NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2587, 23 May 1870, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

AXGLO COLONIAL ITEMS

Sir George Grey will, in al probability, | revisit New Zealand within a few months. He would have left by the Great Britain in March, but the interest he takes in colonial topics, and the importance he attaches to them just now, make him somewhat uncertain as to his date of sailing. The steamship Nebraska will leave San Francisco for Sydney this day, March 25th. She is intended to bo the pioneer vessel of a line to run between the two Pacific ports. In taking this action the Yankees have exhibited another instance of their propensity to "do whilst others are only talking. In London meetings have been held and plenty of talking indulged in on the an- ject of utilising the Great Pacific Railway for the purpose, of Australian communication. The Americans have, in the meantime, commenced work, and they deserve to succeed. The New Zealand Commissioners have little reason to be thankful for the success that has attended their efforts on behalf of the colony by which they were accredited. The debate in the House of Lords was a fiasco. A. "good-natured friend" insisted on talking, faad wearied not only listeners but those who had something to say. The consequence was that when the adjournment took place, nothing had been done, nothing taught, and little learned. Messrs Featherston and Be 1 have done all they could do and even New Zealanders can do no more ' Advices of the shipment of butter by the ship England, from Canterbury, New Zealand, to London, are to hand by-tho last mail; should it arrive safe and sound, it will find a good profitable market. People in England have almost given up expecting to have decent butter., The ordinary fat and tallow with- which "real Dorset" and prime Dutch" have hitherto been adulterated was bad enough, but eh« last develop, ment is the worst. Some clever chemist has succeeded m extracting a greasy compound from the filth deposited by the receding tide in the Thames, and this grease is, it is said used for making cheap butter. It can easily be understood then how anxiously the new venture will be received.

" One hundred tons of Australian meats !" Such was the heading of an immense poster with which the walls of London, and of most of the towns within twenty or thirty miles thereef, were decorated duriDg the last ten days of the month of February. The placard went on' to say, that on the Ist of March Mr Daniel Tallerman would offer for sale by auction, at the Hop and Malt Exchange, Southwark, the number of tons of meat specified, and comprising mutton and beef m tins, cured mutton in carcase, soiced beef, mnd-quartera of muttoa, mutton hams beef hams and rolls, tierce beef in joint extract of beef and mutton, essence of beef German sausages, sheep's tongues in fat' sheep a tongues in pickle, smoked sheep and ox tongues, &c, &c, &c , these meats being shipments ex Somersetshire, Red Jacket Zoung Australian, South Australia, Brock! ham Highflyer Taibot, Orient, Superb, Dover Flying Cloud, Ben Nevis, Palm Tree Yorkshire, Agnes Rose, and Suffolk Besides the posters, handbills, catalogues and circulars were largely distributed, and for a week prior to the sale, holders of Australian meats, togebher with their natural votaries provision dealers, were ia a flutter of excitement. On the day appointed for the sale the large room of the Exchange presented a singular and wholly unusual appearance. Instead of samples of hops and malfc, carefully done up in tidy parcels and small bass, there were displayed most tempting looking rolls and rounds of beef and mutton. All the colonies were represented not ' only by the samples, but by many of the earher attendants. But for the extent of the room and its handsome fittings a colonist might have fancied himself in one of the auction-rooms of Melbourne, bydney, Adelaide, or Dunedin. Faces were there well-known in all these colonies, and there was more colonial hand-shaking done in the quarter of an hour preceding the sale than usually takes place in London withm a twelvemonth The colonists present were nearly all directly interested in the sale being consignees of meat, the balance being made up of those whose colonial experience! lead them everywhere where colonial matters are on |ac tapis. The other attendants it would ba difficult to describe. There was the regular habitvA of the Exchange, evidently bewildered by the sight of the strange samples displayed. Some meat marked Maneroo" evidently bothered them, whilst the symmetrically arranged tubs of sheeps tougues "selected" made them wonder where all the sheep that once owned the tongues had been depastured. Those who attended the sale for serious business purposes went about their work in a perfectly practical manner. They poked and pricked, and pressed the pieces, piercing hams and smelling them with a perseverance that did them credit. The sublime manner with which highly respectable gentlemen took dangerous-looking daggers out of their waistcoat-pockets, sbabbad them into the hearts of rolls of mutton, and after withdrawing the blade inhaled the aroma thereof, could only-be equalled by the satisfaction of their friends, who, not being m-ovided' with daggers, wero thankful to take'a secondhand sniff after the proprietor of the " penetrator " had satisfied himself. Soon after twelve o c ock the auctioneer mounted the rostrum, and as though "to the manner bo -n," plunged at once into business and read the conditions of sale. After a little discussion as to whether the tallow should be taken at a price to be fixed or paid for at the rate of the meat itself, the sale proceeded. The first lot—great bi* casks, containiug a quarter of a ton of meat, was sold at threepence farthing a pound. The next lot, in smalierpackages, was parted with at a farthing advance, and then some more large cases re'reated to the first quotation. Those two prices represent a fair average of the- prices obtained for the meats packed in pickle or tallow. Some uncooked mutton in tins sod at sixpence per pound, and a parcel of salt mest at twopence. Sheeps' tongues brought from ninepenca to one shilling per dozen^ bullocks' ditto reaching one shilling each. Altogether, it is aaid, eighty tons of meat Avare sold. Mr Tallerman expresses himself satisfied, and announces his intention of having a sale once a month until further notice. ENGLAND AND WALES.

Large quantities of spurious tea have been seized by the London authorities. It has been declared putrid, unfit for food, and condemned to be destroyed. A remarkable case of trance has just occurred in Newcastle. The wife of a blacksmith, who had been ill for a short time, was supposed to have died, and a coffin was procured. As the crffla was being screwed down the body was noticed to move, and the woman waa saved from being buried alive.

There is great probability of Her Majesty spending a portion of the ensuing season in Merionethshire. Enquiries aro being made by a gentleman connected with the Royal household with a view to the engagement of a suitable residence for Royalty in the neighbourhood of Dolgelly and Barmouth. Caerddeon, lato the residence of Colonel Corbett, M.P., a large mansion situate midway between Dolgelly and Barmouth, and corn-

manding a splendid view of the estuary o r the Mawldach and of Cardigan Bay with a magnificent back and foreground of some at the finest mountain scenery of which the Principality can boast, is spoken of as the spot most favourable for selection. The visit, it is understood, will be of a mosfc private character.

On the arrival of the 3.50 p.m. train from, King's Cross at Hitchin on March 14, tns front portion of it was shunted to allow the 425 t--ain to.pasa. While the carriages were being again shunted, they were %y some means oi- other thrown off the track, thus fouling the main line. Just at this moment; the Royal train, which was convey, met the Prince and Princess of Wales to Kirn., bolton, whither their Royal Highnesses wera proceeding on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, was nearly due Men were at onca set to work to clear the mam line, but before this could be effected, the Royal train came up at fall speed and rushed past the carriages which had beea Iw 1!? °ff the line< Xt wiU be understood that the Prince and Princess had a narrowescape, when it is stated that the train ia which they were travelling ran within six inches of one of the carriages which had touted the mam line. The occurrence was witnessed by several persons, amidst a scene of intense excitement.

The winter has not passed without bringing its disasters. Poverty and distress have of course prevailed. They always do whea frost and snow abound. The stories from. the sea are very saddening. Wrecks strewevery shore. The Boston left America foe JiDgJand two months a^o, and has never beea heard of since. Hope is still entertained for tne .Boston, and for thoseaboard of her. The insurance agents hava, however, declined to take any further risks about her, and she is written off." Howmany hearts are breaking because of those who sailed in her, daybooks and ledger* say nothing about. It has been a terrible time at sea. The Cambodia, front New Zealand [Auckland], is now more than bye months out. As we write, news i 3 ta hand of her having been spoken, and hopes: respecting her are revived. For weeks the arrivals into English ports from the south and west were almost nominal. Every shin that comes home tells a tale of disaster and distress. Under these circumstances the best is hoped for those who have sailed, and have not been heard of since. Every pent passed through with safety leaves a-hope for those who may have to undergo similar experiences.

In a short time several improvements ia various parts of the City of London will be undertaken by the Corporation. Some of these have already been agreed to; among others the appropriation of a plot of ground near the Metropolitan Meat Market oa which a handsome drinking fountain will be constructed and trees planted. Again, a new library is to be built in the Guildhall, afc an estimated expense of L 25.000, inclusive of the cost of the ground, and this sum is partly to be received from the Gresham Committee under whose control a new loan for Ll3 SQO is shortly to be applied for. A plan has been made for the widening of London, bridge, but this has not yet received the assent of the Common Council As to the vacant space at the end of the new street to the Mansion House, ifr is unaer consideration whether it should be kept open or builfe upon. The site of Newgate Market is likely soon to be appropriated. A large block of building is proposed to he constructed, having a road thirty feet wide all round it. An offer has been made by the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's to layinto the public way about 6500 feet of ground at the west end of the Cathedral for the sum of L 20,000, and this has been reconxmeaded to be agreed to on behalf of the Commissioners of Sewers. An application: will be made by them in the event of the aceptance of the offer to the Board of Works to contribute towards the cost of the "improvement. SCOTLAND. A farmer named M'Tavish, living afc Dadchngston, a short distance, from. Edinburgh has been apprehanded oa the charge of wilfully murdering his wife Clara. The pair have lived unhappily, in consequence of the deceased, it is said, being given to habits of intemperance, and it is believed that they had a quarrel and he struck her on the head. The accused, who is well to do, was found, ia. bed, and taken into custody. An explosion of gunpowder occurred lately at the Kames powder mills, Millhouse, Rothsay. The. press house wa3 blown to pieces, and four men who were at work were killed. Their remains were scattered over the fieldsin the neighbourhood. A boy who was holding a horse about fifty yards from the place was also killed, and great damage was done to property. The shock was felt at Rothsav: eight miles distant. . Toe Marquis of Ailsa, Lord-Lieutenant oi Ayrshire, met with an accident in the hunting held. His Lordship was much in j ured aboufe the head, and it was feared he wonld nofc recover. The accident occurred at Craigie, and he was conveyed insensible to the George Hotel. He was rapidly getting better, and Saturday, the 19th March, was fixed as the day on which his lordship should proceed home to Culzean Castle. On Friday evening erysipelas set in, bat his.- lordship was so anxious to get home that he was allowed tf> proceed. After reaching Culzeanhis lordship bscame gradually worse, and he died the next day. The Marchioness and his daughter, Lady Evelyn, were in constant attendance. His lordship's son, Earl Cassiiis, succeeds him. IBELAND. At the Pithgo Farming Society's annual dinner at Pithgo, great objection arose to drinking the Queen's health. The chairman, Mr Abraham Anderson, persisted," in spite oi strong anti-loyal sentiments, in proposing the toast. Only five persons drank the Queen's health. The Prince of Wales and the rest o£ the Royal Family were not recognised. The test of "The Lord L;eutenant and Prosperity to Ireland" was ignored, except by the chairman and five persons near him. Great disrespect was shown to the Queen. There have been one o- two elections ia Ireland, and the attendant circumstances have served to illustrate the necessity foe electoral reform At Waterford Mr Barnal Osborne got a " taste of the quality " of the. free and independant flora-electors of that part of the country. Whilst on the hustings his attention had to be divided between aa endeavour to "express his sentiments" and. dodginghrickbats and other offensive weapons with which the playful people received him. After his retnrnhad beensecured, the pressing attentions of his. friends followed him to hia hotel, through the windows and by means, of the roof of which he was glad to make hia escape. So hurriedly was this manoeuvre, executed, that the hon. mei^er failed to payproper attention to the waymarks as he passed them. Whsn quiet prevailed, he essayed to return, but slipped into a watertank, and had to trEst to others for hia rescue.

The Waterford-Vivian divorce case is to ha revived, if we may credit the North British. Daily Mail, which says:-"A decree nisi was granted some time since by Lord. Penzance for a divorce between Captain, Vivian and his wife. Tne decree would have become absolute if within six months cause was not shown or affidavits as cause lodged; Affidavits have been fi!ed, alleging several matters as reasons for the re-hearing of the suit. The Marquis of Waterford, subsequent to the elopement, declared hi 3 inten« tion of marrying Mrs Vivian as soon as the divorce had been obtained, and he still adheres to that determination. His family 3re, however, greatly dissatisfied, with this step. It is they who have inter~ vened, and it is said they are prepared to go into a history of the intimacy between the marquia and the lady prior to the elopement, to show that the husband (who, no doub^ was deeply engaged in official and Parliamentary duties) was about the only one who didnotapprehendsrmethinglikewhatactualljf occurred. This will be the line taken as cause against the decree. The intervening parties undertook to let matters run their: course if the marquis pledged himself never to carry out his declared intention, but this, ho declined to do, and hence their action.'*