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Thames Advertiser, Volume XI, Issue 3184, 3 December 1878, Page 2

At the Police Court yesterday, before W. Fraser, Esq,, R.M., Charles Dyer and William Smith wero fined 20s and 10s respectively for having beeu drunk on Saturday evening. This was all the business,

It is stated that the government have received information that, the big guns for the defence of New Zealand were all shipped last month.

The inhabitants of the Hutt Valley are taking steps to form a board of conservators, with the object of protecting their river banks.

Rewi left Waitara yesterday morning for Waikato overland.

A circular letter, from the Hon. J, Balliuice regarding education and the secondary schools of the colony, says the directions to the Commission will be, first, inquire and report upon the organisation and operation of the University of New Zealand and its effects upon other institutions, and the promotion of secondary and higher education. Second, operation of intermediate and higher educational institutions, ho/ Third, the status, remuneration, and general efficiency of the teachers. Fourth, the formation of training institutions, schools of design, and schools or colleges of practical science, and the relations they should bear to the university and educational institutions of the colony. Fifth, the best and most economical mode regarding the administration, inspection, Sc., and making the institution as efficient and available to all _ sexes and all classes, by morning and evening schools, as possible. Sixth, the best mode of making provision pecuniarily for the promotion of education generally, and to increase the efficiency of the educational establishments of the colony. Suggestions regarding the objects o! tho 0om« mission are invited.

Mr Calcott, Government Land Va'uer under the Public Works Act, will pay a visit to the Thames to-day on business in connection with big department.

Mr 0. Wakefield, Goldfields Under-Secretary, will pay a visit of inspection to Coromandol to-day, in order to make himself thoroughly conversant with the working of the departments under his control,

We understand that Mr William Rowe received a most unfavourable reply (o a mfssage of inquiry lie forwarded to tho Hon, the Miuiater for Public Works re the commencement of the Thames Valley Railway. Tho Hon. Mr Macandrew informed Mr Howe that nllhough the line was sanctioned the necessary surveys had yet to be made, and all the dissatisfaction and impatience of the Thames people would bo of no avail unless it could make the railway. So far tho lion, gentleman has not thought it worth whilo to answer the last inquiry from the representatives of local bodies on the subject. The anniversary soiree of the ShortlandWesleyan Sunday School will take place in the Oburch this evening, A full choir will be in attendance, and the ltevs. R, S. Bunn, R. Laishley, and other ministers and friends will address those present, A largo gathering is expected. The quarterly licensing meeting for the dis< tricts of Thames and Hauraki will be held at the Court-house atf 12 o'clook to-day. The following is the list of, applications:—New licenses: R, S. Brown, Belvidere Hotel, Pollen, street; A. W, British Empire Hotel, corner of Owen and Abraham-sheets. Transfers: E, J. Angove, Nil Desperandum Hotel, to Robt. Grinter; Robt. Grinler, Bay View Hotel, to E. J. Angove, New licenses: John Connell, Bridge Hotel, Parawaij Rori Mateno, Kivikiri Hotel, Kirikirii

Sir Julius Vogel reports to the Government, with regard to a steam service between England and the colony, that Denny and Galbraith have made certain proposals, but their plans were not ready when the mail left, Messrs Green will also make an offer, and Messrs Anderson and Anderson, the founders of tho Orient line, will also make proposals. One of the brothers Anderson is now in Melbourne, and it is thought very possible he will come over and consult with the Government at an early dato on the subject.

Dr Hector was to leave Waitara last night in the' Hannah Mokan,' He will endeavour to get up the Mokau river as. far as its source, cross the watershed, and return by the Wanga> nui river to Wanganui, The steamer 'Southern Cross 1 arrived at Wellington on Suuday at midnight, and reported sighting the ship 'South Minster,' 1253 tons, with Captain Mc Fee, 23 hands and the captain's wife a passenger, ran ashore inside a kelp reef between Cape Campbell and Flaxborne while on the voyage from Lyltclton to Wellington. They sent a boat to the vessel, and found she bad four holes in the bottom. The water was washing in and out with the rise and fall of the tide. Seven feet of water in the hold at high tide, and a foot at low tide, The ship went ashore on Friday morning early on the Shepherdess Reef in thick foggy weather while steering N.E, by N. It knocked her rudder out, and she afterwards drifted inside the kelp bed, where she now lies with rock through her bottom. The cargo is Yankee notions, with reapers and binders and organs from New York, in all 500 tons, All the crew have rigged up tents, and are living ashore. They declined to leavo in the ' Southern Cross,' the captain having gone to

Kaikoura. There is no chance of getting the vessel off, and if the wind came up she would sson go to pieces, and all the cargo be lost. It is understood she is insured in Loudon. Particulars are not obtainable, except from the captain. It is said th 3 'Stella' has gone lo the wreck, The United Insurance Company has £550 on the cargo of the South Minster, and the National £50. The South British has also a considerable risk on the cirgo, but declines to furnish any information. The following interesting items of mining intelligence sro clipped from the Marlborough Expmr,— From Wakamarina we learn that six tunnels aro beiug put in at the Darkie't Terrace, and in another three weeks we may expect to have important news from thero as i the indications arc vory good. In that , case there will doubtless be a large influx of people, Mr Penney informs us that the reef in Blackwood's Bay in which himself and a few others in Blenheim are largely interested, proves to be the Golden Point reef, which goes through the range. Several gentlemen haye been down during the last few days, and good prospects have been obtained from all the specimens brought up by themi A smart young man who devotes his energies to speculating in land (says the Timani HemU) recently dropped in promiscuously at a late hour in the evening at the house of a runholder with whom he happened to Inve a bowing acquaintance. He was asked to stay the night, The next morning the runholder said, he must go out on the farm to see after some sheep, and told the visitor to amuse him-

selr as well as he could with tho books, papers, and other beguilemeuta of a squatter's homo, When he returned, he found his guest deeply absorbed in poring over his own private plan, of the run, and a long and interesting conversation ensued concerning its extent and boundaries, the quality of the land, and other cognate subjects, After dinner the visitor departed, and a few days later the runholder was highly entertained by learning that all the spots'remaining unpurchased on his run had been bought by the said visitor immediately on his arrival in town, Moral—keep your maps under lock and key, or else do not extend your hospitality to land agents. This same young man did another smart thing not long ago. Getting, into conversation with, another runholder, he told him ho ought to be careful not to bo bought into. The runholder replied that he had made himself pretty safe, all except a strip of land at the back of his homeste : d, but he supposed if any fellow was fool enough to buy that he could easily get it by giving him something on his bargain. Shortly aferwards he received a letter from his friend, which ran somewhat in this wise:—"Dear sir—Resuming our conversation of Wednesday last, I beg to inform you that I have bought the block of land on your run which you spoke of., and that I am prepared to accept £210 aan acre for it." l'he runholder used a good deal of unscripted language, but had to come to terms, It takes a. certain amount of nerve to do that sort of thing wellj but it is very profitable when really well done.

There are more stringent laws, remarks the Scicntilie American, against adulterations in articles of food or commerce in England thau probably in any other country in the world, and there teems to be no lack of energy in their enforcement. Yet it would appear that more adulteration is praolised in the United Kingdom than elsewhere. Not content with adulterating the produots of the mills the ingenious Briton now sells bis countrymen adulterated seed to such an extent that the dignified Tim bases thereon a two column editorial, filled with grave remonstrances, but chiefly remarkable for utter lack of practical suggestion of how to stop the trouble, Swede seed is adulterated with rape seed, which costs fivo'sixthe less The rape is' killed 1 by baking in a kiln, so that it never comes up to tell tales. Turnip seed is similarly adulterated with charlock. White clover seed is dyed green to imitate alsyke j bad and di-colourcd seed is washed and otherwise fixed to look fresh and good, One enterprising German Arm, Iron says, actually offered in English markets a lot of common sand, which had been treated so that the angles were rubbed off, then dyed, and, in short, most ingeniously fixed to imitate clover seed. Mr IJenry Bessemer is credited with tho suggestion of sprinkling suspected seed on a wet towel and noting what percentage germinates, as a means of testing whether the seed be good of not, Apart from its extreme age, it would be supposed that this idea would occur to any one of average without waiting for Mr Bessemer to revamp it.

It is better uot to ask too many questions about tho future. A curious husband—that is, a husband who was too curious—asked his wife, ' My dear, what kind of a stone do you think tliey will give me when I am gone?' She answered, coolly 1 Brimstone, John,'

The Borough authorities held a special meeting last night to discuss the result of the interview with Mr Wakefield, Goldfields UuderFecretary, respecting the handing over to the County of the various streams supplying the Kauwacranga. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed with the result, aud after tome discussion it was resolved that no other course was left opon to the Thorough except that of protesting against the handing over to the County of the entire streams, There was no objection to certain streams to be named

being so handed over, and it was pointed out that this cou-se would be in accordance with clause sof the memorandum prepared by the Hon. Mr t-heehan, and embracing his opinion on the subject, namely:—" (5) I consider that only such streams as are likely to be avail-

able for increasing the supply for the race should be resumed, and that we should attach a condition preserving to us the right to alter, amend, or reduce the reserved areas in the public interest without liability to compensation." Tho Boroflgh representatives present at this speßfei-Dieeting instructed the Town Olerk to prepare a protest, but at the same time to set forth that they did not object to ccrtain streams being made over, and the rest retained by the Government for the good of the district, but protested against the watcr-race receiving a monopoly of all streams. Some few months ago aCapt. Sinclair started from Forbes in a small boat, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the laughlan was navigable for sni'll river steamers. He followed the river down safely, until it expands into an immense reed bed, and there, we regret to learn, the plucky navigator got lost in the wilderness of swamp and reeds, For two days (says the Forks limes) he was piloting his way in that horrid place, unable to effect a landing upon term firm and every way of escape hidden by the thick forest of reeds, which grew there from 12 to 20 feet high. To make matters more hideoos, the place wai swarming with animal life Crawling all round his boat were snakes, water rats, mammoth frogs, and all sorts of amphibious reptiles, while the immeuse number of water-fowl kept up a continual chorus of 'screech'musio night and day. Fortunately a gentleman at whose house he had been staying, imagined that he might have some difficulty in getting through, and kindly sent a blackfellow to search in a canoe, and poor Sinclair was found, after having experienced two days and two nights of intense misery.

An A merican correspondent writesln 1873, Memphis suffered severely from yellow fever, and it was then resolved to clean out and arch over this bayou or natural outlet for the drainago, but when frost came and the plague abated, nothing was done. The excessive rains followed by the intense heat of this season naturally created malaria, sufficient to account for the outbreak of yellow fever. And now that a worse fate than that of 1873 has overtaken it, an effort may be male to perfect its drainage. Why Vicksburg should be similarly afflicted it is difficult to say, except that its sanitary arrangements are defective. It is on high ground—top of a hill—and should be healthy; hut the parochial Dostrilis regaled with bad smells all the world over, and were the conditions favorable you would doubtless have yellow fever just as you have typhoid in Dunedin. At Canton and Holy Springs, Mississippi, the plague is raging, So bad was it at the village of Holly Springs on September 13th, that the following telegram was sent from the Howard Association of that place:—'Many of the New Orleans nurses are frightened. Five are leaving. For God's sake send ten more nurses and two physicians.' The Fouth has nobly responded in the shape of doctors and nurses, hundreds have fallen victims, but those who have been acclimatised willingly face death, and the most loathsome as well as the most painful of diseases. The hotels are pest houses, one of them being described as of the most sickening character, all besmeared with vomit, the dead and dying lying around, attendance wanted to remove the deadly accumulation of filth, N'ew Orleaus has done its duty nobly to its own stricken people, also sending nurses from its beßt families wherever the need was most pressing. This city is several feet lower than the river, a levee preserving it from inundation. It is drained by means of open sewers into Lake Chartrain behind the city, thence into the Gulf of Mexico, Experience during Yankee occupation of New Orleans, proves that with care it may be made as healthy as Mobile, the neighbouring part of Alabama. During the occupation of New Orleans by the Northern army, a period of nearly three years, there was no fever or other epidemic, General Butler, on taking possession, set the negroes and troops to work; the sewers were cleaned out, ana the most rigid regulations were enforced against depositing filth or house slops in yards or upon the streets. Cleanliness had tho moit salutary results; hut no sooner were the sanitary precautions of the military ruler suspended by the elected municipality than filth accumulated, drains became choked, and yellow fever again appeared. And now, the pulpit rings with proverbial twaddle about a "Divine dispensation." We are told that" God in his all-seeing wisdom has afflicted the South that the North might be drawn to it by the exercise of charity, and thus heal the scars of the civil war." This is the absurd stuff with which our pulpits insult the intelligence of their audience, and brand Providence as a very Moloch, delighting in human suffering, inflicting untold horrors upon innocent thousands who know nothing of the civil war, for the purpose of creating a sentiment of sympathy in the Northern States in favour of those who fought for "the lost cause." If Providence works by such cruel and clumsy methods, the sooner a new Divinity is hit upon the better."

The following extraordinary instance of the sudden deprivation of the power of speech is related by a correspondent in the Port Pirie Oauttc (a South Australian paper), of September 30th:—"A young man in the employ of tie S, A. Carrying Company here got a little too much to drink, but was not what might be called drunk, on Saturday night last, and while in a quarrel with another man called on God to strike him dumb if he would not fight him. Half an hour afterwards he sent a note to P. T, Williams and Mr Treleaven (agents for the Carrying Company), saying that God had struck him dumb for taking a false oath, and he is still dumb, He has been examined by Drs Cowbura and Power.' Beyond not being able to utter a word there is nothing the matter with him. His throat is all right, and so also io He can move it about the same as ever. There is no deception or. shamming, the doctors having done all they could do to frighten him into speaking. One of them gave him a sudden punch in the ribs, which would be enough to make any one with use of speech say 'Ohj' He jumped, but did not utter a ■ word. The next time the doctors visited him one of them ran a pin full length into a fleshy part of his body, but he did not emit a sound, On Saturday they took off bis shirt, and one of the doctors slipped into the room very quickly and touched the man on the bare back with a hot poller; this took off the skin, and made him bound across the room, but he could not speak. On Saturday afternoon Dr Cockbnrn asked me to attend as a witness, as he and Dr Power intended putting the man under chloroform, While under it 3 influence they put him on a bed, and in a short time he got up and spoke volubly, but ns soon as the effects of the chloroform went off he was again dumb, They tried the same experiment on him a second time with a similar result. The doctors say the man has been mesmerised by a sudden powerful fear; but they are of opinion that be Will regain tbe use of speech, and upon their advice he returns to his ordinary duties to-day, I saw him yesterday, and he was still under the impression that hia affliction is a judgment for taking that oath. The poor fellow, who is a quiet, hard-working man, makes great efforts to speak, and it is painful to watch him; he is very low-spirited, and feels the deprivation of speech keenly."

" Make hay while the sun shines" is one )f the good old mritos, and is very suggestive of prudence in the whole course of one's life, I£ you are suffering from severe Rheumatism, Lumbago, Foiatioa, Niwraloia, Liver Complaint, or Gloui, get the necessary and unfailing remedies vthilejou may. They are to be had of/all Chemists. Ask for GhollAu's Great Ihsiah Cores, and L get a eopy of testimonials,