SOCIAL PARALLELS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 243, 16 October 1867, Page 2

SOCIAL PARALLELS.

To the Editor of thb Neisou Evening Mjux*.^ Sir — I don't remember seeing th© fol* lowing case of an unprincipled, though luckily not unpunished, swindler in your excellent English selections. The case may be paralleled in colonial life in everything but the punishment; and, under the new Bankruptcy Act and with our present Judge, punishment may more speedily and more surely follow crime. *At the Middlesex sessions a notorious character named James Pugh met the just reward of his misdeeds. He was convicted of obtaining money under false pretences* in 1854 he was indicted for perjuryj and in 1865 for stealing ft bill of exchange. He had been five times & bankrupt, three times iusolvenc, and compounded with his creditors last November. He was sentenced to five years' penal servitude.' i: Youra, etc., i Q.-V. 1

A Bishop who was fond of -shooting, itx j one of his excursions met with a friend's gamekeeper, whom he sharply reproved for inattention to his religious duties, exhortiog him strenuously to 'go to church aud read his Bible.' The keeper, ia an angry mood, responded, ' Why, I do read my Bible, sir, but I don't find in it any mention of the apostles going a-shooting.' 'No, my good man, you are right,' said the bishop ; ' the shooting was very bad in Palestine, so they we,nt fishing instead.'

' '' -^l*mß**Bml**mmiitm)Ki.m**smm - i ———Mi—— Some time ago we were gratified by the Postal authorities so fully appreciating the necessity of a weekly communication between Blenheim and Nelson, aa to establish a bi-monthly overland maii via Havelock, leaving that place on the lst and 16th of each month, thereby falling between that previously in existence via Picton. per mail boat of the Sth and 23rd. This, doubtless, is a convenience, but owing to its circuitous route, the advantage is small, as the mail is often obliged to be sent from Blenheim, within' a very few days of its piedecessor by steamer. Our tri-weekly intercourse with Picton only permits of letters leaving here for that town on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. Thus, two or three days are often lost, unless the time of closing in Havelock falls on the day but one succeeding either of these three. Take for instance the mail which left Havelock on Tuesday, the Ist of the^ present montb. The latest means for letters being in time from Blenheim, was on the 28th ultimo, being the previous Friday. This mail arrived in Nelson upon the 2nd, taking therefore six days on the way. Surely this fact ought to be brought under the notice of those at head-quarters, proving as it does, how badly the system is arranged. We see no reason why the present service should not be continued from Havelock via Kaituna, to Blenhiem direct. By this me#s two days would be ample for the journey. — Marlborough News, October 5. The Melbourne papers are literally filled with details of the preparations being made in that city for the reception of H.E.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. The reception committee sits daily at the Treasury Buildings, and sub-committees have beeu appointed to carry out the rarious details of the celebration, the duties of the reception and entertainments committee, the buildings and constructions committee, the illuminations committee, and the correspondence committee, being distributed amongst the several members of the commission. It has been arranged that the Prince shall land at Sandridge, and on returning from his visit embark at Williamstown, an antagonism having arisen between the inhabitants of those places on this point, in which the honor of the respective ports was supposed to be involved. It is also arranged that on the day following that of the arrival of his Boyal Highness, a levee shall be held, to be followed by the Parliamentary banquet and the illuminations, the further details will be subjected to the reports of the sub-committees, but it is understood that a regatta will take place in Hobson's Bay, and it is also proposed that an exhibition of cricket or athletic sports should take place on the Melbourne cricket ground in honor of his Royal Highness. The advertising columns of the Argus abound with the announcements of illuminators of every conceivable kind, of the makers of devices, transparencies, flags, etc., in anticipation of the wants of tbe community on the occasion of the Royal visit. A fearful affair is reported from Yougal. Three persons, a man and two women, who were 'waking* the corpse of a young woman, fell asleep; and one of the candles used upon the occasion having set fire to the bed, the three watchers were suffocated and tbe dead body was consumed. The accumulation of bullion resources in the Banks of France and England is unparalleled, the total representing about £55,000,000. The comparative prostration of trade, and the apparent want of confidence, are likely to stimulate a money abundance for a long period. The New Zealand Times remarks that the Legislative Council of New Zealand at' present consists of 36 members, and dnly 26 have taken their seats this session. Absence without leave for two successive sessions involves forfeiture of tbe member's dtiat, and /» several of the present absentees did not attend last session, it is prtibable that after the prorogation their ftaittea will be struck off the roll.