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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4268, 24 November 1874, Page 2

Arrangements have been made by the Government, we learn, under which the s.s. Albion will carry a supplementary English mail to Melbourne, which she will be able to tranship there to the Suez steamer. The Albion will remain twelve hours at Lyttelton, and twelve hours in this port, to enable the letters she brings to he replied to at once. The Albion is expected to reach Wellington at an early hour on Thursday morning, and she will sail again at six o’clock p.m., the mail closing at five o’clock p.m. At Nelson the steamer will make but little delay, probably going in and out on the same tide. The Albion will start from this port a day before the San Francisco steamer will leave Auckland. The first stage of the Strathnaver case was got through yesterday, after an eight hours’ sitting, Only two witnesses were examined—Captain Doile and Mr. Dicker (chief officer of the Stormbird) —both of whom were subjected to a very searching cross-examination by Mr. Travers. There are forty-nine witnesses on the list to be called, but it is probable that as soon as the main facts have been deposed to the number of deponents will he considerably reduced. Even then the case will last several days, and in view of the fact that the expenses have already been very considerable, His Honor intimated his willingness to sit till halfpast five each evening, with the object of lessening the duration of the proceedings. The evidence of Captain Doile will be found elsewhere. From Saturday until Sunday morning, very little alteration of pressure took place, but on that afternoon a fall of the barometer set in over the whole extent of country lying between Napier and the Bluff ; this movement was particularly rapid in the more southern parts of the Middle Island. At the Bluff the barometer fell 6TO between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ; at Balclutha, the same amount between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ; at Oamaru, nearly 9’lo between 8.30 a.m. on Sunday, and 3.30 a.m. on Monday. Between Sunday and Monday morning the barometer at Queenstown fell 4TO ; at Timaru, C'10; at Bealey and Lyttelton, STO; at Kaikoura, nearly 6TO ; at Blenheim, 4TO ; at Hokitika, 4TO ; at Wellington, nearly 4 - 10 ; and at Napier, about 2TO. Gales from north-west were felt at all these places with the exception of Port Chalmers, where the wind was from the north-eastward. A heavy thunderstorm passed over Cambridge, in Waikato, on Saturday afternoon, and one also occurred at Queenstown, Otago, about the same time. Similar storms were observed at Nelson and Opunake yesterday morning, and about 1.10 p.m. a bright flash of lightning, accompanied by a peal of thunder of considerable duration, passed over this city. The weather in the north from Saturday to Monday morning was mostly fine and clear, but later in the day there were evidences of an approaching change in it, which promised to be as marked in character as that which has already occurred in the South. After formally opening the Vice-Admiralty Court yesterday morning, Mr. Crawford disposed of the following business in the Resident Magistrate’s Court:—James Neill,forvagrancy, was remanded for a week. James Wilson, who was apprehended on a warrant from Picton, was ordered to he forwarded to the police at that place. Captain Wilson, of The Douglas, charged three seamen belonging to his vessel with desertion. They left the ship on Saturday evening last, and were found on board tho American barque Oneco yesterday morning. All three pleaded guilty to the charge, and sentences of fourteen days’ imprisonment with hard labor were recorded against them. The following produce telegram has been reoived from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., dated Loudon, 12th November :—“ The wool sales will close on the 4th proximo. Up to date 80,000 bales have arrived. For lamb’s wool the market is easier. Tallow, less trade demand ; market quiet. Preserved Meats.-—Boiled beef, without hone, in 21b. tins, worth 7Jd. per lb., and in fair trade demand. The wheat market is fiat. New Zealand hemp continues dull. Sales of kauri gum ; stock according to last return, 1000 tons.” What is supposed to have been a decided case of “ Shanghaeing ” has occurred here, in connection with the American barque Oneco. She had come up from Port Chalmers chiefly with a crew engaged for the run, who left the vessel here. The ship was hound for Nelson, and it was found difficult to obtain men for her here. On Saturday night three men belonging to The Douglas were missed. It was suspected that they were on hoard the Oneco, hut when tho police visited that ship they found no gangway, and as the ship rode very high in the water they were then unable to get on board to make a search. Yesterday forenoon they were able to board her, and found the missing men with their bags in the hold. Of course nobody on board the Oneco knew they were there, or how they got on board. They were brought ashore and dealt with in the Magistrate’s Court, and the Oneco went to sea in the afternoon. An unusual sight was presented in the harbor this afternoon, about four o’clock, when the p.s. Luna, on her voyage to the Manukau, steamed down the harbor towing the Halcione, for London, and the barque Oneco, for Nelson. Both vessels were lying far up the harbor, close to Te Aro beach, the Halcione having dragged her anchor for some distance in the late heavy weather. That ship went down as far as Pipitea Point, off which she again anchored ; but the Oneco, which Imd set must of her staysails and jibs, stood for the entrance when the tow-rope was cast off, and went outside. The weather was unfavorable yesterday for the performance of Skellie's feat of running ten miles within an hour. The rain and wind of the forenoon, and early part of the afternoon, discouraged visitors, and the sport, therefore, was postponed until this afternoon, at six o'clock—an hour which will enable men who have been at work all day to witness tho race against time. The tea-meeting in connection with the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Primitive Methodist Church, Syduey-street, will take place to-morrow evening in the schoolroom. At seven o’clock the public meeting will be held in the church, and Jonas Woodward, Esq., will take the chair. In addition to the resident minister, the Rev. J. Staudriu, from South Australia, will add to the interest of the meeting, and the valuable assistance of the ministers of several of our city churches has been promised. Some good music may be expected from tho choir. Two young men who had gone on a fishing excursion on Sunday morning last, were reported as missing by their friends yesterday. Fears for their safety were, however, allayed by the welcome intelligence that they had succeeded in reaching Penoarrow lighthouse, where they were safely lodged during Sunday night. They intend returning to town by their own boat as soon as tho weather proves favorable. It will be seen from our advertising columns that tho monthly inspection parade for the town volunteers has been postponed to Thursday next, owing to the funeral of the late Mr. Hunt, a member of the Veteran Corps, whose sudden death we noticed in our issue of yesterday.

In the Court of Appeal yesterday the appeals in the cases Russell v. Sealey and Vincent v. James were dismissed. Burns v. the Otago and Southland Investment Company was gone on with, Mr. Smith’s argument for the plaintiff occupying the entire day. At the monthly meeting of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge of Fremasona, held last evening at the Masonic Hall, Boulcott-street. Bro. C. M. Igglesden was elected W.M for the ensuing year. Bro. Lambert was elected treasurer. “ Some time ago we had occasion,” says the Otago Guardian, “to reprimand the Hawke's Bay Times for inserting a foolish attack (emanating from Wellington) on the Guardian newspaper. But there are some people who never know when they should have the grace to apologise, and the Wellington correspondent of our contemporary is one of these. He returns to his nastiness, and, by a skilful admixture of the suppressio veri and the suggestio falsi, he tries to make it apparent that Mr. Vogel has a financial interest in the Guardian, and that therefore he has some ‘influence in determining and controlling its politics.’ Once for all, we pronounce this to be an absolute and unmitigated falsehood. Mr. Vogel has not and never had a shilling invested in the Otago Guardian ; and, for that matter, there is not in New Zealand a newspaper more free from political control of any kind than that wherewith we have. the honor to be connected. We have no expectation of silencing the propagators of these scandals ; but, having now spoken, no further notice will be taken of their puny gossip.”