The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3567, 29 July 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 1874.

From our telegraphic columns it will be seen that Mr Von Der Hyde has been returned for the Waitemata seat in the General Assembly by a majority of fifty over of Mr Macfarlane. Mr Von Der Hyde is a supporter of the Government.

. The Town Clerk has received the following telegram in reference to the nomination of candidates for High Ward, under date July 'id :—“I think the nomination should be treated as regular by the Returning officer. (Signed) J, Prendergast, Attorney General.”

Mr and Mrs Wiltshire completed their 474 th mile and half-mile respectively at noon to-day. Increasing attendance shows the daily-growing interest which is being taken in the performance of this feat. Both pedestrians are walking in better form than they were a week ago. Yesterday afternoon, between two and three o cluck, a fire broke out in the store of Mr. Cunumgham, situated In Deborah Bay. it was first discovered by Mrs Anderson who immediately gave the alarm. The fire originated by a child’s cot being close to the fireplace, but it was soon got under. The damage is estimated at about LIOO, which is covered by insurance.

iEgles ” is responsible for the following puzzle : “ The obituary column of a daily paper is not the place whereone would look for a conundrum, ti ere, however, is one—an excerpt from that portion of a Sydney journal ; ‘At his residence, Woolloomooloo, Mr , leaving a wife, seven children, and an affectionate daughter to lament their loss. ’ How Jpany children had he, and how many of them

The result of the recent entertainment at the Masonic Hall, in aid of the Portobello Church, is as follows Total receipts. L 44 4s 6d ; expenses of printing, advertising, rent of hall, &c., LlO 15s 64, which, deducted from the receipts, leaves the handsome sum of L 33 9s. This amount has been handed over to the trustees of the church. Groat credit is due to Mr Barrett and Mr Allred Anderson for bringing the affair to such a successful issue.

Mr John Grant addressed a meeting of the ratepayers of Leith last evening, at the North Dunedin Hotel. From sixty to s- venty persons were present, and Mr W Wright occupied t* e chair. After the candidate had given bis views on various municipal matters, and answered questions, Mr MTjeod proposed, and Mr 1). White seconded that Mr John Gr ant was one of the most fit and proper of the candidates to represent Lei'h Ward. The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.

“inyes” courteously addresses Sir George Bowen thus:—“My dear Sir George, you are forgiven. I couldn't havo attended, even bad i been favored with your Vice-regal command.' My sympathies are with you. Four thousand visitors at Bishopscourt—just at th s season— dots look a littm suspicious. I shouldn’t wonder if some of them had an eye to the future—to the event of next week. Especially so the lady who filled three pages of the visitingbook (perhaps on commission) with the names of her particular friends. ” We learn from the Melbourne journals that a trial of Badcock’a patent life-preserving wais f coat was made at Kenny’s Baths, St. Kiida. on Saturday afternoon, in the presence of a large number of spectators. Two men having encased themselves in the waistcoats, jumped into deep water. They floated most buoyantly, and notwithstanding their efforts to dive were unable to do so. At their will they could stand upright or rest themselves by floating in the water, but it appeared impossible for them to sink. The trial was considered most satisfactory by all present.

We lately reported the marriage of Lord Donougbmore with a Tasmanian lady, Miss Stephens. ‘ Vanity Fair,’ a London journal, has the following on the subject, and it is rather curious:—“ Lord Donougbmore is about to be married to vdss fctqdiens, a young lady of eighteen, extremely clever and charming. Lord Donougbmore had been sent away from an liish frying-pan only to fall into a Tasmanian fire, and bis brother, xMr Walter Hutchinson, being sent to look after him, incontinently slipped into the same flame, for he at once engaged himself to Miss Stephens’s sister. Whereat we may all rejoice, for there will be tvyo new and delightful married ladies to cement our union with the Colonies.”

The Queen’s Theatre contained a large audience iast night to witness the second performance of the California Minstrels’. Mr Amery has not got rid of his hoarseness, con--sequently he did not do justice to himself or the songs set down to him. His “ Village Blacksmith ” was, however, loudly applauded. The same gentleman and Mr Mavor were very successful in “ The Moon has raised her lamp above,” as was Mr Campbell in his heavy share of the programme.. Mr Herman played a clever violin solo, which showed the mastery he has obtained over his instrument, Messrs Sutton and Kelly were very ludicrous in their departments, and their so called “dances” seemed to be highly appreciated. A screaming farce concluded the entertainment.

A Wellington paper says “ The manner in which Mr J. Lazar, who bad been for some time fulfilling the duties of Provincial I rcasurer in Westland, has been discharged from office does not seem to afford much satisfaction to the local public. Complaints are made that, while there was no intimation of anything but approval of his work, his semoval from office was abrupt; but the explanation is given that it was a necessary sequence of Executive changes, and of his own declension of an offer made to him. Mr Lazar was for a number of years Town Clerk of Dunedin, and filled the same office in Hokitika from the time it was settled until tho offer was mado to him to become the successor of Mr Thomas Horton as Provincial Treasurer. Mr Lazar, it is stated by the local papers, purposes making a change of residence by proceeding to Wellington.” Ihe * Australasian ’ contains the following account of restitution of property ;—“ Some time ago it was mentioned that aa ex-ser-geant of police, named Bigg, had reported to the police the loss of a pocketbook containing 1375, the sum being the greater part of the money he had received on retiring from the force, and that the empty purse had been picked up in the old Cemetery. On Thursday, Rigg reoortid that he b d that mormng found on the floor, inside the front door of his house, a letter containing the lost three LIOO notes. The letter was written apparently in a disguised hand, and intimated that the writer had not returned the money sooner, on account of illness, and had kept the odd L7sas a reward. The identity of the individual who was so anxious that virtue should not be its reward, has not yet been ascertained.”

‘‘Kenilworth” was again played at the Princess Theatre last evening. “There was not so good an attendance as the merits of the performance deserved. The burlesque of “ The Three Bears” concluded the entertainment. In connection with the later piece, we would venture to suggest to the management the propriety of giving an • f ternoon performance on afturdav next and there can be little doubt but that the expe riment would prove a financial success ; for although the burlesque can be thoroughly enjoyed by adults, it would be an immense treat to the juvenile portion of our population, who, owing to the severity of the weather, are in a great measure debarred from witnessing the antics of “the three bears.” The lessees of this place of amusement have been untirng in their efforts in catering for the public, and they are fatrly entitled to a more liberal patronage thau has lately been accorded to them. There will be no change of programme to-night.

“ The favorite New Zealand mare Lurline, and one of her stable companions,” says the ‘N. Z. Times ’of the 25th inst., “are on board the Phoebe for Auckland, from which place they will be shipped to Syoney by the Hero on her next trip to prepare for their New South Wales engagements, which are prior to the Melbourne ones. The horses were very wisely landed on the arrival of the steamer yesterday morning, to enable them to get some exercise, and have a night a rest in a stable. As far as could be judged with their clothing on, Mr I edwood’s nags looked in capital condition to commence their work on arrival at Hand wick, where we presume they will quarter, and seemed particularly lively after their short sea trip from Lyttelton. Prom the appearance of our representatives for turf honors, they should not return without giving an excel lent account of themselves, and Lurbue’s weight for any of the races for which she is entered ought not to trouble her, for she looks well able to carry it. ’

Ibe Melbourne ‘ Age’ of the 23rd instant refers as follows to the case of the running down of a fishing boat by the ship Oakworth which circumstance appeared in our telegraphic columns yesterday Captain Edgar, the master of the ship Oakworth, was yesterday deprived of the power for tie future to run a | ship over a fishing boat, and then

sail away, leaving eight poor fellows to sink into a watery grave. The evidence clearly proved that it was probable that most, if not all of the fishermen might have been saved had Captain Edgar manifested the slightest energy in the discharge of his duties as a master-mariner, for the way of the ship had been stayed, and a boat launched, manned and provided with some oars and rowlocks before many minutes had elapsed. Besides the weather was not unfavorable, and there was <-nly a slight breeze. But the men's cries for help were unheeded, and the cap ta-n ordered the boat to be hoisted in and proceeded on his voyage There was no exculpatory evidence adduced, and the Steam Navigation Board had no alternative but to cancel the certificate of a man who bad shown himself so unfitte I to be placed in command of a vessel. But while dealing with the captain as the chief offender, the Board did not lose sight of the chief officer’s dereliction of duty, and yesterday he was served with a citation to appear on Monday next before the Board. He is charged with neglect of duty.—lst, in not taking steps to avoid a casualty after lights had been reported ahead by the look-out man immediately before the collision ; 2nd, in not taking steps to h«ave tho sfeip to immediately after the collision; and 3rd, in not taking steps to pend a boat to the immediate assistance of people known to be in danger, and whose cries for help were heard. The chief officer, Robert Bice, had a master’s certificate, which is in the hands of the Board until the charges made have been dealt with.”

Last night Mr William Asher addressed a meeting of the Bell Ward ratepayers in Basting s Victoria Hotel, George street; Mr M ‘Donald in the chair. Mr Asher said that, when they took into consideration that the waterworks could iu a great measure be worked in conjunction with the present Corporation staff, he thought it would be held by the citizens generally that the purchase would prove a benefit. With*regard to the gas question, the present contract expired on the Ist March, 1875, and the contract price was L 8 per annum for lamps, aud 12s fid per I,OOJ cubic feet to private consumers. He would not be in favor of purchasing the gas works, if they could get a renewal ..f the contract at a reasonable price. Tee fluctuation in the price of material was a strong argument m favor of the view that the ('or poration should have nothing to do with the gasworks The drainage question was one which required serious consideration iu a saniiary point of view. The Corporation, or some competent person, should be instructed to prepare plans for an under-ground system, so that holders of property iu the various streets might be

enabled to dram the sewage into the bay. He would most decidedly oppose the embellishment of the Town Belt. It was wrong to spend money upon superfluities when s . many pressing wants existed. Another matter to be considered was the reducing of the streets to their permanent level. In Dowling street some of the tenements were found to be 22ft above the level of the street; while Castle street had been altered once, and he had heard that it was iikely to be raised 3ft more. In reference to the financial matters of the City, it now possessed an excellent income. He thought the circumstances w ere sufficiently good to induce their representatives to go into the money market, and secure % fair amount at the present low rate of interest. He considered that the toll-bars belonged to the ■ Tty, and if they had to keep the streets in order he did not see why it was that they did not geu the payments collected from lho=e bars. He learned that a sum of L 30.000 would have to be piid as compensation to lbs owners of property required for the widening of Princes street, and from L15,0(X) to L 20.000 more for removal of the buildings. He was opposed to the spending of the citizen’s money in that manner. It vhey could not arrange with the Gis Company for their supply being provided at a fair rate, he would be in favor of the Corporation entering into terms with any new company that might be establ sbed. Mr Davidson then proposed, and Mr M'AlJisfcer seconded a vote of confidence, which was unanimously pajrried.

Mr Woodland, who is a candidate for reelection as a Councillor for Bell Ward in the 1 uty Council, addressed the ratepayers at the European Hotel, George street, last evening ; Mr Butterfield in the chair, Mr Woodland’ said the drain in St Andrew street was the first portion of the sewerage work in Bell Ward. He supported Mr Barnes’s motion, and it would have been carried but for Mr JNeale, who could not see his way to vote for underground drainage. If returned, he would advocate drainage works being proceeded with on a still greater scaled He supported the motion for increased representation, according to promise; and thought no one should have more than one vote in each ward, or more than one vote for the Mayoralty. He congratulated the ratepayers on the alterations in the Building t ?r----dmanee, in regard to which he had also made a promise Previously the Ordinance was too stringent. He had advocated the establishment of the system of dust-carts • improvements in the Octagon Reserve ; and the Octagon Market-place as the ’most suitable site for a town hall. He agitated for more lamps for the City. He had contended that it was desirable to make good streets before the Council proceeded to beautify th - Town Belt. He was always in favor of purchasing the Waterworks, but not in favor of giving the large sum that was given. io the widening of Princes street south he was opposed, as much of the heavy dray traffic ha i lately been diverted to Craword and Bond streets, and the railway would take a good ded more. The reduction of the rate from Is fid to Is 3d he had supported, and this year he moved it should Oe Is, but the motion was not supported. He held that the salary of the Mayor, whoever he might be, should be L4UO, instead of JL3OO a-year. as the Mayor was generally the first person looked to in cases of charity. Mr Retiring moved, and Mr Mullen seconded a proposition, “ I hat Mr Woodland is a fit and proper person to represent the ratepayers of Bell Ward in the Cicy Council,” which was carried unanimously.

In our report of the dinner to Hr Davie the name of the violinist should have been Mr Conneß.

Mr Grant will address the ratepayers at the Queen’s Hotel, Albany street, to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock.

Mr Burt will address the ratepayers in the Mission Home, Russell street, to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock.

ihe four candidates for Bell Ward will address the electors in the Oddfellows’ Hall, tomorrow evening, commencing at 7.30.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of the Australian Sketcher’ for the present month. This number is even an improvement on the previous issues of this illustrated paper. Mr B. Isaac has requested us to state that there is no truth in the rumor that he will not go to the poll. He will address the electors to-morrow evening, at the Cauougate Hotel, at 7.30 o’clock.

Mr Wilson will address the electors this evening, at the North Dunedin Hotel, George street, at eight o’clock; and at the Caledonia Hotel, Great King street, to-morrow evenimr at eight o’clock.