LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1777, 12 December 1885, Page 9

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The Land Board considered the advisability of dealing with a number of defaulting perpetual leaseholders at a meetiug on Thurday, no action was taken beyond referring a number of the cases to the School Commissioners and the High School Board of Governors for any suggestions they may have to make. The report of Messrs M'Kenzie, Duncan, aud Green as to the best method of dealing with runs at the Rock and Pillar and Highlay districts was adopted, and it was decided to recommend the Government to give effect to it. The report recommended that run 210 is should be re-leased for such a term as would make it fall in with the remaining runs in the locality occupied by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company ; that about 2500 acres lying between the Taieri River and Horseburn be surveyed into 300-acre sections, and classified for agricultural settlement under the perpetual lease system ; the remaining portions of runs 210 and 210f, comprising about 7500 acres to be divided into three runs, and let under the small-run system.

The Rev. R. R. M. Sutherland gives a report of his visit to the Otago Central iv this month's ' New Zealand Presbyterian." The rev. gentleman expresses himself as well pleased with his visit, and reports that at all the services a desire was expressed to have regular visits. He concludes as follows : — " If regular services were established, so that the men could count on them, many more would attend. It is not creditable to the Presbyterian Church, with her advantages, that she has left so many men without the means of grace till now. They are on the whole a fine set of fellows — sober, industrious; and well-disposed. Large allowances must be made for some of them who spend their hard-earned money in 'the shanties.' Their work is hard and rough ; their tent life not over comfortable sometimes, and they are surrounded by no influences for good. The slygrog shops are there by the dozen, plying their nefarious traffic, and many through the sheer force of circumstances fall victims to them. Nothing that I know of can be said for the Government Department, whose business it is to put down sly-grog selling, but does not do so. There are surely Government officials enough in this new land to administer the laws, aud genius enough in the Government heads to devise a way of doing it. To my fellowministers I say : If you waut a pleasant change, and the opportunity of doing work that will be thoroughly appreciated, give two Sundays to work among the four or five hundred men on the Otago Central."

.The system adopted by the Southland board under the Charitable Institutions Act of collecting a uniform rate of in the pound on the letting value for both town and country does not appear, on the face of it, to be the best method of raising funds. The contributions for the four months by the various districts are as follow : — Southland County, letting value, £209,000 — amount of rate, £435; Wallace County, £72,818— £151 ; Lake County, £17,283 —£36; Invercargill Borough, £64,305— £134; South Invercargill, £7915— £16 10s; Queenstown, £5993— £12 10s; Riverton, £5860— £12 • North Invercargill, £4561— £9 10s ; East Invercargill, £4560— £9 10s ; Campbelltown, £4599— £9 10s ; Gore. £4357— £9 ; Arrow, £3845— £8 ; Gladstone, £3000— £6; Win ton, £2400— £5; Avenal, £2385— £5. The Southland Times points out that the contributions by several of the country districts will be about sufficient to cover the travelling expenses incurred by the members representing them in attending the meetings of the board.

The new water supply which was to save Sydney from a recurrence of a water famine has uot, so far, come up to expectations. The undertaking was entered upon rather hurriedly, and when the water was turned on in the pipes numerous leaks rendered it necessary to turn it off again. In the meantime no rain has fallen, and the water in the Botany dam is getting very low. Some parts of the country are in a wretched condition owing to the want of rain, and cattle are dying in all directions for want of feed. Great satisfaction is felt in Sydney at the safety of the geographical expedition to New Guinea. Immediate steps were taken to recall the Opal, and also the party that started from Thursday Island. It seems that the party were unaware of the rumour concerning them until their arrival at Thursday Island. The rumour apparently arose from the fact that when they were attacked two Natives managed to get away, and these reported that the whole party had been surrounded and killed. All the party are well. They are very reticent as to their discoveries ; but it is thought these will not amount to much, as they were unable to penetrate" far from the banks of the Fly River owing to the dense scrub.

There are apparently ingenious minds constantly at work, says the Age, endeavouring to devise some new means of defrauding the Postal Department. Writing communications upon the insides of newspapers is a very ordinary fraud. More ingenious are the attempts made to send a plurality of letters in a twopenny packet, with a request that the receiver should deliver them at their addresses. Numberless other dodges are employed, and amongst them that of enclosing valuable articles in newspapers is frequently practised. A case of this sort was detected recently at Seymour. A newspaper posted by a man named Dennis Dotter, and addressed to a person in Baden, via Brindisi, was found,- on being opened, to contain a locket and chain. Dotter, who is a watchmaker, was brought before Mr Wyatt, P.M., and in addition to being fir ed £2 and 2s 6d costs, had the mortification of learning that the locket and chain would be confiscated. He was further informed that he had rendered himself liable to a fine of £50 in addition, and altogether the experiment was attended with such unsatisfactory results that it is not likely to be repeated by the same person.

Mr T. K. M'Donald, the chairman of the Wellington Woollen Factory, mentioned at the laying of the foundation stone last Saturday, that in the historical retrospect of the settlement of Petoni given by Mr Travers, there was one interesting incident omitted. A number of enthusiastic Scotchmen got together one Sunday morning and planted the only thistle which had survived the voyage out. They started with a minister at their head, and they knelt and prayed over and blessed that thistle that it might fructify and bear good fruit. He (Mr Macdonald) was afraid that a good many had since blessed those who had planted that thistle, which was the first that had been sown in the Colony.

The extreme severity of the Indian Penal Code in cases where criminals have been several times convicted of petty thefts, was illustrated recently at the Madras High Court. Mr Justice Kernan, according to the Homeward mail, sentenced a man to penal servitude for life for stealing the paltry sum of ss. The learned

judge, in sentencing the prisoner (who admitted to six previous convictions, the last of which was a sentence of seven years' transportation), said : — " The amount that another man had stolen many years ago, for which he had been sentenced to transportation for life, Afas only Gd. It was not the amount in question which governed the law, but the question is, does the prisoner retain the intention of continuous thieving, and was he fit to remain in the society he was in ? If the amount stolen was only one pie, and the evidence showed that the prisoner retained the thieving spirit, he deserved transportation. If I could sentence you to a less period than life I would do so ; but the Indian Penal Code, which has taken men many years to frame, provided that, in case of a simple theft, if the theft was repeated, the sentence must be transportation for life. I have no option but to sentence you to transportation for life ; but the Government may, if they think fit, alter it to a less period of transportation."

At the lasb meeting of the University Council the Chancellor read the following letter, which he had received from Professor Macgregor, aud which was dated 30th November : — " I have the honour to inform you that I have this day accepted the office of inspector of lunatic asylums and institutions which has been offered to me by the Government. Therefore, as required by my engagement to the. University Council, I hereby give notice that I shall resign the Chair of Mental Science this day six months." The Vice-Chancellor proposed the following motion, which was carried unanimously :—": — " That the council regrets the resignation of Professor Macgregor, and desires to place on record its appreciation of the earnest and efficient manner in which, during the last 15 years, he has fulfilled the duties of the chair of Mental and Moral Philosophy, and that the chancellor be requested to communicate this resolution to Professor Macgregor."

Reports have been received from various quarters in the Fiji group giving an alarming account of the serious state which produce and vegetation are in, owing to the long continued drought. Should rain not come soon the Natives will be compelled to leave the Islands and go over to the mainland. In all districts complaints are made of the smallness of the cocoanut crops, the nuts not being much larger than a man's fist. This state of affairs will tell materially on the collecting of Native taxes. Reports from Windward as to the state of the country for want of rain are lamentable. Even on the fertile aud evergreen Taruni the streams have dried up, grass has disappeared, and stock have to be hand-fed on fodder brought in from the dense scrub.

During the past week two petitions of insolvency have been filed by debtors, the petitioners being Gilbert M'Kay, of Te Houka, farmer, and Christen Christensen, Dunedin confectioner.

A woman named Maiy Goddard was, charged at the City Police Court on Friday morning with having attempted to commit snicide by drowning. It appears that the accused was noticed walking along the reclaimed ground at the foot of St. Andrew street about 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon by a surfaceman working on the railway-line, who was shortly afterwards tolil that there was a woman in the harbour. On going to the place pointed out to him he found the accused lying on her back in about 3ft of water. He dragged her out, and she was taken into custody by the police. She had apparentfy been drinking, and was remanded for a week on the application of the police, without any evidence being taken.

Mr Henry Wirgman Robinson, Resident Magistrate of Oamaru, has been admitted by his honor Mr Justice Williams as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

The Lyttelton Times having re-published the report of our interview with Captain Baldwin, that gentleman, who is at present in Christchurch, writes : — " Since my return to the Colony I have been inundated with letters asking for information about the River Plate territories. A largo proportion of these letters come from young men. Generally they have but little capital, or no capital at all, to start on. They have considerable experience in the management of sheep and cattle ; they have energy and health and strength, and. as a rule, that is all, aud I am asked : What an: their prospects of success in the Argentine Republic ? I am afraid the prospects are not over bright. The fact of the matter i.s, the country is overrun with young men of this description, and I have a very strong conviction myself (.hat. hi nine cases out of 10. they are juot as well off, aud just as likely to get on here as there. Some two or three years ago I travelled pretty extensively through Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, New Mexico, and Old Mexico — in fact, through the great grazing belt of the Western States of North Ameiica. In the course of these travels I happened to drop across a number of former colonists. They were, for the most part, shepherds, stockmen, or ranchmen. A few of them were doing fairly well ; the majority were ekeing but a precarious existence, but whether doing well or ill, they almost invariably regretted having left the Colonies. Now I very much fear the majority of those who intend starting for Buenos Ayres will, if they carry out their intentions, also regret the change. The conclusion I have come to myself, after knocking about here and there over the world, is that New Zealand is not such a bad place after all, and that a man may go farther and fare worse."

If all that is stated with regard to the bent grass is true the Ocean Beach Domain Board should give it a trial aud convert the property under their charge into a much pleasanter place of resort than it is at present. " Silver Pen," the San Francisco correspondent of the Auckland Herald, thus describes the change which it has made: — New Zealanders who visited our city a few years ago used to be very much amused over the appearance of the park, which, save for a drive or two, was a moving wilderness of sand dunes, and an interesting experiment has been effectively employed by the Park Commissioners, which may be also to those who live in sandy locations. Eight years ago the commissioners planted some imported seed of the Arundo arenaria, or bent, in the sandy wilderness. For years not a blade of grass was seen. The sand shifted at will, and the nurses of the park felt "blue" over the experiment. However, one day a few green sprouts were discovered by the gardener, and great joy reigned, for 10, after four years, the seed in the sand had come to life. They separated the bunches of grass and transplanted them, each plant rooting, and becoming in turn a bunch. By continued transplanting the whole mass of moving sand has been subdued, and' now there are planted among the grass 250,000 trees of cypress and pine. When these grow, drives and walks will be cut, and the hideous wilderness which I saw 10 years ago transformed into a beautiful forest park. An interesting characteristic about the bent grass is

its movement to windward. It will slowly encroach, not only upon the sand, but upon the ocean in the direction of the wind. It is told by the park gardener, Taylor, that at Montrose, in Scotland, a battery of artillery was planted on the sand of the beach. Twenty-five years ago the shifting sand at Montrose Beach was conquered by the bent grass. It grew down to the high- tide, raised the land, grew a little further, and by this process ( extended the shore out so far that a few years ago the battery of guns was found to be too far from the beach to be effective, and has recently been moved forward to the new shore line made by the bent grass. I thought the subject so worthy of notice, having seen the wonderful effects of the bent grass, that I give it for what it is worth." A trial of the grass on the sand dunes at Otago Heads might also be made, and prove useful.

We learn from the Christian Record that the Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, which was formed at the recent meeting here, have enlisted the services of Miss Fulton, the eldest daughter of Mr J. Fulton, M.H.R., for what is known as Zenana work in Bengal. The committee are well satisfied Miss Fulton is well fitted for the work.

W. S. Gilbert, in a letter to The Times, says : — " For my part, I could never quite understand the prejudice against burglars. An unarrested burglar gives employment to innumerable telegraph Jclerks, jjpolice officers, railway officials, and, possibly, also to surgeons, coroners, undertakers, and monumental masons. As soon as he is in custody, the services of a whole army of solicitors, barristers, judges, grand and petty jurymen, reporters, governors of gaols and prison warders are called into requisition. Really the burglar does more good than harm."

We notice that Mr Alex. Purdie, well known as an Otago University student, is delivering science lectures in the Wellington country districts. The lectures are intended to enable teachers to qualify themselves to give science lessons in their respective schools, and to produce greater uniformity in the science work done in the Wellington district. Being intended to furnish material for science-teaching in primary schools the experiments selected as illustrations are the simplest possible, and the apparatus required is in great part such as is obtainable in any place.

A meeting of the creditors in the estate of James M'lntosh, farmer, of Gladfield, was held at Invercargill on Friday last. The statement shows the liabilities to be £87,108, and assets estimated as worth £103,828. The principal creditors are the British and New Zealand Mortgage aud Agency Company (£33,072), and National Mortgage Company (£50,262), both secured. Tho a.-sbignee said that in the present state of the land market the surplus was purely visionary.

Fiiday afternoon's train from the Bluff rail down a cow near Clifton, aud the engine left the metals, which were torn up for some distance. Seven waggons followed, and of these two were completely wrecked. The engine was also considerably damaged, and the tender smashed. Traffic was delayed about two hours. No personal injuries were sustained. The line is not fenced in in parts, and as many suburban lesidentij keep cows "they very frequently get on the line and are killed.

The excursion train which left Dunediu for Christchurch on Saturday carried 93 passengers from the local station, and 15 from Port Chalmers ; and the train which arrived here the same day from Christchurch carried 200 passengers.

The Native Minister has received information that the grant of 400,000 acres said to have been made to King Tawhiao by the Ngatimatikore tribe is repudiated by the principal chiefs of four other tribes, includiug the Ngatimaniapoto, who allege that the first named tribe has no power to alienate the land without their consent, aud even if possessed of the power their laud does not amount to anything like 400,000 acres.

The Lyttelton Times reports that Sir Julius Vogel has so far recovered from the effects of his accident as to bo able to move the limb which was broken. He expects to be sufficiently recovered by the end of next week to take his departure for Wellington.

It is understood that the Government are willing to re-open negotiations with the Waimea Plains Railway Company for the purchase of their line should there be any prospect of an agreement on the part of tho directors to the price which the Government are prepared to oflVr.

There was no meeting of the Otago Educational Institute on Saturday last, but wo understand that a meeting will be held next Saturday in order to make arrangements for the forthcoming annual educational conference, at which representatives are expected from all parts of the Colony.

The following patents have been applied for : — W. B. Bust, of Dunedin, for an automatic bacon roller ; J. Press, of Takapuna, for an improved roofing tile ; T. C. Burt, of Dunedin, for converting nightsoil and offal into concentrated and inoffensive manure ; C. Klingenstein, of Christchurch, for a fire-extinguisher ; R. Hudson, of Dunedin, for an improvement in bakers' ovens ; W. Knight, of Gisborne, for an improved construction of beehives. Tho following are the returns of the Dunedin Hospital for the past week :—: — Remaining from previous week ... ... "137 Admitted during the week ... .. n Discharged during i.lie week ... ... 17 Deaths (Andrew Fu&ton and David Owen) ... 2 Total remaining ... ... ... 12!) His Honor Sir J. Prendergsist, in referring to cases which come before the Bankruptcy Court, where property is held by the wife of a bankrupt, took occasion at Wellington recently to remark somewhat sarcastically that the time was coming when all property would be held by married men's wives, and the husbands would not own anything. Probably, he added, the law would go still further than it had gone, and provide that infant children should also hold property.

The infant son of Mrs Finlay, residing at the corner of Stuart street and York place, met his death by a rather extraordinary accident on Saturday evening. The mother had occasion to go out for a short time and left the child in the kitchen apparently in perfect safety. On her return she found him with his head and arms in a bucket of water which was standing on- the floor. The child had been unable to extricate himself from his position, and death had occurred by suffocation.

The Congregational Church at St. Clair, which has recently been erected, was opron-'l f r Divine service on Sunday, on which occasion t' - er . were three services held, all of which were well attended. The church, which is capable of Heating about 130 people comfortably, was filled both morning and evening. In the afternoon there were a number of children present. The

rlev. E. Walker (pastor of the church) occupied the puljMt in the morning, and in the evening; Mrs C. Brown gave a discourse on the Zenana, mission in Ind'k. Those who had never been in India, she said, could scarcely realise the position of the women there. Until very recently they were altogether in a state of ignorance. _ They were so ignorant, that they did not wish to be taught, aud they were sunk in superstition. Zenana meant the abode of the women. With the exception of those immediately related, no man was allowed to enter the Zenana, and as ."he women are not allowed to go outeide of this place, it was impossible for gentlemen missionaries to reach the inmates in any way whatever Hence the necessity for women missionaries. The speaker then went on to describe the good work these missionaries were doing, and concluded by stating that she believed that, although the Zenana mission had not yet made any very visible difference to the condition of the people of India, yet through it the whole structure of Hindooism would some day crumble to the dust. Various reasons — some of them of a peculiar character — are occasionally assigned by bankrupts as to the cause of their insolvency (says the Wellington Press), but none that we can recollect has ever been more novel than that given by Ah Get, a fancy goods dealer belonging to Wellington, who has just seen lit to convene a meeting of creditors. This almond-eyed debtor attributes his failure to a loss which he sustained on a consignment of horseshoes which he sent to China some time ago. Old horseshoes, it appears, are worn as charms in some parts of China, and generally fetch good prices. It struck Ah Get that it would be a good thing to ship a quantity of these articles to his native land, and accordingly he collected about 10 tons throughout the Wellington provincial district, and sent them to Hongkong. When the consignment reached that port the market was found to be glutted, and the agent was obliged, to realise at a tremendous sacrifice. The unfortunate shipper regards this loss as the foundation of subsequent misfortunes, culminating in his bankruptcy. The estate shows a deficiency of about £300.

Mr O. J. Hodge was admitted as a solicitor on Friday by his Honor Judge Williams. Mr Hodge intends settling in Dunedin.

Tasmania was visited on the 29th by one of the heaviest and most continuous storms of rain and wind which has been witnessed in the island for years. The rain fell for 36 hours almost, continuously, as much as seven inches falling in several places. The damage by floods was considerable. In Hobart and vicinity some narrow escapes of dwellings and their inmates are recorded, while the vessels at Hobart sustained some damage. A few fatalities are mentioned.* One of the seamen on hoard the ketch Amy Louise was knocked overboard by the boom aud drowned, and the ketch was damaged to the extent of £150 by dragging her anchors and runniugagainst thebreastworfr. Afishermau was also drowned by a wave capsiziug his boat. The creek known as Hobart Rivulet was in high flood, and, backed up by a high tide, flooded the low-lying land, and a number of persqus had to abandon their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. In the country districts a large amount of damage to crops and roads resulted from the flood, and stopped communication for some time.

A prisoner named James O'Flaherty, while working at bhe Heads on Monday afternoon, sustained a fracture of the left leg by a heavy stono rolling upon him. He was conveyed to town in. an express, under the care of a couple of warders, and admitted to the hospital.

While two men named James Stevens and William Morrison were working at thp face of Calder's quarry, North-Bast Valley, on Monday afternoon, a slip occurred above them, resulting in both men being nearly buried. On the stuff being removed from them it was found that Morrison had sustained some severe injuries, though it is anticipated nothing more serious than some weeks' confinement will follow. Stevens escaped -with a few bruises.

The High School Board of Governors held their ordinary monthly meeting on Monday. Present — The Rev. Dr Stuart (chairman), Mr A. Scoullar (mayor), Mr K. Ramsay, Professor Macgregor, and the Hon. W. H. Reynolds. A letter from the Southland County Council, with reference to the construction of the Wyndham Valley road, was read, and consideration adjourned to a special meetiug to be held on Friday next. Consideration of .a letter from the Commissioner of Crown Lands with reference to arrears in perpetual lease rents was also adjourned. It was arranged thai the Girls' High School should break up on Wednesday, the 11th iust., aud the Boys' on tho following day, both schools to re-open on Wednesday, 10th January. Accounts were passed for payment amounting to £83^ 1 2s.

A largely attended meeting was held at tho Glasgow Fiehoiibti on Monday evening to tako into consideration the advisability of forming a co-operative boot and shoe manufacturing company. A committee was appointed to obtain all particulars and to report to a future meeting.

The new school building in High street, for the erection of which tenders are to be received at the office of the Education Board up to tho 15th inst., will be similar in size and architecture to the George street school. It will therefore be considerably larger, better ventilated, and in every way more convenient than tho building in William street which has for so long been known as Mr Park's school. Frequent complaints have been made regarding the old building, and not without reason, and the construction oft the new school is regarded with very general interest in the district. The new building will be erected at the top of High street, on the northern side, and is to be built of wood. It will provide accommodation for 800 scholars, allowing 12ft floor space and 200 cubic feet to each scholar. A portion of the building, which will contain the infant classroom, 50ft by 30ft, and two class-rooms 20ft by 20ft each, will be one storoy, the rest of tho building two storeys. On the ground floor of the part of the building, which is two storeys, there will be one room 36ft by 2-tft, one 40ft by 24ft, and one 24ft by 22ft, as well as a room for the head master ; on the upper storey there will be a similar set of rooms. The building will be plastered throughout, and will as regards lighting and ventilation bo precisely similar to tho George street school. It is to be built of wood, on economical grounds, it being estimated to cost not more than two-thirds what a similar building of stone and brick would cost. The school site consists of only throequarters of an acre of land; but as the Town Belt is adjacent, there will be ample playground for the children.

The report of the massacre of the New Guinea expedition is reported io hove, originated as follows :—" When 300 miles, up the,. Fly River the expedition was attacked by a large party of Natives, who showered speais and arrows on ihe Bonilo. Two Bampton Islanders mi board became panic-sbvicken, and watching an oppor-

tunity got into a canoe and effected their escape, and hearing the firing after leaving, they, on their arrival at the mission-station, reported the whole party massacred."

A Brisbane telegram of the 27th ult. states a telegram has been received from Captain Hampton, of the Maronca, steamer, at Oooktown, stating that the steamer Kildare arrived ifchere, bringing tfa.'e one survivor from the schooner Elibanfc Castle, which was wrecked at Solomon Islands. The survivor brings intelligence that Captain Routch and all the crew, excepting himself, were massacred immediately after the vessel was wrecked. The Elibank Ca6tle left Brisbane a few months ago on a copca trading expedition, in charge of Captain Routch. On a previous cruise two of the crew Tvere massacred, she being then owned by Captain Routch, but not sailed by him. On the last trip he determined to take personal charge of the vessel, in order to work up a friendly business with the Natives. He was between 50 and 60 years of age, and has a wife and family residing in Edinburgh.

It has been ascertained in Victoria that the Chinese are defrauding the revenue to a great extent by avoiding payment of £10 poll tax. Agents are going amongst them iuducing them to take out naturalisation papers. These are then SF-nt to Hong Kong and sold to Chinese coming to the Colony for £4. Steps are to be taken to put a stop to these frauds.

A gallant rescue of six children from a perilous position was effected by a coastguardsman named Thomas White, stationed at Ryhope, near Sunderland. White had just left the house on his beat, when his attention was called to a group of people near the road leading from the tollbar in Ryhope Colliery to the beach. He proceeded to the spot, where he learned that six children were missing, and that it was thought that they were on the beach in a hole in the cliff. No one dared to venture down owing to the incoming tide, but White got some lines, and having taken off his coat, fastened the rope round his waist, and was lowered over the cliff, which is about 70ft high, to the beach below. When he got a safe footing he heard the cries of the little ones, and was unable to get near them until he had divested himself of his clothing and waded through the water. On entering the cave he found those he' was in search of crouched in the corner, benumbed and almost senseless, about waist tieep in the water, every dash of the tide into the cave splashing their heads. White took them one by one, fastened a rope to (them, and the people at the top hauled them up. Thus all ■were sent safely up except the youngest, a boy about two years old, who was bo exhausted that White thought it advisable to cany him along the beach. The children, whose ages ranged .from two years to eight years, were all much frightened and exhausted ; but, having been medically attended, they are now doing well. White, states that the tide must have been washing over them for fully an hour, aiid, had not help been at hand, all would have been drowned.

The Hobart Mercury states that a candidate for the East Devon constituency will be found at the next election in the person of Mr T. Fergus, at present member of the New Zealand House of Representatives.

Mr Martin Chapman, of Wellington, has been appointed law examiner vice Mr T. S. Weston.

On the occasion of the opening of the Catlin Biver railway on Tuesday next the Railway Department will run an excursion train from Dunedin at cheap fares. The train will be run to the present terminus of the Catlin line, and so give an opportunity of visiting a district little known to townspeople. The department are also announcing cheap fares for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

According to a 'dark report, a Dissenting minister in the Highlands, who was once respected with the best of them, has fallen a victim to the passion for tobacco. Even on week days (remarks a Home paper) a minister of the Free Kirk might find something to do better than smoke ; but, so long as he confines himself to poisoning the atmosphere of his back garden only with his tobacco, a free and liberal congregation would leave him alone. This rash clergyman, however, is said to go further than that. His infatuation for the baneful weed has tempted him to a furtive pipe on Sundays, and with success he has become overbold. *The wild rumour has gone like wildfire through his congregation — that on Sunday nights, when they are supposed to be safe in bed, the misguided man may be seen- sitting at an open window in the manse puffing exultingly at a small clay pipe. He can only be seen from the top of the back garden wall ; and it is said that on Sunday nights a row of black heads may now be observed peering over it. It is the kirk session collecting evidence.

On the 16th of June (says the Bruce Herald) an inquest was held at Milton on the body of James Barr, who died at Lovell's Flat on the previous Saturday, after partaking of some Battle's vermin killer. The deceased was identified by an old acquaintance, who deposed that 10 years ago he heard him say he wished he was dead. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence. A few days ago the veritable James Barr walked into the Milton Hotel, where the inquest was held, to' the astonishment of all who recognised him. He was living in the Mataura at the time the jury sat on what they though was his body, and has been there ever since. He only heard of the inquest on his alter eyo a few weeks ago. Of course the question now crops up: Who was the other man? Nobody answering to his description appears to have gone a-missing. But men are so often lost the run of by their friends and acquaintances for months or even years that the fact of no inquiries having been made is no assurance that the deceased was utterly unknown and friendless.

A contracting firm in South Australia, in tendering for the construction of a railway, have sent in two tenders, which are the lowest, one being for work to be performed by white labour and another for coolie labour, the difference in favour of the latter being nearly £8300. The question is (says the Hobart Mercury) whether in the present forlorn state of South Australian finances the Government of that Colony will be in a position to waive the customary clause, "the lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted."

Two good New Zealand professorial chairs are now being offered here (writes "AngloAustralian" in the European Mail) and are Attracting many good men. One is the rectorship of the High School at Dunedin, Otago, vacant through the regrettable illness of Dr Macdonald ; and the other is the vacant professorial chair at the Auckland University. Some 400 applications have already been made ; and, curiously enough, one applicant dates from Russia. I/must say that I should myself be thankful, were I so situated, to escape from Muscovite to Austral surroundings.