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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3029, 11 March 1881, Page 2

The "Iviu'iiNh mail via "Fnsoo left Auckland in the Arawata last evening, and is expected ia Napier on Sunday morning.

Persons intending to subscribe to Mr S. Hooper's Derby sweep on the Napier Handicap havo no time to lose. Very few tickets remain on hand, and the drawing will positively take place to-morrow.

Nepi, tbe chief of the Waipawa 7tapu, has telegraphed U. the police at Napier demanding protection for his pah and people during his absence at Maatertou. He oomplains that Mr Harding has trampled over the graves of his forefathers.

The last of the preliminary matches among tho members of the Kifle corps was fired this morning, when Privates Luke with 40, and Wilson with 39, secured places. Tho handicap and date for final matches are to be arranged this evening.

At tho iaat. meeting of the members of the Waipukmau library, Mr B. C. Mounier, the honorary secretary and treasurer, was requested to convey the thanks of the institution to the Daily Telegbaph for supplying the reading-room with a free paper.

The date of the day of publication of the Weekly Mebcoby has been altered from Saturday to Friday. As the paper went to press on Thursday nights in order to catch the Friday morning mails, the date of Saturday was misleading and unsatisfactory.

At the ordinary meeting of the Taradale and Meanee School Committee, held on Tuesday evening, it was resolved to recommend tho Education Board to grant a petition from householders asaing for a separation of the Taradale and Meanee school districts, and a line of division was suggested. It was also resolved to recommend to the Board tbe annexation of the Redciyffe district to the Taradale school district.

Mr Batkin, one of the Commissioners of Audit, and Mr Seed, Secretary to the Customs, arrived at Napier overland from Wellington last night. The object of their visit is to ascertain in what direction a further application of the pruning knife can be made to the Civil Service. The duty of these Government oncers is to give effect as fat as possible to the recommendations contained in the report of the Civil Service Commissioners.

The small compartment of the reservoir has now been emptied, and the cause of the leak ascertained to be a slight crack in the cement bottom near the east outward corner, due, it is thought, to the faulty nature of the foundation. We understand that the Municipal Engineer proposes to decrease the size of the compartment by building a wall on the inner side of the crack. The capacity of the reservoir by this will be reduced by about 20,000 gallons, but by carrying the walls up higher the loss can be compensated.

At a meeting held last week at West Clive for the purpose of forming a Rowing Club thirty gentlemen enrolled their names, and some twenty more have signified their intention of joining. It was resolved to adopt with slight modifications the rules of tbe Napier Rowing Club. Mr F. Sutton, M.H.R., was elected president, Messrs T. Tanner and C. C. Murray vice-presidents, Mr li. G. Gibbons captain, Mr W. Uuddiok treasurer, and Mr R. B. Vance secretary. A committee of seven was also elected, and the money having been subscribed Mr Gibbons was instructed to order two fouroar batswing gigs. A boat-shed is to be built on the right bank of the Ngaruroro, close to the bridge.

A native named Matenga Pekapeka, of Omahu, wa:; charged at the Resident Magiftralo's Court yesterday with stealing ft mackintosh from the store of Mr Benjamin at Taradale. It appears that the prisoner had been in Benjamin's shop, and in the evening a mackintosh was missed from the stock. Benjamin's servant said he must have sold one to Matenga, as she had seen him carrying one that day on the Omahu road. Mr Benjamin said he had sold the prisoner socio goods, but didn't sail him a mackintosh. The constable went to prisoner'a house by daybreak the next morning, found the mackintosh in his possession, and arrested him. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and made a lame statement as to how he became possessed of the macbiniosh. His Worship sentenced him to two months imprisonment with hard labor.

By the Albion steamer that ["steams for Napier to-day, the Simonsen Opera Company, consisting of thirty-seven members all told, leave Wellington for this town. One of the attractions Mr Simonsen will offer during the season will be the new opera " The White Lady of Avenel, " the plot of which is taken from Sir Walter Scott's novel, and is acknowledged to be the finest ever put on the otage. The action takes place in Scotland in the year 1759. jNo expense has been spared to make this opera a success, and the performance will be as near an approach as possible to the several performances witnessed by Mr Simonsen in Paris; splendid new Scottish dresses and accessories having been expressly made to give due effect to the presentation of this great work. We remind our readers that season tickets cannot be purchased after Monday.

The following notice has been issued by the secretary to the Post and Telegraph Departments :—" With the object of encouraging habits of thrift among school children, the Postmaster-General has decided to receive for lodgment in any Post Office Savings Bank deposits of penny postage stamps of the value of one shilling when affixed to the cards provided by the department for this purpose. Every pupil attending any school, who may wish to save one shilling by penny contributions for ultimate deposit in the Post Office Savings Bank, may do so by purchasing with every penny so saved a penny postage stamp and affixing ie to the card. When the squares are filled, the card may be taken to any Post Office Savings Bank, where it will bo received by tbe Postmaster, who will accept it either as the first deposit in a new account then to be opened, or as a subsequent deposit if the depositor has already opened an account. If any stamps affixed to the cards are defaced or otherwise damaged, it will result in the rejection of the entire number. The cards for the collection of postage stamps, and intended for distribution either to schools or to _ the children attending schools, may be obtained at every Post Office Savings Bank, where further information will be afforded."

Mr Davis' residence in Priestly road had a narrow escape from destruction by fire yesterday afternoon. By some means a daughter of Mr Davn set fire to the grass in front of tho house, and the flames spread with alarming rapidity, the house being in imminent, danger. £ome neighbors soon collected, and, not without some exertion, succeeded in subduing the fire, without any further damage being done than tho burning of the whole of the grass in the plot of ground.

The Gaiety Amateur Dramatic Club made their fist appearance ■ last night in " The Orange Girl" to a very good house, and may be congratulated on their efforts —the complicated plot and large number of characters, together with the variety of costume and scenery required, makinar it a very heavy undertaking for amateurs. Tue leading females characters were taken by Mrs Williams and Miss Hately, the former essaying the part of " The Orange Girl" in such a masterly manner as to make it a matter of astonishment that the public have not been favored more often by her presence on the stage. Miss Hately looked her part to perfection, her voice and manner being peculiarly suited to the character of the child jenny, and with a little more training to strengthen her voice will become a useful member of the Club. Mrs Bear took the low comedy part of Mrs Gregory Dingal in that free and easy style so natural and mirth-provoking. Miss Tannion and Miss Harper also played, the former going through the death-bed scene in a very effecting manner. Mr Hodsruon played the leading character of John Fryer, but it is useless to comment on his acting. Mr Collins and Mr Bear were very perfect in their parts, the former as u«na.l keeping the audience in good humor all the time. The minor characters, mostly played by beginners, showed very careful tution on the part of their stage manager, Mr Hodgson. The " Frozen Farm," painted by Messrs Bear and Wundram, well merited the round of applause which the audience bestowed when the curtain rose on it.

New South Wales railways are paid to be yielding a return of per cent on the capital invested, after paying all working* expenses. The lines are in excellent condition.

A farmer down South, who has put in an experimental crop of chicory this year, expects to realise £45 per acre from his venture, though the hares have played sad havoc with it. The crop has been bespoken at £5 per ton. There is a large colonial market for this product.

At the Social Science Congress, at Edinburgh, it was recently declared that apart from immigration New Zealand would double its population every qnarter of a century. The North Island was said to possess a climate oomparable to that of Italy, and the (South Island to that of "Devonshire.

Protection for prison labour against the competition of free men is a nsw idea, we believe. Some old men who were employed in stone«breaking at Mount Eden, Auckland, recently received notice of dismissal, and a contractor, who had opened a quarry there for the supply of kerb stones to the city, was warned off at the same time, the reason alleged in both cases being that the prison trade in broken metal was being injured. The Hon. Mr Whitaker, tho AttorneyGeneral, on a representation of the matter being made to him, promi-ed that no aotion should be taken in the matter until the arrival of Mr Rolleston.

In an article on the Transvaal outbreak the Daily Independent, published at Kimberley (Diamond Field) remarks : — " As everyone who has had any experience in the colony must be aware, the Transvaal, when a Republic, and before there existed an extradition treaty, was the last resort of scoundrels of all nationalities, of every degree of crime, from the colony, the Free States, and, in fact, from all parts of South Africa. Once over the border, a man was safe, no matter whether he had committed a murder, robbed a bank, ran away with his neighbor's wife, or cheated his creditors. And formerly the Transvaal swarmed with such men. Even now there are men aoross the border who dare not venture into the colony, and it is to the machinations of these scapegraces, quite as much as to the legitimate discontent of the Boers, that the present rebellion must be referred.

A sad and dramatic eviction took place in County Wicklow, on December 8. An old man named Arthur Kavanagh, in feeble health, who had a cabin on the property of Earl Fitzwilliam, had fallen behind in his rent. A decree of ejectment was obtained by the Earl at the last Wicklow Sessions. His gamekeeper, with two bailiffs, went to execute the decree on the Bth December. They had to carry Kavanagh out of the house, and, as they were crossing the threshhold of his cabin, the poor old man gave one gasp and died in tbe gamekeeper's arms. His body was laid by the roadside. Over it, for hours, sat his only mourner, a granddaughter. Kavanagh was formerly in a good position. He had been previously a carrier between Dublin and Wicklow. He had been unable to work for two years, and had been bedridden for some time. An inquest was held on the body, when the jury found that death was caused by disease of the heart.

The late Sir Cracrof fc Wilson was a man of considerable personal courage, as the following extracts from Kay's " History of tbe Sepoy War in India," testify :—" There was fortunately then at the station (Moradabad) a high civil functionary of immense energy and courage, a man equal to any emergency, and capable of any act of daring. Mr Cracroft Wilson was Judge of Moradabad." [Page 202.] " The resolute courage which the Judge had evinced from the beginning bnd made a great impression on tbe native soldiery, and now once more it was to be tested. As he rode towards the Lines he passed in front of the artillery. The Golundauze, whose treachery had been known from the first, laid their guns and lit. their port-fires. Wilson's clear blue eyes calmly conf rontpd the murderous design. Without a sign of fear on his face, he rode towards the guns (not from them) and waved his hat as a challenge to the gunners. Abashed and overawed by the bearing of the intrepid Englishman, they slunk back, and Wilson was saved."

Mr A. Erneste will be in Napier with the Simonsen Company, and will be prepared to tune or repair pianos, &c. Mr frneste has been engaged as principle tuner at Messrs Nicholson and Co.'s establishment in Sydney, and that should be a gurantee of his ability as a tuner. Messrs Monteith and Co. will sell tomorrow at the Repository useful hacks, &c, at 1.30 p.m. Mr T. K. Newton will sell to-morrow at his rooms clothing at 11 a.m., and groceries at 2 p.m. ... . Tenders for building Union Shipping Company's offices received until to-morrow. Tenders for additions and alterations to a villa in Shakcspcar road received until March 16th. . The half-term at Napier College and Grammar School begins on Tuesday next. A meeting of shareholders of the Hastings Town Hall Company will be held on Tuesday next. Impoundings at Taradale are notified. A mission will be opened at St. Mary s Church by Rev. Father Le Menant on Sunday next. , ~, A special train for Makatoko will run on Sunday next. A meeting of committee of Clive Rowing Club will be held on Tuesday next. Calcutta sweeps will bo held in the large hall, Emerson-street, on the 15th, lGth, and 17th. Six good quarrymen wanted. A meeting of the Court Sir Henry Havelock will be held on the 14th. All claims on the Criterion Hotel to he sent in by noon on Monday next. Madame Lotti Wilmot will lecture on " The Social Problem " on Sunday next. Lost, a gold locket and chain and two dress rings. A number of' new advertisements will be found in our " Wanted "^column.