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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4803, 14 August 1876, Page 2

The passengers arriving at the port of Wellington by sea, during the past week, numbered 231 persons. Of these 134 came from ports in the North Island, 91 from the South Island, and six from Aubtralia.

Mr. Walter Johnston, M.H.R., has presented a petition from settlers in the Manawatu district and others, relative to the construction of an inland road from Paikakariki to Waikanao.

Under the system of nominated immigration 4696 immigrants were nominated between 30th June, 1875, and 80th June, 1876, of whom 1800 have arrived, cancellation occurring in 427 instances. Since the commencement of the soheme to 30th June, 1876, 35,473 have been nominated, of whom 8146 have arrived. The carrying capacity of twelve steamers, which arrived at the port of Wellington during the past week, amounted to 2392 tons, and of five Bailing vessels 214 tons. Four ships from foreign ports entered in during the past week, with a registered tonnage combined of 3577 tons. . Ten steamers cleared out coastwise during the same, period, with a tonnage of 2176 ; and eight' sailing vessels, whose combined carrying capacity amounted to 418 tons. There were two vessels that cleared out f«r foreign porta with a tonnage combined of 896.

There are now fifty : six orders of the day and thirty notices of motion on the Order Paper of the House of Representatives. A meeting of the provisional dirextors of the Empire Gas Company is called for this evening at the Post-office Hotel. The annual ball of the Wellington Artillery takes place this evening, and promises to be a most successful affair.

The Christchurch City Council Chamber is adorned by portraits of the successive chairmen and mayors of the City Council. The Wellington Christy Minstrels are to give an entertainment about the beginning of the month, in aid of the distressed teacher whose case has been brought before the public. The other day four small boys in Christchurch amused themselves by ringing the firebell. The result was they found themselves in the lock-up. The first general meeting of the Land Investment Company of Wellington will be held at the office, Hunter-street, this evening, at 8 o'clock.

A meeting of the Peatherston Memorial Committee is called for 7.30 this evening, to be held in the sidoroom of the Odd Fellows' Hall. Members of the committee are requested to attend. The planting on the Canterbury railway reserves, north of the Eiver Styx, was completed last week. The Lyttelton Times says the total number of trees planted will be about 75,000.

The only case heard at'the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday was one of vagrancy, the offender being a woman named Ann Mathews, who was brought up on Friday, but being intoxicated when placed in the dock, was remanded.

Mr. Stout has given notice of his intention to ask the hon. Major Atkinson, —1. Whether the Government consider that the SurveyorGeneral of the colony should hold the appointment of Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands for Otago ? 2. If not, if they will call upon him to resign his appointment as Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands ? In reference to the Brunner suspension bridge, lately fallen, Mr Murray will tomorrow ask the Minister for Public Works what was the amount of the contract, how much has beon paid to the contractor, and when the Government will lay before the House the report showing the cause of the bridge breaking down under its own weight? In forwarding to the Government the annual report of the Immigration Officer of Hawke's Bay, the Superintendent, Mr. Ormond, says — " I would represent the great scarcity of labor in Hawke's Bay, wages being higher than for years. The number of immigrants ordered for Hawke's Bay will not, I am sure, anything like meet the requirements for the coming year. I wish much that four ships, each to bring 200 immigrants, could be sanctioned." We observe by an advertisement in another column, that a musical and pictorial entertainment will be given at St. John's Presbyterian, schoolroom this evening, commencing at halfpast seven o'clock. The musical portion of the entertainment consists of a selection from Moody and Sankey's hymns, to be sang by a number of children belonging to the Sabbath school ; and the pictorial part %vill be an exhibition of various illuminated pictures. A number of natives, headed by Wi Parata, have this session petitioned Parliament for the restoration of a piece of land at Porirua. The Native Affairs Committee reported as follows:—That the eduetional reserve referred to in the petition is a block of land situated at Porirua, in the province of Wellington, containing 500 acres, which in the year 1850 was conveyed by natives of the Ngatitoa and Ngatiraukawa tribes to the Bishop of New Zealand, in trust for religious and educational purposes. There can be no doubt, from the terms of the grant, that the erection and maintenance of a school at Porirua formed the principal conditions of the trust ; and it seems equally clear, from evidence taken by the committee, that a school has not been erected there. Moreover it does not appear that there is any intention on the part of the trustee to fulfil this condition of the trust. This committee are not prepared to say that it would be now either wise or expedient to erect a school on this particular piece of land for the purposes indicated in the grant, and still less are they disposed to recommend that legislative action should be taken for the conveyance of the land in question to the petitioners. But your committee are of opinion, that if many educational reserves are similarly situated to this one, the present position of the religious, charitable, and educational trusts of the colony requires the most serious and careful consideration of the House.

His Excellency the Governor has issued letters of naturalisation, xmder the Aliens Act, 1866, in favor of the undermentioned persons, viz.:—Peter London, bushman, Mahikipawa [Mahakipawa], Marlborough ; Johaun Wech, farmer, Puhoi, Auckland ; Benedict Remiger, farmer, Auckland ; Johann Wech, farmer, Auckland ; Martin Rauner, farmer, Auckland ; Johann Pittner, gardener, Auckland ; Michael Jesenzky, farmer and musician, Auckland ; John Wenzlick, farmer and shoemaker, Auckland ; and Charles Krohu, farmer and sailor, Auckland. Saturday night's entertainment at the Theatre Royal was witnessed by a large assemblage. " The Will and the Way" was repeated for the last time, and very successfully, the different sensational situations being received with loud applause. Miss Morgan's singing met with great appreciation, and was encored heartily. " Toodles," a farce, with which the programme concluded, was provocative of a good deal of amusement. The acting in this piece throughout was capital, but that of Mr. Bates was more than good—it was almost unapproachable, and fairly convulsed the audience. Mr. Bates appears to have no definite line of business, or perhaps it would be more strictly correct to say that he appears with very considerable credit in every department, as it may be called, of bis profession. His impersonation of Hamlet was a pieoe of acting unsurpassed on the New Zealand stage ; that may be asserted with confidence; and on Saturday night he played a part of a totally opposite character with equal success. He was applauded to the echo, but the effect of hiß performance on the audience was quite sufficient evidence that he was entirely successful in his estimation of the character and his desire to awaken mirth. To-night an equally attractive bill is offered. The company will appear in Shakspere's " Merchant of Venice," Mr. F. M. Bates taking the part of Shylock, and Mrs. Bates that of Portia. After the conclusion of this piece, Miss Morgan will sing, and the entertainment will be finished with the laughable farce "A Kiss in the Dark." There Bhould bo a good attendance. The monthly meeting of the Wellington Teachers' Association was held at the Sydneystreet school on Saturday last, Mr. Holmes m the chair. There was a small attendance in consequence of the inclemency of the weather. The question of savings banks in schools was postponed until the next monthly meeting. Letters were read complaining of the nondelivery of the Educational Gazette. The following notice of motion w»s given for the next meeting of the association, —That considering the very unsatisfactory state of the Educational Gazette and Monthly Review, in relation to this association, a committee be appointed to consider the advisability of establishing a teachers' journal in connection with this and kindred associations throughout the colony. A hope was expressed that tho consideration o£ a subject so important will secure a full attendance of members.

A case of a, peculiar kind will come before the Resident Magistrate this morning. It appears that a person left his home and hia life partner one day, and on returning at night found that a third party had taken possession of the house, and appeared quite at home. This, it will bo well tmderstood, caused the person first mentioned to be exceedingly irate, and the consequence was a combat between the two men, and the rightful owner of the house and everything therein waß hurt. He alleges that he received a cut in the hand, and is doubtful whether it was caused by a determined cut from a knife or otherwise. The facts of the case will appear in evidence.

-A practical fact some time ago made the public aware that a Hansard reporter during the recess could employ his time writing libels and ; letting his employers in for the consequences. We have heard a report that whilst Parliament is sitting a Hansard reporter writes paragraphs for papers making personal attacks on those who are distasteful to him. We trust this is not true.

Commenting on the complete refutation o£ the charge brought against the Hon. Mr. Keynolds by Mr. Stout, in reference to Riverton harbor works, the Canterbury Press says : —We do not envy Mr. Stout his position. There has been a very great deal too much of this sort of thing during the present session. Attacks on the personal integrity of Ministers, and wholesale charges of venality and corruption, unsupported by a particle of evidence, and repeated in the teeth of flat contradiction, have been among the favorite weapons of the Opposition. Sir George Grey and Mr. Eees are, we fear, incorrigible. But Mr. Stout may perhaps learn a lesson. We believe he has some regard for his good name, and it must be painful to him to be openly denounced by a number of his fellow-citizens as a retailer of falsehood. But the exposure will not be without its good if it teaches him in future to abstain from gross imputations on the honor of public men, which rest'oh no better authority than bar-room scandal, magnified into fact by his own prurient imagination.

In reference to the recent discussion on the Taranaki central prison scheme the Lyttdton Times of Friday remarks : —" The Government scheme is well considered. A great deal of attention and inquiry has been bestowed upon it. Taranaki was honestly enough decided upon for the site, and the question presses for settlement with a vigorous persistency that daily and hourly gains in strength. An exceedingly able report has been staring Parliament in the face for years, but until now no legislator seems to have become alive to the importance of the subject with which it deals. The necessity for reforming our prison system can no longer be deferred. Everything cannot be done at once, but the Government have made a good beginning by devising a plan by which the worst criminals can be drafted off from the several gaols of the colony, employed with profit to the State, and subjected to a special reformatory discipline. The present session has been fruitful of delays, but judging by the barren character of the speeches made on Mr. Murray's motion, we must condemn the delay in which it resulted as one of the most useless of the procrastinations we have yet seen."