Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5635, 22 April 1879, Page 2

A poll of the ratepayers jo connection with the proposal to raise a loan of £IOO,OOO for the purpose of street making will be held to-day. In accordance with the Act, there will be only one polling booth, and that has been fixed by the Returning Officer at the AthenEeum. The voting will be on the cumulative principle, five votes being the maximum; and a special roll being made up from the rolls of the four ward?. The poll will open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Native matters have so completely engrossed attention lately that the West Coast railway seems to have fallen out of recollection. It would, be very gratifying to know when the line is going to be started, and how much of the vote taken for the purpose last session remains in the Treasury, It is much to be feared that the Wellington folks are being completely fooled by the Minister for Public Works over this line, and it would scarcely be rash to prophesy that the first sod will not be turned while the present Ministry hold office. The Welliington portion of the Stad Haarlem immigrants are being pretty well distributed. Yesterday several lots were despatched to Wanganui, Taranaki, Nelson, and Blenheim. This will leave very few in Wellington, and no doubt those remaining will soon find engagements, although in consequence of the general depression prevalent the labor market is not so brisk as it was.

If the Jackson Bay settlers who have recently arrived in Wellington, and some of whom are being transported up-country at Government expense, are a fair sample of the population at that interesting settlement, past failure may he easily explained without reference to good or bad management. A Jackson Bay family, consisting of man and wife and three children, arrived at Featherston (writes a correspondent) by Wednesday morning’s train, and certainly presented a most woebegone appearance. : 'Every linament of the man’s face incUcateddespairandutteraSandonas to the future. He was small, weakly, illclothed, and being a foreigner could neither understand nor make himself understood. The children,. ’ dirty;, shoeless, and. hatless, were pitiable objects, and the mothrr, who carried the luggage of the party in a hat box, was not more happy in appearance. The local policeman produced a requisition for seats In the coach for the family to Masterton, but the immigrants by some means made known their intention to go only as far as Greytown, when it transpired that owing to a mistake the wrong requisition had come to hand—that it was another family, expected by the next train, who were to go to Masterton. After a protracted argument the coach driver and the constable settled the matter, and the little party were sent off to Greytown, Arrived here they quietly sat down in the road and meditated for a while, and as night closed in they were seen huddled around a public house door. The Wellington fish market is becoming a little better .supplied of late, but still the demand is far in excess of the supply. The cutter Lena yesterday came into harbor with the fruits of a most successful haul. There was an immense quantity of fish on board, ranging from soles and flounders np to immense hapuka. Sales were readily made by the lucky fishermen, and the prices ruled exceedingly high. The Wellington Ijaw Students Society will hold its second meeting this eyening at the K.M. Court House, at 8 o’clock, when Mr. Chapman will deliver a lecture, ,

The special jury case, Trustees of Ranson v. Opera House Company, will be taken at the Supreme Court to-day.

We understand that Mr. Forwood, solicitor, is to be appointed the second Magistrate for Wellington. A tea meeting in connection with the Wesleyan Sunday-school will take place this evening In the Dlxon-street school-room. The inquest on the body of Mr. R. Duncan’s son, who died through the effects of the gunshot in his arm, will be held to day at eleven o’clock. Sir. Fisher characterised some members of the City Council as “ high-flyers” last night at the meeting of ratepayers held at Thorndon. He gave It as his opinion that If those gentlemen were allowed to have their own way they would get the city into a great financial difficulty. A meeting of the Wellington Naval Brigade was held in the Central Fire Brigade com-mittee-room last night, when Mr. Johnston was duly sworn in as captain. The newly appointed captain then thanked the members for the honor accorded to him, and hoped that the brigade would be a success. Dr. Direr was elected honorary surgeon to the brigade. Matters in connection with the proposed Harbor Board seem to remain in abeyance just now. Possibly something further may be heard at the next meeting of the City Council. At any rate, time should not be allowed to pass unprofitably. If successful action is to be taken next sessisn there is not a moment to be lost, and it is to be hoped that the chief difficulty—the difference between the Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce—having been got rid of, the project will not be allowed to fall through for want of prosecution. The following are the new postal regulations which have lately come into force :—Letters posted within the colony, having the names and addresses of the senders printed on the address side of the envelopes, will, if not claimed within one month, be returned unopened to the senders, through chief postmasters, Letters posted within the colony, having the names and addresses of the senders printed on the address side of the envelopes, accompanied by a request that the letters be returned if not claimed within a stated period, will also be returned unopened. Provided, however, snch letters shall have remained in the post office to which they may be addressed at least ten days. Letters, however, which do not bear on the envelopes any printed endorsement as above described will be treated in accordance with the existing regulations for the disposal of unclaimed letters.

The only case set down for hearing at the Supreme Court yesterday was that of Carkeek v. Williams, an action to recover £3OO as damages for a libel. Hr. Travers appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr, Bell and Mr. Fitzgerald for the defendant. Mr. Travers applied for an adjournment on the grounds that a material witness was not in attendance. Mr. Bell objected to an adjournment, and his Honor expressed an opinion that the case should be proceeded with. Mr. Travers said it was impossible to go on, and he would withdraw the record and pay the costs of the day. The case wiU probably be heard at the next Circuit Court.

At the meeting of ratepayers which took place at the Princess Theatre Hotel last night, Councillor Maginnity, in referring to the unnecessarily large staff of officers under the City Engineer, said that some short time ago it was suggested, and ultimately resolved, that a map of the city should be obtained and hung up in the Council Chamber for the guidance of Councillors, He had lately noticed some person making this map, and from information which ho had received, it would take this said individual just three years to complete the map, and considering that he was receiving one guineas day the map would be a rather expensive one. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Featherston yesterday, before Mr. 'Wardell, R.M., the absconder Wordsell was charged with stealing £4O. It appeared from the evidence that the accused had been engaged at Masterton in Mr. Mason’s chemist’s shop as assistant. Last week Mr. Mason noticed that his cash-box had been emptied, and after subsequent inquiry ascertained that a £2O-note had been left in the prisoner’s hands for a third party by Dr. Harding. Prisoner made a most extraordinary statement in Court, and produced several religious books, from which he quoted several abstracts. He admitted his guilt, but said he was very sorry. Mr. Wardell committed him to take his trial ,at the next sittings of the Supreme Court. The Dunedin Morning Herald says :—“ A train on fire is happily a rarity in this colony, bnt a case occurred on Monday last which has been kept very quiet. The train leaving Waikoualti for Dunedin on Easter Monday (a day when a large number of passengers might reasonably have been expected) at 3.35 p.m. was full to crowding then, and yet hundreds had to be picked up on the line as it came on. Ho provision had been made for an extra number of passengers, though the authorities must have known from the number of return tickets issued that they would be awaiting transit. A dozen on each platform of a carriage, the seats crowded, and as many standing between as could find footroom was the state, when suddenly a cry of fire was raised, and it was discovered that a heated axle had fired the woodwork. Cries, yells, whistles, shrieks failed to attract either the guard or the engine-driver, but providentially some workmen on the line saw the danger, and by them the driver was informed by signals. Grease and slackened speed eventually did all that was required.” The Otago Daily Times says :—“ There is a great pressure of business on our railways, and the department has all it can do to prevent a block, owing to the insufficiency of station accommodation. Temporary provision, however, is being made, and, although the lines are covered with loaded trucks all the week, there is not much reason to fear that any serious delay in the delivery of goods will take place. The additional sidings which are being laid down between Crawfurd-street and the Harbor Board offices are approaching completion, and before long some of them will be used, and the discharge of the trucks will thereby be greatly facilitated."

Mr. R. Hall, of Tairoa (says the Thames Advertiser) has in his possession a curiosity in the shape of a piece of clear kauri gum, with a leaf of beautiful gold in the centre. The lump was found amongst some bags of gum which that gentleman had purchased, and how the gold came to be embedded in it is a complete mystery.

The Lyttelton Times says : —ln addition to the resignation of the Christchurch contingent e£ the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry, the band and Rangiora contingents have also forwarded their resignations to the officer commanding the district. A telegram has been received from Ashburton saying that contingent will resign to a man, and the resignation of the Ellesmere contingent is expected to arrive daily. Prospecting continues to be carried en at . Wetherstones in the claims Vfe\Tuapeha Times) have from time to time mentioned. The Black Horse Company’s main shaft is down 196 ft. without any more favorable change in the character of the stuff.—The Derry Wails contractors are making good progress with their work, having reached a depth of about 250 ft, without striking nny blue cement.—The Homeward Bound are down 127 ft. They have had the blue esment for a good distance.—The Dauntless have got to a depth of 60 feet with their new shaft, andare pretty free from water. The Tuapaka are still driving up the reef and continue to get good prospects. We expect this will be the next company to erect machinery after the- Premier. The reef applied for by Messrs. Stovry and Arbuckle on the hill behind the Young Ireland claim looks extremely well. The men who were employed to drive for the reef at a lower level succeeded in cutting it a few days ago. They are now taking out some very likely atone. The patents lately granted in Germany for inventions in connection with the art of war includes one for a range-finder, by which distances can be ascertained without the necessity of measuring a base. The instrument consists of a telescope, in which are arranged three wires, two vertical and one horizontal; the two former being adjusted very accurately at a certain distance apart. The telescope rests in a stand, the tower part of which moves round a horizontal table. When it is required to measure the distance of an object the tele r scope is directed upon the latter so that the left hand wire exactly cuts or coincides with some well:defined part of it, this particular portion of the distant object being also brought into the neighborhood of the horizontal wire. The telescope is then turned with its stand until the right hand wire cuts the same part of the object. The greater the distance of the latter the larger will be the amount of displacement which it will be necessary to give the telescope, and this being shown by the movement of the stand on the horizontal table, the distance can be read off from a scale marked pa ths lattpr.

A person named Mr. Scott made a complaint before the Resident Magistrate yesterday to the following effect ;—Some short time ago he obtained judgment by confession for £lB 135., and afterwards took out an execution warrant, when a bailiff was placed in possession of defendant’s premises. Three days afterwards Mr. Baker, the Clerk of the Court (according to Mr. Scott’s statement), instructed the bailiff to withdraw, and consequently he (Mr. Scott) has lost his money. Kis Worship said that if Mr. Scott had sustained any loss through Mr. Baker’s action in the matter, he should give him a month’s notice and sue him for such loss. Mr. Scott thanked his Worship for the suggestion, and intimated that he intended to write to the Minister of Justice, adding that he never heard of a public officer doing such a contemptible piece of trickery. From Dunedin we hear that the dispute between the Kaitangata Coal Company an 1 the colliers has been settled amicably, and the men resumed work on the 17th. Other hands have joined in addition to those who had stopped work, and there are still openings for more.

The will of Miss Lisotta Rist, late of Forest Lane, near Stratford, Essex, has just been proved, the personal estate being sworn under £ISOO. The testator provides for the purchase of gravel and sand, to be applied in gravelling or sanding, when certain roadways in the City and East End shall be slippery, to enable horses or other animals to better keep their footing. The Dunedin Morning Herald says ; —“ Mr. Dornwell, butcher, George-street, had exposed at his shop door last evening what is believed to be, perhaps, the largest sheep ever killed in Dunedin. The ewe in question was reared by Messrs, Smellie and Young, of Mosgiel, and the carcase weighed no less than 2141b5., being about 13in. thick between the shoulders, and fin. over the ribs.”

A Dunedin paper says : —“ A description of gas stove, the invention of Mr. Thomas H. Davidson, the City Gas Inspector, has just been patented by him. The stand, stove, and pipe form a portable construction, three and a half feet in height, and six inches in diameter. The draught from the stove is not carried outside the room, but escapes from the pipe into the room in which the stove is placed. There is none of the smell usually found in a room where gas is being consumed, and it is claimed that the draught and the way in which the air is supplied to the gas are such that the whole of the gas is consumed, and that the heated air contains no noxious vapors. Mr. Davidson has been perfecting his invention for some months past, and he claims for it that it will give double as much heat as any other gas stove having the same maximum consumption, namely, five feet per hour, being the amount consumed by a standard burner.” The Queen’s Birthday Company at Dunolly is something like a mine. The last fortnightly return is 6970 z. With 6450 z. already in hand, the directors (says the Bendigo Independent ) will be able to declare a dividend for the month of 15s. per share, equal on the 6000 shares to £4500. This added to the immense sums already paid, makes since the reef (between 200 ft. and 400 ft.) was first struck, an amount of about £23 per share, or £138,000 for eighteen 'months’ work. The shares' are now worth say £l3 at the lowest calculation, so that besides the dividends already banked the shareholders, if they like to go into the market, can exchange for another sum of £78,000 in cash. The mine is in the hands of comparatively few holders. _ The largest interests are held locally,’next in Ballarat, a few in Melbourne, and, it is believed, none in Sandhurst, though many months ago the leading speculators there paid the mine some attention, but, unfortunately, were afraid to invest. Two years ago thousands were forfeited and sold for non-payment for half-a-crown call.

The Adelaide correspondent of the Argus writes -.—The lighting of the city by kerosene instead of gas .is turning out to be a huge failure. It is well nigh a mouth since the gas contract was determined, and we are still in a state of semi-darkness. Not one half of .the lamps are lit as yet, and with these our expo - rience would be ludicrous were it not humiliating. Every night lights go out, lamps burst, or glasses break, while the light itself, except for the first hour or so, is wretchedly dim. The Town Clerk, in his desire to follow the lead of a majority of th e Council, and silence all objection to the new P* au °f illuminating the metropolis, said Upon a recent occasion the Corporation could, if necessary, have a man at every lamp-post to see that the light was all right. This, it seems to me, will be absolutely necessary if the contract is continued. I fancy, however, that the general disgust is becoming so pronounced that Devoe’s brilliant will soon be a sorry memorial of municipal imbecility.

A new variety of fern has been discovered in the neighborhood of Dunedin by Mr. West, the well known plant propagator. He discovered a large plant, which ho divided into three, and fortunately found a number of fertile fronds. All who have seen it pronounce it a new variety. Mr. Arthur Beverley says of it:—“A curious variety of lomaria fluviati has been found by Mr. West, in the employ of Law, Somner, and Co., seedsmen. The usual form of this fern is simply pinnate, consisting of fronds having twe rows of roundish pinnules. In the new form the rachis or midrib branches repeatedly towards the extremity, so that each frond terminates in a tuft of foliage. The fertile fronds also show a tendency to branch, which seems to indicate that the variety may become permanent under cultivation. Proliferous varieties frequently occur amongst British ferns, particularly when grown in soil containing a superabundance of the particular food which they require. They bear a similar relation to the normal state that double flowers bear to single ones. This is, perhaps, the first lomaria which has been observed sporting in this way.” Referring to the recent Volunteer demonstration, the Southland News says :—“On the ground where the sham fight took place, the field of review, and throughout the town, numerous incidents, generally of an amusing nature, took place, which, if taken note of by a diligent annalist, might be ‘worked into’ a readable narrative,, but for the most part they are likely to be lost in oblivion, or remembered merely as traditions. One or two sketches of' that nature have already found their way into the durable form of print, as for example the burial of the round of beef; and more are likely yet to crop out. Regarding the military fune.ral, .it is reported that the exraordinary pro-' ceedings had the desired effect. A hint so very broad could not fail to be taken by Boniface, who mended the fare so far that his military boarders assembled before their final departure and gave him three hearty cheers. ‘ Mine Host ’ of another hotel was also so unfortunate as to fail to please, and soon they took the management into their own hands. His shortcomings were not in the matter of victuals ; no fault was found with the provender, but in the opinion of his visitors the bar was very inadequately attended to, and liquor was not dispensed fast enough. Accord ingly, the culprits placed two or three of their number in office; they soon made the liquor fly round in a way that would have made a professional bar-tender stare. Although the same corps are charged with having ignored the rights of property elsewhere, to its credit be it said that while they took charge of that bar they duly accounted for every sixpence taken. A column or two might be filled with ‘incidents,’ but these must suffice. Happily there was very little of a really unpleasant nature, and, considering the enormous number suddenly brought together in a semi-holiday spirit, this is saying very much for the good conduct of all.”

The following is the description (says the Sydney Mail) of the design for the medal accepted by the Commission of the International Exhibition : Obverse, by Mr. S. Be gg : The central, figure ; represents New South Wales,as a young woman, standing, and holding in her right band a laurel wreath, while, with her left hand, she supports a shield bearing the Australian arms. Implements of art and science lie at her feet. In the background is the Exhibition building. .In the foreground, water, emblematic of the geographical position of the colony. The motto, Orta rccens quam pura niies," which is exceedingly elegant and apposite, besides having the merit of brevityaud originality, is by Dr. Badham, and suggests that, though New South Wales has only recently appeared above the horizon, she already shines with the pure light and lustre of a beautiful star. The body of the design is surrounded by an ornamental border, upon which are four stars representing the Southern Cross, containing designs emblematic of the principal industries of the colony, viz., the goldminihg, the manufacturing, the agricultural, and the pastoral. The Reverse : A wreath of native flowers, designed by' Mr. William W. Sayers, of Newcastle, New South Wales, consisting of the waratah, the native rose, the Christmas bells or Blandifordia, fivecorners, the wattle or acacia blosssom, Sturt’s desert pea, the cabbage palm leaf, and the grass tree. The ornamental border and the inscription, “ Sydney International Exhibition, 1879,” are the design of Mr. S. Begg,

The Lyttdton Times says that the two engines ex Piako have turned out not to be as much damaged as expected, and are now being erected in the railway workshops. It is -atisfactory to know, now that the engine power is so much wanted on the linos, that these engines will be ready for running in about ten days. It has been the fashion for some of our newspapers (a correspondent of an English paper, writes) to speak of the Ameer Shere Ali as » man led away by his evil genius into a course of conduct at variance with his own perception of what should be dictated by self-interest. A sort of madness, it is said, which possessed him will alone explain his presumption and folly in quarreling with the neighbors whose power ho was so well acquainted with and bo fully appreciated. It is, however, by no means so certain that Shere Ali had really formed the estimate «f us which we have been pleased to attribute to him. On the contrary, a wellknown British officer, now dead, who was in constant attendance on him during his visit to Xlmballa, and with whom ho was unusually frank, declared that the Ameer used to amuse himself on his travels by poking fun at everything English, constantly making invidious comparisons between his own stalwart Afghans and our Sepoys, and declaring that the 83rd Highlanders were the only troops he had seen on h ; s tour which were worth looking at. He could speak English well, having learned it when a prisoner at Loodiana, but was ashamed of this accomplishment. Yet, notwithstanding these prejudices, he struck everyone as being a remarkably shrewd and intelligent man. So far our correspondent. The opinions of a semi-barbarous chief like the ruler of Oabul may not be regarded as authoritative, and our good or bad qualities will not be increased by his criticism ; still, if- this account be correct —and we have no reason to doubt its accuracy —it is quite possible that the contempt which Shere Ali felt, or professed for us, may have had some share in influencing his recent conduct.

The King of Spain, says an English paper, who before his accession to the throne was a student at Sandhurst, is reported to be unremitting in his exertions to raise the standard of professional knowledge among the officers of his army. Some time ago conferences or meetings, at which papers on various military subjects are read, were ordered to be held periodically in every regiment of the active army ; and now, by a recently issued decree, courses of instruction very similar to the garrison courses of instruction in our own army have been established in each of the fourteen military districts into which Spain is divided. Two of these courses are to be given every year in each district ; the one continuing from the Ist of February to the 30th of June, and the other from the Ist of September to the end of January. The course is to be superintended by a brigadier-general or staff officer, and the instruction is to be given by staff officers or captains chosen from among those quartered in a military district. Two or three captains or subaltern officers from each regiment of cavalry or infantry stationed in the district will be ordered to attend each class, and a lieutenant from each reserve battallion may also be granted permission to join. At the end of each course an examination will be held ; and those officers who pass satisfactorily will, if they belong to the infantry, be transferred to rifle battalions, or, if they are in the cavalry, to regiments of hussars or mounted rifles ; and in both arms of the service will be appointed adjutants as vacancies occur. The course of instruction in each class will comprise the elements of geometry, topography, field fortification, and military art, history, and geography. A contributor of “ Gossip” to the Bendigo Independent writes as follows I. see that the Government have raised the reward for the capture of the Kellys to £IOOO, and not a moment too soon, as they have been spending the enormous sum of £2OOO per week over the search for them since it began. They, have now spent over £20,000 ! Truly Ned Kelly has been a trouble. Some of the sharp ones have a project on foot which, though'indecent, will no doubt pay well. It is to bring Ned Kelly’s sister, Kate, to Melbourne, and to make her a barmaid ! Heaven save the wretched girl from such a fate ! It will be remembered that the paramour of Bertrand, who was condemned for the murder of Mr. Kinder, was got up in New Zealand as a barmaid, and made the fortune of a Hokitika hotel. 1 refer to Mrs. Kinder.'

Up to the beginning of September the quantity of coffee shipped during the year from Pernambuco to the United States and Europe was about 13,000 tons, despite an unfavorable season. The prospects for the coming year, The Times remarks, are very good, and it is calculated that not less than 25,000 tons of coffee will be exported from Central and South America to foreign countries. The Liberian coffee, which is said to be proof against the ravages of the leaf disease, and which will grow at a much lower elevation than the Coffca arahica, is being tried in Guatemala, where, however, it is not much valued. It is said to be inferior to the erdinary coffee grown at an altitude of ; 3000 feet to 5000 feet, as regards both delicacy of aroma and abundance of yield. The population of the United States is about forty-four millions. Last year, according to the report of the Commissioners of Federal Taxes, they smoked two thousand millions of cigars, and, deducting one-half of the population for women and children, this is an average of ninety apiece. The cost is stated to be thirty-eight millions sterling, and to this is to be added three millions more for twenty-five million pound weight used for chewing or pipesmoking. Within the same period, the Commissioners state that a hundred and twenty millions sterling have been spent on intoxicating drinks. A hundred and sixty millions sterling on these two articles alone ! •

Mr. George Thomas will hold an auction sale, at 2 o’clock, this day, of a gentleman's wardrobe and effects, at his malt. Messrs. J. H. Bothuno and Co. will sell by auc’ion at 2 o’clock to-day, on the reclaimed land, -near the premises of Messrs. W. and G Turnbull, a large cargo of kauri timber ex-Fiery Cross,- from the Manakau.