Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1293, 9 April 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1872.

During the last day or two, Port Ahuriri has presented something the appearance of a miniature whaling station. We observe that the process of boiling down the blubber of the two -whales recently captured has been commenced* A goodly yield of oil is expected. We hear that there is a probability of the C.G, p.s. Luna being despatched to Wellington to night or to morrow. It is expected that the lion, the Minister for Public Works \mll proceed by this opportunity. The Luna will return to Napier, and then proceed to Tauranga, from thence conveying His Excellency the Governor lo Auckland. [As we go to press, we learn that the intention of sending the Luna to Wellington has been abandoned.] The s.s. Star of the South will, on arrival at Auckland this trip, be laid up for overhaul. We are informed that some alteration in this vessel's machinery will also be made. The Oourt of Appeal will sit in Wellington on the 13th of May next. The steamer Napier is announoed to steam hence for Poverty Bay and Auckland at 6 o'clock this evening. The ss. Keerfy from Napier and Poverty Bay, arrived at Tauranga ac noon today, and left for Auckland at 1 p.im A letter addressed to the agent, Bank of New South Wales, Grahanistown, containing cheques and bills, has not reached its destination, and the Auckland papers oontain cautions to the public again»t negociating the same. The Port Chalmers railway tunnel has been pierced through. The time occupied in accomplishing this was eight months, work being oarried on night and day. The quantity of blasting powder consumed is stated to be immense. The Ballarat Courier mentions that the contract entered into by the Ballarat Meat-Preserving Company with the Admiralty is for the supply of 64,0001bs of mutton at 7d per lh, and there appears a prospect of the company obtaining a still larger oontraot for the supply of beef. According to the Grey River Argus, |t is »aid that the Attorney General and the Assistant Law Officer have pearly completed the drafts of the Education and the Permissive Bills, and that copies of the Bills will shortly be forwarded to members of the Assembly and to the Press,

A gymnasium is about to ho ereoted in WeUiwgtoft at a Mat of £4QQ,

A Waogauui telegram recently reported that a man named Richard Crossing and his wife had committed suicide on the evening of Good Friday, April 29, by jumping from the bridge. Tlie Wanganui Herald of the 30th reports that a lad named James saw a man and woman conversing together on the bridge on Friday night, aud heard a heavy splash immediately after passing them. The Go-ahead people also hoard the noise, and put off a boat to ascertain the cause. On arriving underneath the bridge, a gentleman's white hat, of the u bell-topper " shape, and a lady's white straw hat, with brown gossamer on, were found floating on the water. After putting off from the steamer people said they heard feeble cries proceeding from the water; and a Mis Blair on the other side of the river <aid she heard a moan. It appears that the couple are not man and wife as was at first thought, nor could poverty and consequent depression of spirits have been the cause, as they had money and valuables, and Crossing onl\ a few days before bought Mr Townseud's farm on the Brunswick Line, The inquiries of the police discovered that the couple had brought with them from Sydney a servant named Luscombe, and lie states that Crossing left a wife and family in Sydney, and brought the female with him, passing her off as his wife ; that lately he had been in a desponding state, and on Good Friday afternoon he gave him (Luscombe) a watch and pocket, book to keep for him, and later still a roll of notes. In the pocket-hook was found a letter bidding farewell to his friends, and intimating contemplated suicide. The couple were seen about 8.30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, where they had taken «ome hot brandy and water. The man was a stout elderly individual, apparently about 55 years of age, the female being only about 20. There seems no doubt that this sad and shocking affair was the result of an illicit connexion. The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says "the rumor gains ground that 'he new Constitution Act which Mr Vogel proposed last session will actually be forthcoming, and stranger still, that the Government will be prepared to take a stand on it, and go to the country if necessary. Mr Vogel is the author of the new Act, but how or when he found time to draft it is a mystery. Scill more is it mysterious how Ministers can have had any opportunity of consulting together regarding it, for ever since Parliament was prorogued, they have been scattered bioadcast• over the Colony. It is said that the draft of the new Bill is really in existence, but f am very much inclined to doubt the fact, and to suspect that the rumor of a dissolution, which is being industriously, although quietly, spread by the Government hangers-on, is meant to operate as a kind of warning to members whose seats are not very secure to be careful about committing themselves. I do not think the members of the Ministry would at all like a dissolution, however they may be dissatisfied with the present House, or find the eagerness of members to give their votes for billets embarrassing. The Evening Po*t learns from private letters from Otago that Mr Steward, M.H.R. for Oamaru, is likely to go to Britain in the employ of Govei nmont as an immigration agent. After mentioning Mr Steward's sudden conversion by the Government during the last session of the Assembly, our contemporary goes on to say :—" Unkind people, knowing Mr Steward's anxiety to re-visit Europe, and his equally wellknown opinion that he could do the State some service there in the capacity of an Immigration Agent, were not slow in putting this and that together, and arriving at the conclusion that before Parliament again met, Mr Steward's place would know him no more, and that he would find his desires gratified. We now learn that these anticipations are about to be realized, and that the name of Steward is likely to be added to the roll of Immigration Agents, aiready boasting of a Farnall, a Birch, a Seaton, and a Friberg," A Mr H. S. Andrews, in a letter lo the New Zealand Herald on u Immigration and Settlement," «ays :— ** If you desire to make this a great country, you must have population. To do that

you must unlock your best laud, and make it available for settlement; and until an honest, sound system is adopted, your sending immigration agents out is a fallacy. The efforts of Mr Farnell, in Germany, will be neutralized by the letters sent home from the German settlers at the Puhoi. Mr R. Farmer will be met by quotations from letters received from Auckland friends, whose names will serve a« vouchers for their correctness. And I know that although you send the best agents you can select to the Midland counties of England, they will find the people well posted up in all matters pertaining to Auckland as a place of settlement, as many of their relations are here and have been through the heat anu burden of settlement. Up to now how otherwise can they describe it but as years of incessant toil, ntiuggling with unheard of difficulties and wonder how they manage to exi-r.. There are thousands of laborer- ami men with capital to be had from the Midland counties of England, who would bo glad to come to ihis Province if their friends and relatives herecouldsendthem word there was a chance for honest industry, pluck, and perseverance. How long must we wait to do justice to ourselves and country 1 The Auckland City Council are paving the streets with scoria or frees .one flagging. The Auckland and Fiji Cotton Company is to be wound up. A Christenurch tinsmith is manufacturing fiddles, genuine Cremonas. Oagli's Opera Company has had to close the Adelaide Theatre on a»"count of the extreme heat. Harvest hands in the Marewhenua district, Otago, have been getting 12x, and even a sovereign a day. Mr G. B. Barton has brought an action against the Otago Daily TimeCompany for JH,OOO expense.-: in the telegram libel ease. The s s. Albion took from the West Coast, on 11th March, 5306 ozs of gold for Melbourne. The gold exported from Hokitika during February was 76460z5. The Mount Ida Chronicle is severe on the Government Water Supply Scheme. Jt speaks of it as the greatest sham and the greatest swindle of the numerous shams and swindles enacted by the Colonial Legislature of New Zealand. The name of the Premier of Victoria is to be stamped indelibly upon the map of that colony. A town, to be called by the euphonious appellation of Duffy Town is proclaimed in the Dalhousie district. The Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes as follows under date March 14 :—"We have the last week or two had several unpleasant sensations. Scandal cases, murders, attempted or successful suicides, have been matters of daily occurrence. It lias b<?en a period of social and moral disturbance, even as we see at times epochs of con\ ulsion in the earth or the atmosphere. If our character as a people were judged by the records of the last fortnight, then I am afraid we should stand very low in the scale of communities. .... But perhaps the strangest, most outrt, of this catalogue of crime, is the tragedy that was enacted a tew days ago in the gardens attached to the Treasury. It seems that two men, named Marks and Feeney, had for some time been employed as warders at the Melbourne Hospital, and weie very close friends. Their attachment was of a warmth and of a sentimental nature such as very rarely exists between two persons of the same sex. . . . These two men had often discussed the notion of committing suicide in company, and a few days ago determined on carrying out the scheme. They provided tl.em-elves with pistols, and went to a retired part of these gardens. Soon after, a shot was heard, and some people on going to the place, found that one of the men was dying, and the other was quietly lying on his back smoking. It seemed that they had arranged that each should die by the hand of the other. In some way, which probably never will be explained, one pistol only had been discharged and one man was shot. The other coolly stated that the dying man had shot

himself, but the appearances were adverse to this explanation. At the inquest a verdict of wilful murder was returned against the prisoner, who is now awaiting trial. Altogether, we seem to have had some fatal influence in the atmosphere. It would appear that " the moon lias come nearer the earth than she is wont, and made men mad/'