Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4931, 11 January 1877, Page 4

Messrs. Hunter, Bannatyne, Woodward, and Mills, forming a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce, with the Secretary, Mr. Carroll, waited upon, the Hon. Mr. Bowen, as Acting-Colonial Secretary, yesterday, for the purpose of making representations regarding two important matters which were brought under the notice of the Chamber by the Chairman at a recent meeting. On that occasion it may'be remembered that a letter was read from the Victorian Humane Society, referring to the co-operation of the several Colonial Governments in enforcing the provision of sufficient life-saving appliances on board ships registered in the colonies, and this was the first subject touched upon by the deputation. ; In reply to their representations, Mr. Bowen said he . presumed that the proposed conference to which the letter referred was the conference about to be held in Sydney with regard to telegraphic arrangements, that the Hon. Mr. G. McLean was to attend that conference as representative of the New Zealand Government, and that the subject would be brought under his notice before his departure. The other matter referred to by the deputation was the necessity for some regulations regarding the convejance of gunpowder by land. Mr Bowen prpmi-ed that he would inquire as to the existing state of legislation on the subject, and, if it could be done without further legislation, regulations would be issued by the Government. A deputation from the Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs. G. Hunter and W. M. Bannatyne, accompanied by Mr. Carroll, the Secretary, waited upon his Worship the Mayor yesterday, with the object of bringing the water-supply question again under notice. Mr. Hunter acknowledged receipt of a long letter from the Mayor (in reply to a communication from the Chamber of Commerce), explaining that it was impossible under present circumstances to let on the water at full pressure during the night in all parts of the city, that this had been done during the Christmas festivities, when it was found that the supply in the reservoir fell 2ft. din. in four hours; but that arrangements had been made to avoid any danger by having a man posted at the valve in Te Aro, so that the water should be turned on instantly when an alarm of fire might be given. He then explained that the object of the present deputation was not so much to remonstrate against the water being out off, as to impress upon his Worship the Mayor the necessity pf making arrangements by which the water could be obtained at a point convenient for all parts of the city, and without loss of time, in the event of a fire occurring. The Mayor had stated in his letter that a watchman was stationed at the Te Aro firebell overnight, but from in- . quires which he and Mr. Bannatyne had made, they were led to doubt whether that was the point at which the water was turned v off or on, being, led to believe that it was nearer Mr. Dransfield’s house'or Mr. Morrah’s house. The Mayor explained that the point decided upon was fixed as being at once close to the Te Aro firebell and hear the police station, and arrangements were made accordingly. During the conversation which followed, Mr, Hunter referred to' the grave importance of the question, and pointed out that experience had gone to show that the water was often available in one-locality when it could not be obtained in another. The Mayor promised to enquire further into the matter, with the object of ascertaining the most convenient place at which a watchman could be stationed, and suggested that, if it was the fact the water was usually turned on at a point near Mr. Dransfield’s house, a sentrybox might be erected there for the accommodation of the watchman. On the understanding that the Mayor would satisfy himself on the subject by seeing the City Surveyor, and that he would communicate with the Secretary, the deputation thanked his-Worship and retired. The correspondence referred- to, between the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor, will be found in another column. , We'understand that more than one- City Councillor who, previous to Tuesday even-, ing’s, meeting was irr favor of ; the Town r Hall scheme, have decided not to run counter to the clearly expressed opinion of the burgesses; and that at the next meeting a resolution will be tabled declaring the undesirableness of proceeding with the undertaking. A waggon accident is reported to us from Mungaroa. It seems that a five-horse team belonging to Mr. Simmons, of Featherstou, was on Tuesday passing along one of- those dangerous pieces of road which abound oh the way between Mungaroa and Pakuratahi, when, owing to some unfortunate incident, such as the reins getting over the hames, the horses swerved and the team went tumbling down a precipice. One of the leaders was killed on the spot, and the other horses were injured. The waggon, which had not been raised yesterday, was also broken. The Port Nicholson Rowing Club have sent representatives and boats to Nelson to t&Ke part in the Regatta meeting. They left last night in the Taupo, with the new whaleboat Echo and two sculling boats, the latter to be occupied by Messrs. Floyd and Harris. The rlollpwing were chosen as a crew for the whaleboat :—H. Floyd (stroke), A. Curry, J. McDonald, G. Harris, and J. Howard ; R. Orowther, coxswain ; and E. Edgar, emergency man. It seems that it is not Mr. Hunter alone who has cause of complaint against the management of the Wairarapa and East Coast Pastoral Association. By the Wairarapa papers we observe that the Masterton and Upper Yalley members, at a meeting last Saturday, decided to secede from the society, and a new society was formed. The division' is much to be regretted, as such a society can only be efficiently maintained by the united action of the whole district.

The second annual meeting of the Wellington and Hutt Building Society is called for Monday evening next. Mr. George Brown, certificated teacher of phronography, announces that he will on Tuesday evening commence an elementary class. According to the Wairarapa Standard there is a strong desire felt that Greytown should be constituted a borough. The Board of Education has secured from the Government a promise of two fine sections of land for school sites an the Mount Cook reserve. The monthly meeting and election of officers of the Wellington Union Royal Arch Chapter, No, 517, E. 0., has been postponed till next Thursday evening. The Timaru Herald regrets to hear that rust has made its appearance to an alarming extent in the crops in the neighborhood of the Pareora. It is announced in our advertising columns that the annual ram fair and ewe fair of the the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association will be held on the Association grounds on Thursday, 15th March. The Illustrated New Zealand Herald this month, in addition to the numerous woodcut prints ordinarily to be found in it, contains a colored illustration of colonial life, “ Australian pets.” The Heathen Chinee has been up to his tricks in Otago. A couple of Celestials were arrested at Naseby, Otago, last week, charged with robbing gold from tail races. Their admissions showed there were good grounds for the charge. - - ‘ - The costume cricket match, Theatre Royal Company v. The Town, will take place on Saturday next. We have no doubt there 'will be a good attendance, especially as the proceeds are to be devoted to the English Cricketers Fund. The editor of the Ross Guardian takes his readers into his confidence thus:—“Our staff has been picknicking during the last two days, and as it is impossible to work and play at the same time, the reports of the sports and other items are held over till next issue.” At the Theatre Royal last evening “School” was repeated, Miss Stoneham playing the part of Bella. There was not so good an attendance as on the two previous nights. The comedy was followed by a farce. This evening the play of “Elizabeth” will be produced, Mrs. F. M. Bates appearing in the title role. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday the business was confined to the hearing of charges against two inebriates. One was fined ss. and costs, with the usual alternative; and the other, a female named Mary Pimble, was remanded, as she had evidently not recovered from the effects of too frequent “ nipping.” The South Canterbury Times suggests that the Pope should bestow the red hat, vacant by the death of Cardinal Antonelli, upon Bishop Redwood, who, it says, is “ one of the most distinguished prelates in the Australian group.” A contemporary remarks :—“ Bishop Redwood’s red hat is certain if ever the Pope sees a copy of the South Canterbury Times” The “ Churchman’s Almanack,” just to hand, is an exceedingly handy publication to those for whose especial benefit it has been compiled. The calendar contains notices of all saints’ days, and there is a table of lessons for every day in the year, added to which is information respecting the leading dignitaries of the Church of England in Great Britain and the colonies. Hawaiian files to. hand report the formation of a new Ministry, and in reference tq> the appointment of J. M. Kapena, Minister of Finance, the Gazette says Mr. Kapena is a native Hawaiian, and owes his appointment in part to the general desire among the natives that their race shall be represented in the Government. But aside from the matter of nationality he is a man of fine abilities, and has occupied the positions of newspaper editor, --Gircuit judge, and for; the past-year or two,the inore responsible office of Governor of Maui. In his charge to the Grand Jury at the last sitting of the Circuit Court in Dunedin, Mr. Justice Williams said:—“ln legislating on commercial matters and generally on those subjects in respect of which there can be comparatively little difference between the requirements of one civilised community and another, ,it seems desirable to maintain as far as possible a uniformity in our legislation with the legislation of the Mother Country. The Imperial Parliament has of late years dealt with these subjects in an advanced and liberal spirit, and the advantages* from a legal point of view, of uniformity in legislation, are so great that it may be worth while to sacrifice some ideal improvements in order to obtain them. I do not mean that, an Imperial Act should be adopted, defects and all, but merely that it is desirable in legislating on the subjects I have referred to to follow Imperial legislation, making only such alterations and variations as the circumstances of the colony clearly demand. It may. be stated broadly that every new Act that deals with a complicated subject must inevitably require judicial interpretation. This has to be obtained at the expense of the persons whom the Act affects. If and so far as one of our Acts is modelled on an English' Act, we have the benefit of the decisions of the English Courts on doubtful points. Our doubts are, in fact, solved at the expense of English suitors. , If, on the other hand; we cast aside English legislation, and venture on originality, the doubts will arise as before, but they will have to be settled here at great expense to suitors, and with great waste of time and labor to all concerned. A higher degree of certainty in the interpretation of the law is too great an advantage to be sacrificed, except for very valid reasons. I have been led to make these remarks because I observe that the new Bankruptcy Act differs very materially from the existing English Act, and from any former English Act, and. that where our Act intends to provide for the same matters as the English Act, the provisions of the two Acts are expressed in different language. It may be that our Act is a substantial improvement on the English Act, and that its provisions are expressed more deafly. On that I have nothing to say. My observations are directed not so much to the particular case as to the general ’ principles on which it appears desirable that legislation on the subjects I have mentioned should proceed.” . In an interview with Sir John Richardson, who enquired the intentions :of the Government with reference to the Dunedin Hospital, the Hon. G. McLean is reported by the Guardian to have said' that the present committee would have the management and control of the hospital in the meantime, and that the Government had arranged to provide sufficient funds for carrying on the institution till June next. After that he was not in a position to say distinctly what would be done, but he understood that the citizens- would be called upon to contribute to the support of the hospital, the Government allowing a subsidy of £2 for every £1 contributed. Mr. McLean considered that the present state of the Treasury would prevent the Government from supporting these charitable institutions in the same way as the Provincial Councils had done, and the burden would have to be partly borne by the local authorities. Referring to the Melanesion Mission, the Rev. J. Selwyn (says the Otago Daily Times) last Sunday said: —“ There were 280 souls from thirty different islands at the school in Norfolk Island. Five native teachers had been already ordained,' and three more were ready for ordination. In one small island that he visited, the natives near the coast regularly went to work armed for fear of an attack from those of the village about two miles distant. 'The labor traffic vessels recently caused great dissatisfaction through taking native women (whose social status the missionaries are endeavoring to raise) without lawful authority. Christians all knew the weight of public opinion. If public opinion says “ Right is to’ be done,” right will be done.' Public opinion cried out against the labor traffic which had been organised in, Queensland and Fiji. It had been remedied, and kidnapping was almost a thing of the past. Public opinion had prevailed there.”

At the criminal sittings at Christchurch on Tuesday, a common juror complained of being described in the panel as a gardener, when he- was chief clerk in one of the largest mercantile firms in the place, which provoked from Judge Johnston the remark that if he (the Judge) had been called or put down as a gardener he would not have felt insulted. Adam was a gardener, and he was the first gentleman they knew of. The directors of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society met on Saturday evening last at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Masterton. The Standard reports that the directors were • highly pleased with the results of the first meeting, and in reply to a vote of, thanks the Chairman expressed, in a very neat speech, the satisfactory nature of the competition and finances, contrasting the society with the first of the Wellington Caledonian Society. The following gentlemen were appointed a committee to report upon an eligible site for future sports :—Messsrs. Gilligan, Vallance, Girdlestone, Bennett, Drummond, Livingstone, and Williams. From all parts of the Australian colonies come reports of the excessive heat that has been experienced, and of deaths from sunstroke. The Telegraph of a late date writes : —“Tropical summer has burst upon Melbourne all at once, and yesterday the citizens had to undergo a still more trying day than Thursday. A fierce northerly wind prevailed like the blast from a furnace, and at times it was impossible to face the heated atmosphere. From the Government astronomer we leam that the highest temperature in the shade registered yesterday was no less than 110’7deg., which is the highest recorded in December during the last eighteen years, the next highest having occurred oh December 24,1868, when the thermometer reached HO'Odeg. The highest record in the sun yesterday was 149Tdeg., which was exceeded twice during the last eighteen years—on December 20,1869, ■and December 24, 1868, when the temperature was respectively 151’8deg. and 151Tdeg. This great heat appears to extend over the greater part of this and the adjoining colonies, the maximum temperature at Adelaide yesterday being 114’2deg., and at Horsham, in the Wimmera district, 113 deg.” As showing the great heat of the sun’s rays on Thursday, the 14th ult., the Ballarat Star mentions that a delivery waggon belonging to a Ballarat firm of cordial manufacturers took fire while being driven through the streets. It seems that some empty sodawater bottles in the rack became focused, and acted on the woodwork of the vehicle in the same way as a burning glass. The following extract from the Otago Daily Times indicates the feeling in that province respecting Mr. Reid’s acceptance of a seat in the Cabinet: —The event to which all the political wise men have been pointing for some time past has at length taken, place, and Mr. Donald Reid has joined the Ministry. Whether he has acted wisely for his own, sake, and having regard to his future or not, is one question. We have not the slightest doubt that he has done well for the colony. This action of his was of course the natural sequel to his conduct last session, and we should have been ’ astonished ' if he had not followed out his line then to its legitimate consequence. No one has a right to blame him, and the utter failure of all attempts to injure his political reputation hasshown, as no silent acquiescence could, the reasonableness of his conduct. It would have been impossible for him to have continued to work with a party who had chosen the very first opportunity that presented itself to heap abuse of all kinds on him, because he would not behave foolishly,.and follow them in their mad schemes. On the other hand, he will find among the members of the Ministry, as at present constituted, many old friends and ■ allies. As an old admirer of Mr. Stafford,he will recognise among his present colleagues ’ many with whom he was formerly in alliance; with whom he will feel far more at home than he can possibly have felt 'with his late allies. Under existing circumstances, there can be ' no doubt that Otago has every reason to be satisfied that she will be well taken care of in the councils of the colony now that she is represented by two Ministers of the Crown, The acceptance by Mr. Reid of office in the Cabinet will at the same time prove a very great strength to the Ministry.- In Mr. Reid they have secured a colleague who commandsthe confidence and. affections of the people down here as no. one else does, and at the same time they will find in him a man of indomitable energy in work, and of absolute incorruptibility in action. It is possible that in so far as : Mr. Reid is personally concerned* he would have been wiser to have played a waiting game, and ha-te trusted to the events before us for giving to him an even higher position than that he has now taken ; at the same time, in so far as the colony is concerned—and we honestly believe that is what he has thought of most—he has done better as it is. ; . We direct the attention of the public generally to the sale of freehold property in Ingestre-street—Mr. Curtis’s; adjoining Mr. Bishop’s —at Mr. J. H. Wallace’s office, at 2 o clock this day, as advertised.