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Southland Times, Issue 1133, 31 March 1869, Page 2

The Gouelay Family.— The Theatre Eoyal was well filed last evening to witness the farewell entertainment of the Gourlay family. The performance was well selected, and the evening's amusement most enjoyable. Separation Day. — This being the eighth Anniversary of the Separation of the Province from Otago, the day will be observed as a holiday. The G-overnment Offices, the banks, &c, will be closed. The Gothenbuegh. — This steamer, due from Melbourne yesterday morning, had not arrived up to the time of our going to press. BePBESENTATION OF INYERCARGILL. — We understand it is the intention of a number of the electors of Invorcargill to request the Hon. Dr Menzies to allow himself to be placed in nomination as a member to represent the interests of the town in the Provincial Council. We have not heard whether he has consented to stand. No other candidate's name is mentioned as likely to contest the election. Lectuee. — In reply to a request preferred to Bishop Jenner that he would deliver a lecture on behalf of the funds of the Hospital, bis Lordship yesterday (30th inst), addressed a note to the Secretary of the Institution, Mr Perkins, intimating that as his sojourn in Invercargill terminated that day, it was out of his power to accede to it. It is much to be regretted that the idea of such a lecture was not mooted until on the very eve of the Bishop's departure. There can be no doubt but that it would have added considerably to the funds of the Hospital, besides, in all probability, doing much good in other ways. Loud Ashley. — We are requested to call attention to an alteration in the time fixed for the sailing of the Lord Ashley. A telegram was received by the agdnt last evening ordering the vessel to leave for the North this afternoon, instead of on Saturday. Intending passengers will therefore require to go down with the train at 2 p.m. this day. Owing to the change in the 1 time of sailing not being communicated till late, the first announcement appears with the usual date. Southland Building Societx. — The Sub-Committee appointed at the late meeting for the formation of this Society, to frame rules and generally to suggest for the working of this Institution, met last evening at Mr Nutter's offices in Tay-streot. An adjourned meeting of the same Committee will be held on Friday evening next, at half- past seven o'clock. Considerable difference of opinion exists, giving rise to much discussion, as to the principles on which this Society ought to be framed to establish it as nearly as possible in accordance with the requirements of the Province. That a well conducted Building and Investment Society would be productive of much benefit need not be questioned, and it is greatly to be desired that the present effort to establish it may be successful. Oeeti Railway. — For the paat few days large numbers of working men have been hanging about the corners of the principal streets, evidently with a view to employment on the railway. We learn that their expectations in this respect will be realized shortly, as the works are to be started within the next day or two. About 150 men will find employment on the lino, and the job may be expected to last for about twelve months. Had this market for labor not been thus opportunely created, a great number of workmen would, no doubt, now have been leaving our shores, and our population been Btill further reduced. The Late Me Thomas Hamilton. — On Monday last a very large number of settlers and citizens paid the last mark of respect to the late Thomas Homilton, Esq., of Rozelle, by following his remains from his late residence, Long Bush, to the Invercargill Cemetery, a distance of about nine miles. Besides a few vehicles there were at least a hundred horsemne in the funeral cortege. So large and influential an attendance sufficiently indicates the estimation in which deceased was held by his fellow colonists. One of our earliest, he was also one of our most enterprising settlers. Naturally of a retiring disposition he has never yielded to solicitation to occupy an/ prominent position, but many will remember him as a kind friend and generous benefactor, when men who have made a greater noise in the world will be entirely forgotten. Statistics of the Libeaeies of Etteope. — The Imperial library of Paris contain g 1,100,000 volumes and 80,000 manuscripts. The library of the Arsenal (Paris) contains 200,000 volumes, and 5800 manuscripts. The library of Ste. Q-encviove (Paris) contains 155,000 volumes and 2000 manuscripts. The Mazarine library (Paris) contains 155,000 volumes and 4000 manuscripts ; the Sorbonne library (Paris), 80,000 volumes and 900 manuscripts ; the tlotel de Ville library (Paris), 65,000 volumes. There are in all the libraries of France 6,223,000 volumes. Great Britain possesses only 1,772,000 volumes in all its libraries. Italy possesses 4,150,000 volumes in all its libraries ; the volumes are, for the most part, very valuable old books on theological and ecclesiastical subjects ; there are few modern works among them. Austria possesses 2,488,000 volumes in its libraries; Prussia, 2,040,000' volumes ; Russia, 824,000 volumes ; Bavaria, 1,268,500 volumes ; Belgium, 510,000 volumes in ; all its libraries. The^e figures would, if added together, show the total number of volumes in • all the libraries of Europe to be about 20,000,000. jTo read their titles allowing one minute to each title, would take a man nearly 188,882 days, or about 400 year*.

Boot Chops. — The following is extracted from a recent number of the ' Suffolk Chronicle.' It will, no doubt, prove of interest to our agricultural friends : — Hadleigh, Farmers' Club, England — The Hadleigh Society is really a combination of two associations, the Agricultural Association, an annual meeting of which is held in the spring of the year, when a show of horses and other live stock is held, and prizes are given to deserving laborers, ploughmen, sheepshearers and so forth ; at the November meeting prizes are given for roots, poultry, cottagers' productions, and this year a new feature has been added to it, viz. — the offer of a few prizes for fat stock. Hadleigh Farmers' Club is perhaps the leading association of this sort in the country, and the show of roots decidedly the best we have to report upon. Prizes for the best two acres of various roots, crops which, of course, were decided before the show, claim attention. This year has been very unfavorable for the growth of roots ; the great weight that has sometimes been attained could not be expected. In most years, on sound land, the weight per acre has been as much 28 to 30 tons, but taking the season into consideration, Messrs Postan and Gordon will not be dissatisfied with the weight of roots (mangel J wurzel), grown by them. Mr Henry Postan 's { ! Shelly, weight of [roots per acre, 20 tons 2£ cwt, tops, 2 tons 6i cwt, number of roots to the rod 90. Mr W. G-orden, Branthane Courts, 18 tons, 10 cwt per acre ; tops, 2 tons 17 cwt ; number to the rod, 87. Mr S. O'Kersey, Hadburgh, roots, 17 tons 15 cwt ; tops, 3 ton» ; number to the rod, 142. Mr R. Partridge, Kersey, 17 tons 3£ cwt; tops, 2 tons 9 cwt; number to the rod, 85. There were several other competitors, with but little variation. Best, were mangels grown upon old pasture broken up within the last ten years, or upon unsound or bog land ; in this class, Mesers Rand, have usually been the prize winners, but this year they have been defeated by Mr Wm. Kersey, who has grown the enormous weight of 48 tons (including tops) per acre. Actual weight as follows .—Mr W. Kersey, Layham, weight of roots per acre, 41 tons 4 cwt., tops, 7 tons 3 cwt. — number to the rod, 124 ; Messrs Rand, roots, 27 tons 10 cwt, tops, 6 tons 4 cwt. — number to the rod, 110. Turnips were not weighed this year, for the barley prizes some eight or nine gentlemen competed ; we should think that that number of better samples of barley has never before been got together, the two to which prizes were given ; the difficulty was to say which was the best. Mr Knight exhibited some marvellous kohl rabi. Mr Charles Fiske, of Whitton, exhibited (not for competition) three different varieties of sugar beet, some of considerable size, much exceeding the limits for the purpose of sugar. There was a fair show of poultry, and some good fat stock, consisting of heifers, steers, sheep and pigs, but the cottagers' productions were much affected by the seasons. Tasma^ian Item. — A disgusting story is told by the 'H>bart Town Mercury' in connection with the treatment of the body of Wm. Lanny, the last of the natives of Tasmania. It appears that a rumor had got abroad that an attempt to steal the body was to be made, and Sir Richard Dry and others made every exertion to save the remains of the poor aboriginal from desecration. It appears, however, that a surgeon obtained an opportunity and removed the skull, substituting for it, under the original scalp, that of a patient who had died on the same day in the hospital. It seems that the members of the Royal Society then determined — for no intelligible reason so far as we can see — to remove the hands and feet of the corpse. This was done, and afterwards, it appears, the mutilated body itself was stolen by, it is Bupposed, the person who had removed the skull. The first and last of these barbarities are said to have been perpetrated in the name of science — that the skeleton of a maid of the aboriginals of Tasmania should be obtained for private use ; while the members of the Royal Society desired to secure the skeleton to place it beside one of a female aboriginal in the Hobart Town Museum. The whole story is disgusting. It is stated that Dr Crowther, one of the honorary surgeons of the hospital, and his son (a student) were the offenders. Dr Crowther has been suspended, and it is ata ted that proceedings will be taken against him.