The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4283, 22 September 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1881.

These are days of " straining at gnats and swallowing camels'.' wjth ithe Borough authorities." There is much anxiety over the expenditure of £10, but the Council •is committed to £509 almost without being aware of iij cettainly without voting the' amoiint.' Some time ago the contract for'.'atf oyerhead aqueduct was let to Mr McDermoit for something over £1050, and all Beemei .well. „;But soon the Engineer fqund that his " ,V:" channel wanted some mother supports, anS he was authorised, no one seems to know very cleiarly how, to incur th&exba expenditure",probably about £1200. But that wasnotali; a few'dayisagd he discovered' that wind braces were: required to render the structure proof against gales,: and;asked the Works Committee to authorise them. The Committee seems toi have ; replied, " You.say it is necessary; you are responsible." The wind braces are being added and a further liability of £200 -or £300 being incurred without direct sanction. In fdet almost fifty per cent more than the original contract is being spent without tendering, and without even discussion. But this is not all; the contract is practically broken, for i if a great deal more work is added, the contractor cannot be bound to the time specified. Altogether a ; pretty mesa seems to have been made of this matter. Some left-handed compliments were paid to the engineer by two councillors last night. They argued that he was instructed to design a certain Work and. he should have satisfied himself before tenders were invited of what was required, instead of coming whilst the works was in progress for leave to expend half as much more. Contractors' extras are always interesting items, as it is proverbial that extras frequently makeotherwise uoremunerative contracts profitable. Mr . McDermott is to be congratulated upon having a liberal allowance of extras on this occasion.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this moruing Messrs Tizard, Murray, and Enronfried presided. The cuse of Wilkinson v. JKally was adjourned until the 6th prox., to enable the evidence of defendant to be taken [at Ohinemutu. Next followed a eerits of the ! seediest cases that ever were taken into Court. They were brought by Mr Sperrey, the Property Tax Commissioner, and no doubt Mr Miller, who represented him, felt ashamed of them. The amount assessed with ten per cent, thereon was sued for in each instance. The first case was against Eobert Kelly, of Hikutaia, who has recently been bankrupt. Judgment was gi»en for £1 17a 7<J, and 17s 6d costs, and we wish Mr rfperrey j jy of his bargain. Mr Wm Meikle, of* Mercury Bay, had £1 3s 9d and 17s 6J costs placed to his debit* He is a J. P., and the proof of service was sworn before him, so that if fie does not know all about the matter he should. Mr C. F. .Mituhe.l appeared to show why he should not pay £7 ss, and, in reply to the Bench, said " I haven't got the property; it was sold by

order of the Supreme Court on the petition of John Buchanan, of Auckland, and, I presume.Xtivp.JS'ew Zealand Loan and Mercantife/ Agtncyl^ whptfhe'd; the first mortgage." ithaj; ;he had endorsed orders made by sMr James Mack ay while purchasing! land, 6b-a considerable exteDfc, and the Grd-i vjwnment,refused ;toi refund, saying that Mr; Macfeay had drawn tbe money to make the purchases. MrMackay had filed his schedule, and be was left without remedy. He had also advanced £600 on the order of Mr Sheet .han.,,wbea,i.bat gentleman was.a Minister of the Crown; and he held his certificate therefor. This was repudiated by. honest John 7Bryce who succeeded Mr Sheehan. Through the action of the Government he was compelled to mortgage his property, which was eventually sold for debts not his own, but incurred on behalf of the Government. He bad written to I Mr Sperrey, and that gentleman bad replied [ that the matter would receive consideration. I Mr Miller quoted the Act to show Mr Mitchell was liable, and that he could recover the ' amount* from some else, the present owner. Mr Mitchell thereupon wished to know why there was all this round-about; why the Go* vernment had not sued the present owner at first hand. The chairman said there appeared some. hardship in pressing the charge in the face of Mr Sperrey's letter, and was about to?adjourn the case for a fortnight on the "application of defendant," when Mr Mitchell interposed and directed his Worship's attention to" the faot that he had made no such application. Finally Mr Miller insisting on a judgment;, and the Bench not seeing its way to avoid giving it, on adjournment was agreed to. But just then an urgent telegram was received by Mr Miller, from Mr Sperrey, saying he would withdraw the case on defendant paying ■•costs •-"■■ already' incurred. The magistrates all commented upon this anomalous proceeding, arguing, if Mr Sperrey's case was good why. not go on with it, if bad to asks costs was unjustifiable. After some conversation Mr Mitchell agreed to the proposed terms, sayiug that he would sue Mr Buchanan for the costs, which would be a further £2 2s for that gentleman to: pay. Costs were assessed at £1 12s. Messrs MacDonnell Bros., of Ctromandel, figured to tbe. extent of £3 8s 9d. This case served to.exhibit,to the persons.ia Court —two reporters and two constableshow superior the brilliance of ih° combined" magisterial : wisdom was to the feeblo'light which illuminated the minds of the plaintiff's counsel and the Clerk of the Court. The. affidavit of service was^ to the effect that the summons bad been served on .the ''.within named " McDonald. The Bench 1 could' not make a MacDonijeU out of" a MoDonald anyhow, notwithstanding that Mr Allom informed their Worships the Coromandel Court officials assured him that there were only two MacDonnell Bros, in the district, which powerful prgutaent Mr Miller strongly reinforced by informing the Bench he was fully satisfied that these were the identic il individuals, and they might rest assured that he would sot be so foolish as to take out as judgment against the wrong person ; not if he knew it,. The justices, however, were firm in r their resolve not to have a McDonald foisted on them for ayMacDonnell/ and adjourned the cause for a fortnight to ajjow McDonald Bros to disappear from, and MacDonnell Bros.' to enter upon, tbe stage. Mr H. T. Bpwe did not think it worth while to lose a professional guinea to dispute the ■:ali?gatiou that- he -owed: bis country 18s :5d," so that amount with 17s 6d costs was charged to his account. But as it so happens that he not long ago sought the protection of the witty, judge of the Districs Court it ia highly probable that the colony will have to wait Mr Eowe's convenience for settlement of that little bill, and it would not be surprising if he found it "more convenient to pay the great debt of nature first. Altogether we scould not care to lay odds that Mr Sperrey's innings ibis morning will prove a winning game. Mr Miller, who, reputation says,'has graduated with first-class honors at compiling a Mil of co-its, will in all probability come off conqueror, especially when he has a client so worthy of his steel. Whoever else loseß he ■will win. ,We had intended to comment 'severely on the action of their Worships in loading these poor men with solicitors'fees, which they were not bound to do by the rules of the Court, but upon scrutinising the list again find that it is probable thoso who would feel it most cznnot be compelled to pay —-one cannot draw blood from a stone, >ou know—and those defendants who can deserve no consideration. It may be law— and it/is difficult now-a-days to say what is law—if, it be law that a Government tax is recoverable irrespective of insolvency, then we would warn any or all of those against whom ju Igtnent was obtained that they may make up their minds either to piy, leave the country, or go to prison, lor they need expect no consideration from a 'Government which ruthlessly branded a servant of twenty years' standing, having an unstained duly record, with dismissal for having a fight in which .he was not the aggressor; and .which repudiated its agreement with the Parihaka. Volunte-rs, cheated them out of a portion of their pay, unblushingly fibbed to sustain its cisc, and mendaciously slandered the volunteers, and characterised them as mercenary because they asked for their own. Prom such a creditor tbe debtors need expect-no"mercy, for if Ministers will act thus what would they not do, short of murder or highway robbery ?

. ;The ncxb entertainment of our juvenile friends^the Naval Cadet Minstrels, is definitely fixed for Thursday, the sth October. The youthful tara have determined to raise an amount to relieve the pressing necessities of a eick comrade's family. As the Cadets avail themselves of the strains of the Naval Band to attend church, the benefit performance to Bandsman Penno is a graceful tribute of acknowledgement to the musicians. Messrs Mojle, Hunter, and Martin also tender their services on ibis occasion with cornet, violincello, and violin. An influential committee of ladies has promised to take the disposal of ticketi into their eire; there is, therefore, evcty probability of a bumper house on the occasion of Mr Penno's benefit.

At the Police Court this morniDg, Cornelius Bigley, who w.*B brought down from Te Aroha a few days ago by Constable Cleary, was commilted to the lunalio asylum on the evidence of Drj Kilgour, Payne and Callan, who considered him of unsound mind, and unfit to be at large Dr Kilgour expressed an opinion that he was likely to recover. We would remind shareholders in the Battalion Gr.M. Co. of a special meeting of 'that company at Mr Horsbrugh's office, Brown street, this evening, A SITTING of the Native Lands Court commences at Cambridge on the 28th September, at which several blocks covering a vast extent of land, are to be adjudicated upon. The ; aggregate is 700,000 acres, and they stretch from Maungautari to EotoaH, beyond lake Taupo. Ihe claimants are Rewi and sorno of bis people. It is said that the intention is to have tlie land colonised by a company. It is stater', however, that Wahanui will oppose the passing of these lands through the Court.

POME of the fn-nVof Mr Edwin Doirlgp, who for some years was eng ;ged in this office, will be pleased to bear of his success in Australia. For some time past he was editor and proprietor of tie Guardian, published at Mansfield, Victoria. But be .has lately disposed of ■ t hat property in order to accept the editorship of the Central Australian, a : paper published at Bourke, Jfew.South Wales, succeeding our old friend Mr J. M. Perrier, who once more is enjeaged in 'Journalism in « J V ■ - R to -. .'A Sydney.

A publican whs fined £5 at Wellington yesterday for adultering rum; •

*' A';bathkb lively story is told of; a cm?ty old resident, id one of the.Auckland suburbs. 'He is poor himself, and is living on the interest accruing from fcbe fortune of a female ward, who liaa" Seen under liv guardianship for many yvara.^.-According to the terms of the trust, he is enticed to this interest until the. girl is twenty-one years old, The damael, who is rather ancient looking to attract beax, lies been repeatedly assured by the old gentleman that, she w.-is just seventeen, but very recently she was exami i >g i-omo old papers when she found a certificate of her birth, from which it appeared that she twenty-feven. A transfer of Ihe trust is imminent and it is asserted no* lhat the ia'ly is übout to be married. The London correspondent of the,. N.Z. Times says :—A morbid individual in-' the undertaking line has been giving a grand banquet in Philadelphia, the invitations being printed on paper ornamented with skull and crossbbnes, &<v'The'dining"room was hung with black drjpery, and lighted with wax,candles. The, white porcelain seivica had a black border, and even the very dishes themselves, savored of the same gloomy t-ist-j. Thus a potato pio was brought, up in the shape of a burial mound ; and salad was dressed with wbi\e of egg and black truffles; and the ices were in the form of -coffins, death's head, bears, s, memorial Btones, &c. lean scarcely conceive "any thing more hideous and disgusting; such indecent taste could hardly have been expected-nmongst heathens. The grand Christian doctrine of the soul's immoi tality and 'the honor in wKich the body is, as St. Paul taacfees, 10 be held as the ' temple of the incorruptible, must have been utterly cast to the winds in the int:restof the almighty but degrading dollar.; 7 : : ■

The Fiji planters have subscribed £100 for the purchase of ft watch and chain, to be presentpd to "The Vagabond," in recognition of bis services in.biinging the massacres of Europeans in the South Sena before the Intercolonial Conference and the Imperial authorities.