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Evening Star, Issue 3519, 3 June 1874, Page 2

Mr Thomas Arthur has been appointed traffic manager of the Southland railways. In the Provincial Council, this afternoon, the Private Petitions Committee reported on the petition of Gottlieb Beissel, recommending that view of the wide-spread importance of the industry—a glue factory—initiated by the petitioner, he should receive a bonus. There was a larger attendance at the Princess’s last evening, when the Balmoral Variety iroupe gave another of their entertainments, than there has been for some considerable time, ihe performance this evening will be for a charitable purpose. The man Thomas Connolly, who so savagely assaulted Police Constable Rooney, and who is at present in gaol, committed for trial, as recorded in our issue of yesterday, is a runaway seaman of the ship Buckinghamshire. His real name is Thomas Langley, native of Halifax, Nova Scotia. We have ascertained that he has graduated in one of the gaols of that Dominion, A new literary venture has just made its ap pearance in Auckland. It bears the quaint title of ‘ Saturday Night,” and its aim is to be a weekly novelist of general tales and attractive reading for the family circle.” It emanates from the Southern Cross’ office, and is published at the price of threepence. The borings carried on at Naseby have demonstrated that three miles of payable ground could be worked if the Naseby sludge channel were deepened, and Mr Reid to-day intimated that the Provincial Government had recommended the General Government to comply with the petition of the inhabitants of the district by deepening the channel, ■ Sydney papers state that an ingenious chart has been arranged by Mr Cracknell, buperintendent of Telegraphs in New South Wales, by which the state of wind and weather throughout the whole Colony is daily recorded. The direction of wind is indicated by arrows, a calm by a small red circle, and rain by a black dot. The record is compiled every morning from the weather report, and posted up bv eleven o’clock. The whole of the single girls by the Buckinghamshire and Janet Court, about forty in all were engaged at the Immigration Barracks this morning, in a very short time, at from 6s per week to L 35 per year. The majority were general servants, and received the latter figure. Ihe matron informs us that a very large number of persons again went away disappointed at not being able to obtain servants. Some married couples were also spoken ; but strange to say no single men got situations. A telegram received in Invercargill on Monday, via Hokitika, announced the death, on the 2oth ult., of (me of the oldest Southland colomsts—Oaptam John Howell, of Fairlight Station, Lake Wakatip. The veteran, who had been ailing for some time past, went a few weeks ago on a visit to Sydney, whence the intelligence of his decease .was received as stated. The ‘News’says ; “One of the best specimens of the ‘ old school,’ blunt, hearty, kindly, and hospitable, he will be long remembered by Southland colonists.” The fifth annual meeting of the Otago Licensed Victuallers’ Association was held last evening, the president (Mr Carroll) in the chair. L2 -is was voted to the library of the Fire Brigade, and LlO 10s to the Benevolent Institution. Ihe following officer-bearers were duly elected, viz. ;-Mr Carroll, President; Mr Moss, Vice-President; Mr Jacobs, Honorary Secretary; Mr Wain, jun., Honorary Treasurer ;Mr 1 indlater, Under-Secretary. Coramjttee: Messrs Fenwick, Baxter, Freidlich. Wal ker, Bayley, Williamson, Fidier. Auditors Messrs Walter and Court. A case of considerable interest to coachowners, and others in the habit of travelling, was heard at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, to-day. Ihe claim was for LSO, and was brought by one Tapskey against Mrs Steadman, owner of a coach running between the Taien and town, for injuries and loss of time sustained through an accident which occurred to her coach, of which he was a passenger, on January 5. The hearing of the case occupied a considerable time, and at its conclusion his Worship said he would take time to go through the evidence. A fatal accident of a very painful nature occurred at Alberton, Lake Wanaka, on Wednesday last, when a little boy, aged six years, son of Mr iheoclore Russell, publican there, was instantaneously killed by the wheel of a waggon passing over him. It seems that while a bullockwaggon in charge of J. Ewing was standing in front of Mr Russell’s door, the little fellow mounted on the pole, as was a usual custom 'Vith him. Ewing in turning the leaders saw the wheel of the waggon pass over the boy’s If 18 fought that in attempting to jump frpip the pplc the little fellow riiissed his footing and fell before the wheel'. When picked up he was dead.' ' ■ w ‘ ‘ ■ • r■>

A considerable amount of uneasiness has been created in the public mind at Invercargill by the sudden death of two children, in one family, from what is very generally supposed to be diphtheria, although several medical gentlemen pronounce the disease to be virulent croup. A similar state of feeling prevailed at the Bluff, owing to the death of one ohild from throat disease, and the sudden illness of ano ther from the same cause. '1 he residents there united in obtaining the services of DrsM’Clure andGrigor to inquire into the matter, with what result has not yet been stated. The following case —reported in the ‘West Coast Times ’ —is indicative of the existence of extreme poverty at Hokitika. It says “In the Resident Magistrate’s Court, a debt of about forty shillings was being sued for, when the defendant applied for time to pay. His Worship, Mr Fitzgerald, asked what he was earning on an average per week, to which the defendant replied, “about ten shillings.” The generous plaintiff thereupon volunteered to accept payment of one shilling per week, to which defendant entered a demurrer, on the ground that the amount was excessive. His Worship could not hold with the defendant’s representation, but expressed himself of opinion that any man could surely squeeze a shilling out somehow, and, considering that it would take threequarters of a year to pay the debt off, an order was made accordingly.” An official visit was paid last evening to Court Robin Hood, No. 399, A.0.F., Port Chalmers, by the District Officers and a numher of brethren from the various Courts of Dunedin. During the business of the Court, a vote of thanks, with the usual honors, was accorded to the District Officers and visiting brethren, which was duly responded to by D.C.R. Bro. Stevenson, P.C.R. Pink, of Court Pride of Dunedin, P.C.R. Pring, Bro. Harrop of Court Enterprise, and Bro. Wilson, of Court Pride of the Leith. After the business of the Court was concluded, the brethren sat down to a repast provided for them in the Court-room. After justice had been done to the good things provided, some present enlivened the meeting with harmony, after which Bro. Woodlands, D.S., made a few remarks on Forestry generally, stating that the Friendly Societies had succeeded in securing a piece of land in Sawyer’s Bay, where, in future, the annual fete would be held, and it was the intention of the trustees to clear, fence, and plant the societies gardens. After a few more remarks from the D.C., the meeting brokejup byjsinging the National Anthem.

A. Wt of interesting news or scandal has lately been circulated about some former Auckland residents. It would appear that a man named Bateman had shot the commandant of the military station at Oubatche, in New Caledonia, for, as the telegram states, “ trying to elope with a girl, at one time a barmaid at the Greyhound Hotel, Auckland, who lived with Bateman as his wife.” There is evidently, says the ‘ Southern Cross,’ some mistake in stating that Mrs Bateman was a barmaid in the Greyhound Hotel. Those who were here on the last visit of Murray’s circus to Auckland, some two and a-half years ago, will have no diffi°ulty m recalling Mrs Bateman with her two children _ and Mademoiselle Hosiers, who re mained in Auckland for some time after the circus company left the city. Neithey will they have much difficulty in recalling some of the piquant scandals then current. In course °£-H me , the two ladies and Mrs Bateman’s children left the Auckland Hotel, where they had for some time resided, and took passage to Sydney on board the Hero. By some curious way Mr Bateman was a passenger on board the same boat, and to the surprise of some, there was another woman on board who claimed him as her liege lord. The passage* to Sydney was soon at an end, and Bateman, with the Mrs Bateman known in Auckland, are next heard of at New Caledonia, about two years ago. From Noumea they went to the coast settlement of Oubatche, where he was for a long time the only white civilian. Even there the tongue of slander could not be silent, and many are the stones which have been circulated respecting him and bis really beautiful little wife. However, it seems to have at last ended in his getting jealous of the attentions of others, and shooting the Military Commandant of Uubatche. A numerous deputation of Volunteers waited upon the Superintendent this morning in refe-n-Se n to volunteer land grants. Mr Reeves, M.ir.O., who introduced the deputation, pointed out that last year the claim of Volunteers who served the stipulated time was recognised by his Honor, who, in transmitting te the Provincial Council the names of the 156 men who then claimed, forwarded them to the Council as volunteers entitled to the remission,” but this year ms Honor sent the names down as those ™ h< ? .. claimed.” The deputation contended that if Volunteers were entitled last year to the remission they were this. A motion on the subject moved in the Provincial Council this session had been opposed by the Government, as the claims had become so large, but the deputation desired to point out that that would not have been the case if the claims had been settled each year instead of being allowed to accumulate » i S°H?, r replie . (i tha* 80 far as the word entitled appearing in last year’s message was concerned, it had no doubt follow the wording of the memo sent in by Major Atkinson. It was not the view of the Government that the Volunteers were entitled to the land; it had been purely a matter of grace on the part of che Province that the land had been given. So far as the merits of the case were concerned, all he could do was to send down his messages. The matter had however, been a good deal discussed by the Executive. _ His own view was that he would prefer paymg a sum of money to giving the Volunteers land scrip. Recurring to his contention that the gift of land was an act of grace, he said that the intention of the Act of 1865 was to encourage, volunteering for actual service in the North Island ; and it was not intended to apply to Volunteers in the Middle Island; m proof of which he observed that no other Province than Otago had made land grants to Volunteers. Several members of the deputation held that the intention of the Act waste encourage volunteering generally; and Mr Dame!, M.P.C., m supporting' Mr Reeves, said he hoped the Province would not follow m thu footsteps qf the General Government, who, judged by Major Gordon’s observations, intended to discourage volunteering. He and Gaptam Copeland contended that the Volunteers now claiming were entitled to their land. His Honor repeated that he considered it was purely a matter of grace on the part of the Province, which had hitherto supported the movement wen. It was purely a matter for the Provincial Council. Mr Reeves remarked that they would have to fight the matter out in the Provmciai Council, and the deputation then withdrew. ■