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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5032, 10 May 1877, Page 2

The Hon. Mr. Whitaker arrived from Auckland by the Stella yesterday morning ; and the Hon. George McLean also arrived from the South by the Wanaka. It will be seen by a telegram in our shipping columns that there is a good prospect of the gold in the General Grant, which was wrecked at the Auckland Islands, being recovered.

The Inspector of Police received instructions from Colonel Moule (who ; was .instructed by the Commissioner of Customs)) to despatch a mounted constable to Pallise£> Bay for the purpose of Instituting a search for wreckage of the Kate Brain, schooner, which fhas been for sometime missing and is supposed to be lost. Amounted constable Will be sent from the Wairarapa to-day to searca along the coast. The wind blew in gusts all day yesterday, and disturbed the dust considerably, to the inconvenience and sometimes rago of unfortunate pedestrians ; and hats were wafted about iu all directions, no less than - four being sedn'at one time flying up Willis-street, as if in high glee at the chagrin of their panting proprietors in the rear, and one was caught up by the wind and lauded on the top of Mr. Cohen’s verandah. The wind about Wellington is occasionally severe on hats, particularly tall hats.

We hear there is seme little hitch in the preparation of the burgess roll for the forthcoming poll on the drainage question. It seems there is not sufficient time to get the list ready by next week, it only ordinary hours are worked through by the Corporation officials. The Mayor therefore suggests that the Corporation officials should show their zeal for the welfare of the city by working overtime, in order to get the work done. These gentlemen rather object to the idea of his Worship, and so the matter is for the present hung up. Readers will remember the ease Regina v. Gordon, at the last sittings of • the Supreme Court, in which defendant was charged by one Heggarty with horse-stealing. The case excited some attention at the time, a certain amount of sympathy being felt for the defendant. Since then, we believe, circumstances have arisen from which it would appear that had the jury been acquainted with certain facts in connection with the case, they would not have found Gordon guilty ; and Colonel Moule having been communicated with by the head of the Department of Justice, Inspector Atcheson was requested to furnish a report of what he knew of the affair, which he accordingly has done. There is good reason for believing that Gordon was less guilty than he appeared to be at the trial.

The Hawke's Bay Telegraph tells that two councillors from a neighboring county paid a visit to Napier the other day. There is no hair-dressiug where they came from, and, of course, they had to call at Mr. Hooper’s establishment in Xlastings-street. The operation for which they went into the shop being completed, the customary payment was expected, when to the amusement of the proprietor lie was told by the worthy councillors that the two shillings due to him “ just squared his rates.” They don’t-sue for rates iu Wairo i, it seems ; the; councillors themselves pay the rates of absentees, and then come tb Napier and “take it out.”

Some of the streets in Levuka are perfect jungles, in consequence of the unchecked growth of weeds, &c. So much for the want of traffic upon them.

The dividend declared by the Public Hall Company is now payable. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council takes place to-day. A secretary is required for the Christchurch Club.

The various members of the Wellington police force were sworn in yesterday under the Armed Constabulary Act by Major Paul, J.P. The London correspondent of the Argus , writing of the Wellington City Loan, says : “ In the present dearth of good investments, colonial loans are eagerly snapped up.” The ordinary monthly meeting of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce was to have been held yesterday at 3 p.m., but is postponed until to-day at the same hour. The secretary of the Wellington Football Club has received an answer from H.M.S. Wolverene to tl e challenge sent them to play a friendly game on Saturday next, stating that they would not be able to play. A scratch match will therefore be played next Saturday, and all footballers are requested to “ roll up.” The Kennedy, which arrived yesterday from the West Coast, has brought the first shipment of coal from the Coalpit Heath Company’s mine, Greymouth. The coal is of a bright colo'-, highly bituminous and hard. We have no doubt, if trial confirms its good quality, there will be an exceedingly large sale for it. The extravaganza “ Once Upon a Time ” continues to draw well. There was agaiu a very fair attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening, and - the audience expressed themselves much pleased with the performance. Several encores were demanded and responded to, the singing and dancing, as we have previously said, being really good. The burlesque will be repeated this evening. An eccentric party named William Nelson was brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, charged with having been drunk and disorderly. It appears that in addition to other things that he did of an improper character, he entered Mr. Pirie’s draper’s shop and insisted upon being allowed to become the owner of Mr. Pirie’s hats, payment for the same to be postponed for an indefinite period. Sergeant Monaghan asked the Bench to adjourn the case for a day, in order that the charge might be amended to vagrancy, and prisoner was remanded accordingly. A painful sensation was created in town yesterday at noon, by a rumor that a dreadful boat accident had occurred in the harbor. From the enquiries made by one of our reporters, it was found that the rumor was founded on fact. It appears that three men named Peter Perare, Austrian Jack, and a half-caste known as Louis Acker, were out in a small yacht on a fishing excursion, and were near Somes Island, when the yacht, which was carrying a good deal of sail, was caught by a gust of wind; she heeled over, aud before anything could be done she filled with water and sank. Before she disappeared, however, the men threw themselves into the water, and Perare swam for the fishing boat May, while the others remained paddling about. He reached the boat, which was in charge of a man named Nicholas, and they proceeded to the scene of the accident. Arriving there they found that the half-caste had sunk; but Austrian Jack was there, and him they pulled on board; he was quite insensible, and shortly afterwards ceased to breathe. The half-caste could not be found after a search, aud the May was then taken to the Queen’s Wharf, and the body of Austrian Jack removed to the Morgue, where an inquest will be held to-day at 2 o’clock. Neither of the drowned men had a wife. It is stated that Austrian Jack had a considerable sum of money in the Savings Bank. The yacht is quite new. It is expected that she will be raised. Discussing the result of the late election for Auckland City West, the Thames Advertiser says ; —lt is not our place to inquire into the motives of one who discards the pulpit for politics, for we contend that there is no halfway position. The Rev. James Wallis should either resign his high calling as preacher and pastor of the congregation to whom he ministers in holy things, or he should give up his new love. He cannot “serve God and mammon.” The preacher and the politician have each noble callings, and neither are to be deprecated, but we do not consider any merging of the two callings desirable or possible. It is no part of our duty to point out the responsibilities or duties of the Christian ministry, and the single, aim which should characterise its professors, but we may be permitted to dissent from the acquisition of any dual office in connection with it, especially of one involving absence and estrangement from the higher office for at leat one-fourth of the year. The rev. gentleman told us a few weeks ago how he attempted when young to : perform the duties of following the plough, and riding two horses; now that he is growing old he attempts to ride two hobbies —the ministerial and political. The ploughboy, doctor, schoolmaster, and parson has surely reached the height of his ambition as the chosen of City West, and we trust he will strive to make a good politician too.

Friday's New Zealand Herald says :—-Animation prevailed in the share market yesterday, and several stocks which have been in the background recently were brought prominently to the front. Albumins were decidedly the favorites, and quite a run was made'upon them, and shares were quoted at 655., which, however, eased towards evening, and sellers were in the market at 655. The news from the mine is certainly encouraging, as will be seen from the following telegram :—“Gold in the face ; cwts. specimens in the battery ; will break down the leader on Friday.” Cheering reports were not confined to the Alburnia, but the Queen of Beauty, shares were very sensitive, and rose from 255. (closing price on Wednesday) to 355., at which figure sales were made, but at the close of business holders offered to sell at 30s. This is due to a great improvement in the quality of the stuff from the low level, which is now being reduced at tile battery. Piakos rallied a little, and although business in them was “ swamped ” last week, the tone of the telegram from the mine manager was such as to induce speculation, and shares changed hands at an advance of 2s. Cd. upon the previous day’s quotations. The following is the message from the mine : —“ 8.57 a.m. Can see nice gold on foot-wall of big face, 50 feet from chamber. Reef 23 feet thick.” Moauataiari stock opened weak, and a drop of 275. 6d. took place, but in the afternoon a better feeling prevailed, and they rallied a shade. The fluctuations in this stock are unaccountable—“one of those things a fellah can’t understand.” The following is the mine manager’s usual bulletin: a.m. Sinking by side of reef in new winze; gold showing freely in drive of All Nations leader.”

Private letters from correspondents in tile south of Ireland to friends in Auckland, by way of Sydney, and recently received, announce the probable early departure of a new Catholic bishop for the diocese of Auckland. Prom one of these communication which have been placed at the disposal of the N.Z. Herald it makes the following extracts :—“ At last your good people are about getting a new bishop for Auckland, his Grace Dr. Oroke, Archbishop of Cashel and Fmly, having, I hear, strongly recommended Canon Fitzgerald, one of the most able and popular P.P.s in his Grace’s diocese, for the vacancy. The right reverend gentleman has accepted the office, and will in all probability leave for New Zealand at an early date. By next mail I shall communicate more in detail as to the time of his leaving. The llev. Father Hice, one of our diocesan staff, but at present on a church-collecting mission in the colonies, is expected to be the new Vicar-General to Bishop Fitzgerald. I understand that there were good grounds for the delay in the appointment of a successor to your late bishop, but I am glad to congratulate you on the matter being now looked upon as satisfactorily concluded. Canon Fitzgerald is a liberal-minded good priest, and I have no fear but that ho will get on in his new sphere. Archbishop Croke still takes an interest in your affairs, and, T believe, regularly remits his promised £IOO annual contribution towards the completion of the new cathedral, which, it is believed, will be shortly started at Auckland."

The Wakatip Mail of the 26th ultimo, says : Two memorials for the next colonial prize firing, to be held in this district, are being handed round for signature in the town. The document emanating from the local corps already contains nearly 50 signatures, andtln.t from the town nearly 230. We may add that the people of Invercargill and Southland generally are in favor of the next colonial prize tiring being held at Queenstown. A paper was read by Mr. Donald Currie at the XJnited Service Institute lately, the title being “ Maritime Warfare.” Sir Garnet Wolseley presided. Mr. Currie strongly advocated the formation of large coaling establishments in various parts of the world for the British navy, and dwelt upon the necessity of their all being fortified. Several colonists to< k part in the discussion, and supported Mr. Currie's views.

The clever gentlemen who opposed the Hon. Mr. Bowen’s endeavors to lesssen the number of prisons throughout New Zealand, and to have a central penal establishment, may learn something from the fact that the Prisons Bill brought into the British House of Commons by the Government is expected to save £IOO,OOO per annum. Instead of seventy-six comity and forty borough prisons there will be only sixtyfive gaols. The extent to which some papers will mould their facts to suit their politics was remarkably illustrated by a Melbourne paper the other day. The Age is a red-hot Protectionist journal, and therefore delights in suppressing anything which may lend t) controvert its arguments. Consequently the other day, when it received a Press Agency message reporting that in Pennsylvania 400 collieries and 60,000 men were idle, it considerately omitted the figures. Its local contemporaries exposed the device smartly. From the North Otago Times the following particulars relative to the accident mentioned in a recent telegram are gathered:—A man named John Stirling Arthur was killed on the railway on Saturday night by the 8 o’clock down train. The accident occurred at about 500yds. north of the Town Belt station, and the first that was known of the circumstance was the engine-driver noticing that the engine had passed over some object. On arriving at the Oamaru station the circumstance was reported to the station-master, who sent a man up the line to inquire into the matter. On reaching the spot the body of a man was found, lying face downwards, with the arms extended, much mutilated, and nearly cut in two, the left wrist being partially severed, and the left side of the head very much battered. Life was of course extinct. The deceased was about twenty-six years of age, about sft, Sin. in height, of fair complexion, with short beard and whiskers. He was dressed in light tweed clothes, but bad neither boots, socks, nor coat on. From visiting, cards found on his person, it appears that his name was John Stirling Arthur, and a pocketbook, found in his coat pocket, contained the following memoranda, written in an educated and clerkly hand : —“ Left Glasgow for New Zealand per (ship) Auckland, on Nov. 22, 1876. Arrived in Dunedin Feb 15, 1877. Went to work in Anderson and Co.’s City Mill* Dunedin, on Monday, Feb. 26. Wrought there one week, till March 3. Went to Anderson and Co.’s, Kakauui (about 80 miles north of Dunedin), on Monday, March 4. Wrought two weeks night shift, five weeks on day shift. Went to Oamaru races on April 5. On night shift again, April 19.” Here the diary closes. Deceased had for some unexplained reason taken off his coat, socks, and boots, which were found a mile up the line, north of where the accident occurred, and must have walked down the line coatless, and with naked feet. He appears to have been struck by the engine about twelve yards above the spot where the body was found, as a gold watch, shattered, and a portion of a locket, were picked up here. He seems then to have been pushed along the line, and then to have fallen under the wheels. Since the above was written, a gentleman, who was a fellow-passenger with the deceased on the way out, has called at our office, and informs us that deceased has a cousin, who is second mate of the ship Auckland, which vessel is now, we believe, lying in Lyttelton harbor.

The Otago Daily Times is sure that no one will take exception to the special action of the Executive at Wellington in permitting the landing of the thoroughbred stock brought here by the ship Baron Blau tyre. She was simply unfortunate in winds, or she would have arrived by or before the day—the 16th ult.— on which the Act: prohibiting the landing of stock imported from Europe came into force. The stock she brought—to wit, a bull, two cows, and two calves—all of the shorthorned breed, is not only exceedingly valuable, but as far as can be ascertained by competent judges, is quite healthy. These facts had due weight with the Government, and hence permission to land the animals was granted conditional upon their being placed in quarantine for three months. They were landed yesterday, and sent to Dunedin, and are to be quarantined in the Caledonian So* ciety’s grounds. The aggregate value of the five animals is estimated at £4OOO. A case in which the licensed victuallers’ element of the community is very strongly interested, came before Mr. Mellish yesterday, says Tuesday’s Canterbury Press. The police authorities summoned a number of the hotelkeepers for alleged identical breaches of the Licensing Act, but as the counsel retained on their joint behalf intimated that it was likely an appeal to the Supreme Court would be made, it was decided to proceed with one information only, and make it a test case. The offence laid iu the information was t-» the effect that the proprietor of Barrett’s Family Hotel had more than one bar iu his licensed house, without having received the consent of the Licensing Bench and paid the fees for the same. Evidence was led that a door cut in two—on the top of the lower part of which was a kind of ledge or shelf—gave access to the bar from a passage, and that a small aperture or pigeon-hole in another passage could, if opened, enable tbe person serving in the bar to supply drink to customers. It was therefore contended that this aperture in one passage and that the half-doors in the other passage must be taken to be separate bars under the Act. Mr, Joynt combatted this construction of the Act, and, as a preliminary observation, informed tbe Court that he had vainly searched for a legal definition of the word “ bar.” He had likewise consulted the best dictionaries, and the general definition given was that a bar was an enclosed place of a tavern, in which a landlord or his servant sat and dispensed liquors or refreshments to his customers, and this place, he submitted, might have entrances from all directions. For convenience sake, it was necessary to board up certain portions, as in the present case, but he submitted that all the apertures or entrances leading into the one place must .bo taken to be part and parcel of the one bar from which all comers were supplied. No such distinction as was attempted to be made here had ever arisen in England. It was not only repugnant to the definition of the word “bar,” but to common sense Itself, to say that the two apertures constituted two separate bars. The Resident Magistrate ruled that for the purpose of this case the definition of the word “ bar” must be taken to be the definition as given in the Act of 1573, which laid down that “ the words public bar shall mean and include auy room, passage, or lobby iu auy licensed public-house open immediately to any street, highway, or public thoroughfare, wherein the public may euter and purchase any spirituous or fe mented liquors.” His Worship imposed a fine of £5 for each extra bar initialed on the ground plan of the building produced iu Court ; and iu answer to Mr. Joynt, consented to state a case for appeal. This being taken as a test case, all the others were adjourned sine die, pending the decision of, the Supreme Court, except that against the proprietor of the Golden Fleece Hotel, in which the defendant admitted having a bar in the billiard-room without the necessary consent of the Licensing Bench and payment of the fees stipulated by the Act, and was mulcted in tbe penalty of £5. The point raised iu Barrett’s case is a most important one, but as his Honor the Judge is just on the eve of departure for Wellington to attend the Court of Appeal, some weeks must necessarily

elapse before argument is held and the decision of the Supreme Court, sitting iu banco, pronounced. Should the decision on the appeal be against them, it is more than likely that the members of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association will endeavor to have the Act amended.

The following items of news by the Suez mail are supplementary to those received by telegraph : —“ A scheme has been promulgated for converting each pair of existing battalions in the army into territorial regiments, of which the militia and brigade depots will form the other battalions ; the numbers of regiments will be abolished if the scheme be carried out. It is exciting much opposition.—Experiments have been made at Elswick with a 40-ton breech-loading gun of 12-iuch calibre, constructed by fcir W. Armstrong. They were very successful, the breech w«s easily opened and closed by one man without tools. A charge of 160 to 1801 b. of pebble powder is used for the weapon ; with the latter a 7001 b. shot attained a velocity of 1650 ft. per second. —At the request of the German Government, her Majesty’s sloop Daring has been sent from Panama to Mearga to demand reparation for a gross outrage on a German subject.—The two sous of the Prince of Wales are to be sent to the Brittania for a course of training ; the younger will enter the navy. His Royal Highness himself is appointed a captain in the Royal Naval Reserve.” Mr. Gisborne’s opponents for the representation of Totara raised a cry that there had been some terrible plot in connection with that gen* tleman’s candidature. The following from a West Coast paper show’s what the “plot” was; —At Mr. Gisborne’s meeting at Ross, Mr. Camille Malfroy was in the chair, ami before introducing the candidate, he said that he had a few remarks to make in justification of himself, as he was named as a person who was deeply interested in the plot. The great plot did not originate in Hokitika, but under a verandah in Ross, where several men were discussing politics, who wondered if they could not get a man of influence to represent them. They subscribed one shilling each, and sent a telegram asking a gentleman to stand, but that gentleman, had a seat in the House, and in the answer the question was asked, what must be the political views of the candidate ? A reply was sent to that saying they were not particular as to political views, but he must be a man who would do his duty to the district. That telegram was despatched on the 14th April, and at the eleventh hour he (Mr. Malfroy) go* an answer that the Hon. Mr. Gisborne wouVa stand if he was nominated. That was the whole plot. Mr. Gisborne subsequently said : The point was that he had been brought forward by some clique outside of the Totara district. The chairman had fully explained the matter, and he (Mr. Gisborne) totally denied the assertion—it was absolutely false.; • A telegram in the Melbourne Argus says ; “No definite arrangement has yet been come to between the Government and the Atlantic companies, and upon them depends any improvement in the outward mail service to Australia via San Francisco. The next mail is advertised to be made up on Saturday, 7th April, and, as seems usually the case, anything despatched by it is not likely to reach Melbourne before the mail sent via Brindisi, six days later, will have arrived in your capital. The difficulty arises in a great degree from the present mode of remunerating the companies carrying the mails from Queenstown to the States. The steamers have to leave Liverpool according to the state of the tide, and as mails reach Queenstown from London via Holyhead at a fixed hour, the steamers have occasionally to lie off Cork Harbor for many hours, and the consequent expense is as much as they are paid for carrying the mails. The result is that the companies having the quickest steamers and finest vessels won’t take the mails. In coming to England no such difficulty arises, as the steamers call off Queenstown, deliver their mails, and proceed onwards to Liverpool without delay. What I have just mentioned has much to d» with the failure of the Pacific route to satisfy the requirements of correspondence from Loudon to Melbourne. But there is another ’drawback in connection with the despatch of the mails. Even the Thursday sailing was-’too late. The mail was due in Sydney in 47 days, which gave nearly 50 for Melbourne, and.letters forwarded eight days subsequently via Brindisi were almost sure to arrive before the others. To render the San Francisco outward route practicably available for Melbourne the mail should have left England on the Saturday previous to the Thursday, which would have given virtually a fortnightly mail. The mercantile community here objected to a despatch on Saturday, and Thursda * was fixed upon, as,, if sent on Tuesday, the mail would have had to go by a slow boat. It was much to be regretted that a special arrangement was notmade with the White Star line, which possesses splendid vessels, and which was preparedto do its best to accommodate Australian requirements. Of their desire to facilitate the conveyance of the mails they have just given a proof, in directing their steamer Germanic,, which should leave New York on Saturday morning, to wait until Sunday evening, if necessary, for the Australian mails that arrived at San Francisco in the Australia on the 9th inst. It is now stated that within the next three or four weeks some change will be made which may place the sendee via America on a satisfactory footing, and may render it of advantage to those desirous of using it for their correspondence to Melbourne.”