The Evening Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 507, 25 August 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.

" For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do."

It is a great pity that the members of the Domain Board are not compelled by their tenure of office to pay diurnal visits to the gardens on the lop of the hill, and each day to go by a sepnrate route. Perhaps they would then adopt some steps for improving the approaches. It is not too much to say, that at the present time the state of the roads under their control is utterly disgraceful. The points of consequence of the various tracks made by pedestrians in avoiding the so-called roads, are the worst of all. For at these points are situated the gates, and about these gates periodically congregate the borineandhippine quadrupeds of the ill-governed estates. The inevitable convergence is, that the 'ground in those localities is trampled and worked up into a glorious mess of porridge, which must be struggled through by those adventurous individuals who wish to visit the gardens. Surely the funds of the Board are nob so low but that they can afford a few loads of gravel. The rent and agistment they receive, must be something considerable, and there is literally nothing to show for it. It is all very well to say that in the summer time only, can work be advantageously performed j but let us ask what was done last summer. Two or three men crawling about the inner portion of the domain with spades and rakes, appeared to represent the energy of the Board, and nothing whatever was done towards rendering the approaches passable, excopt the disposition of a line of rough stepping stones across the road between the inner domain and the fish ponds, and these are now almost useless, because the kind of cul-de-sac which they traverse, is turned into a stockyard in which to catch the animals grazing in the upper portion of the reserve. Only last Sunday we saw some young ladies, who wished to reach the garden leased by Mr. Brighton, actually compelled to sidle along the lower rail of the fenco, holding on by the upper, because the ground was, to all appearance, an unfathomable bog. The way in by the Hospital road is even worse ; and as tho entry from Stanley-street, to the short cut to Newmarket, the less said of it the better. It is ill to stir up mud. There is another thing which might be mentioned while we are on the subject, and that is, that the public would feel much better satisfied with the proceedings of the Board if poriodical returns of receipts nud expenditure were / published, and a detailed account of proceedings now and then submitted to public scrutiny.

We are informed that the proprietors of the City Hull have it in contemplation to increase its width some fifteen or twenty feet, ...Xhis will make it a noblo room, and wiIT very materially improve its acoustic properties.

A. meeting of gas consumers was convened for this afternoon, at balf-past two o'clock, for the purpose of taking; steps to inaugurate a new gas company. The usual procrastination prevailed, and although on occasional burner of carburetted hydrogen dropped into the room, not sufficient had assembled up to the time of our going to press to warrant the originators of the movement in. propounding their scheme.

Colonel Balneavis, the Returning Officer for the City of Auckland West, gives notice that the nomination of candidates will take place at the Young Men's Cbristiun Association at noon, on the Ist September, and the poll, if necessary, on. the 6th September, for the return of a duly qualified person to serve in the' House of Representatives for that district. - ■ - ' - ' '■

Tenders are required' fdr repairing and pninfing the Baptist Church, WellesleyBtreiat. ;"

Yesterday's Advertiser says:—"Wo are glad to learn that the fears entertained with regard to the safety .of fjhe Denbigh Jjdss'and the two men, Welch' "and Williams, have proved groundless. The men were seen and spoken to-At Tapu on Tuesday by Mr. Alex. MuKeiizie. They were engaged in the usual occupation, selling fish."

His Honor ,was occupied the whole of yesterday with bankruptcy cases. Only four cases were set ;do>wn, but some,of .th'fli'e were of a kind to demand, a good deal p,f investigation of accounts, and matters'of detail. . Mr. S. H.; Smith passed, hia last examination/ and was discharged, there being no opposition. In the case of Biqhard Kelly, farme,r,\Onehunga, theiurther hearing was adjourned for a week. The cases of J. P. Pilboro (deed of arrangement), and E. A. Wrigg, were further adjourned.

We understand that the Aackland Football Club have - received a challenge frorii the Thames Football i Club to play •*' friendly match - for * supper. The challenge has -been promptly accepted, and the match has been fixed for the 6th September.

An adjb'nrned meeting of the d-rafton Eoad Highway District will, be held ,in .St. David's Schoolroom, this eve6itigy afc yhalf-past seven o'clock. ■; . ,

The sixth of the winter series of lectures, delivered before *,he Young Men's Christian Association, will be given this evening, in the Booms, Wellesley-gtreet, by ■ the Eev., E. N. Bree,' M.A., President of the Association. Subject, " Modern. Scepticism."

We are requested to mention that the Right Eev. Bishop Cowie will conduct divine service at. Morningside Schoolroom, oh Sunday, :at half-past three o'clock. "

Too Yotjng !—Bessy (to pacify little sister, who keeps ihferrnptihg her perusal of that exciting " third volume"): Yes, yes, chatterbox, the Princes Louise is■ married to-day; and if you're a good girl you shall be married, too, when you're old enough !" Chatterbox : " Then why isn't aunt Betsy married ? Isn't she a good girl—or isn't ihe old enough yet ?" [Suffocating rapture of maiden aunt.]

Succeeding.—A gentleman, stating that a person engaged in an extensive line of business had lately failed, was aaked by a lady if he knew whom he succeeded in business, to which the gentleman replied that " he did not know whom he succeeded but it was evident that he did not succeed himself."

"When a girl falls in love with an unlucky Irishman, her heart always goes pity Pat.

A gentleman one day indiscreetly asked a lady how old she was. " Let me see. I w«s eighteen when I was married, and my husband was thirty ; now he is twice thirty, that is sixty j so of course I am twice eighteen, thnt is thirty-six." •

THE "POUND OP FLESH." Some time since we felt it our duty to comment strongly on a savage kind of feeling evinced by certain persons at a meeting of creditors in the estate of a gentleman of this city. It was urged that there should " be taken from him all that the law would allow," and we regretted that the good old times Had .passed away when his wife.and children might have been sold as slaves'. We felt impelled to resent this Shy lock style of business, from the fact that, in consequence of the gentleman who had succumbed to circumstances having identified himself with religious movements in the city, there was a desire to sneer, at.him, and to make appear that liis indebtedness was worse than that of other people. The-bank-ruptcy was made- the subject of many small jokes, and was burlesqued in one of our theatres under a regime that has happily passed away. The treatment seemed so unfair that we hit out, and we feel it due to ourselves to say that the end has justified the course we took. We were often told, " Wait till you see the revelations." We have waited, and we have seen tUetn ; and the discharge in insolvency having been yesterday obtained, we have been to the trouble of examining into the casß. The report shows that the insolvency was owing solely to the previous insolvency of others, and as for the " revelations" which were put forward as warranting the utmost bitterness of opposition, there is this significant statement, " 'lhe supervisor, on behalf of; the creditors, desired me to place the bankrupt's books in the hands of Mr. B. J. Gunn, accountant, for his investigation and • assistance, • which I did ; the result of the investigation bc/'m/ the withdrawal of opposition." This is sufficiently expressive, and should be accepted as an answer to what we always regarded as conduct mean and cowardly in the extreme. We believe in the principle of striking hard when hard hitting is required ; but to strike a man when he is down, and especially to wring his withers, by dragging in circumstances of a private and sridred character, on which a man's feelings are most sensitive, is contemptible beyond expression.