Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5131, 3 September 1877, Page 2

This is the last day for sending in nominations of Councillors for the borough of Wellington. Nominations must be sent in xvriting to the returning officer, Mr. J. B. Wallace, before noon. There are three Councillors to be elected for each of the.xvards in the city. The number of passengers who arrived at the port of Wellington during the past xveek by sea was 271. Of these 112 came from ports in the South Island, 92 from the North, and 67 from Australia.

During the past week 19 steamers and 10 sailing vessels arrived in the port of Wellington. The tonnage of the steamers xvas 5299 tons, and that of the sailing vessels 1134 tons. During the same period 21 steamers, of a combined registered carrying capacity of 6003 tons, and 11 sailing vessels, of 1460 tons, cleared out.

A meeting o£ persons Interested in the formation of a limited company for the purpose of purchasing and carrying on Mx - . K. AY. Mills’ Lion Foundry business will be held this day at half-past 2 o’clock, in Messrs. Bethune and Hunter’s large room, the use of which has been kindly granted for the purpose. Considering the great importance of this project both to intending shareholders and the public of Wellington, a large and influential meeting may confidently be anticipated. The Lev. William Ballachey, curate of Karori and Makara, has been appointed by the Bishop of Wellington to act as his secretary. He purposes to be at the Diocesan Library, Mulgrave-street, on evex-y Monday, between the hours of ten and one, and will attend to any business that may be referred to him.

The Supreme Court sat from 10 o’clock until 2 in the afternoon of Saturday, an arrangement having previously been come to that the Court should adjourn at that hour. A good deal of evidence was taken in the Waka Maori case, Mx-. Locke being in the 'first place recalled by counsel for the plaintiff in reference, to the letter supposed to be written by Mr. Locke, acknowledging the receipt from Mr. Rusaell'of certain money on account of surveying the reserve at Waipukurau. Colonel Whitmore was examined to show that Mr. Russell had given a fair price for the land purchased by him from the natives. The testimony of Mx - . White, Native Interpreter-; was to the effect that he was engaged by the plaintiff in connection with the meeting at Te Ante, and that the negotiations were conducted fairly. Two of the native , grantees xvere also called, and proved that so far as they were concerned there was no foxxndation for the allegations contained in the letter-. The Court will resume this morning at 10 o’clock. There is still a mass of evidence to be taken, we believe. There was a meeting of the Board of Education on Saturday, at which Messrs. C. J. Pharazyn, Beetham, and Gisborne, the Inspector of Schools, and the Secretary were present. The bank account was as follows; —Old account overdrawn, £5205 12s. 6d. ; new account, credit, £1237 25.; px-esent overdraft, £3908 9s. lid. The Secretary informed the Board that in the event of the Education Bill passing in its presexxt form, new schools would have to be built at Thox-ndon and Te Aro, as the Church of Exxgland schools would he withdrawn from the control of the Boax-d. The cost, together with that of other necessary schools in the district, would amount to £17,000. The return was ordered to be forwarded to the Government. It was announced that an education reserve of 108, acres had been set apart by the Government at Mauriceville. The Board ordered the dismissal of the master of a country school near Wanganui, for improper conduct to several girls attending the school, as proved in evidence before the local committee. It was .stated that the accused was about 60 yeax-s of age, a max-ried man, with grown-up daughter's. The Board adjourned until Monday. ■ The second of the px-esent series of Assembly balls will take place this evening. AVe understand that His Excellency the Governor has signified his intention of being present.

The libel case against Mr. George Jones, of the Oamaru Evening Mail, will be beard at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning.

The magistrates whose names are on the roster for attendance at the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day are J. E. Smith and J. Moore, Esqa. , The number of births registered as having occurred in Wellington during the month of August is 96 ; deaths, 21 ; marriage licenses issued, 24. The afternoon and evening performances at the Odd Fellows’ Hall on Saturday were well attended. The Diorama leaves for Wanganui and the South to-day. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday a man named John Smith was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for larceny at the Upper Hutt, and a person was fined 10s. and costs for a breach of the municipal by-laws. This was the only business. The return of patients in the Wellington Hospital during the month of August, 1877, is as follows:—Admitted ; 23 males, I female ; discharged; 18 males, 1 female; died; 2 males; left in hospital : 41 males, 8 females—total, 49.

It was announced by the Rev. Mr. Harvey at St. Paul’s last evening that it is intended to hold a meeting of the parishioners during the week to consider the advisability of throwing open the sittings to all attenders at that place of worship in the morning after a certain portion of the service has been read, as is now done in the evening. On Saturday night a man—one of the crew of the s.s. Ringarooma—walked over the breastwork and fell between it and the steamer Tui. The splash he made awoke Oapt. Wills, of that vessel, and ho immediately rushed on deck, and with the aid of the purser succeeded in extricating the unfortunate one from his dangerous position. His face was found to be severely bruised by coming in contact with the stringers and the side of the'steamer. But for the prompt action of Captain Wills there is very little doubt but that the unfortunate man would have been drowned, as he was greatly under the influence of drink.

There was a very good attendance at the Fine Arts Exhibition at St. George’s Hall on Saturday evening. The display of pictures and curiosities is alone well worth a visit, and the large number of tickets which continue to be taken in the art union is a proof that they have been duly appreciated. The performances of the Combination Troupe and the Rose Brothers were heartily received by the audience on Saturday, and the band of the City Rifles added not a little to the attractiveness of the entertainment. An excellent programme has been prepared for to-night.

We remind our readers of the lecture to be delivered this evening at the Congregational Church, being the second of the course. The subject, no less than the lecturer, should prove attractive. The identity of the British nation with the Jewish lost tribes is a subject to which much examination has lately been given, and always interesting as it has been, must be still more so in the hands of a lecturer like Mr. Rees. Hitherto Wellington has only known Mr. Rees in the region of politics ; but if all accounts be true, we shall find him equally at home on his subject this evening.

The chess match, members of the House of Representatives v. the Wellington Chess Club, was resumed on Saturday evening last, when the following games were scored, giving the match to the Wellington Chess Club : House. Club. Winner. Bryce v. Brown Brown Lusk V. Beeves Lusk Brown, J. E. v. Benbow Benbow Ballance v. Hullett Hullett Bryce v. Hullett Bryce The last named game was left unfinished the previous week, Two games only remain to be played, but the club being already three games to the good have won the match. The pit and stalls of the Theatre Royal were crowded on Saturday night, and the dress-circle was fairly attended. An unusually full and attractive programme was presented, comprising the well-known drama of “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and , the usual performances of the Vaudeville Variety Company. The drama was placed upon the stage in admirable style, no trouble or expense having been spared in its preparation, and the caste had been arranged in a manner calculated to insure success. The leading characters were represented as follows: —Eliza Harris, Miss A. Stoneham, whose acting was as usual admirable; Mrs. Budd being represented by Mrs. Stoneham; Mr. Sam Howard played Uncle Tom with characteristic ability, and Mr. H. Stonqham enacted the part of Haley; George Harris, Mr. St. Lawrence; Senator Bird, Mr. R. W. Rede, and Mr. Shelby was impersonated by Mr. J. Hesford. The remaining characters were well sustained, and the piece was, generally speaking, well represented. The variety entertainment followed, and as usual gave every satisfaction. It is mentioned in an advertisement that the holders of tickets crowded out on Saturday night will be admitted this evening.

About halt-past ten o’clock on Saturday evening a man named Ferdinand Donoghue was arrested on a charge of having stolen some articles of clothing. It appears that Sergeant Farrell saw a man going into Jones’ barber shop, in Willis-street, and suspecting him of wrong-doing, with the quick perception peculiar to gentlemen of the blue - when they are true blue, it the term may be used in such connection—he went in after him, and ascertained that he had been offering certain articles of clothing for sale. Previously Donoghue, who is a powerful looking man, had been boasting loudly and with many oaths that there was not a policeman in the Wellington force who would take him into custody ; and he certainly looked a difficult subject to handle. Farrell, however, proceeded to take him into custody, not without great difficulty however, and assistance from some civilians. The prisoner at first threw Farrell (who nevertheless “ stuck” to him), and struggled all the way to the station, at which, a? usual, there was a goodly crowd by the time the prisoner was caused to disappear within the gates. The property was traced to a shop in town, from which it is presumed to have been “lifted” by Donoghue, who will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning. The two Maori publications Tc Wananga and Te Waka Maori have in a sort of way gained new titles, if not additional honors. Mr, Macassy asked Mr. White on Friday whether those journals, in respect of rivalry, were not like unto the Gazette and Independent of Batanswill, which, of course everybody well knows or should know, were energetic advocates respectively of the Slue and Buff interests politically. To this question the witness in a general way gave an affirmative reply. Te Wananga, he was forced to admit, represented what vicious-minded people called the repudiation party ; but he was careful to add that the said party’s main end and object was to redress wrong and protect the innocent. He did not exactly specify the policy of the opposition journal, but of course it was left to be inferred that, to speak in nautical language, Te Waka Maori was “ on the other tack.”

At the meeting of the Catholics of Wellington to consider the Education Bill Mr. Ohas. O’Neill in his speech made a comparison between the speeches of the Hon. Mr. Bowen, the Minister of Justice, and the Right Hon. Mr. Cross, the Home Secretary. “In opening a bazaar for a school near "Wigan last year the Right Hon. Mr. Cross, Home Secretary, made a speech full of liberality and common sense, and well worthy of the attention of the Legislature. Mr. Cross said that 1 at all events within that district the education provided for every child, male or female, within it, should, so far as they were concerned, not be ’ separated from religions teaching ; that they should not attempt to force their own particular religious views upon any child who came to that school whose parents did not agree with those views; that the teaching given there should be of the best and highest standard ; and that they were willing to have their standard of excellence in teaching tested by a Government test. We are all agreed,’ s;ud_ Mr. Cross, ‘ on these things and they are not bad things to agree upon.' And though this determination involves the resolution to do without a School

Board, and though Mr. Cross declares his intention scrupulously to carry out the intentions of the Act, and wherever school boards exist heartily to support them, he, like ourselves, ‘ will do that which every Englishman has a right to do, exercise his own judgment, so far as the law allows him to do so.’ ‘ If,’ he said, we are of opinion that we can carry on the education of this particular district better without a school board than with one, we will remember what we were told when the Act was passed—that it was not meant to supplant other schools, but only to supplement them ; and we will take our own line, and show, as far as we can, that the schools in this district and the result of their formation, as carried on by us in our particular way, lead to that only test by which schools can be judged, namely, that the results of our particular mode working shall be as good as the results obtained in the schools in connection with any school board in the country.’ He considered that Mr. Cross had put the matter in a fair light, and if the Government of Hew Fealand would aid the Catholic community, in accordance with whatever test they might approve of, it would be a great boon to the Catholics and the country." The Rangitikei Advocate states that the Hon. R. Campbell has agreed to find the whole of the capital required for the construction of the branch line of railway from Foxton to Sandon (;£24,000), the Government to pay 2 per cent., and the settlers another 2 per cent, for a period of five years on the cost of construction, the line to be worked by the Govemment with a portion of the rolling stock employed on the present Foxton' and Manawatu line.

The Wanganui Herald speaking of the recent exhibition, says;—“ One of the most interesting exhibits on view is the cotton converted into silk. This wonderful discovery was communicated to this colony by Sir Julius Vogel, who forwarded with his letter samples of the converted material. He states that the cotton while undergoing the process gains both in weight and strength, and can be converted at one-fifth the cost of woven silk. Certainly the samples sent bear all the appearance of strong silk, and have been minutely examined by nearly every visitor.

In commercial circles at Home some notice has been taken of a project submitted by an American to the Russian Government for joining the Black and Caspian Seas. The latter, says the engineer, Mr. Spalding, occupies the lowest part of the vast basin situated at the' south of the Russian Empire iu the midst of land which is now below the level of tha ocean. He states his belief that in consequence of the natural action now proceeding, the Caspian Sea will altogether disappear, and leave a blank waste. In order to prevent this he proposes to connect the two seas by means of a canal of 266 kilometers in length. It is expected that the new scheme will prove of great value to the internal commerce of Russia, but it has not yet been formally accepted—amongst others the financial one—in the way of carrying it out.