The Evening Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 590, 30 November 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 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."

We have been eourteouslt furnished with a statement of the quantity of blasitng powder at present stored in the magazine at Mount ltden Gaol. There are in all thirty-nine half-barrels, and five hundred and sixty one quarter-barrels, containing an"" aggregate""of 15,975 Ids. of this material.

A very sensible by-law has been proposed by Mr. Smirt in the City Council, having toe its object putting the curb on the reckiessn ss of our r;ity Jehus. The resolution, whitn w»s carried, is to the effect " that a by-law be introduced to restrain persons from riding, &c, round corners, &c, at other than a walking pa< c." There is perhaps no one in the city that has not bad his indignation excited at the utter indifference, to. life end limb exhibited by drivers andihorsemen in this city. Narrow escapes from violent injury are of daily occurrence from the unchecked speed which drivers dash around the corners of streets. '1 he junction of Shortl .nd-street and of Vulcan JLane with Queen street, are iA*w places, where thia dangerous rpractice ; is' indulged most frequently,: and it is at- times intensely provoking to see the air of nonchalance with which a driver proceeds on his way after foot passengers have been obliged to dash to right and l«-ft in order to escape. We trust the by-law will be stringently worded, and as., stringently pu^ in .force, and that, we shall soon see an end of -th« insoleWt* indifference of drivers in our public thoroughfares.

Barbers' poles are still an object of dislike with the authorities in the city. Why it .■■hould be so we know not; but the ancient emblem of the craft has again been trvared with contumely.* -Yesterday Prof.esor Evans was refused permission to rear this sijjn of Ids calling, which from time immemorial has been regarded as the legitimate way of letting mankind know that heads are »horn and duns are siiayen within. , ( It really teems a •needless infringement, of hberty, iuasinuoii &* with? the "propop>arran.e«ient of the initru uieut it can be ao readily put out of the category of obslructivee. I

Tbe parishioners of St. Sepulchre have long bern noted for their social meetings, and the excellent entertainments they have gi^en in aid of the support of tbeir parochial iualiiutions. To-night there is to be another of I heir gatherings in the Svuionls-street Choral Hall. Tea ia.to b« on "ttie tabie at h.tif- ( »«9t six.- Afterwards, selectious of saored mu»:c *i!l be performed, and then there will be addressee on various intercslins; topics.; >~,';

A correspondent at Wangarei sends us the following:—' Breach of tbe 4rms Act. lit the month of September Walter Pratt wasj committed by the Wangarvi K.M. Couri to take his trial a.t the aext diihirial Sittings of the Supreme Court, for a b-each of the Arms Act, but from so,me remarks made by U. K. Aubrey, Esq., R.M., at Wangarei, in a case: between Sir Robert Douglas and Rewi 'the. ■nformer against J?rutt), i»ia doubiful whether tf Pratt had been accused now as h« was then, thd Resident Magistrate would not have asked stronger evidence for the eom\uitttil." '

If the imbibition , r ot light; wines e<>uld, be' substituted that'of ardent spirits, an immense; nmount of good would be done, and the prevalence of temperance would rpnder teetotal-'

ism unnecessary. A great deal has been dune in the Australian colonies in this re.-p^ct by liberal legislation in respect of the conveniences afforded for drinking the wines of the country, which are now allowed to be s »ld at any roadside shanty instead of their Bale being restricted to publicma. Of late years in«ch good has been done by this, and if some similar arrangement could be made, by which these wines'might &eintrotlueed'hei'e"#itli6u'fc the heavy duty now imposed on them, and permitted to be retailed^ by every storekeeper, (here would be fewer cases of drunkenness in our Police Court. However, the introduction

■f them into. the.cql>nv is an advance in the right^jreotiq?!!. and we are thptfefbre gjad to find tb'at a^lirge'tjhantity has Defen imported, and can be had on very moderate terni3 from Mr. Russell, the agent of-the importer, whose uffi-e is at the corner of West Queen-street. Such as we saw were reajly good sound wines aucNqualin'evwylrespeet ko the btfst df'tiiJie produced in France and. Germany.

There are many curious things connected with our legal tribune. Nut the least of these is t.hak.-.a/ter. the Police oourt hm, bet-n officially Hfciared /' lftej;" hx&L everyone h*s retired, the Court is again opened and a fresh ■et of justices brought forward to adjudic&te upon matteis which OU/ht to have been su • jeo ed in the proper course to those whose turn it is to sit on the Bench in the morning. One of affiliation was brought forward in thin manner yesterday, and adjudicated upon bjr * different set of magistrates from those who sat in the morning. Whether two court sittings can; be legal]/ held in one da/ ma/ be 'pubjcoc/ for'further investigation.

After a long period of dry weather, the rain commenced this morning and has since been fa ling in gentle showers. .Agriculturist* in general will be glad of it, and mo will those wuo frequent Queen street, for the, du»fc-jwa* becoming intolerable in spite of the subdued efforts of the watering carts. Somd people hare taken it into their heads that the moisture will spoil the potato crop, but more experienced farmers declare that it will ensure its luxuriance,

Class; Hrihg of No. 2 Company Bifie Brigade/ will bo held next Wednesday. J llt will be seen by advertisement that the Opera company purpose giving a series ot three concerts at the Choral Hall 'after their return from the Thames, when Rossini's ". Stabat Mater," and; Gounod's- celebrated "Mass" will be sung."'l here will also bi OVertures, orchestral music, and selections :ofj Tocal Bolps, duets, trios, .jfcc, The opera com pany will be; assisted1' by: the full strengt li of the band and chorus1 of the Ghor.il Society. Members of the society will be admitted to these concerts at reduced rate»'! T The monthly parade, .of iths- Auckland Scottish] ¥omnteers!-isi 'to' be held at Fort i tJoUoTttun: jnoih oAI ed oJ tufght'h'orrihp. 'jib iloiii

The Harbour Endowment allotments in Custom-house-street w^re lai I out of euch

depth as merely to take in timber in the u«ual

lengl hs in which the shwu »i uff comes to the i.imber merchants, and almost t*>e whole of 'Urge pieces of ground were taken up by parties following that trade. When they ha^e'to pick* out certain pieces to load drays, the unfortunate leaseholder* are thus compelled to pile •ip rhe selected planks on the sirert itself while they can be removed. Then the police pounce upon them for ob>tracting the public thoroughtare. Now, the fact, as far as we can make •ut, serins to be, that the so-called Custom-hottae-street has never been surveyed, aligned, ■r proclaimed since the ground was res< ued *fMtn~the "■" embraces of~tlie god "Neptune. Therefore, cbaHyj '^although an important; public thoroughfare id all intents ami purposes, it cannot legally be so, and go.ids may be placed in every part of it without the law having any power to interfere. The late lamented Mr. Wynn, the solicitor of the City Board, was of that opinion. Clearly something ought to be done. And perhaps the bast tiling would be to increase the width of. the wharf by a few feet. It requires it, for . the old structure is very rotten, and a good | facing of new piles and planks would tend to preserve it from utter demolition by the first N.E. gale. The leaseholders mujht then be

nermitted to plaoa their timber a little.further

| towards the sea, and/the street,,such a* it is, ygf;., xuld remain unobstructed. Some droll resolutions are at* times submitted in representative bodies. O^p of the drollest,'perhaps, waa, yesterdayjtabled in the City Council! It was moved "That the opinion of the Medical Ofljcer of Health be asked as to the eff.-ct ofasphalte pavement on the health of pedestrians in hot weathtr." It is impossible not to admire the considerate care here shown for ihe health of the people, and in Aucklind, too, where theVe.'is so much indifference. It is a pity, however, that the resolution w»s : nofc rcadie more comprehensive. It should embrace pavingsiones, scoria, clay, un I all other »üb»tance» to which the f.et of peles.-ii ns may bt applied.' We obs.-rve ti.at a ' rotiier UpunnLor supi>o-ed that reference was made to'the eX'ia ations that mi^ht arise irom.aaphulte, and defaulted the healthfulness of tarry smells. But thU <ihi an er-or, for tue«e exhalations would be equally influential-on equestrians-and <>n the residents in fhii city (C«*nfrally j so that it is evident the litent ~inj ip./HsneßS, is only d«ve opeii by ••on'act with tno substance. We should be d in knowing the opinion of the '" Medical Olßcer ot Hi-alth" on the subject, an regret thit this honeat effort for the public: .w.-lfare was so suddenly diuff;d out. Tenders are invited by the directors of toe P ide of Tokutea Quid Mining Company lor the t ipply of lOi shares of the company'« stock. A call of 61. per share has been made |<i this company. | BL.WB W. J. Harris, of Waiukuj 0. N Marshall, of Wanguuaroa ; au>i l>. A. Nathan, f A itiund, are gazetted Justices of the •f. actf.

Afc a sale of thorough bredg held in Christr hurch last JSatur<)ny, a boit'i Jidt bi i of £5-5 J"is iniide for Pceres^, tue winner of tb< interbury-Uup, but the ovvurr refused to

liow tier to be sold at less tht.ii £600, whiolt, |otisidrtrinif her perFc/rmane;«," Tuiiexcepti(|na' pr^fdiat' and qualir.j, maybe consider. U rVrj ; easoiuibK 'We may mention that Peeress" rrived here in the Txrauaki.