A brochure, entitled “Temperance v. Total Abstinence,” from tho pen of the Rev H, Vere White, M.A., Incumbent of Kaiapoi, Canter bury, is to hand from the publisher, A. Simp son, of Christchurch. The rev, author goes exhaustively into and deals rationally with his subject, but it is questionable whether Mr Glover and his adherents will much like hta suggestions. After proposing several excellent remedies for lessening the drink traffic and bringing about a reform in our social customs, the rev. gentleman concludes : “ Probably all these suggestion?, especially the two last, will seem to the fiery Hupei ts of the teetotal brigade, miserably insufficient, weak, and spiritless. To be denied the excitement of political agitation in favor of prohibitive laws against the liquor traffic, to be a-kel to rtlj upon calm reason rather than on passionate eloquence for the moving of meu’s minds and hearts, to be informed that there is no royal road to universal sobriety, but that to attain that, if indeed it can ever be attained, we must walk upon the * old paths ;* all this puts forth a plan of de-ding with a great *\il as distasteful to those who believe iu the efficacy of more violent measures, as were Rurke's warnings that nations cannot suddenly be made happy, free, and prosperous, by the operation of ready-made constitution?, to tho revolutionists of the eighteenth century,’*

Sporting nofcea by ** will bo found on the foUctb page. K , The Minister of Justice yesterday forwarded a communication Jto the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Inloriqi o ? that body that the Official Assignee’s office would be plac .d in connection with the Telephone Exchange im mediately, The total number of sheep lo the colony on May SI last was estimated at 13,900,080. If to these numbers be added those exported as frozen cheep to the same date—namely, 192,401—we have 14,092,481 as the total num ber of sheep that were in tho colony, being an increase of 735.551 on the previous year. Over 100,000 sheep have been exported since these returns were made.
