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Evening Star, Issue 3762, 15 March 1875, Page 3

{From our own Correspondents.)

S t _ Poet Chalmers. March 15. |The first stone of the waterworks reservoir at awyer’s Bay Creek was laid this afternoon by the Mayor of Port Chalmers. His Honor the Superintendent, the Mayor of Dunedin, and a numerdus assemblage were present. mv. .mi Napier, March 13. Ihe Telegraph 1 recently published a series of letters that passed between the Crown Lands Commissioner and a small farmer named These showed that Robertson bought a piece of land on Rhodes's run from the Crown, but subject to an investigation by “ the Commissioner. The land was bought at the latter end of 1873. In a long letter from the Commissioner published by the * Telegraph ’ he informs Robertson that the land he bought was included in Rhodes’s Crown Grant which probably was issued in error, but the maps in the Land Office left it open to doubt whether the land was not open for sale. The error is in one or the other, but which the Commissioner could not positively state without an elaborate survey.- Robertson is then informed he can have his money back again. The * Telegraph ’ thinks this case shows the loose system in the administration of the Crown lands, which is probably due to the Government thrusting so many duties of an irreconciliable nature on public officers. Both the Commissioners and Chief Surveyors hold three or more offices. Au. KLAND, March 13. A young Jack Sheppard named Patrick Mollor was brought before the Police Court to-day, for the fifth or sixth time, charged with running away from the training-ship at Kohimarama. This youngster about a fortnight ago received a sentence of seven days’ imprisonment for the same offence, and while in gaol had managed to get out, and gave the authorities no end of trouble. He had only been back at the ship a few days when be again escaped by swimming out to sea and landing on the other side of the Bay. He was caught again next day. His father promised to contribute towards his support if tbd authorities could only keep him on the ship, mr t-o March 12. The Post gays that 1 tbenewsof Drßuller’s elevation to the rank of Companion of the order of St. Michael and St. George will cause a feeling of mixed astonishment and indignation throughout the Colony-astonishment that Lari Ga.n<»rvon can have been so ili-adviscd as to recommend such an appointment, and indignation that so many worthy men should have been passed oyer in Dr BuUet’a fayor. “Who,

it will be asked, is this briefless barrister, that he should be selected from New Zealand’s colonists for this special mark of her Majesty’s grace and favor? What has he done to merit such distinction as a member of the Civil Service of the Colony, or as a Resident Magistrate ? What have been his servivcs compared with those of Mr Beckham or Mr Strode. As a man of science, he is dimmed by comparison with such men as Dr Hector, Mr Mantell, Mr Travers, Mr Kirk, Mr Sutton, or even in his own ornithological branch, with Mr T. Potts, of Canterbury. As a barrister, he is unknown. The only possible around, apart from the unblushing self-assertion on which he is singled out in this way, may be found in his having published at the expense of the Colony a series of burlesqued illustrations' of New Zealand birds, and in having depicted in the pages of a professedly scientific work numbers of birds which, if they could be reproduced in the flesh and clothed with plumage as represented, would be pecked to death as strangers by the real Simon Pures, or killed as extraordinary specimens of nature’s freaks by the first person who met them in the bush. It is really an insult to the Colony (unintentionally, no doubt) that Dr Walter Puller’s name should be bracketed with the names of those other distinguished colonists who have received the companionship of the order as repayment for and recognition of long and distinguished public services. Messrs Vogel, Fitzherbert, and Fitzgerald must certainly feel highly honored at the new companion given them, but the Colony -will wonder and grieve at the strange companionship. The brightness of the honor they have honorably and by long and faithful service won, has been considerably tarnished by being so unworthily extended. We venture to say that in every Province of New Zealand at least 100 men could be named who have better deserved Her Majesty’s favor by their services to this portion of Her Majesty’s dominions. Truly Dr Buller has turned his capital of birding to good account. A long leave of absence on salary obtained under circumstances which were made the subject of Parliamentary inquiry, resulting in peremptory instructions (of course disre°garded) to the Agent-General to no longer employ him as secretary; a grant of L3OO of public money towards an ornithological monstrosity alreadyreferred to ; a course of Temple dinners undergone while nominally actingsecretary to Dr Featherston and drawing a liberal salary ; a_ doctor's diploma in philology • a foreign decoration ;] and now the companionship of a noble English order—all these has Dr Buller plucked from the simple birds of the Colony.” ______