MICELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 215, 25 September 1873, Page 3

MICELLANEOUS.

Thk Church of England — Writing of tbo future of tie Church of England, the Pall Mall Gazette says-— "There are at present two forces in aoiion— a centrifugal and a centripetal tending to maintain tlie old institution in equipoise. »If i, were abandoned to the direction of its clergy, if convocaton were its real hgislature, it* term of custeucc, m ftn eaabhshiuent, would be ifaort enough Controversy in tho binds of ecclesiastics never stops abort of e\tromos, nor allows o' compromise But then there i« * great controlling mass #{ )a\ opinion, actings sometime at public meetings and though tho press which aland-* by the Church ai a national notation , v hich attaches very little importance— probably, m ihe world goes on, less and le«,s importance—to the questiois which so fiercely divide the cleiic l\ 0 ly, und which w v«ry much addicted to compromise. Tl.u is tho same quiet, but steady mass of opinion which our slntet>cm and our most accomplished histoncal students, from Vilham the Third to William Pitt, from Hume to Macaulay, h\\e shrunk from affronting b\ any ra<oi movement, even •hpn personally least disposed to sympathise with it. Modern uniconformnts, it we may judge of them by their nclf-elected >adci-i, aro moie precipitate or more fanatical Those who ..itch the wgns of t lie tinios can ostimate the serious amount it additional^ ren<jth which the proceedings of the Libeiation J ociety and its allies, as uiconaidorata «■• acrimonious, hate ouununicated to tho defensive side Tlicy have succeeded n piovmg to all impartial judges the num. rical weaknebS of nc*c Nonconformity. They have demolish uted that this wflfeerical w eakness is not redeemed by any superiority of or education und resources. They liave shown, statistically, that it is in truth the Church of England which educates and spiritually superintends the bulk of the poorer classes. And they have succeeded, moreover, in frightening away from their side those who might in a certain sense be regarded as her natural allies— tho great sceptical body, by whatever name wn may prefer to distinguish it. These are only too well aware that the little finger o( Nonconfoi nuty— if it once had its own way — would he heavier on them than the loins of the Church. Ho that the general result of the actiou of these opposing forces might be, not quite satirically, described as follows — The Spokesmen of tho Propogation Society, and their clerical allies m general, are doing their [ best t'"> rend the ancient fabric m pieces ; Mr Miall and his ' coadjutors are doing their best to hold wiiat remains of it together " A New Robinson Cbcsoe — A new Robinson Crusoe has lately been discovered on St George's Island, one of the bonth Shetland Islands, situated about ton days' sail to the southward of Cape Horn, in latitude 64 In the jear 1871, the schooner Franklin, Captain Holmes, left New London, United States, for the seal flshory in these islands, arriving at her destination after a voyage of four months. The following day, the captain ordered & boat's crew of five man, under the order of James King, bott-steerer, to proceed to^ the shore ayd commence killing seals, at Wniden Island, oft" which pla|e the vessel was anchored. In the boat were placed provisions for seven days, and a bi^ r club for each of the men, with which to kill tlie seals by hitting them on the t head Captain Holmcs's instructions wef, " Kill all you can, ami «c will be back for you within a week." Tlie Franklin then sailed away, and the men commenced slaughtering all tue seals they could find ; and so successful were they that at the expiration ol tlie fifth day they had killed and skinned 4,000 seals, which they piled on the rocks. The seal crop being exhausted, tlie men resolved, with their remaining provisions, to set out for ht George* Inland, which is situated in the xcmity, where they could find more seals Thcv accordingly depaited, leaving behind then a small piece of board, on wine 1 ! was chalked, "We have left for St George's Island ; call for us there " When the Franklin returned at the end of the week the pile of sealskins *as found, and also the notice board. She accordingly proceeded to M George's Island m quest of the missine men, and crune I about fiat island for seteial days, but could hce nothing of the boat or tho men, who wero a f last abandoned to their fate, and the Franklin returned home, no boat having; been sent ashore on account of the breakers, and tho ice which li-id already formed. The men were supposed to be dcud, but in August last year a New London s ai ig fleet left for tlie South Shetlands, and it was mutually agreed j among the captains that they should endeavour to discover j -ome traces of the lost men. When the barque Nile arrived j at St George's Island, tlie captain and a number of his men went ashore to make a search for the remains of King and Jus companions Walking along the beach for some distance, they were surprise 1 to find a small hut, from W neh projected ii stove-pipe. In the earner of the hut was a man w ith ft long red beard and matted hair, fust a^leop. He was clothed in sealskins, with sandals on his feet, and, on being awakoned turned out to be King, the only survivor of tlie party. It seems they found tiie stove and hut on the island, and lived j for some time on pelican flesh, burning seal blubber in the stove One hid died of cold ; three others a f tem'ptrd to pet, back to Winden Island, nnd are supposed to have perished ; King alone returned m the Nile. Such, at least is the story we are told about the New Robinsou Crusoe. — Pall Mall Gazette

PRESFVTATION OF MILITAKY COLOTJKS TO YORK MIXBTER. —The Yorkskire Chronicle of May 24 says -.—Shortly oft -r the evening service in York Cathedral, on Monday, a picsentation of military colours took place in the Dean nnd Canon's vestry, adjoining the south isle of tho choir The colours wero those of the 65th Foot, Second North Hiding of Yorkshire, the regiment being now stationed at the Currngh of Kildare, Ireland. On behalt of tho regiment Captain Byam and Lieutenant Thornhill appeared m the vestrj bearing the colours, and they were received by the Canon in Residence ''the Key W. Hey), and by the Hey Of. W. Guest and the Key W. Haworth, vicars choral. Captain Byam, iildresiiiig Canon Hey, said that he and his brother officer had brought the old colours of the 65th Begunent, colours winch had been in battle in New Zealand with the natives of the country between the \e*r* 1845 and 1865. They were brought back to England in January, 18(315, and taken out to India in Jannary, 1871. Lady Mayo, upon the 14th of April, 1871, presented the regiment with new colours of a duTeront pattern, and the old colours wero put on one side. The Dunn of York had been written to. and ho had kindly consented to accept the old colours for the Minster, and they were now handed over to the charge of the Dean and Cmipter. Cunon Hey laid, on behalf of the authorities at tho Minster it was a great pleasure to him to undertake the colours winch had now been placed in their custody as the guardians thereof for so distinguished a regiment, and he hoped ,that the arrangt-ments made for t'leir safe keeping would be satisfactory. H» regretted that according to tho rules the colours could not be placed in the body of the cl.urcb, but they would bo kept in that restry amongst the most precious relics preserved in the cathedral. lie welcomed tiie colours which would be always displayed and visible, and he hoped that they would from time to time be visited and Jooked upon by members of the 65th Resiirnent The colours were then affixed above the entrance door by Mr Bradley, the clerk of works at the Minster, in a favourable position, and one which was approved by Captain Bryßm and Lieutenant Thornhill, who having shaken hands witli Canon Hey, left the cathedral.

The Shyh a> t d thr Princbss — The Melbourne Argus, in a leader on the Shah of Persia's visit to England, states : — " A^to the Shah himself, his coming and going were hko that of a brilliant comet, and he dazzled the eyes of our countrywomen in England by the flash of his diamonds and rubies more than they have ever been dazzled before by the " barbaric splendour" of any European or Asiatic potentate who has set foot on the shores of Great Britain. And his admiration of the beauty of the fair islander* was quite as fervent and as frankly expressed as their adoration of his sumptuous jewelry. It must, indeed, hare been very gratifying to tho amour proprt of the ladies'who crowded round him whenever and wherever he appeared in public, to know thai his ta»te for fomale loveliness was the very opposite of that which Nathaniel Hawthorne obtained so much ill-will for expressing ; and that his Majesty signified to the Prince of Wales his willingness to exchange thrpe of his own wives for that well-developed Hebo, the Pnnw«i Mary of Tcok." "-l^les," in the Australasian writes — " Vanity Fair^ h.is .1 characteristic portait of the Shah, of whom the English journals are full to repletion. Talk of hero-worship after the koo-too of the British nation to tho Baron de Reuters advertising medium — because he wore ropes of diamonds! "Of course," writes a friend, ' I saw the Shah, and was within a foot of him. He is fond of looking at the children, and used to stop before any good-looking woman — duchess or other— raise his spectacles to his eyes, and have a very sensual stare at her. I was rery glad when he went.' I find from tho English papers that my surmise of tho real businois significance of his visit to Europ j does not stand alone."

No Accounting rait Taste — It's a fine thing (".wites 1 Nemo ' in the B.illarat Foil, to be able to go to law. There's nothing like ifc. A friend of mine who has just been to law and has just come away from it, tells mo it's just like going through a sausage-machine, you go in whole at one end, and when you come out at tho other it's sui'h jolly fun tiding to pick yourself up again. My friend >nel nnother party for £50, "and won it with costi. T'other paity appealed, and his Honor upset, tho judgment with r>o»ts to the appellant. My friend went further, and tried the full bench. The ' Bench ' upset the last decision without costs, t'other paid the £30 The account now stands thus— To judgment, £50 ; 'bylaw expense* out of pocket, £381 l2s 9d ; balance on the wrong side, £334 12* Oil But then, ns my friend said nt the close of the sutt, ' I have had satisfaction.' Hn» legal adviser replied, 'just what I told you — now you spo what n pity it would h.ive been to have given up the suit.' That 1 iwjer will nuke money yet There is only one thing to be considered in t.licjs matter* --» client may go through the ,mill once, but you don't saus.ige him a soeond time. A baker in Clnistchnrch informs the public that on a ce-tain day eveiy week one pound's worth of silver ir floiius will be distributed in hi* four lb loaves for sale or that day. Shoddy was invented in England, in 1813, and in 184 C •was lirat used on ni oxfccDsivi? scalp sw n msftfrml foi iiiakiug cloth. A coute nporaiy thinko fiat now vhodilj is oinnipic-uit and <>nmij]ot:nt

The travelling contributor of the Melbourne Age tells the following very atiange and amusing itory :— A good story is told of a somewhat Buigular adventure which happened to a Japanese noblennn who arrived in Pa: is charged with n tecret mission ftoin Mil ado to tho bead of the French Government. An interview was arranged by the aecretary and interpreter of the great man, who had intimated that no one but M Thiers was to be pivsent, as the most profound aecrcey had been enjoined by the Japanese monaich. At the appointed hour the- upre^utatives of of their respective natious mot, their attendants retned, and left their chiefs together Thiers looked at Nozosi, and Noeosi looked at Tliicm. .An nnexpectod difficulty had arisen. The Picsideut did not know a word of tmv living language but Ins own, the > eiatic was in the (Mine predicament. Each found hinnelf in the same dilemin.i as Oliver Goldsmith when he went to I^eyden, in order to teach Greek to the Hollanders, without having taken the j piewous piccautmn of nuking himself acquainted with 1 Dutch. The Heeiel.uies were called in, but Noznsi had been prohibited from tahing either Ins own subordinates or those ot M. Thieis into bis confidence, and bo the interview had to come to an abrupt termination, and the Japanese to try bnck to his native Jeiklo for freßh instructions. Tlie Conner reports that a good story is told about an election meeting held not a hundred miles from Ballarat. Two .aspirants for a sent in the local council were advertised to address jthe meeting convened. No 1 stood up to speak, and the follow mg was the substance of his address:— " Gintlemen,— l'm not a born gint.lem.in, but I've made meself one ; and I'm not a public shpakor, but I'll do my best foi yuz. I can sing a good Irish song though boys." Cheers followed this announcement, and tho sprightly candidate promptly complied with the emphatic call, and treated his audience to three mci 1 y airs in true Hibernian dialect. A unanimom|\'ot«Jthat he was a fit and proper person was at onco carried by ncclamimation. Candidate No 2 hailed from Shp-un also Hp repeated as near as possible, what No. 1 had said, and wound up by offering to tiate the company to a good Irish ji/. It "is needless to say that his offer was accepted, and after exhibiting his piowess, he also was rewarded with a vote that he w.is a fit and proper person, carried with the utmost enthusiasm Music, however was a more powerful qualification than dancing, judging by the result of the election, for the dancing candidate was defeated, while the singing one was returned. The Birmingham Morning News says the following story hns lately been circulated in Wolverhatnpton, respect me the Bishop of Lichfield, late Primate of New Zealnmi — " While walking in the Black Country, a fhort time ago, his lordship saw a number of miners seated on the ground, and went towards them with the object of saying a 'word in season.' He asked them what they were doing, und was told by one of the men that they had been ' loyin'.* The Bishop erinced «omo astonishment, and asked for an explanation. ' Why, \er sec,' said one of the men, ' one of us has fun' a kettle, and we bpcn a trying who can tell the biggest he to ho' it ' His lordship was shocked, nnd proceeded to read tho n'en a lecture, telling them among other things, that he had always been taught that lying was an awful offence, and that, in fact, so 6trongly had it been impressed upon him that he had never told a lie in the whole course of his life. His lordship had barely finished when one of tho men, who had previously remained Mlent, exclaimed, ' Crie tho governor the kettle ! — Gie the governor tho kettle !' " The latest joke at Bngham Young's expense is perpetrated by a Pennsylvania paper, which says : — "Some chap thought he uould play a joko on Brigham Young, so ho gained access to the list of his wives, and added t»venty-sevcn riame3 thereto — Mary Jane Young, Josephine Ann Young, Sarah Melinda Young, and so forth. Tho next time Brigham called the roll, twenty .seven didn't answer their names, so he concluded that they had died since last roll call, and, putting a few more inches of crape on his hat, he looked as sad as possible, but has not yet detected the joke." A man advertises for a competent perion to undertako the sale of a new medicine, and adds that "it will prove highly lucrative to the undertaker." Vermont— where, as is well known, no liquor 13 sold — ha* 16,000 drunkards, 4,000 habitual " hard drinkers," and 20,000 joung men just beginning lo drink,