MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1035, 13 January 1882, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

• # — — . ' . ... - What a strange career has that of Sir Gavari Duffy, &C.M.G. bee*w Forty years ago he was if leader of theYoung Ireland party , and joint editor' with John Dillon of its organ, the < Nation.' Two years teter he was trie* with O'Connell for sedition, and conviction through as everyone known, the conviction was quashed by the Houlß of Lords. Soon after he split wM O'Connell, and started a new party,the leaders of which were tried for treason felony in 1848, though a <ton viction was never obtained* against them. He was M.P, for Kew Bpss for a short time, but further «tzfler6ttotff with his party induced" him to resign and emigrate to Australia Here- he once more took to politics, and with sogreat success that he rose in fifteen years to be Prime Minister of Victoria, and in 1 868 was decorated by the Soverign of whom in his early years he had not been to put-it mildly, the motfcfoytl of subjects. And-now in hisold^ age he is talked of as a possible lea** of the Irish opposition. . Further intelligence frlßl the Nunde (N-S.W.) goldfields confirms thews cecmt previously given of * wonderful goU discovery near Hanggfcig Rock by a miner named Royscv whose claim has in a few days already yielded 541 b. of gold. The result of kk work may now be seen in several' most magnificent specimens, among which are several small perfect sttfts of the precious metal, each live to seven inches thick. He has now 371 b weight of stone which he fully expects ta yield 75 per cent of gold. The oldest miners agree that nothing like this has ever been found in the Colony. ' Says a Home paper :— Considerable attention is being paid to the subject of forest destruction in the Australian colonies. In New Zealand the Kauri pine is being fast exterminated, and Dr Hector has pointed out that annual destruction of the New Zealand forests during the thirty-eight years terminalting in 1868 was at the rate of 23 per cent, while in the succeeding five years 20 per cent, in addition was destroyed of what remained, being at the rateperprovincefollows : Auckland, 27 ; Taranaki 1 1 ; Wellington, 25 ; Hawke's Bay, 30; Nelson, 20 ; Canterbury, 33; Otago. 10; Marlborough, 28. In Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia, the evils arising from reckless and wholesome deforestation are beginning to make themselves felt in increase dryness of climate, longer droughts and more numerous bush fires. The Daily News states :— " Guion steamer Wisconsin recently sailed from the Mersey for New York, having on board about 400 Mormons amongst her passengers. This is the fifth company of Mormons who have left Liverpool during the present year, and is also the last batch this season. They include twenty elders, and are under the charge of Mr L. R. Martineau, who has supervised the Liverpool "con ferento" for the past two years. Amongst the 400 are about sixty from Scotland. TTnlike the other companies there were" 1 but thirty eight Scandinavians in the party. The remainder came from Wales and different parts of England ; the towns in the latter country being London, from which th* largest number came, consisting of about ai|^ {Manchester, Bristol, Norwich, £ofedß,lSbeffield, Newcastle, and Liverpool. The Mormons are on their way tWteh, Salt Lake City. I>wri»i£ the;,pr^jeht yjev in the five companies no fewer than about '24oo Mormons have sailed from the Mersey for the United Str.te?. There -vrsre-no Irish i Monii'ons n::ioii^st th<^ party '.vhich

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