Mr.Witheford read to the House on Tatadfcy, a letter which he had received a gentleman at East London, who » Allied to leave South Africa for Xew Zea. hod. The veriter spoke of the war as .'Without end," of South Africa as possess ing "every plague under the sun," acd being a eotiatry where it was "either a feast or * j«nine," of conceited and incompetent jwtish officers, nnd of the good work dono «y British tars and colonials under adverse cooditittna. BAREFOOT SCHOLARS. * 0. A. Ellen, a member of the Kaiapoi School Committee, afc last meeting raised &* question whether children without boots **r* to bo ha!idiean}>fd against thoisa who boots. Ho was informed that a boy "w five marlu taken oil the- other day be <j*ose bo had gone to srijool barefoot, and "tei'ea.son assigned vivs that boys could not properly withmjt boots. * The Chair- it -was the Hrst he -had heard of it, *&a he would enquire. In reply to Mr Ellen, ** there was no regulation against it. said that at Cheviot many of th« ™P> wore no boot*. Mr Drakeley st«ted ***** at Mosg-iel numbers of the children did *°* *var briots, )>iit it wns a rule that their ™** must b* ck-an. In Tanmaki, Mr Young hf» untierstood wmjv children were ad- t.* the schools without boots. Mr *w<ll Mid hi) culled attention to the matter *» *«at jf a tpgis.at ion wa<» mnde by the head ""toter it dioiild bp made kiu>wn before b;>ys *•>•« «lej)rivetl of their tn:irks. The Cliair *w> »ai(l iv! w(»uld confer with Mr Alexander •* the matt tr. Siting ahead of the auditor. Yhe Illenheim muuicipai authorities, have • fcuiid a new name for "refreshments." One ~ *f thfe accounts placed before the CSty *&thers at knt meeting of the Council (says «« "Daily Times") was for "disinfectants," ■ ; **, wliidi, it was explained, were applied i by borough workmen in connec • , «ea with the opening up of aii evil-smell

( ing drain. The hotel proprietor sent in the account an owing Tor "refreshments," bw it was thought that the term would not look well under the eyee of the Government Auditor. A LANDOWNER, BUT IGNORANT OP THE FACT. A reeidect of Pieton—Mr J. Dry— hat come in for a nice little legacy. 