The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4401, 3 October 1871, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUOEO, NON URO. If I have beon extinguished, yot thoro rlto A UioiisiwiJ beacons from tlio spark J bore.

TUESDA Y % OCTOBER 3, 1871.

Our receipt of Parliamentary intelligence is exceedingly intermittent ; and that which we have received by 11.M.5. ' Basilisk,* and which wo publish in another column, is not of a very satisfying lund. Such a casual means of communication as that of a war vessel cannot be expected to give full filos, and, as will be seen, there are several clays of which the proceeding*} in Parliament are not supplied. One item contained will be of interest to our gold(ield, inasmuch as it tells of tho profitless result of the movement for lessening thi» duty on gold, and of that for obtaining a water-supply for the goldfields The proposal, in each ease, failed to receive the recommendation of the Goldfields Committee. A point of interest to those engaged in agricultural pursuits is also contained in the Parliamentary intelligence ; and it appears that an answer was obtained from, the Government favourable to the remission of duty on ngricultural machinery. The defence of the colony has at length received attention, and a joint committee of the two Houses has been appointed to inquire and report on the subject, Mr. Favnall lias again taken up the cause of the Northern parts of the province, but only obtained the acceptance of a portion of his resolution, which affirms that "it is desirable that the money avail- " able for expenditure under the Public " Works and [lnraigration Loan Act, " 1870, should be so distributed that " the settlers and aboriginal natives " of the North of Auckland may parti- " cipate in such expenditure." A large number of petitions had been received, and the subject of distilleries, and tiieir effect on the general revenue, was raised by question. - -The most lengthened, debate, howefer, in 'our meagre Parliamentary intelligence was on a motion, of Mr. MacandreVs for the redaction of public expenditure. This proposal was a diminution of certain' official, salaries ; buk after a long debate, the' divi-sion-list grayed, hostile to the wishes^ of Mr. Macatidrew. ■■' Although the Mints-* try successfully resisted the proposal,

we-;fean acarcelyi, regard the r&uljii «^ ! another Ministerial victory, inasmuch as tbe division lisb showed a complete fttaiou of parties.

We are gratified to pbserve tbe warm expressions of pity for the fallen that have been elicited by our article on Thursday last, on the subject of our social shame. We are fully aware of the delicacy of the subjeot treated, and we can understand the feelings of those that recoil from drawing aside the veil that is by common consent thrown over the moral pollution, festering in our midst. But it is impossible to suppress the coDviction that it is a perilous course to close our eyes to an evil admittedly existing, and which is known to be increasing. Every week, we might say almost every day, obtrudes it on public notice through the Police Court; and every night those whose business calls them to pass along our streets are aware ofjthe magnitude of an evil that gives to our city, we believe, a bad pre-eminence among the towns and cities of New Zealand. Yet we are not disposed to characterise as maudlin sentimentality the conduct of those who avert their eyes and close their lips on the appearance of this social ulcef ; nor should we utter one word to close the chasm that separates vice from virtue, w to lessen that aversion with which purity, and especially purity in woman, should regard impurity. Still we feel that that the circumstances are such that to ignore them is not only unwise, but dangerous, and that there is nothing in virtue, even the most j rigid, that should make any human being deaf te the calls of mercy. As we have said before, we do not raise the J question as to the wisdom or possibility of suppressing the evil by repressive legislation, or the stringent execution of the law ; but it is known that there are those who have only entered on the paths of death, and are those who, from evil parental influences or bad companionship, are trembling on tb» brink of ruin ; and for these we plead. That ifc is possible to wiu back even the hardened in sin to virtue and usefulness in life, experience has fully proved ; but there are constantly appearing in the city instances of poor young girls who scarcely know the evil of the course on which they are entering, and certainly have not realised its terrible results ; and there are those who have seen enough to bitterly regret the past, and who would gladly fly from infumy if any door was open for them. It is idle to say that domestic service presents such a door. With the brand of infamy imprinted on them, such unfortunates cannot avail themselves of such a door; and it is here that kindness and sympathy should come in and help ' them to the way of honest living. Whether it is the duty of society to use extraordinary efforts to bring back within, its pule those who deliberately and from choice continue to set society and decorum at defiance is a question the affirnaative to which may or may not be admitted. But when by our social ethics the door has been closed against the fallen, and they are seen, after sorrowful experience, desiring to re-enter, it is the parfc of mercy to re-open that door, and, if needs be, in a manner neither offending the moral sense of the comm unity nor making the position of the penitent one of degradation. The great work of a Refuge for fallen, women is nnt merely affording them shelter, but placing them in circumstances away from tho scenes and the influences of the past, where they may redeem that past, and start ou a new career without anything to impair fcho growth of self-respect. That there are kind hearts and willing hands in Auckland prepared to do this labour of lovu is now abundantly evident from the correspondence which lias been elicited \ and that the requisite funds — the only want preventing the comineucement of operations — will be generously and liberally afforded by the people we confidently believe. This is, more properly speaking, the mission of women ; and it is gratifying to see that there are ladies m our midst who realise ita importance. It is all the more gratifying from our knowiiag at what a sacrifice of feeling such a work must be undertaken. Woman, with all her natural tenderness, too often looks on the degraded of her sex with a feeling of repugnance — And ovory woo a tear can claim, Except an erriug Bister's shame. But if woman takes up the work of morcy, which we urge, her clearer perceptions and more sympathetic heart will enable her to smooth tho way of the returning wanderer. And we are confident that if a denned and intelligible proposal is submitted to the public it will receive a warm and generous response.

A meeting of tho Borough Council was held yesterday, when a very largo amount of business was brought forward. A report of the proceedings appears in another column. It waß agreed to appoint a health officer for the city, and some members thought a medical man could be got in Auckland to take the appointment as an honorary one. Others just as strongly opposed ouch a view of the liberality of the medical gentlemen, and now that the motion has been carried we shall Bee which party was right, and whether there will be a keen contest for the appointment as an honorary one. Yesterday forenooa the monthly meeting of the Executive Council of the Abclimatisation Society was held. There was a fair attendance of member*, and * general variety of business was transacted. We think a very large increase would be made I in the popularity and usefulness of the Sooiety i by devoting more attention to economic botany than . by ceafining their efforts wholly to the introduction of birds and animals. By a judicious and liberal use of the Society's funds in acclimatising plants, trees, Ac, the production of which would soon go to twell the volume of oar expoHl, , or to supply the place of imports in m«ny< I articles, a Very large amount of good would, be done, and there is but little.doubt that Government would give a yearly graut for each purpose!. The examples of Tic'tori* and South Australia might be fairly copied in these matters. < \ t < ' ' ! The assessment list o( the ftewton HigJi* , way Diatriot has been prepared, and (San now* < Ibe seen, in the Toll r house, by^the ratepayer*. A meeting of the Board will ,be:.held jto.the • (ipiMM,<o&i) ( ip i MM,<0&i ) of October, to hear any ofejectioni tbtf may be ma.ite';toit. ' -" '

jury o*9o, Mo Jiioo^y.lt^B W»iro* Highway Traafcaes. Tha oalf w»a not conducted when the Court rose, , *" " The heary h»i|«torm whioh ww experienced: ia Auo>l«jUd,f<)n TuesdayJast was felt still raoVeVoyiefely in aome of/the 'surrounding district. At the Tamaki a bolt of the atorm.broke over the,diatriot with terrific force, many of the hailatonea being fully two inches in diameter, Windows in exposed situations were broken, and some growing crops dtitroyed, including several paddocks 'of potatoes. The.atorm was felt much more severely in one part of the district than in any other. On one verandah hail accumulated to a depth of nearly two feet, but this was of coarse an exceptional case. The hailstorm, however,raged very violentljrover a large stretch of country, and was the most severe that haa ooourred near Auckland for ■everal years* Our correspondent "Rescue/ 1 whose letter we have much pleasure in drawing attention to, has forwarded a oheque for £5 in aid of a home for fallen women. The donation is given on certain conditions, which are stipulated in our correspondent's letter. If the spirit evinced by "Rescue" were a more general one the desired object would soon be attained. We have received a promise of a subscription from another correspondent, and hope & committee will he formed to place the movement, which has already oreated much interest, on a proper footing. ,We are indebted to the officer of H.M.s. * Basilisk' for Wellington papers t© tho 27th ultimo. Latest Parliamentary, commercial, and shipping news will be found in other columns. The sad particulars of the double ense ef drowning which ocourred at Parua Bay, Whangarei, on the 14th of September, will still be fresh in tho minds of our readers. The unfortunate victims were Captain Williams and Mr. F. Robinson. There were, however, others involved in the calamity who should not be forgotten. Captain Williams has left a wife and ten children to mourn the loss of their sole support, and they are sow thrown upon the charity of the public. Mrs. Robinson has also been left with a family, but she has been taken care of by her parent, Mr. William Head. Mr. Head yesterday oanvassed the ciGy for subscriptions ou behalf of Mrs. Williams, who has, ive believe, no relations to assist her. He succeeded in collecting £4 10s., and will proceed with the canvass during the week. Lists will also be left at the various newspaper offices and banks. The cases of distress at fpresant are unusually numerous, and are all of a pressing nature, but we hope that Mrs. Williams and her little ones will not be overlooked. Last night there was a double meetiig of the Auckland Institute held — a special meeting and the ordinary monthly meeting. At the special meeting a series of resolutions were carried almost unanimously authorising the Council to procure plaus for commencing a permanent building for the museum,libraTy, &c, and it was stated that very encouraging offers of aid had been afforded by many members. Dr. Stratford offered £100, if other four gentlemen contributed equal amounts ; and J. C. Firth proposed to he one of ten individuals to give £20 each in aid of the new building. |The council was enlarged by the addition of three commercial men to it. A paper was read on a thermal spring near Helenaville by Mr. R. Mair, and another paper was read by the Secretary on a New Zealand species of Pittosporum. Our correspondent informs us that the Rev. \ Mr. Butland.the newly appointed Congrega- ' tionalist minister for the Thames district, read himself in on Sunday at the Thames Bohool-room, where the introductory services were held. There were good congregations morning and evening. In the course of his remarks Mr. Butl&nd urged upon his hearers to subscribe liberally towards the erection of the new church. He assured them that every penny «f the offerings would bo devoted to that purpose, his own salary having be»n guaranteed for three years by tho Colonial Missionary Society. The Rev. Mr. Rigg preached a sermon on Sunday evening, in the Pitt-street Chapel, from the text SJJThess. iv., 14, 15, upon the death of the late Mr. Arthur. At tho close of the sermon he road an account of Mr. A rthur's connection with the Wesleyan body, Ho referred to the various positions of trust held by Mr. Arthur in bis lifetime, which wire all those that could be filled by a layman. A solemn impression seemed to have been mado upon the congregation. It will be seen from our advorf isintj columns that steps are being taken to borrow £20,000 by the Borough Council for the purpose of draining the city, erecting a market-house, &c, Tho debentures are Itt> be £50 each, bearing interest at 6 per cent., payable halfyearly. The principal is to be repaid in 15 years To the Editor : Sir, — Most people who were present in the Supreme Court during one of the scrip trials must have heard with extreme satisfaction tho aovere strictures which fell from his Honor's lips with reference to the present large army of sharebrokers, and the mode in which a groat deal of the business is transacted j but the evidence given in another case by a legal manager, apparently in all innocence, disclosed a state of things which surely calls for some reform in that branch of the aervico also. He said he was legal manager of [a registered company. He produced a transfer for 500 scrip in that company by which S. transferred to B. and C. On producing the register there was no appearance of the 500 shares standing in the joint names of B. and C, but 250 were registered in B.s name, and 250 in C.'s. On being asked by counsel to explain this, he said B. told him it was so : ! ho had never seen C, or received from him any instructions or authority for so doing. In coursu of time the company wound itself up, and a new one started, to which the shareholders of the defunct company were to be admitted on certain terms. C. was so ; admitted; and two months afterwards, ' without any authority from C , but on the application of another party, C. 'a 250 shares are registered in that other party's name. ! Now, sir, on the directorate of this company are the names of gentlemen ranking highest ' in the mining world. If such things are ' done in the green tree what may not bo done in the dry ?— Yours, &c, No Scripholdkh. A meetiug of the members at the Caledonian Society is announced to bo held on Wednesday evening at 7 o'clock, in the Thistle Hotel, Mr. Charles Sanderson, C.E., has met with an untimely death at tho saw-mill at Tairua. Mr. Sanderson was ia charge of the , works there, a»d on Thursday last, about eight o'clock in the morning, he was engaged : making an examination of the machinery, ( when his clothing was caught in the ma- , chinery and he was drawn in. His arms and i legs were instantly broken, and ho was other- | win© fearfully injured. The machinery waB , stopped at once, but the injuries he received < were fatal. He lingered until twelve o'clock, , when death put an end to his sufferings. ] The body was interred on the following day. ] No medical man being in the district, of course, no aid of that kind was available, even if it would have been serviceable,

AUCKLAND ROWING CLUB. The second annual meeting of the Auckland Bowing Club was held 'last evening at the Club-room, Thames Hotel, Major Heaphy (President) intheobair. There was a good attendance of members'. The business of the meeting was 1 ' t* elect- officers and to arrange for the opening day of the season. The following officers/, were eleoted .•—President, MajoraHeaphjrviV.C.; Vice-Preaident, G. Yonder Hoyde, Esq. ; Captain, D. Oxley, Estf. 1 ; Hon.S«o;;«J. Me^er.Estf. | T,^Hen4erion, t^i x CpmxaAfM: Meisw. H Sl Hender»on,: J.JDwsliall, H. Ellis, A. £. itaacs; J:Ooplaaid^Ji*)xley,'A. H.iiatbaTi. " Boat-^epers^^M^ P. ( ?rov6 us& X liaacs. Tt Was geomeathat the opening day I I of fthe'ieaspn . sbbuld, be held on Monday ' nexi;, wheaaprocession of all the clubs' boats, J manned tH«^%)>eTirj;Vould talceplacej After the tianWfeo^ of ether busihew the meeting separatidt f* : f i ' i