Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4307, 9 January 1875, Page 2

We understand that his Excellency yesterday received by the Californian mail his commission as Governor of New Zealand. He will be sworn in at noon to-day. The Armed Constabulary will form a guard of honor, and the Wellington Volunteer Artillery will fire a salute from the reclaimed land. The City Council sat till eleven o’clock last night discussing the clauses of the new wharf regulations, which .again underwent considerable alteration. The introductory debate upon the subject was very animated, and rather personal, but after the Councillors had rubbed off their, brusqueness they settled down diligently to work and discussed the various questions involved with great care, and from all points of view. The chief subject of debate was the appointment of a pier-master, whose salary was fixed at £3OO a year. The policy of this proceeding, as pointed out by the Mayor, is fraught with dangers of a sort which the Council seemed net to contemplate. To say the least of it, it was precipitate, for the regulations, involving as they do a radical change upon the system which has obtained for years, can only be regarded as tentative, seeing that the lease is only to extend over one year. The dangers were indicated in the possibility of claims from officers who may be cast off at the end of that term, and in the alternative possibility of officers once created being difficult to abolish even after the necessity for them may have passed away. However, the Council did not enter upon the matter unwarned, and those who pressed the appointment will of course be entitled to the credit of any success attaching to the creation of the office, or to the consequences of failure. The regulations, as amended, will again be printed and published for the information of persons interested. The schedules appear elsewhere. A rapid fall of tho barometer set in in the South on Thursday afternoon, and by Friday a.m. had extended as far north as Kaikoura. This fall was particularly marked between Port Chalmers, Bluff, and Queenstown. At the latter place upwards of 2in. of rain fell by next morning, and thunder was frequently heard during tlie night. A steady downward movement of the glass has also been in progress in all other parts of the colony. "Yesterday the weather was overcast and cloudy from Queenstown to Port Chalmers, and from Westport and Hokitika to Kaikoura, but the sky was mostly clear at other places; winds generally in the north-west. Yesterday forenoon a number of gentleman assembled hi the green room of tho Empire Hotel to present to Captain Wheeler, prior to his retirement from the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company's service, an address and a purse of sovereigns. Mr. R. J. Duncan, who was selected to read the address, said he was sorry the duty had not fallen into better hands. Nevertheless, it was to him a great pleasure, for he had known Captain Wheeler since his arrival in the colony, in the steamer Ford Ashley, in 1853. Captain Wheeler was well known to ho one of the ablest and most careful commanders who had ever sailed on tho New Zealand coast, and the travelling public had ever found their comfort cared for at hia hands. Probably, there was not another commander on this coast in whom such confidence was reposed, either by his passengers or by hia owners. Ho had great pleasure in handing' to Captain Wheeler a purse of sovereigns subscribed in a few hours by his Wellington friends. _ The amount was not to bo taken as a criterion of the respect in which ho was held, for in no instance had any one who was asked to subscribe refused his guinea. Tho following is tho address'. “To Captain Edward Wheeler. De'ar Sir,-—Having learned with regret of your retirement from the N. Z. S. S. Co., and your intended absence from this colony, we feel that some acknowledgment is due to you for tho courtesy which has always been experienced by the travelling public ou board any vessel under your command. Your excellent qualities ns a seaman aud a gentleman are so fully appreciated that we need not dwell upon them, but -will ask your acceptance of the accompanying mark of tho respect in which you are held. Trusting soon to welcome you bade to tho colony iu command of another vessel, wo are, etc.” * Captain Wheeler expressed the pleasure ho felt at Hading his efforts so well appreciated. Ho teas sure, however, he was not entitled to so much regard at their hands. Captain-Wheeler’s health aud prosperity was then drunk with enthusiasm. Tlie healths of Captains Lloyd aud Griffiths, and of the directors of the company, aud success to the N.Z.S.S. Company were then severally proposed and duly responded to. Tho purso contained eighty guineas, blit when all the promised subscriptions have been received the present will probably amount to over £IOO.

Mr. and Mrs. Bannatyne, Miss Bannatyne, and Miss Goudie were passengers for Wellington in the P. and O. Company’s steamer Peshawur, which left Southampton on Oct. 22. Several Primitive Methodist clergymen arrived from the North yesterday byjffie steamer Wellington, to attend a district meeting to be held in this city during the ensuing week. The Westland portion of the San Francisco mail, which was forwarded on from Nelson by the p.s. Wallace, arrived at Westport at 7 o’clock last evening. The first meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand University is to he held at the Government Buildings, Wellington, on March 1, 1875. A conference of Wesleyan ministers is to be held in Auckland next week. Five reverend gentlemen of that denomination were passengers by the steamer Taranaki, which left this port for the North yesterday afternoon. The Theatre-Royal, Christchurch, has been leased by Mr. J. W, Collier, for two months from the 12th of January. He intends to open there with the company now playing in Auckland. In addition to the sum of money which the Regatta Committee will offer as a prize for competition by scullers, there will be a pair of gold sculls. Mr. S. Lennox, wh© is well known in this city as a finished oarsman, has laudably instructed Messrs. Shaw and Son to manufacture the valuable and appropriate prize. We were somewhat in error yesterday in stating that the- supper at the ball to his Excellency on Thursday night was provided by Mr. Light, of the Panama Hotel. We should have said that the joint caterers 1 were Mr. Grey, confectioner, Tory-street, and Mr. Light of the Panama Hotel. If Richard Sparrow, “ the son of the late Nathaniel Sparrow, of Wexford, Ireland,” who is now supposed to be in. New Zealand, should happen to read these lines, he would do well to apply to Mi*. Pollaky, Private Inquiry office, 13 Paddington Green, London, who desires to communicate to him something to his advantage. The Resident Magistrate yesterday morning granted to Mrs. Ringrose a protection order against her husband, who expressed satisfaction at his Worship’s decision. He would, he said, in future allow his wife a sum of 15s. weekly. Susan Catley, who was suspected of lunacy, was ordered to be sent to the Asylum. The treatment of two inebriates in the usual manner concluded the business before the Court. The following are the saloon passengers by the ship Avalanche (sailing under Messrs. Shaw, Savill and Co.’s house flag), which left London for Wellington on October 22 : . Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Sainsbury, Mr. and Mrs. George Pirie and daughter, Mr. A. 0. Bruce, Masters William and Frederick Diver, and Dr. Doyle. There are also 25S steerage passengers. A meeting ef the Wellington Rowing Club was held last evening at Donecker’s Hotel. Advices have been received that the batswing gig, recently ordered from Melbourne, may be expected to arrive by the steamer Omeo. With this addition to their racing plant, the W.R.C. will be in a position to contest every race on the programme for Anniversary Day. The three rowing clubs in Wellington will probably set fairly to work on Monday afternoon next. From the circular of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, dated London, Nov. 17th, we observe that the fine ship Dallam Tower was to be despatched for Wellington by the New Zealand Shipping Company in the' course of December. The Berar, winch sailed on the 17th October from London for Wellington, had on board 290-i-r adults. The Ardeutinny (377 tons), which sailed on the 16th November for this port, had no passengers on board.

Soon after her arrival yesterday, and till nearly dark last evening, the deck of the G-cvernment steamer Luna was crowded with visitors, juveniles preponderating in point of number. „ The cause of Captain Fairchild having so many visitors was his having during his late visit to the extreme south of New Zealand captured several very interesting specimens of natural history. Amongst other tilings there were on view yesterday nine young seals, about a dozen penguins (or, what sailors facetiously term “sea geese") sea gulls, and other feathered inhabitants of the southern sea. The antics of the young seals, and their peculiar method of locomotion, appeared to be of great interest to the juvenile visitors. We have already learned by telegram that Sir Donald McLean found it necessary to interfere on a late occasion at Auckland with a matter not ■within his department, having seen fit to override the arrangements of the General Superintendent of Hallways as regards the excursion fares between Auckland and Ellerslie. This is what the Auckland Evening Star says of the matter, which is not likely to rest where it is:—“On what possible grounds of reason an extra charge is imposed on the railway traffic to Ellerslie we cannot form any conception. We understand that the outrageous extortion perpetrated on Boxing Day will be modified for New Year’s Day, but even yet the charge to Ellerslie will be larger than to stations further on, and not less probably than to Onehunga. Why is this? The thing is outrageous, we care not who is the author of the proposal. We shall not characterise the arrangement as vindictive, hut it looks so like it, and all other reasons so utterly fail that really it must be accepted as a wilful intention on the part of some one to ruin the Ellerslie gardens. Has Mr, Graham, we wonder, ever trodden on the toes of Frank B. Passmore, or offended the dignity of such an important personage. But even had such a catastrophe occurred, we can hardly think that any man in his senses would promulgate an order which he must know cannot he tolerated, Mr. Graham has expended many thousand pounds in constructing one of the most attractive places of public resort that it is possible to find ; and it cannot be supposed for one moment that it will be tolerated for the tariff to he deliberately and pointedly arranged so as to damage the speculation. Wc really desire explauation of this, for it seems the moat paltry and contemptible scandal yet associated with railway management in the colonies." A curious case of collision at sea is reported in a late Adelaide telegram to the Melbourne Argus. The Item is as follows : —“ The yacht Hygea, which sailed yesterday with the Hon. W. Milne on hoard, came into collision with the steamer Peuola. The steamer’s port bulwark was stovo in, and Captain Snewin was knocked overboard, but in half-an-hour was secured by the yacht’s boat. It is reported that he is severely injured." We take the following (says the Otago Daily Times) from the Goldfields Mercury, a South African paper : —“Some years ago a nugget of gold picked up at Constabel, in the Karoo, was purchased by Sir George Grey. A few months ago the Cape Government wrote to Sir George Grey, at New Zealand, to ascertain whether he would part with and return it again. By the last mail Sir George has done so, and the nugget is now back again iu Cape Town.” ’ The Sydney Sunday Newsman has the following items, at once interesting and amusing : “ They came like shadows, so depart. Young Phelps made a hit —a decided hit. Ho hit his head against the proscenium wing as he stumbled off on Friday night. He is a star now lost in space." “ The Californian papers say that Fred, Lyster has gone home, ostensibly to get <an English opera company. for Australia, but really to make Sothern bleed for shunting him off here on a fool’s (if not something worse) errand." In a late issue, the Melbourne' Argus remarks :—“ There appears to be considerable difficulty iu carrying out the decision of the City Bench iu the case of Sullivan, the New Zealand murderer, so far as relates to his transport to New Zealand. It was intended to send him by the Alhambra on Saturday, but the owners of the steamer refused to allow him a passage. Steamship proprietors and owners of other vessels are naturally averse in their own interest to carry such a scoundrel on board their vessels. Sullivan still remains in confinement in the Melbourne gaol."

Mr. Tallerman, we observe, has given another banquet of Australian meats to work-ing-men and their wives, in London.' On this occasion the dinner took place at Lambeth Baths, and there were six hundred persona present. Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., presided. We observe from the newspapers to hand by the San Francisco mail that Marshal Bazaino has taken care to place a considerable breadth of saltwater between him and his persecutors in France. The Marshal and Madame Bazaine were passengers from Southampton, in November, by the British steamer Neva, for Lisbon, the Brazils, and the River Plate. A latter from John King, a miner, well known in Tuapeka, and who is at Cooktowu, has been placed at the disposal of the local journal. He does not give a very flattering account of the Palmer diggings. It had been raining incessantly for four weeks when he wrote, and a large number of miners, whose emaciated appearance deterred many at Cooktown from proceeding up-country, were leturning from the diggings. He says that although a considerable amount of gold has been obtained by some parties of men, the storekeepers and packers get the lion’s share of it. An inspection of the salmon down at New Brighton (says the Lyttelton Times) was made on 31st December by several persons interested l in this important experiment. The appearance of those fish- which could be seen was very satisfactory, and their increase in size very perceptible. One of the largest, which the Curator recognised as the first fish hatched, had assumed its salt water dress, the other fish, were, however, not so forward. It was decided to leave the cage in its present position, where the food is so abundant, and the action of the tide prevents the cage from getting clogged with weeds. Coincidence of name is occasionally very awkward. The folio-wing paragraph, which we find in the Melbourne Daily Telegraphy though relating to circus people of the same name, has no reference to' Mr. King, of the Great American Circus Company, who was lately in Wellington and is now in Christchurch : “ Some rather curious'statemeuts were made in the City Police Court by Thomas King, a person charged on -warrant with deserting his wife, Mr. King has for years past been connected with several celebrated circuses, and during his career has seen a good deal of travel. According to his own account, the partner of his joys does not seem to be of that standard pattern to which Mrs. Colclough would wish the gentler sex to be raised. She has issued a warrant against him for desertion and maintenance, hut he states that during the past six months he has given her £l3O in hard cash, which money she has distributed amongst public-house keepers and other vendors of - drink. He also states that she has been an' inmate of nearly all the inebriate and lunatic asylums in the world, noticeable amongst them being those of Singapore, Batavia, and other Eastern cities. On discovering that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, Mr. King gave himself up to the police, and as his wife did not put in an appearance, was bound over in his own bail to surrender himself to the court on a future day.” Since the collapse of the temporary mail service, via San Francisco, was officially notified, nothing definite has transpired, says the London New Zealand Examiner of the 26th October, beyond the fact that a mail for New Zealand would be despatched from London, via San. Francisco, on October 20, and that while New Zealand had abandoned the temporary service, New South Wales had resolved to use it on her own account independently of any other colony. The amended postoffice notice just issued states, indeed, that a mall for New Zealand, via San Francisco, will he despatched as heretofore, and thus, for the present, as a variation on the old irregularity, we have an outward without a homeward mail via San Francisco. Whether New Zealand, in dropping out of the temporary service, signifies her abandonment of the promised permanent service, is hardly a question, as the Pacific route is for that great and fast developing colony almost, if not quite, a commercial necessity, and will not be overlooked, doubtless, in connection with the remarkable scheme of Mr. Vogel for making New Zealand the commercial centre and sovereign of Polynesia. No . doubt it is very regrettable that so many hitches have occurred while the service was on trial, but it has'been abundantly demonstrated that the route —even when delays had become a matter of monthly .expectation was, as it is, popular, and it only requires a well-organised service, proper vessels, and a good system of connection at the various points of junction, to shortly restore the Pacific mail line to Australia to public favor. Meanwhile, although Mr. Hall is over here zealously busy on behalf of what has been certainly a very unfortunate mail service, we believe that no final and definite arrangement has been arrived at on behalf of the various colonies concerned as to future action.