Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 992, 14 April 1871, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1871.

Public Works, Taupo Road.

According to the advertisement calling for tenders for the above, specifications can now be seen at the office of the Genera] Government Agent. Tenders are receivable up to the 27th instant. Fire — A fire broke out shortly after 10 a.m. to-day in a large building in Goldsmith road, belonging to Major Green, and adjoining his dwelling-house. When first discovered the fire was apparently confined to a small portion of the roof, but before any effectual means could be brought to bear against it, the flames had taken a firm hold of the building, and it was as much as the bystanders could do to prevent the adjoining buildings from being destroyed, The fire spread with almost incredible rapidity through the building, so rapidly that nothing within could be saved, —and in a very short time nothing but the chimneys were left standing. A quantity of seasoned timber and carpenter’s tools were in the house and were destroyed. The building, we believe, was partially insured. It is supposed that the fire may have originated through spai ks from the chimney of tlie dwelling house falling on the roof. We regret to state that Major Green received a severe strain in his efforts to extinguish the flames.

Resident Magistrate's Court. — Yesterday afternoon the following civil eases came before the Court: — Ford v. Hair.—A claim of £6 13s 4d, wages as cook on board the Amherst. Plaintiff had bean engaged at £5 per month, but not giving satisfaction the master had reduced his wages to <£3, which he refused to accept. Several witnesses were examined, and judgment given for £2 13s 6d, with 7s 6d costs. Ford v. Henderson —Defendant, the maie of the Amherst, was charged by plaintiff, the cook, with having assaulted him on various occasions. The charge being proved, defendant was lined £1 and 13s costs, one half of the fine to be paid to complainant. This morning, Thomas Ellis was charged before 11. Stuart, Esq., J.P., with having obtained from Thomas Morrison, by false pretences, a watch valued at <£6. Thomas Morrison deposed ; The watch produced was given me on the 3rd March by Mr Da vie on behalf of Mr Shepherd,' to be repaired, and returned by first chance. One week after, the prisoner, who is in Davies' service, obtained the v atch from me, saying Shepherd had authorised him to do so, and that I was to charge it to Davie. He gave me a receipt (produced) for the watch. I afterwards saw the watch at Swan's. I got it and returned it to Shepherd. G. H. Swan, publican, deposed : One Sunday morning, about a month since, prisoner came to me with the watch. He said he had been on the spree and had no n oney ; he wanted £2 to go up ohe Taupo line to finish a contract. He said the watch had been won at a lottery at Davies' and that he had paid £6 for*it. He said he would repay me in a week. I lent him j£2 on the watch. I afterwards gave the watch to Morrison. William Shepherd deposed to the circumstances of the case as already published, stating that he never authorized the prisoner to receive the watch. In answer to a question by the prisoner, he said he had never mentioned it to him. The prisoner was then cautioned in the usual manner, but declined to make a statement. — Judgment was reserved to 2 p.m., when the prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next criminal sittings of the District Court.

Many of the Polynesian laborers in Queensland are now out of work, and are creating a great deal of trouble, The Grey Eiver Argus informs us that the Anglo-Australian in London, whose duly it appears to be to collect and comment upon any information regarding Australia in the columns of the European Mail, is understood to be Mv. B. L. Farjeon, formerly business manager of the Otago Daily Times when that journal was under the editorship of Mr J ulius Vogel.

The famous San Francisco mail contract is likely, it would appear, to assume a new and rather curious aspect. The Evening Post says :—" We have the authority of a gentleman eminent in the legal profession, for stating that an Act of the Imperial Parliament, (16 and 17 "Vic, c. 107) expressly prohibits foreign vessels from engaging in the coasting traffic of any of her Majesty's Colonial dependencies. Under certain restrictions, foreign essels may be admitted to a .share of the coasting traffic of the mother country, but in regard to the Colonies the Act h imperative. We understand that the state of the law in this respect will shortly be brought under the notice of Commodore Stirling. The Marlborough Express learns that the Provincial Government of Marlborough have purchased the hull of the Hera, now lying at Pout Underwood, with the view of using it for the repair of the Picton wharf. The plan, as we have heard it, is to place it on or adjoining the site of the present wharf, tilled with stone or gravel and boarded over, thus making a cheap and yet lasting job of it, not likely to again need repair for a long period. The following is from the Thames Advertiser of the 7th instant :—A very heavy landslip occurred on Wednesdav morning at Dixon's claim, head of Madman's Gully, and the hor.se in which the manager and his family resides nar rowly escaped destruction, which would have been shared by the residents, as they were all in the house at the time. Several hundred tens of earth gave way within about ten feet of the house. A neat little gaiden on which Mr Lowe had bestowed much care was totally destroyed. A splendid opportunity (says the Argus) has presented itself of testing the value of the principle of protection, by the siege of Paris. The "native industry" of two millions of people, comprising some of the best artificers in the world, has been more effectually protected against external competition by the Prussian army than would have been possible by a cordon of customhouses. In fact, native industry has been master of the situation m Paris. Not only so, but it has achieved one of (he greatest desiderata of the protectionists - it has kept all its money at home. Under these circumstances, we may expect to hear, as soon as the siege is raised, that the inhabitants of the French metropolis, self-contained and self-sustained, have all become unprecedently rich during the period they have been so completely protected. As the diminution of imports is, according to our new lights in political economy, an evidence of the increasing prosperity of the community which dispenses with them, their total cessation must be a vat,t, unqualified blessing. We wonder none of our hustings' orators have referred to the siege of Paris when they have been anxious to il point a moral " in favor of protection.