SOCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5473, 11 October 1878, Page 7

SOCIAL.

* Mr. George Cameron, a passenger by the St. Leonards, from London, died from consumption on board that vessel on the 11th August. The Rev. R. S, Jackson, of the FDglish Church, Chfiatchurch, died on September 25th after a protracted illness. He was private secretary to the Bishop. A preliminary deposit of £75 has been made in connection with a wrestling match between Thomas, of Victoria, aud X)agg, of Otago. The match will take place in December or the end of November. The Hawke's Bay papers announce the death of Air. Neil Campbell, an old settler in that district, and formerly inspector of police. Although ranking aa an “ old settler,” for ho had been a resident of that district for twenty--006 years, Mr, Campbell had only reached the comparatively early age of forty-two years at the time of his death. The officers and crew of the s.s. Sfcormbird met on September 13 at the Commercial Hotel, and after a substantial supper provided by Air. Bennett, the engineer, on behalf of the ship’s company, presented Mr. John Gibb, the late chief officer, with a valuable aneroid barometer bearing the following inscription • ‘'Presented to Air. John Gibb, late chief officer, by the officers and crew of the s.s. Stormblrd as a token of respect and esteem.”

A telegram has been received at Auckland from Bishop Selwyn, of the Melanesian Islands, Baying that he is going to England from Australia. Ten days ago a small vessel was sent to Norfolk Island to bring the Bishop from thence to Auckland, but he managed to get back to Sydney by the steamer Wentworth, which appears to have left the Bishop at Norfolk Island on her way to Now Caledonia, and called again for him on her return. It is not often that a French merchant vessel cornea direct with cargo to New Zealand, but on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd, the barque St. Louis, Captain Chariot, arrived in Wellington harbor. She ia a new vessel, having been built iu 18/4. She is consigned to Messrs, ICrnll and Co., and brings about 200 tons of wines for this port for Mr. Cheymol. Tbe voyage from Bordeaux to Dunedin, owing to adverse weather, took 105 days. She left Dunedin for this port on .the 15th nit., but owing to strong N.W. gales was blown some distance out of her course.

A “ knight of the road” was recently at a. public faoaue at 'Wanganui, when a customer called for “ A pint of colonial/' After bo had been served he looked into the pewter with a very wry face for some littletime. The publican asked: “What was the matter?” To which the customer replied : “ The point aint full.” Mine boat, a man evidently not without wit, then said: “There you are mistaken! the pewter is three quarters full of beer and the duty will * Balance' the measure.” This “fetched” the customer, who smiled and drank Ids beer.

Mr. Moorhoase, M.H.E., has presented to the Borough of Sydenham, Canterbury, a section 1 of land woith £4OO, for borough purposes. By the outgoing Horae mail on September 7 03 nominations of immigrants for .Wellington were forwarded to the Agent-General, in Xcmdon, by the Immigration Officer. The Carnival at Dunedin in aid of the Benevolent Institution realised £1563, but a Bruco Auction will be held, and the committee expect to handover £I7OO or £IBOO to the institution.

The bazaar in aid of the building fund of the proposed now Sunday-school, in connection with the Wesleyan Methodist Church at Thorudon, was opened in the large hall of the Athensenm on October 2nd by the Rev. A. "Reid. There was a very large attendance both in the afternoon and evening. The ladies who officiated at the stalls wero Mesdames Watt, Clelund, H. Barber, Jackson, Lewis, Hold, Briscoe, Stafford, Williams, J. Barber, Elliott, ICuight, aud Clarke, and’ Misses Bennett, Webb, Bradford, Kianiburgh, and others. The hall presented a very attractive appearance, the number of useful and elegant articles exposed for sale was very large, and great taste was displayed in the “dressing” of the stalls so as to show off the wares to the best advantage, Tho display of flowers for the time of the year was also remarkably good, aud the refreshment stall was well supplied with light viands suitable to the occasion. Business in the bazaar was carried on during the rest of the week very briskly. On Saturday tho hall was crowded, and the bazaar concluded; being everywhere declared a great success. 1

Mr. Shand, the notice of whose death appears in another column, will be well remembered by all the okl settlers of Wellington and the Hutt as “ the Laird of Waiwetu.” He arrived in tho colony ia the ship Oriental iu 13-10, aud was oiie of the first who commenced farming in the then scarcely known district of Waiwetu, where we believe he erected a flour mill. Ho was not very successful as an agriculturist, and after a time obtained a situation in the Customs Department, and for a time was sub-collector at Port Chalmers. Prom thence he was removed to the Chatham Islands, and for a long time was almost the only representative of the Government there. Some years ago he retired upon a pension, and has enjoyed good health until a short time before his death, when he had a apparently of an apoplectic character, in which be passed away quite quietly, after some hours of insensibility. He leaves a widow, who, we regret to hear, is quite unprovided for. There is a family also, but we believe ali are grown up. Mr. Prank Mgan, master of the Christchurch hounds, was presented on S *j.»tember 17 with a handsome silver cup by Mr. Hugh McLean, on bjlialf of a few friends, in the (.'ritrrion Hotel. The presentation was made iu honor of tho first vi>it of tho hounds to Otago. A banquet was given at Graharasfcown on September 14tU to Mr. James Mackay, the Government laud purchase agent, who is succeeded there by Mr. W. H. Grace, who is the successor also of-Major Mail* as It. M. at Waikato. The banquet was attended by all the leading citizens, who respect Mr. Mackay and appreciate his services iu negotiating not only for tho opening of the goldfield eleven years ago, when no white man was resident upon it, but in acquiring the large block of the finest agricultural land iu the colony for the Government at a nominal price. A number of Maoris, among whom were the influential chiefs of tbo district, were present, aud made speeches, regretting Mr. Maukay’s severance from Government service, and his. departure for Wellington. An address was presented. The question of the closing of public-houses on election days was the first thing that infused any life into the debate in committee on the Electoral Bill. Mr. Stout wished to follow the example of America in respect to forbidding the sale of liquor on tho day when citizens were called upon to perform “ the most sacred act oi their lives.” Mr. Bartf asked the gentleman in charge of the Bill whether if it was wrong'to' dvinl:.g*v)g by retail it was right to drink it wholesale ? That'wbukl b- effect of the clause. Bum could be sold by the bucketful, but nob by the ordinary glass. Was it true that New Zeahttiders were so drunken and «lts:ipaled that they required such' legislation ? Mr. Moss thought that Mr. Stout would wish all the public-houses closed and all the churches opened. It was an attempt to. treat men like ch’ldren, aud was an insult to the public. Mr. Pyke appealed to Mr. Stout to know whether tho electors who had elected him had been drunk or not. The Attorney-General replied that he had often seen electors dm ok both before and after an election. Mr. Pyke immediately ejaculated “bub not at the time.” Mr. Beeves thought it was a slur upon the people of New Zealand to say that they could not restrain themselves. Every member of i the House knew that the law forbidding the sale of liquor on Sundays was broken every Sunday iu the year. The whole temper of tho House showed that it was admitted to bo a mistake to endeavor to make people sober by Act of Parliament. If electors wanted to procure drink they would probably bo able to follow the American example, aud go in to “kiss tho baby” in au inner room. The clause was thrown out by 31 to 22. Eighty-seven birth*, twenty-two marriages, and twenty-one deaths have been registered at Wellington during the mouth of September. The vital statistics of Dunedin lust quarter wexv:—Births, 46-1; deaths, 150; marriages, 90. At a meeting of the Bishop’s residence: fund committee on Oct -her 1 it was announced that the subscriptions received and promised amounted to £1768.

The congratulatory address from the past aud present pupils of the German class at Te Aro school, to which we referred in a recent issue, has been very neatly aud tastefully on* grossed by Mr. E. Brandon, and will l«e forwarded to Berlin by the outgoing mail. A complimentary dinner wai given to Mr. Pilchard Wakelin on September 21st, at the Occidental Hotel, by his brother journalists and a few friends. The chair was occupied by the Hon. J. Alarfcin, and amongst those present were the Hon. Air. Ballanco, Hon. Air. Sheehau, Messrs. Bee*, Vincent Pyke, DeLatour, and Hamlin, AI.H.R/H.VThe dinner was a great success, and a very pleasant evening was spent. Wo {Thames Advertiser) understand that Air. Kelly, the proprietor of the soda springs (tud grounds at Puriri, intends to utilise the natural effervescing water of the springs by aerating and bottling the same for sale. Eor this purpose he is about to erect the necessary machinery on the spot, aud open up a trade with the Thamen aud all New Zealand and Australia. A road is to be made through his property to the landing place at Puriri, and the machinery, &c., conveyed to the spot without loss of time. In enumerating tho many claims that the Maoris had to special representation, Mr.. Taiaroa remarked that the native, ladies were far better contributors to the revenue thaft European ladies. They smoked—that was one point in their favor ; then they used a week’s allowance of sugar at one “go”—they would consume a pannikinful at one meal. The Maoris also consumed a large quantity of beer, and generally used more articles that paid duty than white people. If they got £20,000 to-morrow they would not leave Wellington until they had spent it all. If.he (Air. Taiaroa) had to travel over the whole of bis district ho would spend all his money in travelling expenses, which he ought to save for his children. For seven years ho had asked for more Maori members, and he had not yet gained his cause. He looked upon tho Native Minister as a Alaori.

The flags of the vessels in harbor were lowered half-mast on Sept. 15, as a mark of respect to the memory of Mr. J. fl. Williamson, one of the officials on the wharf, who was always a popular man with those whose business avocations brought them in contact with him, and whose loss is much regretted. On September 19th tho Hon. Mr, Fox, delivered a very interesting lecture on his personal experience of travels in Palestine, The Hon. G. M, Waterhouse occupied the chair. This is the first of a series of lectures at the Athonteura in connection with the Young Men’s Christian Association. The quarterly general meeting of. tho Wellington Typographical Association was held in the Athemeum on Saturday, Sept, 14th. The balance-sheet showed the society to bo in a very flourishing state. . Bishop Selwyn, of Melanesia, first heard of his father's death casually from a trader to tho islands. Ho left for Sydney-by tho first opportunity, and thence goes to Norfolk Island, coming on to Auckland cn route for England. Tho Assembly ball at the Imperial Operv House on Friday evening was a great success. The stage was used for dancing, and was tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens. The pit was partly covered in, and had a good display of ferns and evergreens ragged upon it. A great many ladies, and gentlemen took advantage of the drosa-circlo oa a pleasant seat, which gave them also a good view of tho dancers; All those who visited these seats '.■were agreed that the ball-room. presented a most beautiful and dazzling appearance, enhanced no doubt by the slight incline of the staf'o. The music left nothing to bo desired, and the arrangements generally were very complete. Tho pleasant, atmosphere of tho rocm was constantly remarked as being a very rare accompaniment of a crowded room. Great credit is due to Mr. Cary, who superintended the whole' affair, and to Messrs, Nicholson and Co., of Cuba-strcet, for the stylo in which tho furnishing was done.-Dane? ing was kept up with much spirit until about 3 a.m., when a great demand for caba and carriages arose in consequence of a rainy night. No doubt the cabmen reaped a harvest, and congratulated themselves that tho tramway folk had gone to bed.

A meeting of the officers of the "Public Wqrks Department at present in. Wellington, and who on this occasion represented tho officers of the department throughout the colony, who have been engaged professionally or otherwise iu connection with the late Engi-ncer-in-CJiief, Mr. John Carruther?, was held on Wednesday afternoon. An address and a piece of plate value £240 were presented to Mr. Camitbers on the occasion of his leaving the colony, as a token of the respect and esteem of his fellow officers. The relations between the Maoris are occasionally very mixed. On Wednesday a young Maori boy, a witness in the case of manslaughter, was asked what relation the murdered woman, was to him. The lad replied that *shc might have been his mother, aunt, -cousin, or grandmother. Ho explained, however; that if he was allowed time to consider he'might probably ascertain the correct relationship between them. The late Mr. John Aplin’s funeral topic place on Saturday last, Alarge number of the friends of the deceased came together to pay the last tribute of respect to his memory. The procession left Kaiwavra at 2 o’clock, led by a sargeant and 13 rank and .file, tho remainder of the corps following the remains of their deceased comrade. The Artillery Band played the usual solemn marches . appropriate to the occasion. The City Hides, under the command of Captain Crowe, and the Makara corps, under the command of Captain Monaghan, were also present. Captain Thompson commanded the parade. The commanding officer of the district, Major Stack, attended in person. We alco noticed several honorary members of the force, among others Mr. W. 11. Levin. ;A firing party pail the usual military honors to their deceased friend, and concluded an impressive aud solemn ceremony.