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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5183, 1 November 1877, Page 2

As will be seen by our commercial report, the revenue collected during the past month shows an improvement on the corresponding month of 1 last year by nearly £SOOO. The water mains are kept fully charged from the Polhill-gully reservoir during the day, and from , the storage reservoir at a higher level during the night. The supply from Polhill-gully . will scarcely reach the higher levels of the city, but will be moat serviceable in the lower portions. In a very fe.w_w.eeks,... as.. has. been, stated already on seyeral ocpasipns, the whole of the Waterworks scheme will be completed, when there will be an amply sufficient; supply, i of' water at all times for: a pity twice the size, of Wellington at the presentithac. ;.■■■,<. ; A public nieeting 1 in aid Of the Indian Patnine Relief Pund was held at the Lower Hutt, in the Mechanics’ Institute, on Monday evening last, the'chair being occupied by Mr. William Beethain. ; It was resolved to open a subscription l list- forthwith, the sum of £29 13s. 4d. being subscribed in the room. The Rev. T. Pahoourt was appointed treasurer, and theTfollpwing gentlemen undertook to act as, a committee t® canvass' the district Messrs. Beethara, H. Collett, James Knight, Mclb vride; Ransom, S. Sanson, P. Smith, and W! R. Welch. The chairman was requested to write to Mr. Duncan Sin'clair asking the cooperation of Wainuiomata in the movement.

The time for closing the share list of the Northern Laud, Loan,*and Building Society has been extended until the 14th instant. The Wairarapa News-and. News Letter are to be amalgamated, and to come out as a tri-1 weekly sheet on and after the 7th instant. Notice is given that the med of assignment by Messrs. J. McDowell and Co. and J. Paul and Co., for the benefi t of creditors, has been duly executed. A meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society will be held at the Colonial Museum on Saturday evening next, when some interesting and scientific papers will be read by Dr. Buller, Mr. Kirk, F.L.S., &o. Last evening the new drama which has had so much success in London, entitled “ Behind the Curtain,” was produced at the Theatre Royal to a good house, and was very well performed. A number of valuable gifts were distributed at the close of the piece, which will be repeated this evening. We are requested to remind subscribers of the Choral Society that this is the last day they will have the right to reserve seats for the concert to take place on the 6th inst. at the Theatre Royal. AH seats unreserved after to-night will be open to the public, and for which, we understand, applications in large numbers have been received. The Engineer-in-Ohief invites tenders up to the 20th November for the supply of coal or coke from Ist January to 31st December, 1878, for the railways at Wellington, Napier, Foxton, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Greymouth, Westport, Nelson, Picton, Lyttelton, Timaru, Oamaru, Port Chalmers, and Invercargill. Mr. Swanson addressed the House last night. It was quite a treat to hear his Celtic tones after Mr. Murray. Nearly the whole of Mr. Swanson’s remarks were based upon an amusing after-dinner speech delivered by Mr. Row some time ago at the Thames. Mr. Swanson informed the House that the sumptuous feast cost 10s. 6d. a-head ; hence, perhaps, the mirthful account given of it by the reporter who attended. Beyond saying that Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan were immaculate politicians, ready to rescue their downtrodden country, Mr. Swanson’s speech calls for no further comment. A new style of footpath is being formed in Grey-street, consisting of concrete slabs about 3ft. long, 2ft. wide, and Sin. thick, closely resembling the famous Caithness flagging, and making really an excellent pavement, having the advantage of being easily lifted and relaid whenever drains, gas, or water-pipes have to be laid down, and an entire freedom from slipperiness. Mr. Charles O’Neill, C.E., who invented this mode of paving, has certainly accomplished a practical public benefit. The Carterton committee of the Indian Famine Relief Fund met on the 29th ult. The total amount received exceeded £75, and it was resolved that it should be forwarded to his Worship the Mayor of Wellington. A number of other subscriptions have been promised, but on account of the time being limited the amount could not be collected in time for this remittance. At a meeting of the Wellington Art llery Volunteers, held at the Central Fire Brigade Station last evening, Lieut. McCredie in the chair, the following resolution was passed ; “ That in the event of the City Council not finding a contractor for the transport of the time-gun to Mount Victoria at a reasonable rate, the Wellington Artillery would be willing to undertake it at a cost of £25, but the battery has no desire to interfere with private labor.” At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before his Worship the Mayor and Captain Sharp, John Harrison, charged with drunkenness on the previous day, was discharged with a caution. The accused had been summoned as a juryman at the inquest at the Thistle Hotel touching the death of the late Mr. Lambert, and on making his appearance it was evident that he was not sober, and the coroner accordingly ordered him into custody. The St. George’s Hall entertainment still maintains its popularity. The programme presented last evening was of a mbst excellent character, and received well merited applause. The prizes which, as they always are, were of a valuable land, were distributed to the fortunate holders of the winning numbers at the close of the performance. To-night the management announce a new season of burlesque, with Byron’s extravaganza “ Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” and a musical comedietta entitled The Day After the Wedding," in which all the members of the company will appear. This excellent bill, together with the prizes, should draw a crowded house. A novelty will be introduced in the finale of “ Ali Baba,” consisting of the Zingari Minstrels. The Christchurch Press of October 30, says : —“ Mr. Docherty, who was the discoverer of a lode of copper ore at Dusky Sound some months ago, paid a visit to Christchurch yesterday, as a passenger by the steamer Maori on his way to Dunedin, after a second visit to the Sound. He was accompanied on his second visit to the Sound by Captain Malcolm, who remains here to join the steamer Taranaki, of which he is to assume the command. The result of this second' examination of the lode is likely to be the immediate formation of a company to work it, the ore, as analysed, having been proved to be of a valuable character. Complaints continue to reach us (says the Manawcitu, Times of Saturday last) about the dangerous state of the main rOad between Palmerston and the Lower Ferry at the Gorge. No doubt the travelling public have just grounds for complaint, as that portion of the highway is decidedly too narrow for the large and increasing traffic now upon it. It seems to us that before long some steps must be taken by the authorities to widen it, which can easily be done by filling up one of the ditches and reducing the height of the road similar to that portion of the same road now being done by the Borough Council. While looking at it we are led to ask why should it have been made so narrow at the first \ An accident happened at Mr. Gower’s station, Manawatu, on Wednesday last, which might have proved fatal. It appears, according to the local journal, that a stag turned out with some does on Mr. Gower’s property came up to the homestead and began to knock things about, when a Mr. Blunder, who was on the spot, tried to drive him away, at which the beast got irate and made a charge, hitting Mr. Blunder, and inflicting a severe wound. Dr. Rockstrow was immediately sent for, and promptly attended the sufferer, who is going on favorably. Some men were sent out to shoot the stag, so as to prevent his doing more damage. Mr. Smith, of Te Aro House, Cuba-street, is one of those business men who know the value of advertising. At his establishment yesterday we saw a novel kind of advertising show-board which he is going to put up at the Lower Hutt railway station. The framework is of njottled kauri, and in the centre is a lookingglass, which is surrounded with pictorial representations of ladies attired in bewitching costumes, in which the milliner’s aud.draper’s art is advantageously displayed. There is a slide . attached to the frame, by which these pictures can be shifted, and others placed in their stead ; and as fashions are ever varying, this is a very appropriate contrivance. This very handsome and novel show-board has been manufactured by Mr. W. J. Roberts, of Waring Taylor-atreet, whose skill in executing designs for mantelpieces, shop and office fittings, show-cases, &c., is well known. ■ An official statement of “the establishment of the Italian navy on the Ist of July, 187 T," has been lately published at Rome. Jt shows that Italy now has fourteen ironclad frigates, one monitor, two ironclad corvettes, three wooden frigates, two screw corvettes, four paddle-wheel corvettes, six screw transports, five gunboats, three a'crew avisos, six paddlewheel avisos, six screw tugs, four paddle-wheel tugs, and one torpedo-vessel. 1 Messrs. Beauchamp, Campbell, ami Co. will sell at eleven o’clock to-day the right to the gate* at the Basin Reserve on the occasion of the Prince of Wales Birthday sports on the 9th inst.; also, the (publican’s booths, refreshment stalls, cards of the sports, &c.