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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5192, 12 November 1877, Page 2

Nominations of candidates for the office of Mayor of the city must be sent in to the Returning Officer on or before noon on Saturday, the 17th inst., signed by at least three qualified ratepayers, and also by the parties nominated, in token of their assent. The election will take place on the 28th inst.

At a meeting of the Hutt District Agricultural, Horticultural, and Pastoral Society, held at Petterd’s Hotel on Friday night, Mr. W. A. Fitzherbert in , the chair, the following gentlemen were elected stewards for the forthcoming show: —Messrs. A. Braithwaite, D. Buick, C. F. Worth, C. W. Brown, D. Speedy, D. Sinclair, W. B. Buick, J. Hill, H. Bussell, T. W. Oaverhill, W. A. Fitzherbert, D. Knight, W. B. Welch, B. T. Mellow, and O. Bruce. The secretary was instructed to procure a good band for the second day of show. It was decided that the following booths, &c., should be sold by public auction on Tuesday, the 13th inst., viz.: —Grand stand with bar, one publican’s booth, two refreshment booths, one fancy bazaar, right of stabling, and catalogues of entries. It was resolved that the secretary see Mr. Hunter and request him, with the President, to wait on his Excellency the Governor, re show, &e. Several of the committee were requested to see various influential gentlemen with a view to obtaining a general holiday for the 22nd inst., and also special trains. The secretary will be in attendance at Mr. Fenton’s New Zealander Hotel on Tuesday, the 13th inst., from 10 a.m. to i p.m., to receive entries, &0., when gentlemen wishing to become members of the association are requested to call and give their names, as it is impossible for the committee to wait on all the gentlemen who they know are willing to contribute to the funds of the society, the committee having so much work on their hands, and intending to make this show a great success. The funeral of the late Mr. Alfred Ludlam, of the Hutt, will leave Mr. McNab’e residence, Hobson-street, this afternoon at half-past two o’clock, when friends are respectfully invited to attend.

We are informed that consequent on the break of the Java cable arrangements have been made that a steamer from Batavia will be

at Port Darwin eight days after the break occurred, to carry messages to and from Ban joewangi.

Yesterday sermons were preached at the Sydney-street Methodist Church, in the morning by the Rev. A. G. Jeynes, who will take charge of the Webb-street Church in the room of the Rev. Mr. Nixon, who is going to the Thames, and in the evening by the Rev. D. Dutton. A tea meeting will bo held in the schoolroom to-morrow evening.

The Rev, Mr. Paterson, of St. John's Church, who has been lately at Christchurch assisting in the ceremony of opening the Rev. Mr, Emslie’s new church, has returned to Wellington, and re-occupied his pulpit yesterday. There was a full attendance both in the morning and evening. At the opening services at Mr. Emalie’s church the Rev. Mr. Paterson preached in the morning, when the sum of £3OO was collected, and in the evening £IOO. About 1200 persons were present at each service. On the Monday following there was a tea meeting, at which another £IOO was taken, thus making a total collection of about £SOO in connection with these opening services.

At St. George’s Hall on Saturday night two burlesques were most successfully performed to a largo house. The singing and dancing of Miss Jennie Nye, Miss Marian Willis, and Miss Kate Yernou were loudly applauded. To-night the management announce another new bill, consisting of that most popular burlesque “Cinderella,” in which Miss Nye will enact the part of the Prince, and Mias Willis that of Cinderella. The performance will begin with a new and laughable farce entitled “ The Volunteer Review.” New scenery and mechanical effects have been prepared. We confidently expect a good attendance at this popular place of amusement. On Thursday evening the Wellington team who went over to play a cricket match with the Marlborough men (particulars of which match will be found in another portion of our columns) presented to their captain, Mr. Armitago, a handsome gold pencil case in token of their appreciation of the excellent manner in which he had carried out the arrangements, and enabled tho team, after being disappointed in going to Wanganui, to take part in another match at Blenheim. The presentation was made by Mr. J. A. Salmon on behalf of the team. Mr. Armitago suitably ackuowleged the compliment, expressing the gratification he felt at the cordial feeling wh cU existed between the team and himself, which ho trusted would long continue. At the R.M. Court on Saturday, before Messrs. Hickson and O’Neil, justices, three

hoys named respectively Thomas and Joseph Backhouse and Charles Sullivan, were charged with stealing flowers from ttie garden of Mr. James Smith, of Te Aro House, on the 2Sth ult. Mr. Gordon Allan appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Ollivier for the defence. Mr. Smith proved tho offence, hut stated that he did not desire to press the case, and had only brought it forward as a warning to others. Under these circumstances the Bench discharged the culprits With a caution.—George Sutherland, a sailor belonging to the D’Arcy Pratt, was charged with assavilting George Stuart, muster of the vessel. The accused, it appeared, was under the influence of liquor at the time, and mistook the captain for the mute, with whom he had had some real or supposed grievance. Tho assault was not a serious one, and the Bench inflicted the mirigated penalty of Es., which the captain paid, and the Hocused was set at liberty.—-On the civil side judgment was given for plaintiff for the amount claimed and costs in the case of Jameson Brothers v. J. Sawyer—£lo llis. Sd.

The Appeal Court will Bit at half-past ten o’clock this morning at the Supreme Court House.

Tenders are invited up to the 24th inst. for waggon stack on the Amberley-Waitaki railway.

The prizes won at the sports on the Basin Reserve on the 9th inst. will be paid this evening at Mr. Edwards’ Waterloo Hotel, Kaiwarra.

Smith’s Panorama of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 was exhibited on Saturday, but owing to counter attractions elsewhere drew only a small house.

A man named Keenan was arrested at Havelock, near Napier, on Saturday, on a chaige of assault committed at Wellington some time ago. The accused will be forwarded here by the first steamer. On the sth instant a man named Joseph Walker was drowned in the river near Masterton, and siuce then the police and others have made diligent search along the banks of the river with a view of finding the body, but up to yesterday they had been unable to discover any traces of it. A series of union prayer meetings preparatory to the visit of the Rev. Mr. Somerville, who is shortly expected here frum Melbourne, will be held weekly at several of the churches in town. The first of these meetings will take place this evening at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Lambton-quay, at half-past seven o'clock.

About nine o’clock on Saturday night the Central Fire Brigade tolled out an alarm of fire, and the brigade turned out promptly and proceeded in the direction of Thorndon, but it was found to be a false alarm, as the signs of fire could be discovered nowhere. Previous to the ringing of the bell a few sparks had been seen issuing from a chimney in Moles-worth-street.

An inquest was held on Saturday at the Metropolitan Hotel, Molesworth-streeth, before Dr. Johnston, coroner, touching the death of Peter Michael Anderson. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased, who had been in ill health for some time, and under medical treatment, resided at the house of his brother-in-law, Henry Jacobsen, in Johnstreet, Thorndon, where he was found dead in his bed on Thursday morning last. A verdict of death from natural causes was returned.

On Friday afternoon a boat containing three persons was upset off Petone, and its occupants thrown into the water. They managed to hold on to the vessel as she lay bottom upwards for some time, when they were rescued by Mr. Best, of the Artillery Cadets, who was riding along the road near the water’s edge in company with some friends. Mr. Best, seeing what had occurred, swam off to the boat, and with a line made by taking the reins off his horse and fastening them together, he essayed to bring the occupants of the boat to land. Finding his iiue rather too short, he went back and borrowed other reins from hia friends and a carter who was passing by, and thus equipped was successful in towing two of the three safely ashore. The other was a fair swimmer, and reached land by himself. The prompt and systematic manner in which Mr. Best acted showed great pluck and coolness. Early on Friday morning a gentleman named Chapman, with two young companions named Dixon and Wilson, went out in a boat on a fishing excursion, and as they did not return that evening fears were entertained for their safety, and the police were communicated with, with a view to a search being made. Next morning, however, these fears were happily set at rest, the captain of the Stella reporting that on passing Ward Island three persons were seen on it answering the description of the missing excursionists. Captain Fairchild, on hearing the circumstances, went back to the island and brought the youths and their boat to shore. It appears that the wind, which was blowing pretty stiffly on Friday, had blown them out of their course and taken them to_Ward Island, where they passed the night.

John Coughlin, well-known on the West Coast and other parts of the colony as the “ Irish Piper,” whose skill in playing was substantially acknowledged some time ago by the presentation to him, of a watch and chain, was brought here by the steamer Taupo yesterday, in custody of Constable D’Arcy of the Christchurch police. Coughlin was arrested at Oamarn on a warrant, on the charge of deserting his wife and family at Charleston, to which place he has been remanded, and will be fowarded there by the first opportunity.

The writer of the very clever letters signed “ The Vagabond,” which have appeared from time to time in the Melbourne Aryus and Australasian , is about to publish a fourth series of “ Vagabond Papers.” The work is now nearly ready for issue, and will contain the following articles:—A Prize Pight, Sunday in the Royal 'Park, Election Experiences, Sunday Excursions, A Peep at the Blacks, Australians Abroad, Penianism, A Bazaar, At a Show, Cinderella, A Political Tea Party, My Prison Experiences, Opening of Parliament 1877, The Metropolitan 1877, On the Wing, and A Queensland Watering Place. The greater portion of the blue-gum trees (Eucalyptus globulus) planted in the Queen’s Park, Maryborough, are dying off (says the Chronicle) after a few years’ growth, stricken with some mysterious disease, the primary cause of which remains yet to be ascertained. The first indications are a blotched and swollen {appearance of the bark, followed by resinous exudation, together with the withering of the branches from the bottom upwards, the top longest retaining its vitality. On the removal of the dead trees they are found to be eaten through the heart by some insect, the nature of which is as yet unascertained. It is equally an open question whether this insect is the immediate cause of the trees dying off, or whether it it only an accompaniment of a diseased state of the sap. In either case neither soil, situation, drainage, nor other external circumstances have any apparent determining influence, the decaying saplings being found in all parts of the garden irrespective of the conditions under which they were planted. We understand that the same phenomenon has been noticed among the bluegum plantations made in Algeria by the French Government, thousands of young trees after growing vigorously for a couple of years suddenly showing signs of exhaustion and dying off. Speaking of recent defalcations by employes in banks the Gympie correspondent of the Queenslander says:—A short time ago it was reported that Michael Keid, a clerk in the Queensland National Bank, was to be promoted and removed to another branch. Upon the eve of his departure some friends (and he had made many here) gave him a supper. Everything passed off successfully, an I he took his departure. This morning the people of G-ympie were—astonished is a mild term—at a telegram in the Oympie Times stating that Michael Lewis Reid, late accountant of the branch of the Queensland National Bank at Gympie, bad given himself up to the detectives in Brisbane, and confessed to embezzling £225 from the bank. This makes the third time the banks have suffered loss here. First the New South Wales bank lost nine hundred and odd pounds, which were neverdiscovered. Then a clerk of the A.J.S. Bank received a severe sentence for embezzlement; and now this young fellow has confessed to embezzling the funds of his employers. People at a distance may attribute the cause to over speculation in mining. No such thing ; they have too much time on their hands ; too little to do, and too much time to do it in. The time hangs heavy, to them especially, in upcountry towns. They have no amusement except that of a public-house. Fast company follows, then “ Yankee grab,” which eventually ends in a grab at the funds of the bank.

Amongst the inland townships of the North Island there are few more desirably situated than WoodviJle, at the junction of the main roads from Napier to Wellington and Wanganui, and close to the intended line of railway, in the centre of the Seventy-mile Bush, whore at no distant date a populous town Is sure to spring up, and where already some very substantial progress has been made. Several valuable section *in this favored locality will |bo offered for sale this afternoon by Mr. A. Barnett.

The Melbourne Leader of October 26th says : —A fine English trout, nearly seven pounds in weight, has been captured in Lake Burrumbeet. It will be remembered that in IS7I-2 nearly 600 young trout were placed in Burrumbeet by the Acclimatisation Society, and although all sorts of reasons were alleged why the fish would not thrive in that water we have now ample and satisfactory proof that the stocking of the lake has been a success.

A robbery and violent assault were committed in Williamstown, Victoria, recently, William G-ifford, second engineer of the R.M.S. Assam, was found by the water police at three o’clock crawling amongst some timber near the junction of the Railway Pier and Breakwater. He was arrested, charged with being drunk and disorderly. When taken to the lock-up it was found that he had received considerable personal injuries. His left eye was closed, the right being much contused. The upper lip was severely cut, and one of his ribs fractured. His coat and vest were gone, and with them a gold watch and chain, valued at £2O. He was brought before the local court on Saturday morning, charged with drunkenness, but the Bench, considering the circumstances of the case, discharged him. His account is that on the 12bh inst. he spent a few hours with some friends, and about midnight was seen by the police walking along Nelson-place in the direction of his vessel. At that time he appeared to be quite sober, but eau give no reason why he wandered so far out of his way as to be at the Breakwater, or who committed the robbery and assault.

In the fourth annual report of the Michigan State Board of Health, Hr. Scott relates something new in the influence of tobacco on the human system as follows :—“ There has come under my notice for several years, but more particularly during the last two years, a kind of rheumatic condition of the vt alls of the chest. The patient complains of a dull heavy pain in the chest walls. The disease in a large majority of cases is confined to the left side. The pain is circumscribed, and limited to a space of not more than two inches in diameter, just below and a little to the left of the left nipple. At times thepainisvery severe, and always constant, day and night, when the patient is awake. I have investigated the disease to some extent, and find it to he more common among tobacco users, especially those who use the weed to excess. Patients suffering from this complaint invariably come to their physician with the belief that they have heart trouble. I have not found signs of organic lesion in any of the oases I have examined, but there does not exist in some of them what may he called ‘ irritable heart.’ I am convinced that the greater number of these cases are the result of intemperance either in the use of tobacco or other stimulants, for th§ reason that, when the patient abstains from the use of them for a short time, his pain ceases and his condition improves. In oae case, where the patient abstained from the use of tobacco for thirteen months, the pain entirely ceased ; but at the end of this period the gentleman recommenced the use of tobacco, and after three weeks’ use the old pain returned with all its severity. lam certain that quite a number in this vicinity are receiving treatment for heart disease, when, if they would reform in tobacco using, they would speedily recover.” It is rather strange that Prince Vladimir Tcherkaski, the Russian Governor of Bulgaria, should be a Turk. He belongs to one of the numerous families invested with the title of prince on their conversion to Christianity. His ancestor was the Sultan of Egypt, Inal, who died in 1453. Of the descendants of this Sultan in the fifth generation, Marie Temgrukoffna, after being baptised, became the second wife of Ivan the Terrible, and died 1569. Her cousin, Koroshai Mursa, became a convert to Christianity also, and received the title and baptismal name of Prince Gabriel Kambulatovitch. He married Martha Nikitisha Romanoff, sister of the patriarch Philaretes, and aunt of the first Czar of the House of Romanoff. Through these connections with the ruling families, the Tcherkaskis occupied a prominent position. The present prince was born in 1824, entered the Imperial service in 1819, and was entrusted with the emancipation of the serfs in Poland in 1860-2. In 1866 he left the service and became burgomaster of Moscow. He has assiduously prepared himself for his present task, is perfectly master of the Bulgarian language, and has thoroughly studied the country and the people. The death of Mr. Richard Webb, of Galoot, near Reading, in his eightieth year, is announced in the Home papers. Mr. Webb was the owner of one of the largest and most interesting nut gardens in England, and besides gained fame as the raiser of -several new varieties, which are being extensively cultivated in Britain, and have also found thenway to Australia. He appears to have been somewhat eccentric, for the Garden of the 9th September contains an article descriptive of his place at Calcot, headed, “A Garden run Wild,” wherein it is stated that the garden “ is being almost wholly abandoned to nature. Originally a fruit garden, there is now an undergrowth of flowers, and a scrambling of roses and purple clematis, which together make a combination of wild garden and orchard far gone on its way towards the wild wood, the Marecha! Niel rose growing abundantly and in the greatest vigor.” Melons were successfully grown, and also fine apples. But nuts were Mr. Webb’s speciality, and he considered them good for all the physical ills that flesh is heir to. Near the centre of the garden stands a vase with flowers on a pedestal, showing a poetical epitaph far' from landatory, under which, forty years ago, Mr. Webb buried all his wine, beer, &c., with much ceremony, pouring forth the objectionable fluids with anathemas and a sermon.