Correspondence.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 95, 23 April 1868, Page 2

Correspondence.

THE WATERWORKS LUNCHEON. To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail

Sir — The luncheon given by the Government appears to have displeased the uninvited, or I should say those of the uninvited who consider themselves ' Some Pumpkins.' Well, perhaps, that is only what might be expected ; but in yesterday's ' Colonist ' there is a long growl from one of the 'invited/ which struck me as rather ungracious. I may be wrong, but I am informed that the editor of the ' Colonist ' was one of the invited guests, that he took a seat at the top table, and proposed a toast ! If I am right, I think that Mr. Luckie ought to be ashamed of the part he took at that select party ; if he held the views he now expresses in his paper, and that he should have declined the invitation. If he did attend, he is the more blameable for uttering the growl, as he must know that it was not a class party at all, but, on the contrary, that there were persons of all classes present. I should like the editor of the Colonist to explain what class the Fire Brigade belong to, and I am not certain that the Provincial Council represents any particular class- It might be as well also if Mr. Luckie were to state to what particular class he belongs, as I feel sure the information would b© interesting to the public. I am, &c, Ojne of the Uninvited. April 22.

Mrs Telverton (or Miss Longwprth) has raised a new action in the Edinburgh Court of Session for the purpose of setting, aside the judgments in the former litigations in the Scotch courts and the House of Lords. The point upon which the unfortunate lady relies is that the Scotch

courts had no jurisdiction to pronounce their judgment, Major Telverton having never had a Scotch domicile. There is said to be abundance of law to the effect that in divorce cases the courts of Scotlaud have no jurisdiction over persons domiciled in England or in Ireland. There is no prospect of any termination to this cause. Apart from the present claim, it is supposed that the whole of the old battle will have to be fought over again when it becomes necessary to ascertain Major Telverton'.s legal successor.

The conviction of Sir John Dean Paul and Messrs. Strahan and Bates, 12 years ago, will be well remembered. They were bankers in the Strand, and at the Old Bailey were -sentenced to 14 years' transportation for having converted to their own use certain valuable securities deposited with them by their customers. It appears that there are now standing to the credit of the bankrupts the sum of £9,915 upon the joint account, and the sums of £1,160, £678, and £325 upon the several separate estates of Strahan, Paul, and Bates respectively. A question as to the distribution of the assets of the estate is shortly to come before the judges. The Kreutz Zeitung publishes a long letter signed Prince de Solms-Solms, general of brigade, aide-de-camp to the late Emperor Maximilian, in reply to the famous protest of Colonel Lopez endeavoring to prove that he had not betrayed his master. The letter is dated the 4th Oct., from the prison of Queretaro. The prince formally rejects as false and lying aU that Lopez has advanced, and maintains that Queretaro fell solely by the treason of Lopez, and that he, Lopez, is a traitor aud the veritable murderer of Maximilian. The missive concludes dy accepting the challenge proffered by Lopez to whoever should vilify him as a traitor. Some time ago we reported the discovery of diamonds at the Cape of Good Hope, or rather in the Orange Territory, and now we learn that the discovery of a vast African goldfield has been reported. The discoverers are described as being very reticent, for various reasons, some of which appear to be of a somewhat personal character. Enough is known, however, to show that new field is one to which there is not likely to be any rush of the indiscriminate character to of Austaalian rushes. The goldfield covers a very large extent of country, through the centre of which passes the twentieth degree of south latitude. The place is extremely difficult of access, and lies a long way from the seashore. It is ruled over by a powerful native ruler, who is not likely to permit white visitors in any number to interfere with him. It has been stated that the Government store at Purfleet has a sufficient quantity of gunpowder to lay half Middlesex and all London in ruins. A correspondent of the Times believes this statement to be true, and urges that immediate steps should be taken to place Purfleet^ beyond the risk of a Fenian coup de main. The New Tork correspondent of the Daily News states that Americans sorely begrudge the 7,000,000 in gold which is to be paid for the purchase of Russian America. The national discontent finds expression through the House of Representatives, which has hitherto had nothing to do with the treaty, the bargain having been made by the Senate, and there is a strong inclination to refuse to vote the money for the purchase. It is hoped that the moderation and good sense of the members of the House will avert the difficulty which such a refusal, if persisted in, would occasion.