The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 59, 11 March 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1868.

Our readers will perceive from an advert isernenf, which appears iii another column, that the assessment for the Water Rate has been completed, ami may be inspected by any person at the Court-house during the uext three weeks ; and also that any person deeming himself aggrieved by the assessment is empowered by the provisions of the Act to appeal to a Bench of Magistrates against the amount at which he has been rated, the objection to be notified before the three we^ks have elapsed. It is at the same time aunounced that, all persons desirous of being supplied with water must uotify their wishes to this effect within the uext three weeks. The Right Rev. Bishop Surer, in his course of sermons of questions of the day, preaches to-night, in ChristeChurch on S- ripture and science. That strangely beautiful phenomenon, the Aurora Australia, mi^ht have been observed at an early hour this morning, iu great perfection. About half-past 2 a.m. the coruscations were remarkably brilliant, extending over a large portion of the southern heavens, and preseuiiug at one time the somewhat uuu.sual form of large tongues of lambent flame, distinctly defined in shape, and of intense splendor. The anniversary of the Uuiou Chapel Suuday School took plnce on Sunday last, the Bth iust., when sermons were preached, iu the morning by the Rev. [{. L. Vickers, and in the evening by the Kev. E. Thomas, and collections were made amounting to fo 4s. Bd. The annual tea meeting was held iu the above chapel yesterday eveuiuir, when about 240 persons, including 80 children, sat down to tea. Mr. J. H. Davis having offered prayer, the Rev. E. Thomas took the chair, aud after a few preliminary rematks, calle 1 upon two of the children to recite a dialogue, * The Children in the Wood,' which they gave very creditably, a considerable number of other recitations, with portions of Scripture, by the children followed, and Mr. Davis then addressed the meeting at some length, alluding to the vast increase in Sunday school?, and the good effects which might be anticipated from the teaching which the little ones present were receiving, iu the fjture, when they became the heads of families. No less a number than 67 prizes aud rewards were then distributed among the children, the meeting singing hymus at intervals. Mr I. Hill referred to the foundation of the Government School by Mr. Campbell, eulogised Sunday schools geuerall}', and concluded with some rather contradictory remarks with reference to doctrinal teaching. Mr. Page having congratulated the officers of the school oo the success of their efforts, the Rev. R. L. Vickers next addressed the meeting, commending the d corations and the attendance, which entitled the present anniversary to be considered the best that had been hel 1 iu that chapel, and referring to an erroneous announcement iu the papers, that he would preach there twice last Sunday. -He concluded by expressing his belief that the real end of all teaching was to inculcate our duty both to God aud man, ami by jii'oposing a vote of thanks to the ladies who had provided the tea

and decorations, which was seconded by Mr Smart, and the meeting was brought to a termination at about a quarter pnst 10, by the singing of the Doxology. The collection amounted in all to £5. We understand that the Government have sanctioned the requisite expenditure for the mounting of the brass 6-pound gun, now standing in the Orderly Room, for the use of the Artillery Cadets. We may therefore presume that the contract, which has been agreed upon, will be carried out without further loss of time. Those of our readers who purpose recording their votes for the Golden Bay District (which takes place ou Wednesday next, the nomination being fixed for Monday), will be glad to learn that, that the Lady Baikly steamer will leave for Collingwood on Tuesday, returning ou Thursday. We regret to state that Constable Flett and the search party despatched in quest of the man Gray, who was lost on his way from the Baton to town on the :28th ult., have returned, having failed in obtaining any tidings whatever of him. It is imagined that Gray, who was considerably overcome by liquor when he lay down to rest on the road, may not have sufficiently recovered from the effects of his intoxication before he attempted to resume his journey, and having strayed into the bush was unable to find the track. The usual weekly parade of the Volunteer Companies took place yesterday evening, at the Botanical Gardens. The master was a very fair one, considering that mnnv of the members were absent at the Wukefield Cricket Match. The various manoeuvres geuerally were executed with creditable precision ; we regretted, however, to ob-erve that three or four of the Cadets displayed a great want of steadiness, which must have proved exceedingly embarrassing both to their brother Cadets and to lhe other members of the Force, and we ciinnot but anticipate that, unless they devote fur more attention to their drill, their resignation will be insisted upon, as a matter of justice to their comrades. The Artillery Company received a rather novel addiihn to their ranks yesterday evening, in the person of a distinguished Oriental warrior, who followed the manoeuvres with the most unflagging interest throughout the parada. Whether this sable hero is en route for the seat of war in his native Abyssinia, or is destined to prove a useful and, need we say, ornamental addition to our local army, we are not at present in a position to state, but report says that the most tempiiug offers have been made, with a view to the retention of his services, by the heads of Companies. We are informed that, after an absence of several months, our ancient friend*, the rooks, made a visit yesterday morning, or as a witty friend describes it, a morning c:\w-l, at their old haunts in the Maitai Valley, and then incontinently disappeared. The Civil Sittings of the Supreme Court commence to-morrow morning, at 10 o'clock. There are, we believe, only two cases put down for trial : — Moffit v. Sin -lair, and Krull v. Murdoch. The match between the Nelson and Wakefield Cricket Clubs commenced yesterday morning ; the latter club went in first, and made 49, whilst the Nelsonians made 74 in their first innings. In the second the Wakefield Club are said to have scored 130, and the conclusion of the match was postpoued until this morning. We hope to present our readers with a full report of the match in tomorrow's issue. A Melbourne telegram in the Sydaey Morning Herald of the 28lh ult., states that Mr Ireland's estate is to be compulsorily sequestrated ; that Mr Lambert was to take a final leave of the stage that eveu-

ing; that the skeleton of a human hand had been found, wrapped in paper, at the corner of Swanstou-street ; and thai Caulton, the treasurer of one of the Foresters' Lodges, hud been committed for trial for embezzlement. The prisouers confined in Lyttelton Gaol have mutinied, refusing to go out to work on the breakwater, in consequence of the late death of John Buruside, who was bayonetted iu attempting to escape. It is stated on good authority that His Excellency the Governor has issued instructious for a company and head quart rs of ihe 18th Roval Irish to proceed to Wellington, aod that they may be expected to arrive before the end of the present mouth. The Canterbury Press of the 4th inst., states that the Grand Jury have found a true bill against Swale for the murder of Rankin, at the late fire in Chmtehurch. A meetiug of the Wellington Jockey Club was held on Thursday last, at Osgood's Hotel, when the following resolution was passed : — That the Secretary be instructed to write to the Roysil Reception Committee, to the effect that tliisclub has decided to accept the offer of the committee, placing at the disposal of the club the sum of £100. The race to be called 1 The Duke or Edinburgh Cup,' value 100 sovs. in specie ; eutrauce, £5 55. ; one event ; 3 miles ; the race to be the second of the second day ; weight forage ; open to all horses, — 3 yrs, Bdt ; 4 yrs, 9st j 5 yrs, 9st 71b ; 5 yrs and aged, Wat. A Dunedin telegram in the Evening Post of the 7th, states that Otago will send eight representatives to the Colonial Pi ize- firing. — The Ladies' Purse at the Oamaru races was woo by Golden Cloud, Don Pedro being second. — Thomson, late Clerk of the Beuch at Lawrence, has been found guilty of embezzlement, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. A Dunedin contemporary states that the Ota<ro Government contemplate selling nearly all the sheepfarrners' ruus in the Lake Wnkatip districr, and this contemplation is opposed by a mnjuiity of the residents aud taxpayers of that district. Recently «u influential meeting of resideuts took place at Queenstown, for the purpose of recording a public expression of disapprobation of the wholesale sale of the Ltke VVakatip runs. It seems that, the Ota«;o Government contemplate selling almost the whole of the Like district to Messrs Wilkiu & Thomson, who, iu any matter of public interest, have no antece, dents. The best interests of the fannersminers, and merehauts aie imperilled by the proposed sale. The New Zealand Herald thus concludes I its comments on Mr Fox's late speech at Wangauui : — Mr Fox, as we expected he would do, has thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of the Southern oligarchy,, which for the last three or four years has ridden roughshod over the coionists. la the next session of the Assembly the Oppositiou will find a leader whose ability and skill will lender their combined action capable of effecting the overthrow of that misgoverumeut which has pluuged the colony into a course of reckless extravagance. A very singular case has just occurred in Mount Eden Gaol which at oue time threatened a revival of those dark days when the creditor gloated with satisfaction over the corpse of the debtor in the sponging house, because he saw a chance of wringing his claim out of the sorrow of relatives. The following are the facts : — Charles Clayton was incarcerated at the suit of one Robert Brookes iu Mount Eden Gaol, for debt. He became ill — ' dangerously ill, but the creditor was iuezorable. Application was made to Judge Moore for a habeas corpus, but no return was made, aud the period for: its return was enlarged until the 29th ult. Clayton

died on the 27th, at a quarter to 4, a.m., but when a request was made by the relations for the body to be delivered to them, the detaining creditor would not interfere, and ihe dead body remained iu custody. The Superintendent, however, by stepping in and assuming the responsibility of directing that th« body should be delivered up to the frieuds of the deceased man, under a promise that the Provincial Government would indemnify the Gaoler at all costs, spared the colony a great scandal. There can be no question, the Southern Cross remarks, that there ought to be specific legislation to meet such a conjuncture of circumstances as we have recited. Such a case ought not to slip out of our memory. We trust that our legislators will at least protect the solemnity of death from unchristian, uot to say iuhuman iusult. According to Burns' Justice, vol. 1, p. 4L4, such a proceeding as arresting a dead body for debt is * clearly illegal aud indictable.' And further ou it is stated, ' Aud where, upon request by the executors, a gaoler refused to deliver up to them, for interment, the body of a debtor in execution, who hid died in gaol, until the amount of certaiu detainers were paid, the Court directed a mandamus to issue peremptory in the first instance, commanding him to deliver it up.' Does not this settle the question whether the relatives of the deceased debtor are legally justified in demanding the surrender of the body ? Mr Todd, the Government Observator in South Australia, has left Adelaide for Melbourne aud Syduey, to confer with other observators as to finding some common point of longitude in Australia, from which observations may be made and corrected. There has been a heavy gale upon the coast of New South Wales, causing the wreck of a uumber of coasting vessels and the loss of many lives. The Esmeralda, from Liverpool, rau on shore near Poit Stephens, but crew, ship, and cargo (uu-lumaged) have been saved. The colony has also been visited with another flood, resulting in the loss ot large crops, but. uot nearly so disastrous as the floods of last June. A movement is on foot in Sydney for sending home meat under ' Mr Mori's freezing process,' and it is supported by the large mercantile houses, squatters, and others. About £3000 is already subscribed, and the committee expect to send off the- first shipload of frozen meut h July. The following sensational intelligence appears in the New York correspondeucof the Waterford Mail, under date of the 3rd December: — ' Admiral Tegethoff, of the Austrian navy, is now en route for home with what lie believes to be the body of Maximilian. My connection with the Mexican agents in this couutry forbids my entering into minutise, but I can assert that the remains which will be honored by Austria are not those of the ill-fated sciou of the house of Hapsburg, but of Hamero, a noted bandit and guerilla, who iu life was not uulike poor Maximilian. The latter is pining in an obscure dungeon in Queretaro, fed with felon's food, aud awaiting the welcome arrival of death. The night before his supposed execution, Juarez, uncertain of his own success iu obtaining the presidency, and perhaps unwilling to imbrue his bauds fn royal blood, had the noble captive conveyed by stealth to a secret den, and substituted in his stead the ruffian Huraero, hoping, had he sot succeeded in his political aspirations, to have made a fortune by delivering him safely to Austria.' Now that the value of telegraphic communiC'itiou with Abyssinia has become so manifest, we are glad to be able to state that arrangements are being made to organise a telegraphic service in connection

with the Abyssinian expedition. The present Egyptian lines extend ns far as ' Souakiu, and it is, we understand, contemplated to construct a line between ihat port and Massowah, or whatever other point m>iy be determined upon for the deharcarioii of our troops. Communication will be kept up between the army and the coast by flying lines, and for fi.ld operations an apparatus will be employed by which signalling can be carried on with great rapidity — the signals being long and short flashes corresponding with the Moise alphabet. Besides these ngmicie-i of communication a cnmp postoffice will be established to accompany the expeditionary field force, and it is said that a special steamer will be employed ou that service between Massowah and Aden. The telegraph setvice will consist of three superintendents, six assistant superintendents, 15 Hue inspectors, and 30 efficient signallers. Letters and papers for the troops in Abyssinia should be addressed ' The Field Force, A!>y:ssima.' — Times. The Southern Cross of the .29th ult. states that by the arrival of the brig Waverley at Auckland on the previous evening, intelligence had been received from .Hongkong that a terrible fire raged in the city, t'^v three days, in the early part of December, and was not extinguished until 460 houses had fallen a prey to its devastating influence. The regimental colors of H.M. 53th Regiment have been placed in the new Supreme Courr, Auckland, which is described as beiug a very fine and costly building, though we snspect that Mr. Justice Moore's assertion that ' not even Westmiuster Hall could show anything to compare with it,' was slightly hyperbolic. It appears that the colors were originally sent to Auckland to be placed iu St. Paul's Church, but from conscientious scruples Bishop Selwyn declined to accede to the request. The number of vessels which cleared outwards from the Uuited KingJora during the first nine months of the present year for the Australian colonies aud New Zealand was 194, with a tonnage of 176,300, against 280, with a tonnage of 26U,189, in the same p-riod of 1886, and 290, with a tonnage of 271,095, in that of 1865. The number of vessels which entered inwards from these colonies in the above periods was iu 186 1, 160 with a tonnage of 139.175, against 144, with a tonnage of 131.408, in 1806, and 169, with a tonnage of 137,466, in 1865. The London Review says : — The globe seems in a state at preseut, and, if these were superstitious times, monarchs might be excused for being perplexed with fear of change. Our own coasts have been lashed with devastating storms, leading to much loss of life ; the West and East Indies have suffered from cyclones of unusual violence; Labrador has been visited by a hurricane of unexampled fury ; Vesuvius is in full eruption, and distant Iceland has been agitated by violent throes. If Garibaldi had only succeeded in upsetting the Pope, the interpreters of prophecy might have made something very pretty out of it ail. A young fellow wishing to turn 6ailor, applied to the captain of a vessel for a berth. The captain, wishing to intimidate him, handed him a piece of rope, and said, 'If you want to make a good sailor you must make three ends to that rope.' 'I can do that,' readily responded the lad; 'here is one, aud here is another— that makes two. Now, here's another eud to the rope,' aud he threw it overboard. Driuk for a gardener, rum shrub ; drink for an undertaker, beer ; drink for a sailor, port ; driuk for a railway traveller porter ; drink for a bird-catcher, gin ; driuk for a prize-fighter, punch ; drink for a desertr, bruudy ; driuk £or a doctor champagne.

The correspondent of a London contemporary tells as that ' the first serious attempt at horse eating in England took place lately, when twenty-two gentlemen sut down to an elaborate banquet at a leading West-end hotel. This banquet lias been in course of preparation for months, and considerable pains were takeu to make ii siiecdssful. The horse was the gift of one of the diuers, who has personally superintended its diet aud regimen ever since its fate Wa9 determined on } who ro'e it into town, and had it killed 'on approved principles' two days later. The cook was the most celebrated artist of the day; the dinner vvis piesiiled over by a well-known and accomplished public man; and ihe church, the bar, t.he bench, physic, literature, science, the arts, the royal, and !i;id the other i-arned societies, were represented among the people dining.' ft'hy is a lawyer's profession uot only ie^al but religiou- ? — Because it involves a knowledge of the. law and a love of the profits (prophets).