Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3054, 2 December 1872, Page 2

The Wab.dip Mail mentions as an on dd that Mr W. A. Bews, C.E., is to be appointed Provincial Engineer. The Mayor this morning had only to deal with three drunkards, Michael Cain, Edward Floyd, and Alice Aldridge alias Ruth, and these he discharged with a caution. At Blacks, a man named Higgins has been committed for trial for indecently assaulting a girl ten years of age. He was admitted to bail in two sureties of L7-> each, and himself in LI 50. Legal business in the Queenstown District Court has increased to such an extent that Judge Gray is forced to sit, morn, noon, and night. The Mali says his Honor is suffering severely from lameness, caused by an accidental fall, but he continues at his post nevertheless. Some people are modest in their demands. The Queenstown brass band, for example, the other day wrote to the local Hospital Committee, that they would play for one clay for Lid, and “all expenses paid.” This liberality on behalf of a charitable institution deserves to be recorded. Despite the cry of dull times, property appears to be steadily and surely rising in value in Queenstown. Two sections in Rees street, which, less than three years ago, wore purchased for under L2OO, have been sold to the Bank of New Zealand for L4OO ; and the Bank intends immediately to erect fine stone buildings on them. So great was the interest in Invercargill in Mrs Witling’s trial for the murder of her children at Waikivi, that the Southland Times was forced to publish a special edition. From that paper we learn that the memorial in favor of commuting the sentence of death passed upon Mrs Witting has already re*

ceived over 500 signatures, and the first portion of it has been taken in charge by Iho Judge for presentation to the Governor, The remaining sheets when received will be forwarded to head-cjuarteYs at once. The prisoner, since her return to gaol, has exhibited a quiet and composed demeanour, and sleeps well at nighq although thoroughly understanding the nature of her position. She has been attended, in compliance with her own request, by the Rev. Mr Stobo. The Supreme Court sat formally this morning, and adjourned. The eases of Pritchard v. Packman and the New Zealand Insurance Company v. Larnacb, which wore set down for trial to-day, have been postponed to the next sittings. llis Honor the Judge returns to town this'evening, will sit in banco on Wednesday, and on the 9th inst. will open | the firsts goldfields circuit, to be held at I Lawrence.

At a meeting of the Christchurch Chamber of Commarcc on the 27th nit., a resolution was carried directing the Committee of the Chamber to give their special attention to the desirability or otherwise of asking the Colonial Government to subsidise Australian steamers for the conveyance of the Suez mails, and also latest English telegrams to New Zealand, at regn ar intervals.

A deputation from the citizens of Christchurch intend to wait on the Minister of Public Works, and urge upon him the necessity of the Government sending a cable-gram to England with as little delay as possible, requesting the Agent-General to expedite by all means in his power the shipment of railway plant and material, the want of which has seriously retarded the progress of the lines of railway now in course of construction in that Province.

The long-felt wish of the Naseby people is likely to be gratified shortly, for the Superintendent has telegraphed to Mr .T. P. Armstrong, M.P.0., that the Minister of Public Works has assured bis Honor that not a moment will bo lost after the receipt of the final report of Mr Simpson, C.E., in commencing the woiks iu connexion with the Naseby sludge channel. Mr Simpson’s final report will be in the bands of the Government within a fortnight. The advantages of having a member of the Executive resident at Invercargill arc already perceptible thcic. The Times states that in reply to communications addressed to his colleagues by Mr M‘Arlhnr, information has been received that in future all tenders for local works will be advertised in the 100 il papers, in time to give the contractor resident in the district the opportunity of competing, and that instructions have been given for the immediate preparation of the specifications of the bridge over the Mataura at Menzien Perry.

There was a sad case of drowning at the Mataura last week. Four children named Davis were playing on the river’s bank, when one of them, aged two and a half years, fell in. The eldest of the four, a girl thirteen years old, immediately jumped into the river to rescue her brother, but was carried away by the current, and both were drowned. The body of the girl was not recovered till the evening of Tuesday last, that of the boy being found next morning. “Accidentally drowned ” was the verdict of the coroner’s jury. Women are frequently smugglers of fine laces and jewellery, but rarely of tobacco. Annie Thomson, a prisoner from Lawrence, sentenced to five months’ imprisonment for vagrancy at Waitahuna, was received into the Dunedin Gaol on Friday last, and on being searched by Mrs Stanton, assistant matron, exhibited an amusing spectacle. Her stays were padded with the nicest care with twist tobacco, the whalebone having been first extracted. Bank notes are frequently found in the chignons, ears, and even nostrils of female prisoners, also in their mouths, concealed under the tongue.

The country papers scarcely contain a scrap of mining intelligence. The only item is furnished by the Mount Ida Chronicle, which says that the present dry weather has thrown a very large number of miners out of emplyment, by almost drying up the entire water supply. But little water is coming into some of the dams, while others are perfectly dry. Great restlessness prevails in consequence of the non-commence-ment of the works ; and it is anticipated that, unless there be a speedy change in the weather, or tenders are called for the works, there cannot fail to be a considerable exodus of miners, There were a few more hitches in the playing of “Colleen Bawn” on Saturday evening than there should have been ; but what was most felt was the absence of Mr Hoskins, who was confined to his bed by illness. Mr Inglis, at a short notice, filled the part of Kyrle Daly, but it is not one that he is capable of doing full justice to. The afterpiece was “ The Bough Diamond,” in which Mrs Hill was highly successful as Margery. This evening, “New Men and Old Acres ” will bo played. Miss Matthews has joined the company, and will make her re-appear-ance in a few days. Wc have tried to convince the sceptical that railways in New Zealand are bound to pay; and if anything further were necessary to prove our assertion, it is furnished by the lastjropnrf, for the year ending September .‘SO last, of Mr Marshman, the general manager of the Canterbury railways. The total earnings of the lines already open for traffic in that Province, for the past year, was L 59.608 ; and its working expenses, which included new stock and buildings, and extension of'{telegraph property, chargeable to capital,JL4o,ooo. In other words, the working expenses proper amounted to Lf58,839, or 6-TIG per cent, on the gross earnings ; while, as the result of the year’s traffic, a balance of L 19,599 remains. A child named Tait, aged two a-half years, died on Mr Creighton’s farm, near Naseby, from the effects of poisoning, by drinking caustic potash in a fluid state. The evidence adduced at the coroner’s inquest disclosed that on Monday last, about six in the evening, the child was playing at Mr Creighton’s with another about four years old, and put to its lips a bottle containing caustic potash. The child was without delay taken to Dr. Dick, who applied the proper remedies ; but the case was almost helpless from the first, aud the little sufferer expired on Wednesday night. A small piece of caustic plash had, ii appeared, been obtained about

two years ago by Mr Creighton, for use in a case of ringworm, and had been left in a pint beer bottle. It bad then been in a solid form, but had seemingly turned to a liquid from exposure to the atmosphere. There was nothing to explain how the bottle had. come within the child’s reach. Its very existence had been forgotten by the family. The jury found that the child had died from accidental poisoning, but desired to express an opinion that greater caution should be exercised by persons having poisonous substances in their posse siou.

At half-past ten o’clock this forenoon the punishment of Hogging was inflicted on the prisoner Plummer for refusing to work on Bell Hill, and other acts of insubordination, as announced in our paper of Saturday. Dr Hulme, Mr Caldwell, the governor, and several of the gaol officials were in attendance. The flaggellator was a tall muscular man, specially engaged for the duty, and, judging by the manner in which he wielded the ‘•cat/’ he is no novice at that kind of work ; he was formerly attached to H.M. frigate Black Prince, The prisoner was brought from his cell between two of the officers, and appeared slightly pale from nervous excitement. The expression of his face was somewhat anxious, but be walked very collectedly and steadily to the triangles, as if ho had made up his mind to the punishment, and after baring himself to the waist, stood with a hand grasping each front leg of the triangle. The flagcllator tied him with the straps, under the direction of the officers, and thou took his position with the “ cat,” testing the correctness of the reach by laying it gently on Plummer’s back. The punishment was ihcn inflicted. The effects were the same as iu the case of Gallagher.

The need of .1 bathing place, suited to the requirements of the inhabitants and visitors of Fort Chalmers, has long been recognised, and, with a view of having this want supplied, a memorial will, we understand, be presented to the Fort Corporation at its meeting this evening. The. memorial, to which is attached a very large number of signatures, points out the necessity of the Corporation taking steps to provide a suitable place to which bathers may resort and safely enjoy the pleasure of a sea bath without fearing the intrusion of sharks; and appended to it is the recommendation of a secluded site within a small bay situated near Observation Point, which is within an easy distance of the town. It is reputed to possess the, {advantage of the morning sun, of being well sheltered from the prevailing southerly winds, and of being protected from the force of the tide for a sulllcient distance from the shore. Another recommendation is that it is said to have a clean, firm, sandy bottom. Connected as Port Chalmers is now with Dunedin by railway, the providing of a suitable place for bathing recommends itself to the attention of the Council. A second memorial, asking that the pump in George street be put in proper repair, is also being signed. This memorial asserts that the want of a supply of fresh water is being felt at this early period of the scaron. One of tho grounds urged by the deputation to the Superintendent on Tuesday last, in favor of the Provincial Council being immediately called together, was, as has been pointed out, wholly untenable, because “The Payment to Provinces Act” provides that the framing of the regulations for the distribution of the Road Boards subsidy shall be done by the Governor, the Superintendent and his Executive, without reference to the Provincial Council. The Colonial Government, it appears, Lave written to his Honor to forward to Wei lington, with as little delay as possible, proposals for the distribution of the grant, which amounts to L 18,860, within this Province. The Colonial Secretary says in his letter “In framing these regulations, regard must be paid to the necessity for the provisions of section 12 of the Act being strictly adhered to in the expenditure of the grant, and also to a proper audit of each Boad Board, either by the Provincial Auditor or otherwise. Looking to the desirability of the funds now in question being available for expenditure at the time of the year at which road works can be most advantageously undertaken, tho Government will be prepared to consider favorably any suggestions which your Honor may make with this view, and will not insist upon the issue of the grant being distributed equally over the financial year. Your Honor will observe that the above remarks only apply to the grant for the current year. The Act of last session requires that with regard to grants made under tbe’Act of 1871, all tho directions given in that Act and tho circulars of December 20 and 21, 1871, issued thereunder, must still be complied with.” The necessary regulations will no doubt be framed immediately.

The local journals supply us with a little agricultural information. From Gain am we learn that the crops there look healthy and strong, and so far promise a heavy yield. Fain is, however, wanted, and should the present drought continue the 7 hues fears that the grain on the uplands will suffer severely. A few refreshing showers would be a great boon. The appearance of a novel kind of blight, similar to the cabbage blight, is noted ; it is a blue insect, which has attacked growing wheat on a few farms, in one case some 100 acres having been rendered almost valueless. Fo far, however, the visitation has been only of a partial nature, and we hope will not spread, Tt would be a matter worthy the investigation of scientists to endeavor to discover the causes of the blight to which vegetation is subject. So far in only a few cases have the crops been affected, generally they promise better than M The Southland Times states i ' ICE OF up the North Koad, from hi are looking cxceediri;, f rain * however, is beginmh*, to '■ Captain Howell’s cultivation at the especially proraises a heavy yield, like seventy bushels to the acre being expected. Marking is now finished 'on most stations, and the lambing is understood to have been up to a fair average. Shearing has now generally commenced, and if favorable weather continues, the clip will be secured in first-rate order. On the eastern bank of the Mataura the crops are reported to be looking exceedingly well, a greatly increased breadth being under cultivation this year, and the yield from laud previously tilled expected to

surpass that of any previous year. The gr. has made its appearance in some places, n fortunately its ravages have been circumscribed. Despite the dry season, the crops in the Mount Ida district are looking healthy and promise well, while the fruit trees and bushes arc literally loaded with fruit. What (.fleet a continuation of the present droug may have on the prosperity of the farmers and gardeners, it is not difficult to foresee. A meeting of the North-east Valley Road Board was held on Saturday, in the Schoo • house there, to hear objections to the rate levied for the year. This district is a largo one, including Pine Hill, North Harbor, and Harlington Districts, and the result was that a large number of objectors put in an appearance. Before commencing to hear objections to the rates, a number of questions were asked of the chairman. The reply to a question by Mr David Miller, Port Chalmers, “If the valuator was properly qualified, did not seem satisfactory, whereupon Mr Miller proposed that the present notices be withdrawn, and fresh valuation made, which was received with applause. An amendment was proposed by Mr Green, and carried. Many objectors were dissatisfied were dissatisfied with the decisions arrived at, and it is not at all unlikely that this Hoad District will be a fertile field for the lawyers, if the Ordinance allows of appeals to the Magistrates, as the previous Ordinance did. I* looking over the present one casually, we do not observe that such appeal exists. It w necessary, however, it should, as the Beard ■ are in a measure not only the valuators but the judges. The expressed feeling of those present was that the Ordinance would not be found to work so well as the previous one. The proceedings did not terminate until eight o’clock.

The affairs of the Province of Canterbury are in an eminently satisfactory condition, and exceedingly pleasant must have been >he task of Mr Beswick, the Provincial Treasurer, who, in making his financial statement, had only to speak of estimates of revenue greatly exceeded, and large cash balances. This is an extract from, hi* speech When I brought down the estimates for the nine months in January last, the amount we anticipated from this source was put down as L 24,470, whereas the actual receipts were L 170,000, of which a large proportion was received during the last quarter, and whatever may have been the cause of the great increase in the purchase of the waste lands which commenced about May last, there has been no diminution up to the present time, nor from all I can learn is there likely to ho for some time to come. Although the Council granted such liberal supplies during the last session as to raise a doubt in the minds of many members as to whether wc were not exceeding the limits of prudent finance ; and although all the works for which votes were taken, and which it was in the power of the Provincial Government to proceed with, have been pushed on with as great rapidity as possible, I am glad to be able to state that, on the termination of our financial year, the 30th September, the cash balance at the Bank was L 145,210 lls Bd, and our liabilities to the General Government on ordinary account amounted to some L 36 odd; and, as I said before, tho receipts from our land fund hare not fallen off since that period, but, on the contrary, they have rather increased; so that I can state on this day wc have cash at our bankers amounting to L 186,51/. The total estimated receipts into the Treasury for the current year will he L 507,969 2s 3d, an amount of money which may well make hon. members seriously reflect how, having so large a sum at our disposal, it may be best disbursed with advantage to the whole Province. Under the heading “Piscatorial,” the Ho 1 art Town Mercury, of the 15th ultimo, contains the following gratifying intelligence to all interested in the work of accliraitisationYesterday morning, some fishermen who were fishing in the Derwent with a seine net, caught two little fish of a species rare in the river, and wiich they thought would probably prove the anxiously sought for salmon solar. The fishermen accordingly took them to Mr Morton Allport, who forwarded them to the Mivcmn yesterday, where they were inspected by a large number of samns , and a few individuals who in earlier years have had practical experience in salmon fishing at Hone. Some of the visitors hesitated not to aver that at last the real “Simon pure” had beer caught, and that we should have an abundvnee of salmqn jn tho Derwent. Others, more cautious, wepe doubtful, and, finally, Jud;c Fraqcis, vylipse authority as a judge in natters piscatory generally admitted, after i careful scrutiny of both specimens, gave : as bis'decided opinion that one of them, he smaller, measuring between seven auchightmichos, was a salmon trout smolt, wh?h tye considered had only been a few days i sajft water, The other specimen measured aojut ten inches in length, and about this hevjas less positive ; still he inclined to the beUf that it also was a salmon trout smolt whoh had probably been two or three mentis in salt water. This opinion was general! concurred in by other visitors, but as it isudvjost to distinguish between lie smolt oKlhe salmon solar and the sahion tmtta, at the stage of growth of those i; the museum, the real character of the twoepecimens must to a certain extent be regaried as still doubtful. The smolt .were tineicalthy specimens, and tho silvery hue was nore decided than was the caso with the wo smolts caught about two years ago, 011 of which was forwarded to England, andafter considerable controversy, finally deded to be of the salmon trout species. Two fires occurred i; the Dunstan district last week. On Tuday night, at about eleven p.m., Cromwell vs the scene of the largest fire that has yet icurred there. The dwelling-house of Mr J.farding, which was the property of Mr Goall of Bendigo, was totally destroyed, the ccupants being unable to save a stitch < anything; indeed, Mrs Harding, who hi not gone to bed when the fire broke ou had barely time to get her family out ofilfi building. It is thought the fire origined in the children’s bedroom. Both the loise and contents were uninsured. The Duistan Times says of the fire that not a lop of water was in the town race, tbercfoitht crowd of willing hands wfip on the firsthm rushed to assist* were compelled to staj idly by and see the devouring duty, a perfect

' > I ■ m . 'ii—hurricane from tbe southward Rowing at the ti4® an< * * ortuna tcly di Q 3 the flames away from the and from the town. Had the I '* been comm* from any other direction, :re is no £ flaying where the fire would linked.— The second fire, which was a'yhread, occurred on ths afternoon of tP fc h ult., and resulted in the total dcst icm of a ran<*e of stables, the property dr John Mellor. situate at the rear of h°tel and store, together with two valuab’cehbrses and a quantity of saddlery. Trigin of the fire is traced to a waahinpLr built against tho end of the stabL r °m the furnace of which sparks were bit into the feed house, where was stored aantity of straw. Unfortunately hut littl’ater was at hand, and for a time but a feoen, consequently their puny efforts tUinguish the flames or save any property V unavailing. By the greatest good ncc, the weather, however, was calm, sec a breath of wind stirring, otherwise a v( different tale would ha\e to b) told, fori it been blowing half a gale, as is notdrequent here, nothing could have save(he whole township. Coquette, one of l6 horses destroyed, was a valuable was in course of training for the comiiffl? country meets, ami her cbance of carrrii oft some good prizes was looked upon bf Jr trainer, Joe Lafferty, as a certainty ; burnt v almost to a cinder, all efforts f)gt her out of tho burning building being utb. Merry Lass, wbo was also in trainjig.was, after great trouble, and at some cojsidrablo risk to Lafferty, got out, but burnt. The poor beast, when out, nttdcucd with pain, galloped a distance of abut half a mile, when she lay down, andiva humanely shot. The estimated loss susaiod is about L3OO, totally uninsured. The annual meeting of the Inin Permanent Building Society will b HUI in tbe Masonic Hall this evening, atS cclock. The Cosmopolitan Troupe persisting of Miss Jessie Baymond. MessrsO’lHen. Westropp, Glover, and Allen, o»en Do-night at the Masonic Hall. The quarterly general nectng of the Otago Licensed Victuallers’ fascist ion will be held in tho Fire Brigade riom to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at 7-30. Professor Macgregor will leture in the North Dune lin Presbyterhn Church tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, .it igbt o’clock. Subject—“ How men grov ad are educated.”