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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5101, 30 July 1877, Page 2

Our telegrams respecting the Russo-Turkish war published this morning begin to reverse positions. The Russians are already feeling the difficulty of masking the fortresses in their rear on the Danube, and in an attack upon one of them, Silistria, have been repulsed. But the most significant item is that which mentions _ that a Turkish army corps concentrated at Plevna threatens the Russian communications with Roumania. Plevna, it will be seen by reference to the map, lies on the right of the Russian advance from Sistova, through the pass in the Balkans, and should the I Turks succeed in staying the advance of their enemy south of these mountains, their action at Plevna and other points on the rear may prove not only embarrassing but disastrous. That the Turks mean a stubborn resistance is apparent. Their sedentary army has been called out. This force comes after the active array and the reserve: After four years’ service in the active army, soldiers may return to their homes, marry, and are bound, if necessary, to servo for two years more. After the expiration ot six, years they join the reserve, in which they serve three years in the firstclass, and three in the second class. On completing six years in the active army and six in the reserve, the soldier enters the sedentary army, which can only be called out in ease of war, and which is calculated to contain 300,000 men. One passage in the telegrams received this morning seems to require explanation. It is that which says “ Sulieman Bey defeated Karabunar.” This may mean that the Turkish commander, who lately operated against the Montenegrins,'was defeated at Karabunar. There are two places of this name—one some sixty miles south of Varna, and another forty miles south of Adrianople. It is scarcely likely that the Russians have reached either.

Why do writers who have no memory of facts, or who conveniently forget them, strive to appear so terribly accurate in their mis-state-ments ? Take an example. The Nelson Colonist, desiring to sneer at Mr. Macandrew, says :—“ He was taken from his retirement some eleven years since, spite of certain memories, to serve the purpose of a band of schemers. He can do no more for them, and now he can go.” Would the Colonist be surprised to learn that Mr. Macandrew was elected as representative of Port Chalmers in the Otago Provincial Council nearly fourteen years ago ? That he came “fromhis retirement” because he was pleased so to do ; and that he sat in the Council which met in August, 1863 ? The Colonist should know that more than twelve years ago Mr. Macandrew was a member of the Assembly, having been elected for the Bruce district. The occurrence “ some eleven years since” was no doubt Mr. Macandrew’s election as Superintendent of Otago, when he defeated Mr. T. Dick, after one of the most fierce election fights that have taken place in the colony. But surely a man who is a member of a Provincial Council and of the General Assembly is not correctly described as in “ retirement ;” and if there was a “ band of schemers” concerned in the Superintendentalelection, it was a goodly band, comprising nearly all the “old identities.” They openly said; James Macandrew deserved election because 'of personal sacrifices in the interest of the early settlers. They meant what they said ; they worked doggedly, and they won.

Since last session quite a number of alterations and improvements have been made about the Parliament Buildings. Amongst others the old smoking room has been turned into a sort of supplementary library for works of reference, the old coffee room being appropriated to the use of lovers of the “weed." The arrangement was doubtlessly well intended, but it has not met with general appreciation. Some of the old smokers, in fact, have gone into actual rebellion, and despite the regulations, insist on perfuming the air of the old place with the incense from tobacco burned in some of the oldest pipes to be mot with outside the precincts of a Maori pa. This is, we believe, strongly objected to by some of the non-smokers, whose influence will probably suffice to check what they consider a nuisance. At the Kesident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, before his Worship the Mayor, Frederick Gilian, charged with a criminal assault on a child named Augusta Clements, at the Hutt, was remanded; James McGuinn, charged with drunkenness, was discharged with a caution; as was also a Maori charged with a like offence, his Worship saying to Mr. Baker, who acted as interpreter, “ Tell him to go and not come here again;” and he went accordingly, very much pleased and surprised apparently at getting off so easily.

A general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be held on the Ist of August at 3 p.m. The outward European and American mails, despatched in the s.s. Rotorua yesterday, consisted of 6157 letters, 442 books, and 4036 newspapers, for Europe ; and 246 letters, 13 books, and 236 newspapers for America. Information was forwarded to the police on Saturday from Bull’s, that a man named Wilkins, a tailor by trade, and said to be well known in Wellington, had been committed for trial on a charge of assault upon two children, his daughters. The popularity of the promenade concerts at St. George’s Hall appears by no means diminished. There was a very good attendance on Saturday, and the several songs and selections were received with unmistakeable applause. The pit and stalls were well filled at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening, but the attendance in the dress-circle was scanty. The bill of fare comprised the sensational drama of “Jonathan Bradford” and the laughable farce entitled “ Catching a Governor.” Both pieces were well acted, and elicited unmistakeable manifestations of approval from all parts of the house. Some of the settlers at the Upper Hutt complain that people supposed to be “ sportsmen ” in search of ducks with dog and gun, in the event of finding no game amuse themselves with shooting domestic fowls. Yesterday three men, we hear, arrived in the township in an express, having their “ shooting-irons ” with them, with which they fired at the cocks and hens in the paddocks, and shot some of them. The owners of the birds, not approving of this onslaught, have placed the matter in the hands of the police. A coroner’s inquest was held at Featherston on Saturday, to inquire into the circumstances connected with the death of an unfortunate man named Smith, who, it appeared from the evidence adduced, was driving a cart over the Rimutaka mountain, when he was thrown from the vehicle on to the road, and the wheels passed over his head, causing immediate death. A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury. The traffic returns for the past mouth on the railways in the Wellington provincial district were as follows :—Wellington and Masterton ; Passengers (8446), £552 4s. 6d.; goods (658 tons), £215 10s. 7d.; total, £767 15s. Id. Foxton and Mauawatu : Passengers (1351), £225 7s. 4d.; goods (266 tons), £358 18s. 5d.; total, £584 ss. 9d. Wanganui and Manawatu ; Passengers (514), £49 13s. 7d.; goods (476 tons),'£93 Gs.; total, £142 19s. 7d. An M.H.R. sends us the following versiole, spoken impromptu when Mr. Gisborne first delivered himself this session : None who know you believe your professions old man, For the country you don’t care a tizzy ; Nought hut self and a place in s Cabinet can Tempt so ancient a stager as Gizzy. Our local carriage builders are certainly able to turn out as good work as can be produced in the sister colonies or in the old country, and those colonists who are in the fortunate position to keep their carriages need not import them, when at the same cost, or less, an equally good article can he obtained on the spot. On Saturday we inspected a landau bui't by Messrs. Doneghue and Parr, of Willis-street, which for make and appearance can certainly challenge comparison with anything of the kind which has been seen here. A trial trip was made with the carriage and a pair of spirited horses to Kaiwarra and bach, and notwithstanding the heavy load of eleven persons who occupied seats on the occasion, the journey was accomplished in very good time, and with the utmost comfort to the travellers. Mr. Somerville, we understand, is the purchaser of the landau, and we have no doubt he is well pleased with his bargain. The Rev. Mr. Coffey in his sermon last night made allusion to the Education Bill now before Parliament. He said it was a lamentable circumstance that in a measure for the education of the people no provision was made for religious instruction. True the Bible was to be read, but when the teacher’s lips were closed, so far as imparting instruction went, that would be done in a perfunctory manner, and tbe children would soon see that the Book of God was being dishonored. The effect could not but be prejudicial to the morals of the rising generation. The Minister in introducing the Bill had said education would not make men virtuous. He might have saved himself the trouble of saying that : it was too apparent. In England, Mr. Gladstone said, the tone of the upper classes of society had greatly deteriorated since the death of the Prince Consort, and by means of the Press they learned that though the social position of the lower classes had been improved, their morals were in no way changed. In the face of all this, the people of this colony were now to receive from the State an education of which religious teaching would form no part. The differences between various sects had thrown difficulties in the way of the statesmen, so that Christians themselves were responsible for the sad condition of things. He hoped the day would soon come when differences would be so far adjusted that the schoolmaster’s mouth would no longer be closed in regard to religious matters; but until that time came, Christian men and women must carry the religion of the Cross into their homes, and train up their families in the fear of the Lord. The Church must see that the truth was preached in the people’s homes, and must redouble its efforts to make the Sunday-school more effective by the introduction into it of earnest capable men and women to act the part of teachers.

A man called at a certain boarding-house in town the other day and, having rung the bell, asked to see the landlord. He was told the landlord was engaged, but on being asked if the landlady would do, said she would, —very nicely, indeed. The landlady was thereforesummoned and came out, expecting doubtless to have the pleasure of receiving a new lodger but was rather taken aback by seeing a stranger, who asked for the “ loan of half-a-orown.” Thinking perhaps some explanation necessary, he remarked that he used to stay in her house. This the lady, having searchingly scanned her visitor’s face, strenuously refused to credit,' perhaps rather believing her own eyes than the gentleman’s story. Nothing abashed however the individual in question persisted that the lady’s memory must be short—couldn’t she remember his having stayed there ? Certainly it was only for one night; but still she couldn’t have forgotten him. He only wanted 2s. 6d. to pay for the removal of his luggage, as he was taking it to a house near at hand, and (producing a shilling and a few coppers) had not quite enough to pay the expressmau. The landlady, however, was not to be shaken in her own opinion as to the man being a perfect stranger to her and a barefaced impostor, and accordingly wisely dismissed him with the advice to procure the money from the parties whom he was about to honor with his patronage. The conduct of the party corresponds so nicely with that of a gentleman referred to by a correspondent in another column that we believe the same individual must have favored all those, so far interested, with calls, —he seems to have had extensive business connections with expressmen, who always charged him exorbitantly, or at any rate more than he was expecting they would. We may further state, for public information, that this ingenious gentlemen, being now in safe keeping, will be deterred, for the present at least, from continuing his begging impostures on those who might be weak enough to believe his story, or sympathetic enough to contribute out of pity fur those expressmen.

We received on Saturday the first number of Hansard published this session. It brings the debates in the Council down to the second reading of the Constabulary Bill, and of the House to the commencement of Mr. Atkinson’s remarks on Mr. Burns’ motion in reference to the Dunedin and Kaikorai railway. The reputation which the New Zealand Hansard has obtained for the fullness and accuracy of its reports, appears to be maintained, and it may certainly be said that a more able staff of reporters could hardly be got together anywhere than the gentlemen now engaged in reporting the Parliamentary debates of the colony for this most useful publication.

Cliffords “Mirror of the World” was again well patronised on Saturday evening, and it is no slight testimony to its merits that it has held its ground so well in spite of counter attractions. Some of the views are certainly superior to anything of the kind we have seen before, and wherever the “ show ” is produced it is sure to draw good houses. Mr. Duncan lias requested us to draw attention to Ins sale of merchandise, furniture, pianoforte by Bqrd, saddlery, iron bedsteads, holloware, etc., etc., tins day, at 2 o’clock, to be held at his salerooms. Panama-street. We are requested to call attention to Mr, J. H. Wallace’s sale this day, at Berhampore Farm, of furnitare, stock, etc., etc.; and to-morrow, at his auction room. Hunter-street, a very extensive sale of town acres and country properties, comprising amongst others the residence of Mr. Rowlands, with two valuable town acres—as advertised. The land sale commences at 2 o’clock punctually.