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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5584, 20 February 1879, Page 2

A special sitting of the Supreme Court in banco was held yesterday, when the case of Baucke v. Ballauce was taken by Mr. Justice Richmond. This case has been before the Courts for some years, several successive Treasurers having been made defendants. Plaintiff asserts that the Government illegally paid away £3OO, his property, and he claims that, together with interest and a large sum for special damages, amounting in all to many thousands of pounds. Whatever moral claims he may have it seems he has no legal claim, for he cannot get to trial with his case. He has now appeared before every Supreme Court Judge in the colony, and the decision of all is alike, that his claim is bad in law. Mr Justice Richmond was the ouiy Judge who had not heard the case, and the matter had been hung up for some months pending his Honor’s return to Wellington. Yesterday he was forced to take the same views as those expressed by Chief Justice Prendeigast, Judges Johnston, Williams, and Gillies. Mr. Baucke, it may be stated, always appears in person. The No. 1 Company of the Wellington Volunteer Fire Brigade met for practice ,at Ingestre-street last night at about 7.30. There was a good muster under Captain Wilson, and the usual evolutions were gone through. A large number of the fire police, under Captain Asher, were present and joined in the practice. We see by advertisement that the brigade notify the whole of their own apparatus for sale, also a quantity of helmets, belts, axes, &e., to arrive per Wave Queen in April next. We can hardly believe that the citizens will allow any such sale to take place. It is evident from the advertisement that the brigades have not met with the support which even self-interest should prompt the dwellers in a wooden town to accord to a volunteer fireman. The men are subject to much personal inconvenience at times, aud were twice roused out of bed last week by false alarms. These things should be taken into consideration by the townspeople, and it the City Council does not see its way to rendering monetary assistance, surely private subscriptions sufficient to keep the appliances up to the mark, and to furnish a supply of uniforms for the men, will be forthcoming. It will be a disgrace to the city if this is not done. The following is the report of the Public Works Committee, to be submitted at the usual fortnightly meeting this evening :—The committee beg to report as under—l. That they see no necessity for other telegraphic communication between the various fire brigade stations than at present exists ; that as regards an additional watchman, they consider that the present arrangement had better be tried for a twelvemonth ; aud that in the present state of the finances they cannot recommend any further grant to any of the fire brigades for uniforms or other purposes. 2. That the applications from the residents in Mojoribank-street and the neighborhood of Russell-terrace, for expenditure in their localities, must stand over tor the present, for financial reasons. 3. That as there aopears to be a difference of opinion amongst the residents as to tho necessity for altering the levels of Piriestreet, the matter had better remain in abeyance for the present. 4. That they are of opinion that Mr. J. 0. Crawford’s claim for compensation cannot be entertained. The committee beg further to recommend—s. That Mr. William Miller’s claim for interest (£2O) on the award recently made in his favor be allowed. 6. That Dr. Bailer’s application for leave to form a new private street, 40 feet wide, to be termed street, be acceded to. 7. That accounts amounting to £594 os. 2d. be passed for payment. Mr. Wooloock, M.H.R., interviewed the Minister for Public Works yesterday forenoon, with a view to urging upon him the immediate construction of the Cobden Bridge, which has been long promised and provision made for its construction. It had been suggested by other parties that the money might be spent elsewhere in the Grey Valley district to greater public advantage, but the feeling there is strongly in favor of the funds being devoted to the construction of the bridge. It was with the object of impressing this desire upon the Minister for Public Works that Mr. Woolcock waited on that gentleman yesterday. The Hon. Mr. Macaudrew assured Mr. Woolcock that the matter would receive instant attention, and be decided in Cabinet the same afternoon. We understand yiat no definite reply was given to Mr. Woolcock’s request yesterday, but any decision which may be come to will be forwarded to that gentleman at once. The only business at tho Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday was the disposal of one inebriate aud the discharging a person who had been charged with supposed lunacy. Mr. Mansford remarked that the attention of the Government ought to be called to cases like the present one. It was not right that the country should be put to so much expense through persons who were arrested tor temporary insanity which was brought on solely through intemperance. He considered persons so charged should be made to defray the expenses incurred. A meeting of the council of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held yesterday. Present—Mr. T. Kirk, president (in the chair), Drs. Buller, Newman, Skae, aud Messrs. Chapman, Roua-Marteu, and Gore (secretary and treasurer).. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been confirmed, the following new members were elected :—Mr. G. Beetham, M.H.R., Mr. D. M. Luckie, and Dr. Kemp. A draft report on the affairs of the society during the past year was submitted and approved, for presentation at the annual meeting, which was fixed for Saturday, the Ist March next. Several accounts were passed, after which the council proceeded, in conformity with the rules of the society, to prepare a list of office-bearers for the current year, to be submitted to and subject to the approval of the annual meeting. The following gentlemen were nominated ;—President, Dr. Newman ; Vice-presidents, Dr. Hector and Mr. Martin Chapman ; Council Dr. Buller, Messrs. C. Rous-Marten, P, W. Frankland, S. H. Cox, W. T. L. Travers, T. Kirk, and the Hon. Randall Johnson ; secretary and treasurer, Mr. R. B. Gore ; auditor, Mr. Arthur Baker. It may be stated that three of the gentlemen nominated to seats in the council are entirely new to office, viz., Messrs. Cox, Johnson, aud Frankland. The retiring members are Mr. Oarruthers (who has left the colony), Mr. J. 0. Crawford (who is about to leave), and Dr. Skae. The last-named gentleman was pressed to stand again, but he declined to be nominated, because of the pressure of official business on his time, his frequent visits to other parts of the colony, aud his nonresidence in the city.

In another column we give a digest of some farther information yesterday received by the Secretary of the New Zealand Commission in connection with the Sydney Exhibition. Now that this information has arrived, the commissioners will be able to do a little practical work. Dr. Hector, the chairman of the commission, will arrive from Auckland about the beginning of next week, and a meeting of the commissioners will then immediately be held. In this connection it may be mentioned that we were in error in stating that certain regulations had been issued by the commissioners. The regulations which we published had only been drafted by the secretary, and await consideration and adoption. Probably, however, they will be adopted in a modified form; still they got into the newspaper columns owing to a mistake. Very cordial offers of support are coming in from all parts of the colony.

It is stated in the Pleasant Creek News that on the 2Sth ult., an estate of 940 acres at Eupanyup was sold for £2 15s. per acre, and that “12 months since, the same land, which is some of the best in the district, would have fetched at least £1 per acre.”

The s.a. Hinemoa will leave for Akaroa and Cape Saunders to-day on lighthouse service. A special meeting of the Hutt County Council will be held to-day.

The mails by the Albion were brought on here by the Government steamer Hinemoa yesterday morning. A supplement to the Gazette was issued yesterday, which proclaims the 27th and 23th inst. bank half-holidays in Dunedin. The judgment in connection with the collision between the steamers Hnia and Go-Ahead will be found in our shipping columns. The Hon. Messrs. Ballance and Stout arrived from the South by the Hinemoa yesterday.

A woman named Mary Aim Hatton was locked up last night for being of unsound mind.

Telegraphic communication with stations south of Christchurch was interrupted yesterday through the floods. Exertions are being made to restore the lines to working order. There was a full meeting of the Cabinet yesterday afternoon, all the members being present with the exception of the Hon. Mr. Fisher.

The position of the Hyderabad is now not so had. She has been shifted fully a point, and hopes are yet entertained of floating her

The business on the order paper for this night’s meeting of the City Council comprises the confirmation of Pirie-street levels, report of Public Works Committee, aud the passing of some accounts.

A private telegram from Greymouth states that public feeling is asserting itself in opposition to the action of the Chairman of the Grey County Council rc the Cobden bridge, aud a long telegraphic communication to that effect has been forwarded to the Minister for Public Works.

The marriage of Dr. Newman and Miss Featberston, daughter of the late Dr. Featherston, is fixed to come off with unusual eclat at St. Paul’s Church at noon to-day. The wedding breakfast will be held at the residence of Mr. O. Johnston, and there will be a ball in the evening. Mr. Curtis, M.H.R., aud Mr. Sheppard, ex M.H.R., have come to Wellington with a view to urging on the Minister for Public Works the extension of the railway from Foxhill, in accordance with the arrangement come to last session. They will accordingly hold an interview with the Hon. Mr. Macaudrew at 11 a.m. to-day. Messrs. Wooloock and Reeves, representatives of the Grey Valley District, have been asked by the Inangahua County Council to wait upon the Minister for Public Works to endeavor to obtain a subsidy for main roads. These are over 100 miles in length, and the Council assert that they cost more than half their revenue to maintain them. The roads are reported to be in a very bad state, and it is said that something must be done. The abovenamed gentlemen intend, therefore, to lose no time in the matter, but to make representations on the subject to the Minister to-day. Mr. luglis’ lecture last night drew a really crowded house. Both upstairs and down the seats were all filled, and we are glad to find that Wellington people appreciate the really good entertainment provided by Mr. Inglis. His description of Burns, both as a poet and as a man, was truthful and accurate, and the sketch of his character was evidently drawn by a loving hand, and by one who thoroughly appreciates the many and varied beauties of the great Scottish poet’s songs. The lecture was very well received, aud the audience was kept both attentive aud good-humored throughout the evening. The grand peroration at the end, depicting the future of the colonies, as a piece of descriptive word-painting in vivid and glowing language has seldom been equalled, and it drew forth a burst of applause. Mr. Inglis explained that owing to a letter he had received from Melbourne that day, he would be unable to extend his travels further north than Wellington. In fact, he will be obliged to return from Wellington to Ballarat direct. Wellington people may be glad to hear that iu consequence Mr. Inglis will he able to deliver another lecture here next Monday night. Our Chinese letter contains two noteworthy items. A remarkable instance is quoted of filial piety ou the part of a boy whose mother had long been sick, and had a craving for animal food. Her children were unable from poverty to supply her with meat, and the boy in question cut off a piece of flesh from his arm, made it into soup, and effected a cure. The Chinese Emperor has rewarded and commended the boy. There appears to be a likelihood of Chinaassisting the British forces it Russiashould take up arms in aid of her Afghan allies ; because some of the Chinese provinces iu Central Asia have been occupied by the Russian forces, and China would fain wrest them from her grasp. Archdeacon Inues at a Wesleyan tea-meet-ing at Hamilton said:—People tell me they are getting “full” of tea-meetings, and I fear the reason is because ministers of religion often make such great fools of themselves on these occasions. We talk so much twaddle that one would think the tea got into our heads ! A gentleman who on a Sunday carefully prepares a sermon to deliver to his ordinary congregation, accepts an invitation .to address double the number of people at one of these gatherings, and he begins by saying, “ Ladies and gentlemen, I have not prepared a speech I” That is surely not a compliment to the company I Moreover, some of the anecdotes related at times are simply imbecile. We must make our tea-meeting speeches more manly, and take more pains in their preparation, and especially have a care that our anecdotes are truthful. I daresay that you are aware that a good deal has been written lately about ray criticism of the religious newspapers. Do not for a moment suppose that I stated any objection to the grand old Christian doctrines which I believe are fairly set forth iu these publications. When I asserted that the religious newspapers do not take impartial views of truth, aud that they are to be mistrusted, I was referring to politics, and to politics alone. And I conceive it to be a highly dangerous experiment to allow the central truths of the faith we hold so dear, to be set in a framework of such biassed political partizanship, and such weak little “goody” stories, that the hard-headed world begins to laugh at us as weaktnolly-ooddlings fed on literary pap. As an instance of unmanly credulity, I need go no further hack than to the last number but one of a Melbourne religious paper.

The Smythesdale correspondent of the Ballarat Star writes “ I know of property which the present owner paid £IOO,OOO for some years ago, and since then he has expended £30,000 on improvements. He would now take £90,000 for the whole. The owner of 80 acres, securely fenced in with posts and three rails, adjoining the property of a landed proprietor, recently offered it for sale to the ‘ big man’ at £2 10s. per acre. The reply was that he would not have it at a gift. This land is near Haddon. At or near Cape Clear a farm of over 100 acres, fenced and improved, was offered to another ‘ big man' at £2 per acre, as it was quite ‘ handy’ to his property. A shrug of the shoulders was the response.”

The city treasurer of the Sydney Corporations gives the following statement of the liabilities of the city up to 31st December, 1873: —City fund account £103,736 25.; water fund do., £334,954 17s. 4d.; sewerage fund do.. £477,011 4s. 5d.; Sydney Common do., £34,660 3a. Bd.; Prince Alfred fund do., £18,492 Os. 2d.; total liabilities, £968,854 7s. 7d.; to credit of sinking fund, at Union Bank, £17,836 Us. 6d.; net liabilities, £951,017 16s. Id. The liabilities here stated are the actual amounts owing by the Corporation at the end of last year; and as a set-off against them they have all the water and sewerage works and all the city property. Letters patent were granted by the AttorneyGeneral of Victoria on the 31st ult. to Paul Jablochkoff, of Paris, engineer, for his improvements in electric lamps, and in arrangements connected therewith for dividing and distributing the electric light. Electric lamps, says the Argus as usually constructed, have the carbon points placed end to end, and mechanism is provided for the purpose of maintaining them at a suitable distance from each other as they are consumed, but by this invention all such mechanism is dispensed with, the carbon sticks being placed parallel to each other, and the material in which they are embedded being consumed simultaneously with the carbon. The light can also be colored, divided, and varied. Letters patent were also "■ranted at the same time to Kennard Knott, of London, for two inventions concerning the preparation of and subsequent preservation of meat. In order to prepare the meat, for preservation it is first subjected to a temperature of about 50deg. Fahrenheit for six hours, and then reduced gradually to 30deg., at which point it is kept in a pure dry atmosphere, special provision being made for the preservation of a current of pure dry ah - at this temperature. An application by Messrs. Denny and

Roberts, of Bathurst, for letters patent for an invention for grinding quartz and other tailings, and amalgamating the gold extracted therefrom, was granted with certain restrictions. Mr. Waters conducted the first three cases, aud Mr. Kingston the last. Many of the sailors who recently went out on strike in New South Wales are said to have been clad in clothing manufactured by the Chinese —i e , by the same cheap labor which the seamen declined to compete with on equal terms. The ready-made clothiers might well protest. ______________