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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 2 January 1903, Page 4

The tele-gram from' Wellington published yesterday with reference to the Electoral Court appointed to hear the petitions in the case of Grey Lynn and Parneil was inaccurate. We understand' that the judges have not yet been appointed, but Mr Justice Corrolly will certainly be one. The Chief Justice has directed that all the pajpers shall be forwarded from Wellington to him at Auckland, and the date of the hearing will be fixed ac as early a .period as possible, due consideration being given to the convenience of the parties concerned in the petitions.

The American consul for New Zealand and its dependencies (Mr Dillinghlam) received on Wednesday evening the following congratulatory telegram from the Premier: "A happy New Year and all goodwill and prosperity to the nation you represent." The consul sent an appropriate reply.

Counte de Court, consul for Prance, received the following telegram from the Rt. Hon. E. J. Seddon, Premier:— "A ha-ppy New Year, and all goodwill, and prosperity to the nation you represent." The Counte de Court telegraphed in reply:—"Am extremely sensible of your kind expression of sympathy to my country,on the occasion of the New Year. Please accept my best wishes for the future and prosperity of this fine colony of New Zealand. A very happy New Year to you." Mr Seddon also telegraphed to the Consul, asking him to convey a cordial welcome to New Zealand, and wishes for the New Year/to the captain and staff of the Protet. In reply Captain Archimbaud and the officers of the warship telegraphed through the Counte de Court, expressing their high satisfaction at the kind reception they had met with at Auckland, and their hearty., wishes for 1903.

Mi , O. G. Warwick, a diver, who has recently arrived here from the Torres Straits, "is to leare here to-morrow for the" Three Kings, where he will attempt to recover the gold, to the value of £17,000, which went down with the Mingamite. He will also endeavour to secure the .mails, and anything else of value. Should he prove successful he will try to recover the £24*000- lost in gold and 'jewels when, fthe Tasmania) was wrecked on the East Coast. Mr Warwick expects to be away fom Auckland for about a month.

Mr W. E. Haselden, S.M., presided over a short sitting Of the Police Court ibis morning. Two first offenders were . convicted of drunkenness ,and discharged, and another, who pleaded not guilty, was fined 5/, with the usual alternative. Two women were remanded until Wednesday next on a charge of vagrancy.

Mr LionelJ* Robertson, 8.A., eldest son. of the I?ev. Joseph Robertson, M.A., pastor of Stow Church. Adelaide, and formerly-of Auckland, has passed his fianel: examination for the degree of M 3. and Ch.iL, at the University of Sydney. He is already a graduate in arts in %h% University of Adelaide.

Mr W. A. tang-ley, well known : as- a rifle shot, and the landlord of the Selbourne Hotel in Krie-street, Sydney, committed suicide on December 27 by shooting , himself through the head with a rifle. At the inquest evidence given was to the effect that the deceased had. been-out "shooting on-Fri-day, and did not return until a late hour.. An altercation took place between him and* his wife about his late return; after which Langley went to his room; Shortly afterwards the report of a rifle was heard, and the deceased was found shot through the head, his discharged rifle lying beside his body. The jury returned a verdict of "death from a gunshot wound, self-inflicted while temporarily insane."

It was announced recently that Mr and Mrs Booth-Clibborn, son-in-law and daughter of General Booth,- had left the Rev. John A. Dowie and his Zion Church in Chicago. Speaking to his church last month, Mr Dowie said: "There was no quarrel between Mr and Mrs Booth-Clibborn and myself. I asked them to withdraw; they did so. They were my guests before they withdrew; they were my guests after they withdrew, arid they visited me at Zion City before they left Zion Hospice No. 1 in Ghicag-o for Europe. I desire not to say or write any words concerning them that axe not kind and pleasant. Of course, I did not agree with the policy they had pursued, and were pursuing, or 1 would not have asked them to retire'; and I hold myself free to tell all the facts, should the interests of Zion demand it."

The Admiralty is evidently anxious to make the naval agreement by which Australia will pay £200,000 a year, subsidy in place of the present £106,000, and New Zealand . £40,000 a year, as palatable aspossible. The preamble to the agreement runs as follows: —"The commissioners for the executing office of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; etc., and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia' and of New Zealand, having recognised the importance of sea power in the control of which it gives oversea communications, the necessity of a single navy under one authority, by which alone concerted action can be assured, and the' advantages which will 'be derived from developing the sea power of Australia and New Zealand, have re.solved to conclude for this purpose an agreement as follows, etc."

The smallpox patient at the Quarantine Station, Sydney, is progressing satisfactorily towards convalescence. He is now the only person there as the result of the outbreak on the Ville de la Ciotat. That steamer started on Christmas.Eve upon her return voyage. Two of the firemen were placed in the hospital suffering- from the disease. One of them died, but the other, as stated, .is recovering.

On Saturday, December 27, high temperatures prevailed inland in New South Wales. At Waigett the thermometer registered 112.2 degrees; Burke advised 110 degrees, Wentwortb 107, Wileannia- 106.3, Broken Hill and CbMi B IM,, Mlston flay rind Wagga ' 104, Forbes ' 103.5, Behiliquin 102, and Albury 101.

Mr Pierpont Morgan has given £5000 for. the manuscript, of. "The Seven Lamps of Architecture." Ruskin, more.especially since he, through the agency on commission of Mr W. AD en, became his own publisher, has drawn large revenues from his writing. .But. £5000. is certainly more than he obtained for the. first issue of "His Seven Lamps." Published in 1849, the protection of copyright will soon be withdrawn from it, and what is still a source of revenue to Mr. Ruskin's heirs will be dried up. According to the Copyright Act passed in the fifth year of Queen Victoria, copyright in books lasts for 42 years, or for the period of, the author's life. supposing it to be longer. In either case a grace of seven years is allowed. Ruskin died on January 12, 1900, copyright still having fully four years to run. In the autumn of 1906 in anticipation of its lapse, a cheap popular edition of all his works will be issued from his old printing house.

Speaking.at a lunch on board the K.MjS. Himalaya at Sydney, on December 26, when opportunity _ was. taken to introduce Mr I. M. Shields, one of the general nranagert* of the P. and 0. Company, Sir John See, the New South. Wales Premier, said the past two years had been years of great anxiety to him, but he had done what he thought was best for the people, and had carried tout his obligation to the best of his ability. (Applause.) He was not one of those who believed that the country was on the verge of ruin. He believed that the country with its recuperative powers, would work up to the very highest position again. "HeaT, hear.") Now that the year was closing , he would like to say that in his opinion things were not so bad as they had been painted. The institur tkras in the city and country were sound,- trade was satisfactory, there were fewer insolvencies than ever, and obligations had been met with a promptitude which was creditable to all concerned. (Applause.) Buildings were being erected in all the suburbs, and there were sure to-be other undertakings with , the return of good seasons in the Sftate. (Applause.)

Both those who enjoyed last week's issue of the "Graphic," and those who were unable to secure a copy of the number, should make early application for the New Year's issue, which' is now on sale everywhere. It is a most entertaining production, full, as usual, of interesting pictures and letterpress suitable to the season.. The large picture of Auckland wharves on Boxing Day, measuring 20m. x' 13in., and the multitude of photogravures descriptive of the holiday rush, make the number the veryithing for sending abroad to friends. "Posted by the 'Frisco mail ou Saturday these pictures of how we enjoy our New Year in this sunny land will not fail to appeal to the folks in the Old Country gathered round their winter fires. The splendid pictures of the races at Ellerslie, the delightful humour of Mr Hiseock's pages about the politicians' Christmas picnic, the yachting views, the cartoons, and the numerous features pictorial and literary referred to elsewhere in these columns, all make up a production .of ..singular ment which will be welcomed in every

The question of starting relief works in New South Wales has engaged the attention of the State Minister for Works, and he had a conference last week with a number of officers of his department on the matter. The desirability of constructing dams or weirs in the country' districts for the purpose of storing water in periods of copious rainfall, and at the same time of providing work for persons thrown employment through • the droughty was carefully considered. The result was that the Minister and his omcers were able, assisted by the reports from various parts of the State as to the distress which existed, to decide upon a large number of works which, when set in motion, will give, employment to many persons These works will deal chiefly with the conservation of wafer by means of dams

and weirs