NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 66, 1 August 1874, Page 7

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Fbom our Home files we learn that Dr. O'Connor, Bishop-elect of Ballarat, was to be consecrated shortly after the departure of the mai.l, but Dr. Fortune, on the ground of ill health, had declined the Bishopric of Sandhurst, and there was no reason to anticipate that the rev. gentleman would alter his determination on the Bubject. Ax a meeting of the DunecUn AthenEeuni Committee, held on Wednesday evening, amongst other business transacted, a resolution was passed excluding all papers from the free table with the exception of the ' Gazettes' and the Parliamentary papers. Mr Stout, then named seriatim each journal sought to be excluded, and moved as an amendment that they should be retained, but the motion was lost, an amendment being carried that the consideratian of the question be postponed for ten days.

We are pleased to learn that the efforts being made with the view of assisting the St. Joseph's School Fund, are likely to be c:-owned with success. All arrangements have been completed for the Concert to take place in the Masonic Hall on the 21st inst., a most attractive programme being provided, which will appear in our next issue.

We regret to learn that a brother of the Rev. Mr Morrison, of Switzers, has been lost at the Upper Waikaia far ten days. There is no possibility of searching for the body, the snow being from 3ft to sft. deep.

An accident, which might have resulted fatally, occurred to : little boy named M'Cutchen, on Tuesday evening. It appears th little fellow had been sailing a toy boat in the flood drains leadini from the Anderson's Bay road, and overbalancing himself, was pre cipitated into the water. Fortunately the attention of a paiiter a work at the Bay View Hotel was drawn to the spot, who suoceeded in rescuing him just as he was ou the point of drowning.

One of the boys employed in the office of this paper discovered an abandoned hatf and coat on the fence of the back premises ea rly one morning last week. After they had served as foot-balls for some time, and the coat was about to be consigned to a dust-heap it struck him to search the pockets, and on his doing so he found a receipted account from Mr Beissel, a plug of tobacco, and a purse containing a twentypound note. Like an honest youth he immediately brought it to the station and left it in the hands of the police, in case the loss should bo reported. A few days afterwards the owner appeared, and on correctly describing the purse and contents, they were handed over to him, minus £5, which he generously left as a reward for the bov'e honesty. J

It is rather a coincidence that, although but one month has elapsed since the general licencing day, three of the applicants on that occasion and, amongst those whose licences were refused, have passed to their last account. In each case also the parties, we learn, were then enioying good health. They are Mr Arrow, Crown Hotel, Caversham • MForrester, Artillery Hotel, George street, and Mr Colquhuon, Green Island.

Thanks to Mr Barton, since the Green Island case, we were nor; ignorant of the prevalence of larrikinism in and about Dunedin buc we certainly had no idea that garotters had found a footing here. Ie appears, however, that a successful attempt occurred a few nightu since, when a man was set upon by two ruffians, and robbed of all h«« had in his possession, amounting to about one pound. To aggravate the hardship, the sum taken could be ill afforded, as it constituted tlrj poor fellow's worldly wealth.

Feom the publisher, Mr Wheeler, of Stafford street, we are ii receipt of ' The Illustrated New Zealand Herald ' for July. The cuta maintain their usual character for excellence, the subjects for illustration being chosen from the different colonies, and the selections most varied. Those most deserving of notice are—" The Parlour-maid in 1 Dilemma," "Holiday Rambles," and "The Beach at King's Island after the Wreck of the British Admiral." There is also a full-pa"-' picture of "A Football Match," and portraits of Lloyd Jones an! Zephaniah Williams, the celebrated Chartist leaders. The ' Herald' is admirably adapted for posting to friends in the old country. There is a four-page supplement containing the selected news of the month.

We notice by advertisement in another column that Mr Shackloford, for many years conected with the establishment of Mr Hay Princes street, has opened an Employment Institute and GenerrJ Agency ofiice in town. The bufcinees of the institute will embrace not only Otago but all parts of the Colony, arrangements being made both by mail and wire. It is also stated that tutors, clerks, and othere will be supplied with information free of charge.

As some doubt existed as to the validity of the nomination of Mi< Burt aa one of the councillors of High Ward, a communication hus been opened with the Attorney-General, from whom the following reply has been received :— " I think the nomination should be treated as regular by the returning-officer. — (Signed) — J. Pbendebgast The nomination for the seats in the City Council, rendered vacant by the eflluxion of time, took place on Friday, the 24th inst. An unusual amount of interest was taken in the proceedings, owing to tl o numbers of vacancies to be filled being eight instead of four. Soui I Ward was the only one in which the number of candidates did rm exceed the seatß vacant, and Messrs Fish and Walter, being uno,>. posed, were declared by the Mayor duly elected. For the other wanlj the candidates are as follows :— High Ward : A Mercer, proposed I r C. H. Street, seconded by Richard Pearson ; Barnsird Isaac, proposed by B. J. Lowry, seconded by Robert Stout ; Alexander Burt, proposal by James Robin, seconded by John Neil. Bell Ward : R. H. Learv proposed by Alexander Macgregor, seconded by William Baird •' William Asher, proposed by Andrew Lees, seconded by Franc .s Meenan ; William Woodland, proposed by James Jack, seco aded ! " Hermann Doring j John Carroll, proposed by Tbo:nas Fogo, second i: by Benjamin Bagley. Leith Ward: Peter Git son, proposed )- Alexander Allan, seconded by John Collie ; Thomas Birch, propos v by William Boyse, seconded by J. A, Steadman,} John Grant, pi 3.

posed by Charles Strachan, seconded by J. R. Eenwick; James Wilson, proposed by James Finch, seconded by Alexander Rennie. As the number of Auditors to be elected for the whole city is but two, and three gentlemen are in the field, a poll will be taken on the same day as the election for Councillors. The following are the gentlemen* " who have been nominated for Auditors : — Sydney James, proposed by H. J. Walter, seconded by Keith Ramsay ; j. B. M'Culloch, proposed by Joseph Reany, seconded by George Baker ; Frederick H. Evans proposed by Robert Wilsoß, seconded by Robert Marks. Telegraphic intelligence from Hokitika reports that a new rush has broken out at Greenstone, between Hokitika and the Grey. The accounts are most satisfactory, and the prospects of improvement are every day more visible. A perfect stampede of miners had taken place from all parts of the Coast in that direction, and sixteen parties have struck payable gold. The available ground' ia rapidly being taken up, and a large and prosperous gold-field expected. From Grahamstown we learn that gold has been struck in the Exchange Company's ground on Grahamstown Flat, and the Waitemata Company have struck a new reef, which is generally believed to be the Manukau, where gold is visible. Attention is being directed to other claims by this discoeyry of rich Manukau reefs.

"Upon the motion for the third reading of the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, the Primier gave it as his private opinion that the population of the Colony would be injured by such a measure. It was quite true that a similar Bill had been passed in other Colonies, but it was chiefly owing to the large amount of pressure in individual cases. There ought to be only one law for marriage, and it would be quite time enough to alter the present law when the Imperial Parliament did so. A great deal of misery arose from irregular marriage laws, such as the Scotch. He would dissuade members from disturbing the social relations in the Colony. He would like to see New Zealand attractive to all those persons who had desired to marry their deceased wife s sister. — Mr Pox looked at the question from a different point of view from the Premeir's. What they had to do was to look to the requirements of the people — not at any religious aspect of the case. The question was one that could not be subject to individual interference, and the State had no right to interfere with the liberty of the subjects. The House could not have a better example than the House of Commons and other Australian Colonies. It was only the preponderance of the ecclesiastical element in the House of Lords whioh kept such a Bill from becoming the law of England. — Mr O'Neill moved that the Bill be read a third time that day six months. A division was then called for, the result being that the Bill was passed by a majority of seven, there being twenty-four in favor and seventeen against it.

We have been requested by the Treasurer of the Lawrence School Committee to insert the following tribute to Mr John Griffin, late Catholic teacher in that district, whose removal to Hokitika we noticed in last weeks issued :: — tl Mr John Griffin. Dear sir — We the members of the Roman Catholic School Committee, Lawrence, having been apprised of your departure from amongst us, take this occasion to testify our appreciation of your valuable services. Your anxious solicitude and zealous attention to the welfare of the Roman Catholic children of Tnapeka, which endeared you to us all, and the high tone of moral and religious culture, which your virtues have instilled into their minds, will ever be remembered by your sincere friends with grateful acknowledgement ; and as you have been always faithful in the companionship of the true worshipers of Him, who for very love of all died on a cross for our redemption, we, therefore, ask you to accept this endearing emblem of a sacrifice so truly meritorious, it is of purest metal, but purer still shall be your memory in the minds of your devoted friends. The withdrawal of the cattle trading steamers to Auckland seems to have created almost a panic in the market. The butchers have raised the price of meat one penny per pound, owing ta the scarcity of meat, and threaten to increase it until steamers carrying stock supply the places of those withdrawn. Says the • Wellington Times ' : — Cottages, cot.tages, everywhere, and still the cry is " more." The streets of Te A.ro at one end of the towa, and Tinakori road at the other, resemble carpenters' workshops at some particular spots where building operations are thickest, yet the comDlaint is everywhere heard that habitable tenements are not to be hail for love or money. A comfortable house which may chance to become vacant is leased (upon highly advantageous terms to the landlord) by somebody who has cast a longing eye upon it for perhaps six months. A five roomed house, with not enough ground attached "to swing a cat " upon, fetches- £1 a week ; still building goes on, and the demand for house room becomes greater.

The New York • Sun ' describes an air ship invented by L. B. Hunt of Auburn, New York State, who expects to travel by its agency through the air at the rate of 100 miles an hour. The car destined to carry the passengers is of wood, 30ft long, Bft high, and Bft wide. This is attached to the engine-room, 20ft above, by four wire cables, and the motive power is steam, one of Slisby's rotatory 50 horse-power engines being used. The engine is so constructed as to turn upright shafts, one within the other, working in opposite directiors, to whioh wings made of sheet-iron, slightly concave, are attached. These wings are eight in number — of a foot wide next the shaft, 6ft at the extreme end, and 12ft long, being attached to the outer shaft ; four of a similar shape of the same dimensions being attached to the inner shaft, 10ft above the other. When the machinery is set in motion, these wings lift the vessel, and the whole apparatus is steered by a sheet-iron rudder, parallel to the shaft of the engine at the right of the machine, 10ft long, by sft wide. From the car to the top of the shaft the vessel measures 58ft, and it has cost twelve thousand dollars. It weighs six tons, is capable of carrying six tons more, and will afford accommodation to 40 persons." This, thouga placed in quotation, is a somewhat abridged account of this extraord nary vessel. But it contains all that is material, without going into :aore minute details. It should be observed, however, that no trial has yet been made of this -vessel, although, one is promised at an early day.