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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5096, 24 July 1877, Page 2

Parliament meets again this afternoon at the usual hour, namely, at half-past two o’clock.

' A New Zealand Gazette extraordinary, issued yesterday, contains copies.of despatches,, with enclosures, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, containing her Majesty’s proclamation for the maintenance of neutrality to be observed during the war between Russia and Turkey. ' 1 : The weather yesterday was more miserable than can be easily'expressed : rain, wind, hail, and an atmosphere generally calculated to put a whole population of veritable Mark Tapleys into that condition popularly known as “ the blues” were the characteristics of yesterday’s weather, and very naturally this condition of things atmospherically formed a leading topic of conversation. The inevitable observations on one pedestrian meeting another were, “ Horrible weather,” “ Cuts you through," “ Marrow freezing state of things,” or the like. Cabs were in great demand, the streets being intolerably sloppy ; but it may be mentioned that the street crossings laid down by the Corporation do on such occasions prove of inestimable benefit to those whose business compels them to take out-of-door exercise in all sorts of weather. It is noticeable, however, that these crossings are not sufficiently elevated above the main portions pt the road, and the consequence is that even now, in several instances, they are beginning to assume a hollow appearance and become covered by a slushy compound of earth and water. Nevertheless they are better than no crossings at all, and will no doubt last out the remainder of the winter, which is now considerably advanced. A meeting of the Wellington Jockey Club was held at the Empire Hotel last evening. There were present—Messrs. George Crawford (in the chair), George Hunter, J. E. George, A, Young, D. Jobberns, J. S. Reid, W. Brown, W. Bromley, J. Martin, Dr. Diver, and the secretary. It was resolved that the next race meeting should take place on Thursday and Friday, the 7th and Bth of February, 1878; and that the Wellington Cup be of the value of £SOO. It was also decided to make various additions to the saddling-paddock and stalls, and that the publicans’ ’booths and refreshment stalls be permanently erected of wood arid iron. With regard to the railway line to the course, which had been under discussion at former meetings, it was resolved that action be at once taken in the matter. Finally it was resolved that members of the ciub should in future be admitted to the sad-dling-paddock. The meeting then adjourned. , At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday a salvage case, Hay and three others against Captain Cochrane, of the schooner Day Dawn, was heard; Mr. Ollivier appearing for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Allan for the defendant. The claim was for £ls, and the circumstances of the case were briefly these:—The men had been engaged by Mr. Roberts, contractor, to load the schooner with shingles at Ward Island; but owing to boisterous weather, which sprang up as the vessel was lying • off the island, the men had to leave the work for which they had been actually engaged,in order to run’ oiit hawsers for the purpose of securing the schooner, and they therefore had to work eighteen hours in the wet and cold. The plaintiffs- alleged that Mr. Roberts had' promised to see that they were paid for the extra work, their contract being for a lump sum;and when they came into port they made a claim upon Captain Cochrane for 455. per man extra payment, Mr. Roberta having told them that he would double any sum they obtained from the captain. The defence was to the effect that the captain had refused to pay the demand made upon-him for two reasons--firatly, the men were engaged for the trip, and were consequently obliged to assist in handling the vessel; and secondly, the demand made was exorbitant, and Mr. Roberts denied that he had ever guaranteed the men extra payment. Counsel having addressed the Court, the Mayor, who, with Mr. Turnbull, presided, announced the judgment of the Bench, which was that the plaintiffs were entitled to £3, with costs of the action. , We understand that Mr. Knocker, of Messrs Zohrab, Knocker, and Co., of this city, is a passenger by the Arawata, due here on Wednesday. During his absence from Wellington Mr. Knocker has visited England, the Continent, and India, and has, we believe, made most satisfactory business arrangments for, his firm, A meeting of, the promoters of Te Aro Working Men’s Club is announced 'to take place this evening in the siderbom of St. Peter’s school, Ghuznee-street, for. the purpose of electing officers, receiving entrance fees, &c. All thosewho are favorable to theestablishot a club on temperance principles are invited to be present.;

", A'Mr. Walker, who advertises himself as a; trance-medium, appeared in St. George’s Hall last night to a diminutive and derisive audience, , 1

We regret to hear from the Clerk of the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Mr! Baker, that Mr. J. 0. Crawford is still seriously indisposed, and will not be able to resume hie duties as Resident Magistrate for some time. This evening the annual general meeting of the parishioners of St. Peter’s Church will be held in the Ghuznee-street schoolroom, when the report and balance-sheet will be read and submitted for adoption.

An advertisement in another column challenges Walker, the trance-medium, to argue the question, of the spirit world with one whose assistance is generally required for getting into it—an undertaker.

Notice is given that the partnership hitherto existing between William Black and George South, of Wellington, coaohmakers; has been dissolved by mutual consent All claims against the firm will be received and paid by Mr. Black.

The regular monthly meeting of the Education Board will be held at the Board office to-morrow at a quarter-past eleven o’clock, and the business to be transacted being of importance, a full attendance of members is requested. - The Supreme Court was occupied the greater part of yesterday in hearing the case of Harrison v. Palmer, which was partly heard on Friday. The result was a general verdict for plaintiffs on, all the issues, with £6OO damages. A report will be found in another place. A meeting of the creditors of Edward Kelly, of Wellington, carpenter, was held at the Supreme Court buildings at noon yesterday. The liabilities were sat down at £199, and the assets at Several debts were proved, and the meeting was then adjourned until to-day, at the same time and place. ! At the meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, held on Saturday evening, the following gentlemen were announced as having been elected members:—Charles O’Neill, G.E.; |J. B. Maxwell, A.1.0.E.; E. Fox; Edward Thorley Noakes; H. S. Maokellar ; C. P. Knorpp, A.T.C.E.; the Hon.- W. D. H. Baillie, M.L.C. Notwithstanding counter attractions elsewhere, Clifford’s “ Mirror of the World ” continues to draw good houses. As this is announced as ‘ positively the last week of the entertainment, we have no doubt that during the last few days of his stay here, Mr. Clifford will be as well patronised as he has hitherto been.

At tha Theatre Boyal last evening the sensational drama of “ Not Guilty ” was produced for the first time, and to a very good house. Mr. Morton Tavares sustained the dual parts of Colonel Willoughby and Silas Jarrett, and Mrs. Tavares those of Mrs. Armitage and her daughter Alice, the character of Jack the Convict being allotted to Mr. Sam Howard. The piece was a decided success, and will be repeated this evening. ; At the Supreme Court yesterday, during the progress of the trial Harrison v. Palmer, reference was made to a case reported in the Jurist, which case Mr. Justice Richmond remarked was very incorrectly and unless the reports in that publication were supplied by professional men they were not likely to be accurate, and could not be regarded as authorities ; and he himself should not place any reliance on these reports in future.

I A civil case, Peters v. Howard, occupied a considerable portion of the time of the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday (before his Worship the Mayor and Mr. Turnbull, J.P.) Mr. Ollivier appeared for the plaintiff ; Mr. Allan for the defence. The claim was for £lO 7s 6d., balance of account alleged to be owing by Mr. Howard, lessee of the Theatre Boyal, to Mr. Peters, a cabinetmaker, carrying on business on Lambton-quay. . It appeared, according to the evidence of plaintiff, that a suite of furniture had been let to Mr. Howard, and a set of curtains sold to him for the purposes of theatrical business ; and the amount claimed was a balance which the defendant denied to be due, inasmuch as the plaintiff had not supplied a full suite of furniture, two chairs bein' wanting to make it complete; and that the curtains were not sold but lent, in accordance with an agreement made between the parties, although, as the plaintiff pointed out, the curtains, which were new on delivery, had sustained considerable damage by use in the theatre. It was stated by plaintiff that the sofa and a chair had sustained an amount of damage, while in possession of defendant, which would materially decrease their selling value. The evidence for the defence was a simple denial of the allegations made in support of the claim. It set forth that the suite of furniture, which was incomplete in regard to the number of chairs, was per agreement let at the rate of £2 per week; that the damage done to the furniture did not occur during the time it was at the theatre after delivery, and that the curtains were simply lent, by an arrangement by which plaintiff was, in consideration of defendant’s patronage, to lend him such “ little articles” as might be required, appropriate to the production of certain theatrical performances. Mr. Ollivier of course contended that the curtains did not come within the reasonable interpretation of a promise to provide “little articles” gratis. The Bench having heard all the evidence, which’ was voluminous, together with the addresses of counsel on either side, gave judgment as follows;—That there had been a good deal of hard swearing id this case on one side and the other; but the Bench had no doubt as to the number of .chairs which should have been provided—the suite should have included six chairs, and they would therefore strike £3 off the claim, and give judgment in favor of the plaintiff for the balance of the amount and costs. The costs amounted to £2 17s.

Some time since we drew attention to the dangerous position of Plimmer’s steps. They have for a long time back been in a tumbledown half-rotten state, which has rendered it positively dangerous to travel on them at night, and last evening at about half-past five o’clock the fears expressed in a paragraph which appeared in the New Zealand Times relative to the steps were verified. Some tons of the earth supporting the upper portion of the structure fell away, and the steps collapsed ; and this took; place immediately after a gentleman had reached the top. A great crashing noise accompanied the slip, and persons living in the neighborhood came rushing out of their houses to ascertain what had occurred to create the noise. Fencing was promptly constructed across the passage at the foot and summit of where the steps had been, in order to prevent persons from endangering their limbs and necks in the dark by attempting to pass to or from the Terrace that way. The fall of earth also split one of the uprights which support the platform erected in front of Willow Bank house, occupied by Mrs. Bull ; and for some time after the crash there"was a great groaning of!the timbers comprising that' remarkable structure, much to the alarm of the female inmates of Willow Bank house—or “bankless house,” as it would now be mors appropriately named—whilst Mrs. Bull’s lodgers beheld the fallen ruin with feelings decidedly mixed. We presume that I measures will now betaken to renew the old right-of-way by the erection of new and more substantial steps. In a recent issue we announced the fact that a man named Martin Cunningham had been arrested in New South Wales on suspicion of being concerned in tho murder of Hugh Hannah at Lake Ohau, New Zealand, in 1875. The Otago Daily Times of the 17th instant in reference to this case says :—“The New South Wales authorities are certain that they have got hold of the right. man, and from the detailed description given of him in the police records upon which they acted, they are hot likely to be under any , mistake. The short story of the Lake Ohau tragedy is as follows: — On the 25th November, 1857, the deceased, Hugh Hannah, and the accused, Martin Cunningham, left Lake Ohau Station in a whale boat for Ben Ohau Station, where they arrived safely, and duly left the latter place for Lake Ohau Station, taking with them a load of chaff. Not having, up to the 28th of the

same month, returned, search was on that day made On'the shore of the lake, when the boat, gear, .‘and chaff were found upon the south beach'Cthe Otago end of the lake), and Hannah’s; body lying face downwards in the boat, across the thwarts. There were several livid bruises across the left eyebrow, a small cut upon the left temple, another upon the right temple, the neck dislocated, and blood had flown from the • ears and nostrils. < A post mortem examination Tevealed sudden death by violence. Deceased’s hat and handkerchief were found within thirty yards of the boat, but _no, trace of any of_ Cunningham’s things could be found. Cunningham, who was better known as Martin, is an Englishman, but looks not unlike a half-caste, is a sailor and a station baud, about 37 years of age, sft. 7in. high, square stout build, swarthy complexion, short black hair! inclined to curl, black beard and whiskers and moustache, tatooed on both arms and backs of hands, walks with his arms wide from his body. He is believed to have arrived at Port Chalmers, by the ship Jura, fourteen years ago. He has worked for some years on the West Coast road, and also at Prebbleton near Christchurch, has been employed on stations,' and. lived among the natives in the North Island. A warrant, depositions, and an officer who is able to recognise Cunningham, will probably be despatched to Sydney by the next steamer.. The police, though it is a good while ago since the murder occurred, have not only been on the watch for Cunningham, but have attended to the whereabouts of people whose evidence will be required in the case.”

"We would call attention to a large drapery sale to be held by Messrs. Beauchamp, Campbell, and Co-to-day. These goods have been subject to some HUgallon, which lias resulted in the sale having to b® postponed on: more than one occasion. Originally, seized in transit, they have been a bone of contention ever since, until the parties concerned have now, agreed to have them sold, and determine who is to receive the proceeds hereafter. ,