LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2786, 8 March 1877, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

*■ Missing Friends.— There is just now quite a run upon the "Missing Eriends" department of the Lyttelton Times. In this morning's issue, W. J. Martin, William M-Donnell, A. Wilshire, and George, James, and Janette Coleman are all requested to make their whereabouts known. Rifle and Carbine Representatives. — The Canterbury representatives returned in the steamship Stella this afternoon. Railway Sertants' Benefit Society.— The usual monthly meeting will ho held at the Oddfellows' Hall thiß evening. Racing Stock. — The horses Pungawerewere, Elfin King, Templeton, and Titania were sent to Dunedin by the b.b. Taupo yesterday. Meeting of Burgesses. — A. meeting of burgesses to consider the resolution of the Oouncil, re acquiring possession of section 733 Oity of Christchurch iB oonvened for Tuesday, Maroh I*. Sunnyside. — A number of the inmates of this Asylum participated in the annual pionio yesterday. Between 40 and 50 patients, accompanied by several of the keepers, together .w.ith Mr Seager, the Superintendent ofthe ABylum,fwe__t'to,the Port by the 9 a.m. train, where the p.s. Titan was in readiness at the wharf.* All having embarked, the steamer left the wharf at 9.45 a.m., for Little Port Cooper, where the excursionists were landed. The weather was beautifully fino, and a very enjoyable day was spent, the oompany returning to Ohristchurch by the 6 p.m. train. The band of the Asylum was in attendanoe. A Seal Indeed.— Who would not live in Eden — the County of that name, which is ruled' by , Councillors who have adopted the following as a suitable device for a seal ? — "On the loft a nude* female figure, and on the right a tree with a serpent coiled round the stem, the branohes spreading over the whole field and bearing fruit. The shield in the upper part represents Mount Eden, a cab-bage-tree, ploughs and agricultural implements. The lower part contains sheep and oattle." Could anything be moretouohing, or better exhibit the Arcadian artleßsness of our Northern friends than the adoption of the world's " old woman "as their emblem ? We presume that the serpent is meant to be emblematical of the Government, and the fact that Eve did as Bhe did must mean that the Counoil of Eden are open to be tempted by the Government. That there are some anachronisms in the device is true. These might be pardoned, but the artist should certainly not have omitted to scatter round a few fig leaves. Effects of Gymnastic Exercises.— An official inquiry into the results of gymnastio exeroises has reoently been instituted at a military gymnastio sohool in France. The results of the inquiry, extended over a period of six months, established — 1. That the musoular force is increased, on the average, 15 to 17 per cent, and occasionally from 25 to 30 per cent, while tho force has, as we might expect, a tendenoy to beoome equal on both sides of the body. 2. That the capaoity of the chest is increased by one- sixth, at the lowest. 3. That the weight of the individual is inoreaßed from 6 to 7 per oent, and occasionally from 10 to 15 per cent, while the bulk of the body is diminished, thus showing that the profit is oonfined to the muscular system. The increase of muscular force was generally confined to the first three months of the course. During the last moiety a serious diminution usually ooourred ; and here the dynamometer gave positive indication of tho necessity of moderating or suspending the exeroises. Signature of the Cross. — Tbe mark which persons who are unable to write are required to make, instead of their signature, is in the form oE a cross ; and this practice, having formerly been followed by kings and nobleß, is constantly referred to as an instance of the 'deplorable ignorance of anoient time. The signature is not, howevor, invariably a proof of auch ignorance. Anciently the use of the mark was not confined to illiterate persons ; for among the Saxona the mark of the cross, aB an attestation of the good faith of the persons signing, was required to be attached to the signature of those who oould write. In those times, if a man oould write, or even read, his knowledge was considered proof presumptive that he was in holy orders. The olericus, or clerk, was synonymous with penman ; and the laity, or people who were not clerks, did not feel any necessity for the use of letters. The ancient ÜBe of the oross was therefore universal, alike by those who could and those who oould not write ; it was, indeed, the symbol of an oath, from its sacred associations, aB well as the mark generally adopted. Hence the origin of the expression, "God save the mark," as a form of ejaoulation approaohing the character of an oath. The Resources of the Australasian Colonies.— Mr N. Campbell, speaking at the last half-yearly meeting of shareholders of the Union Bank, is reported to have said : — " Few (persons were aware of the magnitude and of the resources of the Australian ..and New Zealand Colonies, and in the absence of any other topic of material interest he would make a few remarks and quote a few statistics in order to show the solid basis on whioh the" Bank's business was transacted, which would enablo the shareholders in some measure to diaoount the future. The total Ytrade of the Australian and New Zealand I Colonies amounted to ninety millions sterling, .dug from tke (bowels of the earth or gathered \from its surface. Of that total, forty-five millions was natural treasure, consisting of jthe preoious metals. There was gold, copper, jtin, and iron in all the Oolonies, and silver in fNew Zealand. In miscellaneous products they had" wool, tallow, hides, preaerved meats, .'sugar, and wine. He believed the last industry was making a great extension, and there was good reason for supposing that it would eventually become a large trade, especially considering the ravages whioh the phylloxera was making in the French vineyards by the vines. In all the colonies there were '65,000,000 Bheep and 7,000,000 cattle. The population of Australia and Tasmania number 2,000,000 and New Zealand i 400,000. The revenue of fche whole group was i£43,090,000. 'Comparing these colonies with Canada, they would find that the population inthe New Dominion was 4,300,000, and her i total trade amounted to £45,000,000, as against the £90,000,000 of the Australia.. iTheiDomimdri' exporte were £19,000,000, j .against the Australia* group amounting to j no •.%._, v.yyXXy ' . <7A ■■■■ -x .- .■-■ ■ .:■: -.-a.

£45,000,000, and the Dominion revenue, £5,000,000, bb against their £13,000,000. Going further afield, the Indian Empire had a population of 240,000,000, and a total trade — exoluftive of treasure— of £87 000,000, and her exports were £55,000,000, against Australia's £45,000,000. But they would be ~f-sked what was the indebtedness of the l Australian Colonies. Take New South Wales, Jthe oldest of them all; her debt was (£11,500,000, but her railways and public j works were worth fully that amount, jand her unsold Orown lands were certainly Worth ten times that amount of debt. Victoria owed £l4,ooo,ooo, excluding the laßfc loan of £3,000,000, which was still in hand. Her railways returned 4 per cent of their coßt, and the unsold Crown lands were worth double the debt. South Australia had a debt of £3,500,000, and her railways and publio wofrks were worth about that amount, whilst her unsold Crown lands were worth about ten times the debt. Queensland, perhaps tho riohest of all the Colonies, bad a debt of £7,000,000, but her publio works and railways' were worth nearly the whole, and her unsold Crown lands tan times the amount of debt. (New Zealand had a debt of £18,000.000, but \her unfinished railways returned about 3 per cent of their cost, and were worth about half (the debt : besides which she had expended la__,e sums of money in roads and bridges. In •thia oountry the railways and such works as 'roads and bridgeß were made by companies [and corporations, whioh had expended upon 'them a sum larger by one-half tnan tbat of' 'jthe' 'entire national debt; and iv England jtbere were no Crown lands to sell." > "