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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4210, 17 September 1874, Page 2

The s.s. City of Melbourne, with the outward English mail from Sydney, arrived at Kandavau on the sth instant, after a smart run of six days and a few hours, notwithstanding severe weather. She sailed again on the same day, being' one day in advance of contract time. The Macgregor, as anticipated, sailed from Auckland for Sydney at midnight on Tuesday. The Lima left Manukau for Taranaki and Wellington with the mails at the same time. One of the items of news by the telegrams via the Bluff yesterday was, that mails. via Brindisi and San Francisco reached London on the same day—the 31st ultimo. These mails, we suppose, were those which left Wellington on the 3rd of July, by way of Suez, and which thus reached London in contract time ; and those which should have left this City,on the 2nd of July, and were due in London on the 21st of August. For once the fortunate Albion appears to have been unsuccessful in her mission. She carried a supplementary mail for transmission via Suez, on her last trip from New Zealand to Victoria. It was a question of minutes, rather than of hours, as to whether she would reach Hobson’s Bay in time to intercept the outgoing steamer. From this port to Hokitika Captain Underwood managed moat successfully, and, that he might not run the risk of detention oft’ Hokitika, he landed his passengers,, mails, &c., for that port by the tender at Greymouth. Had the Albion met with her usual good luck, she would have reached Port Phillip Heads, if not Hobson’s Bay, before the mhil steamer passed out; but a telegram from Queenscliif, which the Otago must have received just as sie was starting, states that the Albion only reached the Heads on the 10th, having been delayed by an aoci, dent to her rudder. The date of the departure of the mail steamer from, Melbourne was the Bth instant, and-therefore the supplementary mail was, for once, too late. We omitted to mention yesterday that we were indebted to the Press Agency for the telegraphic report' of- Mr. Vogel’s speech at Auckland. As we have occasionally indulged in a growl at the Agency, we may take this opportunity of saying that it deserves every credit for the smartness which it displayed in reporting the Premier on this occasion. Mr. Vogel must have spoken until between nine and ten o’clock, and at eleven wo received some seven or eight hundred rVords, of what appears to bo a very good report, and the whole was finished by midnight. It would be unfair to the Telegraph Department not to add that the message was transmitted very smartly and with remarkable accuracy. It will be seen from the telegrams published in another column that there is is no danger of the Californian mail service collapsing, although it may not be carried on by Mr. Hall. The Government of New South Wales has arranged for the despatch of the mails for the next two or three months—we presume through the A.S.N. Company; and their first ship, .the City of Melbourne, has begun well, by gaining a day in the first stage of her voyage. It will also be noticed that the Mikado reached San Francisco on the 30th of August, or one day before contract dato._ The Macgregor will reach Sydney in ample time to get ready to take away the next outward mail from that port, and wo may set it down as not improbable that sho will proceed by way of Auckland and Honolulu in place of by way of Kandavau. The Otago is reported to have on board no fewer than sixty-one valuable horses. If no mistake has occurred in the number, the comparative length of' the Otago’s passage is explained, for with such ft freight it would be Captain McLean’s object to make an easy rather than a fast passage. Presuming that the telegram is correct, we may further ooserve that probably the greater number of the horses are for this port. By the Claud Hamilton, on her last trip to Melbourne, Mr. Hastwell, of Greytown, was a_ passenger,' his purpose being to buy in Victoria and Tasmania a number of-first-class horses for road and country purposes. We saw from the last Melbourne newspapers that he had visited Tasmania, and in all probability the Otago brings a consignment of .stock for tho Wairarapa. Her human passengers for Wellington are— Messrs. Leslie, Wilson, David, Salter, and Macarshun, and four in the steerage. His Excellency’s yacht left her moorings yesterday shortly, after one o’clock, with Sir James Fergusson on board, and went up the harbor before a light air from the north-west, which afterwards passed into almost a lighter wind from the south-east. The yacht stood over towards Lawrie Bay, and when last noticed was under the laud there. It is stated that His Excellency will make a visit to Picton, the Sounds and Nelson, before returning to Wellington.

Yesterday, at thq Police Court, the Bench was occufnecl by the Resident Magistrate, who disposed of the small amount of business on his way through to the ordinary weekly sitting of the Hutt Court. 'The b.B. Otago arrived at the Bluff at six o’clock yesterday morning, having left Melbourne on the afternoon of .the 10th instant. She .brings an extraordinary number of passengers, a large cargo, and many horses and prize rams. She may he looked for here on Saturday or Sunday, and is announced to sail again on Monday for Melbourne. An accident occurred on the Karori road on Tuesday nighty by which a man named Frederick Gill met his death. It appears from tho evidence given at an inquest held yesterday afternoon before the City Coroner, Ur, Johnson, that the unfortunate man was last seen-alive at about half-past six by a person named Weight, who keeps a grocer’s shop in Tiuakori Road, and who stated that Gill was sober at that time. About half-past seven a carpenter named Clark was going along the Karori Road, and, when at a place about a mile , and a-half from where tho deceased was last seen, he heard a noise like something falling ; on proceeding a little farther, he came upon a cart lying on its broadside, and evidently recently capsized. There was a horse in the shafts lying down quiet, and under the animal was Gill, with tho shaft of the cart pressed across his face and chest. Clai k tried to extricate the poor man, who was then quite insensible, but without success ; he next procured assistance, and the horse was taken off the deceased, and the latter put in the cart and taken towards Wellington. Ur. Grace, who had been sent for, met them and examined Gill, whom he found to be* quite dead. On arriving at the Morgue the doctor made a further medical examination, and found a contusion on the right eyebrow, and one on the right side of the face across the upper jaw ; on tho left side, at the hack of the head, there was a large bruise, as if the scalp had been pressed hard upon the road. , There were no other'indications of injury. According to the medical evidence the deceased must have been lodged oh the left side of the head, with the " right eyebrow and jaw up, when he received the injuries ; and the latter must have, been caused -by the shaft, of the cart falling across the face, jaw, and upper part of the thorax. It 'was the opinion of Dr. Grace that death was caused by strangling. There was no evidence to show in what manner the accident occurred ; and whether the man fell asleep in the cart, and the horse wandered off the. proper track, or whether the animal became restive or shied, so upsetting the vehicle in a place where the road is very narrow and sided by a steep bank, can only be surmised. The jury returned a verdict of “accidental death,” in accordance with the evidence. . ' ■ A letter signed “Stroke Oar” requests an answer to the following query, on which a bet depends : “Is any man who has won money offered for public competition at boat-racing, a professional ?” He is not. If such was the rule there would he very few lona fide amateurs. The question, however, is attracting much attention, and causing considerable discussion just now, as to the proper definition of the term “ amateur,” both in England and Australia. At present the acceptance of the term is—a naan who does not gain his living by plying for hire in a boat, or otherwise working for pay upon the water. Of course, a man who rows a match, or matches, for money, whether he wins or not, is a professional. As an instance of the excessively severe winter we are experiencing, but of which it is to he sincerely hoped we have 'seen the worst, we need not go farther for a subject than the price of butcher’s moat in Wellington, about which complaints have of late been so loud. Eat cattle which last year were bought by the trade at £7 10s. per head are now costing them £l2 10s., a rise of £s,' and very scarce at that. This immense increase in price and scarcity of supply is caused by the want of grass, occasioned by the unusual severity of the season. On one station in the Wairarapa district, from which 300 head were usually lifted during the winter, a muster was lately made with a view of drafting a supply for the butcher, and only 30 head could be found fat or fit to'kill. The district mentioned had hitherto been capable of supplying the wants, of tile Wellington market; but this winter some’ of the trade have been compelled to go to Fatea, on the West Coast of the Island, for meat. It can scarcely be wondered, then, that the article is so high in price here. • *

Yesterday afternoon. Inspector Atcheson noticed a map having some little trouble with a horse attached to a loaded dray, and as the animal either would not—or could not—draw the load, the driver took him out of the shafts, as the Inspector thought, to put a fresh horse in, or lighten the burden; but such was not the case, for the unfeeling ruffian —he can be called nothing else—immediately procured" a large heavy piece of wood, and commenced beating the poor beast most unmercifully. The officer went over and remonstrated with him; but' the only reply was, that “ the horse should not get the best of him, and he'd do as he d d well pleased with him.” He was warned- that if he did not desist, he would be arrested; which course was at last found necessary, and the accomplishlneut of which caused a pretty sharp tussel, as the fellow was strong and heavy. Ho was afterwards brought-up at the Police Court, before the Mayor and Mr. Dransfield, J.P., and charged with cruelty to animals. Their Worships inflicted the comparatively light penalty of £1 and costs. Unfortunately, the' full penalty for this offence is only 405.; hut the application, of the “cat” to some of the curs who so ill-use dumb animals would have a more salutary effect. The punishment of flogging is for few offences so richly deserved. In Australia, particularly in Melbourne at present, both the police and the public are taking active measures towards the suppression of such gross inhumanity, and in most instances, where the' offenders are brought before the Bench the Magistrates are very properly seconding their efforts by inflicting the fullest penalty the law allows. Although traffic with horses in this town ip scarcely sufficiently extensive to, call for the formation of a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, it is to bo hoped that the public will invariably show no hesitation in assistiug the police in their very praiseworthy efforts towards the suppression of brutality ; and that the fullest information will he given on every opportunity, as instances occur. Cruelty to auimals consists in working horses with raw shoulders and other sores, or ia low and weak condition, as much as in unmercifully beating them. It is to be hoped" that the example made yesterday of the fellow, probably calling himself a man, named James Jones, will have, a wholesome effect, and show that the offence cannot be committed with impunity. -A well-known member of the _ bar, whilst severely cross-examining an applicant for his discharge in the Bankruptcy Court yesterday, received a~very brief, if not satisfactory, reply to some of his inquiries from the insolvent, who, from the “voreign indouatiou mit vich he spoake de English language, could not well be mistaken for an Irishman. “What property had you previously te going .into business'!” inquired the barrister, "be same as vot I’ve got now,” replied the bankrupt. “Ah 1 and what may that bo pray?” continued the legal gentleman. “Nqtmgs, quietly responded the questioned individual. The barrister changed the line of inquuy, amidst a general laugh, which was not confined to the floor of the Court, and m which he good-naturedly joined. The Wanganui papers are rejoicing over the number of immigrants who are now finding their way to that portion of the Province. Those who have been sent up there, from among the nnmher who came out by the Strathnaver, ftro’reported as men of “a very good stamp. No difficulty appears to have been experienced in finding them employment, excepting in .a few cases where the number of children was large, but oven these" families were likely to be quickly provided for. Complaint is made that no single women are sent up. Mr. Thornton, actor and scenic artist, has lately been giving a series of performances at Patea, Hawera, and Waihi, assisted by his daughter Amy, and other- members of a dramatic company, small but good.

A lamp has at last been erected on the Corporation wharf at Wanganui. It is worth noting, by those who go down AVanganui-wards in ships, that while the lamp will show a bright light oh all sides towards the town, it will exhibit a red light to the approach by the river. A minute incident in the experience of immigrants is thus related by the Wanganui ■Herald of the 10th iust :—“The immigrants who were sent out yesterday to Bulls returned to town, after waiting five hours at the Toll .Bar. One of the horses of the conveyance broke down at 10 a.m., and the man who had been engaged to take the immigrants came back to town for another horse. The immigrants waited on the roadside till three o’clock and then came back. Two hours afterwards the driver made his appearance with the horse.” The Herald sagely adds : “4- more responsible person ought to be selected iu future to convey the supply of labor to the country districts ; though it may have been impossible to know that in the present case the work would .not be satisfactorily performed.”