GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4506, 30 August 1875, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

Thomas Beckham, District Judge, died at Auckland on July 30. He was sent over to the colony from New South Wales by Sir George Gipps, to join the staff of Governor Hobson, in 1839, and he has continued Kosideufc Magistrate ever since. He was 71 years of age. A Hamilton telegram states. that Messrs. Brogden and Sons made an offer to construct the Thames and Waikato railway, if the Government will grant them 200,000 acres land. They propose to form a company, issuing onethird of the shares amongst settlers. The estimated cost is £2,000,000.. A return of the traffic on the Maskerton railway for four weeks ended July 31, shows that the total receipts were £443 17s. Id., made up as follows :— Passengers (7201), £273 12s. 2d. ; parcels, &c, £5 2s. 6d. ; season tickets, £32 4s. ; freight (620 tons), £132 18s. sd.

The committee of the Wellington Rifle Association met on the 14th August, when it was decided that the next competition for the L.V.C. Cup and other prizes will take place on Saturday, 2nd October, 1875, on Polhill's Gully rifle range ; firing to commence at 10 o'clock a.m. sharp. Timothy Havker, aged 35, a widower with three children, died on the 10th August on the Quarantine Island, from typhoid fever. He was one of the Collingwood immigrants, and is said to have contracted the disease while on the island. His eldest child, a girl,_ is aged ten years. He has a brother living in Hokitika.

A very large-sized timber waggon has been constructed by Mr. Fitchet, who performed the wood work, and Mr. Robinson, of the Phoenix foundry, who supplied the iron. The wheels are 9ft. in diameter, and are made of great strength, and should be capable of carrying an enormous weight of timber. Some time since we drew attention to the shipment of two locomotives, turned out by the Lion Foundry; and now wo learn by telegram that the trial trip of the one to run between Foxton and Palmerston was an immense success, the engine working splendidly. Mr. Mills may be congratulated on the successful issue of an undertaking, which, in the midst of our local industries, is by no means insignificant. The Resident Magistrate's Court is now ventilated on the system known as Tobin's. The Supreme Court will receive similar treatment shortly. This will be looked upon as a boon by those whose duty calls them to sit for hours breathing the vitiated air of our courts. The Government Printing Offices have been ventilated on this principle, and here it has been found to answer, fresh air being admitted without the risk of catching cold. There was a large attendance of shareholders at the meeting o£ the Permanent Equitable Building and Investment Society of Wellington, hold in the Bideroom of the Odd Fellows' Hall on August 6th. The chairman of the com-

pany (Mr. Gibson) moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, which had been previously read by the manager (Mr. T. Kennedy Macdonald). The result of the first year's operations has been of a highly successful character, the net profit made being equal to 15 per cent, compound interest per annum. The report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted.. Messrs. Greenfield, Turnbull, and France, the retiring directors, were reelected. The remuneration of the auditors for the past and present years was fixed at £ls each, and Messrs. Kaiuie and Carroll, the retiring auditors, were also re-elected. The Hon. Kobt. Hart was elected a trustee in room of Captain Sharp, resigned through absence from the colony. A very cordial vote of thanks was passed to the chairman of the board of directors, the trustees, and the mana ger (Mr. T. Kennedy Macdonald), for their able services during the past year. We understand that at a meeting of the board of directors, held at the close of the general meeting, Mr. Gibson resigned his office as chairman, and Mr. D. Anderson was elected in his stead. A singular addition has been made to the curiosities of the Colonial Museum. On behalf of Mr. Birley, blacksmith, of Auckland, Mr. William Swanson, M.H.R., has presented to the Museum two specimens of the most difficult workmanship in ironmongery. They are an iron tobacco pipe, and a knife blade with a straw in the interior. fhe pipe is fashioned after the model of a common T.D., and is made of malleable iron. The difficulty in making a pipe of this kind lay in effecting the aperture in the stem, which is considerably longer than that of ordinary pipes, with a, curve. The knife is perhaps a greater curiosity, and certainly must have demanded careful and delicate manipulation, for the straw runs through the blade, and can be shifted by the aid of a pin, though the opening which discloses it is not larger than the usual notch in the blade of any knife. As specimens of fine workmanship these presents from Mr. Birley are quite worthy of the prominent place which we understand it is intended to assign to them.

It is one day over eight years since the cable was laid in Cook Strait, to connect the North Island of New Zealand with the Middle Island. Since that time great progress has been made in extending the telegraph over the colony, and there is now something like a definite proposal before the country to connect New Zealand with Australia by cable, which would enable us to hold daily communication with the great cities of the world on the northern side of the equator. The returns up to the expiration of the year 1874 show that there were in New Zealand 108 telegraph stations, a fact which speaks well of the general progress made by the people of New Zealand. The South Island has an advantage over the North as to the extent of the lines; but this is owing to there being so much of the Northern territory looked up from settlement. The Government have, however, been signally successful in their endeavors to open up the country in different directions—known to some as a process of " oyster opening " —and in the direction of Hauraki they may be said to have inserted the thin end of the wedge into a large tract of very valuable country. This will, no doubt, be followed by further achievements in overcoming native prejudices, and in the extension of telegraphic communication. The erection of the new buildings which are to be used as the offices of the General Government is now fairly under way. The struc- ' tures are being erected on the reclaimed land fronting on Lambton-quay, and will, when completed, form one of the most imposing public buildings in our city. The ground plan comprises a northern and southern wing, connected by a central building. The buildings will be raised about 6ft. from the ground on piles of hardwood. The piles and wall-plates of the whole of the buildings are now laid, and are composed of Tasmanian hardwood, The piles are 12in. square, the wall-plates are Bin. by 4in., and the studs Sin. by 2iin. or 2in. The framework of two storeys of the north wing is nearly completed, the wood used being hardwood imported from Tasmania. The foundations of all the chimneys and fireplaces are laid, being carried down through the made ground and 2ft. into -the natural soil. A curious incident occurred in Parliament on the 20th. Shortly after resuming business in the evening, Mr. Taiaroa called attention to the fact that the mace wa3 not in its usual position on the table. His l-emarks were not interpreted, and the Speaker thought he was seconding an amendment just proposed by Mr. White, the simple-minded member for Holcitika. On explanation, the mistake was rectified. Soon after, Mr. White, in mentioning the mace, called it " that bauble." He had historical precedent for the name. Every one will agree that the distinction conveyed in the following letter to Mr. Lemon, the efficient Superintendent of New Zealand telegraphs, has been well-earned: —" Hamilton, College, Clinton, Oneida, U.S.A., July. 1, 1875. Dear sir,—l have the pleasure of announcing to you that the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College have this day conferred upon you the honorary degree of doctor of philosophy. They have done this in recognition of your scientific attainments, which have been notified to them as well deserving this testimony. Will you allow me also to add, that they have doue this all the more cordially from their knowledge of your efficient aid and kindness to the director of our astronomical observatory, Dr. Ch. H. I<\ Peters, during his recent visit to New Zealand, as chief of the American party, to observe the transit-of Venu3 t —l have, &c, Samuel G. Bhown, President of Hamilton College." A shock of earthquake, lasting some seconds, w:w felt at Castlepoint at 6.30 a.m. on the 20th. The Hon. Mr. Waterhouse was a passenger by the Phcebe, from Auckland, on August 16th, having come out by the Sau Francisco mail boat. The hon. gentleman was looking in the best possible health. We regret to have to announce the death of the Hon. John Parkin Taylor, at Waldeck, Riverton, in Southland, on Thursday afternoon, 12th inst., after a protracted and painful illness. Mr. Taylor had been a member of the Legislature for upwards of eighteen years, first as member for a Southern constituency in the House of Representatives, and subsequently as a member of the Legislative Council. He was also twice elected Superintendent of the Province of Southland. Latterly the state of his health was such as to preclude him from engaging in the active duties of politics, and for three sessions past his place has been vacant in the Council chamber. Mr. Taylor was a man of varied and extensive culture. His amiable disposition and courteous manners secured for him the regard of all with whom he came into contact, and few men enjoyed the esteem and confidence of a larger circle of personal friends. During the passage through committee of the Campbelltown Athenaeum Bill on the 25th instant, the Government promised they would endeavor to bring in a general measure affecting those institutions, by which the necessity for bringing up separate Bills would bo obviated. Some excitement was caused in town on the 23rd in reference to the fate of two lads who are employed in the Telegraph .department, who went out for a sail on Sunday. Up to four o'clock no tidings were received of them, when they suddenly turned up, to the great joy of their parents and friends. It appeared that they had got as far as Lowry Bay, when they were unable to sail back to Wellington on account of the wind and from the fact of their not being very expert navigators. After a difficult course they managed to make the patent slip, in Evans Bay, about three o'clock the following afternoon, aud so returned to town.

A special meeting of the members of the Wellington Typographical Association was held at the Odd Fellows' Hall ou Saturday, 21st inst., for the purpose of taking into consideration the question of the importation of compositors, which was brought before the House on Friday last. There was a good attendance of members, and after some discussion, it was resolved that a deputation of the members should wait upon the Hon. the Minister' for Immigration, an,d explain their views upon the question of the proposed importation of printerß. It was also resolved that a petition should be presented to the House of Representatives on the same subject.

A black retriever pup suddenly jumped from the street through the window of a pastry cook's shop on Lambton-quay last week. The exact cause of his conduct cannot, of course, be known, but it is conjectured that he wa3 suffering from temporary aberration of intellect, consequent upon au effort of his young mind to consider the effect of the Abolition Bill on dog taxes and road boards. Whatever was the cause, his jump was not without effect. He broke a pane of glass, and damaged three and sixpence worth of mutton pies and other delicacies. The pastrycook rose to the occasion, and instead of kicking the pup out of doors detained him for expenses. The heart of that pastrycook rejoices in the fact that he knows the owner of the dog. A gentleman, proprietor of a horse, created some excitement in Willis-street on the 20th. The horse was of such excessive leanness as to provoke as much laughter as did Mr. Squeera's pupil. The laughter was not creditable to the humanity of the bystanders, but unfortunately in these cases people are apt to forget the sad in the ludicrous. At the corner of Willis and Manners-street the horse went down on his knees, and after a few faint efforts rolled over on his side and lay there. The proprietor took off the saddle and bridle, and contemplated subsequent proceedings as if they formed no business of his. A number of people got about the horse and lifted him into that position from which, with a struggle, animals of his kind are, after a fall, generally able to get on their legs again. But this poor horse only breathed in a labored way, made no effort, and on being released, sank prostrate again. Then planl« were put under the horse, and he was lifted to his feet, only to fall prostrate when the planks were removed. Then a veterinary surgeon was sent for, who said that all that was the matter with the horse was that it had apparently not been in the neighborhood of food for many weeks. Then the proprietor, without uttering a word of contradiction, walked off with the saddle and bridle, and seemed oblivious to uncomplimentary remarks which floated freely on the air. We believe that there is some difficulty in ascertaining at law at what point the systematic witholding of food from an animal reaches cruelty, but surely some law can touch a gentleman who encumbers a busy thoroughfare with the body of an emaciated horse. On Friday, August 20th, the Temains of Mr. John Liverton, of the Taita, were interred in the Taita cemetery. The funeral was one of the largest that has taken place at the Hutt. The Kev. Mr. Fancourt read the funeral service. Mr. Liverton was one of the earliest settlers in the Hutt, having resided in the district for upwards of thirty years, and was much respected for his many good qualities. Somebody is always finding auriferous quartz :—" A settler in Greytown (says the local paper) picked up in the road the other day a piece of quartz in which the color of gold was perceptible. The interesting specimen lies at our office and may be inspected by the curious. "Visitors will, however, be good enough to bring their own microscopes with them. For all we know to the contrary the Greytown river bed may be auriferous and the Waiohine may yet be utilised'as a water race." A Pakuratahi correspondent writes : —" It may be interesting to some of your readers to know that an enterprising individual in this district, named Frederick Ottaway, has commenced hop-growing and has just begun planting out. I visited his ground to-day, which is situated about a mile up the river, and certainly he must be a persevering man to judge from the quantity of roots taken out of the newly-cleared land. He procured the hop plants last year from Nelson, 6000 in number, and planted them in a small enclosure, and they are looking remarkably healthy. Mr. Ottaway expects to produce at least a ton of hops this season, and it is to be hoped his expectations may bo realised. The Bay of Plenty Times is pleased to learn that Captain Preece is lending a helping hand in the good work of tree planting in the interior. He has formed nurseries for the propagation of pines, gums, and English trees at different points along the Te Teko and Galatearoad, and next season intends planting an avenue the whole length of this road. We congratulate Captain Preece on his forethought. The whole Bay of Plenty district is remarkable for the paucity of timber, and it is of the utmost importance in every way that planting should be encouraged. Captain Preece during the time he has been in command of the Te Teko station has set a good example to his brother officers in the Armed Constabulary in the way of bringing waste land into fertile English pasture, and has succeeded in making Te Teko one of the prettiest stations in New Zealand, presenting a charming coup d'wll to the approaching traveller. Future settlers in the environs of Te Teko will have much to be thankful to Captain Preece for.

An adult emigrant, the father of a family, died aboard the ship Alumbagh in Auckland harbor on the 19th, of heart disease, leaving his wife and family to begin colonial life alone. A "Wanganui paper chronicles the capture of a rare animal, in the shape of a black rat, which was caught on the premises of Messrs. Taylor and Watt, on the quay, the other morning. This species is indigenous to New Zealand, and so far as Wanganui is concerned, was supposed to be extinct. The animal in question is peculiar for his predilection for dainties, in proof of which it may be stated that this remnant of its race had, previous to its capture, been indulging in, a feed of pomade, which, judging by the quantity which had disappeared, it appeared to have relished considerably. Old Duder, the Auckland signalman, died on Monday, the 16th August. He has had a very chequered career. He was wrecked in the Buffalo, store ship, at Mercury Island, in 1850, twenty-five years ago. He was afterwards tried at the Supreme Court on a charge of murdering Captain Snow and family. He was proved completely innocent, and the real murderer, named Barns, and wife, were afterwards convicted; Barns being hung, and his wife imprisoned for life. Duder was much respected, and had acquired some property at the North Shore, although he was a petitioner to the Assembly this session for a grant on account of long service. Dr. Henry Donaldson has been appointed medical referee under the Government Insurance and Annuties Act, 1874, for the Eangitikei district, province of Wellington. There in now in Wellington, Mr. Stead, the well-known debtor, whose case, advocated by the Otago Guardian some twelve months ago, procured an alteration in the law of imprisonment for debt. Mr. Stead is here to press certain claims for compensation on the Government. On the 3rd August, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, ninety members of the Te Aro school cadets company assembled iu their large schoolroom, for the usual monthly inspection of the company by Lieut. Colonel Reader. After the parade, the members of the first squad asked the gallant colonel to present to their captain and teacher (Mr. W. H. Holmes), on their behalf, a valuable microscope, as a slight mark of their esteem and regard for him, which he did in a very graceful manner, accompanying it with some kind and eulogistic remarks. The gift was, of course, duly acknowledged, and three hearty cheers given for the recipient, the drum and fife band playing, "For he's a jolly good fellow" in a. very spirited manner. The new Bteam launch which arrived in this port per Phcebe on the 31st July, was designed by Mr. Nancarrow, and built by Messrs. Fraser and Tinne, of Auckland, for the General Government. She is intended to be used in this port, and will probably be employed iu connection with the quarantine and Somes Island. Her dimensions are as follows: Length, 40ft. Gin.; beam, 7ft. 10in.; depth, sft.; engines, 6 horse-power; speed, 8 to 9 knots per hour. She is cutter-rigged, and is said to sail well. Her weight (with engines) is 5 tons 3 cwt. Her coal-bunkers, water-tanks, and storerooms are ranged under the bulkheads. She is one of three ordered by the General Government from the same contractors, and her cost was £6OO. She attained a speed of nine knots per hour on her trial trip. She was safely floated on the 2nd August. Tho Tin-aru Herald calls Mr. Reader Wood the member for the shabby-genteel suburb of Auckland.

A few weeks Bince it was found necessary to' draw attention to the ill-behaviour of certain occupants of a private box at the Theatre Royal, during a performance by the Star Dramatic Company. On the night of August 2, the enactment of "An Unequal Match" was continually interrupted, this time from the pit, and by a number of drunken sailors, whose behaviour during a scene between Miss Colville and Miss Anstead, was disgraceful to their manhood and their uniform. They quite interrupted the progress of the play, and Mr. Hoskins was - compelled to remonstrate with them upon their conduct; whereat, as might have been expected from a set of men so lost to decency, that gentleman received impertinence and defiance. If the police are not strong enough to check such annoyances a 3 these, the officers of these men should make some provision against their indulging their drunken revelry at the expense of the public. We have received from Messrs. Wrigglesworth and Binns, photographic artists, Willisstreet, a mounted copy of a remarkably wellexecuted photographic card of members of the House of Representatives in 3874. The arrangement of the pictures of members is excellent, and the likenesses are really good. The effect produced is striking. The artists present a framed and mounted picture to the General Assembly Library, and copies of it may be procured at a very reasonable price. On looking at the picture one recognises the likenesses of gentlemen no longer in the House ; but as a pleasing memorial of it during a not uneventful session, this photograph should bein the possession of every member. We may add, that Messrs. Wrigglesworth and Binna have enlargements of the likenesses if required.

On Thursday evening, sth August, the Parliament Buildings caught fire. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that a part of the building got singed, for to the many inquiries made by those who happened to be in the vicinity this was the impression conveyed. Just prior to half-past seven the inmates of the building became sensible of the smell of smoke, and some original minds expressed their belief that it must have been caused by fire. No one being found bold enough to set up a new theory on the subject, it became an admitted fact that there was fire somewhere, and officials busied themselves in searching for the direction. In the meantime, as the hour for opening approached, members dropped into the House and sat themselves down, and the public gallery was soon filled, as also the ladies'gallery; but none of the occupants of these seemed to be aware of the smoke, which increased in density, or if they were conscious of it they did not appear to regard smoke as strange to the proceedings of the Assembly. At half-past seven, however, the Speaker took the chair, and announced that the House would adjourn for half-an-hour, to extinguish a fire that was supposed to be burning somewhere, and the galleries were cleared. Then the Government officials, with the assistance of several of the members belonging to the engineering profession, got out a hose, which would play when anybody could be got to play with it. On the present occasion everybody meant business, so the hose discharged itseif of the water somewhere about its middle, instead of playing at tho nozzle. The fire was discovered to be underneath a lobby in the right wing of the building; and, the hose having been taken through, endeavors were made to stop up the leak with a doormat, but that was found not to succeed, and the engineering members gave orders for bucket?. After the lapse of some time, during which a person might have borrowed half-a-dozen utensils without " turning a hair," an official arrived with a tin pail, which was immediately takenpossessionofbyoneoftheengineeringmem« bers; although, being empty, it was practically useless. At this juncture a hose-reel and some firemen arrived on the scene. One length o£ the hose was rolled off by the combined efforts of the officials, firemen, and engineering members, when it was discovered that they had got the wrong length, and the right length was therefore taken off, and carried into the lobby, which by the way, at this time, had come to be as mysteriously inviting to the onlookers as the morgue to Parisian citizens. And the fire was ultimately extinguished. It arose from the heating apparatus having ignited the wood either over or under a pipe, and the result might have been serious, notwithstanding the assurances given to anxious inquirers, such as rapacious pressmen, and new arrivals on the scene, that "it was a mere nothing, and need not cause alarm." The general sense of humor was somewhat tickled at the peril in which the building had been placed, and jokes were made with the greatest recklessness. Two or three gentlemen hit upon one joke at the same time, that some ultra-provineialist had made an attempt suddenly to abolish the House of Representatives ; and a member of the fourth estate, of the Jefferson Brick order, grimly suggested that it was a gunpowder plot No. 2. It may be regarded as a fortunate circumstance that the fire did not occur at a later hour, as it might not have been discovered until too late to avert serious consequences. The new auction rooms erected by Mr. Taylor, from the designs of Mr. TumbulL for Mr. J. H. Wallace, auctioneer and land agent, have just been completed. The building possesses a handsome front elevation facing Hunter-street, with plate-glass window's on either side of the entrance doors, which are painted and grained in the best style. A side door on the right of the building admits the visitor to a private staircase, conducting to a suite of excellent offices overhead, consisting of three rooms, lined and ceiled in the best style of carpentry, and with' tho gas laid on. The front office facing Hunter-street, which is the most capacious of the three, is lighted from the street by two handsome plate-glass windows. A passage and staircase divide this office from the two at the back. Of these one is a spacious room, which has been offered to the Chamber of Commerce, and has two large ■windows of plate-glass let into the side wall and two similar windows let into the wall at the rear. This is a most airy and pleasant office, and takes up two-thirds of the space at the rear of the dividing passage, the third office occupying the remaining space, and is furnished with one window overlooking the rear of the premises. The ground plan of the building occupies an area of 60ft. by 30ft. The office on the right of the chief entrance in Hunter-street, occupied by Mr. J. H. Wallace, and that on the left, in the occupation of Mr. T. W. Pilcher, shipping agent, take up but a small part of this area. The rest is occupied by the new and commodious auction room, the erection of which, involving a large outlay of money, has been rendered imperatively necessary.by the great impulse which business has received in Wellington during the past few years. SPORTING. The Auckland football club have resolved on an interprovincial tour, to leave about the 7th September. The team will probably number twenty. At Dunedin on 7th August Frederick Wain finished 100 miles in 23 hours 44 minutes, and won the stakes of £SO. The Wellington Jockey Club races will be held on the Hutt Park racecourse on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 7th and Bth December. The following are the office-bearers:—Presi-dent, Hon. W. Fitzherbert, M.H.R, ; vicepresident, George Hunter, Esq., M.H.K.; judge, E. Pearce, Esq., M.H.E. ; stewards, George Crawford, Esq., J.P. ; Messrs. J. McDowell, Joseph Paul, A. Braithwaite, W. Bromley, J. M. Thompson, and Dr. Diver; starter, Mr. Andrew Young ; hon. treasurer, Atr. J. K. George ; secretary and clerk ef tho scales, Mr. George H. Jackson; clerk of the course, Mr. James Prosser. A liberal programme is provided. There will be two days' racing. The events to come off on the first day are as follows :—The Maiden Plate o£ 100 sovs,; the Wellington Cup (a handicap of 200 sovs.); the SeEing Race of 50sovs.; Hack Race of 10 sovs.; the Provincial Plate of 125 sovs. The events of the second day will be— The Hutt Park Stakes (a handicap of 50 sov3); the Wellington Derby of 100 sovs.; the Jockey Club Handicap of 100 sovs ; the Consolation Handicap of 50 sovs.; and a Hack Hace of 10 sovs. With this liberal programme there is every reason to expect some excellent racing.