MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 639, 29 January 1872, Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1872.

The business at the Police Office this morning was confined to the punishment of a few unfortunate drunkards.

We understand that the Odd Fellows intend giying a select quadrille party, at their Hall in Cook street this evening, instead of the usual annual dress ball.

We regret to have to record the death last

evening of Mr. James Ryrie, for many years the highly respected landlord of the Metropolitan Hotel. The deceased gentleman had been ailing for several weeks, but ne immediate apprehension seems to have been ens t tertained until yesterday afternoon. It appears that he was about to be taken to the North Shore in the afternoon for change of

air, but his complaint having suddenly assumed a dangerous character, the idea was abandoned, and he breathed his last in his own house early in tho evening.

Some people seem to have no sense of shame, and no regard for the more correct principles of others. For some time past, a number of great hulking fellows have baeu in the habit of disporting themselves in the water, in a state of perfect nudity, in full daylight and under the eyes of people passing in the public thoroughfares. A part of the beach between Mechanics' Bay and the Wynyard Pier, and the point, near St. Barnabas Church, ar 0 favourite spots for the gambols of those illbred porpoises. At the latter point in particular, they have been a vast source of annoyance, for they actually bathe close beside the steps leading to the Bay, and on many occasions ladies have been compelled to make a detour of half-a-milo rather than pass the scene of the infamous exposure. The dinner hour seems to bo the favourite time for these disgusting exhibitions, which ought to bo put down by the strong arm of the law, and the offenders publicly whipped. There is but one constable in Parnell, and he has- au immense area to look after —infinitely too great even for an aetivo man like him —so that it is utterly im> possible for him to be watching these nooks and corners. It is to be hoped that the force will be speedily supplemented, or that the authorities will take other steps for putting down the n_is_n.ee complained of.

We are told that much annoyance is caused to ladies, a good many of whom have lately availed themselves of the calm moonlight nights to paddle about in boats, by a number of young ruffians of an age when they ought to know better, following them and not only accosting them in a sneering manner, but using language of the vilest description, thus completely marring the pleasure which might be obtained from these innocent excursions. We do not know that there is auy remedy for this species of brutality, except for some of the male friends of the ladies to follow in a swift pulling boat and catch and soundly thrash the incipient pirates. We sincerely hope that this will be done. Really, juvenilo depravity and ruffianism is rampant in this place, and ought to be put down with a high hand by all who havethechar.ee, seeing that parental influence stands at zero, and that all tne endeavours of schoolmasters and snnday-school teachers arc ineffectual.

Yesterday morning a young man was riding his horse in the water by Wynyard Pier, when the horse by some means threw him into deep water. The man being unable to swim, commenced struggling about in the water, and would probably have been drowned but for the timely arrival of gome men in a boat, who seeing his danger had put off to the rescue.

There was a large attendance of people at the Epsom races on Saturday. Thero were four races in all. Harkaway did not run having broken down some few days ago. but Marquis, a fine aDimal, ran in his stead. The sports went off well, and every credit is due to the stewards for the admirable way in which they carried out the arrangements.

We perceive that Captain Chrisp, has laid on the Comerang for the Thames. Sho leaves Queen street wharf this evening, at 9 o'clock. There being no other steamer running to-day, this will be a great boon to many.

As will be seen from another column, the members of the Licensed Victuallers' Association and others, are requested to attend the funeral of the late Mr. James Ryrie to«morrow.

Tho well siuking at the corner of Lower Barrack Hill is progressing slowly, the men have been at work at it this morning and managed to get through to the depth of about eight feet.

Another series of swimming matches will take place on Saturday next at the Saltwater Bath.

The return of sick treated at the Provincial Hospital during the week ending Saturday, Jan. 27, 1872 : --Remained last return, 72; admitted since, 14 ; discharged, 11; died, 2 ; remaining at present, 73; males, 63 ; females, 10. Arrangement of cases:—Cancer, 4; scrofula, 4; syphilis, 2; phthisis, 9 ; rheumatism, 4 ; delirium tremens, 3 ; paralysis, 6; amaurosis, 1; epilepsy, 3,- opthalmia, 1; bronchitis, 2; pneumonia, 3; heart disease. 2; hepatitis, 1 ; dyspepsia, 1 ; diarrhoej, 1 ; hydrocele, 2; stricture, 1; necrosis, 3 ; fractures, 5; ulcers, 4; fistula, 2; wounds and contusions, 5; cutaneous, 2 ; debility, 3. Two men died during the Aveek of pulmonary

consumption

We take the following from the Sydney Herald summary : —The Prince of Wales Opera House was totally destroyed by fire on t_ic morning of the 6th inst. Whilst tho fire was raging, the eouthernwall, which was three feet in thickness, fell, crushing to the earth four shops and dwellingdiouses. Three young men who were with one of the fire-engines were so much hurt with tho falling debris that two of them—James Coates and Henry Vaughan—died of their injuries. Hardie and Mitchell's flour-mill, at the rear of the theatre, caught fire and was totally destroyed, together with the machinery and a valuable stock of corn and flour. Several other houses were burnt. In all, twenty-six buildings were more or less destroyed, together with the machinery and a valuable stock of corn and flour. This conflagration, is the largest that has ever occurred in Sydney. The damage is estimated at about £40,000. A pantomime had been performed for several evenings previous in the Opera House. The fire burnt with such rapidity that everything the building contained was destroyed. Tho Opera House was one of the finest in tho colonies. It was built about eleven years ago, on the site of the Opera House that was burnt down in 1860. j Public subscriptions are being raised to relieve J

the distress that has been caused to many persons by loss of employment or property At the inquest, the jury returned a verdict to the following effect :—'' We are of opinion that such fire broke out in the property-room of such theatre, but that there is no con- ; elusive evidence as to the orgin of the fire, though the evidence tends to the conclusion that it arose either from spontaneous com* . bustion, or from concussion of the materials 1 used for making prepared fire, and wc find • that due precaution was not taken to prevent j accidents arising from the materials used."

We observe by the Sydney Herald that his Excellency tho Governor has taken passage for himself, the Countess of Belmore, and family in the Sobraon. Captain Elmslio expects to sail for England about the end of February. Lord Belmore was a passenger by this magnificient ship when he came to this colony to assume the duties of Governor, and he arrived here on the 7th January, 1868. Sir Hercules Robinson, Governor of Ceylon, has been appointed successor to the Earl of Belmore.

Tho following is the text of a bill brought into the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales : —No reporter editor or proprietor of any newspaper shall be liable to any prosecution civil or criminal for a fair and true report of any judicial legislative or other public official proceedings or of any statement speech argument or debate in the course of the same except on proof of malice in making such report which shall in no case bo implied from the mere fact of publication. Libellous re* marks or comments connected with matters privileged by the last preceding section shall secure no privilege by reason of their being so connected.

At a dinner given lately at Ballarat, the Sydney Herald says that the Hon. G. Duffy wound up his spoech as follows ; —" We have every inducement to unite, for there are here all tho conditions of a happy and prosperous country, if we agree to enjoy its blessings in peace and good fellowship. Tho sun in his circuit does not look upon a land where public liberty is more secure, where industry has a more sure reward, where a career i s wider open to capacity and integrity, or where more genial skies shed health and pleasure on a people. We have all the elements of a great nation in the seed. I may apply to Australia the graphic language of one of my friends —we have more Saxons on this continent than King Arthur had when he founded the realm of England; wo have more Celts than King Brian had when he drove the Danes into the surges ofClontarf; we have more Normans than followed William the conquerar to Hastings ; and to fuse these into a nation it only needs tho honest adoption of the sentiment that we are all one Australian people."

The Sydney Herald summarises the particulars of the loss of the loss of the Sussex as follows;—" Money, Wigram, and Co.'s Blackwall ship Sussex, 1,000 tons, Captain Collard, arrived off the Otway on Sunday, the 31st ultimo. She went ashore on Sundaj night about a mile and a-half west of the Barwon Heads. At six o'clock the following morning the tug Warhawk was in attendance taking off passengers, of whom there were 47 on board, aud also 47 in the crew. The third mate and six seamen left the ship in a boat on Sunday night to proceed to Queenscliffe, and have not since been hoard of. The passengers and crew were brought to Melbourne in the steam tug Titan, which was sent out purposely to save them. The lifeboat took the passengers from the ship to the tug. The vessel was a total wreck. Captain Collard, it is said, mistook the flash light of the pilot boat for Shank light. The ship still holds together. The deck luggage of the passongere and officers has been saved. One boatload of goods, valued at -£400, was got out, and the boat swamped. The Board of Inquiry into the cause of the wreck has decided that the ship was lost by the default of Captain Collard, inasmuch as iv tho opinion of the Eoard he did not proper precautions to verify his position. His certificate is suspendod for six months. The wreck and cargo have been sold for £6800. A telegram, which was received on Saturday, states that it is probable all the cargo will be got out of the ship, and that the vessel will be floated."

AYe observe by advertisements that Mr. It. W. Dyson, so long and favourably known in the drapery trade, is about to relinquish tho business, and consequent upon the expiration of ins lease, will, for the remainder of term, hold an unusually cheap sale, and solicits an early call to secure bargains : [Advt.]

To any one who will show a larger stock of Auck-land-made Quart*!, (ireenstone, and Mosaic Jewellery, within six months, I will give a rewardof fifty pounds. I also challenge New Zealand for style and beauty. Two thousand pound worth of Colonial-made Jewellery always on hand.—F. 11. Lewisson, Qneen street. -lAdvt.J