The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4537, 11 March 1872, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LTTOEO, NON UfiO. If I huTo been extinguished, yet there rise A thouwnd betooni from the apark I bore.

MONDAY^MAROH 11, 1872.

Although England has been to New Zealand as a step-mother more than to any other of the colonies, probably this colony will yield precedence to none other in attachment to the Royal House. In the late sorrow with which the Queen's family was afflicted, we believe the great body of the people of New Zealand sincerely mourned ; and the announcement of the complete convalescence of the heir apparent was received with general and unfeigned gladness. But it will be a very ungracious position, and one which will be misunderstood or misinterpreted, if, of all the dependencies New Zealand stands alone in giving no public expression to the general satisfaction with which we have heard of the removal of the dangpr of what would have been nothing less than a calamity to the British empire. From our exchanges to hand we observe that, in New South Wales, the 27th of February had been appointed a Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the Prince of Wales ; and, among ouv Melbourne telegrams we read, "A Thanks- " giving Day was yesterday (February " 20) ordered by the Government, " in recognition of the recovery of the <( Princa of Wales. The city and colony " observed a close holiday. Services " were held in all the churches. The " City Corporation adopted an address "of congratulation to her Majesty." We had previously had intelligence of the general and wide spread rejoicing throughout the British Islands ; and how the temples were thronged with devout worshippers, who took this ancient and becoming form of giving visible expression to their gratitude. That the same procedure should have been adopted in the sister colonies is entirely reasonable and right. We profess that there is a more genuine and fervid loyalty to the Queen among colonists than there is even in England. There may not be so close a bond of attachment between the residents in these far-off lands and the peculiar features of the British Constitution j and the ties of political connection may bo felt to hang more or less loosely upon us ; but, as respects loyalty in its personal aspects, as between colonists and the best lady that ever wielded a sceptre, distance has had the contrary effect to loosening the bond o£ attachment. But besides these personal feelings, there are graver considerations that may well make colonists, in common with all other her Majesty's subjects, experience feelings of gratitude and joy in the recovery of the Prince of Wales. His death would in all probability have been the signal for the outburst of those political passions that have been fostered by fiery agitators, and the peaceful revolution that has been, gradually but unceasingly proceeding in the political institutions of England might have suddenly given place to political turmoil which might have stopped the march of progress and liberty, and unsettled the peace of the empire for many years to come. That such a danger should have been averted and postponed, if not wholly removed through the lapse of time and the progress of ideas, aoay well be a subject of thanksgiving to the Giver of all good with those who feel the value of having peace in their time ; for we may with confidence anticipate that, however objectionable certain features in the forms of government may be deemed, there is that in the political institutions of England that if undisturbed will be self-adjusting, and in the course of time bring those institutions into perfect harmony with the wishes of the people. From all these considerations the recovery from a dangerous illness of the Queen's eldest son may be regarded as a matter of national concern, in which the humblest individual in the remotest dependency should be regarded as having a personal interest. This colony should unquestionably follow the example of "Victoria and New South Wales, and accept the recovery of his Royal Highness as a subject for public thanksgiving ; and when Parliament meets, the first opportunity should be taken for passing a resolution for tendering to her Majesty the congratulations of the representativesof thewholepeople,on the removal of the recently impending sorrow from the Royal house, and from the British Empire. Nor would it be oft of place, bat the contrary, if similar congratulations were transmitted from our City Council in the name of the City of Auckland. It is true such congratulation would not be of metropolitan character ; but con. sidering the comparative unimportance of Wellington in itself, the shortness of the time since Auckland was the

seat of Government, and having regard to the faot that by most people in England who take any interest in New Zealand Auckland is still regarded as the capital, a loyal and affectionate and congratulatory address from the Connoil, as representing the oity, would be in the highest sense appropriate. We trust that suoh an important event as the recovery from the very gates of death of the Prince of Wales, au event whioh has called fbrtji unusual demonstrations of loyaltf -in England, and whioh in the sister colonies has apparently been honoured by a genuine oelebration at the hands of the entire people, will not be suffered to pass unnoticed and unhonoured in New Zealand.

Dueing the lasb session of the Provincial Council it became evident that a great error is committed in postponing the meeting of Council until after the session of the General Assembly. The vain repinings of the Counoil whioh culminated in an idle vote of censure on the General Government, or rather on the General Assembly, have all had their origin in oircumstances over which the Council and the Provincial Government have themselves control ; and, if similar grounds of complaint exist after the next session of the General Assembly, the Council will deserve no sympathy in its complainings. Such a course of prooedure, in holding the meetings of Council after, instead of immediately before, the meeting of the supreme Legislature, is not observed in the Southern provinces, and they have already reaped advantages accordingly. In Wellington it is competent to hold the sessions simultaneously ; but in other provinces by their having their local requirements discussed, and their arrangements made in proper time, the action of the General Assembly is mado to supplement and ratify their arrangements, instead of throwing all provincial arrangements out of gear. In nothing has this been more notable than in relation to the public worke projected under the colonisation scheme of the Assembly. It is true that there was submitted to the Government a scheme of works for the province of Auckland ; but whoever may have been its authors, and whatever amount of consideration it may have received previous to its transmission, certain it is that the Provincial Council had no part iv its compilation. It is true that the proposals may have been quite as good, possibly even better than if they had been subjected to the rough handling of the Provincial Councillors ; but we have no doubt that it would have been more satisfactory to our local legislators, as the scheme proposed would certainly in itself have possessed more prestige, had it been presented as the deliberate decision of a Council charged with the general interests of the province. "We instance this as but a single case in poiut, to show the impropriety of detaining the deliberations of the Council till a period when deliberations are of little value, and when Councillors must satisfy themselves with vain repinings and profitless fujminations against evils, as if these evils had been the decrees of fate. The meeting of the General Assembly is approaching. There is still sufficient time to convene a meeting of the Provincial Council, and after due delibera tions, which may serve as guidance to our representatives in the South, to dissolve in time to enable members of Assembly to proceed to Wellington. Of "course, in such a question, the balance of power in the Council will unfortunately come in as an element, and the Executive, unless they are different from other people, will naturally not desire to wantonly risk their position sooner than necessity compels. Still, the position of the Executive is sufficiently secure to warrant them in initiating steps for a short session of Council ; and the fact of their having supplies for the year will not, we feel confident, have the effect of inducing them to decline action in the matter. Public interests involved are of more moment than the retention of place and power ; and though the Executive may not exactly see it in this light, still, in the circumstances, they need have little grounds of fear in meeting the Opposition in Council. We trust the suggestion will be entertained, as there can be no doubt whatever- that a meeting of Council immediately preceding the session of Assembly might be greatly to the benefit of provincial interests.

On several occasions during the last week we have advised our readers of the progress of the work of demolition at Fort Britomart, and also of the drive which was being put in on a line with the breakwater, for the purpose of charging a mine. On Friday afternoon a distance of about 45 feet from the month of the drive had been reached, and a T drive formed to the left for a distance of 10 feet, at the end Of which the chamber was formed for storing the powder. Being the first mining operation of such a magnitude which had been performed in or near Auckland, a little difficulty was experienced in arriving at a just conclusion as to the quantity of powder to be used. On a careful examination of the portion of the cliff where the mine was put in, it wa3 ascertained that from the chamber formed the lino of least resistance lay between it and the cliff facing Official Bay, and that a distance of about 35ffc. separated the two places. Although the height above the chamber was greater than that, and also a greater distance from the mouth of the drive, it was decided to make the calculation for the qunutity of powder to be used upon the above basis of 35ft It waa therefore found that the theoretical quantity of blasting powder to use was » little over 1,3431b., and, accordingly, twelve hundredweight was de« posited in the chamber during Friday night and early on Saturday morning. It waa at first decided to fire the mine by means of the galvanic battery, but, on the recommendation of Mr. Stewart, 1 0.8., provision was also made for exploding the oharge by means of Hancock's fuse,' in'tos event of the working of the battery being defective. This recommendation was a^wifie one, as events proved. Accordingly, before the entrance to the chamber was blocked up, a. cart* ridge wan prepared, into which the ends of two insulated copper-wires, attaohed by a piece of platinum foil, were inserted, and the' othe^ ends led out of the drive to where the battery was placed. Ihe cartridge was inserted amongst .the powder, as also the ends of the* two fuses. The wires and fuses were protected from being oat by the blooking np of the drive,by being corered with a itrmg board, on tho nnd««d« of

whioh were plaoed four grooves, into which the wires and fuses were led. Thus furnished, the driTQ was filled up and tamped hard. About six o'clook.all was ready for exploding the charge. By the small test battery, whioh was used, it was found the wires were in perfect working order up to the moment of charging the largo battery for the purpose of igniting the mine. Owing to some defect with the aoids, or something wrong with the battery, it did not develop suffioient electricity to fuse the platinum foil and thus explode the mine, and recourse was had to the fuses. It was at first estimated that, after igniting the fuse, owing to the distance the fire had to travel, 20 minutes would elapse, but the mine exploded in 17 minutes after the match was applied. The explosion produced a slight shock, whioh made many people, who were not aware that the mine waa to be exploded that morning, believe that the city had been visited with an earthquake; but no injury was done, not even the chimney. staoks in the dismantled buildings in the forfc were knocked down. There were no stones or materials thrown violently about, but a large body of earth rose for about 50ft. like a flat dome, and immediately subsided, leaving a fine sloping bank up to the fort in plaoe of the former precipitous cliff. Several thousand yards of earth and rock have been all broken up, and a larne portion of the cliff I beyond where the chamber of the mine was is all cracked, and in some places rent into large ohasms. The result of the operations ia considered successful, and we understand that other mines will be put in in different parts of the cliff. Citizens need have no dread of these explosions, as there was not a stone, by the explosion of Saturday morning, thrown ten yards from the piaoe it occupied before firing the oharge. Our Thames correspondent gives the following account of a singular and serious accident that happened in the City of London Company's mine on Friday last. A fine retriever dog named Brutus, belonging to Mr. Brown, of Grahamstown, had attached herself to Mr. Hicks, the manager of the mine, and was in the habit of following him about the workings. On the day in question, Mr. Hicks had occasion to visit the^ old workings of the mine, the way to which was down a shaft sunk at the end of a tunnel, and laddered from top to bottom. ; Having completed his inspection, the manager proceded to make his way to the upp6r world again, hut when he was about 20 feet from the bottom, and 100 from the surface, he was startled by a yell from I above, and instinotively thv*w himself backward against the side of the shaft to protect t his head from any thing or person that might be falling. The next moment the dog struck him full upon the breast, and, rebounding off, ! fell to the bottom of the shaft with the life | crushed out of him. The poor brute had \ evidently tracked the manager into the drive, ; and, losing his sight by the sudden transi tion from light to darkness, had walked into the shaft,- Mr. Hioks was rendered nearly insensible by the force of the shock, and I only by the exercise of great exertion succeeded in the surface. But for the immense physical power with which he is endowed, he would have been unable to have resisted the the force of the blow, and must have gone to the bottom with the dog, with the almost certainty of receiving serious bodily injury. As it is, he is much hu t, and had to take to his bed, where he is still lying under the treatment of Dr. Trousseau. j A case specially interesting to dealers in mining scrip was heard and decided in the ! Thames R. W. Court on Saturday. It was j that of C. Fletcher v. R. M". Simpson, and j as shown by the plaint was an action to j recover £20 damages sustained by plaintiff on a scrip transaction with defendant, it appeared that the defendant instruoted plaintiff, who ia a sharebroker, to purchase for him 100 Inverness scrip at 193. The plaintiff at once telegraphed to Auckland to Mr. Barton for the shares, and half an hour or so afterwards proceeded to Auckland himself in the * Golden Crown.' The same evening Mr. Barton telegraphed that he had secured the shares, but when the telegraph messenger called with the reply at Mr. Fletcher's office he found it closed. Subsequently ne met uu » <s Mr, i Fletcher's sons in the street and gave him the telegram, and the lad took it home and gave it to hia mother, who put it on one aide, and by some mischance it was forgotten to be delivered to Mr. Fletcher's clerk next day. Meantime Mr. Simpson had called several times at Mr. Fletcher's office, but, receiving no answer about his order, he gave the usual notice and then purchased shares elsewhere. When Mr. Fletcher returned to Grahamstown the whole affair was explained, but Mr. Simpson refused to recognise the transaction, and eventually Mr. Fletcher sold the shares at a loss of 2s. each, and then sued Mr. Simpson for the balance aud £2 commission. The case occupied the Court some time, and was settled in favour of defendant, with costs. Another case, D. J. O'Keeffe v. Banks, claim for £30 commission, at 5 per cent., on a land puroaso, conducted by plaintiff for defendant with some natives, was also heard, and resulted in judgment for plaintiff for half the amount claimed and costs. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a small pamphlet published in Napier, and entitled " A Key to the Stamp Acts." The work is from the pen of H. B. Sealy, Esq., R.M., late Deputy-Commissioner of Stamps for Hawke's Bay. The cause of its publication is thus described by the author :— " There are already five Stamp Acta, containing 239 clauses, besides schedules. The public— especially the mercantile publicare bound under heavy penalties to comply with the provisions of these Acts, and continually subject to the risk of transactions being defeated from defective stamping, or imperfect cancelling of stamps." The work serves to simplify very much these intricate Acts, and it will prove a useful handbook for business men. It has often struck us with surprise that, with our fine harbour and noble estuary, and our many other advantages, we have not long before this started a yachting club. We are essentially a maritime province, being the best boat- and shipbuilders in the colony, besides owning a fine little fleet of yachts, such as will compete against any others in this or the sister colonies for swiftness and aea-going qualities. We have a large proportion of seamen, officers, and captains, who have the means, the knowledge, and the time to lead the way in such a matter. We believe that many are anxions to become members of such a club, and that it is only the waiting for some one i to take the initiative that prevents it from being un fait accompli. It would be a feather in Auckland's cap to be able to send forth a challenge throughout the colonies for a yacht race. We have before us the laws and regulations of the Sydney Prince Alfred \ \acht Club, which have been carefully studied, and under whioh the Alfred Club have sailed in many a well-contested race without any event happening which the r«le» do not provide for. These we are, with other yacht rnles in our possession, prepared to give a resume *»f,if the suggestion we have thrown out be likely to be acted on. We believe there will be no first difficulties which may not easily be overcome, and that such a club weuld be the means of fiving a great impetus to the construction of oth small and large vessels in our shipbuilding yards. An accident attended with serious results j occurred on Saturday afternoon to one of the j workmen engaged in cutting the railway tunnel at the back of ParnelL A large body j of earth gave way, whioh fell upon and completely buried him. He was insensible when extricated, and was taken on a stretcher by his mates to the hospital, where he now lies in great danger. It is believed he has received internal injuries. The large vats, intended for the new Coromandel brewery, arrived from Auckland by the p.s. ' Challenger' on Tuesday evening last, and were oarted yesterday to the ground on whioh the brewory io being erected, between this and th« Upper Township. It is said that Mr. Marks, who is the proprietor of the brewery plant, will be in * position to supply Coromandel-brewed beer in the course of » few weeks.— ATaW. *

We h*ve before ttt the returns of the Telegraph Department for the quarter ending the 31st December, 1871. In all its branches it is rapidly extending. Not only in the number of telegrams forwarded is there a large increase, but also a handsome increase in the revenue received. The value of the Government telegrams also showed a lavge increase. For the quarter under con sidemtion the number of telegrams forwarded wa597,644as compared witb7o,376duringthe corresponding quarter of 1870 ; thua showing an increase of 27,268 during the quarter The revenue received during last quarter was £6,809 12s. 6d. aa compared with £5,111 19s. 7<L daring the corresponding quarter of 1870. In this department of the public service we hare an increase of revenue to the extent of £1,697 12s. lid. upon the quarter, or at the rate of £6,700 11s. Bd. per annum. The increase in the value of the Government telegrams despatched during the quarter was £393 2s. 9d. While the public have been largely accommodated by the redaction in the price charged for transmitting telegrams, it is satisfactory to know that the reduction in price has been a most effectual way of increasing the revenue of the department. This increase will no dt *')t be considerably augmented by the extension of telegraphic communication into districts which have not yet felt its advantages. Yesterday, the Rev. B. Backhouse, the representative of the British and Foreign Bible Society, conducted a aeries of services in various churches in this city. In the forenoon, he preached in the Wesleyan chapel, in Pitt-street, to a good congregation. In the afternoon, at three o'clock, he addressed the young in the Wesleyan church, Highstreet. In the evening, at half-past six o'clock, he preached in St. James's Presbyterian Church, in "Wellington-street. On this i last occasion, he chose for his text Hebrews iv., 12. His discourse was chiefly illustrative of the power of the Scriptures. He stated that the Society he represented supplied all the Missionary Societies with copies of the Scriptures in whatever language they were required. During the 68 years of the Society's existenoe, it had circulated, in various languages, 65,000,004 of copies of the Bible, and it now had the Scriptures of the New and Old Testaments translated into some 250 different languages. It was the first Society to provide the Scottish Highlanders, in 1806, with the Scriptures in the Gaelio language. He related the trials to which Christian missionaries had been subjected to in the island of Madagascar, and during the 27 years which the Queen continued the persecutions the knowledge of the Word increased, and now, since the Queen had died, no restriction was placed upon the operations of the missionaries. At the end of the persecution it was found that the believers in Bible truth had increased to some 30,000 persons, and during the last year the Society had sent out there 420 copies of the Scriptures in the Madagascar language. He referred to the spread of the Gospel in India and China, and ■ stated that, in »he former country, there was only one missionary to every 320,000 of the population. At the close of the service a collection was made, which amounted to £8. 1 ''he Rev. Mr. Backhouse will address a public meeting in the Wesleyan chapel, Pittstreet, this evening, when Mr. Thomas Macffarlane will occupy the chair. On Thursday evening he will also address a meeting in the Wesleyan chapel, High-street, when the Rev. Dr. Maunsell will occupy the chair. During the week he will also address meetings at Onehunga, North Shore, &c. An acoident occurred about eight o'olock on Saturday evening to one of Hardington's 'buses coming from Onehunga, but which, fortunately, was unattended with serious results. It appears the night coach left Onehunga at 7 on Saturday evening. It was then raining heavily at the time, and the wind blowing in strong squalls, the night being intensely dark. When the coach arrived opposite' Mrs. Furness's residence in Kyber Pass, a lady was walking in the middle of the road, with her dress over her head, and it is supposed that the lamps, reflecting on her dross, caused the horses to swerve, when the 'bus went over before the driver, Mr. Gilham, was enabled to pull blioKrw t»p. Pnupfcaan pasSP.nCß ra ftltrtgothoifwere inside and on the top of the omnibus, but fortunately none were seriously hurt, the driver only receiving a cut over the face. The ! accident, it is stated, would not have occurred had the road been in proper condition. From the cemetery to Newmarket, the road is in a very dangerous state, and Mr. Hardington considers he has just reason for complaint, paying, as he states, £200 a-year to i the Government for tollage. i "Agricola" writes to us from Mahurangi, and states that he quite agrees with " Mahui rangi Elector," when he says that " a ' Rodney election is a mere farce,' on account of the facilities given for personation." He considers the present state of the electoral roll and the looseness of the bribery law only enable men with plenty of money l>o command as many votes as they choose in a very questionable manner. He proposes a a rather odd way of overcomiug the difficulty, viz., to take assessment rolls of the various highway boards in the colony a3 "the basis for forming the electoral roll," and thinks that " those having the necessary amount of property should be put on the roll without having the trouble of registration." For those only having a household franchise he proposes that there should be a registry office "in each district at which they could register their names once in three or four years." By this means he thinks the roll could be kept clear of dead men. With reard to the testing of the validity of an election,he says, " We should be able to try the validity of an election many Court of justice | in or near to the district in which the election takes place by an inexpensive process. Candidates should not be allowed to hire cabs and steamers, or to provide dinners and drinks free to electors, aa this is tantamount , to saying that money operating on the unprincipled within and without the district shall carry the election ; not the bona fide j candidate, the choice of trua and honest settlers, who desire to return a man that will represent their views." He says the present state of the electoral roll and the want of an easy means of |bringing political culprits to justice are paralysing the political life of the out-districts. A candidate comes before the electors, and none take any interest in the affair, although many of his views are opposed to their best interests, because they are well aware that whatever they may do he will get in, from the influence he can bring to bear from without.if need be. While this State of things is allowed to continue there will be a want of interest in thin^ a political in the out-districts." The only police offences committed between Saturday morning and last night are four charges for drunkenness, and these without the words " disorderly," or "using abusive language," being placed after them. Some time ago we announced to our readers ! that the Superintendent had drawn up a new j set of rules and regulations for the working of the goldfield 3 in this province, under the Goldmiaing Act, 1871, and that the Bame had been forwarded to Wellington to meet with the Governor's approval. In a New Zealand Gazette, published on the 26th February, the rules are published, and an order in Council appears, in which the Governor approves of the same. The Coromandel Mail says :— " We are highly gratified by the information that the ladies of his congregation have collected a goodly sum for the purchase of a. horse for the Key. Thomas Scott." The annual licensing meeting for the city and northern division of Auckland is advertised to be held on the 16th April, at noon, in the Police Court, High-street. A Hat of new applications « also advwrtwed, to which the friends of temperance might devote a little attention, "seeing that nothing else is particularly occupying their thoughts *t present. At the Launceston races Chapman's Band was engaged to attend from Melbourne : bat the Caetom-houio officers made the performers pay dnty on their instruments. This is described in a Victorian paper as " meanneu gone mad,"

The Melbourne Leader comments upott the recent deoline in tht price of Caledonians andTookey shares, which, it consider*,, w the premonitory sign of an approaihragf crisis in Auckland. Considering the immense amount of Wealth whioh the Caledonian mint has caused to circulate already in Auckland 1 ,, there would he Kttle cause for complaint against its productiveness, ©Yen were it to* cease altogether to yield the precious metal. Although Auckland and the Thames are unquestionably very heavily indebted to the Caledonian, the entire wealth of the province is not concentrated in that mine Mone, aa our Melbourne contemporary appears to believe. The prospects of some of the Thames mines are at present better than they erer * were before, and there is ho reason why many of the mines there should not yet event rival the Caledonian in richness. The Whanganui Chronicle notices in very favourable terms Mr. Reimensohnider, upon bis departure from Whanganui to assume the duties of Clerk and Interpreter to the Resident Magistrate** Court at Raglan. With reference to the administration of yeast in cases of diphtheria, a correspondent writes :— " There was a Dr. McNeish practising in Glasgow some 60 years ago, a man who was considered clever in bis profession, who used to send often to my father's brewery for yeast and new ale, namely, two or three days brewed, to giv» his putrid fever patienti, and it is amongst the facts not generally known that men working in * brewery never take typhus fever.'* To the Editor: Sir,— The wicked and wanton destruction of flax by fire still goes to to a great extent in this district. I call ifc wicked,for, besides destroying so muoh useful property, it necessarily throws a large number of men out of employment, whose living is made by cutting and carting flax. I call it wanton, as its destruction can do no profitable good to anybody. It is » pity we oannot catch the .delinquents, and perhaps discover that we have one or two malicious and discontented fellows amongst us, who had better be got rid of. Some names have been mentioned of whom better things might be expeoted. It should continually be borne in mind that setting fire to fern on Government or any other land is a punishable offence. — I am, &c, J. Crispe, Mauku. The Post says :— " There is a opening just now for any speculative man of capital which may, ana we devoutly trust never will, occur again. The sickening smells of tbia city defy eau de cologne, florida water, carbolic acid, or chloride of lime. The two latter remedies are in fact nearly as bad as the disease. One remedy there is, and the enterprising speculator who adopts the idea deserves to make a fortune. Some years ago, when the stench arising from the Serpentine was peculiarly obnoxious, Punch had a picture of a * swell ' riding down the Ladies' Mile with a wooden American letter clip attached to his nose. Here is the idea. Let some one import a few thousands. We'll all wear them/ Tho March number of the Watchtower iss before as. It contains an admirable sermon by the editor, and a large amount of other interesting and instructive religious matter. In the "Notes of the Month," we find a letter from Mr. Bruce, of Auckland, to the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland, in which he advocates an institution for the training of preachers in this colony. Under the same head we find the following note:— "The Wesley an Conference in Australia has resolved to transfer the Rev. Mr. Oliver from Whanganui to Auckland. We have reoeivod this information with very much regret. Mr. Oliver has been with ns for only a period of 12 months, and has won the esteem and affection of all who knew him. The going forth of this decree we humbly think is premature therefore, inasmuch A as it removes him from the very midst of his usefulness. The Rev. Mr. Berry, we understand, comes from Auckland to succeed him." — Wanganui Chronicle. In our report of the proceedings of the Resident Magistrate's Court in Saturday* paper the case of McGill v. Vaile should have read McGill v. Veale.

Tenders are invited for erecting five bridges ; also, clearing and stumping about 100 chains of rood in the Waitakere East Highway Board — to bo sent in by the 25th instant. The first meeting of the ratepayers of the. Waitakere West Highway District takes place at the Shakespeare Hotel, Auckland, to-morrow at 2 p.m. A meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Irish Constitution, is an* nounced to be held in the Masonio Hotel this evening, at 7.30 o'clock. A list of forfeited shares in the Grown Prinoe Goldmining Company is advertised in another column. Intimation is also given that "immediate proceedings " are to be taken against the registered holders. Shareholders in the S&otover No. 1 Goldmining Company who have not paid the calls due upon their shares are reminded by advertisement that, unless the calls are paid by the 11th instant, their shares will b© advertised for forfeiture without further notice.