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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3579, 30 December 1882, Page 2

The Daily Telugkaph will not be published until Tuesday evening next, 2nd January. The vital statistics as registered at Napier for this month of December show births 22, marriages 9, and deaths 10. A supplementary mail for England, &0., will be forwarded via Auckland, and will close at the Chief Post Office, Napier, at 8 o'clock this evening. The total Customs revenue collected at the port of Napier during the month of December amounted to £4299 7s lid, of which the duty on beer contributed £255 14s 4d. Monday being New Year's Day, service will be held in St. John's Church at 8 a.m., when the Bishop of Waiapu will deliver a short address, and administer the Holy Communion. At a meeting of the creditors in the estate of Mr J. R. Davis, held at Giaborne on the 23rd instant, a resolution was carried annulling the bankruptcy, Mr Davis promising to pay all his debts''in. twelve months.. We are requested to state that tbe cheque for £200 forwarded to the Bishop of Waiapu in aid of the building fund for the new church at Port Ahuriri was the gift of a lady, and net of a gentleman, as was asserted by a local paper. The Artillery and Rifle Volunteers paraded for inspection in front of tho Athenteum last night. The attendance was small. Both corps were inspected by Major Routledge, after which, headed by the Artillery band, the men maaohed out. The district prizes recently competed for were subsequently paid over to the winners by Major Routledge.

We are requested to direct special attention to an advertisement elsewhere notifying that Mr Rymer's coaches will ply between Napier and Okawa on Monday (New Year's Day) in connection with the Woodthorpe races. The following will represent; the Rovers' in the cricket match with Napier on Monday :—Messrs Buchanan, C. Oato, Cotterill, Gibbons, Hunter, Kirker, A. Newton,_G. Newton,' Liddlo, Woods, and Vautier. Emergency, W. Cato and W.» Newton. Players are requested to be at Mayo's Hotel at 8 45 a.m. The Wairoa Council has done the very sensible thing that was first suggested in these columns, namely, to amend the ferry charges at the Waihua and Opoiti rivers. In the Wairoa Guardian the Council has a notification that on and after January Ist the ferry charges at those rivers shall/ be— Sheep, lOsper 1000 ; cattle, 3d per head up to 50, and 2d per head over 50j Holiday makers on New Year's Day will have a wide selection of attractions. At Waipukurau there are to be athletic sports ; at Kaikora, racing ; at Petane, Caledonian sports, archery contests, tilting in the ring, lawn tennis, skittles, and shooting ; and, in town, the Friendly Societies' fete will be held in the Reoreation Company's ground. We haVe no doubt that each and all will be abundantly patronised. / In the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before Captain Preece, R.M., Duncan McKenzie pleaded guilty to having been drunk while in charge of a horse in Napier yesterday, and was fined £1 and costs, with the alternative of 48 hours' hard labor. James McLeod admitted a charge jmputing over-indulgence in the " flowing and he was in consequence ordered to pay a fine of 5s and costs, or go to goal for 43 hoars. Another accident has happened on the Gorge cutting on the Woodville-Palmerston road. It appears that Mr Peebles was leading his horses that were attached to a brake, when, through some cause or another, horses and vehicle went over tho edge and down the face of the precipice to the river. One of the horses was killed, and probably Mr Peebles owes his life to having led his team instead of driving, along that most dangerous road.. At a meeting held in St. John's schoolroom last evening, the Bishop of Waiapu presiding, a " Christian Temperance Association " for Napier was organised, with the Rev. de Berdt Hovell as President, and Mr Banbury as secretary. The subscription fee was fixed at one shilling per annum, payable in advance. It was agreed that only those shall be eligible for membership who recognise the Bible inspired rule of faith and practice, and that the pledge be that administered by Mrs Hampson. Messrs Kellar and Cunard gave their final performance in Napier last evening, when there was a fair attendance. The various tricks, &c, as introduced at previous representations were gone through, and elicited the heartiest tokens of approval from the audience. Some disappointment was felt in consequence of the dark seance, which was promised, not being given. It is a bad rule for managers of companies to break faith with the public in this way, as Messrs Kellar and Cunard will in all probability discover should they not exercise a wiser discretion on future occasions. Mr W. G. Motley, who returned from Poverty Bay this morning, prior to leaving Gisborne received by telegram a vote of thanks from the Christchurch shareholders in the Southern Cross Petroleum Company for hi? able support of their representative, Mr W. Wilson. The conjunction of the Napier and Christchurch shareholders had the effect of putting a final stop to the the scheme of leasing on tribute any portion of the company's estate, and should the same fortunate alliance continue will effect the removal of the seat of the directory from Gisborne to Chistchurch, a consummation to be devoutly -wished for. The following is the programme of the Friendly Societies' fete on New Year's Day : —The members of the various societies will meet in Clive Square at 10 o'clock on Monday morning, and form in precession •in the following order: Artillery Band, Loyal United Friends (two lodges), Hibernians, Protestant Alliance, Forester's Drum and Fife Band, and Foresters (four Courts). They will march down Tennyson-street, round Messrs Ruddock and Fryer's corner, along Hastings-street, turning up Edwardsstreet to the beach, thence along Marine Parade to Supreme Court buildings, turning down to the Post-office, along Hastingsstreet to the Criterion Hotel, down Emer-son-street to the recreation ground. The sports will commence at 11.30 a.m. The Standard has an article on the Poverty Bay grass seed prospects of the present season, and says:—" Taking the crop as a whole it is not likely that it will be by any means an improvement on past .-years. There has been a great deal taken out of the land, and it cannot last for ever at the magnificent rates of return which have been received from it in days gone by. Nor do people seem to have been so particular in preserving the quality of their grass ; paddocks which even last year produced seed of first-class quality are, in many instances, this year clogged with goose grass and clover." A few weeks ago a Maori gentleman, who is a member of the House of Representatives, lost a child, aged eleven. In the obituary notice the father states: —" During his illness he was attended by the following medical gentlemen, viz.:—Drs. Donahue, Drysdale, Malone, Prins, Diver, Guthrie, and Chapman." The object of this intimation is not very clear. It certainly shows the unsparing solicitude of the parent, or it may be intended to demonstrate-how futile human skill may be. To survive the prescriptions of seven doctors, no matter how skilful, would be akin to a miracle. Might not the idea be adopted generally as an i incentive to the medical profession ? No doctor would care to see his name too often in the third section of the domestic column. —" iEgles," in Australasian. The two Mormon elders who were recently in Wellington, paid a visit to the Maoris at Papawai, and were rather bowled over by a redoubtable chief named Manihera. The elders, as usual, commenced by a long discourse on the origin of the Mormon Church, stating that the angel Moroni descended from heaven and delivered into the hands of Joseph Smith two tables of gold whereon were inscribed all the laws of their religion. Manihera here interrupted, asking whether they still had those tables *~ of gold ? He was informed by the elders that the angel took them back again, whereupon Manihera remarked that it was a very curious proceeding on the angel's part, as if he left them for the world to see it would have been a great proof of the truthfulness of Joe Smith's revelation, which he very much doubted happening at all. Subsequently Elder Farr indisoreetly remarked that the prophet Daniel spoke of " the gods whose dwelling is not the flesh." The astute chief asked if Daniel himself said these words ? The elder said he did. Manihera, who is pretty well versed in scripture, turned up the Book of. Daniel, and proved that it was not Daniel who said bo, but the Chaldeans, when they stood in the presence of Nebuchadnezzar. At last, when Elder Farr said he was inspired, and had the Spirit upon him like St. Paul, Manihera asked him how it was he made so many mistakes, and acknowledged them, too. When the elder said he occasionally possessed miraculous powers, Manihera said, "If you exercise these powers. I will gather 20,000 of my people together, and if you can show that you have them we will believe your doctrine and join your church, but we will stay where wo are until then." It is asserted that the friends of Mr Bradlaugh have determined on raising the question of his right to sit and vote in the House of Commons by nominating him, in the event of a dissolution, for nearly twenty constituences, not go much in the hope of securing his return in each case as with view of arousing public interest in the matter. A fund, which is termed a Parliamentary Fund, has already been etarted. /t

California has practically abolished capital punishment without knowing it. Some years ago juries in capital cases in returning verdicts of murder in the first degree were given the privilege of stipulating that the penalty should be imprisonment for life insteadof hanging. Experience has shown that a jury enjoying this discretion will scarcely ever fail to employ it, so that the gallows threatens to fall entirely into disuse. The new system has not yet been in operation long enough to show whether it will tend to repress or encourage murder, but the opponents.of capital punishment claim that a larger proportion of murder trial j now result in, conviction, and the consequent life-long imprisonment of the criminal, than when the juries, having no choice short of hanging, were persuaded into too frequent acquittals. The Bay of Plenty Times has been told the following rather good story concerning the Maoris resident on Motiti Island. A few weeks since the " Committee " of the Island, in solemn conclave assembled, decided that no spirituous liquors were in future to be brought on to the Island for sale, as has hitherto been allowed, one of the resident natives having made quite " a pile" by buying rum, etc., by the gallon and retailing it to his neighbours at a tremendous percentage. This individual, however, determined to try his luck at evading the edict of the Committee, and accordingly, a few days since, purchased a good supply of liquor in Tauranga and started for Motiti, intending to smuggle it ashore- By some means or other the Committee got wind of the matter, watched the return of thi? enteiprising individual, confiscated the liquor, and had a glorious spree of several days' duration. During the performance at the Globe Theatre of Tennyson's new drama, " The Promise of May," the Marquis of Queensberry twice arose and protested against Tennyson's representation of the principles of freethought, which, he said, was a travesty on the sentiments of freethinkers. The drama is conceded to be the worst play that has been brought out lor many years past. Mr Tennyson holds up a freethinker to public odium as the motive of his play. The Marquis promptly denounced the Laureate during the first act, and on the fall of the curtain made a violently impassioned harangue to the audience. It made a great sensation, but his Grace was put out of the theatre. The affair has become the occasion of a wdespread discussion in print and out of it. Freethinkers are gathering to his lordship's side. Mr Tennyson is more abused than he was by tbe dramatic critics, and we are having it out according to the new Queensberry rules. The "Executive Committee of Popular Justice" has been posting threatening placarda on the wall of several districts in Paris. A few nights ago the police discovered and destroyed a number of these bills, which are printed on red paper, and contain the most violent menaces against proprietors of the houses who have not in the opinion of the committee shown sufficient clemency towards their tenants. The placards, in fact, constitute a " no rent" demonstration, and indicate in the plainest terms the means to be adopted for preventing extortion by landlords. Some of the placards contain detailed instructions for carrying out popular justice: "Without taking dynamite into account, a mixture of two-thirds of petroleum to one of alcohol spread on the lower steps of a staircase and set alight by means of little fuses rubbed with sulphur or gunpowder will suffice immediately to set a whole house on fire. The draught up the staircase assists to spread the flames. Let landlords consider this warning, and let their victims assist us in our measures of justice. Ruin and destruction will at last avenge the poor, who are so mercilessly robbed by their landlords. The Australian Central Committee of the Irish Land League are in* receipt of a telegram, from Mr Parnell, intimating that Mr J. E. Redmond, who represents New Ross in the House of Commons, had been deputed to proceed to Australia to further the objects of the new national organisation that has recently been founded in Dublin. The telegram states the Mr Redmond was about to take his departure by the R.M.S. Indus. The platform which Mr Redmond is to advocate in the colonies embraces the following heads:—National self-government, land law reform, local self-government, extension of tho parliamentary and municipal franchises, and the development and encouragement of the labor and industrial interests of Ireland. He will also urge the asssimilation of the Irish franchise to that of England, and the adoption of the English system in the registration of voters. The cardinal principle of the campaign, however, is stated in the following words :—" The restitution to the Irish people of the right to manage their own affairs in a Parliament elected by the people of Ireland." Mr Redmond, it is understood, -will visit all the principal centres in the colonies. —Argus. The Paris police have just unearthed an individual of a most extraordinary type. A few days ago, in the course of ceitain investigations regarding an odious criminal offence, the police found that an old man, calling himself M. Leblond, was implicated in it, upon whom, with some trouble, they succeeded in laying their hands. His miserable dress and generally wretched appearance induced the belief that he was a homeless vagabond. The police were, however, much puzzled by the fact that he was in possession of a number of important looking keys. Having extracted from Leblond his address, M. Mace, the Chief of Police, accompanied him to the house indicated. To M. Mace's astonishment he ' found' that this was one of the largest mansions in the quarter of the Champs Elysees. In reply to inquiries, Leblond stated that it' had belonged to his family for over a century, and that he himself had lived there without any servant, male or female, for the past fifteen years, his explanation being that he was a misanthrope. On entering the house and opening the shutters M. Mace found it full of the most costly furniture, with a collection of old pictures, clocks, and other objects of art. In the principal bedroom was an antique rosewood bedstead, the bed of which was covered with books and engravings. Upon the floor was a mattress with dirty linen, the nightly resting place of this modern Diogenes. Everything was covered with dust and dirt. On proceeding 1 into another part of the mansion M. Mace found a small theatre with scenery and costumes. M. Leblond states himself to be entitled to a revenue of £4000 a year. He is to be subjected by the authorities to an examination in lunacy. Whether Leblond is his true name remains to be seen. Professor Moore, of Waipawa, has just opened in connection with his present business a Fancy Repository, and is now showing all the latest novelties in Now Year &c, card.«, concertinas, accordians, musical albums and boxes, violins, ladies gold and silver watches, clocks, fancy and other stationery, inkstands, Chinese lanterns, talking dolls, - and every description of toys. Every person purchasing £1 worth of coods receives a beautiful illustrated almanac gratis.— [Advt.] Only those reject the acknowledged theories of wisdom who receive instruction from no sources. ' Your real iconoclast destroys not only inanimate figures and images, but the forms of living principles and ideas. Nihilism is, as its name implies, a belief in nothing. This absence of all faith is subversive of social order, and is rank communism. Fortunately for Woli'e's Schiedam Akomatic Schnapps we live in an age of belief. The majority of mankind is trustful, not scoffers and mockers. They know the virtues of this sovereign cordial, and they appreciate its value.—[Advt.]