The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 6. 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 94, 7 April 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 6. 1876.

The San Francisco mail will be taken by the Zealandia, which will leave Auckland about Tuesday next. The mail will close here by the Hawea at eight o'clock to-morrow night. A cricket match will take place at the Botanical Gardens reserve to- . morrow, between eleven members of the City Bifles and a like number of the Naval Brigade. "Wickets to be pitched at two o'clock. There was a good muster of the City Volunteers last night at battalion drill, which was held on the mudflat near the railway station, after which the various corps, accompanied by the Artillery and Fife and Drum Bands marched back to the Drill Shed. The unfortunate man Hughes, who, as we reported the other day, met with a serious accident at Havelock last Saturday, bus since died from the effect of the injuries received. He leaves a | widow and four children wholly unprovided for. Neeo, who carried off most of the principal races at the late West Coast ineetiogs, both on the flat and over hurdles, having been purchased by Mr Blower, travelled up by land from Westport and is now located at the Wakefield Arms, where he will be prepared for the coming meeting at Stoke. From what we hear, the field of horses j promises to be greater than we have seen in Nelson for several years, and there is a decided revival of the old racing spirit which formerly distinguished Nelson over all other parts of the colony. It has frequently been asserted that the Nelson and Wakefield railway is about the best constructed but worst designed line in, the colony. In support of the latter part of the statement we may mention that when the train was coming into town yesterday afternoon a couple of carriages had to be left near Mr Stafford's, because it was found impossible to drag them up the hill, the amount of freight at the time being a mere nothing for the engine to take up any ordinary gradient. The City Council of Wellington are making a small addition to their revenue by letting certain walls and fences eligible for bill posting. The Australasian of March 25 says regarding hops : — They have not been much dealt in. Samples have been received of S. P..H. Wright's new Tasmanian, which rank with any hitherto shown. Samples have also been received of Jeffrey's, Excell's, "Wills', Thomas Nicholson's, and John Nicholson's, which give a fair idea of what the entire crop is likely to turn out, and we have no hesitation in arriving at the conclusion that the quality this season appeara to be superior to former years and if not equal to, certainly comes little short of, that of fine Kent. JSales to a fair extent have been made a Is Gd. Bavarian have been quitted at Is 8d to Is lOd. The Chief Justice said at Wellington the other day that as there was no recognised Law Society to look after the interests of barristers and solicitors, he would himself make a few remarks on a subject interesting to members of the profession, namely, the terms of the Law Practitioner's Act, and the supposed compliance with ifc of the law students and articled clerks. He said — I have reason to believe that some members of the profession and articled clerks conceive that they sufficiently comply with the, law when they act as clerks to solicitors, though the solicitors may be carrying on business at a considerable distance from where the clerk is being employed — that is to say, a clerk is not acting under his articles, under the immediate supervision of his superior. Now, I have no hesitation in saying, as far as I myself am concerned, that until the Judges of the I Supreme Court, after argument, declare me to be wrong, I shall not view that as service under articles. lam not speaking as an authority, but simply stating what my action will be until it is decided after argument that I am wrong.

The Post gives the following particulars regarding the attempt to escape from gaol made by Smat' the perpetrator of theiHutt outrage:— Between eight and nine o'clock -this morning, while •„ the prisoners in the gaol awaiting trial were preparing to be taken down to the Courthouse, the prisoner Smat, accused of attempt to murder, was left alone in the yard for a moment, sweeping it out. The next instant it was found that he had disappeared.* Search was instantly made iv all directions, wh6n one warder, more astute than the rest, noticed that the well in the yard had the lid left open. Peering down the great depth, it was thought that something could be discerned at the bottom. The well, it may be mentioned, is 150 feet deep, and the water is pumped up through a stout tube. A windlass used for cleaning the well was - procured, and a man lowered down by* a rope. On getting to the bottom he found Smat holding on by the tube, immersed in the water up to the chin and mouth, a portion of his head being • the only part of him visible. Smat, it seems, had, during the moment that he was alone, lifted the lid of the well and let himself down the pipe, hand over hand. He had a rope concealed about his person to assist in the return ascent, and possibly to aid him in an attempt to get over the gaol wall at night should his presence in the well remain undiscovered. It was altogether a poor chance, but what will not a man do for liberty? This rope he had skilfully manufactured out of his shirt. On the warder reaching Smat in the well, the latter quietly submitted to , have a " bowline " placed round him by his captor, and being hoisted to the surface by means of the windlass, was ' at once locked up. The rope was then sent down again, and his captor hoisted ; up in turn. Smat's idea evidently was that if his presence in the well remained undiscovered, he might have climbed up the pipe during the night and found some means of scaling the walls of the gaol yard, unperceived by the officer. The concealed rope might in that case have been of great service. The concealment, the discovery, and the hoisting up of Smat, all occurred within a very brief period. This attempt at escape merits notice, if only for its originality in design.