GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 27, Issue 950, 27 June 1883, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Recently in Wanganui, a gentleman was stopped in the street by a person of the loafer type, who requested the loan of a sixpence. The reply was that he had nothing but a half-crown, but perhaps the interlocutor had change. Tbe bait took splendidly. The man pulled out a two shilling- piece, at the sight of which our friend pocketed his half-crown, silently crediting himself with exposing another fraud.

The Auckland footballers seem disposed to send a team to Sydney on their own account. They have communicated with the Southern Rugby Union of Sydney, asking what terms the latter would offer if an Auckland team be Bent over. The Wellington Rugby Union propose to Canterbury and Otago Unions thata tournament should be held in Wellington on an early date, and if Auckland doeß not send a team to compete, the team to visit Sydney should be composed of three-fourths from the players taking part in the tournament and the rest of men chosen by the Auckland Union.

Referring to the fact that no tenders were received for the direct steam service to New Zealand, the London correspondent of the Argus says: — "In stipulating that a speed of Hi knots per hour should be maintained, the Government so greatly increased the consumption of coal on the voyage, as compared with a 10£ knot service, that the steamship companies felt that a subsidy of £20,000 a year on only a three years' contract was altogether inadequate to the riik.of loss. Sir Dillon Bell, the Agent-General for the Colony, had, months before, pointed out in a dispatch to his Government that such a subsidy could never secure an efficient and reliable fast direct service to New Zealand, and the result has confirmed his views.

An amusing disturbance (says the Era) occurred at a Dublin theatre a few nights ago. A young " masher " wished to throw a bouquet to one of the dancers with whose charms he was smitten. Provided with a huge nosegay, and accompanied by his boeom friend, he made his way to a box which he had previously secured, and impatiently awaited the coming of the fair one. In the meanwhile bis treacherous friend had quietly affixed a string to the bouquet, which waß in due course thrown by its purchaser, with the result that when the fair recipient stooped to pick it up, the " friend " pulled the string, and the bouq uet returned to tbe box ! A " eetto " between the gentleman followed, and finally both were expelled by the manager. Speaking of Hau-hauism lately at Napier, the Venerable Archdeacon "Williams, in a lengthy speech, gave many details of the position of Hauhauism, with tbe object of showing that there was a decided reaction against tbe system, and a readiness and even anxiety on the part of the Natives to have the pure Christian religion taught to them; some of these late Hauhaus having even raised funds for tbe endowment of Native, missionaries. There was a vast difference, between the attitude of the natives a few years ago and now. Incidentally the Archdeacon mentioned that during Te Kooti's warß he found one of Te Kooti's prayerbooks in a whare recently vacated by him. This was couched in excellent language, and contained many prayers — one to be Baid when loading their guns. But there was one remarkable feature about these prayers — the name of Christ was never mentioned. Hauhauism, as had been said, was not so much a religion as a political system, and some of the Hau-hau tribes had, since the war, modified the prayers so as to introduce tbe name of Christ into them.

• The weight of the national debt of Great Britain in gold would be 6,282 tons ; in silver, 120,000 tons ; its transportation in gold would require 26 ships of 250 tons each; 12851 horse carts, each carrying half, a ton and forming a procession of 25 miles in length; or 281,769 soldiers, each carrying 501bs: ; in sovereigns; piled up one Upon the other, they would be 71,0 miles in height ; laying : them side by side ,aud touching each' other they would form a chain of gold of 11,078 miles tin length, or nearly twice the circumference of' the moon ; the same amount in one pound notes, sewed together,* would ' carpet a turnpike road 40ft broad and 1040 miles long or from Land's pnd to John OJGroat's and half! way back again ; if sewed together end to .end, they would form a bandage reaching four times rounds the world, or sixteen times round the moon ; divide the debt equally amongst the inhabitants of the world, and each person, man, woman, or child, of every .colour, would receive as his or her share 16s ; it would require 476 ships of 250 tons each to transport it in silver from Mexico (provided the mines in that country could furnish it), and after reaching England 240,000 one-horse carts, carrying half a ton each, making a procession of 667 miles long, or 5,000,000 of men, carrying 501bs each, to deposit it in the vaults, prior to its use for the redemption of outstanding pledger . ,