Untitled

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 266, 15 August 1872, Page 2

Owing to the indisposition of Mr B. N. Jones, there was no perfoimance at the Theatre Rojal last night. For to-nicht “ Not Guilty ” is announced, and to-morrow Mrs Hill will take a benefit, on which occasion “ Caste,” a splendid comedy, will be put on the stage. At the Police Court, yesterday, one case of drunkenness, and one of obscene language comprised the busiuess before the Court. At the Warden’s Court,yesterday, the cases of Hicks v. Mcnuie aud Dey, and Hicks v. Monnie were settled. The case of Goldsmith v. Hutt was withdrawn, and Boxall v. Comstock G.M.C. adjourned till Thursday (this) morniug. Wednesday next being a holiday the Court will not sit ou that day. The second anniversary celebration ball of the Hibernian Society is announced to take place on Wednesday, the 4th September, at St. George’s Hall, the whole of which building has beeu taken for the occasion, amPpreparat'ons are beiug made calculated to make this a most successful gathering. ‘ A meeting of the Waiotahi Highway Distiict Board was held yesterday at the office of the Engineer. A good deal of business was done in reference to street repairs and formation of footways. ■ A report will bo found in another place. Tenders were ordered to be called for for making a hose reel for the use of the Fire Brigade. On Tuesday a cab was very nearly running over a child, who was standing in the midst of the road in Pollen-street, but the little one was very pluckily rescued by a passer-by named Barron, who, in saving it, sustained a severe fracture of his right arm. Barron is well known to many on the Thames, being a very good amateur runner, and deserves very great ci edit for the action. Accident at the Una Battery.— We are sorry to hpap that Mr Speight, Engineer of the Una Battery, yesterday mgt with an accident. Whilst cleaning out the boiler a rush of hot water came unexpectedly from the blow-off-cock, and scalded Mr Speight in the face and upper part of the body. The injuries received are, fortunately, not of a dangerous character, although serious. ■ Immediately after the occurrence Mr Speight proceeded to the Hospital and had his wounds dressed, and afterwards went home. In a few days Mr Speight will, we hope, have quite recovered from the effects of the accident We (Cron) have been shown by Mr G. T . Chapman, bookseller, Queen-street, a large and handsome clasp-Bible, which has been purchased from him to be presented to the Sir Walter Scott Lodge, Shortland. The front of the Bible bears the following inscription upon vellum, executed by Mr E. B. Dixon, draughtsman, with Kis usual skill: —•* Presented-by Brother.Peter,Wood to Sir Walter Scott Lodge, Shortland, S.C., New Zealand, 20th August, An. Luc. 5870.” The gift is altogether a very tasteful one, and should be highly valued by the Ljdge; ' A good game of football was played yesterday afternoon, on the club ground, at Shortland, there being a good muster of the members. After play a meeting was held, when the committee declared that the following had been selected to compose the team for the match on Saturday next. Messrs Williams, Dunlevie, Donovan, Robinson, Wood, Bull, Gudgeon, Alston, Jennings, Crawford, Power, Fitz Morris, Tregear, Cooper, and Sandes CCaptain). As emergency men, Holland, Gudgeon, and Alderton were selected. We regret to state that team suffers a loss in Mr Jones who severely injured his knee a few days since whilst playing. No more play will take place until Saturday next. i n Yesterday’s Herald says :—“ The late wet weather has much impeded the outside works of the Auckland and Mercer Railway, which, nevertheless, have been and are now beiug pushed forward with great energy. The locomotive is very busily employed in the transport of trucks which come down laden with meterial for the embankment in Mechanics’ J3ay, aud returp yvith stone aud plant for the formation of tlje and fine to Newmarket. Ten yards of the tunnel have been completed during the last week. Within the last few days—the plans tor the railway from Newmarket to Mercer have arrived, and preparations are now being made to commence operations at all points without delay.

It will be remembered' that some time ago an effort was made by the friends of 11 r Innis, formerly Deputy-Commissary-General here, to obtain his release from gaol, but an that occasion the Government, on the recommendation of Judge Aroey, declined to accede to the prayer of the petition. We understand that another effort of a similar kind is now on foot. A petition has been drawn up, and is how being .circulated for - signatures.;. When a sufficient number of names have been obtained it Will be forwarded to the Government through the ordinaiy channels by which such' petitions Karauti, one of the Ngatihiuetu tribe, has received from Mr Innes, of Ngaruawahia, a number of hop plants for the purpose of planting at Te Kuiti. Mr Innes gave him the plants in order to encourage the Maoris to grow hops, which-they can do better than any other people, as they can command the services'of a large number of women and children at the picking season. The notice in the Waka JUaori, subsequently copied into this journal, in reference to bop culture, has bad the desired effect. The hop plants are to be placed at the head-quarters of the King, and as hops arfe useless to the Maoris we may take this fact as fortelling continued peace and quietness. They are to be planted sole’y with the idea of selling to the pakeha. Waikato Times.

The Gbahamstown Vqdunteer Fihe Brigade.— Last evening the Grahamstown Volunteer Fire Brigade met at the enginehouse, Queen-street, at 7 o’clock, for the first time for active practice. Present—Mr Marks (Superintendent), all the officers, and 15 men. The engine was taken out of the shed into the street, and the men were initiated into the hadling of the apparatus, at which they acquitted themselves in a corps practising for the first time. Nearly two hours were occupied in practice, after which a general meeting, was held, Mr Marks (the Superintendent) in the chair, when the working members proposed at last meeting were accepted. The following were elected honorary members : Messrs Hazard, Ehrenfried, A. B. Brown, McCullough, Corlett, and Wilkinson. A special meeting will be held on Monday evening next, after which practice will take place. The officers and men received door plates, to be affixed to their residences, so that the inhabitants may hare no difficulty in finding the firemen should their services be required.

A letter received by the Waikato Times, from a settler in Poverty Bay, says :—“ lam anxious to receive reliable information about . your district, as I think, when the railway is commenced, the Waikato will offer many inducements to settlers, and I have many friends who would be really glad to hear of a really good district to settle in. Any information that you can favour me with will be thankfully received.” In reply to our correspondent, we (Tines') can only say that we believe the Waikato district to be one of the finest in New Zealand. There is plenty of land, capable of growing anything, to be purchased at a reasonable rate. On the completion of the railway to Mercer, which will in all probability take place in eighteen months from this date, the Auckland—which is the dearest market in New Zealand—will be opened. ' * Our readers will remember that at the ratepayers’ meeting held last week a form of petition to the General Assembly against the passing of the City of Auckland Waterworks Loan Bill was adopted. It was largely signed by those at the meeting, and was afterwards placed in the hands of certain gentlemen to obtain further signatures to it. It was signed by a laige number of citizens. Our representatives at Wellington have been kept advised of what was being done, and yesterday Mr W. Shauaglian sent a telegram to his Honor the Superintendent, apprising him that'the petition and signatures had been forwarded. Yesterday afternoon Mr Shanaghan received the following telegram from Mr Gillies in reply : —“ Wellington, August 13, 1872, 4.20 p.m —To W. Shanaghan, Auckland.— Will attend to petition on arriv,.J. Thanks for your action at meeting. Mayor is very huinble now.— Thomas p. QiLLips, Superintcndpnt.” — Cross. During the debnte on the Permissive

Clause in the Licensing Bill, Mr Johnston is reported to have said, “They had seen, of late, various enactments giving married women separate rights of property, separating the legal existence of the wife from that of the husband, making marriage a co-partner-ship instead of a union,—all tending, in his opinion, to make marriage a terminable contract, and to the degradation of the woman ; but this was the first time he had ever seen it deliberately proposed to give woman legal powers to enable her to exercise a controlling authority over man. To his mind, armed with those powers, a wife would be too formidable a consort to be irrevocably bound to, and he was of opinion that a man would certainly hesitate before he united himself for his whole existence to a permanent police agent. It was his deliberate conviction that the ultimate effect of such a power would be to make men less eager to marry, and more prone fo content themselves with other temporary arrangements.”— Herald.

Mr Vogel, speaking on the subject of the Permissive Clause in the Licensing Act, made an' excellent suggestion. The hon. member opposed the measure, but thought that, amongst other remedial steps it should be made necessary that the bars of all public houses should have open glass windows, like ordinary shops, so ‘hat it would be clearly seen who was drinking within them, and what scepgs \yere taljqar place there. If this were done, he believed the preseqt drinking habits would, to a very great extent, be done away with. Many persons who frequented public houses did so under the knowledge that they would be shut out from the sight of the passers by ; but very shame would prevent them from taking part in the scenes which sometimes took place in public houses, if the windows were open like those of ordinary shops.— Herald.

Every school-boy knows the story of the Greek painter, who, challenged by a rival to produce anything that could equal a certain work of his, painted, a piece apparently covered with a cloth, and presented it for criticism. “ Come,” said the chal'euger, “ draw that curtain, and let us behold the masterpiece and then, discovering that the mas-ter-piece was that very curtain, confessed himself excelled, This story is recalled to mind by looking at a specimen of the draughtsman’s art, executed by Mr Heury 0. H. Wrigg, of the Public Works Department, and now on view in Mr Lyon’s window. The subject of representation in the picture (for such it really is) is a collection of newspapers and periodicals, Tichborne bonds, a Bank of New Zealand note, envelopes, worn blotting paper, cards, &c., apparently laid over each other—copied with such minute fidelity that it is very difficult to realise the fact that the articles are not pasted on to a large sheet of paper. The different tiuts of paper, crumpled leaves, turned pages, &0., have been represented in the most skilful manner. Die color and pattern of the bank nptp is exactly copied, and the signature iiould scarcely be sworn to as npt genuine by the bank officials. We have not space to dilate upon this wonderful production, but we are certain that all who take the trouble to inspect it will agree with us in characterising it as a triumph of patience and skill. A similar drawing was presented by Mr Wrigg to the Duke of Edinburgh, and it is said that the one we have alluded to is intended for presentation to the Prince of Wales, but ip our opinion Mr Wrigg would do much better by disposing of it by raffle or * art union, as it is certain to command a high price.—Wellington Evening Post.

If an iejele, 45 qailes ? n diameter, were thrust' towards the sun with the velocity of light, say twelve million miles a minute, it could never teach the sun—it would melt as fast as it came. [lf this is true, the experiment might as well be abaudoued first as last.]