NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6999, 23 April 1884, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

: Certain English naval and military papers are deploring a scarcity, of .men for the Royal Navy. ' r.„ - - ■ '. '- v , Third-class travelling is rapidly increasing on "tie" English'railways, .while"the first and second-class are.diminishing. It is a native custom to ,pnrn the effects of a deceased p'eraon.' A few days ago, £500 worth qf property, 1 belonging toiinoka, was consnmed by. fire,. . ; .. . It had. been .estimated that 4,959,140,000 cigars, weighing 37,563 tonS, and 36,570 tons ofsmoking tqbdcco, ★ire oonsumed in Germany daring they ear'lßß2; ' - The Ofcago'Datty Times, ; in noticing Mr. j Pennefaiher's admission to,.the New Zealand Bar," says that he was formerly £' leader writer for the Law. Tizpes., . Hong Kong is the only State or colony of importance' whioh is not only without a pubiio " deijt;, but which .poisesses invested assets' nearly 'equdl to it's, annual revenue. - A huge hoarmng is being erected ,at the corner of Queen and; Wellesley Streetß, whire new buildings are to on the sites ' where Milne'afid Ch'oyce and'Closo Brothers formelly carried on business. • jhe Loch; : Ken,'"lyings at Wellington, narrowly eacaped,d9Btructibn by fire a few. of fiia* between decks were discovered to'be on fire. The fire was thought to be'caused by somet sparka from a ■pipe. *•,•••• "V "-vv ..it 4s-f. remarjcable ,fcpt : that, at prevent thareisho public in'Francewhose i death "would, make {an. impression the publib'mihd, or be of* feensible importance in./ ! pnbjiic affairs. ,-N ;no .romantic figure remains.','. r .. Under. Sir.Hi-Looh,. the new .Governor of Viotona, the local legislature of the Isle of Man was made aleqti ve, and equal ,electoral privllegea. lfere given ,tt> both sexes. Sir Henry pf giving the ;electoral privileges' towolnen. ; . The " pianorpedophone" is an ingenious i novelty patented by.AJetzler, of, London. A [person, sitting at the piaho abd. pretending to play need only move ilia foot on a pedal, and | a oylin'der revolves and produces the music. The annual inopottirof' the' Soudan are I estimated to amount to - £2,000,000, while jthe exportß exceed • fH.OtKj.OWV,, There, are i 15,000 -'Qiikik^^'Jaidv.4O > odO / E^mN^' in [ the proviflHe'v .ThiW We no less than 1000 : commerci^l;bburesj)^ned) by JEuropeans and i 3000. by; ffi^tianji.; wd, a 9tgok {if ,merchandise f 6f £500,Ovu,lifts abou* ifiulated SitrCfttfo iintf SofiAtffc'.' : '