THE ONECO TRAGEDY.

Evening Star, Issue 3629, 9 October 1874, Page 2

THE ONECO TRAGEDY.

Thursday. October 8. • • ■ "-L. l_ ; ~ Sharp, in cross examination, said ; I have been at sea before on a .coast ship—* Nautical School ship. r* was placed on boardher for vagrancy. I wasp.uuiahed On board that yts3el. I wks not so bad as some of. them. I made a statement befere., the American. Consul on oath and said that .Green was leaning agaiutt the port' rail. Ihave sworn to-day thatj.be was standing near it. He was leaning against it with his arms folded. I did not swear before the Consul that I was able to stand oa the gallows safely, without ho!dmg on to anything.' 1 saw Green fall, i wiil swear he did not jump down. I say he fell and di<i not jump, because thewhip ■was: rolling. If your face was towards the •bows, how: did you see what Was passing: bo hind ybu'.?—l. was walking backwards-and forwards.;. Wh e& hr wad examined before tbs Consul I did not Bay anything about the prisoner hitting Grfeen on , thß did not because 1 Was hfraid of ' &y : lif© • I’tdld the- Sergeant: of PoliceJ Since ' you haVe introduced this ‘/afraid of your life,”',X.might ask didr you upt say to White that night that Green bad .fallen overboard; apparently, from the effects of the blows?—l dicU' , I did not say before the Consul one word about the prisoner knocking Green’s hand fronr the sheerpble • arid the backstays at the time ha was struck over the heels. His feet were 'Outside the backstays! Was it necessary in order to get up on the gallows to go outside the backstays? He was “drove” up that way. When the second mate threatened me the two of: us were hauling up the royals. I afterwards, notwithstanding the threat, told Wbite some of what I said here to day. I swore, before the Consul that 1 had told my comrades that Green had fallen overboard accidentally That statement is' not true. I told" White he fell overboard accidentally; Greenfell in, the lee scuppers ; I, saw the second mate fall there ahe. 1< did not menfeoh it to Mr Ha-gitt to-day, because 1 did not think of it.

v Joha White ; I am an- able seaman eh board th® Mneqd. .1 w.iS in tie second Bfrate’s watch. ; There was a man named John Q-rfeetT' in that watch. I last saw him about eight o clock on the night oh which he went over- ; board. ..We all came on deck together when, the watch was changed. ; I went to the shee£ first -; no pnd relieved’ me. : . I , wa a ait wheel for four hbwrs'tod Charter; *nd had

B^PW««fith6» I uou»r 4 1,ut co»iff not -tell what it was. It wass* kioffof cloudy night —clear sometimes—not very dark—squalls sometimes—strong breeae—it was not very dark between the squalls. The ship was geiag pretty steady; there was a pretty stiff •breese, lay over a little when a squall, struck her. " The gallows is about Beykttqjt eight inches wide. I consider that with the wind blowing that -night-*-«aa --couid_not -stand aaiL; oSLfter Green foll r I heard him-atrikethe deck. I .heard a"noise oftalking.' f oohld,not make out all eaid.. -I hear folio win g aboveallthereat. ThesecondmaWsaid, “You — 7, aadyou oomepn board for a man'*; and I heard Green say, « M* DWdy I- 4fta Vff^ld

ndsauytfifr Qpd’erasbe dou’tkillinn’l !ys?|rd no more said that time. Tkfn.pQxt thing I > getting pip pp .the -gaUows , '‘■gain,. p.« tumbled down aVain. u He tried to get hold oT the rbyal billr'ihe second mate would not allots Mdk-to do so, and;he fell down. After balancing, himself .tvgga>r .three times forwards he tell.' He tumbled either* twice or Gibee times, and each time t heard him strike the deck. After the last time I saw him fall; I hbard a good deal' of noise abiotik Ahe'dick, but I could seenothing ; and the next Aing I ~knewwas the eeoond mate oomiug eft -and telUngime to patr the hmm I -did so. Wkhn the secondmatfcwas homing aft to me, 1 heard three distinct groans;oqming from the water, like “Chi 'oh 1 oh 1” That was the last sound .1 SOabdiff tha* direction] 1 saw nothing ih ihe-water '“The second'in ate-opened the oabiu door and. ia*|d, “ Captain, there’s a manoverboard.” The captain, altbf eomibg oh deck, ther Anyone wbuld yolonteer to go iff the heat.-' 1 No J 'bne volunteered. ■'•'They .naidato tbe-captain it was useless—that the man. was drowned then, had on( alpair/-jof heavy sta-bpets and a faipukey jacket.'/ 1 enclose about fifteen minutes had elapsed time the man fell overboard before the men the .captain tn go in ihe-hpat. ; yy hep tp go in-J^mboatheman had been drowned half an hour (daughter. 1 -—Mr Stout had thelaatseuence taken down

*8 a tiger of «pimus fa^bhe ; .. Af* tk^&eiw^ld p_ut down m the deposition, “la a tone' of ,Uo«n«Woß.'' v W; statement; I meaa ten or., fiitaen. jmnufaes. After thejnen had tdueed ro go ih* to* fiiqit, “ e B ,fliPv fi lM.way. and mfLde eaiL - ju to n Wg^erM..conduct -of' thA second ma» to Green :—f)n »onej .bpcasiori wfa' Were tuVling the foretopsail, and because Green did not ' v“ • BI H I l uick ,, ,ppopgh. .when it was fillea .nnth ,Wpd, the math jumped past me and another man 'arid beat Green. Moreen Wid, #. doing all that a man oaa do.” ikhin happened, two months before. /i' ; ui;.The port would riot allow thelaet' abate* ment as evidence. " r'i.a 'Mr Haggitt argued that it be admitted as 4t wig part: of a chain of evidence which would show. a series ofmalicious aotsMjji the ' iecond mate against Greenland thati<Qreen wts an object of detestationU.thematefrom the time the voyage began. 4 . The Masstrate did nofc aUoV aahe sriw nothing tocohnwtitin any «Hape or form with What took place on the tember. 1 ' • ■< < V j. ( ., /* , Dldmately it was decided that the admissibility or otherwise©! ‘the evidenceArf' desired to feting in bi, irgiedthis morning

Fjridat, October 9.

_ Oa the inquiry being resumed to-firim Mr Bts«t said he : hoped what had appeartU in thie . morning’* ; Guardian ’ would aof 'ba continued. la the Tb« Onepp JM order, which Was unprecedented m .journalism. If the paper desired up $ was only. 1 fair the accused to .pall it the. •* alleged murit, The occurrence on the Oneco/? 0u i the_witneß« White bemg pjiioed'in ihe box, the pomta* to .the,admissibility of certam questions put to him yesterday was again, argued. fcia Worshipaaid he had considered the matter during the adjournment, and had come to the boholdsiou to abide I 'by pwv»Uß;d«Bißi f m.’' Green had drily hSen **- • mute’s : watch 1 about Axteen dAya, J and if this bdeurrenCe had taken place daring that time! he would hi*n been admitted the evidence: but inasmuch ( place! two, momWhefore he did not think it 1 could he brought xorward as proof of malice. He would rather improperly reject evidence tendifag to prejudice a pnsorier than improperly Admit evidence for the aime rea 0n.., adhere, was an egTin either caie • hot whichever way, it be cured whence case ,got ; to,the Supreme -Court, uud therefore he decided to rejeet the evidence. , JSxapynatiqn continued : L 4.boot'tw\iMeeks . before Green,wan. drowned— (fir, Stent ohlooted to the use qJ. the word V drowned^’as m SM .only the witness’s inference, that Green was corpue derslicfuf -Hia WmSip ruled with-Alr otout,andJ\went. overboard " was,placed on Haegitt objected [to tbe inter «reni(fe#with the, depositions, which he said was opiteunprecedented.—Mr Stout denied this, , pnd said Mr Haggitt would have known differently if he appeared oftener when depositions were taken.—Mr Haggitt: Ihave appeared twice as often as my, friend ; to say nothing °V * hundred- case* more.—His Worship wished the examination to proceed, as/time was being wasted ) I was ealled aft to re« lieve the wheel at about five nainutes after 10 p.m. I relieved the: wheel and Green start ed towaik.forwand, and the second mate went up and struck bun withhis hand, and knocked him down and kibked him. Captain Henrv up, Uodd what Udtohegavelim cheek , .whed. . Green *aid he'did not a word tp hiib. , , oTp tain ,Henrv l ai {J* ,“ Gi J e it to Win ; he’s a P scoundrel lake him down on the. main deck aud,giv e hjl Ti, I c °uldnot see any moiwafter “Vt They went down on the main deck. I could hear a noise there, but I oorijd not make out what they were doing. I obuld rtf thl P g ; 1 Green the next day. [Mr Stout here objected ,to the evidence. Objection overruled 1 His head was swelled up, and he had a black bye;' One side of his face was puffed up. He told fte I Mr objected. ; Objection allowed. .{£ this p ? mt v Mr he told me, Written dfowp in pencil on the depositions Mr Stout' raised' an objictiom I Si r ’:*y Mr^tout’: I could a f Jrom the wheel what'took Pjjjj® o wf* A ,lows * because'they talked K*r b W^ n b#f ° re COBUltt l. I 1 «ieT I .mentioned any furtMr; I rev ; Xsaw Green reaching out his * { ** baok bSy? ll did PodA,prevent him; but, Shaip>told I Baw Greco’s hand drop w Jui side) out |

.BHIKA Ti-*'oo O eoald not maka atit Vehatwaal said. . If I reSharp, told- tna .we * till twelve to aigh v fc'j ; I ■aid here nothing elsejhajb Sharp told me. T was the ■“ gallows,” •nd, although tbehight>ak dark, cou (fsee Green waagmching Sergeant P oil :.pn thepigtyimf September 291 saw prwoner, inTas cabin oh board tbs .j (him a‘ lawyer; *5? ® tikeu the advice of a»'. he «r& iJTe hftfo■aid, I,know the womb and will bear the brunt of it.” Tbahwste all that was said on that ocoMion. Off.the 3rd iDsb--rX arreated mm. He said nothing after the warrant read tcy-hina ; but. as I was leaviog wie room he said, “I do not plead that I •one it wilfully;”—By Mrl Stout: Dodd never said “I am not guilty of wilful murder.”—By Mr Haggitt :' In answer to a question I put te Dodd on September 29, be told me he was a aativrof Portuguese Cove, fifteen miles fromHalifaxpNbvhSoOtia ; and that he was not an American. -

George Chmptieft, cook onhoard the Oneco, deposed : My wife is on board as stewardess. My boarih the shijj ate-Juit Abaft, oh the* main deck. 1 -I remember being awoke out of my sleep one night/ on •FaHouC the- 17th Septhmbef, by a fioiafc on deck; j The fir»t wbrda I heaM weife, ; lt Get* «p there, you sbribf a b-—Thdif 1 Hbalrtf J**i Greeh’a vbidb; aftyMfc , ‘ HaVb ! pity,"l&y Drod; iohGdd a' SEKe, have' pity.’* Then 1 Ifttod MriDodd's v<Hoe/moat w di*feui(stly saymg, “ I'll glve you all the pityy tiff' tvant. Getrnp, you’ sob 'of' a jorrr* l ■ound, on the. deck—something like a sack or.qther siDft substance falling. , I heard the ■eeond matc say distinctly, M Get •ad then heard blows, but I canubt say how “•WJj * Then. I heard the sudden fall again, dftruatsver it might be, and 1 heatd a groin •long with the fall. Then the second mate ofdfefed hiM to get up there T ft sudden cry; or a groan. 1 ' A few minutes afterwards I heard the sails shaking, and the yqssel brought aback ; then the cry,,“ -v man overbold.’’. 1 knqw no ‘ more of the proceedings. T di^ ! .not get >p, 1, was sick ifl bed, through brutal usage. ! The ‘brutal was hfit received from the prisoner Previous to this . jiight .il heard: tome disturbance Wi'ft about the’ 9th‘ ; September. I was then confined, to my bunkr 1 heard John Greeii jcrjhig^fof‘ mercy on deck. 1 eoald'hot hear the* words distinctly. The lasted, about: five minutes,;when Pheard the captain’s vpiefe 'distinctly ‘sayim*; “You d—— scoutfdrei; * I heard the secohd but could not hear I heard ’a'; biow -struclr,- as if witlrthe ffst on fcheface.il ihehl heaTd Green cry but as if 1 >e . I don’t,kppjy:qf ; any other occasion on whiphjhere wji . toce.—By Mr Stout: I was 1 ejeammed on batik be£pTy j the;cPhclhsion ‘«E_ the exaifairiiatiOn r I /httfd; “ Tha fc *'&’ Wil I llnbW'pf the' rhktter;” L 1 will'iloif that! i T ,J ufed'the wOrfls “ HavP hirircy, or ! have ^ i; I'drri still : Mfck andTetble.! l.kave not perhaps used, the exact words, but : flkarly ifli^uifib; "decurio to whethfer I* inteid 1 t6 leave the ship, or • prefer-’a ; ohargliivbgainst' 'thte; captain so as to get qaik of the ship. I never asked the boya to assist me, and the second mate refused.

PBY-TsLWJRiML) J Gharles Brown, chief officer of the \ -ueco . At 11.45 ou September 17 I was aroused' by a cry of “ man ''overboard !” and on coming on deck Dodd told me th ere was a man-over-board. When tae captain asked the crew to volunteer to man the. boat and go in search of Green, I suppose the man had been in the water about half-an-hour. My opinion, under the circumstances, was that Green could not have survived more than ten minuter after falling into the water. When I got at liberty that night, and had time to speak, 1 asked J odd how Green got overboard. Dodd pointed to foe mainfigging, saying, “iie fell ; over from there. ; I asked what Grten waa doing. Dodd’s reply was confused, and 1 could make nothing of it. Subsequently,' on the sarnie night, Hodd spoke to me He said, “ The foot 'flitaped overboard.” T asked the cause, remarking that the man mitst haye bc.en cyazy to do so; and he replied that be came down off the poop And found a mart asleep recumbent position sitting on a. coilof rope, accused Green of being asleep, whereupon the latter replied he was “ a liAr.” Dodd'said he had a Kcp pr.. two at him and he jumped overboard! * Dodd. further sa : d, *“ I dbp’t knew when * it -wwnne conversation on thef subject, not being satis ffed witfr themannerin which-he said Green got overboard.? I jtekbd r Dodd all of a sudden, m order to draw something more out of Trim.‘VWhere. did the deyibihfool jump from ?” .capstan, and from thwp took a'run on to the . rail ami jumped overheard.” On a subsequent day he told me thlngs'leading pie to ; infer., thkij heyraa nob altogether to blamed .•WjWt it -was partly by obeying orders he » got into this tronble. He admitted : to witnesa that had he taken his adtice a . month and a he would not be in the trouble he was. He .seemed to think the captain was going to get him!-clear of it. Witness told Kim, ‘ as. things stood, the had" enough to do to keep hip’ own corner clear. He gave him to under- J stand be must put no dependence in Captain . Henry, who was not a man. to- trouble bim- . self about anybody so long as be got out of . . the On several occasions ~ Dodd has ford me the captain drove him to Dodd tojd ios that the night after tMi ? . .occurrence, the captalp'came to him and said , “ You miglrt as’well be bung for a sheep as ~ l6r a lamb. That' Dutchman and stewardess are doing ybu ' all ihe harm they can'; take thatDutcbmaa (Harry, be is called on beard) JM* a good lickffig. Do not use yonr hands—take’ tkat, iron Kbit aft.” A boh is a delicate thfhg tb cbastise' a toan with, for curiosity' 1 V foutifodpue inch in' diamCtek . Qn other bccasionADodd' told J iifre .. tried to hri*. cipal witness, bvirbCaid' as, ‘“if“be got Sharp out of the way, the others might be ‘blocked’off.” Dodd also said the captain offered ;to yon the ship close into land and'~let ' Dodd' swim ashore. Dodd*regretted his deeds, and said if he got over this, it would “learn ” him nOt to be led by an unprincipled map, or words to that effect. Dodd said, “ I will Uot throw the boy Sharp overboard, because that would be wilful murder;” : *■ [A late telegram states accused was committed forfoal:} -

, Mr-Eoebuck, speaking during the Home Eule debate in the House of Uoni/nons rtceotly,waa compelled to stop, after.a few minutes, with, the exclamation, “My voice fails me.” He had over-rated his strength. Mary JessyTrwer, aged .15, having received iMmounload words from her sister, went into St. s Churchyard. Kentish Town, and strangled herself with a handkerchief The jury found that she committed suicide while in r» state of; unsound-mind.-- . A boy. about eight years of age has been saved from drowning in a. “ clay hole” in the vicinity of Paisley by a large watch-dog attached to Young’s starch works, which Sprang in and brought him when be was'-Bihkirig,)in presence of nmumbet of people yrbo cfuld reader biinioaesMtooci f

| BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH ! ' op the mikadg at * ) 4 . - AUCKLAND ; ; WITH SAN MATT. ■’ . * . J j_■; !v . I , ; . Aucmato, October 9. ' ‘ i The .Mikado ’arrived at'midnight, with a Ehglish and American mail. She left San Francisco on the 12th ult., and made the passage to Honolulu in seven days fifteen hours; arrived at Kandavau on the 4th : inst.,:and left the same day at noon. v Passengers: Mrs Graham and infant, Messrs J. H. Lewis and J. F. Brownell ; and thirty-six for Australia. She brings cargo for Auckland, and for Port Chalmers, 655 packagesLyttelton, 350 packages ; "Wellington, 2 packages. She sails for Sydney at 4 p.m. to-day. ; . Levuka, October 4. _ The annexation of Fiji is completed, and the English flag was to be Seated for the first time yesterday. • . • • : Woods is a passenger by the Mikado. : : j .... EUROPEAN SUMMARY. ..The English pilgrims arrived at Pontigny on the 2nd September. The party numhera’ 313, ;and includes Bishop Earl Gains- | borough, and other members of the'nobibty. ~A- great German sangerfest was held at’ Waterloo on the 2nd September. eruption of Mount Etna shows no sign of abatement. The inhabitants are fleeing from the villages at the foot of the mountains, but It is thought no harm will he,done, as tht direction | by the lava streanu is remote from the' I cultivated j>arts of the mountain. | "The anmversaty of the battle of Sedan wak observed as a holiday. The Prince of Wales was present at a banquet on that evening, ' Russia has sent special agents to the Repubhoan and Cariist head-quarters to report on the military positions of the contending parties. • I?. re P°ried that an order will soon be issued at Berlin, expelling' from Prussia all foreign priests, monks, and nuns. ; It wsa; rumored that Spain proposed to sell Pqrto. Rico, in the West Indies, to Germany, but this has since been contradicted, but not officially. ; M. Bazaine proceeds to England shortly. Victor Hugohas declined an invitation te the Peace. Congress at Genova. He says peace cannot be established untfl another war has been fought betweenlFfance and Germany. Ho also points to the hatred existing between the two countries, and says war will be declared between the Monarchy and Republicanism.;,

Br®at strike the cotton operatives ?o has'began,,and four mills, employing 13,000 persons, have stepped work. The trades’ unions throughout the .manufactaring districts are collecting subscriptions for the idlers; A letter from the Marquis De Safrage, cargd d Affaires for the Uarlists, regarding the shooting of some : Republican prisoners in . Olothej says ■ that the Republican, soldiers. had , previously shot and bayonetted Carlista wounded and lying in the ■bP s t4tal at Olothe. • Also, that no one regrets the sanguinary character the war has assumed more than Don Carlos ; but when the enemy will pot respect the ordinary Usages' of civil warfare* no-means aie -loft for the'Rovalist generals but retaliation.

1 he- apprehensions of a second ; year of the Indian famine are atan end. There is a partial failure of the crops in some districts, but no SWrif® l ' than that of ordinary years. The Paris newspapers publish an official 1 despatch Acknowledging that the Royalistsfired on rati merman gunboats Albaltross and Nautilus. The despatch declares that the vossels were eii' deavoring to effect a landing of armed jnen, under the pretext of exercising their crews; and in conclusion says that the Carlists will recognise no combination of Marshal Serrano and his accomplices, but will exact respect for the Spanish territory and resist the bravado with which the Geftnan Government have endorsed the act of their gunboats. -

, The steamship Alexandra, sunk in the Mersey by a collision with the Spanish steamer Torres, has been raised and taken into a dry dock; she had only ballast outboard. The Torres has also been dooked.

, ship Buxine, ou her.voyage from Shields! to Aden, took fire, and was destroyed. Twenty-, one of the crew escaped in two boats, and arrived St, Helena after a voyage of 1,100 miles, during which neither boat was in sight of the other;- The third boat, containing the; remainder of the crew, has not been heard from. ‘ »

__ Five hundred laborers, members of the : Jflnglish ; Agricultural Union, have sailed for! Canada.

German Government will 'not interfere international affairs of Spain. A letter from Marshal Bazaine reviews the rate war between Germany and France.; Bazaine complains that he was a victim} of the army, and that the nation had rbut two supporters the Emperor and M. Thiers. He says be would not have attempted to escape had .MacMahon seen fit to lessen the severity of his captivity. He con, aiders now that during his trial, he should have employed the same weapons as MacMahon Uld .’ i_ ai r shown how the latter was defeated, and had evacuated Alsace, and was one of the W* authors of the army’s disaster. MacMahon Was as unfortunate at Sedan as he (Bazaine) • Metz, as Trochu and Ducrot were “ and as Bourbaki and Clinchart Were m the East; hut be'forgot all this when he became President.

AMERICAN NEWS. • Operations for the Presidental election are waiti commencing. In New York it is said that Grant’s re-election is certain. .Mr H. H, Hall left San Francisco for the Eaht on the evening of his arrival from Australia. : _ Madnme Agatha States died at New York on September 2. , The champion swimming race between America and England, distance three miles,' for a thousand dollars, was won by Johnson, a Londoner. ', ’ Scenes of violence and murders have occurred in the south-west of the United States, the war of the races being the exciting cause. Arrangements are in progress for laying a Iran a-Faci fie telegraph fine from San Francisco to Honolulu. • _ , . , Wellington, October 8. , The Provincial And General Governments have come to satisfactory arrangements regarding the expenditure of the L 66.000 authorised by Parliament to be advanced to this Province. The amount will be expended in making roads in various parts of the Province,,and, on the Wanganui River works, in accordance with Mr Blackett’s report. Tenders will probably b© called for the work©* immediately, and the money advanced as re-'" quired. „ . October 9. Ihn following were the tenders for the Dunedin and Clutha railway bridge Accepted —Watson Brothers, Dunedin, L 15.652. Declined—Brogden and Co., L 17,738; \V. D. Morrison, Dunedin, L27,U7. For Clutha and Mataura railway Accepted M'Menamin and Co., Invercargill, L 19,588. Declined— J. A. Boss and Co,, Invercargill, L 23.187 ; Brogden and Co., L24.G08; W, P. Oakes, Wanganui, L 25.918 ; J. and N. Campbell and Co,, Invercargill, L 26,648; Matheson Brothers, feedin, L 27.703; W. P. Pearce, Dunedin, ; T. M. H. Johnston, Wellington, * ‘ > David Prondfoot, Dunedin, L 29,423: Bunt, Tokomairiro, L 29,734 : Charles Abbott, Dunedin, L 31.367; A.F. Dawson, Invercargill, L 34,000. Produce prices : Flour, Ll2 10s ; Canterbury Camaru, Ll3 2s 6d. Oatmeal, L 22 10s to * t Jo 0re S° n , L 4 10s ; Colonial, L 5 to L 5 3s. Wheat-chick, 4s to 4s 6d. Bran, Is Jdto Is 4*<L Cheese, 8R Hams, 9d to lOd. Bacon BAd to 9d. , Auckland, October 8, The Paloen murder case, which commenced yesterday, occupied all day, and was not concluded, The evidence chiefly related to the prisoner formerly ill-using the deceased. George : Watson, who helped Uyerto carry deceased from the creek to the house, said that she told him the occurrence vAs accidental. George Sharpe testified that he saw the prisoner and - Watson taking something out of the creek to • the house. ; Be thought at first it was|a pig.

He went to the house and found the deceased setting on the floor with her hair burned off, the skin of her face, arms, and neck hanging in shreds. The prisoner was packing the room smoking his pipe. Witness dressed deceased’s injuries. The evidence tended to show Chat the kerosene poured over deceased did not come from off the shelf, where it could have been knocked over, as stated by the prisoner, but had beep taken out of a can behind the door. Some of the witnesses seemed to give evidence reluctantly, and denied having made statements and. expressed opinions which other but nesses 's' Weai£ they dldi * The Judge sums up to-morrow morning. ; The City Council 6 per cent, loan on the security of tho'endowments only attracted two tenders, in all X/ 2,500, The balance of the loan will be left open at par.

! - ■ Christchurch, October 8. In the Supreme Court, Thomad Timmins, charged with beaatiajity, was acquitted ; George Henley, charged with indecent assault, was acquitted ; George Henley and Charles Reid, Charged with _ intention to commit a felony, Were found guilty. Sentence was deferred.

, : , . r , r October 9. A complimentary dinner was given by the Philosophical Institute to the'members of the transit of Venus expedition last night. The toast of the guests of the evening was proposed by Dr Haast, Major Palmer responding; - Ai ter referring to. the great importance of careful obseivations of the transit of Venus, as affording means of perfecting the lunar theory, and improving the science of navigation, he said : “On -FridjX la«fc began operations on the ground, .and 1 hope that early next Week we shall have our transit instrument and clock erected and adjusted. r -The other jthwe THnqipal.('instruments—namely, the altaainuthjn the;, equatorial ;selescope, and Mr Darwin’s particular peL the Phcftoheiiograph—will follow .in a few days, so that I hope to be m full working order in about a fortnight hence. The instruments, though of but moderate size, are the beat of their kind, and give evidence of the remarkable preparation, care, and forethought which the Astronomer Royal has bestowed upon the English part of the undertaking. For the actual observation, of the transit, I am in hopes that we shall have a chain of at least four or five stations, extending ' from Wellington tb Dunedin. Lieutenant Darwin and I, with the’ three non-commissioned officers of engineers who have accompanied us, will operate at the main station at Burnham. Lieutenant Crawford will take a transit instrument and telescope te probably Timaru or the Waitaki. I am in communication with Mr J. T. Thomson, •f Dunedin, with the, view of establishing a. third station at Kockyside, for which he appears to have the necessary instruments. Archdeacon btock will, I hope, be able to observe the transit at Wellington;' and if I can only find mm or two persons in the Colony willing to lend me a pretty good four-inch I telescope. I trust to have a fifth station on the .Hurunui jplainsj or elsewhere *jn that vicinity, and possibly also a sixth station in the immediate neighborhood, of. Christchurch. All these stations, will he in direct telegraphic communication with me at Burnham, and I again shall xonnect with the American station, under Professor Peters, probably at Clyde or the Bluff. Then, looking* seaward, there will be, according to present arrangements, the Americans at Chatham Islands, the Germans at the Auckland Islands; arid the French at Campbell isiand;.and,l am in hopes that, with the asMstafice'of H.M. ships, we 'shall be able to .undertake chronometrie expeditions to these poifits for accurate determination of differences of longitude. You see, therefore, that by these means full provision will.have been made in' this ; region. for successful observation of the transit of Venus. The whole group of stations will have been cpnneoted together, so that direct comparisons may be made between the : various observations; and, lastly, you will have secured a fundamental longitude for New Zealand, which, it can be no offence to.say, is likely to exceed in accuracy your previous absolute determinations.”

„ Lyttelton, October 8, Ine Regatta Committee have decided on a schooner race, open to all-comers, 150 tons and under. First prize, L 100; second, L 25. A B f a ?J) ra(iei ’ 8 Cup ’ Lls, and a Whale Bo^race