Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5219, 13 December 1877, Page 2

Intelligence was received in town yesterday that H. Cafe W'lliamson, who is well known here, has been arrested at Palmerston, on warrant from Wellington, charging him with obtaining on false pretences, from Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Staines, goods to the value of about £32 10s.. . . We have received a copy of Nation’s Sheet Almanac for 1878. It is very well got up, and contains a large amount of useful information. ~ The Messiah Festival, under the management of the Wellington Choral Society, will take place at the Wesleyan Church, Mannersstreet, on the 30 th instant, at 8 p.m. The programme of ' the sports to be held under the auspices of the Caledonian Society on New Year’s Day appears in our advertising columns. The opening of the now Eechabite Hall, Manners-street, as previously announced, will take place this evening, and,will be celebrated by a tea and public meeting. The liev. -J. B. Richardson will occupy the chair, and addresses will 1 he delivered by several clergymen and other friends. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, George Russell was fined 405.. for indecent conduct in Woodward-street.—Thomas Williams and Thomas Freeman were charged with stealing a cheque for £2 4s. 6d., three £l-notes, and throe £5-notes, the property of Mr. G. Holoroft, surveyor, from his tent at Mungaroa. The prisoners wore remanded until Monday next, for the production of the necessary evidence.—On the civil aide, judgment was given for plaintiffs, with £2 15s. costs, in the case’of Levin and Co. v. Schott, a claim for £l3 Bs. on a promissory note, drawn by Herr Schott, and accepted by Harding, who was sued also for the amount; but a nonsuit was taken in his case, he having become bankrupt since the acceptance of the note. Mr. Bell and Mr. Edwards appeared for the parties to the suit.

An adjourned meeting of the Board of Education will be held this morning at a quarterpast 11 o’clock. The prizes for the New Zealand subscribers to the London Art Union were lost on board the Avalanche.

John Cummings, Andrew Calder, Erancis Olune, and Thomas Mahony, charged with stealing sundry bottles containing alcoholic liquor from Mr. Clayton’s and Mr. Thompson’s booths on the Opaki racecourse, and with assaulting the barman, were brought before Mr. Wardell, KM., at Masterton last Monday, and summarily dealt with. Cummings and Calder were each sentenced to one month’s hard labor, and the others to seven days.

At the close of the business at the KM. Court yesterday Mr, W. P. James, the assistant clerk, who has been promoted to be chief clerk of the Dunedin Court, was presented by Mr. Crawford, KM., with a handsome .gold pencil case, having inscribed upon it Mr. James’ initials, with the words “To W. P. James, from the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Wellington.” In making the presentation, his Worship paid a high compliment to Mr. James for the efficient manner in which he had discharged his duties, and for his courteous and obliging conduct, which had made him a host of friends. Wishing him every success at Dunedin, and hoping that ere long Mr. James might be back again at Wellington, Mr. Crawford handed to Mr. James the pencil case as a small token of their esteem and appreciation of him. Mr. James suitably acknowledged the compliment paid to him, saying the gift was quite unexpected. He had always endeavored to perform his duties to the best of his ability, and to obtain the good opinion of those with whom he was brought into contact. The feeling of gratification at his promotion was lessened by the regret he felt at parting from his fellow officers, and he could assure them that it would give him great pleasure to revisit Wellington if he had the opportunity. Mr. James then left the Court, and was warmly congratulated by many of his friends, who had , met outside to wish him good-bye. Some very curious claims have been made oh the Government of Victoria for compensation for damages inflicted by the shell that was discharged from the Nelson some time ago and ricochetted across the streets of St. Hilda, near the railway station. There were about five claims in all. One man sent in a bill for £2O, and wrote a day or two afterwards saying that he was very sorry he did not ask for more. Another injured : individual puts; in a claim in which he states that at the time of the bombardment he was engaged in polishing a telescope glass, and he was so scared by the shell that his hand shook and caused him to scratch the convex surface of the glass. The North British Agriculturist referring to the trials of reaping machines on Lord Kinuaird’a farm, in Scotland, says ;—“ A very interesting exhibition and trial of reaping machines took place on Lord Kiunaird’s farms of Little Powgavie, when four machines were tried, including that of Mr. Walter A. Wood. A self-delivery reaper of Burgess and Key’s make was exhibited, and worked well. The new self-delivery reaper of Messrs. Howard; of Bedford, called ‘The Simplex,’ was also tried. ,The cutting of this machine is simply perfect, and it sheaves beautifully. The draught is, also peculiarly light—one pair, of horses can work it all day with the greatest ease. The body of this machine is made of wrought iron, with steel gearing, which, while ensuring strength, combines lightness. The large wheel is morticed, and this prevents clogging, and by a simple ratchet the knives can be very easily raised or lowered. There is also a switch gear for regulating the sheaving. The crank shaft is bored hollow, so as to lead the oil to the connecting-rod that works the knives. The work done by this machine was admitted by all the experienced agriculturists on the ground to be of the most superior description. This machine had been tried a few days previously iu East Lothian on a very heavy crop of oats, which it cut admirably. These oats were laid and twisted in such a manner as to test its powers to the utmost.”

A writer in the S. P. Bulletin _of October 11th, in reference to the use of stimulants, says Now, if there is any one thing that is palpable without the necessity of clemonstation, it is that the stomach craves stimulants, and these it will have, either of food or drink. The Bengalee and the Malay fortify themselves with red pepper and curry, the Dutchman uses schnapps for the same purpose, the Scotchman and the Irishman have a pure whisky, the Englishman has his beer and porter, the Frenchman, the! [Spaniard, and Italian his wine, the Chinese his tea, and the Turk h a coffee. Either of these articles of food and drinklused to excess is as injurious as gluttony of plum pudding or the improper swallowing of water. As I have never suffered from an indulgence in any of them, but have acquired a life-long dyspepsia by an aqueous intemperance at a hydropathic establishment, I hope that I shall not be misunderstood when I advocate with earnestness the culture of the grape, for the benefit not only of California, but for the people at large, so that temperance in the true sense of- the word may prevail through the land. I would not say anything to encourage the general use of distilled liquors, but no one except a fanatic will deny that they are sometimes necessary and that they are agreeable 'luxuries. At any rate the fact is that they will be drunk, aud therefore it is the most desirable that a purej article should take the place of the villainous compounds by which dram drinkers are poisoned.