OUR EXCHANGES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2987, 31 May 1893, Page 2

OUR EXCHANGES.

PHOHIBITION ORDERS. | The Queensland Full Court pave an important decision recently concerning the granting of prohibition orders. On an ex parte anplicaoion an order was granted against Captain John Strachan, directing that no intoxicating drinks should be supplied to him. The Full Court, on application, granted a rule absolute quashing the order. Mr Justice Hard'ng laid down the law that the effect of the ordei was to interfere with the personal liberty of the subject, and, said his Honor :—" It is one of the strongest principles of British law, and one of the highest privilege Englishmen enjoy under it, that a man cannot be deprived of his liberty of person or reputation unless there is a judicial inquiry legal under the law." The remaining members of the Court consented to the quashing order, but the Chief Justice expressed some doubt as to whether the Legislature had not "expressly or impliedly given authority to act without necessary authority " —that is, without the person against whom such an application is made being informed of the ! fact. COMPETITIVE PREACHING. i Alluding to a movement to put down the evils of competitive preaching in connection with the selection of ministers in Scotland, the "North British Daily Mail" says :—"lf an opinion spread in the church that the sup3rior persons who are at the head of this movement to put down the evils of competitive preaching want to put themsalves as patrons and choosers of ministers in the place of the people, would it not be better in the end to let all the evils of competitive preaching and praying go on rather than risk the tumult which would arise against the new form of patronage ? A man with the gift of the gab and HtJe more may sometimes get in under the present system, but not often if the people are anything judicious in their choice ; but by referring the choice of the minister to a board of selection, not only would all the worst evils of the old form of patronage be revived, but in addition the younger ministers of the church be put in training to become accomplished snobs, for it would everywhere be understood that no learning or piety, but obsequiousness to the board of selection, was the passport to a parish church." 4. SUMMER WITHOUT NIGHTS. To the summer visitor in Sweden there is nothing more striking than the almost total absence of night. At Stockholm, the Swedish capital, the sun goes down a few minutes before ten o'clock, and rises again four hours later, during a greater part of the month of June. But the four hours the sun lies hidden in the frozen north are not hours of darkness—the refraction of his rays as he passes around the north pole makes midnight as light as a cloudy midday, and enables one to read the finest print without artificial light at any time daring the night.' At the head of the Gulf of Bothnia th< ra is a mountain on the summit of which the sun shines perpetually during the five days of June 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23. Every six hours during this season of continual sunshine a steamer leaves S ojkholm crowded with visitors anxious to witness the phenomenon. At the same placa during the winter the sun disappears, and is not seen for weeks ; then it comes in sight again for 10, 15, or 20 minutes, gradually lengthening its stay until finally it stays in sight continuously for upwards of 120 hours. THE ST. BERNARD MYTH. Look at the lies that have been told for the last 100 years about the St Bernard dogs ! People really believe that when a snowstorm comes on the St Bernard dog goes out with a blanket, a flask of whisky, a spirit lamb, a box of matches, soma mustard plasters, and a foot bath strapped on his back. Vyhen he n>eets a frozen traveller we are told that he sits down and lights his spirit lump, mixes some hot whUky and pours ie down the traveller's throat, gives him a hot footbath, puts mustard plasters on the soles of his feet, rubs him down, and wraps him up in the blanket, and hoists- him on his back and brings him to the convent, where the monks put him to bed and read prayers to him till he feels strong enough to put some money in the contribution box, and to continue his journey. Now, I've been to St Bernard Convent. I went there just to meet one of these dogs, and see for myself whit he could do. There was a p&ok of about 40 of them, but the only thing they did was to sit up all night and bark at the moon while the monks shied wooden sandals at them out of the windaws. I wanted to see a few travellers rescued from the snow, but the monks said that the supply of travellers had been running low of late years. Still, they added that if I'd go to sleep in a snow bank a mile or two from the convent they would see what could be done. I wasn't going to risk the forfeiture of my life insurance policy by any such foolishness as that, so I came away without seeing any dog per-formance.—-W. L. Alderi, in "The Idler. 1' ELECTRIC LIGHTING FOE THE MILLION. Mr W. H. Preece, the chief consulting engineer fco the British Post Office, reporting officially upon the best mode of carrying out an electric lighting order granted by the Bjard of Trade to the Lambeth (London) Vestry, and subse--1 quently confirmed by Parliament, rebuts the idea that the electric light is so costly as to bring it only within the reach of the rich. The experience, he states, at Newcastle (England), the great coal centre, where gas is only Is lOd per 1000 cubic test, and at Bradford (Yorkshire) shows that it is now within easy reach of the poor man. The average cost per electric lamp at the former place was last year 6s 3d, and at the latter place, to which coal has to be brought from a distance, 9s 7d. It is therefore manifest that electricity can now be supplied at less cost than gas. Mr Preece is now engaged in determining the best and cheapest mode of fitting up small tenements, so as to bring ifc most easily within the reach of the poor as a domestic luminant. He states that the total capital required to light the whole parish of Lambeth, one of the largest districts' of London, with a population largely exceeding half a million, will probably eventually reach £300,000, but adds that to Comply with the requirements of the provisional order and to make a good start will not require more than £75,000, for which sum, he states, sufficient plant can be obtained to supply energy to 20,000 lamps alight at one time, which would mean 40,000 lamps fixed. A NEW WAY. Among the first patients of a young hospital nurse was a young man with a broken arm and an attractive appearance. The demure, white-capped nurse began to take an unusal interest in him, and, after a timo, asked him if there was nothing she could do for him—no book she cculd read, no letter she could write. The patient gratefully accepted the latter offer, and thp nurse prepared,. ty wriVe from his dictation, He began with a tender addresa to his '* dearest love," and the little nurse felt slightly embarrassed. But she continued through the moat ardent declarations of all absorbing a^'ecUon to, the end, where he wished to be subscribed an adoring love for all time, Then she folded the letter and slipped it ;nio its envelope. 'To whom shall I direct ib V she asked. The wicked young fellow said amiably, and even tenderly : "What is your name, please ?" T^ey have bean married a little over a ye»t |

labok. ( The Wellington Trades and Labor t Council, replying to a letter from the Knights of Labor at Pdhiatua in reference to the condition of the labor market, say : •'The glutted state of the labor market and its rem dy is one that the Goverrmenb has endeavoured to struggle with for some considerable time past, and, to a certain extent, with the assistance of its LaV>our department, has been successful. This institution has been the means ot providing work for hundreds of work- , iag men, and, possibly by the successful administration of its officers, has in an indirect way beeii the means of inducing considerable numbers of working men to come to our shores from Australia and other parts." The Council say they have authentic authority for staling lhac a number of new arrivals are of an undesirable class, and adds : '* Although the colony of New Zealand undoubtedly is in a prosperous condition, it is not bo much as to warrant an influx ot the class which has been mentioned as undesirable ; but it ia impossible to impress this upon that class when we find our own members of Legislature statin;; on the other side that there were not 50 unemployed in any one city in New Zealand, when we know as a matter of fac*"that there are hundreds. Such statements as these are to an unlimited extent responsible for the state of the labor market in New Zealand at the present time." The Council decided to send a copy of the letter to each of the Trades Councils in Australia, requesting them to make it as public as possible, in order that the working classes in Australia shall not be led astray regarding the condition of the labor market in New Zealand. A JEALOUS HUSBAND. A newly married man who recently visited Wellington on business, consulted a " clairvoyant" tlure. He wanted to know what his wife was doing. The clairvoyant told him she was looking out of the window at that moment evidently expecting shmeone. " Strange," muttered the husband, " whom can she expect?" " f omeone enters; she caresses him fondly." "It's a lie!" exclaimed the! husband." Now he lays his head on her lap, and looks tenderly into her eyes, i ■•' It's false," yelled the jealous husband ; , " I'll make you pay for this." <k Now he i wags his tail," went on the clairvoyant, i The green-eyed monster vanished. The I client, greatly relieved, paid the clair-, voyant a double fee and left. i