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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4899, 4 December 1876, Page 2

The next sittings of the Supreme Court will be held on the 2nd of January next. At present there are only five cases to be heard. The 'Hon.- Mr. and Mrs. Fox are passengers from San Francisco by the Zealahdia; 1 which arrived at Auckland yesterday.', They may be expected here on ,Tuesday nighttf. they come on by that vessel. i , The number of .passengers who arrived ht the ports of {Wellington during the past week numbered i2lfi. Of . these 13 came from Australia, 18 fromithe South Island, and 197 from ports jin the North-Island. j Telegrams stating that the easterly winds in the North would x;robably increase and change northward were sent oh Saturday , afternoon to Auckland and ‘adjacent places, and for strong northerly winds to,most of the,South Island stations, and also to' some places in the North Island at 5 p.m. yesterday, j There were 19 steamers and IS sailing vessels entered at the port of Wellington during the past ,week. ! The tonnage of 'the Bteamers waS' 8501 tons l : pnd. that of -the sailing - vessels T3JJ7 1 , topp,,. The; numberr of vessels, that Entered out i during the,,same period was 28 j ; 17jof .these V'ere,,steamers,‘,with a. registered tonnage, of' 3890 tons, and ll sailing vessels, of a carrying, capacity'of ; 69o tons; .uonc»/f3 .iuv-qt.iiij; j In consequence of the absence ; of -Dr,' Buller, ith'o case of Henry l Aldridge,’charged with larceny,' was‘adjourned for l a'week :on; Saturday/Mr.’ > Barton, who, appeared for the accused, being'a consenting party.*

A meeting of the Featherston Testimonial Committee was held on Friday evening' last. , , A meeting.of the Board of> College’ Gover'nora will be held at the Bducation Board's office to-day at the ustial hour.'- ; s 1 The - Couhtiy District Boards will-held their Wu'dl monthly meeting on WedThe Rev. Mr. Paterson left Wellington on Tuesday last, en route':’ for Auckland, to attend the General,Assembly of the Presbyterian Church.; 1 • : V • -j. : YVo have, received Watt's Almanack and Calendar for 1877. It is!wellgot up, and contains a good deal of ’ useful information. Messrs. Lyon and Blair were the printers. A case of assault—David Niohol against John Maher—which was set down for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturpay, was adjourned, tiil; Tuesday. The secretary of the. Wellington Athletic Club, Mr.' F. Har’rison. advertiaes that all claims against that club must be rendered at the Pier Hotel this evening, between 7.30 and 9 o’clock p.m.

Anniversary services in connection with the Wesleyan Uhurch, Molesworth-street, were preached morning and evening yesterday. Ori Wednesday next a tea 'and' public meeting wifi be held, when addresses will be delivered by! ministers and friends. ■ rj ... At , the annual .meeting held in connection! with the Wesleyan Mission, at Auckland, Mr. - F. L. Prime, the treasurer, read a statement of! the receipts in Auckland, -from which it ap-| ' peared' that there was a’ balance available of) £231 some odd shillings, • i Those in charge ot some . of • the up-country telegraph’ stations have hot very easy times.' In.Featherston, for, instance, the gentleman in charge is Postmaster as well, to say nothing of the’duttes of ‘ messenger which he has'to perform, and messages sometimes ■ have to be carried a considerable distance. A meeting of the Cemetery Trustees was held on Friday evening,, when the subject of a site for a new cemetery was discussed. Mr. Woodward (chairman), was appointed to draw up a report to be! submitted to the proper authorities.;;. ,The i two. sites, one at Magazine Point arid r the either at Evans Bay, were considered eligible. There was a rumor about town on Saturday night to the effect that a steamer had gone ashore on the Bast Coast of this island. However the rumor may have originated, there is very little probability of its having had any foundation in fact. The steamers Rangatira and Kiwi came in yesterday, but had not seen any boat iri distress along the coast. An evening contemporary was good enough to question the accuracy of our report of the late fire in Majpribauks-street, referring to the‘insurance.- Our reporter stated that the house was insured for £3OO, and the evening contemporary referred to states, in error, that the house'was insured for £IOO. We were perfectly correct. ‘ In the first’ place it was insured for £IOO, subsequently for £2OO, and the first policy has not yet expired, i At a meeting of the committee of the Hutt Agricultural and Pastoral Society (Mr. Worth in the chair), it was resolved that the president and treasurer, Mr. N. Valentine, and the ■-secretary should!wait on his Excellency the ; Governor, to invite-,him ; to become Patron of the society., , The secretary was instructed to jget 500 copies of the rules printed. The following names were added, to the committee;--Messrs.' J. Edwards, Wm. Craighead, James ;Cudby, and J. L. Sinclair. It was decided 'also to canvas for subscriptions. In the "Resident Magistrate’s Court on ;Saturday, Ellen and Gertrude Robertson, 'mother ah'd'daughter, were charged, on the information of Elizabeth Turner, with having used language calculated'to pro voke a breach of the peace. Mr. Allan appeared for complainant, arid Mr. Ollivier for defendants. The evidence was not of an attractive character, land it was also l very contradictory, but the 'Magistrate thought that produced by defendants was most to be relied upon, and therefore dismissed the case.. I An extensive sale of ; town:and country properties will be, held to-morrow, the sth inst., at' 2 o’clock, by Mr. J. H.‘ Wallace, at his saleroom, ; Hunter-street, as - advertised. The uri'aqld,,properties belonging to ;Mullins’ estate jwill be disposed of, one of which is Stuartville, Dower- ! Hutt,' adjoining the villa residence of Peter Laiug, Esq., judiciously cut up, surveyed, and mapped .by' Mr., E. J. Campion. (These allotments present an excellent opportunity'to parties desirous of procuring a delightful villa retreat." The sale will also comprise some really valuable properties in the Tipper and . Lower; vHutt, , .Wairarapa, ' Palmerston, Pahautariui, Fitzherbortown, Rangitikei, .and several'town acres and building allotments in the.city of Wellington. ; Tho s.s. Moa went a trip round the harbor pn Saturday afternoon.- The,,first visit was paid to the Thorndon Baths, when, after waiting a'few minutes to give the passengers an opportunity-of.: watching the swimmers, shesteamed up Evans Bay, where she. waited during the artillery practice. A capital view was obtained, and the' time was' whiled away by fishing (most of ,the fish caught; being I‘spotties,’’) and visits to the. little cabin aft, Where a very amiable gentleman dispensed medical comforts. An awning was fitted up aft, .and. every, arrangement made^Tor the comfort and convenience ;of passengers. Captain Mclntyre deserves great credit for having started atf all, considering the small complement of passengers, and the public hardly seem to appreciate his enterprise in - catering for them so regularly with so little return.,; A, most enjoyable afternoon was spent,: and the Moa returned to the wharf a little after, five o’clock. , ■; , F.- - .. . 1 i “Old Soldiers 1 ’ and-“ The Temple of the Sun” were reproduced on Saturday night at the theatre, the' house - being crowded out be-' low, and well filled in the circle. Both pieces went even better than on the previous -night, and Were teoeived by the audience with marked approbation.' 'The entire company seemed to work with Mr; and Mrs. Hall as if tliey had been at rehearsal’together for a' month’instead of a day or two, arid 1 they - must be again congratulated on the success of -the performance. For to-night a,' dramatised version of Charles Dickens’ “Nicholas 5 Nickleby” is announced, with Mr. Hall as Newman Noggs, andMrs.Hall as Poor Smiko. The touching story, so familiar to all, and the capacity of Mr. ’ arid Mrs Hall for its truthful representation; are sure to draw a crowded house. The - two talented artists are advertised to appear for the last time on Tuesday night in “ Everybody’s'Friend,’’ and tho performance is announced- as'under the patronage of the Marquis of Normanby. I A question of maritime law was raised at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, in the, case of G e qrge,Russell, .charged on rejnand with refuring .to- obey-orders on board the American brigantine Panola.,, ; Mr. Ollivier, who appeared-for !theAccused, raised the question of the Court’s jurisdiction, questioning its, poiyer to deal with the qasq. : / His Worship remarked that it waa oply necessary to prove, that the: Merchant Sliippiug 'Act.had bten adoptedky th!e Ainerican Governmerit, or that .it was'.in force iri'jNeW Zealand as re-, garded' Amßriqans, witfi, the,',consent of that Government. 'Mr.. Barjipn,'for -Captain Lunt, said.it .appeared that thc . Act would not be in, force in the colony until it was intinjated by the consul or other authorised officer that it Was desired that the law “Should b"e in force, arid until the saine was gazetted. The Gazette. could then be admitted asfeyidenCerif the fact; His .Worship- 'said he was personally; aware such had been done, and, without referring to the Qazettc, ho waa quite prepared to yule that, the Court had jurisdiction; ’Captain Mclntyre; .’American. Consul, ' gave evidence to tho effect that ho visited' the_ Panola on Monday,-, arid : found ‘ defendant ■ in his hunk. He complained of a : severe headache, which he (witness) attributed to drink, from a statement made by Captain" Lririt-that' defendant had come ori bdard the night previous in a -state of intoxication.' Tho American law, in the caso of a’ petty officer proving incompetent, was to disrate him, and the captain had the power to put him-to Inferior duties. Goaks, stewards, and carpenters rated as potty'officers.' Cap-

tain Lunt was recalled, and affirmed that defendaut, who had signed articles as cook 'and. steward, was and had neglected his duties in this>port, in consequence of which' he had been ordered .forward to'.de j seainan’s work. His Wdtahs’ i tip'ught tlfe,j fevidehce very meagre. HeVremarked appeared to him, a cook and steward ’was in a different position from a petty officer. He was more of a landsman than a seaman, ¥gfeater hardship to him than another man tp put .him forward, as he would; ■be lihe .ia. fißh i Out of water. Mr. Bartoil. quoted the American law to show,that ajen-, man-couldmoh Be a foreign porjt without three mohths’i'wages. Mr. Ollivier said the defendant maintained that a considerable sum was due to him, on being paid which he would be willing to take'his discharge. At this stage the case was remanded. till Tuesday, the matter in the meantime to he referred to the consular agent. • , The, following particulars of a severe storm] which occurred on Thursday last at the Wairarapa, are supplied by Mr. R.- Welch to one of the Wairarapa papers,:—On Thursday the lightning struck a flax bush on His land, tearing the leaves into shreds, ahd : killing’ five sheep and two rabbits which were under it. A mare, the property of Mr; P. Gray,- which was two chains away, was also killed. The flax was torn into shreds, and some may be’seen at; this office. Large holes Were found in the 1 ground. One of these looks as if the lightning] had gone in and out again. Yesterday the lightning appears to have struck a tree near] Mastertonl 1

The’ ferrets imported by the Hon. Mr. ; Waterhouse appear to , serve their -purpose’ admirably. We (News Letter) learn that they ; were: let go at a place, where the rab-i bits were very plentiful, and they have] cleared them out very quickly. There is now not one in the neighborhood. Doubtless the ferrets will quickly serve their purpose where they were liberated, and then spread to other parts where rabbits are more plentiful. While i they do hot ih themselves become as great a nuisance as the rabbits, they are certainly likely to prove a great benefit to the district. A wonderful phenomenon is related to have been witnessed ;on an Australian station. It is stated that at Cauowie station a lamb has been bom with a lizard on his hack. The lizard’s belly is joined to the lamb’s back, and it is as perfect as any of its species. Its head and legs are at liberty, and the tail hangs down by the lamb’s flank, and when the lamb runs, it will work its legs. It -is about 16 inches in> length; and'it opens its mouth when any person goes near the lamb, and evidently derives its sustenance from the lamb.

The tributers oh the Thames goldfield must be reaping a rich harvest, according to the Southern Cross, which says :—“ We learn that the deposits in the Post Office Savings’ Bank at the Thames, during the month of October, exceeded the withdrawals by upwards of £3OOO, and up to the 15th instant the deposits were £IOOO in excess of withdrawals. These deposits were ■ made almost entirely by successful tributers, and it is further stated • that the money placed' in the branches of the ; different • banks at' the Thames by, the same class of successful miners during the,periods I mentioned above, amounted to a very large' sum.” -These , tributers; from their mode of working, can make mines pay,-well"Where companies cannot, and it is a fortunate chance for any company of working miners to get what they call a good tribute.