General News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 209, 11 September 1875, Page 7

General News.

A Wrexham man named Walker is in custody at Northampton, charged with having four wives, all of whom are still alive. At Luton, one Saturday lately, a young man named Frederick Brown was severely bitten by a lioness in Wombwell’s menagerie.

An enumeration has just been made of the number of trees planned during the past season in the avenues and Boulevards of Baris to replace such as have died, and the total is found to be 178,000. The Apothecaries’ Hall of Ireland have had to pay £ISOO as compensation to the family of a man who was killed through the explosion of some sulphide of antimony sold by the Hall in mistake for oxide of manganese. Ex-Marshal Bazaine has taken 6, Royal Crescent, 'Ramsgate, as a residence. On Sunday the Marshal was present at the morning service at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in that town.

The Tullamore guardians have granted outdoor relief (which is in Ireland given only in exceptional cases) to an aged woman on her producing a certificate showing her to have been born in the year 1772.

Prince Louis Napoleon will He attached to Major Ward-Aston’s battery of artillerv during the coming autumn manoeuvres. 'The whole of the officers to compose the stiff for the maucouvres have been ordered to join the camp at Aldershot on the 24th June.

The Vicuna Tayhlatt says that public opinion in St. Petersburg is favorable to an alliance between Russia and Great Britain. The semi-official press has been instructed to speak of the latter power in a most amicable manner.

Mr. F. Buckland, inspector of salmon fisheries, is at present engaged inquiring into the crab, lobster, and coast fisheries of Norfolk, with a view of ascertaining what regulations it would be advisable to adopt for the better development of those fisheries.A Renter telegram, dated New York, savs —The champion swimmer, Johnson, who was prevented from fulfilling his English engagements, has accepted a challenge of Thomas Coyle to swim sixteen miles on the Delaware river.

The Surrey Adrcrtiser states that the famous chestnut-tree in the grounds of Weston 1 louse Albury, has been demolished by the recent storm. Upwards of 200 persons have partaken of Lady Gage’s hospitality under its branches at one time.

The llolus, in an article on the Anglo-Eus-siau alliance, states that the French indemnity is being used by Germany to erect fortifications along the Russian frontier, and contends that this is a display of German distrust in Russian friendship. Fines of £2O and three guineas costs have been imposed upon two farmers, by the sitting magistrates and the Guildhall Policecourt, for having sent meat to the London market which was diseased and unfit for human food.

_ The Earl of Yarborough’s ten thousand cigars were sold recently by auction, and realised above £BSO. About a shilling each was the lowest price taken, and some of the choice brands went at about two shillings a piece.

The Pope has sent to the Shah as a mark of respect some presents, which are to he delivered by the Archbishop of Heraclia. The Archbishop arrived lately in Teheran. The presents consist of a Florentine mosaic table, and a bronze model of the triumphal arch of Septimus Severus at Rome.

The death took place on the 2nd June at Makcney Lodge, Milford, near Helper, of Mr. Anthony Radford Strutt, in his 84th year. The. deceased was reported to be worth three millions of money, and to be the largest shareholder in England. He was a Unitarian.

In reply to an appeal from the “ Laborers’ League,” on behalf of the labourers on the Sandringham estate, Sir W. Knollys points out many advantages that the laborers enjoy, and states that there are only about eighteen men working at 14s. He declines to give the advance to 15.

Those who take interest in billiards will be sorry to hear that Mr. Cook, senior, the father of Cook, the ex-champion, died on Sunday, in Bayswater. For a long number of years the names of Cook and Roberts have been before the public. Whilst Roberts, senior, was champion, Cook, senior, was carefully bringing up his son as a billiard-player, and it is said kept him playing eight hours a day for most part of the year. Doncaster, the horse which won the Derby two years ago, and the Ascot Cup on Tlmrsday, the 10th June, won the Alexandra Plate at. Ascot on Friday, the 11th J une. He is said to have been sold by Mr. (Merry to his trainer, Mr. Robert Peck, for the immense price of £IO,OOO. Lord Dudley laid £IO,OOO to £4,000 on Doncaster for the Alexandra Plate. He won £O,OOO in two days on Doncaster.

An esteemed, but somewhat eccentric, correspondent of the Bendiyo Advertiser writes:— Is it a hoax ? An Anglican Bishop, a Romish Bishop, and members of an opera troupe lunching together at a Governor’s table ! Hurrah for the (Millennium ! “ The lion shall lie down with the lamb.” After this surely they can t separate t!ie dormitories of the different creeds at the industrial schools ? the number of acres of colonial wheat under culture in all the Australian colonies last year was over 1,500,000 acres, and the produce 18,000,000 bushels. South Australia and Victoria are the largest wheat-producing colonies —the former producing six to eight million bushels, and the latter about five millions. New Zealand ranks next for about three millions, and New South Wales follows with two and a-lialf to three millions.

1 he fifty-sixth anniversary of her Majesty’s birth was celebrated with the customary rejoicings. There was the usual inspection of the Household Cavalry in St. James’s Park, and a parade of all the troops at Aldershot took place in the Long Valley. In the evening, banquets were given by the great officers of State and the leading members of the Administration, and many of the public buildings and the houses of the Royal tradesmen were illuminated.

Mr. Sutherland Edwards mentions that in almost every house on both banks of the Rhine may be seen a series of old designs known as the “ Seven Conditions.” These are represented by typical figures. The first is the Emperor, who says, “ I levy tribute.” Next comes the nobleman, who says, “ I have a real estate.’’ The priest says, “I take tithes.” The Jew (inedireval type of the trader) says, I live by my profits.” The soldier says, “ I pay for nothing.” The beggar says, “ I have nothing. The peasant says, “ God help me, ior these six other men have all to lie supported by me.”

Of. Paschal Groussett, writing to a Loudon paper says : —“ On relating how a political prisoner in New Caledonia had been ordered to perform the office of executioner, and how, upon his refusal to obey such an order, he had been almost beaten to death, you have questioned the possibility of such an occurrence. But a letter which I have received via Australia enables me to confirm this horrible story. It is a real fact, of which there can lie no doubt, and, as if to increase the horror, you must know that the convict selected for this work is a distinguished literary man. a poet, M. Henri Brissae ; still further, lie is well known for the earnestness with which he has always combated capital punishment, both theoretically and practically. I could furnish you with still minuter details, and tell you how those who knew him intimately esteem him, how noble his nature, how tender and generous his heart, how superior his intellect; hut no doubt I slioukl lie accused of converting this convict into a hero of romance.”

The Irish Times, of May 22, says : “Miss Sophia Baker is not learned, but she is determined that no young lady shall interfere with her own Henry, for Henry Smith had won her young affections, and asked the momentous question. She softly murmured yes, and her 1 lenry was in Paradise. But somehow Henry dawdled about the matter, and allowed a whole year twelve long months—to pass slowly by without calling upon the cleric to put up the banns. Perhaps his ardour has cooled down ; perhaps his mamma had interposed ; perhaps ho found Sophia to ho so pleasant while lie courted her, that lie was in no haste to risk his happiness by transforming his sweetheart into a wife. It might be that a fair one other than Sophia had got round Henry, and wished to .capture him as lawful prize. “ So, at least, Miss Sophia Baker seems to have suspected, for she published in an Oswego newspaper tin's threatening notice : ‘March 13th, 1875. I forbid Eny One marrying Henry Smith, for i was engaged to him March the 11th, 1874 : for if lie gits married he will haf to Suffer the Penalty of the Law.—l remain, as ever, his intended wife Sophia Baker.’ The orthography of this notification is not such as might be expected from the pupils of the Alexandra College, hut the meaning of it is unmistakable. Henry Smith is her property, and she warns all young ladies off the premises. She casts no imputation upon her Henry, and yet she threatens only him with the penalty of the law. He has evidently been flirting, and she knows it. We apprehend there is a rod in pickle for that same Henry should lie ever return to fulfil his plighted vows. It would lie a shocking thing if such an American practice were to be naturalised here. That would be worse than the Colorado beetle.

All dividend defaulters among Governments and Municipalities, railway, bank, and other stock companies, figure on a separate stock and share list of The Times from those which are honorable, and have hitherto kept their engagements.

A telegram from “ Rangoon, May 29,” announces : —Colonel T. C. Hamilton, InspectorGeneral of Police, has been shot dead by Burmese Dacoits. Mr. Davidson was wounded seven days before, but is progressing favorably. 1 he National Society for Women’s Suffrage held its annual meeting. There were, as usual, several lady speakers. A Captain Jones essayed, to speak in opposition to the views of the society, but “hisses” speedily reduced him to silence.

According to the South, T Vales Daily News a splendid vein of coal has been struck on the Mardy estate. It is at the depth of thirtytwo yards, and is two feet thick. The estate is 1000 acres in extent, and it is calculated that it will afford the raising of 2000 tons of coal per day for a period -I 200 years. One of the latest discoveries in Pompeii is a small woollen manufactory, -it.rated very near the house where the fresco representing Orpheus was recently discovered. Several charred fragments of tapestry were found in this place, beside various machines for carding and weaving wool. Answering a note from a Glasgow workingman upon some subject connected with trade unions, Mr. Bright says :—“A book, and not a small one, might be made up of the strange doings of the trade unions. Monopoly is hard to teach, and I fear the working men will only learn through suffering, and they may do mischief which cannot afterwards be repaired.”

At a luncheon recently given at the Brighton Aquarium, a number cf delicacies were served for the first time in England, including an octopus, which was dished up cold, boiled, and broiled. The company pronounced it excellent, comparing it with lobster and skate, though they found it rather tough, and thought it required beating, like a steak, to break the fibres and render it more tender. The octopus was caught off the pier head. A man named Kitts was charged at the Emerald-hill Court one Saturday with feloniously and fraudulently uttering a summons, and then serving it on a female who owed os., as a bona fide document. This false summons had been obtained in another case on the 11th June, and as it had remained in Ivitts’ hands he had coolly erased names, amount, date, and signatures, and substituted others, so as to adapt it to another person. It was thought, probably, that the female debtor would be intimidated,. and at once pay the small amount due ; but instead of that she appeared on the day named—on a Tuesday—and then the discovery was made that she had been served with a fictitious summons, and proceedings were taken against Kitts. The accused admitted that he had altered the document as alleged, but. stated that collectors of debts are in the habit of issuing “preliminary” summonses to frighten persons into a settlement ; and not having a copy of the usual form he had. made the alteration with the view of saying expense to the debtor. He was committed for trial on a charge of felony. All the theatres in New York gave the gross proceeds of the performances on the afternoon of the 29th of April last, for the benefit of the five orphan children of the late Dan Bryant, the “ nigger minstrel.” At the Fifth-avenue Theatre, a clergyman, the Rev. O. B. Frothingha.ni, presented himself oil the stage, not for the purpose of condemning theatrical entertainments, but, as he said, “to do honor to one who was a good and generous man.” Speaking of the deceased actor, Mr. Frothingham went on to say:—“ I wish that I could say that I had ever done him as much good as he did to me. He was a benefactor in the nobles 1 -- sense of the word, for his minstrel hall was a temple of innocent mirth, and with joyous laughter he did his good work in aiding to

Cleanse the foul bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart. Although a fortune had passed through his bauds, his widow and children now depend upon our benevolence, because he was always ready to give to those who were in need, and never was able to keep the money of which poorer men were in want. In olden times the priests used the dramatic profession to impress upon the masses lessons of morality and kindness, and it seems to me that there is something of the old religious leaven in an occasion like this, when we assemble together—actors, priests, and laymen—to do good to the poor and the afflicted. Since that olden time the profession may have degenerated. Perhaps it has: but. of what other profession may not the same, thing be said t What lawyer, what physician acts up to his ideal ! and what clergyman can say that his life follows the upward course of his winged-prayers !”

“If New Zealand or New South Wales,” says the Fiji Aryns, “still desire to monopolise the trade of Fiji, there is a ready opening for cither colony to do so. To grant subsidies to shipping, to encourage postal communication, to open banks ; all these tilings no doubt are promising and advantageous, but they are effete, and whilst they kindle a flickering light of an evanescent character, they leav<f us° in greater darkness when it has expired. But if in either colony the Government will take in hand a reciprocity treaty with the Government of those islands, such as that which lias recently been so successfully made by the Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the United States, the colony that makes it will not he long in securing the trade of Fiji. Let New Zealand or New South Wales, we care not which, institute a measure by which, on condition of all of its local products being landed here , free of duty charge, all the products of Fiji shall he admitted also free, and soon will a magnificent trade spring up. This is the true and only policy to secure to Fiji an immediate progress—to attract to her capital and enterprise—and the only one to secure to the colony, embracing the interests of Fiji, a largo and increasing trade.”

I here is now before the French courts an action important to theatrical managers and agents. A certain M. Roux, belonging to the latter profession, engaged to find a company for the theatre of Algiers. He supplied one of great numerical strength, but the widow of the manager declines to pay his commission. Ihe case is yet undecided, yet a droll point may be noted in the pleading. 31. Roux recites the company lie chose and duly forwarded. It sounds most impressive—-five light tenors, two strong tenors, two basses, two baritones, a soprano, a contralto, singing chambermaids, and a ballet of the first force! Ibis certainly looks like a formidable case, but there is the other side to hear. The manager’s widow goes through the list seriatim. Five tenors are enumerated, and thus are they disposed of ; —One proved so utterly incompetent that he never appeared at all ; two were hissed off the stage before the third performance; the fourth took such liberties with his part that the public remonstrated, and lie resigned ; the last. fell ill at Marseilles, and never reached Algiers at all. J. wo prime, donne then are named. The first was simply pelted off the boards, and her comrade declined to tempt the fates, running away with what money she could lay hands on. The baritone broke down on that third night which was fatal to two tenors ; so did the bassi, and the chambermaid, seized with sudden illness, outstayed them but one day. It sounds like a joke or a puzzle, hut the tale is grave enough. With regard to the ballet, of two prime biillerius, one never went to Algiers at all, and the other consented to take half her salary, admitting her incompetence. The male dancer alone fulfilled his engagement—conduct immensely creditable to him, since he is proved to be seventy-six years old. The court was convulsed with laughter at the reading of these pleas, which were set forth with dry humor. It has. named two experts to report, for the plaintiff alleges that all the members of his company were excellent, and that the manager simply allowed them to take advantage of him.

“Its an ill-wind that blows nobody good.” J lie Belfast Banner, a Victorian paper, is informed that a man named Thomas Leonard, who some months ago came to Belfast “ on the tramp,” and who since that time has been knocking about the district doing whatever hard work and odd jobs fortune threw in his way, received intelligence about a fortnight ago that a wealthy relative in New Zealand had suddenly “ left this world of cares” and bequeathed him all his property. We learn that the property consists of an estate of 16,000 acres of splendid pastoral country, as well as a considerable amount of ready cash. Ihe station is stocked with cattle and sheep, and the whole forms an inheritance in the possession of which he may well be envied by any one. Leonard received the intelligence of his sudden independence with the greatest unconcern, and when the legal gentleman who conveyed it to him presented him with a cheque for £IOO to pay his expenses from here to New Zealand, he quietly and unostentatiouslypacked up his swag and left as if no such good fortune had happened him. Leonard, when lie first came to Belfast, was employed for a short time by Mr. Wharton, and he obtained employment as a farm hand at Yambuk. The sudden transformation from a farm laborer into a possessor of half a million of money must be a nice sensation, although it had no vissible effect on the lucky individual in question. This remains as another instance of what may happen to a man in Victoria.