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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5713, 22 July 1879, Page 2

We understand that the interests of the colony are likely to be placed in the hands of a powerful middle party in the House. The leadership has been offered to, and accepted by Mr. J. E. Brown, and the party already numbers some seven or eight influential members. The most prominent names which have reached ns as yet are those of Messrs. Shrimski, Murray, Turnbull, and two or three others of equally high standing and reputation. It is said that they are only waiting for the accession of a few doubtful members before finally declaring themselves. If this party should grow in numbers and power as it promises and deserves to do, it may become of as much importance in Parliamentary warfare as the Irish vote is in New York municipal elections. We disclaim any intention of making invidious comparisons between the two. Alluding to the general mismanagement displayed by the Government in the establishment of a direct steam mail service, which debate was postponed on a division against the wish, of the Government, Mr. Rolleston alluded to the contradictory nature of the telegrams despatched to the Agent-General. According to the Parliamentary Immigration returns, on February 28 the Premier telegraphed by cable to Sir Julius Vogel :—“ Immigrants.—lncrease number ordered for year by 2000.” On April 8 the Premier sent the following ;—“ Telegram 28th February cancelled. Ship 1000 immigrants—arrive winter months.” The position of the Agent-General is evidently not quite such a sinecure as some of our contemporaries would have us believe.

An important motion, bearing on the entail of property, will be moved by the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, in the Council to-day. It is worded as follows :—“ That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable to provide (1) for the abolition of all laws authorising the eutailment of landed estates ; (2) for the subdivision at death of the estates of landed proprietors ; and that a Select Committee be appointed by ballot to prepare and bring in a Bill in accordance with the above resolution.” Mr. Barton will ask leave to introduce today, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, a Bill to constitute a Harbor Board for the port of Wellington.

There is a large collection of exhibits for the Sydney Exhibition at St. George’s Hall, and the Rotorua took away sixty oases from Otago and Canterbury on her last trip. The time has now expired for sending in local exhibits, and it would be well for those who wish to have their names inserted in the catalogue to lose no farther time. Mr. Callis, the secretary,, will take his departure for Sydney at the end of the present month, and Dr. Hector will probably leave at the same time, or very soon afterwards.

The meeting of the College Governors called for yesterday afternoon lapsed for want of a quorum, the only gentlemen present being Dr. Hector, Rev. Mr. Paterson, and Colonel Leckie, who dispersed after waiting for half an hour to see whether the number would be further increased. The secretary, Mr. O. P. Powles, was requested to communicate with the Government, asking whether any steps had been taken towards placing the sum of £7OOO, as promised, to reimburse the money which had been expended on the building. A resolution was passed by the Governors in May last, and forwarded to the Government, asking whether the amount would be placed on the Estimates, and a favorable reply was then received Naturally enough the Governors now look for its fulfilment.

There was a well-attended meeting of footballers and others interested in the game at the Star Hotel last evening, Mr. E. M. Ollivier being voted to the chair. It was resolved to raise the necessary funds required, if possible, for the purpose of sending a team to play against the Canterbury footballers in Christchurch, and also to play against a Dunedin team, who are expected in the Cathedral City about the same time. A committee of five gentlemen was appointed for the purpose of selecting a trial fifteen of Wellington players, out of which number, combined with those to be chosen from Wanganui, a good representative team will eventually be picked. The meeting was adjourned for a fortnight, when the subscription lists will be laid before those who will then be present. We would call the attention of the special jurors and witnesses who have been summoned to attend the Supreme Court to-day in the cases of Turnbull v. Maysmor and Peters v. Bank of New Zealand to an advertisement in our columns notifying that the oases have been adjourned to Tuesday, the 29th instant, when their attendance will be required at 10 a.m.

The Hinemoa arrived early yesterday morning, and brought another batch of eighteen Maori prisoners, fifteen of them being from Taranaki, and three from Opunake. They were immediately marched to the newly-pro-claimed gaol at Mount Cook, where they were soon provided with a complete set of clothing and other requisites, under the superintendence of Mr. Mackay, Native Commissioner. The newly-arrived prisoners are very quiet and orderly, and submitted to all the regulations without a murmur.

Considering the dull times, Mr. Sidey’s land sale at the Arcade yesterday was very successful. Fifty-three acres in Alfredton were purchased by Mr. Hughes at the rate of £2 4s. per acre ; the Taratahi land having been arranged for before the sale came on. The sections in Vogeltown were sold at £5 ss. each to Mr. Jobberns.

There appears to be but little hope that the boat, with the two Italian fishermen on board, which has been reported missing since Thursday last, has met with an untimely fate. A gentleman, who was a passenger to Wellington by the Rotorua on Friday last, has kindly sent us the following particulars :—“ Observing a local in your issue of to-day expressing fear that another boat accident had occurred, as neither the two Italian fishermen or their boat had been heard of since they left on Thursday, it has occurred to me that possibly some light might be thrown on the matter by my stating that a boat, bottom upwards, floated past the Rotorua on Friday last a little way outside the Heads. I may add that the keel of the boat was painted green, while the other part was yellow.”

Wellington is evidently not adapted to the development of the toy balloon industry. A vendor of these delights of childhood was yesterday walking along the Quay, when several score of the bladders attached to a string were twitched from his hand by an unusually strong blast, and in the twinkling of an eye they were “ o’er the hills and far away.” The owner followed his stock-in-trade for some distance, but had no chance in a race against Wellington wind, and resigned himself to his loss.

As regards the Melbourne Exhibition, the Cabinet had three schemes before them, marked A, B, and C. The first would give an area for the Exhibition of 212,000 ft., the second an area of 543,000 ft., and the third 907,000 ft. The Cabinet decided to discard the schemes A and O and to entertain the other, the carrying out of which the Commissioners estimate will cost, including preliminary expenses, £218,735. The Government, however, are inclined to insist upon a number of deductions even from that amount.

Municipal honors seem to have but little charm in some portions of the colony. Several persons in Masterlon have been asked to come forward to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. T. H. Murray, but as yet not one has come to the front; whilst in Timaru there were no nominations whatever for the four vacant seats in the local Borough Council, which was the second time that the nomination had been advertised without any result.

The action of Lowe v. Macdonald was called on at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday for judgment. This, it will be remembered, was a case arising out of the bankruptcy of J. Back, tobacconist, the defendant having in his possession property which the trustee believed belonged to the estate. Mr. Hansford stated to Mr. Gully yesterday that he would have given judgment then, but during the alterations at the Court House his room had been unroofed, and several days’ free play of rain and wind had somewhat deranged the state of his papers. He had a written judgment prepared, but it was impossible, through the confusion among his documents, to say when it would be delivered. It was, however, substantially in favor of the plaintiff. In consequence of the very heavy fall of snow which took place on the ranges all the Northern wires were interrupted at Kaitoke, and men were busily at work yesterday effecting repairs. One of the wires were working as far as Napier last night, but it was not very satisfactory. There was another large attendance at St. George’s Hall last evening, when the Mammoth Minstrels gave an entire change of programme, and offered to their patrons the best bill of fare they have yet produced. It was from beginning to end bristling with fun, and kept the audience in a continual state of good humor from start to finish. The same programme will be repeated this evening.

There were two narrow escapes from watery graves last night. About eleven o’clock a fireman belonging to the steamer Manawatu, which was lying alongside the wharf, fell into the water, but two of his shipmates came to his assistance, and after some little difficulty managed to get him out. An hour later Mr. Brown, tne night watchman on the wharf, heard screams, and having given the alarm, and taken some life-belts with him, he ran to Mr. Compton’s wharf, where he was joined by a man who, hearing the screams, ran out in his shirt and trousers. The first effort to get the drowning man out proved, futile, as he was unable to hold on to a life-belt that was thrown to him. However, a boat was seon got, and they managed to drag him into it. On being taken to the lock-up, it was found that he was badly injured, and Dr. Kesteven was immediately sent for. On making an examination, the medical gentleman ascertained that a compound fracture of the leg bad been sustained, and an operation had to be performed, and some five pieces of bone taken out. Dr. Kesteven remained with his patient all night, and the leg was bleeding cousiderably up to 2 o’clock this morning. We believe that the unfortunate sufferer is Mr. Locke, native Resident Magistrate in Hawke’s Bay, and it is thought that he must have fallen into the water behind the Evening Post office, as only a portion of the space near the urinal is enclosed with a fence.

The services of the newly-formed volunteer corps, the Wellington Guards, have been accepted by the Government, and a meeting will be held on Wednesday evening at half-past seven, in the Athenreum, for the purpose of swearing in members and electing officers. The Hon. Randall Johnson will preside. There was a good attendance at T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co.’s sale of property yesterday. The following were the prices realised, viz.:—Two cottages in Hollaud-street, built on an allotment of land having a frontage of 25 feet to Holland-street, by a depth of 51 feet; sold to Mr. Edwards, £220. A piece of land fronting King-street, at the rear of the tramway station, on which is erected two cottages; sold to Mr. R. Miller, £3OO. The poll of the ratepayers to decide whether the proposed £16,000 loan for drainage and water supply for the town of Ashburton should be raised, was held on Thursday, and resulted as follows :—For the loan, 97 ; against the loan, 32. The loan will therefore be floated as soon as possible. Mr. Engelmanu, who occupied one of the shops in front of the Imperial Opera House, has just opened in Lambton-quay, next to Mr. G. W. Dutton, bookseller and stationer. The goods are very beautiful, and a display of fans yesterday excited much admiration amongst a number of the fair sex. The meeting of the Wellington Literary Association will not be held to-morrow evening as the musical and dramatic entertainment in aid of the funds will take place on Thursday next, the 21th instant, at 8 o’clock. Carterton has received a temporary addition to its police force, in the person o£ Constable O'Farrel. A new Wesleyan Church, 80 feet long by 50 feet wide, is about to be erected in Greytown. The case of the Queen v. Cooper and Brodie will be taken to-morrow at the Supreme Court, and that of Sinclair v. Daniel on Friday.