The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3176, 25 April 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1873.

Every telegraphic dispatch received for some months past has informed us of the gradual rise in the price of iron : nor is this matter for surprise, when the variety of purposes to which it is now applied is considered. It is plain, however, that this prospect of increasing demand points to one direction in which the mineral products of this Colony can be utilised. Time after time attention has been drawn to the value of the iron-sand thrown up on different parts of the Coast of New Zealand j and experiments have been made with more or less success during the past live or six years, for the purpose of preparing it for manufacturing purposes. There is reason to believe that at length this object has been accomplished, and on the faith of it a company has been formed under the title of the “ Titanic Steel and Iron Company,” some account of which will prove interesting to our readers The following information on the point we have received from what we consider a reliable source

Very recently the Provincial Council of Taranaki passed a Bill granting the company a lease of eight and a quarter miles of the iron sand beach, situated between the Hcnm and Waitara rivers; the terms being that for the first year the company is to pay no seignorage, but iu the second ami succeeding years the i rovmce is to receive one shilling per ton on the steel and iron produced. The lease is for twenty-one years, with a right of renewal for a like period. The portion of beach so leased is said, on the authority of Messrs Gledhiu. and Hammkkton who recently injule caiexul examination of the locality—to contain a practically inexhaustible supply of the magnetic iron-sand, while the supply of timber in the immediate vicinity, fertile manufacture of charcoal, is abundant. The chief difficulty winch has m past times stood iu the way of turning this valuable mineral product to practical account has been that of smelting it. Some eighteen months ago, Mr SMITH, the armorer at the Mount Goolc Barracks, Wellington, got the Government to pay the cost of erecting a small blast furnace, and after a series of trials he demonstrated how the smelting process eoujd bo .successfully and practically accomplished. Mr Smith, time after time, and iu the presence of competent authorities, smelted the ore, and manufactured therefrom numerous specimens of iron and steel. I he question is often asJici]: “ Has the smelting of the iroiisand been already satisfactorily accomplished?” Mr , Smith’s experiments are said to have been entirely and completely satisfactory, so fur as tiro demonstration of toe practicability of smelting the sand is concerned. The operations at Mount Gook were conducted )>y him, assisted by Messrs SAMCEE As ion, Joseph Wh.utox, Jqhepu Hutchins, Thomas Bassett, and James Tijkneu, practical and experienced smelters. They performed the smelting in the presence of many who are considered competent judges, and it was said that notwithstanding _ disadvantages they wore perfectly successful iu smelting the sand and running the metal, without either gabbing or checking the furnace. The separating of the slag from the metal was perfect, and it was proved beyond doubt that with a large modern blast furnace the smelting of the ore would he a commercial success. Based on these experiments the proposal to form the company was originated, of the prospects of which the following account has been given to ns. Amongst its directors and shareholders are the leading business men and capitalists hi Wellington, i The directors, though expressing themselves i perfectly convinced of tbe soundness of their i

protect, as ft profitable commercial undertaking, ire determined to proceed by cautions steps ; md wall in the first instance erect only one uodem blast furnace, with the necessary apdiances, which is estimated to cost Lo.UW, md after having commenced operations with ■t and shown that fifty tons of metal •an bo produced per week, they propose if forwards to erect more extensive works at an outlay of L 15.000, and enter completely on the undertaking. Assuming that a fair approximate to the estimated production of iron is attained, and that the outlay for fuel, wa ir os, ami other working expenses does not exceed the amount calculated, then there is no reason to doubt that the undertaking_ will be ot the most profitable kind, and result in dividends to the shareholders. We understand that a large number of shares have been taken up in the Wellington Province, while in Wanganui and Taranaki the project has been most favorably received and supported. Its shareholders,'we are informed, include men of every class, from the working-man to the capitalist, many of whom arc interested in the iion trade, Hearing all these considerations in mind, iui think it pi oltable that a liberal share of public support will be given to an undertaking wmch, if successfully caviled out, will create a new source of wealth to the Colony, by the utilisation of a hitherto neglected, but valuable mineral ore, establish an important branch ot manufacture, and give profitable cmploj incut to a large population.

It has been stated, on wbat is said to be excellent authority, that the Assembly positively meets the last week in June. The new Goldfields Act has been revised, and is now receiving the final polish, preparatory to its being forwarded to Wellington, It contains nearly 200 clauses. At the recent session of the Supreme Couit, at Auckland, his Honor Mr Jirtico Johnston ruled, in a case of arson, that a lodger’s department is his dwelling ; that if a man were alone in a building which had been set on fire, and left the building before the fire had reached his room, then it could not be said “that a person set fire to a dwelling, some one being in.” Consequently an indictment in that form could not bo followed by conviction. The accused was acquitted. There was a court of justices held yesterday to hear appeals from City rates. Sixty cases were submitted ; and of them twenty-three were confirmed. The following were the reductions made: May Calvert, to 140 ; K. K Murray, to 1.325 :1. * to L2OO- H. F. Hardy, to L7O; W. Henry, to Llo;Webb, to 1 30 ; H. Walden, to 1J25 ; Cunningham, to L 35; John Barnes, to L9O ; Nichol, to L4O; Bremner, to LlO ; J. Kartells, to L3O ; Anderson, to L 55 ; North and Seoul!ar, to L3OO ; Chas. Colomh, to 135 ; R Chapman, to LGO. The second competition for the Challenge Bolt of the North Dunedin Rifles, was fired on Tuesday at Felichet Bay range The conditions were 7 shots each at 400 and 600 yards— a ny position, and second class targets. Corporal Hutchinson, who secured the trophy for the next six months, as well as the first money prize, made the very good score on this occasion of 47, or o over centres The first competition took place last month, at ranges 200, 500, and COO yards. Wimbledon targets. Corporal Hutchinson’s total score at the two competitions is 80. Yol. William Hutchinson was very close at the heels of the victor, till within the last two or three rounds—grand total 81. The other prize takers are Yol. W. Robertson, Sergt, D. Cherrie, and Yol. Alex. Allan. It is rumored (gossips the Tuapeka Times) that a case will, during the present year, he tried, which, from the exalted state of one of the parties, will far transcend in interest any that has ever come before a Colonial court. Everyone knows that our now Governor, Sir James Fergnsson, was recently married to a wealthy South Australian lady, and the story of the young gentleman who claimed to have been previously engaged to her, will he so fiesh as to render recapitulation unnecessary. It is now stated that a Wellington legal firm has received instructions from the rejected suitor to commence an action for breach of promise of marriage against Lady and Sir James Fergnsson, immediately upon their arrival in the Colony. Damages are to be laid at L 50,000. The Tuapeka Times complains of redtapeism in connection with goldfields matters, and instances some flagrant cases that have occurred lately in connection with the Coal creek leases :—ln October last, an application was made for the transfer of an agricultural lease. The rent was paid up to the end of the year, and the documents forwarded in the usual way. As no reply was made to the application, the parties concerned made personal application at the Government offices, and the sleepy official after some search produced the documents, but was unable to state how they came there, or what was to he done with them. After consulting two or three brother redtapeists, it was discovered that the warden’s report was not to bo found, and another halfyear’s rent had accrued, so that proceedings had to he commenced de novo, with the lively prospect of being possibly completed in another six month.s. A case which was investigated in Lawrence and decided upon, and which from the circumstances required prompt attention, was found to be in a similarly unsatisfactory state ; and it was only upon reference to the political head of the department that the officials could be brought to understand what they should have previously done.

The official visit of the brethren of the Prince of Wales Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., Port Chalmers, to the Albion Lodge of Dunedin, was celebrated by a supper last evening at tbe Oddfellows 1 Hall. About 100 gentlemen were present upwards of twenty of whom were brethren oi the Port Chalmers Lodge. P.G.M. Boissel presided, supported by Hro. Lee, N.G., Prince of Wales Lodge, and Bro. Sligo, P.C.S,; the vice-chair being ably tilled by D. P.G.M, Stewart. After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, and those of “The Superintendent and Provincial Council,” and “The Municipal Councils of Dunedin and Port Chalmers,” Bro. Anderson, N.G., Albion Lodge, proposed “ Our visitors, the Prince of Wales Lodge, w which was enthusiastically received, and was responded to by Bro. Miller. Owing to the departure of the Port Chalmers boat about midnight, the remaining toasts, including “The Lodges of Dunedin”—proposed by Bro. Thomson, P.G., Prince of Wales Lodge, and responded to by Bro, Hastie, N.G., Hand and Heart Lodge, Bro. Anderson, N.G., Albion Lodge, and Bro. M'Allister, N.G. Dunedin Lodge—- “ The Otago District and Officers,” “The Ladies,” and “The Press,” met with despatch, bringing to a close a most agreeable meeting. Some excellent singing gave great gratification during the evening. Host K. K. Murray catered in his usual satisfactory style. There was a special meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society this afternoon ; there being present Messrs Muriaon (in the chair), Mathews, Tewsley, Mason, Oliver, Turton, and Reid. A communication from the Colonial Government was read, stating that through an oversight in not renewing the proclamation, duck-shooting iu this Province was illegal, and had been so since 1809, and asking the Society to fix thetime within which duckshooting should he allowed, in order that a fresh proclamation might be made. A resolution was carried recommending that the time should be from March 1 to June 30, The Chairman brought under the notice of the Council the desirability of declaring a district open for the shooting of pheasants. It was a thing that had been spoken about for two or three years, and in conversing with a number of gentlemen in the Waikouaiti district, who were interested in acclimatisation—they all expressed the opinion that it would he wise to allow pheosant shooting , in that district. While it was impossible to guard in any proclamation against ben pheasants being shot, he thought those who took out licenses would be disposed to coniine their shooting as much as possible to coekhirds. It would bo ft pecuniary assistance to the society, as all the fees reverted to it, and for acclimatisation purposes it pf assistance to have the

number of cockbirds thinned. The opinion was expressed by Mr Turton that there would be indiscriminate shooting. A resolution was adopted in favor of • asking the Government to proclaim an area extending from thr Waikouaiti river to the Horse Kange, and extending ten miles inland, as open for pheasant shooting in the months of June and July of each year. The Ar<jm reports that a novel application was made to the .’-'uprcnio Court on the sth inst. In December, 1809, a lad named Hayes, then eight years old, w m sent to the Industrial Schools for three years, at the instigation of his mother (a widow), who could nob control him. The three years expire'.! in December last, and the mother, on applying for her son, was told that ho had taken the oath of allegiance to her Majesty as a first-class boy on board the Cerberus ; tlv engagement was to he for five years. The mother, who had in the interim married again, objected to her son entering into an agreement of that nature without her consent, and she applied to the Court for a writ of habeas corpus directing Captain Pantcr to bring up the lad, and show the authority by which he was detained. Accordingly, yesterday morning Captain Pantcr attended with the boy, and the return made to the writ of habeas was that Hayes had taken the oath under the Military and Naval Discipline Act, and had agreed to serve the Crown for five years, for wages ranging from Gd per day, for the first year, to 2s Gd for the last year. It was contended on behalf of the mother that the child could nob enter into such an agreement, and that the Act of Parliament was only meant to apply to men ; that if the lad was to be apprenticed, it ought to be done in a regular way. It was further stated, though'thc statement was denied, that Hayes had been induced to take oath under fear of punishment, lb was urged on the other side that the contract was one of hiring and service, and was of such a nature that the boy could voluntarily enter into it without the consent of his parents, and although he might object to serve under it, no one else could be permitted to object. The Court took this view, and refused to discharge Hayes,

Buokstone’s drama of “The Flowers of the Forest” was produced at the Queen’s Theatre last evening. Although evidently suffering from indisposition, Miss Stephenson sustained the part of Cyn'hia in a style that has seldom been equalled in this City. In the last act, where she is cast forth from the tents of her tribe, and she appeals in vain to l)e allowed to rerna'n, her acting was very natural, and the rivetted attention of the audience was sufficient evidence that her efforts were appreciated. Miss Raymond’s Starlight Bess was a very creditable impersonation, and she deservedly secured a fair share of applause, Mr Burford, in the character of Jshmasl (the father of Cynthia) played with care and intelligence ; but to our mind this gentleman would be more successful in his representations generally were he to cultivate a more subdued delivery. Mr Hydes’s Kinchin was immense ; he appeared to enjoy his part thoroughly, and in conjunction with Mr South, who appeared as Cheap John, contributed largely to the amusement of those present. With the exception of Mr Aveling, who made the most of the part allotted to him, none of the other characters call for especial notice. Owing to the defective memory of Mr Wilson, one of the best scenes in the play w’as not nearly so effective as it otherwise would have been. We have been remiss in not rendering to Mr Ferriman, the scenic artist, the praise he is justly entitled to for the excellent and appropriate scenery he has painted for the various pieces enacted at this theatre during the past few weeks ; for there can be no doubt but that his efforts have gone a great way in ensuring their success. The scenery incidental to the performance last evening was extremely good. The farce of “ The Man in Possession ” concluded the entertainment. The play of “ Plot and Passion ” is announced for this evening.

The Council of the Acclimatisation Society is advertised to meet this afternoon at two o’clock.

The 111 th monthly meeting of the Permanent Building Society will be held at the office of the Society, this erening, at seven o’clock.

Gentlemen intending to join the Protestant Alliance are requested to meet in the Lower Hall of the Athcmeum, this evening at eight o’clock.

The fourth concert of the season will be given by flic Dunedin Choral Society on Tuesday, the 2!) th inst. The first part of the programme will consist of selections from “Eli,” and the second of miscellaneous. Should the weather prove fine on Saturday, there will be a football match among the members of theD.F.C. —Scots v. English. All the members of the Club will play, ami the game will commence at half-past 2 p.m This being an annual contest, it is looked forward to with considerable interest by the members, and all arc expected to take part in it. Members are req nested to be punctual, and to play in uniform, if possible.