THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 210, 26 August 1876, Page 2

THE WEEK.

So the Auckland contingent is broken up, and there's division in the (Otago (Dunedia) camp. .This is. startling news, and yet it has not taken us by surprise. From what I had read, and what has reached me through private sources, I was quite prepared to learn that Sir George had fallen from his high estate, and also that all the Otago men were not so wrapped up ; in their own selfish interests to the detriment of the colony aa to insist upon ;carryirig f on; a merely obstructive policy. . Indeed, it was only, the other night— prior to the news reaching us of the smash up in the Opposition "army— that : as. l. was walking home, I witnessed wh£t ; to me, even at that time, : appeared ;to bo a sight pregnant with prophecy.. The sky was slightly hazy, the effect- being to make the constellation known as the Pleiades, on which my eyes happened to be fixed at the time, look like one compact luminous body not composed of different parts, but as though it were an entity in itself. My mind at the moment was full of politics, as I had just a few minutes previously ; been engaged in an argument in which I had taken up the position ; that ; Sir George Greyj regarded from a purely practical point of view, had proved a grievous mistake. , Sq as I looked at the six stars or rather at. the effect produced by them through the mist, I thought to myself" That's just like the Auckland phalanx as Sir George has made them appear to, the public by the glamour he has cast over them. They Beem to be one united inseparable, body, whose sole object is to shed a collectivelight upon the world irrespective of the varying merits of each individual particle." But just then my pleasing little . theory was dispelled by a soft breeze that sprang up, blew the haze away, and revealed the respective stars, each of them shining in its own light and without any regard whatever to its felows. One-as you can see for yourself any ' night when you happen to be in a stargazing mood — was unmistakeably the most brilliant of the lot— and I set it —in speaking of a Pleiad, I ought, perhaps, to say "her" — down aa Sir George Grey; close to, her was another, also fairly bright, but differing mudh from its neighbor in brilliancy, that reminded me of Reader "Wood; then

came a third having a merry'fewinkle, and looking as though it was ceaselessly ontbe move. « Kees,":said I. ', Away down in. the corner of the bunch, and apparently: under p, . temporary s cloud,:---:wiß-;one^i&hafc r seemed to be doing its' ; b^acc^diag,fto|^sli^hta, Jpi shine> forth upon¥fhe x world, bat more brilliant neighbors appeared to be doing all in their power to keep it in the shade. "Tonka, by Jove," I exclaimed, and I waa going on to name the others, but finding fchat ;I 'had reached' my home, and,-' preferring sleeip to the study of astronomy, I did the ..wis_est_thing. under, the circumstances— . turned in, and soon forgot all about the . stare. ; I don't seem to care much about politics this week as my thoughts are all running on law, but there is one little matter that I cannot overlook. I Bee that Captain Bead, who was elected to represent the East Coast of the. J^qrlik Island in Parliament, has ijeedcii^Qated .on a clearly proven charge of bribery. I don't so much wonder at this, my chief surprise being that so many of the other members contrive to jhold their seats while the anti-bribery laws are in force, but I do marvel at anyjnan expending £3000, •aß,thogallaiit v captain is said to have done, /over, an . attempt to retain the ,a% vof to his name. I ..never wWjn. possession of three thousand pounds in my life all at once, but if I had beenj Tarn quite sure I should have\ invested; jfc, to better advantage than in paying lawyers and witnesses to prove that I had a right to sit in the Parliament of New Zealand, j I said thafc my thoughts have been running more on law than on polities Jthjfl,;wj3ek, the reason, I suppose, being *tfoaft r & case of some importance has come before the Supreme Court here within the last few days. I have been pondering over this, and wondering why this particular case should have engaged our attention, and really the reason is very funny when you come to think over it. ¥. sued M. at Christchurch ior maliciously prosecuting him on a charge . o£ sheep stealing! £he case was duly- tried, and the jury sreturned5 returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages one farthing. Then'said the plaintiff's .counsel—" This is "not fair, we ought to have been awarded much heavier damages," and so he appealed to the Judge who heard the case, told hitn that he had admitted evidence which was inadmissible in law, and requested thafc- he would grant a new trial in some . place where the evidence) thafc had been adduced had not been made public. .The Judge listened attentively, I presume, nodded sagely,' thought oVer the matter, and eventually decided that he had committed an error, and consequently granted the new trial! This came on in due course as we all know, the evidence given on the previous occasion being excluded, aud the consequence was that a verdict such as under the altered circumstances would probably have been found at Christchurch was returned, the only difference being that the lawyers pocketed additional fees to a pretty heavy extent, and that the losing side had to pay the costs of the new trial, which the public variously estimate at from £400 tp.£6oo. It doesn't seem altogether nice to think that a Judge's mistake and no fault; 6f your ( own may at any time cost you such a heap.' of money. . . If, when a dry law case is going on in 1 ' Court,' you will only remain long; enough you are sure to hear something either to amuse or .to astonish: you. So it was the other day. I had been waiting for- some time,- and was just about going away in despair of anything entertainiag cropping, up, when I was delighted by. as* fine, an exhibition of Irish effrontery as ever came under my notice. • I do not use this expression offensively, because I never meet with, without .[ appreciating, this special description of effrontery, or impudence, call it which you will, andj Ihaye often- felt' ; that if I ..couid: only, barter a bushel;; of my own innate modesty for ; about half a >peck of it I should get on much better in the : world. But- to nay- 7 "story, Buring -the trial.' in duestion,: ; Mr Conoily.had been endeavoring all he knew to get in evidence of a damaging nature regarding the character of the plaintiff. He had tried to force it. in baldly, ; to' slip it in sideways, to introduce it wrapped up in any form whatever, bufc > all to no purpose, for Mr Jpynfc was on the alert and rose to object whenever any such attempt was made, and he always had the Court with him. Then his (Mr Joynt's) turn came to address the jury, and, with an amount of assurance: that was little short of the, sublime, he said :•— " Gentlemen, a charge of feldny.s^cti as that which waa brought against my client at Christchurch is enough to damage any man's reputation, however black it might have been before, but in the present instance there has not been a word breathed against us ; my learned friend, on the other side, has not been able to produce one tittle of evidence to show that the plaintiff is not a man of , uniihpeaciiable character." This was too much even for Mr Conolly, and he rose to explain how it was that Be had not produced the evidence upon the absence of which the counsel on the other ; side laid such stress. "I wished," said he, "to put witnesses into "the box to speak as to the plaintiffs character. Had I been allowed to do so I could most clearly have shown I won't say what he could shown. And, hereupon, up rose Mr Joynt; boiling over with seemingly righteous indignation — "Your Honor, I.prbte'se against this. My learned friend did ;not adducfc the evidence

when he haij an opportunity of doing so, :put.now he endeavors by innuendo to £nduce the jury to believe that, my client is a man of evil repute. Sir, I, too, might have shown if I had chosen jto do sq.thatjjtlmdefendantswere"- ! JHere, the .fudge spoke. H|s wbrdaj were not many, but they were to "the i point. "Mr Joynt, are you not committing the same error as that of which you complain in Mr Conolly?" Mr Joynt. changed the subject, but he left tne wishing that I had been born an Irishman. F.

NELSON AUCTION ROOMS

■■■ : This is a specimen of ..the sort of " small scandal " that amuses the Auckland people, aod it is introduced by their representatives into Parliamentary debates. The Auckland Star, says: — A little social scandal was introduced in the separation debate by Rees, recalling, to mind the fatal influence of Cleopatra. Ha said tbat tbe claims of the superior judge to the Chief Justiceship were over-ruled through the influence of a wife of a Cabinet Minister. A little explanation of this rather dark reference which has found its way into the grave deliberations of tbe legislature is perhaps necessary. The story alluded to Mr Rees, but for the veracity of which- we are not in a position to vouch, rune thus :— Lady Yogel, then not linked with the fortunes of New ; Zealand's dictator, was systematically ■: /overlooked by the invitations issued by the wife of Mr Justice Johnston, the leader at that time of the boh ton oi Wellington society. In course of time 'the 1 tables turned, and Lady Yogel was not slow to retaliate on the dethroned queen of fashion. Mrs Johnston was ■ excluded from the Premier's assemblages. Wider and wider grew the breach .until, so the story nuns, $be. quarrels of the ladies involved the dignity of their : .lords, and when the chance, presented i -itself, M r Justice Johuston did not obtain the position which his seniority \ and acknowledged profound legal know- ■ ledge entitled him to. ; In an article published by the Abeille Medicate, from the pen of M. Decroix, Chief of the Veterinary Service to the : Army of Lyons, the use of horse meat is r ßtrongly. recommended, as a. sure defence against Jtsenia, " Such flesh," says the writer, "is more healthy and more nourishing than that of oxen,' r ßheep, or pigs. The horse, in fact,, is: not subject to those affections which produce the germs of the various! species of tapeworm of which the; human body is the recepta&le. It is ; easier of digestion than tbat of any; other animals killed by the butcher,; after having been enormously and pre- : maturely fattened. It is more particu-i larly suited to weak persons, and to workmen who makegreat muscular exertions. Those qualities explain . the; constant progress which the uee of this food; is making, as shown by the following figures. During the first quarter of 1875 the number of horses killed: in.Paris for meat was 182.1; in 1876 it was 2370, an increase ot 549. We m&y again mention that a sum of lOOOf : is destined to encourage the tradesman 1 who shall first open a horse-butcher'a shop in London," An evidently well-informed correspondent writes from Great Britain to the Otago Daily Times, with respect to the Agent-Gtineralship. He remarks -— " If it is thought desirable that the colony should be represented by a gentleman capable of moving, in. good society, of lecturing to educated audiences on the advantages it holds out to the capitalist as well as to the working man, and expatiating on the attractions it offers to ' the traveller, tbe artist, and the man ot science, and capable also of defending the fair fame of the colony when aeeailed by slanderers in the public Press, then an Agent-General will require to be appointed. But it iB thought sufficient to do as Canada has done, viz: to have merely an Emigration Uffice presided over by an experienced cierkj of course no appointment will be required, for the routine work of the offiea can continue to be conducted by Mr Kennaway, who has succeeded in establishing order and method where formerly all was confusion and aimless; effort. I confess to being in favor of the, appointment of an Agent-Genera) possessing such qualifications as those indicated above, believing, as I dothat a suitable man would prove in the long run a paying investment to the colony. At the same time due precauf tion would require to be taken that the j occupant of the office did not degener T ate into a mere ornamental billet : holder." : . ':: . . ; : The habit of applauding by hand? clapping which forms such a prominent part in tbe proceedings of the House of Representatives, and which so particuf larly distinguishes some of the junior members, has enlarged itself into a nuisance, of which many of /the more sensitive and sensible mem! bers complain. The young gentle^ men who commonly effect the practice received a sharp rebuke yesterday fcom \he : Premier. He was sketching, the history of the province of Auckland in its connection with the proposal to abolish the province, and referring tp Sir George Grey's selection as Superintendent, said, " Then (he lion, member for the Thames came upon this scene." This wae sufficient to brin^ j in contact the hands of some honorable members rapidly and repeatedly, in the creation of the sounds, by which they prefer to express their feelings. The Premier waited tijl the hands had ceased, and said — "Hon, members who are more agile with their hands than their heads." Tbe applause was quickly followed by a laagn, but it is to be hoped that those who speak so little and indifferently, but who applaud in their own way so frequently, wi|l seriously consider this small subject, and in future distinguish the difference between a meeting of Parliament, and a auoday School soiree. — Post. [ An adventurous expedition bus lately left Sydney to attempt ihe recovery of the liirge quantity of go.d which went :'o ! .vu with the General S-rau't, off the Auckland Island. Tbe Mt.' Alexander Mail writes: — "This is not the first attempt uiade to recover the Joet treasure. AMr Wallace' left Victoria

with a party of men, on board a ship he fitted up for the purpose. They nearßd the spot of the wreck, and Mr Wallace ; put off with some of his men in a r boat ; (o observe the shores pf ; the island, in ihe hope of finding the preciee spot where the gold went down. His ship and these on it waited several days for his return, but he never wsb aeen again. The ship, with the remnant of his crew, returned to Melbourne. aDd bis widow after some time obtained letters of administrations, the Court considering him dead. The expedition must be a highly perilous one; and if lbs enterprising men who have set Qufc to. this Eldorado at the. .bottom of the, deep, deep sea, have taken, as is repojetedj enough, dynamite, tp; blast sufficient rook to make a breakwater at the mouth of the fatal cave, no doubt many would prefer letting the goldestimated at half a million pounds sterling — lie undisturbed, rather than : be one of the novel proepectiag party." . A Napier telegram of ttie 22~n| insf., j toia Wellington contemporary says;:-^- 1 A clergyman, the Rev. Mr Robinson, >; who recently arrived from England, has attained great popularity through ! preaching very eloquent and able s sermons. He always filled the church | > when it was known tbat he would ij preach. Great jealousy arose among; the other Protestant clergymen, and! Mr Robinson was accused of piracy.; | He denied the accusation, put his sermons in print, and challenged his! oppoaeata to the. proof. At last he has; been ad.; persecuted ;as .to be 'compelled l to resign his curacy/ "which resignation) was curtly accepted. The parishioners,! hearing of the circumstance, demand a! meeting to debate the matter, which! will come off next week, and is ex-; pected to be lively. Nine out of every I ten of the people in the parish sympa-j thise with Mr Robinson. \ The. Sau: Francisco Correspondent of: the Dunedin Evening Star does not! think tbat New Zealand may hereafter; look to California, or indeed to the! United States at all as a wool market. He says:— "Wool is a glut in the; market, and in the San Jo&quim Valley,: the flock masters have taken to boiling' down. The wool of |he, present yearhas gone to marketijbut no buyers. The: greater part still remains unsold. It; has occasioned unusual bard times io the country, as nothing could be expected from the agricultural products before July. Many of them are disposing of their flocks for what they can get, and he hear of sales as low as fifty, cents per head, although the pelts would bring that price. Slaughter pens are being established, and the flesh of the animals is being converted into tallow and so disposed of. This is from the Couriet California, June 15, and it is in accordance with other testimony. This state of things has been brought about by the general stagnation in Europe, the stoppage of mills in the East, and the money panip in Frisco. But throughout the States generally there is a gradual increase "in production! and quality of wool, which will shut out Colonial clip, to say nothing of the tariff. England is the market lor Colonial." The duties of the police in Bengal appear to include the pursuit and apprehension of not only, thieves : and murderers but wild beasts. The fol-i lowing report, lately received from the sub-divieion of Satkbiro, gives an interesting account of the zeal and* intelligence displayed by a party of constables wb.Bn taking a tiger into custody. "About a mile from the: subdivision office, in the village 0} Russ'alpore, a tigress was reported tl appear, and the deputy ; magistrate ordered the head constable and five constables of Satkhira reserve to hunt her down. The constables went in s body and began to fire in a bush where tjie tigress lay hidden and after a great ;mao£ lireg t&e"tigr%sg';sudd % enly; came out and sprang on Constable Madhurami The brave , Madhuram clasped the spotted terror, firm on his bosom, white others opportunely bayoneted her and, killed her. Madhuram received two slight wounds from its claws— ,je one on his fingers and the other on hfc chest^. (The tigreßS;mea8 luredabputfivaI uredabputfiva cubits long. Constable Madihuram is being treated by the assistant-surgeon!, who saya that he will soon be cured c{ his wounds,".... Constable Madhuram would be a valuable addition to tbe Metropolitan Police Farce; and there can be little doubt, make short work of some of the wild beasts who prowl abouuhe district and commit *' street ; outrages." . ';

August Morn. After. -Saturday iS ... 1.18 1.40 Sunday 27 ... 2.4 2.30 Monday 28 ... 2.59 3.33 Tuesday 29 .. 4.10 4.50 Wednesday 30 ... 5.30 6.10 Thursday 31 ... 6.47 7.18