Untitled

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2200, 26 May 1870, Page 2

Political. — As was anticipated, Mv Gallagher, M. IT. R. for Westland North, has resigned, and Mr T. S. Kynncrsly is a candidate for the vacant seat Mr Kynuersly, who has had considerable colonial experience, and has proved himself to be possessed of administrative ability, will, if elected, be a valuable acquisition to the Lower House. Mutual Improvement Society - . —- The members of this society held a meeting at the new Athenamm last evening. There was a fair attendance and the readings, &c., given by several gentlemen passed off most satisfactorily. The Masonic Hall. — Dr Carr was favored with a large audience last evening. The extraordinary power ho possesses over his subjects was amply manifested by bis reducing ton, of the twelve persons taken indiscriminately from the audience, to a state of perfect catalepsy. To whatever occult power this may b j attributed —whether to the influence of a strong mind over a weak, to animal magnetism, or to whatever cause—the effect produced may he pronounced wonderful. Absolute control is here claimed over the subject, whose conduct under the direction of the master-mind is highly grotesque and amusing To-night the hall m w be expected to be crowded, as it is announced that a scries of physical experimenls will be periormed on the s:age, illustrating the advantages of mesmerism in surgical operations.

A Novel Breakwater. Mr V/. Jackson has invented an original arrangement in the construction of breakwaters. This consists of a sort of honey-comb, formed by fastening together in paralel lines a large number of cast iron tubes ; the structure is so placed, that the waves How through the pipes, that is to say, the axes of the pipes are parallel to the direction of the most dangerous winds or currents. Mr Jackson has recently submitted to the War Ollice a scheme for the erection of a small breakwater, according to his system, in Seaford Bay. He is not the first inventor of meta lie breakwaters. Capt. Vetch, R. X., invent d, some years ago, a system of iron caissons, which he proposed for the Plymouth breakwater ; and in 1857 Lieutenant Alanico, R.N., patented an apparatus which he called also a caisson, though it would be more accurately defined as a crate, which he proposed to "fill with stones, so as to form submarine blocks. Air Jackson’s breakwater is widely different, however, front Capt,tin Fetch’s and Lieutenant Alanico’s i ventions. The latter arc proposed to he used in the body of a pier or sea defence ; the former, according to the inventor’s ideas, should be placed at some distance outside. The inventor says lie has erected a tubular breakwater at Odessa, and that it Inis answered very well.

AeCLBiV^iS-lTlox. —The Council of the Aeclimatisaiisi* Sopjety met this .after noon. Mr \V. Murisou in the chair. A letter was read from Mr Ewen, ju which he stated he had siuocudcd in obtaining the promise of fifteen hinds, and five stags of red deer. The Earl of Dalliousie’s forester Jms been instructed to lift the young' de f during the calving season. Mr Ewen e*ppg;fcs some may die in the .attempt, but the remainder will probably bo shipped about October, in speaking of black game, ho is in correspondence with the Duke of Bucclcuch’s head keeper, and is hopeful of success in obtaining some. He informed Mr Ewen that ho sent his letter to the Duke, and learnt that they arc more .abundant on his property than in any part of Britain. Ho also mentioned Norway as a likely place from whence to obtain them. He is also promised a supply of grouse, from a person in Yprksdiirc, who has succicdcd in rearing them artificially, A letter was also read from M? B.utts, lion, secretary to the Southland Society, referring to an arrangement to obtain bares at »oi*t expense with the Otago Society from Victoria? ' Ap. interim reply was directed to be sent, stating that. the time when Mr Clifford would go would depend upon the answer received from Victoria.

Court. —Mr Justice Chapman was occupied (.luring tlie whole of the clay in hearing the case of Maiming and Evans v. M‘Gibbon Bros., argiupcpt on demurrer. Mr Maeassey appeared for the j plaintiffs, and Mr Smith for the defendants. The action is brought to enforce the specific performance of an agreement entered into for the purchase from the plaintiffs by the defendants of runs 250A2 and 150152, Southland. On the l-itii September last, the defendants covenanted to pproba-c the runs and stock thereon for Lo.HOlt. On the following day, at the defendants'' request, the time for taking delivery was extended from the 14th to the 21st October. On the bill of the month the sum of LI,OOO was paid as part of the purchase-money, and since that time the defendants have received notice of the- plaintiffs’ willingness to carry out thenpart of the agreement. On the 15th October, the day after that epponiuted for delivery, the Waste Laud Board of Southland reserved from sale two blocks of land, eon- , tabling 1070 acres and 4000 acres respectively, out of the run. The Waste Land Board purported to have made the pesprvation in the exercLo of powers con . ferr«d uppn them by the .‘Kith section of the Southland Waste Lands Act, 1805, to provide for the satisfaction or 'Jairns that might be made by Messrs Driver, M'Lnan, and Co., with respect to the construction of the Ogeti railway. The plaintiff's contended that 1 Driver, M'Lean, and Co. Juv.l done nothing

to entitle them to claim the grants of land so reserved, and until they had done so they (the plaintiffs) would be entitled to retain possession of the land. In consequence of the action of the Board the defendants refused to carry out the agreement ; wherefore the plaintiffs prayed that the agreement might be declared binding between the parties ; that it might lie declared that the reserves were illegally made, and if legally make, tint the plaintiff s title might lie declared good, and the defendants required to perform the agreement, and that the registrar be ordered to take accounts, &c. '1 lie defendants pleaded that the reservations had boon legally made; and that by reason of the premises, the plaintiffs title to the blocks, which formed a large portion of the area of the runs had become defective, and that their interest in the land had in consequence become greatly deteriorate I in value ; therefore they (defendants) had refused to take delivery of the property, and to complete the purchase. The demurrer raised the followpoints for argument ; —l. That the peais at best an informal demurrer, and renders an issue or issues of law, and not of fact. 2. That the alleged reservation docs not exonerate the defendants from their liability to perform their part of the contract. 3. That the reservation was void and illegal because a rai'way does not come within the category of public works, < numerated in the 26th section of the Southland Waste Lands Act, 1555. 4. That the said reservation was al-o void and illegal because the 30fch section requires that work equal in value to the amount of land sot apart should have been first performed and executed, and that the Superintendent should have certified that such work had been performed. “>. That the object and spirit of the 36th section require that the work for which land is given and taken should bo executed in the district where the land is taken. 6. That the plea does not show that the provisions of the 30th section have been complied with, and that the pleas fail to show how ,thc reservation as such is valid in any sense. J udgmeut deferred.

Provincial Council. —At tins afternoon’s sitting, Mr M'lndoo, as a question of privilege, referred to his remarks ai reported in last night’s discussion on the item L9I, tor preliminary expenses, Fort Chalmers Railway, wherein he said “ho thought that although the Superintendent had taken upon himself to call together the Provisional Comm ttee, the Government had homologated that step by what they had afterwards done. In saying so he ha t been led into a mistake, as he now found that the circular convening the committee was headed non- ffi -ini, and was not signed by Mr Macandrow in his capacity of Superintendent. A petition from William Mitchell, Pleasant Valley, presented by Mr Hulhe=on, was received.—Among the notices of motion given were two by Mes rs Turnbull and Tayler respectively, of their intention to move that an address he presented to the Superintendent, praying him t > increase the grants in aid to municipalities, so as to include the usual subsidy to. the municipalities of Dunedin and Port Chalmers —There was a short discussion as to absence of all mention in the Order Paper of the Representation Bill, which led to an admission, amidst much laughter, by Mr Mosely that he had protested against the select committee’s recommendation ; and a promise that notice of the Bill would appear in to-morrow's Order Paper.—ln answer to Air ADDermid, the Treasurer stated that the Government had not received any complaints against the shooting in the harbor at the butts, Mussel Bay.—Air Hutcheson asked whether there was an undertaking between Air M‘Lean and the Government that the resolution of last session on the Hundreds Act should be binding on the Government tins session—and, if so, whether the understanding was implied or expressed ? The Secretary for Land and Works, in reply, said the theme appered to be a lasting one with some hon. members, and it would be a pity if it were completely exhausted. He had to state that there was no understanding—or anything of the kind, either expressed or implied—between Mr M'Leau and the Government as to whether the resolutions of last session should he binding this session. There was, however, an agreement with Air M‘Leaq that he should concede certain amendments in the Acf, attfl his colleagues in tire Government conceded certain other amendments. To have only abided by that agreement for a few weeks to serve a purpose, would have been treachery and deceit towards Mr ADLean —(Mr ADDermid; Aipl the House)—and the Council. The agreement wiy for certain amendments,.,in the Act, which the Gonpcjl |}ad agree#to by a majority.—Several uninipoi'tant motions wore carried.—The House then went into committee to consider Air Ashcroft's resolutions on the subject of retrenchment; —Alessago Xo. 7 from the Superintendent | was read! The Superintendent, in his message, submiited for the consideration of the Provincial Council the expediency of obtaining power next session from the General Assembly to raise a loan of LG.50,000, to be appropriated towards public works as follows :

Southern Trunk Railway ... ... £401),01)0 Water Supply on Goldfields ... 100,000 Immigration •• 50,000 Embankment of Rivers 50,000 Oamaru Dock ... ... 20,000 Waitaki Bridge ... ... ... 10,000 Kakaimi Bridge ... ... ... 6,000 Waikouaiti Wharf ... ... ... 8,000 Shag River Bridge ... ... ... 4,000 Lower Mataura Bridge 2,000 Such loan to be a general charge upon the Provin'c’al apd to bo specially secured upon 8,060,000 ticre-i of hand at present hold under pastoral lease, and yielding a rental of L.' 12,000 a year, provision to lie made whereby the lands sot aside as security can lie re-leased from time to time, in proportion to the extent to which the principal of the loan may be extinguished. The message is a very lengthy document, and in it his Honor refers at considerable length to the way in which the Government proposed*to tgpcpd the loan, if granted. We regret .that owing toils length we are unable to give it in its entirety.

We notice that a meeting is to be held at the A theme um to-morrow (Friday) evening, when all who arc desirous of joining, or wlio"take ;,n intej.egi in the establishment of evening classes for young mpn, ape rpquested to attend.