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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4269, 25 November 1874, Page 2

The steamer Wellington, with the Southern portion of the San Francisco mail on hoard, will arrive here' early to-morrow morning. The steamer Taranaki arrived at Lyttelton at eleven yesterday morning, with the Canterbury portion of the Suez mail on board. She is not expected in this port before Thursday morning. In the Court of Appeal yesterday Mr. Smith continued his argument in the case Burns v. the Otago and Southland Investment Company. His Honor Mr. Justice Gresson acted as Chief Justice in the absence of Sir Geoi’ge Arney. The number of witnesses in the Strathnaver case is rapidly being reduced. Yesterday seven of the witnesses for the salvors contributed their quota to the heap of evidence already taken, their statements being strongly £5Ol a fferofe nesses examined were three of the crew of the Strathnaver, but as their evidence appears elsewhere it is needless to comment upon it. There remain about twenty-five witnesses on the salvors’ list to be examined, but the monotonous sameness of the evidence already taken renders it doubtful that they will all be called. The other side have twenty-nine witnesses to produce, and these likewise will be thinned out when the main features of the case for the owners of the ship have been made clear to the Court. There seems every probability that the case will last a week, although His Honor is making every endeavor to shorten the number of days by holding long sittings. The remains of Mr. Charles W. Hunt, of the Wellington Veterans, who died at the Hutt on Sunday last, were followed to their last resting-place there yesteiday afternoon. Nearly all the deceased’s comrades attended the funeral, besides several members of the Wellington Artillery, Scottish Volunteers, and a number of Foresters, of which body deceased was a member. The cortege left the residence of the deceased’s uncle at four o'clock, headed by the Veteran band, which played the “Dead March in Saul,” and “Beethoven’s mournful march,” alternately. The corpse was interred in the Wesleyan burial ground. The funeral procession was tho largest ever witnessed at the Hutt, quite 150 persons paying their last tribute of respect to the deceased. The town volunteers returned by the 6.30 p.m. train, and marched through the town headed by their band, which played some lively music till their arrival at the drillshed, when they dispersed homewards. The Literary Association in connection with St. John’s Presbyterian Church 'intend to give a social reunion in the schoolroom' attached to that church on Monday evening .next. The entertainment will be varied with vocal and instrumental music, recitations, short addresses, &c. Tea will he provided by Mr. Dixon, of Cnba-street, and placed on tho table at halfpast six o'clock p.m. This association has done a great deal of good in drawing out the latent talent of the young men of the. congregation. It is anticipated that the evening will be one of a moat enjoyable character. “ The People’s” sweep on tho Wellington Cup was drawn last evening at Maginity’s Royal Hotel, in presence of a numerous gathering of subscribers. The fortunate numbers were : 78—Guy Fawkes ... G. Lawlor 88—Premier F. Lessington 144—Voltaire ... ... C. McKirdy 394—Batter ... ... Rutledge 399—Wainui ... ... J. H. Wallace 414—Tambonrini ... Jeffrey As already announced, Batter has been killed, and Wainui is scratched for tho race, but tho drawers of these horses each receive .£3 (is. out of tlie money subscribed. Tambonrini is the favorite, although he carries within 11b. of 10st., and gives Guy Fawkes nearly 3st. Tho latter is, however, regarded as a formidable rival. The Odd Fellows have arranged that they will as usual have a marine excursion on Boxing Day. They have engaged the steamers Manawatu and Stonnbird for the occasion, and have arranged with Mr. Elliot to ho allowed tho use of the immigrants’ buildings on Somes Island on that day. As there is now A good pier at tho island, alongside which the steamers can lie, there will be no difficulty in landing tho excursionists ; and as music will he provided, a dance will bo possible both on tho‘ green sward and in tho buildings. It is not anticipated that tho arrangements will be interfered with by tho use of tho buildings being required for immigrants suffering from illness, as no vessel is expected to arrive about that time. These annual excursions have always been much appreciated, and no doubt will bo so on this occasion. Tho Superintendent of Auckland, Mr. Williamson, and Mr. Sheehan, tho Provincial Secretary, have been on a visit to Sir George Grey, at Kawau. ‘ Wo are not surprised to learn, as we do from “ Tahito” in tho Australasian, that little Miss Rosa Towers has created quite a sensation in Sydney. “ Tho profoundest astonishment,” are the terms employed, at her cleverness.

Throughout the paragraph we published yesterday as to the readings of the barometer on the previous day, an unfortunate error prevails. By the use of decimal points the fall appears recorded in inches, instead of tenths of inches. The mistake-was too obvious to mislead any readers.

An Auckland journal mentions that the adapter of the new play “ Cigarette,” lately performed at the Theatre Royal here, is Mrs. C. P. Searle, who is favorably known in that city as an actress, and who was lately a member of Mr. Collier’s company there. The following tenders have been received for the erection of a bridge across the Silver Stream:—Meager and Percy, £279 12s. 6d., accepted; Thomas Orr, £345, declined; Rountree and Russell, £375, declined. The Canterbury papers continue to report in the highest possible terms of the performances of the English Opera Troupe at Christchurch. All the leading artists are praised, and the progress Mr. Hallam has made since his previous visit is noticed and approved. Mr. Templeton is also highly complimented and congratulated on the success he has achieved in the parts that were formerly in the hands of Mr. Rainford. Altogether, the company appears to have been unusually successful in Canterbury.

There was an excellent muster of spectators —most of whom, however, were on the wrong side of the fence to be of any service in a financial view to the runner—to witness Skellic perform the feat of running ten miles within an hour. The place appointed was the Basin Reserve ; and at half-past six Skellie started. So as not entirely to disappoint the few who had assembled within the enclosure, he decided to run five miles within thirty minutes, which was successfully accomplished, the distance being covered in 2Smin, BOsec., or with Imin. 30sec. to spare. Skellie, it is announced in another column, is open to run any person in the colony any distance from one to ten miles for any sum from £lO to £SO. We should add that much credit is due to Delaney, Skellie*s trainer, for the excellent condition in which he brought his man to the ground. The Melbourne correspondent of the Hamilton Spectator —the leading journal of the Western district of Victoria—writes as follows on the Constitutional question now being discussed in tins colony. We may add that the writer is one whose opinions are of some value, and who has had an opportunity of observing closely the working of provincial institutions in this colony:—“While referring to New Zealand, I must confess I was not a little astonished the other day to read Sir George Grey’s protest against Mr. Vogel’s proposed extinction of the Provincial Governments, for it appeared to me to be the crowning act of his mission. Eor years they had been the bane of the General Government, interpos:ng innumerable obstacles to all really great undertakings, as was most notably illustrated at the last moment in the matter of forest reserves. Never at any time were they a real necessity, but now, when the telegraph permeates both islands, and railways will soon unite their several sections, there can remain no further pretext for provincialism, and one cannot see the utility of carping at the mode of carrying out the work once its expediency has been settled.” The following extract from an English newspaper should possess more than usual interest here, where wood is so extensively used in the buildings, public and private, of the city : Some experiments have been recently made at “Devonport Dockyard, by order of the Admiralty, to test a method of rendering wood uninflammable, by saturating it with tungstate of soda. It has been clearly shown that the prepared wood is, under all circumstances, much less readily inflammable than ordinary wood, and that prepared timber steadfastly resists mere flame, although it may be made to burn when acted on continuously by great heat. The cost of preparation and the largely increased weight of the prepared wood are disadvantages to be set against these, advantages. Before Dr. Jones, the patentee, receives from the Admiralty the largo sum C ! IC •'At,™ ills patent, fiu-tb- fUI be orcleretl, whicTi the jjorus or the Admiralty will themselves witness.”

Many of our readers, and especially those ou the West Coast, will remember the enterprising merchant and steam-tug owner referred to in the annexed paragraph, which we quote from the letter of “ ASgles” in the Australasian of the 7th instant :—•“ Poor old Throck ! Many a ’52 colonist will read with a pang of regret of the death at the distant Queensland diggings of C. L. Throckmorton. Pew men have had greater vicissitudes of fortune. His sanguine temperament made the experience of past reverses valueless to him. He always saw the silver lining without the cloud. I never knew him without a certain fortune just three months ahead. And sometimes he came very near. A merrier companion there could not be, and even those who suffered through his over-sanguineness could never be really angry with him. His widow has undertaken a business iu Melbourne to enable her to maintain her young family, and without lowering her self-respect a considerate public may do much, to aid her by according her their patronage.” Colonel Gorton, the Government Inspector of Stores of the Colony, has been paying his annual visit of inspection to all the departments of the General Government. On Friday afternoon last, says the Southland Times, he minutely inspected all the Government property at the Immigration Barracks, and, with the assistance of the barrack master, Mr. Lillicrap, on evei’ythiug that was not already marked the brand was duly fixed. The Inspector expressed himself well pleased with all the arrangements and the well kept condition of the establishment. The fact reflects credit on the depot master, considering there has now been between thirteen and fourteen hundred immigrants at diffei’ent periods located there. The barracks are now empty, and there is a great demand for labor. Men for the railway works are not to he got, nor single men for sawmills, though wages are high. For ploughmen and general farm and domestic servants applications we hear are numerous. Married men with families, even ploughmen with wives able to milk, wash, and cook, however, are objected to, the farmers having no accommodation for them. This drawback on the part of our settlers seems to be, and indeed is, a great misfortune. We would strongly urge on them if they want labor to. erect some dwelling places in the vicinity of their homesteads, and not throw out good workmen on this account.