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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5767, 23 September 1879, Page 2

The following notice was forwarded to us from the Telegraph Department yesterday “ The Port Darwin line has been interrupted north of , Government Gums since Sunday." A later notice, however, said that “ Communication was restored at 5.45 p.m. yesterday. The steamers arrived at Batariawith messages yesterday morning. Cable communication was restored between Batavia and Singapore yesterday morning.’ 1 , A rumor has been current for the last day or two to the effect that the Grey Ministry intend to support the candidature of Mr. Bunny for the chairmanship of committees. We cannot bring ourselves to believe that the rumor is true* seeing that Sir G. Grey himself supported the appointment of Mr. Seymour in the following words, only about seven weeks ago : of Mr. Seymour, the member for Wairau, as chairman of committees, and I do so with the most perfect assurance that he will do honor to that position when he is placed in it, I feel entirely confident that he merits the post' to which it is now proposed he should be appointed; and I feel also satisfied that to a large circle of friends, as well as to a very large number of members of this House, his election will be a source of gratification. Personally it will be a great pleasure to me to see him in the chair as chairman of committees, as I am certain he will do credit to that, as he has done to every position he has occupied. Therefore 1 have great pleasure in seconding the nomination of Mr. Seymour.” The Timaru Herald of the 19th instant publishes a list of Government and Opposition members, according to which there are said to be 47 Opposition, 37 Ministerial, and 3 Independent. It is quite likely that our contemporary’s view will be borne out in fact ; but judged simply by their public utterances there arc some names included in the list of Oppositionists, who, eo far as wo know, have never absolutely committed themselves. We may mention Mr. Bunny and Mr. MoOaughan as oases in point. Tainui voted for the Government, but it is quite possible that he may have since seen the error of his ways. There is only a difference of one between our list of Government supporters and the Titnarv. Herald't, as we have preferred to count Sir; George Grey twice over, both at the Thames and at Christchurch, as. the second seat for the Thames may be looked upon as bought and paid for by the illegal Grahamstovm railway. By our telegrams from Christchurch we learu that the rumored invalidity of Mr. Bowen’s election is all a myth. A registration officer has a* perfect right to correct any printed electoral roll if it differs from the revised roll delivered to him by the revising officer. Such corrections must, however, be made by the former before signing and forwarding a correct copy of the new roll to the chief office at the seat of Government. The corrections made by the officer at Kaiapoi were perfectly (legal, and similar corrections might frequently have to be made in other rolls, if a general election again followed ■ closely after the introduction of the new rolls.: If printer’s errors occurred in a roll which had been printed only a few days before an election, it might easily happen that there would’ only be time: to. insert written corrections, which would be quite as valid, if authenticated before publication,'as printers’corrections. A meeting' of stewards of the Racing Club was held at the Empire Hotel last night, and was. well attended, . notwithstanding the wretched state of the weather. Mr. George occupied the chair. The programme for the February meet was gone through, two days racing being arranged for, and liberal prizes being .offered. The propriety of holding a one day’s meet during the Parliamentary session was discussed, but the stewards could not see their way clear to recommend this. It was decided to ask his Excellency the Governor to become patron of the club. The. stewards seemed determined to do all in their power to promote a successful meet in February, and it is to be hoped that their efforts will bo cheerfully seconded by the sporting public, so that there may not be any lack of the necessary funds.

Owing to the extremely wet and boisterous weather which was yesterday experienced, the highly interesting and instructive exhibition now open at St. George's Hall was not patronised as much as would otherwise have been the case, nevertheless two hundred visitors were admitted during the day. The exhibition is well worth a visit, and should the weather prove. more propitious the proprietors may reasonably expect to, do a fair amount of business. It will be continued to-day. This evening a lecture will be given in the Athenaeum Hall by S. Herbert Cox, Esq., F.C.Si, F.G.S, under the auspices of the Wellington Young .Men’s Christian Association. The subject is an exceedingly interesting one, viz., “ Coal —its Origin , and Uses,” and should the weather be line there will no doubt be a good attendance upon the occasion. The following items from the Australian Insurance liccurd of the Sth instant will be read with general interest :—“ There is a report current that a reduction in the rates of deposit interest is imminent. This rumor is certainly premature. The public may, however, rest assured that there are few things that the bank managers would more willingly part w;thal, than the present maximum rates for twelve months’ deposits. Thera is unquestionably good ground for hope that the rates may be lower within the next few months. There is a marked improvement in the value of bank, gas, and insurance shares. The demand for bank and gas stocks, with a scarcity of debentures, points to the presence in the market of an increasing volume of money seeking investment. ’ According to the fn'.uigahv.a, .Herald Mr. Reeves, at a meeting held at Resfton, to the following question gave a decided “Yes.” Are you prepared if elected to sever your connection with the Grey Ministry, and to go into Parliament a thoroughly independent member, allied to po,party ? The parade' of the'Wellington Guards will take place this evening at the Princess Theatre instead of at St. George’s Hall, and a full muster is requested.

It will be seen from our advertising columns that the Postmaster-General invites competitive desians for the new Post and Telegraph Office- 1 , Wellington, which will be receive 1 up to October 31. A premium of £IOO is offered for the first approved design, and £SO for the second. It will he remembered that plans for the.su works were prepared some time ago, but though one was approved at the time it was never £ual!v adopted, probably on the score o expense. The annual report for 1379 of the Postal Department has the following upon this subject, “ Plans have been prepared for new offices at "Wellington. Beyond this nothing has been done. Additional accommodation to meet the increase .1 budn-ss of both the Post Office and Telegraph is urgently required.” A deputation, consisting of Messrs. F.vender, Hylton, Liez, Hibberd, Cattauach, Bovis, Pegrnm, Pratt, and others, members of the Working Men’s Rights League, waited upon the Premier and Minister of Lands yesterday morning to urge the desirableness of providing country lauds for working men to settle on. The deputation was introduced by W. H. Levin, Esq., M.H.R., who stated that the deputation wished to ask the Government to assist them in settling on the waste lands. Mr. Evenden spoke of the difficulties in the way of immigrants making homes for themselves, and said they wanted some assistance from Government to enable parties of them to occupy adjacent sections, which they could assist one another in improving. The Minister of Lands explained the outlines of a Bill, which it was proposed to introduce into Parliament, one object of which was to reduce deferred payments, the minimum being fixed at 30s. It also proposed that the Government should survey lauds in the vicinity of public works and sell them, fixing the terms of payment. By arranging the sale in this way the settlement would be effected as soon as possible. It was also proposed that the size of the sections should vary from a quarter acre to 40 acres, the greater number being 10 acres, to meet the case of men employed on public works, who could spend half their time improving their land. Some of the deputation said this was not what they wanted, but the Premier said when they understood the scheme they would find that it was. The village settlements would be erected along the lines of railway, and ha thought the assistance given by employment on the public works would be a great advantage. Mr. Hibberd and another member of the deputation stated their views at some length, and the former detailed his scheme of asking assistance for the settlers in the shape of timber for their dwellings, a plough, and aco w. Sir George Grey pointed out that this would be impracticable in any schema to be adopted at once. Such assistance would involve a large expenditure requiring a special loan. He hoped to have the Bill brought into force during next summer. Early on Saturday morning a young mau named Harris, son of a settler at Pahautanui, went to the stable for the purpose of saddling a horse, it being his intention to ride into town in. order to be married. Having saddled the horse, he went back to the house to get ready for the wedding, leaving a lantern hanging in the stable. While he was away the horse knocked the lantern dawn with his tail, and the lantern falling amongst some straw set it on fire, the burning straw soon igniting the stable, which was speedily in a blaze. The occupants of the house succeeded in getting the horse out of the stable, but not till the poor animal had been severely burnt on oue side of the body. In addition to these injuries one eye was completely destroyed, and the other severely injured. The stable was burnt to the ground, a cart and a quantity of harness being also lost amongst the ruins. This little incident did not, however, deter the expectant bridegroom from coming into town and having the marriage ceremony duly performed. Mr. Angelo Forrest’s entertainment upon bells, which was announced to come off last night at the Arcade Hall, was postponed till Monday next in consequence of the inclemency of the weather. This concert is in aid of the St. Peter’s bells fund.

The “ Eva ’’ service of song will be repeated by the Evangelistic choir iu the Athenaeum on Tuesday next. The ‘annual general meeting of the City Tramway Company will be held on the Ist prox., the business being to receive report of directors, and to elect directors and auditors. An extraordinary meeting will be held immediately afterwards, when resolutions will be submitted for amending sections 47 and 48 of the regulations for the management of the company.

Considering the wretched state of the weather last evening', there was a very good attendance at the Academy of Music, when “ H.M.S. Pinafore" and “Trial by Jury” were repeated. The same programme will be given this evening for positively the last time, and to-morrow will be produced for the first time “ The Sorcerer.”

The following appears in the Press :—“ In these days of impecuniosity thrice happy are those young gentlemen who get their remittances regularly, or indeed get them at all. There are remittance men who manage to live on their allowance ; there are those who don’t manage to live on it ; but the smallest class of all is that of the young people who try to increase their allowance. It is to be done, though, and this is how Jawkins, a new arrival, made his first attempt in this direction. He insured his life for £2OOO. Then he wrote to his father, informing him of the fact, and telling him that he had made the policy oyer to him, and expressing a hope that' he would for the present, at any rate, pay up the premium ; and then he got a cheque from the insurance agent, with whom he had gone halves in the commission. This young man will get on here.” A young man named William Turley has been charged in Sydney with mutilating a young lady named Agnes Harley, with whom he had been keeping company. From her statement at the Police Court, it appeared that Turley went to see Miss Harley, and had an altercation with her at the door. Miss Harley thus describes what followed :—I heard something rattling in his pocket, which I took to be a revolver, and that instant he opened a razor and held it over my head. I could see that it was a bright instrument, but I did not know what it was. Then he put one hand on my forehead, forcing my head back and my chin up, and he cut my throat. I did not shriek, but I pushed him, and. he fell. I ran as far as the dining-room, and fell with my head on the floor ; and I recollect him cutting me again with the razor. He cut my chin then. I remember it distinctly. The third time he severed my ear. I struggled with him, staggered to my feet, and got into the street. Never saw him after. Am still a patient at the Infirmary, and am going back there now. I have another cut on my arm and one on my breast, which I do not remember receiving. The prisoner was committed for trial.

We are glad to hear (says the Rangkikei Advocate) that animation in the timber trade is making itself apparent. The Makino mill has orders for more than it can do, and has sent away a portion of an order of 20,000 ft. to another mill, asking as a special favor to have it out. Another mill, we hear, has received an order tor 60,000 ft. for Mr. E. Hammond, of York Earm, who is about erecting a new residence. An order for 4000 telegraph poles for the South Island has also been sent to a Manawatu mill, so that altogether the trade is evidently reviving. The timber traffic on the railway is also increasing, and there are not wanting indications of better times and more abundance of money for the townships which flourish or decline according as the timber trade is brisk or dull.

We clip the following from the Wesipn-t Times —we need scarcely say that the speaker referred to is an American : —“At the Liberal Association on Monday night, Mr. J. L. Munson enunciated a doctrine apparently believed in by many of New Zealand’s M.H.K-’s, although perhaps their feelings are not so openly expressed as in the present case. Mr. Munson remarked that people talked of croinv in for * measures not men,’ but he wanted a representative who could sit on a rail, like a ’coon, and always fall, in the nick of time, on the winning side, as by always voting with those who held the purse-strings a member would obtain the greatest benefits for his constituents. Mr. Munson didn't care whether Grey, Eox, Atkinson, or anybody else ruled the colony, so long as the district in which he held a stake received a fair share of the expenditure of borrowed money, and to that end the member for the district should always be with the Ministry.”

The Rangkikd Advocate says:—-“The present road from the Manawatu river to Otaki runs over native land that has not yet been acquired or iu any way legalised. Recently a native woman impounded a horse which had been tethered on the route, and was summoned for illegally impounding. The case was heard at the Poxton Resident Magistrate’s Court, when, after the examination of native witnesses, it came out that the read was really native property, which had never been acquired by the Government.”

A young mau namui Lane John Salmon was arrested vesterdav afternoon by Detective Sullivan, charged with stealing Co 10s., the moneys of S. Cooke. He will be brought up at the K.M. Court this morning. A drunken man was arrested yesterday evening in Willis-street, he having not long before broken one of the windows of Mrs. Elder’s fruit shop. He will be dealt with for drunkenness to-dav.

Th c Taranaki Herald says that Lieutenant Carey, who was with the Prince Imperial when he was shot, is cousin to a gentleman in Napier, and nephew of Colonel Carey, ISth Royal Irish, who distinguished himself against the Maoris at Orakau.

Says the “ Loafer in the Street,” in the Christchurch li ’<tkly Press :—ln connection with the Clanterbury Sunday threepenny donation, a good story comes from a church not very many miles from Christchurch. Four young gentlemen attended divine service*, and discovered that there was only one solitary threepenny bit among the crowd. One of the churchwardens being absent, tbs bag was taken round by a parishioner who, though doubtless a devout Christian, had not that repose of manner which stamps the caste of the Vere do Vere family. On his coming to the quartette above spoken of, the nearest to him dropped in the whole available bullion of the crowd, saying in a stage aside, “That's for the lot of us.” “ And a precious mean lot you must be,” said the temporary collector, “if you can’t part a penny a piece for a seat iu a church like this.’’ Table.au.

The Keilor correspondent of the Bacchus Marsh Express is responsible for the following : —“ A local football-r, after his exertions in a Saturday’s match, repaired like a good Christian on the following day to church, where, in an unlucky moment he yielded to the seductions of Morpheus, and fell fast asleep. Further on in the service those sitting near the sleeper were startled by his making a wild grasp at au imaginary foeraan, at the same time calling in no gentle tones, 1 Keep it in bounds,’ followed up by a quick ‘ mark.’ He failed to catch his opponent, but went remarkably near a young lady in the next seat. A judicious shake from a fellow-worshipper had by this time stopped our footballer’s little game, and brought him to a sense of the situation. Afterwards he, of course, had to undergo considerable chaffing regarding his freak, but ‘Young Australia’ is not easily disconcerted, and his reply was that instead of being obliged to the member of the congregation who had awakened him, he would rather than a good deal have been left for another few minutes, ‘ for,’ said he, ‘ I never had such a splendid opportunity to kick a goal, and, after allowing me to play the game so lung, they might at least have let me had the try for goal.’ ” As au illustration of the extraordinary ignorance prevalent in the mother country of the geography of her southern possessions the following is vouched for by the Melbourne correspondent of the Tablet “ A young gentleman of considerable private means was ordered by his medical adviser a trip to New Zealand. The directions he received on leaving the paternal roof were clear and simple—‘ On arriving at Melbourne proceed at once to Dunedin, the capital of New Zealand. Your journey as far as Brisbane will be upon camels, which have been found the only animals it is possible to employ on account of the sterile country lying between Victoria and New Zealand. Arrived at Brisbane you will proceed by train direct to Dunedin.’ ” "On reaching Melbourne the young gentleman was, as may be imagined, considerably mystified by bis parents’ considerate directions. Allotments of land at Petono are again being offered for private sale by Mr. A. A. Barnett, and there Is a a notice in our advertising columns inviting purchasers to make early application, as there are now very few unsold sections, and many have recently been taken up for building purposes. Mr. Francis Sidey will sell in the Arcade, at 11 a.m. to-day, OBOlots of jewellery.