LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

THE r&solution passed by (lie t Auckland City Council a month ago, abolishing the ward system, was formally confirmed by the Council last evening, upon the motion of the chairman,.Mr. C. J. Parr. Mr. J.T. Julian opposed the confirmation of this resolution, holding that it should.not have been passed without the ratepayers) being consulted. The motion for , confirmation was ■ carriatli Miv Julian dissenting. . The resolution will be gazetted next Week and the now. elections; rendered necessary, by the abolition of the wards, will take pliioe during September. The Union Company's steamer Taviuni arrived from the Society and Cook Islands last night. The voyage ofthe steamer .after leaving the island of Mangaia was marked by a series of vevy heavy head gales. The wind at times attained hurricane force, and was accompanied by a tremendous sea. _ The steamer, however, : came '..' through without | suffering any damage, but she was delayed about 24 hours over her usual time in coyer-; ing the distance to' Auckland. Fruit, was ; very plentiful in' the Cook Group, and the j Taviuai bos brought a very large cargo tit i various kinds, besides a, valuable shipment | of pearlshell and general Island produce. j -:■ A letter was received -from the Jfariiell J iiorough Cbtodi-b^; the. City Council last evening,' requesting the" latter Council to again approach the Electric Tramways Company, with a " view lof GbCaiiiMg a. seriate crossing place f&r the ,; College Hill traincars, it being considered that the system of one-crossing place for both Parnell and College Hill cars was attended with risk of accident. :' The letter was referred to the Legal Committee. '

It; is gratifying to note the advance which is going on in the settlement and' prosperity of our country districts. For some time the Raglan district has been manifesting signs Of progress. Hitherto the principal overland route has been by of Wbatawhata andWaitettuia, but, of Tate the. route by way bf;Wai«garb to Ngaruawahia has been ' rapidly , gaining in popularity. A river service from Raglan to Waingaro was some few months back established by Captain Cdge, who purchased -the . s.s". 'Maori for: the purpose. Messrs. L. I). Nathan,:who have always shown a great interest in the Raglan district, have now, with commendable enterprise, entered into arrangements with Captain Coge for an extension of • the service, and a steam passenger launch is- to rim in addition to the s.s. Maori. Me launch will be Of t such draught as will ensure a regular service, and She will be able to run to Waingaro arid. other landings on the harbour at any state of the tide, and, what is a most important feature, enabl travellers to readily do the trip betweenl Auckland and Raglan in oho day by a most attractive route. A coach connects : with the steamer at Waingaro, taking passengers to Ngaruawahia. Very great satisfaction has i been evinced. by- the residents in the Raglan , County at the advent of Messrs. L. 35. Nathan upon the scene; and we have.no doubt their enterprise will meet with due reward.

The committee in opposition to the Saturday coinpuleorv closing have communicated with the tradesmen is the country townships. Everywhere ; the •■■ feeling; is strong against the Dill. Cambridge ' writes v— "We had a public meeting here on. July 29 to consider the subject.' The meeting »M> unanimously against the proposal. We think the Government will drop the compulsory Saturday closing." It ik interesting to ; remember that Cambridge had Snuirday closing for aboiii faro months this year, but reverted to Wednesday. Hamilton -, writes: " The, tradesmen v here bad signed ft petition against th* compulsory Saturday/ closing, which we sent to our member* Mr. Lime. We are now sighing another to the House; We think* a compulsory Saturday half-holiday would be disastrous to country districts, and that in towns it would lull. the small shopkeeper*;" As far a! indications go, the country has so severely - condemned the compulsory Saturday' proposal that it would be well for the Government to definitely announce, that that part of the Bill is! dropped. It has hot the remotest chance of passing, as all the country members will oppose it. In View of the number of robberies, more or less serious, which have been reported of late as having occurred in the city, uhe chief of the police, while doing all that ho can with the limited service at his command, complains that in some cases where robberies have been effected or attempted no information is given to the police, who in some measure j learn firs* ', about the: m atteri through the press; or on the other hand, if they art reported* are not referred to the police until some days afterwards. Inspector Gallon is most anxious to have the co-operation of the public in a matter si largely affecting their Welfare, .-., , •.,.;• '..•..-,

..At the meeting of tfce City Council last night,. letter was received from Mr. P. M Hansen, managing director of the Electric 'Tramways Company, in reply to a communication from the Council re smoking. and «4pectorating in the tramoars. > Mr, .Hansen stated that cards would be feed in the informing the public that smoking was. prohibited, and giving notice of the company's by-law in regard to expectorating. The cards, which were now being printed, Will be fixed in all the cits at the Winning oi next week. , •

The Telegraph Department has been pat to groat expense and trouble of late trough malicious damage to its lines, particularly in respect to the destruction of insulators, and it ha« been decided to make an example of every ease in future. special measures had been adopted to detect offenders, and on Monday last a young man was fined 10a and ordered to pay damages and costs amounting altogether to £2 Ok. The case, was tried at I'apakura. ■* A four-wheeled cab belonging to Pullan and Araitage collided with a tramcat on Wednesday night in the Stroud, near the Paraell railway bridge. One of the horses was badly Injured, and the. cab was damaged, but the driver was unhurt. The iwambat was not damaged.

At the meeting of the City Council last night, a letter was received from Mr. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., string that oil the return of Mr. Kidd, M.H.R., to Wellington, the City members would again take action in -3gard to the question of an addition tooths' police force in Auckland. He stated, however, that he did not think ahythint would be done is the matter before the Estimates came down,

News by the Union Company's .steamer TaviuHi,:'which arrived from the Islands last night, states that a large quantity of wreckage, evidently from a small schooner, lias been washed up on the bench at Rarotonga recently. Some of the pieces of Wreckage are timbers of a good length, and the general opinion ] at ; the island is that the wreckage belongs to ; the island schooner Manngaroa.' which left Auckland fox the Cook ■Grow over a year. ago, and which sines that time has not been heard of. A fishing yacht belonging to the natives, was wrecked at Omaha early on Friday morning last. Three natives took her over to the Little Barrier on Thursday, and were fishing all day. At night they came over, and anchored outside, all hands going below. The anchor, rope, parted, and the yacht drifted on the rocks north of Point Rodney, and was very soon a total wreck. They had nearly 100 fish on board, everything being lost. It is understood that the yacht was the property of a native of Waiheke.

Yesterday the following telegram was sent by -Mr. A. J. Allom, vice-president of the Scenery Conservation Society, to several members of the House of Representatives : — I "The Scenery Conservation Society, on behalf of to tmblk), oppose the Bill for ex-, changing Domain; land. ;.■■•: See Co-day's ! fIEEAtD. Please watch the matter." The I gentlemen communicated with were ; The Colonial Secretary, Messrs. Lawry, Kirk' bride, Maaaey, Witheford, Fowlds, and Banmo. The society have taken the neees-' legal to oppoee the Bill, i

, When the Assessment Court met v«*Ur. day morning the president (Mr. H. WeT" '■ - bant) said that ilia Court had come'to •' • agreement regarding, the objection M? ' ' huh, Tawbiao tad Taliuna Sea&ncU th *> I valuation of £6910 on their- XeJttK ' : > Remuero. : - , The Bebeh ; ?thbhat4S^Si;?-= ; ft i .valuation should be fixed bit'the bask of *f ■ ," , .revenue .£l6O capitalised Sfe \ I 'Brabant suggested that the parties m £& ' i agree with the Valuation Departm^U?£ ; tfie .amount. Mr. fit. Clair, on beta? %' » >.. Mahuta, said that probably he would Ullfi" . , to adopt this suggestion. ■ ? aW ? ' A most surprising find was made a few "■ '": days ago on the beach at Tauranga, i • gentleman named Marsnck found a'parb of " ; an animal's bead and brought it to Mr '■ OkeeSemari, at the Museum, for idehtifiha' " ' i tion. It was discovered by careful wamiSl" l i tion to be the upper jaw of a crocodile *{<£ ' i it got to Tauranga is now puzKling all tte ' >. who have seen it. No ore is able to *£» ' ; what ,-. seems a ; rational guess.. ;'■ . There J* : crocodiles at New Guinea, arid i hi the rlvS"* ; in the northern part of Queensland/ tW : ' '' i are also found in the Solomon Islands' Bui ' i it would be impossible, one would think. )f\ : a crocodile to swim from the b>"\~'ri . Islands re New Zealand, because lie wtmiS' starve by the way. _ No one knows a,uvthi u * ' of any stuffed specimen ever having bean 5* • the locality. Can any of our readers , • mite enlightenment on this very, dark ituhi'< ' , jeoti ? ■ ■'■$ ' " ■ \, The foundation stone of the Baptist Taber' uncle at Wliangarei w,m laid at haii.p^ 4 ':' . • two yesterday afternoon by Mr. 11. 31, * ■ ';. ■ Smeeton, of Auckland. An oruarcental' "! '■ - gavel, made of New Zealand woods, wit* ' I silver plate, suitably inscribed, was presaai. ''■ ted to him, by Mr. Knight. Mr. Snieeibi^'' addressed,those f present in a few well-choggj, ' ' words,, being introduced by Pastor Fussefl . ' who is in charge of the Wbangarei Bafet > Cnurrh. The Revs. A. North ahd Piydii ~ and Mri Able, all from Auckland. addt«ss«d the meeting. During the ceremony a tels. ' gram was received, promising £2, from &* . " Eltham Church.""" During the ceremony & number of persons laid contributions on th* '''" stone towards the erection of the ehtirch. in the evening there was a tea meeting, which wis irdwded, there being hardly statidinr ■ room in the Theatre Royal, where it wm held. Everything connected with the cere. mony went off well. The Rev. Long t frbni Jordan, was present at the ceremony. ' s;."":f y: : .a<>%:i&.< ", • .' ' i Our Hamilton correspondent tribal-t, '. "| Tenders are called for the erection bfbtifc mises for the Hamilton Club. The building &."> '-■-';'. been designed by Messrs'. Mahoney and Sons, ■ . . ■ and is to b(» creeled ib Giantbam-sfcrrtt, ; ' Tlh) design shows six rooms on the first fiodfe, Yv : including a billiardrooih, 27ft by 21ffc> pesd-V r iugroom, 21ft by 17ft 6inj lounge, 13ft 6ts ■ - by lift; cardroom and strangers room. It .;■.',' will have a spacious vestibule, entrance hill,. and lavatories. In , the basement profisi(>B : ■'■'■■'l'< is made for the accommodation of the care. ■'.' taker, consisting of sir rooms. The river .'. front will have a balcony 6ft wide si« ''-! whole length of the building* , - . ■:, • ■' ~.. •: ' • '' • ...' ''.. In June / deputation from the School'-" '' Committees' Association waited on. Sir J. ' \ G. Ward whilst in Christchurch,"with re- /;-';. gard to the Government supplying coal it'V- '. school cbibmilSfieeS. The secretary of 'th*.'-'^ 4 . association has now. forwarded a letter tit , H : Sir Joseph Ward, giving the price paid by';'j*' school committees for coal, and the amount;=...;■ used per annum. 'Hie quantities vary fan ■ five to 25 tons, and the prices from 39a tfc'i \\\:f: 40s. The association contend .that if the ■ Government could supply' the coal; direct 'to ". .'■;.■'■'■'.'•; the committees at about £1 per ton, at the \ railway station or sidings for the variola , ' schools, it would lie a great saving, as niuA •■ ; of the money spent on coal could be spent ':-'}' v;.' oh urgent - : and necessary repairs, etc., con- ';'i j :■ nt-cfeed nWi school buildings and requisites, A shocking burning accident occurred just \'; before joou on July 27 at the Central minis, Broken Hill (New South Wales). An emj'-.' ' ployee named James Williams was i:hauiug : out ashes from the big,boilers, when a quan- ', tity of hot cinders fell upon him, and he wai terribly burned about, the head, f&cs, and-'v'.i body. In. order to clean out the • ash •' tifaHm Williams had to enter the tunnel leading to-; if/. wards- the stack. . Screahis were heard pro- : ct-ediHg from this tunnel, which was fined-', .Vith;smoke and ash, dust,-, and Williams* :■: : mate rushed in and i'oimd the unfortunate toon at the: far end covered /with burning V ashes'. He dragged Williams out;-and it -' was seen that the man's hair was completely l burned from his head. Tee whole of th* v\ I skin of the palm ot one of his hands peeled ' " off when touched, and the sufferer's ey«M' -' '.!• s mouth, and , nostrils were filled with hoalpf I ashes, He was wrapped from head to $mw4 in lint and cotton wool, and was conveyed to■; : :' ! ' the hospital, ..■••:', •'*'«.! ■ . - : . < • .■..■*'. i At the annual meeting of ■ the Sydn«jr f : Chamber of Commerce on July 27, Mr. J, ; Barre Johnson, the chairman* after referring , | to the temporary depression caused by th« |i drought, passed on to tht growth of juii* ' : (' faetures between 1891 and the end of ii*;#jj year. They found, that -fiord 3056 manufao. V turing establishments, employing -; ; 50,789 hands, .and using plant to the value «f '•' i £4,386,475, the figures had increased to 3396 '■/ \i establishments, 66.269 employees, awl '. ; £6,795,843 for value' of plant.- It was. .Vow- t ~= ; ever, ' questionable whether this proi|i l e« manifested an activity balancing the' import : ■ trade. The mass of figures accounthi[; Ugf-Xi-i commerce during the last five years slowi ',"■< a great preponderance'of imporla oviT'ei--".';. ports— than was advisable in th 6 in- . crests of commerce. As to population, ft /, was not only apparent that- immigrants di 4 •'■■ not look on New South Wales as a deshwbl*- ,1 country in which to settle, but some of iti;.':'» own people were drifting away!. to South -,' : . ; Africa, Canada, the United, State*, and;.,/'; South America. The remedy lay in i!tate-akled immigration, or in holding out inducement* \ *j ; to attract the , men they most desired to landed here. '. -I The Lyttelton Times says:—"As forth* ■'*■..* purchase of land for settlement,' we have 'it. ' ways supported this policy, but we'. h*Tl'y \ also insisted that all land resumed by't&e.iV'v State should be subject to periodical revalua. t tions. It is by that mesas alom that the- ■ ;•! people's share in the benefits of the polioy can be secured to them. We regret, how- '■;-«' ever, to find that the strongest; objection tit this desirable reform is emanating from tfcer 1 / "ii very'people v.-ho have obtained homes through the land for settlement policy. '- ", There can be little question that extending /,!/ settlement under a defective tenure simply v'.s means increasing the effective opposition to' : '- a more equitable tenure, and seeing that 0ur.... ij land poUcy is being threatened with destruc-:• 'J% tion by the very people who have received ; the greatest benefits from it, the reformers •>• may well be excused if they refuse to proceed •'' '.-•; further until measures are devised by which . " the interests of the masses may be l»»«f| served.'* *. . '■■'■•-■•. ' i ':" ' l i H, "(i';M]|i The question of the conditions surroußd•', -I ing the new appointment to the chair of /\-.\ Physiology and Histology in the University, / ■..:_•; of Melbourne, was finally settled at a recent',,,'| meeting of the University. Council. It vrat ' 1 decided that the salary for the hew pirof e*-.;*:-sor be £900 per annum, with a abuse, sub-* ► $ ject to a reduction of £200 per annum, until .'•: such time as the 1 pension, 1 at 'present : chargeable against the chair, shall fall in;.- 1 :i further provision was made to the effect that on iM'->':"'| arrival ot the new professor in Melbourne, $ the council shall purchase an endowmeni)■'•; '*•/'$ assurance on his life, -the policy'.to be.p»y*'".-.. \ able at the age of &5, or at his death, -should : V-j that event occur previously, and that the ■ '' > amount of the annual premium for such as- ■';,. '•- surance shall be £80. The policy is to stand ,- in the name of the University, and is to bo,, vj handed over to the professor only is the . :vf event of his resignation or to his heirs in the ;:.;.; case of his death. The innovation proposed, v 4 by these recommendations, and approved by the conincil, necessitated an amendment in •;"; ! -i the Sitatutes, and it was resolved, on ..tbt(?^ ; y motion c? Dr. Macfarlane, to refer to the '5- , 'Ji senate an alteration in statute V., providimj •;■■;/ V; that the council shall have power, ;aia .*&* :/ : solute majority of its members, to,detenph4« l ;'■:■; t '■ a professor's occupation 'of office wit-hew cause sliMii alter he shall have attained th« :.;v s age of 55 years. Similar action was tainm/fi-i •regarding, an alteration 1 in statote XII., 8»* ;■;};!:!; tion 1., dealing with the payment of gtJpmay.., ■.!,; i to the professors, in which it was propowd ; , to add, "with or without pension or pro*** sion for retirement." Should the new P»* fessor of Physiology remain in the ; the University after attehdng tiie. *$* Q* «*• Ml • he will be entitled on the terminstum *i ,iWj //% 1 office to any intareste or yto&ti whioii VM|p, I I lwrr« *otrue£i to tko policy .«**•' W*» ;r ':^M

]' J.'•■'.'.''• ; The City Council; which held itsV^,— ■ I leeting last night, was in a t'alkativk :./.'l'"V ' he proceedings los*>g ro i a half-past t , ■•'V-1 ' ;■'■ "»n p.*.' The Council resolved to tip\, K : '. I .'■: je Hospital Board in its objection to A 1 rection of a suspect hospital for shiallpt § ii tie new Domain site. ~. It was decided I ay a visit to WaitaKerei at an } early dai •'■§" ; i connection with the anticipated necessi i ; »■ A further increasing the water supply, a: committee was appointed to suggest amen Ws to the Fire Brigades Bill, which m ' tth gome adverse criticism. The Speci ommittce which conducted the recent i uiry into the alleged electoral irregularitk r.'.g '•':•;. hbmitted its report,, which reviewed fc '; I committee was appointed to suggest amen tents to the Fire Brigades Bill, which m ' vita some adverse criticism. The Speci bmmittee which conducted the recent i uiry Into the alleged electoral irregularith '■ h omitted its report, which reviewed t Vidence already published, and made a niii . er of recommendations in respect to futii lections. Dr. Sharman's motion in rfega; '. o the city engineer's department was di ' * ussed and negatived. The usual quMitll '"' I"'' •' I ordinary business was also transacted. \ Mr. Buckridge, the mate of the tiny sk: i,V, 'ilikum, now in Auckland, has offered t ross the great Walhiattgu Geyser in a bbj i :', Vit-h Mr.. Alfred Warbriek, the weli-kboW ;uide afc Eotorua.: .When Mr. Warbri/j 'j 7ho is in Auckland, was made aware of/ ffer, he at once accepted it, Subject to/* | I; ' )epartment's permission, but stipulated^* Win Mr.. Alfred Warbrick, the well-know 1 ;uide at Rotorua. When Mr. Warbri/ rho is in Auckland, was made aware of/ >ffer, he at once accepted it, Subject to/ 5 department's permission, but stipulated/** ; oimdings for scientific purposes shou/" 6 taken, so as to obtain as much iliforiy' o,l 'a is possible as to the depth, ,tc., of this famous geyser, which J,™ I' lrgest in the world. Those vho havef?jff3 j | Vaimangu can realise What "Sri advp ,ron 9 vl ; tip it will be. The little ciaft tjj*. eM " ' : jaged on the short journey will he tlot n,! y •'I :i Jf the yacht Maratea, and it w]ll/ taken If'ip to Eotorua. by to-morrow's tw ail d , jthen carted to Waimangu. / i i; f. It was stated at last night's luting of the City Council that the drainngtorks now ] ~in hand in the city would absorHe remaining portion of this year's loaix' £10,000, &nd that other works' would ha-* 0 » e postponed until January next, wH » further I' ■ loan portion be this year's loan' £10,000, 4nd that other works" would ha-p be postponed until January next, wH a further loan could be raised. Thc/otincil has" I power, Under the existing Actp raise two \ Y more- annual loans of £10.000 ,f for drainI ';{• Reworks. ■ -I I Applications were recently pted by the ;-: ■ ; Auckland Gas Company fdtenders for | about 1000 paid-up shares, t© result Was T'Z that 2123 shares were appliepr, and 1266 1 were allotted by the directs yesterday at I P:!- the minimum price j fixed [»), and above I that amount. The highest ice ofiVad was 1 £14 s& ' I At th Paeroa Police urt yesterday a ] ] . item nari*«d W. Tobin r« charged on re-! -■■■■: ! ". mand with having stolen sum of £8, the \ property of C. W. Hiinsen.p Karahgahake, ] but was discharged withbila stain on his ];.■■"' '■■' character. ! • ' ■ ■ I -'*'■- Three persons, charged wh dninkeiiness; trere in the cells at the pice station last !' ■'■". Three persons, one charfl drunkenness, |: were in the cells at tlie pice station last night, as well as One chart! with assault, ■;> fend another charged with iaraing a small Bum of money by false pre aces.