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Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 33, 9 February 1892, Page 4

The public meeting to be held this evening in the Lome-street Hall in connection with the Stratford route is one which should by all means be as largely attended as possible by Auckland citizens. The meeting, which is convened by the Mayor, is to take into consideration the trip of the inspection party over the route, and to urge upon the Government the opening up for settlement of the land lying between the Ongaruhe Valley and Stratford, and th e formation of a road through that territory. The subject has already been placed pretty fully before our readers, and little remain 3 but to urge upon them the necessity of attending the meeting and giving an emphatic pronouncement in favour of what is undeniably the better route for settlement purposes. The nature of the country traversed by the Stratford route will, no doubt, be fully explained this evening by the members of the exploration party who recently travelled over the route, and when it is remembered that the Hon. . A. J. Cadman, Native Minister, who also traversed the Stratford line, has pronounced very plainly in its favour, there should bo no hesitation amongst Aucklanders in urgently petitioning Government to open ib up with as little delay a3 possible.

A correspondent sends the following suggestion, which we heartily commend to the attention of merchants :—" Sir, —Seeing that Mr Hill is retiring from the post of ' Collector of Customs here after so many years' service, I take the liberty of asking through the columns of your paper whether . the merchants of Auckland are not going to do something in the way of recognising the services rendered by Mr Hill during his long reign as collector. I feel certain that one and all will agree with me when I say that while Mr Hill executed his duties as a servant of the Government, he did it with that pleasing and obliging way that ib made him popular amongst all. As a suggestion I would say thai; the Chamber of Commerce take the matter in hand and present Mr Hill with a testimonial."

A remarkable instance of the enormous damage which one heavy sea may do aboardship in a gale is afforded by the report of the perilous experiences cf the barque St. Lucio (Captain Erskine), which arrived ab Wellington yesterday from New York, 123 days out. On December 31, in a hurricane, sho shipped a tremendous sea, which smashed up everything on the deck, carried away the boat, broke the mainboom in two, and wrecked the cabin. A large quantity of water got below, and the careo is probably damaged. Grey, tho second mate, and Strefch, tho man at the wheel, had their legs broken. Captain and Funck, the first mate, were knocked aboufi and seriously injured.

Mr John Moginie, formerly in business in Auckland, died at Brisbane on the 27th ulb., at the age of about eighty. Mr Moginie removed to Australia several years ago with bis family,

Ninety-three saloon and 23 steerage passensors arrived here to-day by the s.s. jjanapouri from Melbourne and the South.

There was a heavy downpour of rain last evening, but as the night advanced the ff eatber cleared though heavy rains fell afc intervals until this morning. A telegram from the Thames says : Heavy rain fell last nighb. but it has now cleared up. £ divorce case — Mary Ann Haaney (petitioner) and Alexander Heaney (respondent)—was called at the Supremo Court yesterday, and Mr O'Meagher appeared in support of a motion for a rule nisi for directions as to custody of the children. There was no appearance on behalf of the respondent, and on the application of Mr O'Meaghor the application was allowed to stand over till March.

TheMelanesianMi3sio?3schooner Southern Cross, which was floated out of the Auckland Graving Dock this morning, after being , sighted and overhauled, is now open for sale, as the Society aro dispensing with her services. The new Southern Cross, to replace her, is now duo here from London, being under both sail and steam.

The Railway Commissioners appear determined to put an end to the dangerous practice of passengers getting on and off the trains while they are in motion. A man named John Johnstone pleaded guilty at the Folice Court this morning to getting off the Helensvillo traia whilst it was in motion. He stated that he thought he had left a coil of rope in the carriage, and went back to look for it. Just then the train started, and as he did not wish to be carried to tho next station, he jumped oft. Mr Tbeo. Cooper appeared for the Railway way Department, and said he would not press for a heavy penalty under the circumstances. Dr. Giles, R.M., inflicted a fine of 10s and cost 3 17s 6d.

Dr. Burnaby lectured to a large gathering of men last evening, in tho Wesley Hall. An amount of useful information was given, and the subject was illustrated by diagrams, showing the internal construction of man. Mrs Burnaby also addressed a number of ladies at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

' Unless the fences of the Domain are repaired, persons will be chary of grazing their cattle there. In two or three cases of stray cattle recently the defendants at the Police Courb have laid the blame on bhe bad fences ab the Domain. Another instance occurred this morning.

At the Supreme Courb to-day, in Judgo's Chambers, in the estate of Moses Chambers (deceased) the Registrar's report re allowance of £17 18s commission to administra tor was approved on tho motion of Mr Thorne. A motion for probate in the will of John Pearce deceased was allowed to stand over, Beven days nob having elapsed since death. In the matter of Boy lan v. Bloxsome, Mr H. Campbell moved by summons to set aside charging order nisi. Mr Lusk, who opposed, brought a preliminary objection, holding that proceedings should be by motion before the Court, and nob by Judge's summons. Mr Campbell urged that the powers of the Court could be exercised by the Judge in Chambers. His Honor sustained the objection taken by Mr Lusk, and dismissed the motion with one guinea costs.

The Union S.S. Company's steamer Wainui, which returned to port early this morning from her usual tradjng cruise down to the Island Groups of Tonga and Samoa, reports that affairs were very quiet and uneventful at all her South Sea porta of call. Fino weather prevailed during her round trip, and although her cruiso was made in about the middle of the Island hurricane Beason, no news was gathered of any uuusually stormy weather in tho Pacific. She reports, however, that very heavy rains have been experienced _in the former group, where the rainfall during tho month of January registered no less than 28 inches at Nukualofa. The Wainui brought back only a small cargo of Island produce, her sole freighting being some 3,500 bunches of bananas. She did nob call this trip at Fiji, as usual, for sugar, as the sugar-cane crushing in thab group is now over for the season. Native matters at Samoa were quiescent when she left Apia ab the beginning of this month, and the general opinion in the Samoan capital seemed to be that if the natives created any serious trouble ab all they would nob do so until the spring, and nob unless the collection of the obnoxious taxes were enforced by the Provisional Government. The German cruiser Buzzard waa lying at Apia when the Wainui left, and the U.S. warship Iroquois waa daily expected to return there from a short cruise round the group. The latter vessel is expected to be replaced shortly by another American cruiser. The missing Samoan echooner Margareb, which left Apia some time ago on a cruise to an outlying island but did nob arrive there, lias not since been heard of, and it is believed thab she foundered at sea with all hands.

The New Zealand Shipping Company are at present'pushing forward the direct trade from Auckland to New York with considerable energy. Yesterday one of their chartered vessels, the American bq Lottie Moore, finished loading for the great American port wibh a large cargo of kauri gum and dressed flax, about 800 toes in all, and is in readiness to sail in a day or two. The Company's next vessel to load here for New York direct will be their own clipper barque Waimea, an iron veesel of 843 tons, which is to arrivo here shortly from Lyttelton. Tho Waimea, it may be mentioned, is, like this Company's well-known ship Waitangi, captained and officered by old New Zealand " boys." Tho present master of the barque is'Capfc. Matthew Reston, a brother of Mr Reston, chief gaoler ab Her Majesty's Prison, Auckland. Both the barque's officers aro also New Zealand boys, the chief, Mr Thompkins, being a Chriotchurch boy, and the second, Mr Conolly, a son of Judge Conolly.

Last evening the annual meeting of the Royal Black Preceptory, 149, 1.C., was held in the Protestant Hall, Newton, Bro. W. Sherson, W.P., in tho chair. After the usual opening services the ualanceabeet was submitted, which showed the chapter to be in a flourishing condition. One candidate was installed into the second degree and one into the third. An application was made through 149 from members in the Wairoa South to the Grand Chapter of Ireland for a warrant. Tho Chapter then resolved itself into Committee lor the election of officers, which resulted follows :— J. Carnahan, W.P. ;J. Sv. Boono, D.P. ; C. Bust, Registrar ; J. Collie, Treasurer; T. Taylor, foreman of Committee ; C C. Wright, Pursuivant; and J. H. Purcell, tyler. Bro. Sherson installed the officers.

Mr T. C. Kerry, of New Guinea exploration fame, is ab present in Auckland with a view to the purchase of a vessel, possibly the mission schooner Southern Cross, reqniredfor Dutch New Guinea. Since his previous visit to Auckland, Mr Kerry has been in Dutch New Guinea and up the Gulf of Carpentaria. He goes back to Sydney this evening, but will return shortly to ascertain whether a tender which he has made for purchase of the Southern Cross has been accepted. Otherwise he proposea to look out for some other suitable erafi.

To-morrow Mr R. C. Carr soils by auction at 12 o'clock house in Cook-streeb, magnificent allotment Emmett-etreet, Ponsonby, half-acre ab Onehunga, residence sites, Pupuke, Lake Takapuna. All are exceptionally good properties and should command attention.