Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 4175, 14 July 1876, Page 2

A general feeling of regret will extend throughout the Colony on receiving the news of the death of the Agent-General, Dr Feathei’otOll. We should nave been glad to have been enabled to give a short biographical sketch of a man whose name is so intimately connected with the most stirring period Of New Zealand’s history, but we knew him only by report and through his public career. For many years Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, he also was elected member of the House of Representatives in successive Parliaments, and for some time held office as one of the Ministers cf the Crown. He had very great influence with the Native tribes with whom he came in contact, and used that power towards the pacification of the country. Soon after the close of the Maori war he was appointed Agent-General for the felony, an office which he held to the day of his death. That he occasionally differed from the Ministers who appointed him and fearlessly asserted his own opinions on matters connected with Colonial welfare was only to be expected by all acquainted with his singular independence of character and firmness of puimpose. Those high qualities, guaranteeing as they did unswerving integrity in the discharge of his official duties, secured for him the confidence and respect of not only those who agnped with his acta, but of those who differed from him. More experienced, business men may succeed him in offise, but none more faithful to his trust.

We have received from the Government Printer, Wellington, No. sof ‘Hansard’and a package Parliamentary papers. The nomination of Mayor for Dunedin will take p'acc at the Provincial Council Chambers at noon to morrow. The nomination for St. Hilda will bo held on Monday next; and that for South Dunedin at the same hour.

In Taranaki, according to a contemporary, they have taken to playing football by moonlight. ° .

The * Napier Telegraph’ thinks that the Fnancial Statement spreads the butter very evenly between the Provinces, and is a remarkably clever production. Letters of naturalisation have been issued iu favor of Ghee Foon, market gardener, Box burgh, and Rolf Steffenson Mosan, miner, Serpentine, Otago. The ‘ Wellington Argus’ learns with deep regret that the Right Rev. the Bishop of Wai&pu has been compelled by ill-health to resign his see. Bishop Williams originally came out to this country as a missionary iu 1826, fifty years ago, and was consecrated to the diocese of Waiapu in 1859. The Oamaru ‘Mail’ reports a cool robbery. On Wedn?sday morning we learn that some unprincipled individual entered the front parlor of the Queen’s Hotel, Thames street, between the hours of ten o clock last night and eight this morning, and cut out from its frame the most Valuable oil painting hanging in the room. It is to be hoped that the perpetrator of such a dastardly action will not long Remain undetected,

Tha Wakatipu Hospital is in sore straits for funds at present, being indebted in the sum of nearly L3OO. At a general meeting of subscribers held last week to consider the position, a resolution was carried :—“That the most advisable course to pursue after considering the financial position of the hospital, would be to close the institution unless the Provincial Government would assist the committee by advancing a sum of money to pay off the liabilities, and that the secretary he requested to telegraph the Superintendent to the foregoing effect.”

The Auckland * Evening Star ’ says the great chief Tamati Tangiteruru (Thomas who cried like an owl), the head of the Ngitipora tribe, who died in Shortland recently, was singularly deformed. He was born without legs, and used to be carried about m a dish. He was considered very wise, and was proportionately Venerated. He had also acquired great skill in tattooA few years ago he bought an invalid’s perambulator, and used to be trundled about the streets of Auckland. A great will be held at Whakatiwai, on the occasion of his funeral, which will cost something like L3OO. The Natives have sold some pieces of land to defray the expense, “Hamlet” was played at the Queen’s Theatre last evening, and notwithstanding the boisterous weather a full house assembled to witness its performance. Mr Talbot’s representation of the Danish Prince is the best we have witnessed for many years. He represented Hamlet’s madness as assume!, and in the play scene was very effective—uum sking the King when apparently bereft of his senses, but immediately the stage was cleared relapsing into a quiet state, and delivering his fines with telling effect. In the closet scene, where he is interviewed by his mother, he perhaps appeared to best advantage. his efforts being ably seconded by Mrs Hill as the Queen. Mr Steele did full justice to the difficult part of the Ghost; and Mr Saville doubled as Marcellas and the priest. The audience were exceedingly enthusiastic, and there were calls before the curtain at the close of every act. * * Richelieu” will be played to-night, and Mr Talbot’s representation of the wily Cardinal is highly spoken of.

The arrival of the ship Camperdown at Nelson last week discloses a singular circumstance. The ’N. Z. Times ’ says that as the ship was approaching Nelson she spoke the Edwin Bassett in the Strait. Now, it happens that Captain Paton, of the Camperdown, has a brother whom he had not seen for nineteen years, and with whom he has not corresponded for nine years ; and, having heard that his brother was in command of a New Zealand collier, he hailed the Edwin Bassett and inquired if his brother commanded her. He was answered “ No,” that his brother was in command of the Robin Hood. Well, the ease with which information was obtained at sea struck the first mate, Mr Woods, and he also has a long-lost brother, of whom all he could ever learn was that he was on a collier in New Zealand; so, on speculation, he hailed the Edwin Bassett, and asked if his brother was there; and the answer was, “ No,” that his brother was first mate of the Robin Hood,, of which Captain Baton’s brother was commander. It would appear that New Zealand offers peculiar facilities for discovering relations, since the first mate —Mr Woods—has a brother-in-law also on board of a New Zealand collier, being captain of the brig Neptune. In the Supreme Court yesterday, Paterson v. Dunn, an action in which plaintiff asked that the Court might decree the specific performance of an agreement entered into between the plaintiff and defendant for the sale of a section of land in the town of Oamaru, occupied the whole day’s sitting. After hearing defendant’s evidence the Court directed the jury to find for plaintiff. To-day’s sitting was taken up with Robert Goodison v. David Proudfoot, a claim of L 2,000 • for trespass and L 972 3s special damages. Mr Geo. Cook, with him Mr G. B. Barton, appeared for plaintiff, Mr Macassey and Mr Haggitt for defendant. Plaintiff’s case was that an arrangement was entered into early in 1875 between plaintiff and Mr Henry Driver, agent for defendant, by which plaintiff became solely possessed of the grazing right of unsold lands in Musselburgh, Ocean Beach, owned by defendant. That in Dec., 1875, the defendant disturbed the said right of the plaintiff by taking possession of the said lands and expelling the plaintiff therefrom, and by causing to be driven off the said lands a large number of cattle, sheep, and horses. Several of the cattle strayed away and plaintiff incurred considerable expense in collecting them. The agreement provided for a week’s notice, and had such notice been given plaintiff stated that he could have penned his stock. The case had not concluded when we went to press.

A terrible but as yet not fatal accident happened at the Greenstone last week, by which a miner named Philip Barber has sustained very serious injuries. The ‘ Argus ’ says that not far from the township a party of men are working a terrace claim on the east side of the road, and their tail-race is carried in a culvert underneath the road, thence for a short distance to the edge of a deep precipice, down which the tailings fall in the flat below. It appears that, on the day mentioned, this culvert got stopped up at the face, and one of the men went up it from the lower - end with a pole to open the stoppage. Of course it was known that as soon as the obstacle was removed the accumulated water would mu irresistibly through the culvert, and another man, the ihau Barber, stood at the lower mouth, reody to catch his mate as the water swept him before it. What was expected happened : the man in the culvert was washed to the mouth, and caught and palled out by Barber, who, however, in doing so slipped into the race himself, and was carried away like a straw by the torrent, sight over the precipice. From where he fell to where he was picked up is 150 ft., and ho fell at least fifty feet perpendicular. It is ;• w ouder the man was not smashed to atoms, as lai-ge bou’ders and masses of debris wore carried along with him by the stream. He was badly crushed on his head and aiile.i, but hopes are outer tamed of his recovery,

Formosa” again attracted a large to the Princess’s last evening. It -n or the last time to-night, as ’twxll imve to be withdrawn in favor of Our Boys ” to- morrow.

The ‘ Cromwell Argus' understands that the necessary steps have been taken for executing a survey of the Molyneux River from Tuapeka Mouth to Cromwell, with a view to the removal of obstructions to navigation of steamers to Cromwell, .nd ultimately to I ako Wanaka.

His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to make the undermentioned promotion and appointments in the New Zealand Volunteer Force Captain William Stavely, Dunedin Naval Volunteers, and commanding the Volunteers in the Dunedin district, to be Major; date of commission 30th 'June, 1876, In the Invercargill Artillery I V olunteers—Charles Burcber Kingswell to be second lieutenant; date of commission 27th May, 1876. In the Riverton Rifle ' olunteers—J ohn William Chapman to be lieutenant; date of commission, Btb May, 1876. In the North Dunedin Rifle Volunteers Charles Steven Reeves, to be captain; date of commission 12th January. 1876. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Port Chalmers, this iUoftiing, before Mr T. A. Mausford, R.M., William O’Hare, seaman belonging to the ship Orpheus, was charged by the chief officer with disobedience of lawful commands on the 13tb inst. The charge being proved, the accused was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment with bard labor. William H, Crane, second officer of the ship Orpheus, was charged with assaulting H. G. West, boatswain belonging to the same vessel, on the Bth inst. After hearing the evidence his Worship state i that there was no doubt an assault had been committed, although not a serious one, and inflicted a fine of 10s and costs, in default, three days’ imprisonment, with hard labor. A nasty accident, which nearly had most serious results, occurred to the Cromwell and Queenstown coach on the down trip on Friday. The ‘Argus’ says that when the coach left Arrowtown on the morning of that day, nearly a foot of snow lay on the road in parts. On the steep descent from the Arrow Flat to Owens’s punt the snow was frozen hard, being in the shade, and tie brake was found ineffectual to stay the progress of the vehicle. One of the leaders became restive, and notwithstanding the efforts of Denham, the driver, the whole concern went down’ the declivity with alarming speed. Mr Taylor, of Cromwell, who was on the box, says he looked for nothing else than the conveyance being dashed into the river, in which case fatal results must have followed, there being lady and other passengers inside. Fortunately, however, when near the ■foot of the hill, a wheel smashed, bringing the coach to a stop, and also giving the frightened passengers a .nasty shaking and a few bruises. But these were scarcely thought of in the face of the narrow escape from more serious, if not fatal injuries threatened. It is right to say that Denham did all in his power to prevent the accident, and stuck manfully to his post. Ihe return football match Merchants and Agents v. the World will be played to-morrow afternoon when all playt-rs are reque tel to be present. Pay will commence at 2.30 sharp, and the Rugby Union rules will be played.