The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 87, 1 August 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1876. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

| By an oversight in our account of the | grand oration delivered on .Saturday evening. in connection with th» Municipal elections, we omitted to mention that the gentleman who reported the meeting is not on our fiemuuient start", hut was merely passing through town ami naked us to give him a job. In future when we require the services of any more itinerant Pressmen we must know a little more about them then we did of the gentleman who kindly volunteered his services on that occasion. We would ad viae the residents of the town to he careful as to the locking tip of their premises at night-time, and also refrain from teaving stray articles in their hack yards. It would appear that Oamarn just now is made the scene of the labors of those industrious gentry who select night-time for the picking up oi unconsidered trifles. 11l addition to the daring burglary which we chronicled yesterday, we have been informed that Mr. Hanky, of the White Hart, was favored with a visit on Sunday night. The thieves, after heartily regaling themselves at the larder, which they succeeded in reaching, not being able to secure booty to their liking, determined not to leave empty-lianded, and so they marched off with a tin of kerosene.

Several persons, we understand, have been disturbed by mysterious noises, which no doubt may be accounted for in the attempts of those nocturnal prowlers. We have to acknowledge the receipt of " The Press News " for August. With that number the first half-year closes, aud it must be highly satisfactory to its editor and the profession which it was established to represent, that it lias lost none of the vigour which characterised the start. The matter selected not only possesses interest to Pressmen, but is of such a nature as may be read with pleasure by the public at large. It will be seen from a special telegram winch appears in our shipping column that ' the schooner T. B. Taylor has sailed from Lyttelton, having on board a cargo of railway iron, consigned to Oamaru. The Unicycle Circus Company made their first appearance in Oamaru last night, and were very extensively patronised. The unicycle is an ingenious invention, worked in the same manner as a bicycle, but consisting only of one wheel. On each of the wheels is fixed a chair as well as a saddle, 24 of each ; so that forty-eighty persons can be comfortably carried rouud 011 a grooved rail, forming a circle, a spoke to each wheel keeping it in its proper position, and the whole communicating with a small wheel which revolves round the centre pole of a tent which covers the whole concern. The mcchaniism is extremely simple, and although the speed attained is very great, there docs not appear to be the slightest danger, and the machine [can be instantly pulled up. The company will appear again to-night. The annual meeting of the members of the Oamaru Dramatic Club will take place at the Royal Hotel, this evening, at 8 o'clock. The Bishopric of Waiapu has become vacant through the resignation of the Rev. William Williams, D.C.L., and we ("Times ') learn that the leading clerical and lay mem. bcrs of the Diocese have requested the RevR. L. Stanford, of All Saints', Duuedin, to allow himself to be nominated for the office. We do not know what the reverend gentleman's intention is; but we sincerely trust that his friends will succeed in inducing him to retain his present charge. In his capacity asfa preacher and a minister of religion, the influence of the Rev. Mr. Stanford has been powerfully exercised during the few years in which he has been a member of this community, and he has also proved himself to be an energetic and useful citizen. By his removal to the North, there can be 110 doubt that Dunedin would sustain a loss which it would be difficult to make good. The Diocese of "Waiapu, we believe, includes the Province of Hawkes Bay and the District of Poverty Bay, which is in the Province of Auckland.

The Melbourne correspondent of the "Star" writes : "The breakage of the telegraph to Banjoewangie is being claimed by the American Fenians as a triumph of theirs, and intended to secure the escape of their fellows. The " Age" this morning falls into that trap, and pulls a long face over it ; but the "Telegraph " in a sensible article points out that there has been no proof as yet that the cable has been intentionally cut, and that if it had been, the expense necessary to fit out a ship with grappling apparatus, kc,, to pick up so deep a cable is too great for the Fenians to have undertaken. But there is for the first time in public a recognition of the real danger that we are in through depending for news 011 a cable which a hostile power could sever beforehand, and pour its broadsides upon us before we knew that England was at war." In an article reviewing the Financial Statement, the " Rangitikei Advocate " concludes as follows:—"We believe that when the public works scheme shall have been completed, and the railway system have extended its ramifications to the hills which form the backbone of the islands, thereby enabling its constituent mines of wealth to be developed, New Zealand will be the most prosperous and most wealthy of the British dependencies. We go further: We believe that it would prove true economy in ,the long-run to expedite this desirable consummation, even should another four million loan be required for that purpose."

The following meaeage from the "Star's'' special at Wellington •will be read with interest here : —"Mr. Shrimski's Oamaru Harbour Board Bill asks for 320,000 acres as an endowment, which the House is not at all likely to agree to. If he consents to alter the schedule to 100,000 acres, as the Oamaru Board propose, there 13 some chance of success ; otherwise, the fate of the Bill is sealed."

Young peopleof the present day are going ahead in the matrimonial line. Here is an item from a Californian law court which beats creation, and leaves the precocity of the Melbourne larrikin hopelessly in the rear:—"Yesterday, a girl, thirteen years of age, filed her petition for a divorce vinculo matrimonije. This is somewhat unparalleled in the history of divorces. The pair, owing to the tender years of the girl, and the consequent objections of her parents, went to Tennessee, where there are no restrictions, to procure the tying of the Gordian-knot. They were married in April, 1574, the bride, consequently, being -.only twelve years of

age. In one month after their marriage the husband abandoned his child-wife and went to Tennessee, and abandonment for one'year's duration was the cause of_divorce."

Under the heading " Civilised Zealanders and " Friends from the Cannibal Isles among us," a. Kentucky paper has the following : "There are some visitors here from New Zealand, who are guests of Hon. Speed S. Goodloe and lady. They have been among the cannibals and know all about them. They are worth ten million of dollars, which they have made among the Zealanders. They find this blue-grass land the most admirable, and their friends are glad to see them. MrJohn Harding (of Napier), his wife and daughter, compose the party, and they are most welcome to the State and in social circles. It is incumbent upon our citizens and people to extend to them every mark of courtesy, and we know that they will do so. If we do not go to Zealand, it is at least pleasant to have Zealanders come to us, and especially when they come in the refined shape they do, vindicating the true character of American ideas."

The following paragraph from the "Age" of the 22nd inst. explains the cablegram which appeared in our columns the other day, stating that Mr. M'Kean has been expelled from the Victorian Assembly :—Mr - M'Kean, M.L.A., created some excitement in the Collingwood Court yesterday morning. He was engaged for the defendant in a debt case, and contended that his client was a minor at the time he contracted the debt, and therefore not liable in law. The Chairman of the Bench, Mr. Morgan, expressed his belief that the defendant looked much older than the age stated, and Mr. M'Kean answered by producing his client's certificate of birth, at the same time remarking that his Worship's attempt to be smart had been checkmated. A discussion followed in connection with the document, during which Mr. M'Kean proclaimed his knowledge of the law. One of the Magistrates remarked, " If such is the law, the sooner our legislators alter it the better." The word " legislators" acted like magic on Mr. M'Kean, and he gave vent to some forcible expressions against the present Assembly. '' Call such a drunken and immoral lot legislators," lie cried; " why, they are worse than the lowest in Collingwood." In answer to a correspondent signing herself "Dorothy Waitaki," the "Saturday Advertiser" says : —We quite agree with you that Sir Julius Vogel, as a statesman, is as much ahead of Sir George Grey as Gladstone is ahead of Kenealy; but still Sir George has many good points. The following passage-at-arms between his Honor Judge Weston and Mr. Staite, barrister, is reported by the "Grey River Argus." It was in a case which his Honor had decided to re-hear alone :—Mr. Staite said that he was altogether taken by surprise. He had decided upon taking proceedings in a superior Court. His Honor : "Mr. Staite, this is a superior Court." Mr. Staite begged his Honor's pardon—he meant the Supreme Court. The appellants had got a preponderance of surveyors as witnesses—they had got two, whereas the respondents had only got one surveyor. He was, therefore, afraid that were he to commence the case before his Honor, he would lose it. He would, therefore, object to proceed with his proofs that day. Mr. Perkins wished the case to proceed at once. His learned friend required an adjournment merely to give him time to file an affidavit of prohibition. Mr. Staite : '' We will have what we want." His Honor : "Who is the Judge, Mr. Staite, you or I ?" Mr. Staite : "I don't know. I consider that I am a very good judge." His Honor : " Such impertinent remarks, Mr. Staite, I can only attribute to your ignorance, otherwise you could not make the remarks you do." Mr. Staite: "I suppose not." His Honor: " I never in my life heard a man make such remarks or conduct himself or his case in such a manner as you do." Mr. Staite : "It is my candid opinion, and I do not hesitate to express it, that your Honor wants a lesson." His Honor; "It is absolutely dreadful to be in Court with you." Mr. Staite : "I quite agree with your Honor." After further argument between counsel, in the course of which the Bench and M~. Staite were brought further into conflict, his Honor granted the respondents an hour's adjournment to decide upon their course of action.

A preacher in one. of the fasionable London churches is reported to have said : —"St. Paul remarks, and I partially agree with him." This reminds one of the judge, who, in sentencing a man to death, observed, " Prisoner at the bar, you will soon have to appear before another, and perhaps, a better judge."

The Government has an unusual number of nice things at its disposal just now. First of all there is the Agent-Generalship, and then no less than three Commissionerships of Crown Lands, this office being vacant in Otago, Canterbury, and Hjjwkes Bay. There are one or two other offices worth some £SOO a-year each, also vacant." Very rarely, indeed, has any Government in this Colony had so much valuable patronage in its hands at one time.

An English paper says :—" For some time past, bricks have been sent from Japan to America ; but owing to a duty of 20 per

cent., the trade has been limited. " Last week a cargo of bricks of Japanesef rmanufactory, was placed in the London market as an experiment, the result being. that the cargo was immediately bought up, and large orders given for future supplies, by leading contractors and West-End builders. The bricks, which can, according to pleasure, be made of any shape, size, or colour, are said to be considerably harder than those of Home production, whilst bricks for ornamental fancy patterns of every description are manufactured. "

The Wellington "Argus" says : "It is stated that the Government originally intended to propose a vote of £5,000 for Dr. Featherston's family, but they were informed that any such vote would be most strongly opposed, and, if carried at all, would only be so by a small majority, and after an unpleasant debate. It was only after some negotiation that it was arranged that the vote, for £3,000, being the ordinary allowance or one year's salary, should be allowed to pass unopposed. There is, therefore, no probability of any further vote for this object being asked for." The Wellington " Post " institutes the following suggestive comparison : —Comparisons are sometimes useful. Sir Julius Vogel, representing the young and debt-burthened Colony of New Zealand, visits England to negotiate a loan, and sends in a little bill of personal expenses to "Dear Pollen" of some £9,000. Mr. Cave, a Privy Councillor, and Paymaster of the richest Treasury in the world, is sent from England on a mission to the Khedive, also about a sum of four millions ; and his expenses, including those of seven other officials, are shown in the following extract from the London " Times " : "There has been issued as a Parliamentary Paper an ' Estimate of the amount required in the year ending March 31, 1877, to repay advances made from the Civil Contingencies Fund to defray the expenses of the " mission of the Right Hon. Stephen Cave, M.P., to confer with the Khedive and his Government as to the financial position and administration of Egypt.' The amount is £2,200 for ' outfits, hotel and travelling expenses, gratuities to servants, carriage hire, &c.'" An application was lately made to the Westminster police magistrate, for a summons against Lady Radcliffe, charging her with perjury during her evidence for the prosecution of the convict Orton in June, 1873. Objection was taken that it was made against the express wish of the convict himself and his friends, and that it originated solely with a solicitor who had been following Dr. Kenealy about the country. Mr. Woolrych deferred his decision until he had read the informations upon which the application was made. The Tasmanian " Tribune " of the 23rd has the following : —" On dit that we are to be visited by one of the younger princes of the lloyal Family in a few months, or even at a shorter time, for rumour goes so far as to say that our distinguished visitor is already en route for this Colony. We are informed that preparations have been commenced at Government House for the Prince's reception by the refitting of the suite of rooms occupied by liis Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh when on a visit to this Colony." A most grotesque caricature of the late lamented Agent-General appears in a supplement to last Thursday's "New Zealand Times." According to this woodcut (says the "Guardian") the deceased gentleman was heavily tatooed over the whole face except a portion of the forehead, the tatooing being most strongly marked on the lips and chin. The cheeks and nose are also deeply marked with the curved lines that usually characterise the aboriginal countenance, and altogether the woodcut is the most remarkable for a white man that we have ever seen in New Zealand.