Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4137, 24 June 1874, Page 2

The Luna proceeds north to the Manukau to-day, and will bring hack the Northern members of the General Assembly. A mob of 250 head of cattle has arrived in the Hawke’s Bay district from Wairarnpa. l The cattle wore purchased in the Lower ‘Valley. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council will be held in the Provincial buildings to-morrow afternoon, at four o’clock. The Artillery will parade in full dress on Friday, in Captain Pearce’s drill-shed, for inspection by the commanding officer. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council takes place at four o’clock this afternoon. The business of the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday consisted of two criminal and two civil cases, neither of which contained any points of public interest. The proposal alluded to in this journal a few days ago, for the erection by the Provincial Government of a number of cottages for the accommodation of immigrants, has boon advanced a stage by the adoption of a site on the Adelaide Road. According to present intentions, a dozen cottages of four rooms each will be placed on the land ; and, should the plan prove successful, it will no doubt be expanded by the number of cottages being added to.

Tenders for the purchase of the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company's steamers will be received at the Company’s office up to noon to-day. Notliing has transpired as to any tenders being received from other Provinces or Colonies. The following tenders were received for the formation, ballasting, and laying of the permanent way Eiverhead Contract, Kaipara Railway Accepted—Daniel Fallon, Auckland, £l-1,877 ; declined —Wm. Kirby, Auckland, £15,981 15s. ; J. Lackland and J. Welsh, Parnell, £10,855 2s. Cd. During the trip of the Eangatira from Napier a lady passenger, who Joined the vessel at Castle Point, was prematurely confined. The mishap was not attended by any dangerous consequences to the lady herself, though it is regretful to say that the child died after birth. Upon the arrival of the vessel yesterday the lady was placed under the care of Dr. Diver, and is progressing favorably. We have been requested to correct a trifling inaccuracy that occurred in a leading article that appeared in our columns ‘ yesterday respecting the Wellington College. We are informed that the offices of Mr. E. Pearce are not exclusively on the College property, only a portion of the land between bis offices and Mr. Anderson’s store, it is said, being included in the grant to the College Trustees. Bigotry appears to go a long way in Ballarat, Victoria. The Slur reports that a young and rising vocalist, Mias Farr, the leading singer in the choir of the Dawson Street Baptist Church, received the other day a polite note from the Kev. Mr. Grant, the pastor of the church, to the effect that if she persisted in singing on the stage of the Mechanics’ Institute she would have to leave the church choir. “Miss Farr, greatly to her credit, has accepted the alternative, and left the choir.” In accordance with a resolution arrived at by the shareholders of the Wellington Public Hall Company, the directors now invite applications for a second issue of shares. It is proposed with the proceeds to erect buildings on the company’s Lambton Quay frontage, and to effect other improvements—all which will be of material advantage to the company and the citizens. The value of many so-called “Maori difficulties ” is assessed thus tersely and appropriately by the Wairoa correspondent of the Jlawle's Bay Times:- —Our, Native friends pursue the even tenor of their way. No further “ difficulties” of any sort appear to have arisen in connexion with the telegraph. People become so accustomed to these “ difficulties,” as they are termed, that when one dies away, they begin to wonder how and when the next will occur. It has been truly said, that he who steals our purse steals trash; but he who filches from us the “ Maori difficulty ” takes that which nought enriches him, and leaves ns poor indeed. In the event of the weather proving favorable, the meditated trial of the force of the water from the reservoir will be made this evening under the supervision of Captain Moss, of the 0.V.F.8., and in presence of the representatives of the various insurance companies. Tile hose will be connected with the hydrants in the neighborhood of the Odd Fellows’ Hall. The deplorable condition of the Terrace, between Woodward and Bowen Streets, is again a subject of serious complaint amongst the residents and pedestrians whose business takes them that way. The City Council have, however, done all in their power to remedy the matter, by calling for tenders for the repair of the road, and these will be opened at the meeting of the Council to-morrow. The Public Hall Company announce that the second issue of 5000 shares of £1 10s. each, is. now ready for issue to the public. Formerly the shares might not have been received with much favor, but now that the Theatre bears a very high reputation amongst the professional world, a profitable return upon future investment is certain. The Theatre is the finest in the Colony, and will in the long run pay handsome dividends upon the outlay, but the erection of shops upon the spare ground, and other improvements which the Directors propose to effect, will speedily enhance the character of the investment by creating a regular income independent of the receipts from the Theatre. It was scarcely to be expected that upon the evening of Miss May’s benefit the Siamese performance would be very extensively patronised. There was, nevertheless, a very fair attendance, though it was altogether out of proportion to the merits of the performance, which was exceedingly clever, as all Japanese feats of sleight-of-hand, wire-walking, balancing, and juggling are. Many of the feats shown have, of course, been seen before during the visits of other “ Japs” to this City, but it is beyond question that for deftness and finish Messrs. King and Geddes's troupe excel all their predecessors. Some of the exhibitions are so little short of the marvellous that they beggar description. The strongest recommendation, therefore, which can be given is that people who have any admiration for the wonderful should gratify their senses by ocular proof. Some further information ns to the causes of disaster to now iron clipper ships is supplied by “JEgles," a well-informed writer in the Australasian. He says “It is not a cheerful or inspiriting topic, but where publicity may serve a useful purpose silence is treasonable. Let me say what I know of the hull of a bran-new slap which lately arrived here on her first voyage. The facts, which have been kept very quiet, are these : —Some of her dead weight was stowed in the ’tween decks —a proper precaution, distributing the weight of the heavy portion of the cargo so as to prevent rolling. But mark the result. So strongly was this powerful iron clipper built that the transverse iron beams supporting the deck on which this part of the cargo was stowed lost their arch-like form and sagged in the middle ! This had the effect of drawing out hundreds of the bolts securing the iron knees to the ship’s sides ; and this, forsooth, is one of the splendid specimens of naval architecture over which there was the customary champagne rapture when launched from the building yard. Those who know tell me that for not a little of tire maritime disaster occuriug the complaisance of Lloyd's Committee in permitting lighter and weaker materials in shipbuilding is indirectly responsible.” Our South Australian friends wore loud in their rejoicings when what they were pleased to term their “ geographical position ” was recognised by the ocean steamer conveying the English mail calling at G-leuelg. The matter was not one of great importance, as the outlay the change necessitated was considerable, and the branch service to Western Australia, by which a flourishing trade was created, had to be discontinued. Moreover, the payment received for telegrams conveying mail news to the other Colonies nearly recouped South Australia all that the branch service cost. The new arrangement does not appear to have been an unqualified success. When the Pera, s.s., arrived on May 21st, a tug steamer put off to her, and on its return had to sling the mail to the Jetty, and laud the passengers in boats. The tug then made an effort to take a cargo steamer to the Pera, hut was unsuccessful. The passengers were lauded at the comfortable hour of 3 a.m., when, thoroughly wet, they were unable to obtain refreshments, and with difficulty obtained an omnibus to convey them to Adelaide from the Port. The cargo steamer managed to reach the Pera and obtained a warp, but she had hardly made fast before the hawser gave way, and she drifted out to sea. The captain of the Pera then steamed down the Gulf for Melbourne, taking her cargo intended for Adelaide with her, and leaving that which should have gone on to Melbourne. For the benefit of Volunteers who possess land certificates, the Southern Cross publishes the Act relating to the subject wliich was passed last session. Wc copy it here ; —“ 1. The short title of this Act shall be The Volunteers Land Act, 1565, Amendment Act, 1873. 2. It shall bo lawful for any Provincial Council to repeal, rescind, or amend any Ordinance or resolution passed by such Council authorising the grant of remission certificates

to Volunteers under the said Act or amending Act ; Provided always that such repeal, remission, or amendment shall not affect such Volunteers as at the time thereof shall have fulfilled one or more years of the term of service in respect of which remission certificates were authorised to be granted by the Ordinance or resolution so repealed, rescinded, or amended. 3. All claims for remission to which the applicants are now entitled, and all claims for exercise of scrip already issued, will be barred, unless made within twelve months of the passing of this Act.” The third clause, it will be observed, is the most important, and necessitates the exercise of scrip claims not later than Ist October next, on which day the twelve months referred to will expire. The following letter, which we find in the Tasmanian Tribune, published in Hobarton, relates to an advertising person who is not unknown in New Zealand, and confirms to some extent what was said of him in Auckland ; “To the Editor,—Sir, —ln to-day’s issue of your journal, Or. Xlosenthal has published a testimonial, purporting to have been sent to him by me, in which I am represented as having stated that, ‘ I can hear as well now as I could in my younger days.’ Will you please give me space to say that I uever gave Or. Rosenthal authority to publish such a testimonial, and that my deafness, now after Dr. Rosenthal’s treatment, is equally as bad as ever. Trusting that you will do me a simple act of justice by publishing my letter, —I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Mary Ann Callen, June I.” AUCKLAND. For clapping his hands, shouting, “ Hoar, hear,’’ and “ Rravo, old chap,’’ during Divine service at St. Paul’s Church, a gentleman named Brown found himself in custody, upon a charge of creating a disturbance in church. He was lodged in the lock-up, and had to answer for his offence next morning before the presiding Magistrate. We learn from the Auckland papers that Sir. Dargaville has decided not to become a candidate for the district of Waitemata, in the General Assembly, as ho is not disposed to contest the seat with Mr. Von der Heyde. As briefly reported by telegraph a case was heard in the Thames District Court lately, before Judge Beckham, in which the plaintiff sued the defendant in the sum of £IOO for detention of a letter. Both parties are named Patrick Donnelly, and the plaintiff is the same person who commenced a few weeks ago, an action against the Resident Magistrate for false imprisonment. The plaintiff’s solicitor in the action for false imprisonment was Mr. MaoCormick, of Auckland, and that gentleman forwarded a letter to the plaintiff regarding the case, addressed to “ Patrick Donnelly, Miner, Thames.” This letter was a very important one, and was fraught with interest to the case then pending. It was delivered to Mr. Patrick Donnelly, Manager for the Golden Crown Company, who opened it, and seeing that it was not for him, forwarded it at once to the residence of the plaintiff, who is a miner in the Italian Company, and lives in the Waiotahi Creek. Between the posting of the letter at Auckland and the delivery to plaintiff, more than a month elapsed, and the plaintiff charged defendant with retaining the same ; hence the action of yesterday. Evidence was given that no delay had occurred on the part of the defendant. At last plaintiff's solicitor accepted a nonsuit, with costs £l3 2s. HAWKE’S BAY. The inland road to Poverty Bay is said by a correspondent of the Times to be progressing favorably. The whole of this line of road is being done by Native labor. The Wairoa end has been pushed forward to the Waihau Lakes ; the Poverty Bay end has uot, he understands, been commenced yet. The Natives, it is said, have executed the different contracts entrusted to them expeditiously and well. In the Supreme Court on Tuesday, says the Herald, His Honor the Judge called attention to the loose and careless manner in which the records of previous District Court proceedings had been kept. Mr. Wilson, for the plaintiff in the case of Cashmore v. Mauey and Peacock, required an important document bearing on the case, which had been mislaid owing to the culpable negligence of the officers of the Court. His Honor said, when the grandchildren of those present would come in future to investigate the titles to their properties, they would be surprised to find that, perhaps, no records had been preserved in the Courts. His Honor thought that generally Napier was a peculiarly happy place, as the people seemed quite contented to let things progress iu an oldfashioned and dreamy style. A seaman, named A. W. Creighton, was lost overboard from the schooner Pacific, on her late passage from Mercury Bay to Napier. He was steering, and was knocked overboard by the mainboom through the jibbing of the sail. The Hon. Mr. Peters has sold 7200 acres on the Glengarry run, recently purchased by him at 10s. per acre, to Mr. Couper, for the sum of £ll,lOO. In such a purchase as this we see the advantage (says the Herald) of such land regulations as those of Canterbury, under which the upset price of all land is £2 per acre. A. large concrete woolshed is in course of construction on the station of Mr. J. Chambers, of Te Mata. The Provincial Government of Hawke’s Bay propose to spend £3OOO on the road from Petane to Wairoa, in the northern part of that Province, and £2OOO in aid of a bridge over the harbor of Wairoa. It is proposed, however, by the member for Wairoa to increase the sum for the road to £SOOO, and in aid of the bridge to £3500. The Provincial Council lias also agreed to the following resolution : “ That a select committee be appointed to prepare a memorial to the General Assembly, setting forth the necessity for the construction of a harbor at Port Napier. That such memorial shall urge the General Assembly to authorise the loan of £250,000 for the purpose, and shall set forth what securities the Province can set aside for the repayment of principal and interest, and what dues the harbor works, when constructed, will secure ; and shall, further, state the willingness of the Council, acting on behalf of the Province, that a special rate be imposed on land to pay the interest of the proposed loan. That the said committee shall consist of Colonel Lambert, Captain Russell, Messrs. Maney, Kinross, Rhodes, Kennedy, Bridge, and the mover.” NELSON. It is stated by the Grey Yalley correspondent of the Argus that mining- matters are more dull on that field this winter than ever they have been. Except in odd instances, here and ’there, everything is in a state of absolute stagnation. It is difficult to account for this, seeing that there is a little water to be had at most places for fossicking, so the population fall back upon the stereotyped reason of all "rievances, and attribute the dullness to the want of water at high levels, as the gold is becoming exhausted iu the valleys. IJhe great hope is, of course, the Hochstetter Race. It is said that the explorations in connection with the Napoleon Hill Race are going on satisfactorily, and that the practicability of the scheme, as far as regards the possibility of obtaining an abundant and permanent supply of water, is now placed beyond doubt. The energetic members of the Westport Cemetery Board officially notify that they have “ duly authorised ” two of their number to call on all persons holding or occupying burial plots to pay the purchase money. How, asks the Times, will they briug remiss occupiers to book ? Will they blow vigorous Gabriellian blasts on trumpets, or will they just burrow holes in the ground, and bellow down each shaft, “ Come up and pay your rent 1” West Wanganui seems to be attracting fresh attention on account of its mineral resources. Before the close of the Provincial Council, the following resolution was adopted : —That a copy of the Report of the Petition Committee on the petition of the inhabitants of West Wanganui be forwarded to His Honor the Superintendent, with a request that he will represent the requirements of that locality to the Hon. the Native Minister, with a view to

some expenditure from the funds at his disposal to dcvelope the probable riches of that large Native estate. WESTLAND. Mr, Alcorn, of Hokitika, one of the earliest settlers on the Coast, is another addition to the number of departures from the Province. Robert Haynes, a carpenter, lias been sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, for stealing an endless variety of articles from a number of stores and domiciles iu Greymouth. There were six separate charges proved against him. The steamer Waipara, which had gone ashore to the southward of Greymouth, is reported by telegram to be as yet uninjured, and tenders for her conveyance from the beach to the river have been called for. Parallel with the beach upon which she has been stranded, a lagoon extends for about a mile south from the mouth of the Grey river, and the easiest method of saving her has been adopted, by carrying out the plan of conveying her over the ridge of sand and shingle _of which the beach is formed, and of launching her into this lagoon. There is no particular difficulty iu the work, appliances being available either in Hokitika or Greymouth, but the operation will undoubtedly be expensive and tedious. CANTERBURY. A man named Harrison, a foreigner, staying at the Crown Hotel, Temuka, left for a day’s sport, taking a gun with him. According to the particulars given iu the Timaru Herald, about the middle of the day Mr. Moore, fanner, Smithfield, heard a “ cooey” in the river bed, and saw someone standing and waving his hat, and then fall down. Mr. Moore immediately went to tlie spot and found Harrison insensible and bleeding profusely. He commenced to unfasten his clothes to sec what was the matter, when the man came to his senses, and told him he was shot through the arm. Mr. Moore got a trap and brought him to Temuka, where Dr. Gumming is attending him. The arm just below the shoulder is said to be fractured. OTAGO. Learned gentlemen of the bar, writes the Daily Times, do not appear' to place much faith iu the mode of swearing Chinese witnesses, instead of the customary form. The Celestials are not over particular, as they will blow out a match, cut the head off a cock, or break a sauoar, but none of these methods — so original and interesting in their way—would satisfy counsel at the Resident Magistrate’s Court lately, when a discussion took place regarding the administration of an oath to a Chinese merchant. The Court Clerk suggested that the ordinary words should be used, with Confucius as a substitute, and that instead of kissing the Bible a match should be blown out. Mr. Harris, on the other side, agreed to forego any swearing, as he considered • the mode spoken of heathenish in the extreme. Last week a Chinaman attempted to hang himself at the Woolshed. His neck was a good deal injured, and he was removed to Tokomairiro, where he was brought trp before the Magistrate. Messrs. Robertson and Co. notify in the Walealip Mail, that, iu consequence of their having to pay Government a tax equal to six times the amount per 100 ft. paid by the Southland saw-millers, they will be compelled to raise the price of timber-. ■ The Western Star (Riverton) reports :—Mr James Taylor, of the Bank of New Zealand, loug and favorably known in Riverton, is about to leave for Wellington. We understand that previous to his departure a presentation, in token of the esteem in which he is held by the people among whom he has so long resided, will be made to him. We ( Southland Times) understand that the remains of Captain John Howell, late of Fairlight Station, are to be conveyed from Sydney, where he died recently, to Southland, which for so many years was the home of the deceased gentleman. At a recent meeting of the Waste Lands Board a letter was read from the Otago Daily Times and HKncss Company, requesting the Board to hold its meetings on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays, as the TTi'tecss is sent to press early on Thursday mornings, and, consequently, reports of the proceedings of the Board are prevented from appearing until the next week’s issue—a great inconvenience to the subscribers. It was agreed to hold the meetings of the Board iu future on Wednesdays, at eleven a.m.