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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5351, 22 May 1878, Page 2

By an error in our telegraphic intelligence yesterday, Mr. Bichard-Hobbs was stated to have been elected unopposed for “Newton,” vice. Mr. Lusk, resigned. This should have read for “Franklin.”' The message was printed as received from the Telegraph Department.;'

The many who are interested in the construction of a line of railway from the Hutt Valley to Waikanae will be glad to hear that the -survey of; the suggested; route’; is being pushed forward with energy. An interhn report has been received by the Public Works Department, but peuding the completion of the spryey It is not deemed advisable to make public its contents. On and after to-morrow (Thursday) there will he a daily eoaoh service between Wellington and ' Foxtoh in connection with the through train to Wanganui. The coach will leave the booking offioe, Manners-street,’ daily,according to tide, at. any time from 4 a.m. until 6 a.m. - ! Intending passengers can ascertain at the booking office the night before starting at what hour the coach will leave next morning. ... ..

Mr.'Clark and Mr. Baird were engaged on Monday in examining the country at the head of the Devil’s Creek to ascertain the best means for,supplementing the flow which now goes into the storage reservoir. They passed over a considerable area of very billy country, indeed so rough was it that Mr. Baird says he has never beep in vyorse in any part of the provincial district. It will be news to a good many to learn that within three or four miles of Wellington there are such inaccessible hillsides, .but .such is the fact. - One mountain they ascended was over 1300 feet high. It is thought, that it may be possible, by putting in a tunnel about a 1 mile and a quarter long, to lead the water of the Karori ’ atrdam, which flows southwards, into the basin that feeds the reservoir, aud should this be done there will be no cry i of a want of water in future. The'levels were taken by barometer, but this’ showed so small a, difference between the bed of the Karori; stream and the place, :it is sought to lead its waters to, that probably no deflnite and correct conclusion can be arrived at without the country being surveyed. Should this source be-proyed not to be available,: it is likely that by means of a tunnel through the range at the back of the Tinakori-road the Kaiwarra stream; may be tapped at a height sufficient to permit the '.water ffom ; it to 1 gravitate to I 'all the lower portions of the city.’ --Mr. Clark will visit the lower part of the Kaiwan-a stream to see whether it can be brought in at a sufficient level. , The. result of the explorations of Mr. Baird and Mr. Clark show that in several directions; there is an ample flow of water, to supply a very large city, aud it is to be hoped that apian by. which-the value of the present reservoir'will be increased may be found to be, practicable, ’ Webave'heen informed that the first cargo of coal from the mine of the West Wanganui Coal Prospecting Company, has been purchased, to arrive, by Mf.’ B. W. Mills, of the Dion I’oundry, the price being 31s. delivered alongside the wharf. From samples ho i has tested, Mr. Mills feels so thoroughly satisfied of the value of the coal ■ that,he has secured the first lot. Those who may be desirous of obtaining trial parcels will be able to do so after file arrival- of the Shepherdess by making application to Mr, Mills. The proprietors being.desirous,of having the mine worked ou a large scale, and of obtaining one or more steam colliers to; trade; between;West Wanganui and this aud other ports, have determined to dispose of a portion of their interest to a public company ; but they have not yet settled , any details.; In . a few days-probably their prospectus will he published. :,

,! We received yesterday a circular from Mr. James,; Payne, of iGreymouth, forwarding a copy, of the following resolutions, passed at ! a meeting of ,tlie . friends of the late Mr. Alexander Held, the well-known New Zealand journalist That a momiment he erected in his native town of Wick to the memory oflthe Ute Mr. Alexander Xleid.—T'hat subscriptions he ihvited from the friends of the deceased for the purpose of carrying out the above object.” Mr. Eeid was a very popular man amongst his brethren of the Press, and had a large circle of friends wherever he was located; There can be very little doubt therefore that the appeal made for the purpose of erecting a suitable monument to his memory in the churchyard of his native town in Scotland will meet with a ready response. .Mr. Bowman, the manager of the Union Bank of Australia at Greymouth, has consented to act as hon. treasurer, and to receive any subscriptions that may be sent to him.

The Royal Italian Opera Company gave the second of their musical entertainments in the Imperial Opera : House last night. The house was not so full as we. could wish to have seen it; no doubt the wretched state of the weather kept many away. The first part of the programme was of a miscellaneous nature, and had evidently been selected with great taste. ' Signora.. Carauti Vita was suffering from a severe cold, and it was with great difficulty that she managed to sing at all. Signora ; Venoata however! was in splendid voice. In the several;,dußt?, from: the third and fourth acts of “II Troyatore ”■ Signora Venosta and Signor Camera were loudly applauded. Thein singing and acting were .very gppdj especially towards the close of the fourth act. Signor Paladini and Signor Tessada were very successful in their endeavors to please the audience, and received a fair share of applause by their, rendering of the various, solos alloted to thdih.‘ The Naval Ballet, as on the opening night, was gone through most creditably, and had to be repeated. i There was a large muster of the Kaiwarra Volunteers at their monthly inspection last evening, /after which a. meeting,of the corps was held, when it was decided that they should take partdu the fell dejoic to be fired on the reclaimed land on Friday next, the Queen’s Birthday. It was arranged that afterwards they will fire at their butts for the prizes offered by Messrs. Brandon and GillOu,' ! and for an extra prize given by Mr. Staples. The final competition for the rifleyireseuted by Mr. Turner will also .take place on this occasion. All firing is td be at the usual distances, and in any position.

Wellington has been visited since Monday by an itinerant vendor of miscellaneous merchandise on the Dutch auction principle. On Monday last he essayed to , sell a quantity, of “ Yankee notions," and crowds of persona collected around him; many of whom were induced to purchase his articles. At night his stand was illuminated by a paraffin light, and he was apparently doing a “big” business, when the Inspector of Nuisances pounded upon him, and quietly told him that ,as he had no hawlcer’s license he had ho right’ to sell. The salesman has since-been summoned, and will have to appear shortly before Mr. Crawford, R.M., to answer for a breach of i the municipal by-laws in selling without a license. , Messrs! Harris Brothers, of Marton, Rang!tikei, advertise for sale, without reserve, a large quantity of central sections in the township, and also ISO acres of first-class’ land near the .township of Hunterville. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns. For a long lime laud in the neighborhood of Marlon, undoubtedly one; of the moat flourishing townships on the west coast of the North Island,, has not ..been brought into the market to any extent, ’ and has consequently been" difficult to obtain. This opportunity therefore should no the-neglected by intending investors and speculators. Plans have been forwarded to all the auctioneers and principal merchants and storekeepers In Wellington, where they may be seen, as well as at the office of tho Nisw Zealand Times.

A meeting of the licensed victuallers of the city was held in the Star Hotel yesterday afternoon. There were about 30 gentlemen present, and Mr. Maginity was in the chair. The meeting was called for the. purpose of forming a permanent Licensed Victuallers' Association. The following officers were elected Mr. Maginity,- president; Mr. 'Martin; secretary ; aud Mr. Coker, treasurer. Committee : Messrs. Bennett and Ames for Lambton, Messrs. Walkely and Fisher for Te Aro, and Messrs, Beattie and Bright for: -Th6rndori. ! A code of rules was drawn- up and agreed to, ; and a committee.: meeting was appointed to take place next Tuesday to make arrangements for a banquet. - j The case of Ormond v. Patereko to Eitiheke is set down for hearing by tho Court of Appeal to-day.. ; _ '

The depth of water yesterday in the distributing basin was 24 feet 6 inches, and in the other reservoir 23-feet.

■ Tenders are invited until the first of. July for the construction of a mole, 300 ft. long, in connection witli the Timaru Harbor Board.

We learn from the local journal that two new flour-mills have been recently opened in the Manawatn District, viz., that of Mr. Chamberlain, at Feiidiug, and that of Messrs., Bichter, Nannested, and Co., at Palmerston. A grand concert is announced to be held at the Athenaeum Hall on the Queen’s Birthday, at which Madame and Miss Mbller will appear. Many popular amateurs will also take part in the programme; and Mr. Gary, the wellknown baritone vocalist, will make his .reappearance.' .

The usual weekly meeting of the Wellington Literary Society was held last evening in St. John’s schoolroom, when a number of recitationsiand readings were given by the members present. Essays will be read next Tuesday on the subjects of “The Mental Capacity of Woman’’and “Insurance.”

It will be seen by reference to our advertising columns that extra trains will be run on the Queen's Birthday between Wellington and Kaitoke. Ordinary single tickets issued between Thursday and Monday will be available for the return journey at any time during that ' period. , At the Theatre Boyal last evening there was a moderate attendance to witness the performance of the “ Serious Family,” followed by “ Family Jars.” Both pieces were performed most creditably, and were very well put’ upon the stage. To-night will be performed the “Shaughraun,” for Mr. Walton’s benefit, on which occasion we, hope to see a full house, as Mr, Walton is an excellent and painstaking actor, aud shines especially in Irish character. We have seen the part of the Shaughraun played before by Mr. Walton and by other leading actors, and we have seldom if ever seen it in better hands.

A, learned counsel appeared in the bankruptcy Court yesterday morning to apply for a certificate of discharge for a debtor. In a few words he informed the Court that everything was.in order. He had been instructed that all the meetings had lapsed, not one creditor having shown the smallest possible interest in the proceedings;; The papers were handed up to the Bench, and the Chief-' Justice began to peruse them. - It was evident there was a hitch. At first it appeared to be a sort of clerical error, a mere trifle, that might be got over; but. as the Judge continued to read, matters looked , more seriouS. It transpired that the affidavit set out with great circumstantiality that at a meeting of creditors duly, held a resolution was carried by the requisite majority in favor of a certificate of discharge being granted. Counsel’s remarks and the affidavit could not be reconciled, but the truth was that no meeting had been held. Proceedings were directed to be commenced dc novo, and the Court adjourned, counsel having explained that he had been verbally instructed just as he came into Court, aud had hot looked over . the documents. The name of the man who swore the affidavit did not transpire, but his imaginative faculty should make him invaluable; however, exercising it on oath is risky. ,

The Sydney correspondent of a Melbourne paper, writing on the success of New Zealand at the recent show, and on the prohibition of stock importation to New South Wales, says : —The exhibition has been moderately well attended, not so well as in some past years, but better than in others. The honors of the cattle ring have been carried off by a New Zealander, and no one disputes the justice of the award ; but the two choice animals that have been sent up from the sister colony have both been bred from beasts that have been imported by New Zealand since onr own-law prohibited the arrival of English stock. The consequence is, that the opposition to this prohibitory law has received a great accession of strength, and it is loudly asserted that, for- the present at least, we cannot get along satisfactorily without fresh blood. So far as sheep are concerned, we have ceased to wish to import; a distinct Australian type has been established, which is not only sufficient for our purpose, but better adapted to it than importations would be. But with regard to cattle, we have not yet established the requisite type of excellence, nor have we proved that we ban even keep up our standard without fresh blood. On the contrary, the general impression is that the yearling stock shown on the present occasion is decidedly inferior to what it .was soma years back, and this is looked upon as a proof that dependence on the stock we at present possess will not suffice for our wants, and that" we shall not even hold our own unless we turn once more to England for fresh sires. An action was tried at the Bolton County Court (England) recently, arising out of the famous scene at Hawarden, when Mr. Gladstone displayed his skill as woodcutter in an appropriate costume to a crowd of admiring excursionists. The defendant, a law stationer, sued the delendant, a photographer, for the sum of £8 Bs., alleged to be due in assisting photographing Mr. Gladstone in the act of tree felling, and other services. The plaintiff and defendant were among the excursionists when Mr. Gladstone cut down the tree-;-and on their way home a happy thought entered the miud of the plaintiff, which he imparted to the defendant, that Mr. Gladstone might be induced to stand for his photograph: in the character of the “ Woodcutter,” at the foot of the tree which ho had so graciously condescended to fell. After some little difficulty, Mr. Gladstone was induced to stand for the photograph ; and the defendant, according; to the plaintiff’s account, promised that if the scheme proved to be a profitable speculation he (tlio plaintiff) should be rewarded handsomely. The two accordingly proceeded to Hawarden, and the photograph was taken, the defendant securing about half a dozen negatives. . The venture appears to have been highly successful, for the defendant was subsequently, offered ;£IOOO for the negatives, but declined the offer, and sold a “ half share” for £SOO, reserving certain rights, etc.. He does not, however, seem to have remunerated the plaintiff for the part he had taken in the affair, and hence the action, which ended in a verdict for the defendant, with costs ; the Judge holding that there had been no contract on the part of the defendant, though there might have been the promise of a present. Mr. G. H. Johnstone, of Ballarat, has invented a machine which will serve as safe receptacle in which to place papers and valuable documents in the event of a wreck or foundering at sea. The machine, which he proposes to call a “Marine Communicator,” will preferably be constructed of copper, of a pear-like shape, and so weighted ns to float small end down. The documents are to be placed in it through an aperture in the top, which can afterwards be closed by a screw-cap. A small flagstaff, - from which will fly a small rod flag of japanned tin, will surmount the whole. In addition to this four arms will run from the mast, each suspending a small bell. The mast is also supplied with a reflector, which with the aid of the sun it is expected will render the 'communicator visible from four to five miles distant (provided, we presume, that the spectator should happen to be placed at the exact angle of reflection). ; The flag and re : fleotor would, attract attention to it by day, while at night the bells would answer the same purpose.

The Princess Louise Marguerite Alexandra Yictoire Agnes, the future bride of the Duke of Connaught, is the second daughter and third child of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia. She was born at Potsdam in July, 1860. The Duke was born in 1850. and is consequently ten years older than his fiancee, The; Newcastle Pilot says:—lt will be recollected that the collision between the Waratah, s'.s., and the Southland, steam tug, resulted in a lawsuit which has been dragging its slow length along for a weary time. The Tug Company obtained a verdict against the owners of the Waratah, but a question of interest remained. This has been decided in favor of the Tug Company, and on the ’26th ult. tho solicitors to the company paid to its credit the sum of £3lßl 12s. 2d., being the amount due. It is said that a disagreeable surprise awaits Mr. H. M, Stanley, the African explorer, on his return home to America.; A New York lady, to whom he had been long engaged, and to whom he was to be married on his return from the present expedition, has wearied of waiting, and taken to herself a mate more likely to stay at home. We have been requested to call attention to Messrs. Beauchamp,. Campbell, and Co.’s advertisement of the sale, this afternoon, of rosewood pianos and a harmonium. These instruments are nearly now, having only been in use for a few months. - * We direct the attention of families to Mr. J, H. Wallace’s sale of electro-plated-ware, which takes place to-day at 1 o’clock, as advertised. ■ ,

Tho Working Men’s Club Hotel at Otaki, now in the occupation of Mr. W. Langley, late of the To Wharnngi Hotel, at the mouth of the Manawatu Fiver, is advertised to bo let or sold. T ■ ; . .

The secretary of the Wellington Athemeum notifies that on Friday, the 31st instant., the annual meeting will be held, and also a special meeting. - Mr. A. F. Halcombe, the agent of the Emigrants and Colonists’ Aid Corporation, offers very good terms to working men ■ desirous of settling at Halcombe, particulars of which will be found in our advertising columns.