MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 59, 3 January 1877, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Mr Vincent Pyke addressed his constituents at Banhockburn, recently. Two hundred electors were present. He went fully into the work of the past session, dwelling upon tbe question of separation, Counties Act and Waste Lands Admins* 1 ration . A unanimous vote of entire confidence was passed. A good, deal has been said of la|e as to the disadvantage of the carbine at a long range, in competition with the Snider rifle. To show, however, what a good shot may accomplish with a carbine, tbe Otago Daily Times mentions that Lieutenant Muir, at thesQo yards range, using a carbine, succeeded in scoring 37 out of a possible 40. He made eight bull's-eyes, a centre and an outer. In many counties in Victoria the system is adopted of holding the council meeting alternately in the various towns of the county, so as to give all parts of a shire an opportunity of meeting their representatives. The system (says the Dunstan Times) if carried out in New Zealand, would, we think, work well, and would prevent that feeling of discontent and jealousy that is sure to arise if any I one town has, so to speak, the monopoly j of all the meetings and business of the county. I The Council of the Otago Convention has issued a circular as follows *.— " That while the Council is of opinion that it would be highly desirable tbat the people throughout Otago should treat the Counties Act as a dead letter, at the same time that in every district there will be found some who will give effect to the Act ; and seeing, moreover, the large power of taxation which the Act confers, and the annoyance and expense to which whole districts may be subjected against their will at the hands, it may be, of a small minority, the Council is of opinion that the whole people throughout the province should take part in the election of county councillors, with a view of securing the return of men in whom tbey have confidence, and at whose bands the powers of the Act will not be ebused." American journals criticise everything with a pretty free pen. Even matters of religion are often treated of lightly, or in language approaching levity. One jourpal thus mildly remarks on a missionary work amongst tbe Chinese of San Francisco ;— " The Rev. John Hemphill, a worthy laborer for the Gospel, will haye what earnest laborers like— a good, long, steady job — in fanning into even a moderate flame the spark of Christian | feeling which he hopefully thinks is " latent in the Chinese heart." Most of our readers know (says tbe Ballarat Star) that the late Julia Mathews has a neico in Ballarat wbo has shown considerable histrionic ability, aod we now learn witb pleasure that Mrs ScottSiddons has promised to take the young lady under her care whenever the great tragedienne gats a company together." The Printer's Register supplies the following particulars regarding the late Mr George Smith, tbe Assyrian explorer, who died at Aleppo, on the 19th August : —Mr Smith was born, it is believed, in Chelsea. His parents, both of whom survive him, belong to the artisan class. They seDt him to school until he was in bis fifteenth year, when he was appren* ticed to Messrs Bradbury aud Evans, printers, London. He served bis full seven years with them, and was a great favorite with all belonging to the estab*. lishment. He was intelligent and of decidedly literary tastes. Before he had served his time he began to frequent the British Museum, and soon set earnestly to work to master tbe arrow-headed writing. As a student of the Assyrian inscriptions, which he felt sure would clear up the Bible chronology, he attracted tbe notice of Sir Henry Rawlinson, and in 1867 he was attached to Sir Henry's staff. In 1870 he was appointed senior assistant to Dr. Birch. His principle works for English readers were his " Assyrian Discoveries," giving an account of his two expeditions to Nineveh — viz., in 1873 and in 1874 respectively, and his " Chaldean Genesis." The sensation caused by the announcement of bis discovery of an 4 ss y r i an account of the deluge will not soon be forgotten." A capital anecdote of the late Sultan of Turkey is told. He was very fond of gossip, and sent for the banker, Abraham Beg, to learn the scandal of Pera and Stamboul. As Abraham was being con» ducted to tbe presence by the Master o£ tbo Horse that functionary begged him, should the Sultan question bim on the subject, to say that the funds were thirty, his Majesty having been so informed by his Ministers. Poor Abraham consented. He had not been long with Abdul Aziz when he was questioned as to the funds, aud replied as he had promised. To the horror of the banker, the Sultan expressed himself delighted, and handed Abraham a large bundle of hands to sell for him. Abraham sold at twelve, and paid Abdul Aziz thirty. It is net often a Jewish banker tumbles into such a pitfall. " Snyder," in the Coromandel Mail, sums up Sir George Grey in a very few words :— " Sir George Grey has retired for the present to his island home at Kawau. It would have been better for hid health, for his happiness, for his pocket, aud. for almost everything that is his, that be had never left uU beautiful

retreat. We give Sir Geor? j t***S*Lb e fullest credit for bis sincerity, and *v«^jre indebted to him for his endeavours, f*\4» less as tbey have been, to free the coah, i*y from its many corruptions. But Sir^Rorge is not and never was the man to -< ft rt any good in this direction. There 13 too much the look of clap-trap in his speeches —too much of tbe ' inalienable rights of the people,' when uo one bas ever disputed tbeir rights. If we did not know that Sir George Grey was earnest, that he could not be bought for any bribe that could be offered ; if we did not know that he had sacrificed time, money, and health when he might have been living in elegant retirement. If we did not know these things as we do know tbem, we should take Sir George to be a political Jeremy Diddler. That is how he would be gauged at a distance by those who, not knowing the man, have only been able to judge by his Parliamentary speeches. We, who know Sir George Grey, can only value him for what he has attempted to accomplish, but which he bas never been able to accomplish. He i 3, doubtless, as honest as ever was Washington, but tbe American statesman could direct, command, persuade, and control, and none of these moving powers does Sir George Grey possess in the most remote degree, inside the arena of polities. And j old colonists will never forget tbat when Sir George Grey was in power he was difficult to approach. His will was law as far as he dared to carry it. He did not allow himself to be made amenable to any thing or any one. When Governor of the colony be was as much disliked by the people as he now— deprived of his power— is beloved by them. We hope Sir George Grey will study his own happiness, and remain calm and undisturbed in his retirement." A remarkable case of monition by a dream bas been reported to tbe Ballarat Star. The widow of a Preabyterian elder, recently deceased, had continued to reside in the house where ber husband died, and had failed to find a certain important document for which she had made minute search. One night she dreamt that her husband appeared to her, took her by the shoulders, and said, " the paper you were looking for is wrapped round the others." The widow thereafter renewed ber search for the document, and found it was the wrapper of others which she had previously examined in vain. The following further information re» specting the man Curtlin and his crime was talegraphed to the Wellington Post : — Curtlin is a vicious looking man, • Sft. sin. bigh. He was an old digger. His clothes were satui ated with blood. It has been found that Curtlin cut the rope in his own bouse witb a knife before the murder. It is believed that he mur« dered Shanaban before tying him up. Curtlin unsuceessfuliy applied to several magistrates for a warrant after tbe murder. Curtlin is in great disrepute, and would have been lynched if he had made his appearance at Ararimu after tbe murder. The body of Shanaghan was fearfully beaten about the head. Curtlin has no marks except a slight scratch on his thumb. He represented that be had been struck behind the ear by Shanaghan, and that a bump was there, but Constable M'Lennan found no mark. Shanaghan was a general favorite in that district. That illustrious person, Tom Thumb, is coming to our part of the world, more especially with the intention of visiting New Zealand, a part of Australia not included in his* first tour. He will be accompanied by Mrs Tom Thumb, Minnie Warren, and Major Newell, who takes the place of Commodore Nutt, whicb latter gentleman is not dead, as was reported, but very much alive, and in the variety business. A London contemporary states :— At Bow-street Police Court, on Friday, Inspector Baker, of the A Division, said a lad named Phillip Joneg, aged 16, had been brought to the Ring-street Police Station as being destitute. It transpired* that he had worked his way as a sailor from Ne^r Zealand to New York, from there to Liverpool, and then on to London. On arriyal at the latter port, he went to one of the so-called sailor's homes, where he remained three weeks. As he had no money they turned him away, and he had wandered about the streets until taken into custody. He was now desirous of entering the British navy, but one obstiele stood in the way. By the Admiralty Regulations it was necessary that, where any one under 18 wished to join the navy, a declaration before the Magistrate must be made by his parents or guardians to the effect tbat tbey were consenting parties to his so joining. In the present case the lad had neither parents' nor guardians in England who could sign such a paper, and in conse* quence the navy would not have him. The lad, wbo was in Court, told his own story to the Magistrate. He said he was born in New Zealand where he could get plenty of work to do, but he thought he would like to "see the world," and so went for a sailor. He went about to different ports until he arrived in London. He went to the "home,"' and paid 15s, all the money he had, for one week's board. He was taken ill, and had to remain two weeks more, for which he was now indebted, and so they would not keep him any longer. When he left New Zealand he thought he should find work

anywhere just as easily as there. He bad found his mistake. After some fur* tber statements, the lad was sent to the workheuse for a few days until the authorities had time to make some inquiry into his case.