To a gentleman with Mr Smith's peculiar vein

of humor, I have no doubt it haa been a source of much amusement to reflect on

the speeches he need to make about the squatters mopping up all the open country, and leaving only the bash for the small settlers ; while, at the same time, he was hand in glove with the same squatters in mopping up the bush itself, as soon as the expenditure and labor of the small settlers there had made it

sufficiently valuable to be worth mopping up." ,

The following clipping from- a London paper refers to the brother-in-law of Mr R. Pnflett, who was at one time in Meßsrs Murray, Common's office at the p»rt :— 11 Mr Andrew Mercer, whose name is now prominently before tbe public in connec tion with the Dew London Amalgamated Sailors' and Firemen's Union, holds advanced views, and sits with the Pro gressive Party on the London County Council, representing the Tower Hamlets division. Mr Mercer is a native of DunedJn, New Zealand, and has been a seafarer almost all his life. For the last six or seven years he has been located in London, and for a consider able portion of this time be has been connected with the pow collapsing Wilson union, to which he rendered valuable service in the capacity of secre tary of the Green's Home branch. Dis gusted with the methods of management he, however, seceded, and in conjunction with many other influential seafaring unionists inaugurated the new organisa tion which has entered on so hopeful a career. 