The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 278, 21 December 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1876.

Ma. J. R. Mabin has been gazetted a certified accountant in bankruptcy. A meeting of shareholders in the Para Para Company was to have been held in Wellington yesterday afternoon. The Savings Bank is to be opened for business to-morrow evening, instead of on Saturday as is customary. The Wallace will make an excursion trip to Wellington to-morrow, leaving the wharf at six p.m. Excursionists can remain in Wellington until Thursday, when they will return in the Charles Edward. The moderate fares combined with the well known seagoing qualities of the Wallace will doubtless have tbe effect of inducing a large number to embrace the opportuinity of paying a visit to Wellington. Mr Jago delivered an interesting address at the Temperance Hall last night on the temperance question, the chair being occupied by Mr Smith. The speaker handled his subject iv a very able manner, and was frequently applauded. At the conclusion of the address, a vote of thanks was, on the motion of Mr Thomas Scott, accorded to the lecturer. Mr Jago will attend the meeting of the Loyal Marine Lodge, 1.0. G.T., this evening, when an address is expected to be presented to him. The enquiry into tbe charges preferred by Mr Menary against Sergeant Nash concluded last evening. Three witnesses were brought forward by the informer, one of whom said : "I do not believe Nash was intoxicated. He appeared to me to be quite capable of doing his duty as a policeman." The second asserted that he might have had a glass or two, but certainly was not drunk, and the third that he appeared to be under the influence of liquor but was not incapable. The decision arrived at by the Inspector of Police was in effect that, the evidence failed to prove that the accused was drunk and incapable, although he appears to have heen slightly under the influence of liquor; that he was seen in a public-house when not necessarily there on duty, which in itself was a breach of discipline, hut that taking into consideration his general steadiness and good conduct, and the fact that he had just returned from four days very severe bush travelling when in search of Powell the escaped prisoner, he was of opiniou that a reprimand would be sufficient The annual distribution of prizes in connection with the Town schools will take place at the Provincial Hall to-morrow afterjQoon at half-past two, when the chair will be taken by Mr Barnicoat, the chairman of the Educatioa Board. It is hoped that the parents and friends of the children will show by their attendance that they take some interest in the proceedings. . Mr C. E. Bunny received a telegram last 1 Dight informing him that his examination papers bad bgpn perused by Mr Justice j Gillies, and that ho had passed. He will, therefore, be shortly admitted as a barrister and golicitor of the Supreme Court. We wish him every success in his profession. There is likely to he a lively contest for the representation of the Rangiora Riding in the Collingwood County Council, Messrs Gibbs, J. Ross, J. Grange, W, C, liiley, and J. D. Brace, being candidates. Three memb :rs have to be elected. At the R.M. Court at Motueka yesterday a case was heard that has been talked about a good deal for several days past. A lad William Parker, son of the late Mr ParkC 1 ' °* *' le otueka Hotel, charged Jabez M Gibson- la^ of Clifton, Golden Bay, with assaulting him the rharge bein S admitted by the defendant,' . hu asserJcd that the assault was committed under cou sider a^ le provocation, the circumstances bein£ th at - fc " a " come to his ears that for some ti^ ie P*^ reports injuriously affecting his character had been in circulation, and that they had

been traced to the complainant. Thereupon he sent for Parker to his house, and taxed him with being the author of the rumors, which he at once admitted, and persisted in asserting that what he had said was true, namely, that some two years ago Mr Gibson had indecently assaulted him. Upon this he knocked him down, William Parker said that the defendant's statement was perfectly correct, and again asserted that what he had said about Mr Gibsoa was quite true. His Worship said that the defendant, knowing who had made the charges against him, should, have endeavored to obtain reparation in a proper manner, and not have taken the law into his own hands. The Bench, had nothing to do with the truth or otherwia* of the serious charge made by Parker against defendant, who would be fined £2 and costs for the assault. A most impressive and interesting ceremony in connection with the Independent Order of Good Templars took place after the close of the public meeting last night, when the G.W.C.T. (Bro. Jago), acting with the consent of the Grand Lodge Executive, conferred the highest tdegree obtainable in New Zealand upon twenty-three past officers of the Good Templar Lodges, the Normanby heading the list with nine members, the Loyal Nelson following with eight, and the Port Lodge coming next with six. Bro. Jago was ably assisted in the conferring of the degree by Bro. Scott, P.G.W.S. of England, who acted as G.W.V.T. At the close of the service the G.W.C.T. thanked the Good Templars for the kindness they had manifested towards him during his short sojourn in Nelson, and as it would probably be the last occasion foe - some time on which he should be able to meet them, he urged them to be true to their principles, and concluded by bidding them farewell. It was decided that an address should be drawn up and presented to Mr Jago prior to his leaving on Friday, signed by the Grand Lodge degree members. Mr Jago will carry back wit'i him to Dunedin the best wishes of all wilh whom he has come in contact in connection with the temperance movement in Nelson. We call attention to the sale to-morrow by Messrs Sharp and Pickering at Mr Francis Holder's, Foxhill. It will be seen that for the convenience of the public special trains will leave Nelson at 930 a.m. and 1 p.m., returning at 7 p.m. The rational public is not to be convinced by mere assertion. It wants proof. Accordingly when it learns that four thousand physicians guarantee the purity and efficacy of an alcoholic invigorant, and see on every hand its wonderful cures of nervous debility, kidney and bladder ailments, rheumatism, indigestion, and torpidity of the liver, the public puts its entire faith in the article. The above explains why Udolpho Wolfe's Schiedam Aromatic Schnapps enjoys such unbounded popularity. — Advt.