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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2996, 1 February 1881, Page 2

Mr Robert Lamb, C.E., entered upon his duties as Municipal Engineer to-day. The police are anxious to find the owners for two pair of opera glasses, a vase, and a decanter. Mr R. Brooking is about to remove his office to the shop formerly occupied by Mr Holder, Shake&peare-road. The vital statistics registered at Napier for the month of January show —births, 41 ; marriages, 9 ; and deaths, 11. Mr W. E. W. Morrison, 8.A., assisted by Mr Rawlins, repeated his Shakespearian recital from the " Merchant of Venice" last evening in St. John's school-room. The audience was not large, but it was thoroughly appreciative of the excellent manner in which the recital was given. The Public Works Committee met last night and agreed to the following recommendations :— (1) That tenders be invited for a supply of closet pans at per 100. (2) That tenders bB invited for formation of part of Havelock-road, as requested by Mr Dolbel. (3) That the engineer be instructed to see that Nos. 3 and 5 drainage contracts are carried out and completed in strict accordance with the specifications. (4) That the "works proposed" report of the engineer be adopted. (5) That tho vouchers for expenditure during January be passed and ordered to bo paid. We are glad to learn that Captain Russell desires it to be known that he had nothing to do with the nomination of the present trustees of the Meanee reserve. The Government, it appears relegated the duty of nomination to Mr Grmond, who submitted the names to Captain Russell. Having seen the list, Captain Russell objected to the composition oi the intended Beard, and said that should the question be brought before Parliament he and Mr Ormond would be found on opposite sides of tho House. In spite of Captain Russell's objection, Mr Ormond forwarded the names to the Government, and in due time they wore gazetted. Messrs Connor and Davies have made a claim upon the Corporation of £5180 for work in connection with the reclamation of the swamp over and above the quantity contracted to be performed. There is no truth in the absurd report that the claim is in respect to the insufficiency of the hill removed from the Town Hall reserve to fill in the swamp. The contract was based upon an " approximate" estimate furnished by the Corporation ; the approximate, however, proved to be nearly fifty per cent. out. Messrs Connor and Davies, we |believe, are willing to allow a margin of fifteen per cent, for an approximation, but aro not disposed to put up with an error of calculation to the I extent of olose upon one-half the amount of I the whole oontraot, <

At the Resident Magistrate Court this morning, before Captain Preece, Flora Soraers was charged with stealing a glass water-jug and an antimacassar from the Provincial Hotel. The police asked for a remand, which was granted.

A Presbyterian congregation not a hundred miles from North Dunedin is just now in a otace of distraction over no less a source of trouble than a strike in the chior. The young lady members, it appears from a local paper, were accused of unseemly levity during service, under cover of the screen surrounding their enclosure, and someone in authority—to give them a hint probably th>:t their doings had been noticed —took the screen down. This was highly disapproved of, for the choir members took umbrage, and discord now reigns where once all was harmony.

Count Henkel-Donnersmark, who recently invited the Grand Duke Cesarewitch to a hunting party on his vast estate in R.ussian Poland, is one of the wealthiest of the German nobility. He is married to the Marquis de Paiva, whose first husband, a Portuguese nobleman, shot himself on the threshold of his wife's palatial residence in Paris when he became aware of her partiality for the count. Tne count played a conspicuous part in the negotiations of the preliminaries of peace at Versailles. He abandoned his political career, in which he might have attained the highest honours, on his marriage with the Marques de Paiva, who, born in Warsaw, the daughter of a Jewish pedlar, has, by strange freaks of fortune, risen from the lowest to the highest rank.

" Atlas " in the " World" says :—" The officer who is going to be tried by courtmartial for his rude behaviour to the Governor of Bombay is the eldest son of Lord Vernon, and gave his father considerable trouble a few years ago, when, owing to his foolish and extravagant habits, he had to leave the Guards. He does not seem to have improved in India. Driving iD a dog-cart he tried to pass the Governor's carriage, which contained Sir James Fergusßon and his wife and daughters. Sir James beckoned to him not to pass, pointing to his restive horses, which were new ones, and not easy to handle ; but the officer was not going to stop for the Governor or for any one else, and tried to force his way past the troopers, one of whom was sent to tell him not to pass the carriage. Vernon struck the native trooper in the face, and forced his way past. These facts speak for themselves, and no oommenta are needed."

The Australian Sportsman says:—" A great deal has been said about Midwinter demanding £30 for his services in the recent match—Australian Eleven v. Combined Ehven,—and in most instances his action has been condemned. But it would seem that nearly all are ignorant of the oircumstances whioh led the English professional to fix such a sum as his due, and a peep behind the scenes shows that, as an aot of retaliation, the amount was not so exhorbitant as at first sight. It appears that previous to the Nottingham match at home the Australians were shorthanded in consequence of accidents in the field, and wrote to Midwinter requesting his services ; but when that player arrived upon the scene he was coolly informed that he was not required, and no remuneration was awarded him. The match was played, the Australians lost by one wicket, and Midwinter resolved to abide his time and become even with the eleven. As their pookets appear to be the tenderest part, Mid's revenge has been complete.

A.n amusing story is told of a band of excursionists who went to the Hot Springs a few days ago. The felicitous gathering consisted of old Mr and Mrs A., accompanied by numerous sons and daughters of the first and " second" generation. Mr A., who was well-known for his redundant knowledge of shells, fossils, etc., was particularly anxious to entertain his young friends on this, his favorite theme, should an opportunity present itself. They were proceeding leisurely along the beach when Mr A. accidentally stumbled across something which, to his great joy, he thought would make a grand subject for a geological discourse, and he efc once drew attention to it exclaiming,'/'Ah, my friends, now have we some'"ling to interest us—perhaps there's not the equal of this specimen in the Auckland Museum, in fact, I may say, even in all New Zealand. Here we have a fossil shoe—probably a relic of some wavetossed mariner of a most remote age. Notice particularly the effect of the action of the various salts on the metal and leather; you see, my friends, that it is now a hard and stony substance." After a somewhat lengthy description the old geologist concluded by saying, "When I reflect on this interesting fossil I am persuaded that there is no doubt 6at that— [Voice from the sea]—" Och, bad luck to yez, jist dhrap thim shoes o' mine, oud bluntherbuss, I'm looking at yez." The poor old man at once dropped the wonderful specimen, feeling convinced that he was sold for the first time in his life, and simply collapsed.

One of the features of the Moody and Sankey revivalist services in San Francisco is " the question drawer," into which are put questions in writing, and these are duly answered by the evangelist. The following is a sample of question and answer : —Q,. —Do church fairs and suppers help the finances of the church ? A. —In the long run they don't; they hurt them. I never knew a church fair in n»y life that some one didn't get his feelings hurt. I believe they grieve the most spiritual of every church, and you cannot afford to grieve those who have the most power with God. They bring in a profane element. Men of the world—scoffers—will tell you they have paid fifty cents to help the church. They have probably paid fifty cents for an oysterstew that cost the church forty cents, and the Church of God has made ten cents on the operation. I think it is very small business. Then the way they are conducted is very objectionable. The idea that you can go around to the sanctuary, and by giving twenty-five cents vote who is the handsomest lady in town ! And this in the house of God ! I tell you we have gone so far in this respect that we don't know where we are. In one place I remember its being given out that any man might go in and kiss the handsomest there for twenty cents. And yet you wonder that the world scoffs at the church ! How degrading it is. I think we had better rely upon God and the legitimate means for our finances than have drinking, licentious, ungodly men brought to our aid and company in this way. I say let us set our faces like a flint against all these things." The promoters of church bazaars might apply Mr Moody's answer to their doings.

The monthly meeting of Scinde Lodge will be held on Thursday.

The second dividend in estate of Newton, Irvine and Co. will be paid to-morrow.

Mr W. Routledge will sell to-morrow, at Messrs Richardson and Co.'s store, Spit, Wairoa apples. Persons having claims on the estate of William Caldwell are requested to send them to Mr Lascelles.

Messrs. Combs and Co advertise special bargains. Miss Caldwell's cottage in the Milton road is to let.

Mr P. H. Drower, Waipukurau, has timber, fencing posts, and house-blocks for sale. The evening class at the District school will commence to-morrow. The places and dates of sitting of the Assessment Court for tho Borough of Napier and Counties of Hawke's Bay and Waipawa aro gazetted.