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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4830, 14 September 1876, Page 2

The polling for the election of gentlemen to represent the different wards in the City Council takes place to-day. A good deal of interest has been taken in these elections, particularly with regard to Te Aro Ward. Having already expressed our views of the candidates for that ward, we have nothing more to add, unless it be to advise the ratepayers to to poll early, and vote for Mr. Moeller

At the caucus of Government supporters held yesterday morning there were forty-three present, and Mr. Cox, one of the Waikato members, occupied the chair. Considerable discussion took place as to what was the course to follow, and eventually it was decided that Major Atkinson should formally tender the resignation of his colleagues, and form a new Ministry of the number allowed by the Civil List Act. Both Houses met at 2.30, and Major Atkinson then announced the resignations, but that by half-past seven a new Ministry would-be constituted, Dr. Pollen making a similar statement to the Council. As an instance of the determination of the Government supporters to brook no further delay, it may be mentioned that at the caucus Mr. Stafford moved a resolution, which was carried, to'the effect that the meeting' pledged itself to support the Government in carrying the measures necessary to give effect to the policy of the party, as stated by the Premier. We. regret to learn by telegram of the death of a little, boy named Douglas Noel Halcombe, youngest son of Mr. Arthur Halcombe. He was struck, by a falling tree at Feilding on Monday afternoon, and lingered in an unconscious state for twenty-four hours, when he died.

Last night the: gas in that portion of the Government buildings allotted to the Council, owing to the presence of water- in the pipes, or some other cause, only gave a very poor light, and it was necessary to use a number of candles in the various corridors. There was quite a general conversation on the subject at one period of the sitting. One hon. gentleman expressed his firm conviction that the whole lot of them were on the point of being " burst up." Whether this conviction was founded on the rumors that certain followers of the Knight of Kawau have determined that the history of Guy Fawkes should be repeated with the New Zealand Parliament, but with a more tragic termination, we do not know, but certainly things looked ; rather alarming. At the close of the conversation the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse explained that the new Ministry had "under a cloud," and would go out as "shining lights." It will be seen by the alteration of advertisement in another column that the New Zealand Insurance Company, in furtherance of the new system of placing the management of their business under the charge of special agents, have appointed Mr. Kobert Dobson to conduct the agency in this province, in lieu of Messrs. Bethune and Hunter, who have for many years successfully transacted the company's affairs in this city. Mr. Hunter, M.H.R., has at the request of the Board consented to act as local director. We understand that the company has purchased a site at the corner of Brandon and Featheraton streets, where commodious offices will shortly be erected. The business in the meantime will be carried on in Messrs. Barton and Fitzherbert's rooms, whose premises adjoin the company's site. The following tenders were received at the Public Works office, Wellington, for. the southern contract (permanent way, &c.) of the Kowai to Waitaki railway:—Accepted : John Whittaker, Dunedin, £5566. Declined : Allen and Stumbles, Timaru, £6375 ; E. G. Wright, Christchurch, £6526; D. Proudfoot, Dunedin, £6691 ; Michael Lake, Christchurch, £8847.

A mimical and literary entertainment, by the members of the St. Paul's Church Choir, will be given in the Sydney-street schoolroom to-morrow evening. The proceeds are to be devoted to St. Mark's Church.

The August number of the "New Zealand Jurist" has been received.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday not a single case . criminal or civil was down for hearing. There will be a meeting of the Philosophical Society at the Colonial Museum on Saturday evening at 8 o'clock. A regular convocation of the "Wellington Union Chapter of Royal Arch Masons will be held in the Masonic Hall this evening at 8 o'clock.

The Manawatu passed two very large whales off Kapiti Island. They were unusually large, as could be seen when different portions of their bodies were above water.

We are requested to remind intending competitors that entries close this (Thursday) evening for the 150 yards handicap, to take place at Kaiwarra on Saturday afternoon. The House of Representatives last evening agreed to the second reading of the Law Practitioners Act Amendment Bill, which has been introduced for the purpose of giving Mr. Smithies an opportunity of again applying to the Supreme Court for admission to practise at the New Zealand Bar.

The Wellington Cricket Association invite the presence of all those interested in the game at a meeting to be held to-morrow evening in the Post-office Hotel. Mr. Pearce, M.H.R., is to occupy the chair. The object of the meeting is to make arrangements for the visit of the All England Eleven to Wellington.

The Wanganui Boating Club received their outriggers, which had been imported from Melbourne, on Tuesday, by the Manawatu, and as soon as the boats were landed they were taken to the shed prepared for their reception. The boating season at Wanganui will commence from the Ist October, until which time the boats will not be used.

On Tuesday evening Mr. Ingwersen, by the kind permission of Messrs. Bates and Howard, took about a dozen of the patients of the Lunatic Asylum to the Theatre, to witness the evening's performance. The patients, who were of the more rational class, and were well taken care of by their keepers, enjoyed the treat much.

C. E. Haughton arrived in town yesterday by the s.s. Hawea, in charge of Detective Farrell. A number of parties had assembled on the wharf to witness his arrival, but they were disappointed, the police authorities having made arrangements by which the accused was landed at the Pilot Station and conveyed to the house of Mr. Crawford, Resident Magistrate, where he was remanded till to-day, when the case will be heard at the police court.

The dog " Schneider" is no more. It will be remembered that Schneider's owner got into trouble at the Resident Magistrate's Court on account of his misdoings with " Nero," a badly dispositioned animal and a well-known character for getting other dogs into trouble. The result is that Schneider has been got rid of, his owner sending his skin as a present to the Clerk of the Court. "Von Bismarck" is Schneider's successor, and is a " vare goot leetle dawg." The magnificent panorama now on exhibition at the Odd Fellows' Hall attracted a large attendance of spectators last night. The beautiful scenes naturally created admiration, as they have done wherever they have been shown, and those present fully testified their appreciation. There can be no question about it that this panorama is something quite out of the common, that it is very much superior to anything of the kind witnessed in this colony at least, and we have little doubt but that the short season of its exhibition here will be a successful one.

Hard north-easterly gales were felt at all places northwards of Napier on Tuesday night, and were accompanied by a heavy fall of rain and rapidly falling barometer. To the south of Napier the winds were generally moderate from the northward, the glass falling less rapidly and sea making at Hokitika and Westport. The glas3 continued falling during the whole of yesterday, and the appearance of the weather generally was threatening, sea still increasing on western coasts, but moderated at Castle Point. Some shocks of earthquake were felt at Westport at about 2 a.m. yesterday. Warnings of the approach of bad weather were sent out by noon of Tuesday, and further telegrams were sent yesterday during the day. The attendance at the Theatre Koyal last evening was very fair, considering how miserably bad the weather was; and the audience, though not so large as it, would under other circumstances have been, was appreciative, and was not slow to mark its appreciation of the truly excellent entertainment provided by the Bates Company. The performance commenced with " Perfection, or the Maid of Munster," in which Mr. and Mrs. Bates appeared; and it should be unnecessary to say more than this to make it an assured fact that at least two of the characters in that pretty little comedy were represented admirably; but, generally speaking, the caste was excellent, Miss Morgan acting capitally as Susan. The burlesque of " Lalla Rookh," which was repeated, gave complete satisfaction. The company's performance ef this piece has been noticed previously, but it is really so good that a word or two of commendation, in addition to what has already been said, may not be out of place, for the reason that when a successful attempt is made to produce a really first-class entertainment it is only fair to give the management who so exerts themselves the full credit they deserve. The Bates Company possess all the elements for the successful representation of burlesque, and it is pleasing to notice that the management have not a lingering fondness for patching old scenery out of date and inappropriate, but have studied to produce proper effects in this direction. Mrs. F. M. Bates appeared to great advantage as Prince Feramorz, and Miss Morgan as Lalla Kookh was, charming. Miss Power's rendering of her part was a good piece of acting. This lady it is well known has a very pleasing voice, and is sufficiently accomplished to be able to exercise it to advantage. Miss Morgan's singing, always attractive, elicited hearty applause last night, and a duet by Mrs. Bates and Miss Morgan was perhaps one of the most pleasing performances given during the entertainment. It will be noticed that the same programme will be gone through this evening, when, weather permitting, there should be a good attendance. Wilhelmina Crome, one of the Fritz Reuter during her journey from Wellington to Hokitika unfortunately lost the run of a portion of her luggage. It was not until arrival at the latter place that she became aware of her loss, when the telegraph was at once put in motion —the unsatisfactory reply "not aboard" being however the only result. She was a passenger by the Taupo, and transhipped her luggage at Picton ; but is not aware whether the loss occurred in Wellington or afterwards. The missing box is made of pine wood and tainted, being addressed as follows:—"W. Crome, Hokitika, L. F. 2." It is also secured by a rope, and contains, amongst other things, two featherbeds and pillows and some chinaware. j

Maoris are known to be rather smart in their transactions with others, and it is proverbial that they admire a pakeha in proportion to his displayed ability to cheat. An old Maori lady endeavored to swindle a cabby out of his fare the other day, but was unsuccessful, It appeared that the Maori woman had ordered a cab to be at a certain spot at a certain hour, and the cab came, but the fare was away. Cabby drove on, and presently came upon the woman walking with a countryman of her own. He stopped and accosted them. He asked for his fare in English. He knew Maori, but assumed ignorance in order to hear what the lady had to Bay to her gentlemen friend. Then he heard her Bay she would see the cabman in warm regions before she would pay him a copper—meaning a pecuniary consideration of extremely small value. By this time a large crowd had collected round the disputants, small boys being in the majority and deeply interested spectators. Then the cabman disclosed his linguistic ability, and breathed out some threatenings of wrath to come

in connection with the Resident Magistrate's Court. He gave her distinctly, to understand that she must either take out her ride, or pay the money for that which she had in her mind's eye when she engaged the cab. After much confusion of talk, in which, to do her justice, the lady took the most active part, she determined to take a ride and pay for it, rather than pay for one which she had never had. She got into the cab therefore, and was driven away, amidst the shouts of the small boys afore mentioned and the laughter of the crowd. However purposeless the journey, she was determined to have her money's worth. There has been some speculation regarding a ship's masthead which has shown itself above water over what is known as Tom's rock, this masthead having made its appearance since the time when the Heversham was supposed to have been washed off the rock, because no part of it could be seen above water. It is the opinion of some nautical gentlemen who have seen this that it is not the mast of the Heversham, because that vessel once having been driven from the rock into deep water, could not be washed on back again, and it is evident that a mast would not 'remain upright in the water without the slightest support; and they therefore assume that some other vessel mu3t have been wrecked there, although nothing has been heard of any vessel being missing. If this be the case, we shall naturally hear of the loss from those affected by it. At present the circumstance appears rather strange, because this mast has only appeared quite recently, and since the Heversham disappeared altogether. Our Pahautanui correspondent writes: Borne few weeks ago the settlers of Pahautanui sent a petition to the Chief Postmaster, asking for a daily mail between Pahautanui and Wellington. We are anxiously awaiting an answer to it, and hope that it will be favorable when it does come. Mr. S. Prosser is running his coach daily between the two places, and as he carries the mail to the Porirua Perry it would only require a small sum as additional subsidy for him to carry the Pahautanui mail. If the telegraph department could see their way clear for erecting a telegraph office at Pahautanui, it might be found advisable.to make that the post office also, and the person in charge could act as postmaster and telegraphist. Saturday last was said to be the windiest day of the season on the Rimutaka, and Mr. Macara had to be extremely careful in conveying his passengers over the Rimutaka. The coach, says the Standard, was loaded with legislators ; on the box seat was the Speaker of the Legislative Council, who faced the gale as if he enjoyed it. The Hon. Mr. Waterhouse and the Hon. Dr. Menzies were also among the passengers; the former thought he would be safer on foot, but on attempting to walk discovered that he was being blown off the road, and had to lie down to avoid this catastrophe. All got safely over, but the passage was one to be remembered by timid travellers.

We take the following from an English contemporary :—ln the last annual report of the British Kegistrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, a chapter is devoted to the comparative duration of'the life of persons engaged in various occupations. From this it appears that the average mortality of butchers and fishmongers is very high ; the publicans suffer more from fatal disease than the members of almost any other known class. Clergymen and barristers, from twenty-five to fortyfive, experience low rates of mortality. Solicitors experience the full average mortality after the age of thirty-five. Physicians and surgeons, from youth up to the age of forty-five, experience a mortality much above the average; after that they differ little from the average. The mortality of chemists and druggists is high ; commercial clerks, exceptionally high ; railway servants, high ; veterinary surgeons and farriers, very high ; carpenters and workers in wood generally, low at all ages ; drapers, above the average, owing to the indoor work; barbers, high ; shoemakers, a rate below the average, except from twenty to twenty-five and at advanced ages;: tailors, much above the average ; bakers, a little above the average ; grocers, a low rate ; tobacconists suffer very much at all the younger ages, indicating that the use of tobacco is prejudicial to young men. One of the fliost gratifying exhibits is that made in respect to factory hands, and the report says that the wool, silk, and cotton manufacturing population no longer experience an exceptionally high mortality.

The Manawatu Times calls attention to the fact that on the 4th inst. the time provided in the contract between the Government and the proprietors of the Douglas block expired, and says according to the terms of that contract, Messrs. Douglas and Co. bound themselves to settle seventy families upon a. portion of this block, reserved and chosen by the Government, to the extent of 7000 acres. Have they done so? or taken any steps to carry out this agreement? The only intimation that has reached us is that Messrs. Douglas and Co. have brought up a few of the German Fritz Reuter immigrants, within the last few weeks, and placed them upon the block. It would bo a judicious step, therefore, on the part of the Vigilance Committee to ascertain upon what terms and under what arrangements these German immigrants are placed upon this Douglas block; —what quantity (if any) of land they are respectively to receive, and upon what conditions they are r if so intended, to take possession of it. The motive for introducing these German immigrants at the last moment would then be brought to light. The time having expired, it now becomes extremely necessary that the public should be made aware what steps are intended to be taken by the Government respecting the nonfulfilment of this contract. A matter of this great importance should be decided by the Government during the present session ; and, as a matter of justice, must not be put off to suit the convenience of anyone. There is a clear breach of contract now established, which is neither obviated nor dispelled by the introduction of a few German immigrants obtained upon very easy terms. Messrs. Douglas and Co. are well aware that there are many first-class settlers, with ample- means at their disposal, in this neighborhood alone, who are ready and willing to take up land upon this selection block on the terms mentioned ; and it. is an ill-judged attempt at evasion on their part to prevent them from doing so. It would be a mean subterfuge, and not in accordance with the meaning of the contract, to baulk the expectations and supplant bona fide settlerß who have been waiting the opportunity to take up this land, by introducing a very few foreign immigrants whose adaptability as settlers is,, to say the least, very questionable. Nor do we think the Government should permit any such disposal of a reserve made by them, when they parted with this splendid block of land for so small a consideration.

A most amusing scandal has been circulated in town during the past few days (says the Melbourne correspondent of the Mampden. Guardian), about a certain well-known and extremely rich mining man. This gentleman is well-known for his amatory proclivities, although he is a married man with a family. His spouse, however, lives at a mining centre where he has amassed his wealth, while he spends the greater part of his time in the city, where, it is said, he is very free with his money, spending it on the fairer section of the creation. He recently got up a. liaison withi a very pretty but, of course, exceedingly unprincipled young girL Matters went on for some time very smoothly, and the rich man became very fond o£ the beauty. But the lady was friendly with a young gentleman who was as unprincipled' as herself. This youth, who was blessed with a plenitude of wit and poverty of coin, made enquiries about the reefer, and finding that he united a very libertine disposition with a horror of publicity, he at once resolved upon a very pretty scheme. After some trouble he got the lady to consent, and the game was played. One evening, when the reefer and Mb inamorata were engaged in secret converse, in- walked the youth. He at once got into a terrible rage, claimed the girl as his wife, and swore revenge, actions in the court, pistols and coffee, &c, &c, as is the wont of injured husbands. The poor reefer was fairly entrapped,, and before

he left the house he had to sign a cheque for £3OO, wherewith to solace the injured husband. The worst of it was that he was shortly afterwards undeceived, and told of the whole plot. Now, as money is his god, this nearly drove him to distraction. To bevery rich is not, after all, an unmixed blessing. Prom statistics published in le Journal Officid it appears that in Prance, during the year ending with October 31, 1875, the number of beet-sugar factories in operation was 522, against 514 the previous year ; the number inactive was 6, against 10 the previous year. The juice defecated amounted to26,000,000hectoliters(686,S62,800gals), against 21,500,000 hectoliters (567,992,700ga15.) last year. The density, of the. juice was 3deg. Bmin., against 3deg. 9min.; arid the yield 137,000,000ki10gram5(302,048,7061b5.), against against 118,000,000 kilograms (260,158,9661b5.> The export of raw sugar declined from 41,000,000 kilograms (90,394,2171b5.), to--20,000,000 kilograms (44,094,7401b5,), leavleaving the stock in hand about the same as last year, or 22,000,000 kilograms (or 448,504,2141b5. White pulverised' sugar constitutes 56 per cent ef the entire manufacture, against 53 per cent, in 1874. The statistics of 1875 show a rapid working of the raw material, a great abundance of roots, but a depressed yield of the per cent, of sugar, a greatly decreased export of raw sugar, and an increased export of the refined article. Later statistics show that for the three months closing with January the amount defecated was |919,386,1471b3., against 765,094,496'during the same period of the previous year. The density of juice was 3'6, against 3'B the previous year. The export amounted to 172,119,1441b5., a falling off of 104,846,0801b5. compared with the same period in the previous year.

On Sunday week about 150 natives, assembled on Mr. Sutton's land at Omaranui, Hawke's Bay, with the object of resisting any attempt on the part of that gentleman to put stock on the "ground. The Telegraph says : It was learnt from the inferior Maoris that they were acting under legal instructions. Mr. Sutton, however, knew nothing of this demonstration, and moreover had no intention of occupying the hind ■without having legal authority, resistance to which, not even the natives, backed by their advisers, would attempt. This block of land was bought by Mr. Sutton about the year 1869. It consists of 163 acres, and was part of a large purchase he made in that district. It will be rememhered that this land formed the subject of an action in 1875 ; the natives seeking to set aside the deed of conveyance on the grounds of fraud on the part of the purchaser, and mistake on, the part of the natives. This trial was decided in favor of Mr. Sutton. . The natives then, appealed against the judgment, but without success, Mr. Sutton again obtaining: a verdict with, as before, costs.. It then became necessary for Mr. Sutton to bring an action against certain natives, who were not in the grant, who persisted in living on the land. This case was heard at the last sitting of the Supreme Court here, and was decided in favor of Mr. Sutton. The only defence offered was on the apparently frivolous though technical ground that writs of ejeotment should have been served on every person who had been in the hibit of living on theland. The natives again moved to set aside the verdict on that ground; the point was argued at Wellington last month, and again resulted in Mr. Sutton's favor. The Maoris having been beaten at law, have now, apparently, taken, the matter in their own hands, and how it will end we cannot say. We trust at all events that the natives will not be so ill-advised as to provoke ill-feeling between the two races. It is a singular coincidence that the only fight that has taken place in this province between the settlers and the Maoris was within half-a.mile of this very block in question.

Mr. Geo. Thomas' sale of. furniture which was to have taken place yesterday was postponed in. consequence of the inclemency of the weather. The sale will take place to-oay at 2:30 on the premises Torystreet.

We have been requested to draw attention to Mr. N. J. Isaacs' trade sale,.as the different lots put up must be sold- without any reserve, before the leaving" of the next San Francisco mail. It may be hoped there will be a good attendance of buyers, as this is a bona fide sale:. For. tiie good of the trade in general these sales should be well patronised.