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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4188, 22 August 1874, Page 2

We are requested to state that Lady Fcrgusson will not be able to receive visitors today- . . Mr. Fitzherbert is not satisfied with the determination of the House of Representatives that Provincialism in the North Island should cease—a determination ho did so much negatively to bring about. Yesterday, ho gave notice in the House that on Monday next he would submit a resolution to the effect that an organic change of the Constitution, such ns that contemplated in the resolutions approved of by the House, should not bo carried into effect without an appeal to the country. All the immigrants who arrived by the Sussex, and who proceeded to Marlborough, are said to have found employment.

The Province of Wellington is not likely, after all, to obtain the £15,000 for which the Superintendent has asked so long and so often in vain, in connection with the purchase of the Manawatu-Raiigitxkei block. A few nights. a<m a vote in favor of the grant was snatched on a division of twenty-nine to twenty-four, but the Premier then intimated that he could only consent to the money being given to the Province as a loan under the Public Works Advances Act, and last night the Government brought down a new clause to that Act to give effect to tint course, but at the same time intimated that they would vote against it. Mr. h’itzherbert appealed to the House, but accepted the clause with all its restrictions. A very bitter and personal discussion ensued—chiefly between the Superintendent of Wellington and Mr. A r ogel—and- on a division the clause was negatived by thirty-one to twentyfive. Mi-. Pitzherbert, therefore, remains a disappointed man. In the Supreme Court, yesterday, before His Honor Mr. Justice Johnston, the argument in the case of Vincent y. James, the first portion of which has already been reported, was resumed by the Attorney-General, for the plaintiff. The ease is one possessing interest only to the legal profession, being on a question of practice. Mr. Travers replied on behalf of the defendant. Judgment was reserved. The Court then adjourned to Tuesday, Ist September, when the remaining eases will be argued. A meeting of the Trustees of the Greytown Trust Lauds was held in the Wairarapa Institute on the 17th instant. Present ; Messrs. Gallagher, Haines, Walker, and JV. Lucas, chairman. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The following tenders for supplying seats for the Town Hall were read ;—O. W. Hornblow, £24 ; R. A. Wakelin, £lB 4s. ; Bishop & Hawkins, £l4. It was resolved that the tender of Messrs. Bishop & Hawkins be accepted. The Chairman stated that he had made enquiries in Wellington about lamps for the Town Hall, and found that there was a difficulty in obtaining suitable ones, in consequenos of there being a very small assortment to select from. It was resolved that the matter of procuring lamps be left entirely with the chairman. An application was received from Mr, E. Braggius for leave to sublet reserve town acx-e No. 00, in sections, foxbuilding purposes, which was granted. A. letter was read fx-om H. Jackson, Esq., Chief Surveyor, stating that a map of Mr, ICellelxex-’s recent work in Greytown will be forwarded as soon as the same is plotted. The Secretary reported that the Town Hall had been handed over by the Education Board in a clean and satisfactory condition, excepting one sqxxare of glass cx-aoked.

With refei-ence to Mr. Ollivier’s letter which appeared in yesterday’s issxxe, headed “ A Correction,” our reporter wishes xxs to explain that his report was not intended to imply that His Honor had made any remarks in the slightest degree affecting the deservedly high chax-acter of Messrs. Gx-eenfield and. Stewart, and that Mr. Olliviex- evidently puts an erroneous construction upon the wox-ds used. The further ■investigation which appeared necessary would be one to be instituted by the trxxstee of the estate, with a view to making the real property conveyed by the bankrupt to Messrs. Greenfield axxd Stewart, and Chew, available as part of the bankrixptcy estate. Mx-. OlUvier is in error in supposing that any facts were elicited in Coux-t which were not already known to the trustee.

A half-caste, named Jacob Hebberly, was charged on remand, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, with stealing a dogcart, the property of Ropilxa Moturoa, of Taranaki. It appears that the owner of the cart had left it in the charge of a Native woman at the Hxxtt, and that Hebberly, who lived in the vicinity, occasionally had tlxe use of the vehicle. The cart was lent once too often, howevex-, for on having it out on one occasion prisoner brought it into Wellington, and had it sold by public auction, absconding with the px-oceeda. He was arrested at Otaki, and brought back to Wellington. He was yesterday committed to take his trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Coxu-t, to be held on the sth of Octohex-. In addition to the committal of the halfcaste Hebberly, at the Resident Magistx-ate’s Court yesterday, the following- business was done ;—Hamxab Stutfleld obtained a protection order against her husband, who was also ordered to pay 10s. per week towax-ds her support ; two dnxnkax-ds wex-e fined; and a few xxnimportant civil cases were disposed of.

The Select Committee of the House, on the Waitemata election petition, reported yesterday that they found the election void. It was admitted, we believe, that Mr. Von der Heyde had not received letters of naturalisation in New Zealand at the time of the election, though he has since applied for and received them from His Excellency. The Committee further decided that as Mr. Von der Heyde had acted throughout in a honu fide manner, he should only hear his own expenses, leaving the petitioning elector to pay his. A writ has at once been issued for a new election. The Bill to amend the Volunteer Act, 1865, which was passed through all its stages in the House last night, consists only of eight clauses. The first is the short title of the Bill; the second provides that volunteer corps may acquire land for the purposes of rifle or artillery practice, and that licenses may be grouted to volunteer corps for tbe use of Crown lands ; these lands are to be vested in the commanding officers of the corps, and regulations may be framed respecting them. Miss Bosa Towers, with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Towers, and Mr. C. H. Burford returned yesterday from their short but successful tomthrough the Wairarapa district. The public will doubtless bo pleased to hear that they will have another opportunity of witnessing the clever acting of this talented and'engaging little lady, who has made herself such a favorite wherever she has appeared. It is the intention of Mr. Towers to arrange for a few performances, prior to their departure for Melbourne, by tlie Tararua, on the 28th instant, the dates of which will be duly announced. Members of the Grif Dramatic Company appeared at the Odd Fellows’ Hall last night, in “ The Crown Prince,” and the farce entitled “A Kiss in tho Dark.” Although there was a very poor attendance the pieces were well played, the performers making the jnost of what little there ■ls in them. Miss Jessie Raymond and Mr. Egerton danced the double Highland fling very nicely and received wellmerited apiplause. That these performers should aunounce themselves as tho Grif Company is rather strange, as the title was taken from tho original play of that name, when Miss Bosa Towers was playing it, and as it cannot be played without her, the appropriation of the title is somewhat out of placb. The company appear again to-night at the Hall. There was a good house again at the Theatre Boyal hast evening, when Loyal’s Troupe gave one of then- best entertainments. Mdlme. Zuila, on the single trapeze, was exceedingly clever, and with Mr. Loyal on the double trapeze, in the perilous too drop, she was loudly applauded. Some good changes were made iu the programme, and Miss Shapter’s dancing was deservedly encored, whilst Mr. McLean’s Highland fling and jigs were dancing in the full sense of the word. Mr. Verletti’s act on the flying treble trapeze was really wonderful, and his somersaults in tho air, catching tho swinging bar as ho came down, fairly carried away the spectators, who heartily cheered the performance. To-night another change of programme will be given, and Mr. George Loyal will perform his sensational feat of riding a velocipede across a tight wire stretched from tho dress circle to the back of tho stage. The act is certainly the most daring and startling one that has ever been attempted in the Colonies; yet it is performed with such ease and coolness that the danger is lost sight of by the spectators. The performance has caused an immense sensation wherever it has been given, and there will doubtless be a crowded house to-night to witness it, Some figures which we quoted yesterday from the census returns were made to represent the population of towns, whereas they applied to electoral districts, including the, towns which were mentioned.

A coal seam, twenty feet thick, has been discovered, only a, mile from Reeftou, The first steam-engine manufactured in Southland has ■ just been produced at Mr. Jabez Hay’s foundry, Invercargill. Two monster leg-bones of moas have been found in a tributary of the Clarence river, in the Province of Marlborough. Mr. Joe Small is again in active service on the stage. He is now performing in Invercargill, where he has been heartily received. The monthly inspection of the Wellington Veteran and Cadet Corps, is appointed to take place at the Artillery Drill Shed, on Monday evening.

Miss Clara Stephenson’s Comedy and Burlesque Company have been performing in Blenheim—with moderate success in a pecuniary sense, says the Times. Mr. McMahon, landlord of the Moanataiari Hotel, Thames, was lately out shooting, when the gun burst where he grasped it, and mutilated his fingers. It is understood that Mr. Whitefoord, Goldfields Warden in the Grey Valley, retires on September 30 from the duties which he has so efficiently fulfilled since his appointment to the office.

The Bruce Herald gives an account of a shocking case of cruelty to a horse at Baidutha. It appears that the animal was literally flogged to death in the public streets, under pretence of breaking it in to harness. The sugar crop in Fiji is described as excellent, and it is expected by one writer on the subject that these islands will soon compete with Mauritius and Honolulu in the New Zealand markets.

A reputed cUscoverer of “perpetual motion,” who lately applied to Warden Brice, of Okarito, for a patent for his invention, has recently been endeavoring to enlist the sympathies of residents of Hokitika, but apparently without much success.

It is stated in the columns of a Dunedin contemporary that the entire population of the Fair Isle, situated between the Orkney and Shetland Islands, is about to leave for New Zealand. The population numbers from 200 to 300 souls.

Mr. Martin Lightband of Nelson, in a letter to the Colonist, charges the Provincial Government with “ extravagance and mismanagement " in connection with the gasworks in that city, and deprecates the City Council taking over the works, and saddling the ratepayers with a heavy annual loss.

The Californian Minstrels announce their intention, in another column, of opening for a season at the Odd Fellows’ Hall here about the 29th inst. Both in Australia and in parts of this Colony, where they have performed, these minstrels are spoken very highly of. It is not only in the farces and amusing business that they excel, but there are several voices of rare excellence amongst them, and these, assisted by capital choruses, a point which the company is particularly good in, render some very nice selections. The orchestra includes some firstrate musicians, and altogether the entertainment is a most attractive one. Doubtless the talent of the Company will be as well appreciated in Wellington as it has been elsewhere. In an article on the subject of the employment of immigrants at Timaru, the Herald says :—“As regards the subject of the whole discussion, we can only say that from all quarters we hear the cry for labor. Mr. Tripp’s letter in our columns this morning echoes it; and the justice of it is confirmed by the evidence of the immigration officer, who, beset by contractors and employers of all kinds, has asked the Government to send 150 men as quickly as possible, and has asked in vain ; and who, from his undoubtedly reliable experience, is convinced that, as soon as larger barrack accommodation is provided, three or four shiploads of suitable immigrants would readily be absorbed in the district, with mutual benefit to themselves and the inhabitants.”