TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV. S. IRONSIDE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 158, 15 March 1845, Page 7

TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV. S. IRONSIDE.

A few months since a small subscription was set on foot in Nelson to present to the Rev. S. Ironside, the Wesleyan missionary who resided in Cloudy Bay at the time of the Wairau massacre, a small testimonial of the sense in which his efforts to render assistance on that melancholy occasion was held by the friends of our unfortunate countrymen. The moment Mr. Ironside heard of the dreadful event which had taken place, he proceeded in his whaleboat to the spot, although the whalers in the bay hesitated to accompany him, on account of the state of the weather and the dangerous swell on the bar of the Wairau river, until they saw him with a crew of Maories. It is but too well known that the only assistance Mr. Ironside was able to render, was the burial of the deadfand succour to the fugitives who found their way to his abode. The testimonial presented to Mr. Ironside was a handsome edition of the Bible in three volumes, which had been sent out to the late Mr. Young, and which the executors'of that gentleman very kindly parted with for the purpose.

The following is Mr. Ironside's acknowledgment of the present : — " Wellington, Feb. 20, 1845. "Sir — I accept, with great pleasure, the very valuable present of books which you have forwarded to me at the request of several of the inhabitants of Nelson.

" You hare been pleased to put by far too high an estimate upon my services in connexion with that tragic event which we all so deeply mourn, and which Time will not obliterate from our memories. I only did my duty; and no one, in any station of life, should take credit to himself for doing his duty, although it might be painful and melancholy to his feelings, and attended with personal risk.

"It would have been much more gratifying to me, could I have been of service, as mediator, before the affair had arrived at its dire extremity ; but, unfortunately, I knew not of it until it was too late.

" I beg you will convey to those whom you represent my grateful sense of their kindness in thus honouring me ; and I may further add that the very handsome manner in which their wishes have been communicated to me by yourself has considerably enhanced my gratification. " I have the honour to remain, sir, " Your most obedient servant, "Samuel Ironside. "A. Domett, Esq., Nelson."

Antidote to Prussic Acid. — Recent experiments made by Messrs. T. and H. Smith, of Edinburgh, with a view to discover an antidote for prussic acid, have been brought to a successful termination. The presentation of oxidized iron to the deadly acid is in reality the fundamental feature of their discovery. The accomplishment of this combination constitutes the antidote. The prussic acid is turned in the stomach into Prussian blue, there an inert, harmless body.

Food. — In the form of substantial food, Mr. Chadwick states, the transported thief receives in a week 330 oz. ; the convicted thief, 231 ; the suspected thief, 181; the soldier, 168; the ablebodied pauper, 151; and the independent labourer, 122.

Employment in Agriculture. — Employment in agriculture is restricted, because property in land is a monopoly, and because in addition to that there is a further monopoly in what the land produces. Improved systems of agriculture, like improved systems of manufacture, would find employment for a far larger number of labourers than farmers have at present engaged. But, so long as there is no security of tenure, men will not invest capital in 'permanently improving their lands; and the withholding of such investment is in fact a withholding of the employment which the capital would give to the labourers. Even where there are leases, they are encumbered with a multitude of clauses and conditions which seem perversely designed to put a stop to all improvements. The great body of the landlords act as if they had en • tered into a confederacy to prevent the farmers from rising to a condition of wealth and independence which might confer political freedom ; and though they thus in no slight degree injure themselves, they are willing to sacrifice positive good in order to maintain relative superiority. The farmer is prevented from adopting those modes of culture which would give employment to most labourers. His landlord's game is deemed of more importance than his own crops. — Hull Advertiser.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Act. — Among the most important provisions in the new act to amend the law of insolvency, bankruptcy, and execution, are those by which arrest upon final process upon any judgment obtained in any of her Majesty's superior courts, or in any county court, court of requests, or other inferior court, in any action for the recovery of any debt wherein the sum recovered shall not exceed the sum of JE2O, exclusive of the costs recovered by such judgment, is abolished ; and persons now in execution upon any such judgment — that is, where the debt recovered does not exceed JG2O exclusive of costs — may, by application to a judge of one of her Majesty's superior courts of law at Westminster, or to the court in which the judgment was obtained, be forthwith discharged out of custody as to such execution, by an order of such judge or court. — Sun.

Human Glokt. — The Roman Forum is now a cow market, the Tarpeian Rock is a cabbage garden, and the Palace of the Ccsars a rope walk.