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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4476, 24 July 1875, Page 2

His Excellency the Governor and the Marchioness of Normanby gave a ball at Government House on Thursday night. Invitations to the number of about 500 had been issued. A New Zealand Gazette of the 22nd inst. notifies that the Wellington Harbor Reserves Sale Act, 1875, has not been disallowed by the Governor. The Sandou Public Park Management Act, 1875, passed by the Provincial Council of Wellington at its last sitting, has received the assent of the Governor. The sittings of the Supreme Court in bankruptcy are adjourned till Thursday, 3rd August, at 11 o’clock in the forenoon. The case in re Ross’s estate is set down for hearing on that day. Four deserters from the Dido arrived from Auckland by the Taupo. They were taken aboard the Dido, and were tried by a courtmartial. Three of them were brought ashore yesterday, and lodged in gaol. The return of traffic on the Auckland and Mercer railway for the four weeks ending 19th June, is as follows :—Passenger’s, £1250 11s. Bd.; goods, £530 12s. 4d. ; total, £1784 7a. For eleven days ending 30th June—passengers, £378 11s. Bd.; goods, £230 7s. lid.; total, £OOB 19s. 7d. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning there were six police cases on the charge-sheet. Among them was one of assault against two men, the complainant being a Mrs. Harry, whose face was so bruised that her eyes were scarcely visible. The case was not proceeded with, as the evidence showed that the detendents were liable to be charged with an indictable offence. We have been informed by the Colonial Architect that by next Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives new galleries for the Hansard and Press reporters will be provided on either side of the Speaker’s chair. The floors will be 2ft. Sin. below the old gallery, and there will be a new and distinct entrance door to each gallery, thus leaving the old gallery for other occupants. None but smokers can fully appreciate the value of a pipe in time of trouble. This fact was touchingly illustrated in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Two men were up on a charge of violently assaulting a woman. They were remanded till Monday, and on leaving the dock, a sympathising friend who had been watching the proceedings anxiously, put something into the pocket of one of them. He was detected in the act by the vigilant sergeant, and he likewise was taken into custody. The person was searched, when it was discovered that the sympathising friend had merely presented him with a pipe as a salve for solitude. A melancholy case of suicide occurred yesterday morning, the particulars of which are as follows :—Mr. Moxham, a dairyman, was driving along the road above , the Roman Catholic Cemetery on Friday morning between 9 and 10 o’clock, when his attention was arrested by seeing a man lying full length on the road, with a small revolver close beside him. The police were sent for, who, with Dr. Harding, were speedily on the spot. Upon examination it was found that the unfortunate man had shot himself through the roof of his mouth, the bullet lodging in the head, and as he was in a dying state the doctor ordered him to be conveyed to the hospital, where he expired between 1 and 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The deceased, whose name is Edward Walter Church, was a draper’s assistant in the employ of Messrs. Wilson and Richardson. He came out in the ship Hindustan about two months ago, and was a young man of very temperate habits, but had been very much depressed in spirits for the last three or four days. An inquest will be held to-day, at 3 p.m., in the Provincial Hospital. A slight diversion wa caused in Willisstreet yesterday at noon, by the bolting of a horse with a veliicle, an express owned by Mr. R. Taylor. The horse took fright at something—what did not appear—and started at a furious pace up the street, very nearly running into a trap containing a lady and gentleman, and finally pulling-up on the pavement, to the imminent danger of shop windows. Roth shafts were broken before the animal showed a disposition to stop his career, and the harness had got scattered about in various directions. The owner of the cart becoming excited at the spectacle of the wreck, took up one of the disjointed shafts, and threatened the spectators with summary chastisement for looking at it. The forthcoming struggle between the Wellington and Wanganui Football Clubs is exciting a good deal of interest amongst our athletes generally, the issue of which is rather speculative, as Wanganui has sent a very strong team to do battle with their opponents. The betting is pretty even, odds slightly being given in favor of the local team. The Wanganui team arrived by the Stormbird yesterday, and were received by the Match Committee, who cordially welcomed them on behalf of the Wellington clubs. The match will take plaoo to-day on the Basin Reserve, and his Excellency the Governor and Lady Normanby have promised to grace the occasion with their presence, and should the weather be fine wo hope to see an exciting game. The names of the respective teams ai’e as follows: Wanganui : Steadman (captain), Powell, Macdonald, Kilgour, Alexander, O. Pratt, D. Strachan, A. Strachan, Bellier, A. Smith, W. Smith, Williamson, Anderson, Wallfer, Douglas McLean (umpire.) Wellington : Worry (captain), Park, Palliser, Webb, Sheppard, Lynch, Blackett, James, G. Bishop, Stohr, Pollen, Thompson, A. Campbell, G. Campbell, J. C. R. Isherwood (umpire.) The ball will be kicked off at 2.30 sharp, therefore every player should bo at his post. After the match, the victors and the vanquished will dine at the Union Hotel, Willis-street. It is quite the correct thing to have a growl now and again at the butchers. In fairness, therefore, it is right when anything can bo said in their favor to say it. Messrs. ,T. and 11. Barber, and Mr. Gear, finding that the high prices asked for prime cattle by the farmers in the Wairarapa would, if paid, compel them to raise the price of meat, have gone further afield, and are now bringing down supplies from Rangitikei, Wanganui, and X s atea. Last night they were showing some carcasses magnificent quality. The animals, which it is said are stall-fed in the winter at Patoa, had been carefully driven from there, and provided with hay during the journey. When killed, they turned out as mentioned.

We learn by telegram that a shock of earthquake occurred at Queenstown at 4.15 a.m. on the 23rd July. It lasted nearly one minute. In the New Zealand Gazette, No. 43, issued on the 22nd July, it is notified that Mr. Samuel Layton Roberts has been appointed Insurance Agent for AVellington. The Maoris assembled in great force this morning to celebrate a “ tangi ” over the remains of a deceased Maori woman named Annie. We notice in a proclamation in a New Zealand Gazette just issued, that Mr. Marcus Furlong South has been appointed Deputy-Regis-trar of marriages, and of births, marriages, and deaths, for the district of Wanganui. The Fakir of Oolu’s entertainment, which was under vice-regal patronage, drew an overflowing house last night at the Odd Fellows’ HalL'i-’Some new effects in the play of colors which were introduced rendered the already gorgeous fountain still more beautiful. As the Fakir leaves for Nelson next week, he will make his final appearance to-night, so that those who have not witnessed his really wonderful illusions should not lose the present opportunity. There will be an afternoon performance to-day for schools and families. The “Rivals,” by Sheridan, played at the Theatre Royal last night to a full house, was a great histrionic triumph. Sir Anthony Absolute (Mr. Hoskins), Bob Acres (Mr. Hydes), Lydia Languish (Miss Colville), Mrs. Malaprop (Miss Anstead), were carefully but spiritedly rendered; while the subordinate characters in the piece received a no less careful delineation. In a word, the acting throughout the piece drew forth the continuous applause of the audience. The comedietta, “Founded on Facts,” concluded a most excellent programme. The following particulars of the recent floods are from the Wairarapa Standard ; —“ It is said that the present flood in the Waiohine has cut into the Matarawa bank and shows a tendency to make for the old channel under the Black bridge. It would be as well, when the river is again low, for an examination to be made of the Matarawa side of it, with a view to ascertain if anything can be done to assist the Waiohine in any effort it may be making towards getting into its old channel. We understand that the Waingawa bridge has been injured by the late floods. The main body of water appears to have attacked the bridge approach on the upper side of the stream, which has sunk in consequence some two feet. Fresh piles will have to be put in at this end of it, and probably a new breastwork. The Te Ore Ore bridge has been slightly injured, but not materially. On Tuesday and Wednesday last the inhabitants of Greytown had a small excitement in watching the Waiohine River, which, at the north end of Greytown, rushed over the main road. The width of the flood was about five or six chains, and its depth over the road from one to three feet. A tree lodged right across in one part of the road, which formed an impassable barrier for vehicles. When the flood subsided a little on Tuesday, some horsemen attempted to cross, but their horses would not leap the log which obstructed the way, with the exception of a fine animal ridden by Mr. J. Barton, which seemed to jump as readily in the water as on the dry laud. Mr. Darrich, the roadman, at some risk waded up to the tree, and with the assistance of Messrs. J. Edy and T. Ingley cut it in two and dislodged it. Mr. Darrich deserves great credit for the exertions he made to render the road passable. In the afternoon, a considerable crowd assembled to witness the passage through the stream of the coach passengers from Mastertou to Wellington and vice versa. They all crossed on horseback, and occasionally got more or less a wetting when any one of the animals drifted off the road line into deeper water beside it. Yesterday morning the river had gone down very little, and the Masterton coach, about 9 a.m., got stuck in the middle of the flood, the wheels catching in a snag. Additional horse-power was obtained, and the coach, which was full of passengers, pulled through, the latter having had an opportunity of surveying the flood from a central point for nearly half-an-hour.”