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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 2

It is .notified elsewhere,that the general and, water ratesrfor the city ’are joiv dae. There was no sitting of the Supreme Court in banco yesterday, the only case on the list, having been postponed byoonsent.-,!;!!,!, ;1 1 : The Government ’grant’- of ;£SOO to public libraries in the provincial,district’ of Wellington has been placed’at'the disposal ofthe Education Board for distribution. Up to, the present time the namek’of only eight libraries have been sent in as claimants for a share,, but. as there ’ are probably others who would be entitled to receive‘"a part of the grant, they would do well to communicate without delay to the - Secretary 1 of' the "Education : Board, Wellington; so that they riay not bo overlooked. 1 We believe the Secretary of the’Board wpuld place himself in communication with the committees of aU ! the’’libraries, but ’he’has been unable to ascertain the names of more: than eight. ■ ’ i At a meeting of the committee of the Wellington 1 Horticultural Society, held last evening, it was decided to hold three exhibitions during the next twelve months—in November, January, and March., Messrs.-H. H. Travers, Bocher, M. Bead, and McKay were appointed a sub-committee to draw up a schedule of prizes fOT the next show, and this will be published in a few weeks. A sub-committee to canvass for special prizes was appointed,. Captain Johnson and, Messrs. H. H. .Travers and MoNab being placed upon it. The Secretary ’of the University of New Zealand notifies that the next examination for scholarships,, .degrees,, and , honors, will com-, mence on Friday, the 27tli December next. ■Ten junior, five senior; and four third-year scholarships will be competed for on, this occasion! Undergraduates must send to the Chancellor,)on or. before Thursday, tho 27th June iust., a list of the subjects they desire to take up. A gross outrage was committed on Louis-ville-terrace. yesterday afternoon.?.! Between three and four o’clock an umbrella-mender called at a house and inquired if there were any umbrellas needing repair. A little girl, about ten'years’ old, who opened the door, another part of the house to aak her mother it there was any work to be done, and returned with a negative reply. Instead of leaving, the man stepped'into the hall, and the lady of the house, who was , engaged .in household work in another apart-< ment, thereupon, came into the hall. The man, who was somewhat the worse for liquor, commenced using the foulest language, and was ordered ' out of the house, hut he refused to go, and continued to make very free use of most indeceut expressions, terrifying the poor lady and her children almost; out of their i senses. At last, summoning courage, she proceeded .to push him out, and .eventually succeeded in closing the door against him. He forced it open-; three times, but ultimately she got the key turned in the door. When outside, the. unwelcome visitor continued his bad language, and made one or two attempts ; to force the door v open,; but hearing one of!the children being sent ; out by the .back of the premises, for assistance, he decamped. It . was a fortunate thing for the man that the lady’s husband was not: at home at the time, and that there were no men about,or ho -would ’ - have been severely handled. The matter has been placed .in the bands of the police.

The trout in Lovell’s Creek, Otago, have begun to spawn. The Revs. A. Reid and W. Morley returned from the Wesleyan Conference of Australasia by the steamer Wakatipu yesterday.

In Another column will be found a verbatim report of the speech delivered by the Mayor at the special meeting of the City Council on Thursday evening last. The balance-sheet of the Waimate County Council, presented at a meeting recently, showed a credit of £47,050 12s. Bd. The Southland Education Board advertise for an Inspector of Schools at a salary of £SOO a year. There will be a football match on the basin reserve this afternoon between sides chosen on a peculiar plan. Players whose names begin with B. G. K. S. and W. will contend against all comers.

A novel method of enforcing the payment of the dog tax is about ta be attempted in the Bruce County, viz., to publish the names of dog owners who have paid those fees, and also of those who have not done so.

The practice of the Choral Society at the Odd Fellows’ Hall. last evening was well attended, there being 16 instrumentalists and 70 vocalists present. The whole of “ Masaniello" was rehearsed satisfactorily. Mr. Bonnington led the orchestra, and Mr. Rous-Marten conducted.

At the R.M. Court yesterday a case of alleged wilful damage to property was settled out of court. Ou the civil side the following cases were disposed of:—Mirbach v. Taylor, £2 ; judgment for defendant; each party to pay his own costs. Nelson v. Jacobson, £1 la.; judgment for defendant. Mills v. Carey, £lO 10s. ; plaintiff nonsuited, with costs. We (Dunedin Morning Herald) are informed that the underwriters of the s.s. Express, which was wrecked near Riverton some time ago, have under consideration the question of bringing an action for the value of the vessel against the vendors of the chain, which parted, and which recently proved the subject of an action in the Dunedin District Court. ; In a local paragraph, in our issue of yesterday, in reference to a notice being given by Messrs.’ W. Andrews, Peter Duncan, and David Duncan, of Christchurch, of their intention to apply for a patent for improvements for stacking hay, corn, &c., it was erroneously stated that the application would be heard at Christchurch. The application will be heard in Wellington on the 27th September, and all objections must be sent in by the 23rd. Mr. S. Carroll, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, is the patent agent. The Wanganui Chronicle of the 4th inst. says :—An accident, which unhappily resulted fatally, occurred at Upokongaro yesterday afternoon at about 2 o'clock, to a yonng man named William "Duckworth. The deceased, who was only twenty-one years of age, had been engaged in company with his mate, a man named Greenway, in finishing a contract for gravelling; at Upokongaro. At the time of the accident they were removing gravel from the pit, when suddenly a great fall of earth took place, just over where deceased was ■ at work, striking him down; and almost burying him out of sight. His comrade, ran to his assistance, but had just commenced the work of extricating him from his distressing position, when a second slip took place; and Mr, Greenaway had scarcely time to spring out of the way, when a mass of earth, about four or five tons, fell with crushing weight,' burying completely the unfortunate victim. Mr. Greenway, we are glad to be able to state, is but slightly injured.' ■ The zealous Acclimatisation ranger for the Tokomairiro District (says the Herald), who obtained a conviction against , three of' the members of the late Bruce Coursing Club for poaching, has, - if is said, not only had, the disappointment of seeing the : magistrate's decision in that case reversed, but since informing upon these members has also been on more than one occasion put upon a false scent. Not many days after the conviction of those persons, one of their number called upon him at his place of residence, and confidentially informed him that a well-known Milton sportsman, who had no license. Was going in a spring .cart that afternoon to the Waihola Gorge, where hares are plentiful, and that he would take along with him a couple of greyhounds to have a course. -Being'intimately -acquainted with the gentleman’ref erred to, and. knowing well thaf he was -nof above training his dogs for the. forthcoming Metropolitan Club’s meeting at Tokomairiro even without a license, he quickly divested himself of his working attire, andsworethat he would “have” him. In a short timethespring cart passed by,and on closeinapeetion the muzzles of two greyhounds, which were in it, might have been seen. Waihola Gorge is four miles distant from Milton, and the ranger travelled on.foot as speedily.as possible to that locality. His informant had given'him the name, of the settler on whose property the course was to take place, and having reached the spot, he waited till-dark-ness set in without. seeing any indications of poaching, and thinking", that he had been “ sold,” quietly returned home. . Later in the evening his informant called on him again, and apologised for not having made him acquainted with the fact that the man with.the spring cart intended . to stay at the settler's house all night and to exercise the dogs in the morning. Shortly before daylight he- started again, for the Gorge, and on coming within a mile of the farm on which, it was said that the i poaching was to take place, he was met ‘ by the suspected poacher, who was returning home. The quiet smile which lit up the features of the suspected one left no doubt in the mind of the ranger that ho was the . victim of a hoax. ~ - , -

.\ V “Anglo-Australian ” writes :—“Sir William Jervois is now in London; and looking •very, well after-Ms trip to Australia. • He believes there is a great future for the colonies if the Democrats can be brought to understand that their interest 1 lies; not in offering a factious opposition to progress, but in doing their best to. promote useful and necessary worts, and in supporting the introduction of a useful class of emigrants.. His plans for the naval and military defences of the colonies, having bean explained, have been generally endorsed by the authorities, and it is hoped that „tho colonies will lose ho tuqe; in carrying them out,” *,>. ..... , r■ ■ : !

We; are requested to invito public attention to Mr. Duncan’s , land sale on Tuesday next. The auction will consist principally of an important addition and extension to the township of. Featherstoh,: which will, it is confidently stated, bo connected with Wellington by rail either during August or September. Feather- , stem is. already a fast-increasing district, aud the completion of the line and daily communication with Wellington will undoubtedly still further, add to its ,importance. • It will‘for nearly two years be “the Wairarapa terminus " of the line, and must always, from its position, continue as the junction between this city, the Lower. Valley, .and,, the many stations on the eastern side of the lake, and also to Groytown, the oldest and first settled township in the great Wairarapa Valley. Plans are already widely circulated, 1 and we doubt not there will be much interest manifested in the sale. 1 Other properties will, we' believe, bo sold after the addition to the Featherston Township. 1 The Wairarapa Standard of the ‘fith.instant says :—“ Next to the successful floating of the loan, and the-consequent revivalof trade in the colony, the' most personally gratifying intelligence we: have, to-day to communicate is the announcement in the West Coast Times that Mr. Seymour T. George, a nephew, of the Premier, is likely to'be returned unopposed for the seat vacated by Mr. Button at Hokitika. We feel personally gratified with this intelligence, : bh account! of ‘the 'candidate, the Premier, and the Hokitika constituency, as it reflects more or less credit upon them all, and mors particularly on the latter, who, by taking the course reported, have taken ttb most effective' mode of , showing their confidence in the Premier and their gratitude for, the services he has rendered to them and tho colony.” r Wo are requested; to inform seamen aud others that a Bethel service will be conducted in No; '13, ! Athenaeum - buildings, next Sunday afternoon, from 2.45 to 4 o’clock. The evangelistic choir will conduct the 1 service ot song. We are requested to call attention to an advertisement notifying to the members _ of Mrs. Spiller’s dancing class that; the third soiree will take place next Tuesday night. Tho Napier Telegraph, ot the 4th inst. says : Wo regret to hear that the engineer of the steamer Result, now bar bound at the Wairoa, has been found drowned. Ho has been missing since Sunday last. ■- His name was Alexander Suter, and ho was greatly i respected on the Spit,” ; i The Press of the sth instant, says Two 1 very handsome gold medals have; been.placed in the hands of.the hon. secretary to the horse show, to bo handed to Mr. D. Tibbot and Mr. J. Spiers from Mr! Walls, as first awards for the best foals by his horses Pride of Scotland aud Sir Walter Scott.

There were no criminal cases at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. We (Napier Telegraph) regret to learn that there have' bt«n three or four fatal cases ot typhoid fover at Wairoa.

. The Theatre Royal will be opened to-night, when a programme comprising "The Scamps of London” and a farce will be presented. Miss Florence Colville, the actress, arrived by the Wakatipu yesterday from Sydney, and will leave by the same boat for Lyttelton this afternoon.

A San Francisco paper says that California .has an export of forest tree-seeds worth lOjOOOdols. per year. The principal purchases are made for Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Messrs. Beauchamp, Campbell, and Co, will sell, at the Nag’s -Head yards, at 2 o’clock this afternoon, some very superior horses, &e., the property of Dr, Bradford, who is leaving the colony ; as also several vehicles. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns. Under the title of the “ Gardener Bjrd,” the Oardentrs' Chronicle gives a description ot a bird which is not only an expeit architect, building; a nest. like the bower-bird of, Australia, but also a gardener, laying out a garden in front of it. The bird is a native of New Guinea, and makes a nest of the stems of an orchid. On a lawn of moss in front he' places, day by day, for the delectation of his mate, flowers and fruits of bright colors and pleasing flavor.

The following tenders have been received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for the Waitotara .contract of; the Patea-Manawatu railway;—Accepted : Collie, Scott, and Wilkinson, Wellington, £39,791. Declined ; D. Fallon, Auckland, £40,095; M. Lake, Christchurch, £12,086 • E. O'Malley, Wellington, £42,100 ; M. Danaher and Co., Wanganui, £43,998; Denby audßowe, Wanganui, £46,920; John Taylor and Co., Auckland, £49,889; J. B. -Blair, Dunedin, £51,498 ; E. Whiting, Wangaimi, £53,500; J. Saunders, Wellington, £54,843; Ross and Dunbar, Auckland, £56,282; Lockie and Dunn, Wellington, £57,600/ Port contract of the Nelson and-Foxhill railway : Accepted : E. O’Malley, Wellington; ' £6229. Declined; W. H. Gurnon and ■ Co.-, Nelson, £7616,; Jno. Briton, Motueka, ' £7965; ii J. Gilbertson, Nelson, ■ £9161 i ; Jno. Scott, Nelson, £10,643. ’ ■

. The New Zealand Herald says in..reference 'to the Thames Pumping Association'— “ Messrs. Black, Hicks, and Hall, appointed, to examine .the country through' which driving had been carried in the/ deep 7 levels of the Pumping Association’s' shaft by the County Council, have made a report, in which they state •.—‘ We are decidedly of opinion .that the cross-cut, as it makes south, gets into'a" better class of country for auriferous quartz, and upon that account, and also being aware of the rich reefs that have been worked towards the south in the: several claims—viz., the Prince Imperial, Crown Princess, and Waio-Earaka mines, we would strongly recommend the extension of the'south cross-cut, as wo firmly believe that if the main cross-cut is continued ahead gold will be found in the deep ground of the above companies’ mines. !In conclusion, we are of opinion that if the same energy had been displayed by the several companies adjacent to the south, cross-cut as the Kurunui and Imperial Crown have done north, by this time a ;great portion of • the; auriferous.country towards the east would have been "explored, and in all likelihood payable gold would-before now have been obtained.’” j '