The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3651, 4 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1874.

The result of what may fairly be termed the fictions opposition of the Legislative Council to the different propositions made by the General Government during the past three years to provide for the construction of branch railways, is beginning to show itself. His Honor the Superintendent considers it absurd that the Colony should construct the main lines, and leave it to Provinces or districts to make the branches. We do not agree •i•• • • ® with him in that opinion, and see no nioi'e reason why the whole should be done by either the Provincial or General Government than the making of common roads. The deputation that waited upon him yesterday respecting ,ee Outraiu branch were evidently ear- ■. st in desire to have (he railway

! stem e\ • j '!(U.-d •'o ? heir district. They | '<i‘G alive ■ t.iie n -crv.-ity for it, and are aot unwbi.ng 10 h'‘!p themselves ; but ■ r '-«ey are not so well up in working I railways as in tiswelling on metalled I roads. They want everything their [ nvn way. When told a contractor [ would be willing to make the line, the | vision, of excessive rates of carriage immediately rose up before them, 1 as if any person would be allowed a monopoly of the sort, excepting under very stringent conditions. They seemed to have forgotten that the vast railway system of Great Britain is altogether worked by private companies, who undertook the work subject to specified rates for transporting goods and passengers. It is, therefore, a question for them to decide whether it will pay the district better to allow the construction and working of the line to be performed by a private contractor, or to take it into the ■ hands of the District Road Boards. I Our own impression is that the .Pro ! vincial Government could render efiij cient help in the matter, by seeing to it that the work is properly carried - out, and that the direction of the line is the best for the district. If this be done, and proper arrangements are made in regard to rates of carriage, it will be fhr cheaper and better to accept the offer made, limiting the amount of interest to a given sum, with conditions of purchase, should it be found more advantageous to take the line over at a future time. It will not do to leave the amount open on which interest is to be paid. In India, when first railways were constructed, the Government of that country agreed to pay interest to the companies on the amount expended. The estimates were commonly low, as the cost of railways then was. But no limitation was placed upon outlay, and the consequence was that, whereas it was expected many of the lines would have been formed for something like £IO,OOO per mile, the actual outlay on which interest had to be paid was very commonly fully or nearly twice that sum. Perhaps in the infancy of the system, when everything had to be learnt concerning railways, such excessive outlay was nearly inevitable. Experience is needed before the best methods can be ascertained, and it is this experience that enables a company or contractor to work an undertaking at a profit, at rates that would prove a loss to a Road Board or public body. One proposition made to his Honor was that land should be sold to procure funds for the construction of the line. He pointed '■ut that the value of Crown lands ■ould be considerably advanced were ”• to be formed ; and this we consider -- strong argument why the land should 1 ot be sold, for then a few individuals would reap the profit that should accrue to the Province. In Southland it was thought necessary to raise the price of land in order to prevent its being absorbed by a few capitalists and doled out at high prices to future settlers; and on the same grounds, where so vast an advantage as contiguity to a railway tends to increase the price of land, only the absolute impossibility of obtaining funds by any other means could justify the sacrifice. No doubt that by some clause or other of the Land Act it could be brought into profitable occupation, for it is worse to let land lie idle than to part with it to those who would bind themselves to work it. There cannot be a question that the agricultural lease system is far better than immediate alienation of land. In the latter case there is nothing to compel occupation • in the former', for a time at least, the country retains some slight control over it.

The Rev. John Allan, of Inch Clutha, will be moderator at the next Presbyterian Syt'O.i.

e understand that Madame Arabella Goddard will open at the Queen’s Theatre on the 23rd inst. Her stay in Uuuediu will extend over a fortnight.

The case of Calder and Bell v. Brogden and Ano her, at The Supreme Court concluded to day, resulting in a verdict, for the plaintiffs of L 650 12s, in addition to the sum paid into - ourt.

Judge Gray, on his last visit up to Queen"town, wv.s unfortunate euou hj to lose a roll of no r es containing L2B. The loss was n«t discovered until after Clyde had bctu reached, aud the manner of the loss is also unknown.

It is seated that there are now about HO miners at work on the beaches between the Mataura and M dyneux rivers, many of whom have settled down wry comfortably, having built hues for themselves and families.

Ihe charge of sly-grog selling preferred against Hall, of the Bristol Hotel, was concluded shortly after we went to press yesterday afternoon. 'he information was (IBmißSocl wi.houc prejudice to fresh proctedings being talon ou an informality in the summons, defendant being charged with suffering” liquors to be sold in his unlicensed house, whereas he sold the grog himself. The other cases were adjourned for a week.

A painful illustration of the nocessty that exists for opening up more lapil means of coinMiumcktio . between Kivciton and tiro, pnki was . Urnied on the 2drh current, when •‘ ! 8 Hawy,>ii, the wife of a resident on he g odfield in quest ou. died in patmition, from ■va-t ut surgical aid -A him it was se«-n dial she aas in d ngev a m .-surger \va p,itched to divert n, but Kf.jv he c.m d ; ' os *il» ; .v rdam wiuh aesUlancj mie had expired.

\V« learn from the ‘ Bsdney Morning rleral i ’ that during Mr Vogel’s visit to '-.ydaey ho stipulated that Jiu any transTacitio service to which ;\ew Zealand would be a party, a loop line, such as was provided for by the iiall and iorbes contract, should bo carried out, thus giymg r-yduey only an alternative a iivct sc. vice, and a branch boat for each intervening m mth, the same as for Auckland. This, it is said, has since be«n agreed to.

A new mole of iff-cting repairs and altera:ions Las been introduced into Melbourne la ey. Instead of a huge hoarding, which ude.-f jrs with the traffic, and drives half the people into the road, some enterprising> udder has hit up u a plan by which a goo f ;tr ng veran Sail is erected over the pathway, and the building is carried on wi-hout any interference with the traffic. It wonf, oe web if some of our builders aud con-

..rators w-uld take the hint and go and do likewise

Monday last being the first of the quarter of the .aiding .Star Lodge, i.’ ‘. ! -,T,, after the .rdiuary bu mess of the bulge had been transacted the full..•wing officers we e dul. installed : W CT., 80. Lemon ; W.V : itro J. .• ib'ou ; W.C., Bro Str.achan ; \V.B.. Bro. Ferguson; W.Fs., Bra. Honn-.r; W, l\, Bis. cueut; W.M., Bro James•V pro. Horn-veil ; W.0.8r0 Rog.rs; W.R.S., 8.-o. W. o. Wi’a m ; W. Ij.S., Bro. M'l’acfiern ; W. D. M.. 8;s Forrest; W.A.S., Rro. Mmdilan.a. The Auckland ‘ Fvening Star ’ Ins nn b the aiw’nde honorable to Captain F.aa-r, \\ ardcu at the : hames, )>y exoivs-aug rr.-rta or having criticised him m i.i-cho.t n terms If this had been do-m tarlmr a g cat deal f expense would have beer sp t ;-..d wi b tli

l ies, a vast amount oi talk s .\ t d. and tintrial wo.dil probably not haw come on a-‘ ihe * -'t .r ’ admits that -k - langit-io-hich it used towards Cap- -..1u Fr .ser wits intemperate, and states th-- it hr,- bc.-i, found to becioahle of a c-mstrec- i-m . m. i M tended by -he wner of the articles e. hid, ga.e jise to the action.

Jf Mr Bathgate woil'd only not once. oi ; ,} not ; htivitci, so ofto: -O do >n; } K » i„ u> . ; i°" s to tin- proceed in s • f hj s t f which lie com Inins would cea e Aop.-.nd-i-ig the fienS'inei'ls expi'cs- ed hy ■ oiii.sel is f.lia latest dcTeiopauj- t of tse noisy r,. n- : C;--eies uf the crowd' that usually nIL the [{.■ ident Magistrate’s t'o irc ; and yesterday some of the spectators were par iculnly demonstrative when the action of the p osedition in the sly-grog selling cases was commented on. Mr Bathgate promise! to visit future offenders with fourteen da} s’ imprisonment.

A r. cent Wanganui paper says the hospital there is so full of patients tha. applications f-r further admission have to I e refused “ A. long proportion of the patients are immi.ranis, and arc as destitute of Colonial stamina as they’are of funds. They neither pay for their attendance nor yield rapidly to the treat neut they receive.” And the Aeia-.n ‘ Colo, ist ’of October ‘27 Says :—“ Severn! of tbe immigrants by tbo Auainaut would not have passed a rigid medical exaiuinad m aucb as should be instituted, and the ho.spital has two indoor and two out-door patients, to whom passages should nut have bceugivvn.” I'lie adjourned meeting of the Harbor Board was held to day ; present—Mr Keith Ramsay, in the chair; Messrs M'NteiU, Beeves, M‘l)cnnid, Tewsley, Mercer, .Reid’ and ftj'Kiunon. Ihe Board went into committee on the question of the apoomtment of an engineer ; and tbe report recommended that Mr D. L, t-impson b« appointed engineer to the Board, at a salary of LI,DUO per annum, subject to any aPeratiou of ibe agieement that may be found neces-ary or advisable on three months’ notice being given after tbe termination of the. first year. The committee’s report was adopted, on the motion of iMr iM Kinnon. The Board then adjourned sine die.

In charging the jury in the Auckland libel case of fcraser v. the ‘ Evening-Star, the Chief JusMce is reported to have said that he was one ut those who had always protested against the rule in law that p> rons who were charged with an off- nee should not be allowed to be heard as witnesses. However, such was the law in a criminal pioceedas it was called, although sometim- s the difference between a criminal proceeding and a civil one was so nice that our Courts of Justice, in cases connected with the session ( f England, had, after most elaborate argument, been almost unable to defiue any, slid a defendant could not be beard iu a criminal case, and he could in a civil one.

Mr Grace informs us {‘Wakaiip Mail’) that the yield from the Shoiov.-r Terrac; Coinpar yja ciauu f;»r tiirte week?*, eudiui/ Saturday last, amounts to 92 zs. Only 0.,t weik was redly tmplojcdfor gold imniny purposes, and the yield for that, Mr Grace says, was the best he has bad since rh; claim has been under his management. The other fortnight was employed in timbering the drivt s foimedp.uuder Messrs Evans and Edgar’s leve s, as the upper timber was becoming not only obstructive to working operations, but was also dangerous. The same authority states that he has the fullest confidence in the value t.f the mine, but regrets that these yields aie being devoted to paying off debts caused through past mismanagement.

We hear that seme of the passengers who were injuied by the late collision on the Grten island railway intend proceeding against the Government for damages sustained, with a, vjew of having the circunp

stances connected with the accident being made public. Captain Hutchison has laid a claim against the Government for injuries susiaii ed to his r.ioingmare Spritsail, which, it will be remembered, sustained injury by the Clutha engine at the Anderson's Bay cutting s >me mouths ago. The latter cla'm be heard at the District Court on the 30th iust.

Two accidents occurred at Port Chalmers this morning. The first w. sat the reel dined ground near new j tty at Port Chalmers While two meu named Juines Daley and John Rico were engaged taking out an old charge from the hill it suddenly went off, sli.luly in j iriug Rice in the eyes and Dniey on the right hand. Dr Drysdale attended the men, who were c-ui-vejed to Dunedin by the II 30 a.m tram, hh >rtly after cue first a cideut a workman named John Nolan was almost completely buried by a fall of ear:n. Lie was quickly dug out and appeared only to have received a severe shaking aud a few b uises. Major iitkinsou return from the Cluihx 3 eTeiway, after holding au inspection of the com panics there. No 1 Company p traded on [Saturday night ; present—one sub-lieu-tenant, one sergeant, and twenty-six men. «d;er the usual drill a meeting wa hold, at which Captain \ndcrsou le h s reaivnati n. No. 2 Company was inspect.d on Mo: day night, tnei'e being pres nt one =ip. tain, one sergeant, an-l eighteen meu. These present were put through tin- u-nai drill by the Major. We understand that a staif-ser-geant proceeds to the Ciulha nex v. eik lo undertake the supervision of the two companies, He will probably remain in the dis'nct for about a month.

The (/tituiau and vVai ac-town railways are bang rapidly pushed furwaul and any ih lay that has ocean- d will he met hv i'. creased , nerey. Ihe » uepuki line a„. s n -r. I)- ar so b: ildmit a" asp. ct. so for as pe. dy completion is concerned. natural o'.stacies in toe shape of lie ivy bu-e standing in the way. a diveisioii lias bemi made during the last week irmn the ong ual mate by the Dis riot hnginei r, winch, a ib mgh it makes the line a little longer, will arsist in its speedy completion. We (‘Western Star’) are informed that the contracts for the whole of the sloe; ers r. qmr.-d for the different lints have been taken up, and that no time will be Inst in puaumg on the woiks. Half the bush of the i Tepuki line is chared.

Abe Dr Bieasdac, of Melbourne, a Roman ; atijn ic piicst, has been taking an active part in the movement for opening the I'ublic Lilnaiy, M u .< mu, Jc., on IS mid.- vs. In the Gou se o’ one of Ins sjiw-clus, he sixid he had beer, a priest for thirty years, had seer, nun i . in-.ny countries and many races, and he had fund everywhere that these f ci-Idit-a fur rational »njoyincut had a mo-t b-mciicial efl ct upon religion .and morality. He simp y cl v.m. d for himself one thing which was that during the twenty four year.-, he had been among-1 i tie in he had striven to s 'ften down he spesitb sof one set of bigots tow iris -uio'> or. If he had not done so he, a Roman atuobc priest, would not have i.Oen ;i ae din the post:ion which he held in connection with the Public Library amt Mu sen.n, and m hi- enrnee ion w.tn those iuui tutoms oe nad sf.ri en to carry his opini ms mi tins sip j-.-ct into ctf-ct ‘■Prompter” wrPes to ut:—“Allen' ' ’ompomy opem-d at Cln is?church last nigh in Bat im-na, to a very good house ; hut rim ‘ cast ’ wa- weak, owing to the changes nccessit-ted by Mr Raiu’ord’- retirement f.> mu the conipan •■•ome ihsagre; incut took naccat v. e .mgton, and that gentleman re* mams I here. I’or Mm pi oni’ Mr Tempieton Pikes tue basso parts. The company took dolf an their la-d permrniance at, Wanganui, and nave tw - successful c-mcert. at WeiImgt non Friday and -aturday last. The Stc Imns iii-ifu ford Troupe are now performing at WMlingtou, and i hear of Miss APke-i at Poverty B t.y. Madame Anna bishop is exp ored to reach the (Monies by to - next, •an Kra;i dsco boat. '1 he most pleasing item I have to eomimuiicit is that Maiame Goddard is accompanied by that most delightful sing.-r. and esp-cial f ivorite .’f the music loving portion of our community ■-.Signora Tambouiini Coy ” From a return just issued as a Porliamentiry payer, we learn that there weiv on the iiomin.il roll of t ocivP establi hm t. f 'tw ,-i cuand on the I t July last no loss than l, r )B9 individuals in addit on to 10.) Natives employe 1 as officers in tti« native dopartm nt, thus giving a grand total of 1,749 times. The officer with the giv atest length of service is Major Heap: y whose appointment dates from Apiil, *1839. thus giving him thirty-five, years aud three mo- ths’ service to the date of the return. JNext to him stands Mr Beckham, ‘ i-trict Judge of Auckland, with thirty-four yews and three months’service Next Sir F. D. Bell, with thirty-three years and six mouths’; ami Mr G. 8, Cooper, with thirty-three years and three mouths’. The return also informs us that the ( hief Justice, dir G. A. Arney has more than Completed his fifteen- years’ service necessary to entitle him to a pension, his appointment dating from February 1858. It also shou« that Mr J.istice Gr. sson is senior to vir J s-ice Johnston, having been appointe i in 18a7. while Judge Johnston’s appointment dates from November 1858.

Mr '.O. Reid, at this morning’s sitting of the Waste Land Hoard, took occasion to lecture the Press for writing what he was pleased to terra “funny 1 cabs.” Hq considers they should not be written, lest people’s feelings should bo hurt. This philanthropy, so foreign to bis usual style of comment, was elicited in consequence of one of our contemporaries reporting Mr Reid's own remarks upon a letter applying for laud, written in a more than usually flowery stylo,' 'i hose remarks the reporter described as “happy,” and in Mr Reids usual “bal’dbitting, sarcastic style. ** But however “happy ” they may liave been, they made the applicant ‘ unhappy ”; and he has poured to rlh his plaint to the Waste Laud Hoard, and roused Mr Reid’s an. er aguinstthe Press as a body, s mply because he was unluckily toadied by one member of it. We think Mr Reid should reflect that if a man in a public position does not wish his words to be reported, he sboud not utter them; for although we ourselves did not notice woitby of record in them, it is evident others are more appreciative. Mr Reid, so far as the Press is concerned, may truly say, save me from my friends. ” W hen next he says anything “happy and sarca-.tic.” we should advise him to tur . to the reporters and say, •• that’s for the Board only, not for you ”

n^ 6 - ('Evangelist) understand that the following suggestions on the proposed union of ihe res by i eriau Churches of (he Colony have been forwarded by the Union Committee of our Courch to toe Union l omin ttee of the Presbyterian Church of Imew Zetland l Tjeß present to the readers of the ‘ Evangelist ’ one or two short articles on this most important subject, by the Kev. A. Stobo, the convener of the Union Commit l ee. Ist, lhat the basis of union, so far as subordinate standards, be the Westminster Con- ■ ession, with the usual qualifying clause as to the rights of conscience. 2nd. I’nat for the first live years the Synods should have supreme jurisdiction iu all matters of discipline on the understandm . that at the end of lhat period this arrangement may continue for a longer time should any of the Synods oe ire it. 3rd. That with respect to the exi ting-difference of practice between the two Churches as regards psalmody, the committee recommend that this matter be left to each hyooi to iotwaupt in itm>& fti.

Tnat with reso ct to all properties held in trust each Synod continue to hold *': cl! properties, snbj*.cbin a 1 respects to the Sdsnc ti nts as before. sth. that the questi onf: he mule minister!i .T support be left for at ie; sb the ti st five years to the ie-sp-c‘ive S\nods. 6th. in it some scheme of united action for ( hurch extension through otii •ew Z-.-a.aud be devised, such scheme t« he uuder the contr 1 of the .Geiitnal Assembly. 7th. Tiiat the e be a common, foreign, ami Maori mission sebo ;.e. Bth. I uu there be biennial assemblies in the meantime.

A deo ta- ion repr. seating Uie owners of freeboM and leasehold pr oe;ty in Castle street, and comprising Mess s Alex, Burt, : atersmi, J. ». Webb, Brodrick, '■' narrow, and others, was introduced to the s'uperin tend.ut to-uay by the Mayor. Mr Burt explained that as Oastlc s.reet w r as now becoming a manufacturing district, which would require a considerable amount of trafti; between the street and the ra Iway export sheds, it was thought desirable that the street should be opened at once, because at present the traffic had to go round by i u überland street, and to the shipping by w -y of ■ atiray s reet, which meant an extra once for cartage of sixpence per load. As ihe railway at present stood, a direct or very long crossing would be very awkw-rd ; but it was ibought that a- crossing at right a-.ales with the street, and .bout opposite th- Courthouse, m ght beprovi led. Themain o j.-cto: the deputation was to get the street opened up as soon as possible. His Honor replied lb t the City Council hid brought the matter under the notice of the Hovernme: t. who last week agreed that it should don. as son as possible. .he Government had been always alive to < he necessity d making the treet. 1 lure was. howtver, a htt.ie diffi uliyin the way of doing it at ihe present moment, because there was a ‘-amber of operations going on just now liicu would ! e iut- rrer n with if ihat work •ice at once commenced. The Government proposed to form the mad, and then baud it over to the v orporatiou to do the rest. He supposed gates would have to be put there, ami fancied the crossing would have to be in an oblique direction. Mr Burt explained that, so long as access was got, the deputation did not care whether the crossing was the full width of the street, though he supposed the full width would be got on each -ide of the line. The deputation then withdrew.

A new goods and passenger tariff has been adopted on the t-mulhland lines, coincidently with t!io running of additional trams. The tariff fo>-the tian.-itof most descriptions of is considerably inurea ed, and ou general mercb.mdis tbe'rates are don hied, while the panscn er fares are reduced by onefourth. jhe * > imes ’ referring to the matter says -Tbe Proviuci 1 Executive had their att; ntion d awn to the su j ct by the frequent romon-trances al ire.-sed to the vai • wiy department regard ini the disparity between the charges on the PTb Chaim-ra line and the B.ulT in -1 . Fom Port Chalmers to Dane in, about eight miles, the charge for general uoods was live shibmgs per ton. From the luff to lavercarjl-, ab mt twenty aides, the charge was the same. Th re foie the i)une bn merchants u-.tardily wished to li ;ve the charge on the l‘o v t Chalmers line reduced, : ay to oue-hult. The Executive rep!i d by doubling the charge on general ids ou me S. ut .land lines, The charge |. r ' o,fls hitherto made on the tiouthlmd lines was considered too low, and it is -burned '-hat the new freight tariff is imilar to th->t of Victoria, and more fivorableto t-ie merchant than the present railway tariff of Canterbury. The general ba-iq of the charge is 71 per t>u per mile for general mercha idise, which comes to 10s per ion between Invercargill and the Bluff, and lis per ton between Invercargill and Winton, natead uf 5s as hitherto. - e iucl'ne to the opinion that on the Bluff Invercargill line, 'V hich hj s to compete with good water carriage, toe charge will be foun I too high. If a steam-r can afford to bring goods all the way from inunediu for Iss per ton, surely something a go -d deal less than the 10s charge I by tlu railway will pay the stenuer to lan I ihe goods at tae Inverc irgill jetty mstea l<f at the Bluff Che result wnl be tnat the coast d steamers will come to InverCargill instead of th ; Bluff, and the railway will lose the very considerable traffic which J JL no ‘ v derives from the coasting trade Whether the increased rates will compensate lor the loss reman- to be seen. The reduction of the passenger fares is sound policy, but it may be questioned wh-ther the financial results would not hare been obtained if the Executive had boldly res dv-.d to reduce the pis-en,er fares one-half.

. Mr Ba'hgite’s is not the only Court wherein some extraordinary d, fences, or speeches m n 1100 arc ru:lde * Mr Crawford, iu Wellington, was the other day called upou to adjudic ite in a case of assault where \ir Chari.s White, an ex-resideut of Uunediu was charged with assaulting a local tobaccomst named Cohen, who having occasion to call on him about some shares in a building society, the affairs of which Mr White manages, characterised au overcharge for cal* as a robbery, which the other consti ued. despite a oisclanu.-r of any personal application, into a retie, tiou on his probity and torch with gave Cohen “a blow with his hand, which knocked Cohen’s hat off, and saoved him downstairs.” The ‘Post’tells u that White addressed the Court iua lofti and impassioned strain. He expressed his wonder teat the learned counsel lor the prosecution, who called this affiur “a serious and unprovoked assault,” did not go further aud describe it as a most brutal and sava-e attack upon a harmless and inoffensive oTd gentleman. Buch violence as he had used was only what he would use to anyone who came into his office and and addresesd him in the same language as the complainant, he did not strike Cohen, or kick him, or push him down stairs. He merely caught him on the pivot when he gyrated on his axis iuto the corner, and there tumbled down. Cohen came iuto his office and charged him with robbery. According to the logic of the school in which he was brought up, where there was a robbery (there must bo a robber. If there were any thief iu this case, it must be himself. Mr Cohen’s conduct might be ir strict accordance with the ethics of Petticoa Lane, where to oail a man a (robber or a woman a lady was of hduriyj;occurrence, but, he was thankful to say he was not brought up iu that Arcadia of inuoceuce and fried fish, but in a school where to icceive au in.-ul and to res nt it were things indissolubly ass >ci ttrd If the learned counsel came to bis oific- and addressed him in the language made use of by his client, he would treat him m exactly the same manner. Mr Allan it reply r marked that perhaps the strongest evidence for the prosecution had been given by the defendant himself, who, by his demeanour in Court, had done more to prove che case than the prosecutor himself. The Kench would see what au irascible man defendant was, and how likely it wan that any initation would lead him to acts of violence ; the Bench could imagine how he would treat this weak old man, who felt that the charge of L 3 3s as six months interestjon L 6 was excessive; they had seen the behaviour in Court of the meek, mild man, so sensitive of ; a a honor, and so ready to defend it against : a weak, eld man. Defendant (sotto voce). j ‘‘Poor, dear old man 1

We are requested to state that Capt. Crabb proceeded to Nupicr yesterday, not to taka eiiargQ of the Koaalia, but to act an coasting |>Uot ojj tl*a rest'd i wy dbvik - *

We would remind our readers that Mr Armlecture on his reminiscences of Australia and America will be delivered in the Temperance Hall this evening.