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Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 186, 17 June 1874, Page 2

“Ratepayer’s” letter on “ The present and future of the Country Board/’ and Mr Asher’s “ List of implements required for use in case of fire” are unavoidably crowded out. The charge brought by Captain Tanks against Mrs Jones, for malicious injury to property, will be heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning. The Rev Mr McKee, P csbyterian Minister, held divine service on Sunday last at Fraser’s Hall, Tauranga, morning and evening. The sinking of a Mississippi steamboat is thus graphically described : “ She sot and hove, and hove and sot. And high her rudder flung, And every time she hove and sot, A wusser leak she sprung.” It is rumoured (we learn from Sydney papers) that Sullivan, the New Zealand murderer, is in Sydney. The Suez English Mail arrived at Onehunga by the a s Lady Bird yesterday. A cart, with horse—belonging to the Rev T. S. Grace—returning from Oropi with wood, met with an accident:—horse backed over the cutting by Mr Chadwick’s corner, Gate Pa. Result—horse killed, cart smashed. Time—Friday evening last. Captain Turner, District Engineer, received instructions on Monday morning last, from the Colonial Architect, Wellington, to withdraw the invitation for tenders for the erection of a residence for the officer in charge of Telegraph Department, Tauranga. What does it mean ? The Wangaroi correspondent of the 2V ZHerald in a recent issue writes:—Mr Mailing, of the Telegraph Department, hat arrived in Wangarei with his party, and has now completed the survey of the line past Hikurangi. Mr Floyd arrived on Saturday last. On Friday, the 29ch May, the representatives of the Telegraph gave an invitation ball to the residents of the district. The ball was numerously and respectably attended. Notwithstanding the short notice it was very successful.”

At a full parade of the New South Wales Artillery at Sydney the other day LioutenantColonel St. John, of the New Zealand Militia, Military Secretary to the Hon. Donald McLean, presented a silver watch, on behalf of the New Zealand Government, to Gunner Beattie, of the Artillery. It is a silver hunting watch, bearing the inscription—“ To Gunner Beattie, N.S.W.A* in recognition of his faithful attention to the lato Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, New Zealand Militia."

A correspondent from Auckland to the Coromandel Ivetas says: —“A rather good thing occurred lately. Armitage, as you know, was sent for up to town some three weeks ago to file affidavits against Captain Fraser, who he was prepared to swear had been frequently drunk in his company, and had gone on the spree with him amongst the Maori women on the East Coast. AVell, the affidavits were all made out by Mr McCormick ready for Armitage to sign, when walking down Queen-street with Brett, who should be seen coming along the street but Captain Fraser himself, who had just arrived from his late visit to Tauranga. ‘ Talk of the d says Brelt, ‘here comes Fraser himself!’ ‘Where said Armitage ; *is that ha ? That’s not ray oldchum “ Bully Fraser.” * Armitage had confounded Captain Fraser with another party of the same name."

Under the heading of “ Matches at Last,” the Melbourne Punch has the following In these enterprising days even volcanoes can be turned to account, as we hear that an extinct one known as White Island, off Auckland, has been secured as a lueifer match and sulphuric acid manufactory. All arrangements have been made for establishing the business on a satisfactory footing, and the island has been leased to the company, which is the least the owners could do in these days of cheap matches and frequent divorces. A good story comes from Wellington. “ The hon the Premier last week received a leash of pheasants from Auckland. Great in pastry as in public worts, Mr Vogel designed a pie which should be game to the core, Peter Laing’s skill in carrying out great designs is well known. To him the pheasants were sent, and by him the pie was constructed. The hour of consummation and dinner at length arrived. The Premier, with one or two select friends, enjoyed sparingly their fish and soup, and with appetites whetted but not dull were ready for the great work. It looked peculiar, the top was frosted ; still there could be no doubt. The pheasants had come from Auckland, and there was the pie. This waauo dinner ala JELusse, The Premier himself drove home the knife Could it be ? Alas ! It was too true, the pie was apple. Certain clerks in tbe Government employ, who sometimes get a fruit tart from Laing’s, enjoyed that day a feast they had not ordered" Wellington paper.

Something quite new in the annals of jurisprudence came to us from America It is the report of a case of “The State v William Linkhaw, indicted for misdemeanour.” The unfortunate man was prosecuted under the statute for “disturbing a religious congregation.” This far from sweet William is, it appears, a member of the Methodist Church, and is accustomed to sing after a fashion so retarded that “at the end of each verse his voice is heard when all the other singers have ceased.” The effect of this was duplex. Half the congregation laughed, while the other moiety “gotmad.” The “ irreligious and frivolous,” also attended to enjoy the fun. The “ serious and devout ” became indignant. Still William would sing. Sometimes the preacher, for fear of profane merriment, would order no singing at all. The presiding elder refused to preach in the church on account of William Linkhaw’s bad singing. Leading members of the assembly interfered and privately laboured with William, beseeching him to sing no more. But he knew his rights, and knowing dared maintain them. He didn’t appeal to the Personal Liberty Bill—not he! He fell back upon bis vested immunities as a Christian. He said, with a courage worthy of Martin Luther, that “ he’d worship God, and that as a part of his worship it was his duty to sing.” And so he did ; and with such deliberation that at the end of every verse he was two and one-half bars behind. Flesh and blood couldn’t stand it. The constable was sent for, who took William into custody; the grand jury indicted him ; the petty jury found him guilty of singing out of time. He has appealed, j

Cremation societies are the order of the day now in Switzerland. Several have been organised in Geneva, Berne, and Zurich, and are doing then best, by means of public lectures and distribution of pamphlets on the subject, to familiarise the public with the notion of burning the dead. Ever so many methods are being devised for reducing the body in the cheapest way to the least possible quantity of ashes, leaving the rest to escape in the form of smoke and gas. In Italy and England the agitation is also spreading. Similar steps have been taken in New York City, and a few days ago the World published a list of members of one of the societies. The signers mutually agree to permit their bodies to be burned to ashes by their surviving associates, who also agree to superintend the process.

A great many people are shamefully negligent about answering letters. Nothing is more annoying- At home it is regarded as the height of ill-breeding to allow a letter which needs go unanswered ; and so it ought to be considered here. This is a point on which parents should lay great stress on their children. They should bo thought to consider it rude not to reply promptly to a letter that needs attention. The busiest people are generally those who are most exact in this respect. The late Duke of Wellington, who, it mnst be admitted, had a good deal on his hands at different times of life, replied to every letter, no matter from how humble a source. Once a clergyman, who lived in a distant part of the Kingdom, wrote to his Grace, on whom neither he nor his parish had any claim, to beg fora subscription towards building a church. Er return mail came back a letter from the Duke to the effect that he really could not see why in the world he should have been applied to for such an object; but the parson sold the letter as an autograph for £5, and put the Duke down for that amount among the subscribers.