Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4324, 29 January 1875, Page 2

By the casting vote of the Mayor, the City Council, at its meeting yesterday, appointed Captain Muudlo to be Pier-master. There were four applicants, the other three being Captain Liuklater, late of the Wanganui ; Captain Clouston, late Governor of the Nelson gaol; and Mr. Martin, at present chief-officer of the Easby, who, judging by his testimonials, must be a man of considerable ability. The choice was narrowed down to the two first-named gentlemen, who have traded out of the port in command of vessels for a great many years past. Both were eligible candidates. Evidently the Councillors thought so as they were equally divided. The Mayor found himself unexpectedly placed on the horns of a difficulty, and desired time to consider the fitness of the candidates before deciding. The Council, however, seemed inclined to strike the iron without delay, and the Mayor gave his casting vote in favor of Captain Muudle, stating at the same time that although he knew little of the successful candidate he knew still less about Captain Linklater. The appointment appears to have given satisfaction. The quarantine station was again visited by the Board of Health yesterday. As the sur-geon-superintendent had anticipated, another case of scarlatina had. developed itself the previous day, the sufferer, who has • been isolated, being a child. The other patients are progressing as favorably as could be desired. If means of transit can he obtained, to-day, the single men will he released from'quarantine and landed in Wellington. The Berar has been thoroughly cleansed and painted, and today she will be admitted to pratique. On returning from Somes Island, the Board of Health boarded and passed the German ship Humboldt, the doctor's report, and the appearance of the passengers, justifying such a decision.

John Murphy, a hulking .vagrant, late a soldier in the O’Sfch Regiment, was yesterday charged at the Resident Magistrate's Court with begging in the public street. Inspector Atcheson had been informed of the prisoner’s conduct, and meeting him in the street determined to spend a few minutes in observing his movements. He had not been long engaged in this manner when ho saw the prisoner go into Mr. Lindsay’s boot shop in quest of cash, when the Inspector ran his quarry to earth, and had him conveyed to the lock-up. Several late members of the 65th, who are proud of their old regiment, had complained of the conduct of the prisoner, who had stuck up several people and begged sixpences from them. In court he stated that he was just going to work “at the church,” but as the particular building was not indicated, and the excuse was evidently a trumped-up one, his Worship said he would put a job into the prisoner’s hands, and sentenced him to a month’s imprisonment. Forty-six cases, in .which the Titanic Steel Company appeared as plaintiffs, were on the civil book of the Resident Magistrate’s Court, for hearing yesterday morning, but U£»on the application of Mr. Buckley—who stated that the evidence to be taken in Dunedin on behalf of the defendants, shareholders in the company, had not arrived—the cases were again adjourned. There were several other unimportant cases on the list, the greater number of which were settled out of court.

Rather a serious accident happened to Mr. Cookery’s coach, near the ICaitoke, yesterday. The coach left Wagg’s Hotel at the Pakuratahi at six o’clock in the morning, intending to catch the first train for town. Turning a corner near the Kaitoke the horses caught sight of some men in a quarry, and became very restive, plunging and lucking until the coach—containing about ten passengers—was precipitated over the cliff at the side of the road. One of the passengers, seeing that an upset was inevitable, jumped from the coach before it went over the side of the road,, but he was no better off than the rest, for although they ran a great risk of injury none were hurt. The escape is somewhat remarkable, as the coach was tumbled about a good deal in its descent, and was finally brought to a standstill by coming into contact "with a large tree. A Maori boy, who was a passenger, was a good deal shaken and bruised, but a number of his countrymen who took him in charge refused to allow a doctor to be sent for, having unfailing belief in their own healing powers. The passengers did not arrive in town till about one o’clock yesterday. As no means were at hand for raising the coach it remains where it fell. The horses wore not hurt.

The police records indicate the presence of a number of female topers amongst the population of the city. On Tuesday three ancient fuddlers were dealt with by the city bench in a becoming manner, and yesterday two wretched beldames, who have destroyed the comfort of their homes and rendered their names ahhoiTent to their children through then’ love of drink, were brought before Mr. Crawford to be dealt with. The first of these was Jane Ashbridge, the wife of a hard-working man, who has fought through a long career of misery and shame, caused by his wife’s love of liquor. Mr. Ashbridge stated in court, yesterday, that his wife had been drunk ever since the completion of the three months' imprisonment she received on a former occasion for habitual drunkenness. A short time ago he was absent in Nelson for a few days, and when lie returned he found that she had made a clean sweep of everything in the house to obtain drink. A family bible, which had cost £4 10s., fell into her sacrilegious grasp, and met the same fate as the domestic pots and pans. To crowd vice upon vice, she brought strange men into the house, and carried on her debaucheries before the eyes of her children, who, of course, informed their father on his return of all that had taken place. Sergeant Monaghan stated that the police had made every effort to discover tho persons who had purchased, the articles enumerated from the prisoner ; but these efforts had been fruitless, the prisoner herself saying in court that she

was not going to give information that would convict anybody.-' His Worship simply remarked that it would be useless to waste words upon such a woman, and sentenced her to three months’ imprisonment. Mary Douglas, a denizen of Wingfield-street, was charged with indecent conduct in front of the Provincial Buildings. The circumstances of the offence are too repulsive to put into print. It is sufficient to mention that she was drunk, and that her indecency was perpetrated in presence of her daughter, eleven years old. This prisoner, also, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.

Captain Logan—Messrs. Patrick Henderson and G'o.’s ships’ husband for New Zealand—arrived by the steamer Taranaki yesterday. He has come from Dunedin to Wellington to arrange matters in connection with the ship Jessie Readman.

The Alhambra, from Melbourne, was expected to have reached Wellington last night. It is probable that she was off the port, but in consequence of the darkness of the night, and a strong wind fi’bm'the south-east blowing in the Strait, she would not attempt to enter until daylight this morning. Writing on the subject of the late election for ICaiapoi, the Lyttelton Times remarks ; “We congratulate Mr. Bowen on the position he has achieved, and we congratulate the electors on the good sense of their choice. While so doing, we cannot look upon the result of the election as the verdict of the electors upon the great question that is soon to come before the colony for decision—the question of the abolition of the provinces. To speak figuratively and broadly—we look upon Hr. Bowen’s election as the triumph of mind over matter.”

The prizes won at the Caledonian meeting on the Basin Reserve on Anniversary Day were paid over at the New Zealander Hotel on Wednesday evening last, and amounted to £BO, the principal taker being Mr. S. Parkes, who received £2O as the successful tilter. A son of Mr. Edward Pearce was the successful youth in a boys’ race, but when contesting the event he accidentally fouled and spiked a competitor, who was thus placed out of the race. The young gentleman, on receiving the prize, immediately handed it over to his less fortunate competitor. Sir. McLean, who, in the bicycle race, fouled his competitor, and damaged his bicycle, also handed the amount of second prize in the race for bicycles over to the person who had suffered the damage, the amount being sufficient to cover all expenses entailed in putting the carriage in repair. Buch a spirit of fan - play needs no comment. Referring to the trade of Tasmania with the other colonies, the lloharton Mercury has the following ;—“ The attempt to secure intercolonial reciprocity, and the admission duty free, or on modified terms, of each other’s products into the respective colonies, is such a modified form of protection that it is virtually the first stage of intercolonial, if not universal, free trade. A complete arrangement between Tasmania and New Zealand remains still a thing of the future ; little to the credit of the New Zealand Government’s sincerity and good faith, if, indeed, of its statesmanship. New Zealand ought to have pondered ere going so so far. Having gone the length it did, New Zealand becomes lowered in its character in not carrying out its engagements. Our Government might attempt a reciprocity arrangement with Queensland with more prospect of benefiting the two colonies, and with more assurance of straightforward dealing on the part of the Queensland Government. New Zealand and Tasmania produce pretty much the same articles. An interchange of commodities is simply a question of profit. Queensland and Tasmania differ in products as in climate ; the one grows what the other cannot produce, at any rate, in any perfection ; and an interchange of commodities is, therefore, a matter of necessity, at present, very much affected by tariff restrictions. Remove these, and an important and profitable trade is a matter of course.”

Yesterday, says the Otago Daily Thus, of the 21st inst., Messrs Hawkins and Co. signed the contract for the extension of Katteaystreet Wharf, 1110 feet. Their tender, £12,551, was the lowest, and it is satisfactory to know that they inn de no difference in their tender, whether payment is made in cash or debentures. The Board have judiciously elected to pay in debentures at par, leaving cash for other works. Tenders for the construction of the powerful dredge required by the Board ai-o due on the 20th inst., and it is to be hoped that the Board, will feed itself justified in accepting one of them for its construction here. We think that the Board and its officers may fairly he congratulated upon the result of their first undertaking in connection with the important work which has been entrusted to their hands. The fact that the Board’s 6 per cent, debentures arc looked upon as good as cash must be very gratifying. On Saturday says the Bruce Herald, Mr. Berney was down at the riverside with his son, who had a woodhen which he dropped into the water, and on attempting to recover it he discovered a large eel had seized it and so he let it go, and uttering an exclamation attracted his father’s attention, who fired and shot the eel through .the neck, and his dog taking to the water retrieved this queer game and landed it. The eel proved to weigh about 111 b.

Lawyers, observes the Otago Daily Times , are often very patronising in their style to witnesses, addressing the witness in the box by the surname of Brown or Jones, as the case may be, without 'prefixing the customary handle. Witnesses generally show more courtesy; in fact, they not unusually refer to a lawyer as “ their learned friend.” But there was a witness in the Supreme Court on Thursday who did not pay much attention to court etiquette. It was Mr. McGregor, the defendant in the case of Robinson v. McGregor. Mr. Barton, in cross-examination, informed him that there was a witness who had sworn so and so. Thereupon Mr. McGregor said, very philosophically to Mr. Barton, “ I can’t help what he swears—l can’t help it, my dear boy.” Now as Mr. Barton, who is looked upon rather with terror as a cross-examiner, always says “Mister” to a witness when addressing him, and has a style devoid of lofty condescension, it was rather too bad that he should bo addressed in that familiar way.

An accident occurred to Wilckens’s coach on the last trip from Greymouth, says the Inanyahua Herald , in consequence of the break not acting properly as the vehicle was descending the Saddle. Tho. numerous windings and narrowness'" of the road at that particular spot rendered the prospect anything but a pleasant one 'if the coach got over the siding, as of course the break not acting the coach would quickly attain a greatly accelerated speed. Mr. Wilckens, who was himself driving, ran the pole of the coach against the bank, and thereby succeeded in bringing it to a standstill, though not until some damage was done to the vehicle. The mails wore brought to Keefton on horseback, and despatched in same manner. A man named Frederick Jackson, commonly known as “Happy Moments,” was arrested at Ahaura on Thursday night on a charge of stealing a watch and chain with appendages, the property of Mr, .Tames Edwards. As tho incident is told in the Grey River Aryas, Mr. Edwards supposed he had dropped the watch while proceeding by the old road from Hold's station, on the Grey River, to the boat, lauding on the Ahaura River, where Jackson was engaged clearing sonic land. The loss was made public, and from circumstances which took place it was suspected that Jackson had the watch. Accordingly “ Happy” was watched, and on his return to his hut from Ahaura, where he had been witnessing Professor Chapman’s wonders at tho courthouse, he was arrested, and the missing property was found upon Ins person. The impudence and ingenuity of tho prisoner’s statement in explanation when he was arrested is the most singular part of this transaction. Jackson said that in the confusion and mystification produced on his senses during Mr. Chapman’s performance one of the borrowed watches, with which the wizard effected such marvellous transformations, must have “been commanded” to get into his pocket without his knowledge, and, of course, without his consent.

The San Francisco mail steamer Mikado is due in Auckland to-day. The match between the Dolly Varden and Stella still stands postponed till to-day. Four hundred and thirty-two bales of wool, from Wanganui, were landed on Wellington wharf yesterday. Miss Aitken, we observe, proceeds fron Dunedin to London by the ship Waikato, which is now loading rapidly.

Dr. Webster has resigned his seat in the Provincial Executive of Otago, intending to visit England very soon. The Timaru Jockey Club has been reorganised under the name of the South Canterbury Jockey Club.

Three locomotives have been forwarded from Dunedin to Oamarn, per road, to be used on the northern line of the Otago railways. They were placed upon waggons, each drawn by ten horses.

Inquiries were made at the quarantine station yesterday, by the Board of Health, whether any bedding or ship’s fittings had been thrown overboard from the ship Berar. The answer was perfectly satisfactory.

A statement of the transactions of the province of Otago for the quarter ending December 31st, 1874, shows that the total receipts amounted to £151,312 19s. 5d., and the total expenditure to £130,734 Bs. 4d. The Wellington Garrick Club has been resuscitated. At a meeting held last evening, the members of the club decided to give a performance, the proceeds of which are to he devoted to the Cospatrick relief fund.

Mr. Collier’s dramatic season at Christchurch has commenced somewhat unfortunately, Miss May Howard having been too unwell to appear. For the “ New Magdalen ” “ Bip Van Winkle ” was substituted, but the style in which it was produced was not satisfactory to the critics. It will be observed by an advertisement elsewhere that the Bev. Mr. Henderson, of Melbourne, who arrived on a short visit to Wellington yesterday, will preach in the Congregational Church, Woodward-street, on Sunday next. We need scarcely say that the well known pulpit ability of this gentleman will induce a large attendance. The City Council of Dunedin has resolved to borrow a sum of £50,000 for the purpose of widening Princes-street, sewerage, reducing bank overdraft, new necessary works, and paying contracts already in existence. The question as to whether debentures for the whole amount he _ issued at once, and other details, were left to the Finance Committee.

At Green Island, writes the Otago Daily Times, starlings are becoming very plentiful. The increase of these birds in the district is amazing. Large flocks sometimes take possession of the fields, feeding on the larvae so abundant at this season of the year. To the presence of the starlings is attributed the fact that grasshoppers are not so numerous as usual.

We learn, says the Southland News, that a portion of the photographic staff of the American Transit Expedition have received telegraphic instructions from headquarters to return home via San Francisco, instead of per Swatara, and, prior to their departure, to make the tour of New Zealand, for the purpose of taking views of its characteristic features and such objects of interest as might serve to convey an accurate idea of the colony and the pursuits of its inhabitants. A handsome' testimonial is about to be presented by a large number of the inhabitants of New South Wales to Mr. John Bennett, lessee of the Victoria Theatre, for his praiseworthy and successful exertions in saving human life. It appears that thrice within the past year this gentleman has distinguished himself in rescuing persons from being drowned in Sydney harbor, thus increasing the number of lives saved by him to seventeen in all. The testimonial is engrosssd on. vellum, with the names of 1330 subscribers —the names being arranged alphabetically and neatly written in two lists, one for Sydney and one for Balmain. The title-page is illuminated in gold and body colors, with a border of scroll-work and flowers. At the top is a medallion representing a design taken from “ Lloyd’s Medal” —kindly lent to the artist (Mr. George Eolph, of Biizabeth-street) for this purpose by Captain Watson. The subject is taken from the Odyssey, where the shipwrecked hero Ulysses, after various adventures subsequent to the fall of Troy, is saved from drowning by Leucothoe. The address, extending over three pages, is a beautiful specimen of illumination and ornamental lettering, the first page being enriched with a vignette of the arms of New South Wales and the name of “John Bennett,” with initial letters in old English capitals. With the above testimorial, the committee propose to hand to Sir. Bennett the title-deeds of property purchased by them at Balmain, and these deeds are now being prepared, free of charge, at Mr. Want’s office. The subscription amounts to several hundred pounds sterling, and the property purchased is to be for the benefit of Mr. Bennett’s wife and family.