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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1163, 4 November 1871, Page 2

We have to thank Oapt. Hair, of the biigantiue Amherst, for late fjlp* of the Newcastle Ch.|*p,mcle.

The annual exhibition of the Horti- ' cultural Society came off yesterday in j the Oddfellows' Hall. Notwithstanding I the unfavorable, season, and the conse- | quent disadvantages under which the exhibitors had been placed, the show was a great success. It Fas well attended, and the choice specimens of floral beauty which were exhibited received their full share of admiration. The prize for (he best bouquet was won by the same lady who took the corresponding prize at last year's show—Miss A. Stedman. Some unusually fine specimens of fruit were also exhibited. Ju the evening the Volunteer A rtillery Band gave their assistance, and enlivened the proceedings by a choice selection of mu.sic. The quarterly inspection parade of the Napier Militia took place at 6 a.m. to day in Olive Square. The muster was not very large. A despatch was read by Major Withers, to the effect that the force ha.l been released from j service; and those present were then I informed that they would be required to deliver up their arms, on a day of which notice would be given. The men were then dismissed. The monthly inspection parade of the Napier Kiiie Volunteers and Cadets took place at 7 a.m. to-day in Olive Square. There was a fair muster. Oapt. Robinson notified that on and after Wednesday, the 15th inst., a system of weekly drills would be in operation, and he hoped they would be well attended. The monthly inspection parade of the Napier Volunteer Artillery was to take place on Olive Square this afternoon. Two vessels—supposed to be the schooner Saucy Lass and the cutler Greenwich —were coming up the Bay when we went to press. Murray's great World Circus gave another successful performance in Napier last evening. After devoting great pains to the investigation of the subject with which the Chinese Immigration Committe ap pointed by the General Assembly were entrusted, they finally reported that, though it is evident that the influx of the Chinese element is distasteful to a large number of other races, and may even in some respects be objectionable, they cannot at present meet with such evidence as would lead them to recommend legislative interference The Customs revenue for the colony amounted in the September quarter to .£183,722, as compared with £190,499 for the corresponding quarter of 1870. For the information of Magistrates in the habit of committing prisoners for trial at a particular date it is intimated that it is intended shortly to alter the dates of sittings of the Supreme Court throughout the colony. The Permissive Bill—or rather The Licensing Act Amendinent Bill—has passed a second reading without a dissentient voice. It is drawn with great care and ability by the Premier, whose zealous advocacy of this measure we have frequently referred to 2 and it is believed to contain beside the distinctive permissive prohibitory principle many valuable provisions of a general character. It is very doubtful indeed if it become law this session. Its successful passing a second reading without a dissenting " No" was mainly attributed to the argumentative and eloquent speech of the Premier, but considerable opposition to its distinctive principle and general provisions must be expected.—Wellington Independent. The Wellington Independent notices with regret the suspension of Messrs. Turnbull, Reeves and Co., with liabili ties amounting to £35,000. Heavy losses arising from depreciated values, and the long continued dulness of trade have led to this result. It is expected the estate will pay l#s 6d in the <£. It is stated that a great number of Taranaki natives are at present congregated at Tokangamutu, to take part in the foithcoming meeting. The Protective tariff adopted by the Lower House in the Victorian Parliament has been rejected by the Legislative Council by a large majority. The troops in Canada were a. 11 to. he withdrawn in the e,m] of October,

Mr, Fitzherbei't has given notice of his intention to move, when the Houaa of Representatives next goes into Committee of Supply^—-That the payment of members be fixed at <£lo§ per >ar session, 40> per diem being deducted for each pitting day a member may be absent from attendance, unless he be prevented from attending by illness. Special sessions, if any, to be paid for at the rate of 20s per day. That the above scale of payment shall apply to the present session, and be exclusive of travelling expenses to and from Parliament. The following resolution by Mr. Vogel was to have been brought on forconsideration in the House of Representatives last evening :- - " That wherea« in the contract entered into with Messrs. Webb and Rolliday for a steam service between San Francisco and New Zealand, it is provided that it shall be lawful for the PostmasterGeneral to determine this contract at the end of three years, if the General Assembly of New Zealand shall refuse to ratify the same for a longer time t and notice of such refusal shall have been given in writing to the contractors, or left with their agents in Wellington, hereby authorized to receive the same within six calendar months after the first steam vessel under this contract shall arrive in Wellington : This House hereby expresses its desire that euch notice shall not be given, and that the contract shall con-, tinue for the full period of ten years, subject nevertheless to such alterations and modifications as may mutually be agreed on between the Government and the contractors. The weather in the up-country districts of the West Coast has recently been of the worst description. Rain commenced during the night of Wednesday, the 11th October, and continued with occasional breaks until Friday, at midnight, when one of the most terrific storms ever remembered b/ the earliest settlers in the Grey Valley took place. The wind blew a perfect hurricane, uprooting trees, blowing down long reaches of fluming, unroofing houses, and doing other damage. The wind was accompanied by an unprecedented downpour of rain, interrupted now and then by a sleet and hail storm of unusual severity, while the lightning and thunder were almost continuous. All the creeks and livers were swollen and impassably during Saturday, and traffic was stopped. The weather moderated a little dming Sunday, until sundown on that day, when it got worse, if possible, than ever. It rained all night, and at midday on Monday the Upper Grey and Ahaura rivers were higher than they have been for years. The Ahaura especially was greatly swollen, and from the immense quantities of drift timber carried down by it, the rainfall must be very great in the upper parts of the country. Up to the 17th ult. there was no report of human life being lost. In an article on Mr Halcombe's report on the subject of the Scandinavian immigrants, the Westport Times says : —The value at which Mr Hal com be estimates the labor of these immigrants presents, to our thinking, a melancholy picture of the condition of certain portions of this colony. Not less strike ing is his calculation of the annual cost of their maintenance. On refers ring to the list of the names, ages, and occupations of the immigrants, we find, that it oomprises eighteen adult males, and thirty-five women and children, or a total of fifty-three souls. This gives very nearly an average of three peisons to be supported by tjie earnings of each male adult, and, according to the estimate of expenditure fur food and clothing, the sum of £& 10s per head would be annually available for that purpose. Yet it is by the introduction of immigrants whose labor is thus, miserably remunerated that the colony is to be relieved from its excessive in4ivW taxation. Elsewhere, *e give the total expenditure by the General and Provincial Governments for 1870, and this divided among the entire European population gives an annual expenditure of a little more than £ll per bead, which represents a larger sum than the estimated annual cost of maintenance per head of the Scandinavian immigrants. . It is stated tht\t cholera prevails iH , Constantinople. 1

The House of Representatives decided fov a large majority, 40 to 20, that the next session of the General Assembly should be held at Dunediu. The Legislative Council have come to an opposite .decision by an equally large majority 21 to 7. The London Times has published the .details of the proposals to make a rail way from London to Kurrachee, in India, at an estimated cost of forty sterling, making a pleasant journey of five days —the promoters undertaking to complete the line in .3 years, on a joint guarantee of the country traversed. An old woman named Kelly, residing in a house in Grey-street, Auckland, indulged in a very dangerous kind of bath the other day. Whilst in a state of intoxication she plunged into a well at tfye rear .of her house. The woman's ■daughter observed her mother floundering about in the well, which was nearly full ot water, and she at once gave 'Jie alarm. Two men, who were lounging about the house, which, by the way, does not bear a very good character, at once ran to tke spot, and succeeded in rescuing the woman from her perilous position. The remedy applied by the daughter and acquaintances to rou3s the woman to a sense of her foolishness was, however, the most remarkable part of the proceedings As soon as she was landed on terra firma, those who rescued her testified their disapprobation of her conduct by administering a. sound thrashing. In the famous Tichborne case, Sir John Coleridge, in cross-examining the claimant, and after getting various answers from him, would re-examine him somewhat after this fashion; — *' Would it surprise you to find that Boger Tichborne had four tutois?" ** Would it surprise you to find that at the time you have named Roger Tichborne lived in such and such an hotel in Paris?" "Would it surprise you to find that he was in Italy in such a year?" And so on through a long string of questions After leaving Court, and in great haste to get to Parliament one day during the cross examination of the claimant, Sir John jUolerivige hastily stepped into a hansom cab, which was standing noar the door of the Court-house, and told the driver to drive rapidly to the House of Commons. The man made no movement. Sir John repeated the order; the cab remained .still. Again he repeated the order peremptorily, and with some warmth. Cabby quietly opened the little door at the top of the cab, and peering pleasantly down, cheerfully observed—" Would it surprise you, Sir John, to find that this is a private conveyance ? " Sir John rapidly evacuated the machine. It is a capital story am] we only hope it is true.