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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 275, 1 December 1879, Page 2

' - -. ■ 1- ::—T— BC«>ar»!JHL!mii.lu. Of the notorious New South Wales bushrangers the N.Z. Times says :— Captain Moonlight, the leader of the gang of buahr&nger«in New South Wales, of whose exploits we have been recently informed by cable, was convicted about nine or ten years ago at the Circuit Court at Ballarat, on a charge of robbing a bank at Eggerton, which is distant 1

about thirteen miles from the golden metropolis of Victoria. If we remember aright he was a schoolmaster iv the neighborhood, and his real name was Scott. After robbing the bank, he left a communication, under the signature of " Captain Moonlight," detailing the manner of the robbery, aud entirely exonerating Mr Bruno, the young man in charge of the bank! Suspicion; however, fixed very strongly on poor young #ruhn, aiid he was placed under arrest, charged with coiiiplicity in the crime. Through good and evil report, Brunn's father, who was a German, had confidence in the honor and integrity of hit son, and long after the police bad abandoned the charge against his bod, he placed a private detective, at hii owfl expense^ on the track of Scott, who was at length found Iff Sydney, brought back to Victoria, and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. It is only a short period since the ruffian waa again let loose upon societ* | but during the time that he has; ap'fttrentlyj been maturing his plans for his present exploits, he went' round upon a lecturing tour, detailing, in language worthy of the immortal Pecksniff, the horrors of the Victorian penal establishments, and expatiating upon their utterly bad and demoralising tendencies. We remember reading the report cf one of (here lectures in the Bailarai Star, which was delivered in the UnicorhHetel,ohe of the rendezvous of mining speculators and men in search or" rapid fortunes. But we really thought, like ihUti 6f his hearers, that the ruffian had profited by his bitter experience, and that he wag not HKely to offend against the laws of society during the remainder of bis lifetime. But Scott, or "Mooulight," as he de/ighW to style himself, app«ars to be one of those individuals whose chief desire is to be notorious, no matter at what cost the desired end may be accomplished. We have just learqed (says the Oamaru Mail) that Messrs Royse, Steady and Co. obtained the champion cup at the Sydney international Exhibition for wheat grown by Messrs Fleming and Hedley on the Seadowu Estate. New Zealand, therefore, has beaten the world, and we feel proud that an Oamarn arm was the means of her doing so. Now that the world's judges hays decided that New Zealand his exhibited the best wheat, perhaps the bias which grew so strong in favor of that of Adelaide will die out, and give place to a condition in which our wheat willl be judged on its merits against this most formidable opponent. In reference to Government advertising, the ManaliatU Timti remarks :—«' As we hare been staunch opponents of the present Ministry since its assumption of office, w« can claim credit for sincerity in the following remarks. We have been shown a circular forwarded to one of the Government officials in Palmerston in which instructions are given to issue Government advertisements to newspapers without the slightest regard to their political opinions. That this la not mere claptrap we ate prepared to asserti inasmuch as that during the short time the Hall Ministry have been in power we have received double the amount of patronage that we obtained in the same time under the Grey re Ante. The gross corruptions in matter of advertisment patronage was one of the dark spots during the Grey administration— one which we more thau once severely lampooned —and we are pleased to see that in that particular matter the present Government have been as good as thsir word. And while upon the subject of State advertising we feel bound to say that there has been some sad mistake in the return recently published. The Manawatu Times was credited with £124 for the last eighteen months : unfortunately, however, tha figures are far from correct; we only wish for our own sake that they were genuine." The Hall Ministry undertook to deal in a very trenchant manner with that difficult subject, Maori representation. They proposed to exclude the Maoris altogether from taking part in European elections, but to give them largely increased special representation. The House, however, shrank from the bold course, and we must say (says the Timor* Herald) that on the whole we think they were right. There are now four Maori members in the House of Representative^ and after a close and entirely unprejudiced observation of their conduct for many years, we do not hesitate to say that they are four too many. We do not wish to throw any slur on the individuals or on the race, but we are convinced that, owing partly to the Maori character, and partly to the fact that they know nothing of the first principles of our laws and government, the Maori members have always been an element of danger and demoralisation in they House. They are quiet and well-behavd, and appear on the surface to take an intelligent interest in the proceedings; but in reality they are mere dummies in debate, and mere tooh in voting. Haw can they be otherwise when they are utterly ignorant of the subjects under discussion and even of the meaning of the words which their hear, except some few which are conveyed to them by an interpreter who himself knows very little more than they do? The whole thing is a pitiable farce, but it is a serious business when the Maori votes affect matters of the highest importance to the whole population of the colony. It is bad enough in all conscience aa it is, and the results of any considerable increase in the number of Maori members could not but be in the last degree disastrous. At the same time it is obvious that the Maoris would not be adequately represented on any definite political basis, if they were excluded from European elections and yet bad only four members. They number altogether between forty and fifty thousand, and they pay a dne proportion of the indirect taxation. The only valid objection, indeed, to their votiog at European elections is that they pay none of the direct taxation, either local or general. In the Legislative Council in the debate on the second reading of the Drillshed Bill, Col. Brett (says the NZ. Timed) once more prophesied the probability of our all being slain in our beds, and our lands wrenched from us by an invading foe, if we did not w«H look after our Volunteer force The gallant and genial Colonel (who usually brings up this subject several times every session) grew more than usually excited while speaking on his favorite topic— so much so, indeed, as occasionally to raise loud laughter by a confusion in bit terms, whereof '* bang" for " back," and " wool" for « drill," were the most conspicuous examples, Such phrases as "the land going bang to the Government," and the Volunteers going into the woolsbed" had an irresistibly ludicrous effect, when spoken in most sonorons tones accompanied with extremely impassioned gestures. However, the hon gentleman effected his immediate object, which was to get the Drillshed Bill through. The Melbourne correspondent of the N.Z. Times says : — The following is a copy of a letter from a young fellow of eighteen to whom I gave a note of introduction to some Melbourne business men on the occasion of his arrival here to seek his fortune in the grocery line :— "Dear 8.,— 1 have been waiting till I could write of something good but my account does not come op to that yet. I have been to three different grocers, for periods ranging from three to six weeks. Mr. Grocer No. 1 filed his schedule after I had been with him three weeks. No. 2 kicked the bucket in a fortnight, having thought it more profitable to do so than to continue running a poor business in this sinful world. He made up his mind to, and accordingly went forth. The last engaged me when he was ill, and on recovering could not make it convenient to pay my screw, so I am once more in the labor market in the list ol * active young men.*"

We were informed by telegram Of theffrit day's scores in the Intercolonial cricltet match between Victoria and New Sooth Wales, but uot of the final result, which waa aa follows : — New South Wales : First innings, 204 ; second innings 1 13 ; total, 3i7. Victoria : First innings, 163; second Innings, 117 ; total, 285 New South Wales therefore won by 32 runs. The following curious paragraph appears a'tn'ong " jftns-wers to Correspondents" in the Sydney Mull jW- Cabby.— If you don't like Sydney, and are honest find industrious, Wellington (New Zealand) is about tbe best place for you south of the Line. Cabmen ia thufc city find almost permanent lodgings for the Government. At least we notice that the ex-Minister for native affairs, the Hon J. Bhefttian, spent £330 on cab hire during his last year of office. If you cannot put up with either the Transit Commissioners or the Cabmen's Union, write to Mr Sheehan." A writer io the Whitehall Review refers to the jSg-ant- General and his candidature for the representation of in the following terms:—"- Sir Julius Vogel/ after giving a series of political dinners at the St. Stephen's Club, which were greatly enjoyed by those privileged with invitations, has now taken up his residence at Falmouth with Lady Vogel, no doubt with tbe object of getting better acquainted with what he hopes rutty becointe his futiire constituency. For my part/ politics aside, I trust Sir Julius Vogel will succeed ia _rs ca*ndidattire. As Premier of New Zealand, U« well aa since In England— if only by his contnbdlfons* t* the Mn'tunth Century— Sit Julius has shown* himself & raau of mark and ability, and it is moat desirable that fepresentative men of his varied experience should have seats in the House.— Sir Julius has exhibited his' Oauftl acumen iu taking Lady Vogel with him, for* after all ' men are women's men,' and it certainly cannot do a candidate harm to have H handsome, charming, and clever, woman at hia elbow."'