Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1337, 31 May 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1872.

The usual semi monthly sitting of the District Court at Napier will be held tp-morrow. The outward mails for Europe, etc., via California, will be despatched hence, per Nebraska, on Monday, 10th prox. Mails close at Auckland at 11 a.m. to-morrow for the Australian Colonies, and for Great Britain \m Puez. Messrs. Thos. Warrington and James Catherall have been appointed poundkeepers at Pohui and Maraekakaho respectively. In the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning the following civil cases were heard : Ash ton v. Peebles.— Claim of £U 19s. Ml -Lascelles appeared for the defendant, who disputed part of the claim. —Judgment for i-9 4s, with ,£1 14s costs. Chapman v. Te Kaaho.—Claim of £2O, on a dis honored promissory note. Mr Lascelles appeared for the defendant. The plaintiff said that in 1868 he was in occupation of land belonging to the defendant, •who came to him, and vaid he was in difficulties, and asked for an advance of ,£2O, which was made. If the plaintiff Lad remained npon the laud, this money would have paid the next years rent ; but he was soon after turned off by Te ITapuku, whereupon he claimed the nion< y. Defendant did not dispute the debt, and about a year after the advance ga\e a promissory note lor the amount. Defendant being placed in the box, while admitting the signature, said tliat it had been obtained by deceitful mean-, and that the plaintiff had received consideration for the £l2O, in one year's occupation of the land.—Mr Lascelles, on the evidence, claimed a nonsuit. —The Magistrate said that the occupation of the laud was quite illegal, and lje could not at once say how this would affect the question of rent. —Judgment reserved till to-morrow. Chapman v. Karamenata. — Claim of £'23 on a promissory note. The plaintiff stated that bis claim, on winch the note was given, was for advances of money and goods. Jn cross-examination by Mr Lascelles he admitted (hat a large portion of the goods —he could not say how much - ■■■- consisted of spirits. Mr Lascelles then the law on the subject, and quoted authorities showing that, a portion of the consideration being on accou; t of an illegal transaction, the case was void under the statute.— His Worship said that the plaintiff could not jecover on the note; the objection raised by defendant's counsel being fatal to his claim. —Nonsuited, with £\ u> costs. Chapman v. Mira Ngapu. (.Maim of £?j on dishonored order. —The claim being admitted, judgment was given for the amount with 14s costs. From an official leturn for the year 1871, we observe that the total population of the Kingdom of Fiji is set down, a'. 148,040, of which number 146,000 arc natives of the vaiious i-lands, and &040 are classilied a.s *< whites/'

The party stem in search for the missing crew of the schooner Ocean Bird have returned to Nelson, having been totally unsuccessful,

The quostion of the fortification of Lyttelton Harbor Was'raised in the Canterbury Provincial Council, on the 16th inst., by Colonel Brett, who made a most earnest speech on the necessity for some precaution -against privateers, and succeeded in Keeping his hearers in a roar of'laughter for fully half an hour. The Hon. John Hall, when speaking on the subject, said that "he was certainly of opinion, when such large suras of money were being raised in the home market, so as nearly to exhaust our credit, that a part of it should be spent on obtaining the means of defence." Eventually, the following resolution was carried : —"That m the opinion of this Council it U desirable that the attention of the General Assembly should be called to the defencolo.s state of the harbors of the province, and that an earnest request be addressed to that body, praying it to take earnest steps for the defence of the seaboard, of Canterbury." This it was decided should ho forwarded to the speakers of both Houses of the Colonial Legislature and the Colonial Seoretarv.

"iEgles," in the Australasian, «ays : —By way of encouraging Parliamentary confirmation of the Californian Mail subsidy, let it be noted that Melbourne letters of 12th December via San Fran cisco, and Ist January via Suez, were delivered in London simultaneously on 24th Februaiy—74 days v. yl days. Of course the greater part of the delay is duv to snow blockades on tin? transcontinental line ; but what guarantee has been taken iVom Mr Vogol that it won't snow any more on the llocky Mountains 1

On the loth inst. the Nelson Examiner appeared again in the large size in which it was issued up to about twelve months ago. On the same date the following notice of a change in the proprietary of the paper was announced :—" Our readers are for the most aw are that trie property in the Nelson Examiner paper has been purchased by a company with limited ]lability. The shai eholders and litei ary contributors have for the most part been active supporters of the newspaper for some time past, and there will be no change in the views advocated through its columns/'

Several of the telegraph poles near Maketu are *aid to have been split by lightning during a lecent storm.

A new definition of "a gentleman " was given in the Supreme Court, Wellington, a few days ago, when a witness said a man was a gentleman because "he did nothing." On hearing this Mr Justice Johnston said he had heard the word "gentleman," defined as "one who spent other people's money."

There are now 450 subscribing members to the recently started Thames Mining Accident Fund. They have given M 25, t° the Hospital, and steps are being taken to enable the working miners in Coromandel to become members of the association.

Referring to boating matters, the Lyttelton Times says :--" From what has transpired at Wellington, it is evident that the Empire City will be Ihe scene of the next inter-provincial regatta, and it is the bounden duty of this province to send a representative crew."

A Melbourne paper remarks that a stranger who did not understand the hisrh state of morality which exist:* in that colony might be puzzled to account for the fact that at the present i.iine there are no fewer than nine persons lying under sentence of death. This is tolerably well foi a population of 750,000, when it is remembered that the criminal court of Melbourne sits every month, and that assizes are held at the principal gold-fields towns throe or four limes a >ear.

A southern paper says: —A steam locomotive of fO horse power, the first ever made in the colony, is being coustrueted for a Wellington contractor, by JYlessis Sparrow and (Jo., founders, Dunedin, who undeitake to supply the ordinary railway locomotive at JiO per cent upon English price*, this being a much less cost than tlu'V can he ini)i<>!/i,ed for, t

Tt is stated on very good authority that the daily co«t of the patients in the Switzer's hospital (Otago), is £% lis 10|d each.

At a demonstration in Queensland, in celebration of St. PatriokV Day, the branches of the Hibernian Society established there blended the orange with the green in the colors worn by those who took pari in the proceedings.

The Southern Cross states that influenza is very prevalent in Auckland at the present time, and principally confined to adults.

The Lyttelton Times, May 14, says j —What may, in this province, be tenned a monster specimen of blown coal, was brought into lo town from the Malvern district and lodged ar. the Museum yesterday. It is 7ft. in length, is a)»oi|fc 3ft. square in the largest part, and weighs 1 ton 3 cwt. 2 qr. The quality is very good, and is worth quite «nfficient per ton in Christchurch to make the seam whoi.ee it has come well worth working when the projected railway is carried out. The seam, of which the specameu formed a pari, is by no means a new discovery, indeed it is the first indication that was seen in th<> province. It is on the Homebush run, forming a portion of the Dean's estate, and crosses the river Selwyn at the foot of rural section 328, between surveyor's Gully and rural section 3855,' This point is about forty-four miles from Christchurch, and is at present the intended terminus of the railway. The seam was first discovered twenty-one years ago by Mr Abner Robinson, a stockman on the Homebush station, and was the first proof of the existence of coal in Canterbury The block brought to town was washed out of the terrace during the recent heavy Hood in the river, and as some proof of the sirength of the stream it may be stated that notwithstanding its great weight, the coal was carried over half a mile down the stream. Tt is also stated that the flood laid bare several new seams of coal, but for its truth we are not prepared lo vouch. The specimen was delivered into the care of Dr Haa«t by Mr M-llwraith, and there were several persons present to >ee the block removed from *Jhe cart The foundation stone of the first Christian Chinese Church in Melbourne was laid on the 19th April. The site is jn Little Bourke stieet.

A telegram, dated London, Apnl 12, received by the manager of the Oriental Bank in Sydney, slates thai the Bank ot England rare of discount has been taised to 4 per cent., and is likely to go higher.

Her Majesty Queen Vietora, who has for time contemplated instituting a medal as a reward for long and faithful service among the Royal domestic servants, has now inaugurated this honor by conferring on Mr John Brown, the Queen's personal attendant, a medal m gold with an annuity of £25 attached to it, as a mark of her appreciation oi \\v* presence of mind and of his devotion on the occasion of the at tack made on her Majesty in Buckingham Palace Gardens on the 29th of February last. [This was absurd 1 )' te legraphed th.iough the Colony as an annuity of £2,000 !]

The British Government has made a liberal provision lor i.lie family of ihe murdered Governor General of India. Lady Mayo is fco receive an annuity of £I,OOO, and £20,000 is grauted for the benefit of the children.

Tihe Philadelphia Ledger assures the wor (1 ihat a servant girl, recently airived from England, pitched a cup of st-aiding coft'eo into her mistress's face, sit San Francisco, because the lady hoped the Prince of Wales would die.

A census of the population of France was to have heeu taken on the Ist May. A submarine oahle is to he laid between England and Spain, to be ready for within two years.

A Yankee paper, in pulling of a certain soap, says *' it is the best evev used for cleaning a diny man's face, We ha\e tried "it and therefore wo know." A gentleman having sent his manservant to buy some lueiier matches, said to him, when he came back, " f hope, John, they are better than the last, which were good i'ov nothing." ,l (.ill, these are excellent," replied John, M have tried every one of thuu."

Nearly 2,000 miles of irrigating canals have been projected in California* which, it is said, will protect ten raillions of acres of land froui drought. Garibaldi is expected to visit England shortly; not for any political putpose, but to consult, some English physicians as to his health.

A patriarchial Wiltshire former* named Edward Francome, who died at the age of ninety-five, and at eighty-six could lift a suck of corn with one hand, made a will, dividing his property of some £30,000 amongst his children and grandchildren. This was disputed by his eldest son, lately returned froiu Australia, in the Probate Court; but the will has been pronounced, valid, without anv order a* to costs

Rear-Admiral Houston Stewart ha* (according to a late English paper) issued an order that in future no man or boy will be entered in the royal, dockyard without producing, a certificate of re vaccination.

A couple of Barnstaple, the husband: a memboi"of the town council, wont to-. London to see the thanksgiving procession. The husband called in at a hairdresser's, leaving his wife outside. Shesauntered on a few paces, and then, became bewildered and lost herself. She could not tinci her v ay back to thesimp, and—worse still—did- not remenir her the name of the house or the street in which they were lodging !: In this, perplexity, fortune so far favored her as to bring within sight just a* themomenb a gentleman from Barnstaple,. to whom site communicated- her dilemma. How to help her was the difficulty; for he neither knew the lodgings, nor the shop at which her husband had called. The only expedient was. resorted to of telegraphing home- to. Barnstaple to a daughter who, knew the lodgings, and who instantly wired back the address, to which the wife repaired, there to find her- husband, sharing to the full in her trouble at the* cause of their temporary separation,. The following is a Dutchman's temperance lecture: —"I sail tell how hV vos. T drunk mine beer; den I put mine hand on mine head, and dere vos. one pain. Den I puts mine hand on mine podv, and dere vos anoder pain. Den I puts mine hand on mine boeket, and dere vos notring. So I jine mid de demperance. Now dere is no pain inmine head, and de pain in mine pody vos all »one avay. J put mine hand on mine bucket, and dere vas dweiidy dollar. So I stay mid de demperance peoples." We extract the following from a late, number of the Leeds Merciuy : —"The reply ghen by Mr Baxter in the House of Commons to the question by MrGreene, with respect to the new regulations as to the sale of postal card*, contained two announcements, the one in. the nature of the withdrawal of a boon* and the other in the nature of a new boon to be conferred, (n future, postal card* are not to be sold in less quantities than one dozen, and an extra halfpenny is to be charged to cover thecal of production. At the same time it is intended to allow private cards having written communications upon them to pass through the po-t, undercertain restrictions, for a postage of a. halfpenny. This, as Mr Baxter remarks, will give opportunity to the stationers to devise a variety of cards, differing hoth in quality and design*, for general use ; and nil classes will participate, mare or less, in the accommodation. The extra charge of a halfpenny per dozen for postal cards has really been wrung from the Post-office authorities by the paper-makers and. stationers, who complained that theninterests were being seriously affected by the sale of the postal cards free u£ chtirge. On the whole, we think the decision o+' the Post Office in this matter is to be regretted ; though there is this to be said, that what individual purchasers lose by it the public gain,. inasmuch as this charge of a half-penny per dozen will increase the revenue by £13,000 pei- annum. With respect to. the second part of Mr Baxter's reply there will be no difference of opinion. Ti e public will gain in every way by tiirowing the trade open* whilst a real grievance, though not a very serious one, is removed. We shall, no doubt,, have better cards, and more elaborate designs, and in this way the public wilt

be tempted to use them more freely than at present. The next boon, we hope, will be the right to transmit letters, say, not exceeding a quarter ot an ounce in weight, for a half-penny. The opening of the postal cards to the trade is, we hope, a step in this direction, though not a direct one. Anyhow 5b is a boon for which we are thankful."