DUNEDIN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 259, 20 February 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

-(Prom our own.correspondent.) ... February 15th. i A new phase in the transport of immigrants to' New Zealand. developed itself last week. The steamship Mongol, 2252 tons burden, and 400 horse power, put in an appearance towards the end of the week with 300 Oxfordshire laborers and their wives and families on board, besides ', several hundreds of others from Warwickshire and the .other midland counties'. Although satisfactory as regards the length of. time, the voyage has been, if anything, exceptionally disastrous as respects the health of the immigrants. The death rate during the passage was exceedingly high, and even at the date of her ar-' rival the loathsome looking yellow flag was flying, eontageous disease being prevalent on board. The vessel was at once ordered into quarantine, and, at a meeting of the Board of Health, the following determinations were arrived at: —(1) That she remain in quarantine in the meantime, and that she be thoroughly fumigated. (2) That the immigrants for Otago lie placed in Quarantine Island, and all the usual and necessary steps taken to fumigate their clothes, baggage, &c, and that cargo for this port be placed in lighters, and fumigated prior to its being landed. (3) That, if the Colonial Government so desire it, the whole of the passengers by the ship be landed on the island for purposes of fumigation. To: render the latter portion of these deter-. minations intelligible it is necessary to add that the Mongol i.-j chartered to land passengers at Auckland and Canterbury, as well as at Port' Chalmers. The steamer hails from Plymouth as her port of departure, and gross carelessness against the clearing officer at Home is alleged, he having allowed the vessel to proceed to sea with scarlet fuver on board. If an allegation of this kind can be substantiated, surely' the Government of the Colony will not neglect to represent the matter to the Home Secretary •for the Colonies in its proper light. A railway signal-man who neglects his duty, and allows a train -to rush on to destruction, is pretty smartly handled by. the criminal law, although his neglect and its consequences are not one whit more cul-

pable than that of the clearing officer who allows a yessel to proceed to sea with seeds of the pest-ship on board. The Presbyterian parsons, as representing the extreme- party in the matter of Sabbath observance, have suffered another defeat. Not satisfied with the determina-f tion arrived at by the Athenasum subscribers at their annual' meeting, they .resolved upon.testing the point of opening the institution on Sunday by calling: a special meeting. The meeting was held on Wednesday evening, arid a-inoisy demonstration it was. ,'i What as' an individual I have no' hesitation in pronouncing good sound sense, as opposed' to the slavish observance.of a traditionary ruh> of faith, was npheid. The .Church of Scotland clergy mustered strong jjmr, n.s the sequel showed, their influence over the r minds "of the community was not strong enough, to carry the day. Popular opinion seemed to bo dead against them, and, judging from outward appearances, the stand they took in this matter will go ,a great way toward alienating the minds of the .populace from the >\ A flagrant instance of the miscarriage :of justice occurred a few days ago. A woman of a notoriously bad character was •had up before'.two Justices of the Peace, charged with the abduction of a child of .tender years. It-was clearly proved that ; the child, a girl of. some twelve or fourteen years of age, had been decoyed by the woman into her den for purposes of ; gross-immorality. While admitting the : act to be a most infamous one, these administrators of the law let this woman off with an admonition. As might have been [expected, such bungling stupidity excited :a strong; feeling of disgust. The woman, iwho .goes by ,the name of Powell, was ! brought up again by the police. On this second occasion matters did not go quite ,so well with her. .She was charged un-der-.the operations of the Vagrancy Act, 1 and the'presiding Magistrate (Mr. Strode) had no difficulty in committing her to prison for three calender months. The [ following testimony borne to this we:'man's character by the convicting Magistrate will give" you an idea of what our ; Justice of, Peace system considers to be , the ends of'justice met by a simple admonition: —"Elizabeth Powell, from the ! evidence before me I have not the slightest,. doubt ;that you are a vagrant of •the worst order, a most dangerous vagrant ; —one .who should.not be allowed at large. >You were chargeda short time since, as .you well know/ with abduction —with eniticing a .little girl.-into your house—for immoral purposes. You do not seem cbntent'with little girls, for you ask a woman .whom-you never saw before into your i place 1 to tea. Well we know—at least, I .know—what occurs. You make her " dead" drunk; 'and the woman is prostituted. ! You are ■& horrid, abominable character for one so young. You have gone .on in this way for six years ; what do you think will, be your end ? It is )time you,were, looked after,.and I. shall mark my sense of your conduct." The following is,.the latest published ; report:- —Markets for produce have been steady', during the week. The up-coun-;try demand is for immediate consumption, |storekeepers ; ndt seeing any advantage in fgding immediately into stock. , The teas [by the Carl]were offered for sale on Thurs'dayVbut no public sales took place. Bulk brandy is becoming scarce. Hennessy's is very firm at former rates. Case cannot be said to have altered. Candles are in :good|supply, but quotations are unchanged In dairy produce, case butter is sqa/frce, 'and prices have risen considerably.; paricels are held for Is.'- per lb. Cheese is , purchascable at 6|d to 7d. '