It is proposed that an attempt should be made to discover the effect upon human beings, An_ eloping couple were married the other day in Mnskogee, 1.T., the groom being sixty-two years old and the bride fifty-two. They ran away because of the opposition of their children to the match. Advices from Honolnlu report that on the voyage of the Monowai to San Fraucisco, on January 7, the air pump valves were carried away, qaujaiug a stoppage of eight hours. As a consequence of the accident tiie vessel had to proceed under easy steam till arrival at Honolulu. The Monowai left Honolulu for San Francisco fourteen hours after the Zealandia- At the annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Mary's, New Plymouth, on Saturday, it was moved :—" That the members of this parish respectfully wish it to be known they desire that the clergy should feel per fectly fpee to preach the printed secrn'ons qf others to a much larger extent than hitherto.." The motion lod to considerable discussion, and was ultimately withdrawn, The Colonial Secretary was interviewed on Monday by a deputation from the Canter bury Trotting Association, headed by Sir John Hall, who urged that Trotting Clubs should be placed on the same footing as the Jockey Clubs, and should not be required to py so much for the use of the totalisa. tor as was, nqy Jmpos,ed, Aft«;p some disc.us.sign the depujtatiqki undertook to"lay th«kr views p writing before the Colonial Secretary, so that he might bring the matter before the Cabinet According to the Toronto "Musical Jour nal," strange things are done there in choirs and places where they sing. In two in. stanpps (ty nhurchps in this city) where the pliQiv is jn the proper place— i.e.:, the chancel —soloists during the anthem left their seats and stood in the chancel to perform their parts. }Ye heard of another case where a member of a chpir, adorned with long p&eyed gfovfis and lpw necked dress, ad vanced to the chancel steps, and, after bqwr ing to the audience (or rather, eqngr'egation), Sftng her little piece. An encore wpuld doubtless bftve bwnftqwiecl tp, "■

On Thursday evening a long special train passed through Ashburton carrying about 2000 sheep from Mr 6. H. Moore's Glenmark Station, Waipara, to Balclntha. 