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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5249, 19 January 1878, Page 2

A The Hon. Mr. Sheehan .received the following letter yesterday from King Tawhiao:—. “To you,'the parent’ of those who'are dea/ this is my letter to you. I have written to yoii and telegraphed'to 'you before, ■ but 1 you have'not listened'to' tvliat I have said. Iheav you left for Wellington without coming to see me, and ,T now ask you again to, come and see me,'that 1 We,may 1 sefctld the' affairs .of 1 , this island. 1 ' !.l ,\yill remain liere until the latter day of this'month. ‘This is sufficient.”.! We believe . that: up to the present ' time but few fhiugs have beeu sent in to Mr., Carroll, to be forwarded to the Ballarat Juvenile .Exhibition, and .so, far, some water color, paintings, 'mails, .and drawings represent .the industry of thnWellington.jnyoniles.,! Any exhibits should, be handed. to. Me., Carroll;, at once, as the time for their receipt has almost expired. i. - A. 1 meeting of the stewards of the ' Jockey Club; was held at'the Empire Hotel last night. There were prisenf—Messrs. ■ J.' R; 1 George 1 (in the chair), J. S. M. Thompson, D. Jobberns, A. Yotmg, Dr. Diver,- I W. Brown, and the secietaryj ' A letter from the Colonial Secretary'was read, informing the club with regret that' owing' to, some difficulty,, occurring in regard‘to the lands through wliich the line of railway .to-.tho.iCpnrao would paps, and ,the fivot .of . the proposed line being, brimt at tke late (fire, at' the railway station, tho project: would liaye, tp he abandoned this year.! It was d/cided to 'sell the various priviIpgesi in - / ponriectiop with (he forthcoming meeting oil Saturday, tlie 26th iriat., including the gates, .which will bo .submitted to public cornpetition alßp. J A letter from the secretary of tho .North ,Otago Turf, Club was alsoiren/ referring to the disipialification of Pishbopk, which .hint peon, removed by the club after due, consideration. It waq decided, to consider the letter, at a, future meeting of stewards., After several new members being elected, the meeting adjourned.: i m i > u . ,/

A meeting of the Regatta Committee will /be held this evening at the Pier Hotel. The Supreme Court will sit in banco at 10 o’clock this morning, and at 11 the Oourt. of Appeal will meet. \ The Wellington cricketing team who are to compete with the Australian Eleven wilKpractice this atternoon on the Basin Reserve, \ The annual examinations of candidates for the Civil Service are now progressing, but some weeks will elapse before the results will be known. - • : A man named Farquhar, lately in the employ of Messrs. Woods, Crosbie, and Co., was arrested last evening on the charge of obtaining. £2 ss. by means of a valueless cheque. The ladies’ gallery at the Arcade will be opened* to the public this evening, and will be brilliantly lighted. A band will be in attendance, and no doubt a large number of visitors will be attracted to the spot. We are requested to call attention to the advertisement of the appointments made by the Wesleyan Conference for divine service at the several churches to-morrow. Special collections will be made at the close of each service towards Conference expenses. William Brosner, who was dealt with yesterday at the Police Court for assaulting the police in the execution of their duty, was re'taken into custody a few hours afterwards, on the charge of using threatening language to Mr. Harcourt Lee, of the Opera Company. • The picnic in connection with the Wesleyan Sabbath School, Lower Hutt, will be held on Tuesday, the 22nd instant, in the grounds of Mr. James Knight. In the evening tea and public meetings will be held in the Wesleyan Church, when several ministers attending the Conference are expected to address the meeting. With reference to a colloquy which took place. In the Supreme Court on Tuesday last between Mr. Justice . Richmond, and Mr. Barton during the hearing of the case Grillon v, Macdonald,' desires to correct a statement which appeared in a local paragraph in our columns, that he hraade! use of the word “ indecent.” The word was used, but not by Mr. Barton,”- ------- - - ~ The fine steamer Stad'Amsterdam will 'sail from! Sydney.on February”!,'and Melbourne •on February 9 ; to be followed by the favorite , b.s. Lusitania, which . will leave Sydney, .on February 22, and Melbourne on March %" ’ r JCbis line is now greatly patronised by the ■ New; Zealand public, and inasmuch as the sailing dates are altered to an earlier day we give publicity to the fact. At St. George’s Hall to-night a capital bill of fare is announced, commencing with the operatic-burlesque of “Faust,” iu which Mr. Stoneham appeared a few nights ago to so much advantage as Marguerite! This will be followed by a musical melange, concluding, with,; for the first time in Wellington, a comedy called “ A Trip to the Continent,” supported by the full company. Such a programme should draw a crowded house. • We wish to draw attention to a notice which appears in our advertising columns, stating that the New Zealand Shipping Company havs placed their fine ship Hnrunui at the disposal of the Regatta Committee for a flagship. All parts of the vessel will be open to the public, with the. exception of the forecastle, which will be reserved for the judges, in order -that they may not be impeded iu the execution of their important duties. ■/ ? ..It lis notified in our advertising columns that oh Regatta day" the’ favorite steamer Kennedy will ply between'the Queen’s Wharf and.Lowry Bay at the times specified. As will be , seen the fares are very reasonable. Refreshments will be provided oh board and on the ground at moderate charges: - Lowry Bay is becoming a very popular resort of holiday -makers!'! It is a capital place for a picnic, and if the weather prove tine next Tuesday, a large |number of visitors wilkdoubtl'ess be atto the locality. ’ ; • . \ /.Mr. Stephen Massett, a* talented/ musician,' /elocutionist, and poet/ is now on his.way from Auckland to this city./ The Star says that’ his entertainment is. of that intellectual class ; which too rarely interrupts the sequence of excitements that minister to the amusement of the people. ‘ His budget of comicalities is described as well-arranged and diversified, while, he displays great elocutionary powers - and good judgment. We are told that he has wonderful powers of mimicry, and rarely fails to convulse his audience.

Wfl understand that a gun will be fired from the flagship on Regatta day at the start of each race, and also for the first and second boats as they come in respectively. It seems to. us that the arrangements are very complete, and consequently good sport may be anticipated ; and rio doubt the trouble taken by the members of the committee will be recognised by the number of people-who will show up on the occasion, more especially as the number of entries exceeds that of any previous year. ' Amongst the yachts which will compete at the ensuing regatta is the Minnehaha, which has recently been completely- overhauled, fitted with new gear, and made thoroughly “shipshape.” She was built for a racer, and in anything like fair weather will, after the recent alterations ’ and improvements which have been made to her, be likely to give a good account of herself in the forthcoming contest. She was launched yesterday from the ways, and presents a very neat and trim appearance as she lies in the stream. An accident happened at the Thorndon Baths yesterday, a small lad who was fisliing falling into the water. Some other boys who were present stupidly looked on -instead of calling the attendant, who is an expert swimmer. Happily for the drowning lad, a somewhat older boy than the others present came upon the scene, and hurried to alarm the attendant, who without much difficulty rescued the hid. He was however only just in time, as the boy had sunk twice, and had he. gone down the third time would likely have been only got up dead. We understand that the London Fidelity Guarantee Company, which almost a year ago established agencies throughout New Zealand, has recently entirely withdrawn from business in this colony. This will bo good news for those interested in the Fidelity and Accident Guaranty Company of New Zealand, which has its head quarters in this city. It is always pleasant to see local enterprise taking the place of-foreign companies, and as the colonial company which wo have mentioned • has a list of. shareholders comprising some of the best ; and most influential’ names in New Zealand; itwill no doubt fully command the Confidence of the’ public, .and-occupy the field I in-this'lino of business., ■ .

There was a' narrow escape from’ what might have been, aserions fire in Old Oustojn yesterday afternoon. A spark : from the foundry was carried by the wind on to the roof of Crease’s premises and set fire to the shingles. :An alarm was raised,' and by the immediate application pi a few buckets of water the fire was extinguished before any material'damage was done ; but had not prompt action been taken, there can be very little doubt the consequences would have been much more serious. At the time’ of the occurrence there ■ was little or no pressure of water in the mains, and it is a very fortunate , thing, that the fire was so quioldy dis- ' covered aud extinguished. As settlement progresses in the interior of the provincial district the effect is plainly observable du the large number of passengers which are daily conveyed by the two principal linosj of , coaches, which; connect Wellington with 1 the country; districts. . Yesterday no less, thau;2B passengers booked at ,Otaki for WeiTingtbn, and Messrs. Harwell, and Co. had to, put rta.au estra.coach,.:..,,/The passenger. traffic' between the Wairarapa and. Wellington has also assumed large dimensions, arid three persons | are , conveyed by coach; to -the; various centres of population and rural districts of the Wairarapa,.for,,every onei who travelled that road afew ~y ears pgq. ..The sooner the railway, ja completed to Maatertou the more profitable it will.be to the country from a direct monetary point, and the .more conducive it Will be to,the progress of settlement In one of the most important districts in the North Island,

: _ Albert Hotel last night a meeting waisVheld of persons desirous of celebrating the tllirty_feiglith’'‘anniversary of the colony by a dimmer on Tuesday, the 22nd instant. Mr. S. Raters occupied the chair. It was agreed that'.circulars should be printed and sent to persons , likely to attend, answers to be sent in to. Sliv.'Vifatefa'oh dr before,.Monday forenoon nexti Mri<Toji» Plimmer has liberally offered to contribute £2O towards the expenses. The of was fixed at 10s. each. It is' ahticfpaied’'that”’although the time is somewhat short for-.giving -notice,, from the interest taken in the matter there -will be a large gathering of those who,have taken part in the early,‘settlement of , the'colony. A committee was appointed -to’ carry out the necessary 'arrangements,', aucL if was resolved that they shduld ‘meet at '7 o’clock’'this evening, at the’ Albert Hotel, to- report progress.

It is always gratifying, to notice the successful career of Australian and Hew Zealand youths in the old, country, and many instances’ have been furnished in which Auglo-Austra-lians have held their own' at the English Universities and at the English Civil Service, examinations. Lately a 1 ■young Victorian named Alexander, as some of bur .readers may remember, gained an open scholarship at Halliol College, Oxford—one of the highest honors of the University. Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin have sent many good men-to the colonies, who have done good service, and made their mark in the home of their adoption,, some of them returning to achieve still higher, honors in the old country, and now it may be that the colonies will send Home those who will become leading men. In reference to the career of young Alexander, the Melbourne Argus has the following paragraph ;—We have made some inquiries into the school and university career of young Alexander, who has just achieved for the colony the highest distinction it has yet gained in the lists of educational competition in the old country. We find that he joined, the Wesley College in 1871, just when Professor Irving assumed charge of that school ; that he passed the matriculation examination—that awful terror to our schoolboys—with credit before he was thirteen. Li -the-same.ryear (1871) he wvaa elected Draper scholar, beating his seniors, Irving and Johustone, who afterwards distinguished themselves at the University, and after an uninterrupted career of-success at the. school, including the gaining of the The Argus prize, quitted it in 1874 as Walter Powell scholar. In the beginning 0f.1875 he obtained all the three exhibitions at entrance. At the end of that year he was placed in the, first class in the arts honor list, and had awarded to him both the classical and the mathematical exhibition. At the end of 1876 his name appears again in the first.class, and he gained no fewer than three exhibitions for classics, for mathematics, and for natural science. After such a career it is no wonder that his teachers advised him to try the wider field of competition which an English University present, and he went home last May, uncertain whether to ’ choose Oxford or Cambridge. He appears, however, to have determined to try at once for the Balliol Scholarship, which for men entering Oxford is the highest honor, attainable, and therefore the most keenly contested ; and unless .the telegram .yesterday received 1 has’ been misread, he stands first - amongst the scholars elected for the year. We cau'easily understand that with Professor Andrew’s pride in the former 'Wesley College boy should be mingled some regret that so promising a student is lost, to his, own University, and Professor Irving’s pleasure in finding his favorite pupil occupying the same position which he himself once filled.” , A remarkable instance of the density of a human skull was brought to light (says the Sydney .Morning .Herald of December 12) in a case where'Joseph Thompson, the first mate of the bhrque, Sarco, just from Liverpool, was charged before the Water Police Court with shooting Robert Smith, a seaman of the same, vessel. The prisoner gave himself. np to the police, and stated that he shot Smith, under the impression that the latter was about to stab him with a knife.- The prosecutor, who appeared to be a mulatto, and claimed, to be a British American, said that during some rainy weather, about two months after leaving England, the prisoner ordered him to grease one of the royal masts. He proceeded to execute the order, but found that he was prevented doing so by having heavy sea-boots on. He returned to the deck to remove them, when the prisoner commenced to abuse him, and eventually, at a range of G feet, drew a revolver and fired at his head, threatening at the same time to blow his brains out. The shot, a conical bullet, struck the prosecutor on the forehead, glanced upwards, and lodged near the top of his head. From there the captain and mate extracted it, and it was found to have been completely flattened by contact with the prosecutor’s skull. The prosecutor, although laid up for three weeks, seemed quite recovered from the effects of the wounding. The case against the prisoner resulted in his being committed for trial.

Electricity in a hand-lamp is the most recent fruit of inventive enterprise. Messrs. "Voisin and Drouier, of Paris, have just patented" a new scheme for, obtaining light from an electric current. The apparatus consists of a single cell enclosed in a light mahogany case, in the top of which is a small central hole, through which projects a brass rod or “ plunger,” having., a spiral spring, and communicating with the zinc-plate of the battery within the case. The battery is brought into play by pressing down the plunger, so as to cause the immersion of the zinc-plate in the usual solution of bichromate of potass contained within the cell, and the chemical action thus set up instantly produces sufficient electricity to raise to a rod heat a fine spiral of platinum, which connects at the outer edge two small brass tubes projecting about a quarter of an inch under the cover of a benzoline-lamp about an inch in diameter’,'the narrow neck of which is held in position under the platinum wire by means of a brass arm. The effect of the evaporation of banzoline is to raise the platinum to a white heat, and the wick with which the lamp is furnished at once bursts into flame. The whole operation is performed so quickly that it may be said to be almost simultaneous with the pressing of the finger upon the plunger. The principle of the invention is, of course, well known, but the mode of applying it is altogether novel. The,apparatus is ■verysimple, and it is noiseless in its working. Beauty depends more upon the movement of the face than upon the form of the features when at rest. Thus a countenance habitually under the influence of amiable feelings acquires a beauty of the highest order from the frequency with which such feelings are the originating causes of the Movements or expressions which stamp their characters upon it. At the end of a leading article in The Times lately the following passage appears. It is important as a formal expression of superior judgment on a matter of much interest to the ~Liberalparty;—f*Mr. Gladstone’s mental energy has not abated, but it must be patent to all who have been able to watch his recent conduct with dispassionate, judgment,that he lias so far closed his active political career as.to have deliberately renounced all pretensions to initiate or control’further domestic legislation.” ■