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Evening Star, Issue 4098, 15 April 1876, Page 2

The special jury case of Bixd v. bhe National Bank was continued till eleven i o’clock on Thursday night, and then, being unfinished, was adjourned till Wednesday next. It is stated by the Wellington * Argus ’ that the official nosition of the SurveyorGeneral will be that of an Under-Secretary, presiding over a distinct branch of the Crown Lands department, i.e., he will be communicate with the Minister holding the otGce of Secretary of Crown Lands. An accident at Hampden, on Wednesday, which nearly resulted in the loss of life, is reported in the * N. 0. Times.’ Miss Evans, of Port Moeraki, was proceeding in a small boat to a larger one anchored in the Bay, when the boat upset. Mias Evans succeeded in clinging to the boat till two men swam ont to her rescue. They succceoded in righting the boat, and all three got' into it, when the boat upset a second time. It was again righted, and tho mop. succeeded in landing Mies Brims m safety, jmuoh

The In-coming San Francisco mail can hardly be looked for at Auckland earlier than the 27th or 28th inst., as the City of San Francisco was five days behind contract time when she left ’Frisco. However, it is just possible that she may gain a couple of days on the passage. A special meeting of the Ayrshire Association, held in the Provincial Hdtel on Thursday evening last, was numerously attended,, the president (Mr James Seaton, M.H.R.), presiding. It was decided to hold the: Society’s annual re-union on the 23rd prox., and a committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements. The takings at the Dunedin Bailway Station yesterday, for passengers travelling along the Fort Chalmers and Clutha lines, amounted to L2OO. 720 passengers booked on the Fort Chalmers line, and 419 on the Clutha. The Volunteers were conveyed to Milton and Clutha free.

The railway bridge over the river at Balclutha is progressing slowly. The super structure extends some 150 ft into .the river, and one of the pneumatic cylinders is driven into the bed for some considerable depth. There will be twelve of these, in pairs, when the bridge is finally completed, and some of them wul have to be forced down no less than 57ft into the river bed. The return match between the Citizens’ and Albion Cricket Clubs, which was played on the Oval yesterday, resulted in a victory for the former by 28 runs. The respective scores were Albion, 66 and 40; Citizens, 50 and 84. Morrison was the highest scorer for the Citizens with 28 in both innings, and Shepherd for the Albions with 17. \ Mr Collin Allan informs ns that the Pomona arrived at the Bluff yesterday with a number of immigrants equal to 147J statute adults. The doctor died on the voyage from consumption, and one infant from diarrhoea. The immigrants will be landed to-morrow, and the ship will be sent bn to Port Chalmers to discharge. The Pomona has 16 nominated immigrants on board. The * Lyttelton Times,’{though strong 5 in opposition, considers the action of the Co* vemment in sending Messrs Gisborne, Seed, and Knowles on their present mission wise and creditable, and adds “the public good requires that the commissioners should be assisted. Mr Bolleston has taken an ex-

tended view of the situation; wo hope all the other Superintendents will follow his example.” The undermentioned prisoners were received into the gaol yesterday from Palmerston, Dr. George Putney, late of the ship Cartsbum, sentenced on the 11th inst. by Mr Murdoch, R.M., to six weeks’ imprisonment with hard labor, for being found by aight without lawful excuse on the premises and store of Mr Richard Pearson, and for stealing from the said premises at Hawksbury one bottle of pickles and threepence; Donald M'Kay, of Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury, sentenced on the 12th inst. also by Mr Murdoch to sixty days’ imprisonment with hard labor for vagrancy. So rife have “Derby Sweeps ” and “lotteries ” become in Melbourne and other parts of the Colony of Victoria, that the Victorian Parliament, during its present session, have passed an amendment to the Police Offences Statute, 1875, with a view to suppressing the evils complained of. The new clause is similar in its terms to the section of our Town and Country Police Ordinance, 1862, which deals with lotteries in this Province. In Victoria, a penalty not exceeding L2OO may be imposed for each offence; but raffles and bazaars for charitable purposes are expressly exempted. A visitor to Balclutha who may wish to post a letter at the office in that town will dud it a matter of considerable difficulty to discover the receptacle for the missive. There is nothing in the way of a painted notice on the walls of the building, and the explorer may grope round it a dozen times and strike a whole boxful of matches before finding that the letter-box is in an inner-room, to reach which he must go though an apparently unused door. The post-master, who lives on the premises, must have a lively time of it, for, as a last resource, he is always roused up and appealed to for the desired information. A good story is told by the ‘ Auckland Star’ in connection with a recent inspection of an immigrant ship. When the Health Officer and the Immigration Commissioners are examining the passengers, it is usual for one of the latter to put the question to each person—“ Have you anything to complain of?” This examination was proceeding on the ship referred to when a bony red-faced Irish girl presented herself for inspection. “Any complaint, my girl?” asked Mr Ellis. “ Ho, sir, barrin’ a Vile on the shmall o’ me back,” was the blushing answer. Mr Ellis puts the question in a different form now. A most extraordinary occurrence is reported to have happened at Patea lately. A child two years of age fell from a gig in the direct track of one of the wheels, and the with the' child’s father and mother in it, jolted'right over the child’s head. As a matter of course, the horror-stricken spectators never expected to see the poor child rise again, but singular to say, beyond a clear deep mark abmsing the skin, and causing a large flow of blood, and one ear being cut through, no injury was sustained. There was not even any insensibility or unconsciousness, for the moment the infant was released it got up without assistance, ran towards the hotel door, and was then cared for. The wheel passed along the line of the skull, commencing at the occipital bone and shaving off at the damaged ear. In the track of the wheel, where the child’s head lay, there was seen a gap of exactly eight inches, that being evidently the space occupied by the infantile skull during the wheel’s progress. On Thursday evening Messrs Findlay and Co. were entertained in the firm’s new car-riage-shed in Castle street by their employees, who, to the number of over a hundred, with their wives, families, and friends, sat down to an excellent supper provided by Mr Donaldson, of the Glasgow Pie-house. After full justice had been done to the spread, several toasts were proposed, among them being “ the Mayor and Corporation ” (responded to by the Mayor); and “ Our Employers.” In proposing the latter, Mr Woodland, who occupied the chair, referred to his early connection with the firm, traced its progress, and after referring in eulogistic terms to the members of it, complimented the Messrs Findlay on being the first in Otago, if not in New Zealand, to start the manufacture of railway carriages an industry that deserved every encouragement from Government, not so much on account of amount' of employment, but because *fe said) it could be demonstrated that there were in the Colony the means and the material for making at a reasonable jprice carriages 'in „every way equal if not superior to the imported importee article. Mr G. A. Findlay responded in a very practical speech, in which he acknowledged that the firm’s prosperity and progress were greatly owing to the intelligence and industry of their workpeople. After supper the room was cleared for the ball. The shed, which was nicely decorated, made an excellent ball-room, and to the music supplied by Messrs Anderson, Sykes, and Oliver, the company were able to enjoy themselves tathe top of their bent. Altogether it was a highly soeowdol re unioa.|

The West Coast ‘ Times’ understands that CaptainTurnbulTa suggestion that the mysterious' wreck found on thO ooastof Westland was a portion ofthe ship Schomberg, wrecked on the Australian coasti ha« been verified by the builders of thatvessel. Capt.Turnbull gave a portion«{the wreck to Oapt. \ John M’Lean, who handed it to thecaptain of the ship Calypso, and by him it was delivered to Messrs Hall and Sont, shipbuilders, Aberdeen. They at once recognised it by the peculiarities of the build and the material as a portion of the Schomberg;" The fact of a wrtionof : ng one in connction with the question of the direction of the currents in Autralasian waters.

When the charge sheet at the City Police Court was exhausted this morning, Mr Fyke made some very strong remarks reflecting oirthc conduct of some p6rs«Bfi"in^cChnection with the case of a supposed lunatic. He stated that yesterday a man, said to be a lunatic, was brought to him at his house, and on the certificate of two doctors he* was requested to put his name* to a paper in order that the rnan might be consigned to the Lunatic Asylum. He refused to deprive the man of his 'liberty in that irregular manner, and ordered that he. be brought before the Court this morning. The doctors in signing the certificate had acted very imEroperly; and if the man was in the e (Mr Fyke) would have to report the matter to the Minister of Justice. The first step in cases of lunacy was the sworn information; next, the examination in open Court before two Justices of the Peace or a Resident Magistrate; and then tire order for examination by two doctors. A _ more monstrous state of things than the consigning of a man to the horrors of a lunatic asylum without his first being brought before the Justices could not be imagined. Inspector Mallard explained that he knew nothing tff the affair. Mr Fyke replied that the application was so revolting that he refused to listen to it. The men brought the alleged insane man in a cart, and told him they were sent there by the police. Inspector Mallard promised that he would make full investigation into the matter.

The half-yearly general meeting of the National Insurance Co. will be held in the City Council Chambers on Monday, the Bth prox., at 2 p.m.

We observe by advertisement that a space has been reserved for carriages at the sports on Monday. Seats have also been erected on the ground, and a marquee will be specially reserved for the use of ladies and children.