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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5196, 16 November 1877, Page 4

His Worship the Mayor has received information that Mr. Clarke, 0.E., whom it is proposed to consult on the proposed drainage scheme for this city, will bo in Christchurch before the end of the present month, and as he is not expected to be detained there many days, his advent here may shortly he expected.

A meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs. Holdsworth, Bunny, and Mason. The chairman (Mr. Holdsworth) read a letter from Mr. P. B. Warburton, solicitor, Palmerston North, acknowledging the receipt of a letter from the Board, of the 2nd inst., declining to entertain his application for a block of land near the town of Fitzherbert, Manawatu, at ss. per acre, and pointing out that the company proposed to be established would have to construct ten or twelve miles of road at a cost of about £320 per mile, and also expend about £I6OO in surveying four miles of road which would run throughland sold by the Government. Mr. Warburton desired to know on what terms the Government would bo willing to let the company have a block of 15,000 acres, the great object being to induce a good class of settlers to locate themselves on the Wellington side of the river. The Board declined to entertain the application. The landsaleasincelastmeeting were stated to amount to 1187 acres, and the receipts to £452. The following grants of pastoral leases were approved of : —Messrs. Buck and Kemble, Pahaua, 640 acres ; W. McLaren, 640 acres ; R. Kemble, 1000 acres ; H. Burling, Teraumea, 1280 acres. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yezterclay, before J. H. Wallace and G. Crawford, Esquires, justices, David Larson, a sailor, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was fined 10s., with the alternative of forty-eight hours’ imprisonment in case of non-payment.— John Sykes, charged with riding round the corner of Willis and Manners streets at a pace faster than a walk, pleaded ignorance of the by-law in such case made and provided, and was let off on payment of costs. —William Little, charged with driving his horse and cart at too rapid a pace round the corner of Cuba and Manners streets, was fined ss. and costs. — Edward Prince, a carpenter, was charged with assaulting his daughter, a girl about fourteen years of age. The assault was not a serious one, and appeared to have arisen out of a family squabble. The Bench dismissed the case, observing that’ it should not have been brought into Court at all.—On the civil side judgment was given for plaintiff in the case of G. Dutton v. J. Stevenson for £1 and costs.

A portion of a most imposing semi-military spectacle came off yesterday. E’er the first time since their incorporation with the Armed Constabulary, the Wellington Police were ordered to parade for inspection. The parade ground is situated at the rear of the Police Station, and in size and general appearance is not unlike the Champ de Mars on a very reduced scale. Xt is about 20ft. x 10ft., is bounded on the north by a corrugated iron fence, on the south by a water tank, on the west by a gorse thicket, and on the east by the Insolvent Court. At the hour appointed for the parade there were present BrigadierGeneral Moule, Colonel Shearman', Major Atcheson, Captain Smith, Lieutenant Farrell, two corporals, four privates, and the cook. The band consisted of two small boys with tin whistles, who, out of compliment to the Colonel, played the ■ “ March through Georgia.” The parade ground was in excellent order, owing to the exertions of two gentlemen committed for twenty-four hours for drunkenness, aided by a garden rake and a watering-pot. The troops having come to attention, one of the corporals said : “ There'll be no iuspictiou today, bekase the Suprame Ooort is settin’, and yez might disturb it.” The parade was then dismissed. The whole proceedings passed off without a hitch, if we except a couple of slight accidents. One private sat down on a bayonet, and the legs of the Major had a difficulty with his sword, which caused him to try how far he could dig his nose into the earth. The services of three eminent medical men, however, prevented any serious injury.

There was another good house at the Theatre Royal last night, when “ Jealousy was repeated, the leading characters being admirably sustained by Signor and Signora Majeroni, who were well supported by the company. There have not been such crowded houses at the theatre for a long time past as since the commencement of the present season, which promises to bo a most successful one. The piece will be repeated again tonight, and doubtless to another largo and appreciative audience.

Sfc.. George’s Hall was largely attended last evening, when Byron’s oriental burlesque extravaganza, entitled “ The Bride of Abydos,” was rendered with great spirit. It is an excellent piece and full of sparkling music, interspersed with some good dancing. Miss Marian Willis, Miss Nye, and Mr. Keogh are deserving of special mention for their spirited playing. The scenery is well painted, and the burlesque should have a long run. To-night the programme will be repeated, including for the first time an Irish musical comedietta called lt Perfection, or the Lady of Munster.

Yesterday morning as Mr. IsTicholls, of the Panama Hotel, accompanied by his sister, was driving along Taranaki-street, something blown from a cartload of rubbish startled the horse, which bolted and brought Mr. Nicholls vehicle in contact with a fence, throwing out the occupants, who were somewhat shaken and bruised, bat were not seriously hurt.

Wo saw yesterday a remarkably fine bull calf eleven months old, twenty-two splendid Leicester ram lambs, which have been purchased by Mr. Waring Taylor at the late Canterbury show, and are to bo sent up to Mr. Taylor’s station. The concert in aid of the Indian Famine Relief Fund will take place this evening at the Odd Fellows’ Hall. An excellent programme has been prepared, and the laudable nature of the object in view will no doubt combine to draw a large audience. The tender of Mr. C. Aplin has been accepted at £42 10s., for keeping in repair for two years that portion of the old Porirua-road which is in charge of the Kaiwarra Board of Commissioners.

The tenth annual m eting of the Central Volunteer Fire Brigade will beheld at eight o’clock on Monday evening next, to receive the report and balance-sheet, elect officers, &c. Insurance agents and the representatives of the Press are invited to attend.

The theatre-going people of Wellington will have a great treat given them on Monday next at St. George’s Hall, Mr. Cary having succeeded in engaging Prof. Bothwick Keid (the champion swordsman), Mr. K. W. Holder (the gentleman who plays almost any instrument), and Mr. Wand (the accomplished pianist). They will arrive per the steamer Easby, which is expected here from Sydney on Sunday. These clever performer- can only stay one night, as they are engaged for Christchurch.

The Illustrated New Zealand Herald this month is quite up to its usual good standard. The present number contains —“ A View in Christchurch,” ” The Timaru Boadstead, “ Sufferers by the Indian Famine,” “ Homeward Bound,” &c. The Cooktown Courier Mr. Julian Thomas with the following pertinent hints, and carefully qualified welcome ; —“ Mr. Julian Thomas, the talented ‘ special’ of the Australasian, who has been ‘making it hot’ for some people in Melbourne papers, has been sent up to Oooktown as a penance for his sins ; and serve him right, the Argus Vagabond ! He arrived by the Leichhardt yesterday. He does not come incognito, for how could he, coming to a climate where people cannot conceal their identity, even when disguised in liquor ? He is going up to the Palmer, and when he passes Hell's Gates he will probably meet as great vagabonds as himself. As we Cooktownites are the most upright, virtuous, and open-handed people in Australia, he cannot of course find anything ‘ crooked’ about us ; but he may expose the Chinese as much as he likes—they have no friends down south. As we knew iu Cooktown that he was coming amongst us, we imported a Chinese palanquin for his spesial use, and as he is rather ponderous, and horses are very weak at this season, we advise him to use it, and hire a retinue of Chinkies to bear him on his way. We hope when he writes to the Australasian about us, he will ‘ behave’ himself. If he does not, he had better not return through that place with the naughty name on the Palmer road. With these few hints for his guidance and good behavior, we welcome Mr. Thomas, and wish that his vagabondage about the Cook District may be both pleasant and profitable.”