NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1366, 2 July 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Communication with Eueope. —The Port Darwin line is interrupted north of Tennant’s Creek. - ■ • - T.0.0.F. —At the summoned meeting of the Loyal Avon Lodge, A. 0., held at the Orange Hall on July Ist for the purpose of installing officers for the ensuing term, the following brothers were duly installed by acting D.D.G.M. Bro. Patterson, Bro Lezard as N.G.; Bro. Schwartz, Y.G. ; Bro. Willis, W.W.; Bro. Marsh, W:D.; Bro. Carmichael, P S.; Bro. Hall, R 5.,; Bro. Manning, P.G.; Several candidates were also elected, and at the conclusion of a well attended and interesting meeting, it was announced that a very large sum of money had been received during the evening, and further that the handsome sum of £IOO was placed last week in the bank to the credit of the Lodge. The members can therefore congratulate themselves on the flourishingcondition of the Lodge, both as regards its increasing number of members and financial position.

Legal. —Mr Godby was yesterday admitted by his Honor Mr Justice Johnston as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court on the motion of Mr Izard. Lyttelton R.M. Couet, —At this Court yesterday the case O’Connell v. Guthrie, Larnach and Co. was called on, and adjourned after being partly heard. The claim is for £72 for detention of a vessel at the Manukau. Mr Nalder appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Gresson, .instructed by Mr Joynt, for defendant.

Returned Colonist. —Mr J. W. Oram, who has been absent from the colony for upwards of two years, on account of illhealth, returned by the Hawea, from Port Chalmers, yesterday. He was a passenger from Plymouth to Melbourne by the s.s. Cuzco, which vessel broke down about ,1700 miles west of Cape Otway. Mr Oram, with the majority of the saloon passengers, elected to land at Portland (Victoria), and travel overland to Melbourne, to catch the s.s. Arawata. The many friends of Mr J. W. Oram will be glad to hear of his return in restored health, and that it is his intention to remain in the colony. Horse Killed. — As a cabman, named G-omerson, was last night bringing to town some passengers who had arrived by the 7.30 train, he was run into by a spring cart. He had just got on to the crown of the road in Manchester street, after clearing the corner, when the cart, driven apparently in the direction of Colombo street, struck his horse on the off side, its shaft penetrating the animal’s body in the region of the ribs. The driver of the cart was thrown out of his vehicle by the violence of the concussion, but jumped in again and made off. Gomerson’s horse was got into the yard of Garland’s Hotel, where it died in four or five minutes. Its value was £lB.

Manufactueing a Refutation.— The “ Taranaki News,” in an article referring to the way being prepared for the immediate surrey of Waimate Plains, says: —“It occurs to us that the Government hare sought to make political capital out of this transaction. The officer in charge could have effected the purpose, but had he been suffered to do so, no glory would have redounded therefrom to the Government. Hence the stoppage of the survey, and all the pomp and circumstance of the visit of the Hinemoato Opunake, and the interview of the Hon. Native Minister and his staff with the old warrior chief Titoko Waru, and the formal declaration of the intention of the Government to order the immediate survey of the plains for European settlement.” The Sunday Question in Wellington. A movement is in progress in Wellington to obtain the opening of the Colonial Museum on Sunday, and the following petition, signed by about 300 persons, has been forwarded to the Governor “ We, the undersigned residents of the city of Wellington and others, humbly pray that you will grant to us the privilege of visiting the Colonial Museum on the Sunday in every week. By opening the door of your institution on that day, you will confer a lasting benefit upon us. We are not unmindful of the value of the Museum as a medium for disseminating knowledge and information, and we fully appreciate its acknowledged capacity, embodied in its scientific and other appliances, for imparting instruction. But to'"render it more popularly and effectually so, we hope that you will grant this our prayer,”

Roslyn and Taieei Elections.— We (“ Otago Times ”) understand that Mr A. J. Burns, M.H.R. for Ro&lyn, has forwarded his resignation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and that for obvious reasons he has resolved to forego his “ usual meeting with his constituents.” Mr Burns’ resignation removes a difficulty that stood in the way of a gentleman who for some time past has been burning with a desire to sacrifice his business concerns on the altar of his country’s good. Mr Robert Gillies has long wished to represent some place or other in Parliament, and of late his thoughts have been fixed upon the Taieri electorate. Unfortunately, however, Mr W. H. Cutten announced himself as a candidate for the seat vacated by Mr Donald Reid, and as he and Mr Gillies did not wish to oppose one another, we understand that they made an arrangement by which the tossing up of a coin was to decide which gentleman should retire from the field. The opportune resignation of Mr Burns will do away with all necessity for an appeal t, O the hazard of the coin, for Mr Gillies will now throw over his first love, and woo the electors! of Roslyn, leaving the contest for the representation of the Taieri to Messrs Cutten and Snow.

The Photo-Lithographic Department. —Tho Wellington “Poet’’"states that: —The Government photo-lithographic department is about to be “ reorganised” out of existence — at least, what is left of it will be incorporated with the Surveyor-General’s department. In consequence of these changes, Mr Dcverill, who has been at the head of the department for about four years, will retire. It is with regret that wc announce this retirement. This gentleman is something than mere photographer —ho is an enthusiast in his profession, and he has been untiring in his efforts to adapt photography to lithography, and vice, versa. To him are due several most important improvements in the method of doing the ■work, saving time and money, while tho efficiency of the process has been increased. The result of his labors is indeed best shown in tho work lie has turned out from bis dingy and cramped gallery at the roar of the Government printing office. Some time ago Mr Deverill was sent away to take a number of photographs of New Zealand scenery, for some purpose which we believe was never made public, and he will leave behind him a magnificent scries of cabinet views, the lithographed copies of which can only on close inspection bo distinguished from tho originals,

Akaeoa Boeough Council. —At a spec's! mci ting of the Akaroa Borough Council, held ou Saturday last, it was resolved, on the cast* ing vote of the Mayor, that the Council should take up the administration of charitable aid in the meantime, it being understood that the arrangement was only a temporary one, pending further act ion by the Government. Bacheloes’ Fancy Ball, Oxford, —The above ball took place in the East Oxford Town Hall on Friday evening last, and was a great success, many visitors coming from Christchurch. The arrangements were very complete, the hall -was tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens, the baud was under the able conductorship of Mr Schwartz, and dancing was kept up till a late hour. Buened to Death. —The Lake Waipori correspondent of the Otago “ Daily Times ” writes :—A fearful death occurred hero on Tuesday. Mrs A. Twaddle, of this district, went out for a short time to feed some cattle, and when she returned to the house found her child, a I'ttle boy about three years old, lying on the floor speechless, with the clothes literally burned off his hack. Medical aid was sent for immediately to Outram, but human skill was of no avail. Noeth Kowai School Committee. —A meeting of this committee was held on Saturday evening, June 29th. Present—Messrs A. Greig (chairman), |C. Higgins, R. Briston, A. Simpson, James Thomas, and John Stanton. The committee unanimously agreed to vote for the Rev. Charles Fraser as member of the Board of Education The schoolmaster’s report of book sales and stock in hand was submitted, showing a credit balance of £5 16s lid in favour of the committee. It was agreed to apply for furniture for the use of the mistress to the Amberley school. After other routine business the committee adjourned. Musical Education of Women. —A further experiment in this direction has been made by the Council of Trinity College, London, since that body first opened to women its higher examinations in musical theory and practice. Courses of lectures on harmony and composition have been commenced by the lecturer, Mr Humphry Stark, Mus.B., New College, Oxford, at the College house in Weymouth street, and are being continued with encouraging success. The lecturer report that the progress of the ladies attending these lectures has been more than satisfactory, and in every respect equal to that of the male students of the college. Standingonhis Dignity! —lt would seem (says the Waitangi “ Tribune ”) that J. H. Baker, Esq., Chief Surveyor, is not grateful to the Waimate County Council for suggesting to him proper road lines in the Hakateramea Valley. Possibly, Mr Baker is an extraordinary individual, and a perfect genius in his own line of business ; but we can inform him that the Government road surveys of South Canterbury are, in several instances, truly disgraceful. What does that grand nabob think of a road line running up a perpendicular cliff P That kind of work can be found in the Waimate district. We strongly advise J. H. Baker, Esq,, not to “ wear frills ” or “put on too many airs.” The Waitaea. —The Wellington “Post” gives the following respecting the early history of the Waitara: —lt was at Waitara commenced the trouble which led to the Taranaki war. The Waitara block was sold to the Government by a native named Te Teira. William King disputed the right of Te Teira to sell the land without his consent. Governor Browne, however, held that the sale was valid, and insisted that the land should be surveyed and taken possession of. The survey was attempted in February, 1860 : the natives resisted, the result being that martial law was proclaimed, the troops called out. and the district plunged into a state of war. Whether William King was right or wrong in disputing the title of Teira to sell the land, has been a subject of hot controversy in past jyears. In 1862, Sir George Grey, who was then Governor, gave publicity to a number of documents which purported to show that the Waitara had not been acquired from the right owners. Acting upon that view, Sir George Grey in 1863, by formal proclamation in the “ Gazette,” renounced all claim on the cart of the Government to the

Waitara. Sir George Grey was sent out to succeed Governor Browne, and to act as a pacificator with respect to the native difficulty. Unfortunately Sir George Grey came to the work too late. The policy of the “ new institutions ’ ’ for the natives, supplemented by unlimited “sugar and fiour,” smoothed matters over for a little, but proved useless in the end. The fighting spirit of the natives had been roused, and soon the massacre by the natives at Tataraimaka, in the Taranaki Province, of Lieut. Tradgett and his men, was the beginning of another period of hostilities. Worse still, the war in Taranaki wat followed by the Waikato campaign, the fighting on the West Coast north of Wanganui, and the East Coast campaign, so that the country know no peace untilslß6o. Unregistered Dogs. — The Kaiapoi police the other day summoned four persons owning eight unregistered dogs, and resident within gunshot of a country depot. The hearing of the cases appears to have created considerable amusement. It was shown that the dogs “ had nob been registered during the past three months, to wit,, on June 20th.” Such excuses, however, an that the animals had been registered on the 20th, and therefore could not be both unregistered and registered on the one day, and that as the summonses were not taken out till the 26th, the dogs were then fully registered, proved worthless. The Magistrate observed on that point that it was possible for a man to be drunk and not drunk in one day. One defendant asserted that his dogs were registered by 9 a.m. on the 20th. The argument, was raised fhat, though according to the Dog Nuisance Ordinance dogs over three months old are to be registered on January Ist, it was further provided “ that the owner of any dog or dogs shall be at liberty to register the same at any other period of the year,” and it was intended by the parties to comply with the latter clause. One defendant, after fining, left the Court muttering adjectives applied to the police force, while a second threatened to appeal, and a third intended to test the validity of the proceedings, by having 8.11 persons who had not registered dogs on January Ist brought before the Court. The clerk of the Court, another defendant, submitted that as his dog had been registered every year during its six years of life, he had fairly intended to register it for 1878. Ha knew the police pipst know the dog, and had seen it nearly every day. Thp Magistrate —“I am afraid its a case of the nearer the church the farther from heaven,” The Clerk—“ But I intended to register ‘■‘Chips ” all. the same, and considered I was, under .clause 2 of the Ordinance, at liberty to do so at any tjme.” The Magistrate (reading) —“ Any person m&iutaining or having in his possession any dog three months old unregistered shall be liable to a, penalty not less than £1 nor more than £5.” I cannot m*kc fish of ona and flesh of another. It has just passed through my mind whether or not I ought to fine you double. The Clerk—“ We always intend to register, if it is not done on January Ist.” The Magistrate—“ When, you say ‘we,’ you do not include the Bench, because I have registered my dogs.” The Clerk—“l think the police might have given one a hint.” The Magistrate —“ It appears to be your first offence ; the fine will be £1 this time.”