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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2575, 19 May 1871, Page 2

The Suez Mail. —The Rangitoto arrived at Hhkitika at half-past eight o'clock this morning, but up to 4 p.m. c not be tendered owing to the heavy si a outside. It is most probable she will make for Grcymouth this evening. Early Closing. —The efforts of the Grocers’ Early Closing Association have resulted in nearly all the master grocers in the City agreeing to close their establishments at G. 30 p.m., Saturdays excepted ; and wc hope the movement will be supported by the public. The Society will be known in future as the Grocers’Mutual Improvement Society. Telegraphic Guide. —The department has issued a very serviceable card, giving the wire charges, and a list of stit ons in tho Colony, together with the hours during which they are open, and information respecting tho manner in which telegrams should 1 e wriitm, &c. To mercantile men, and those who use tho wires frequently, the guide will be found to be of very great use. Mayor’s Court. Tho business transacted at this Court to day consisted of a couple of c.i 'cs of drunkenness, and one involving a breach of the bye-laws, which were snmm rily dispoted of. Masonic Hall.—ln consequence of the inclemency of the weather, we notice that the final exhibition o? the panorama of the Pacific Mail route, which was announced fur this evening, is postponed until tomorrow, when, should tho weather prove favorable, there will bo an afternoon and evening entertainment. Hews. —The Crcy River Argus understands that the office of Gold Fields Secretary of Otago, at present held by C. E. Haughton, Esq., M.H. K., as a political department, is to be made permanent, and that Mr. Haughton will receive the appoinfcme t, in which case ho will retire from political life. American Manufactures. — ln accordance with the recommendation of a select committee of tho Canterbury Provincial Council, the Provincial Government of that Province appointed Mr L. Coate*, of the firm of Taylor and Co., to proceed to the United States to report on labor-saving machines, and other matters connected with agricultural industry in particular. Mr Coates was a passenger by tho Nevada, and it is thought from his extensive knowledge of Colonial requirements, coupled with his American connection, he will be able to collect a great deal of valuable information.

Found Dead.—A man named Eoslin, who has been for some time working as a miner on the Matatapu (lake Wanaka), was lately found dead in his hut. The body was conveyed to Glcudhu on a wooden stretcher, and thence by boat to Albert Town, where it was interred. Only about three weeks previous to his death, Roslin had assisted in the removal of a sick man, named Hood, from the Matatapu diggings to the Wanaka Hotel at Pembroke, when, under the kind treatment of Mr Russell, Hood recovered, and has since had the melancholy satisfaction of assisting at the burial of his friend Roslin.

Fatal Accident at Butcher’s Gully. —We have the following particulars of the death of Geo'gc Honeyman, which was telegraphed from Cromwell last week ; —lt appears that the deceased was riding, in company with another horseman, from Butcher’s Gully towards Alexandra—both horses going at full gallop—and when opposite N leper’s Hotel the horse deceased was riding shied, and the saddle coming off, the young man was thrown violently against a bridle-post in front of the hotel, whereby he received the injury which oaused his death. We was brought to Alexandra—a distance of four miles—on the following day, and died immediately on arriving at the township. An inquest was held yesterday (Monday), when it proved by surgical evidence that the cause of death was rupture of the liver. A verdict of “Accidental Death” was recorded. Deceased was only eighteen y ears of age, and was a young man of great promise.

What Words are Actionable.— The Argus of a recent date contains the following:—A decision of some importance respecting the question of • what words are actionable was delivered by his Honor Judge Pohlman, in the case of Parker v. Foilau. The defendant was the owner of some property on Emerald-hill, and the plaintiff had been a tenant of his, and some disputes and unpleasantness had existed between them. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant had said, “ That d d scamp, that Parker, had been out of work a month, and was going to slope, and would not pay anybody;” also that he was a “d d swindler,” ami his wife was nothing else butastreet-walker, ydio was always dressed and strutting about. The defendant bad witnesses present in court prepared tp swear that he had never made use of such words, but his counsel submitted that there was nothing actionable in the words unless the plaintiff had suffered special damage from them. It waa then stated that plaintiff’s credit with his butcher bad been injured, and that perhaps he might lose his situation unless he succeeded with his action. The judge held that no special damage was shown or stated, and therefore the words were nt actionable. Ho accordingly nonsuited plaintiff. A Sharp Witness. A Victorian paper relates the following dialogue between a witness and counsel for the defence, which occurred some time ago in a court not a hundred miles from Ballarat. The witness was a stout, solid-looking fellow, with a face as grave as an old headstone in an ancient chqrohygrd, and seemed expressly made by nature for being snubbed and played upon. The counsel ip quear.iou stands alone ij; hjg glory as an adept in the use of Colonial Billingsgate, and enjoys a wide-spread notoriety for his singular ability in badgering and browbeating witnesses, and all who arc opposed to him. As soon as the witness entered the box, the learned counsel eyed him with a quick, sharp glance, which plainly ■aid, “ AIJ right my man, I’ll polish you off directly and, drawing his hand across his legal forehead with a njajestjc sweep, he ■railed a significant smile, clearly intimating to the assembled court that they might expect some rare fun presently. He then

opened fire. Counsel: What are you ? ’ Witness : “ A quartz feeder. ” Counsel : “What! are you really so very fond of quartz?” Witness : “No, I prefer pints when I can got them.” (Laughter.) Counsel: “ Pints, indeed ! do you mean pints of colonial or pints of law ?” Witness : “Colonial, of course ; a pint of colonial is more to the point, and contains more spirit than all the law and lawyers in Victoria.” (Groat laughter.) Counsel ? “ Come, now, you seem a very smart fellow; what does the battery do with the quartz?’ Witness: “The very same that a lawyer does with his clients.” Counsel ; “ And what may that bs?” Witn:ss : “Why, it extracts every particle of gold out of them.” Counsel : “ You can go down.” Winch the witness did, amid roars of laughter.

The parade of the Dunedin Volunteer Artillery, which was to have taken place to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon, is postponed in consequence of the inclemency of the weather.

We would remind our readers that the Concert in aid of the building fund of Trinity Wesleyan Church, takes place this evening in the room beneath the church.