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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5399, 17 July 1878, Page 2

A special meeting of the Education Board was held yesterday in reference to the 1 case of Doherty v. Education Board. The business of a private nature. It was arranged that a deputation from the Board should wait on the Hon. Mr. Ballance to-day in connection with the case. - »

There was a special meeting of the City Council yesterday afternoon with regard to the proposed Te Aro reclamation. There was a good deal of talk, but nothing was done beyond deciding to postpone the subject under discussion until the "new Bill is ready for circulstion amongst members of the Council. All people who have been compelled to remain in the Supreme Court during the last two days have felt the cold extremely, indeed, to such an extent has this been the case that it is no exaggeration to say that jurors have frequently been prevented from giving such patient and careful attention to the proceedings as they would if they were tolerably comfortable. To sit on a hard and ill-shaped bench from ten o’clock until a quarter-past six o’clock, with but one short adjournment, isin itself a most unpleasant way of spending a day, and one not at all likely to put a man in so equable a frame of mind as is desirable in a juror; but when the jury are half frozen, as well as thoroughly wearied, it is not at all surprising that they should view prolonged examinations of witnesses with a feeling of annoyance. A counsel knowing this might be deterred from pressing a refractory witness so much as desirable. The jurors in Buckridge v. Way lei I, which has been before the Court for two days, have been most patient, and yesterday evening they were quite prepared to sit on until all hours in order to finish the suit. However, at a quarter-past six o'clock, when counsel for the defendant closed his case, his Honor Mr. Justice Richmond adjourned the Court, on the very good ground that neither Judge, counsel, nor jury could after sitting so many hours give proper attention to an intricate case, which, if continued, would last far on into the night. It is really disgraceful that the Court-house should continue fireless; for the gas jets and gas stoves which are kept going during the day are very poor substitutes for a coal fire. ■ The jurors at this sittings would gladly have paid for building a chimney and supplying coals, rather than suffer the misery, for it is nothing less, that they have undergone. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday a defendant was fined Is. and costs for allowing his chimney to be on fire. Defendant thought ho was let off e isily enough until the bailiff told him he had 10s. to pay, viz., Is. fine and 9s. costs. Even -Mr. Mansford seemed astonished, and asked Mr. Baker how the costs amounted to so largo an amount. What Mr. Baker said in reply was uttered in an undertone, and did not reach the ears of the reporters. Nine shillings certainly does seem an extraordinary charge in a case of such a paltry nature. There was a very large attendance at the Exhibition last night. The various curiosities and pictures were looked at with interest. One of the chief attractions were some magic lantern views of New Zealand scengry, which are well worth a visit. During the evening some very pretty selections were played on the pianoforte. Several fresh exhibits were received yesterday, including a certificate of freedom of the city of London, dated 1822; the first lithograph taken in New Zealand, bearing date 1842. We are requested to draw attention to- the fact that the manager has received instructions to sell a number of the valuable oil paintings and watorcolors, as well as most of the furniture now on view at the Exhibition.

Whilst tho workmen were engaged yesterday ia pulling down the building lately used as the Scotch Church on Lambton-quay,' one of them let fall from the roof on to the ground a sheet of corrugated iron. It fell with a crash on the pavement below, and had any one been passing at the time serious consequences would probably have ensued. The occurrence took place a few minutes after 1 o'clock In the day, a time when the street is often crowded at this spot, and it is fortunate indeed that such was not the case yesterday. In the Supreme Court yesterday it transpired that a witness who had been, examined on Monday had been given into custody by Mr, E. Baker, the sheriff, on a charge of drunkenness. Mr. Baker doubtless acted with the zeal which often characterises a newly appointed officer, but it is quite likely that his action might involve a breach of privilege, inasmuch as the witness was summoned to be in attendance at the Supreme Court, and as he was so attending, tho presiding Judge is, it wpuid seem, the only person who could order him to be removed in custody from the very presence of the Court. As it was, tho witness, when wanted yesterday,. was in the lock-up, and did not appear until later in the afternoon, after he had bean fined in' the usual sum of ss.

A correspondent at PahautanUi sends us a report of the meeting held there on Saturday last in reference to the proposed West Coast railway. A condensed report of what took place has already appeared in our columns, but the following remarks of Mr. Wallace, as given by our correspondent, in support of the route via Kaiwarra and Johnsonville, may be interesting to many of our readers:—Mr. .Tames Wallace, of Wellington, was called upon to address the meeting, and ho stated that his object in coming before them was to tell the settlers what ths promoters of the Kaiwarra and Johnsonville line had been doing. They had employed Mr. Olimie to give his opinion of that line, and he considered it was practicable. Mr. Wallace also stated to the meeting that. a deputation consisting of Mr. _ Brandcn, Mr. James Taylor, himself, and other gentlemen had waited upon the Government ■.to point out the advantages of this line. They had shown that the present local traffic for the conveyance of passengers, goods, and produce, firewood, timber, and wool, amounted to £6063 per annum, which would no doubt bo largely increased when better facilities for travailing were provided. This line should also have the preference to any other that was proposed to run from tho West Coast to join the Hutt railway, as it would he necessary, as soon as it met that line, to lay a.double lino of rails, as tho present one would not be sufficient for the traffic. The advantages which Porirua Harbor possessed were also pointed out. It would be suitable for vessels for quick communication with the Northern ports and the other island, and the land surrounding it was admirably adapted tor villa residences ; in fact, it would he the Dover of- Cook Strait. Mr. Wallace concluded his address to the meeting by asking the settlers of Pahautanni and Porirua to co-operate with the promoters of the Kaiwarra line.

Constable Smart will proceed to Poxton today in charge of the prisoner .Wylie, who has been remanded to that township on a charge of stealing a revolver. •

We understand that Mrs. George Cotterell’s concert, which was to have taken place on the 23rd instant, ha's been, unavoidably postponed for the present.

The Hon. Mr, Fox will deliver a. lecture in the Temperance Hail, Marten, to-morrow, on the subject of ‘‘The Overland Eoute to England.” The plans for the new collegiate school at Wanganui (says the Herald of the 13th Inst.) have been received by Mr. Churton, and tenders will be invited in a few days. Special jurors who have been summoned to attend at the Supreme Court to-day to try Leitch v. Johnston, need not do so, as that suit will not come on for hearing until Monday next.'

The Theatre Royal was again numerously attended last evening, and the performances seemed to give the usual amount of satisfaction. Four more nights will terminate the season.

Captain Bendall left by the steamer GoAhead yesterday afternoon, to inspect the three-masted schooner Ellerton, which is ashore at the South Head, at Wanganui. Captain Bendall goes on behalf of ,the Underwriters’ Association.

There is a great scarcity of labor in Feildiug (says the Advocate of the 15th inst.), and willing hands accustomed to bush-work, and mechanics of all classes, would find there a remunerative field of operations and good prospects. An amateur Christy Minstrel performance will be given in the schoolroom, Pahautanui, on Friday evening next, in aid of the "band fund. Some local songs and burlesque speeches will be introduced. The performance will conclude with a laughable farce; to be followed by a dance. The portion of the Rimutaka road which is within the boundaries of the Wairarapa West County is, says the" Register, in a very bad state —worse than it has been for years. The Wellington side is in fair condition. We must give the Carterton-Taratahi Highway Board credit for the good care it takes of the Taratahi portion of the main road. The following tenders for the Waipuku bridge contract of the Waitara-Patea railway have been received at the Public Works Office, Wellington : Accepted : D. Glendinning, Auckland, £1998. Declined ; W. G. Bassett, Wanganui, £2920; R. MaoGonagle, New Plymouth, £2955; J. X>. O’Brien, Thames, £4041; Denby and Rowe, Wanganui, £5142. The usual weekly meeting of the Wellington Literary Association was held last evening; Mr. G. Macdonald in the chair. An essay was read on the subject of “Association,” and in order to fill up the remainder of the evening several members gave recitations. Next Tuesday the subject for discussion will be, “Will England decay as the great nations of antiquity have done ? ”

On Sunday next Pontifical High Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary's Cathedral at 11 o’clock, and a sermon will be preached by the Rev. Father Hennebery.' Admission will be by ticket, which can be obtained at 2s. fid. each at several places named iu an advertisement which appears elsewhere. The proceeds of the sale of tickets will be appropriated to reduce the debt incurred in the completion of the Cathedral.

Mr. Lash’s sawmill at Halcombe (says the Advocate of the 15th inst.) is in full working order, but is unable to supply anything like the demand. 100,000 feet per month is estimated as its cutting capacity. A railway siding for its accommodation is about being erected, for which a guarantee of £3OO per annum as receipts had first to be given by the proprietor.

A young man (says the Raagitilcei Advocate of the 15th inst.), whose name wo did not learn, working in the bush near Feildiug, met with rather a severe accident on Thursday afternoon. An axe which he was using slipped and badly out his instep. Surgical assistance was procured, and he was taken to the Feildiug Hotel, where he ig doing as well as could be expected. He was working with a mate called Toy lor, who came from Tawa Elat, near 'Wellington. A dreadful accident, resulting in the instantaneous death of a lad named John Hannan, aged fourteen years (says the Bendigo Advertiser of the 18th instant), occurred yesterday afternoon between 3 and 4 o’clock, at the monumental stone yards of Messrs. Finn, Quin, and Co., Dowling-street. It appears that a youth named Goldsworthy was at work on a massive granite tombstone weighing about 15cwt,, and having occasion to raise it for the purpose of proceeding with his work, he called up another youth named Crippin to help him, and also the boy Hannap. The two former lads then proceeded to raise the stone with a crowbar, and the boy Hannan to place blocks of wood underneath the slab as the others raised it. Whilst doing this work it appears' that the stone canted over, through the ground at one eud giving way, and the stone falling on the unfortunate boy killed him instantaneously. On seeing the terrible catastrophe that had occurred the other two lads were dumbfounded, and perfectly paralyzed for the moment, but on recovering themselves they shrieked out for assistance. Within two minutes after the accident had happened the stone was removed from the body, but life was found to be extinct.

The following short description of the Island of Cyprus, which, as our readers are aware, has lately been ceded to England by the Turks, appears in an exchange “ Cyprus is 76 miles from Latakia id Syria. It is an island 148 miles long, with an average width, of 40 miles, terminating in a narrow peninsula about 40 mites long and 15 broad. The range of Olympus, famous in Grecian mythology, runs the whole length of the Island, the highest peak rising 700 ft. Asbestos,, talc, red jasper, copper, gold, silver, emeralds, and other precious stones, are found in the ranges, which are covered with forests of valuable timber. About two million and a half acres ,of agricultural laud are contained in the island, but little more than 130,000 acres are actually under . tillage, owing to the oppression of the Turkish Government. The products are cotton, wheat, barley, tobacco, silk,, oarobs, olive oil, wine, sugar, flax, aesamum, poppies, liquorice, oranges, citron, figs, and other fruits. There is small industry in embroidery, weaving, dyeing, and piottery. The population ia estimated at 100,000, two-thirds of whom are ■ Greeks, and the Turkish population,numbers about 30,000. The island is still celebrated for its Grecian beauties. It has a very remarkable history. Biohard (Coeur de Lion) the 111. of England conquered it from the Saracens and gave it to the Sardinia Princes of the Lusignan family, who held it till 1670, when it was retaken by the Turks. The Kings of Sardinia retained the title, os an appendage to the crown. The unfortunate inhabitants under Turkish rule have suffered every species of oppression, and the British ■ occupation is likely to be to them a happy emancipation.” The horrible savagery of Eskimo dogs (says Cassell's Magazine) can hardly be wondered at; they live in a country where there is hardly.a chance for them in any independent foraging expedition; they are half starved by their masters,, being fed chiefly on frozen walrus hides in the winter, 1 and allowed to shift for themselves in the summer when their services are not required, and are in so perennial and acute a state of hunger that they are ready at any time to oat their own harness it allowed'to do so: It ia generally stated that they are perfectly insensible to kindness, and only to be kept in order by a liberal application of the lash, or even of a more formidable weapon ; for the Eskimo, if their dogs are refractory, do not scruple to boat them about the head with a hammer, or anything else of sufficient hardness which happens to be at baud. They will even beat the poor brutes in this horrible manner until they are actually stunned. Notwithstanding the absolute dependence of the Eskimo on their dogs, little or no care is taken of them ; they receive nothing, in any degree approaching petting, and spend all their time in the open air. The' chief use of the Eskimo dog is to draw the sledges, which are the only possible conveyance in that frozen land. In all the Arctic expeditions which have been sent out at various times, a good supply of sledge dogs has been one of the greatest desiderata, os without them it would be absolutely impossible to proceed far. No other animal would answer the purpose, both horses and cattle being quite useless in journeys over ice and snow, amongst which the pack of light, active dogs mako their way with wonderful ease and safety. " ... ;

The Registrar-General of England states as "follows .his annual estimate of the resident population of tho United Kingdom, Ho puts the population of England and Wales in the middle of this year,. 1878, at 24,851,397, or 307,088 more than in the middle of last year; the population of Scotland at 3,593,929, tin increase of 83,212 ; of Ireland at 5,433,010, an increase of 97,245, which last number appears very large indeed. The total population of the United Kingdom is stated at 33,881,906, or 437,647 more than at the corresponding period in Inst year. •

Great inquiries have been made during the week (says the Patea Mail of the 12th instant) for Carlyle Town Hall shares, about 100 of which have changed hands at par. Mr. W. Dale disposed of GO, and other holders of smaller quantities. -From meteorological observations recorded in Marten during the past week, we {Advocate, 15th instant) find .that the thermometer ranged from 51 to 56. maximum, and from 31 to 44 minimum readings. The barometer ranged, low, rising gradually from 2919 on Sunday to 29'6 4 on Thursday, from which day it fell steadily till Saturday, when it stood at 29-49, indicating continued dirty weather. The rainfall was 1*24, and the wind kept steadily in the N.W. :

As a' curious fact in natural history we (Advocate) may mention that Mr. Lyon, of Marton, having occasion the other day to use a quantity of cayenne, found, to his astonishment, on opening the packet, a moth grub and also a chrysalis in a state of active vitality. It seems almost incredible that insects should ba able to extract nourishment sufficient to sustain life from this pungent vegetable. The Hawera Education Committee notify their intention, says the Patea Mail, to strictly enforce the compulsory clauses of the Education Act. As aid to schools will be in proportion to attendance it is very necessary for the well-being of each particular school that as large an attendance as possible of scholars should be secured. We trust that parents will co-operate with the committee in helping to get all children of school age sent regularly to school. Each local committee has much necessary work to perform, and, ■at present, very limited means at command. Every additional scholar means an addition to the school funds of £3 15s per year. Twenty to thirty hew scholars in any particular school would make a respectable addition to the annual income. Let all interested in educational matters aid the school committees in increasing the attendance of scholars at school. .

In giving ah account of a recent land sale at Ashburton the Mail says :—“ We might write columns about the present .prosperity and prospects of this town and country, but nothing we could pen could possibly eclipse the eloquence of the fact that shrewd, hard-headed, experienced men of business gave for agricultural land within a mile or so of the railway station such prices as £4l and £sl per acre. The total sum realised at the sale was, we may. mention; £23,353 10s. lOd.