MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 15 April 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

♦ The Scotsman gives an account of an alranst incredible scare of which the poople of fckye have recently been the victims. A Free Church minster made the startling announcement on Sunday morning that the Russians had invaded England, and he warned his congregation to betake themselves at once to the defence of their hearths and homes. The Russian invasion was further declared to be prompted by domestic treason and the Queen, acting on her own responsibility, bad committed Mr Gladstone to prison for complicity therein. The story was accepted in good faitb by the simple islanders, and their cocstornation was unbounded until some superior person discovered it to be a hallucination. The explantion of the whole affair was not that the minister had been hoaxed or had gone mad, played off a practical joke upon his people, nor was the story of Mr Gladstone's imprisonment a distorted version of recent events in the House of Commons.' The innocent cause of the scare was an English comic paper, containing some sorry jest about "Russians invading England and Mr Gladstone being sent to the Tower . It bad some » how found its way to Skye, and falling into the hands of the minister, was mistaken by that worthy man for a serious newspaper. All Scotland is laughing at the joke and wondering how many ministers of like simplicity are still to be found in the Highlands or in the Free Kirk. London Society admires wealth so very much that it is rapidly raising the' Rothschilds to a position intermediate between that of English nobles and Royal Princes. Their movements, festivities, and marriages are chronicled in the newspapers like those of the most important personages in Europe. The marriage, for instance, of Baron Leopold to Madile Perugia, at the Synagogue in Great Portland street, was recorded on Thursday with all the particularity of a royal wedding and was attended by the Prince of Wales and Lord Heaconsfield, in spite of the snowdrifts. The festivities were of the 'Arabian Nights,' kind, a great florist, for txample, refusing to sell for a week, that his hot-houses might be full for the wedding, and the list of presents being apparently written by the author of • Endymion.' There were no ' ropes of pearls,' and indeed, no gift, marked by originality; there were a sbopful of diamonds and i gold and silver articles. The Roths* ! childs are probably proud of all this, i but they should read the story of tb

Fuggers, who prejeded them a* the great loanmongers of Europe, and who became, under Charles V., sovereign Princes, as though mediatised, they still are. That is the >pmost brick cf the chimney ; and it is not gained yet. Could they not buy out the Grimaldis of th# Lichtensthins P— Spectator. That dredgng the bed of the River Molyneux is likely to become of some importance h borne out by the fact that two private companies have been formed wifh that object One Company (the Time! says) cona:s:ing entirely of Lmnedin shareholders has a large quantity of materai on the ground adjoning the Mutton Town Creek for building their dredge. The other company, in which we notice the ' names of some well known residents of Alexander, in conjunction with that of Mr McQueen, of Donedin, have applied for a special claim for dredging purposes. For a few days there was a coolness between France tad Ettgltmd about theaffairs of Tunis, bus the dif&cultr qu : ckly passed away. There is a dispute between a French company and a British aueject about purchase of a large tract of land. The French company brought come Arabs from Algeria, and at the instigation of tbe i French Consul ejected the Englishmanfrom the estate. The French Govern* ment >ent an ironclad from Brest to watch proceedings, to overcome the local powers, or to assert a protectorate, as circumstances might render safe or advisable. The British Government, with equal promptitude, ordered the Thunderer from Malta to tbe scene of action, The two, however, meanwhile conferred, and arrived at the sensible conclusion that both ships should be withdrawn and the matter left to the local courts to settle according to Mussulman law, the French being especially enjoined tokeep quiet The band of Sir Charles Dilke majr be traced in this prompt piece of work. Italy, being a rival claimant with France for the good graces of Tunis, has been a vigilant spectator, and is no doubt gratified at the effect produced by England's interference. The Bey of Tunis eyidently dislikes the French, and as lie was lately on a vixit to theKing of Italy there is a great deal of jealousy all around. The- Bey is said to be disposed to establish closer relationship with Constantino* pie, yet this may be doubted. It may be expected that the example set by the Land Leaguers in> Ireland will be followed in some quarters on the Continent, although! tbe agricultural classes are, as a rule slow to imitate political movements.. There are rumors of the formation of something like a land league working by intimidation in Russia, while there is considerable agitation among the bauers, small landowners, in Austria bat what they suffer from is. chiefly clerical domination. Dr EU : 8, the new precentor at St_ Andrew's Cathedral, is drawing great concourses of people by his remarkablesermons on Everyday Life, Thecat nedral is thronged every night He i» considered one of the most eloquent preachers in Sydney. At one factory in Philadelphia 25001 b of beef fat, 1500 quarts of milk, and 15001 b of bntter are daily consumed in the manufacture of oleomargarine or bogus butter. At Penßhurs f . (Victoria) a msn was sent to goal for having no visible means of support. On being searched £1.81 IBa in cash was found upou him. A match has been arranged between Corbett, of Sydney, and M'lndoe, of Melbourne, to swim half a mile for championship of Australia, at Sydney* about the 30th April for £200 aside. The jury of Fine Arts' section of the Melbourne Exhibition have awarded the American Waltham Watch Company first order of merit for engraving and enamelling. The Company thus takes the highest award for watches. A small piece of charcoal but intoa pot with boiling cabbage remove* the smell. Tumblers that have had milk in them should never be put into hot water Mr H. R. Uae forwards Mr Guinness* opinion relative to the exaction of School Fees by the School Committee, as fol* lows:— ' Greymouth, March 11, 1881 — H. B. Rae, Esq.. Hokitika— Dear Sir : Id reply to your favor of 9th instant, asking for my opinion whether the circu* Ur addressed by tbe Hokitika Local School Committee to the parents of children attending the Uokitika State School legal demand for the money claimed and is in accordance with the Education Act, 18T7, 1 am clearly of opinion, after care* fully perusing all sections of the act bearing upon tbe question, that tbe circular is quite illegal and any one wishing to resist payment can legally do §3.-^ Yours truly—A. B, Guurcrx]!.*-