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Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 659, 15 August 1878, Page 2

At the Resident Magistrate's Court held yesterday, before W- N. Searancke, Esq., James itoon, William Coleman, John Thorpe, and Edward Wall, were severally fined in various amounts for having dogs at largo without collars, contrary to the law made and provided. Judgment for plaintiff, with costs, was given in the following eases : —I. Coatea v. W. O'Neill, £4 3s lOd; same t. Grimes, £2 8s lOd; same v. Lodcr, £lO 12s 2d; same v. Coombes, £3 6s; Missen v. Kellctt, 16s 6d; J. D. & K. Hill v. Samuel Joy, £2 2s Bd. The case of Agnew v. Shepherd and anothor, a claim of £ls for wages, was adjourned to next Court day.

The Appointment of Mb R. S. Bvbh as R.M. at Raglan.—lt is with great pleasure we notice that Mr Robert S. Bnsh has been gazetted Resident Magistrate of the district of Raglan, vice W. Harsant, resigned. Mr Bush, as Clerk to the Resident Magistrate's Court at Raglan, has shown himself a valuable officer, and his knowledge of the natives and influence with them will be of great assistance in tho duties which, as Resident Magistrate at Raglan, he will be called upon to perform.

Whangamabino Bridge. Sealed tenders for the construction of a bridge over the Whangamarino Creek, near Mercer, will be received by the Waikato County Council till noon of Thursday, the sth proximo. A Special Meeting of the Cambridge Farmers' Club is called for Saturday next to memorialise the G-overnment to extend the railway into Hamilton East, with an iron bridge across the "Waikato River.

The Scab Petition.—The matter of petitioning the Government to investigate Mr Jolly's soab case has been taken up very warmjy by Mr F. Hicks, of Pukekura. He had the petition drawn up in Auckland, and, now that it has been approved of and adopted by the Cambridge Farmers' Club, he has sent it by has nephew—Mr T. W. Hicks—at Ms own expense, round to all parts of the "Waikato to get signatures to it. Mr T. "W. Uicks was at Ohaupo on Tuesday, and at Te Awamutu yesterday. To-day, he will visit Hamilton, and no doubt every settler and resident will be most willing to sign the petition. It would be well to leave it for a day or two in Hamilton with some responsible party, to receive the signatuies of those whom Mr Hicks may not have been able to see, and who may wish to sign it.

The Entertainment and Concert for tho benefit of the school children, and the school funds, held on Tuesday night in Hamilton East School House was in every respect an unqualified success. Unlike the Hamilton West concert of the preceding Friday, which Mr Cox endeavored to carry out for the same object, the East School Committee in this case entered heartily into the project, and it came off ; under their special patronage and support. The consequence was that a sum was taken for admission of £l4 4s 6d, which will more than provide funds necessary for Christmas prizes, and leave a nucleus towards a fund for the purchase of a harmonium for the use of the school in the teaching of music to the children. Thanks to the churlishness of two members of tho Hamilton West School Committee, that body is not in a similar position. The use of the school house was refused, and one of the chief reasons given for refusing it was that the proposed entertainment would have interfered with the night school. On .Friday night last, however, there was no night school, for the pupils had voluntarily absented themselves to attend the concert held in the Court House. So much for that objection! The Hamilton East School Committee were wiser in their generation, and were rewarded, as we have said, by the success which in every way attended their entertainment. There is, however, one suggestion we would make—that, in future entertainments of the kind, where the greater portion of the audience consists of children, the hour of commencement should be seven instead of eight. Some of the little ones must have been weary ere they reached their homes and beds. The singing was good, and the performers must feel these children's concerts an improvement, in that they obtain more enthusiastic and appreciative audiences. The usual stolidity of a Hamilton audience gave way before the outspoken applause Btarted by the young people, who had both the heart and the courage to applaud what pleased them. Where all acquitted themselves so well in tho different parts undertaken, it would be invidious perhaps to particularise, but to the School Committee and Mr and Mrs Field are due the public thanks for working up so enjoyable an evening's amusement. Potatoes, says yesterday's ' Herald, appear to be following rapidly in the wake of butcher's meat, as a rather stiff advance in the price has taken place within the last few days. About a fort night ago, good sound local potatoes were ■ filing in lines at about £i per ton, but now holders are asking £o 10s, with a prospect of a further rise. Canterbury growth is quoted at £6 and over, and Ilobart Town seed, to awive, has been placed at £8 10s to £9 per ton. The Californian papers call a spade a spade.—One of the richest Chinamen in this city (says the ' S. F. News Letter') is doubtless Mr Chew Kow Yup, who came here a penniless Mongolian thief, about Beven years ago. The secret of his success is a beautiful one, for all his wealth has been obtained by committing to memory four simple words, "You savee, me leper." The second night after his arrival he broke into a dry goods store, and was just carrying away his booty when a policeman collared him and prepared to march him down to the City Hall. He made n» resistance, but innocently remarked, "You savee, me leper," and officer Mulligan fled wildly towards North Beach, giving his prisoner the opportunity to steal seven more undershirts, of which he promptly availed himself. He was only once brought into Court, being then charged with a wholesale diamond l'obbery, and when asked to plead guilty or not guilty, he simply repeated the words of his charm, in a voice, at once plaintive and full of expression. The Court was cleared in less than 40 second*, two of the jury leaving their hata behind, and the Judge hia g«ld

spectacles, all of which Mr Chew Kow Tup appropriated, together with the loc-e <hange in the clerk's drawer. It is needless to say that the wealthy heathen is entirely free from the least suspicion of leprosy, and he leaves on the next steamer for Hong Kong without about 90,000 dollars.

Twins.—The French Academy have recently been considering some important investigation!) concerning twins. It would appear that on the average, only one pair of twins rosult in one hundred domestic occurrences—in other words, that the chances of immunity from so distressing a visitation are a hundred to one in the parents favor—and also that, only in the case of four per cent, of tho mothers, does nature repeat the prank. But one's confidence in these comfortable revelations is rudely shaken by what follows. There is a circumstantial record of the doings of one, Fedon Vassilet, a peasant of Moscow, who, in 1872, when aged 7'3 jears, had had 87 children by two wive*. The first Madame Vassilet contributed her share of the full tale in 27 instalments; doubles 16 times, trebles 7 times, an.l quadruples 4 times, never an ace. The second Madame produced 18 children in 8 events, and it may be mentioned, by the way, that in 1872, no less than BJS of the 87 children survived. Doubts having boon thrown upon the accuracy of the foregoing record, M. Khanikoll', correspondent of the Imperial Academy of St. Pctcrsburgh, was asked to obtain some verification of it', he replied that investigation was superfluous; the family still existed at Moscow, and had, indeed, boon tho object of Imperial favor. It is satisfactory to know that the Russian Government is alive to the political aspect of such a phenomenon. In a country addicted to groat wars, men of the stamp of M. Vassilet are to be encouraged. We can, however, recall a somewhat parallel ease nearer home. At one o! Sir John Lawrence's great durbars, a. chief from Rajpootan being asked, as a matter of polite enquiry, how many children he had, the Political Agent, who was standing by, and deemed it due to the exalted presence to ignore all but offspring of lawful wedlock, hurriedly interposed, "Three, your Excellency." "Three"! growled the offended Chief, " nearly a hundred." We will leave to others to decide whether Russia or Hindostan can boast the greater hero. —Indian paper. Maori Mtjedebeks.—The 'New Zealander' (a Government organ, published in Wellington) says :—" It is now more than a couple of years since Winiata's crime was committed, and twelve months ago Mr Pox might just as reasonably have asked the late Miniatry the same question as the one he put last week regarding what dispositions they were making for the capture and trial of this criminal. It is a small party move, intonded to be irritating, and is as insincere as it is pretentiously virtuous. There is another phase of this Maori criminal question whioh had better be spoken of, and frankly put before the public. We have said that Winiata will, and must be taken, tried, and hanged, as his flagrant crime merits he should be. It is only a question of time. Justice is often slow, but in cases like this it is inexorable and sure. With regard to the other offenders, they stand iu a different position, and perhaps it may be as well to express plainly what we believe are the sentiments of most men who have thought on the subject with care. We cannot rank Titokowaru or Te Kooti, or even Purukutu, with Winiata, who murdered his fellowservant in his sleep, and stole his money. Those men were political offenders, and the murders they had committed were according to the style of warfare commonly carried on by their race, even, as in the Poverty Bay affair, going the length of aending a chivalrous warning to Major Biggs, which Te Kooti did, to remove his women and children, as he was coming to attack the settlement on a certain day. The warning was disregarded the Maoris came, and the people were killed. What Ministers may do we know not, but there can be little question that the establishment of a permanent peace should be signalised by an offer of pardon to all those chiefs and ordinary natives whose offences are of a political character, differing wholly from Winiata. Such an amnesty would make men of influence among tho natives—like Te Kooti and Titokowaru—peaceable settlers and friends of tho Europeans, and restore them to their position which they may now be fairly entitled to as men who had fought for their native soil and supposed rights."