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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4378, 1 April 1875, Page 2

Extreme pressure on our space to-day compels us to hold over a leader, and the news by -the San Francisco mail which we had prepared for publication. "We refer our readers to the full and satisfactory vindication of the colony, in Fraser's Magazine for February, which we reprint elsewhere. It will be seen that Mr. Vogel lost no time in rebutting the enormous misstatements of Mr. Fellows. The s.s. Phcebo arrived early yesterday morning, bringing from Auckland the English mail of the 9th of February, carried thither by the City of Melbourne from San Francisco. On this occasion the mail has been delivered on the day on which it was due. The fact shows that the San Francisco line can be worked without difficulty, as soon as the organisation is properly completed. At the last moment it was discovered that the arrangements for swearing in the "new Chief Justice, which were to culminate yesterday, in time to admit of Mr. Prendergast’s departure by the Phoebe, were rendered abortive by the fact that Sir George Arney was holding a banco sitting at Auckland. To avoid the concurrent existence of 4 two Chief Justices, the ceremony was postponed till this morning, when the swearing in will take place in presence of His Excellency the Governor. The new Chief Justice will then take his departure by the Easby, to attend the Supreme Court Sittings at Dunedin. Naturally the presence of his Excellency the Governor and the Marchioness of Normanby led to a crowded attendance at Mr. and Mrs. Case’s entertainment last evening. The programme included the list of character impersonations embraced in “ The Latest Intelligence from Home and Abroad,” which composed the opening performance on Saturday last. This is said to be Mrs. Case’s best entertainment, its chief feature being her frequent and rapid change from male to female attire, and vice versa. The range of characters was very diversified, and gave ample opportunity to the audience to form opinions upon the merits of Mrs. Case’s performance. Mr. Case’s contribution to the programme varied the entertainment in a manner that was most acceptable to a large section of the auditory, who were, as a matter of course, lavish of their applause. Mr. and Mrs. Case give two more entertainments in Wellington, before leaving for Napier. The art of misrepresentation seems to be carefully cultivated in connection with everything pertaining to the Collingwood coal and iron mines. Some time ago a Mr. Webster, who is in some way connected with the coal company, or the iron company, or both, took exception to statements which appeared in this journal upon the authority of Dr. Hector. The circumstance is only mentioned to show that Mr. Webster is sorely troubled with a meddlesome spirit, which probably accounts for certain inaecurracies in the report recently presented to the shareholders in the Para Para Company. It is there stated that the construction of the company’s tramway has been considerably delayed by the refusal of the General Government to lend the company some rails, which the Government had previously consented to place at their disposal. It happens that the subject has led to a great amount of correspondence between the Minister for Public Works and the secretary of the company, from which it appears that in August last certain gentlemen interested in the company waited upon the Minister for Public Works, and made a proposal to borrow a certain quantity of 301 b. rails. An understanding was then arrived at that upon the company giving certain necessary security they should be supplied with three miles of rails, if the Government could spare them. The Government, at the time, had no doubt but that they would be able to spare them, but four months passed away without any application being received from the Para Para Company. Therefore, nothing came of the arrangement. The Government, in carrying on its own railways, almost exhausted the supply of 301 b. rails ; those in stock at the present time being required for immediate use on the Canterbury branch lines. Moreover, the Government have .shown no unwillingness to carry out the arrangement made with the representatives of the company ; but the loss of the Cospatrick has deprived them of a large quantity of railway iron, from which the Para Para Company would have had a supply had it come to hand. Under these circumstances, there is little ground for the complaints embraced in the company’s report. Mr. and Mrs. Hoskins passed through Wellington yesterday, on their way to Christchurch, where they will fulfil a professional engagement. They were passengers by the Phoebe, and the friends who met them say they were looking uncommonly well.

t . The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council will be held to-day at the Provincial Buildings. N The hulk Rosebud has been purchased by Messrs. Turnbull and Co, from Mr. Gannaway. She will in future be used as ,a storeship. Mr. Redwood, the well-known breeder of racing stock, had eight maiden horses on board the steamer Phcebe, which arrived from Picton yesterday morning. They are to be landed at Lyttelton, and put in training for the Canterbury Autumn Meeting, Very severe and very just comment is daily made upon the disgraceful condition of numbers of horses employed in public and private vehicles, which pass before the eyes of the citizens daily in the main thoroughfare of the city. Many of these poor brutes are nothing more nor less than animated skeletons —a phase of existence which can only be brought about by sheer starvation. In course of time it will no doubt bo ascertained whose duty it is to proceed against the drivers of these horses; but in the meantime it is a fact worthy of notice that Wellington could not produce a qualified veterinary surgeon in the event of professional evidence being required for the prosecution. Here is an opening for a certificated “ vet.” At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, yesterday, G. Joseph, a fireman on board the Rangatira, was charged with stealing a silk pockethandkerchief, the property of Sarah Hebley. The accused was said to have snatched the handkerchief out of the hand of the complainant, but the case was not further gone into, as the accused wished to call witnesses. The case was therefore adjourned till Friday. G. Gaild was charged with refusing duty on board the barque Camille, accused being the man who was sent to the hospital upon the order of Hr. Harding. This case was also adjourned till Friday. A stable belonging to Mr. R. Peck, at Palmerston, was burned down on Thursday last, under singular circumstances. Mr. Peck and several other people had been working in the stable during the afternoon, and had only left it a few minutes when it was discovered to be on fire. Everything was consumed in a very short time, but how the fire originated is not known. The fate of Charles Coles, second steward of the Easby, and late of the Wellington, ought to be a caution to the peccant members of the fraternity throughout the colonies. Very often travellers along the coast have complained of petty thefts, but of course the culprits are never found out, and the articles are charitably put down as “lost.” Lost they are beyond recovery, but in the case of Mr. R. H. Hawkins, a traveller in the employ of A. Clark and Sons, Auckland, Mr. Coles, of the Wellington, met his match. Mr. Hawkins started in the Wellington from Christchurch for Auckland in November last, and upon arrival at the latter place suddenly missed a valuable sealskin cap, which he had placed in his great-coat pocket just before going on shore. Returning for his coat and his cap, the latter was missing, the only information he could obtain from the steward being that it must be “ lost.” Mr. Hawkins had a different idea, though he didn’t kick up a fuss. He quietly bided his time, but informed the police of what had happened. Mr. Coles was not “lost” if the cap was, and Mr. Hawkins happening to be in Wellington when the Easby arrived yesterday, thought the police might as well try Coles again. Accordingly Sergeant Price went on board, and made direct for the steward’s pantry, when lo ! there hung the “lost” cap. More than that, Coles claimed it and said he had “ found” it. Being brought before Messrs. Pharazyn and ICebbell he wept copiously, and displayed much internal writhing, which terminated in the exclamation “Oh Heavens!” when the sentence of a month’s imprisonment was announced. Moral for stewards : Don’t “ find ” travellers’ caps, or other trifles which may be useful to their owners.