The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume v, Issue 180, 3 August 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1870.

Mining Shares. — Mr. H. J. L. Augarde quotes Perseverance shares, £2 paid, at £2 ss. Business done this day. English Mail. — We understand that the s.s. Airedale is to leave Wellington for this port to night, at midnight, and will leave again to-morrow, about noon, with the English mail via San Francisco. Inspection Parade. — The usual Commanding Officer's Inspection Parade will be held iu front of the Police Station, at half-past 5 to-morrow evening, on which occasion the prize medal will be presented to Guuner Black of the City Artillery. Resident Magistrate's Court. — At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Joseph Hawkins was charged with stealing from the Golden Fleece Hotel, one bottle of braudy and six cigars. Prisoner, who admitted the offence, was sentenced to two months, imprisonment with hard labor. Scientific Association. — The usual monthly meeting of this Association for the promotion of science and industry, will be held in the Government Buildings, this evening, when a paper will be read by Robert Lee, Esq., on " The progress of astronomical science prior to the time of Nicholas Capernicus." Coroners' Inquest. — An inquest was held this morning at the Pier Hotel, before Dr. Squires, the coroner, and a jury, on the body of Mary Spanton, aged 65 years, who was found dead on the Port Hills yesterday morning. Medical evidence was adduced to prove that deceased was subject to disease of the heart, and a verdict returned to the effect that death resulted from natural causes. Mr. George Cotterell. — We call attention to an invitation from Lady Clara Trimbleton to Nelsou public to meet her at the Assembly Room this evening, where, with the able assistance of Mr. George Cotterell, she proposes to entertain a large party. We congratulate her on the choice she has made in her assistant, for we j know of none more able than Mr Cotterell to keep an audience amused. It is hardly necessary to refer to his peculiar talents in Nelson where he gained his first laurels, but we may mention that the eulogies which have been passed upon him in our local papers have been fully endorsed by the press throughout the whole colony. Government " Gazette." — By the Gazette of the 27th ult., we find that " The Nelson Waterworks Act, 1870," and " The Nelson Board of Works Debenture Act, 1870," lately passed by the Provincial Council have been assented to by the Governor. — It is notified that tbe resignation by Francis Harris, Esq., of Westport, > of his appointments as Clerk of tbe District Court, and Clerk of the Resident Magistrate's Court have been accepted. — Isaac Fowler of Waugapeka, and Henry Collins of Wakapuaka have been appointed Postmasters in their respective districts. Testimonial to Mr. Reuben Waite. — We understand that a subscription is being raised throughout the Province for a testimonial to Mr. Reuben Waite, as the pioneer of the West Coast Goldfields. We cannot more effectually recommend this to the notice of our readers than by quoting the words at the head of the subscription lists : — " The many advantages that have been derived by thousands from the efforts of Mr. Waite in developing and giving promiuence to these Goldfields, at much outlay and personal sacrifice, the the numerous prospecting parties equipped at his private expense, and the numberless kind and charitable actions, held in grateful remembrance by numbers of the mining population, who testify to his benevolent disposition, have led to this means of substantially recoguisiug an essentially public benefactor." Winter Evening Entertainments. — The first of the proposed series of entertainments in aid of the Christ Church Organ Fund was given last night at the Assembly Room, and proved even more successful than the most sanguine of the promoters could possibly have anticipated. The room was crowded to excess, and, indeed, many applicants for tickets were unable to obtain admission. The chair having been taken by Captain Rough, who briefly explained the object of the meeting, the entertainment commenced wiih a most humerous address from the Rev. G. H. Johnstone, the remainder of the evening

being devoted to instrumental and vocal music, varied by a recitation from Hamlet. The amateur performers entered into the affair with the utmost zest, and, if we may judge from the approbation so enthusiastically expressed by the audience, we may safely say that their efforts were most highly appreciated. We understand that, encouraged by the very great success that has hitherto attended their endeavours, the committee propose to provide another entertainmeut ou Friday next, when Capt. Rough has kindly consented to open the proceedings with a short lecture, descriptive of his recent travels. The Harmonic Society's band have also volunteered their valuable services, and several gentlemen have promised to give readings aud recitations, so that a repetition of last night's success may be reasonably anticipated . A Brilliant Suggestion. — On the question of re-adjustment of the representation Mr. Baigent is reported by the Independent to have advocated the representation being reduced to sixty, which would be apportioned as thirty for the North Island and thirty for the South, and leave the readjustment to two committees of ten each, the Southern one to readjust for the North, and the North for the South (laughter). The Maungatapu Road. — We have been requested to call the attention of the Provincial Government to the necessity that exists for a foot bridge over the Maitai river at the first crossing after decending the Maungatapu on this side. An adventure that recently happened to a raanwho was on his way from the Wairau to Nelson to attend the sittings of the Supreme Court will show how greatly I some convenience of this kind is needed. After travelling from Cooper's accommodation house over the mountain on a pouring wet day the unfortuuate man found on arriving at the Maitai that it was so swollen by the heavy rain as to be quite impassable,and he was therefore compelled, either to retrace his steps over the weary distance he had just traversed or to remain where he was all night exposed to the inclemency of the weather. Of the two he chose the latter alternative. Had there been some means of crossing the torrent 'he would have been able to reach Dwy er's acccommodation house, which is only about a mile on this side of the river, but as it was, he was obliged, although within easy distance of shelter, to camp out all that night, and to wait there until 3 o'clock on the following afternoon. We have the less hesitation in advocating tbe expediency of erecting a small bridge over that particular crossiug of the river, because we are assured that it can be accomplished at a very trifling cost. The river in that part runs between high banks, while on both sides lofty trees are growing, one of which might easily be felled across the stream, and by means of a moderate use of the adze be rendered quite passable for foot passenger^ Where so slight an outlay is required^" we feel sure that it is only necessary to call the attention of the Government to it to have the evils complained of remedied without delay. Acclimatization. — Silkworm eggs have been received at Christchurch from the Melbourne Society, from a portion of the collection recently obtained from India. A Canterbury correspondent of the Wellington Post writes in the following disrespectful terms of the Empire City :j — You would be surprised to mark the contrast between the "Empire City" and that of Christchurch, especially on Saturday, which is the market day here. Wellington remains on the memory as imperial only in the matter of artificial dressiness in everything. Your numerous gentlemen wearing long-faced hats, kid gloves, and other fashionable attire, are not all busy bees, but most of them members at £l a day, or officials with salaries more or less high in proportion to their duties — from the meddling Comptroller at £800 a-year, who has so little to do in his office that he must throw mischief in the way of the English Commissioners for which he had so humbly to apologise, down to the industrious and often hard-worked Postoffice or Telegraph Clerk, at £125 or £150 a-year, who is expected to "dress like a gentleman" on that small wage. Except these last, you bear away the palm of supremacy at the metropolis for leeches, drones, and parasites, feeding on the public revenue. You have neither good water, except at Parliament house, nor gaslight, or streets kept so as to do credit to a metropolis. The only good

thing you have is the Queen's wharf r affording that excellent accommodation for passengers and shippers of goods, in which Lyttelton, our port town, is miserably deficient. Your buildings are "imposing," in so far as they are a sham, with great pretensions to architecture of a solid character, which turns out to be as flimsey, as a tin-pot. Your topping "merchants'" stores are very grandlooking outside ; but some of them haveonly a room or two lined; and I doubt whether the occupants transact nearly as much business in them as they did formerly in their old shanties. New Zealand Flax in France. — The Canterbury Press has the following suggestive paragraph : — We bave been shown a sample of New Zealand flax which has just arrived, and manufactured in the south of France. The seed was got from New Zealand twenty years ago, aud it has been cultivated ever since. It ia stated in the letter they are weaving it for linen, and have sent out some pockethaudkerchiefs made from New Zealand flax, and which has caused a good deal of attention to be given to this new industry. The sample is well dressed, and seems as if it was manufactured from young leaves.

SUPREME COURT, Criminal Sittings. [Before his Honor Mr. Justice Richmond]. This Day. sheep stealing. This case which was not concluded at the time of our going to press yesterday,. terminated in a verdict of Not Guilty. FELONY. Daniel Latham, against whom two charges were brought of having committed an abominable crime, was found guilty on both counts, aud sentenced to ten years' penal servitude for each offence. ASSAULTING THE POLICE. John Curtayne, Cornelius O'Connor, aud Michael Culhane, were charged with assaulting police constable Lambert while in the execution of his duty. Mr. Cooolly appeared for the prisoners. Robert Lambert deposed : Oa the 21sfc June I arrested Curtayne for being a party to blowing up the Southern Cross Company's plant, near Charleston. Neither of the other prisoners were present. Before I arrested him he asked ma why I had taken Morris in charge. I told him for assisting in blowing up the engine. He asked me if he could bail him out and I referred him to the warden. He went a little distance, and I followed him aud arrested him in the enclosure, near the Police Office, telling him T had a warraufc for his apprehension. He refused to go with me. I laid hold of him but he pulled away. Constable Hunter then came up. Culhaue came behind ma and laid hold of me by the shoulders and called out " Rush him out into the street, boys." A crowd soon gathered and O'Connor then laid hold of me by the arm and told me to let the man go. Constable Stevenson then came up and pulled O'Connor away from me. We were pushed out into the street by the crowd, Culhane still having hold of me. I kept my hold on Curtayne who still tried to get away. I told them in reply to a question from either O'Connor or Curtayne that I had a warrant. I took it out and read it, leaving go of Curtayne who said he would stand there. He said he would not go to the lock-up, but would go to the Court-house and be tried at once. He went with me there. Cross examined : The blowing up of the engine occurred on the previous day. It had caused much excitement among the miners. I did not arrest Curtayne because I thought it quite possible there might have been a riot if I had taken him in the presence of a crowd. After T read the warrant, Mr. Neale, of the Charleston Herald came up and advised Curtayne to go quietly with rae, which he did. Culhaue might also hare given the same advice, but I am not certaiu about this. Ra-examined: I need not have gone into the street, after I arrested Curtayne, in order to get to the lock-up. I was not struck during the disturbance. This concluded Lambert's evidence, aud Constable Hunter was being examined when we went to press.

A New York drayman owns a horse so poor that a knot is tied in his tail to prevent his body slipping through the collar.