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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4833, 18 September 1876, Page 2

After we went to press on Saturday morning Mr. Thomson continued speaking in the House of Representatives till 6 a.m., when the ActingSpeaker left the chair for four hours. At 10 o’clock the House resumed, and Mr. Thomson proceeded with his speech. The inanities he drawled out were perfectly insufferable, and the bell had to be rung every five minutes in order to keep a House. This was the only diversion during the morning sitting ; but in the afternoon Mr. Stout created a little interest in the proceedings by rising to a point of privilege and asking why the debate was not being reported. Sosre talk ensued, and he then moved that the chief reporter of Hansard he called before the bar of the House, in order that he might be asked first whether the debate was being reported, and if not, why. The Premier suggested that the Chairman of the Reporting Debates Committee was the proper person, and moved an amendment to that effect, which was carried, and the matter practically dropped. At the evening sitting there was a great surprise. In place of the magnificent light from the large burner in the centre of the roof, the House was lit up by a hundred candles, and the appearance of the chamber was exceedingly dismal. The Opposition whip wanted to know the reason of this, and the hon. the Minister for Public Works made a statement on the subject to the effect that the Gas Company was unable to supply the enormous quantity of gas required to illuminate the building night after night continuously. The question of privilege as to the reporting of debates was then again raised, and ended in the Speaker promising that the debate should be reported. However, a communication was received from the chief reporter stating that it was a physical impossibility for the staff to report the debate, and sufficient assistants could not be obtained in Wellington to enable it to do so. Several points of order were raised, and then Mr. Ue Lautour, after very disrespectful conduct towards the Speaker, for which he was cheered by Mr. Stout and reprimanded by the Speaker, proceeded till one minute to 12. Mr. O’Rorke, who had acted as Speaker since 11 o’clock, then adjourned the House till 10 o’clock this morning. Hon. members immediately filed out, much to the disappointment of the public, who bad at this time crowded the strangers’ gallery in hopes of some squabbling over the proposition to adjourn. We understand that Messrs. Watt and Duthie have both intimated that they do not intend to contest the Wanganui election, and will support the candidature of the Hon. W. .if ox.

The R.M.S. City of New York, which left New Zealand with the July San Francisco mail two days late, in consequence of the detention at Port Chalmers, made up a day before reaching San Francisco, where she arrived on the 2ath uit., one day behind contract time. ’

The tournament between members of the House of Representatives and members of the Wellington Chess Club has now come to an end, the result being a victory for the legislators by one game. At the conclusion the games stood as follows : —Members, 12 ; club, 11; drawn, 2. Total, 25. The club now goes back to its regular night, Monday. The meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society on Saturday was more than usually interesting. There was a large audience, and the papers read and the discussion which in some instances followed were of a very practical character; but the slight sketch of his travels given by Dr. Hector, 0.M.G., who returned in the mail steamer from his trip to Europe and the Philadelphia Exhibition, was very entertaining. The next meeting takes place a fortnight hence.

The new Native Lands Bill will be introduced by Mr. Taiaroa as soon as tho stonewall tactics of the Opposition have collapsed. The Bill was prepai-ed by a gentleman who has had some experience in parliamentary drafting in the old country, and has been submitted to the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, who will take charge of it in the Upper House. It is proposed to deal with the native titles in a similar manner to that adopted with regard to the Indian village communities and tribal tenures. Considerable disappointment resulted from the calm way in which the announcement on Saturday night at 12 o’clock of tho adjournment of the House until Monday w-as made by the Deputy-Speaker and received by hon. members. Shortly before that hour, in anticipation of a rumored wish on the part of the Government supporters to force the continuance of the debate during Sunday, a crowd of people flocked into the galleries in hopes of some fun. Nothing, however, transpired to gratify their curiosity, as beyond a slight clapping of hands from the Opposition members at the announcement no unusual circumstances marked tho event.

A concert is to be given to-morrow evening, by the Wellington Christy Minstrels, in aid of tho Wellington Teachers’ Association sick fund. The special object in view is, wo believe, the assistance of a teacher who after some years' hard service has become incapacitated from work and now needs help. Tho good performances put forward by the Minstrels are generally so well rendered that their entertainments are regarded as a great treat. No doubt on this occasion there will bo a good attendance.

On Sunday next Bishop Hadfield will hold an ordination service at the cathedral.

A meeting of the members of the Wellington Gas Company is called for noon to-day. The Legislative Council meets at 7.30 thi evening.

A tea meeting, in connection with the United Methodist Free Church, will be held in the new schoolroom, Courtenay-place, tomorrow evening.

The 150 yards handicap race for a silver cup, presented by Mr. Edwards of the Waterloo Hotel, came off at Kaiwarra on Saturday. Major was the winner, W. Moran being a good second. The Odd Fellows’ Hall was full to overflowing on Saturday night. Rialey’s panorama increases in popularity, and will no doubt attract a large audience on this the last night of its production.

A man named Charles Coles was arrested on a warrant from Christchurch at Kaiwarra on Saturday, charged with having deserted his wife. He was taken before the Resident Magistrate in the afternoon, and remanded till to-day. Mr. John Houghton has given us the following particulars relative to the total eclipse of the sun, which will be partially visible in New Zealand this morning;—lt will commence at 9.5 a.m., Welllington mean time; the middle of the eclipse at 9.50 a.m., and the end at 10.35 a.m.

'There was a very good attendance at the Theatre Royal on Saturday night, when the comedy of “ Caste ” was represented, and the burlesque of “ Lalla Rookh ” was repeated with unqualified success. To-night the play of “Elizabeth” will be represented. Weather permitting there should be a good house.

Mr. Cleland has some houses which are unfortunate in respect to their chimneys. Whether from being foul, or from some other cause, they have a habit of catching fire. On Saturday last one of Mr. Cleland’s chimneys was on fire. No alarm ■was given, and the fire was put out with the assistance of some neighbors. Perhaps the attendance of a sweep occasionally would put things straight. The business at the Resident Magistrates' Court on Saturday was unimportant. One drunkard was punished in the usual way, and an application was made by Dr. Buller for a warrant of committal against R. W. I. Carver for non-compliance with an order of the Court, and on his Worship holding that he had no power to issue the warrant, Dr. Buller argued that under the Justice of the Peace Acts 1866 and 1874 it was competent for the Court to do so, and he would apply to a Judge in Chambers for a mandamus to compel the Court to grant a warrant. A case of brutal assault is reported from the Hutt. A Maori named Te Puni went to the house of another native named Kotuku on Friday night, and made a murderous attack on him with a wood-chopper. Had it not been that Kotuku was in bed and covered with a mat, the outrage might have had a fatal termination, and as it is the wounds are of a very severe character. The injured man has a large gash on one side of the head, and his left

shoulder is so severely cut that the arm is almost severed from the body. On hearing of the assault, Constable Stewart at once took the matter up and arrested Te Puni, who is a son of the Hutt chief of that name. Dr. Wilford was soon on the scene of the outrage, and attended to the wounds of the injured man. Te

Puni was taken before Mr. Crawford, E.M., and remanded. He was brought down to Wellington, and will appear before the Court on Thursday. Of the elevation of Mr. Disraeli to the peerage the correspondent of a San Francisco paper says : —“Although Disraeli is to be elevated to the peerage, he will remain Prime Minister. It is the general impression that the Conservatives will be weakened by Sir Stafford Northcote supplanting the Prime Minister in the Commons, but Disraeli is physically unfit to sustain the leadership of the House. It is rumored that other changes will be made after the prorogation ; namely. Sir Charles Adderley to he President of the Board of Trade, and Lord John Manners Postmaster-General. William H. Smith, Member for Westminster, and one of the Joint Secretaries of the Treasury, is to replace Sir Charles Adderley. The Daily News says for more than one session it has been manifest that the task of leading the House of Commons is growing too burdensome for the Prime Minister, who never spared himself when public duty demanded his time and energy. His accession to the peerage is not so much promotion as development, or rather a crown of his career. The political consequences of the change may not at once unfold themselves. Disraeli will withdraw from the House of Commons at the close of the session. It cannot, be doubted that his removal was contemplated before the

discussions of the Senate could he foreseen. The transfer of leadership is an event far too important to stand alone. Before long further changes must take place to bring the relationship of Ministers, one to another, into harmony with the new state of things/*

We wish to call the attention of those persons who were unable to get served on Saturday night, owing to the great rush to our store, to call early ion Monday morning, when they will be able to obtain some of those very cheap and fashionable boots and shoes now being offered at such low prices, as the same opportunity for securing such really sterling (value is not likely to occur again for some time. K. Hannah and Co., Wellington cash boot shop, Cuba-street.— [Advt.]