AUCKLAND.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 272, 29 May 1860, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(From the Southern Cross.) Wade Presbyterian Church.—Thi3 place of worship was formally opened for divine service on Sabbath, 29th April. The Rev. D. Bruce, of Aucklaud, officiated on the occasion, and preached an appropriate discourse from Psalm cxlv, 11, to a large and much interested audience. A collection was made in behalf of the building fund, which, with some donations, amounted to £1. This church occupies a very beautiful and convenient site, surrounded on the one side by the river Wade, and on the other by the main street in the Government village. This spot being well sheltered, the building, which is greatly admired by all who have seen it as reflecting credit at once on the architect and the builders, is well adapted to school purposes; and to these it will be appropriated without delay. Service in the Militia. —The manner in which the Militia has been called out for actual service has given rise to much discussion in Auckland, but owing to the good feeling of the majority of the commvmity there is no fear of our Militia ranks not being serviceably filled' up. Few, if any, are unwilling to &erve: for most Auckland

inhabitants acknowledge the necessity of arming, and are ready to supplement any apparent laches on the part of the Government by coming forward and taking the oath as prescribed-by the Militia Act. The Militia Act is not looked upon, by most men, as the edict of a despotic Government, compelling unwilling serfs to serve in. the ranks under fear of the lash, but as a wise provision for defending their lives and properties, a law enacted by the men whom they themselves have elected as their representatives, and entitled, on that very account, to an interpretation according to its .spirit; rather than its letter,, Some good men, however, take different views of the question*, and consider that a six-foot man, if ho should happen to be a lawyer, has h right to throw a difficulty in the way of our putting ourselves in a position to resist murder, rapine and robbery, and this, because he happens to be able to make a quibble when he is askecl|to take the oath binding him to undertake the defence of the country of his adoption^ A gentleman belonging to the • legal profession presents himself to take the Militia oath—thereby implicitly acknowledging that he considers himself, in receipt of a summons to attend, —is requested to^ give ;.his Christian name, declines to do so j when asked for his reason for not doing, so, is of opinion that tho Militia officers on the other side of the table have no legal right to ask the question j when requested, in consequence, to state on what account he came there, states that it was for, the purpose of taking the required oath, and upon being called upon to retire a step or two, whilst his objections are taken into consideration, refuses to wait any longer,,, and walks off, a successful legal quibbler—by surprise —but something likewise uncommonly .like a military deserter. cThe good feeling of those in the room did not allow of any following lupr the hint, and it is probably fortunate for them thafc they did not do so, as the*matter is not likely to rest where it stands at present, and there would be no great sympathy, felt by the- community foi a man who suffered punishment for an unsuccessful attempt to make use of legal knowledge, either original or second-hand, with the object of either making himself known as a lawyer, or evading service asa mail, • Men incapable of service are entitled id exemption," and indeed it is the ditty of the medical officers of the' Militia to see that ho one carries a musket,'in whose hands it is useless, but beyond this, there should be no claina to> exemption allowed, with the exception of that usual for. officers of state, representatives, &c, and and men who feel themselves equal-to the service should come voluntarily forward. At the. Same time a corresponding readiness to acknowlege real claims to exemption is what the public have a right to expect from the medical officer of the force; and a man who a few days back was refused a medical certificate of unfitness for service, but promised a series of sick certificates for all drills: or parades; on account of a most severe palpitation of the heart, has some right to complain 9f the refusal. ■. -.■■ ■• ■ - .■■■■--...' - '■/.' V.'

Enfin Perdbix.-—At lastjwe have partridges in Auckland, and it is to be hoped that from: henceforth we may be able to say; " toujours perdrix." Three brace, shipped by Mr. David Graham from England have arrived safely here,.and at the time of our going topress are on board the' Avalanche, "as well as could be expected," off the North Head. Mr. Graham put upwards of a dozen brace of our old stubble friends on board; but the whole number, except those which have arrived, died before the Avalanche left British waters. The long sea voyage seems therefore to have been the least trying part of their travels. Captain Stptt informs us that the birds were kept in a hen coop m the .long boat, amongst the sheep, were they seem to have beeen warm, quiet, and undisturbed; > Royal Geological Society, November 20ra, Sir C. Lyell in the chair. Paper by Charles Heaphy, Esq., read, " On the Volcanic Country of Auckland, New Zealand." -Communicated by the President. The isthmus-like district of Auckland and its neighborhood, described by Mr. Heaphy as a basin of tertiary deposits, is bordered by clay slates, igneous rocks, and at one spot on the south by cretacious strata; and it is dotted by upwards of sixty extinct volcanoes, often closely situated, and showing in nearly every instance a well-defined point of eruption, generally a cup-like crater, on a hill about 300 feet high. Interesting instances of successive volcanic eruption are numerous all over this district, 60 miles round Auckland, and there seem to have been four distinct epochs of eruption thus classified by Mr. Heaphy:—l. That which raised the Trachytic mountains and the black border-like igneous rock.: 2. Eruptions in the Tertiary period, theashes of which form beds in the tertiary rock. 3. Eruptions on'the'upheaval of the tertiary cliffs: ihese appear as cones above faults on the tertiary beds and on the edges of cliffs. 4. Lastly, eruptions that have broken through the tertiary beds, arid the lava streams of which follow the natural valleys of the country,1' — -Literary Gazette, Dec. 17,1859.

Presbyteran Church, Papakcra.—-The annual soiree in connection with this church,was held onthe 6th April; and though in some respectsth» circumstances were unfavorable, there were not fewer than a hundred persons present : ..The Rev. J.Macky, Rev. D, Bruce, and Messrs. Rattray, Forsaith, and Reid addressed the meeting. It appeared from the report that the following funds had been raised and received during the past year :~Stipend fund, £200 13s. 1d..; building fund, £284 15s. 3d.; education^ £856 163. 6d.; other objects, £4 2s. Bd/

"Whaiers. —The season in this par,fc of the world appears to be coming towards a close. Our Russell correspondent reports the following departures: -r-April: Young Hector, ship, 4XI tons, Hagar, New Bedford, for the fisheries; Union, barque, 300 tons, Hedges, Sag Harbor, for the fisheries; Two Brothers, ship, 288 tons, Davis, New Bedford, for the fisheries; Gustave, ■hip, Gilles, Havre, for Ochotsk; Captain Gilles intends again to visit Russell in February next, and promises to bring other French ships along with him. Kororareka Bay is at present clear of shipping, but some halfdozen are expected to drop in during the course of the winter.— New Zealander. •