July 20.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 234, 25 July 1872, Page 5

July 20.

News was received last night that the brig Our Hope had been beached at Oamara in order to save the cargo. No lives were lost.

The 8.8. Wellington, with passengers and cargo from northern ports, arrived at noon to-day. An Auckland telegram, dated the 13th, seys : — The Nevada sails to-night with sixty -nine passengers. Mr Stewart's report on the machinery generally confirms Mr Nancarrow's, adding that the crack, although no worse, works when the machinery is in motion. The steamer's engineers are sura this is not correct. Captain Muuro, the A.S.N. Co. 'a Marine Superintendent, proceeds by the Nevada for the purpose of superintending the building of three steamers for the proposed Australian and Californian service.

Of the several vess Is which hare lat«ly been added to the mercantile marine of this cqlony, the Ifokrika, which arrived iv port on Saturday, is one of the handsomest. She is a smart little iron clipper, barque-rigged, and was built to the onler of her qwners, Messrs Spence, Brothers and Co. , of thi§ pity, by Hall and Co., the well-known buiLleirsin Aberdeen. '1 he barque is a sweet little model with a sharp c'ipper entrance, and has a fine clean run, and is of the following dimt n*ipns : —Length over all, 160 ft; between perpendicu'ar*, 133 f t; beam, 25ft ; depth of hold: I2ff) Gin. She is constructed of iiqn, and has iron lower masts, which appear some* what heavy for her size, and carries doabletopsail yards. The best materials available have been used in her constructian, and she is well finished in all respects. The Hokitika is intended for trading between this port aad India, China, or Mauritius, and for these trades she is admirably adapted, seeing she can carry 450 tons dead weight on a light draught of water. — Argus, July 1.

July 20. A. Mercer reports for the we»k ending 20th July: — Retail pieces only — Freatybufr ter, in 41b and lib prints, best quality/ la 4d to' Is 6d per 1b ; second quality, Is 3d tq Is4d ; fresh butter in lunlps, Is Id; pp,w : dered and salt butter, best quality, li 2d; second, lOd to lid. Fresh butter still continues scarce, the supply being readily met by the demand at last week's quotations. For good samples of salt butter in kegs lOd per Ib is be^ng given. Cheese $fci.l keeps in good Request, ana a slight adyance in price w perceptible. Best quality is worth 6d to 9d ; second quality, 6d per Ib. Side and rolled bacon is fetching 9d to 10d, Eggs still contiuue very source, and we bringing Jj 9d per dozen.

New J. P.'s.— Mesars JEL F. Cuthbertson, of Otahu, and. William Stewart, of Blackmount, are appointed justices of the peace for the Colony. Political. — Mr W. H. Cutten is acting Provincial Secretary and Treasurer ; Mr James Shand, acting Secretary for Land' and Works, and a member of the Executive; and Mr James Allan, AJ.P.C, a Waste Land Commissioner, vice Mr Bathgate, resigned. The Telegraph. — An additional regulation recently published states that all original telegrams will be safely kept by the General Manager at Wellington for the space of five years from their several dates, after which period they will be bur aed in the presence of such General Manager. The Permissive Bill.— Direct intelligence has been received from Westland to the effect that an active and energetic canvas for signatures to petitions in favor of the Permissive Bill is being prosecuted with marked success in Hokitika. Oreymouth, Okarita, Ross, and the various goldtields. Criminal Cikcuit. — A proclamation appears in the last number of the New Zealand Gazette, that the opening circuit of the Supreme Court for the despatch of criminal and civil business, will be held at Lawrence on the second- Monday ia December, and sittings will be contiuued on the second Monday in June andjDecember in succeeding years. - — The Introduction of Small-pox. — The New Zealand' Herald of the 12th inst. understands that the General Government intend to take proceedings against the master of the Nebraska on his arrival, on tho ground of his baring made a false declaration as to the health of his ship's company, And thai a~segal gentlemen from Wellington" hrn« arrived in Auckland to conduct the proceedings. Royal Horticultural Society. — We have received a copy of the report, balance sheet, rules, and aarangements for shows for the next year of the Koyal Horticultural Society of Otago. The Society appears to be in a healthy condition, and to have an increased number of members. The coming shows takes place on the 26th October and 20th December, 1872, and the 13th March, 1573. The prizes are numerous. — Star. Caught in the Snow. — On the 10th inst. an inquest was held at the Royal Mail Hotel, Hyde, before MrW. Grummitt, J.P., acting coroner, on the body of Thomas Stewart, generally known as Tom the Fainter. It appeared that the deceased had been sent, on the Saturday previous, from Mr I). F. Main's station, to fetch the mail , bag from Hyde. The mail being behind time, in consequence of the wretched state of the road, he was unable to leave Hyde, ou his way back, till dusk. There being a fall of snow and sleet at this time, it is supposed he must have got off the road and become insensible from cold, as he was found ou Mon day morning, by a shepherd, about 250 yards from the road. When found he was quite insensible, but groaning very much. He was immediately taken to the Koyal Mail Hotel, Hyde, where every possible restorative was applied, but without effect. He died about two hours after he was found. Deceased was a native of Scotland, and thirty years of age. The' jury returned a verdict of — " Died" from exposure." < Telegraphic Communication with Australia. — There cannot be the slightest question that when the line of communication across the Australian Continent is complete, New Zealand merchants, trademenand the public generally, will be placed at a great disadvantage as compared with those of Victoria, New} South Wales, Queensland, 3outh Australia, and Tasmania ; and that if we in this Colony are to hold our own in the race of progress, no time must be lost in following the example of Tasmania in joining to Australia by means, of a submarine cabled " The Lyttleton Times thinks there will be plenty of offers from persons or firms interested to lay down a 'cable, and counsels promptitude of action in such a case. We may lose more by timidity and over-caution, by haggling and. huckstering, than by being judiciously bold, or as some people would say, piecipitate. The subject is one for separate and carefu ■dwenssion, and the suggestion is made that the Chambers of Commerce throughout the Celony should take the earliest opportunity of bringing before the General Government the urgent necessity of laying down a submarine cable between Australia and New Zealand a? soon as possible. Mr Broqden's Navvies. — A number of navvies who arrived by the Skiehillion found their way ashore yester.laj', remarks the Independent of the 13th int., and it appeared from their remarks that they had been crammed with all sorts of accounts of the present state an I prospects of the Colony. . One broad-shouldered fellow was ■ heard to remark, "We was, told that thepeople here wur starving, but the country is all right ! " Another proclaimed from the door of a publichouse, with a thickened accent, "If Muster Brogden doesn't give us nine shillings a day, he can send us back again as soon as he likes, an I we'll pay tin back his Lls on the nail " A third was heard to »ay that Mr Br^gien had tre ited them like a gentleman. The general tenor of their conversation, however, seemed to indicate they had by seme means or other beconv impres -ed with the idea that any number of men could find employment in any part of Sew Zealand at ten shillings a day. As far as bone and muscle go, the nifu are well off, and reflect credit on Mr Brogden's des^rimination in se'ecting men suit«il>le for the work cut oat for them. Very few of them indeed seem to be of the farm-laboring class, and very many of them might b« said, to, use a slang term, to be ( able to 'find their way about." Strange Incident. — Phe following incident in the life of Nichols has ■ been related to the Sydney iforaing Herald by a gentlemau whote brother is one of thejper•ons connected with the circumstance, and ■will be found interesting, as showing what truth a jest often - o tains. About twelve ■or thirteen yeas ago, Nichols, who had got into some trouble in Sydney, came to •Windsor, and was employed in -a butcher's ■hop. Whilst there .Nichols attracted the' attention of many of the young m»n about, by his cleverness in many way?, and particularly his expertngss in plating, ti ing, and making knots ; and one * day in the ; course- of • conversati n in ' which he was' explaining 'what he called ' " the hang'oan's knot," he said to the bro-ther-of our informant, half in jest, half in earnest, that hi (Nichols) expected that. he would one day be hanged with sucH a knot ' •ac he- was m<ikm bb ' then, and when it took place be hoped that his friend would come and witness his. execution. Nichols' left Windsor toon after, and during the years that have rolled away since then, 'the two actors have been far and' wide through the world, and it is therefore not a little remarkable that the first time they' met again, Nichols stood upon the gallows with the hangman's knot besids his ear, and the other was a 1 witness of his execution. Nichols did not recognise the gentleman referred to, but be m*y probably during his incarceration, awaiting execn^m, have nad'some*recollection about "the hangman's knot" twelve jremago.

The Opera. — The Sydney Jforning Herald, of the 29fch ult., says that, in consequence of a theatre not being obtainable in Sydney, the Cagli Opera Company will not visit thit metropolis until May, 1873- They proceed to New Zealand, and on their return will visit Tasmania and Adelaide. The Herald complains of the " low saloons and mountebank comic singing witb which the city of Sydney is at present deluged."

Earth Closets. — At a recent meeting the City Council, at the instigation of Couucillor Neale, instructed the Town Clerk to communicate with the Melbourne eivicauthorities as to the mode of management of c<B3pools in that city. Mr Fitzgibbon, the Town Clerk of Melbourne, has replied, furnishing the desired information. On the sub]\ ct of earth closets h.3 says : — "Many of them are in houses in this city, but they are not taken notice of by the Couucil. As a means of general accommodation they are objectiinable, because of the weight of earth requiring to be used, and the little addi'ional valu», imparted to it as manure, unless it should be used many times over, against which there are strong objections. A description of disinfection closet, free from the objection just stated, because the deodorising material ia a chemical powder used in very small quantity, is one patented by a person named Higgius, of this city, whose prospectus or description of the utensils I also forward here-vith. I should add, however, that in the vessels emptied by the Corporation contractor, no deodorant is used, though it is in contemplation to allow, and suggest, the use of house a3hes." The cleansing of the receptacles for night soil in Melbourne costs L6, soo a year.— Star.

The Volunteers. —The Dunedin Volunteer Artillery was inspected by Lieut. - Colonel Cargill on Friday last. There were present — two lieutenant's, two sergeauts, one bugler, and 31 volunteers ; total, 36. Aftet the inspectionof arms, the Adjutant. Major Atkinson, put the comnany through company drill ; after which Lieutenant Jack took command and went through the gun drill The Hon. Major Richardson was present during tbeiuspectioa, who next day sent the following letter to Lieut. -Colonel Cargill : — "My dear Cargill, — You were kind enough to invite me yesterday night to say a few words to the Artillery; but I did not 'hen feel inclined to avail myself of your permission ; though otherwise, I should have been glad to tell them how sanguine I am that the Volunteer force will be a fact if your views are carried out, and the men turn out in full farce and regularly. It may be a little irksome at first, but the men from their steadiness and efficiency will soon find an additional pride in belonging to a company Which will be known as thoroughly effective. I would sooner have a compauy of twenty men thoroughly drilled than twice or three times the number only half drilled— one such man will throw a whole company into dis-ord-r. As an old horse artilleryman, Hook with peculiar interest on this branch of the service, and with pride on its growing efficiency. They are a fine body of men, look well in their uniform, and with a littlo more attention to upright carriage would be known as soldiers even ia smock frocks. I shall look with anxiety to hear from you tint the new commissioned officers are thoroughly acquainted with their drill, and setting the men an example of punctual and constant attendance. If you ommunicate this to the men I am sure they will pardon the advice of an old soldier, who cannot see an artillery uniform without pride and an earnest hope that the men wearing it may be secoud to none in all that constitutes a soldier. — Yours, sincerely— J. Richardson."

Juvenile Criminals.— -The police are taking praiseworthy steps in endeavoring to remove from the care of parents the custody (for some time at least) of children, whom they have shown themselves to be thoroughly unfitted to bring up in the way they should go. Three of these cases were brought under the notice of the Mayor's Court yesterday. In one, an intelligent looking lad Thomas Donoghue, aged about ten years, was charged with stealing wood from the yard of Mrs Monson, Great King street. The promptitude with which he answored the usual , question as to how he pleaded—*' I plead not guilcy"— and with which he shifted the nature of his defence when he found ihe mind of the Bench made up, was an indication of the kind of training he was receiving at the hands of bis father who appeared in Court, and who was given a bai character by the police. It was attempted to be set up, a3 a secondary defence, that the boy had picked up the wood ; but the evidence of the prosecutrix negatived that supposition, as she caught him in the act of removing it, and on her giving him chase he dropped it, and took to his heels. The Bench, considering that it would be for the child's welfare that it should be removed from the control of its parent, and believing that it would not have committed the theft unless in some -way put up to it, ordered it to be detained in custody for three hours, and afterwards to be sent to the Industrial School for three years, there to be brought up in the Roman Catholic form of religion. Two sister*, named Eliza and -)ane Jackman, were charged with stealing fruit from a shop in George street. The first-named was sent to the Industrial School for three, and the other for five years. — Star.