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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5277, 22 February 1878, Page 2

It will be seen by our report of the City Council proceedings that Mr. Baird has been appointed to the responsible position of City Engineer. We hope the choice will prove a good one. Mr. Baird, during the time ho was in the employ of the Provincial Government, gave satisfaction to the Executive and the public generally. Wo • understand that the efficient manner in which he discharged his duties/as a provincial officer largely influenced the jßity Council in giving him the appointment of Corporation Engineer. With reference to the official scrutiny, and the statement that has been circulated that seven electors recorded their votes at both polling booths at the recent city election, we believe tke matter is capable of satisfactory; solution. We have good reason for believing that most of the parties implicated were under the impression that they had a perfect right to vote in the same way as at municipal elections, where, as is well known, votes are frequently; given at three different places. We should be the last to screen any persons who wilfully violated the law, but it is a very different thing when the offence was committed’ inad-’ vertenlly, and without any evil intention. Some of the parties, as soon as they were made aware that they had violated the law,-we are informed, acquainted the returning officer of the mistake before tho close of the poll. An inquest was held at the morgue yesterday, before Dr. Johnston, coroner, on view of the body of John Blackball, who was found drowned in the harbor, under circumstances detailed in our issue of yesterday. The deceased appears to have been last seen alive be'ween 8 and 9 o'clock of tho previous evening. A verdict of found drowned was returned by the jury.

is the opinion of-the City Solicitor, in reference,to the question submitted to-him in |a|memo.’from the Town Clerk; s of the 1 7 tii ihst., relatiye tot he construciiooXof .streets, referred to,in another portiqn of our columns, in the report of the proceedings at the City Council yesterday: —“ With reference to the question submitted for, my opinion (in connection with the construction of streets), mentioned in the Town Clerk’s memo, of the 17th ihst., X beg to -say—l. So soon as the level of any. street has been duly fixed, under the sections from 190 to 198, both inclusive, in the MunicipalObrporations Act, 1876, the Corporation; can lawfully excavate to the full width of a street without being bound to leave any support to the land on either side ; in making which excavation, however, care must be 'taken not to inflict injury beyond that which will be the inevitable result of the excavation. '■St. 'There is no power in the Council to place any soil’on any .'private'land adjoining a street, and if the proprietor will not permit it to be done, the Council would be bound to erect and maintain ra retaining wall at the street W, T. L. Travers, city solicitor."

la reference to Dr. Somerville's evangelistic services, we are requested to notify that the arrangements which had. been made and announced for the young men’s meeting in Man-ners-street, in consequence of the Theatre Royal being engaged, have been subsequently altered. The young men’s meeting will take place in the Odd Fellows’Hall at 8 o’clock a.m. There will be an afternoon service on Sunday, at the Manners - street Wesleyan Church, instead of at the Theatre Royal, i Over seven thousand out of ten thousand shares have been taken up in the Golden Point Gold Mining Company. It will be remembered that Dr. Hector reported very favorably on the specimens from the claim submitted to him for analysis. Should the venture turn out, as there is good reason to anticipate, a success, it will have an immense beneficial influence upon this city, as it will establish the fact that a payable goldfield' exists in a locality the trade of which must inevitably go to Wellington. We are pleased to see that ■the enterprise is meeting with much favor ‘amongst many of the leading men of the city, and that shares are rapidly being taken up. Amongst those who have become shareholders we notice the names of gentlemen who have had considerable experience on goldfields. .This augurs well ;for. the success of the new company. . ■ ' Tile following important statement is reported to have been made by Mr. Larnachrecently to a deputation which waited upon him at Oamaru respecting railway and shipping matters : —“Mr. Larnach, said that, without in any way divulging the secrets of the Ministry, he might mention that he had recommended the appointment , of- railway boards to his colleagues; who had received the proposal favorably. If the Government could see their way to carry out the suggestion,, bo .rds would be appointed in the chief towns, having, representatives : from such'places as Oamaru, comprised of shippers and merchants, and these' boards would be empowered to advise with railway managers oul the management of railways. If the proposal were earned ■ out, he felt sure it would have a'beneficial result, as the hoard would be able to guard the interests of the public and the railways. ’ Last night there was, notwithstanding the wretched weather, a very large attendance at the Theatre Royal, when the Soldene Opera Company repeated the' sparkling opera of “ Girofie-Girofla" .with : even greater success thau on the previous evening. Last night the company appeared; to have entirely recovered' from the effects of their voyage, and were, to use a somewhat colloquial, expression, in “grand form.” Miss Soldene was naturally the centre of attraction,: and the music of her part was given with marked. expression and with great spirit,; her acting, too, was most vivacious, and it may be safely said that she has established herself a firm favorite with the public. Mr. Campbell was also in good voice, and in the duet renderings with Miss.Soldene was heard , to great advantage. ' The 'choruses were a considerable improvement on the previous evening’s performances, excellent as they were. Messrs. Marshall and Wallace were extremely humorous in their parts, and Mr. Farley gave a perfect impersonation of the bloodthirsty Moor. The whole performance was a treat of no ordinary description,' and affords us every hope of a most pleasant season of opera bonffe. To-night “ Genevieve De Brabant” will be presented, as it was originally in London, by Miss 'Soldene’s company, in which that lady, will sustain her original character of Drogan, together with Messrs. Marshall and Wallace, , the original gensd’armes. Mr. Campbell and Mies Vesey were also in the original oast when this piece was played for 500 consecutive nights in Loudon. . A New Zealand Gazette published yesterday notifies the appointment of Mr. B. F. Lynch to be clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Office; and the granting of mining leases to the following persons :—John Ragg and party, for the Queen Charlotte Company, in tha Wairan District ; B. Nioholls and party, for the Pioton and Havelock Company, in the same district, and for tha Gladstone Company, at Macetown, and the Black .Angel Company, Arrowtown. The following alterations and additions to the rates for the conveyance, delivery, and storage of goods, parcels, &c., on all the New Zealand railways are notified;— Poultry.—Live fowls, ducks, geese, and poultry of all descriptions must be secured in crates or baskets. Kerbstone is to be carried as Class F, double rates. The following appointments ■ in the Public Works Department are gazetted ;—George John Clapham, clerk ; from Ist : January, 1878 ; promoted from the Treasury. Arthur Thos. Bate, clerk; from Ist, January, 1878 ; promoted from extra clerk. William Arnold

Thomas, accountant ; from Ist- February, 1878 ; promoted from the 1 Treasury. Notice has been received from the Inspector of Sheep for the East Coast District that he has granted clean certificates for the following flocks Mr. James Langdon, .Whareama flock of fat sheep, 100 ; '"dated'' 18th January, 1878. Messrs. Elder and Co., Langdale flock of ewes and rams, 8700 long wool ewes, 950 ; rams, 181, dated 28th January, 1878 ; and flock of -wethers, 3100, dated 29th January, 1878. The Wairarapa Register, commenting on the return of Mr. Barton,- says:—The lesson to bo learnt from the recent election is that popular sympathy, whether -justly or needlessly called forth, is; a powerful aid to success in achieving an object. It also points the moral that in an election ho means should be left untried to secure the return of the fittest man ; and no 1 opposition, however slight in appearance, should be totally disregarded. For our own part we consider it matter for regret that Mr. Barton obtained a majority at the poll, as we believed hie imprisonment was a just and well deserved punishment; for a course of longcontinued opposition and perverseness which had sorely tried the patience of his superiors, and was only inflicted by them when his conduct had passed all bounds of moderation. Most thinking people in Wairarapa, and we have no doubt .in Wellington also, wore of opinion that Mr, Barton was only a dummy in the election—-put up to be knocked down again, as merry wights in the district bring a well-known Greytown chimney-sweep of israall mental calibre to the fore in elec'ion times. But the result has proved that too much - confidence'in their candidate’s chance lost ; the day for Mr. Pearce. As the Times remarks, however, it is perhaps on the whole better for the city, that Mr. Barton was elected, instead of Mr. . Hutchison, as the former fiery gentleman is preferable to a political weathercock. It is worthy of note that while there are upwards of 2000 voters an the roll, only 1233 voted.” ‘V !-■■■ It is notified in our advertising columns that donations in aid of the expenses 1 attendant on -the visit of the Rev. Dr. Somerville will be cheerfully received, and, duly . acknowledged by the honorary treasurers, Mr. J. G. Holdsworth and Mr. James SmithM Considering the excellence of the object in .view, and the great jjood 'that is likely to result from these evangelistic services, ■we feel sure that the fact has only to be mentioned that funds are needed, to ensure a liberal response being mads to the invitation of the treasurers.

At Mr. Duncan’s sale yesterday the sefiooner Clio was bought in at £650. Several allotments c£ country land realised from £2O to £35 per acre. . i ■ • A meeting of the licensed victuallers'-of, Wellington will be held at Mr, Williams’ National Hotel to-day, at 2.30 p.m., for the purpose of making arrangements for the return cricket match, Brewers v. Publicans. ■ The City Rifles and City Cadets will parade on Monday the 25th. instant, for,.monthly in-, spection, at the Central Fire Brigade Office at half-past 7 o'clock in the evening, and the City Artillery and Artillery Cadets oh the following day. A telegram was received by the police last evening from Wanganui, stating that a man |named Frank Smith, a late arrival from the Thames, had been arrested on a charge of assault with intent on a little girl four years and a half old. The accused stands remanded until Monday next. The panorama of the Russo-Turkish war, how exhibiting in St. George’s Hall, will be withdrawn after to-morrow night. On Monday the panorama will be shown at the Featherstou Town Hall, on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Grey town Town Hall, and on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Masterton. The Inspector of Police received the following telegram from Carterton yesterday : “Abraham Scott, a hawker, has reported to the police at Carterton that he was atnok-up last night at 9 o’clock, on the road between Carterton and Gladstone, and robbed of £135, a gold watch, chain, and locket, and a diamond ring.” A search is being made in the locality with the view to discover the offenders and bring them to justice. The Wanganui Chronicle, writing on the recent election in this city, alludes to Mr. Barton’s declaration in favor of the Local Option Bill, and says ;—“Mr. Pearce, on the 'other hand, has ever displayed a decided antipathy to the Local Option measure. Yet, this notwithstanding, we must confess that we very much regret the result of the election. Our whole-hearted sympathies are with the temperance movement, but we think that circumstances may arise in which a vote for the permissive measure would be dearly purchased at the price paid for it. Such a time is the present. The so-called liberalism of Sir George Grey means inconceivable mischief to this country—it means the triumph o£ : ignorance over intelligence—it means the rule*of a mobocraoy. ’ Batter that a single vote' should be lost to the'great temperance'cause, ; than that such principles should prevail as are now advocated in the name of liberalism.” ' '. " r