General News.

Western Star, Issue 280, 18 January 1879, Page 6

General News.

We have received a copy of the programme and regulations of the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. Quoting from the prospectus we learn that “In accordance with a Commission issued under the great seal of the Colony of Victoria, and with the co-operation of the Imperial Government of our Gracious Sovereign the Queen, an International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Agricultural and industrial Products of nil Nations will be open at Melbourne on the Ist day of October, 1830, and will close on the 31st day of March, 1881. The Exhibition will be held in buildings specially erected for the purpose in Carlton Gardens, centrally situated in the city of Melbourne, and the coat of erecting such buildings, and all expenses incidental to the Exhibition, will be defrayed out of funds voted by the Parliament of Victoria. The Commissioners are empowered to invite the British, Foreign, and Colonial Governments to take part in this Exhibition, and they will be glad to learn that steps have been taken to provide for the representation of every country and colony thereat. The fact that Australasia has been represented at all the great Exhibitions of the world since tbe : r inception in the year 1851, and the advance she has made in productiye industry, the extent of her commercial relations, and the high position to which her imports and exports have attained, indicate that she has now reached the period when she ■ may profitably in vite the great manufacturing countries to send the most complete products of their skilled industry to a people who are iu a position to become not only good customers but generous compjtitors.” The claifnowaers and prospectors of Wetherstones will be glad to learn that the enterprising firm, Messrs Kincaid, M’Queen, and Co., of Dunedin, purpose erecting a small battery of three stamps, which may be conveniently carted from place to place, for the purpose of testing the ground in the various unproved claims. It will be so constructed as to bo worked by one horse. A battery like this would come within the means of every compauy, and would be a sure way to ascertain whether they wore justified ingoing to the largo expense of a ten or twenty head machine.—“ Tuapeka Times.” As an instance of the uneeessary expenditure of County Councils, Mr Wakefield at a recent meeting at Geraldine mentioned that when in Dunedin on one occasion he was walking through Messrs Guthrie and Larnach’s large factory with Mr Larnach, they came across the most magnificent suite of furniture lie bud seen in Sew Zealand. Mr Laruach said what a magnificent suite of furniture,” and asked one of his men who it was for, and the reply was, “ Oh, sir, this is for the Lake County Council.” Tho cost of that furniture was 80 guineas. A pleasant little anecdote of the Crown Prince of Germany is told by Mrs Hooper, it was at the beginning of the Erance-Pmssian war that the King and Prince passed through Hamburg on their way the to field. A young American girl, staying with her parents at one of the hotels, hung a large American flag from the balcony, aud as the royal couple passed waved an enthusiastic handkerchief. The King and his son looked up and bowed, and, like the courteous gentleman he is; the prince summoned an aide-de-camp and gave an order which was passed down the line —an order for each regiment as it went by to salute tho Stars and Stripes. The “ Lyttelton Times ” says : —“ The committee appointed by the Woodead farmers to take steps to abate the sparrow nuisance, held their last meeting on Monday evening. 15,000 eggs and 1600 young birds were brought by the boys of the district, for which they received £ll 17s 6d. One or two inneflntial farmers of the district refuse to allow birds to be molested on their farms, but for which the sparrows would be very scarce iu the district.” Whether it is for the purpose of making the worship of Bacchus a more solemn ceremony, or of rendering devotions to the red nosed god a subject for ridicule, we are not aware; but the Government have determined that the Court fees shall be paid in stamps. Those who have been in the habit of getting drunk without predetermination, can hardly be expected to carry sufficient stamps with them to cover the cost inflicted by Justice for their Bacchanalian vagaries, and it might therefore be as well for them to ruminate over the matter before launching out in eonvivality. Determined votaries will in future have to invest a little of their spare cash in the purchase of stamps, so that they will be in a position at a moment’s notice, to “ stump up ” the amount of the fine inflicted. It is peculiar that a' great value should be placed on stamps than on hard cash. Wo notice by a telegram in another column that Hie Wellington inebriates are being taught tho pro-* visions of the Act in the matter of having on hand a supply of stamps. It may not he generally known that another Club has been originated in Wellington, and is conducted on entirely new principles. Its membership includes Cabinet Ministers, ex-provincial secretaries, doctors, auctioneers, &c. Everything is carried out in accordance with parliamentary practice, and has been found to work harmoniously, and to the utmost satisfaction of the members. But what gives this particular Club prominence aud additional attraction, is that the spreads cost the Club nothing. They are aeranged in this way:—The usual invites are distributed. The dinner takes place, neat speeches are made, everybody save one is satisfied, and the party breaks up. Before this, however, a certain farm Las to be gone through. A member of the Club rises and proposes that Mr So aud So shall bo called to the bar of the House, and requested to pay for the feed. This proposition is duly seconded and carried, after which Mr So and So is recognised as one of the members of the glorious Free Luncheon Club. The F. L. C. continues to prosper, new members are added to the roll weekly, and everything is going on merrily. The history of Clubs, already very voluminous, has an additional chapter of a novel and interesting kind in the above. Besides the ordinary gentlemen's clubs, scientific clubs, working men’s clubs, Pickwick clubs, &c. In Addison’s times there were clubs for tall men and clubs for short men. But of all tho clubs wo know of, give us the F. L. C., always providing that we be on the roll of members and not among the invited guests,— “Chronicle.”

“ The Tuapeka Times ” says,—Mr W. D. Morrison, of Lawrence, presented his County honorarium to the Tuapeka Hospital j and Mr Oudaile expended his ia prizes for the public schools of the District. We cannot but think these gentlemenhave set a very good example, besides, in a very neat and expressive manner acknowledging the honor of being elected to the County Board, and we think the example well worth following. Let ua working-men take a lesson from one of the Queen’s Judges, and keep to conciliation and arbitration as long as we can. “ Dare any of you,” says Paul, the Apostle to the Corinthian Christians, “ having a matter against another, go to law ? Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you ? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren ?” Mr Justice Field appears to think that Freemasons ought, and indeed are bound by the rules of their own fraternity, to settle their disputes among themselves instead of dragging one another into courts of law. It would be much better, he remarked, to ask the Grand Master to interfere, and decide the question, both plaintiff and defendant being masons. Counsel (one of whom avowed himself a mason) consented, and the reference was made. So let masters and men settle their disputes ; by conciliation if possible, if not, by arbitration.—London paper.