THE EDITOR'S DRAWER.

r CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

*A coNNiDEßAßtEsmount of correspondence .-■has »ceuKra).ated< iuriD£ the holidays, /

BiSHol1 Luck -4NI> St. Bknkihct's Fibk,

•'■ -—We have let'ers from J Morris, W. * Blaclc, " S," "Kxcelsior," " Albion," and others on this jnbject; but we think it has boon pretty wall thrashed threadbare, and 1 ia now rather out of date.

Postage SrA>»rs in' Stourv.s.—A corres pondent writes that residents in the suburbs are often put to great inconveni ence through the insufficiency of the supply of postage stamps at the local offices. He thinks this ought to bo avoided by those in authority.

Seat Rents in Churches.—" Churoli man " save a strong fouling is risir.g in St. John's Church, Ponsonby, in favour of B&oliebinß seat rents. Some think of con vening a church meeting to consider the matter. He considera that the systom of eeat rents ia ono of tho greatest hindrances wo have to the spread of the Gospel, and prevents many poor peop'e from attending church.

The Chakkk Auaisst the Rev. G. H. Turnek. "J.R." writes statins; that this charge—tbo summary dismissal of which fa&s nlreo^y heen reported in our columns, with the triumphant proof of the rev. gontle man's innocence— had its origin in the strong ond unflinching stand which Mr Tumor took against the liquor tratlin.

Musketry Instruction. — MrJ. C. Soall, in addition to his claim to the authorship of the dark target instead of tho white, now advances a first claim to another idea con tained in the " Imperial Drill Book," viz., the non-alteration of back eight up to 300 yards. "This," he pays, "I have also advocated for sixteen years, and it forma a prominent feature in the system I proposed. At the colonial prize firing at Nelson in March, IS7S, Sir D. McLoan gave £20 in special prizes for this match, or practice, and Major Gordon, in his report of tho firing, wrote in the highest terms of it as being most instructive. Thus, sir, you poo two principles have been adopted in the Imperial service after being ignored for sixteen years in the colony. It only now remains for my Mechanical Trajectory and Range Finder to be adopted as easy means of instruction, together with the System which would permeate the whole corps. When I first proposed the Mount Eden rifle range should be built I was laughed at. Now see the range. When I proposed the above principle, I was eat upon, yet the very things I proposed have been adopted by the Imperial authorities, and are to ba adopted by the colony. Now, sir, I ask was this fair play or just on the part of those deputed to inquire into the matter ?"

Prevailing Depression*.—Mr Edmund Bell thinks, in connection with this much debated topic,that "^f> much consideration is given to the various economic theories re lating to trade and finance, which, though they may to some extent be conducive to the depression.are not yet primarily responsible for it. He believes that the simation U 10-1 ---dered Btill more difficult owing to tho social and political rancour oncendered by un principled or visionary politician?, who, for the advancement of thoir personal interests or the introduction of sorao novel political or social theory, have estranged capital and labour, rendering their profitable combina tion almost impossible. On overy hand capital and energy is depressed and con tracting, while, to make matters worse, blatant demagogues denounce capitalists as public enemies; and it is to be feared that labour will bo cajoled by Euch unsound social reformers until it is too lato to avert dtsaster.and it finds by sad experience thafcit is but one of the factors requisite for success. At the present time, It would ba good policy for a committee to be formed con sisting of delegates from the Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Labour Councils, and the Industrial Association, to consider the (lost of production in New Zealand com pared with other countries ; tho cost of living, hours of labour and remuneration, also price of money and local advantages in the various centres of competition ; as well as tho fiscal arrangements existing. The result would no doubt bo that the difficul ties under which New Zealand labours would be found to group themselves under two heads, natural and artificial. In come cases, it might be found that owing to our limited market or want of natural facilities the introduction of certain industries, such as silk spinning, watch-making, etc., would be unwise and unprofitable, while it would appear that many other branches of trade and manufacture for which the country is naturally adapted, such as agriculture, the making of furniture, iron-working, shoe making, etc., are comparatively unsuccess ful owing to the increased cost of produc tion, caused by, perhaps (Ist), want of tact or skill; (2nd)dearness of money :or (3rd) excessive cost of labour. The first diffi culty may be overcome by local training or tha importation of technical skill from ■without. In regard to the second difficulty, we must not forget that it cannot be con iursdinto existence, but is the result of prior enterprise and labour conjoined ; secondly, its prieo depends upon the security offered ; and thirdlYi it is not invested in any enter prise from merely sentimental or benevolent motives, but for the purpose of securing an adequate return ; failing to do so, its con tinued application is checked, and having no local predilection.it will be finally with drawn and invested in come other industry or country. Its value is therefore fixed by security and demand. In order, therefore, to command cheap money, the conditions of production must be such as to -promise a fair return upon capital invested in lnriua^ trial enterprises, and faith must be inspired in the honesty and capacity of the people to insure saccees. In this country, owing to the Government having assumed such large commercial functions, it is to a considerable extent a political question If so, then only men of undoubted integrity should be en trusted with the control of our aflairs; economy should be insisted upon, and all attempts at a costly and grandiose ad ministration shouldberepressed. When we consider the position of labour, new difhcul ties arise, for of late the so-called working manhas been the recipientofeomuch political twaddle and fulsome adulation that a calm consideration of the status of labour as one of the factors o* production is almost im possible. The man who would suggest tho Possibility of the cost of labour being ox cessive when compared with the prices ob tained for commodities is at once cursed as an enemy of the working-man. One thing, however, is certain. Our difficulties must be mat and conquered by a united effort of capital energy, and labour, for we have too long been selling our products at a loss."

"TM " Mangapai, writeß on the same subject. 'He aays: •'The excessive price paid for the use of money, and for labour in this colony, baa starved out, or prevented the initiation of almost every industry that might otherwiee prosper amongßt us, com pelling employers to dispense with hired labour at the price demanded, and capital to percolate into other channel* where ex actions and burthens are less, resulting m tha masses of the unemployed, and the ne cessity of attempting a solution of the diffi cult problem of how their position lai to be ameliorated ; for, however desirable it n to settle a population on tho lane, scattering men broadcast on it where they cannot toive, and barely live, will not do it. They may produce families, but nothing to ox change for clothing and the other pecessar- L of life, to say nothing of luxuries to en crease the revenues of the State. It would be pleasant to realise the vision of rose embowered cottages, and orchards covered

with blossom, or borno down with fruit, but

" Alas ! hope is not prophecy : wo dream But rarely doss tho glud fruition come."

I havo h^d varied expericnco of farmin) from a cnhbage garden to thousands of ucvc» and know the result of it, find would ex press my belief that in an economical point of viow, email holding cannot compoto with farm? of say SOO or 1,000 acrca whore proper appliance* and skill can be uiarlo available. The cannot compoto with the plough, nor ihe aeytho with tho reaper and binder, and man must profit by the brain power which hf\R t^iven us so many labour-saving inventions, and the applica tion of goionce to tiio cultivation of the ?oil, to discard which would be about as un wiso as to disponso wi'h the powßrloom in manufacture, or the railways for transit."

Eakth Closets.—"A Man " observoi ; " In thanking you for your endeavours to correct some of tiio abuses of tho earth closet system, which endeavours, I fool con fidont, will not bo wanting in good results. I would draw your attention to what will probably bo a fruitful source of disease this summer. That is the earth-clo?ot* attached to unoecupiod houses. Thepeoarth-closots, as far as my experience goo*, aro invariably neglected by tho night soil contractor. Possibly this is rather tho fault of tho systom than of tho contractor. But if it is ever your misfortune to find yoursolf within fifty yards of ono of those places after fermen tation has set in, you will know what a forty-doad-horso powor stench is like. Now it appears to me that hero ia an opportunity of exercising a little practical Christianity in tho way of good citizenship and 'our duty towards our noighbour.'"

Is it a Church ok a SiiorV —A. E. Boulter remarks : " I foar that tho prova lence of Church-trading that is now going on in tho shape of bazaars, fancy fairs, sales of work, Christmas trees, etc., etc., augurs ill for tho highost interests of the Church ; nor are tho amusements afforded by negro ontortainments, theatrical por formancos, and dances ospociaily suggostivo of growth in grace or spiritual dovelop mont. These thing 3 are all vory good in their way. doubtless, but one scarcely ox pects to tind so much gaiety in conjunction with tho Church, and got up presumably for the * good cause' ; one is puzzled to know what ' good eauso ' Hardly can it be the Church of Christ that is being reared up on such a rotten foundation. In con templating theso bu«y ecenos ono is ro minded of Jesus Christ's anger when Ho found tho Templo converted into an exchange and mart, and I regret to fay, when our fair sifters are seen nlumourilig for the most outrageous prices for tboir finery, wo are ever reminded of His word" on that occasion. If wo punnot. obtain this means to build moro churches without theso, frivolities, would it not ho bettor to bo con tent with those we have already ; and as for tho debts that now exist, could they not be paid off by degrees out of tho in comes of tho churches and by voluntary contributions?"

A Tale of Romance and Mystery.

The Dublin "Freeman's Journal" ro

cently contain .1 a strange, and in some aspects :i reimrkablo story, coming from

Quoanstown, with respect to two young and friendloss strangers who woro rocont'.y placed on board tho City of Koine bound for Now York. Their namo is Jordan Kato and ,lamc3 Jordan. After tho ship sailed their condition led to inquiry. Thoy had no recollection of fathor or mother. They hud an uncle -a solicitor—living in a wostorn town. Ho had an otliciul position. In the enmo western town lived a lady, with whom tho orphans had for somo time re sided. She represented herself to bo their aunt. For somo time they had been at school in the country, but they could not tell the place. Thoy came bank to the western town, and there they remnindod under the caroof their uncle until shortly before they found themselves on board tho City of Somo. One day they wore told thoy should go to America (New York was named as their part), to make their way as host the} could in the New World. One hundred pounds would bo given to start with, and at New jYork they would be mot by a relative, a brother, who had gone out some years aso and who would put them in tht right wiiy. Tbey had no alternative, and though they did not like the prospect, they made no opposition. Their outfit—a very sparse one—was prepared, and a man whom they understood to be a clerk or servant of their undo, carried thorn from the western town to Qneenstown, paid their passage money per the City of Home, handed the girl and boy each 30 sovereign? en the deck of the vessel, and took his leave of them. The story of the children aroused a certain sympathy among the passengers. The captain took them under his charge, nr.d saw to their comfort and protection during the voyage. Moreover, as the result of more than one earnest conference on the case, it wii3 resolved to report the facts as the children gave them to the Government authorities of New York. When the City of Rome roached New York this was done. The Immigration Commissioners at New York, acting within their power and dis cretion, decided that tho Jordan childron were unable to take charge of themselves, and therefore should not bo allowed to settle in America. Consequently tho children were again put on board the City of Rome on her homeward voyage to Ireland. The Kcv. Canon Bagot, who was returning after his unprofit able mission to realise for the Irish Protes tant Church the alleged " Moore bequest " of £60,000, manifested a warm and generous sympathy with the poor ocean strangers The canon made vory minute inquiries. They answered as before, without any variation. Questioned as to a motive for sending them to America, the girl made n statement to the effoct that the lady or woman in the western town who passed as her "aunt " had told her that she and her brother were entitled to some family pro perty which, if they were away, would 'go into other hands, but she coujcl mention nothing in support of this allegation The veraict of the_ passengers waj that the case certainly involved a mystery of some Borr, but what it was or who w<rc o interested it was impossible to MI. The City of Rome reached Queenstowu moro than a week ago. Canon Bagot and tho captain had the Jordan childron placed as boarders in Moom's Hotel. Their 100 sovereigns still intact were handed over to Mr Henderson, the Agent of the Anchor Line, to be kept for their u?e. The polios authorities wero informed of the case and other steps taken to safeguard the children pending the unravelling of the affair. It is averted that there is a "close watch kept on tho children at tho hotel, by whom it is not stated, and that it is understood that they havo two aunts in Dublin, one the widow, the other the wifo of a socili tor. In reference! to the recent sensational story published in Dublin, Mr Mnneachy Kelly, solicitor, of Castlebar, denies that Eato and James Gordon, aged 21 and IS, respectively, who were returned from New York by the authorities as unable to pro vide for themselves, are entitled to property, or that he ever received any of their pro i perty, which was purchased in their father s i lifetime by his uncle, Myles Jordan, whose ! family receive the rent. Kelly further says I that he has voluntarily contributed an an i nual sum for the support of the family. He | started the eldest in the United States, I sent the youngest to a leading convent I school in Belgium, and gave Kato and '< James an outfit and £50 each, with a first • class passage, as they had expressed thoir | willingness to join their brother.

OUT AND ABOUT.

[By "Tins Saum'kkek,"]

NO. 7. -A CHAT WITH AN OLD SALT. ' "Do I know anything about tho email ! cutter trade ?" said an old salt, repeating my question. "Well, I just gue?s I do somewhat. I can toll you just about ne much as anybody. Why, 1 njmomber tho time when—" " But, hold hard," I observed, dropping into a seafaring expression, "let's get a fair start,. Toll mo how many cutters aro thero oraployed running regularly in tho ' u-bour ':" • iVelli I should Bay eomewhero about tifty ; but blosa you, sir, there's not half a dozon on 'em making a livin'." " What piirticular linos aro thoy ongaired

" Oh, mostly they are running firewood, sawn timber, and coals. " Where from?"

" Well, for tho most part from tho Barrier and Waihekp they got tho tirowood. They get 3-z a ton fi am tho Barrier and '2s Gd from Waiheko, and sometimes they will be two or tliroo days in soiling v load of wood in Auckland."

" And that doos not pay very hand eomoly, I suppose ?"

" 1 should rockon it don't now. I don't think the skipper of one of thorn firewood boat* could nmko more than £0 a month. 1 have often found myself ill out at tho end of the month."

How ure theso cutters run V

"How are thuy run, you want to know. Well, tho skipper ho gets two thirds of what they mako, aud tho owner ho got 3 ono third. Of course tho skipper has to pay for everything excepting wear and tear and such like."

" How aro the crow paid ?"

" The titnbor boats pay by tho trip—3os a trip to say Tairua or Whangapoua and found. They might average four trips a month. On other boats tho second hand gets £b' and tho third hand £3."

" Do they carry no more than throe men ?"

" That's what they carry in the big cutters. The small cutteis work with only two hands. They work aa mates, and what ever thoy make thoy divide botwoon thorn. Ifyou'lllookatit for a minute, you'll see that you have got to earn £10 a month to make anything. I know ono tcuw run ning in the timber trado that is now clearing JL'3O a month."

"That's an excepion, 1 suppose?" " 1 should think it was. li'» just because she's a big scow, and has always got plenty to do. The generality of them, 1 reckon, hiivn all they tv.n do to hold their own, and there's nol half of thorn I should cay " (with a laugh) "that doesn't owe their grocer and their nutcher a good bit now !"

Vory Hard Work.

" Tlio work i- hard, is it not1;"

" Vas, vory hard work. Take tho big flitters : there's tho ."Kipper he takes his wnt-ili from 8 to 12 ; thu second hand from 12 to •(, and tho third hand ho rious tho nook in;;. He's caller! at A, and rouses the skipper at (>. Most of the skippers have been in these cutters rill their lives; pome go for « trip to tho islands noir and again, but so-no of thorn have been in the trade tor thirty yearn and havo never beon so far a* tho Batrior."

"How about tho crow ''. la tho food [rood aboard 7"

" Well, aboard three-hmoi boats (liov'ro protty well fed, bat on tho little boat, vitli only a couple of men you must know yourself that tlieru's no timo to cool; any thing- Thore'e .-i nail vw for a tiro and a tin kettle— that's nil thuy want. Thero'a ono man to staor whilst tlio other man's asleep. They fail tho boat at Dight and work nil day. Many either punt tho fire word .IV from the boach or have it dragged down by bullocks I onco worked in a cutter, and she carried about 32 tons of sand, and wo loaded her every night and unloaded her every day, fix full loads in a week for two hands, whnt do you think of that? Now, th<v boat carried 400 bushels of sand, for which we "ot 4;', d a bushel

The Good Old Timoa

" When was this '.'"

" \vell, that was in the good old timos. That was about 71 or '72. Tha good times was mostly on f,«. ?ount of tho gold got out of tho Thameß. Wo had bj'l times between 'u'7 and '6S. Ah, I tell you, the golden times for us fellows w aa in '(>•'? and '64, when we wore getting.fiiO one cutter load totfikebricks down to Tiri light houee and bring back shinglo ballast at 6s 6d. It even went up to Ss a too." "And what would it be worth now?"

" About 2s 3d. In 'OS and '64 we very sel dom got less than 6s a ton for carrying firewood, and thoreworeno less vessels in the trade than there are now. Now we do not get more than 2s or "2* 3d. Sometimes when four or fivo loads come in together it is worth about Is Gd. I have run wood from Waiheke myself for la 6d. In '63, that was a* the time of the war here, I bought wood at 4s 6d, and sold it for 21s. Now thov are running timber from Whangapoua for Is a thousand super ficial, whilst we have had 2s and S« 3d, find for ono lot thi<: I know of 2s Od. But that was about '63, and that is not all. Them is the difference in tho measurement. What was called full measurement in tho old days would bo threfi-quarfors now. I tell you I havo known Casey's two-men boats earn £220 gross in a month in the good times."

" Who wire the principal owners then '!"

"Well, mostly Casey, Hondorson and Macfarlane, Butt, ti. IT. Andoreoa and KeaDO. Taking them all through none, of the bonts made so much money as Keane'e boat. 'Keady Money Barney' we used to call him. They are running bricks down from the Whau now for 6e 6d and 7s, and for merly we used to get 16a and ISa, and that •.".-ill nivo you a correct idea, for the bricks then were 20 per cent, heavier than they are now, and there was a demand for them night and clay at that time." " What olao did you run in the old times ?"

"We used to run lime from tho boach, half way to tho Thames -4.W and 5d a bushel for carrying it, and as hard as we could palt. Now they want about a load in two months, and they run that for 2d. I remember how all along tho Maraitai shore there wore piles of shells, over so high. We would pack a stick of wood on top of a pi'» of shells, than heap sholls on top of tho woodvicam, and so on, and then set firo to the lot."

" Did thin m ake good litno '!" " Well, it ikade all the lime that was used in tho bi^VuildinßS then put up in Queon-street. Keaim alone had something like thirty or_thirfy-fivt mon then working steadily at his own placba a t Kawau and Taupo." " Who wore the notable pkipp»rs in those daya ?"

" Well, there was Roderick in tha o» ne t, and Hutley, who was taken to the Hospii^l the other day. In Keane'e employ there was Charlie Hopkins. Ned Keane that had the schooner Fanny Thornton not long ago, George Bacon (who died not long back), McCabe that keeps the Shakeapear Hotel, ,md who waa until lately master of the brig Vision, and Meauerney, who sailed the Lizzie for a long time. In the Mahur angi trade there were Trimmer, and Queen that ran tho old Mariner here a few months ago ; Glare, the boatbuilder, and he was a very successful trader, I must cay. Besides there was the Hudsons that are running now, Grundy that had tho crack schooner Torea, and Murray that has got tho Annie Wilson now, and there were others that I can't remember just at this moment."

Regatta Incidents. "Do you remember what the rsgattaa

were like in '03 and 'Gi ?"

" Of course I do. The principal races then were tho gig and whaleboat racos, and the big cutter race. I remembor how Morgan used to have a gig that ho called tho Odd follow, which usually won all it was entered for. Morgan's crow wore never beaten be tween '(>2 and '74, when they went down be fore a Thames crew. In the cuttor races then, .every old dumbaigo .was entered, and the excitement was immense. Once I remember the old Henry, which was tho favourite, camo in last, and it was found that she had a nail-can fast to her keol. They never found out who played this trick, but they had a very good idea." Golden Days. "In the old timos I have brought 2.j passongorp from Mercury Bay to Auckland in a cuttor at i'l a head. Cutotis don't carry passengers now. I romombor, tor:, when forty-two of us wont in tho Eaglo to Jlokitika when the gold fever was on there. Tho vossel was loaded with timber to within 2ft. Sin. of her deck, and we had to bo satisfied with tho rest of the space, and pay iiS apieco. When wo got there, we found that there had been a lot of vessels lost going in. A tug offered to tow us in for 35s a ton register Tho cuttor measured 41 tons. Boaidesthat,thetu2. insisted on us pas- i sengors coming aboard from tho cutter and ; paying£l a head. The consequence was that | we clapped on every stitch of canvas, ond | ripped her over tho bar. We got over all right, but it was risky, Yes thoro was a lot of money made in those days. Vessels came from Sydney to tho gold fields with hundreds of pa9Bongers,and they would keep 21 miles off the shore, nnd tho steam tugs chargod £2 a head to land j paeßongera. 1 nevor saw such crowds of people." Having got this far, I thanked my oblig ing informant, andeontinued my saunterings in search of further subjects, which cuma speedily to hand, and will be sorvod up in duo course.

Impending Crisis in Russia.

It is a bad omen for the Russian Exchequer that tho volume of foreign trade, which in Russia dopends directly upon the .state of agria. uro, is decreasing from >ear to year. Tho value of exports and imports in 1883 amounted to £U..,(J00,000 ; in ISS4, to £104,000,000 ; in 1885, to only £8!),000,000. Tho values of cereals have also declined. In 1883, the averago annual price of the beat Russian wheat at St. Petersburg and Odessa was -Is CAd per bushel; in ISS4, ;-is Sid ; in 18S5, ;)a 7d. It is well known that business men. as well as agriculturists, in Russia ro gard it as the duty of the Government to us sist them in ease of trouble. When in 1885 the Uuseian Government wan informed by the exchanges of vVarsaw and Kieil' that thoro was a crisis in the sugar industry owing to over-production, the Government grantod a proinium of Ad per pound on all sugar exported abroad, relieving it at the same tiaio of internal duty. Tho result ha* been that, within a year, the Kussinn Exchequer findH itself short of over £1,01)0,000, £(ilio,ooo having been paid in premiums, whilo £-100,000 represents the lofs of duty on sugar. The sugar-making companies have thereby boon enabled to pay the usual dividends to share holders ; but, although tho export, of sugar has been increased over throo times, its price at homo has fallen from 2Jd por pound a year a£o to 2Jd now. Yet over produc tion goes on morrily, having risen from 700,00l),000lbs in ISS'2-S.'} to an oi-timated production of 1,0a6,000,0001bs in lS.Sfi SB. Tho surplus of export in the coming season will probably reach 300,000,000 lbs. What to do with it is an onigma, for London, the principal market for Russian sugar, lining over-supplied last year, will buy lit.tlo this year. The Ruaeiian Government, seeing tho uselesanoss of its assistance, has stopped the premium on exported sugar since July Ist, and nothing will prevent a cricis.in tho trade. Next to tho sugar manufacturers, tho prod ucers of iron appealed to the Government for help. The iron munufacturoro asked tho latter to advar;co them money cm their stocks at 2 per cent, instead of tho usual (i por cont. With the u.s^lessrics-j of a premium on sugar before its eyes, the Russian Government will think twice before accoding to tho request of tho iron men ; but it has lately incroased the import duty on iron 25 por cent. Yet Eng lish merchants, after paying freight and im port duty, are able to sell their pig-iron in Rustl"* cheaper than the Russian merchants. The cotton industry in Russia crie.s for Government assistance. Tho annual value of cotton fabrics manufactured in tho country is about £30 000,000. Cotton is raised in Turkestan, Central Asia and tho Caucasus ; but, instoad of this important industry being encouraged and fostered, it is neglected, and Russia pays at presont annually about 75,000,000 roublos in gold (£11,250,000), which is about three times the annual yield of gold in that country. It is a matter of fact that tho administra tion of the railways entails an annual loss on that Government, of £5,000,000 : that its mining department is in a deplorable condition, and its banking operations are a decided failure. It is a matter of record well known in London that the Russian rouble has fallen here 1§ por cent, eince January, and this in time of peace. The Russian Government pays about £3,600,000 per annum on account of the decline of the paper rouble, and the above fall in its value has cost it 568,750 roubles (£85,313) in six months. Yet, in spite of this loss, the Government is very slow in ro deeming its paper rouble. Notwithstand ing that in 1881 it decidod to redeem paper roubles as fast as they camo to the Treasury, up to the present time (in five years) it has redeemed only 87.000,900 roubles, while it keeps locked iv the Bank of the Empire 130,000 more. Tho above rate of redemption, however, amounts prac tically to nothing when we see that Russia annually borrows ever 200,000,000 roubles, and that at 5, 6, and even 7 per cent. Tho writorin "Bradstreet" arrivesattheconclu sion that the facts he cites point to an eco nomic crisis in Russia which nothing can prevent from being of an overwhelming nature, not even the Russian Government. Even Russian journals admit that it will plunge the country into poverty for a long time to come,—" London Times."

A Lover Shot in Mistake for a Burglar.

A sinhulAß caso occupied tho attontina uf

the Menai Bridge magistrates on lltli 0

*ober. A young gentleman living at Haas

Glen, Llanddamel, was charged with e'noot

ing a servant man named Owen. Tho pro

secutor said that late on the night of the 23rd of September he went to Flaß Glen, accompanied by two men named .lones and Williame. Williams and Jones stood house and threw stones at the ser vants' window. The stoneß struck the window three times. Hearing some one coding out of the house, he ran down the gardt*,.p a th, but before he could reach tha door he T> a a twice shot. Ho bled profusely, and afterw. r da thirty-two shots wore found in various pu-t 8 o f his body. Counsel for the defendant, aev^}—Whatwero v°u doilM &t Plas Glen ? The witness—We wero go ing there to " strike-, that is, knock up female servants. Mr A,thur W. ,Toue=, thu defendant, was called, t^a. stated that, hearing noises at the kitchen window as if burglars were at work, he took hv, double barrelled gun and ran downstair, fj e heard someone running away, and ti- c d both barrelß in the direction taken. h-> afterwards heard that he had shot Owen. Tho magistrates, expressing the opinion that no jury would convict under such circumstances, dismissed the case.

ENGLISH POLITICS.

Specimen Cases of Blr-clrguartUsni to

Groat Britain.

Tins late exciting election in England pro duced an extraordinary display of what may bo called public manners. Tho mani festoes and letters and speeches and news paper articles were far moro acrimonious and ribald than any which this generation has soon, and tho depth of bitter feeling can bo perceived in the remark of tho London "Saturday Review" upon tho manifesto of Lord Randolph Churchiil Tho manifesto was a prolonsod tinda of what in America wo call blackguardism, and the I; Saturday liei1 four," which was in sympathy with My Lord, smoothly referred to ii; as illustrating " Lord Randolph Churchill's not unusual fault of saying per fectly truo things iv a manner somewhat destitute of urbanity." Mr Gladstone wan publicly ancosod by his opponents of de liborafo mi^tatemouts, that; is, of lying, and Mr Gladstone himsolf, in his Edinburgh gpoeeh, charged L-mi Salisbury with lower ing tho standard of Parliamentary manners. Lord Randolph Churchill's speeches were whirlwinds of scurrility, and there waa novor a moro personal ur vituperative can vass than that which overthrow Mr Glad stone. It ia generally thought that Amorican public manners of this kind aro woii-o than those of any other country. Bu'' in fact they aro undoubtedly tho best. Whenever tho members of the President's Cabinet or tho moro important leaders of a party spoak during a canvass, tho speeches ore full of serious criticism and humorous nhalf, but there is seldom in such speeches such black guardism as appeared in tho corresponding Knglish speeches during tho hito campaign. It is, indeed, a distinctive part of an Ameii can canvass that the bluu newspapers should from time to time as the canvass advances publish astounding disclosures from "the record" of tho Buff candidate, and tho Bull'organs do not, fail to retaliate in due season.' It is vory seldom, however, that a porron is nominated for a high office in this country who?o character can be drawn justly into question, and when such is the met tho candidate is generally defeated. But if judgment were to be pronounced ac cording t.i cho reciprocal accusations of the Bluo and the Buff, every candidate da serves the penitentiary, if not the gallows, aud by the side of tucli offenders Bouodier, Arnold and Judas Iscariot are haloed saints.

But; this is L'ickwickiun politics. It is the stage thunder of tho party press, and its bolis :iru harmless. It is very dilleront from the intense personal feeling of tho tone of tho h.to Jiiiglish epsoohes. all tlio newspapers in thn land '.nighl roar bargain and corruption .-it Henry Clay, mid he would not nnnwjr. But when John Ran dolph hissed en! hi? eneer of the pact of the Puritan and tho Blackleg, Mr (JUty chal lanced him. In tho mouth of a party leader the saeer, unhooded in a thousand newspaper?, became a Bting. Wo are nor. Buying that in tho papers it h point less, but only that it has coma to bo ro gnrdnH as irresponsible insult—ono of tho expected properties of prc-s combat* in an election. If it be true, it will act accord ingly. But tho presumption it against it. The" urea* pro-H explosion of the "Chinee lottor against Oarlield failed of its effects largoiy because of the ha.it of juat such ex plosion? ;ir, the criiicil moinutt, and tho general public impression that they nro movements of a thaiu hßot- nioro powder without lull.

Tin; mistake of vitupernturs like Lord Randolph Churchill i- that they forgot how much sharper i* tho rUi-r c:l-jo of truth than truth dulled by rhofovieiil oxtrovaifsincu lr> in not worth whiln to gild gold nor to paint tho lily, lruc invective requires greu'. imagination. But to cover a man with epithets i.-' not to iiiaail him with invective. When VVendoll Phillips siid of a famous ad vocate that thieves before stealing in quired of his health, tha wit and tho scorn pierced like a etiletto. But to as sert that Mr Gladstones'* course is "insanity trafficking in treason, con doning crime exalting disloyalty, abas ing loyalty, and a monstrous) mixture of inibocility, extravagance and political hysteric*"," and to assort that "the united and concentrated genius of Bedlam and Conoyhatch would strive in vain to produce a more striking tissue of absurdities, than thoso gravely recoinmcndo I by a senile vanity to n people renowned for common it Is'merely to intuit. It is only what James Yellowplush might call, with ad miration, " had langwidge " It is the forcible feeblo ribaldry which does not oven irritate its subject or its subject's friends.

Tho true doctrine of naturalism or realism is a-> applicable in political discussion aa it ;h in literature The simple truth is the : most powerful weapon, and tho moment ite blade, wielded in debate, ia hidden in i rhetorical eoithets, there is an instinctive conviction thai; rhere i* a reason for conceal ment nnd that tho blade alone cannot be j trui-ted, Goldwin Smith recently said that ho did not believe that sinco Demosthenes I there hart been n dozen greater orators than John Bright. However this may bo John Bright's oratory has the essential Demos thenenn qualify of massive simplicity. The absonco of that'quality in polemical speech or writing is suspicious. Tho most effective oratory in Congress or on the stump is that which is most direct, and the most powerful newspaper writing is the least vituperative. "Calling name?," personal flings and sarcasms, volleys of superlatives, alaborato sneers and affected contempt are the lees of discussion. They show that tho prep? is "runnin' empty." They do not convince, nor confound, nor convert. They prove morely that serious argument is exhausted. In the late English canvass tho_ mani festo of John Bright, simple, dignified, almost pathotic in its tone of sincere regret for difference of opinion, compared with the artificial fury of. Lord Randolph Churchill's, waa "a mighty admiral" con trasted with a tossing skiff, and during the extraordinary excitement by far the most, effective speeches against Mr Gladstone wero those of Bright, Go.=chon and Lord 1 Hnrtington, which wero ulso tho most j temperate, seriona and respectful in tone. j Young writers and ftpeakera may well i fltudy this nspoct of or:o of the most ox- I oiling ami important of modern political i conti;riveraica, and lenrn that fury is not i torce, and flint ribald vituperation, tho oaeient and ohoapest of rhetorcal trick?, is ■ not that powerful invective which is ns

An Instantaneous Death.

A utTMAMTAKIAN inventor of Leipzig has | just perfected a machine do?i.!!iie!] with tho object of enabling the lust: sentence of tho law to bo carried out with a minimum of suffering to the condemned person. There i« nothing formidable in the nopearurjeo 01 the apparatus. A raised platform of about 20 ft. square, a comfortable easy chair in tho centra of it, behind the chair a statue of Justice holding a balance in the left hand—that io all' the criminal ecos. A powerful olectric battery is installed under the platform and communicates with the chair. Ths victim is made to eit on the chair, to which ha can bo bound if neccsaary, the sentence of the court is read to him by the proper authority, the executioner bleaks the wand which ho carries in his hand as tho symbol of his office, and throws tlie pieces into ore of the sc-iles of the balance, which in Us descent discharges the battery. The inventor baa satisfied bimfelf by nwnerous experiments on animals thut the moa< of death he has devised is painless and inw-antausouo.

Some Remarkable Books.

(Bl'Ol/B hOXDOS CORRESPONDENT.)

London, October 22.

I.\ci>MrAHlil.Y tha most entertaining book of I lie kirn, that has aecn published during the present year ia Sir Francis Hastings Doyle's " Keiiiiisoonces and Opinions," ex tracts from \ a ich I forwarded you per Arawa. Sir F<\ncis ia a contemporary of Mr Gladstone s, oc j belonged to the famous clique of Etoniou, which included the ec- Premier, Milnea O^kell, Bruce (aftorwards Lord Elgin), Arthu Hallam (the hero of "In Meuioriam"), o hn lianmer (after wards Sir .1 nhn Hanmt^ VVentworth (after wards Lord Milton), at. Selwyn (afterwards tno Bishop of Lichtteld). Ona reads with the de^at, interest of the Dobating Society sot afooiat Miss Hatton'a th-i Bton confectioner's, unl of Mr Glad stone's maiden speech ti, re> which Sir Francis remembers began,_"gi r) j n thin age ot increased and increasing U7ilieation." Gladstone's advent gave ne\r 'jf 6 to this Debating Society, which soo, trebled in numbers. Arthur Hallam anl "Jladetone took the lead, supported by Milti^Gaskel', and others It was during tui, period Gladstone, Hanmer, Doyle, an 4 lelvvyn set afoot the " Eton Miscellany,* a,nhool papar that achieved no Email sur. ePSi After a time the whole weight of the y^ fail upon young Gladstone, and co i»iy did ho tackle it that Sir Francis Uoy,' a father waa inspired to predict his futu, greatness. "It is not, hs remarked t his son, "that I think Gladstone's paper* bettor than yours or Hallam'e, but the forcu of character ho has shown in irana giug liia subordinates (insubordinates, I should rather call them,) and the com bination of ability and power that he has made evident, convince me that euch a young man cannot fail to distinguish him self hereafter." At Oxford Gladstone neither boated nor rodo. Hl9 groat chums were Fredk Rogers (now Lord liluchtord) and Henry Denison, and with Uoyla or with one of these he would walk daily for an hour or two. The temptation of joining in the debates at the Union, tho young man steadily resisted till he hud made sure of distinction in the "schools." The most brilliant boy at Eton in Doyle's time was William Selwyn, elder brother of the Bishop of Lichfield. Though far superior to Goorgo Solwyn as a scholar and a Cambridge Don, William hadlesscbaracter and lece moral energy. At any-rate, be never di i much afterwards, but remained rather us lie had begun, a brilliant school boy to the end of his life. Of the four Selwyn brothers, tho third Selwyn minimus (in Eton phraseology) was by many con sidered the Coryphaeus of the family, but he died too young; to mako tho claim good. Shortly after leaving Eton, Doyle mat Sydney Smith, whom he, of course, found capital company. Smith introduced him to so:no nporiing men. One of them was tlie well known gentleman who, according to tradition, on boing told by his father that ho must drop his horsey talk and suit his c>:ivers-.vtion to the Bisuop of London, r.estinud to ait next to him at dinner, siiowed liis obedience by putting this ques tion, " Pray, Bishop, hniv long do you think it took Nebuchadnezzar to get into con dition after ho came up fn;m gruos ?"

Smith was rather a loose (ish as a young uiuu. ami in continual troubles, On iino occasion Lord Lanedowno undertook to "talk to Mm serious-ly " Youui; Siuitli listened in Fiienco till his inonitur finished, then jerked out this i-oemirigly irrelovant inquiry : "Lord Lans <iov.up, d i you know- I'ow -Jonas, Lloyd, and Co. mniio all t heir money ?" " No," replied I.ho puzzled peer. " fiicn I'll toll you," c-.id Sydney Smith, seriously, " In/ minding their owubushms."

Lafor in life Sir Francis, who had become o .Judge's Marshal, went the northern circuit"and picked up a number of enter taining storiee of Biron3 Pirke, Aldorson, and teaman. Ho acted best man to Mr G!ad?tono on the occasion of hie wedding, and iiives us a sympathetic account of that most interesting" ceremony. It if, however, the venerable baronet's Oxford memories that form the morf inter esting portion of his bonk. At the Varsity hclir?f met Cardinal Manning, Cardinal New man, Lord Stanley (now Lo'd Derby,) and, Bob Lowe. Mo*t entertaining i« his account of tho lp-tter's (Idbnl at the Union. Gladstone and Milnes Ga?kell were then the leading Christcburch debater?, whilst Henry Wilberforce and Hardinge upheld the reputation of Oriel. Doylo describes how ho had noticed with interest tho regular attendance of an old gentleman with snow-white hair at the debates, and wondered who he was, Tho information was Roon to be vouchs-afed. Whilst the Reform Debate was going on, some earnest young Tory denounced Lord Grey and his colleagues as a "vile crew of traitors." He had hardly finished when up jumped Young Doyle's white haired patriarch, and iTi bold and vigorous tone of voice thus called tha Tory speaker to task : " The honourable gentleman baa called Her Majesty's Ministers a crew. We accept the omen ; a crew they are, and with Lord Grey for stroke, Lord Brougham for steerer, BDd the whole people of Eoglarjd hallooing on the banks, I can toll the honourable gentleman they are pretty cure of winning their race" Down he sat, loudly and de servedly applauded. The white-haired patriarch was young Bob Lowe, now Lord Sherbrooke. For Charles Greville, the author of the famous, not to say notorious "Greville Memoirs," Sir Francis seems to have but small respect. He pos6es-ed a. snarling and cantankerous temper, modified, however, by a strong een39 of humour, and his manner of telling a story against himself, outbursts of anger alternating with flashes ■ of fun, was often highly amusing. Tho last chapter of this entertaining work describes Sir Francis Doyle's rapture with Mr Gladstono over the fatal Irish Home Rule question. It also contains some quamt weather reminiscences. 'Tib men tioned, for example, that tho winter of 1838 was extremsly severe. On one of the coldest mornings the Bishop of London asked his Fnlbam gardinor what sort of a night it had been. The answer came at once, " Oh cruel cold, cruel cold, my lord, fivu degree bolow Ne.ro (Nero)." One might go on picking the plums out of Kir Francis's work for a long time ; but I'wonld net; be fair. Enough htw probably been paid t • show tint 'tis emphatically a book everybody should rend. The most powerful novel that I havo read for a very long time i* " The Silence of Dean Maitland," said to bo by a now author, ona "Maxwell Gray," and pub lished by Kegan, Paul and Trench, last week. UniefH, however, 1 am sadly at fault, "Maxwell Gray" is merely anew pseudonym adopted by "Lucas Malet" (Wise Kingsley,) whoee Colonel Enderby's Wife " created such a Etir about 10 months

"The' Silence of Dean Maitland " ia a story ot a saintly and austere young clergy man's favx jias and its fatal consequences to himself and many others. To describe have in bald outline tho nature of Cyril Maitiand'e fin and pilonce would be to con voy an entirely wrong impression of the novel Suffice it to say, that without being vulgarly sonea'tional the plot is full of in cident and moat artistically worked out. Tha character of the manly, unselfish, chivalrous Henry Everard, who suffers so unjustly through his friend's perfidy, will doubtless remind many of Colonel Ender by.

A very different and far moro trivial tale

is Mrs Forrester's " Once Again," evidently intended to be a sort of tract against_ run away matcheE. Yet it is not badly written. A penniless, warm-hearted young officer persuades a weak, vain, and silly girt the

daughter of a rich widow to elope, with him. They got married at tho Registrar's, and are driving to Charing Cross station e« route for Paris, when the hansom upsets, all but killing the young husband, who is taken to a hospital, where he lies senseless for far many'weeks, and then but slowly re covers his sanity. The girl, meanwhile, returns home and confesses to her mother, who pretends she is not legally married to the young man paints him aa an idiot'foz' life, and generally does her best to make the girl fear and hate him. So well does this treatmont succeed that when another suitor turns up a little later she accepts him. Of course the mother has then to intervene and confesH tho marriage was real and that her daughter's husband is recovering. He comes at length to claim his wife, but only to find she hates and loathes him, has given her heart to another man, and will never, never livo with him, etc. How the difficulty is solved it would not be fair to tell.

" Clare of Claresmede," by Cha?. Gibbon, is a commonplace romance of Cavaliers and Roundheads that would have made up well enough into a boy's book at three shillings and sixpence, but is quite unworthy the traditional three volumes. Equally tiresome in a different manner must be pro nounced " Miss Harrington's Husband," by Florence Marryat, an unworthy attempt to make literary capital out of Ellen Terry's domestic troubles. .

The Cook's Fortune.

A cook in the service of the Rev. C. G. Lane, rector of Little Gaddesden, Herts, has come into a fortune of £300,000. The 'ucky person is a widow named Adobok, nd she has been with Mr Lane only about lyear. The statement that she has re- Clved the money is premature, but there Is noeason to doubt that she will do so, and tha probably in a few days. Ske has re oem assurances that her title W undis puted a nd the has been accepted by the C vr t of Chancery aa one 6\ the heirs, jjor has the amount been brer stated. The legacy is part of the p»o ---ceeds of -, e3 tat9 in London of the value, it is eaid,,f between two and three millions, which sut ; s t 0 be divided among ten claimants. The estate belonged to Mrs Ad cock's grar.iather, a gentleman named At weH, and v\ originally very munh larger; but in the lu\i m e of the testator sixteen houses were gign to one of th<- London hos pitals. A sin v j ar circumstance is con nected with the. cc overy of this property. Money deposited Chancery lapses to the Crown in the evin 0 { no heira turning up within a certain lumber of years, and is applied to tn, reduction of tha National Debt, ani i\ the present instance the claim was lodj«d only two days before the expiry of the peici. Since Mrs Adcock received informationof her fortune she hag left her situation, anci sa (; present residing in London. Although^ is about 60 years of age, it is said she la , already received thirteen offers of mari 9 g e . The re'etory has during the last few i^yg been besieged with shoals of letters fro, persons solicit ing donations for all soita f charitable and other purposes. ' .

Sun Spots and Terrestrial Phenomena.

The question of sunepota and t^ weather ia still debated with about the sa> 6 vigour as evor ; but, on the whole, there gems to i be no reason to modify the opim, D 8 ex pressed in the text. While it is notat all unlikely that careful and continued iivesti gatiou will reßult in establishing Bomt real influence of eun-spots upon terresrial meteorology, it, is now also practic.Hy cortiin that this influence, if it exiits nt all, is extremely insignificant, and \o mafltod and voiied as to be very difficult ti detormino. There is no ground or reason for the current speculations of certain news paper writers who ascribe almost every great storm in the eastern part of the United States to some eun-apot or other. The strange connection between solar disturbances und magnetic disturbances on the earth has, however, become more certain, if possible, than ever before, and is no longer anywhere disputed. In November, 1882, there was a very remark able instance of an intense magnetic storm and polar aurora, simultaneous over all the oarth, and coincident with the; sudden outbreak of an enormous group of sun- Mr Lockyer announces, as the result of a long series of observations upon sun-epot spectra, that there is a striking difference between the spot-spectra at the time of maximum and minimum sun-spot frequency; the lines that are moat conspicuous by widening and darkening are by no means the same in the two cases. The most.re markable change ia in the lines of iron, which are usually conspicuous, but almost vanish from the spot-spectrum at the Bun spot maximum. .; \ "v

The Diet of Consumptives.

The appetite of consumptive patients ia very capricious, and daily grows more so if it be not sharpened by exercise. When the food taken is not applied to the purposes of nutrition, it is better left untasted; -for otherwise it Hes undigested in the alimen tary canal, and sets up a serious train of dyspeptic symptoms, nausea, anddiorrhoia. Kind friends often, with the most provoking and mistaken good nature, thrust upon the consumptive relays of tho most improper food, because the necessity for nourishment is obvious. But the fact is that, when the lungs are acting indifferently, digestion cannot go on actively, since, as Arbuthnbt well observed, respiration is "the second digestion." Hence tho quantity of ;fcpd taken by the consumptive person sbonld/be small at each meal; but ths meals may; if the Benaations of the patient require, it, be more frequent than in health:, Of animal foods, mutton is the * best. Fatty and oily foods, which constitute the respiratory class, should predominate, and fresh butter, with bread, may be tyl'en almost ad libitum, so long as it agrees "with j the stomach. Cream, too, is excellent, and , the luxury of curds and cream ia .very, suit able. Milk, whenever it suits.ie advisable as a constant drink food, and good costs' milk, new, answers every purpose. <£hpre I are, as far as I can gather from numerous cases in which I have seen them tried,. no such specific virtues in asses', milk and goats' milk as some have supposed, Tea may be taken, in moderation, , with perfect safety. Fresh vegetable-•diets sliould not be omitted ; and fruit<3> especi ally roasted opple3, are always admissible, except in inetancos when they excite irjre gular action of tho bowels. The Iceland moss has had a great reputation, as have jellies of different kinds, but these are.often slow in digestion, and they have no spepific value. !,i,-.i

Mark Twain.

SAMUEL L. Clemens ("Mark Twainl') seems to grow nervous with tho advance of years, possibly from too much prosperity in the publishing business. He was ia the corridor of the Murray Hill Hotel a day or two Rgo. He was not still ' for n moment, but was moviDg about: con stantly in a quick and jerky iraanner. The humorist is a physical study. ■He might be thrown as a strange typo upon canvas by a capable portrait'painter with great effect. He has a big head wfth a great shock of iron grey hair, beetling eyebrows, and a bushy moustache. ' His face i 8 big. His nose is large, b"t Is notty any means a remarkable nose of any type. It is a mongrel rind a mixture. ' His eyes are large, black, and sleepy. Somebody once described him on the lecture platform as looking like a mammoth interrogation point. - - ' ' '•' t-'■ ''

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THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAJft, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1881.