MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 3 October 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tbe veteran steamship Great Britain, which was one of the wonders of the period io which she was built, and which now lies in the West Float, Birkenhead, has just been offered for sale at Liverpool. The Great Britain is of 5270 tons gross, and 1765 tons net register. She was for many years in the Australian trade, in which she made some rapid passages, and she has also done good service as a troopship. In the * bill of particulars * it is stated that her construction is of great strength. She is admirably adapted for the cattle trade across the Atlantic, her high tween decks and side ports affording fine ventilation. She can carry live stocks on three decks. Her beautiful lines peculiary adapt ber for a sailing ship, and with her machinery taken ont she wonld, it k calculated, carry upwards of 4000 tons dead, weight. .She is 326 ft long, with 50ft 6in breadth and 31ft &'m depth. The biddings began at £2000 and went up to £6500. There being no advance, the steamer was withdrawn from tbe sale. Most of the members of the British Government are landed proprietors, The Premier owns 7000 acres of land, Mr Dodson, 30,000, Lord Kimberley 11.000, Lord Norlhbroke, 11,000, Lord Spencer, 27, C00, and the Marquis of Huntley 90,000, Tbe Marquis of Hartington, although nob himself a landowner, at present, is heir to 20,000, acres, while the Duke of Argyll, the late holder of the Privy Seal, is the proprietor of 175.000 acres. Several other members of the \ Government own less ambitious estates. Tbe gold-fever is at its height in Tasmania. At Beaconsfield, the great j centre of gold production, one mine j

alone has paid £200,000 m dividends. The Mount Bischoff tin mine, out of which several people have m .de hi_» fortune., has diyided, over £200,000 among its shareholders. The sHd mines are being worked mainly with Victorian capital. A very sensible motion has been tabled for the consideration of the Victorian Racing Club. It advises that the weights in a handicap should be kept within a certain limit. The proposal is that the minimum weight in all handicap race, on the flat for three- year old. and upwards shall not go below fot. and in hurdle races and steeplechases not under 9 .t. It is to be hoped the members will support the scheme, for it commends itself to the sense of every racing man, I With regard to a supply of lymph for vaccination purposes " the New Zealand Times understands that tbe pure calf lymph sent for to Belgium by the Government has arrived, but does not promise much. Tbe experiments made with it have provided failures, and it therefore seems to have lost its vitality on the voyage out. This, however, is of very, little consequence, as there is very pro babiliry of abundance of pure lymph being obtained in the colony. Experiments made upon a calf by Dr Neill, of the Mount View Lunatio Asylum, have proved eminently successful, several persons of this cicy have been effectively vaccinated witb lymph from the animal. We also hear that lymph is being finely obtained from, tbe herds of C mterbury. No expose can now be urged against vaccination, save by those who profess to doubt its efficacy. The opponents of the arm toarm system are met with the provsion of pure lymph, and therefore we bopa that systematic periodical vaccination, will soon become tbe custom if not the law of the land. Tbe subject, is, however, one that must be legis* lated for next session. How does the increased population of Great Britain subsist ? Says a Home papes :— Mr Chamberlian reminded the guests at the Trinity House on. Wednesday that even in a decade of years the population ofthe UnitedKingdom (of Great Britain only, by the way, not of Ireland) had increased •by nearly three and a half millions — more than the total population of our prosperous Australasian colonies, and that increase was coincident with tho fact that during the same period we have been able to send half a million, to the colonies to found communities all over the world, and at the same time we have sent out something like a million of inhabitants to add to the prosperity to the United States. Well,, what have these three and a half millions of new comers been doing toget a living ?- There haa been do iudustrial expansion in any branch, manufacturing or agricultual. On tbe contrary, as we kaow, there haa been a marked depression. Nearly every traie in the country professes tQ have been doing badiy, and there haa neve r been so small on increase of the amount. How, tben, has tbis large new percentage of population found employment ? We wonder how the President of the Board of trade would answer this economic riddle.