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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5359, 31 May 1878, Page 2

' His Excellency ; the Governor,the Hon. Mr. Sheehan, and Captain Making and family : left by the steamer Hinemoa .yesterday for Lyttelton. , ' , -- . .. The inward Suez mail, which arrived in port by the s.s. Arawata, nine days in advance of contract date, consisted, of; 415. letters, 118 book packets,: nu’il. 686 newspapers, via . Brindisi; and '326 letters, -138 book packets, and 1743 newspapers, via: Southampton., 'This mall reached Now Zealand in forty-throe, days from Loudon, 'one of tho fastest times yet recorded. , a,. ’ j , - According-to the time-table, the Sues mail which* leaves -here to-day -wilL reach Southampton only ouo day-in advance-of that via ■Sau Francisco, which will- ho despatched, in three weeks. Letters from- this ■■ to Loudon via-Melbourue aud-Brindisi take, hy the-tabie, 59 days; and 66 via Southampton ; while tho San:-TVauoisco''iiiaU- should; reach London“in 15 days. .It - was agreed by;tho Waste Lauds Board yesterday not to sell the sections of land at Okutukn which formed part of the endowments of tho Pat fa. Harbor Board. .This action was resolved upon .-because: the Board was of opinion that tho auctioneer could not refuse to take land scrip; and if ho did, the Patca Harbor Board would, find a great difficulty in converting it into cash". ' They would probably see their endowments melt away, and have:a lot of scrip wherewith to improve their river. This matter is of general interest,- for other endowed bodies,might.meet the same difficulty if they placed - their land in -the market. ® > ' The Finance: Committee of the Education Board will meetat 11.16a.ia. to-day.

't'he Court of Appeal sits at half-past ribo'clock, when judgmeatSvHfill he delivered. c '.'f4?V Aecoring to the European Mail of thajjiljjlli April, I ho' Elizabeth ( from Glasgow, brings opt. materials .for'tliß‘;u4wfgasworks:at'Wanganui. At the Waste Lauds Board'yesterday leave of absence tor ton weeks was granted to Mr. Walter Johnston, who. intended- to be absent from the colony for that time. There was "an . adjourned 'meeting -of the Board of Education'.yesterday, when a considerable amount of business was transacted, of which a report appears elsewhere. -"A telegram was received -in Wellington yesterday, stating that it is Mr. De Lias’ intention to introduce Mr. John Jack arid Miss Firman to the playgoers of this city. expected discussion on- the drainage of Wellington did not take place at the City Council last night, Councillor Diver having, by consent, postponed his motion for the adoption of Mr. Clark’s report to next Thursday. Yesterday afternoon an attempt was made to blow lip'a portion l of the sunken hulk Eli Whitney, which was found to be rather dangerously near the surface of the water. The experiment was not successful, as through some accident the charge would not explode. Amongst the cargo per the brirque G. M. Tucker, which cleared but from New York on the 10th February last for. Dunedin and Wellington, are' “ fourteen passenger street cars and four freight cars for-WoUiugton.” Wo presume they are a portion of the Tramway Company’s plant. The carcasses of two horses are lying petrifying on the beach close alongside the Evans Bay road, between Oriental Bay and the . Patent Slip. As this road is generally considered the .most pleasant near Wellington for a ride, walk,' or drive, and is largely patronised by tire public, it might, be as well if this nuisance were removed as quickly as possible.

, The schooner Shepherdess arrived in harbor yesterday afternoon with a full cargo of, coal from the West Wanganui coalfield. , The following is an analysis, of the coal tested by Mr. Krnse,qf, Melbourne, as. compared with the best Nowcaslo coal.: —Combustible gases; West' Wanganui, i44 - 55‘; Newcastle, . 29'20. Sulphur : Wanganui, ->1:0S,;. Newcastle. 5'20. Coke :;Wanganui, 61'25 ; .Newcastle, 58.80. Ashes : Wanganui, 3*15 ;. r .Newcastle, 6’Bo. Specific Gravity: Wanganui, l‘Q4 ; Newcastle, V 34. Several masters and engineers of steamers- speak most favorably of the coal,and assert that it gives great heat and Hame, with very little clinker, and very well adapted for steam purposes. The cargo which arrived; yesterday was bought by Mr. E. W. Mills, where it can be purchased at £2 2s. per ton. Ai largo quantity of it has already . been ordered.' The company'are'desirous of obtaining'reports of the quality 'of the coal from those.vvho'usodt.'- -no 1 : ;i ; ■

1 The chairman of the Chamber of Commerce lias received a communication from Baron ile Lbsseps enclosingVqopy of' thb modified rules, regulations, &o , for the navigation' of the Suez Canal, which are to come,-iuto force on Ist July next. .Persons desirous of seeing them can do’ so on application to the secretary of the Chamber, Mr. Carroll. -s ■-• A horse attachedto - a light express standing near the 'Supreme Court House yesterday (one of the .wheels -of - ■ the .'.vehicle being; looked /at the' time) :. bolted, and altbougli the boy who. was-in charge was close at hand, and made an - attempt to catch; hold of the reins, he, was - unable to effect his purpose, and tire horse; and: cart went along the,quay,at a rapid pace; for about 500 yards whan the animal was;.'pulled.up, fortunately without, any. damage being sustained., •;: Yesterday a child in a perambulator had a very narrow escape from serious injury, if not death; • * The* perambulator and its occupant were at the'eorhef of Ghuzhee-street, opposite St. Peter's Church, when ! a boy, who was apparently in charge, in some way pushed it against a milk’cart standing close'by.: This started the horse, which bolted with the cart, and upset the perambulator arid broke it, the child fortunately being‘thrown out without being'much hurt.* Had the Child been tied In-the perambulator, a practice which is ofteri resorted to for tho’ purpose of ensuring safety, there can be little doubt that the consequences would have been much more serious.

When the, specifications for the supply of road metal were read at the City Couueil last night, .Councillor' Fisher,asked the size of the mig.through which' the stories had to'pass. '. On . being ; informed two inches, ho exclaimed “Not an india-rubber .ring,” and a weary listeneivsaid “ A contractor's ring.','.', . We observe that one of our.evening contemporaries--‘ copied, from' us yesterday, withoutacknowledgmont, tho compilation of: census returns prepared in; this office, and upon which ' were expended time and trouble, for, the purpose of giving infijrinatipp' to the public, - r ,\Ve iiavo no objection; to being .assisted in that work by any or allot our contemporaries, but ,we think they should acknowledge the source , from whence the information is obtained.: • i

Notice in given in onr - advertising columns that the Fine Arts and Industrial Exhibition in connection vvitli the l Working Men's OJub will be open in the. club’s new premises (next to the Imperial Opera House) on r or about the 24th June. The committee and the manager respectfully request the.hearty co-operation of the public, who are requested to forward exhibits, including curiosities of every description, to the manager at their earliest convenience. . ; The long talked-of football match between tlio Excelsior and United Clubs will take place on Saturday next, on the Basin - Reserve, at half-past two o’clock. Mr. A. S. Bate has kindly consented to act as umpire tor the Excelsior, and Mr; Davey for the'United. The following are the teams Excelsior : Messrs. Buck, Cameron, Cook, Dumbcll, Harding, Hoggard, Holmes, W. Kennedy, Kreoft, Nixon, J. Kenner, Tulley, Williams, Speedy,” Morrah; emergencies, Duncan, Holmes, 1 and Moeller. United .’- Atkinson, Brown (captain), :W. Ballinger, A. Ballinger, Bennett, Eraser, Howe; C. Kemble, E. Kemble, McGirr, Mansill, T. Reid, Scott, Hooper; and Wylie ; emergency. men, . Messrs. Costall, K. Reid, and ■Tandy. " • | The Artillery Cadets held their usual weekly parade at ,the central Eire Brigade Station last evening; i After drill,Captain Best presented Sergeant -Major Mowatt, artillery instructor, on beholfofthe corps, with a handsome sword bearing a suitable inscription, as 'a mark of their esteem ..for him, and ..their, apprecation of his services. Mr. Mowatt returned thanks, and recommended the members to read Governor Weld’s speech to the Tasmanian Volunteers, and the articles thereon as they appeared in the New Zealand Times of that morning. He strongly impressed upon the corps the neoesity of strict disciplinehowever efficient the men might be itf drill they would be comparatively useless it they were not under the proper control of their lOfficers —a soldier’s first duty being “to obey.” ' J

The men at' work at the quarry beyond Oriental Bay yesterday found; buried some distance in the hill t a cannon ball. Various suggestions were made during the day as to how it gotthere; Onej-theory which was started was that this ball is a memento of Captain Cook’s first visit ; ■ but unfortunately ;for the :supporters of ' this view of the matter .Captain Cook did not enter Wellington harbor, 1 although he passed 'through the Strait close, at hand which bears his name.: Another supposition, equally untenable, was that it is a ‘ legacy of a former war with the Maoris.; A third, and probably the correct version of the matter,, is that some years ago, when there were ho houses in - the-locality, which was' then in its primitive state of bush, the men-of-war men, who occasidnblly visited this port, used to fire into the hill in question when practising with shot and shell, and that this is one of the identical missiles. Mr. Cary, the manager of the exhibition which is being got . up"”iu~c®m\Botion with": the -Working Men’s Club; intends, if he can* obtain possession of it, to exhibit.it amongst other curiosities.

The suggestion inadei by the Thames Borough Council that a conference should be held in Wellington before the next session of Parliament, to be-attended-by- delcgates .from the municipalities throughout .the colony; appears likely to be generally adopted. The conferenee will i probably assemble. hero in the first week of July, and the Mayor has been requested to > make arrangements for the meeting, One of the first things to be done will be to decide whether >. a permanent league should be formed to watch over the interests of municipalities. -Bast night ithe performance at the Theatre Koyal was for the benefit, of Mr. Hesford, and the number of people who were present on the occasion proved that the services of a careful and painstaking" actor aro generally appreciated here. The piece . chosen for the occasion was the sensational drama of “Ten Nights .in.a Bar-room or, The Fruits of the Wine' Cup.’’ -sThe piece was very nicely mounted, and from first to last wont very smoothly, and, judgsng from’the- applause* bestowed by the audience, was” highly appreciated.

Theji’tmnual meeting for the election of the Atheiueiuu, and also a special bs held this evening, yft that Miss Marion Willie wi(l *shdrtty;tidw"ashtiieiifc at the Imperial Oper« v ‘"HoW. Miss Willi* is an old favorite- With the theatre-going portion of. the public, and will doubtless’ be greeted with a bumper house, .

A most agreeable entertainment was given last evening at Sth John’s schoolroom, Willisstreet. The place was as crowded as could be without causing inconvenience to those present; and the programme was got through in a manner which reflected credit on the performers, and more especially on Mr. Raymond, the, conductor ; and before the close .of- the entertainment - the chairman, the Revi'J.' Paterson, spoke .in a very eulogistic manner of both the choir and Mr." Raymond. - The first item on the programme was ‘‘ The merry spring time,", which was very nicely rendered by the choir. Two well-known amateurs followed with the, duet, “The brothers,” which was well received. ’’The “’lady 1 who’! sang “ Jessie’s dream”, showed how much could be done by a careful ‘ cultivation of “ a naturally good voice. “ Phillis is my only joy” was so well rendered by a . favorite amateur that iso narrowly • escaped "an’ encore, the chairman good-humoredly remarking that Phillis would not be the only joy of the evening. Neither was it,, for a young lady followed with a song, “ The f’owan tree," which was so beautifully : rendered that an encore had to be given in re- : spouse to the repeated calls of the audience. “A soldier must for ever war be waging,” although carefully sung, fell rather flat after what had preceded it. Then’came a pianoforte solo, “Fantasia bh Welsh “airs,” by a young girl twelve or thirteen years‘old apparently, and whose delicate touch and execution gives promise of future excellence. “ The captive, or progress of madness,” a recitation; was given with feeling and pathos by a young gentleman who has always contributed a good deal to the success of' . these 'pleasant , gatherings, “Oh ! say once more I love thee,” ’ came next, and the young lady, who sang, it deserves great praise, and the encore which ; followed, 1 ' “ Love me ’ once - again,” both being given with great taste, and with much sweetness. The choir followed with “The farewell,” and then a young lady sang, “The ruby.” “ When green leaves come again” whs charmingly rendered by a-young lady, whose ’ Voice ’appears • to 1 improve “with “every appearance. A comic reading with a moral; .“ The shadow on the blind,” was then given in capital style by the chairman. Then followed what, in our'opinion,{was the gem of the evening, a duet by a lady and gentleman, “ A word at parting,” the rendition ol which was remarkably good. “The Englishman” was so well received that the gentleman who sang it, and who possesses a fine baritone voice, had to sing once more. “ Tin; botmie wee window,” a very comic old ; Scotch’ ditty, rpiite charmed the audience. . This elicited an encore, which , was complied with by the singer giving “ John Grurably and his wife.” “Ye merry birds” f and “ God, save the Queen," both by the choir, ’"brought"a most pleasant entertainment to a •close, everybody going away highly pleased with the entertainment, s ■ n;; ; :