The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5257, 29 January 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1878.

We learn by the Colonies—a. paper published in the mother country, and devoted to colonial and Indian matters—that a French journal has been giving some interesting statistics showing the “relative proportions o£ the trade of our Australian colonies and that of the United States in the year 1875, when, it is stated, the total imports to and exports from Australia amounted to £01,700,000, or about £4O per head in a population of 2,300,000. The value of the exports from the United States in the same period amounted to less than £6 per head in a population of 40,765,000; while, on the other hand, the exports from these colonies are stated to have been of the average value of £2l per head of the population. The full meaning of these figures can bo bettor realised when it is stated that the total value of the produce, agricultural and manufactured, exported from the United States, combined with the foreign imports, or, iit other words, the ■■whore productive power of the country, was in 1870 only £2O per head of the population.” The exports and imports of Great Britain and Ireland amount , to about £655,000,000, or at the rate of £2O per head of the population. In France, the next country in wealth to those already mentioued, the combined exports and imports only' amount to about £lO per head. In the figures given in relation to Australia the French journalist includes Now Zealand.' ''

Yesterday afternoon an attempt was made to blowup the sunken hulk, Fli Whitney, by means of dynamite. A charge of 201bs. was exploded under her by electricity, and the result was that the mast was canted slightly to one side, but no debris from the wreck appeared on the surface of the water. The explosion yesterday was more of an experiment to try the power of the dynamite on the hulk than anything else,, as .it was . feared thatif too heavy a charge was put under herat first it might came injury to the shipping and surrounding property. Another attempt to blow the hulk up will ho mode to-day.

Tlie charge against Mr. Pestridge for arson will come on for dearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day. A grand soiree is announced for this evening, in honor of the Australian Eleven. Dancing will commence at the Polytechnic Hall at 8 p.m. Mr. Barton, the counsel for the plaintiff in the case of Gillou v. Macdonald, at Ihe Supreme Court yesterday, threw up his brief. A report of the case appears in another portion of our columns. There will be a meeting of the Regatta Committee at 8 o’clock this evening, at the Pier Hotel, for the purpose of distributing the prizes to the successful competitors at the late contest and the transaction of other business. The Choral Society’s band are requested to meet for practice this evening at’ the late offices of Messrs. Bethune and Hunter. We understand that Mr. C. Bonningtou has kindly undertaken to take charge of tin* practices till other arrangements are made. 1 It will be noticed by an advertisement in another column that the Union Bank has declared a dividend of 16 per cent per annum on the paid T up capital of £1,250,000, and carried £25,000 to the reserve fund, which now amounts to £450,000. ' At St. George’s Hall last evening an entertainment of unusual excellence was presented, which succeded iu sending the patrons of this popular place of amusement away thoroughly satisfied. To-night another excellent programme is provided. A district order notifies that the City Rifles and Cadets will parade for monthly inspection at the Central Eire Brigade office on Thursday next at 7.30 p.m, and the City Art fiery and Cadets at the same place and for the same object half-an-hour later. The Wesleyan Conference picnic, to which we called attention in a previous issue, wi!. take place to-day at Silverstreara. A special train leaves the Wellington station at haltpast nine o’clock, returning fi’om Silverstream in the evening. The weather promises to be all that could be desired, and a numerous gathering may be expected.

A meeting of the creditors of William Todd, of Wellington, tobacconist, was held yesterday. Jit*. Moeller was appointed trustee. The liabilities in the estate are set down at £lOl7, and the assets at £1504.—A meeting in the estate of E. Ledbury, of Wanganui, hotelkeeper, was also to have been held, but a sufficient number of creditors to form a quorum did not present themselves, and the proceedings lapsed. The liabilities iu this case were set down at £361, and the assets at £l4O. A t the Resident Magistrates Court yesterday morning, J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M., on the bench, three drunkards were mulcted iu the usual penalties. An inebriate who had been remanded for a week on suspicion of lunacy was discharged. J’. R. Hebley was bound over in his own recognizance of £lO to keep the peace for .one mouth, for.using threatening language towards Constable Sullivan.

An itinerant salesman of American novelties has lately been, mounted on a pedestal at the entrance.to the wharf,, and with characteristic Yankee shrewdness, has puffed his wares with great success. Some ingenious contrivances, in which are combined a number of useful qualities, are put to a practical test before admiring spectators, who become ready purch’.sers.

The Intercolonial Cricket Match will be proceeded with this morning, commencing at halfpast 10 o’clock. Immediately after it is over, another match will be played between the same teams, and to be decided in one innings. Considering the very general interest taken in cricket here, we expect to see a large number of people present to-day, especially as this is tire last opportunity the people will have of seeing the team who are about to visit England, where we have no doubt they will hold their own and do credit to the colonies. His Excellency the Governor we understand will be present on the ground during the afternoon, and a band will be in attendance. The afternoon will be observed as a holiday. Messrs. Hastwell, Macara, and Co., the enterprising proprietors of the Wairarapa coaches, have made fresh alterations with a view to giving further, accommodation to the travelling public. After Monday next there will he two coaches running daily between Kaitoke and Masterton. The coaches will leave Kaitoke at 9.30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Masterton at 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. To people in Wellington having business in the Wairarapa this will prove a very great convenience. Yesterday afternoon a horse and cart were standing at the watering place at Te Aro pound, when something startled the horse, which bolted, upset the lad who was in change, and finally, rushing along Manners-street, came in contact with two perambulators standing close to Mr, Pirie’s shop. The children in these vehicles had a very narrow escape, and but for the presence of mind of Mr. McDonald, carpenter, a d a cab-driver, whose name we do not know, the probability is they would have been killed. As the men saw the horse and cart corning on to the pavement, they seized hold of the children, and got them out just in time. One of them, a child of Mr. A. Young's, was cut about the face, but we are happy to hear was not seriously hurt. The others escaped uninjured. Constable Doran, who was near at hand, also hurried up as quickly as possible to render assistance. A rumor was current soon after the occurrence that a child had been killed. Happily such w*is not the case; hut there can be no doubt whatever that all the children had a very narrow esc.apa indeed, and that but for the prompt assistance rendered the accident would most likely have proved fatal.

The United States Minstrels are announced to open this evening at the Odd Fellow’s Hall, and we anticipate, from the high encomiums passed upon them by the Auckland Press, that a rich treat is in store for the lovers of music. The Auckland Herald in a late issue gives the following particulars of their opening night in that city :—“ The United States Minstrels appeared last evening for the first time at the Theatre Royal with so great a measure of success as to leave little doubt that their entertainment will draw a large amount of public favor. The members of the troupe— Messrs. Rockefeller, Amery, Hudson, Braham, Campbell, and Holly—are well known here. The other members are mainly instrumentalists, all of them possessing a high degree of proficiency. Each member of the company appears to have his ‘speciality,’ and the aggregate affords a good deal of scope for the exercise of ingenuity and stage business. They are all nigger minstrels, and a good deal more. They are good musicians. They sing part songs, glees, solos, and quartetts. The entertainment is very light and pleasant throughout. Some of the pieces are strictly farces, and the complexion of the performers serves to heighten the effect. The house was well attended, and the applause was both frequent and emphatic.”