MISCELLANEOUS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5019, 29 May 1889, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

That editors have but a scant chance of salvation has long been known to all the world ; but it has commonly been supposed that their gvacelessness resulted from innate wickedness. It seems however, that much of it is because nobody looks after their souls. The Bombay Guadian thoughtfully remarked the other day that “ the salvation of some of our European editors of newspapers out here is not nearly sufficiently sought after. They are a neglected class,bowed to on account of their supposed power and position but left alone spiritually; and the consequence is that they are as grossly heathen as any other neglected class of human beings." A strange story is going tho round of the Continental papers to the effect that some 20 years ago the present Czar, at that time heir appearant to the Russian throne, was told by a gipsy woman many wonderful things —amongst others, that he should not outlive his 46th birthday. It is stated that all her other forcas's have been realised, one after another, greatly to the disquietude of Alexandrovich who is notoriously superstitious. The Czar entered upon his 45th year on the 10th March, and has appeared to suffer from a more than usually severe depression of spirits since. According to the Melbourne Age the Premier of Victoria has been waited on by a deputation fiom the Builders and Contractors’ Association asking the Government to introduce in the corning session a bill to protect contractors entering on contracts and failing to obtain payment through tho default of the person with whom they have contracted. It was explained that in many cases contractols suffer heavy losses, because the people for whom they work have never held a title to the land, or have not funds to pay for the work. Tho remedy suggested was that a contractor should have the power to register his contract, and thereby obtain a lien on the property, and to cancel his contract if ho found tho security insufficient. Tho Premier agreed with tho objects stated, but asked for and was promised a copy of the provisions proposed to be included in the bill, so that he might consider it in conferenoe with the Attorney-General. The collapse of the copper syndicate has hit some of the shrewdest of European capitalists and financiers. Imagine, says the correspondent of a contemporary, the money strength of one man who can afford to lose £3,000,000 sterling. Set this is the extent to which they say Baron Alphonse do Rothschild has suffered, and from all that I cau make out, lam inclined to believe that the amount is not overstated. But, after all, it is not a serious loss to a man whose father, tho clever Baron James de Rothschild, left him £10,000,000 sterling. Moreover, it is said the Rothschild family are worth among them over £100,000,000, and that a family agreement exists which singly and collectively binds them to stand by each other in case of need. So what are £3,000,000 to any one of them ! The English firm have made fabulous profits during the present company boom.

In the Queen’s Bench, on the 4th April, the Pall Mall Gazette was heavily hit for some rather more than usually free comments on a case in which the writer had apparently wholly misunderstood tho evidence adduced. The gist of tho libel was an imputation on a married woman and a solicitor with whom she had had immoral relations, that they conspired' together to get tho husband of the former put into a lunatic asylum, with a view of getting his money and securing undisturbed freedom in their guilty courses. This the husband had alleged in a former trial, but had not attempted to prove, his counsel, in fact, ignoring tho charges, which wore not in any way sought to bo sustained. The judge left it to the jury to say whether tho words complained of were within the bounds of fair criticism, and after 20 minutes’ deliberation they returned a verdict for tho plaintiff with £IOOO damages, tho verdict being received with symptoms of applause which were suppressed. Ultimately a further verdict for £SOO was taken by consent in a similar action taken by the solicitor, the case decided being tho one brought by the wife.