LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3208, 25 May 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Kaipaba Railway. — An exchange says : — " Tho disallowance of the Kaipara Railway Act has caused much disappointment. Everything was ready for a commencement when a hitch occurred about the terminus nearest Auckland. Successive provincial engineers have reported in favor of a site called Harkin's Point, and their decision ia very generally approved. Mr GHllies, I believe, wishes the terminus to bo fixed elsowhero — for good and sufficient reasons perhaps. Unfortunately for Mr G-illies' reputation, it has transpired that tho site he is supposed to prefer for a terminus would carry the Kaipara Railway through the property of his intimate friend and political supporter, besides making the lino several miles lougor, and more costly. This is the versioa generally received and believed in here. It is very possible that his honor'e motives are misconstrued. Meantime it is said Mr O'Neil, the provincial engineer who last reported in favor of Harkin's Point, has been dismissed, and that a now report by a Mr Webb has been ordered, Maori Cebemony. — The Maoris (Bay of Islands) have been to Hokianga, to scrape the bones of Tamati Waka's brother. It is said three hundred gallons of grog were consumed on this interesting occasion. The Excavation for the City weighbridge opposite the entrance to tho Custom House has been commenced, and seemed to be tho only work going on outside yesterday. A Kiwi's egg, measuring nearly four inches in length and two and a half inches in diameter was recently dug up in the course of some excavations going on at the foot of the Ahaura township. The shell when found appearod to be in a perfect state of preservation, but gradually loat its color and became porous upon exposure to the air. As the egg was found firmly embedded in a stratum of shingle at a considerable depth from the surface some little speculation has been rife as to how it came there. — " Grey Valley Times." An Interchange. — A. San Francisco correspondent writes to a friend in Dunedin : — 'l think the salmon could be introduced into Otago for a small amount, they being very plentiful up the Sacramento river here, only some 30 days from your port. I also think something could be done by the introduction of the oyster from New Zealand and Australia into this State. Efforts are being made to grow them in beds on the shores of the Bay of San Francisco. An Epoch.— On Monday, says the " Hobort Town Morcury," an important change ocourred through which the last vestige of Imperial interference in the management of the affairs of Tasmania passed away. On that day the caro of tho Imperial prisoners at Port Arthur was handed over to the local G-overnment, with all the stores belonging to Her Majesty. Nothing remains to be done but to value these belongings, and to pay for them, and then in Tasmania thoro will bo nothing over which the Colonial Government does not possess full power. Tho question will now arise as to what is to be done with the penal settlement at Port Arthur, and with the few convicts, and the miserable 88omblago of old and worn out people, wh» are located there. Pkecedence oe Pjrejttdice ? — A correspondent of the " South Australian Register ," Mr James Storrie, a member of tho Congregational Union, writes a sensible letter on the question of precedence between ministers of the different sects, as raised by the order observed at a lato levee of the Governor. He says: — "Civil and religious freedom aro already possessed by the various denominations in this colony, and no invitations to private entrees can affect it in the slightest degree. No one invited to the private- entree is compelled to attend, and if any one is dissatisfied with tho position of his name on the list it would seem an easy thing to stay away. I cannot but think, with all deference to mon whose opinions I respect, that they have made too much of this muttor. What, after all, is tho valuo of this privilege of private entree ? Hus the chuirman of the Congregational Union any constitutional right ta be there ? Is it any benefit to tho Congratioimlists if ho is present ? or would tho great principle of religious equality be in danger if ho were absent P In short, is it of the slightest consequence to any man, woman, or child in tho colony whether ho is there or not? It certainly is gratifying, and shows how favored wo are as a people, that the only grievance these grave and reverend soignors hud to discuss was this question of precedence." Tiie roots of a plant, known in Borneo by the name of Tuba or Tooba, aro said to bo very valuable in that country for tho destruction of vermin on plants of animals. Some of tho roots aro thrown into water and allowod to Btand a short time, al'tor which tho water is reudy for use, tho animals or plants being washed in it. Its effects are said, by Europeans who have used it in its native country, to be euro and inatunt, and while fatal to insect lifo it does not in tho least dogroe injure either the plants or animals to which it is applied. The roots are used when fresh, and ovidenl.ly lose thoir property in drying ; for having received some in tliib last state, a strong decoction was made, and applied to some plants affected with vermin, without tho a'ightost effect either upon the plants or tho inscctß. That tho roots, however, must be

poisonous, is proved by the constant use the natives make of them for poisoning fish in streams or pools. The plant is said to bo leguminous. Longevity. — The obituary in a late issue of the " Times" contained some rare illustrations of prolonged existence in twelve persons, viz., seven ladies and five gentlemen, whose united ages amounted to 1018 years, giving an average of 8i years and ten nienths to each. Tho oldest was a gentleman who had reachod tho great age of 93 ; the youngest, of the same sex, was 81 years of ago ; of the ladies, the j oldest was 88 yoars, and the youngest 81 years ! of ago. A GUsteic Fever. — A correspondent writes from Paris during the siege :— The only very fat butcher's meat I see is dog. It was my fate to eat some mutton broth the other day — that ia, dog broth with a dog cutlet in it. Tho cutlet was very fat, and in passing by a . I butcher's stall to-day in the market St. Honore I was struck with the beauty of a saddle of I mutton. Never after the catttle show in London have I seen a fatter saddle of mutton—it was a saddle of dog at three shillings a pound. Yes, people eat their dogs here with touching devotion. It is even said that a little lady here gave up her precious lap-dog Bijou to bo eaten. Bijou was killed ; Bijou was cooked ; Bijou v.&s eaten. And Bijou's mistress was observed at dinner to put Bijou's bones asido on her plate mechanically, and was heard to remark with a sigh, " Oh, how my dear Bijou "would have enjoyed these bones." Cast leon Doohs. — Architects, builders, and contractors, in Australia and elsewhere where skilled labor is comparatively scarce and masons are few, will bo glad to learn that they can import from England doorwayß and window heads ready for immediate erection, manufactnrod in cast iron, a material which in the United States has for somo yeara past been very extensivoly employed for architectural constructive purposes. The iron is made to resemble stone by dredging ifc over, while still wefc with the last coat of paint, with dry pulverised stone. Jews in Eukope. — The Eev. J. C. Reichardt says: — "According to the best calculalations, the Jews in Europe amount to at least five and a half millions, of which nearly three millions are in Russia and Poland ; in Austria more than one million ; in Germany, 400,000 ; in European Turkey, 300,000 ; Roumania, 400,000; France, 100,000; the rest in England, Holland, Italy, and other countries. In Asia, more than a half a million ; in Africa, more than one million ; and in America and Australia, &c, at loast 400,000 ; so that tho number of Jews may be computed, at the leaat, at eiglifc millions," The Latest Curiosity. — Readers of the " San Francisco Call " will recollect the accounts published some time since in these columns of a remarkable natural curiosity horn in Ohio, being nothing less than two infanta united, a head at either end of the combination. The singular freak of nature, which far surpasses the Siamese Twins in interest, is now on exhibition in Columbus, I Ohio, and we extract from the "Statesman" tho following description of its present appearance: — On entering room. -No. 104 tho visitor's attention is directed to a stand on which is deposited a cradle, in each end of which is a humau head, not only perfectly developed, but uncommonly handsome. Each one is a perfect individual in herself, so far as head, arms, and chest are concerned. Boyond this point the two blend into one, and have the same organs in common. On one side an imperfect leg is seen, but on the other side there are two complete logs and feet. This brief description accords with previous accounts, but still there are many who have not visited the wonder that are yet incredulous. The children are now five months old, and are as healthy as the average of infants. Oho has a little more flesh than the other, but otherwise tho resemblance is so close that the stranger is unable to remember which is Mina and which is Minnie, except by an observance of the position of each, with reference to the feet. The parents, however, know " which is ■which " by familiarity with the features, and are extremely proud of the beautiful faces of their offspring. Where the Sun never Sets. — Tho following graphic passage is from the description of a scene witnessed by Mr Campbell and his pnrty in tho north of Norway, from a cliff one thonsand feet above the level of tho sea : — ' The ocean stretched away in silent vastneas at our feet j the sound of the waves scarcely reached our airy look-out ; away to the north the great old suu swung low along the horizon like the slow beat of the pendulum in the tall clock of our grandfather's parlor corner. We all Btood silent, looking at our watches. When both hands came together at twelve, midnight, tho full round orb hung triumphantly above the wave — a bridge of gold runningdue north spanned tho water between us and him. There he shone in silent majesty which knew no setting. We involuntarily took our off hats ; and no word was said. Combine, if you can, tho most brilliant sunrise and sunset that you ever saw, and its beauties will pale before the gorgeous coloring, which now ht up the ocean, heavens and mountains. In half an hour the sun had swung by perceptibly on his beat, tho colors changed to those of morning, a fresh breozo rippled over the flood, one songster after another piped up in the grove behind us — we had slid into another day.' M. Thl£Hß. — The London correspondent of the " Otago Daily Times" gives tho following precis of the career of M. Thiers : — M. Thiers, as President of tho Council of Ministers, and provisionally chief of the State, speaks and acts with adroitness and dignity. Ho has reached, by ways the moat unexpected, the summit of ambition. During the days of Charles K. ho was a journalist; under Louis Phillippo he was frequently employed, but only for a few months held the office of Prime Minister ; under the Empire ho consistently remained in Opposition. Having married a lady of considerable fortune, and having, like Mr Disraeli, derived large profits from his literary works, he was always able to maintain a position not only of independence, but af social distinction. For twenty yeaas his house had been the focus of tho educated discontent of France with the system of personal Government. The eulogistic historian of the Consulate and the Empire, and tho uncoasing demagogue of martiul glory in the Chamber, never would make friends with the unconstitional regime of Naploeon 111. His amour propre never forgave i(s first act, which wus to take him out of his bod at doad of night on tho 10th Doc., 1851, put him with other Deputies in a police van and trundle him off to a prison whence after some weeks he was enlarged, without trial or compensation, to complain of his wrongs, and to take such revenge as ho might bo able. Like many other distinguished statesmen and soldiers, he waited for twenty years without, finding tho opportunity, but now at last tho Empire has avongod him on itself. A Hundred Years too Late. — When in 1764 one of tho friends of tho "Newcastle Chronicle" sent for insertion tho following advertisment he little dreamt how long a space of time responding applications would be mude :— " Wanted a middle-aged woman (who has been servant in genteel families, and can be well recommended for honesty) to take care of a single gentleman's houso in the country. She must undertake cooking and sotting out thetable. A gardener is also wanted, who having but a small garden to take care of, will bo expected to assist occasionally in the houso or Btablos. If a man and wifo can un- ! dertako tho above places, provided that they are not encumbered with children, it will bo more agreeable. Apply to the printer of this paper." Yesterday, in celebration of the con- : tonary of tho " Chronicle" wo distributed I among our subscribers reprints of No. 1, first I published on the 24bh March, 1764, and of the 29 advertisements which it contained the foregoing stood at the head. Tho sheet had not been re-issued many hours when a respectable, worthy-looking couple entered tho pub> lishing office, and, advancing to tho counter, innocently inquired the address of the " single gentleman." All tho establishment was at

fault. Its " oldest inhabitant" could not remember tho name of the advertiser. The rustic bachelor was unknown. No account stood again6t him in tho books of the office. Time had writ (en over him non est. He was clean gone ; ho, his gentool house and small [ garden, all were forgotten. And the honest applicants who offerod themselve is so unexpectedly in answer to his card were apprised, to their astonishment, that they wero 100 I years too late. The G-ajiiba.t;di9. — Tho "Now York Herald." says: — Tho Garibaldi family havo always been a nuisance, and an ulcer upon the body politic of Europe. They have never been busy anywhere that mischief did not come out of their interferences. Tho elder Garibaldi spent a few years of his life in honest industry when ho was manufacturing candles on Seaton Island, and making a decent livelihood thereby. Sinco then ho has been a noisy adventurer in Europe. His whole course hag been utterly contomptible. He has made trouble in Italy, but has achieved nothing for Italian independence. Ho assumed a command in tho Frenoh army during the recent war, but the French troops would not serve undor him. Ho was regurded as an interloper, and an enemy to that kind of liberty which France desired. Garibaldi was therefore compelled to retire from the French service in disgust. Wo aro surprised, to find, his son, Monotti Garibaldi, at the head of the insurgents of Montmartre. What business have these Italian outlaws to meddle in the affairs of France? They are a nuisance which should be wiped out at once; the sooner the better.