NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5147, 21 September 1877, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

SUMMARY FOR THE MOUTH.

SEPTEMBER, 1877.

JFot iran3niissioti‘'by"VtC"P-M.CiS. -Australia; from Auckland on the SCth September, to Europe via San Francisco, • • ' ;■

Parliament has now., been, in session for two months, and although the amount of business done has not been so great, as-it might have been- had less time, been wasted in mere talk, emanating chiefly from the ‘ ‘ Opposition” side of the side of the House, yet considerable progress has been made, and it is anticipated that in about a month or sis weeks’ time hon. members will be released from their duties. The Education Bill, which is usually,a stumbling block, in the way of any party that brings it forward, is, after considerable discussion, now in a fair way of being finally settled oh the principle of giving free and secular-education to every child in the colony, a result which is upon

the whole more likely to give general satisfaction than ■ • any. other scheme i which could be devised. The Local Option Bill introduced by the Hon. • Mr. Fox is still pending. The probabilities are that if the measure passes it will be with considerable modifications, and that the framer of it will hardly recognise It for the original scheme when, it; is done with.. The main principle of the Bill, however, is likely to be preserved, viz., the giving to the people in any dis'trict the right to say whether or not ■; -licenses for the sale of alcoholic liquors in districts should or should not be . granted. It is, however, only the simplest justice that if by the operation iof the Act a license should be taken away from an existing hotel, through no fault , of the publican, compensation should ,be. " granted, and this proviso was not' origijaally introduced into the Bill. Since the issue of our last summary, the Opposition lias kept “ nagging”-(to use a rather homely but expiessive phrase) at the Ministry, and threats of a want of confidence motion were made, but so far have come to nothing, nor does it appear likely that they will, at, all ievents this session. The Ministry are evidently still’masters :of the situation, and..the majority of the General Assembly feels that out of the dis-

united ■ ranks of the Oppositionists ho Government could be formed that could maintain office for' many weeks, or perhaps even days. The old story of wrongdoing to the Maoris in Hawke’s Bay land transactions has been, as it usually is, ; a fertile theme of' discussion, with as usdal ■nothing Being proved against the parties said.to be implicated. ■ - ■ The trial of the case of the Hon. Henry

'defended by the Government, under whose auspices that journal is published,; re- • - suited in a verdict for plaintiff,' witS £spo damages., at all, finding faiilt with the Verdict, it is not improbable that had the action been against anordinary ' newspaper proprietor the jury would probably have considered . the < libellous matter complained of -within; the fair bounds of criticism. , On the strength of the verdict a banquet was given ostensibly . , by two'.native chiefs of Hawke’s Bay, to which a number of members of the Assembly were invited, and some -political capital was sought to be made put of it to »'• the'damage of -the Government and glory .of the Opposition, but nothing has come ‘' 'of it. -

.rr A The municipal election which has just terminated .was-,more keenly contested than, almost aiiy previous election, arid proves that an increasing; interest is felt by the ratepayers in the matter, the importance of securing the best men possible being fully recognised. The • municipality is ;abdut to undertake large works—the reclamation of the Te Aro , foreshore, the extension of the wharf, the carrying out of a new and comprehensive scheme of drainage for the town, and other improvements —and on the judicious expenditure of the large sums of money to be borrowed for the purpose very much depends. The Councillors returned at 'this last election ' are, on the whole, gentlemen likely to serve the citizens ’ faithfully, and to justify the choice made. ./They are .Messrs. .Greenfield, G. Hunter, M.H.R., George, Logan, Dixon, Macdonald, Moss, Mills, Allan, Allen, Fisher, and Maginity. . ( The past few weeks have been remarkable for the occurrence of several events of a melancholy character. A fire occurred on the 11th instant, by which the premises of Mr. Alcorn, draper, Lamb-ton-quay, were destroyed, and a little .girl four years old, his youngest daughter, - was burned almost to ashes in her bed. The fire appears to have been purely accidental, the result probably of an escape of gas ; but at the inquest held to inquire into the cause and origin of the fire an open verdict was returned that there was no evidence to show how it arose. —During a gale the fishing boat Blue Bell, belonging to this port, was capsized in crossing Cook Strait, and, her crew conBisting of three men. were drowned. Their names were Jeremiah Hay, an Englishman, aged, about 34 ; Georgio Domenic, Italian,: aged 35 ; and Charles Amile, a Frenchman, , aged 24—On the 12th inst., a married woman, named Stinson, living in the Adelaide-road, committed suicide by inflicting a deep wound in her left side, just below the ribs, with a razor. She was living on good terms with her husband, and no reason could be assigned for the commission of the rash act but that given by the jury, that she was laboring under temporary insanity at the time. Evidence was given to the . effect that she suffered from occasional mental aberration. —Yesterday morning an old settler named Richardson committed suicide by hanging himself. He was in comfortable wordly circumstances, but suffered from pains in the head, and it is conjectured that this affected his brain. Yesterday news - was received from Auckland of the destruction by fire of the greater part of the Whau Lunatic Asylum and of the burning to death of a female patient named Fortune. A female patient, named Morrow, states that she set fire to a mattress with the intention of burning the place, down because she had been put into the same cell with a Maori woman. ' • > ■ j The news, of the loss of the ship Avalanche in the English Channel threw quite •' a gloom over the, whole district. The accident, heart-rending in any case, was rendered’ additionally so by the fact that she had on board-many colonists returning from a visit to the’ 'old country to the land of their adoption. As yet only a very imperfect list of. the passengers has been received here,/' .The' Government have telegraphed to the Agent-General to send a full list, and we are.in daily expectation of receiving it. . V J. / ; • There has not been much of importance doing in the local Law Courts lately, with the exception of the Waka Maori libel case above referred to and the prosecution of Mr. Georob Jones, the proprietor of the Oamaru Mail, for an alleged libel on the Kon. F. Whitaker, the Attorney-

Russell against the editor and printer bf, ,the “Waka Maori” for libel, an action

General of the colony and representative of the Waikato District in the Lower ■House.-;Thoi''inattcr; complained of as libajloua is contained in a leading article in the columns of . the Mail, implying'that "Mr,.,WHiTAkEßin'introducing t he Natives Land Bill was actuated by personal motives for his own benefit. This was treated - by the House as a breach of privilege, Mr. Jones was summoned .to .the bar, -where he read a statement declining to retract or , apologise,..and after a .debate.as .to -what should be done with him, a criminal information was laid against him at the Police Court.;;; He-; now; standscommitted; for trial at the next sittings ..of the Supreme Court in Dunedin, ba : l being- taken Tor IKis appearance. . . ‘_ ) The substantial progress which Wellington is 1 making is- shown by the many ne w and handsome public buildings and private residences which are springing! up in all directions. Some of these, which have been spoken of in former issues; as in course - of. erection,: are now all but completed; Amongst these may be mentioned the fine pile which supplies the place of the old Athenaeum,‘the Mutual Provident Society’s buildings, the new'Te Aro Theatre, the premises of the Bank of New Zealand in the Vr.me locality, where this enterprising company is about to establish a. branch,. ,the large and substantial brick, stores of Messrs. Tuenbull, in Custom House-street, and others |of less prominence. As yet the long projected extension and repairs-to the wharf have not been commenced ; but the timber for the piles is bn' the way from Clarence, River, and in a very few weeks operations will be commenced. _ : As many? of our readers may remember, it is in con-templation-to connect the railway with the wharf; but at what prt has not been filially decided upon. Before any definite conclusion in the,matter is arrived at,' the 1 Minister of Public Works has promised to consult with the municipality. The connection between the railway and the shipping is an obvious necessity/ The only question is at what point it will be best to effect the junction. ! Amongst commercial enterprises' lately, started may be mentioned one for purchasing and carrying on by a company the flourishing foundry and engineering business of Mr; E. W. Minis, which has already yielded large profits. The reason for the proprietor deciding to part with; it is that .it has grown too. large for his personal superintendence, and that he contemplates, a visit to Europe. With the opening of the railway to the interior, there will be a largely increased demand for iron work 'of all kinds, and the hew company to all appearances has before it a most excellent prospect.: The Northern Loan and Building Society, to be incorporated under the Building Societies Act of 1876, has just issued a prospectus. : The proposed capital is £IOO,OOO, in ten thousand proprietary shares of £lO. each... The rapid growth and increasing prosperity of the. city and surrounding, district seems to warrant the company in anticipating that the undertaking Will supply a want felt in the community, and be a decided success. In the way of- amusements Wellington is as gay as she; usually''is during the parliamentary session'. Public and private .'balls.; aud,.b.ther v fbstivities occur at frequent intervals, and there is'a nightly performance at the Theatre Royal, and also,at St..George’s Hall. -This evening there will.be a.,performance at the new Princess. -Theatre in Tory - street, and before - long the Te Aro Theatre in Mannersrstreet, :now nearly finished, will be added to the list Of public places open to lovers of music and. the | drama' in Wellington.