Tuesday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 18, 22 August 1884, Page 11

Tuesday.

We have pleasure in announcing two mire gooi was>hings-up (says the Kamaret Tiniest), — Rjwle? aad party for 150 ounces, 0 and Price and pirty for 90 ouoce3. But c\nit be believed that oat of this last-mentione I amount more than a fourth of ita value (£93 155.) had to be paid to the Mm w department for water and usi of sludgechannel 1 It is high time the extortionate charge f>r water on this goldfield should be reduced. The Waihora and passengers have been rol«ised from quarantine. Philip K. M>Kae, of Welds Hill, Marlborougu, wa< fined threepence each on a .flock of 20,000 sheep infected with scab. Defendant was given three months' grace to pay tbe fine, and an application for remission of the amount is to ba laid befoie the D.jpirtme&t if the sheep are declared to be clean by that time. As we predicted would ba the c »se (remarks the Wellington Post), Mr. Edward Wakefield, hiving failed to secure a seat in the new Ministry, is now mtriguinar against it, and will, it is said, take a prominent pin in any attack which may be made on it. Yet Mr Wakefield did his bast to obtain the seat given to Mr. Richardson. No Ministry could however, be formed with a back broad enough to bear Mr. VVakese!d on its back as a colleague, and, as we remarked a few d*ys ago. he is safer as an enemy th*n as a friend. Writing from Wellington on Sunday night, the correspondent of the Tunaru Herald says :— " Tbe rumour that aseat in the Legislative Council has been offered to Mr. Sheehan, who was defeated at Napier by an overwhelming majority less than a month ago, is now pretty fully confirmed by his arrival from Hawke's Bay b/the steamer to-day. There ia uo doubt that Sir Julius Vogel himse<f telegraphed to M/. Sheehan asking if he would accept a seat in the Council, and that jMr. Sheehan was to take till last night to convMer bis reply. Sir George Whitmore has paid a flying visit to Napier and returned to-day, and it is believed that his trip was connected with these overtures t> Mr. Sheehan. Tuosn who are supposed to know Mr. Stout 'B views say that Sir Julius Vogel acted in this matter without consultin? him, and that Mr. Stmt is very angry about it. Sir George Whitmore was probibly at fie bottom, for, he and" Mr. Sheehan are as much twim as Mr. Macandrew and Mr. Montgomery. The new Ministry is beginning to acquire the nickname of •• Noah's Ark," became '• th« anira ils go in two by two,"— Stout and Ballance, Vogel and Richaidson, Macandrew and Montgomery, Whitmoie and Sheehan, and two Native members of the Executive to bring up the rear of the pr >cessi<jn and give it the necessary local colouring. — The Legislative Councillors are wil 1 with rage at the idea of Mr. Sheehan being pitchforke 1 into their Chamber, and, if the plan is carried out the whole influence of super-re pectability will certainly be arraigned against the Ministry ; but it is solely a question of votes just now, and if Mr. Sbeeh>in can get hold of two or three of the Native members, it is believed tbnt it may just turn the scale. My own belief ia that the plan is too dangerous, and that Mr. Stout will prevent it, even at thj risk of a row in tho Cabinet. The conviction is growing that Sir Julius Vogel has quite lost the thread of New Zealand politics, and is grievously misinformed a* to the state of feeling b >tb inside and outside of the House." The Ross Mercury says : —Prospecting at the reefs is now almost at a s'andstill, owing to it being next to impossible to work, there being fully eighteen inches of snow on the ground. It will therefore be about a month before we are likely to bear of anything important. Two men returned to town from the reefs oa Thursday last, and state that it is impossible to work owing to the heavy fall of snow and extremely cold weather. The main road on the north aide of Ross is in a bad condition, and urgently requires attention frq^, the City Council.

i^f A q?a V el whlc h happened about a week ago between two ° I^}^ m f^rf ca^\} s C^ystheS(»ithland Neivi?) likely to have L™ J /^ tenmn t tl0 ?* Jt a PP ears that of the eider memJET^L* a^ y were 4h4 ha ™g high words, and one threw a poker at lit * i iV it was thrown ducked his head, with infl Jh™ * c miSsll ! struck a you«ger brother on the head, S?«^?i g /- R T2 M WOUnd and iD 3 uri "g the brain. Medical aid was called in, and from the first little hope was entertained of the Ihi Bir8 irf eC °f Very ' He PP ll ' wlies^ a precarious state. The occurrence should act as a warning to young folk, many of whom are 100 fond or throwing missiles iv a thoughtless manner W»n*, Native youth named Poroua Amakaraka shot himself at wHSS 11 * ♦ i Cam v b . nd g e - had been crossed in love. He was observed to leave hia settlement, and two shots were heard. His SS B^^ B , ee what c wa j 5 the matter, and arrived in time to 6ee SniS?*^ •• ?u Ot fi^ d ' He had tied his g« n toatreeaad pulled the trigger with a string. It is understood that Captain Morris has been offered, and E-Ruiv? 0 vacant r pe f. t in the Mi a i B t ry , and aiso thafc the port f olios ne will take up are Justice and Customs. A case of attempted murder is reported from Kaitahia, 20 miles from Mongonm. A young man named Laman shot at and danger, oualy wounded a Native. A later telegram says :-« It transpires that there is nothing felonious in the Kaitahia shooting case. Young Laman mistaking a Native gathering flax for a pig, fired at him The Native is likely to recover." o iE he * Be7i J?* Baker ' the of Samoa, is a passenger by the Sandfly from Tonga. J Three directors of the William Tell returned to Roes yesterday (says the correspondent of the Hokitika Zeader of the 6th insf). bringing with them several specimens which surpass anything yet brought down. They got them from the solid reef on the bottom which was covered over by alluvial drift, at the point where the creek crosses the reef, and where some croakers reported the reef had pinched out. There has been no cause for the decline of shares in this company, as a little time will prove. There are two men at work, and he directors meet 10-morrow to consider an application from the All Nations, to start a tunnel from the William Te"U ground Prices have an upward tendency. The Swiss Republic have also two men who are engaged inlaying bare the reef. Buyers, 6s; sellers, 10s . * *if f e? mont £ B a , g0 the fact of two Chinese boys having been sent to the State school was noticed in these columns (says the Qrmi River Argus). It was remarked at the time that whenever Mongohan children had availed themselves of European tuition they displayed a remarkable aptitude in acquiring rudimentary knowledge as compared with children of the Caucasian race. The two boys now at our echool evince precisely those qualities for which Chinese children are noted in other places. It appears that their faculties of apprehension are not really any more acute than those of other a i£i en ' U f h by ,. no Means inferior ; but their docility and wonderrnl power of application enable them to outstrip children enjoyin» the advantages conferred by association and surroundings as ours undoubtedly do. Xhese youngsters of an alien race approach the task of learning the mysteries of our rudimentary instruction with an earnestness that is but rarely seen amongst our own children If there be any pleasure at all in the monotonous and uninspiring work of teaching the young idea how to shoot, it surely must be in instructing children who do not require to be told a thing twice ; and it is said of these young Mongolians that they rarely require their mistakes in writing or spelling to be pointed out a second time. iSerore us is a specimen of the handwriting of each. That of the. eldest boy is quite equal to that of the average European boys in the highest standards. The writing of the younger lad is not so good but is still a very fair sample. Both, however, show a proficiency most uncommon, inasmuch as the boys have been only a few months at school together. They seem to thoroughly realise the fact that school is a place to learn in, and they set about the task with the inherent industry of their race. An immense concourse of people witnessed the boat-race at bydney on Saturday, no less than 68 steamers being crowded with spectators. Great euthusiasm was displayed over Beach's victory It is thought certain that another match will be arranged. After the race a most cordial interview took place between deach and Han an. The latter admitted he was beaten, but be said he was paralysed by the close proximity of the steamer Tomoki, which unfortunately bore down too close to his boat. He admitted that he had wilfully fouled Beach, because he believed that the latter had crossed over into his water. Hanlan expressed his desire to row another match with Beach within three months, but Beach positively refused to meet the ix-champion within sis months. Clifford also offered to row Hanlan, but the latter refused to take up the challenge The captain of the steamer Tomoki, stated that he was compelled to run close upon Hanlan's boat in order to avoid running aground. Several agrarian crimes of a serious nature have been committed i m Ireland during the past few days. The German Consul-general at Cairo has been summoned to Varzin to confer with Prince Bismarck upon the state of affairs in Egypt. A letter, sent by telegraph from Dongola, has been received from General Gordon, dated Khartoum, July 20. General Gordon states that Kbaxtonm was tranquil at that date, and that he should continue to harass the enemy until relief arrived. Owing to the heavy expense which would be attached to the Recidiviste scheme, the French Senate has referred the report on the subject to the Finance Committee. The spread of cholera in South Italy is increasing, and numerous ' deaths are reported. In consequence of a threatened outbreak of hostilities, the Canton Harbour has been blocked with torpedoes. The statement made by the Times that China has declared war against France is still un« ■ confirmed. It has transpired that a Note recently addressed to the Powers by the Chinese Government rr Jtested strongly against the action of France, and invoked the mediation of the Powers with a view to bring about a peacefnl settlement of the difficulty.