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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4292, 22 December 1874, Page 2

The s.s. Phoebe, with the Suez mail, should arrive at an early hour this morning from Lyttelton, which port she reached yesterday morning at six o’clock. It will be observed that her now advertised hour of sailing for the North from this port is 4 p.m. The members of the City Council a meeting yesterday afternoon at the Provincial Chambers, when it was decided to call a public meeting for to-day, for the purpose of obtaining the co-operation of those citizens who desire to assist in celebrating the arrival of the Marquis of Normanby by a ball. The meeting takes place in the Provincial Council Hall, at four o’clock. An important auction sale of, land takes placo to-day in the offices of Messrs. Bethnne and Hunter. Fifteen thousand acres are to be offered, situated in the Manchester Block, Feilding settlement. There are 505-allotments, and full information can be had in the rooms respecting them. The sale commences at eleven o’clock. At a meeting of the governors of the Philosophical Institute, held yesterday, it was decided that Mr. Mackay's paper on the Sumner Moa Cave should be published in the Transactions of the Institute, together with Professor Haast’s protest against its publication, and Mr. Mackay’a remarks upon the protest. The meeting declined to nominate governors for the ensuing year, in consequence of the action taken by the General Government upon the recommendation made by the governors last year. Professor Wyville Thompson, F.R.S., Professor Alfred Newton, P.R.S. of Cambridge University, and Robert McLaohlan, Esq., F.L.S., were elected honorary members of the institute.

A fall o£ the barometer Bet in on Sunday at all places to the southward of Napier, more especially in the southern part of the Middle Island, where the glass fell very rapidly between Lyttelton and the Bluff. While this movement was in progress in the South, barometers north of Hawke’s Bay were generally rising, especially at Tauranga, where it moved up very fast after the violent thunderstorm of Saturday had passed off. This storm was also felt at Grahamstown, where it is described as having been very severe. Yesterday the sky was cloudy and gloomy from Wanganui and Castle Point to the Bluff, and the appearance of the weather was very threatening on the western coast of the Middle Island. At Napier and south of Cook Strait the wind remained in the north-east, but had changed to the north-west at Wanganui and Wellington, although at Auckland and places near it the wind was still in the south-west. Bad weather set in at Wanganui about 3 p.m., and shortly after four o’clock it' commenced to blow hard here from the north-west, accompanied by heavy showers of rain. The weather interfered considerably with the business of the Circus Company yesterday, and for a considerable while it was doubtful whether there could bo a performance. The squalls of wind that swept across the reclaimed land, from the north-west, played havoc with the canvas of the tent, which was split in two places, and had to be taken down for repair. It was half-past seven o’clock in the evening before the canvas roof was again in its place, and wind and water proof, and it was only a few minutes before eight that the gas inside could be lighted. By this time a great many people who had intended to be present had gone home, or to the theatre, believing there would be no performance. However, by eight o’clock the circus once more had a cheerful aspect, although the saw-dust of the circle was wet, and a portion of the pit could not be reseated in time. By this time, fortunately, the wind had lulled, but occasional gusts shook the canvas severely from time to time, and one more severe than the rest again split the canvas. This prevented the performance of “ Turpin’s Hide to York.” In playing it entrances have to be left at both sides of the circus, and it was feared that the rush of wind might do some damage. An amusing equestrian farce was played instead, and their money was returned to all who desired it. This evening, all necessary preparations having been made, Turpin’s Hide will be performed in spite of wind or rain, and for the last time. The stay of the company will not be prolonged beyond Saturday, and as there will be no performance on Christmas Day, the public will only have a very few more opportunities of visiting the circus.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, an assault case, in which Mrs. James was defendant, was dismissed. Walter Edmunds, charged with a breach of the Municipal Corporations Act, was dismissed with a caution. David Werner, who had been remanded for medical examination, was pronounced sane, discharged, and then brought up for vagrancy, and sentenced to a month’s hard labour. Douisa Allington, a lunatic, was sent to the Asylum. The other criminal business consisted of the disposal of two drunkards and a charge of using abusive language, which was adjourned. Some civilbusiness, of no general interest, occupied the attention of the B.M. until far on in the afternoon. We understand that the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington will preach at St. Mary’s Cathedral to-day, Wednesday, and Thursday, and again at midnight mass on Thursday. The latest information from Mastorton is to the effect that Miss Ryley, the barmaid at the Club Hotel who was so severely burned on Sunday night week, is slightly better, though ' her recovery is a matter of great doubt. At the late settling-up by the stewards of the Wairaropa Races the sum of £241 was paid to Mr. Greathead, the owner of Little Wonder, for stakes won. Only two races were won by horses that did not belong to the district. The Wanganui Herald of the 16th instant makes the following remarks as to the late severe thunderstorm experienced there : “One of the heaviest thunderstorms noticed for some time passed over the town this (Wednesday) morning between eleven and twelve o’clock. It seemed to be unusually low, there being scarcely any time between tiro lightning and the report. So shar-p were the claps of thunder that the earth seemed to shake with them. The lightning was unusually bright, and appeared to strike the ground in several places not far from town. It will not surprise us if wo hear of damage being done by it. The storm was accompanied by very heavy rain aad some hailstones. It was followed by others equally severe, but none of them came so close as the first one.” Some of the immigrants who are now coming out evidently bring money with them. Several of those who were lately lauded [at Napier from the ship Bebington have bought land in the township at 80s. per foot, and are now putting up houses bn their allotments. This must be regarded as pleasant nows.

H.M. p.s. Barracouta arrived in Sydney on the morning of the 6th instant. Madame Goddard’s famous iron piano, which she has carried with her over half the world, is not likely to leave New Zealand at present. Madame does not desire to take it with her across, the Pacific, another instrument awaiting her at San Francisco ; and she has, therefore, accepted an offer made for, the piano by Mr. Ellis, of the Masonic Hotel, Napier, to whom the famous iron “ Broadwood” will be forwarded as soon as Madame’s concerts in Auckland are over. The Sydney Evening Nevis of the 7th inst. has the following :—“ Considerable consternation and astonishment, not ’ unmixed with amusement, reigned in the theatrical world on Friday morning, when it was known that a gay young member of the profession, who bad long passed as a Ccelebs, and had given signs or symbols of aspiring to the hand of the most charming actress who has ever visited us, bad been arrested, for, above all crimes in the world, wife-desertion.” A cooking range, patented in New Zealand by the maker, H. D. Manning, of Christchurch, is on view, says the Melbourne Argus, in the kitchen of the New Zealand Commercial Hotel, Swaustou-street, where it has been fixed for use. The principal advantages claimed for this range are that all dampers are dispensed with, and that 25 per cent, more people can be provided for at a cost of 50 per cent less fuel than by a first-class Leamington range ; that the grate can by a simple piece of mechanism be either used for heating the oven and boiling water, or by being raised be used for an open fire, such as is burned in an ordinary fireplace grate, and that no chimneys are necessary. Mr. Manning took the first prize for this range twice at the Canterbury (New Zealand) Agricultural Show.

We believe we are correct in stating, says the Hawke’s Bay Daily Telegraph of the 18th instant, that His Honor Mr. Justice Johnston has appeared for the last time on the Judicial Bench at Napier. The present AttorneyGeneral, James Preudergast, Esq., will probably be the Chief Justice before the winter sittings of the Supreme Court here, and if so, will take his seat on the bench. Hitherto the Chief Justice has sat at Auckland, but after the contemplated changes have been effected, the Wellington circuit will be allotted to him, and Mr. Justice Johnston will proceed to Christchurch. “Attention has frequently been drawn in Franco,” the Pall Mail Gazette observes, “to the murderous results of baby-fanning. A book has been published in Paris in which the author describes the extent of the evil, and indicates the localities where it prevails. Mortality among babies, which is only 10 per cent among those tended by their mothers, rises to 30 and 40 per cent, with those entrusted to professional wet-nurses. A rural mayor, the author observes, was heard to say, that the deaths of babies sent from Paris to be suckled were so numerous, that his commune was paved with little Parisians. Over 100,000 babies are yearly sacrificed to the repugnance of mothers to take care of their children. The unfortunate custom has, it appears, demoralised many localities in Burgundy, Normandy, Nidvre, and Alsace. The feminine population of entire villages find more profit in baby-farming than in manual work ; and the husbands five on their wives’ earnings. This state of things may partially explain the slow increase of population in France.”

A new tenor of distinction is thus written about by the Loudon correspondent of the Belfast News Letter :—“ Have you beard of the new tenor, of whom everyone is talking ? The new tenor is M. Devillier, and he charms everybody at the Theatre du Paris, of which he is one of the principal artists. He is a French-man—-a native of the Pas du Calais, and a very short time ago was employed as a cooper, making herring barrels at a little place called Portelle. A lady, a friend of the Empress Eugenie, happening to hear him sing .at a concert given at Boulogne for some charitable purpose, spoke to him and offered to give him introductions to Paris, and pecuniary facilities for cultivating his voice. Here he profited so rapidly by the means at his disposal, that he soon acquired distinction, and obtained an engagement at the principal opera-house, at a salary of £4O per week. This for a man who was glad to earn 4s. 2d. a day by his trade, was a considerable advance ; but his friends say it is totally inadequate, and he has already received an order for £4OOO for a tour in America, with all expenses paid. To M. llubini, of Paris, belongs the credit of advancing the maternal interest of M. Devillier, who is, I understand, as modest and sensible as he is talented. He is now 26 years of age, has a wife and two little children, and is not intoxicated with his good fortune. The man who sang sweetly three years ago when making herring barrels on the quay at Portelle has now an income of 2000 f. a week, and probably will command double as much when he returns from his Transatlantic tour.”

It is stated by .the Sydney Morning Herald that negotiations have been re-opened with the A.S.N. Company to carry on the temporary service until June. It is pretty well known also, says our Sydney contemporary, that Mr. D. Macgregor has, through a Sydney firm; made an offer to the Government to keep the Mikado, Macgregor, and Cyphrones on the line until a permanent service shall be established. Three boats are not sufficient to do the work under any circumstances, aa there is no margin left for delays or deficiency of speed. This being the case, it appears almost impossible to carry on the line unless a fourth boat can be obtained ; and even then, in case of any breakdown, a fifth would be necessary to meet the contingency. There is a paragraph in our Ballarat correspondent’s letter, the Melbourne Argus writes, which will furnish rather a hard nut for the anti-immigrationist party to crack at its leisure. It is aa follows :—“A number of miners, firstclass men, have been engaged here to proceed to New Zealand ; their wages are to be 12s. a day, and twelve months’ work guaranteed.” Surely it is rather surprising that other colonies should be sending to Victoria for labor—Vic-, toria, the exclusive and protected heaven of the working man, the colony whore the grossest injustice has been done to other classes in order that he might bo free from competition, both as regards Ilia labor and his productions. And it is still more curious that there should be no difficulty in getting it. Equally surprising with the rest ia the fact, that the demand for more labor at a far higher price than is ruling here, should come from a colony that has been pouring in immigrants by thousands for months past. We have been told over and over again that she never could absorb one-half the people so rapidly thrown upon her shores ; but not only has she done that, but hero we find her calling out for more, and seeking it near at hand instead of waiting to supply her wants from home. Truly protection and the shortsighted selfishness which stopped immigration have brought things to a pretty pass.” An official return has just been made by the Egyptian Oustom-house of the foreign trade in Egypt in 1873, from which it appears that the volume of trade remains about the level of the last few years, notwithstanding a reduction in price of some important articles. The total value of the exports amounted to £13,673,000, and of the imports to £6,403,000, the greater part of the trade in both cases being with the United Kingdom, to which the exports were £9,673,000, while the imports therefrom wore £3,127,000. The principal export was cotton, of which the total value sent out was £10,071,000, the amount to England being £7,578,000. Wo have to go far from home at times for items of interesting news that should have some to hand through a more direct channel. In the New York Herald, for example, we find the -following ;—“ By a recent order of the British War Office every Waterloo soldier will henceforth receive a pension of eighteenpence a-day, and it is hoped this will keep the veterans from beggary.” A verbatim report of the proceedings in the Beecher case lias been sent to London from Ucw York for publication, it appears, but no respectable firm has been found willing to publish it.