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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2257, 1 August 1870, Page 2

. Bounty Islands. —Captain Palmer, of H.M.S. Rosario, describes the Bounty Islands as “a wild, rugged, and inhospitable group ; the land being low and barren, without the least sign of vegetation.” Colonial Philanthropy. — A Parliamentary return has recently been issued, relative to Colonial contributions to philanthropic objects in England. It appears that New South Wales alone contributed no less a sum than L 21.311 to the cotton famine relief fund, while Victoria figures as donor for L 25,000 to the Indian mutiny fund. Killed by a Bull. —On Saturday a boy about eight years old, named 11 Sanderson, son of a milkman, and settler in the Peninsula, was driving cattle close to his father’s house, when a bull turned upon and wounded him "so severely, that he died in a few minutes. Dr. Burns was immediately sent for, but the child died before his arrival.

Neglected and Criminal Children. — Mr Macandrew has introduced in the House of llopreseutatives an amended Bill, the object of which is to enable the children in the Industrial School at Caversham to be apprenticed out at any time. As the law at present stands, a child who is sent there for seven years cannot be sent out for three and a half years ; the effect being to prevent the institution from being so extensiuely available as it otherwise would be. The Bill has been read asecond time.

Legal. —Mr Colin M‘K. Gordon, for many years’ chief clerk in the Registrar's office, has been appointed deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court at Dunedin. Mr Gordon’s promotion has been well earned, and will be welcomed by the public and the profession, among whom he has made many friends by bis urbanity. The Escort Rorbery. —The burglary at Clyde, and the robbery of the gold brought down by escort have formed the principal subject of discussion in the City to day. Of course, rumor has been pretty busy, and the exaggerated stories that have been current have in many cases been most amusing. As the offi ial telegrams state at present, the whole matter is shrouded in mystery. The number of notes stolen has been variously stated, but 'eve believe believe between L2UOO and L3OOO is the correct amount. Detective Farrell was despatched to Clyde this forenoon to investigate the affair. ' The Lakes.—A Queenstown telegram dated the 28th inst. in the Dnnstan Times , says :—Mr Powell, the overseer of works, accompanied by twi“ men, proceeded by steamer this morning, by direction of the Government, to the bead of Lake Wakatip, for the purpose of rendering any necessary assistance to the Esther Ann, from Dunedin, which was wrecked at the entrance to Martin’s Bay. A mail was sent by the party. The leasing jjof auriferous reserves on the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers for agricultural purposes has been violently opposed. The weather has auaip set in wet, and there does not appear the least likelihood of the dredgers and beach claim holders making a great show this season.

Mining Notes. —From Deep Greek (five miles beyond the Nevis Ferry) wc learn that the miners are busily employed, there being plenty of water available Some course pieces of gold, weighing from an ounce to an ounce and a half, were found in the neighborhood about a fortnight ago. Holders of shares in claims and water-races are asking high figures to sell, and our informant states that a share was sold a few days since for LIOO. A few more diggers have taken up claims at the head of Doolau’s Creek, but the frost lias prevented them breaking ground. It is anticipated that the miners of that secluded locality will receive an accession to their numbers. The gold is very coarse ; there is an ample supply of water ; and coal and wood are abundant. The late crushing at the Duke of Edinburgh Company’s works, Macraes, has given much satisfaction to the shareholders.

Mr Greek's Case.—ln the House of Representatives on the 19th ult. , Mr J. 0. Wilson, C.8., moved a motion, without notice, on the subject of the petition of Mr George Green, of Dunedin. The hon. member said, in the year 1888, the petitioner petitioned the House, and a select committee recommended that his claim should be decided upon its merits, and that the Lauds Claim) Commissioner should make such an award as he thought would be just to the petitioner. Two years had elapsed, and the recommendation bad not been carried out. The petitioner again petitioned the House this session, and the public petitions committee reported that the recommendation of the select committee of 1868 should be carried. The object of this motion was that the Lauds Claim Commissioner should undertake the duty at once, as it was a matter of reproach that a case of that sort should be left so long unsettled. The following motion was agreed to without discussion: — “That the Government be requested to carry out the recommendations contained in the recent report of the public petitions committee in the petition of Mr Green.” New Zealand Flax Rope.—Capt. Holford, harbour master at Taranaki, having been asked by several persons for bis opinion on rnpo made from New Zealand flax, sends the following letter to one of the local papers —Having been asked by several persons interested in the manufacture of New Zealand flax, my opinion of it as rope for shipping purposes, and as I have had some experience of both it and Manilla, 1 beg to state for the information of your readers, that, if properly made I would rather use New Zealand flax than Manilla (such as imported) for all running gear, as much of the Manilla used in the colonies is too hard laid -consequently entailing more labour on the crew in working the ship. I have at all times, as master, • purchased New Zealand rope when 1 could get it. The price at the time I speak of was 44s per cwt, and at this figure it |is the cheaper rope of the two. In 1845-t-when chief officer of the barque Eliza—the master purchased a coil of two-inch whale line in Sydney, at 445, This rope was made inSjdncy from imported New Zealand flax[dressed by* the natives. Wo had no experience Jat that time of its usefulness as rope, though the principal part of our wool was lashed with New Zealand flax. This rope wais used for top-gallant cine-lines and bunt-lines ; being soft it was less liable to chafe the sails, and did not require a hand aloft to overhaul the gear as is generally the case with Manilla or Russian rope, such as is used in the colonies. On our return to Sydney, from Liverpool, Captain Valrmt ordered a quantity of the New Zealand rope to he made, but was only able to get sufficient for braces, owing to the scarcity of flax in Sydney at that time (1846). I have since that time used New Zealand rope in vessels under my command for various purposes, and always found it a great boon to seamen in cold weather, being soft and pliable. I have had jib-halyards which have lasted me two years ; toppinglift falls used by me on a schooner of one hundred and twenty tons, which were good for two years and a half, and braces two years. This rope was always purchased by me at forty-four shillings, and was manufactured from native dressed flax. Ido not believe that the New Zealand flax is equal to Russian for water purposes or for standing rigging, neither do I believe it will take tar in sufficient quantity to preserve the fibre, hut I believe if it was properly made at forty-live shillings, the cwt (and I Can see no reason why it should not be), that importations of Manilla would soon cease. Some may assert that it will rot; so will Manilla or any other fibre if left wet and allowed to get heated. Should any person wish to test the two, viz., Manilla and New Zealand flax, let them buy two well ropes, put them on the winchei at the same time, use them equally, and leave them equally exposed, Mid by this means they will obtain a fair test of their relative qualities. Russian will last two of either, for tar preserves the fibre.

The Hokitika District Judgeship. —The Wellington papers arc quarrelling with one another over this matter ; and the accounts of it are so opposed that it is almost impossible to say which is correct. In Parliament reference was made to the subject, and the Premier stated that the statements which have reached the South were “ the lying work of some penny-a-liner,” We must assume the cap fitted the Wellington correspondent of the Daily Times, for tha* worthy has been endeavoring to distinguish himself in print, and attempting at great pains to show that the information was derived secondhand from Ministers. This is the account driven by the . Post “Now the hulepei)dent is wrong in stating that the commission of enquiry was appointed because the Westland County Council had complained of Judge Clarke's conduct. The resolution of that body was that an enquiry should be instituted concerning the administration of the. District Court —a very different thing from the personal habits of the Judge, which \ wc believed have formed the subject of Mr Btrode’s late inquisition. The true history of the affair is, we fancy,' something as follows : Mr C. B. D. Ward had to be provided for ; certain complaints were made regarding Judge Clarke, and Mr Justice Grcsson was scut to Westland to investigate them. Fully anticipating a report which would justify Judge Clarke’s dismissal, Mr Fox, in Dunedin, promised the appointment to Mr Ward ; but to the extreme aisgustof the parties interested, Mr Justice Bresson’s report was not so conclusive against Judge Clarke as was anticipated. So of course the rumoured appointment of Mr Ward had to ha contradicted ; but it is significant that the contradiction was not ma'le for some time, or until after Judge Gresson had reported. Mr Ward, however, bad stdl to be provided for, so Mr A. C. Strode was sent for to make a second enquiry into Judge Clarke’s conduct; and as no doubt Mr Clarke will bo driven to resign, or some excuse found for bis dismissal, Mr Ward has been sent down to Westland to act temporarily until he can be formally appointed. We can say positively that Mr Ward himself gave several gentlemen to understand that he had received the appointment. Whether the warrant is actually signed or not is a quibble, quite in the Independent’s usual style of equivocation. The best joke of the whole thing is, that Westland does not want a District Judge at all; and that it is under-stood the Westland members will vote against the appointment of one when the question comes on during the discussion of the estimates. In this sense, probably the appointment of Mr Ward is only temporary, but in no other.

ceiving subscriptions, &c., will bo hold at the society’s office, on Wednesday evening next, between the hours of -6 and 8 o’clock. A lecture will be delivered in Knox Church this evening, at 8 o’clock, by John Hislop, Esq. Subject:—“ James Watt and the steam engine. ” The members of the Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., are requested to attend at their court room to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at 8 o’clock.