliament to those young persons who dance at the . theatres, she cannot posssibly imagine. She is shocked and horrified at the notion of Duel voting.-;- Punch. The birth of a son to the Princess Christian raises the total of her Majesty's grandchildren to 10— six grandsons and four granddaughters. The Princess of Prussia has three sons and a daughter, the Prince of Wales two sons and a daughter, the Princess Louis of Hesse two daughters, and the Princess Christian one son. A specimen of those carillons heard in Antwerp and other cities in Belgium is about to be exhibited in the Champ de Mars, previous to being placed in the tower of St. Germain l'Auxerrois. Four years have been spent iii the manufacture of this set of chimes, which is very complicated, though it will be managed very easily, the performer being enabled tb play any tune upon it as easily as upon any. pianoforte; There will be 42 bells; so that every variety of tone may be produced: Lately, whilst excavations were being made at Pompeii, the workmen discovered a bronze vase hermetically closed and enveloped in a thick crystallised crust. The interior of the vessel was found to 1 contain a considerable quantity of water; Some persons present ventured to drink some of the liquid, and all agreed in pronouncing it clear, fresh, and of remarkable softness. The water in question must have been preserved for nearly 1800 years. Aldershott was a village containing 500 inhabitants before the military camp was established there: It Ms now 7,000 inhabitants; ' The Cambridge bh'ronicle says ihai 21 fellows of Trinity College have signed the petitions for the enfranchisement of women which have lately been circulated in that university;

A very singular accident, says the Argus, occurred at Rokewood to a farmlaborer in tlie employ of Mr. J. G. Mack* Berry Bank Station, a few days ago. He was sitting on the top of a load of hay, which was not fastened on the dray, when the load slipped, and the man was thrown to the ground. Two pitchforks which were stuck in the hay followed him with considerable rapidity, the prong of one of them entering his hose, inflicting a severe wound, and a prong of the other passed through the neck just behind the windpipe, sticking into the ground on the opposite side from which it had entered. This poor fellow called out loudly, and his mate without hesitation pulled out the pitchfork. He is fast recovering, and will not be disfigured in the least. It appears by a Parliamentary return, issued lately, that on the Ist of last March, 20 English vessels of war, ' of 34, 614 tons, and a complement, of 5,313 officers and men were in the Mediteranean ; 29 vessels of 34,827 and a complement of 5,488 men in North America and the West Indies; 9 vessels of 7,647 toils and 1,115 men on the south-east coast of America;7 vessels of 7,590 tons and 1,275 men at the East Indies; 3 vessels of 3,078 tons and 446 men at the Cape of Good Hope^ 19 vessels of 15,179 tons and 1,894 men on the West Coast of Africa station ; 14 vessels of 19,342 tons and 3,321 men in the Pacific; 40 vessels of 30,246 tons and 4,628 men on the China station; 6 vessels of 6,793 tons and 1,360 men in Australia; and 1 surveying vessel with. 90 men detached in the Straits of Magellan . The Hobart Town people hage come forward'liberally for a great Champion festival next JannaryJ including racing regatta, cricket, and a horticultural show, Instead of a weight-for-age Champion Race, it is in contemplation to substitute two valuable handicaps, of 300 sovs added for one mile and a half, and no doubt such would meet with' more favbr from the owners of horses, and command large entries, especially if the sweepstakes do not exceed £10. The Penny School Primer has at length been introduced into all the nine schools named in her Majesty's Commission of Inquiry — viz., Winchester, Eton, Harrow, Westminster, Charterhouse, Rugby, Merchant Taylors', Shrewsbury, and St. Paul's. Dr Kennedy, who is understood to be the responsible author of the " Primer;" is busy on a very simple companion book to it, entitled " Subsidia Primaria," and intended as introductory to the " Primer," around which is springing up a cognate literature, its first fruits being a " First Latin Parsing Book," by Dr. White, of Christ's Hospital, and " Praxis Latina Primaria," by Dr. Collis of Bromsgrovei There is no book post between Great Britain and the United States of America; while tHef e is a Hook, post between France and the latter country; and what is still more strange is, that this French service all passes through England; A New Yorfcef soiids to a Paris house for an English book, because he cannot get it direct from English publishers; the Paris house procures it from England, and posts it in France for his New Tork correspondent; and the book thus posted goes through England to reach New York.— Stamp Collector's Monthly Gazette. Why is hope like a decayed cheese?— Because thousands live on it. Which is the oldest trefc?— The elder tree, of cbitrs'e; It is sdid th'at Fox, in speaking of bis oratory, observed "I never want a wordL but Mr. Pitt always has at command the word; . ;