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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4774, 11 July 1876, Page 2

The Supreme. Court sittings opened yesterday morning, and continued till nearly five o'clock. Remarkable to state, the Grand Jury found true bills in every case in the long calendar.

The Legislative" Council will not, in all probability, meet until half-past two o'clock in the afternoon after to-day's sitting, the Hon. Dr. Pollen having given notice of motion to that effect.

The Hon. the Speaker of the House of Kepresentatives gave his first Parliamentary dinner at the. Speaker's rooms, Government buildings, last night. A. large number of members were entertained, and a novel and agreeable feature of the evening was the presence of several ladies, wives and daughters of members, who were kindly received by Mrs. Ktzherbert, and whose attendance was not the least gratifying portion of the reunion. The action Schulte v. the Mayor and Corporation of Wellington is set down for trial at this sittings of the Supreme Court, and will come on probably on Friday. Plaintiff seeks to recover for alleged injury done to him by reason of the diversion of a stream or watercourse by which his mill at Kaiwarra was driven.

A meeting of the committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday, the business, amongst other matters, being to consider a Bill introduced by the Hon. George McLean, Commissioner of Customs, affecting bonded warehouses. The committee considered that the Bill would not apply to Wellington. What it sought to legalise had really been the custom here for some time, and they recommended the insertion of a clause making the endorsement and registration of the transfer of bonded certificates compulsory. The Burgess list for Wellington is now completed, so that the ratepayers may, if they think proper, ■ inspect it and lodge any complaints or objections with the Town Clerk. We mention the fact because there is generally a good deal of delay experienced, and subsequent annoyance to a certain number of people is the inevitable result.

The Australian news by the s.s. Otago at the Bluff is unimportant, all of importance having been already anticipated by cable. The charge for perjury against Trowell is being held in abeyance ; there is an improved demand for rum ; there is a good demand in the market for Bank shares ; the Opera Company and Theatre Royal shares are in demand. It has been mentioned on one or two occasions that there is a want of dignity sometimes in the proceedings at the Kesident Magistrate's Court of Wellington, and it may be said, perhaps, without giving offence or reflecting upon his ability, that this is mainly owing to an over leniency on the part of our worthy Kesident Magistrate, Mr. J. C. Crawford. An instance of the kind of thing mentioned occurred yesterday during the hearing of a case, Kiddiford v. Stanford, a claim to recover possession of a tenement. It appeared that Stanford was employed by Mr. Kiddiford to act as a groom and general servant, an agreement being drawn up to that effect, and part of the contract was that Stanford should be supplied with a cottage to live in. According to the evidence of plaintiff, Standford was dismissed in consequence of disobedience and drunkenness; bnt he refused to surrender possession of the cottage. During the hearing of the case the defendant behaved in a most unseemly manner, assuming the right to wander as far from the question as possible, in cross-examining the witness, and dictating to the Bench as to certain points of law, of which, it should be needless to say, he knew as little as he did of decent behaviour. Such proceedings a 3 this cannot but make the Court appear ridiculous in the eyes of the washed and unwashed of those who attend it, and the Magistrate would do well to make an example of some such insolent person. Even yesterday Mr. Crawford, whose patience and goodnature are almost as much to be deprecated as admired, failed in maintaining his calmness when, having delivered judgment in favor of plaintiff, Mr. Stanford was pleased to observe that no justice was to be obtained from that Court, and he threatened to commit him for contempt of court. Had he committed Mr. Stanford in reality, it might have had a salutary effect upon that gentleman, and would certainly have acted as a warning to others of his class.*

A paragraph in yesterday's issue contained a printer's error. The number of passengers that | arrived at the port of Wellington from the North during the previous week was stated to have been 280. This was an error. The passengers from all ports were 280 ; from the North 181. The ingenious literary gentleman who stole our information, believing it to be correct, and kindly reprinted it, with favorable comments, is requested to make the necessary explanation this evening. The new brick-making machine near the site upon which is to be built the Provincial Hospital, is now fairly in working order. The machine is an American one, and possesses all the latest improvements in those manufactured elsewhere, and many additional advantages. It is capable of producing 11,000 bricks per week of the best quality. The machine is driven by a 14-horse-power engine, which was purchased in this colony. It will of course be manifest that there is very much less labor attached to the manufacture of bricks by machinery than by hand, it being only necessary to take the clay from the bank and deposit it in the mill, from which the bricks are taken ready for the drying sheds. The bricks made by the machine under notice are undoubtedly of a much superior quality to those made by hand. They come out hard-pressed and solid, and require only four days' drying, when they are in a condition to be placed in the kiln ; and being burnt, they have this advantage over the hand-made bricks, that they are not so porous, and will not " take the water," as it is technically known. As to the general work in connection with the preparations for erecting the hospital (Mr. Toxward is the architect), it may be stated that prison laborers are employed constantly carrying clay and attending the machine, besides excavating for the site of the new buildings, and making the necessary roads. There is also in course I of erection a German circular brick kiln, by ! which a great saving is obtained in the matter of fuel. Everything is proceeding satisfactorily, and we understand that the foundations of the new building will be laid next spring. There was a good house at the Theatre Royal last night, and " The Angel of Midnight" was played for the last time, after a run of three nights. The performance was received with every possible mark of satisfaction by the audience. Tonight "Frou Frou" is to be presented, Mrs. Bates appearing in the title role, which it is known is one of her best impersonations. "Nobody's Child" is announced for to-morrow night.

The Hibernicon entertainment was well attended last evening. To-night the performance will be. for the benefit of Mr. Wallace, the " Nigger" impersonator attached to the exhibition. Mr. Wallace by his talented exertions has made himself so popular during the season of the Hibernicon here that a crowded house may be expected.

Owing to the fact of the Supreme Court criminal sittings commencing yesterday'morning at 10 o'clock, the business of the Resident Magistrate's Court was proceeded with at an earlier hour than usual, in order that the Resident Magistrate, J. C. Crawford, Esq., might be present at the former Court. There were two or three meeting held yesterday amongst members of the Opposition, one consisted, so we are informed, of the Auckland members who range themselves against the Government. Another was composed of Otago members in a similar position. What the deliberations were about has not transpired, but whatever they were about it is generally understood that no decisive conclusion was arrived at.

A point which is not frequent of occurrence in the Law Courts arose yesterday in the Supreme Court. Soon after the examination of witnesses in the case Regina v. Buchanan had commenced, a juryman intimated to hiß Honor the Chief Justice that certain facts in connection with the case were within his knowledge which might be expected to prejudice him against prisoner, and he wished to know whether under the circumstances it was right for him to continue sitting as a juror. Prisoner jumped at the possibility of a discharge, and protested against the injustice of his being tried by a prejudiced jury. His Honor said he had no doubt that the juror must sit, and he did not see how any facts which might be within the knowledge of one man could affect the verdict of the twelve, or even how the mind of the gentleman himself could be unfairly prejudiced. • He had sworn to judge of the case on the facts brought before him, and upon nothing else. However, it was but proper that the Court should know what the juror knew, and it was necessary he should be sworn as a witness. The juror was then sworn, and gave evidence of such facts as he was aware of.

A very melancholy case of sudden death occurred yesterday, the victim being Mr. Daniel Keefe, well known in the city as the crier and usher of the Supreme Court. Some minutes before the court opened Mr. Keefe went into the anteroom leading to the offices of the Registrar oi Births and Deaths, and when tkero remarked to the housekeeper, Mrs. Keetley, that his throat felt dry, and stated his intention to go for a drink of water. He went to the filter and filled a tumbler of water, but immediately afterwards staggered, and would have fallen but that the housekeeper, who heard him give expression to some exclamation, caught him in her arms, and prevented him from falling quite prostrate on the floor. A messenger was sent for medical assistance, and Dr. Diver shortly afterwards arrived ; but the unfortunate man was past human aid. An inquest will be held to-day at the morgue, to which place the body was conveyed. Mr. Keefe's death will be regretted by a number of people, for he was generally liked and respected. Deceased had held his appointment for four years. He was an old soldier, had seen a good deal of active service, and was distinguished for bravery as well as many other good points of character. It is said that the cause of death was apoplexy. The Canterbury Press has the following : Eighteen months ago the two sons of a settler in the Sound were playing with some marbles on the deck of a cutter which was anchored in the bay, on the shores of which they resided, when, as might be expected, they very soon lost some overboard. Amongst them was one particularly marked, and which has been recovered in' a somewhat peculiar and unexpected manner. Whilst fishing a few days ago a rock cod was. caught, which on being dressed for culinary purposes, was found to contain the identical and much prized " alley taw," to the delight and amusement of the juveniles. A rather amusing incident has been related to a Melbourne contemporary respecting a fright received by a member of a certain card party, not a hundred miles from Sandhurst, quite recently. The games played during the evening were many, and of an exciting nature, requiring in the case of the person we refer to the frequent use of stimulants, which in their turn caused him, at a late hour of the night, to suddenly fall asleep. His slumber was not observed until it came to his turn to play. It struck some of the wags at the table that the opportunity was a good one for a joke, and accordingly lights were extinguished, and they spoke as if playing, shuffling the cards, &c, at the same time rousing the slumberer. When he awoke he yawned, asked where he was, and hearing his friends all speaking, and apparently continuing the game, jumped up in a fearful state of frenzy, and in a deeply agitated voice announced that he was blind —suddenly struck blind. He continued to pour forth his lamentations until he was stopped by uproarious shouts of laughter from all sides, as one of his friends struck a light and lit the lamp, showing how he had been hoaxed.

At the recent meeting of the French Socie'te' des Agriculteurs, one of the questions discussed was the expediency of protecting small birds from indiscriminate slaughter, and a resolution asking the Government to legislate on the subject was eventually passed. This society exercises great influence upon all legislation of an agricultural character, for among its members are many politicians of all parties, and the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, whoever he may be, is, as a rule, glad to have the opinions of so many practical farmers as a guide. The present Minister may or may not carry out the recommendations with respect to small birds ; but whatever course he may take, it is significant of the society's influence that the Minister of Public Instruction has already issued a circular to the schoolmasters, requesting them to impress upon their pupils the usefulness of small birds, and the loss which their destruction causes to agriculture. The damage done by insects in France is estimated to bo not less than £12,000,000 per annum, and the total gets larger every year, as the bird-popu-lation decreases. In the Haute-Marne, a fifth of the beetroot crop is generally destroyed, which represents a loss of nearly £2 an acre. In the Eure-et-Loir, three-fourths of the colza crop are often devoursd, at a loss of £8 an acre. In the meanwhile, the destruction of the insect-eating birds continue apace, and in the Champagne district robins are annually killed by the thousand, to be sold and eaten as larks. If the schoolmasters, by impressing these and similar facts upon their scholars, can prevent them from pillaging nests and setting bricktraps for the small birds, the ministerial circular will have done some good ; but unless by means of a close season or some other legislative enactment, sparrows and finches are to be protected from the guns of French " chasseurs," they must not be expected to increase and multiply.

A Wellington correspondent of the Marlborough Times gives the following pen-and-ink sketch of the member for Auckland City E as |;: —As many know, from intercourse with him in Melbourne, on the West Coast, and in Auckland, he is a comparatively young man, comparatively gifted with " gab," and by no means comparatively modest. He is not a "dare devil," but he is distinctively a "fear nothing" where fools rush in and angels fear to tread. In the House the style of his exits and his entrances betoken outwardly the inward character of the man. American in his attire, with velvet-collared surtout of ample skirt, and prominent waist-bands of stifily-Btarched linen, he marches, rather than walks, into the House, with that pronounced step which is sometimes seen on the stage. In speaking, he commands sufficient attention by his clear but Yankeefied enunciation, or, when that fails, by the loudness of his voice, and the " fustian " of his thoughts. Beneath him—far beneath him —he sees the Ministry wallowing in corruption ; within himself a Hercule 3 ; and above him, the colony, the colonies, Europe, the world, and all the gods looking on at the spectacle in which he on the one hand, and the Ministry on the other, are active participators.

"Mark Twain on Bad Musicians." Tho musical public and general readers are cautioned not to purchase Weaton'B Wizard Oil and Magie Pills without carefully examining the outside wrapper, and bo suro that the words, " None Genuine without THE SIONATURE OF THE PROPRIETOR—FRANK WES" ton, yrDNEV, N.S.AV,"- are engraven thereon. Any other so called preparations of mine are unauthorised by me, and calculated to mislead tho public.— Signed, Frank "Weston. Sole Agents—Kempthorne, I'rosser, and Co., Duncdin. Half-a-crown.— Advi'T