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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5403, 22 July 1878, Page 2

Elsewhere will be found a full report of the interview between Ministers and the Greymnuth deputation on Saturday. ,As the subjects discussed possess a colonial ■ as well as a local interest, our report will doubtless be eagerly perused. The results of the interview were highly satisfactory to the deputation. i

The Exhibition attracted a very large crowd of visitors on Saturday, fully one thousand persons paying for admission. We notice that tlie management have, in' compliance with numerous requests, decided to throw the Exhibition open for another week, which wo think is a very wise step, as the town will be • filled by many country visitors this week, owing to the meeting of Parliament. New attractions are announced. The art gallery will be'rearranged, and will include, among some twenty-five new exhibits, an oil painting of great value lent by Major Heaphy.. The subject is entitled “ Mary Queen of , Scots, and Christopher Norton at Bolton Castle." The Government have sent in their railway ticket printing machine, which, no doubt,will be a source of great attraction, and a host of other things will also bo shown. The string hand, under the direction of Mr. Spiller, will again perform this evening., ■ , A seaman, named J. Tuppin. fell off the wharf early yesterday morning, and was very nearly drowned. Fortunately his cries were heard by the night watchman and the engineer and steward of the steamer Jobe'Douglas. The man fell olf the wharf between berths fl and 11, which are not at all well lighted, and anyone might very easily stumble in the dark and fall over. Xuppiu was clinging on to one of the piles when Brown, the watchman, managed to got hold of ihim, and with the assistance of the other two i persona mentioned succeeded in dragging him on to the wharf. Notice is given that the partnership hitherto existing between Messrs. Bock has been dissolved.

In the Supremo Court to-day the case of Leach v. Johnston will come on for hearing, .. A resident surgeon of the Dunedin Hospital is advertised for at a salary of £3OO a year. Applications are invited until September 1 for the appointment of senior pilot at Bluff Harbor at a salary of £3OO a year. A public meeting will be held this evening/ at 8 o’clock, at the Provincial Hall, for'the purpose of taking, into consideration the case' of William O'Connor, recently convicted of attempting to poison Mr. Light, of Barrett’s Hotel. . '

- Yesterday morning about 10 o’clock the To A.l'o fire-bell sounded an alarm, and a number of persons, as usual, hastened to the spot, when it. was discovered that a chimney wafi on fire; hut the flames were quickly extinguished., , The afternoon performances of the Mario, nettes on Saturday was very largely patronised, and there was also a very good attendance in the evening. 'lf the company do as well in other cities as they have done in Wellington,* their New Zealand tour will bo a highly remunerative one. •

The eleventh of the present series of popular' concerts at the Athenaeum will be given this evening. A varied and attractive programme lias been prepared, and amongst the items wo observe the following ;—“ ’Twas long since in the spring time,” “ SVhen the swallows homeward turn,” vocal valse “ It Yenzauo," “The larboard watch,” &o. The piano accompaniments will be supplied by Madame Molter, and a crowded house may confidently be anticipated on the occasion.

In reference to the presentation of prizes to the successful competitors at the recent school board examinations which is to take place, as previously announced, at the Imperial Opera House to-morrow, we are pleased to learn that the children are to be supplied with some light refreshment after the presentation to-morrow afternoon. The managing committee have arranged with Mr, McDonald, who has undertaken to carry out the idea at a minimum cost. To‘defray the small expense in connection, with the gathering, subscription lists have been opened ahd deposited at each of the banks in the city, and also at each of the newspaper offices, and we feel sure that the public will readily Assist the committee in meeting the expense entered into for so good an object. As there have, of necessity, been issued a much larger number of tickets for the family circle than eeatiog accommodatiou can be found for, all those desirous of obtaining a seat ate advised not to' be later than 3 o’clock. The holders of white tickets are requested to enter by the north door from Manners-street. The proceedings will commence at 3.30 p.m. sharp. ’A most pitiable sight was witnessed in Taranaki-street yesterday morning as persons were returning home from church; A respectable looking woman, the wife of a baker named James Richardson, was observed fearfully maltreated, carrying an infant in her arms. The poor woman’s face was quite blue , from blows winch had been inflicted by her husband ;. blood was flowing from her nose, ear, and also from a nasty cut on the temple. The infant which she carried was covered with blood which poured from its mother’s wounds. The husband, we are happy* to say, was looked up lad; night, • , The Kami Christy Minstrels gave an entertainment in the Kami Hall bn Friday night. The house was crowded to excess, and the result, considered financially, was a great success. Many of the pieces were loudly encored, and most of them cheered. Two recitations were capitally, rendered, and tl\ere was some very good dancing. The greatest drawback was the want of stage accommodation, and the consequent disarrangement. of the players. It is to be hoped that Jn the event of a repetition being given some attention will be bestowed on this matter, and the whole of the players and singers take their places on the stage, . as the audience is apt to get in ill-humor if they have to be repeatedly waiting till the next comer arrives; besides, persons darting on the stage are apt to lose nerve. They Would also do well to limit their numbers, and have only qualified members on the stage. However, taken as a whole, it was' a great success all things considered ; but the “Funny Old Girl from the Carolina State” was far too,masculine.—From a correspondent. The Manaiaatu Times does not think much of the changes which iave been made in the personnel of the members of the House of Representatives daring the recess. The comparisons it institutes speak Tor themselves. It says “Leaving the political opinions of the past, present, or coming members on one side, wefear .it must be, admitted that those who Are gone are immeasurably superior in ability, experience, and weight to their successors. Can Mr. Saunders be put in the scale with Mr. Stafford; Mr. Barton compare* with Mr. Travers; Mr. Cullen be placed bn a par with Donald .Raid; Mr. Grace with Thos. Hunter Reynolds; or even Mr. Oiliver take the place of the late Treasurer ? Wo think not; and it is not cheering to see names like Stafford and Travers and Reynolds, which have shone in the pages of our colonial Hansard for quarter of a century, disappear to make room for the Hobbs and Mosses of yesterday. ’Tis true Mr. Reynolds has joined the Lords; but in doing so his , wings are clipped and his vigor and value impaired.” ’

The following is a statement of the revenue of - Fiji : —Total value of imports for 1877, £131,688 ; and exports, £112,389, the latter showing an-' increase. of nearly £9OOO ou the previous year. The revenue for 1877 was £18,812, showing an increase on the previous year of £300.0. In the same year' the sugar exported was valued at £16,170, showing over £6OOO increase on the previous year. The export of maize and cotton showed a large decrease. ’ i .

The Saturday Advertiser of tbe SOth instant says “ Tho'waspish little member for Wellington has been at his old tricks again. He will persist in his endeavors to bring Bench and Bar into contempt by his ridiculous'capers. Judge Richmond, must 'be possessed of the patience of Job, or ha would never submit to the 'impertinences of this legal badger. Heaven help the unfortunate legislators, say I, who will be doomed to listen-night-after night during the session to himself and his grievances. But no doubt many of our Solons require a little purgatorial discipline now and then. In the words of Corheille : ‘ Heaven often regulates effects by their causes, mid pays the wicked what they have deserved.'.” The Ovens and Murray Advertiser- hos tile following news concerning that many-sided genius, Mr. Rees, the author of “ Sir Gilbert Leigh," the lecturer on the “Lost Tribes," and the refreshed in the Jones libel case :—“ We learn that Mr. W. L. Rees, who for some time was a minister of the Congregational Church; Beechworth, and who was known as the best all-round cricketer ever.in the Ovens district, being: a cousin to the celebrated Grace family, and who afterwards went to New Zealand, and was’admitted as a barrister, has been elevated to the position of a District Judge," * Wb learn from the Fiji Times . that Sir Arthur Gordon, ’ Governor of Fiji, speaking on Juno 25 at a levee held pfior to his departure on leave of absence, made tho following remarks as to his future movements - “ And now I bid you farewell. In doing so, I will reply to a question which has njoro than; once been, directly or indireotly, put tq me—as to the probability of my return. I will answer that question plainly. ! The chances of life forbid us to reckon on- tho future, but it is undoubtedly my intention not to ; abandon tho work X. have begun; It is no p secret that before I came hero posts of higher emolument, and in a social sense more desirable, were at my disposal. " It was by my own deliberate will and choice that X undertook the task of organising this new colony. I did so knowing fall well that, as a distinguished man has lately written to me, the work was one in itself great, but ‘ absolutely certain to, he almost unknown, and altogether underestimated and misunderstood, and therefore well worth doing.’ Having: undertaken it in this spirit it is not to be supposed' that I should be otherwise than reluctant to leave it uncompleted. The responsibilities' which I have assumed have not been lightly or carelessly undertaken.' They will' not be lightly or carelessly relinquished." During the absence of Sir Arthur Gordon, the government will be administered by Mr. DesVoeux, and his Honor Chief Justice Gome will act na High Commissioner of the Western Pacific.” . . i . .

The contract for the sale of the vacant allotment in Gollins-street, says the Australasian of July 6, was signed on Friday. The price paid is £35,000. ,It may be mentioned that shortly before Black Wednesday Mr! H.. M. C. Gommell was able to submit an offer of £16,000 to the late owner, Mr. G. W, Pettyi for this allotment, and it was refused.ns pot being equal'll) the market -viluo. This falling off of £II,OOO in the price obtained for a city block is another, evidence of-the, depreciation caused by the unhappy political, events at the commencement of the year. It is probable, that an arcade will be built co the allotment.

A charge of assault (says the Oiar/o Daily Times of the 19th instant) which arose under rather peculiar circumstances, came before the Police Court yesterday. A : rider .passing through the . toll-gate at Bliieskin refused to pay, and the tollkeeper took off the defaulter’s* hat-and wont away with it, saying, “ This will do for the sixpence.” The tollkeeper was fined s’. and 255. - costs. -

The Fiji Ary as of June 14 says that the barque Menschikoff, which arrived from Rotumah on Tuesday, Juno 11, reports that; a very determined war is raging in the between the Wesleyan and Roman Catholic native converts, and that great numbers on both sides have been killed. They have good firearms, but, it is thought, not much powder. They are forming: faßs and barricades out of cocoanut trees. Just before the vessel sailed a correspondent saw twelve men lying in a house horribly wounded. They had been shot in a fight the day previous, and {here were no means of alleviating their sufferings, no medical men being on the island. There are only saven whites on-tha island, who are threatened with death if they interfere. The Wesieyans will probably get the best of it, as they far outnumber the Catholics.

A person wrote to the papers a few days ago (writes “ Atticus,” in the Leader ), suggesting that we should follow the example of the people of Singapore, and eat the sharks with which the bay swarms. This gentleman, aud the public, may not bo aware that shark-eating is not altogether unknown in “Melbourne. In one tavern at least, where fresh fish is to he had daily, shark cooked in various tempting way s comes upon the table in response to orders for sohnapper, pike, or, whatever, fish may be ordered. It is a remarkable fact that in that particular tavern no fish with small bones ever appear in the bill-of-fare.