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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4783, 21 July 1876, Page 2

His Excellency the Governor and the Marchioness of Normanby gave a ball at Government House last night, to which a numerous company were invited. The Auckland Opposition contingent in the House has hitherto had itself represented for purposes of caucusing and lobbying by a committee composed of the Superintendent and Executive. Yesterday the committee invited Messrs. Whitaker and Macfarlane to join in a conference, when the proposal of the Canterbury caucusites as to financial separation were considered. These would, of course, be agreed to by the original committee, but not by Messrs. Whitaker and Macfarlane.

At the City Council meeting yesterday the Mayor stated that in connection with the proposed constitutional changes which, as they were aware, would transfer the support of the poor to the City Council, he had the honor of being waited upon the other day by a deputation from the Benevolent Society, the committee of which were anxious to know the views of the Council on this important matter. In the present state of political arrangements, it appeared to him to be premature to discuss the various questions that would arise, but he mentioned the subject at this early date that members might turn their attention to it. He presumed that the Council would be anxious to avail themselves of the experience of the Benevolent Society, the members of which had been for mouths doing a good work among the poor of the city. When the prospects of the future became somewhat more definite he would be prepared to submit a statement to the Council on the whole question, which would at least serve as a starting point for them in coming to its consideration,

Last night’s Gazette contains a return of Customs revenue collected at the several ports of New Zealand for the quarter ended 30th June, 1875, and for the financial year ended the same date. The totals are—for the quarter £291,189, and for the financial year £1,225,313. The total for , the corresponding quarter in 1875 was £298,364. Auckland exhibits the greatest falling off in the returns for the comparative quarters, the figures being £46,146 as against £58,147. The decrease at Dunedin is slight, and Wellington shows an increase, the figures here being £39,437 as against £34,984 in the second quarter of 1875. Lyttelton also shows an increase, the figures being £44,813 against £38,808.

The anniversary of the Court Sir George Bowen passed off last night with a dinner in the Odd Fellows’ Hall. An excellent spread was provided by Messrs. Thomas and Gemino, and those present, to the number of about sixty, did it ample justice. His Worship the Mayor was in the chair, supported on the right by Mr. Marriott, and on the left by Mr. Solomon Levy. The health of “Her Majesty the Queen,” “ The Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family,” “ His Excellency the Governor,” and the “Army and Navy” having been drunk, Mr. Hutchison proposed “ The Health of his Honor the Superintendent.” It was with great pleasure that he proposed “ The Health of Sir. Fitzherbort.” He believed he wasthe last of the Superintendents, and had virtually closed office by being appointed to the highest office in the colony, namely, that of the Speakership. Mr. Byrne rose and proposed “ The Health of the Chairman.” The latter thanked the meeting in appropriate terms. “ The health of the Ministry and the General Assembly ” was next drunk. The Chairman, in proposing the toast, said that he hoped that the House would do a little less talking and a little more work. The Chairman then told the company to fill their glasses, as he was going to propose the toast of the evening, namely, “ Health and Prosperity to Court Sir George Bowen” coupled with the Foresters in general. He said that he believed all societies had a habit of tracing back their period of commencement to a very ancient date. For instance, the Freemasons traced themselves back to the building of the tower of Babel or to Solomon’s temple ; the Odd Fellows went back as far ns the sons of Adam, but the Foresters went back as far as Adam himself. Adam, he believed, lived in the forest, and was therefore a Forester. He had also further ancient data, for they could trace themselves back to those people which Professor Darwin told them lived before Adam. The toast was responded to by Chief Ranger Foley in a few appropriate words. “ The Health of Kindred Societies " was drunk and responded to. The toast “ The Health of the Vice-Chairmen” (Mr. Marriott and Mr. Solomon Levy) was drunk, and responded to in suitable terms by both gentlemen. A number of toasts, such as the “Executive Council and and District Officers of Wellington,” the “Chief Rangers and Visiting Brethren of other Courts,” “Young Members of the Order of Forestry,” “ Pioneer Foresters of Wellington District,” and “The Press,” were drunk and responded to. The proceedings were enlivened by a capital band, and further by a number of songs and recitations rendered by members of the company.

G. L. T. Von der Heyde, Esq., has been temporarily appointed consular agent for the German Empire at Auckland. The Theatre Koyal was well attended last evening considering the fearful weather which prevailed, when “ Kocombole” was repeated. This evening “ Don Osesar de Bazan” will be produced, and Mr. Bates’ impersonation of the reckless hero is spoken of by critics in America and Australia as being amongst his very best efforts. At the coroner’s inquest held at Paikakariki, touching the death of Petero, the verdict of the jury was to the effect that deceased was driving a trap on a narrow part of the road, when it was suddenly overthrown in'consequence of one of the wheels passing up the bank, and the deceased fell a distance of 150 ft., whereby he came by his death. The jury begged to call the immediate attention of the Government to the narrow, dangerous, and insecure Pakikirikiri-road. A well-known Wellington settler, Mr. Orowther, boat-builder, Willis-street, died suddenly yesterday. The deceased had been suffering from a severe illness for some time, and was in the habit of taking chloroform to deaden the pain. Yesterday, on a member of the family entering the father’s bedroom, the latter was found lying on the bed dead. Deceased had a handkerchief to his mouth, having used it apparently to inhale chloroform, for a bottle containing a few drops of the drug stood by the side of the bed. An inquest will be held in the Morgue to-day at 2 o'clock. Quite a sensational incident occurred in connection with the Wellington gaol recently, the information regarding which was obtained in an accidental manner. Some months since a woman named Anne Iverson was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for larceny. Few criminals care for confinement, and this one appeared to have a particular objection to prison life and prison fare, and possessing an enterprising spirit, she naturally contemplated escape to the outer world, where her sphere of usefulness or the reverse, as fancy may suggest, would be more extended. She not did commence operations in the same manner as do the heroes of cheap sensational novels, and make a rope out of a bed sheet, or work a hole in the outer wall, in spare intervals, with a two-pronged fork. That kind of business has gone out of date, if it ever was fashionable. Being of a practical turn of mind, Anne Iverson went about escaping in a far less romantic style, notwithstanding that the process was attended with considerable risk of detection, no less than of bodily injury. Fortunately, like the butcher In Newgate, she had a friend outside, with whom she managed by some means best known to herself to communicate. This friend took a ladder to the gaol one day, and by the aid of it Iverson escaped undetected. She was not discovered until some days after, and then she was found in a house near the Caledonian Hotel, and taken back to the gaol. It seems strange that an escape of the kind could have passed unnoticed. Either the parties to it must have been very clever or some one else must have been asleep. The following rule has been gazetted under the Beguhe Generales of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, to come into force on and after the Ist of August next :—“Whenever, by any rule of this Court, the practice of the Courts of Equity, or of any of the superior Courts in England, is adopted, or may be followed, the same shall be deemed to be the practice which existed in England immediately before the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, 1873, came into force.” The second of a series of very attractive entertainments in connection with the Presbyterian Church, Willis-street, and in aid of the funds of the Sunday-school, will be held at the schoolroom, Willis-street, on Monday evening next. The first entertainment was more than successful. The vocal and instrumental performances of the lady and gentlemen amateurs were far above what is generally looked for on such occasions, and there is no reason to doubt that Monday evening's performances will be as good. Therefore the schoolroom should be largely attended.

Quite a rush took place for tickets at the opening of the box office for the De Murska concerts yesterday. The plans already give promise of brilliant and fashionable audiences. It is intended, in order to obviate as much as possible crushing at the doors, to sell second seat and gallery tickets throughout to-morrow and Monday at the box office, which will admit the holders a quarter of an hour before the general public. In anticipation of the large audiences expected, we would advise all patrons of these portions of the Hall to avail themselves of this excellent method of getting comfortably seated, and provide themselves with tickets beforehand. A New Zealand Gazette was published last night. It contains : —Proclamation of Kumara special licensing district; proclamation of a public prison at Gisborne ; withdrawal of land from reservation in the province of Taranaki ; various appointments, notices to mariners, &c., &c A return has been issued, on the motion of Mr. John Locke, M.P., showing the number of persons in each of the several collections of the United Kingdom licensed as brewers or victuallers, to sell beer to be drunk on the premises, and to sell beer not to be drunk on the premises ; stating the number of each class who brew their own beer, and the quantity of malt consumed by them, from the Ist October, 1874, to the 30th September, 1875 ; of the number of barrels of beer exported from the United Kingdom, and the declared value thereof, and where exported to, in the same period ; and of the total number of bushels of malt made, and the amount of duty charged, tor the year ending 31st December, 1875. Under the first heading it appears that common brewers took out in England 2546 licenses; victuallers, 70,113 ; persons selling beer to be drunk on the premises, 39,263 ; and not to be so drunk, 4215. In Scotland brewers took out 88 licenses, and victuallers 12,507. In Ireland brewers took 65, and victuallers 16,777. In England 16,832 victuallers brew their own beer, and 7909 beersellers. In Scotland 108 victuallers and 1 beerseller brew. Brewers consumed 41,800,088 bushels of malt in England, 2,065,610 in Scotland, and 3,816,872 in Ireland; while victuallers consumed only 6,758,641 bushels in England, 269,379 in Scotland, and 3855 in Ireland. Beersellers in England consumed 3,506,154 bushels. The number of bushels of malt was 58,139,529, and the duty amounted to £7,884,378 6s. 7Jd. The beer exported from England was 466,813 barrels, valued at £1,958,109 ; from Scotland, 47,962 barrels, valued at £219,072 ; and from Ireland, 1066 barrels, valued at £4103. One third of the whole amount went to British India. An Act of Parliament has just been printed, and recently passed, to amend the law relating to the stamping of policies of sea insurances. It is now provided that a policy by which the separate and distinct interests of two or more persons arc insured, being stamped in respect of the aggregate of such interests, but not duly stamped in respect of each of such interests, may be stamped with an additional stamp or stamps at any time within one month after the last risk has been declared. Section 16 of the Stamp Act, 1876, is to apply to a policy of sea insurance. Such policy for the purposes of the section is to be an instrument which may bo legally stamped after execution, and the penalty payable by law on stamping is to be £IOO. The Southland News is responsible for the following :—“ There is n polite, affable, gentleman in town who was ' awfully sold ’ the other day. A party had called at his office in the matter of filing his schedule when the gentleman referred to happened to be absent. On returning to the office, this circumstance was duly reported. Not long afterwards the same person—as our friend supposed—came back, and was at once courteously and civilly told the expense would be the small sum of £6. The visitor seemed astonished, was dumb, in fact, and a glimmering idea seemed to cross the mind of the official that there ‘ was a screw loose,’ for he put the question, ‘Don’t you want to file your schedule!’ ‘No,’ thundered the other, ‘I want a marriage license.’ Tableaux —then promp’’ [attendance to the wishes of that customer.”

* A Christchurch paper of July 17 tells the following tale of juvenile delinquency : “Three boys, the eldest being only thirteen years of age, will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, charged with breaking into Mrs. Cook's store, Tuamstreet, some days ago, stealing a cashbox therefrom, containing a sum of money, and also with committing other offences. It seems that the morning after visiting Mrs. Cook's, the train was taken for Timaru, the juvenile travellers putting up at one of the leading hotels there, and having thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and spent the money, a return was made for Christchurch, when an office in Colombo-street south was broken into, and tenpence abstracted from a drawer. A charge of attempted arson will also be preferred against one of them.” Theophilus Kissliug, Esq., has been appointed Deputy-Examiner of Titles for the district of Auckland. Mr, George Thomas will hold an extensive clearing sale of general merchandise and furniture, at his rooms, at 1.30 p.m. to-day. Luncheon at 1 o'clock.