MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1274, 23 July 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Thirty thousand persons joined the Blue Eibbon Army and donned the '•blue ' in Belfast, in two weeks, during the month of April last. The amount of salaries, pay, and pensions received by members of the House of Commons is -3162,940, and the acreage owned by members of this House is 2,121,531, producing an annual revenue of -21,843,246. On Jan. 2, 1776, at Cambridge, Mass., was first hoisted the "Grand Union " of the crosses of St George and St Andrew and the thirteen alternate red and white stripes, emblematic of the union of the thirteen colonies , against British tyranny. This was the Hag in use when the Declaration of Independence was read by the Committee of Safety at Philadelphia, in the presence of Washington, in New York, and from the balcony of the' Sta.te House in Boston. On August 14, 1777, Congress resolved " that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternately red and white, and that the union be 13 stars, white, in a blue field, representing a new constellation." Once the stripes were increased . to 15, but in 1818 they were changed back permanently to 13, perpetuating the orginal 13 States of the Union, and it was decreed that for every new State coming into the Union a star should be added. The stars have five points ; those on their coins six; They were first arranged in a circle, afterwards in the form of a large stai*, and now in parallel lines. St. Blaize, the winner of the Derby this year was partly owned by the Prince of Wales, Lord Allington, and Sir Frederick Johnson, and they shared over ,680,000 on the race. The Prince and Princess of Wales gave a brilliant party in celebration of the victory. Walton, the American bookmaker, dropped over £20,000 at Newmarket and Epsom. The largest number of words in one despatch was wired to the London 1 Daily Telegraph ' during the coronation of the Czar. The despatch contained 110,000 words. j A rare occurrence, whicli happens every 200 years, takes place about the j end of the present century, when there I will be a leap-year without February having the 29th day. The London correspondent of the N.Z. Times writes : — Colonel Henderson, chief, of police, has just issued his report, and it may be interesting to i our readers to know that last year (1881) 26,170 new houses, covering 86 miles, were erected in the metropolitan area, which now contains no less than 4,778,657 persons — -the largest number ever packed within a fifteen-mile radius. Out of this number 172 were absolutely lost — what became of them none can tell : but doubtless the 54 bodies found dead and buried without identification, formed part of the number. Three times as many were killed in the streets of London as fell at Tel-el Kebir, and ten times the number of wounded, the figures being 252 and 3,400. There were 27,228 persons charged as drunk and disorderly, a decrease of 8 per cent, since 1880, though the population has increased 80,000. The temperaHce movement is telling, the proportion of convictions per 100 in 1878 being 7-70, but in 1881 only 5.69. In face of these astonishing figures we ask in vain, when will London cease to increase, and to what proportions will it ultimately extend. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary laud-owners, who collectively own 14,258,527 acres of land, whose collective incomes are about _. 15,000,000. The impressible Sir George keeps hammering away at Ministers in his own inimitable style. If he flings mud enough he is doubtless aware that some of it will stick. He is clearly once more the coming man, and knows it, but he can afford to wait, and meanwhile amuses himself by evoking roars of laughter at his sallies. Among other cool proposal is one that he has repeatedly made that Ministers should dissolve. It is only the second session of our first Triennial Parliament, but already Sir George thinks the Colony

has had enough of itC But it is extremely improbable that the Government, with a strong majority at their back, will see it in tlie same light. Besides, at least threeof their supporters —Mr Shaw, Mr Lee, and M'Donaldof Bruce, have only just got into the House, the latter, indeed, is hardly there yet in person. Surely these gentlemen should have a chance of a little political education before meeting their constituents again. No, Sir George, once in three years is often enough to go through the expensive formula of meeting the electors. The Government, and the Opposition too, for matter of that, will be quite content to leave well alone, and not woo the inconstant crowd for another year at least. And, too, when they do go to the country, the Government will want a policy, and it is pretty evident that they have not got one yet. — Otago Times. That copper mining in Nelson is again an established fact seems patent. The Champion Company are now bringing down native copper and rich ore for shipment to Newcastle, and we understand that ere long the company will have the necessary apparatus at work for treating ore with the view of reducing the cost of transit. The success of this- company gives encouragement for the further development of the copper industry, and the old Aniseed Valley Company is about to make a fresh start under new auspices. This mine has been worked at intervals for many years, each spasmodic effort proving it to be of value, but the drawback to their success has hitherto been that the companies have had insufficient capital for the vigorous prosecution of the work. We trust that the new venture will be successful. — Colonist. The Prince of Wales said a remark ably good thing at the opening ofthe Boyal College of Music. Thus spake the Heir Apparent. " Side by side with these scholars will be educated a group of paying-pupils, who think that music is an art which, if worth studying at all, is worth studying well. They are then prepared to enter on a course of systematic instruction of less severity and continuance than that of the scholars, but still far removed from the musical dilletantism of those who induced by fashion, not by taste, to j study music, make progress enough to torment themselves and distract their friends.*' The London correspondent of the " Age " states that it is rumored in literary circles in England that Mr James Anthony Froude, the historian, contemplates a trip to Australia, with | a view of lecturing on his friend ! Thomas Carlyle and Mrs Carlyle. If he should go he will not be likely to tonch on the " Irish question," although his views remain wholly unchanged. No doubt many of his admirers would like to hear him, as an antidote to Mr Redmond. Mrs Fair, wife of the United States senator Tor Nevada, and one of the Bonanza kings, has obtained a divorce on the ground of adultery. " Uncle Jemmy " denied the charge, but did not fight the case. During his stay in Washington last session he created a good deal of talk by giving two elegant entertainments at the Arlington, to young ladies exclusively. His wife, although in this city, was not present. Heretofore Mr Fair has born a good reputation, but the domestic wheels have not revolved smoothly since the eldest son has grown up. He is a worthless fellow, fond of low company and drink. Very likely the trouble has grown out of this. He has been awarded to the senator, his wife taking the younger children. Mrs iair received 4,000,000 dollars and their San Francisco house. She was very moderate, because Mr Fair is worth 20,000,000 dollars if he is worth a cent. It .is greatly to his credit that Washington scandal-mongers have nothing to say against him beyond a preference for the society of refined young ladies. His wife, a very worthy' woman, no doubt was raised in a rough mining camp, and received such education as the peripatetic public school teacher of that day could give. She is a sensible woman, but does not quite keep up with her new. social duties. We have had exceptional severe wind and lightening storms in New Jersey and New York. Patterson, a large manufacturing city of New Jersey, was struck by lightning and wind, and a pretty considerable wreck ensued. The storm travelled across the bay and struck New York, where the damage was comparatively slight. But on the 10th a terrific thunderstorm burst over Jersey City, on the bay opposite New York, and worked great havoc. A bolt of lightning struck an oil-tank of the National Storage Company, near the Pennsylvania Bailroad Depot. The tank was full of oil, and it instantly exploded. The report was heard in Brooklyn and Elizabeth. The huge tank was blown to atoms, and a column of flame shot 300 ft into the air. The burning oil surrounded the neighbouring tanks, and No. 7 exploded with a deafening detonation. The members I of the Fire Department were standing near by, and at least six men were swept into eternity by the rush of flame. No vestige of them has heo,n found. Tank 1 1 was the first to explode, then 7 followed in quick succession by tanks I to 8 inclusive, and also No. 10. The noise of the explosion, the leaping of the tongues of fire, the dense smoke, and the rushin^ flood of burning oil, mingled with the elemental war, had a terrific effect. The burning oil floated down to the bay, which was on fire for at least two miles. About seven acres ashore where burned over, wharves and jetties were consumed; as also a portion ofthe Pennsylvania track, with freight-cars. The Standard Oil Company are heavy

losers, 60,000 barrels of oil were burnt' in one building alone, aud several oilcars belonging to this company weredestroyed. Lightning struck a house; in New York City early during thisstorm, set it ou fire,, and caused! the death of some of the occupantsSimilar disasters are reported fro___other points of the country. A vessel named the Fingal, which; is, it is said, the largest sailing vessel afloat, has been launched from the iron* shipbuilding works of Messrs Harland and Wolff, Belfast. She is intended for the Calcutta trade. Her dimensions are as follow : — Length, 300 f t;, breadth of beam, 42ft Gin; and registered tonnage, 2518 tons. She will be capable of carrying a dead weight of 4200 tons, and is classed 100 Al at Lloyd's. She is constructed of steelNew York is having its Chinese war. The Chinese have established themselves in Mott street and other low quarters, and opened " opium joints," in which young girls are debauched, mere children in scores being victims. Females of wealth are known to frequent the opium dens, driviug there in carriages. The Young Men's Catholic Association has undertaken, at the request of the priests, to put a stop to> this infamous traffic, and the Chinese quarter is blockaded night and day. But the wily heathen manages to carry on his traffic nevertheless, having scouts, alarm-bells, and secret entrances, which are used to prevent detection and arrest. The New York papers have also taken up the question and the outcome will certainly be damaging to the Chinese in this country. Archbishop Alemany, of San Francisco, protested against the widening of Dupont street from the point where the church property was touched, and took Chinese gamblers, prostitutes, and thieves under his skirt. But for him they would have been cleared out ; they flourish in filth and criminality, however. It is pleasing to note the different attitude of the Catholic clergy of New York, but in the Archdiocese of San Francisco under a Spanish ecclesiastic an Irish priest cannot call his soul his own, whereas an Irishman is the Cardinal Archbishop of New York— which makes all the difference in life. The boxing craze is wearing out. The Mace-Slade boom did not pay, and , Fox, ofthe Police Gazette, their backer is out of pocket heavily. Great interest attaches to the coming match between Kennedy, of Washington (a native of Maine), and Hanlan. The latter is far the bigger man, but Kennedy rows in splendid form. He has left Washington for his old train. Sullivan promptly " knocked out " the English light-weight champion, Charles Mitchell, who fought game, and knocked Sullivan off his feet with a. blow. Flies and Bugs. — Beetles, insects* roaches, ants, bed-bugs, rats, mice,, gophers, jack-rabbits, cleared out by " Bough on Bats." 7£d. Moses, Mos3 & Co., Sydney, General Agents. Drowsiness, billiousness, pains and aches, and ague, Hop Bitters always cures. Bead.