MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4548, 25 May 1889, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Melbourno Age saje : — Tho railway revenue for the current financial year appears to ba very encouraging. Beociptsare already within afow thousands of tho total income of 1883, which wan £2,750,000. It ii anticipated that by the time accounts are closed tho year's takings will have amounted to moro than £3,000,000, which will provide for interest on all loins and leave, an ample balance beyond working expenses. The Melbourne Herald says : -It m stated there is a deadlock between the Chief Commicstoner of Police and a sergeant m regard to a permission for the latter to be married. He has declined to comply with the regulation for particulars to be given about the lady m order that enquiries may be made about her suitability, m point of character. It is customary to employ another officer, who makes these inquiries, and satisfies the Commissioner, or otherwise. The sergeant m this case has made a stand, which is appreciated by other members of the force, who. ÜB/ve lon,g felt the regulation to bp vexatious. Pointing out tl\a.t l\o has been, 18 yeara jn the force, Hie sergeant urges that this ought to bs a guarantee that he may be trusted to choose a wife. The Commissioner merely quotes the regulation which binds him. 'llieie the matter resta. According to the Melbourne Age the Premier of Victoria hat been waited on by a deputation from the Buildora and Contractors' Association asking the Government to introduce m the coming session a bill to protect contractors ontering on contracts and failing to obtain payment through default of tlio pejion, witb/w'f)om they' haye contracted. It was explained that »n many oases oontrootoU Buffer heavy loaao?, because the people for whom they work have never held a title to the land, or have not funds to pay for tho work. The remedy suggested was that a contractor should huve the power to register his contract, and thereby obtain a lien on the property, aDd to cancel his contract if he found the security insufficient. Tho Pranr»ier agreed with the objects Btqtod, but aaked for and was promised'' a oopy of the provisions proposed to bo included m the bill, so that he might consider it m conferenoe with the Attorney-General. An extraordinary story is abroad — m tho United, Statei, of course-t hat the Empress Fredorick of Germany is noi/lho' Queen, of England's daughter. The story, whibh' U tolcj with the minu,to parljau,liirity and detail o"f thp American etatos that Pnnce Albert Jiad his little failings, among which waa his fondness for a certain Cou.nteaa R|(o»s, with whom ho contracted, a, max* gana,tip marriage a, ejiort tjme nr(or to, hj« unjon wjth Yioto^a. Tha. birth;, almost aira^ltanoously of daughters or tfee part ef these ladies Ropurrpd s,pd t\\e Prince was m a fix— for the Cou,nte«a, after tho manner of womon, insisted that tho babes should be changed. Thla (saya the Yankee Chronicler) was dono, with the result that an elderly lady is now laying claim to our Queen'a elder daughter. But here is first where the story como« m as " too thin," as Mr Gillies would cay. All documentary evidence of tho truth wi\s m an explosion of a, >tei)Q^b,oa^. Tl^t ta Whor; spoptjcjsm pa'tphaa liolfl. A' pqripus pombat wns witnessed on a recent Bunduy by a resident of Cavondißli, romarks iho Hamilton (Viotoria) Sptctator. Ho Bays 1—" When driving along noar Cavondish, my attention was called to a largo snake gliding and glittering m tho sun, and n common grey hawk darling |do»n upon it. The snako appeared anxious to get to cover ; but this waa not allowed, as the hawk swept m upon it from right to loft; and from left to right, m double quick time, and was bravely met on each occasion by tho ehalfo', sometimes two feet from the nrou,p,d, Too hawk evidently wnnted, to tako some of the strength, out bf- the reptile, and this it soon accomplished, at the snake's springs noon became le»B vigorous. The bird now qhanged its mode of attack. Resting for a few seconds three or four jards distant, it would dart m, dutch the snako by its talons, nnd hold on for a short lime, whioh appeared, to be no easy mutter, As tho flc'pt ij.'wnip! more fast and fur^Ou^, tlio 1 b,'aw\( acctnod tolofpM\f,onr, with Vhe in^lie, nbtiH hoth rolled about Uko a ball. Xhphitd, when lenvlnu, after one of these owiUng round], reolred a stroke which sounded like the crack of a whip, and foathcra were seen to fly. Tho bravo bird took t> longer rest on this occasion, making up its mind for a final ctruMo./ Sweeping m, it kid hold, fit tho repHlo jusi behind the head, "^httrj 'o,\\ tfto writhing of tho'Dnaytf fbu^d not secure rdeare. The hawk' then, brought it| btmk. into play, soon had the hoacj of iU onomy bruised and blending, and tried to carry oft its prize : but this waa moro than il hid BlrougMi t) dv, as it could only drug it uloug. The snake wus of the brown species, 3ft din m length, zr.a thick ia proportion. The l;a.. r k uuft btlVo' boen ettuck many limdq bj th'e'farigj 0^ tho. reptile, bu,t wtfeth'or the'jcoujd not penctrtiln li(6'fgatjior( 1 cm^t si>v."

I More than £1,600,000 has been collected for the new Cutholio University at Washington. It is claimed that about £1 worth of dogs have killed £2000 worth of iheep m Michigan m the past year. A London cablegram m the Australian papers states that Maharajah Dhuleop Bingh has written an insolent letter to her Majesty the Queen, m which ho ins : sts on her restoration of the Koh-i-noor diamond, the largest belonging to the British Crown. An Indian legend tells that the diamond was found m one of the Golconda mines, near the Kishna river, and worn 5000 yoars ago by Kama, one of the heroes celebrated m the Mahabharatta. It was m the possession of Baber, the founder of the Mogul dynasty m 1526, and m 1739 it passed to Nadir Shan, the Persian invader of India, who gave it the name of Koh-i-noor, or Mountain of Light. It was handed on from the menpssor of NnHir Bhnh K> Runjeet Bingh the rulor of Lahore ; and m 1819, on the annexation of the Punjaub. it was surrendered, and presented to the Queen. It has since beon recut m rose form, and its weight is now given as 106 l-16th carats. Henry George, interviewed respecting his acquaintance with the Irish leaders and the Irish land question said:- -"I met Mr Parnell m Kilmainhum gaol m 1881. I did not have much discussion with him on tho land question. I, however, was fully aware of Mr Parnell's position. Ho did not agree with me then, and does not, I suppose, yet. His aim at that time was peasant proprietary, i:i which I can see no solution of the Irish or any other land question, Even if the large scheme of established peasant proprietary were carried on m Ireland it would only give to Ireland the condition from which wa in the United States started, and which we can now clearly tee cannot continue,but is paßSing into such concentration of land ownership as has taken place m England since the time which, according to Macaulay, was at the accession of James 1., and when the majority of English farmers were owners of the acres they tilled. Davitt has all along beep, I think, more radical on the land question than Mr Parnell ; but I would not claim him as a singls tax man, nor do I know precisely how far ho goes." .England is not content to remain beaten by America m yatching. Lord Dunraven lias issued a challenge for the America's Cup, and the race will probably take place at New York m October next. Lord Sunraven is building a new yacht sxity feet long, Bt Southhsmpton. It will probably bo launched early m May, nnd it is described as a beauty. The cutter has a Bevcnty foot lead line with an extreme breadth of sixteen |feet. The frame is of steel ; the floorings, top and sides are planked with teak, and the bottom is planked with American elm. The yacht is designed as a keel cutter, but a slot m the keel and steel flooring are designed for a centreboard if required, and she will be raced as a keel oulter or a centreboard which ever proves tbe faster after the trial races. Her bow will be the same as that of the Thijtle, but her stern is much narrower. General Payne, the owner of the Volunteer that beat the Thistle, states that his business will prevent him from entering the Volunteer or building a now boat. Tho New York Yacht Club will attend to the challenge. Tho American yachtsmen did not expect a challenge this year, and havo beon caught napping.' If they have not time to build a new yncht, they must put out one of their bott ones, which will be selected from tho Volunteer, Titania, Katrina, Shamrock, Bedouin, Puritan and Mayflower. The noted quality of the Coffee made m the Cafds of Turkey, France, and America is chiefly due to tho fact that only Fresh Boasted Coffee is used ; so that none of the volatile oil and other essentials are lost. Ask your grocer for Anderson's Coffeo, and you will havo a beverage alike refreshing and stimulating, as it is fresh roasted and ground at the factory, Tiraaru. — [Advt.] For rnnaind»r of Nnct tt* Fourth Pagt.