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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4314, 18 January 1875, Page 2

Tile steamer Albion, with the Suez mail on board, arrived at Port Chalmers from the Bluff at six o’clock on Saturday morning last. The Northern portion of the English mail was transhipped to the s.s. Wellington, which left for Lyttelton at 11,30 a.m., and arrived there yesterday morning after a passage of twentyfour hours. She remained in Lyttelton but an hour and a half, getting away for Wellington at one o’clock yesterday afternoon. She will, therefore—all going well —arrive here about noon to-day. The Wellington will sail for the North at one p.m. to-morrow. It will he observed that the mails for San Francisco and England, for transmission hence by the s.s. Wellington, will close in Wellington at noon to-morrow. A meeting of the Itegatta Committee, we notice, will be held at the Pier Hotel this evening, at half-past eight o’clock. A well-known vagrant and an habitual drunkard, named Charles Price, received a sentence of three months’ imprisonment from the Resident Magistrate on Saturday last. William Gilmore, who was a few days ago remanded on the suspicion of being a lunatic, was discharged, the diet and regimen provided by the police having completely cured him. “Camille” was repeated at the Theatre Boyal on Saturday night with great success. The house was well attended, and the style in which Messrs. Bates and Howard put their pieces on the stage, added to the powerful attraction of Mrs. and Mr. Bates, is evidently telling very strongly in their favor with the' public. We learn from the Marlborough newspapers that Messrs. N. Edwards and Co., of Nelson, have resolved to supply the means of regular communication by steam between Blenheim and Wellington. It is intended to run the Lyttelton from Nelson to Blenheim and thence to Wellington, returning to Blenheim and thence to Nelson again. The Eev. Charles Clarke, of Melbourne, has arrived in Auckland. Before leaving Melbourne he gave—on Christmas Eve—a lecture in the Town Hall. The Telegraph says—“ It was an entertainment replete with anecdote, and of a nature peculiarly suited to the occasion. By a large and efficient staff of vocalists, musical illustrations were rendered, including ecclesiastical, popular, religious and festive carols, familiar to those whose memories carry them back to the happy winters in the old country.” We have been informed, by a private telegram from Dunedin, that the directors of the Guardian Printing Company have appointed Captain Baldwin general manager, in the room of Mr. Leary, who resigned in consequence of the duties interfering with his private business. Captain Baldwin is to have full control over every department of the newspaper. We have no doubt, from this gentleman’s wellknown energy and intelligence, that he will discharge his duties with marked satisfaction. The Guardian is a leading colonial newspaper, and the fewer changes in its management the better. A week ago the requisition to Sir- George Grey to contest the election for Auckland City West had received five hundred signatures. Mr. Swanson, M.H.R., appears to be the leader in the matter. A steamer was to be hired to convey a deputation to Kawau, to present the requisition to Sir George, The Hon. and Eev. A. E. Stanley (son of Lord Stanley of Alderley), is on a tour through New Zealand. He lately officiated at St. Paul’s, Dunedin, and the Times remarks ; —He read the lessons at the morning service, and preached an eloquent sermon from St. Matthew viii., 24. Tho gentleman has a very rapid, though pleasing style of delivery, but tho celerity with which he repeated the invocation after his discourse was anything but appreciable. He intoned the principal part of the evening service. The American Circus Company, before leaving Christchurch, gave a handsome gold-watch as a prize for the best original conundrum. There were a hundred and fifty competitors, and the prize fell to the author of the following : “ Why is this circus ■ like America before her Independence ?—Because it has a King for its master, a Bird as one of its emblems, and one of its principal characteristics is Blow.”

The Argus of December 30th says that Cap-, taiu Simpson, aged forty-five years, a passenger by the Eliza Firth, from New Zealand, was admitted to the Melbourne Hospital, having sustained fracture of the leg. He was pulling on a tackle, when the-rope broke, and he fell heavily on the deck. We notice with regret that the wife of the 'late Captain Elmslie was on board the lost ship Cospatriok. We see from Sydney newspapers to hand, that the three survivors of the Cospatrick were landed at Singapore, the steamer British Sceptre by which they were picked up having been bound from Liverpool to the East. Another addition has been made to the short horn stock of Canterbury by the importation, by the Rev. W. J, C. Bluett, of Holcombe, Leeston, of the Second Earl of Darlington, a short horn bull, said by competent judges to be the grandest animal of the kind ever imported to Canterbury. This bull was bred by R. Ravin Davies, Esq., Horton Park, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England, and came out to Dunedin in the ship Calypso, a few weeks ago. The Parliamentary Library of Victoria now consists of 37,000 volumes, all of which are in a good state of preservation. The library is insured for a sum of .-£15,000. We have been informed (says' the South Canterbury Times) that on Saturday evening a cask of coal tar and a ship’s boat were observed in the sea, a short distance from Messrs. Allan and Stumbles’ camp at Pighunting Creek, three miles to the south of Timaru. The men secured the cask of tar, but were unable to obtain possession of the boat. They looked for it on the following morning, but could see no signs of it. His Honor Judge Molesworth, of Victoria, who is now on a tour round Now Zealand for the benefit of his health, visited Wellington on Friday and Saturday, having been a passenger by the Taravua from the West Coast. The mail steamer Mikado, which left. San Francisco on the Gth iust., with the mails for New Zealand and Sydney, will be due in Auckland on the 2Qth inst. Captain Moore, wo have no doubt, will do his best to make a rapid passage, for the sake of the reputation of the line. The friends of Messrs. G. W. Bussell, A. C. Leitch, and J. A. Luxford—three candidates from this city for the Wesleyan Ministry—will bo pleased to learn that they have been accepted by the Conference, which is now holding session at Auckland. Regular steam communication has been commenced by-the A.S.N. Company between Sydney, Noumea, and Lcvulca. The Wentworth, the first ship of the new line, left Sydney on the 4th instant. Labor would appear to be almost unpleasantly scarce in Marlborough. The Provincial Government requires road works to be done in tho Polorus district, but only two tenders were sent in, and at amounts far in excess of the estimates. In October last, when tenders were called for similar work, twelve were in. Marlborough evidently wants “more men.”

Oft their last passages up to Melbourne for this colony the Albion and the Tararua arrived there on the same day—the 30th December—the Albiou in the afternoon, and the Tararua at night. • The former left Hokitika late on the 25th, and the latter sailed from The Bluff on the afternoon of the 24th ultimo. Little is known here, we learn, of the man Mercer, now in custody in Lyttelton, charged with the murder of the girl Thompson, the full particulars of which we have already published. He does not belong to Wellington though he has been sailing out of the port in coasters for some years. He was employed on board the Marmiou before he was engaged for the Canterbury. The police 'of Dunedin have reason to believe that he suffered twelve months’ imprisonment there some time ago for indecent assault. Twenty-six prize sheep—fifteen ewes and eleven rams—which were imported from England in the barque Jung Frau by Mr. Kinross, of Napier, were forwarded to Hawke’s Bay in the steamer Southern Cross, which left on Saturday afternoon last. The Kennedy Family, we observe, are now singing in Tasmania. They have concluded a successful series of their entertainments at Hobarton. Mr. R. P. Whitworth—well known in the Middle Island—has published in Melbourne, according to his annual custom, a series of stories for Christmas. On this occasion the title of the book is “ Cobb’s Box,” and the stories are supposed to be told by drivers and passengers by the coaches of the famous “Cobb.” Lurline ran second to Wollomai, the winner of the Midsummer Handicap in Melbourne on New Year’s Day. Some time ago we mentioned that the state of the traffic on the Foxton and Palmerston railway was brought under the notice of the Minister of Railways by the lessee of the line. It was then suggested that as the traffic was too great for horses, light locomotives might be used, and the wooden rails gradually superseded by iron ones. Mr. Richardson promised to give the matter his consideration, and appears to have done so in a practical way. At the Lion Foundry the construction of three light locomotives, each to weigh only five tons, is being px-ooeeded with, and these are to be finished within four months. They are, we believe, for the Foxton line, and no doubt the replacement of the present wooden rails with iron ones will be begun as soon as possible. We are glad to find that Wellington, as well as Auckland, can turn out locomotive engines. The Jlawhe’s Bay Herald of the 15th instant remarks as follows ;—“A N.Z, Gazette , of the 7th instant, abolishes the Court of Record presided over by Mr.- District Judge Weston, and extends the jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate’s Court to £IOO. Considering that there has been very little work to be done in the District Court, and that it could be very easily divided, as we presume it will be, between the Supreme and Resident Magistrate’s Courts, the country may be congratulated on the saving of expense which will result from the alteration. The retiring Judge, it is understood, will be px-ovided for In a similar capacity on the West Coast, where’his undoubted knowledge, and practical experience as a lawyer, will have a wider seope than was possible here. Had Mr. Weston had more to do here, he would, we feel sure, have thoroughly vindicated the fitness of his appointment. What work there has been for him to do, he has done to the satisfaction of the public, and when he leaves Napier he will cany with him the good wishes of a large circle of private friends.” Considerable interest was excited amongst boating men, and more particularly amongst the crews of the vessels now in harbor, by a race which came off on Saturday evening last between the gigs belonging to the ship Soukaxand barque Jung Frau, both English vessels. The race was for £6, each boat being rowed by sailors belonging to the respective vessels. The course arranged was from the wharf round a flag-boat moored off Pipitea Point, thence round the Government hulk Omega (to the southward of the wharf), finishing at the wharf. From the start tire Soxxkar took the lead and kept it till the boat was rounded, where No. 2, who had caught a crab at starting, again missed his stroke, and found himself iu the bottom of the boat. This accident enabled the Jung Frau to get on even terms with her competitor; a position she did not long maintain, gradually dropping astern till the hulk was reached. The Soukar in rounding the hulk went outside a dingy moored at her stern; but the Jung Frau cut across the painter, which attached the dingy to the hulk, thus saving a few lengths, and fouling the leading boat. A hard struggle to reach the wharf then ensued, the Soukar getting home two lengths ahead. There was a great number of spectators on the wharf and on the vessels lying alongside to witness the race, and the crew of the man-of-war loudly cheered the crews whilst the boats were passing the Rosario. On Friday last, the. day after the Te Ore Ore bridge celebration,,his Honor the Superintendent proceeded as far as the old Taueru ferry to inspect, the site of the px-oposed bridge. The’ visit was opportune, for tlxe tenders for the erection of the bridge being far in excess of the contemplated expenditure upon the work, it becsfme neccssax-y to devise fresh arrangements for its completion. In this respect, it is believed, the visit was not unfruitful of results, as the timber necessary for the construction of the bridge will likely bo obtained from Abbotsford run, the property of Mr. J. Gilligan, which adjoins the site selected. The cost will thus bo broxxght within the original estimate of the Provincial Engineer-. Taking advantage of tho presence of the Supex-inten-dental party iu his neighborhood, Mr. Gilligan invited them to lunch at the homestead, where they were received with a generosity that knew no bounds. The “ spread” would have done cx-edit to tho most accomplished chef, and of corn-se encomiums were profuse. Delicacies of the season were not more strongly vepx-e----sented than delicacies out of season, but it was not these that created the pleasurable feelings experienced by every one present. The country settler seems to be endowed with an openhanded and an opeu-heax-ted manner that makes people feel at home. Mr. Gilligan is a very fair type of the genus, and it is only proper to say that the visit to Abbotsford will long retain a’ place in the memox-y of those who composed the party. In addition to his Honor the Superintendent and the Provincial Secretary, there were px-esent Mr. E. Pearce, Mr. P. A- Buckley, Mr. R. J. Creighton, Mr. Lowes, Mx-. Billing, and several other gentlemen from Wellington. The scenery surrounding the homestead, and the well-fenced paddocks and gardens, wex*o the subject of much admiration ; indeed the party were surprised to find so many improvements upon a run which has been but a few years iu the hands of its present enterprising owner, who found it almost in a state of nature. An hour or two spent in inspecting tho wool sheds and the shearing operations, brought the day to a close, and (die party started on tho return to Mastertou. Tlxe Japanese ax-e using their mechanical ingenuity to good purpose. Consxxl Annesley reports from Osaka that spinning-machines, worked by steam and also by water, have been erected. Small American baud - spinning machines, ixxtended for household use, are being imported, which will be capable of spinning twenty-five catties of thread a day ; whereas the machines now in us, which ax-e made of wood and bamboo, can only produce a catty and a half a day. Some 080 knittingmachines are at work, mamxfacturing drawers, singlets, socks, gloves, &c., and also silk cardigan jackets. Weaving machines have been imported into Osaka, but are not yet in working order. It is estimated, however, that the goods which this machine would manufacture can be laid down at a cheaper rate than if made ou the spot. Steam machinery for tlxe manufacture of grey shirtings (unbleached) is in full operation at Sakai, iu the neighborhood of Osaka. A large oil pressing machine, worked by steam under foreign superintendence, is producing a considerable quantity of oil from rapeseed cake. A brewery on an extensive scale is at work, and brews beer of a fair quality from bops obtained in America. This liquor is much consumed by tho Japanese.