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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5081, 6 July 1877, Page 2

Tho meeting of the City Council yesterday was, in respect' to some of its proceedings, rather “lively.” Our report should be road, by the ratepayers. We shall take an early opportunity of commenting on tho matter. There was a good attendance at Clifford’s Panorama last night. On Saturday there will be an afternoon performance for the benefit of schools and families.

A meeting of the Education Board will be held to-day. A temperance hotel is to be erected at Masterton by Mr. W. Kibblewhite, at a cost of £SOO.

The present Minister of Justice of Victoria served for a time in the New Zealand war as a volunteer. .

Thomas Dalton MoManaway and William Campbell (of Karori), G. B. D. Thornhill (of Wellington), and Charles Kingsford Jeffs (of Wellington), have each filed declarations of insolvency.

The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Paul’s Church, Thorndon, will be held on Monday evening, 16th inst. We understand that the shipment of “ Hymns, Ancient and Modern,” ordered will, it is expected, arrive next month, and that the books will be brought into use immediately thereafter. Among the improvements at the Parliamentary buildings this year we note that of a public office in connection with the Telegraph Department. Those who have had anything to do with telegraphic work in previous sessions, and have a knowledgo of the inconvenience caused by poor accommodation, will recognise the utility of the improvement. The registered rainfall during the month of June does not present many peculiar features. It is below the average for the month in all cases, except at Hokitika, where it was slightly above. The returns, which of course are purely provisional, are as follow : —Auckland, 3'20 inches on 17 days ; Wellington, B‘o6l inches in 15 days ; Nelson, 2'42 inches in 8 days ; Christchurch, 1'67 inches in 15 days; Hokitika, 1371 inches in 20 days ; Dunedin, 2108 inches in 12 days. It will be observed there is a marked difference between the fall at Christchurch and Hokitika. In the former place only 1'67 inches fell in 15 days, while over 13 inches fell at Hokitika in 20 days. It has been decided by the Wellington footballers to postpone their trip to Wanganui till next week, owing to some of the team having been unable to get away. The Nelson and Wellington College boys meet on the Basin Reserve on Saturday to play their annual match. The Nelson boys are expected to arrive early this morning, so they will not be under the disadvantage, as last time, of playing while the sea demon is on them. The following are the names of the team :—A. Mcßae (captain), Andrew, Askew, Harley, Kingdon, Mcßae, McKellar, Mcllardy, Rout, Richmond, Roy, Sharp, Seymour, Vickerman, and Wither. They are a lighter team than that of last year, several of the old ones having left the College. Birth, their captain of last year, does not play this year. The names of the Wellington College team will appear to-morrow.

On the plan of the Te Aro reclamation, now exhibited in the Council Hall, Mr. O’Neill, Engineer, has made a few useful additions. Ist. The reclamation to the full extent of the grant of seventy acres. 2nd. A part of the proposed reclamation by the General Government. 3rd. An extension of wharf accommodation, by connecting the two reclamations, and providing for a continuation of the railway along the Te Aro reclamation. The public are deeply interested in this reclamation, which, when completed, will bo of such large importance to the city of Wellington. We understand that the general feeling is to proceed with the whole of the scheme, viz,, the reclamation of the seventy acres- The meeting of the burgesses to consider this question will take place on the 23rd inst, and we have no doubt the meeting will be largely attended. Mr. Travers has always a grievance. Now it is that the editor of the Times did not know by intuition that some philosopher at Home had plagiarised from a paper of Mr. Travers’. In Wednesday’s Times we printed the gist of the Home philosopher’s paper. That same day the local man of learning pointed out to a member of our staff that plagiary had been committed, and that he, in 1869, had read a paper before a society- here, from which the English savant copied in 1877. We explained this cheerfully in yesterday’s paper. Yet Mr. Travers is not content. He thinks it strange that the editor should not have known of his 1860 paper. Will he think it stranger if we tell him that the editor not only did not know of it, but does not intend to read it now that he does know of it, and that in this respect he resembles the community (with the exception of Mr. Travers). At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before J. 0. Crawford, Esq., 8.M., Rose Mecklin, a woman charged with vagrancy, who appeared to be not quite right in her mind, was remanded for medical examination.—Eliza Wilson, also charged with vagrancy, was discharged with a caution.—James McGuinn and John Ingoe, charged with stealing a leg of mutton from a vessel lying alongside the breastwork, were remanded until next morning.—Frank Connor was brought up on remand on a charge of lunacy and discharged.—Daniel Heggarty, charged with perjury in connexion with a case of alleged horsestealing for which one Richard Gordon was recently tried and convicted, and subsequently had his sentence remitted by the Governor, was remanded until next morning. Mi. Gordon Allan appeared for the prisoner.—A man of color named Haynes, charged with assaulting a man named McDonagh, was fined 20s. and costs.

The first of the Chatham Islands perjury oases commenced yesterday at the Supreme Court. The indictment was exceedingly long, as may be gathered from the fact that the Deputy-Registrar of the Court was occupied half-an-hour in reading it to prisoner, who no doubt was greatly enlightened thereby. Mr. Izard subsequently explained that there were two sets of counts. The inquiry had been instituted at the instance of Mr, Deighton, who is the senior officer of Customs, and this gentleman, who is also Resident Magistrate, had a seat on the Bench with the other magistrates when the inquiry was being made, and it was doubtful whether he should have sat on the Bench. Therefore, it was deemed advisable to prefer one set of counts, charging prisoner ' with having committed perjury before the three magistrates, and another set in which the presence of Mr. Deighton on the Bench was altogether ignored. The first of the three counts in each set assigned perjury on the statement that the log had been hove at a specified particular time, the second assigned perjury on the statement that the log had been hove regularly since leaving Wellington ; and the third count charged prisoner with having taken a falsa oath. Mr. Travers proposed to demur to the indictment, but it was eventually decided that the objections should be taken later on, and the case proceeded. One of the hands who was produced as a witness called the attention of the Court to the hardship they had to suffer. They had only been paid ss. a day expenses, which entailed considerable loss on them. His Honor said no doubt it was hard that witnesses should be losers pecuniarly, but there was no help for the matter, as they were allowed the regulation expenses. The witness Johnson wished to know how it was he had received 7s. 6d. per day when at the islands, and only ss. per day in Wellington. His Honor said he could not say how it was, but if witness applied to the Crown Prosecutor, Mi-. Izard, that gentleman no doubt would see how it was that he had been paid more than he should have been, and tell him how much he had to refund. This answer did not suit witness, who then seemed to think it was better to bear the ills he had, &o. A correspondent informs us that when on a visit in the Pahautauui District a few months ago, a familiar sound struck ids ear. He paused, listened, and heard it again, looked carefully around, and, to his great delight and astonishment, discovered in. the vicinity from whence the sound proceeded a fine goldfinch. He was somewhat .surprised at first, and for fear of disturbing the sweet little warbler of the wood, which proved to be the male bird, remained almost motionless, when very close to the first-named another was seen, and then a small covey of apparently young birds, all healthy and strong, which gave him the idea that it was no more nor less than the two parent birds and their brood of young ones. The older birds were easily distinguished from the others by their diversity of colors, movements, and the watchfulness of the young tribe. Our informant fancies they must have

localised themselves, it being rather a secluded and warm valley where he found them ; and he has no doubt that in the course of a few years visitors to that locality will have an opportunity of seeing quite a little army of goldfinches. It is to be hoped they will be both preserved and protected. A report by the Geological Surveyor of New South Wales has recently been presented to Parliament, in which that officer states that he has no doubt as to the existence of seams of coal underneath the city of Sydney. The estimated depth at which the coal would be found if bored for varies, the shortest depth being estimated at 1500 ft. The Morton Tavares season at the Theatre gives promise of being eminently successful, and should this prognostication be fulfilled great merit will receive no more than its just reward, for the theatrical people now engaged at the Royal form a most excellent company. “Kernoodling” k is the title of a piece placed upon the stage last evening before a numerous audience, comprising all classes of the community. It is a highly amusing comedy, apparently of American authorship, and its representation reflected credit upon all concerned. A tolerably good idea of the chief feature of the piece may be gathered from its second title, “All in the wrong,” forasmuch as a series of extraordinary complications, sketched in a sparkling, witty mood, give rise to all the entertainment, and that of a very superior order, to be discovered in it. Miss Surtees acted with great spirit, and being graceful and attractive as usual, seemed to be the life of the stage, whilst Mr. Tavares made all that was to be made out of the part he was entrusted with. The other members of the company performed their tasks in a highly creditable manner, and we have no possible hesitation in pronouncing the result to be a great success. “ Kernoodling” is one of the most engaging comedies ever produced in Wellington, and we advise all lovers of light comedy to visit the Theatre to-night, when the piece will be repeated.

On a recent Sunday at Hokitika a clergyman, “in an able discourse,” condemned the prevailing indulgence in sweeps on racing events. The local paper states that “ one or two of the congregation who were present, and whose names appear as treasurers or committeemen in connection therewith, were observed to feel themselves uncommonly uncomfortable.” The Westport Times says there is every probability that next summer will see an accession to the mining population in the Karamea district, and that the agricultural settlers there may find their doubtful fortunes relieved by a host of customers for their produce close to their doors. Good evidences have lately been given that the gold is there, and that prospectors know the precise locality where to find it. A little lot, valued at £2l, the result of five days’ labor by two men, was sold to a Karamea settler a short time since, and the finders assert there is plenty more to be obtained where that came from when fine weather and lengthening days permit work. An English journal observes ;—Not long ago one drunken soldier murdered another in Chelsea Barracks, and now a similar feat has been performed by an insane, inebriate in Edinburgh. We beg to offer a suggestion. Do away with the cell system as regards drunken and disorderly persons. If placed together in twos or threes such tragedies as those noted above are apt to occur ; if alone, suicide is often attempted or accomplished. Instead of the cells, provide two good-sized well-venti-lated apartments for the drunk and disorderly of either sex, with an adequate force of officials in constant attendance. The “quiet drunkards ” may be left to themselves, but all those who are disorderly when brought in, or who afterwards become insubordinate, should have their feet secured in a species of stocks, which could be easily so arranged as not to prevent them from lying down to sleep. In very obstreperous cases the arms might be fastened also. Disorderly drunkenness being such a palpable offence, the ordinary objection that a man ought not to be punished before he is convicted would not hold good ; besides, as matters now are, a respectable man who is accidentally overtaken in liquor, and who is locked up from Saturday night until Monday morning in company with the veriest scum of the earth, undergoes no trifling penalty. Another advantage of our plan would be that cases of apoplexy simulating intoxication would be far more likely to be detected if the supposed drunken persons were constantly under the eye of attendants than when, as at present they are only visited at long intervals of time.

Mr. Herbert Roberts (brother of the champion billiardist) gave two exhibitions of his skill as a billiard player at Sydney lately. Mr. Roberts played against Mr. Dean, who is perhaps the best amateur billiard player in the colony, giving him 200 points out of 600 up. On this occasion the amateur proved too strong for the professional, winning the match by 184 points, the score at the conclusion being Dean 600, Roberts 416. The Sydney Morning Herald says ;—“ Mr. Roberts is a splendid allround player, though he has not the skill of his brother in playing the spot stroke, nor has he the knack of nursing the balls for cannons in which the champion so conspicuously shone. Mr. Dean is a particularly cool and steady player, and he missed no opportunity of scoring. The largest breaks of the evening were 42 and 32 respectively made by Mr. Roberts, and 32 made by Mr. Dean. Mr. Roberts made his first hundred when Ids opponent stood at 308, including, of course, the handicap. When Mr. Roberts reached 200, the other player had only scored 36 7 ; and he made 300 when Dean only reckoned 399. At this time it seemed as if Mr. Roberts would have an easy victory, but from this point his luck deserted him ; the balls broke badly, and he missed some apparently easy strokes, while his antagonist got a succession of brilliant breaks, including some really splendid cannons, and won as mentioned above. Mr. Roberts afterwards showed some wonderful feats with the ball, making pockets and cannons in the most marvellous manner without a cue; he also cannoned off the table on to a ball on the floor ; and cannoned from a ball on the table to one in a pile of four hats placed one above the other. His last feat was spinning a ball on a common dinner plate. The ball continued spinning fer nearly seven minutes.” Persons who have visited circuses will remember an act where a performer, feigning to bean intoxicated intruder, staggers into the ring and rolls about in the horse track in amanner to call forth a scream here and there among the audience. Lately it was done to perfection in Sydney at the Japanese Circus by a performer named Bramble. The Sydney Evening Nevis says a horse was being ridden at a good smart pace when Bramble, completely disguised, stepped into the ring, making a great noise, and persisted in attempting to mount tbe charger. The ringmaster and several of his assistants remonstrated in the usual loud tone, but it was all to no purpose. The disgust of the audience at seeing the act interrupted was intense. The active young police officer at the door of the circus seemed to have been affected in a similar manner, for, thinking the man a real intruder, ho dashed into the ring, and, taking him by the arm and back of the neck, run him out, as if he was going to “ run him in.” The actor, finding his neck in a vyce, made an endeavor to look over his shoulder to say that was no joke ; and it was then that the police, seeing a portion of his dress, found out the mistake. The unfortunate officer dropped him instantly, and was non est inventus in a few seconds. The delight of the audience, when the mistake became known, was intense. The big fat lady, who, only a few minutes before, was singing out, “ Shame ! shame ! ” laughed till she got home. The police officer has not been seen near the circus since.

Speaking of the full in emigration to America, the London Times says ;—“ If there are fewer emigrants than there used to be, it is because emigration has done its work thoroughly, and has pretty well equalised the wages of labor in the hemispheres.” If the movement of population has finished its work as between Europe and America, it has not at any rate got through, as far as the distribution over the surface of the United States is concerned. This republic is very unevenly settled. The North is too crowded in some parts, and the South is too vacant. Part of the work of the next ten years will be to equalise population

in the national territory at home, and this will be profitable both for the several States and the people themselves. If a million or two intelligent people of the admirable industrial class which may be found in the manufacturing cities of the North should remove to the South during the next four years, it would be to the advantage of all concerned. The South is appealing for settlers, and can furnish land, work and wages to all who may come. The crowd iu Northern cities would be relieved, and there would be more to do and better wages for those who remain. Considering the national and personal advantages of a movement of population towards the South, it is gratifying to notice that one has seriously begun. Last year 300,000 people went into Texas alone ; and there is a small but steady flow towards Georgia and Florida already iu progress. Skilful, industrious men who are tempted by what they hear from emigration agents to go from this country to Australia, should understand that they will do far better iu the long run to remain at home.”