OCCASIONAL NOTES.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1663, 26 August 1873, Page 3

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

Ik the Besident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, the case of the boy Barke? elicited some remarks from our worthy Magistrate inferring that such grave charges against lads of tender yoars would not oocur if religious teaching in sohools were provided. Our own opinion is that in order to lessen the present widely-spread nuisance of juvenile law-breakere there shouli be strict surveillance exercised at home, and not a little occupation of some sort or other insisted on by the parents. Above all let them see that their boys are never in the streets after nightfall, to learn misohief and guilt from those who, a. little older than themselves, give lessons in blackguardism in front of any bright stiop lamp, surrounded by admiring circles of boys, who having nothing else insisted upon from them, imbibe wickedness like a dipsomaniac does whisky. Keep your boys in doors, and put a stop to the freemasonry of rowdyism, which goes on at all times of idleness but after dark especially ; and give them lesions to learn, or work to perform at home. P. ovide for them the humanising teaching of the home circle, and the purer moral atmosphere they will be surrounded with will strengthen and fortify them against the outside influences for evil.

Otfß Artizans have in many ways creditable distinguished themselves, for instance, the second prize for a design for a new Lunatio Asylum to be built here was won by an artizan (who ia clever with the pencil in eeviral ways) ; and, we have no doubl, thai; at the forthcoming Industrial Exhibition they will show by specimens of tfyeir workmanship, what c,an be produced in this fair pitj from the, timbers. anc( minerals obtainable, in the J?r,ovinc.e,. No man can tell what benefit might qltirnately a.cgrue tq him by exhibiting his ha^ndioraft at »uch an industrial exposition &s is talked of for November next. Workingmon should give it a trial, and start at once, in a spirit of emulation, with some artiole of manufac-

las Tftluei of the import* aaiexportifcoiaNelioa

impWfcS.ii .a ■ ~;' ill 1168,g§3 Sanie, Jutie 18?2 ..; 53,391 Increase ... ... £53,141 Exports ... ... ... ... £18,257 Same, June quarter, 1872 ... 21,814 Decrease ... ... £3,557 These figures do not show a healthy state of things for our community, tlie increase ought to be where the decrease is shown, in order to give proof of true prosperity. ——— The Otago Daily Times in an editorial article on the Annual Report of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, gives expression to the following sensible remarks:—

"In one partioular, indeed, their expanditure i» by no means a model for imitation. Between March, 1878, and March, 1873, the Council has expended the sum of £1268. Of that amount £320 has been expended in miscellaneous matters, and only tha balance of £910 has gone to the purpose of fostering a higher education, for which the Institution was created. This can hardly be considered a wholesome state of things. Something like thirty-three per cent, is a large sum to be frittered away in the management. Still, this propoition of indirect to direct expenditure is by no means so out of reason as the proportion which the expenditure on education bears to the amount saved, Nine hundred devoted to education compared with a Bank balance of four thousand. It is Falstaff'a account orer again. 'Item, sack, two gallons, five and eightpence. Item, anchovies and eack, two and sixpence.' Item, bread, a halfpenny. Oh, monstrous! but one halfpenny worth of bread to this intolerable deal of sack. The money shall be paid back with advantage,' * * The list of matriculations lies before us—eighteen student's in all from the whole of New Zealand. Of these however no less than fourteen are soholars, and consequently free. The magnificent sum of four guineas, paid by four students, exaotly represents the amount of appreciation shown by the youth of New Zealand towards this new seminar} of sound learning. Pour students have covered themselves with imperishable glory by venturing to waste their tima at the University of New Zaaland. Four students, brave beyond their years, have given their support to-its falling walls. The revenue of the University of New Zealand for the year is therefore represented by just three thousand and four pounds four shillings. * * We would simply ask now, how long is this farre to go on ? Surely the limit of folly has been reached. If, the report before us does nit cau?e some strong language in the Assembly during this session, our legislators will show leas wisdom than we give them ■ credit for. In the words of a local celebrity, the University • must be delenda..' "

Post ofeioe Savings' B\nk3 appear to be rising in the estimation of the public (says the Southern Gross). "No clearer evidence could be given of the continued steady prosperity of the Colony, as exhibited by tha increased savings of the workingclasses, than the figures in these returns supply. Taking the last three years for a criterion, the deposits have advanced in amount as follows: —1870, £264,328; 1871, £312,338 ; 1872, £430,877 ; being an increase of about 63 per cent, in two years only. The entire amount of deposits, inclusive of interest, in the Post-office. Savings' Banks on the 31sfc of December last, was £490,068 75., a.s against £357,654 143. 6d. for the previous year, or an advance of about 35 per cent, in twelve m.onths, This must bo considered eminently satisfactory. The working expenses of the dop-irtmant are extremely moderate, amounting in all to £1556 19s. 10., including salaries, commission to Sub Postmasters, printing and binding, postage stamps, and office furniture. This represents about three farthings in tho pound on the amount placed to the credit of depositors ah the end of .last year. The gross .proceeds from the Post-ofU'e Saviags' Bank for tho financial year 1872 wa3 £20,463 135., which, after deducting interest piid to depositors, - £14,711 Os. 5d., and current expenses as already stated, shows a net profit revenue of £1168 12s. 9d. This is a less amount of actual saving than was effected in 1871, owing chiefly to the rate of interest on investments by the Government having declined since that year from sis to five per cent, The success of the system however, is well assured."

Fbom evidence respecting the mutiny on the American ship Wiliiam Tapscott, taken in the enquiry before his Excellency the Governor, we,extract the following :—

Captain Fiinn stated: John Kjtson, steward, "I swear I was ne»er stated:

intoxicated in my life; I " When the captain was take a glass at noon, and .confined to his cabin, he one at night, never more did not go to hi:n; was than two in a day ; I afraid because he knew he swear I never took any was under influence of whisky to bad with me ; drink ; the oapiain was had not tasted a drop of addicted to drink; he whisky for two days before used to drink spirits; hao the outbreak ; only had a seen him drink spirits, little sherry with some and found a bottle o' castor oil, being ill; no whisky under his pillow ; one said I was drunk did not know how much except tho mate." liquor he ha 1 on board ; * he u-ed to give the men spirits, generally a glass twice a day; witness had to serve it out." Which statement will the Court believe ?

Mb. Cai/dweii, governor of the Dunedin gaol, in his last annual report said:—" To use the picturesque language of Lord Erskiae in his noblost oration, the restless foot of ; English adventure is uncsasingly encroaoliing on bo mauy deserts, and the tried virtue of the? English oharacter is converting them into flourishing abodes of civilised lif >." What scenes and transactions are taking place in some of the " abodes of civilised life," were exhibited last month in the Melbourne Police Court, when a middle-aged woman named Sjlisabeth Curtis (who had with her at the oar of the court three young children) " was charged with keeping a house frequented by persons having no lawful means of support. Mr. Inspector Sadlier said the house was kept by the accused as a place of resort for women, who have decoyed young girls by means of enticements, and even by malcing them drunk,' brought them there to be seduced by Chinamen ! It was shown in evidence that on the 15th inst., at about nine o'clock at night, the accused met a girl of about fourteen years of agQj named Mary Carrick, when the latter was listening to some music outside an hotel, and asked her to have a drink. Afterwards the girl was enticed to go with Curtis to her house, whioh is situated at the baok of the hotel. More rum was given to the unwary girl when she got in the house. About this time Senior-constable Mooney and Constable O'Mara, who had been watching Curtis's movements, entered the house and found the girl in a stupified condition, lying alone in a room with a Chinaman. The girl stated that she did not remember anything after she had partaken of the rum which Curtis gave her, aud she believed the drink which had been given her was drugged 1. A witness named Mrs. Bailey stated that she had frequently seen yo»ng girls, mere children, going in and out of Curtis's at all hours of the day and night. Mr. Sturt expressed his .sense of disgust at the conduct of the woman, and he stated that her offence was one of the worst a woman could be guilty of iv any community. Sho was sent to gaol for twelve months with hard labor. The next case was against Mark Quinn Dee, who was charged with a simihr offence to that of Curtis. In company with* him were three girla, two 01 whom were fashionably attired, while the other was quite th.c revere, Thg aroused was sentenced to six months' irapriJKnm.en.fc, with hard la,bor. ' The last case called qn was that against a Chiuatuan named Jemmy Ah Chee who was also charged with keeping a disorderly house in } tattle Bauirko-street. Mrs. Brenan, who had lived !in this locality for over thirteen years, e»id that she I had seen batches of six or seven young girls go I into Ah Ghee's house at all times of the night, and slie had witnessed droves of Chinese going in and Qut of the place when the girls were there. The witness stated that the girls were only " little bits of things." Conitebla Q'Mftra iaid.th.ub when he went into

a girl nacaed Mill! [said tb Be If year! of igel But she looked about 14] there lying tin a stool, with her boots off, in a state of fitupefacation, evidently brought on by opium smoking. Ah Chee received the same sentence as Dee." ~

Such human monsters; who art so depraved, even lower than the brdte creation, ought to receive the lash vigorously applied by no unspairing hand. Simple imprisonment is too light a punishment for £uoh diabolical wholesale traders ia juvenile depravity.

MONSIGNOR Cafel, in the preface to a manual for priests and converts, recently issued (states a contemporary) says " that the conversion of England to Romanism will come after the country has first gone over to Infidelity. Then the revulsion caused by the tragic fafce of ' free thought,' when it shall have landed men in utter unbelief, will drive them back to the true Church." It is. puzzling to know in these days of numerous creeds and churches which is the true church; in fact, as long as time lasts there appears a likelihood of there bsing a plurality of churches, the members of which, notwithstanding the diversity of their creeds, are striving for the same goal.