Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3160, 5 April 1873, Page 2

Messrs Driver, Stewart;, and Co., agents for the Nebraska, received instructions yesterday afternoon, by telegram,,, via Melbourne, to alter the destination of that steamer. She will not tliercfoie return to San Francisco ; consequently there will be no outward mail via San 1* rancisco. At a public meeting recently held in Nelson, Mr J. C. Richmond stated that he was about to visit England. The Auckland correspondent of the Lyttelton Times has been told, on what he deems reliable authority, that the Native Minister is likely to reduce the Estimates for defence very considerably, by withdrawing variousdetacbmcnts from exclusively Native districts, and holding influential chiefs responsible for the maintenance of peace. At the Mayor’s Court, this morning, Kate Thomson, on a charge of drunkenness, was fined 10s, with the option of 48 hours’ imprisonment. Thos. M. Smith, coach-driver, for carrying two passengers in excess of the number allowed, 20s and costs; for plying for hire without a license, he was mulcted in a similar amount; and for allowing a passenger to sit on the luggage, 2s fid. In a leading article on the disgraceful delays which occur in forwarding press telegrams, the Emmy Post cites seven distinct cases, the average time occupied in their transmission being eloven-and-a-half hours. *1 here was one day last month that we received three messages, their transmission averaging over fourteen hours. A message from the Bluff alone took sixteen hours in transmission. In one of the Ballarat papers we read that the 3rd Company B. Rifles have accepted the challenge gent to them by the North Dunedin Rifle Rangers, for a simultaneous match, at 2UO, 500, and 600 yards, five rounds for each man, and ten men a-side, standing position at 200 yards, and misses not to be signalled. Iho B. V.R, have selected Lieut. -Colonel Rede to act as umpire for the New Zealand team. I he firing was to have taken place at each end on the Ist inst, Sir George Bowen ought to feel flattered by the attention shown him by the Victoiian authorities, by placiug the only available ship of that Colony’s fleet at his disposal. The Victoria, it is true, is not a finer vessel than any of the regular Sydney traders, and Sir George would be better provided for in the saloon of the City of Adelaide than in the Victoria’s state cabin. But it must be a proud satisfaction to a vice-admiral to fly his pennant from his own ship, whatever may be its rate. A most important decision, which has a direct bearing on our railway system, has been, given by the Supreme Court of New’ South Wales. It was in an appeal from a verdict for the defendant in an action instituted in the Metropolitan District Court against the Commissioner for Railways. Ihe question was, whether the Government are bound to make the fences along the various railway lines sheep-proof as well as cattleproof. Their Honors (Mr Justice Faucett dissenting) decided in the affirmative, and reversed the decision of the inferior Court. The Judges presiding, besides his Honor named, were Sir Alfred Stephen, C.J., and Mr Justice Hargrcave. The performance at the Queen’s Theatre, last evening, was for the benefit of Lottie The pit and stalls were crowded, while there was a fair attendance iu the dress circle. Tiie various items of the programme were successfully gone through and much applauded, and the farce of “ Les Miserables” or “ Hard Times Rocks,” caused much mer-

riment, particularly the drolleries of Messrs Buckley, Holly, and Small. The Provincial Band played during the evening. To-night, the troupe will give their last performance in Dunedin. Those who have not seen Lottie and her clever brothers should avail themselves of the opportunity.

At a meeting of the Oamam Jockey Club, on the Ist inst., letters wore read from the Canterbury Jockey Club and the Dunedin Jockey Club relative to the evidence re disqualification of Wm. M'Kay and Robert Kcay, and, after considerable discussion thereon, it was resolved, “That this t'-lub sustain the action of the Canterbury Jockey Club in disqualifying M ‘Kay, and also the action of the Tuapcka Jockey Club in disqualifying Robert Re ay, during the pleasure of the Club.”—The following acceptances for the races were received ;—O. J. C. Handicap Tambourini, Hatred, Maid of the Mill, Nelly Cray ; Handicap Hurdle. Race—Mcdora, Maid of the Mill, Honest John, Banjo, Alarm. Quite a sensation has been caused in We«t Gtehmg through the maniage, within the past few days, of a very ancient couple. The Adcerlim' states that the bride was formerly the partner of a storekeeper who is now about ten years deceased >She had reached the mature age of sixty when she fell in love with a well to-do farmer residing in the Steiglitz district. The latter is said to be about eighty-five years of age, and is in the habit of wealing bis walking-stick crossed behind his back to keep his shoulders erect, 'fhc marriage was celebrated at the house of the bride last week in the presence of about a dozen of friends, whose united ages accumulated to nearly 1,000 years. After the marriage ceremony, re’igious services were engaged in, and a variety of appropriate hymns were sung, one of the most conspicuous airs being the Old Hundred. The San Francisco steamers have proved a highly convenient means of exit from the Colony to loving couples who found their inclinations restrained by the prejudices of Colonial society and law, and who desired to depart without going through the unpleasantness of leave-taking. The latest instance is recorded by the Auckland Star, as follows The Dakota has just borne away a loving couple to the land of the free. He was a lawyer’s clerk, and she was was wont to ply her fair fingers for the adornment of the pretty maids of Darnell. He was not weary of matrimony, but he felt that one wife was monotonous ; so, leaving his lawful spouse, and two lawful bairns—the images of their dad—he has flown, bearing with him the little milliner, on the wings of love, And there is weeping among the barmaids, for three fair Hebcs, sad to tell, in dispensing liquids, had lost their hearts to the false deceiver.”

The Neio Zealand Gazette contains regulations made by the Governor under the Weights and Measures Act, fixing the sum to be paid to the inspectors of weights and measures by any person requiring a comparison of weights and measures, in addition to the fees payable under the Acr. Where the distance where the inspector has travelled from the place where the authorised copies are deposited docs not exceed ten mites, the additional sum is 2s Gd ; between ten and fifteen miles, as ; between fifteen and twenty miles, 10s ; between twenty miles, or outside the district and not included in another district, las. If comparisons arc made at more than one place on the same lino of road or part of a district, the term “place of deposit” signifies the last town or place visited by the inspector. The inspectors are only required to take the authorised copies to any jtown or place for the purposes of comparison, upon receiving a written application from at least five residents who may require their services. The Westport Times of March IS says Mr Chambers, manager of the Ngakawhau coal-mine, has received a letter, of which the following is a copy, referring to another test of the Ngakawhau coals “ Wellington, February 22, 1873. Chas, Hartman, Esq. Sir,— According to your instructions I have tested the forty bags of coal sent on board at Nelson. 1 found that three tons of these lasted as long as three and a half of Now South Wales coals ; this was under easy steam. On putting the engines to full speed, I found I could not carry within three pounds of the pressure of steam I could have carried with New South Wales coal under similar circumstances, but with slightly less consumption of the New Zealand coal, I am of opinion that we could have carried better steam, if the fireman had sufficient experience in working the coals. They are a very strong coal, and I should think would be very secure on the fire bars. They make very little ashes or clinker, and the least smoke of any coals I have ever used I remain, Sir, &c., John Lees, Engineer s.s. Wellington.” The Anjus states that an attempt to defraud the Customs department was discovered recently, and a heavy penalty has been inflicted on the offenders by the Commissioner of Customs, The officers of the department have for some time suspected that the revenue was defrauded by means of salted invoices, and their attention was directed lately towards a shipment of goods sent out by Tinsley and Co., manufacturers, Birmingham, to their agency here. Duty had been paid, and the goods had been removed to their store, but the matter was investigated, and it was found that the revenue had been defrauded of about Ll7O duty. The value of the shipment was nearly L 3,000. The goods were seized, and the Commissioner of Customs inflicted on the firm a fine of L 75 for each of six entries fraudulently passed, and 1.50 for another entry, making in all a penalty of JLSOO. The amount of duty of which the Customs had been defrauded, Ll7O, bad also to be refunded. This penalty has been already paid. Mr Gordon, landing waiter, has the credit of the discovery. The Victorian papers have again “dropped” on Judge Fellows, who appears to have an extraordinary inclination to rush to extremes, The occurrence is of very recent date when he sentenced some individuals, well-to-do in the world, to seven weeks’ imprisonment for attempting to steal gold from a Sandhurst claim. The leniency of those sentences was strongly condemned at the time ; and the Judge has again incurred deserved censure, for sentencing two men convicted of a trilling offence of theft to seven years’ hard labor. The Age speaks oll t ;—When Mr Justice Fellows gave society to understand that he did not consider himself qualified for the post to which the Government was bent on elevating him, everybody put it down as a capital example of what Touchstone calls the quip modest—■ a mere ceremonious act of mock obe sauce to the prudery of the occasion. But it would really seem as if Mr Fellows was bent upon proving that bis estimate of his fitness was a solemn impulse from the self conscious side of his nature, aud not a “goak” at all. For before the mute world has had time to recover from the wonderment into which he threw it by the disproportionately light sentences he passed on the Sandhurst gold-robbers, here he is making all Melbourne stare and gasp at the spectacle of two men—one for stealing a watch, and the other a five pound note—condemned to seven years’ hard labor apiece. It is very possible that the public comments that were passed upon his judgment on the first occasion, may have had something to do with determining him to err no more in the same, direction again. Is it too much to suppose that Mr Fellows may have his prejudices aud preferences too, in obedience to which he measures out his sentences, heavy or light, according to some private standard of aggravation or extenuation ?

In our advertising columns will be seen a challenge from W. Edwards, who is willing to walk any man in Ecw Zealand seven miles, for LSO or LIOO. Edwards lias just returned from a professional tour in America, where, we believe, he was never beaten.