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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4539, 7 October 1875, Page 2

Tho members of the General Assembly, we understand, propose giving their annual ball on Wednesday next, the 13th inst. The ball will be held this year in the Museum building, which is now nearly completed. An error occurred incur report of Tuesday’s parliamentary proceedings. Tho name of Mr. Ormond appeared twice instead of that of Mr. Bolloston.

It was announced by Sir Donald McLean yesterday, that in consequence of the report of the Ohinemuri Committee, the Government had dispensed with Mr. Brissenden’s services.’

We received a telegram last night purporting to record the sentences in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, yesterday. IE the Press Agency will come and make it fit for publication an obligation will be rendered.

It will ba observed that the lady , members of the congregation of St. John’s Church continue their monthly sales in aid of the building fund of that church. One of these sales will be held this afternoon in the schoolroom, Willis-street, at halt-past two o’clock. “ Alladin ; or, the Wonderful Scamp,” the best burlesque ever written, was produced at the Theatre Eoyal last night. Mr. Oily Deering, it is said, played the Widow Twaukay for the first time, and that with but a short time for study. This being so, he gave evidence that he will yet make a hit in the part, for even with disadvantages last night he managed to take the piece through on his own shoulders. At the Eeaideut Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before J. C. Crawford, Esq., E.M., James Eyan and Peter Hansen, for being drunk and incapable, were fined ss. each, or in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. Thomas Valentine and Charles Semell were charged with being drunk and disorderly. The first named was remanded for a week ; the second was fined 10s., or in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. The following tenders were received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for the incline contract of the Wellington and Masterton railway :—Accepted—Charles McKirdy, Wellington, £19,029, Declined—Allen, Kingstreet, and Loclde, Wellington, £57,892 ; Owen Jones and Co., Auckland, £58,051 ; John Henderson, Wellington, £01,125 ; D. Proudfoot, Dunedin, £66,000 ; Martin, Danagher, and Co., Auckland, £69,453 ; Alex. Tawse and Co,, Wellington, £78,257. The Wellington Education Board met again yesterday at 11 o’clock. Present—Messrs. Gisborne (in the chair), Eoss, Toomath, Watt, Beetham, and Eleetwood. It was decided to treat with the hospital trustees, Messrs. Taylor, Crawford, and Bunny, for the purchase of the old grammar school and an acre of ground. An additional £IOO a year was granted to the Secretary, to commence from the first of the present month. Mr. Ashton, collector for the Wellington country districts, was examined as to the outstanding rates. He informed the Board that the rates due for the year 1873-4, amounted to £sl 13s. Id. ; and for 1874-5, to £333 Is. He was instructed to proceed with the collections, and to obtain the assistance of a sub-collector. The rules having been read, the Board adjourned. The Otago Guardian of the 27th ultimo has the following paragraph : —lt is said that two representatives of mercantile houses in Wellington recently visited Dunedin for the purpose of transacting business on behalf of their respective firms in the way of soliciting orders. This, we believe, is a somewhat unusual occurrence, but probably the Wellingtonians are beginning to think that as theirs is the empire city they have a right to monopolise the trade of the colony. The gentlemen above referred to did not, however, meet with much success, and proceeded on to Invercargill in search of fairer fields and pastures new. Walking matches are now the rage in Dunedin, and some novel feats are being accomplished. The latest is that of two bricklayers’ laborers named Kobert Bird and George Bedford, the latter being a Good Templar, between whom a match was arranged to walk'a distance of twenty miles, each carrying a hod of twelve bricks, making a dead weight of nearly 911b5., according to tho Daily Times, The former, a short, thick-set man, walked the distance with the aid of stimulants, in the drillshed, in seven hour’s five minutes. Bedford, who is tall and muscular, accomplised the distance, with a lap to spare, in fifteen minutes less than his antagonist, fairly running round the course towards the finish. Both men were stripped in the usual form, the left shoulder, on which they carried the hod, being protected with wet cloths, and with their arras folded over the handle, walked in a crouching position. Bedford drank nothing but tea, so temperance advocates will no doubt declare this as another triumph for Good Templarism ; though one present ventured ; to remark that he would have been much better for a glass of beer.

In reference to the cruel and unjust sentence passed on Sarah Chandler, of Spalding, aged thirteen, on which an article appeared in the New Zealand Times of September 23rd, a Home paper has the followingßut that a long intimacy with tho reports, accurate and otherwise, of the proceedings of our unpaid magistracy may well induce caution in comment upon apparently startling decisions by rural justices, it is possible that strong language might be used in regard to the case of a little girl who, for plucking a geranium blossom in the front of an almshouse in which her aunt was a resident, has been sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment, and four years' confinement in a reformatory. The Home Secretary has, of course, remitted tho sentence, and reprimanded the ‘justices.’ Two of them were clergymen of the Church of England. It is very curious that a sentence of unusual severity by rural justices is seldom reported without an intimation of a clergyman having been upon the Bench. Here there were two, which fact may well account for the extraordinary decision. It is with no disrespect to the clergy that it might be suggested that their entire education and training utterly unfits them for judicial.functions. It is needless to dwell upon “this topic, upon which, on the one hand, much might be written; on the other, probably but little. Faith and evidence are in law and religion diversly regarded. The cleric jurist has always been cruel, because he exalts the spiritual over all mundane considerations. A clergyman on the Bench is at least as much out of place aa a judge in the pulpit.”