News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 1024, 15 July 1871, Page 14

New s of th e Week.

The Professors of the Otago Universitydelivered their introductory lectures to largeaudiences in the University hall during the week. We are obliged to hold over our reporfcs of them to our next issue. A child thirteen months old has died at the Thames from taking "soothing syrup." The Kirk Session of the Preßbyterian Church at Wanganui have resolved not to introduce an organ into the church. According to the Spectator, selfishness " is the main strength of the cry against 1 the cheap labour ' of the Chinese." The Bruce Herald understands that ILftre is a likelihood of the Rev. Dr Begg, of Edmburgh, paying a visit to the members of hia family resident in Otago. Mr Thomas Birch has consented, at the solicitation of his friends, to offer himself aa a candidate for the office of Mayor of Dunedin. A handsome watch and gold albert chain are about to be presented to Sergt. M'Gann, by the inhabitants of Queenstown, as a mark of the esteem in which they hold him. The German Club at Hokitika, we leara from a looal paper, is now in communication with, oilier Clubs in Now Zealand and Auatraiia with a view to amalgamation. Dredging for gold will shortly be com* menced in the Aorere river, in the Nelson Province, by a company that has just been formed for the purpose. A Scottish Volunteer Coips has been formed at the Tnames. and already numbers some 60 mombers. Tbe uniform is to be a kilt and tunic, with a blue Balmoral bonnet. The opening of telegraphic communication with Naseby is reported by the local paper to have been attended with great success, inasmuch as the work is already too much fur one operator. Tbe Dean of Christchurch, in a letter to the Lyttelton Times, says: — "I have long come to the conclusion that so-called relioious controversies in newspapers are not calculated to promote the cause, either of fruth or chnrity ; therefore I, for one, have done with them." An accident happened in Princes street at about 5 o'olock the other evening. Aa a two horse express waggon was passing through the Cutting one of the wheels came off. The waggon was capsized and a boy thrown out, and we learn was bitten in the shoulder by one of the horses. At a meeting of the Dunedin School Committee, held at Mr Hardy's office, Princes Htreefc, oa Monday, Mr James Lindsay was appointed to the office of Assistant Master in the Middle District School, in place of Mr Adams, B A., who has accepted an engagement at the Auckland Grammar School. Apropos of the centenary of Sir Walter Scott, we dip the following interesting paragraph from the San Francisco Bulletin : — " Major William M'Diarmid, a printer in the office of the Cincinnati Times, is ninety yeara of age, and used to Bet up Walter Scott's poems from the original manusoript." We learn that the settler M' Donald at Maungitua, who was hurt by his wife some time ago under circumstances previously related in our columns, is getting all right again. At one time his lungs protruded about four inches, but after an operation had been performed, the wound closed, .and he is now breathing freely. A tender of L 430 for the enlargement of St. Joseph's Church has been received. The Church is to be lengthened by 30 feet, and win-is to be us«d as vestry rooms are also to be built . It is further intended to light the Church with gas, to reseat it, and, if possible, to have an aliar ereoted, made of Oamaru stone. The General Government has accepted the tender of Messrs Sparrow and Thomas for the construction of ten malleable iron girders for the Clutha Railway. The girders are now being constructed. Their total weight will bo about 23 tons. Each girder is to be 33ft. Gin. in length, and 2ft. 6in. in depth. They will be strengthened with T iron, and braced together with tie rods. The Timaru Herald aays :—" There will be a considerable increase in the breadth of land down in cereals this year in the Waimate district. There is a much larger breadth in of wheat than any previous year ; the plant is looking well and promises a heavy crop. There will also be a large increase in the quantity of land under oats, which the farmers are busy preparing." We (Bruce Standard) learn that hawks arc exceedingly numerous in the Clutha district, and that the birds from the Acclimatisation Society recently set at liberty there will have no chance to breed nnlesß steps are taken to destroy them. Mr Mosley is most industrious in destroying these pests, and if his example was more generally followed, their numbers would soon be reduced. We understand that Mr John Ferguson, Tokomairiro Grammar School, is the snecasful competitor for the Knox Church Scholarship at the University, worth L3O a year, and tenable for three years. The competition included Arithmetic and Geometry (Euclid, book i.), English, Latin (Caesar's Gallic War, book i. ), and Bible knowledge. Mr Ferguson obtained 243 marks out of 339, or about 72 per cent. The Evening Post has the following :—: — "A large number of Greville's telegram agents in Now Zealand are utterly incompetent for their work. As a rule, the telegrams which we receive are ill* compiled,

ill-arranged, and written in the most slovenly fashion. Then tho te'egraph clerks ar^ oftea bad penmen, while the paper on which they write is df testable ; so that altogether the whole system nee-ls reform very much." The value of the exports from Dunedin, during the quarter ended on the 30th June, was L 398.816 16s 3d, as compared with L 262,033 11s during the corresponding period of SS7O, showing an mc case this year of L 136,783 5s 3d during the three months. The principal portion of this Increase was in gold and preserved meats, which show an increase, as compared with the corresponding period of last year, of L 60,000 and L 34,000 respectively. We take the following couple of mining items from the Bruce Herald: — "Two men have been working for the laso three weeks ou the Waipabi stream, near Nelson's, and after two weeks' work they sold L2O worth of gold to Mr Nelsou. They are reported to be averaging L 4 per week a man. — There are four parties of miners now working on the Port Molyneux beach, numbering fifteen men iv all. The prospectors' claim is yielding about Ll2O per week, for the labour of five men." Our East Taieri correspondent writes :—: — ' ' The early sown crops are now beginning to be seen generally, and look well and healthy. The breadth of wheat sown is larger than last year, and oats are also well forward. The plough is still being pushed ahead, and work generally is making good progress. The sole topic of conversation is the dryness of the season, A winter like the present has not been experienced for many years, and a good day's rain would be a welcome sight to the farmers generally." A seaman named Francis Johnston was received into the Gaol on Monday evening under the escort of Constable Tarnbull, having been sentenced at O-iinaru on the 7th insfc., by Mr Parker, R.M., to six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour for using obscene language ; and also to one month's imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting Mr George Campbell, publican, Kakanui, the sentences to be cumulative. The prisoner waa also sentenced to pay the expenses incurred in conveying him to G»ol, amounting to L 2 7s. The usual monthly meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society took place on the6thiinst, the President, Mr W. D. Muriaon, in the chair. It was reported that a person crossing from Silveratream to Half-way Bush with a dog, on Tuesday last, rose three partridgeß, which he said were in splendid condition. The sum of L 5 7s, made up of smaller sums collected by Mr James Grundy in the Tuapeka and Waitahuna districts, was stated to have been receive.! The hon. treasurer was authorised to settle with Mr J. Ewen for the balance of the expenditure incurred by him on behalf of the Society, amounting to L4S6 19s. _ The passengers by the North coach, cm Saturday, narrowly escaped serious injury When near the Drill Bhed" at the Water of Leith, the upsetting of a dray, cauaed by the detachment of the trap Btick, frightened tho coach horses. They dragged the coach, which was upset, off the road down an incline, and on the king- bolt giving way, ran away with the fore carriage. The horses were stopped near Wain's Hotel in King street, and it was thon found that they were badly cut and bruised. Wo also understand that a driver of one of the vehicles was slightly cut about the face. An intf resting discovery was made at the Fortury Park the other day, consisting of a stratum of fine white qturtz gravei, evidently wind-blown, and very anuilar to the thin layers found m the neighbouring sandhills. The gravel is almost aa fine as rice, and would form an admirable top dressing for garden walks, or for working in on the surface of asphalt. This bed is another proof in corroboration of the theory of »n alteration in the relative levels of sea and land in the adjacent district. Specimens of the gravel may be seen on application to Mr Sydney Jaraeß, at the office of the Forbury Park Curnpany, Manse street. At a meeting of tho local committee formed for promoting the pvopi>s».d National University for Industrial ami Technical Traiuing, held at Chelsea ou the 2b'th Apr:l, Dr John Mill gave a history of the movement, and ssid this was the first of a serif a of meetings which would be h«ld in every corporate town in the United Kingdom. During tho last few mozjths the municipal representatives of nearly one hundred cities and towns had joined the committee, and every day men of eminence, peers of the rea/'m, members of Parliament, and other influential personals, were giving in their adhesion to the cause. A meeting of tho supporters of Mr H. S. Fish, jun., was held at tho Oriental Hot^l on Tuesday. Mr Sherwin, sen., was in the chair, and about sixty ratepayers wee present. It was resolved thai; a deputation ehouid wait on Mr Fish, requesting him to re-consider his decision not to come forward for re-election to the civic chair. The deputation retired to present the requisition, and on their return informed the meeting that Mr Fish hart consented to be nominated for election. The meeting then pledged itself unanimously to do ail in its power to ensure his return. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. A correspondent writes to the Pall Mall Gazette that at tbo Volunteer Review at Brighton he heard the noble colonel of a well known London Volunteer Corps ex claim in the hearing of his brigadier and

many oivilians, " that he hoped to God that no Prussian or Frenchman, nos even a New Zealander, would witness the mistakes committed by tho incapable generals of the British, army." It so happened that a Gorman staff officer was prebent, aad his criticising on fhe manoeuvres, as related !-y another correspondent of the same journal, were anything but favourable. Of one thing only he spoke in high termti, and that was the physique of the men themselves. The Nelson Colonist snys :— "Ofcago expects to produce 1,800.000 bushels of oats this year. At 2a Cd per bushel, a low figure. L225.00G is the return to the farmers. In Dunedin, onts sell at about 3s 3d, and large quantities are exported. Two years ago, the quantity grown was 1,300,000 bushels, and seven or eight years ago, Osago was importing oats from Tasmania, and paying 7s 6d a bushel for the same. There is matt rial progress here, and who Bhall despair of a country which produces such results in such a short space of time ? Maori wars, debts, and difficulties can be overcome in the long run by the willing work of the true colonist, the man who does his work and detests loafing." The books and apparatus bought by the Professors in Britain on behalf of the University, are now being landed. The books comprise the works of the principal classical authors, both Latin and Greek, and works of reference ; also, a number of valuable works on moral and physical science. The apparatus comprises material for instruction in mechanics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, heat, magnetism, electricity, g-'lvanism, and chemistry, and the selection appears to have been carefully and judiciously made. The same remark also applies to the books selected. These books are intended to form the nucleus of the University I Library, and cannot fail to prove of great 1 advantage to students. | During the quarter ended on the 30th June, the number of persons who landed at the port of Dunedin was 473, of whom 355 were males, and 118 females. Of these, 115 males and S3 females came from the United j Kingdom, 102 males and 35 females from the Australian colonies, and 138 males from other British ports. The emigration during the same period amounted to 560 persona, of whom 443 were males and 117 females. Of these, 49 males and 32 femalea left for the United Kingdom ; 269 males and 72 females for the Australian colonies ; 110 males for other British ports ; and 15 males and 13 females for the Fijia. The balance of emigration over immigration, as shown by the above figures, was S7. The last of the series of introductory lectures in connection with the opening of the Otage Oniversity was deliveredcn Wednesday by Mr M'Gregor, the Profeasor of Mental an 4 Moral Science. The lecturer gave a highly instructive account of the present condition of metaphysical science, i's relations with theology, and its future pro9pecta ; and was Jistened to throughout with the profoundest attention by an audience more numerous even than on the previous occasions. At the conclusion of the address Dr Webster, M.P.C., proposed a vote of thanks to the Professors for the nble lecturps with which they had delighted the public during the present week. The proposition, it ib needless to say, w*s enthusiastically received, and the vote waa carried by acclamation. The Wakatip Mail aaya :— " At Hie sitting of the Wardens' Cou--t, on FricVy, the Chinese litigants set an excellent example. A day or two before ihoy withdrew all the cases between themeeiveSj and deposited for each of tb*> sevfral companies the sum of Loll— L2oo. The Company th,»t first poes to law is to forfeit LSO, md so on. They h<-ve also adopted an arbitration tribunal, to whom all matters of dispute between themselves are to bb referred Of course the Europeans would not use these mesns, but 1 John ' is thoroughly disgusted with the European Courts of justice He says that lie nlways gets to the wall, and cannot understand it at all. Hence this new movement, which is likely to be adopted throughout the district." On Friday, the 30th ulfc., the annual ploughing match of the Aparima Farmers' Club came off iv a paddock on the Grange F.'irm, the property < f Mr Thouiis Lee, about four miles from Rive.rton. The day was very fine, but the number of ploughs m the field, and the company in attendance, were much emillorthan usual on such occasions. Tms may have bee.i in some measure owing to the sfcate of the roads from the recent wet wca ther, and following frosts. The land was in tine c> "uv.on, ;ind the ploughing quite up to th-> •, . craj;e. There were four double lurro-.v }/li ughs in the iield, one manufactured by Messrs luinsomes aad Sims, and the others by Messrs Keid and Gray, of Oamaru. It appeared to be the general opinion that the double- furrow left a better seed bed than the single plough. 5590 acres of land, situate within the Wairuna Hundred, two or more applications having been made, each for areas of land amounting in all to the acreage stated, will, in accordance with the Waste Lands Act, bsold by auction. The sale was to be held at Balclutha on the 10th inst. There are valu-ar-le improvements on some parts of the j land, and we understand that a spirited competition for at least portions of the land was expected. The whole of block I , Lower Hawoa, was open for application on the 3rd inst. More than two separate applications have been made for every one of the areas of land within the block. The bind will accrdingly he sold by auction. The sale is announced to take place at Clyde on the ICth

August. Other areas of land are also open for application, or are to be soon sold by auction. We are in receipt of tho Evangelist for July. It is a more than usually good number, containing among other articles one on "The- Bishop of Nelson's Overtures on Union," and ;mother on "Educational Discussions and Legislation." The Editor's "Notes of Travel in New Zealand," are brought to a conclusion, and thei c is a very good summary of "Provinci.il and Coloni >1 Intelligence." From th?. lacier we extract the following instance of co operation in church work, the church referred to being the Presbyterian place of worship nt Taranaki :—'• The little church abounds in labours of love. Two ladies alternately preside .it the harmonium ; one active brother rings the bell ; another is precentor, and a third conducts the services. The church is at present too poor to support a minister. " A vary Urge audience assembled in the Hall of Trinity Church 'he other evening to hear a lecture delivered by the Hon. IVlajir Richaulson, entitled " Pag^s out of the his tory of Colonization." The Rev. D. M. Stuart presided. The lecture was mainly a history of the career of Captain Montague, who was Colonial Secretary of Tasmania during the Governorship of Sir John Franklin, and who filled the same office at the Cape of Good Hope for many years. The lecturer gave a highly interesting account of Captain Mon. tague's great exertions for the colonisation of the latter country. At the conclusion of the lecture Mr James Smith moved a vote of thanks to Major Richardson, whicb was carried by acclamation. On the motion of the Rev. Mr Reid, a similar compliment was was paid to the chairman A collection in aid of tho "Bui) din;; Fund of Trinity Church was made at the close of the proceedings. While a mob of cattle were being driven through the township of Milton, on Monday, one of their number apparently took serious offence at the number of inhabitants mo v about. It accordingly set to work to clear the streets, and, so far as the imm f vicinity was concerned, this was spaedily accomplished. The Tuapeka coach had just started and came forward at the moment. This again gave offence, the bullock mad c furious attack upon the horses, and rushed alongside attempting to gore them with his horns. _ The driver feelingly warned his team oi their danger ,• they immediately took the hint, and starting off at full speed, left their enemy behind. In the meantime Mr Nutßford, rifle in hand, had taken shelter in the Milton Hotel, and the door being open the animal in passing seemed to meditate a call. Nutsford tired ; the score was a perfect bull's eye, the animal dropped, and never afterwards moved a muselo. Mining operations in the Wakatip district are reported by tho piper to be at a standstill, owing to t,be continuance of the severe frost, especially on tbe high ground. Of tlie Mount JUia district the Chronicle writes as follows :—": — " On tbe eubjeefc of mining we h^vc iso'hiag to report, tho weather having beon sufliousntly hard effectually to put a stop to all mining operations. Tqc winter would s^em to bo a very exceptional one, for inste&d of constant and heavy falls of Bnow, as in other years, we have this winter had but one or two, and these of o. very slight and partial character. There is. however, plenty of time >v to receive more than will be agreeable, though it must be borne in mind that for tbe sprint and early summer supply of water this place is, as a rule, dependent upon the bdow on the mountain?. Is is, therefore, of the utmost importance that they should be well coated before the sun becomes too powerful to allow the Enow to lie." The h If yearly meeting of Court Enterprise. A. 0. F.. was held at the Court-room, Royal George Hotel, George street, on Tuesday evening. The balance-sheet for the quarter ending June was submitted to inspection It showed a total sum of 1534 14s 41 to the credit of the Court, of which L 352 9s o]d belonged to the General Fund ac count, and LlB2 5s 3\d to the Incidental Fund account. The number of financial members was 04. The election and installation of officers for tho ensuing halfvoar took place. Mr Henry ;>pearswas elected C.R., MrG. Mowl, S.C.R. Mr Thos. John Goidman, re-elected Secrptary ; Mr John Jolly, Treasurer; Mr W. Pring, S.W. ; Mr P. Brady, J.W. ; Mr W. Woodland, 5.8. ; Mr A. Austin, JB. Messrs Hughes and Melville were elected delegates to represent tho Court at the ensuing district meeting. Mr W. Woodland was elected auditor. The newiy elected olliueis were afterwards ins'ailed by P. O.K. Melville. A mpotine of the Scott Cenfennry <~!ommittee was held in the Athenaeum on Monday afternoon. There was a large attendance of members. Mr Brodie waa voted to the chair. The following gentlemen were added to the Committee formed at the previous meeting : — Messrs M'Glashan, Rattray, Driver, Duncan, Birch, Fish, Thoneman, Dr Weimter, Watson, Bell, A. F. Anderson, H. M'Neil, Ramsay, Livingston, Brodrick, B ack, J. S. Webb, Eliott, Tewsley, Smith, Kiigour, Howden, Stewart, Haggitt, Ri'chie, Spedding, and Mercer. Tt was proposed, and agreed to, that Messrs Davie, Murieon, Brodie, Lawson, Howden, Bnrron, and Ritchie be appointed a com< mittee to make the necesßary arrangements for tbe dne celebration of the centenary ; to report to the General Committee at an early date. It was stated by the Hon. Secretaries that great enthusiasm in the matter had been manifested by all parties — a cireumsfcftiioo which augurs well for the eaccoaa of I the celebration.

An effort was made in the Provinc al Counei 1 on Wodueedty to rescind the recent retrenchments made in the Police Departmeni; by Mr M'Glashaa moving the following resolution " That an addretß \>e presented to His Honour tho Superintendent, reques ing that the sum of LBGI 5s be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, w'iih the view of meoing the expenses of the Police ! 'epirfcmer.v, ns originally olaced on the Estimates." An aru"m..ted discussion took place on tho motion, several honour? able members urging, among other considerations in ics frvour, tb;,l the police had already been subjected to a serious reduction in their rate of pay ; while those who opposed ii asserted th>-.t the Council would stultify itself by condemning its own recent action, aurl contended thnt similar action would be necessary in several other departments if such a course was adopted. Ori c. division, the motion was negatived by ! 10 to 11. Monday afternoon's sitting of the Provincial Council was taken up with a discus, sion upon a motion by Mr Barton, protest, ing against any further waste of Middle Island revenue upon the war in the North Island. The debate was not concluded on the House rising at half-past five. The consideration of the Land .Bill, brought down by Mr Bathgate, was resumed in Committee at 7 o'clock, and considerable progress was made, thirty of the clause*) being passed with nut little amendment. The discussions in Committee were rather warm at times. Mr Mervyn on one occasion accused all the members of the Government with following Mr Reid in opposition to their hustisg3 pledges with reference to the price of land on defitred payments. Mr Cutten denied this, asserting that he had on th? hustings expressed himself in favour of the principle of deferred payments, but ab the same time was doubtful whethor it could be carried into effect owing to the state of the finances. Prince Bismarck has recently expressed himself in tavour of unpaid Parliaments, the occasion being a proposal introduced into the Reichstag to grant a salary fco the members of the Chamber. He is reported to have spoken as follows :— " If tho Representative Assembly of the people iB really to continue to be a reflex of the population, we must have Bhorb sessions ; otherwise, all those who may have other occupations will be unj able to devote themselves so readily or ao entirely to their Parliamentary labours. It is only by having short sessions that we shall induce the moat eminent men in all professions to come forward and serve the Fatherland. Now, it is a matter of experience that the sessions of unsalaried Parliaments are always shorter than those where the members receive a salary. The Prussian Herrenhaus is alwayo inclined to shorten its sittings, the Rouse of Deputies to continue its labours. My opmion regarding the question of ealariea — a. question regarding which books micht be written — haa, 1 can aflirm, remained, the same. A. noo-salaricd Parliament is not in. consistent with universal suffrage, nor & stopping half way." The Select Committeo of the Piovinciaj Council appointed to consider the adminstrtttiou of the Gold fields, brought up their second Interim .Report o i Friday. It rclatea to potitior.s from certain settlers, miners, and others at Tunpeka, and certain residents in tho Mount Ben.srer district;, and is aa follows :— " Your Committeo have the honour to report that they would 'strong y urge upon the Government tho absolute necessity of corr plyiug with the request of the pe'itionere. The evidence before the Committee proves that it ia tho only way to facilitate the settlement of people upon the laud in our populous O-oldlielda, aa though it may cost the Government an outlay at first, the return of revenue received from those distnetn where this course has been adopted fully justifies such outlay ; and your Committee w^u'd further recommend that all petitions in reference to the opening of land for settlement, which have been forwarded to His Honour the Superintendent and Provincial Council since 1866, should be forwarded with the view to their being Jaid upon the table of tho House of Rep-esentativea." Tho tl.ird and last competition for the honour of wearing the Port Chalmers Naval j Companv 'a Belt was concluded on Mnndsy last, and resulted in Petty-officer Wilson being tho winaoi with au ajjtjregate score of 119 points, followed by Gunner R Lean, lHpointe; Petty-officer Colder, 107 points; and Gunner F. Lean, with 106 points. The first competition was at 200, 300. and 400 yards ; second, 300, 400, and 500 yards ; and third, nt 400, 500, and COO yards i— five shots at each range. At the latter ranges. Gunner R. Lean scored 42 points, missing *wice at 600 yards. A match was iired yesterday afternoon by membeis of tlie same company at the rifle range, Mussel Bay, the competition being for a pair of antlers and a revolver, the winners to win three times before first or second prize becomes their property. The range waa 300 yards, and the conditions 5 shots standing, 5 kneeling, and 5 acy position, no sighting shots. The prizes have been won twice previously by Petty Officers Calder and Kettle, and yesterday they were won by Lieut. GoldieandGunnerMorganrespecfcively, the former with 46, and the latter with 41 points. A recent Melbourne paper contains thefollowing uotico of the death of a rormer resident in Dunedin :— " The dead body of a man, which has since been identified aa that of Mordauut Smallpago, was found at about a quarter lo (> ou Saturday eveuuig, iv King William street, Fitzroy, by a man, who

reported the matter to the local police. The finder at first supposed the man to be drunk, but a constable came to the conclusion that he was dead, though the body was still warm, and sent for Mr Hewlett, surgeon, who pronounced life to be extinct. The oorpse was removed to the St. Andrew's Hotel, Nicholson street, where it awaits on inquest. The landlord of the Globe Hotel, after the removal of the bedy, identified it as that of Mordaunt Smallpage. This is the name of the man who is said to have been formerly an officer of Police, and was taken before the City Bench last week and discharged on an accusation of imposing upon a coffee-stall keeper. There were found upon the body some photographs of the deceased, and a phial containing steel drops. It is supposed that the man was suffering from disease of the heart." In connection with the news brought by the Suez Mail regarding the Comte de Chambord, the following paragraph from the Westminster Gazette is of interest : — "We learn from very trustwoithy sources that the Comte de Paris has now not only recognised the Comte de Cbambord as the head of the house of Bourbon, but as the rightful King of Trance. Until quite lately the Comte de Paris made it a condition of his allegiance and that of the houße of which he is the head, that the rights of the Cointo de Chambord to the throne of France ahould be aubjecttd to the vote of the people. At the same time the Comte de Paris declined to Bay whether he would refuse the crown it it were conferred upon him by pletnscite. Such terms, it is obvious, could not be accepted by the Legitimist, unle&s by an abandonment of thtir principles. Now, however, we are enabled to 3tate the Comte de Paris has unreservedly recognised the rights of the Comte de Chambord In doing bo, however, the head of the House of Orleans has separated himself from several members of his family, who, true to the ttrcioiiions of iheir House, will still form an <M«anisfc faction. Indeed, between the Comte de Paris and the Due d'Aumale it ihas cob&s to an open rupture. " While the miners in Ofcago wish to make it not for the Chinese, the latter in their own country seem inclined to do the same for Europeans. The following telegram, dated Shanghai, April 12, is published in the London paper* ; — "An important despatch of the Chinese Government to the foreign Ministers has beea published, in which the former demands the abolition of female schools ; that teaching against Confucius And the Chinese doctrine shall be forbidden ; and that mis■ionaries, except at Treaty Ports, shall be considered as Chinese subjects. The despatch ideeiAreß that the attendance of women at re'igione services will nofc be allowed, and that in case of the occurrence of another mas. rsacre .compensation will not be granted, and astual murder alone will be punishable. N,o replies have ac you been published." Commenting on thia the Spectator says:— ''lf this telegram fairly reports the meaning of the Chinese despatch, one of two events has hippened. Either the anti-foreign party has triumphed at Pekin, and we are on the ove of another massacre, or the Government haß been promised some support on which it relies, support; which does not come either from a Catholic or Protestant power. Fighting Russia in China would be pleasant. " The monthly inapection of the Port Chalmers Naval Volunteers whs made by Major Atkinson, in Crickmore's Royal Assembly Rooms, on Friday evening. There were present thi co officers, three non-commissioned officers, and 26 gunners — making a total of 32. All absentees were ordered to be fined, according to the Volunteer Regulations, and the fines will be strictly enforced. The Adjutant instructed the Comp-ny in the new drill, -which ia far simpler and auicker than the old one, there being fewer words of command nnd quicker movements. The whole of the Company not being thoroughly equipped in uniform and accoutrements, the Adjutant remarked at the conclusion of the drill, which l»Bted two hours, that if any were not properly equipped at hia neXt inspection, he would not pass them. With regard to this it may be said that the Militia office has no naval belts and accoutrements in store, and consequently the Company are without them ; the members themselves provide them according to pattern, at a far greater expense than that charged t y the Government. This is wrong, as if Volunteers give their time and services gratis for ibe protection of the country, they should at least be provided with all their uniform and accoutrements at the very lowest possible price by the Government, A Supplementary Report of the Council of the Otago University has been laid upon the table of the Provincial Council, it; contains • summary of the proceedings in connection with the proposals for amalgamation with the New Zealand University, the gist of which bast appeared iv our columns from time to time. The following are the concluding sentences of the Rpport :— " It would appear tk<it the Council oi the Now Zealand University have allocated the LBGOO appropriated by tho General Assembly as follows :— LiUOU for 20 scholarships ; LIOOO for the establishment or subsidling, in affiliated institutions, of such professorships or lectureships as may be determined on hereafter ; and LSOO for incidental expenses of the Council. The Vice-Chancellor ha 3 communicated with the Hon. the Colonial Secretary on the obvious injustice to the province of Otago iv not admitting it to a fair share ia all appropriaitions from colonial revenues, and in not

having, in violation of tho word and spirit of tbe Act of 1870. fixed, in case of a union of the two Universities, the site of the University of New Zealand at Dunedin. No reply has yet been received to the above. In conclusion, we be# again to draw your Honour's attention to the ciaim of this University to a participation in the moneys thus voted by the Colonial Legislative for the support of Universities. It appears to us that as the field of Otago and Southland is occupied by this University without assistance from the New Zealand University, we are entitled to a like measure of support from the Consolidated Revenue as j is afforded to other parts of the colony for similar purposes." j The contract to ascertain the nature of the feundations for tbe Waitaki bridge, carried on by Messrs Connor and M'Kay, contractors for the Colonial Government, under the direction of Mr John Millar, F.S.A., Civil Engineer, has proved a gieat success. Boring operations have been for a considerable period perseveringly prosecuted r.y the contractors under considera le difficulties, arising from the nature of the shifting shingle bed of a river a mile in width, the current of which is something like ten knots an hour. The responsibilities resting on the shoulders of engineers under the Public Works Act of IS7U, which has been assented to by Her M»jeaty, determined Messrs Biackett and Millar, as representatives of the Bridge Commission appointed last year by ihe Government to advise, report, and to fix the site, that bores were a necessury preliminary bef oi c any structure could be designed adequate to carry a bridge of such an extent as that over the Waitaki, adapted for railway —the Great Northern Truuk Railway—purposes, as well as to accommodate the ordinary road traffic. The boring operations have just reen brought to a satisfactory close, and it is understood that the engineers are gratified with the result, and anticipate no unusual difficulty ra construction. We understand that several miles of the rail way line in conjunction with the bridge have been staked out, and a central trench made denoting the direction and extent of monster curves of some twelve and a half miles radius, uniting the two provinces, Obago and Canterbury, and destined ere long to unite their two capitals, Dunedin and Christchurch. Our Riverton correspondent writes : — "A melancholy accident occurred on the 2Sbh ult., at the station of Messrs Manning and Evans, near the foot of the Takatimos, which ended iv the death of a shepherd in their employment named Andrew Daney, a native of Madras, better known as " Blaok Daney." i The station hands wore dipping some sheep, and not having sufficient wash, two more bucketsful had been prepared, and were left Btandinp on the table of the hut. Of thia Daney was not aware. He was the first to return, and, supporingit to be pure water, hastily took a hearty draught from one of the buckets. The flavour warned him of bis mistake, and he at ence cooeyed to his companions. On their arriving at the hut, ths-y found him lying outside in a convulsed state, unable to walk. They assisted him in, and on learning from him what he had done, they made him drink copiously of sale and water. He vomited freely, but was severely convulsed during the night. The following morning he appeared better, and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon he asked for something to eat. It was provided in accordance with his wißb.es, but he could not take it. He afterwards asked for a smoke, and a pipe was filled and lighted for him. He sat very quiet, when his mate, \ who was watching him, observed a peculiar movement of the mouth, and then a waving of the head to and fro, and nil was quiet. His mate at first supposing him to be asleep, I would not disturb him, but soon found he was dead. Sergeant Morton left here on Saturday morning for the purpose of beine present at the inqiust. The state of the road and rivers prevented timely assistance being got." The quarterly meeting of the Christchurch Chess Club waß held on Friday evening, Mr H. J. Tancred in the chair The Lyt- 1 teiton Times gives the following report of j the proceedings : — Mr Martin, hon. sec, read the following report of the proceedings of the Club for the quarter :— " During the p<»Bt three months the Cub has been engaged in a match of three games by telegraph with tbe Dunerlin Chess C üb. This match occupied nine nighta— in all about 30 hours • — and resulted in a victory for the Christ- 1 church players, they having won two out of | the three gamps. Messrs H Hookham, W. | P. Wood, »nd J. 0. Veel conducted the match on behalf of the club. A handicap tournament has also been going on, the players comprising eight members of the club. The contest was for a prize offered by Mr W. D. Wood. The foli.-w-ing condition was imposed by that gentleman, viz., "That no player should t»ke longer than five minutes in which to make a move ' This has tended gre> tiy to increase tho interest in the tournament, and haß prevented it trom extending to at u diouslenath, sb is sometimes the case. The play was concluded or Friday, June 23rd, Mr A. Ol'ivier j proving i he winner of the prize. The next business for the club will be a match by telegraph with the Lyttelton club, the details of which have been partially arranged. ' The report was approved. Mr Martin tendered the resignation of his office by reason of his approaching departure from the colony. On the motion of Mr Stead, a cordial vote of thanks was tendered to Mr Martin for the efficient manner in which he bad conducted the affairs of the club for the past three yeare, Mr A, Ollivjer waß ap-

pointed secretary. The chairman then pre ' seated Mr Ollivier with tho prize won by ' him at the late tournament. Some of that neighbourly assistance, which is happily common in many parts of the province. waß given at Green Island on Friday, to Mr William Thomson, late hay and corn merchant, Dunedin. Mr Thomson lately purchased Whitebrook— a compact farm of 100 acres— from Mr Lloyd. The settlers of the district learning that he intended cropping it this season, generously offered a day's ploughing. In addition, some of the North and East Taieri farmers sent their well ordered teams— one of which was a double furrow. During the day the scene was unusually animating, there being twenty-seven teams within hail of one an- j other at work in right good will, the ploughmen vieii'g with each other as to who should do the most and best work. A goodly number of spectators were attracted to the scene and took the liveliest interest in the operation. An examination of the respective allotments showed that notwithstanding that a considerable portion of the land had been laid down for seventeen years, and waß consequently somewhat tough and hard, the quality ef work was very creditable, i The -a were none of those fancy cuts bo much in vogue at ploughing matches, but a good | substantial furrow and cut designed to bring cut crop to the best advantage ; and if the season is at all propitious it cannot fail in brining out a good crop. After the work] of the day was over, at five o'clock, the ploughmen and as many others as were present, sat down to a substantial dinner, to which ample justice was done. At night the neighbours all around were invited to partake of the hospitable cheer of the new farmer ; after which the tables were clea ed fjr dancing, which was carried on with the greatest; animation until the small hours. j A painful and fatal accident occurred in the harbour on Saturday forenoon. Thei particulars are as follows • — The lighter Victoriii, in charge of Mr John Guthrie, was on her way from Dunedin with a c irgo of preserved meats for the ship Roslyn Castle, lying at Port Chalmers, and wheu in the Cross Channel, the wind blowing fresh from S. W. . a sudden gust got underneath the weather side of her deck Joad tarpaulin, and blew it to leeward, knocking John Craigie, one of the hands, over, board. The helm was at once put down, and Craigie, although he had a heavy topcoat on, succeeded in catching hold of the painter of the boat that was towing astern, and even succeeded in get' ing into the boat, The vessel still having considerable way on her, he went forward in the boat with the intention of getting on board with the painter. This notion depressed the b»at'B bow, and she filled, going right from under Craigie, who, poor fellow, sank, being seen by his shipmates only for about a second. The vessel was broucht to an anchor, and the boat (minus the oars, which had floated out of her) waa hauled up and emptied, There was one spare oar on board, with which the boat was sculled about in search of the drowned man. The search, however, proved of no avail, and Mr Guthrie, seeing that it was useless to continue it, went on to Port Chalmers and reported the accident to the police, who proceeded to the spot with grapnels, but cjuld find no traces of the nody. A full crew of men, friends of the deceased, have since prosecuted the search in one of tue harVour bo>its, tut have not yet, so far as we learn, recovered the body. Craipie was a carpenter by trade, and well known in Port Chalmers. He hai been for a long time employed in Messrs Guthrie I and Aeher's lighters. He leaves a wife and four young children to mourn his loss. Mr George Green, of this city, has just patented au invention for a dredge upon a new and improved pdnciple, to be used on the Molyneux and other auriferous rivers of New Zealand, and having been favoured with a sight of the drawing, we are in a position to furnißh the following inormation. The vessel is 60ft. long, and is to have a flat bottom, square stern, and long sharp bow, so constructed aB to offer the least resistance to strong currents. She can be deeply immersed, when that is required, by the admissioa. of water through valves in her sides, thus bringing her nearer to the ground to be worked upon. She is fitted with a diving -bell of sufficient size to enable two men to be constantly at work thereon, procuring and sending up the washdirt. This bell is of a rhomboid shape, being Bharp at the ends with convex top, and may be used with or without shifting weights, to he attached as the bell descends, to counteract tbe buoyancy given by the supply of air to the workmen, and to be detached as it emerges from the water. The dredge will also have a pair of paddle- wheels for the purpose of working a pump or pumps to convey water on or to the banks of rivers, for Bluicing or any other purpose, and by a simple contrivance the paddles can also be used to warp the veßsel from place to place when desired. We look npon this invention aB likely to effect a complete revolution in river dredging, as the present spoon dredges are notoriously inefficient, and all the present appliances for getting gold from the depths of rivers are, in the opinion of most practical working men, comparative failures, inasmuch as they cannot reach the richest deposits in clefts, seams, pools, and in the numerous bars in the stream. By Mr Green's process, however, the men can go down on to the reef in any part of the river, j and can literally sweep the same with a broom, thus lifting everything to the most minute sc»le of gold. We learn from Mr Green that he has already entered into | negotiations for placing at least two of hja

| vessels on the Molyneux, and we wish them 1 I every success. The Wellington Independent of the 24fch ult, makes the following significant remarks : — "The Middle Island has now a splendid chance of getting rid for ever of the Native difficulty and its enormous expenditure, and that is by assisting the Provincial Governments of Wellington and Napier to get those lines of railways and tramways made which they have respectively recommended. When once these are finished, the stream of immigration flowing in simultaneously with their construction, and great numbers of natives being thereon employed, the N». tive Minister may resign his present portfolio for that of the * Minister of Works for the North Island.' Disputes there doubtless will be about land for many years to come, but these will be settled by law and precedent, and not by powder and shot. Ifc is then and then only that the policy adopted last session will be seen in all its fair propor* tions — a policy of utilising the credit of the colony, not in powder but colonisiDg works — a policy of effecting the unity of the colony, not by the destruction of existing institutions, but by inspiring colonistß with a community of interest, and recalling them from miserable faction fights to the work of colonisation — which great work existing institutions must either help forward, or be themselves swept out of the way." The concluding portion of the article is worthy of — well, of the Wellington Independent. It ia as follows : — " We do not say that the railways asked by the Provincial Councils of Nelson and Otago are not great colonial works ; but th.9y have not that specialty with regard to the native question which attaches to those of Wellington. Theirs secure progress ; ours secure both peace and progress. Theirs will develope great resources : ours, we believe, still greater. Theirs will encourage settlement in treeless plainß, ours will open up valuable bush which has been a hiding place for savages, and make it a home for prosperous emigrantsi" A case of aome importance to the various municipalities cropped out during the proceedings of the Court of Revision of the Citi«zens' Roll at Milton, on Monday. Mr George W. Langley, who has lived for 22 years under the British Government, is the oldest Councillor of Milton, and from the great interest he has taken in everything affecting the interests of the public, it was generally understood that he would be brought forward for the office of Mayor at the ensuing election. At the Revision Court, however, an objection was lodged by Mr Moses to Mr Langley's name being retained upon the roll upon the ground that he was an alien. Mr Taylor (counsel for Mr Langley) objected to the legality of the Court, upon the ground that notice of the place and date of its Bitting had not been given in the Gazette, as. he contended, was required by the Ordinance. This objection was overruled. Mr Taylor next contended that Mr Moses's ob» jection could not be entertained upon the same ground — viz , that a notice of the objection had not been published in the Gazette. He also contended that the Aliens Act, 1870, overruled the 10th section of the Otago Municipal Corporations Ordinance, 1565, to the extent of admitting his client to exercise the franchise upon the ground that as all disability to aliens holding property had been removed, all the rights and privileges incidental to ownership were im> pliedly created. The Court resolved to take the opinion of counsel upon the two latter points. The question raised was thus left undecided. Upon the conclusion of the business the question arose what was to be done with the 801 l ? The members were apparently under the impression that they were obliged then and there finally to dispose of it (it never occurred to them to j adjourn the sitting till they had received counsel's opinion), and they resolved to adopt the roll in toto, including Mr Langley's name. It is therefore clear that his name will appear upon the Citizens' Roll for the ensuing year, and the opinion to be obtained will only be useful for future occasions. There is a possibility of the legality of the aots of the Council being questioned if that Council is composed partly of aliens.