Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5291, 11 March 1878, Page 2

It will be seen by reference to our telegrams that Mr. Stout has accepted the office of Attorney-General in the Grey Ministry.’ The Auckland Evening Star contains the following slander :—“Shall we ever hear the last of that triumphal arch at New Plymouth ? The last phase of the wonderful story of the arch goes to show that the New Zealand Times deliberately Cooked a' Press Agency telegram in order to shield the arch villains who destroyed that arch.” The above is, an absolute falsehood. The telegram alluded to was published in the New Zealand Times word for word as it was received from the Press Agency. .Not the slightest alteration was made in it by anyone connected with this paper.. . . , , , • - j The heavy rain of Saturday night, caused f a slight flood at the Hutt, the ground from the bend known as Parker's paddock to i the Hutt bridge being’ under water, some of the houses having as much as three feet of water on the Igwer floor. .rv '< ’>!: '-'.v'i >•< The adjourned meeting held for the! purpose of forming a Reform Association,on Saturday,at Mf.‘ Marks’office,’ Was, owing’ to' the smallness of .the attendance, again further adjourned to this 1 evening, at the-Queen’s Hotel, when, another effort will be made to otart the association.

A collision between a trap and dray occurred in- Willis-street on Saturday afternoon. The horses., commenced lucking, and sustained injuries, while both vehicles were also damaged, but the occupants escaped unhurt. A man named Henry Sunday, arrested at Picton, on warrant, for stealing wearing apparel, the property of'Christian Lawson, Lyttelton, was brought down in charge, of the mate of the V ellington yesterday, and will be forwarded South by the Hawea to-day. Notwithstanding the unfavorable state of the weather there was a fair attendance at the pdd Fellows’ Hall on Saturday evening, when the variety combination troupe of dramatic artists, assisted by Mr. Borthwick Reid, the “champion swordsman,” went through an;excellent performance. The troupe will re-appear this evening. ~. It will be seen by our advertising columns that the Horticultural -Society’s Autumn - Exhibition, will be held next Thursday! A heavy show of vegetables is expected, and we hope that the lucky possessors of choice plants will gratify the' public taste ‘by exhibiting them. Attention is directed to the list of special prizes offered by various gentlemen, in addition to the society’s ordinary prizes. A correspondent sends lis the following “A, match was to have been played on Saturday at the Hutt between the . Wellington 0.0, and the Hutt 0.0. Every, arrangement was made for the reception of the Wellington team,; but they, at the hour fixed, disappointed the Hutt Club by not turning up, without giving any intimation'of their intention.” Anniversary services were held at the Primitive Methodist Sabbath School, Sydney-street, yesterday. The Rev. F. J. Trivett preached, in the morning, and the Rev. F. C.TDewsburyi in the evening. In the afternoon the children 1 attending , the schools sang and', recited, several hymns very pleasingly; and addresses' were delivered by ministers and other friends. 1 On Wednesday a tea and public meeting will be held, at which a number of clergymen and laymen are expected tp speak, and a large attendance may. confidently be expected on this occasion. ' - : .

A sailor had a narrow escape from drowning in the barber on Saturday evening. Some of the ships’ crew were quarrelling on the Queen’s wharf, and one of them who was in liquor fell into the ‘ water unobserved by!the rest. He was afterwards missed, and information given to the police. About an hour and a-half after, Constable Smart, heard a man moaning below the wharf, and discovered the' missing sailor clinging to one of the stringers. He was thoroughly exhausted, and again fell into the water before being rescued. V ' The Odd, Fellows’ Hall is the place where Mr. Stephen Massett makes his bow on Friday evening next tq a Wellington audience; ; and from the, yeljy enthusiastic reception given him in the northern portion of the colony, as also the, credentials he brings from California and* the United'States, we feel sure he will be appreciated here. He is spoken of as a com-, iposer of charming ballads and songs, and as a reader he has a world-wide reputation, whilst his imitative powers, and his comic musical illustrations convulse his listeners with laughter. ' :

! 0h . Saturday. last the members of , the City ■Rifles' fired for the silver,, medal and money prizes presented by the company. .The medal is a neat piece of workmanship, and engraved in the centre is the following:—“Challenge medal, W.0.R.V., N.Z., 1877." Besides the medal there .was .£7 10s. in money, distributed as follows .v-p-iGI 10s. to winner of medal; £2, Second prize; £l, third prize; and to the' winner ,of medal at, each competition, 10s. The conditions of the matches have appeared in our columns before, and ;it,is needless to state them'again. The, weather on Saturday was most unpleasant for the competitors, yet notwithstanding the difficulty undef which they labored some good scoring was make.; Private Nodder was highest with 64, the others being very close. The following table will show the . number, of shots fired, with the respective scores:—■

William' Neill and Richard Buokridge, charged with*carrying on an extensive system of horse stealing,* will be brought before the Police Court,' on remand, this morning!' At the same sitting, Robert Jacobson, alias Count AndriS Mouravieff, will be charged, on remand, with uttering spurious cheques and obtaining goods on false pretences. ■ For the last few days a report has been circulated about town ; that Mr. Smith, of Molesworth-street, ah old and respected settler, familiarly known' as “ Mr. Old Smith," had been lost in the bush; near Paikakariki (Where he had been on a visit to some of his relations), and that fears were entertained for his safety. We are* very glad to hear that although there was some foundation for the report, ...ajl fears for Mr! Smith’s safety are set at rest. ,It appears that he did lose his way in the locality referred to; but with great prudence, and with the experience of an old settler, he did not, after having once lost his way, keep wandering about, but remained stationary,, and made 1 himself as comfortable .as he could for the' night in the bush, and the next morning, heard the voices of the parties sent out in search of him, under whose guidance he was. soon once more amongst his friends at the township, and ismohe the worse for his outing. ■ ‘A very useful and instructive lecture was delivered in the Thorudon School, on .Saturday morning, by :the Count de Zaba, to the teachers of; Wellington and the surrounding districts, on his method of 'teaching history. The lebture was delivered under the auspices of the Wellington Teachers’ Association. : There were upwards of fifty teachers and pupil teachers present; Mr. Toomath, a member of the Board, was also present. The lecturer commenoed by remarking that it seldom fell to his lot to address a more interesting audience, inasmuch as' he was'about to submit his scheme to*those who are'engaged in the actual work of teaching, and from the very nature of their profession they could put his system to the severest arid best practical test. The Count then explained at length his mode of handling the subject, showing the great superiority of his system over other short and easy methods of teaching history. He then offered to allow a youth, who has been for a short time under his tnitinn, to be examined, and questions were asked both by the Count’and other masters present, and the answers given showed that the strident had perfectly mastered the first five centuries of the Christian era. Want of space prevents us from giving even the leading points in i the lecture. ■ Suffice it to say, that the Coubt spoke for upwards'of an hour, and handled his subject with great ability and eloquence, and was listened to throughout with great attention. •' At the 1 conclusion .of the lecture the Count offered)‘as his stay in Wellington would be short, to give three more lectures-; to the' association and teachers generally, if they could make it convenient to attend. Mr. Toomath thereupon kindlyoffered to allow the Head-masters to close their schools on i the afternoons of Tuesday and Thursday next,' in order that' they rind their assistants may have the privilege of attending. The third lecture was arranged for Saturday. A hearty vote of thanks was given to the lecturer. 1 ( ,

v Wfi may.mention that, the football season is expected tdiopep in the ..first week,of April, or ‘the; last Saturday of' this,;month.,, the.,first match being between, the Athletic .Club as agaiinst the Wellington .Club., v It 1 is to .be hoped that all lovers of ..the rough and tumble sport will give tfteir patronage to, the club,, as it is intended this season to send away ft team for! colonial competition.At ( present every, preparation has been..made for,a vigorous onslaught, and there .ban’ ‘be; nodoubt that onder proper : management a Capital Season’s play may be anticipated; It may, be ‘stated that ’on,e l oif the good . Auckland “ backs” has been secured, together with the captain of another representative team.

The Salshury Troubadours, of whom report speaks most highly, will make their first appearance, in their celebrated “ Patchwork” entertainment, on Wednesday evening next. The ordinary general meeting of the Wellington Land and Building Company, for the production of accounts, election of directors, &0., will be held at the company’s office. Panama-street, on the 18th inat., at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The usual quarterly meeting of the Wellington Typographical Association was held in the Athenaeum Buildings on Saturday evening. The attendance was very large considering the unfavorable state of the weather. The report, which was read and adopted, spoke in a most encouraging manner of the condition and prospects of the society. The balance-sheet for the quarter showed the sum of £262 to the credit of the association. After some minor business had been disposed of, a motion was moved, having for its object the federation of all typographical societies in the colony of New Zealand. After an able and exhaustive exposition of the idea by the proposer, it was decided to adjourn the discussion on the subject until Saturday, 23rd inst.j when a special meeting of the association will be held. It is satisfactory to hear that the railway works on the. section between Kopua and Woodville, at which latter place the junction with the Wellington main line is to be effected, are progressing favorably although it will probably take a long time before the line is completed throughout. The Napier Daily Telegraph says : —We are glad to note that the extensive cuttings. and embankments in connection , with the railway extension in the Seventy-mile Bush near, Kopua are proceeding very satisfactorily, and that one of the largest i cuttings is nearly through. Mr. J. W, Porter, the contractor, who has about sixty men employed on the contract, is pushing on with all possible speed, and that portion already performed reflects credit upon all concerned. Mr. Porter hopes to have the whole completed in about nine or ten weeks. This will bring the line of rails up to the Manawatu River, over which a bridge of considerable size will be thrown. We hope at a future time to give oar readers some idea of the magnitude of this work. ; ■ ; 1 1

The Wellington Artillery Volunteers mustered in force on Saturday morning at the Mount Cook Bax-racks, under the command of Captain Moorhpuse, and proceeded with their three 6-pouhder Armstrong guns to Evans Bay for the purpose; of shot and shell practice. An excellent lunch was provided on the ground, after paHaking of which the business of the day commenced. A 12ft. square target was placed on the opposite aide of the bay at a'range of about 1700 or 1800yds ; seven solid shot and three'shell were allowed for each gun. Very excellent shooting was made; in ' fact, several of i the shots went clean through I the target. The prizes were awarded as followsthe first to No; 1 detachment under ; Sergeant Russell, the second to No. 3 detach'meat under Corporal Diamond. After the : prize-firing the several detachments were put through their drill, a prize -being offered for the detachment that would , mount and dismount the gun and limbers in the shortest space, of time. In this competition ’ No. 3 proved themselves the smartest, beating No. 2 by 2sec. A limber race was the next item on the programme, No. 3 proving themselves again the victors. Next followed the rolling Of wheels. - This ■ event was won by Gunner Gannaway, with Bandsman Tiernay a good Second. The last.event was the “tug of war,” won by No. 2 detachment after a very hard struggle..-Several showers of rain fell during the day, which tended to somewhat mar the enjoyment ; 'but’ the W.A.V.’fi are not easily put out, and the pouring rain they had to face on their way home did not prevent them giving three hearty cheers for Major Pearce (their late commander) and three for Captain Moorhpuse. The manufacture of greenstone into ornaments appears to be carried on in'Napier, with considerable success by a local artificer, whose principal'customers are the aboriginal natives of the locality. The Napier Telegraph of the 2nd inst. says : —“ In : Dickens-street, without a signboard, and hidden from sight,from the road by an unsightly dwelling-house, there stands Mr. Rolf’s lapidary’s shop. When we entered the other day, we found the proprietor, assisted by his wife, cuttingJnto several pieces, by. the aid of steam, a couple of huge pieces of greenstone, worth, we are told, £2OO, to a native order. As we stated before, the saws are worked-by steam, and the whole arrangements are most ingenious. The engine itself, imported, we believe, from Dunedin, is a i curiosity, being two-horse powsr, and enclosed in a box of small size. The boiler is also a strong and compact piece of workmanship, taking up very little room ; in fact, both engine and boiler could be packed up in a medium size case. We were shown articles of Mr. Rolfe’s workmanship, such as earrings, a splendid native more, beautifully polished, besides other articles which we have not space to enumerate. The natives have for some time alone kept the establishment fully busy in executing orders, and we only hope our enterprising and ingenious settler will continue to receive Maori support, as also from Europeans requiring the aid of a skilled lapidary.”

\ The Queenslander of the 23rd ultimo thus refers to Mr. Thomas, the well-known descriptive writer to;the Melbourne Argus, under the signature of “The Vagabond —There is little doubt that when our , recent ,visitor, “The Vagabond,” quitted the colony, he regarded it with anything but favor. The prestige be had won in Victoria by extremely clever descriptive writing had not been improved by his first essay as a special envoy charged to collect information and elucidate a question of extended importance to all the colonies. In this capacity he exposed as complete inefficiency and deficiency of solid parts and judgment as he had evinced effectiveness and brilliancy in lighter departments of journalism. He came hither inflated with a fairly-won success ; he departed depressed with the consciousness of undeniable failure. Just as, in the South, his talents in a particular sphere had won for him personal consideration and an amount of adulation sufficient to disturb a better adjusted mind tha-^aiThe Vagabond” ever possessed, here his exhibition of iucompetency in another department inflicted on him a corresponding degree of supercilious neglect. It to this be added that he found himself here assailed and worsted with his own favorite weapons, and reduced from the role of satirist to the situation of butt, the feeling of mortification and resentment with which he would look back upon this colony is easily conceivable. He is now writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, and in the number dated the sth February instant he is very severe upon Messrs. Mcßlhone and Garrett and the other disorderly spirits of the New South Wales Legislature. He declares that he thought the behavior of the Victorian Assembly bad enough, but that the New South Wales Assembly is far worse, but consoles the people of Sydney by assuring them that “I can, however, say this much for the credit of New South Wales, that its Parliament is far ahead of that of Queensland.” We feel bound to’ enter a protest against this slander on our Parliament. Perhaps “The Vagabond”' has been dreaming, and . imagining some scene which took place at the same time when he saw that wonderful mace laid; upon the table of our Assembly. Speaking seriously, however, we’regret that a journal so eminently respectable as the Sydney Morning Herald should publish an .indefinite accusation of this kind, which is calculated to lower the opinion entertained abroad for our Legislature and of Australian Legislatures generally, j The editor of; the Herald must be well aware that there is no foundation of fact on which to base this slander,' and we regret that, instead of trying to raise the character of the Legislature of New South Wailes, he should be .content to attempt to relieve any,stains which may' exist upon' it by blackening that of its unoffending neighbor. 1 r.;;The very latest “ Turkish.atrocity’’ (says an. English'exchange) is to.be seen ,in Cheapside, Loudon, where a peripatetic 'vendor’ of penny wares is carrying about a trayfnl of “Bulgarianears" made of flesh-colored india-rubber, and 1 intimating with frightful fidelity a human ear severed from a human head. It is the most horrible pennyworth ever seen.

The ex'i-tence of gold in the Ruahine and Kaiinanawha ranges has been known for some years, but the problem whether the precious metal exists there iu paying quantities or not has yet to he solved, A writer in the "Napier Tdcjyapk suggests that some farther prospecting of this portion,of the country should he undertaken. He says :—“ As there was au amount placed on the Estimates last year for" the purpose of prospecting for gold, f have often wondered that some of our patriotic and indefatigable representatives, who profess to have at heart the welfare and prosperity of Hawke s Bay, have not before this applied f- r a portion of the - sum so set aside, in* order to determine whether the auriferous indications which are known to exist in the Ruahine and Kaimanawha ranges could be remuneratively worked. I would suggest that some steps should at once be taken to secure a portion i f the amount before alluded to, hefere it is absorbed by other, districts. In doing this, we may be instrumental in developing the hidden mineral and metaliferous resources of. the district, and at the same time briug additional employment and wealth to the community.” The preliminary works for boring the British Channel Tunnel (says au exchange) are being prosecuted with very great activity at Sam gate. A shaft has been sunk to a depth of 100 metres, and the experimental gallery lias been commenced. It is to be continued for a kilometre under the sea. If no obstacle is met with the work will be continued without further delay. Two powerful pumps have been established for elevating the water, which, of course, filters in in large quantities. " The small fish-breeding establishment which Hr. I rank Buckland presides over at Houth Kensington (the Home News writes) is, iu its way, one of the most useful institutions possible. Here, in varions tanks, are shoals of; small tnut and infant salmon gradually de- 1 velopiug into health and strength sufficient to stand a, journey .to other lands. From this head-quarters many of the rivers and lakes of Canada have already been supplied, and a quantity have been sent also to New" Zealand, where they thrive wonderfully. A new experiment is uow to be tried—that of 'sen-diner out salmon’s eggs to New Zealand. ' These " will be despatched in a fast steamer, the Chimborazo, in connection with; others specially chartered, the object being to make the journey out with, as little delay as possible, and to insure the arrival of the eggs at the sprino season. An ice-house <■ has been built on purpose on the deck of the steamer, ,«o that the eggs may have every ; chance of life. The climate and general physical condition of New Zeal nd is said to approximate closely to those of the British Isles, audit is not strange, therefore, that our fish should do well in New Zealand rivers. ■■■''■

• ■ Referring to the recently conferred decora- ■ : tions of the Imperial Order of the Crown of ■lndia, The. Times saysln the notification of the foundation of the above ‘ Imperial’ order, two or three points are worthy of, re-' mark. Firstly, the Royal signature now appears, we believe, for the first time publicly, not simply as ‘Victoria E.,’ but as ‘ Victoria. ,R. i and I.’— i.e., ‘Regina et Imperatrix,’ though we are given to nuderstand that it has been in use for a year in the signing of military and other commissions which relate to or may have to run in India. Secondly, it does not appear on the face of the document whether the distinguished recipients of this order are to bear any title collectively or individually in right of its' membership, whether, for instance, they are to be called ‘ladies,’ ‘sisters,’ ‘dames,’ ‘ dame chevalier,’ &c. ; or whether the order will be marked by any initials corresponding to the ‘G.O.S.T.’ —i e., 1 Grand Cross of the Star of India.’ It will be seen also that in the enumeration of the female members of the Royal Family, the name of ‘ Her Eoyal and Imperial Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh (Grand Duchess of Russia) follows those of her Majesty’s children—a fact which will serve to show that the question of precedence among two or three of the princesses, if it was ever seriously raised, is definitely and authoritatively settled... The eighteen English ladies who are the recipients of the honor may be thus divided. Wives or widows of Viceroys of India, four—namely, Lady Mayo, Lady Lytton, Lady: Lawrence, Lady Elgin ; daughters of former Viceroys, two—Lady Susan Bonrk', (daughter of the Marquis of Dalhousie), Lady Jane Emma Baring.(daughter of Lord Northbrook) wives of her Majesty’s Secretaries of State , for India, five—Lady Halifax, Lady Ripon, Lady Salisbury, Lady Northcote, and the Duchess of Argyll; wives and widows of Governors of Bombay, Madras, &c., six—Lady Frere, Lady . Temple,: Lady Denison, Lady Strachey, Lady Hobart, and Lady Napier (of Ettrick), and, lastly, Lady Mary Temple-Nuge'nt-Brydgos-Chandos-Greuville, daughter of the Duke of Buckingham, now Governor of Madras.” 1

Names. Bulbeyes. Centres. Outers. Misses. Total. Private McIntosh 31 40 i 2 258 Private Cording 25 43 ■ 11 1 251 Captain Crowe .. 2S 86 . 12 4 244 Private Nodder 30 31 IS 6 239 Sergeant Harris.. ■ ir 44 , 14 G 228 Priv.W. Ballinger 23 36 13 ' 8 220 Priv. J. Ballinger 21 32 189 216