NEWS BY THE MAIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4144, 2 July 1874, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

ANGLO-AXJSTRADASIAN ITEMS. A large number of greyhounds from celebrated kennels have been recently pm-chased by private sale and public auction for expoi'ta- ’ tion to Australia. The case of The Queen v. Mount and Morris has been before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, on a petition for leave to appeal. Sir James Colville, in expi’essing the opinion of the Committee, said grave and important questions had been raised ; and, without giving any judgment ou the case, they thought that sufficient cause had been showni to grant leave to appeal. Their Lordships would direct that notice of the order be served on the parties if they could be found, and if not, then ou the solicitors who applied for the wilt of Hahms Corpus. Australian wines are now introduced to the grocer wine-dealers of the country, with a view to create a ncw r demand for the article. Australian exhibitors at the Royal Academy, London, have had their merits specially testified to this year. Mr. N. Chevalier’s picture of the Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s, painted for the Queen, occupies the place of honor in the water-color room, a view of Pesth, painted fox* the Pxlnce of Wales, being in the same exclusive neighborhood. An oil painting—the only one the artist’s royal commissions have given him time to perfect—“Nautch girls at the Palace of Deig, Bhurtpore,” is also “on the lino,” Miss M. Thomas, of Melbourne, who is rapidly talcing a high position as a portrait painter, has had no less than six paintings hung, and they are greatly admired. Mr. Chevalier has just completed a moat spirited picture of a Review by Her Majesty in Windsor Park, as well as the reception of the Shah by the Queen. These pictures have both been painted by royal command. Woolloomooloo (in New South Wales) is likely to become famous for something besides the O’s it owns. It has long been noted for the beauty of its surroundings, and deservedly so, and now a native of the place is producing notes that attract the favorable attention of the most exlyeant critics of Paris. Miss Alice Sydney Barrett, who was bora at Woolloomooloo some sixteen years ago, is now a pupil at the Conservatoire de Musique de Paris. Her musical education was commenced at St. Sorvau, in Brittany, but when peace was restored she removed to Paris, and for the past three years she has had the privilege of the instruction of the eminent Henri Ravina, whose pupil she still continues to be. Recently she gave a concert at the Salle Herz, Paris, and the effect of her playing upon the audience, a large and fashionable one, was of the most satisfactory character, and the critics are warm in their praise. It may be noted that Miss Burrett is the first and only native Australian admitted as a pupil at the Conservatoire de Paris,

Mr. James Youl, so well and so honorably known in connection with the acclimatisation of salmon in Tasmania, has been appointed by the Queen a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. On dit that it is in contemplation to confer a similar honor on Mr. Daniel Tallerman, because of his successful exertions in providing a cheap food supply for the people of England. The Agent-General for New South Wales was defendant in an action, Brocklebauk v. Cooper, heard in the Lord Mayor’s Court, Loudon. The plaintiff, a shipping clerk, sued the defendant, Sir Charles Cooper, as agent for the New South Wales Government, for damages for wrongful dismissal. The claim was for £IOO, the amount of a year’s salary, aud defendant had paid two months’ salary into court, a two months’ notice being what he considered reasonable. The plaintiff stated that he w'as formerly engaged as head clerk and shipping clerk to Messrs. Merry and Willis, who in 1872 were agents to the Government of New South Wales. He was to have a salary of £IBO, increasing by increments of £lO to £2OO. The agency had since been transferred to Sir Charles Cooper, and the office was then removed from the City to Westminster. As it was necessary for the shipping business of the agency to he carried on in the city, defendant arranged with plaintiff that he should relinquish Iris duties as head clerk, and take an office on his own account in the city, where he was to get what he could for himself, and also transact the shipping business of the Government, for which he was to receive £IOO a year. He had recently been dismissed, the reason assigned being “ inoompetenoy,” but no further explanation was offered to him by defendant. He claimed a year’s notice under a verbal agreement, which he said he made with the defendant when the change took place. The Common Sergeant, in summing ; up, said that the plaintiff in claiming what was “ reasonable” as a notice, took into account the responsibilities of engaging offices in the city, which he had entered into at the instance of the defendant. He had also lost the advantage of his connection with the Government in obtaining customers for himself. The defendant was not represented, and the jury found for the plaintiff. The report of the directors of the Otago aud Southland Investment Company (Limited) states that the accounts for the year ending the 31st of January last, show a net profit for that period (including £419 17s. 9d. brought forward from last account) of £0156 14s. 2d., after payment of interest on loans, on debentures, aud ordinary expenses. The allotment of the remaining 10,00 t) shares of the first issue at os. premium per share haring been completed previous to the close of the financial year, the amount of the paid-up capital is now £50,000, and the premium of £2500 has been added to the reserve fund, which now stands at £9500. Deducting the £2OOO paid on the 12th of November last as an interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, there remains for distribution the sum of £4156 14s. 2d., which tho directors recommend to he applied as follows, viz., £2114 ss. in payment of a further dividend,of 10 per cent, per annum, free of income-tax ; £SOO to reserve fund, which will then amount to £IO,OOO ; and the balance of £1512 9s. 2d. to be carried forward to next account. The 2285 shares of the now issue allocated in Now Zealand previous to tho 31st of July last, are included in the present dividend. In the accounts now submitted, interest on tho remaining 7715 shares lias been paid from the dates at which they were respectively taken up, and those shares will rank for dividends during the current half-year. Notwithstanding tho abundance of money in tho Colony, ami tho reduction in the rates of interest on investments, tho business of the company continues satisfactory. In tho Vioe-Cliancollor’s Court on April 29, before Vice-Chancellor Sir E. Malins, tho case of Elder v. Now Zealand Improvement Company (Limited) was heard. It was a demurrer to a bill by a subscriber to this company, seeking tho protection of the Court from threatened actions in respect of calls, on the ground that a ridiculously small proportion only of tho capital required had boon subscribed, and, that tho directors should have consequently returned tho deposit paid by the plaintiff upon tho shares, in compliance with his demand, made immediately upon making discovery of the failure of the undertaking. Tho company, the objects and nature of which are sufficiently indicated by its title, was incorporated in July last with a capital of £500,000 in 25,000 shares of £2O each, the first issue to be £250,000. Although tho prospectus issued to the public appeared to have been of the usually attractive character, it was unsuccessful in obtaining applications for more than £IB,OOO worth of shares, the plaintiff having applied for 200 of them. The preliminary expenses were stated to be £SOOO, and tho plaintiff, upon learning the failure of the company to obtain tho required amount of capital, and in view of tho fact that ho would in consequence bo contributing one-fourth of those expenses, in place of tho small proportion which ho would have furnished had the whole capital been subscribed, applied for the return of his deposit. To this tho directors refused to accede, and, having threatened to suo tho plaintiff for tho balance duo upon tho shares, tho present bill was filed. Mr. Cotton, Q.C., and Mr. Watson appeared in support of tho demurrer. His Honor, without calling upon Mr. Glasse, Q. 0., aud Mr. Graham Hastings (who represented

the plaintiff), said it was matter of surprise that the directors, having received applications for £IB,OOO only out of the first issue of £250,000, should have felt themselves justified in allotting shares for so small a proportion of the capital. In support of the demurrer, it had been contended that a sufficient amount had been obtained to carry on the business of the company, but if the directors had really come to such a conclusion as that, it was simply a conclusion of folly. His Honor must express his strong disapprobation of companies going on with an insufficiency of capital, having seen enough of the miseries which commonly ensued from the adoption of such a course. Of all the cases which had ever come before him, this was the very worst, and, the plaintiff having a perfect equity to restrain the directors from spending his money in an undertaking which had failed so ridiculously, the demurrer must bo overruled.

THE LOOT FROM ASHANTEE. There have been few wars which produced less loot or a greater proportion of intrinsic valuables to the actual plunder of Coomasaie. It consists, always saving the famous umbrella, of but little virgin gold, rudely wrought or cast into more or less artistic forms. Messrs. Garrard, of the Haymarket, have a collection of these curiosities now on view, and many of the wrought ornaments are exceedingly curious; but there is not one of them that contains an idea in the matter of taste. The most curious things are a mask, representing a rather idiotic type of the human face, which is the property of the rifle brigade; and a mask, very similar, the property of the Queen, which represents a face of even lower type. But far more artistic than the masks is a human head, weighing more than four pounds, in virgin gold, the lips and the lower jaw being apparently fastened with the gag which prevents victims from yelling as they are brought up for sacrifice at the customs which some fondly hope have now been abolished. The sandals and the cap of King Koffee, the property of Lord Gifford, and composed of leopard skins and gold bauds, are very notable, hut hardly anything raises greater speculation than a rosary with a golden copy of what Ultramontanes call the “ Sacred Heart,” which begets a suspicion that some Jesuit priest may have penetrated to Coomassie, there become “ cold missionary,” and had his “charms” there imitated in pure gold, as giving additional value to white man’s fetish. A couple of eagles off the anus of Koffee’s throne, and two stags, also in gold, off the back of the royal seat, bear testimony to the dire straits to which his Ashantee majesty was driven. There is an annadillo cap with head and ornamental claws in gold, and adorned with silver and gold plaques, and with a bunch of dyed feathers, which we believe once set off the graces of some young beau of Coomassie. Many are the necklaces with cleverly traced patterns, obviously cast in red clay, some of them certainly derived from European patterns, others imitating the cowrie shell common to the whole of the West Coast of Africa. Among the gold ornaments used as rings—consisting chiefly of savage devices representing human jaws and other parts of the body—there is not one more striking than an English sovereign of 1872, which has had a golden ring soldered on the middle of the Queen’s head, so that the device of St. George and the Dragon became a sort of signet of the ring. Then there are swords with golden hilts which were borne before the royal throne, the edges of these weapons being serrated so as to make a blow from them produce a wound as ugly as possible, although by the structure of the hilt it would be next to impossible for a European to hit anything with them, however skilful the aim. There are fans of lion’s tails, used by the Ashantee sportsmen or soldiers, for whisking away the gunpowder fumes of their flint-locks, and lions hides are also used in forming the sheaths of large carving-knives which have despatched many a soul in search of those of its ancestors. Several pieces of native cloth may also interest the spectators, hut it needs some little skill to tell what is really native, and what has been produced in Lancashire to suit native taste.

THE STRIKE OE THE LABORERS. The strike of the agricultural laborers in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk has led to a lock-out by the farmers. Lord Waveney, ono of the largest landed proprietors in Suffolk, has suggested, in a letter to the Earl of Stradbroke, that the landowners of that county should tender their good offices to settle the conflict now prevailing. Mr. J. C. Cox, of Eelper, sends the following letter to the Manchester Examiner concerning the movement ; “ The public attention is so much engaged in watching the struggle of the locked-out laborers in the Eastern Counties that the smaller strife of other districts is in danger of being overlooked. One of these struggles is now taking place in Dorsetshire, at Milburne St. Andrew —the village where the union first drew breath in that county, now two years ago. An endeavor is being made by the men to raise their wages above the weelcly pay of 125., and a strike or a lock-out has been the result—l know not which to call it, but perhaps the former. But anyhow it has resulted in a ‘ turn-out ’ or ejection, conceived and carried out in what I do not hesitate to describe as a brutal spirit. Unfortunately, a very large portion of the cottages of Dorsetshire are held by the laborers as part and parcel of their wages, and the occupants, therefore, Can bo ejected at almost a moment’s notice, without the trouble of going through any legal process, the fact being that in law they are not, I suppose, actually tenants. A letter reaches me by this post from Dorsetshire, written by a man in independent circumstances, in whose plain common sense and lack of exaggerated sympathy I have perfect confidence. I bog of you permission to quote a sentence or two. ‘April 23.—1 have just returned from Milbume St. Andrew. The men on strike for a higher wage than 12s. per week. I never saw such a scene in all the days of my life. There were the farmer and his sons carrying out the poor people’s goods into the ditch by the road, two families, with lots of little children—one a baby, very ill in the cradle—and Mr. M sent for a doctor. Two policemen were standing by, and I believe they had a reserve force in hiding. Two more families are to bo ejected to-morrow, and eight of the squire's tenants have received notice to quit from his agents.’ How is this to, end 1 What will be the consequence by-and-bye 'I Another correspondent, in whom I can also place thorough reliance, gives details so piteous that I hardly dare to reproduce them for fear of the effect they might produce. Both of my correspondents also mention that the work of the men on strike is being done by lads brought over from a reformatory, and of the legality of this I believe the Home Secretary will shortly bo questioned. So vindictive is the fooling of the influential classes against the union, that the village inkcepor refused to supply the Dorset district secretary with any refreshment, though he had travelled eight miles. I hoar that other ejectments of a like summary nature are about to be put in force in other parts of the country, in order to strike terror into the hearts of the unionists.”

IMPORTANT CHANGE IN THE IRISH CHURCH. In the Irish Church Synod on May 1, Mr. Sannderson asked leave to place on the books for discussion on this day, May 5, a motion for the abolition of the two-thirds vote. The Primate earnestly opposed the proposition, and said that if the fundamental principles of the constitution of the synod were thus to bo altered and adopted to any change of majority or minority ho should have to consider whether lie could possibly continue in the synod. The Archbishop of Dublin expressed his concurrence in these remarks, observing that righteous men should stand by whatever they had agreed to oven to their detriment. Ho believed a large number of members would retire from tho work of revision if the change wore made. Owing to some misapprehension as to his remarks, the primate subsocpiently said that if the fundamental principles on which tho veto yesterday was taken were changed he would withdraw from the Synod and the work of revision, and retire to his diocese ; but he had

no idea of resigning his position in the Church. A complete and wholly unexpected revulsion took place on the same evening in the Synod on the subject of the Athanasian Creed. The to repeal • the two-thirds vote evidently alarmed the Bishops, who in private discussed the subject, with the result that they adopted the propositions for revision by four to three. The Bishops of Killaloe, Meath, Cork, and Cashel, voted for revision ; the primate, the Archbishop of Dublin, and the Bishop of Derry against. Colonel Ffolliott’s resolutions were then rapidly passed, with the result that all the damnatory clauses are struck out. The very name of the creed is abolished, and it is reduced to a selection from the Quicunquc vult , ■with a short rubric, ordering it to be read on Christmas Day, Whit Sunday, and Trinity Sunday only. The sitting was protracted to a late hour, and was very excited. The argument is the following : —The creed remains in the Prayer-book where it is, but by the abolition of the rubric preceding it it is to cease to be read as part of the service. It is curtailed of the damnatory clauses, and described simply as a profession of our common Christian faith. It is imported a second time into the prayers at the close of the Apostles’ Creed, and to be read only at the three festivals named above. Upon this motion, made by Colonel Ffolliott, the division was—Clergy, for the change, 113 ; against, 25 ; Laity, for the change, 112 ; against, 26. Thus this most important—some think vital—alteration has been carried by a two-thirds vote of the clergy, obtained apparently by a threat of a revolutionary treatment of the twothirds principle in case of continued obstinacy. THE WOMEN’S ANTI-RTJM CRUSADE. A Philadelphia writer under date April 10, says that, “The women’s temperance movement is making little headway in any part of the country. There are large meetings, but the crusading business seems to be almost entirely abandoned. At Mount Vernon, Ohio, excitement has been caused by the enforcement of a proclamation against side-walk prayer meetings, issued by the mayor. The women had a sentry-box which they established in front of a saloon. The police attempted to remove it, but a crowd of men and women interfered and prevented this, after which there were arrests of the chief exhorters, who were held to bail, and are now enacting the role of martyrs. At Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where there has hex*etofore been a crusade, it has resulted in the largest meeting being held in the town that ever assembled there, at which resolutions were passed opposing the crusade, and demanding the repeal of the Pennsylvania Local Option Law, which was denounced as a failure. This law gives the people permission, at stated intervals to vote whether saloons shall beliceused. In Philadelphia the Gormans haveheklameeting to protest against the crusade, and the spasmodic attempt made here to close the saloons on Sunday is almost a complete failure. t Front doors ’ are closed, but ‘ side doors ’ are open, from which ‘ the latch string hangs out.* The temperance crusade and the financial crisis together seem to have made an impression on the liquor-traffic in Philadelphia. Last year 4716 licenses for liquor saloons were granted by the city authorities, but this year only 3511 applications for licenses have been made, the period in. which they are received having expired yesterday. This is a falling-off of one-fourth, and certainly indicates, from one cause or another, a decreased consumption of liquors in this city. In Ohio there were various town elections into which the liquor question entered, and in probably the larger number of towns the pro-liquor side of the question carried the day. This was the case at Cincinnati, Dayton, Piqua, Waynesville, Pomeroy, Franklin, Batavia, Washington (where the female crusading system began), and some other places. The crusaders carried the election at New Loxington, Morrow, and a dozen other small towns. In Mississippi the Legislature has been touched by the female anti-liquor crusade, and has passed a stringent license law, requiring all saloon licenses to be first recommended by a majority vote of the district in which they are located. In this vote women over eighteen years of age are to have the right of suffrage.” The Chicago Tribune, summing it up, concludes that “as a moral agent in directing the attention of all classes to the general and lamentable prevalence of intemperance in the country at large, in suppressing some of' the vile places of resort in small towns and making them odious, and in pointedly illustrating the fact that legislation may be made so severe as to defeat itself, the women's temperance crusade has been entirely successful.” The proprietor of “ Harry Hill’s Concert Saloon, New York, has been summoned by the ladies of the temperance party to surrender, and the following were the terms of capitulation :—“ No. 41, West Twenty-sixth Street, New York, March 19.—Dear Sir,—Cooper established the institute, Astor his library, Vassar his college, Stephen Girard his university for boys, but you can do more than all. You can be the first man to benefit all mankind. Those donations were local —yours can be national and cosmopolitan :—l. Close your bar. 2. Let the crusaders smash in the heads of your whisky-barrels in the presence of 100,000 people intheXJuion-square. 3. Donate from the wealth you have acquired SIOO,OOO to establish a college for the children of drunkards shipwrecked by the rumsellcrs. Sneerers at our holy cause say you are making fun of the crusaders that you only open your saloon to us as an advertisement for your bar. Prove, dear Mr. Hill, by acts that your nature is nobler than those who can laugh over a drunkard’s grave. In behalf of the crusaders —Mrs. P. R. Lawrence and many ladies. To Mr. Harry Hill, 27, East Houston Street.” The gentleman, not being quite ready to surrender, returned the following answer after three days’ cogitation :—“ Why, wot can Ido ? Here hi’ave 100 people depending on me, getting bread-and-butter from mo, and about sixty of them are orphans, and some of them are blind and cripples. Why, don’t you see it’s against nature —such a request ? I’d have a nice-looking circus in Union Square, knocking the ’eada out of my nun-barrels, wouldn’t I ? Just fancy ! It would take the whole National Guard to keep the place clear, and it would make all the bilious sour in the neighborhood for a week. And, besides, all the blessed hackmen around Union Square would be so shamefully drunk that Mr. Matsell would have to double his detectives. No, uot if know it, I don’t start no lunatic asylum up town at Fourteenth Street.”

IMPORTANT SHIPPING CASE. BYRNE V. FULTON. This was a case of some importance to the shipowning interest. Mr. R. E. Webster, instructed by Messrs. Inglodew and Inoo, was for tho plaintiff, and Mr. Talford Salter, instructed by Messrs. Morrymau and Pike, for tho defendant. Tho action was brought to recover £3 32 2s. 4d., under the following circumstances :—The defendant, a gentleman from Dunedin, Now Zealand, being in England, and looking out for a steamship, agreed to buy tho steamer Easoby from the plaintiff, who represented 35-6-lths, and from Messrs. Richardson, Duck, and Co., of Stockton, who represented the remaining 29-Glths. During tho negociation a question arose as to tho rate of insurance on the Easoby, as tho defendant thought she might not ho insurable at the current rates. Tho contract was made for the purchase of tho ship at £24,589, and contained a clause that the vendors should guarantee “ that tho insurance for twelve mouths’ time policy on this sum should not exceed the rate charged for other eighteen years vessels in similar trades. This guarantee to bo taken at 1 per cent.” The business proceeded, and the purchase was completed on December 30, at a meeting of all parties, at tho offices of Messrs. Dalgety, Ducroz, and Co., and on making up the account tho vendors allowed “ 1 per cent, commission—£24s 185.,” to ho retained by tho purchaser, Mr. Fulton. A subsequent meeting took place between plaintiff’s son (acting for him) and the defendant, at Messrs, Anderson, Anderson, and Co.’s. Billiter-court, to settle some question as to payment for stores, &0., and on that occasion some conversation took place as to the insurance. There was a dif-'

ference in the evidence as to the period at which this took place. The defendant (who had returned to New Zealand), in his evidence taken before the Registrar, and now read to the Court, thought it was after a final settlement. The plaintiff’s son, Mr. Thomas Byrne, placed it before that settlement. The plaintiff’s son gave a receipt “in full of all demands,” but he stated that this was after the defendant had informed him he had insured the Easeby at £lO 10s. per cent., which was 2 per cent, above current rate, and that he quoted an insurance on a ship called the Fidela. The Fidela had been insured at £8 per cent., but this was a year ago. The defendant’s statement was merely that he was asked whether he had had any insurances, and that he replied none since the Fidela. There was no question that £lO 10s. per cent, had been paid. The insurance was effected by Messrs. Henry Head and Co. He proved this, and that this was £1 la. above current rates for similar ships. This was supported by Mr. Matthews (Messrs. Lamplough & Co.). Mr. Anderson was called to prove the conversation, and that he considered the receipt closed all matters. Evidence was given for the plaintiff, that rates of insurances had gone up, and that £lO 10s. was not above current rates. He now sought to recover his share of the £245 18s. retained by the defendant, and contended that as the receipt “in full of all demands” was obtained by misrepresentation, it was not binding. The co-vendor had refused to join in the action. The defendant’s points were, that the insurance was, in fact, above the current rates, and that in any event the receipt precluded all further claim. The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff. —European Mail , May 5.