The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1883.

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 6845, 30 March 1883, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1883.

Our telegrams to-day contain the gist of Mr Montgomery's reply to Major Atkiuson’a address at Christchurch. The leader of the Oppos tion appears, as far as can be judged from the telegram, to have dealt in a series of platitudes which in no way affect the position taken up by the Colonial Treasurer. The Chinese American, a weekly newspaper published in Chinese characters and conducted by Chinamen, began its career at New York on February 3, being photo lithographed. Bight thousand copies were circulated among the Chinese population. The following tenders were received by the Public Works Department for the Te Aroha Bridge Contract (ironwork only) : —Accepted. —David Murray, Wanganui, £702. Declined, —John Anderson, Christchurch, £1152 j A. and G. Price, Thames, £1277 ; Charles Judd, Thames, £ISOO ; Palmer, Booth, & Co., Dunedin, £1616.

Messrs J. H. Bothune and Co. will sell today a large collection of superior household furniture, comprising the entire contents of a gentleman’s residence. We direct our readers’ attention to the advertisement in another column. The same firm will also sell some valuable freehold land at Greytown and Palmerston North. In another column Mr J. B. Lowe advertises that he will open his dancing classes at St. George’s Hall on Monday next. Mr Lowe is, we understand, well known in Melbourne, and we advise any of our readers who wish to perfect themselves in the saltatory art before the gaieties of next session to avail themselves of this opportunity of doing so, A large audience were entertained last evening with the Rev. G. Brown’s lecture on Savage Lift in the South Seas,” delivered in the Wesley Church, Taranaki-street, and illustrated with about thirty dissolving views, illuminated by means of the lime light, supplied by Mr Shannon. The lecturer described with graphic force the manners and mode of life of natives in Samoa and Fiji, and said there are thirty churches erected by the natives, 100 baptised members of the Wesleyan communion, fifteen native preachers, and over 1000 attendants at services. A collection in aid of missions was made after the lecture.

The ballet at the Princess Theatre, Manchester, in which twenty-six ladies take part, has (says the Electrician) for the past menth been danced nightly by the light of small Swan lamps, placed in a flower on each lady's head. The current is supplied by a small battery, the weight of which is about IJlb, carried on the back of the dancer, as at the Savoy Theatre. None of the ladies are at all frightened, in fact, they like it so much that the principal dancer, Mias A. Holt, has arranged to have her dress covered with the lamps, which will be done ere this is in print. The arrangements have been carried out by Mr H. Bury, of 46 Market-street, Manchester. A discussion which was altogether irregular, but which touched upon a most important subject, arose at the meeting of the City Council last night, upon the motion to pass certain accounts—including the monthly pay to members of the Municipal Fire Brigade. Councillor Thompson took occasion to point out that the members of the brigade were most irregular in their attendance at practices and fires, and said that, in consequence, they had become inefficient and almost demoralised as a corps. Several councillors spoke on the subject ; and it appeared to be generally admitted that the consolidated brigade had not proved tho success which had been anticipated. The matter will be fully considered at the next meeting of the council. A report of last night’s proceedings appears elsewhere. A box which was presented to Carter, Paterson, and Co., carriers, London, on 11th December last, to be delivered at an address which turned out fictitious, was found, on being opened during the last week of January, to .contain the emaciated corpse of a girl apparently about thirteen years of age. It seems probable that the child was either starved or poisoned slowly by some poison causing extreme emaciation, and the body had been so doubled up that it had been forced into a box apparently quite incapable of containing it. There was some indication in the state of the brain of the child having been an imbecile. From the use of the starch box, and of a brewer’s label for the direction, it would seem likely that the child belonged to some tradesman in East London.

From an article on “ Dummyism” in the Echo last week, we extract the following : “ We are glad that public attention should so be directed to our laud laws as the Press has done this week, and we hope that one rumor prevalent in l>unedin is not true. It is said that because of his attitude on this and other questions, a certain editor’s services will not be required. We suppose we would not err in calling this a piece of Boycotting. Let us hope that the freedom of the Press is not a mere name, and for criticising the action of public men, and public acts, and public administration, no newspaper proprietory can afford to punish an editor. When we think of the straits newspapers are reduced to in New Zealand, we rejoice that we have not had to do as others have done. When a newspaper editor has to tremble before advertisers, and slave before directors, his soul goes into his boots, and his articles become useless as a guide to public opinion.” The Times gives some curious statistics of the Quaker body, or, as they call themselves, “ The Society of Friends.” They are now reduced to 17,977 members, or probably 7000 families, a majority of whom, we believe, reside in Ireland, and 5700 regular attendants who are not in full membership. They seat ten members in the House of Commons, besides being represented by six or seven exmembers, the best known of whom is Mr W. K. Forster ; and, according to The Times, “ the Society includes one baronet. Sir J. W. Pease,” and one knight, Sir J. Barrington. Are they regular members ? A baronet might be, because he would inherit his title, and could hardly be expelled for circumstances of birth ; but a knighthood must be taken, and, considering the testimony borne by the Society against “ man-worship,” is an inconsistent absurdity. We have Pagan knights and Mussulman knights in dozens, and probably knights who believe nothing, but a Quaker knight seems a contradiction in terms. The qniot neighborhood of Hobson-street was thrown into a wild state of excitement between the hours of 9 oud 10 a.m. Wednesday by the vagaries of a bullock, which had broken away from a mob with which he was being driven along the Hutt-road, and many of the residents did not even feel quite safe in their houses while the animal was about. It appeals that the best got away somewhere in the neighborhood of Ngahanranga, where a number of Mr Tyer’s men found it advisable to give him a wide berth, and from thence he made his way towards town. At Featherston bight he saw a boat making for the shore, and having jumped the fence, he crossed the railway line and plunged into the water to meet it. The occupants naturally did not relish the recep tion, and pulled bock as hard as they could. Having got back to the road he once mere made his way along at top speed, got into several gardens on Thorndon-quay, and then made his way to Hobscn-street. By this time quite a crowd, including some half doz-n per sons armed with rifles, was hovering about to watch the finale, while a cart belonging to the Gear Meat Company, which owned the beast, also hovered in the neighbourhood. After trampling over various parts of Mr T. C. Williams’s garden, he once more jumped i-ur into the street, when a would-be valorous vo.ui.te r took a kneeling shot at him at short range while he was at a standstill, and succeeded in injuring bis spine and causing him to drop. Another would-be hero then went oh se np to him and lodged a bullet in his head. Two gentlemen who are thoroughly acquainted with the management of cattle made several attempts to ~ot the animal to join some quiet cows in the neighborhood, but were prevented by the crowd. The carcase was quickly cut up by butchers and carted away.

We have receive ! the March number of the Australian Medical Gazette, which contains a quantity of matter both technical and of interest to outside readers. This number is quite up to the usual good style in which this magazine is i.-aued. The following will represent the Excelsior C.C. in the match against the Wellington C.C., commencing on Saturday :—Burnea (2), Duncan, Hewatt, Holmes, Kreeft, Fowler, Mcßeth, Renner (2), Robinson ; emergencies, Bannister and King. The fissures in the walls of the lantern of Peterborough Cathedral continue to widen, and the tower is subjected to an almost hourly examination. The greater part of the Cathedral is now practically closed, the large organ has been removed, and the two transepts are filled with cranes and other Implements requisite for the work of demolition. We wish to draw the attention of the authorities who have the cleanliness of the city in charge to the offensive stench that bangs, particularly at night time, over that part of Lamb-ton-quay opposite the Police Station. Whether this nuisance is caused by the meat-preserving works or not it is not our province to decide. There the nuisance is, and it is for the authorities to find out its origin and abolish it. A curious case of poisoning by oil of bitter almonds, at West Mailing, resulted (says the Spectator) in a verdict by the coroner’s jury of manslaughter against Mr Timins, the clergyman, who administered the teaspnonful of oil from which, as it is alleged, Sarah Ann Wright died. Neither of the doctors employed in the investigation seems to have had any doubt as to the cause of death, and both of them declare their disbelief that Mr Timins did, as alleged, swallow a teospoonful of the same oil himself, the result of which must have been, as they say, his own death also. The curious thing is that Mr Timins—a clergyman of 69—for thirty years vicar of West Mailing and of unblemished character, himself asserted that he had swallowed this teaspoonful, and that the mother of the dead girl—a hostile witness—gave it iu evidence that she saw him take a teaspoonful from the same bottle as that from which he had previously given the dose to her daughter. The coronet’s jury, while returning the verdict of manslaughter against Mr Timins, expressly declared their belief that he had admistered the poison with no evil intent.

The Australasian Medical Gazette writes : —“ In few cities of the world do people lose their teeth at so early an age as in Sydney, notwithstanding that in comparison with other great cities the inhabitants arc domesticated and not addicted to excess in eating, though it must be admitted that intemperance in one form prevails to a very lamentable extent. It is not uncommon for people who arrived in this colony with teeth perfectly sound, or having only a few slightly decayed, to discover themselves, in the course of four or five years, with barely a sound tooth in either jaw. This cannot be accounted for in connection with the prevailing diet or habits of the people. In the judgment of the few medical residents of the city who have devoted any consideration to it, the cause is to be referred to the very email proportion of mineral constituents contained in the Botany water. Practically, the Sydney people drink rain water, the watershed consisting fur the most part of sandhills. The Nepean water will be very similar in its constituents, as has been shown by analysis. As soft water it has its advantages, as every laundress knows. If it were made to pass through a filtering bed of limestone before delivery during the last two or three days of the week, when it is more required for portable than for laundry purposes, it could be charged with those inorganic materials so essential to the growth and maintenance of the bony framework of the body, and not leas so of the teeth, which follow the same laws of change and growth.” The same tendency of the teeth to early decay has long been noticed in New Zealand, and if it is less here than in New South Wales, our fellow colonists must be badly off indeed.

Professor Wiggins’storm has not eventuated. The fateful ides of March have passed with nothing more important than a welcome downpour of rain, welcome to the parched country and welcome to the drapers, who hope to sell their stock of garments suited for such weather. We are quite willing to help our cu-tomers to provide against a “rainy day,” by offering our ‘ ‘ Sempra Secco ” cloak, which is a most useful and necessary garment, thoroughly waterproof, and very light in weight, to be had in Navy blue and black and in all sizes. Each cloak is provided with a neat satchel of the same material to carry it when not required to be worn. We would also invite inspection of some really choice fur lined and circular broche cloaks, edged with fur and lined with quilted silk. We have a few charming imitation and real seal jackets in lengths from 36 to 45 inches that have only to be seen to be coveted at Tb Abo House.—[Advt.] The public, and the medical profession of Australia are unanimously of opinion that Wolfe’s Schnapps is the purest and best stimulant, tonic, and diuretic at present before the world.— (Advt. ) 5