Untitled

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2607, 26 August 1878, Page 2

The Directors of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, notify that the transfer books of the company are closed from 20th inst. to the 3rd September, and that au interim dividend of 2| per cent for the half year, ending 3rd June, will be paid on or after the 3rd September.

The body of Mrs Burgess was consigned to the grave iv the Wesleyan Cemetery yesterday, attended by several hundred of Good Templars, of which Order deceased was a distinguished member—distinguished as a steady adherent to the cause, and by her visitations to the sick and distressed members of the Order. The funeral service was touching in its pathos, and delivered by Rev. Mr Wallis, Wesleyan minister.

IV-e have been; shown two loungds which were factmed by M r.ve bf Welliriaton-sti-eet, tor lur _x. a/. htgtiod quality, was and neatly worked by MrGave. who , 3 pio ■ficient in the art of reseating chaiis, and in all.other branches of the busin**. The lounges are very strongly and; sutetantia^ made, aud extremely creditable to Mi sm_"-R;-B. Shalders-begsto acknowledge the receipt of the following sum for mortgage^debt of .the Young Mens Chustiau Association :-Mr Goodfellow £5 , Mr J. W. James, £2; Mr J. L Pnme, CU Mr Blackinore, £1 Is ; Mr Longmore, Al. Mr Ewington desires to aclaiowledge^ with thanks the following sums paid to.him for the Young Men's Christuan Association - Rev. W. Kirk, £2 2s; F. H. Lesson, £1; Robt. Bartley, £1 ; J. Kennedy, -*_}', Iv Christchureh, the Cheevers, Kennedy aud Bent Minstrels have been Tuyj^g ful drawing enormous houses eveiy uignt. Aud wen do these talented artists deserve it. ludeed^the praises and, encomiums avished upon them by th^indefatigable agent, Mr Lingard, when he heralded then advent, have been fully borne out. The entertainment ou Saturday evening was fairly patronised, considering that the promoters have set their faces against ( advertising. Mr Burgess occupied the chair, and Messrs Hadfield aud Stickley addressed the meeting. Mr Redfern and Mr Coad gave readings, and songs were sung by Misses McDonald, Gribble, and Messrs Cox, Mullins, aud Cole. A case was brought before the Police Court this morning which should act as a warning to householders generally and induce them to fasten and bolt their back doors before retiring to rest. Mr McCorimck, of the Queen's Head Hotel, forgot to fasten the back door of his house, on the nights of Friday and Saturday, and consequently two men, one bcinganotorious thief, having been many times convicted, quietly opened the door and with stealthy step found their way into an uuoccupied bedroom where they were discovered by the constable. They intended, no doubt, to have committed a robbery, bad they not been detected. Mr McCormick would not have slept so comfortably through the night had he known that two such characters were so near his bedroom. He states that he shall not in future forget to bolt the back door. The room was left iv a filthy condition. To the Editor : Sir,— Having imbibed in the year 1830 the principles of the "First Reform Administration" of which the talismanie watchwords were " Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform," and having seen no State necessity since for a departure from that policy, I sympathise entirely with the tone of your articles in reference to the proposed Beacouslieid address, In the event of an address being adopted, commending the policy of tbe present Covernmeat, would it not be advisable for those who favour international amity aud the redress of the wrongs of oppressed peoples, by appeals to reason and law, rather than brute force, to unite in an address to Mr Gladstone aud the Liberal party, appreciative of their patriotic constitutional and prolonged efforts to save this Empire and Europe from the disastious consequences of a foolish war?—l remain yours, &c., Sentry.

Mr J. C. Firth was a passenger _ last evening to Hamilton, taking with him a number of wild geese recently imported from America, which are to be turned out in the Waikato district.

The contract for the Waikato Bridge has bceu signed by Messrs. Boss aud Dunbar. The contract sum is £7,115, and the work must be completed within 15 months. At the St. James' class this evening a paper will be read by Mr J. Carnahan on " Churches and Churchism."

In connection with the Remuera fire it may be mentioned that last summer Mr Scarboro lost a cow, and he had but just replaced her loss when his boy came to grief with a cart in Brighton, and was a long time invalid oj. Just at the time he got well, the Hi le girl was gathering berries, when ..he unfortunately ran a thorn into her eye. This accident caused her to be laid up and resulted in her losing sight with that eye. He is a hard working man, and deserves to succeed, and it is to be hoped that now he has passed though the ordeal of fire, his troubles are o'er, and that the fnture will be free as the past has been full of misfortunes.

Thanksgiving services werej held yesterday at the Anglican Churches of Auckland, in accordance with the recommendation of the Bishop of Waiapu. At S. Mary's, Parnell, Bishop Cowie, delivered an excellent sermon from Ps. xxix. 11, "The Lord will bless his peoplo with peace," in which he reviewed at some length recent events. In the evening, Rev. Dr Kidd read tbe lessons, and Dr Maunsell preached from 1 Chron., verse 22, "For there fell down many slain." At S. Paul's, Rev. Mr Nelson preached in the morning from Ps. ix. 6, " Their memorials shall perish with them," which was chiefly on the obsdurc life of St. Bartholomew. In the evening Mr Nelson preached from Is. xxvi. 3, " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace," in which occasional reference was made to the late struggle. At S. Matthews, Dr. Maunsell preached in the morning from 1 Chron., and in the evening, Bishop Cowie, from Ps. xxix v. 11. At S. Sepulchre's, B. T. Dudley gdelivered two appropriate discourse on the happy termiuation of the hostilities, with a eulogium on the character aud abilities of Lord Beaconsfield.

A violent earthquake shock was felt at various places in Otago at 2.45 on Saturday. Houses were shaken, windows rattled, and feople rushed out into tbe streets in alarm, t is rather a remarkable fact that the most severe earthquake disturbances have latterly been experienced at Oamaru and further South, while the shocks around Cook's Straits are comparatively slight. The petition by the sons of old colonists, asking for the right of free land selections, has received about 350 signatures aud will be sent to Wellington on Tuesday. Messrs B. Tonks and Co., will sell tomorrow, 60 tons of Victoria Companies sugar, also a trade sale of groceries &c. A correspondent wishes to know upon what authority the statement of the "Herald" is founded—"that Nathaniel came to Jesus by night," as he cannot find such an event in the sacred records.

Respecting the openiug-ap of the cross road between the settlements of Pukekohe and Bombay, Mr Hobbs, the member for Franklin, writes:—"The £550 for East Pukekohe is all right, in addition to the £1,000 for the road from Bombay to Pukekohe." This information will be received with satisfaction by the settlers, as the road .vill form a necessary means of communication between the two districts.

To the Editor : Sir, —Reading in your issue of Saturday of the frightful possibility of a collision on the railway line owing to mistakes, I would beg to call your attento the admirable system now adopted in New South Wales, viz., the staff and ticket system. The station master hands a metal staff, of peculiar construction, to the guard of the train just at the moment of leaving, and the guard, on reaching the next station, is met by the station master, who takes the staff" from his hand. It is an absolute transp.ction, and would be almost an impossibility for an accident to occur. This system was suspended for a few days owing to changes in the department. The result was that a muddle occurred— the two trains had started from the opposite ends of a single line. When too late, teic.graph stated the facts, but tbe trains had already started. Fortunately, they met on a straight run. Had it been a few hundred yards jon either side it would have been dreadful. We had a tremendous smash on themonntain line between two fifty tonners aud heavy luggage trains attached. As an eyewitness, let me say that the sight of shattered boiler plates and the work of destruction generally was appaling, aud precious lives cut off in a moment and all this through want of instructions. Hoping this hint may prove useful, —I remain, &c., VINDEX.

To the Editor : Sir,—Your correspondent "Taxpayer" under-calculates"the number of police sergeants that have been to one station at the Thames lately ; for if he,Vill only go a few weeks beyond the twelve months he will find that instead, of four there have actually been no less, than five different sergeants on the one station during the few mouths alluded to, viz., Elliott, Mulville, O'Connor, Fleming, and Jackson; and it is expected that the demand for these officials will run up to something like one in the month ere long. The supply of police sergeants in the Auckland Provincial District becoming exhausted, a fresh one was imported from the South, who proved to be a poor man, no better than his predecessors. It is expected that if the present demand keeps up that the Agent-General will have to be communicated with for a supply from London. The quarterly demand for a new sergeant on one station tells a sad tale of departmental petty tyranny, aud I would exclaim with the poet: " Man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn." In a conversation I recently had with a constable he told me that the Thames was a perfect Russian Siberia for a police sergeant, and that of the live mentioned one sank into au early grave, another was nearly driven out of his wits, a third had his professional efficiency stultified, and of the other two I shall say nothing for tbe present. If a reigu/offdepartmeutal despotism exists over the heads of these old and efficient officers, what are rustic civilians to expect who will come within the iron grasp. I observed in a recent Star that the Resident Magistrate- at the Thames and the respected Auckland Police Officer, Mr Thomson, had to make another investigation at the Thames, aud as another taxpayer I should like to know what the public will have to pay for these absurd changes and investigations. We have .heard of investigations at the Thames usque ad nauseum ; I do hope that some honourable member in the House will ask for a proper investigation.—Yours, CIC, ANOTHER TAXPAYBB. The little boy who so narrowly escaped drowning at the dock, as recorded in our Saturday's issue, was a son of Mr Stewatt, of the Thames Hotel. Annual sermons were preached yesterday at the Wesleyan Churches, in aid of Foreign Missions, which were well attended considering the unfavourable state of the weather. The offerings amounted to £10. A woman named Reid was, fined £50 at Dunedin on Saturday for sl;> _*rbg-selliug. At the inquest on Mrs Cowan, of Dunedin, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that it was owing to a wound inflicted whilst in a state of temporary insanity. A youth of 21 years of age committed suicide in Napier on Friday by shootiug himself with a revolver. At the inquest a verdict of temporary insanity was .brought

It is believed th#t. frlve Governor will visit LytieiioriirilLiVl.ti. Nymphe, to be present at the opening of the railway.

We understand says the -'Wellington Post," that an interesting contro. crsy is at present going on between the Government, as claimants, and the South British Insurance Company, as insurers, relative to a claim for £1,500 for a cargo of iron. The facts,|as supplied by a correspondent, are as follows : —Nearly three years ago, a vessel called the Kate Moynahan, of Sydney, was stranded in the Manawatu River, having on board a cargo of railway iron belonging to the Government, but insured with the South British Company. Thecaptain after some fruitless efforts to get the Kate afloat, abandoned her, and sold the wreck by public auction, at the same time, it was said, reserving all consignees' rights to the cargo. He then left for Sydney. The wreck of the vessel was purchased ,for about £50 by a resident of Wellington, who, after some time and expense, got all the iron out and delivered at its destination. He advertised it for Bale by public auction, and the Government stepped forward and paid £1300 for it. And now the question arises, which of the parties is entitled to the money value of the iron ? The Government, on the oue hand, contend that it was the Underwriters' business to see that the fron was not made away with. The Underwriters', on the other hand, contend that the Government should not have bought their own property from one who had no title to sell. Aud so the case has been standing for over two years. The Government, we understand, have now given notice to the South British Insurance Company that, if within 14 days the full amount is not paid, a writ will be issued.

The Primitive Methodist entertainment to-morrow evening at Newmarket is likely to be very successful. The choir will sing suitable hymns, with musical accompaniments, an original dialogue will be given by gentlemen, and a number of readings and recitations will be given by scholars and teachers, under the presidency of Rev. P. W. Jones, of Franklin Road Chapel. The members of the Auckland Choral Society will meet for the practice of "Elijah " to-morrow evening, at the usual hour.

The new Parnell fire-bell, manufactured by Messrs Fraser and Tinnie, was hung up on Saturday in the place of the cracked apparatus which has so loug disgraced the district, and which has so frequently offended the musical susceptibilities of Mr Yates, who lives opposite, and whose fine ear for sound must have been sorely pained by the hideous noises which were wont to be nocked out of the old apology for a bell. While it was being erected one of the councillors said, " Suppose we have a fire to-night to try it!" Sure enough it was tried that night, and drew attention to the Remuera fire alluded to in another column. It was the indirect cause of a lady's death. The date of the erection of the ParneU firebell will thus be easily traced by two incidents, the fire in Remuera, aud the sudden death in Parnell.

To the Editor : Sir, —As one who wishes to encourage the temperance meetings held in the Temperance Hall every Saturday evening for the purpose of trying to refor m the drunkards, I think if there were less long, dry speeches from those who have been temperance men all their lives, they would be more successful, and give time for songs, recitations, &c. As a suggestion, let some of our friends who have been addicted to driuk speak, and there are plenty of our young temperance people who would patronise the hall with their presence and talent, if the promoters would make a change in their programme.— Yours, &&, Templar.

Relative to the accident to Mr Lennard's child, Mr F. La wry, of Epsom, writes : " Sir,—As I was the innocent cause of ciii: culating an erroneous report relative to the scalding of Mr Lennard's child, you will, I have no doubt, give me the opportunity of rectifying the same through the medium of this evening's issue of your paper. The real facts as to how the child got scalded ate briefly as follows : She was lying iv the cradle, by which a young man in Mr Lennard's employ passed -with a bucket of not .vater, when by some means he accidentally struck the edge of the cradle, and in consequence, the water splashed over the sleeping child, scalding her rather severely, though not, I am glad to say, very dangerously, over the neck, brea_t, and arm. Dr. Wine dressed the wounds, and the child is getting on nicely. At the time the accident occurred, I was in a paddock, and a young man from the Kaipara came running to me. with a request to go as speedily as possible for Dr Goldsbro', as th i little boy had thrown boiling water over his sister, and in accordance, I took a horse out of the plough aud rode off. Your reporter overheard me making enquiries for the doctor, aud came to me for fuller information, which I most reluctantly gave him, and only upon the stipulation that he was not to make a sensational article out of the matter, especially as my information was so vague, and probably inaccurate. How he modestly complied with the promise is amplified in Saturday's issue. I may merely add that Mr Leunard told my informant that the boy had scalded the child, and he inferred that " the boy "meant the little brother of the injured child.—l am, &c, F. LAWRY.

' , Northern visitors toDu^ditT~T' entertained at a banquet on Sept^ffiJ- ! Sometime ago the P fess Apencv- + , !• '■ graphed throughout the length aOT **--. I of the colony a rumour tSat^V^ - Arney, late Chief Justice of this ??°r*had.inhisoldage, taken uuto tA*> wife This was however, coutradi? ted V ; * Sir George ma letter to a friend iv A?> _ land. It would now seem that heha« ?' come a benedict, as, by the"Fn a' * Mail," we notice the name of "k^ 1 Arney arid lady » amongst a list of jS c ! who were present at a recentconverS^- W ofthe Royal Colonial Institute, f) sS^ Vogel and lady .vere also present. "*:' \ A severe cyclonejlately passed over Aden ■ I and did considerable damage The off! ; I of the P. and O. Company and anumbSS' dwelling-houses has been unroofed an!. l great many boats had been lost in the am** and it was feared that somewhere Jtfrm 60 lives had been sacrificed. One ofT '' Majesty's vessels, the Wild Swan.'wWv! ! had arrived at Aden from the Persian Gulf dragged her anchors, and was nearly £&£. onshore J feU---g The thoroughbred horse Pacific haa;>p covered his late severe trip iv the Hawa and is as lively and vigorous as ever ' ;