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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5253, 24 January 1878, Page 2

f Mr. Conway, the agent for the Australian cricketers, arrived, yesterday by the Taupe, on his way to Napier; where: the teamwill play after leaving .Wellington. .The Australian ■Eleven leave Christchurch by. the, Taranaki this evening, and may be expected here tomorrow: morning. The match, as previously: announced, will take place on Saturday, Monday, and; Tuesday next. A coach will meet them on their, arrival, to convey them to the Melbourne Hotel, where they will take up their quarters during their stay here.

The Wharf Committee, which includes all the members of the City Council, met yesterday afternoon, and we understand it was resolved to carry out the recommendation of the Reorganisation Committee’s report, and dispense with the services of, the present wharfinger, Mr. Beeves, as that gentleman is not in a position to sever his connection with the firm of Pliramer, Reeves, and Co. The subject of reducing' the rates charged on goods stored in the Queen’s warehouse was discussed, with a view to bring them on an equality with those levied by private .firms in this city. Tile premium charged for fire risk (255), was considered very high when compared with that charged by Messrs. W. G. Turnhull and Co., who are satisfied with as. 9d. Tho Town Clerk was directed to address the secretary for the insurance offices on the subject. Directions were given to prepare returns in order to ascertain whether it would be possible t® abolish the outward charge of wharfage on goods exported from Wellington, and orders were given to have the wharf properly lighted and the approach widened.

The following letter from the Under-Secre-tary for Public Works to Mr. T. Revaus, re coustruotiou of the Wellington and Masterton railway, lias been published in the Wairarapa Standard :—“Wellington, January 18.—Sir, —I am directed by the Hon. the Minister for Public 'Works to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth iust., in reference to the completion of the line from Featherston to Masterton, and in reply to inform you that the plans and specifications for the whole length are very nearly completed, and it is to be hoped the advertisement calling for tenders will be issued very shortly—certainly within a week or ten days. With reference to your renewed suggestion for carting the rails over the Rimutaka, the Minister is assured that owing to the rate at which the permanent way is being laid on the present contracts, no time whatever would now be saved thereby. Under these circumstances the Minister finds himself unable to adopt a proposal, which for the reason above given might probably have proved a valuable one. — l have, &c., John Knowles. On summing up the number of prisoners committed to the Wellington Gaol for the year 1877, and comparing it with the return for 1876, it was found that there were 74 men and 13 women, or 87 in all, less committed in the former than in the latter mentioned year. This is very satisfactory, as it indicates that crime is on the decrease ; for, notwithstanding the large increase in our population, fewer persons have been sent to gaol. It also speaks well for the immigrants who have recently arrived amongst us, and demonstrates that a wise discretion must have been exercised in tlieir selection., ; The West Coast Times learns that-Mr. Gisborne intends visiting the southern parts of the Coast, in company with Mr. Maeandrew, in a month:or,-so. Mr. Gisborne, in reply to a 1 communication from the inhabitants of Jack-i son’s Bay, conveying resolutions passed at a recent public meeting there, has signified his Intention of giving the various matters his direct, attention when he will be accompanied by a'member of the Government. ■ ;At the R.M. Court yesterday William Harrison, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was fined 10s., with the alternative of forty-eight hours’ imprisonment.—Eliza Wilson, charged with drunkenness, was ordered to pay ss:, or go to gaol for twenty-four hours, • • —Margaret Hunter and Christina Wilson, charged under the Vagrant Act with having no lawful means of support, were each sentenced to a month’s hard labor.—Martin McNamara and Harry Williams, charged with larceny, were remanded until to-day.. There was a short sitting of the Supreme Court in bankruptcy yesterday, before his Honor the Chief Justice. John Macdonald, of Wellington, saddler (for whom Mr. Bell appeared), passed his final examination, and received an order of discharge. James .Morton, of, Wellington, licensed .victualler, who was represented’ by Mr. Ollivier, also obained his discharge. ■ ; There was a fair attendance at St. George’s Hall last evening, when the entertainment passed off most successfully. To-night the programme will include the farce of the “ Area Belle” and the “ Conjugal Besson.” To-mor-row night a great bill is announced for Mr. R. Love’s, benefit; and on Saturday night the Australian cricketers have promised their patronage. We understand that through the courtesy of Mr. John Conway, avant-coureur of the Australian team of cricketers, these wellknown knights of the willow will patronise the opening of the new Princess Theatre, Toryatreet, when the powerful drama of the “Queen’s Diamonds” will be produced for the first time in Wellington. The following additional subscriptions have been received in aid of the Masterton Hospital :—G. Hunter, £2 25.; Blundell Bros., £2 25.; R. Port, £2 ; Wemys, 55.; Wbittem, £1 Is.; J. Mitchell, 10s.; J. McLean, £1 ; H. Logan, £1 Is.; J. Dransfield, £1 Is.; A. B. McLaughiau, 10s.; J. Woodward, £1 Is.; P. Moeller, £l. Total amount. received, £sl os. It is notified in our advertising columns that the American Novelty Company will only remain here a few days longer. All who have not seen their curiosities should call at their earliest convenience and . inspect them. The company have opened a stall in the Arcade. According to recently published statistics the present population of British India is 190,000,000. Bombay i» the most sparsely populated of the three Presidencies, having only 131 persons to each square mile, while Madras has 213, and Bengal 395. We understand that Mr. Marcus, the senior guard on the Wellington and Masterton railway, has been appointed station-master at Wanganui, and proceeds almost immediately to that town. Mr. Marcus has been on the Wellington line since the opening of the railway, and by his courtesy to passengers and readiness to oblige all whom he came in contact with secured many friends. A soap factory is being built in Cnmber-land-street, Dunedin, by Messrs. McLeod and Sou. Messrs. R. S. Sparrow and Go. have got the contract for making the plant, consisting of a 20 horse-power tubular boiler, soapboilers, hydraulic lifts, &c., and the place will be ready in a few weeks. When Florence Nightingale carried her corps of nurses to the hospitals of Scutari she was hailed as an angel of peace in the midst of war. Now theso peaceful messengers of human love and sympathy are to be found not only in hospitals, but on the front line and the actual scene of battle. The good thus accomplished can scarcely bo realised until we contrast the past with the present. Before sanitary commissions and Red Cross societies took up the work the sick and wounded soldier could only rely on his comrades tor help, and,’ as the first duty of a soldier is to fight, the men disabled by disease or the bullet fared very badly. Now all this is changed. Armies go out to battle accompanied by trained physicians and nurses, whose only duty is to care for the victims of war, and thousands of lives are saved by their efforts. If wars must be fought—and the day is not far distant when arbitration will take the place of armed hosts—it is well that the rude privations and sufferings of the disabled comb vtants be lessoned. Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of life, which they are thenceforth to rule. Not William the Silent only, but (ill the considerable men ; I have known, .and the.most undiplomatic and unstrategic of these, forobore to babble of what they,,were ; creating, and projecting. Nay, in thy own mean perplexities,,do thou thyself but hold thy tongue for one day, oil the morrow how much dearer , are 1 thy purposes and duties ; what wreck and rubbish have those mute workmen within thee swept away, when intrusive noises wero shut out! Speech is too often, not as the Frenchman defines it, the art of concealing thought, but of quite stifling and suspending it, so that there is none tb conceal. Speech, too, is great, but not the greatest. Speech is silver, silence is golden ; or, as I might rather express it, speech is of time, silence of eternity.

The steamer Taupo brought yesterday from Lyttelton 3000 young salmon, which are to be placed in the Wanganui River. Messrs. Wylie and Girdlestone, of Masterton, report the sale of Mr. Duncan McLean’s farm on the Opaki, consisting of 190 acres freehold and 400 acres leasehold, to Messrs. Hester and Taylor, for the sum of £1765. Although the Clematis came in first in the coasters’ race on the Anniversary Day, she only receives the second prize, as the Saucy Lass, which came in two minutes after her, had a time allowance of a little over four minutes on account of less tonnage.