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Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1977, 10 June 1876, Page 2

The Stevenson's case in Melbourne, which we hear of from time to time by telegraph, i s the most remarkable commercial scandal that h.ia e'per arisbn in the colonies. The firm

do'en, perhaps, the largest soft-goods business in Melbourne, and has immense influence A former employe named Trowell, who had occupied a good position in the wftnsh'duse for ten years, first dre\V attention to the alleged frauds by information given to the Customs authorities. His statement went to shew that while he was in Stevenson's employ the firm had smuggled, by means of salted invoices, goods to the value of £00,000, The Customs authorities instituted &n investigation at the warehouse, and were at first allowed to proceed without obstruction, but as their examination grow more searohing, the firm, with the aid of their etnployeos,

suddenly ejected tho officers from the pro

mises ; and then ensued that remarkable fracas already reported, in which the

firm resisted by fofr!& ttle attempted entrance bf tne Collector of Customs. Since then the history of the case has been an exemplification of the difficulty which surrounds any attempt to secure tho conviction of a wealthy man. A Melbourne journal^ commenting on this phase of tho subject, Ba^s t —

"We do not suppose that it will be disputed for one moment that a less wealthy firm would have received very different treatment from the Government of the dp.y. Why, for instance, wore thts letters of the firm not opened, after- they were detained so long ? The Post Office Act specially provides for such a ' case by authorising the Post-master-General to break the seals of letters " reasonably suspected of containing enclosures in fraud of the Customs." There seems to be only one answer to the question. The firm was wealthy enough to defy the Act, to defy, the Government, and to doty public opinion. This infiuenco was particulary visible in the demeanour of the benoh which tried Mr Stevenson and his manager Mr Blind on a charge of resisting the Custom Houbo officers. Not only was the bench packed with Magistrates who rarely put in an appearance on ordinary occasions, but some of them were notoriously the friends and sympathisers of the accused, and one of them was known to have large business relations with them. But this was not all. Though the evidence was moro than sufficient to justify a committal, it was found at tho last moment, and contrary to expectation, rthat the Magistrates were equally divided, and Mr Sturfc, the P.M., declined the responsibility of using his privilego to decide on his own account. Again we ask, why was this thus ? Would it have been thus in the case of an ordinary culprit ?"

Ifc is the same all the world over. Although there may not be one law for the rich and another for the poor, there is most assuredly one administration for the rich and another for the poor,— the man of wealth is hedged around with barriers before which the arm of Justice falls powerless. A wide-spread sympathy evidently prevails among the trading community inljfavour of the Stevensonß, and this is attribr.ted to that " fellow feeling" which makes us " wondrous jkiud." The press has not. been mincing in its strictures, and plainly hints that the popular demonstrations of the trading community are prima facie evidence that the Stevensona are not alone. Scarcely a firm in Melbourne, it has been asserted, is perfectly free from taint, and the conviction that some new safeguard against Customs frauds ia imperatively necessary, has led to an agitation against the system of ad valorem duties. The latest phase of the Stevensons' case is an application by the Collector of Customs to the Supreme Court, any attempt to gain an impartial judgment from the Bench of Magistrates being deemed futile. The result of the new form of procedure remains to be seen, but we shall be very much surprised if any conviction is secured.

d?A letter from an Auckland smith in reference to the quality of ironwork in Auckland-built vessels, is held over till Monday. A few days ago a correspondent expressed the opinion that Councillor Goldie's return to the City Council without opposition left it open to question whether he represented the ratepayers. We differed materially from the writers conclusions, and think an uncontested election may, under certain eircumstaneeß, be a greater compliment than a large majority. We notice from " The Good Templar Columns" to-day that Mr Coldie has just stood an election for a constituency expending over a very wide provincial area—the District Deputyship for the Auckland District No. 1, Order of Good Templars. The result ia that ont of 566 votes recorded for eight candidates Mr Goldie received 252, being placed in the office by a very large majority. The voting was: Brother D. Goldie, 252; E» Leßoy, 141; W. Gregory, 51; J. Macready, 38; E. Wilson, 38; O. S. Ellis, S7; J."»\ Bradley, 8; T. Booth, 1.

The journeyman bakers of Auckland will hold their quarterly meeting this evening at half-past seven o'clock at the British Hotel, for the general business of their United Benefit Association. Mr James McLean will take the chair.

At the Grand Benevolent Carnival at Duuedin £1,500 were realised.

•' Tongariro appears to be again in a state of aotivity, if not eruption, for bright lights have been seen from a number of places, while some subterranean mutterings and earthquakes indicate that something id disturbing the mountain which Hochstetter describes as having stank down to nothing more than a large solfatara." " It, is a noteworthy fact," continues the Wairarapa Neivs, " that during the time it was supposed to bo extinct several very heavy earthquakes occurred, and that tsinfie Its return to a Bfcate oi: activity so little of the kind has been felt that numbers of brick buildings have gone up where before people Would not think of such a thing. New Zealand appears to be better off with than without a volcano."

Tho telegraph runners in the principal towns of the colony are to be provided with a, uniform hat and a waterprobf cape Or boat, for protection against the winter weather. The Wellington Argus says, the hat is very neat, with a red cord round,' the top, which gives it official distinction. The General Manager is entitled to credit for providing tho boys with the winter clothing, which, though it adds abtfufc £STO a-year to the expenses of the department, will afford the boys wnliuth and comfort.

The occupation of a 'busman seems to have an irritating effect on the 'bus fraternity—we say 'bus fraternity, because the cabmen and expressman never "fall out, and chide, and fight," but 'busmen frequently db, as past encounters have proved beyond a doubt. The expressmen at the corner of Victoria-street invariably have a smile on their face, and. their little social games in the bed of the " Favorite '' or the "Hose of, Newton," br the "Prince of Dedwobd," and their occasional extravagant bursts of laughter, shew an abundance of animal spirits, and an unwavering dependence upon Providence. If they lack a inrn, they say, " Well, the turn will come," and when the turn does comej Btnack goes the whip, and round goes the wheels, with "bravo, Harry, this -will do for Nottingham," while those behind wish him as much joy as though he was going to be married at St Matthew's or St Paul's, or privately at his own house by the Presbyterian minister The cabmen also, looked after a little sharper perhaps, seem to, be at equal friendship with the times. They sun themselves in line weather, read the evening paper, and take their meals as regularly as old Parr, the pill maker, did, according to tradition, but old Parr, we believe, made fewer pills than Joe Miller's reputed, own-manufac-tured jokes, for it is, a fact that Joe Miller is hot the father of 9tJ ppr cent of the jokes said to be his. The 'busmen, however, are not so evenly disposed as the communities aforementioned. Any person who likes to take the trouble of watching the 'busmen between Auckland and outlying districts will observe that some of them—not all—snap their whips at each other, makt) wry faces, and put their thumbs against their hoses, extending the hand towards opponents, which ungentlemanly act has an irritating effect upon the person for whom the provoking insult is intended. An affair of this kind happened yesterday, botwoen a largo foroign-looking man, with a German accent, and a thin whipper-snapper of a 'busman. Tho little man possessed, apparently, some of She blood of a Crotnwcllj and rather than be fingered at by the big proprietor, whom he impertinently dubbed "Harry," he let fly with his horny, turnip-like fiat, but instead of striking Goliath's nose, Btruck his eye with suoh force that a stream of blood ran down his broad, ample cheek. The stout man made a rush at tho thin man, but failed in giving him a knock-down, as th«i little man darted through the big man's legs. Tho big man's tears, mingling with the red stream of life, caused him to hurry to tho polico office for a summons, and on Monday morning, tho little man will have to answer at the bat of Justice for his audacious attempt to close a fellow'bustnan'H eyo.

" The General Government is determined," says the Napier Telegraph, " that Civil Servants shall obey their behests on pain of dismissal. Only the otbar day we learnt that Major Koberta was banished to Taupo for daring to commit Major Pitt for bribery and corruption, and now wo percoive that the Returning Officer at Port Chalmers has been obliged to send in his resignation on account of a complaint being made against him by the Hon. W. Reynolds for daring to give the show of hands in favour of hia opponent at the last Port Chalmers elections. These petty acts of tyranny must in the end drive men who fulfil their duties impartially and to the best of their nhility from the Civil Service of the colony. The aim of the Government is doubtless to effect this object, so that the offices rendered thus vacant may be filled by their own immediate friends or those of their supporters. This will prove one of the curses of Centralism."

A writer in an Otago journal is very "rough" on our Agricultural Society. In a paragraph referring to the action of Wellington in reducing to a narrow provincial spirit, Dr Coughtrey's proposal , for a Colonial Medioal Society, says :—" Possibly the Wellington medicoa will have the conscience to term their society ' The New ifealand Medical Society,' after the fashion of a pettifogging little country agricultural society, framed in an almost unknown section of Auckland, which rejoices in tho title of ' The New ' Zealand Agricultural Society,' and sustains its dignity by offering about £10 worth of prizes annually for competition amongst the local farmers." At Inglewood, Victoria, recently, a child was starved to death by its mother, who was committed for trial for manslaughter, although it was plearly shown at the inquest that she was put of her mind. The poor creature was in the habit of decorating her house with broken pieces of glass, and when she betook herself to a blacksmith's ehed, carrying with her he» children, she took the trouble to adorn, the place after tho aame fashion. .Then, it was shown In evidence, that the grave she had made for her child was fenced in with bits of sticks, in the way that children often form little gardanß for themselves.

The absolute necessity for borrowing more money to carry the General Government on is argued by the Wellington Post, which says :—"lt is trne that the liabilities of the oolony already foot up to £18,621,000, an amount, the burden of which it will be impossible to bear without resorting to additional taxation, but nevertheless the necessity for obtaining more money is imperative. The Government is at present carrying on by means of Treasury Bills, and the balance of loans previously authorised. When those resources are exhausted, further borrowing naturally follows. We do not doubt that money can be obtained, but it will, we much fear, be got at a ruinous price. The pledge given by $i» JuliHß Vogel to the Rothchildß, that New Zealand would not go into the London Money Market for two years, will prevent any loan being floated there until next March. Nevertheless, if Parliament sanctioned a new loan, it wonld be possible for the Government to obtain temporary advances wifchont resorting to the London Money Market until the remainder of the two years had expired. In any case, a high price would require to be paid for such accommodation, and the financial prospeeb is not therefore reassuring."

A fire broke out on Wednesdays morning on the premises of Mr Say, of Puriri, and completely destroyed a rick of hay, value £110.; The cause of the fire 13 supposed to be Spontaneous combustion from ihtevnaf hoa*.:' .!•;•.! *'•■' -

Three boys, who have been suspected of being among a gang of poultry-Btealers in the neighbourhood of Ponsonby, named Henry and George Evans and James Howard,' were arrested this morning on a charge of stealing rabbits from the premises of Mr Richard Stanyer, of Ponsonby Koad.

Complaints have recently been made to the police respecting midnight rows and disturbances in the hitherto quiet thoroughfare known as Havelock-street. which has been changed from a Ircality of peace to one of discord. Havelock-street is situated off Wyn yard-street, near to Government House, »nd a small cottage in Uavelock*street was inadvertenly let, some weeks agt», to1 a Woman, nnmed Naughton, who took in a lodger, Miriam Paul, who professed to be a widow vvith one child ; ffee had two husbands HvW, and was me mother of five children. The occupation of the new tenants was of a very questionable character, and last night Detectives Jeffrey and Grace, went to the house, where they found several men carousing, men in respectable circumstances of life : but whose names must not be mentioned. On seeing the faces of the officers the men bolted out by the back way, leaped the fence* aiid were soon lost in the bnzy disiance. The detectives proceeded to take the women into custody, when they set upon the officers with heroic vigour, and fought like tigers, not only wi*h fists,, but claws, as remaining marks will shew. They were at length secured, and trotted to the station, but after being locked up for some time, the women commenced fighting, screaminc, and squalling, and " ninht was made hideous " with their noises. The result was, they were put in spparate cells by the constable of the guard-room, We learn that Mr Laishley has since declined to have anything to do in the way of defence for these incorrigible females.

As the Government are going in for giving us additional buoys and beacons on the coast, they rnighfc, manage to put a lighthouse on Cape CViIMJe. , The approach to Au6kland hnrbour from the eastward is at present very difficult for vessels coming in at nipbt. The passage between the Cape and the Barrier is only a few miles wide, and if a captain tries to give the former a wide berth, he stands a chance of running foul of the latter. The captain of the Harriet Armitape reports having to run in past the Cape at night with a strong easterly wind behind him, and says that the difficulty of making the land was very great. The traffic between Auckland and the Southern and Eastern ports of the colony is now very large, and proper precautions should be taken for the safety of vessels engnged in the trade. The light dues collected annually in the port amount to £1,800, while the only lifht which is of any assistance to 'mariners is that on Tiri Tiri. Some extra assistance to the navigation might well be afforded in this direction. With reference to this subject, we learn that the material for a lighthouse on Cape Maria Van Dieman is already in Auckland, while further material is expected shortly for a lighthouse on Mokou Binou. The subject of putting a light off Cavier Island, which would perhaps be better than on Cape Colville, has also been mooted.

The Bubjeot of Rev Warlow Davies's third lecture on " TbeWomenoftbeßible," to-mor-row oveningin Bercsford-street chapel, will bo "Sarab," {the wife of Abraham, the father of the faithful. Rev S. Edgor will give tbe second of his course of lectures on "Swedenburg the missionary," to-morrow evening in I ornestreet Hall. For information in respect of other services sec advertisements.

A oorrfcspondont writes: " Sir, —I received ten answers to my modeßt advertisement in yeur paper last night, stating that I wanted a purolkaser for my ten shares in the Auckland Building Society, and I have sold them without any trouble, at the full price they are worth. This speaks well for the popularity of this society, as well as for your paper cs an advertising medium.—Yours, B.O."

Our City Council and other public bodies and men are rather tender of criticism. We wonder how they would appreciate the kind of stricture which constitutes the opening sentences of an article in the Wellington Argus :—" Tmly the City Council of Wellington is a nice body. The Mayor, Mr Hutchison, is a " petty tyrant," given to "riding roughshod over law and right," addicted to " making statements absolutely false," and ho is utterly " without common sense," and "foolish." The Town Clerk is "incompetent " and lazy. Councillor George is "idiotic." Councillor Eainieis "a jobber," who sits at the Council table without legal

I right. Councillor Pharazynisa "nonsensical twaddler," guilty of "glaring hypocrisy." {Councillor Gillon is " a shifter, a ehu flier, and a most consummate humbug," while the OouDcil as a whole is " thoroughly demoralized."

Another "new chum" has fallen an easy prey to some of the sharps of Melbourne. A young man named Henry Templeton, who arrived in the colony by the last trip of the steamship Northumberland, has reported to the police that on the night he reached Melbourne he got into the company of some suspicious characters and was robbed of £235, consisting often £20-notes, and thirtyfive sovereigns, English mintage. 'He guarantees a reward of £100 for the recovery of the money.

An inquest waa held yesterday afternoon before Dr Philson, and a jury, at the Star hotel, Newton, on tha body of the male child, Thomas James Chappell, who died in consequenco of a scald, as previously stated in the Star. The evidence of the mother, Sarah Cbappell, and her sister, Mary Ann Parker, and Mr Hooper, the chemist, having been taken, the jury were of opinion that no blame waa attributable to tho woman, and returned a verdict of " accidental death." The official enquiry before E.. C. Barstow, Esq., the Resident Magistrate, in respect of certain land purchases in the North, by Mr Preece, attended by Mr Commissioner Kemp, was resumed tnis morning in the private room of the High-street office, and is likely to occupy the whole of the day. In consequence of the enquiry the business of the Police Court will not be commenced on Monday

until eleven o'clock. Wa have to acknowledge 2a 6d for Mrs Bass,

Green peas at this season are a new sensation for the epicure, who is indebted for this luxury to the introduction of the " Early Criokder" into New Zealand by Mr Robert Brewin, seedsman. A sample forwarded to this office, which was sown early last March by Mr Stickley at the Industrial Home, Howe-street, is well-filled out, and speaks volumes both for the excellence of the variety and the ; clim!ito that has developed it to the present perfection. I

Persons wishing to buy choioe building allotments would do well to inspect the

property in Ponsonby to be sold by Messrs B. Tonka and Co., on Monday, 12th instant*

The allotments occupy the corner of Shelley beach road and Cameron-street, and between the property of Captain Fairchild and Mr G. W. Owen. They cannot be built out, and the view from them is unsurpassed in that rising district. The whole harbour and shipping at the wharves lie in view j as also, the North Shore with Eangitoto behind, Motutapu, Motuihi, Brown's Island, mouth ©f Tamaki river, and Waiheki, extending nearly to the Sandspit. To the north is the Hauraki Gulf with Tiri Tiri and Little Barrier in the distance ; and to the west the the Waitemata to Rirerhead. Again the ground gently slopes to the north, having the warmest aspect and sheltered from the cold south and west winds by the higher lands in the Ponsonby road.

The members of the Lodge Hope of Auckland Tent 1.0.X. are requested to take notice that there will be no meeting of the Lodge on Monday next, but the finance meeting will be held on 19th. hurt. '~ , ,