New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4865, 25 October 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25.

Although Mr. Stokes’ Bill to amend the New Zealand University Act is pro-i • bably shelved for this" session at least, there is a serious ‘ matter connected with; the composition of the Senate which has; an interest of its own quite independently of .that,Bill. A correspondent the other day pointed out that: there is at present; no restriction on: the number of clerical! members in the Senate, That really does seem to be the case, and if this institu-! tidn, whether bad or good'otherwise; is: to remain a'secular body, this defect can-! not be too promptly remedied. On referring to the University calendar we find that of the whole twenty-four names of members of the. Senate, there printed no less than one-fourth are those of clergymen; It was pointed out that the Incorporation Act of the Melbourne University, in order to conserve the secular character of that institution, required:that the clerical membersof the Council should be restricted to one-fifth,. Already our clerical members number one-fourth of the whole, and as the law now stands they : may be increased. These gentlemen will prove much less - cafeful of their interests and' influence as a class, as well as of r the educational. and other interests of their several denominations, if they do not seek to take advantage of this state of the; law, ;! Now; be it remembered, we are not at all depreciating: the clergy as a class'/nof-ido we wish to impute to them- any improper or sinister.'motives or purposes, ' AS a; body

of educated Christian gentlemen, many of them devoted and self-sacrificing to a degree, we entertain for them feelings of high respect. But at’ the, same time we cannot be ignorant of what isnotorious, that many of them hold [opinions; which admit of no compromise, diametrically opposed to all systems of secular, education. Knowing this, we are quite unable to believe that any considerable number of "such'persons,"having a position in the governing body- of a national . secular institution, could bo aught else but a standing menace to its,pure.sQoular, character. We should be sorry to see them excluded 1 entirely from election to this honorable -position of influence;: but it does not follow that we are to run to the opposite extreme and permit them to acquire an influence which might become dangerous. Once more let 1 us deprecate the imputation of motives : what we do unhesitatingly and explicitly impute is this—consistency., ,Wo say that, holding the pronounced and unalterable vieiys many of ••them are known to hold bn matters educational, their presence in tho Senate would be menacing to the secular character, of the University. ; This, we say, is iriereljr attributing to them a desire’to be consistent and sincere in their convictions, and true to what they believe to be their duty. It is one thing to. respect a man or a set of men in conscientiously holding certain views and opinions opposed to ours j it is quite another thing deliberately to place such men in a good vantage ground, where they or he shall be able, purely by the exercise of the rights and influence incident to that position, to render such their opinions- paramount to our own—to organise them in actual fact. And yet, we ask, is not this just what ,we are in danger of , .being parties to 1 Passively,’ no doubt, but not a whit more excusable for that reason ; nay, less so, for it would thus prove that we are insincere and hypocritical in pretending to hold opinions for which in truth we care not one fig. Moreover, we wish we were sure that there is not a number of the lay members of the Senate ; who would be quite ready to co-operate with an extreme section of the clergy in a direction which would lead them ultimately into’ a ppsition-of hostility to the : secular character of this University. Again, we must not be understood as imputing motives to these gentlemen,. any more. than to the clergy; but we do say clearly, that such are their sympathies -that under the impulse of these there is danger of their finally becoming: hostile to the secular , character of the University. _ -- We believe we have made it abundantly plain that nothing short of a complete and radical overhaul will put this institution in a way even - of beginning to be moderately satisfactory and efficient.

We publi sh in another column a very important' letter, which appeared in the London Times of the 18th August, 1876, and’ feel certain it will be perused with peculiar interest at the present time, as the City of Wellington Loans Consolidation Bill is likely to become daw, and the Corporation will now have funds at its disposal, and be able to commence a system for providing proper drainage throughout the town. ■lt . seems to us that the suggestion contained 1 in Mr. Ceighton’s letter is a very valuable one, and could easily .be carried out. We need not tell our readers that at all times of the tide ah abundant supplypfsalt water, is available and at command;* we are of :opinion that an ample supply of salt water could easily be laid on through alb the densely populated portions of this city, ‘A very simple pumping apparatus would; Convey salt water for the purposes of .flushing drains, watering ithe streets, and, where'required, enabling it to be used for domestic purposes; and'this is a matter of the utmost importance,- especially at certain seasons of the year, when the supply of fresh water is liable to'run' short. It is almost impossible to over-estimate, the numerous advantages that would result from following the course recommended by Mr. Criqhton. • At. present .there are large and useful sewers passing through various parts of the town, but the difficulty of flushing ..and washing them out properly and regularly, ; has - never been' satisfactorily overcome. The plan proposed would ,do all that is required ; drains or conveyances for the salt, water could easily be made one or two feet higher, than the deep sewers; through the upperidrains a constant supply of salt water would always be pas-; sing arid: discharging into the lower outlets, arid by this 1 means 'there would be a large stream of water passing through the main drains and sewers, which, as wo have before pointed out, would be constantly flushed and kept clean. •.

jThe Corporation will have no excuse for delaying any longer the - commencement of .a large and comprehensive plan for improving the drainage of this city; At the, same time, we do not think the city authorities ought ■to enter upon any expensive or costly scheme; something that can be accomplished should only be attempted. We think the difficulties have always been overrated.,, We’ see no reason why a large drain should; not be made that would encircle , all-the! populous portions’of .this town. Into this, a- constant ,and- large supply ofi salt water should; be regularly and con-i tinuously j pumped;': {.which would bei •discharged into the lower or main drainsand sewers, and-thehoe into'the seai 1 By this means they would be' always kept’ clean and sweet, " and fresh air again! enjoyed in Wellington.

i The report; of the, Native Fuel Committee is of a most interesting and valuable nature. After taking , a;* considerable quantity of evidence, and careful consideration, they ■ are of opinion that the native brown coal of New Zealand can ’be used on "! all' the railways at a less - cost than N owcastle, or New South ‘Wales coal, the only alterations . required in the locomotives being the, placing of ; the furnace bars closer together,' and the addition of a u spark-catcher.” The eyidence : taken also: shows that for all steam , purposes the . Grey , river coal is superior to Newcastle. The most important point‘in* the report, however,, is with reference to compressed fuel, the committee recommending" the'offer of a bonus of £IOOO for. tho first 1000 tons manufactured ; within the colony from New Zealand coal, such bonus: to! be paid only bn , the Government being satisfied that' ? the fuel has been, sold, at remunerative prices ; and it is to the consideration of this latter subject we propose-to-direct attention. It appears that several yearsiagbiDr. Hector' threw out the suggestion that the' Otago brown coal might probably be' capable of being made > into' valuable 1 ' ’ artificial fuel' by compression,,, and, in, 1875 had. an interview with' Dr. author of the well-knqwn. work _on fuels, on the ,sub : jeot. ASera full explanation, Dr., Percy was Satisfied that the New Zealand lignite —in which term he included bro wn coal—could ho' converted into serviceable fuel as proposed, and", that the process, was practicable, the most suitablo material for agglutination being pitch. A, great many

processes have been tried.,to.produce a ruelsufficiently coherent, brit have,failed, which <|has thrown .discredit, on others more successful! Tlib compressbd fuel is now, however, making great way in Europe, becoming One of . the most important fuels muse, and has'ad vantages of many kinds s over ordinary coal. It is perfectly clean in use ; it can be closely packed; it suffers little from .theattrition , which' reduces ordinary coal to powder, ■ and .is proof agaiust deterioration from exposure ito ‘ the atmosphere. The small cost of manufacture, is also an important element for consideration, the best machinery—without motive power—capable of turning out twelve tons of fuel per hour, being obtainable free on board in London for £4500. If- properly erected, the machinery becomes almost self-acting, and in England the whole cost of labor and superintendence from truck, to truck does not exceed ’6d. per tori. Pitch, as stated by Dr. . Percy, appears to_ bo the only material suitable for agglutination, and unless obtainable at a cheaper rate by distillation, from the Greymouth coal as found in a natural state in the country, would cost about 655. per ton to import. This'really means a cost on each ton of the compressed fuel of 55..t0 Bs. for pitch alone; but until the adhesive substances can be obtained at a cbsfc of something less than 4s. per ton, the fuel cannot be made to compete with Newcastle coal in the Melbourne market. The great object then, is either to find pitch cheaply, or a substance to be used instead of or in combination with it. There are a great variety of mixtures for this purpose j spoken of, and several substances have i been experimented on without any admixture of pitch. The mode of manufacturing the fuel is easy ; the coal being mixed with the agglomerating material, is, subjected to a pressure of about fifty tons to the block, • and becomes a compact glazed mass, the machine being so contrived that the coal and pitch poured into it pass through the various operations without handling, until delivered by an endless’ band in blocks, when it can be loaded or stored. In appearance the artificial fuel, if properly prepared,is well defined in shape, bearing a glaze, and can be handled without soiling the fingers. The opinion of Mr. McCuxlaoh, Consulting Engineer to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that there is a great future for patent fuel, if properly made, arid that there can be no doubt that our New Zealand coal will make an excellent fuel and be highly remunerative to those who embark in it, is a most important testimony; arid 1 if the Government see their way, as we hope they will, to offer the bonus recommended by the committee, it will be well worth the while of persons interested in the subject to spend a little money in causing experiments to be made.

It is pleasing to be able to say that Mr. Nancarrow, Inspector of Machinery, has been completely exonerated from all blame by the commission appointed to inquire into a charge brought against him by some persons for neglect of duty in .allowing the boilers of the steamers Napier and Taranaki to fall into a dangerous state, and not condemning them. . The evidence showed that he had condemned the boilers some time ago'; and that they were not in a dangerous condition, but could last with safety for another twelvemonth to come by reducing the pressure of steam. Mr. Nancarrow, who who was suspended during the inquiry, has been reinstated in his office.

A case came before the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the particulars of which were of a most painful character, revealing a phase of life only too common, but one which is happily unknown to a certain class, of society—’or little known at least. The man Cronin, whose arrest for an assault upon his wife was noticed in a previous issue, appeared in answer to the charge, and was remanded after evidence had been taken, the remand being asked for in order that evidence might be produced, on behalf of the defendant, as to his wife’s general bad conduct, he making the extraordinary statement that his wife had commenced drinking alcohol extensively some three years ago, and had generously applied herself to the bottle ever since, insomuch that she had never during that' ! time been in a sober state. The woman presented a most pitiable appear, ance, having been abused in a most disgraceful manner; and whatever her conduct may have been, unwifely, unmotherly, and all that is bad even, it would be hard indeed to discover an excuse for treating her so cruelly.. The Benevolent Society held a meeting in the Provincial Government buildings yesterday afternoon. Present—Mr. D. Lewis, J.P., (in the chair), Yen. Archdeacon Stock, Rev. Mr.'Harvey, Rev. Father McGuinness, Rev. Mr. West,' and Messrsl Levy, Woodward, and Powles. Four cases of distress were considered and relieved. The hon. secretary mentioned that the funds of the society were very low. It is to be hoped that subscriptions will Tallin, or the useful work carried on by this society will.be very much retarded. An error occurred in a local in yesterday's' issue, having reference to the meeting held in the Presbyterian Church on Monday evening. It was stated that the Rev. Gordon Furlong had arrived from England for the purpose of “ taking charge of the Presbyterian cause ,in; Rangitikei.” , This Is not the case. The rev.; gentleman, who suffers from delicate-health,; has purchased land in the district, and purposes settling there. Itds hot often that the House of Representatives is agitated as it was yesterday. - The, cause was a little ■ pantomimic action on the; part of Sir George Grey, whose general bear-; ing on public occasions suggests that he justly i appreciates the effect of jwhat is known as “business” in theatrical 'parlance. At’the; conclusion of the preliminary business on the Ofder-Paper, that respected advocate of the rights of coming generations rose solemnly. -In one hand r he held the standing orders; the disengaged ' member pressed the little table in front of him 1 ,;-and his general' appearance was that of a man about •to say something- uncommon. Was it another breach of privilege he had discovered?’ Such was the lively impression on the minds of many. -There was a hushed stillness 1 in the House- for a few seconds, during which the erect form' of ,the hon. member was observed to wriggle, as it might be struggling with something which ’ it was striving to discharge. All eyes were turned on Sir George, expectant! Evidently that gentleman was possessed of a rarity, an idea, in fact.- The reporters were on the alert, with pencils in their hands, they waited' for,' the first words. It was an anxious r moment that. Imagine the surprise of all then, we will not' say the disappointment of reporters, when Sir George Grey; apparently giving up the attempt,to get rid of his ! idea, gravely sat down with as much-deliberation as he had got up, having said’ nothing ’at ’ all. It would be interesting to know what the hon. member intended to say. Being,' however, generally unhappy in, respect to the wrongdoings of a highly improper -Government, it might have been with him— • , ,

" No voids snfflco the secret soul to show, ■ Por truth denies all eloquence to woo.” At an inquest hold on Monday at the Wharf Hotel, Whakataki, on the body of John Dunn, who had been a blacksmith at Castle Point, and who died on Sunday from injuries received by the kick o£ <a horse, a verdict of accidental death was returned. Captain Underwood, of the s.s. Arawata, has taken charge 1 of a standard barometer and an anemometer for use in weather reporting at the Bluff. Both, instruments are part of the shipment recently received from England by the Government. ; ,

Warnings to expect falling barometer and northerly winds were sent out yesterday. The ordinary fortnightly ;, meeting of ; the City Council will be held on Thursday next." - The Education Board will hold its regular monthly meeting this morning at 11 o’clock.

A man named'T. Edwards has been-sen-tenced to one month’s imprisonment at Eeatherston for using obscene language. There was a good attendance at the Theatre Royal last night, when the sensational drama entitled “Satan in Paris” was repeated,; The same piece will be played this evening.

We understand that the members of the Wellington Athletic Club purpose holding another hare-and;hounds meeting on an early date, being encouraged to do so by the success which has attended previous meetings.

As . will be seen by reference to ohr advertising columns, the Wellington Steam Laundry Company have commenced work. We wish them success. They have secured an excellent site on the Adel aide-road, opposite Gaby’s soap works, having extensive drying grounds and a good supply of water.’ The laundry itself is all that could be desired, consisting of office, sorting, washing, drying, and ironing rooms, conveniently communicating with each other, and furnished with all the necessary appliances for carrying on an extensive business. We have no doubt the laundry will prove a great boon to many of those who know what washing-day is and consequently dread it. To whom we would say, have no more washing done at home, but pack it off to the laundry. A Maori man and his sister made their appearance at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The former was charged with having been intoxicated and disorderly ; the [ latter with having at the Hutt assaulted Con- | stable Stewart. The case was amusing. The male Maori, it appeared, had conducted himself offensively, and evinced a thorough con-, tempt of English law, and exercised his powers of speaking the English language in conveying the intelligence that he did not care an adjective morsel for the best policeman that could be produced. After some trouble, and with the assistance of some civilians, he was taken into custody, as also was his amiable sister, who assaulted Con-' stable Stewart with an umbrella, and caressed him on the shoulder with her teeth. The defendants were each fined ss. and costs, with the alternative of twenty-four hours’ imThe fines were paid. . We (Napier Telegraph) have received a copy of “ Journal of Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Session of the Right W. Grand Lodge of Good Templars," held at Louisville,' Kentucky, U.S., in May last. It is a good-sized pamphlet of nearly 200 pages. We notice that New Zealand North was represented in the Convention by Mr. John Harding and the Hon. W. Fox. Mr. S. D. Hastings, P.R.W.G.T., in his report of his trip to New Zealand and Australia, refers in strong terms of commendation to the man who was chiefly instrumental in the establishment of Good Templarismin New Zealand, and states that there are now .11,000 Good Templars in New Zealand—43oo in the North Island and 6700 in the South Island. It does not appear that Good Templarism finds much favor in New South Wales, for the Grand Lodge there has only a membership of 2000 ; Queensland had 2000 ; South Australia,. 4000 ; Tasmania!, 4500 ; Western Australia, 500 ; and Victoria 11,500. , ■ i

The Pall Mall Budget, in an article upon Sunday closing in Ireland, makes the following remarks : —But in whatever way the Bill is likely to be received in Ireland, we cannot understand the temperance party congratulating themselves on the result, or imagining that a great blow will have been struck at the vice of drunkenness by closing public-houses on Sunday. The case of the Forbes Mackenzie Act in Scotland, which may be appealed to plausibly enough in support of the principle of this legislation, supplies the strongest evidence of the futility of its moral results. When Mr. Yeoman “bears testimony as a magistrate to the beneficial effects of the Act,” he lends his authority to nothing but the proposition that more cases of drunkenness will come before magistrates when people get drunk out of doors than when they get drunk at home; and we need no justice of the peace to tell us that. The object of Mr. Smyth and his supporters is not, we may assume, the better maintenance of public order, but the diminution of the vice of intemperance ; and the Forbes Mackenzie Act can hardly be pleaded in proof of the possibility of effecting the latter object by legislation. Nowhere in the world is there probably so much spirituous liquor consumed on Sunday per head of the population as in the large cities of Scotland.' The Act, indeed, has never been looked upon as other than a purely Sabbatarian measure. No Scotchman ever supposed that it was designed to limit his consumption of whisky on Sundays ; and it is probably because he provides so effectually against any such result that, as Mr. Yeaman says, the Scotch publicans themselves would be the first to oppose a repeal of the Forbes’Mackenzie Act. There is no reason, why a publican should, wish .to keep open on Sundays if he can makehis, Sunday’s sale on Saturday night; and it is but too probable that the Irish publicans may become reconciled to Mr. Smyth’s Bill in the' same way. ’'• • ■ ■ : 1

A prisoner in the Melbourne gaol was re-, cently brought before the Supreme Court and j discharged from custody by order of the Judge because the magistrate signing the : warrant had affixed to-his name “P.M.” instead ■of police magistrate. The Telegraph says ; —Mr. Frank Stephen, who appeared for the prisoner, suggested’ that P.M. might, in that instance, mean post meridian, and with this eminently legal and equally nonsensical interpretation his Honor coincided. Had this; point failed, Mr. Stephen would no doubt have raised the equally reasonable ; one' that Mr. i Templeton had not signed his Christian name in full, ahd that the letter " W.,” whiohpre-; cedes Templeton bn the warrant, signifies- “ Walker,” “ Will-o’-the-Wisp,” or some other phrase just as applicable to “ W." before the name as P.M. is to post meridian after it. Of; course it would have been necessary to have pointed out to the Court that there was no ; proof of the “ W. Templeton” signing the war-; rant being the William Templeton;who was; gazetted a police magistrate about twenty years ago. Legally the logic' would be. irresistible that if P.M. might mean anything, and did not identify Mr. Templeton as police magistrate, so the letter W. before the name had no abso-' lute interpretation.. This would have been a more excellent joke than the other.