Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 663, 8 July 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

N^j. Theft. — A theft was committed at the last eveuing. During the representation of "East Lynne," Mrs Steele had occasion to take off her riugs and deposit them in her dressing-room. Out of five, tliree were taken away, including one of considerable value. The thief has not yet been discovered. Bankruptcy. — The Registrar sat in Chambers at eleven o'clock this morning. An order of adjudication was made in re Charles Flockton (Mr Cottrell); creditors to meet on the 18th July, at lTo'clock. In re George Joseph Whitley and ThomasNicholson Clarkson (Mr Bamford) — The last examination was fixed for Thursday, the 28th July. Iv re Charles French Pemberton (Mr Cottrell)—The last examination was fixed for Thursday, the 25 th August. The Government Financial Policy. — In reply to a telegram from his Worship the Ma^or of Christchurch, transmitting the resolutions passed at the meeting on Wednesday night, the Hon. the Premier telegraphed as follows yesterday: — " Thanks for your telegram. Reports from all parts of tlie country, except Auckland, not yet heard from, very favourable."

urTan Kangaroo. — We regret to learn that [the Kangaroo kept in the Domain enclosure, has been killed by dogs. One of the men fortunately saw the occurrence, and captured one of the animals, the owner of which has also been discovered. Another of the dogs was followed and caught in the city, but turned upon its captor and bit him, thus regaining its liberty. Masonic. — The members of the Southern Cross Lodge (Kaiapoi) of F. and A Masons, E.C, held a banquet at their Lodge Room, last evening, in celebration of the anniversary of St. John the Baptist. There was a numerous attendance, including many visitors from the Canterbury Lodge, Christchurch, to whom invitations had been sent. The chair was occupied by Brother Powell, W.M., supported on his right by Brothers F. W. Thiel, P.M., Gee, P.M., and Dobbs, P.M.; and on his left by Bros. Alexander, P.M., and Day, P.M. The vice-chair was filled by Brother Parnham, S.W. The usual loyal and masonic toasts were proposed, and duly honoured. Amongst the other toasts proposed were " The W.M. of the Southern Cross Lodge;" "The Working Officers;" "The Visiting P.M's" (responded to by Brother Gee; "The P.M.'s of the Lodge," responded to by Brother Dobbs;" "The Visiting Brethren coupled with the name of Brother Grey," proposed by Brother Alexander, P.M., &c, &c. The proceedings were enlivened at intervals by songs from various brethren, and altogether a most enjoyable evening was spent, the members of the Southern Cross Lodge sparing no exertions that could add to the comfort and enjoyment of their visiting brethren. Theatre Rotal. — Last night " East Lynne " was performed at the theatre for the third time under the present management. It was reproduced by special desire, and for tbe last time during the engagement of Mr Steele and Miss Bowring. The play, and the novel of which it is the dramatic version, are well-known in Christchurch, but the crowded state of the boxes, and the intense interest depicted on the countenances there assembled, proved that the appetite for its sensational scenes grows by what it feeds on. Mr Steele was of course the Archibald Carlyle, and Miss Bowring the Lady Isabel, and but few theatrical companies could furnish two performers better adapted re-pectively to impersonate these two characters. The unalloyed worth, the calm dignity, the tenderness and . truth of Carlyle ', were bright in the acting of Mr Steele. The strong and wayward passions of Lady Isabel, and their fruits in deep humiliation, bitter remorse and despair were interpreted with such intenseness by Miss Bowring, us greatly to move her audience, many of the more sensitive of whom showed the workings of their sympathy in moistened eyes. With the Cornelia of Miss Cassy Matthews, we were not quite so well satisfied. She was very amusing and much applauded, but to our thinking she showed too much sensibility for the mere bony skeleton of a woman's mind, as seen in the character of Miss Corny ; there were suggestions of playfulness and tenderness which covered up some of the angular outlines of the matter of fact Cornelia. The other characters are subordinate, and were sufficiently well played. —From a communication received from the Tasmanian Salmon Commissioners, all the expected ova that can be spared of the salmon or sea trout has this year been promised to the Victorian and Southland Societies, consequently no effort will be made by the Canterbury Society this year to obtain fish ova from Tasmania, great uncertainty still being attached to the possibility of being able to procure salmon ova from that country. The brown trout may now be considered as being thoroughly established here, an increase may be shortly expect d from some of the largest-sized fish amongst the many that have been liberated in the various rivers and streams of the province. The trout retained in the society's ponds have been regularly and well fed, with a view to bringing them to early maturity for spawning purposes; one recently caught weighed 2_ lbs at a year and nine months oldJJwThe food supplied consists of gentles, wo ms, and tadpoles, and is eagerly devoured;; by the trout, particularly duringthe summer montlis. Care was also taken to well stock the ponds with natural food in the shape of water.insects, native fish, and suitable aquatic plants; and on many a summer's evening the trout literally made their pond boil in their sportive attempts at fly catching. Spawning races of small shingle have been provided with water, both direct from the artesian wells and after having passed through the various ponds, the former representing an unvarying temperature of 54 degrees, the latter averaging 48 degrees during the winter months, and consequently better adapted for hatching purposes. The different ponds are divided by means of sunk totara boxes, with moveable slides at each end of perforated zinc, slate, or wicker-work, the latter fashioned after the eel trap principle, thus answering the purpose of a bridge, a secure means of dividing the occupants of the various ponds, an eel-trap, and a fitting receptacle where fish may be retained for artificial incubation or other purposes. In fact, the trap boxes may well be considered, like the pheasant coops devised and made jby the Curator, Mr Johnson, as models of suitable adaptability. The fish have beea distributed in the different races which have been temporarily enclosed from public access, so that every chance may be allowed the fish of successfully increasing. Much, however, must not be expected from twoyear old fish, when it is also considered that the whole are the produce of very late spawned fish. The English tench have increased, and a quantity have been caught, and are noir ready for distribution amongst members. Bismarck — Bismarck seems to wear wonderfully ; he does not look a whit older than he did in 1860, before his political fight had begun. He ia the most prodigious worker,

next to Fietri, Napofeon's Chief of Police, in Europe. They B&y? ..that > Pietri :has not averaged more than two hours' sleep per day for many years ; and" it is a mystery when Bismarck reposes. • He used to entertain company at hia dinner table until nine or ten in the evening, when he waa organising for his fight with Austria ; and then turned into his " armour cabinet," to reappear only at sunrise for his modest breakfast. Old King William tried sometimes to keep tbe night sessions with him, but could not even stand two consecutively. The Authorised Version. — The Record publishes a letter from Dr Pusey respecting the revision of the Bible. In this letter the famous Hebrew scholar says : — " A new revision now would satisfy no one, because the revisors would not be agreed. I should be curious to see the result of the experiment of giving the same passage of Holy Scripture, e.g., Psalm xvi. or Job xix., or any of those chapters of the Minor Prophets which Dean Stanley avers to be so unintelligible in our translation, to those who would be selected as the revisers, on these conditions :— First, that they should not consult together, but translate independently ; second tbat they should not simply follow any one favourite German commentator. I believe that the result would be — First, to introduce many more mistakes than it would correct ; second, to make the version a mere battlefield for critics; third, to produce discomfort to all pious readers (who are, after all, the most concerned) ; fourth, to dissatisfy e\ cry one." Second Sight. — Sir William Williams, of Tregully, whose death has latsly been announced, was the son of a gentleman who is said to have enjoyed the gift of a second sight in a very remarkable degree. Shortly before the assassination of Mr Percival in 1812, Mr Williams saw the tragedy enacted before his eyes in a dream, and narrated it to his family 48 hours before the intelligence of the event reached his residenoe. Of course there are many and equally well authenticated instances of " coming events casting their shadows before : " but. we know of no case where ie was in the power of the dreamer to avert the presaged misfortune. Aubery, indeed, tells a story of two thieves who robbed and murdered a traveller, and were detected and convicted by means of a letter which the traveller had received from his brother, warning bim of the coming disaster, and describing the murderers as- they had appeared to him in a twice-repeated dream ; but We doubt whether such evidence could be accepted nowadays, even at the Home Offlce. Madame Pierre Bonaparte.— The Paris correspondent of the New York Herald tells the following : — One day when Prince Pierre Bonaparte was driving to the races some part of the harness gave way. Fortunately a saddler's shop was near by ; and while the broken harness was being repaired the Prince regaled himself with a glass of water, and discovered how marvellously pretty was the saddler's daughter, who served him, • and curtsied so modestly to his Royal Highness. True, he had seen beauty in its most artistic and cultivated forms, be witching and dazzling enough to turn even a prince's head a score of times/ but this wayside flower captured the Prince with the strategy of loveliness, and his heart was left behind him as he rode on to the races. The Prince, like other men, found it difficult to live without a heart, and he was not long in winning that of the saddler's pretty daughter. The story can hardly be repeated too often, as what succeeded was so knightly and true, and withal so rare. The Prince decided to marry her, and so placed her at school, from which she emerged with the necessary graces. She was quick and apt, and so extremely good looking that when Prince Pierre presented his wife to the Emperor his Majesty was gracious enough to forget her origin and receive her cordially. It would finish beaufully to add that the Empress imitated the Emperor in his reception of her. But alas ! Eugenic, who is the most obarming bigot in France, drew her robes, about her in scorn at the presumption. But for all that the wife of Prince Pierre graces the court circles of Paris, or did until Anteuil, and the people take pride in her. A Very Stbange,Stobt. — Boston (Massachusetts) has a sensation story. Recently, in a town hard by, a public ball was given. The daughter, of a couple who keep a. board-ing-houca set her heart on going, and in company with one of the boarders, who is designated 4J. The girl's parents objected to her going to the ball, especially in company with ' J.,' but she said that she was determined to go, and that if she could not go with ' J. she would " accept the company of the devil should he offer to attend her." On the night of the ball she slipped out of the house in proper trim, except that she had to buy boots for the occasion ; and having procured these she was returning to put them on, when she met' J.,' as she supposed, and he persuaded her to go with him to the ball at once, and change her boots in the ladies' dressing-room. 'J. was her partner in the first dance, but afterwards disappeared until supper time, then suddenly presenting himself, with rather frivolous excuses for his absence, and inviting her down to the supper room. Offended by his neglect, she said she would return home, at once, and he attended her thither. Very little was said by either party until they had nearly reached the house, when C J. ' informed hi 9 companion that he waß not going in ; and, presenting her with a beautiful pearlhandled penknife, and asking her when she used it to think of him, he suddenly left her. The girl, on telling her mother all that had passed, was astounded at learning that' J.' had not been out of the houee since early nightfall, and went to bed before the hour at which the ball began. The girl refused to believe it, but after some discussion her mother took her to * J.'s ' room, and there he was seen calmly and profoundly sleeping. Nothing more could be said, and the daughter retired for the night. A strange sound shortly afterwards brought the mother to the girl's

chamber, and she was found with her throat cut with the penknife given to her at the ball. She lingered until noon, and then died declaring that, remembering what she had said in her determination to go to tbe dance, she used the knife because she was overwhelmed by horrible suspicions as to who it was that, personating 'J.,' became her partner. The Boston Post declares that these statements are all strictly true, and can be vouched for by the very best authority. Mazzini and his Labours. — The Journal de Geneve publishes a letter addressed by M. Mazzini to his friend M. Edgar Quinet, of which the following is an extract:— "My life is a continual struggle. I would willingly give the little of life that remains to me for one year of calm, in order that before I die I might write a book setting forth wkat I believe to be the truth concerning this actual world and its future, without regard to susceptibilities, without reticence or reserve. But it is impossible. Placed at the head of an undertaking of vast practical organization, I must endeavour to bring about an equally practical result. There is a multitude of young men and workmen's associations to whom I have myself given ' action ' as a watchword, and who, rightly or not, consider me as their standard-bearer. I could not abandon them to write a book without feeling myself to be guilty of an act of desertion. I therefore, continue a task for which, old and wearied, morally and physically, I have no longer the adequate strength. I am writing from morning till night letters, notes, circulars, instructions, and sometimes newspaper articles. That has been the cause of my delay in replying to you. Forgive and pity me. I work impelled by a sense of duty to be fulfilled — a duty which presents itself to me cold, dry, without poetry, without compensation. Beyond a few chosen spirits I no longer esteem the generation for which I labour. This generation is an instrument, — nothing more. Do you appreciate, my dear friend, the sadness of that confession ? The generation amid which we live has instincts, reactions, and fatal impulses, sometimes hatreds, and especially quarrelsome habits. It is right, then, that efforts sbouid be made to Btnooth the way and prepare for the future. But it is impossible to sympathise with it, to rejoice or to suffer with it, or cordially to grasp the hand of him who stands beside you in the battle. This generation has no faith. It has opinions. It abjures God, immortality, love, the eternal promise, the future of those who love, the belief in an intelligent and providential law, all that there' is of beautif ul, of good, and holy in the world, all the holy tradition of religious sentiments from Prometheus to Christ, from Socrates to Kepler, to kneel before Comte and Buchner. It studies the phenomena which it observes, but it ignores the causes which produce them. It receives laws as regulations, forms without substance, means without an end. As an inevitable consequence, it is Michiavellian, tracing all to opportunity, to skill, stranger to the moral sense and to a consciousness of the sanctity of its work and of the power of truth. It labours for the destruction of the Empire, and it pledges an oath of fidelity to it. In Italy it discusses the question whether, in order to bring about the fall of the monarchy, it would be best to form an alliance with Prussia or with Imperial France ; whether, in order to obtain the Italian Tyrol, it would be better to make war against Austria or urge her towards Moldo-Wallachia. We have reached the point of success, the theory of Hegel, the worship of strength. Justice, justice, everywhere, and for all, is regarded as Utopian. Thus it is that, discouraged and disgusted, I still remain at my post. It is possible that by remaining there I may exercise a certain amount of influence upon the first acts of a revolution ; and the first acts of a revolution logically produce consequences which are unforeseen, and which one would not at first desire to foresee. The fate of a century may depend upon the nature of the first steps taken. Adieu, my dear friend. Remain unshaken, and preach the truth. A South American Republic. — The following letter, dated Montevideo, March 18, is published in the Times of April 18 : — " We are still in an uncertain state as regards our currency. The law which some two years back made private bank-notes a legal tender expired a day or two ago, but was renewed by the Chambers until the end of this month, before which some measure will probably be adopted by the Legislature to do away with the anxiety and excitement that prevail so generally among merchants and traders. The project of the Government, which I informed you was to issue six millions of paper dollars in addition to a like amount taken over by the State from the banks, has been well discussed in the daily press, and its iniquity exposed. The whole of the commercial community have signed a petition to the Chambers against it. Yet it is believed the .Government persists in bringing it before the Chambers. The power of remitting six millions of dollars to pay pressing debts, lavish on all sorts of useless projects, and to augment salaries and employments, is too tempting to be abandoned. There are various other projects put forward by individuals or corporations, but, as the Government could make little out of them, they are not patronised. . The general opinion is, that the Chamber of Deputies will pass the Government project, but it is doubtful if the Senate will sanction it. Should the Senate reject it pure and simple there is an end of it for the session, but should they merely amend it the two Chambers would unite, and, as the Lower House contains by far the, greatest number, a majority in favour of Government would be secure. Should this injurious project of the Government become law, the import trade of. Montevideo will become very risky. Paper* money will surely be at a considerable discount, and a fluctuating discount, too, which will render the returns for sales so uncertain ac to become a species of gambling. The re-

sources of the ; State are ample if properlycollected and disbursed. The taxes in tbis ittle country are absolutely enormous. They are higher per head than in any country ia Europe. Let no Englishman emigrate to Montevideo to settle as a farmer, particularly as a sheep farmer. He has to pay a direct tax on the value of the land, a direot tax on Itis sheep, which are now valued at at least double what they are worth in the market, and an export tax of 6 per cent, on the value of the wool. Carriage is dear, and if he attempts to cart hiß own produce he must take out a license for each load. It is utterly impossible in the present low condition of the wool-market for a sheep farmer to live, andi that branch of industry will, unless there be a considerable improvement in the price of^ wool, be gradually discontinued. Many of our countrymen have been completely ruined within the last two years. Another atrocious : crime has been committed in this city with impunity. Fortunato Flores, ; a : colonel in the army, deliberately killed a . Senor Miranda. This act occurred a; week ago, yet yesterday, in broad days he embarked for Paraguay without the.-, slightest molestation ! This Republic is, in- > deed, in a miserable state. It is now subjected to an invasion from Entre Rios of. some chiefs of the old Blanco party, and, as dissatisfaction and discontent are very general, there is no saying what dimensions it „ may assume. Our railway is making such^ trifling progress that there is little hope of ita'-) being finished by the present conductors;, during this century. Paper currency with-.. the Government guarantee is at a discount of 7 to 8 per cent., and the import business iav, almost nominal. It is now pretty well agcer-.y tamed that the production of wool in this; Republic is about 30 per cent, less than they last year of exportation, and as regards the - neighbouring Argentine Republic, there is a , deficiency in Buenos Ayres of from 15 to 20 per csnt. A recent storm in Buenos Ayres, has committed great ravages among sheepi In one small area the loss is estimated atl 40,000. At present we know not the extent, of the lobs in the province. It is scarcely^ worth while so late in the day to allude to the death of Lopez, the bloody dictator of Paraguay, for the news will reach you before this. - The war is now quite at au end, but Paraguay is almost depopulated. The relief to Brazil must be immense, for she bore the brunt of the war. The Brazilians are a patriotic people, and they aid their Government with ' money and their blood. They are tenacious Of the honour of tbeir country, and, no doubt,' they will now set themselves to the work of retrenchment." ] ■ A Character. — The following portrait is drawn by the Times Paris correspondent :— The Marquis de Boissy was, perhaps, best known in England as a professed enemy of the English, but he was not an enemy for whom we should be justified in harbouring unfriendly feelings. His sentiments towards us were rather those of envy than of hatred, and not a mean envy either, but a sort of half comic indignation at what he considered English superiority in many respects. His sentiments towards England have been compared with those of Cato towards Carthage. He had a habit of writing down his reflections on scraps of paper, an immense number of . ' which were found at his death. On. one of,' these was written :— " I have for English: policy all the hatred. that an ugly and wicked, woman has for a good . and handßoma one. My hatred is not the -hatred of, contempt, but that of . envy. Why; does not our policy more resemble that ofEngland ? Our citizens would be the morerespected." Such hostility is more flattering: than many friendships. Some of his characteristics were thought very English. His repartees and bon mots had, like his oratory, of ten more of British humour than of French wit. While professing, to dislike the English : ' as a nation, he was decidedly partial to them, as individuals, and rarely did he give a dinner party of any size without some of them being at his table. The Irish he hardly consideredas English, but looked upon them as born enemies of England. He gave a great dinner to " Head Centre" Stephens after his escape from Kilmainham gaol), and invited some Senators (among others Arthur deLaguerroni&re, the present Minister, at Brussels), and some Deputies to meet him, and Stephens presented him with his portrait, which-the Marquis framed, glazed, and hung up in his dra wing-rdOmj-where.it ' remained till after his death. One day before dinner an English guest laughingly asked him how he could be so inveterate an enemy to England as his speeches implied. " Out of jealousy," he answered ; " you have better statesmen and more common sense than we have ; but," he added, pointing to the English: present, " Sije mange les Anglais a Londres, je les npurris a Paris." His wit was often extremely caustic. Usually in opposition,, although not systematically bo, you may remember that he hardly ever addressed the Chamber of Peers, in Louis Phillippe's time, without being called to order by old Duke, Pasq'uier, who, in after years, • under the Empire, used to rub his hands with glee at hearing the President of the Senate, Troplong, tortured, as he himself had been, by de Boissy'B interruptions and incisive sallies. For Pasquier,. however, notwithstanding the martyrdom he occasionally made him undergo, he had great friendship and respect. He set store by his advice, and had his portrait bung in his bedchamber, .as a pendant to that of Louis XVIII., for whom he always professed much sympathy and admiration. He was the enfant terrible of the Peers and the Senate, and uttered many home truths, in his dry, keen way,, which .hardly anybody .else would 1 have ventured upon. Some of the liberal re-, forms lately carried out were repeatedly' advocated by .him in the Senate when few others thought of them. He advocated the publicity of the debates in the Senate, ; iberty of the Press, and of discussion generally. I think it was just after his nomination as Senator tbat, when presented to the Emperor, his new uniform not being {[ready,

be made his appearance in. an antiquated Court costume, which bad belonged vo. his grandfather. To say. nothing of the changes in the fashion that had since occurred, the grandfather was considerably more bulky than his descendant, wbo was of rather low stature, slightly made, and with delicatelyformed limbs; so that the appearance of tbe Marquis in his grand-paternal attire was peculiar, not to say slightly grotesque. He was the last man to care about such trifles or to' give heed to those who did. The Emperor received him with his usual kindly courtesy, but some of the courtiers grinned. Among others, PrinceMurat, son of the unfortunate King of Naples, was present, and could not restrain a remark on the " drollness" of the dresg. " Yes," replied de Boissy, in no way discomposed, " Cest vrai, Monseigneur, et si tous ceux gui viennent ici devoient porter les costumes de leurs grands peres, on en verroit de bien plus droles encore." I need not remind you of the very low extraction of the beau sabreur, the Paladia of the First Napoleon's armies. The Marquis was an awkward customer, and it was unsafe to risk a joke upon him. An English Lunatic at the Tuileries. — Le Gauloisoi April 21 gives the following account of an event that happened on the previous day. An English lady of middleage, who had conceived an intense affection for the Emperor Napoleon, came to Paris and endeavoured to obtain an interview with him. She met with numerous obstacles to the gratification of her wish, but she hired an apartment on the second story of jthe Hotel dv Pavilion de Rohan, looking upon the Rue de Rivoli. Since she installed herself there, she bas made innumerable attempts to obtain an entrance into the Tuileries, but the gates wtre too closely kept. On Monday, however, she contrived to evade the watchfulness of the gatekeepers, and made her way into the private garden of the Tuileries, where she prepared to await the coming of .the Emperor. Her hope was frustrated by the officials on duty, wbo discovered her unauthorised presence aud marched her off to the guard-room attached to the palace. Upon being interrogated she said her name was Louisa Creery, a native of Dublin, and a descendant of the Stuarts. She added that she had an irrepressible affection towards the, Emperor Napoleon. The : poor lady waa examined by the-, medical officers, and by their direction was removed to a maison de sante until her friehds, to whom a telegram was despatched, ehould arrive to take charge of her.