HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1086, 4 August 1871, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1871.

A single civil case came before the Kesident Magistrate's Court this morning—Messrs Days and Northe v. the Provincial Government. Mr Lee appeared for the plaintiffs, Mr Wilson for the defendants. The plaintiff's case only was gone into to-day. According to Mr Lee, who opened the case, the plaintiffs took the contracts to repair the Ngaruroro and Petane briges, the work to be done according to specification, and within a limited time. In each case the Government undertook to supply the piledriving plant and deliver it to the contractor on the spot ready for the work to bo commenced. In the case of the Ngaruroro bridge, six days were given for the Completion of the work, from Monday, the 27th March, to the 2nd April. The Government had not got the pile-driving jnacbine ready, and the contractors were Obliged to erect it before commencing operations, and thus lost two-and-a-half (days. The machine was then found to be unsuitable for the work, and alterafcions had to be made, involving more ftme and expense. The bridge had been proclaimed to be closed for six days, and after £b&t time the work was hinder by

traffic. The contractors were also required to do more than appeared in the specifications, for which additional work extra charge was made. The Provincial Engineer refused to allow the whole claim, and also fined the contractors ,£5 for each day they had occupied over and above the specified time. The amount of the claim for this work was £76, and £2O 9s 6d had been offered and refused. The account given of the Petane bridge was very similar. In this case a fine of <£2 per day was inflicted for delay, and £lB 5s was tendered by the Government and declined, being about £4O less than the amount claimed. In each case the plaintiff maintained that no more than the specified time had really been taken in carrying out the original coutract, and that the delay had been entirely occasioned by the Government. The evidence called for the plaintiff was to the same effect as Mr Lee's opening statement. Mr Wilson showed that by the specification the award of the Provincial Engineer was to be fiaal; but he did not attach much weight to this, as he considered the provision unfair, Mr Lee said that some of the provisions in the specifications could never be sustained, as they would completely cut off any chance of redress in the case of injustice. For bis part, he would never recommend a client to sign a document in which such provisions appeared.—The plaintiffs case was not concluded when our reporter left. The Rev. Mr M'Gregor, we are informed, will (D.V.) conduct divine service in the Port Church on Sunday next, at 6.30 p.m. Iron stone of good quality ha 3 been found in the province of Aucklaud. Queensland, with a revenue of £743,058, pays annually £315,000 in salaries and wages. The recent solar eclipse was not visible in Sydney, The " Victorian in London," writing to the Argus, gives the following useful hint • —«lf the New Zealand producers would only dress their flax properly, it would assuredly become an important article of commerce here. But it is very roughly sent out at present." The population of South Australia, accordiug to the census taken on the 2nd of April last, was 185,000—95,000 males and 90,000 females. We learn from the Nelson Examiner that the s.s. Wellington took to Auckland on a recent trip a draft of thoroughbred two and three-year olds (dating their birth from the Ist July) from the stud of Mr Redwood, including the celebrated mare Ladybird, with a colt foal by Maiton. The youngsters were the produce of Waiuiea, Phoebe, Wetsail, Countess, and Queen of the South (daughters of Phoebe), Constance (sister to Misfortune), and Certainty; by Malton, St. Aubyn, Diomedes and Ravensworth. Totara, by Diomedes, out of Waimea, is a particu larly fine colt, and, with several others, will be heard of by and bye. The purchaser is a genuine sportsman, Mr Watt, of Hawke's Bay, who has lately acquired a property at the Tamaki, whither the lot will be stationed in charge of Mr G. Cutts. The Evening Post, under the heading " Pity the sorrows of a Provincial Councillor," thus describes the place of sitting of the Wellington Council:—" Our Council is almost houseless and homeless, and if ir possesses a 'name,' it has certainly no ' local habitation/ Seeking a temporary meeting-place at the Supreme Court, it is ignominously compelled to depart therefrom, and entrust itself to the arctic atmosphere, and pitiless draughts of the Oddfellows' Hall. And a nice place the Hall is, to, for a party of some five-and-twenty gentlemen to hold their deliberations therein, for some eight or nine hours a day, during the dead of the winter season. It is indeed a chilly region, unentered, save by the consolation of an occasional retirement to the fire, in that back chamber devoted to kerosine lamps and coal-scuttles. Truly, the position of bon. members is not an enviable one," After the end of the present year, the Government of JSew South Wales are to call for tenders for a Californian mail service. There is a strong feeling in Sydney against American vessels obtaining the contract,