MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1050, 17 February 1882, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

An enterprising proprietor of a stud of donkeys (says the Auckland Stir) has been doing a business at the North Shore daring the holidays, and has afforded much amusement to young people, by permitting cheap donkey rides. This practice was much in vogue in years gone by at English country fairs, especially at suoh places as Blackheath and Gravesend. Th* colonial driver was quite an expert at his calling, with an eye to the power and a hand to. the staff; while his familar "Gee up Neddy." and "If I had a donkey that wouldn't go, I'd touch the animal np just so," revived memories of the donkey-men of thirty years ago in the old country. A number of falls happened to inexperienced riders, every tumble evoking a fresh burst of merriment, but no serious accident occured. In reply to a communciatioQ drawing the attention of the Lord Chancellor to the case of a boy who was ordered by magistrates to be birched for steading apples, the following letter has been received: — w House of Lords 22nd November, 1881.— Sir,— I am directed by the Lord Chancellor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th instant, and to say that his Lordship ia unable to agree with your opinion as to be impropriety of cor* recting petty pilfering by children, by a moderate corporal chastisement; in his judgment, it is far more humane than either sending tbem to prison, where they might become demoralised, or leaving them to repeat such offences with impunity, and so grow up in dishonest habits, and that the corporal punishment inflicted in the case to which you refer does not appear to the Lord Chancellor to have been excessive. — I am, sir, your obedient servant, Mknneth Muib Mackshzib, principal secretary." The FoTtrose correspondent ofthe " Southland Times " writes :— " A gang of divers have commenced operations with success I cannot say. I hear that the positon of the hull is the same as when they went down some months ago. It is lying on a shingle bottom surrounded by boulders. The hull, though opened out, still drivers are very uncertain, as anything like a swell prevents operations, and that is a common occurence, smooth water being the exception." The " Fiji Times, re ve wing the latest report from Noumea, writes: — " Mining operations in New Caledonia are being pushed forward in a vigorous manner. The mine of massive chrome at Plum, about sixteen miles from Noumea, has I shipped in twelve months 1365 tons !of rich ore. Eighteen months ago the site of operations was but a wild bush, and within first ten days of the month of October 403 tons were shipped, and about 270 tons more placed on the beach ready for shipment, while the mine will yield a practically inexhaustible supply. On a very small oapital the mine shows a profit of £2500 per month. Tlie ore is shipped to Europe and the Glasgow people are making fortunes out of the manufacture of chrome, one firm making, it is said, about £200,000 per annum. The deposits of cobalt are also being worked with successful results, and many more mining ventures are in contemplation. The notorious "Referee "lately fell foul of Mr Clement Scott, the well known dramatic critic, in a way thnt immediately produced a libel action. Mr Sampson, the recognised editor and rjs^ owner of the "R«feree, n was tbo defendant. Hia paper aJkgsai tint Mr Soota t»»»<>b4a>»esl £06* *Wa» A* mini Oacr Cfya, under threat of exposing his relations with the lest I^sb Adelaide iNeilaon, the actress. Mis» Neilson left nearly £20,000 to Admiral Glyn, and smaller sums to several other men, many of these being friends of Mr Clement Scott The last-named gentleman, according to the " Sydney Morning Hearld's" London correspon-

dent, undoubtely received a gift of £500 tram Admjral Glyn, after Miss Neilson's death, but not as blackmail Through Admiral Glyn, swore that he simply wished to befriend Mr Scott, there is a strong suspicion that if the money had not passed, the latter would have justified the "Referee" in all that it said. Ncrtwitiistanding Mr Scott, has won j£lsoo damages, his credit has been very much sha^ered; and now that a new trial has been granted, with permission to counsel to cross-examine him, Mr Stott may even lose his £1000, People have grown ejoeustomed to read, from time to time/the announce- , ment that ao many young men have been called to the Bar; but they soraeely pause to .Inquire whether these extraorfinary additions to a profession Already oveTstcwk^d tenfold indicate an increase in the legad .business of the country, l^e statistles of the law courts (says a Home paper) show that this: number of entries in the term cause list is diminishing ; the rolls of the Inns of Court, tm th» other handj demon-; etate that tiie number of ht* students and barristers multiplies with astonishing rapidity. Ambitionl young gentleman Ought not to deceive fhemselves ; not one of these gentlemen in tea men whose names are in the " Law List" is earning money at the Bar. The reminder include a considerable porportion of men with independent means, but the majority have undoubtedly at sometime other souroea of livelihood. $he pressure srising from tins position of aflaiff is beginning to make itself known in the suggestion «manting from hue Junior Bar to the effect that there shoold be seme kind of amalgamation of the two branches of the law. Such toaaconstomed tormerity in connection with so Conservative an nastititttion «s> the Inns : of Cbtfrt mdicates that the time is last ripening Mt * reform of the whole of this departtteftt of the legal aystorn, which is about as bad and as ineffective as any system could well be. Reforwew may be opposed hy professional lawyers in large practice, buj,^ the signs of the times have svny Wjaning they warrtit tho. belief I that almost the whole Junior Bar wouto? welcome any -change. Tbeir position could not be much worse t'mn it is; it might be a great deal better;' '

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