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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3050, 5 April 1881, Page 2

We regret to hear that Colonel Roberta is reported to be dangerously ill from typhoid fever. He is at the Constabulary camp near Parihaka. Redactions in the Civil Service Departments of the Nort'u Island, exclusive of Wellington, are recommended in Messrs Seed and Batkin'e report to the extent of £10,000 a year. The approach to tLe Port Ahuriri bridge has been repeatedly reported to be dangerous for traffic. It is not nearly wide enough, and the turn from the bridge to the road is far too short. A complete systeru of electric fire alarms is proposed for the oily of Chnstchurch. The Superintendent of the Fire Brigade also recommends the purchase of a small chemical engine of iiie kind that is in general use in England. It was always understood in Napier that the Roy. D'Arcy Irvine was the next heir to the D'Arcy Irvine estates in County Tyrone, Ireland, but the Home News nays that the estates have been taken possession of by Captain William D'Arcy. At the civil sittings of the District Court, to be held on Thursday next, the following cases are set down for hearing:—Mohi Tarapuhi and others v. W. L. Rees; H. L. Donnelly v. J. Hindmarsh ; Trustees of J. B. Vernon v. C. Mitchell; T. T. Russell v. Weber. Mr Robert Dobson, the local agent of the New Zealand Insurance Company, we hear, enters into partnership with Mr Roopo Brooking as from the Ist May next. The agency of the New Zealand Insurance Company will be couliflued in the hands of of Messrs Brooking and Dobson. The body of the unfortunate young eeaman Joseph Graha:u, whose loss of life from on board the oil tier Clara we reported yesterday, has not been recovered. Major Richardson sent a man along the beach to. wards Tongoio this uioi-iiing, but the body has net yet been washed ashore in that direction.

Dr. Rowbottom, forinorly of Napier, but ■who left here for the Thames, after a lingering illness, died last week. A meeting cf creditors in the estate of Mr Hugh MeLeilan, of Tβ Haroto, sheepfarm er, was held at tho Supreme Court Hougs to-day. Mr W. R. Blythc was elected chairman. A deed of assignment to Messrs M. R. Miller and Hu(ih "Campbell was agreed to in lieu of a former deed, to M. li. Miller a,* oole trustee. We understand that the challenge of Mr Olementa to run any Hawke's Bay pedestrian certain specified distances for a sum of money has not been taken up. It may be thar. the runners in this district know Mr Clement's power too well to risk a dpfeat, or that running, like all other athletic sports, is at a discount in Hawke's Bay. The Pacifio mail steamer Australia arrived yesterday evening at Auckland with the uropean mails via San Francisco. On reaching , Honolulu on March 21st it was learned that the City of New York had not been heard of, co, on the passage to New Zealand, a constant watch was kept at the mast-head, but no nigu of the missing , steamer was discovered. Since the above was in type we have received the welcome intelligence that the City of New York had arrived at San Francicco. No particulars are to hand as to the cause of her long passage.

In section five of the Municipal Public Works report it will be seen that all the vouchers were passed and ordered to be paid with the exception of one for £12 l2s for the eale of swamp sections. We understand that a verbal arrangement with the auctioneer was that a certain commission should be paid on each section whbther sld or bought in by the Corporation. •)n these terms the subdivided sections were put up to suction, and as they were bought in the charge nevertheless will have to he paid. It was a cheap arrangement for the Corporation, but the auctioneer cannot be expected to be at the loss of his day's work because the land failed to find buyers.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before Captain Freece, R.M., Charles Cole, seaman on board the steamship GoAhead, was charged with wilful disobedience of orders. He pleaded guilty. Mr Lascelles, who appeared for Captain Dicker, paid this was not thu first time his client had had to complain of conduct of this kind, and the prisoner was a ringleader among-the men. As the oommand which had been disobeyed was a most reasonable one he would ask His Worship to inflict the full penalty. Captain Dicker stated the particulars of the offence, and His Wore) dp ordered that the prisoner forfeit two days pay in addition to the solicitor's fee and witnesses expenses.

Mr Collins, Reatsr's agent in Melbourne, sends to the Argas the following memorandum:—" As an instance of rapid telegraphing, it is perhaps worthy of being noted that the news of the assassination of the Czar was generally known in the Australian colonies several hours before it could appear in print in the Hnglish journals. Router's telegram containing the announcement was despatched from London at twenty-five minutes to 9 p.m. on Sunday. It reached the Melbourne telegraph office at four minutes past 9 a.m. on Monday, thus occupying two hours forty-nine minutes otily in transmission, allowing for the difference of time. It was published or posted outside the offices of the Melbourne papers by a quarter-past 10 a.m., equivalent to twenty-five minutes to 1 a.m. in London. As no paper ia published in England on Sunday night, it thus appears that the news was made known in. Australia at least four or five hours before it could be read by the public at Heme."

A want of harmony existed among a portion of the Opera (Jompany as they left in the Boojum yesterday afternoon. All appeared peace and quietness until something , suddenly went wrong with the scents artiat, and he was heard to exclaim emphatically that hie name it was Briggs, and he didn't care a big " D " for anybody. The remark appeared innocent enough in itself, but it roused the ire of the first violin, who at once proceeded to demolish the valorous Briggs. A member ot the chorus then entered the lists on behalf of the man of the brush and palette, and his fist came violently in contact with the face of the first violin. The scraper o£ cat-gut, however, occupied the vantage ground of a pile ef luggage, and he struck out valiently until an insurance agent, who possibly had an interest in the life of Briggs, seized him from behind, and the first violin speedily lay prone in the scuppers. This might have ended the little trouble, butgthe bystanders had small sympathy for the fallen hero, and he was quickly hoisted on the wharf ; a sound of gentle footsieps were heard coming quickly, and the poor first violin was epeedily in the hands of a myrmidon of the law. Then arose the lament of the chief of the orchestra mourning for his first fiddler, and refusing to be comfoited, until his chief assistant was restored to him. Twice has this distinguished artist of the name of Briggs been the cause of strife in this otherwise harmonious company, and twice has he received buffeting for his shortcomings.

The annual ordinary general meeting of the shareholders oi the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company wan held on February sth at the offices of the company, Queen Victoria-street, Mansion House; Mr Thomas Rucsell, C.M.G., in the chair.— The Chairman, in moving the ad option of the report, congratulated the shaieholders that the directors were not only able to give them their usual dividend, but that they had resumed their contributions to the reserve fund which had been annually made from the commencement without any break until last year, when, the colony being in a state of depresaion, it was deemed prudent to withhold it. In the minds of some persons, not of th)S9 who knew the country, there were doubts as to the future of .New Zealand, and unfavourable inferences were drawn from the amount of the public debt compared with the number of the population. But he maintained that such comparisons were most unfair unless they took into account the resources and capabilities of the country. In New Zealand, with an area equal to that of the United Kingdom, they had a soil which was naturally rich and a climate so genial that they never experienced either the severity of an English winter or the scorching , heat of an Australian summer. In 1869 there were only 800,000 acres of land under cultivation. In 1879 it had increased to four million acres, the increase being all attributable to the making of roads and railroads, or rather hits of roads and railroads, for they were yet mostly unfinished. When they were finished the population would no doubt increase, and the quantity of land brought under cultivation increase also; and as the soil was richer than that of California, and the distance shorter, the cultivators of grain in New Zealand could no doubt compete successfully with those of California, and grain as well as wool would lorm a staple article of export.—The motion was seconded by Mr Butcher and carried without discussion, as was another resolution that a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum for the half-year, and a bonus of 5 per cent, for the year, be paid.—The retiring directors were re-elected, as were also the auditors, and the meeting closed with votes of thanks to the heme and colonial directors, and to the managers, secretary, and officers both in England and the colonies, and to the chairmanValedictory tea meeting at Trinity Churcli to-night. Gymnasium Club meeting to-night at 8. Messrs Neal and Close advertise that they contributed £1422 Is 10d to the Customs revenue for the month of March, or considerably more than one third of the takings of the whole province. Messrs H. C. Fiske and Co., of Chvistchurch, offer a reward of 1000 dollars to any person who will do tbe same work on any other sewing machine as is done on the Davis sewing machine. It is notified that the estate of Mr

Andrew Grant lias been assigned to Mr d-, T. Cross. A mooting of Scinde Lodge will bo held on Thursday evening. Messrs Blythe and Co. have glove fitting corsets for sale. Messrs Combs and Co. have opened today an assortment of now goods. Messrs Leonard and Co. have opened thirty-six cases drapery and clothing. Doctor L. Carey has commenced practising his profession at Hastings. A number of new advertisements will be found in our " Wanted " column.