The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 109, 10 May 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1877.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before Lowther Broad, Esq, E.M., Mr Acton Adams made application for the rescinding of an order of the Court granted upon the 23rd of March last under the "Married Woman's Property Protection Act "to Mrs Wilkinson. Mr Fell appeared to oppose the rescinding of the order. This case from the first is based upon the domestic differences of the publican at Taranaki, whose wife left him in December last. He took the matter philosophically, let his house, and travelled for the good of his health. His wife thereupon laid an information for desertion, on which Mr Wilkinson was committed to Nelson gaol. The only witness examined this morning was Mr Parris, Civil Commissioner, of Taranaki,|whose evidence was in favor of Mrs Wilkinson. Several affidavits were produced in favor of the husband, the purport of which was that he was indulgent, kind, and always willing to supply his wife and family with the necessaries and luxuries of life. Mrs Wilkinson, it was alleged in the same documents, was irritating and insulting, and not at all the "Ministering Angel " a wife should be. It was also asserted that when Mrs Wilkinson left her home she had a large sum of money in her possession. After hearing the evidence the case was adjourned by consent for the production of further testimony. Notice is given that the fire bell will ring to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. The bell will be rung by water power, machinery for that purpose having lately been fitted up by Mr Levestam. Numerous complaints reach us of the state of the flooring of the Wairoa Bridge, which is reported to be in so rotten a condition as to be unsafe for traffic. People want to know to whom they are to look to effect the necessary repairs, to the County Council or Road Board. We take the present timely opportunity to direct attention to Mr and Mrs Cotterell "a drawing-room entertainment to-morrow evening in the Masonic Hall. As this will be the only public appearance of these celebrated artists during their present visit to Nelson, a crush house may be anticipated. A quadrille assemblt will be held at Mr C. King's Assembly Room this evening. Dancing will comruencfc at 8-15 o'clock. The season for shooting pheasants, quail, and hares will commence on Monday next and remain open until the 31st of July! The pheasants are reported to be scarcer this year than usual, the supposition being that the more numerous quail have starved them out of the more civilised parts, and driven them back into the wilder country. Of hares the number is said to be few, their paucity being owing not to quail but to poachers. The final meeting of the Motueka Relief Committee was held last evening in the City Council Chambers, at which his Worship the Mayor, Messrs Webb, Oliver, Gray, and Gully were present. The priucipal business was to arrange for the disposal of the funds remaining in hand, and upon the motion of Mr Oliver, seconded by Mr Gray, it was decided that £35 should be placed in the hands of the chairman and secretary of the Upper Motueka District Road Board, and j the balance handed over to the Motuekn Sub-Committee for distribution, as advised by Mr Hursthouse's letter of April 16. The balance sheet was read and adopted, and, upon the motion of Mr Gray seconded by Mr Webb, it was resolved that'thcre was no occasion for the Committee to meet again, but that the balance sheet should be published as soon as a small aupplementary balauce sheet was prepared. Before the adjournment took place votes of thauks were unanimously passed to the Press for advertising and printing without charge, and to the Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary, for their honorary services in connection with the administration of the funds subscribed for the relief of the Motueka settlers. Mr Sevekn's lecture last night was a continuation of the interesting study of spectrum analysis, and in this the lecturer took his audience a step further along the path that which leads to knowledge, and it is almost needless to add that the way was made pleasant by the startling and beautiful experiments shown by the guide. These included the fusion of metals and some carefully prepared effects showing the power of hcut ami light. The .fourth of this series of lectures will be delivered this evening upon combustion and artificial illumination, when every kind of light will be chemically explained, and as the subject is very interesting, there will no doubt be a large attendance.

. A correspondent of the Grey Eioer Argitiwrites: — In the beginning of last week No* Town had a visit of an oddity, all the way from Bell Hill, "a distance of twenty-five miles. Singing Nannie (E don't think anybody knows her real name) has now been a resident at Bell Hill for many years, feeding, her poultry, selling her eggs, and dispensing to the half-dozen diggers or so aroand herthe indispensable P.B. Seen at hoire, lam told, she has all the appearance of a witch. There her dress partakes of both the genders; and when she appeared in No Town clad in a black-blue satin dress, frilled round the foot, and which may have been her wedding one some forty years ago, besides being.otherwise grotesquely accoutred, she caused no small sensation. Yet she is very cute, and transacted all her business in quite a mercantile way, and so active that aged as she is. i she was not long in bundling up and off again, through the weary bush to her" distant and lonely home on the Lake'. A free and enlightened elector met the •Hon. Mr Gisborne on the main road at Woodstock a day or two before the election. He expressed his desire to ask the. candidate a question. He explained that the enquiry was one that there need be no difficulty or hesitation in solving. It was not oue of those dry political questions of general interest, but was one of individual concern to himself. In fact it might be. reduced, if the candidate chose, to a personal matter between them, Jand could be disposed of at either Handley's or Gayior's. It was not a large question of water supply, though that ingredient might not be disassociated with the matter in hand, yet it would be on a much smaller scale than that of the Mikonui Water Race. "In short," wound up the elector," " Are you going to shout?" ; Our telegrams recently announced that the Turkish fleet had proceeded up* the Danube and bombarded one of the chief towns of their own principality of Wallachia, variously named Brahiiov, Brailoff, Ibrail, or Ibraila. The town thus bombarded, says the Pi ess, is the principal shipping port of Wallachia, on the left bank of the Danubeabout a hundred miles from its mouth, and about fifteen miles south of Galatz. It has a population of about 20,000. In the wars between Turkey and Russia in the eighteenth century, Brahiiov was frequently besieged and taken by the Russians, by whom it was destroyed by fire in 1770. The peace of 1774 restored it to the Turks, who fortified it strongly on the European system, but it was again captured by the Russians in 1828 after a brave defence. It was restored to Turkey by the Treaty of Adriaaople ia 1829. During the war of 1854-56, it was occupied by Russian troops. That it is now being bombarded by Turkish vessels is probably due to the disaffection of the inhabitants and to the convention with Russia, by which Russian troops \ were to have leave to pass through the province. The following is given by Vanity Fair as the true story about Captain the Hon. A. C. Hobart, better known as Hobart Pasha : In 18G8 the Turkish Government requested the British Government to send them a naval officer of rank to organise their Navy ; and ! the Foreign Office granting their permission, the Admiralty was asked to find an admiral willing to go. There was little difficulty in finding one, the promised salary being something like £7000 per annum, and there was any amount of scrambling for the prize. Their Lordships took such a long time considering the claims of the numerous applicants that the Turks became tired of waiting, and they accepted the services of Capt. Hobart. The authorities at Whitehall selected Admiral Sir. William Wiseman, Bart., K.C.8., who conducted the naval operations in the last New Zealand war, and informed the Turks of their choice. The latter declined the offer " with thanks, " being already suited. Their Lordships, in great anger at losing such a piece of patronage, ordered Captain Hobart home, and declared they should erase his name from the " Navy List" if he did not obey them. Naturally enough, that gallant officer did not see why he should 1 give precedence to Sir William Wiseman, and he refused point blank to return to England. His name was therefore struck out of the " Navy List." Three years ago the injustice was recognised, and Captain Hobart's name was replaced on the Retired List; and as he^ served with distinction in the Russian war, it seems very unfair to deprive him of his retired pay, which amounts to rather less than £500 per annum. Mr Stout, M.H.R., received a Roland for an Oliver at the hands of the Rev Mr Oldham, of Dunedin. Replying to Mr Stout's remarks as to there being two Church of England clerygmen to meet his Excellency the Governor, he writes in a letter to the Times: — "It is insinuated that the clergy of the Church of England are worshippers of aristocrats. It was a thing long familiar to me at home, and it revives quite refreshing memories now, to hear the Church maligned in every possible form and manner. It was always thought a safe and popular thing by certain men. It is perfectly safe out herejust as safe as to abuse a marquis, though not worth so much as a factor in the production of popularity." Private letters from correspondents in the south of Ireland to friends in Auckland, recently received, announce the probable early departure of a new Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Auckland. From one of these communications which have • been placed at our disposal we make the following extracts : " At last your good people are about getting a new Bishop for Auckland, his Grace Dr Croke, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, having, I hear, strongiy recommended Canon Fitzgerald, one of the most able and popular P.P.'s in his Grace's diocese, for the vacancy. The right reverend gentleman has accepted the office, and will in all probability leave for New Zealand at any early date. By next mail I shall communicate more in detail as to the time of his leaving. The Rev. Father Rice, one of our diocesan staff, but at present on a church-collecfing mission in the colonies, is expected to be the new VicarGeneral to Bishop Fitzgerald. I nnderstand there Avere good grounds for the delay in the appointment of a successor to your late bishop, but I am glad to congratulate you on the matter being now looked upon as satisfactorily concluded. Canon Fitzgerald is a liberal-mindad good priest, and I have no fear but that he will get on well iu his new sphere."— Herald. : The Malta News states that the carpet on which the Sultan daily prays is kept iu order by several persons whose joint salary is 2500 dollars a year. The Timaru Herald intimates the probability of Sir George Grey retiring from Parliament • That journal says : — We are not possessed of any absolutely authoritative information on this subject; but wo hear from a variety of quarters that there is little likelihood of the present leader of the Opposition ever taking his seat in the House again. The gallant old Knight bore his burden of the work during the last wearisome session, witli all the courage and ardor of a youth, and sacrificed to the service of his party much of what remained of his once vigorous constitution. We are told that he has never been in good health since the House rose, and that lately his strength has declined so seriously as to prevent his taking any part in public affairs, Should this account not prove to be exaggerated, we may expect at an/ time to hear of his resignation of his seat for the Thames; and there is no

saying what boulversements of party arrangements may ensue. The Ministry, probably would willingly be rid of- an opponent who was ever: implacable indefatigable, and .■\r■ i i _ • •■■"■-, We (Marlborough Enpms)>lenth that Mr C. F. Watts has sold his run lying contiguous to Mr Joseph Ward's Clarence property to that gentleman. This new country, it is said, will carry 14,000 sheep, and probably Mr Ward will shear about 40,000 per annum. ;-'A Melbourne paper says it is probable that , the. experiment of employing a number of young ladies in the Postoffice ' department will soon be commenced. A great number of applications have been received. Some wool from the station of Sir Samuel Wilson, of Victoria, recently brought at the London wool sales the extraordinary price of 5s o>-d per lb. * . - The Otago Daily Times thinks the Premier's speech about as valuable" as Governor's speechs at the opeuing of Parliament usually are, and it coucludes its notice by saying, « We admit that we have got used, under the regime of Sir Julius Vogel, to being startled and interested by announcements of a more lively character than perhaps was good for us. There is a just middle, however, to be observed between the ponderous dullness of the present and the speculative brilliancy of the last Premier. As far as we are concerned and our interests, the speech of the Premier of the Colony might almost as well have begun and ended with the time-honored formula under which small boys announce stale news — he might as well have told the Taranakians that Queen Anne was dead." Mr Grant (says the Argus) has been at it again. The Home correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes:— "In the Edinburgh Courant, of the 6th ultimo, there appeared a letter from Dunedin, nearly a column and a half long, headed 'From a Private Correspondent/ but bearing the .tell-tale initials ' J.G.S.G.' Even had these not been appended, however, the style of the letter would have spoken for itself. What Dunedin man could not name the writer of sentences such as the following? < The nine satraps, despite their weeping, wailing, and threats of rebellion, are deprived of place, pay, and power. * * Indeed, the squabbling of the English Heptarchy was respectable compared with that of the political kites and crows of the New Zealand monarchy. * * During the electioneering campaign, beer barrels flowed, orators foamed and hired touters pursued their infamous vocation. The Press presented a miniature counterpart of the American journals during a Presidential election. The most odious and atrocious calumnies were freely uttered, cheered, and published.' And here is the grand conclusion and climax of the whole matter:— • I have written the truth, without fear, or favor, or prejudice, and therefore I can despise the atrocious calumnies that have been, or may yet be, freely circulated through the medium of a venial colonial Press, or unprincipled immigration hirelings scattered over the British Isles.' 'In spite of all this, however, Mr Grant says a good word for New Zealand, and especially for Otago, which, he prophesies, 'is destined to become the peculiar and only abode of the Britons at the antipodes.' Can this be the reason why all efforts to get him to take up his abode elsewhere have proved unavailing?"