UNKNOWN

ii X-'ViV/' f 'l'LcV'ia-';v'E J'ri&aa.".

' ■ •‘■h-i aC‘ii-/>u -wii firm of French ■ eng-'".- ■- . ~de- ! vise<! m appara:-us lor co’-ntields at nigh i by means of electricity, S'v that harvesting operations might be continued ev9n.after aun*et, it was not unreasonably supposed that the, limit to which thia new motorwould' enter into the work pf : h.u» ’ bahdry had been reached. , yorioufTex-' pertinents had made us acquainted tof|h , what, electricity could do,,bnt the. jarilllant 4Upc6sseß which had bsetij- in every direction did. not seem to atiggejtt or! warrant the.belief ’that it Wiuufii the knowledge of the present generation, he made available for the purpose**.?? - ploughing. Yet tiiia haa been done with, apparatus designed ,by two French iieera, MM. Chtetin aiad' Ffilii., Thdimh. eidfiyati^ o * with the aid bf ateaihia.fiafrmd but upon a large scale in England, Russia, and in other parte of the.worlds in this is. not the .case, mainly because’.the cost of the apparatus is large and the price' of working and maintenance high. There, too, " the holdings are, as a rule, small and it. can well be imagined that steam cultivation cannot, wider these circum fctancos, be generally adopted. . This, fact ias induced the gentlemen just mentioned 3 0 see whether mechanical power oh farms 1 in France cannot be more generally adopted, and as the result of much la^ or smd many experiments they have devised an. arrangement by which motive power in a certain fixed position may he em ployed to do the work of several adjacent terms through the medium of electricity as ah agent of transmission. The Gramme 'dynamo-electric machine generates the .electricity* and similar machines are the agents for the reconversion of electricity into motive power, this being conveyed to any required distance by means of cables. .Power thus obtained and transmitted was employed at a beet-root sugar factory dur ing the whole of last winter, and now it lias been transmitted to some neighbor ing fields, which have been ploughed by a bdince plough and a windlass. The ■ 'dynamo-electric machines were driven by an engine some distance from the, fields ; this was of 8-horse power, and the power transmitted to the plough was of from . three to four horses. In light soil two furrows were made, but in heavy land only one could be ploughed. It is said, though,'that MM. Chrfitih and Ffilix will shortly have machinery ready which will enable them to use a four-furrow plough. The Gramme machines were driven at the rate of 1,609 revolutions per mirtute, while those on the windlasses made 800 in the same period. The furrows were 10-8 inches wide and 7-89 inches deep. It was found that about 50 per cent, of the work of the fixed engine was released on the field, and that the the electro dynamic apparatus is from 30 to 60 per cent. , according to the -distance of trans mission.

A Disease-Proof Potato-

No excuse is called for on our part for quoting a portion of the correspondence which has appeared in the “ Standard recently anent the failure of the potato crop in the British Isles. At a time when the staple article of food of a large portion of the agricultural population of England and Scotland-, and of 'the bulk of the rural population of the sister kingdom, is threatened with destruction, as; far as this season’s crop is concerned, any informa tion which may prevent the recurrence of: so grave an evil is to' he cordially wel comed. . A few days sin e the fbflowihg’ letter appeared in the columns of our contemporary, under the signature of “Naturalis “I think our only remedy against disease is to return,to natural pro pagation by crossing the best and strongest . ; growing varieties by impregnation of the - flpwers. This system has already brought US at least one magnificent potato, wh;ch I have now, grown five years, and which has this year again come out free and un touched by disease, although all my other sorts are three-fourths rotten; 1 have this season planted twenty-six acres' of ’ these, and but for them my potato crop would bo a great loss. I attribute the djaeasa-resisting qualities of this potato to its vigorous c-.nstitution and hard, woody stalk, and although this year the leaves were badly spotted by disease, it never gets further. The liaiilm is perfectly free from it, and as the disease in all pota toes descends the haulm, the tubers are invaribly perfectly healthy.. I have taken soma trouble to ascertain the history of * this - variety, „ and. find that it wias brought to notice by Mr. Shirley Hibberd, the editor of the ‘M3*r dener’a Magazine/’ - and that a gardiner had raised it from seed. , Surely we want no other' remedy for the potato disease 1 than the planting of sorts so produced.’’ The following day the annexed' reply was sent.to the editor, of the “Standard” “Sir,—The reference to me i»V the letter of * Naturalia ’ may be productive of in convenience, unless you kindly permit me to supplement it with a few^ words. The' variety referred to as disease-proof is beyond all doubt the moat valuable ever brought into cultivation, for in this disastrous season it has escaped the blight - entirely, and it notable fpr its fipe quality and high productiveness All that I had to do with It was to discover in the first ■ instance its suitability for general cultiva tion. OAmy recommendation it was pur - chased and distributed by. Messrs. Sutton and Sons, ,of . Reading, as ‘ Suttons’ ’ Magnum Bonum,’” and under that name it is now widely known.—l am. Sir, your obedient , servant. Shbih Hibbbbd, Editor “Gardeners’ Magazine.” This -conespbidence tells its own tale too. clearly and forcibly to render necessary farther comment from us. By agricul turists, not only of this country but throughout the world, the facts it sets forth will he read with the deepest pos .•! sible interest

The Condition of the Irish Farmers.

A special commissioner of the “Free man’s Journal” has been sent westward to ■ investigate the condition of the tenant farmers, and in a letter from Castlebar he tells a pitiable story. He saysl had selected Castlebar as the starting-point of i»y tour through the "West, as the centre of a' district' whie'i. for the past three months, lias been shaken to the core by a esy of suifering. 1 have questioned all xa .mt~‘ -of men of ail manner of opinions. Tnosa v. " V >- \ in nothing else agreed •ant's "a.« uu mim.ty than which I h»V# 'never kmwra anything more remarkahai,

•' ' I *■ ■ ' > V '’“ • ‘ •; .V ---■ v . . .. . 1.1 3 '*i . • *• • - -v*, ! p;vwuw i ;•&«?, yud T*or. -nt •.•■. -i. - 1 I pa'dVel .-nice too famine. 'V'.yiTJ vt it s ; 1 ya‘. no <i-twnright-hanger'-aavnqj ?no small j f farmers They are trusted with Indian 1 i meal. But were it not -ter the compassion j and 1 courage of a fewjsle'pkeeoers in the i small towns, there W<j;ild have been actual famine, stark starvation, any time since Christmas last. -Either that, pr hundreds' offsrmers would iffibnth^the' bulk : of the small htddieTs of ' :frtm ftAnf to fifteenand even twenty, acre*. ; of 4jiqd' ; (Who fiaitr ;the back-bone o?<ihe.: j population of Mayp) hare beeanxisting en ; on debt* do the ' of -ih© bank' manager of the - shopkeeper.' The load ■ dt ' debt'-"which■ j first began to accumulate upon lthedr ! sh'ooidbrs after toe /-first Vof the bad.-har- i ;vterts : ih ; 1876* dfer-esioh flf! i : tirb-MiccessivCf J'ehra of dfclaraity and>lqite'! f Lwfc harvest • did-'Apt©liable- them.td pay! ! back more thaw from IS te-S&per-eenki. i (in the most favourable Cases' 50 per cepit.) I of their paat indebtedness.,: Every bagof | meal ■ they'. hare' consumed . since (and ; owing to the shortness and rottenness of the potato crop they hare been subsisting on Indian meal since Christmas- Day) has shhk them deeper in the power of the shop* keepers and merchants, 'ft: ia ohe of the most singular circumstances of thissingular time that although, aft a gentleman of financial authority estimates, there are more than L 200,000 in small debts due at : this m?ment in 'Mayo,- the number of: processes in the civil bill Courts has asj yet not increased.' The fact is - that most: of the small debt decrees obtained have - remained unrealised. The money was not; there. It had almost disappeared from j the county. The farmers came with empty; hands and empty pockets for food. They have literally existed on their reputation.; A single merchant in the town of West port who was not 'repaid more than 15: per cent, of his previous year’s advances,: has .at this moment L. 15,000 worth of debts for provisions outstanding. Another, at Oastleb ;r, upon ' payment of instal ments, not exceeding r 6o' per cent, of the! debts of 1878, assured me that he, baa given credit to the extent: of L2OOO more since last harvest/ I'hava no doubt, -from references'to actual'figures, that in. this town alone the credit ofthe peasants in the single article of mestl amounta to I<lo,ooo. ■I have talked with one parish priest who has made himself responsibe to the banks or to the traders for more than L3OO by lending his name to his wretched parishioners. • He told me. the almost in credible tale of all the shifts and struggles by which he has been staving off the evil day; In the overwhelming majority of cases, nobody doubts that the small farmers are telling the literal and terrible truth—that there is nothing to be wrung put of them—that their last three .years’ farming'has been a dead loss—that they are sunk head and neck- in debt—and that it depends upon the state of the weather for the next fortnight whether they -shall be precipitated into actual famine. The causes of the tenants’ present plight are too plain and elementary to be labored. Tliey are all the world’s everyday experience. The most fer tile river tracts in Mayo are grazed. Grazing in Ireland for the last twelve months (especially in districts so remote ; from the English markets) was so much dead loss. Beasts are brought from Chicago to Liverpool for within a few shillings of what it would cost to. bring) from Castlebar. Bullocks in Castlebar. are worth at least L 3 a head less than. ■ they were twelve months ago; that is to say, the profit is worse than nothing. In fact the 1 cattle trade is at a dead stand. ’ The ' Meath graziers, who used to flock here for young stock, have ceased to at tend the western fairs. Labor is cheap and employment scarce. The harvest ; will for two months keep the wolf 1 from the laborers’ door, ,et apres, alas! 1 how many anxious hearts are throbbing for that same harvest r How many sleep • less, eyes are fastened upon every changing humor of the elements ■» they brighten ‘ with the sun or grow heavy with the rain. [ Thank God, the cup of promise is at least ' at the lips. The potatoes promise a.good 1 erbp.' The oata are long in the ear, if 1 they will ever yellow. ■ ■ The hay is in-e ---* ’ fair way of being saved, but there must be. no mistake—a bad harvest would mean 1 Providence only knows what depth of ruin ■ and despair. A good harvest would save ’ the people from famine and no more. ■ The potatoes would feed them at least till ► Marim/the oats, perhaps, would satiate > the landlords'; but the frightful load of f. dlbt would still cling Around the farmers’ 1 «ecksJßp>e shaken off, if ever it is to be r . shakfaipff, otolydty long years of pros '■ ,porityV"* i .l > y /doniebtic privation, and ’ . dinmmtied rente?* • ■ .

A TERRIFIC TUSSLE.

TEE OKJSATEST KVBNT IV mZ HISTOEV OF 1 BONANZA. CITY. From the Virginia (Nevada) Chronicle and Missouri Democrat. The greatest event which has taken place in the Bonanza City since the town was bom was thi fight on Saturday last between a scorpion and a tarantula. An bye witness of the affair, and art enthu siastic admirer of such important contests, gave the following'description of the great struggle to a “ Chronicle’’ reporter yester day ; ’ “ I’ve read a good many fights since I struck this section of the country, but yes terday’s lay out was the boss. For fun and excitement it'equalled, in my opinion, the big prize fight down the canyon that Tom Daily took a hand in years ago. The ring was broken up, and every feller with a six-shooter pulled and turned loose on everything in sight. “ We put the two varmints into a wash 1 howl, and when they both slid down to the b-.ttom they had a fight and no mis take. There was a little flat place in the bottom of the bowl where they could stand about four inches apart. Well, as soon as they were put in they stepped back a few paces and began to pipe each other off! The tarantula, seeing the scorpion, just reared upon its hind legs, and shook h’s fist at him with all his hair on end. Now there is more of the solid quintessence of kill in a tarantula to this Square eighth of of an inch than in anything else on earth, and when I saw the critter rear up and give the scorp the difference. Ha d five S2O pieces on him, and a tall fellow covered ’em in a minute. I knowed I had that money dead. The scorp didn’t seem like he wanted any of the pie at first, but after a sneU of think ing, he sorter shook himself out and got

?-f-y, ’ .-thing we ; a-,..- - , - - -'he ’tula plain into tK s. i . - -e r-;a begin. Ihe -»o 0 i jraWe.i h:ni v-- tie hide of the :i ‘ ' -;n i : -t .: •uvm': he las-bead righi- oif. His , WnS g.nt.g to T -aid—csime out of teeth— tooth is j - - j his mouth for a quarter o) an m. , grated Uk.o;a .bqzz-aaw, and I began to fe°f sorry for the !»thor- leller t!\ o. I. had bet with. I wouldn't been in that scorp s taptk fortlte Siena Nevada Mine. All of s< sudden, however, 1 the scorp: braced him self, and whack-!, went his tail into the .’tola.: oI tell you*-, the spider let go too quick, And went tumblin’ across the bowl like a mule had kicked him. I thought ’he was gone, but you bet he was on deck quick enough, and; he camp to the scratch .'again with blood in his eye. Then came I the big bout of ■ the whole business ; both jof *em sparred - around a spell for an I opening. ,The spider was workin’ his left •;nasty : fdi* r> n biff‘ at the scurp’s ear, but ! whferieyer he let loose the other threw up IMs 1 claW-and Countered on his stomach, I just’like - HaWinan arid Lynn for all the i world. The Spider-saw there were.no : chances for him in a stand-up fight and so he' in tough and tumble. It would make your blood run cold to see the way them fellows chawed and clawed each other for five minutes, and tho crow.i round the bowl clean crazy with excite- - mont. 1 threw up another hundred on the spider, for I could see he had the durndest grip on the scorp that ever was. Why, he had his head in chancery in nine places, and about sixteen grapevine looks on his legs. They wrestled all styles ever heard of—Cornish, Lancashire, Grieco- Rmnan, and collar-and-elbow. It was a regular tournament rolled into one. _ The ’tula had the grip he had been huntin’ for some time. All of a sudden, just as I ; was reachin’ down in my pocket for another lOOdols. to plank up on the spider, the scorp switched his tail round and crammed it right into the spider’s belly about a quarter of an inch, held it there awhile, and then began to turn :t round like he was boring a diamond drill into a quartz ledge. The spider got pale round the gills, and -looked like he wanted a doctor, and I quietly let that lOOdols. slide hack where it belonged. Then the ■ spider let go fourteen under-holds, and -laid down like he wanted a rest. He rested for about a minute or so, like a little piece of wool shriveled up, and the scorp strutted round like a drum-major on a dress par-ado. The bets were ten to one on the scorp, and no takers. All of a sudden up jumps the spider and goes for him again. It appeared to me like the beast had only just made up his mind tp fight, and the way he went for the scorp was like a thousand o’ bricks - tumblin’ onto a child. When I saw him get down fairly to work I bet the third hundred and felt somehow like when he heard me chink the coin it would give him a little moral backin’. _ You could hear the scorp-shell crack like a school boy chawin’ peanuts at a church fair. The spider had it all bis own way for a spell and was gettin’ his work in fine when the frisky scorp hunted up the same hole his, tail was in before and got it there again. He’d; been licked in another minute if he hadn’t, but that saved his bacon, and the spider gritted his teeth a few. times and keeled over and died. This don’t shake my faith in tarantulas, however. I’ve got a two-once spider that I’ll . match agin any scorpion in Stony country next January for LSOO a-side.” , Hero the man produced a bu« showed a tarantula that looked as if it. would be able to whip a bull dog. When he left he assured the reporter, confiden tally, that betting on the spider was “a dead aure thing.”

Advance in the Price of Iron.

The wisdom of the Borough Council’s action—so far at leas* as prices are con cerned—in ordering the iron pipes for their water supply at the time they did, is shown by the advices that roach ns per the Rotomahana of the recent great ad vance in the price of iron. In Melbourne the following' prices are quoted, to take effect on January 1 :—Bar iron, for shoe ing bars, £l3; girder plates, £l3 ; black sheets, £2O ; guage, £l4 ; fencing wire, Nos. 6,7, and 8, £l4 7s. to £l4 10s., and £ls respectively. Galvanised iron is sell ingl ■ freely at £27 per ton. Telegrams from Dondon, dated Dec. 20, advise the following advances: —Barrow bar iron, £9 ; galvanised coirngated, £2O ; stage, black-sheet, £lO ; hoop iron, £S 10s. all delivered at the works, French wire nails are quoted at £ll ; anvil nails, £26 j bolts and nails, £l7 10s. Fencing wire has also very greatly risen in price. The rise in price of all iron goods that has necessarily followed the enhanced value of the raw material is indication of a looking up in the manufacturing interest at Home, at least that portion of it represented by the iron trade, and already many large works that have for some time been idle are again in operation. The rise in iron, it is said by recent papei’s from Home, will have the effect of making many iron masters wealthy who have been on the verge of bankruptcy. In other manufac turing departments in the Home country the same hopeful tone is exhibited, the only really depressed branch of industry being the agricultural interest to whom i’o evangel of hope promises to come.

LOOSED AT FROM HOME.

(From the European- Mail.) The news of the resignation of Sir George Grey has been variously com mented upon by the leading journals of this country, but generally that resignation is regarded as a sign of an improved state of public opinion. The retrogressive action of Mr. Berry can betraced to apurieut jealousy of the capitalist, the proprietor, and men of standing, hut that a man of Sir George Grey’s antecedents should endeavour to set class against class, and to ride upon a Whirlwind, as it wore, is certainly indica tive of a suggestion that a once wholesomp and incisive intellect has been soured cither by the sear .and yellow leaf or of ills for which there is no balm. It is con sidered, therefore, that the opposition which resulted in h s downfall was directed not so much against the measures which he proposed to adopt to meet the necessities of the colony as a certain overbearing manner which v oul 1 ronder any admit i t; at ion under Iris direction unworkable. And there cm be nor doght that this was so, and it may- be regarded as equally certain that there are many men in thy Assembly and in other public posb’ons who, remem bering the Sir George of the past, re<.r*l

very much that his conduct sh on tit' have 1 brought about a rebuke which might ban fallen less heavily upon a man ot lesa public note. In seclusion, or even in moderate and respt ctable oppositi v. Sir George would have retained the respect and admiration of the Whole of tm in habitants of the colony, both native, and European, and it is certainly ma- eo .01 regret that his well-known pinch in., pro bably lead him to fight his opponents, as the leaders of transpontine '-Irauias v " uld gay, to the last gasp. \hei'e arc many reasons why *his change. u».*h| !■-tmpera- merit arid views •of ri B» n Grey’s standing ■ shovf.’ d.not bo regarded lightly, and not the least among.taom is. the influence which at one ,j le possessed over- the councils natives. More than one©, he haa, been able; to' calm down dangerous ebu'litiois arid to' put » ,'checi upon- meditated The d#y nas beriri when he "has done the i colony; and the State some service, and. his mentis cannot but regret that the day has; passed away when fie can be of any further use, , It was generally considered pretty certain that when the reins of power fell from un hands of Sir George "Grey, "they would be. taken up by Sir W. Fox, and the news therefore; that tile Hon. John Hall • has been entrusted 1 1» form a new aam.nstra tion took the bondholders and others o\ surprise, But wlinever succeeds to power it is to be hoped that all will be disposed to give him an ungrudging Support, if only to pull the colony through her diffi culties. It is the very seed-time with her, and colonists should remember that if the harvest is to mature and to yield rich fruits anything like divided councils must be avoided. More money is wanlec, and capitalists are not likely to lenu money to colonists who are at loggerheads amongst themselves as to the system of Goverrnnent.to be pursued. The flouting of the lasi Victoria loan was the result of a fluke,'inasmuch as it got mooted about in the city that Mr. Berry was willing to follow the advice of Sir Michael Hicks- Beach, but, as lenders now see that they were deceived in this respect, if Mr. Berry w re to come to London for another loan he would not get it so easily. It may be taken for granted, however, that New Zealand is not going to follow the ways of Vic oria, <is she has checked the incipient 1 stage in that direction made by Sir George ] Grey. Still, some, anxiety has been ex pressed on the subject of the programme to be adopted by the new administration, arid in some quarters there is a hope that the new Cabinet may sec fit to dircct the Agent-General to resume emigration, though not upon such a large scale as for merly, yet in a degree that may lessen the burdens of taxation and create grain in districts where no grain existed before. At this point it may perhaps be con venient to state that Mr. T. Grahame, a representative of the Canadian Govern ment, recently delivered a lecture before the members of the Penrith Farmers’ Club on the condition of Canada and its adaptability as 0 field for the emigration of English farmers. The chair was occu pied by Mr. Howard, of Greyatoko, and there . .was a very largo attendance of farmers and others. Mr. Grahame de scribed at groat length the nature of Canadian soil, the climate, the rotation of crops, and other matters, and suggested that English farmers were required in the old districts which had been broken up, and where land could be bought at from L2 per acre. “ At the close of the lecture Mr. QnJiwte said his object was to have a delegate appointed at Penrith to visit Canada, at the expense of the Canadian Government, and report upon its condition and prospects, so that English farmers might have from One of their number a true account of the Dominion. At the close of the lecture Mr. John Scott Brown announced that Mr. Hogarth had expressed himself ready to act as a delegate if no one else could be found. Mr. Thompson, of Moreland, was also named ; but the meeting decided to send Mr George Hutchinson, of Broug ham C.istle, along with Mr. Peat, of Lees House, Silloth, who was chosen delegate at a meeting of fanners at Silloth. The delegates sailed for Canada in the Mora vian. Tiie action faken by Canada to secure her industrial progress might be followed with advantage by other colonies. Reverting again to the measures to be initiated by the new Cabinet of New Zea land, if it be assumed that the programme put forward on July 15. in the Governor’s speech, will form the staple compound of the new bill ol fare, public opinion on this side will not ha far wrong.

Contracting Councillors.

A recent decision by the Dunedin R.MJJ is likely to attract some attention, We do not know but tint it is the first case of the kind that has been disposed of iu the Colony, and as suck it is a very important one, involving as it does the seats of a largo number of representatives at the Borough Council Boards of New Zealand. The Municipal Corporations Act expressly provides- that no Mayor nor Councillor who has any pecuniary interest in “ any contract or work done” for the Council pf which he is a member can hold his seat at such Council; and farther that lie is liable to a fine of LSO for every offence under this clause. The case de cided hy th e ft-M* at Dunedin was one in which the successful pgipli-lato in the Mayoral election was accused of bping in terested iu a contract held from the City Council at the time of his election, and in accordance with the provisions of clauses 97 and 98 of the Municipal Corporations Act the Magistrate had no choice, the evidence of connection with the contract being forthcoming’ but to oust Mr. H. S. Fish from office. We give the clauses below :

97. Upon prima’facio proof by affidavit or otherwise that the Mayor or any Councillor or Auditor is or has become in ■ capable under the provisions of this Act of holding his office, the Resident Magis trate's Court, in or nearest to the borough may grant a summons, calling upon the persons holding such office to show cause why he should not be adjudged to be ousted of the same.

98, If upon the return of such summons it appears to the Court upon affidavit or oral evidence upon oath that such per son is incapable under the provisions of thin Act of holding the said office the Court may adjudge such person to be ousted of the s .oir, -md sn h person shall be ousted of such office accordingly. It does seem hard that a gentleman, holding the confidence of the ratepayers and securing the highest honor in the gift nl bis town, should have to yield up

that htmor-to-hw-rival simply beoaUseho happened to be,a participator in the pi-uils iccra'ng ujjn a contract held f on the Giry Couuoii. But then it so happens that the municipal corporations of the colony have at their dispjsal a large number of valuable Contracts, and a ere the law not as stringent as it is, the way would be open to unheard-of abuse. Unman nature is human nature all the world over, and there are men living in plenty who would have no hesitation in aiming at a seat on a well-to-do Council for no other purpose than that of securing, by the influence they might, .h» able to exercise and the knowledge they, might possess in virtue of their position, such fat contracts as may he going. The law is very explicit, and very comprehen sive, and if any councillor comesv to grief under it he has himself to blame. It der tails who are incapable of. holding the office of councillor, and from sub-section 4,-of clause 61, which we quote below it willbeseen that the line is not drawn at a “ contract" as the term is generally understood, hut extends to any work done ; for the Council. Thus read, no Councillor nor Mayor of a borough could do a sing:« iota of work for the Corporation, and re ceive payment for that work, without, for. feitin" his seat at the table an I rendering niiiiself liable to i fi.;eo c £SO reoovevaVe>-. the nearest 11.51- Court, ami at the suite' any ratepayer. 61. The following persons shall be in capable of being, or of being elected to be Councillors, that is to say— (l.) A bankrupt or insolvent who has not obtained bis final order of discharge.

(2.) Any person, attainted of treason, or convicted of felony, perjury, or of any infamous crime. (3.) Any person of unsound mind. (4.) Any person holding any office or place of profit under, or in the gift of, the Council, or being concerned or participa ting (other than as a shareholder in a com pany or partnership of more than twenty persons) in any CONTRACT WITH, OB WORK TO BE DONE FOR THE COUNCIL. G2. (Requires the customary declara tion of fidelity and impartiality to bo signed). 63. If any person does any act as a Councillor, being incapacitated as herein provided, except for uusoun.lness of mind, or before lie has signed the declaration aforesaid, he shall be liable to a penalty of fifty pounds for every such offence, which may be recovered by any person with costs of suit in any court of competent juris diction. But any such act done by a per son so incapacitated before the recovery of the penalty shall be as valid as though be had not been under any such incapa city.

The works a municipal body wants done are of a kind calculated to exclude all builders, road contractors, printers, news paper proprietors, and even lawyers, who may hold seats at the Council table, from having the Council as customers in their business. It does seem hard that men willing to give their time and ability to the service of the community in which they live should be prevented from honestly and deservedly sharing in the ordinary way of bona fide trade in any public work that may be put up to public tender or otherwise offered by the body of which they are members; but then again, the law was passed with a view to purify the Councils of the colony from any -possibility of jobbery, and when a man contests the position of a Borough Councillor, he does so in Mm fb’d know ledge that as soon as he signs the Statutory declaration he is required to make, be surrenders all chance of doing any work whatever for the Borough for payment, no matter how trifling that work may be, and subjects hims df to the penalty pointed out in the clauses we have qiioted.

Courtship in a Church.

Courtship in church is not a very un common thing, but we doubt whether a young man ever made love to the idol of his heart in such a prosaic way as did a young American a short Uuie ago in the most fashionable church in Boston. Sit ting in his own pew there happened to coins in the adjoining one a young lady, for whom he conce’ved a sudden it id vio lent passion. He was desirous of entering into a courtship on the spot, and the exi gency of the case suggested the following plan : —He politely handed his fair neigh bor a Bible open, with a pin stuck in the following text :—Second epistle of John, verse fifth : “ And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new com mandment unto thee, but that which we had in the beginning, that we love one an other.” She returned it, pointing to the second chapter of Ruth, verse tenth: “ Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace m thine eyes, seeing that I am a stranger ?” fie re turned the book, point! ’g to the thirteenth verse of the third epistle of John : “Hav ing many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you and speak face to fnefi” From the above interview a mar riage took place.

Natal after the War.

Natal is being rapidly deserted ly its recent defenders, and is gradually sub aiding into its normal condition. Sir Qaniet, with the force under his command, has moved pp the Transvaal, from whence the campaign against Secocceni will be recommenced, unless that warrior submits at once to Sir Garnet's demands. Sir Garrtet has issued a proclamation from PretJria, in which he says that, in order to remove all doubts as to the intentions of the British Government, he declares that tlie annexation of the Transvaal is absolutely irrevocable. The people, there fore, who bare applied to know what answer had been received to the memo rial to the Queen, which Sir Bartle Frere said would receive grave consideration, are now referred to the Proclamation .as being the Queen’s reply to all the inhabi tants of the Transvaal, aid therefore tetter than any answer addressed to in dividuals. That the Boers will be aggrieved, now that the answer for which tJ.-ey have so anxioiis’y iooKed is hostile to them, is undoubted, and the Proclamation of Sir Garnet is warmly criticised there. The general opinion is that it shows an ignorance of the character of the people to whom it is addressed, and a contempt for their feelings, Another proclaim, ion tstablishes a Council of Gove n -icnt ooi ■ sisting of the Lieutenant-Governor ■ f the Transvaal, the Com n vndant of the troops, a Colonial Secretary, Att-r-Cj-General,

iSecretaa*y:fisr Native Affairs, and another, 1 besides . three nominees with a salary oi I 1.300. Looking at the position of the colony of _N.itin, it may be said that its Government has grown considerably poorer, whilst the individual o donists have grown much wealthier, by the war. Open ings by which new come a from Engl rna might eight or nine months ago have j found employment now no longer exists. | It seims doub ful w! elier the Nat*! Government will b j able t > keep up any ; colonial force at all, for, in addition, to ■ the local expenses of hi wa r ~»s for: instance, the e.nployment of the various i native contingents, &a. —the Government have to keep ini view the demand of the Home Government for payment of'a share of the general war expenses. The colo nists are vastly indignant at the abuse that has been heaped upon them as a people destitute i f refinement and ordinary courtesy, and given over to churlishness and. greed. Ceterwayo is comfo ably lodged ini a bast ion in the Castle of Cape Town. His quarters consist of a large barrack room, divided into; thre e compart ments ,by .leal partitions... Ha is still under the.charge bi l- Jap;;ain' Po. I•. K, ~ to whom lie has become greatly at ■aohod, I In I who has acquired a very healthy _ in ti uence over hhhi. Ceto.vayo now d esses a i-Surop an fashion, a suit of. blue serge confining his h'ge limbs. He likes seeing English officers, and cp..know _wh.it part they bare ag.iinlt him during the war ; but he dislikes civilians who o.mio merely to stare at him, and s > hates the sight'of a Kaffir to witness iiira in his captivity that they are carefully kept out of the way. He converses freely -with officers, but 110 very great faith is put in his statements regarding his own political actions, as his subtlety and acuteness are well known. Ho was greatly astonished when.he was led up to the bastion and saw the town and harbor beneath him, exclaiming, To-day I am an old mirn J”

A Naval Sham Fight

Torpedo experiments and exhibitions are common eu <ugh at Portsmouth, but the scone which was witnessed on Oct. 16 off Port Monokton was, both on account of the operations attempted and the extent of the preparations which had been made, unprecedented. The idea was that an enemy’s fleet lying outside the Needles, and intent on the capture of Portsmouth Dockyard, had sent on an advance party to clear the channel of all obstacles in the shape of torpedoes, submarine mines, booms, Ac. This party was supposed to have succeeded in discovering mines ex tending to a distance of 120 yards, but upon approaching Fort Monckton the party found that a boom barred their fu; thcr progress, the‘Solent was alive with torpedoes and sunken mines, and that the party were also exposed to the guns of the fort and from field artillery. The efforts made to force a passage through these obstacles constituted the grand attack. The attacking party consisted of the Bloodhound, gunboat, the Vesuvius, torpedo vessel, and six second-clans tor pedo launches. These were maimed by detachments from the ships in harbor, Four launches manned by men from the Duke of Wellington flag-ship, and Uie Asia receiving ship, acted as guard. The defending force consisted of the D battery of the 4t'i brigade of the R ‘y.d Artil lery and one company of 1)0 ank and file,, with a due proportion of oifi ors and men from the Ist b. ttn oa of tin; 2-4th Regi ment, and another from the Royd Marine Light j -fantry, B.'-h man was m p bod with fif en rounds Q ; '“la ik ammiui:.i >n. The guns 'minted a the f"rt and t.o ; 6 of the Pie’d V-fltvy nu nb re I ; X nin ajk Aco 11 a l ■ of Rural Eng.oeo.s 3 i») charge of o\y-» powerful elect ic lights one of wiiich vas placed >n Ifie parapet :«t the west end of the Tort .aud the other at the e Ist end. The objcft o’ them was .of course to disco )■ (I V! inp eme its ->t 6 10 • ny. t.'oloncl - 6 .v, com.-nan-. in , I 0 Roy d B ig'-ncers ac-iosport, was in chi ad I comm uid of the line of defence. Captain Ramsey, f.l. E , was in charge of the tor pedo defence, and Major Keogh, of the 2nd Bat'aVon of the 12th Regiment, was I in (Ipivge of the infantry detachment. For the success of the operation secrecy, it will be obvious, was essential- Tpe mimic warfare tljd not therefore com merce until long after nightfall; ivne o’clock, indeed, had passed before the firing of a rocket and a volley of musketry announced the advance of the enemy, and the electric light was projected from both bastions of the fpjt. T !ie borijsQu having Veen searched the enemy was discovered, and when found was fired on by the artillery, and a small era ft coming in shove to destroy the connections by the rifles. The Bloodhound and the Vesuvius endeavored to drop a double line of coun termines among the mines of the defen ders, the effect of which would be to render those mines inoperative, bub the Bloodhound was signalled out of action before she acc implished her work. The Vesuvius was more successful, but whether her countermines fell in the spots desired cannot be determined until dhers are sent down, for unless they fell in a radius of thirty feet, representing a channel of sixty feet, the effect would be irl. The whole of the launches were placed hors do combat, and at the close of an hour's fight the v cfcory was with the defenders.

A Juryman’s Grievance.

“ Well, gentleman, have yon decided upon your . verdidt ?’.V asked a country 1 " judge the other day, as the jury returned \ to the box. “ Did I understand fchaV-tha prisoner's name was Brown—-T. K. Brown?” asked the foreman, gloomily, “It is.” “ Then we bring in a verdict, of * murder in the first degree,” and the fore man rubbed his hands with an expression ' of horrible satisfaction. “ But this isn’t a murder case,” said the astonished judge; “ this is an action to recover insurance. What on earth do you mean V' “ Don’t, make any difference,” growled the fore-- man. “My name is Brown too—T. K.: Brown—and for the last four years some: unprihcinled wretch of the same surname has had his washing done at the laundry I' patronise. The result is that , every now and than I find some of my silk em broidered handkerchiefs and shirts gone, and in hlace of them about the worst looking lot of old rags on record—things mixed, vou see. “Well, but ’.’ l ,‘X know what you are going to say, but that .ain't the point. The B-own a 1 ways takes back t.ic things of _ his I return. Ohi y<« ; but’ he freezes oh to 'my garments like a mud turtle to a worm.” “ Not withstanding which—■ —” “I wouldn’t hal minded it bo much, but the cold-blooded appropriator always k eps posted as to when I change my laundry woman, laud" the next week follows with his wash too. Why, I’ve been clear round .to all--the wash-houses in the city six times already -—this fellow after me, like a sleuth-, hound.” Jleally, Mr. Foremap, this is all very well, but ” “I even went so far, your Honor, as to change my name—k actually had all my underclothes - marked Gnngleberg—Julius G. G a nglehorg—fust think of it—but what did this . wretch do but find it out, and change his’n, and be fore I knew it he had .gathered-in six more brand-new undershirts, and a set of po jatnas. It’s in) use recommending him to mercy. I’ve explained the whole thing to the jury, and they,all agree that he ought to be hanged before simrino to-morrow, if the sheriff can fix the things in time.” And there was a universal roar of indigna tion from the sympathetic spectators r as the judge ordered a new trial, and put the foreman under heavy bond to keep the peace. '

Kissing.

For words, -always unsafe in woman's nt r >uths, kissing was (according to tKe Monitor”) substituted for the conceal ment of their thoughts. In its prime, the music of kissing can only be compared to many things more or, less enchantitig and romantic. The chief thing in kissing appea s to be to hang on as long as possible, and drop each other with a crash. A sigh like a whirlwind, thrown in at the end., is- a proof of appreciation, and a signal for an encore, The fondness for kissing is attributable to tho ladies’ taste-for fooling around the ends of the young men’s moustaches, and to the young men’s ambition to have the growth of their moustaches so encouraged ; the appltofti of a red-haired girl to the beardless jjps of a backward youth has a stimulating s effect equal to that of a hot-house ; danger only lurking iii their too frequent repeti tion. Kissing comes as natural to a girl as a cunning fly to a bald head. A ii(an slides as awkwardly into his first kisa'aa into his older brother's tailcoat, and his vanity is equally great on both occasions, lie considers them as stops up the ladder o: lif--, and would have 'us promotions pyo cl.ai mod from the housetops and shouted from the church steeples, but such is hia modesty ip hia family circle, thjp. whgp A younger brother quietly mentions them, he looks red and feels unfratcrnal. ; The female sex obtain their remarkable pro fleienoy in kissing by perpetual study and constant practice. They arc early dis tinguished for their aptitude in the art, :or what girl is not ready to kiss a baby at all hours mid all seasons ! This sort ofkias, gradua'ly developedinto the 'embryo kiss, affected by school girls' and female"com panions, and finally into the kiss'of the regular lovers—intense, passionate, and very nice to contemplate upon a starlit night. “ Oft in the stilly night ” may the sound be heard, an 1 when sounding curt from tho end of a passage,' it may safely bo concluded that the clovi- will presently bang and footsteps bo heard retreating; and that Jenny will appear with her collar ruffled, and cigar ash upon her shoulder. One tiling be careful of, aa you value your reputation fop respectability : don’t kiss a girl in the dark, unless you can depend upon the sp >t where the pins pro trude ; a sudden jab with one of these will spoil the best-intenti-med kiss ever be stowed on a pretty girl.

Years Ago.

She was seated close beside' me, ' On a May-day, years ago : Heart of mine you must not chide me, I was but a boj”, you know. ’Tia no secret, I’ll reveal it, Heart of mine, ’twas long ago : : This lock of hair, if I did steal it, I was but a hoy, you know. Was she pretty 1 Did I love her ? Heart of mine ’twas years ago ; And that pang of bliss is over, I was but a boy, you know. “ Was she rich ?” —now that is funny. Heart of mine ’twas long ago ; What cared I for lands or money ? I was but a boy, you know, “And you parted—how you missed her ” ' , Heart of mine ’twas years ago ; ‘ ‘ And you pressed her baud and kissed her,” I was but a hoy, you know. Do I love her yet— O, olden, Precious past, thou heart of mine, See, this lock of hair is golden, And the head that v/oicit—thine.

THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN.

['Tht’ksday, December 25, rS?g.

4



New Fibre. —During tho recent- scarcity the people of Kunjpura, in the Punjanb, were driven to obtain a livlihood by the preparation of fibre from the prickly pear. The fibres are of a yelluwjsb white color, as oc-tvso as horse hah 1 . The m .terial is very strong, and m ikes excellent ropes and matting. A New Cure for Rheumatism. —Dr. W. S. Drake reports, in the St. Louis “Medical and Surgical. Journal,” that ho had an “inveterate case of chronic rheumatism cured ly the patient bathing in an infusion of horse chestnut.” This is certainly an improvement on the practice of carrying a horse chesnut in one’s pocket as a charm for the same complaint Mr. Moody, wh « is at his summer home at Northflold, Massachusetts, is expected to labor next autumn in Cleve land, and later in the season at Louis. Mr. Moody is described as looking bronrwd and strong from his oui-doo; vacation work on his farm at Noithfiohl. Ho is ■: specially fond of raising poultry, and is said to be stud. mg lliml n; t bus for samons f rmu the f-nv's. HU d : niag-ro m is so ons nc id as fco bo a\a la-dc A-• :• religious meeting om-e a wc-di, wm h teaches a BUde-cl-iVs of voung i-m-i. fie a’so pr-acboa o ■•casim-.-dlr in small churches in the neighboring ca.nit.ry.



The Dbjiaoogub.—Democratic legisla tion may lie admirable ; the very free and independent tone of criticism adopted by popular candidates on the hustings when they “ go for ” the Ideated .spiattocracy, express a holy horror of a large estate, and depict a landowner who holds two or three thousand acres of rough mountain land !<rs a robber of the people aland, may he in part sincere and is certainly amusing ; but all this kind of stnmp *d- ipucuco is disc-muted by the more in vdl.gont part of re public, and they >-.! lo md sty, *• Thr •’* only a little soft s uvdrr f.-r the p..or working mmi.” The i •>..», a r-da, on’to able to assess s .cii amruigc at its true value. —“ N.Z. Times. ”