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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5018, 24 April 1877, Page 2

The English mail via America, which arrived here yesterday morning, three days in advanco of contract time, in tho Taranaki, consisted of 3128 letters, 900 book-packets, and 12,000 newspapers. The Central Fire Brigado met for practice last evening, the men mustoring in force. The hose was attached to the water-plugs, and a couple of jots were made to play on Joseph Nathan and Co.'s store for some time. There was a great power of wator on at the time, and the jets were sent clear over the roof of the immeiif 9 building.

The seventh annual meeting of the Wellington Patent Slip Company will be held on Monday next at 3 p.m.

Notice of the striking of a shilling rate by the City Corporation is given by the Town Clerk.

An emergency meeting of the Lodge Waterloo, No. 463, S.C., will be hoi 1 in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott-street, this evening, at 7.30 o'clock.

An announcement appears elsewhere to the effect that a meeting of the City Council will be held on Thursday next, to hear and consider objections against the burgess list. . "Atlas," in. the World, says the Prince of Wales will uot visit the colonies this year, the reason being that were he to do so it would be impossible for him to be back in time for the Paris Exhibition of 1878.

The schooner May, which arrived in port yesterday, has on board a diminutive monkey, which excited a good deal of attention during the day. He is a funny little fellow, and for a monkey rather preposessing in appearance.

We regret to find the Home Noes by the mail reports the death, at Maida Vale, on the sth March, of the wife of Mr. Ludlam, of the Hutt. Mr. Ludlam and his wife left Wellington on a visit to the old country some six months ago.

The Wellington Skating Kink continues to be well patronised, both in the day time and at night, when the Queen of the Skates and Mr. Taylor raako their appearance, and display their skill on the skates. As the cold weather advances the popularity of skating as an amusement and healthy exercise will increase.

We have been shown an immense bunch of Black Hambro' grapes, grown by Mr. A. McDonald, Upper Willis-street. The bunch is one of the most beautiful we have seen, and this is remarkable, inasmuch as it was grown in the open air, rather an uncommon occurrence at this time of the year, and in a climate like that of Wellington. The Morning Post says : —One of the mpst important awards at the Philadelphia exhibition is undoubtedly the one to Messrs. J. and P. Coats, of Paisley. In the heart of the cottonproducing country of the world, this enterprising Scotch firm were the only manufacturers who received an award for superior strength and excellent quality of spool cotton, The handicap chess match, which has been occupying the attention of the club for some weeks past, was brought to a conclusion last evening. Green opened the play by giving Horwood ft pawn and a move ; but after a hard straggle Horwood scored a victory. The match was thus reduced to a single game, Bishop taking sides against Horwood, and coming in first after a prolonged fight. A rather amusing pedestrian match came off yesterday between a well-known Kaiwarra tan-yard proprietor and an equally well-known hotelkeeper of Wellington. The tanner offered to walk the boniface from Thorudon-quay to Kaiwarra bridge, giving him to the railway station as a start. The offer was readily taken up, and the tanner was found to have no chance.

An important sale of town property will take place to-day, Mr. 11. J. Duncan having received instructions from the trustees of the hospital to sell the leases of twelve sections of land, situated on the Hospital Reserve, for a term of twenty years. He will also offer for sale a valuable piece of freehold land on the Wellington-terrace, with a substantial house, containing six rooms.

A meeting of shareholders in the Empire Gas Company was held last evening in the side room of the Odd Fellows' Hall Mr. James Smith was called to the chair, and stated that the result of the canvass made since last meeting showed a majority in favor of wiuding up the concern by 1387 shares; 297 persons, representing 8786 shares, did not record their votes. It was agreed to make a call of 6d. per share to defray expenses incurred, and wind up the company forthwith. Some time since, in noticing the coach manufactory of Messrs. Donoghue and Parr, who have recently started business iu Wellington, we described a landau carriage which, with other vehicles, was then in course of construction. The carriage is now completed, and was used on the road yesterday for the first time, the result fully justifying the opinions previously expressed that it would be a very handsome, comfortable, and serviceable vehicle. It is roomy and rides easy, and is fitted up with all the most recent improvements known to the coach building trade. Mr. Dixon, cab proprietor, is the gentleman to whose order it was made, and we may state that he has obtained it at less cost than he would have incurred by importing it. This is the first landau manufactured in Wellington, and we heartily congratulate Messrs. Donoghue and Parr on the manner in which they have turned out their work.

Mr. Severn delivered the second of his present series of scientific lectures at the Odd Fellows' Hall last evening. There was a tolerably good attendance, but the room was by no raeaus so full as we should have liked to have seen it, considering the merits of the lecture. The subject was on light aud spectrum analysis, and it is almost needless to say that it was ably handled, and rendered most interesting and instructive. The fusion of a variety of metals in a lamp, and the throwing of them upon a white screen, were admirably done, and elicited loud applause. Some very beautiful photographic views of scenery, statuary, animals, architecture, &c, were also exhibited and explained. At the conclusion ot the entertainment Mr. Severn announced that the experiments would be continued to-day, when, by the kindness of Dr. Lemon, some additional machinery would be used for further testing the proofs adduced as to the chemical properties of light and heat. He also requested that those who came to the Hall to-morrow night would be thero punctually at eight o'clock.

A meeting of the directors of the Public Hall Company was held in the secretary's office at the Theatre yesterday evening, there being present Dr. Johnßtou (in the chair), and Messrs. Krull, Hunter, George, and Lockie. The secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were confirmed, and the balance-sheet for the year was then read. It showed the affairs of the company to be in a very prosperous condition, the amount received from rental being largely in excels of last year. The report was adopted, and it was resolved to declare a dividend of 10 per cent. It was also resolved to give the secretary a bonus of £25.

A civil case arising out of tho action in the Supremo Court—Toxward v. Hastwell—was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday. Mr. Cole sued Mr. Toxward for £B, made up as follows : —£4 for_ assisting on the Burvey made in connection with tho case with Mr. Irvine, and £4 for attendance at court as a witness. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Barton that something had been paid on account for expenses in the survey work, and as to the expenses of witnesses in the case on Mr. Toxward's Bide, he said that the latter gentleman had instructed him that he would settle with them himself. This Mr. Toxward denied, and stated that when he settled with Mr. Barton, who was his counsel in the former case, he considered that all such debts were discharged in tho one account. After counsel on either side—Mr. Ollivier and Mr. Buckleyhad addressed the Court and quoted authorities, Mr. Crawford adjourned the case for a week. Tho meeting of the Board of Governors of tho Wellington College, which was called for yesterday, lapsed for want of a quorum. Messrs. Bunny, Brandon, and Jackson only put in an appearance. There were two matters to be considered, namely, the exchange of sections between tho Hospital trustees and the Board, for the purpose of ratifying the boundaries; also an application by Mr. Clayton to be allowed to cut up into sections certain land leased by him from tho Board. With regard to tho first matter, those present agreed to tho conveyance drawn up by Mr. Brandon, subject to the approval of a meeting at which a quorum should bo present. The other matter was held over. There was only ono doteotion of illicit distillation during the past year in Scotland; eight in England, and 70S in Ireland.

; At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday there were three cases of drunkenness and one of vagrancy heard. A meeting of the Athletic Football Club was held last night at the Pier Hotel. Mr. G. Campbell was elected secretary and treasurer, and Messrs. Welsh, Gully, Major, Webb, and Isherwood were elected "a committee for the ensuing year. It was decided that the uniform of the club be totally blue with the exception of a red bargee, and that the secretary was to challenge the Wellington Football Club to play a match on the first Saturday in May. The prospects of the club are very favorable, aud it is hoped that the players will roll up with greater regularity than has been customary in former seasons. A lady named Catherine Palmer, of eccentric habits of life and questionable character, was brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday charged with vagrancy. She behaved herself in a very comical way. Being put into the dock, Detective Fan-ell stepped into the witness-box and was preparing to take the usual oath when the defendant said, "You needn't take the book, you're in danger of lying ;" and turning to his Worship remarked, " My name's not Palmer, by Heavens—do you mind that now !" Mr. Crawford said he would consider that she was so named, and, as she appeared to be slightly insane, remanded her for a week.

Yesterday evening one of the moat complicated and largest metal castings produced in Wellington was successfully cast at Mr. E. W, Mills' Lion Foundry. It is the high pressure cylinder for the new compound engines of the s.s. llangatira, and although it is not so heavy as some of the castings which have previously been turned out in that establishment, still it is considered the most difficult piece of work which has yet been performed there in the moulding line. It weighs two and a half tons, is 21in> in diameter, and several inches thick. On account of the quantity of " coreing," as is technically termed the internal mould used for producing the required shape. The work of constructing the mould was a very tedious task, occupying several days. Then it had to be baked in an oven to harden it. Last evening about three tons of pig-iron was melted down in the furnaces, and then run into a large ladle which was conveyed to the mould by means of a craue. The metal ran in freely, without the slightest hitch, and it is confidently expected that the casting will turn out in first-class condition. The whole of the work has been carried out under the skilful guidance of Mr. E. Seager, the manager, to whom every credit is due. In reference to Te Pati, the condemned murderer, the New Zealand Herald says : The Maoris as a people recognise the justice of the sentence. Te Pati was visited by his father last week, who told him that "he must die," and therefore he should remain quiet "in the house of death." The Venerable Archdeacon Maunsell has visited the condemned prisoner several times with a view if possible to bring him to a sense of his awful position. Dr. Maunsell is known to be one of the best Maori scholars in the colony, so that there can be no possible impediment to the greatest freedom of intercourse with the prisoner, so as to ascertain his mental condition. He is impervious to all exhortation or remonstrance. He i does not possess any idea of a future state of / reward or punishment on account of actions in life. He appears unable to realise fully any idea of the existence of a future state, or any idea of eternity, or a Supreme Power. If he possesses even the slightest notion of any of these states of being, he must be utterly casehardeued, for he has hitherto treated the ministration of this eminent clergyman with indifference. But the fact is testified to by the attendants upon the prisoner, that he has no desire to live, and he has stated that " if they were going to hang him, they ought not be so long about it." The only active energies this man appears to have are sensual. He eats heartily, not to say voraciously, and is fond of talking about his food, and when it should be brought to him. The liberality of the gaol allowance to a person in his position gives him manifest pleasure. He has a curiosity about the way he is to be hung, and has expressed a desire to know whether the process is likely "to hurt him." He takes his exercise in the gaol yard every morning, and he asks constantly, with great apparent nonchalance, when he is to be hung. Pie wishes if they are going to do it they would do it at once. He says he has no desire to live, but rather to die. He is described even by the Maoris who know him a? a person of weak intellect. All his sensations are instinctive, not intelligent. He has never been subjected to training, teaching, or culture of any kind.