THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, 1st DECEMBER, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1633, 1 December 1874, Page 446

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, Ist DECEMBER, 1874.

Mails for Auckland and the Thames close per Southern Cross this day at 10 a.m.

Mr John Hall, who has been for some years officer in charge of the Electric Telegraph Office, Napier, lias been promoted to the Head office, and will leave for Wellington during the week. He is to be succeeded by Mr A. R. Eva.

We have received a parcel of priced catalogues of the ginger beer and sodawater machinery constructed by the well-known house of Barnett, London, including the latest an.l most approved appliances. Those interested may obtain copies on application at our office. The old 'post-office still occupies the midst of Browning-street, and still in the vacant corner stand the deserted blocks and ground-plates of the new edifice—a yery monument of official indecision. The authorities are long in making up their minds how to proceed —we hope some good will result from their deliberation, and that after all a more suitable site may be found for the contemplated structure, or the design so modified as to avoid encroachment on the footpath. In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday Mark Edgington, a drayman, was charged on remand with em bezzling some whisky, the property of Mr fcheild. The information was dismissed, the evidence being insufficient to prove the offence. H. Carr was charged with larceny of a quantity of whisky belonging to Mr ISheild. The prisoner pleaded guilty. It appeared that he had helped himself to some of the liquor in Edging-ton's dray, and had shared the spoil with him. Sentenced to a week's imprisonment, without hard labor.

It is quite time that the authorities paid some little attention to Dickensstreet. A large population has settled in that neighborhood during the last few months, and since the opening of the railway station a great deal more use is made of this thoroughfare than formerly. The condition of this street —the lower end in particular—is a disgrace to the town. In wet weather it is a foul pond, in fine weather an offensive quagmire, impassable for wheeled traffic, while pedestrians must keep close to the fences to avoid the morass. In warm weather the odor of the mud is intolerable. We hope to see this state of things remedied before long; as the present condition of this thoroughfare is calculated to breed serious disease in the community.

Governor Ferjriisson left the Colony on Friday morning, per Mikado. He was accompanied to the vessel by the Chief Justice, the Mayor and Corporation, the "Native Minister, and others. The Mayor bid him God speed, and Si r James made a brief reply. A vice-regal salute was fired as he embarked, and a quantity of bunting was exhibited by the shipping and in the city by way of farewell demonstration.

Tho Otago Guardian flatly contradicts the statement of our Wellington correspondent that Mr Vogel bad at one time a pecuniary interest in tho paper, and moreover take? occasion to " reprimand" tin's journal for giving insertion to the statement. With great acerbity, it defines the assertion as "nastiness" and " absolute and unmitigated falsehood. Mr Vogel," it goes on to say, " has not, and never had, a shilling invested in the Otago Guardian." We have no hesitation in accepting this denial as correct, but wo fail to see why the editor should so excite himself on the matter, or why he should fix on the Times—which never made the statement editorially—for attack, From the time the Guardian was announced—over twelve mouths ago—it was stated and generally believed that Mr Vogel was to be a proprietor; the statement has been accepted as truth,* and repeatedly referred to by nearly every journal in the Colony, and lias passed unchallenged. Not until our Wellington correspondent stated that Mr Vogel had sold his interest did the Guardian awake to the fact that the story was afloat, and,

rather late in the day, denied it. Only about a week ago, our morning contera porary, spoke rather offensively of the Guardian and New Zealand Times as " the papers in which it is well known Mr Vogel is largely interested, and which, ss long as he is in the Colony, he has completely under his thumb," adding, " that now he was away, the " mice" were having " a little flare-up on their own account." We would suggest to the Guardian that a little refinement in tone might add somewhat to its dignity without in any way detracting fiom its independence.

The scientific mind is slow to accept ideas which cannot be tacked on to a preestablished system. Consequently the belief or superstition in vine-growing countries that a comet exercises a favorable influence on the vintage will probably meet with the disdain of the learned. Whatever the nature of the occult influence may be, it is thoroughly and firmly believed in by those who have the best opportunities of judging, and who can cite a long series of " coincidences" in support of their opinion. The comet of 1874 was bv them hailed with delight—and results have justified their anticipation. Here is a field for scientific research. The progress of knowledge has ere novv justified many supposed delusions of the ignorant, and with all their boasted superiority, savans have had to acknowledge " more things in heaven and earth than were dreamed of in their philosophy."

Our morning contemporary complains dismally that, an ill-conducted licensed house at Ohinemutu having been closed, there is now only one licensed hotel in the; district. "The cancelling of Mr Fisher's licence may, or may not, have been de-dest-rved, but it is rather hard lines that the public should suffer, whatever may be the merits of the case." The natural conclusion is, that where there is but one licensed house, the occupant should be allowed to conduct it just as he thinks fit without danger of losing his licenceSuch a system as this, we imagine, would be " hard lines for the public." If another bote! is needed at Ohinemutu, private enterprise may be relied on to supply the demand, and the house when opened will bo none the worse conducted for having the example of its predecessor before it as a warning. The evidence in the case refened to disclosed a most disgraceful state of things, and we hold that the Bench fulfilled their plain duty in dealing with the case on its merits, and not entering into side issues such as are raised by our contemporary. The Herald's doctrine (expediency) is a most pernicious one, and should never, under any circumstances, be accepted in the administration of justice.