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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4253, 6 November 1874, Page 2

It is stated that during his late visit to the North the Hon. the Commissioner of Gu stoms was able, in his interviews with the natives, to remove the difficulties in the way of the extension of the electzic telegraph between Opunaki and Stoney River, and also the opposition shown by some of the natives of Taranaki to the erection of a lighthouse on Cape Egmont. Mr. Hastwell, of Greytown, the proprietor of the Wellington and Masfcerton coaches, is about to run a new coach from Greytown to the Kutt railway station, starting in the morning, and returning from the Hutt in the afternoon. A resident of Greytown will thus be able to leave his home in the morning, spend an hour or two in business in Wellington, and be home again in the evening. Eight years ago, says the Wairarapa Standard, a spring trap was sufficient to accommodate the traffic of the Wairarapa, which now requires three coaches.

Mr. District Judge Weston proceeds from Napier to the West Coast, where he will preside in the Westland Courts. So little has the Court at Napier found to do that the local journals recommend that no successor should be appointed, and thus £7OO a-year be saved. In the Rasident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, four seamen were charged by Captain Kuth, of the Helen Denny, with breaches of various sections of the Merchant Shipping Act. Edward Coghlin, for assaulting Captain Ruth, was sentenced to twelve weeks' imprisonment ; Thomas Driscoll and Edward Coghlin, for refusing duty whilst the ship was in charge of Pilot Holmes, off Baring Head, were sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment, and ordered to days' pay ; and Alex. Tate, Thos. Driscoll, and John Donovan, were sentenced to twelve weeks' imprisonment and ordered to forfeit six days' pay, for neglecting duty during an earlier part of the voyage. The cases arose out of the disputes common between seamen and officers of ships, the evidence therefore possesses no particular interest. Joseph Higgie, for a breach of the Impounding Act, was fined Is. and costs. James Lorimer, charged with being illegally on the premises of the Hon. W. B. Ehodes, was dismissed with n caution. In the following caees heard in the Besident Magistate's Court yesterday, judgments were given for plaintiffs for amounts claimed and costs: —H. 11.I 1 . Logan v. J. Chance, claim £2 Is. Bd.; H. E. Logan v. G. Alprey, claim £2 lis. 6d.; M. A. Phelps v. J. Carroll, claim £6. It has now been definitely arranged that Sir Donald McLean shll be entertained by his constituents at a public dinner in Napier on the 10th instant. The j>eople of Napier are anxious that Sir Donald should pay them the compliment of addressing them before he leaves the district, and doubtless he will do so on that occasion. With regard to the Native Minister's administration of the affairs of his department the Bay of Plenty Times writes : —" Since Sir Donald's advent to office in 1869, a sense of security has pervaded the out districts, and 13 increasing yearly—simply from the fact that he is Native Minister. We remember perfectly well that, »ome six or seven years ago, few Natives were to be seen in European townships—now all is changed, and the utmost good feeling exists between the settlers and their dusky neighbors. Interchanges of hospitality are the rule and not the exception. Under these circumstances, and recognising the Native Minister as the primary agent in the promotion of this better state of things, it is not to be wondered at even if this mere report of his probable departure from the colony, the waste plains of which his native policy has enabled Europeans to transform into smiling pastures, should cause anxiety round many a bush hearth. Having nothing more reliable to depend upon than Dame Kumor, we feel perfectly justified in coming to the conclusion that Fiji will not have for its first Governor the man New Zealand cannot spare yet awhile." The N.Z.S.S. Company have laid on the s.s. Wellington to carry excursionists to the Canterbury races, which take place on the 10th, 11th, and 13th instant. The fares for the occasion have been considerably reduced, and the attractions of the trip arc added to by the fact that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association Show, the finest exhibition of the kind in New Zealand, will be held on an intermediate day, the 12th. The Wellington loaves on Sunday morning at ten o'clock, and being the favorite amongst the company's vessels she is sure to be crowded. The piscators of Wellington will >on Saturday afternoon have every chance of indulging their humor. From an advertisement in another column it will be seen that the steamer Stonnbird or Napier will proceed on a fishing excusion to the Heads on that day, and there anchor for an hour or so, to allow excursionists to try their hand with the lines. As this is acknowledged to be the best fishiug ground in the harbor, fish of all kinds being easily caught, there is no doubt that a comfortable number of excursionists will turn out. Although it is only a few days sinco tho ship Helen Dohny landed her immigrants at Napier they havo all already found employment. This speaks well for the prosperity of ; the province of Hawke's Bay. The management of tho Titanic Steel Company are proceeding vigorously, to recover calls due. About seventy persons who have omitted to pay will make their .appcaranco at court in a day or two, to show tho reason why.

It will be observed from, an announcement in another column that Monday next ■will be observed as a holiday by the Banks. Great complaint is made in Napier of unreasonable delay in the construction of the Napier and Paid Palci railway. Miss Aitken was a passenger to Wellington by the Rangatira yesterday. Amusements being a little overdone here just now, she proceeds to Dunedin in a few days. Visitors were numerous at the Museum yesterday. While excavation is going on, strangers will gain admission by a gate at the south end of the building".

An additional telegraph wire is now in course of erection between Wellington and Masterton, to free the existing wire far the Napier business. Mr. B. Levy yesterday offered by auction the right to erect booths,.&c, on the'Cricket Ground on Monday, but no bids were given. The booths will probably be let by tender. The correspondent of one of the Wanganui journals states that the law costs in the late libel cases heard in Wellington amount to not less than £592, although the damages were only £4O. The Stephenson-Burford troupe played the " Rose of Killarney" last evening to a very thin house. It is creditable to the performers *to say that the piece was got through spiritedly in the face of discouraging circumstances. But little movement of the barometer has taken place during the last twenty-four hours, though it still continues low in the South. The weather reports yesterday showed that the wind was strong at Blenheim and also at Bealey. Mr. P. Johnson, who met with an accident on board the Halcione on Wednesday, isprogressing as favorably as can be expected considering the severity of the injuries received, which are described by Dr. Diver as a comminuted fracture of the thigh, and several ribs broken.

There were not fewer than a hundred and ten children, we learn, present in the schoolhouse of Groytown on Tuesday morning last. The school, it is understood, was not intended to accommodate nearly so many pupils. The Jlatoke'a Bay Herald reports that Mr. McKirdy is pushing a-head with his contracts in connection with the railway and harbor at the Spit. An extra number of men has been put on within the past few days, and the work is advancing towards completion. The anniversary' dinner- of the Court Sir George Grey (No. 3118) of the Ancient Order of Odd Fellows, takes place at tho Commercial Hotel, on the evening of Monday, the 9th instant. Chair to be taken at half-past six o'clock.

In another column will be found a pretty full telegram respecting a petitionj'published in Auckland, yesterday afternoon by the Star, addressed by Sir George Grey to Mr. Williamson, the Superintendent of that province. It is quite as curious a document as those that have lately emanated from Sir George Grey. The Independent Order of Good Templars, we notice, intend to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Wales (9th instant), by a pic-nic in Mr. Phillips'paddock, at the Hutt. It is evident that there will be a rery strong muster of holiday-makers at the Hutt on Monday next. The reward for the capture of White, the missing auctioneer of Launceston, has, we see, been doubled. Mr. P. O. Fysh, a merchant of Hobarton, Treasurer of Tasmania, and a large creditor of several of the insolvent firms, has added a sum of £SO to the reward of that amount offered by Mr. Moton Moss, another creditor. The railway authorities, we observe, have made special arrangements for the traffic on the Prince of Wales' birthday (Monday next.) The ordinary time-table will be suspended, and trains will leave Wellington at 7.30, 10, and 11.30 a.m., and 2,4, and 7.30 p.m.; returning from the Hutt at the following hours—B.4s and 10.45 a.m., and 12.30, 3,5, and 9 p.m. It was mentioned a few days ago in connection with the accidental death of a waggon-drirer named Joseph Raison, on the Wairarapa road, that his life had been insured for some years in the Mutual Provident office, but that it was feared the policy (for £100) was vitiated by the non-payment of a premium due a short time before his death. It is stated—and the news has been received with great satisfaction in the Wairarapa district—that the directors of the company are likely to take a view of the case favorable to the widow.

The California Minstrels began their short season at the Odd Fellows' Hall last evening, and received au enthusiastic reception, though au unpleasant change in the weather interfered greatly with the attendance. The frequenters of the Hall are well acquainted with the character of the performance, which is of the highest standard of its particular kind. The racy humor of Messrs. Kelly and Sutton kept the audience in a hilarious mood, excepting when the feeling changed to genuine admiration of their clever double dances and songs. Mr. Amery, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Mavor, sang a number of ballads, which met with much appreciation, and, aided by Mr. Rockefeller, they sang the quartett chorus in' excellent style. Comic sketches and orchestral selections gave variety to the entertainment, which finished with an aimising farce, " The Lunatic Asylum," in which all the members of the company took part. Considering ■ the limited time the various members had at their disposal for preparation, the performance was surprisingly perfect. The Minstrels will during the remainder of the week, no doubt, produce some of their best farces, such as the " Trovatore," and also give some of those standard quartetts and glees for which they won such a favorable reputation during their last visit to Wellington. The Napier Daily Telegraph acknowledges the receipt of full files of the Maori journal Wananga, published at Pakowhai by Henri Tomoana, and edited by Mr. J. White. The last two numbers, dated the 10th and 24th inst., says the. Telegraph, "show a marked improvement on those previously issued, and a new feature in the publication has been instituted that cannot but prove advantageous. This consists in an English translation in a parallel column with the original Maori version. We are the more glad that this has been done, because, otherwise, persons ignorant of the Maori language would be apt to imagine the natives had started a newspaper to disseminate ideas at variance with the progress of European settlement and the advancement of the colony. The spirited proprietor has, on more than one occasion, proved his loyalty to the Crown." The Ifawhc's Bay Telegraph of the 30th ult. has the following:—"The contract between the N.Z.S.S. Company and the Government by which the Rangatira steamer makes weekly trips to Napier, Poverty Bay, and Wellington, expired on the 25th instant. We believe it is the intention of the company to continue the Rangatira in her present service, but instead of that steamer making weekly trips from Napier to Poverty Bay, she will only call in at that port once a fortnight. Castle Point, however, is to receive more attention than heretofore." We are glad to hear, writes the Ifawlcc's Bay Herald, that although the railway has only been opened for the short distance of twelve miles, nearly all the Bettlers on the plains have made arrangements to use it for the transportation of their wool to town, and yesterday (29th ult.) thirty-two bales arrived. The charges for carriage of goods ore much less than by the road, but wool is fixed at a higher rate than anything else. Ordinary merchandise is carried at the rate of 3s. per ton, but firewood, grain, iron, &c, are taken at the reduced rate of something less than 2s. per ton. There is also a terminal chai-gc for receipt and delivery of all goods of 3s. per ton. It will thus be seen that ordinary goods can be conveyed from Hastings to Napier—twelve miles—at 6s. per ton (3s. freight, and 3s. terminal charges). From Napier to Waipawa, forty miles, 13s. per ton (10s. freight, and 3s. terminal charges). Timber will be conveyed between Hastings and Napier at the rate of lid. per 100 feet. Wool pays nearly twice as ranch as timber, the

charge for its conveyance from Hastings to Napier being Is. 7d. per bale, but this is far less than it would cost if conveyed by road. We presume the authorities have charged wool highly because the woolowcers are rich, and can aii'ord to pay well for the accommodation. We are glad to see that the railway is being made use of in this way by the settlers on the plains, and the further the line is opened, the more useful and reproductive will it become.