The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIX, Issue 5052, 30 October 1873, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LU010, NON U*O. II I bvr» \>*«n 6xlis|rulib«d, y»t tbei* rlM ▲ Uioujmd bMLCom itom th» ip»rk 1 bor*.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER M, 1873. i

Onck move tlif Cily Council have held a special water-supply meeting, and, after the expenditure of a good deal of debating find oratorical power, have Huccceded in doing what, on the same subject, they have often done bofoic — nothing. The question is left in pre. ciaely the position it has for many months occupied; and, judging from the failures of the Council to agree on any piactical mode, it would almost appear nucessaiy that some other and moro capable authoiity should provide the needful supply. V>y some who are wedded to a paiticular scheme, and will try to use every nifliiencothey can exert in f.ivoming that scheme, the costly waniingH wohavo recoivcd through fire,

and the danger to tho health of tlio j people — especially of the young — fiom an insuflicient supplv of water, aie practically dialog. aded. UnduiiUi/'y the method of .seeming wJiat is &<> much wanted is beset with vai ious difficult!*' j financial and otherwise; but \\«' apprehend our Mayor and Council «aio elected to c r rry on fie bi >iiicss of the city, to pro\ideall (hat is leasotiably necessary for tin health, coiuf'o, ,, and safely of the citi/eus. The ability to jiioniotr tlicse oli|(>ei {s by no means coi Hpiuuously iPsplajod m Hie three resolutions whicli wore discuss } at the meeting on Tuesday. The pioposal of his "Worship the Mayor was evce 1 - | ingly vague, and was very vaguely q\plainotl, until tho Mayor stated thai he wa-, acting to some extent against !'"s convictions in suggesting a company. Tho motion thus explained, and from which all detail v»as absent, resolved iUelf into making a show of do'iny something. The amendment of Mr. Stannus Jonei was both tjo ingenuous and too sn^goilive; it was pcihaps just a r ttlo too decisive, and binding too cloudy the Council to accopt the opinion and decision of Mr. Moriaitv. It appears that Mr. Moii.uty is a ci\d engineer of some expei once in Sydney. We understand that tho object of his purposed visit to Auckland is to examine and report m favour of a site for the dock which if, is intend 1 to construct to the west of the Que< a-strect AVh.n f. The Mayor's motion mect''ig HfclJe 01 no suppoit, Mr. Jones propos< I tho employment of Mr. Mo .a"ty, a sti.ingei to the pla o, fo examine and " finally de ide for th's Council the propei source from which water is (o be obtained, that Ibis Councill will pledge itself to recommend Mi Moriartj's report to the ratepayers and adopt that tepoii,; and that Mr Moriarty bo roipiestcd to < o .\c his opinion as to tho best way of intioducing water — whethor by pii\ate company or by tho Coipoiatiou." We all lcincmber how, .some \eats .'go, tile scat of (iou'iument Commissioners made tours of the vaiious ports m the neighbouihood cf Cook's strait, when it had been so faithlessly decided to change the cipital ; but we also know that tho foiegoue conclusion was that Wellington should be selected, and tli.it really the poifounance of the Cuinmujsioaeis w.is little nioro than \.iiti show. The Council were wise enough, however, not io deliver themselves, bound hand and foot, to this favou* ite etiginoei ; 'for we have heaid so frequently oi people, consciously or unconsciously, being influenced or prejudiced in favour ot a partieulai. pioposal, and that by no means the be.st for the public, that it would have been the height of folly to adopt a lesolution which so completely fettered the Council, and placed ia tho hands of a stranger fio n Sydney an extent of power which no Councillor should have bi en a party to giving. Mr Jones went so iai as to argue that if Mr. Mnriaity should say, " Bring it from Juicho;' then the Council obedient to the call, should say, !t From Jericho we wi" Lave it"' The way would be long, and* slightly fin nitons, a,nd would present .somo rugiueeiing difficulties with which Mr. Monaity might luudly bo competent to deal. I Jut this Jericno Bimiie was only a Jiyuie of speech, merely an illustration, and might just as well be read, " Bung it fiom Low and Motion's springs." Mr. Jones complains of insinuations having been made as to favomitism for cei tain sources, and in the same breath he makes insinuations himself, showing the necessity of Living a watchful eye for the prevention of public interests being saciificed. Speaking of a case of transfer of a company's rights to a coiporation, Ml-. Jones said, " it is a mere raattei of finance, and a cle\ cr accountant could, without detection, knock any amount of money ont of the corporation." That is tho very thing the public desires to see avoided at tho outset of this business. By a i'.mcy price set on an expensive supply requiring the costly pumping system, it might not be difficult to " knock any amount of money out of the coipointion," and detection, in such a case might eouie too late. At a former meetiug of the City Council the Nihotupu source w.is formally adopted. The Mayor stated this to tho meeting, and Mr. Isaacs repeated the fact, and Mr. Macready declared his opinion that there was no doubt tho Nihotupu was the best source ; but notwithstanding this the Council, with a vacillation for which we cannot account, passed tho aniondmont of Mr. Ifoldship, which, though differing from the rigidly binding provisions of Mr. Jones's motion, still resolved to consult Mr. Moiiaity with a view of deciding the best source and the best means of obtaining a water supply. It has been demonstrated by figures that the cost of the pumping system would far exceed that of the gravitation scheme, which all cngineeis allow is incomparably the better method wherever it is available. The mero expense of working and maintaining the pumping machinery would leach at least .£3,000 to £J,000. That Nihotupu, in whoso favor tho Council had previously decided, i.s tho best, tho surest, and in the end the cheapest source of supply, wo fu^y believe, and the opinion is shared by tho large majority of persons who havo considered the subject. How the City Council cau act in tho self-con tradictoiy fashion thoy displayed on Tuesday, it is impossible to undei stand. All we regret is that more tinieshoiild be lost, and that the calamaties which ha\e occurred in the city to both propei ty and life should fail to to.ich the Council tho necessity for a, unity of action, and enable them to remove tho present longstanding reproach from Auckland Mr. Seccombe's proposal to piovide 200,000 gallons daily, at a cost of JC70 ti-week, besides the expense of constructing reset voi is, is but a temporaiy expedient, and, for the service, is too dear. Besides we have heard it questioned whether the supply at Mr. Seccombe's command is sufficient to yield the

<|U.'iititv ho mention-. One tluii£j seems loo evident, t.io ;tW;nt:e of agt cement on the p.wt of tlie Council points to the iilti 1 n,ili\ — an expensive one v>e admit — "I gi "g a concession to a cotmj '.my, who, with an eye to business, would l.iko cm re to solcct the. eawiost and cheapest source that would enable tliain to i'i lf;1 thei 1 ' eng.igomonts.

His llono" tho Chief .) ustico held a siting in Ban *o yesterday when Mr. MaoCormick ou bchaL of the defendants in the cr-o of Sargent and "the v Krogdon obtained a a rule nisi, returuablo on Wednesday next c. l'inf» upon the pla- it'fVa to show caneo why tho notion shou' 1 not be dismissed for want of proaociiuion. Tj e case w. - sottled botoio tho day fixod for tiial, and the ooject of tho piesunt application wvi to havo it finally withdiawu fioin the action of tho couit. Out of tho five casea brought before Mr. Bcckham, K M , at tho Po i; co Court yesteidevy, fom we.o chmges against women, vi/ , two for diunkoiim aa, one for assault, and one nn'oi tun.itc lunatic Th ; doos not speak ve.j highly for tho good conduct rnd morality of a section of our forar'o community. Cei tamly tho piopoihon yesterday — ountt'*!^ the aad case of lunacy — was above the average, but the presence of females at tho Pohco Coin t is a matter of almost daily occuironce. Whilo an oh a state of things exists it is sca>cely to be c\] T^ed that the childien of tho using generation w'l bo flop from the eiTects of tho bad examples <m>1 them by thoir mothci s, whose influence its so gic.it on tho jouthful maid A laigo nuinbei of tho fair aox iu our midst ofler a largo aud fair field for the operations of the Good Templais, who, if thoy succeed in redeun' ig thorn from their evil habits, wi' 1 confer a lasting boon on &o( iety. As yet CJood I Tcmplai Judges ha\o been opened pinuipally foi malts, but it may bo well woith the consideration of that body wbethei it would not bo advisable to give chai ten foi 1 niges to be compo'ed of fom ih s (>nly. Surely there me plenty of good and bene\olent - hcar'od ladus in Auckland, who would under such auspices, engage in tho work of reclaiming their erring sistcra. Thetc is hope for oven the most degraded woman if she can be prevailed upon to refrain fio.n ih 1 indulgence in stiong dunk, but until th.it coiner Htono is tnmly l.ud, .ill the money and eneigy spent iu maintuirng ieformatorie% <xo , ■will be but so much wealth wasted, and energy fruitlessly evpondur'. Whorevei Good Teniplary has boon established, it has ex< lciscd j, nioro potent influence .than any othoi temperance association, rud we sec no j ieaso'1 to anticipate other than tho nio3t brntlicul results, fiom the establi-. 1 'iient of Good Templar Lodges, whose ollice-boarera and membership sha'l be composed of women only. Itn not ovoiy man who < m obtain quiet j)ns u c-ti<)ii of a Iioiho en en ilioi ho has purchased and paid fin it. This is | ust now unplo is.uitly evident to a citi/on ot Auckland, who, a short time ago, bought a two storied house for about £10, not a bundled mi'es fturn tho bottom of Wakofield-stroot. Iu oi dor to secui i) an increased rontal he gave tho woman who occupied tho house notico to leave, and at once commenced the repan of tho fence ; but, when this portion of tho contemplated alterations was completed, ho faded to get a footing insido tho house, and has not effected his purpose yet. A friendly attempt was made by .1 policeman to get the woman outside, but ho only got boved about tho eais for bisp.iins. As a last ies3ource, the shingles weio stripped oil the roof a fortnight ago, and, whilst the pleasant weather Listed, \ cry little discomfoit, no doubt, was experienced Ly tho occupants, Hut tho lrst two disin.illj ,vct days which has been experienced iu Auckland must havo rendered matters slightly unpleasant. Nevertheless, the fiio seemed yosteiday to burn aa brightly a3 e\er, and no bannoi was hung on the outer a .v'l to ai.nou in o a do'nro to capitulate. It is gi f tally .' kiio\\lcdgi j d at home to be 'heavy wcathoi when it snows in bed , and two dajs' heavy i am must rathor damp tho aidour of even a dotcnuiuod ania/on, A meeting of tho Newton Highway District Board was held at the Newton Academy yesterday evening. >Sovei .il objections to tho assessment list for the district had beon received, and, after duo consideration, at eduction was made '»i each case. Tho following amendments on tho value to sell weio agreed upon by tho Hoard : — Mr P. Diguan i educed from 11, 1 ).')."> to €71- ; Mr P L. Dignan from i; 1,<1(JO to LI, 037 10s. ; Mi. ./. J. Dignan fiom Ll.200 to !!)(') j Mr. Thomas Faulder from £7.'!7 to i"020 ; Mr. F. J. Jonea from CG'2f) to £4.")0; Mr. Thomas MclSiair from LS80 to €53'2 103 : Mr. P. McNair from £.'500 to £185. Our Mahurangi correspondent writes : — "Tho now road from hero to Port Albert is being rapidly pushed ahead. (Japtaiu Hea't, and Mr. Fau'bourn aro busy .surveying and laying out tho next seotion for contract. It is tho intention of tf'ose gentlemen to have tho roar? carried forward as speedily aa possible- during tho summer. Captain llealo proceods to Auckland on Monday for the purpose. 1 of nrepanng plans and specifications for tho new bridge over tho Hotoa liver. — Tho schooner 1 '/aoi,' Captam Meiklejohn, 19 loading heio with timber aud lime for Duncdm. — A rumour has boen set on foot bore, and is being widely ciiculatod, that W. T Moat, Esq., is about to retire from the cont'-st for tho Provincial Council el"ction, but for which I behovo there is not tho least foundation. I hoar it is tho intention of Captain Kasper, of tho p. a. ' Lady Howcn,' to givo a plcasmo trip to tho Bottlcre from here to tho Island of Kawau about Christmas. Captain Rasper has had command of vcssols trading heio for the Jaat 13 yoais, and on no occasion has ho allowed tho holidays to pass without giatuitously placing hia vessel at tho disposal of tho settlors. — A storo is about being opened in Matakana ; a thing very much needed. — Tho half timo school at Lower Matakana, auel for which Mr. .fames liuchannan placed a building at the disposal of tho Board of Education, is boing well attended, especially tho night school." Mr. Joseph Browno has, it ia well known, acted as honorary conductor of tho Choral Society for the past three years. Tho members of tho society have now, very properly, decided to givo him a complimentary concert in recognition of his valuable serricos. Tho concert will probably take placo about three weoks honcc, and the first piactice will tako place this evening, at the Choral Hall. The "iubjcotn will be Hadyn's " Creation" and Rossini's " Stabat Mater." Considering that tho success of tho Bocicty is in a great degice owing to the indefatigablo exoitious of Mi. Browne, tho complimentary conceit shoulel be well attonded.

A meeting was hold at Sfc L'ah'iok's Schoolroom last evening for tho puiposo of forming a TempeiancB fciooiety. Tkoro were about 20 persons present. The chair waa occupied by Mr. Leahy. Ai tor some conversation tho meeting was postponed, in conscquoaco of tho abaencoof Bishop Uroks. Iu tho P, m mi ml Oon i nmoht\Ga . t(e pub. lishod yestorday notico is given that James II. L'hilhps, of Uagl.m, has applied for pormission to ubo, for inill-ihiving purpoaos, tho water ilowiuy through the allotment No. 15, of tho l\vmh of Kiuioj, togothur with tho light to construct .1 dum thereupon. (,'«rti/ied copies of tho aaHeesmont hats for Parawm, Maketu, Mangapiko, and M.umj.iknramc.i llii^hvv.vy districts havo l)uon forwarded to tho SupenuteuUcnt'a othec. The claim of Puipi to Matowha and othoia to a pieco of land c.illcd Motumaoho, No. I, situated noar H.mgawora, is to bo reheard at Hamilton, on tho 17th Uocemljor The member of tho Fountain of Kiiendflhip Lodge, No. .'{,!)2t), Independent Older of Odd Fellows, will assemble at tho Cookatrect HrII, on Tuesday, November 4, at 1 p.m., to march in procossion and dedicate the now hall in Lome-street. A soiree and ball will tako plaoe in tho evoniug.

A man named George Mai tin was brought down fiom Puvcihead yesterday, charged with cattle stealing. He will 1)0 brought hefoio tho Police Comt this morning. Tho pohco leeuved information yesterday that .111 infant of 1 1 weeks ut age, named Sol ma Cell, had died suddenly at an early hour on that morning. A coroner's warrant was issued, and n inquest held yesterday afternoon, at tho <>ueun's Hotel, Symondsstieot, befoic 1). I'hilson and a jury, which tofculted in a vfidict that tho child died from Tho lcpoit which first came to hand was to tho cllect 'hat tho little child had been sucking its mother's night-dress dining the night time, and that it was supposed to have been choked by bo doing. The evidence was, however, conclusive that death was not tho losult of suffocation, but we, as stated abovo, caused by convulsions. j Mr. Gou^ay's Exhibition of Na'ural Curiosities, Mechanical and Sciont'fic Wonders and Works of Ait 19 to be opened today, in tho City Hall, at 1 o'clock. The collection is a large and varied ono. There are specimens of the crocodile tnbo, alligators' eggs, embalmed New Guinea chiefs, •Mid war implements fiom tho island of New Guinea. Thoro aio numerous moohanical figures, fu"-n«g' d ships, steamers, schoonors, &c, in motion. Theio is al^o a miniature hawthorn treo m full hlossop with birds singing r id filing about the branches. There ate numerous \va< models, paintings, cosmolamio ,■ ll niagnilicd views of mtereat'iig subjects. Amongst the wax models are the li^uif 1 - of kmgs, ((iicons, (statesmen, oratots, poets, cm '"Is, &c , together with a group iepre<ot>t lg tho Flight into Egypt. Tho exhibition is ono of tho most interesting whioli bis been y ct c thihitcd m Auckland, and thuo is littlo doubt it will bo well pationiscd whilo it icmaina open. It will bo open ddi'y at two period.s — from 2 to 5 in the attoinoon, aud from 7 to 10 in the evening. A branch of tho National Bark of New Zealand has boen opened at Tauranga. Mr. John Williamson will address the clcctois as under: — Newmarket, Presbytenan Schoolroom, to-moirow evening, at 7.. SO oV'ock , Thames, Saturday evening ; Xowton Hall, Tuesday even ig noxt.at 7.30 o'clock. A faiowcll soi rco v 11 bo given in tho Pevonport Hall, North Shoro, this evening, in connection with tho doparturo of tho Rev. P. F. Mackou/ic. In IS 18 tho total stook of gold, coined and nrooiued, in Kuropo and America- was estimated at £;>b > 0 ) 00l),000. Tho actual coinage of gold at the punctual mints of the world fiom ISIS to 1372 was : — England, tl'J.'J.COS.OOO , Sydney, €28,799,000 ; France, C2-)<),W)l,000 ; United States, £183,579,000 ; making a total of .1,j ( J7, 787,000. Pi eparationa aro being made for a largo export of timber from tho Bu''er district to Melbourne The Mechanics' Institute was crowded laBt night hy persons who had to heat Mi \V L. Ueisdehvei on addi^ss on Mr. D.ii ivillo and the Suporiuteudeucy. Mr. Hi, - nad grtat diHiculty in beiug heard, an : incessant uotso being kept up throughout the whole of his speech. Ho vindicated Mr. Lusk, and attacked Mr. Dargavillo. A resolution proposing a vote of thanks was I negatived on a show of hands, and a motion to tho effect that Mr. Rees had sliowu himself to bo a violent and nnscmpuloua partisan, and that in the opinion of the meeting Mi. Dargavillo was a fit and proper person i to fill tho oflice of Superintendent, was submuted, and virtually carried. A report of the meeting appears in another column. Last night "Aurora Floyd" was performed at tho Prince of Wales Theatre, on the occasion of Mr. Clinton's benefit. The weather was inclement, and the houso was but an indifferent ono. The afterpieco was "Tho Widow's Victim." To-night the same programme will be repeated. deferring to the Nelson Cloth and Woollen Factory, tho Nelson ('nlnniU says: — Messrs. Webluy JJrothers aro about to extend their woollen productions, and have unpoitod new machine] y and skillod labour fiom tho mother oountiy therefor. Theye deseiung young tradesmen, with plodding perseverance, have for somo time successfully carried on tho manufacture of those excellont tweeds known as Nelson cloth, and which, for good woanng qualities, we know from experience, are equal to, and in many instances excel, tho foreign manufactured and imported tweeds. Wo wish our fellowtownsmen further success in their new venture, and extended operations. Amongst the property burnt at the Bwk of New Zealand, Hokitika Bays tho Grnj Jxii'it Arifti^, woro a considerable number of valuable specimens, soveral of them containing largo portions of gold, also nuggets and jowcllery. Jn order to recover at least a a portion of theao valuables, tho <1 brh on. the site, consisting of charcoal, ashoB, &o , has been carted to the upper ond of the town, and is thero boing sluici d in the most orthodox manner, through ripple boxes. At a meeting of tho Auckland Licensed Victuallers' Aasooiation, held yesterday, at Scoat's hotel, it waa resolved that tho annual ball ahoi Id be held on the 27th proximo. The Auckland and TMtnes representatives in the forthcoming inter-colonial ritlo match, to be hold at Melbourne, will be paaiongora by tho s a. ' Ranyatira,' which will learo for that poi t to-day. A sitting of the Native Lands Court ia to be held at Whangaroi, on the 25th Novomber, to hoar mid dispose of a list of succea. Bion clainiB, and also to investigate the titles to certain pieies of land iu that district.

A rewaid of .£'250 ia offored for auch information as u ill load to the conviotiou of the ppraous who oausad the recent fires in Upper and Lower Queen-street, and PonBonby-road. What a complete family party it will bo whon the Duke of Edinburgh shall hare mat nod the sister of the C/arowitch, who ii the Pnncess of Wales' brother m-law, a»d Princo Arthur shall have married her Royal Highness's sister, the Princess Thyra, who was a pretty child, and is aaul to be a pretty girl. The (Jrand Duohoss Marie Alexandrovna ia not pretty — indeed, the present gonuration of the Rom&noffa has utterly departed from the family type. Both marriages are popular, though thero is some grumbling about thoir cost to tho people. — [London Corroapondont.] Tho Btory of a long and persistent puriuit of a murderer by the eon of hf« viotim ie told in a Missouri newspaper. The father of Colonel Younff, a resident of Cook County, Texas, was killed and robbed on the 1 Hh of April, 1872, by a man named Bunoh. Tho next day Colonel Young «tarted in purBiiit, and for mor» than a year he has bean traoking tho felon through the Indian Territory, thence through Arkansas and Louisiana, east into Mississippi, and north through Tonnesso and Kentuoky. Crossing the Mississippi RiTcr, the felon made his way through Arkansas, by the wigwams of tho Indian Territory, thence through tho mountains and forests of Arkansas again, tho hills and wilds of Southern Missouri, over tho prairies of Southorn Kausas, down tho head waters of Medicine Lodge, and ainong'the Arrapahoes. On the 20th of last January Colonel Young lost the tr.ul. On the 8tb of Apul * telegram from Fort Scott infoimed bun that Bunoh had recontly been in that place. Soon ha was thero only to le.irn Bunch had left for Lamar, in Uenton County. From that place Young traced him to Stockton, Bolivar, (Juincy, Warsaw, Sedalia, Bonneville. Here Hunch was arrested, and, after this long chase, hai been identified by Colonel Young and committed to prison. A very good story oomea from the Melbourne County Court. A well-known 1 inonoy-lender had mado an advance on a bill of sale of household furniture. It transpired in Court that when tho transaction was being nogotiatod between the lender and the borrower the former asked if tho furniture had been paid fer. The latter frankly admitted that it had not. " To make the seoimty better, then," said tho money-Iendor, "you had bettor gob somo more." And more waa got aooordingly.

The Victoria Wharf, North Shore, has been ga/etted under the Marino Act, 1807. Scarcely a year passes without souio idiotic pretendoi living to foist upon tho public a scientific ho.ix, .vftor tho btylo of that which was fathered upon iler-chcl about tbo discovciy of inhabitants 1 the moon. The latest Bt nsation of tho kind is given in a Cahfornun t aper, and its nature may be info red fiom tho complex heading of tho article. Tt runs on in m these woids : — ■ " 'i lie burning pit. — Au appalling discovery by scientists —A descent to Hades. — Kiva go\unuieuts, including tho United States, secretly combine. — Investigating tho igneous therory of tho carth'o centre. — Tho earth's crust broken. — Molten condition of tho globt dtfcerm'ied.— A f. .ght m Belgium. — Burst'ug forth of an artificial volcano. — Wholo villages overwhelmed.— Overflow of a ppier i'al ocean of subterranean lava. — The savans dismayed. — 37,810ft. Gin below tV*e earth'i Biirfaop. — A reinarkablo repoit.—AH of Northern JSurope threatened with inundation. — The United states already assessed and pa'd S7.000 dollars." This is the bill of faro t-o-aented to those who have a liking to sup ouhonoiE Tho Auiencan editor candidly admits that he is tumble to oyplain why tho full repoitof these woudeis was preceded by no telegraphic uilormation. Ho can only suppose that the wires were taken possession of hy tho (lOvemmont in order to prorcnt the alarm fiom spreading. Tho only wonder about tho affair in that the editor did not ge^ over the difficulty by taking credit for having had tho wholo particulars cabled to him exclusively. — " O'.dipus," in Melbouino L<orf> i . Some ruial debating society has boon digcuBS'ug the question as to whether a man could auceed in business and at tho same timo be invariably tiuthful. By \yhat process of argumont or induction the reporter did not say, they arrived, by a large majority, at the conclusion that tho two wero incompatible. Tho paragraph brings forcibly to mind a story told of a oert&in sententious Scotch minister. He was roading to hia congregation some portion of Scuptuio in which tho writer apologetically says — " I said in mine haste all men are liars." Here tho minister paused, looked round tho church, and remarked quietly, " 'Deed, Da\id, an' hid ye lived in thao days yo micht h"\o said it at yer leisuio." This ocj curred aomo iifty yeara ago, and I am not awaro that the world hag since become rnoro [ truthful— evidently, at all events, not the world up-country. Tho Hi, bin I Town Memn ;/, of the 1 Ibh of October, says, respecting the Titohbouruo case : — A singular and important piece of evidence was yesterday brought to lightthat of Mr. floraco Brown, of Macquarieatroet, in this city. Ton or twolvo years ago, l>Ir. Blown, who is a chemist and dmggist bv ptofoasiou, was m the employment of Dr. McCarthy, the present medicnl officer at Tasman's Peninsula At that tune Mr. t Biown luucmbeis perfectly well tho fact of George Oi ton, who was then in the service of Mr. Wilson, a butcher, having accidentally cut his hand across the palm with a knife or a chopper. Orton came for several days to l>r. McCarthy's dispensary for the purpose of bavine; his hand dressed, and so senous was tho wound, that Mr. Brown frequently cautioned his patient to bi careful as to his habits of life, &c , a3 tetanus or look-jnv was likely to supervene If, then, according to Mr. Brown, tho pioieut claimant bo George Orton, formerly of Hobart Town, he has a cicatrix across the palm of hi3 left hand that he will carry to Ins grave. But should that j oicatnx not bo there, a9 ho stands upon his trial at this moment, why, then, the inferferenco is that ho is tho \eutablo Roger after all. On tho abovo facts being yestorday communicated to Mr. Graves, that gentleman at once telegraphed their substanco to Captain Saunder», of tho ' Taoiar,' just in time to catch him before tho ship sailed for Melbourne. Captain Sauuders was requested to communicate with the agents on both sides when ho arrives in Victoria, and it may be that one sido or the other will telogiaph to England, — " Look out for a. scar across hia left hand " In the debato on tho Euglish Estimates, if; was stated that the llev. Mr. Thuilow, a connection of the Lord Chaucellor of that name, had received in re3pect of a sinecure office the enormous sum of four hundred and ninety-threo thousand pounds ' Mr. Mellor, the member for Ashton under line, inquiied whether this lucky person was still alive, and the Secretary of tho Troasiny aasurod tho House that he was, and that he ho.1 drawn nearly £13,000 a year from tho pockets of the public for noarly half-a century. Readers of newspapers think that editors should btiiepleto with information, and able, on tho shortest notice, to answer all their questions. A. correspondent wntes to inquire if we can tell him the longest word known in any language. After much trouble we aro able to answer tho question, and having given him the word, we hope he will loarn to pronounce it ; but in that we must decline to assist, not wishing to suffer from lockjaw. We believe tho longest word extant is to be found in Aristophane's "Ekklesin/ousai," v. 1.1G9, which is " chogaleokraniolciphanodnmupotrimmatokichlepikos smphophattoperistera kophalokigklopoleiolagoosiraobaphetraganopterugon." It consists of 1G9 Greek letters, and 77 syllables. Tho word " Honoroncabihtudiuitatibus," although not to be found in modern dictionaries, is said to bo the longest word in the English language. Shakespeare uses it in Act v., scene 1., of "Love's La- , bour'fl Lost," when Costard, tho clown, i says to tho page of Annado, "Thou ait not so long in the head aa honoroficabilitudinitatibus." | The following are some choice Chinese proverbs : — "Tho ripest fruit grows on tho roughest wall. It is the small wheels of a ! carriage that come in first. The turtle, though brought in at the baok gate, takes tho head of the table. Better to be the cat in a philanthropist's family than a mutton pie at a king's banquet. Tho learned pig don't learn its letters in a day. True merit, like tho pearls inside an oyster, is contented to remain quiet till it finds an opening Ho who leaves early gets the bast hat. Pride sleeps in a gilded crown ; contentment in a cotton nightcap." Mr. Mackuno, D.D.R.W.G.T. writes}:— " I left Wellington, June 30, taking a lecturing tour through the North, and part of the South islands, arriving in Wellington last Friday night, during which timo I hare travelled about 2,000 miles, wrote fifty two letters, addressed thirty-four public meetings, and instituted twenty-two lodges. Wo have at present thirty-six lodges in New Zealand, and I haTe about twenty applications for oharterr Our Grand Lodges will be instituted in about six moths' time, and then, please God, we shall progress still more rapidly. " A number of tbe ihareholdora of the Victorian Finance and Agsncy Company held a meeting at tho oilices of the company, Melbourne, on the 25th ultimo, when tho chairman, hon Thos. Loader, submitted a statement showing the results of the business since the formation of the company, which the meeting cousidered highly satisfactory. A resolution was passed affirming the desirability of extending the sphere of the company's operations by an increase of capital, and other measures to be submitted to tho first half-yearly meeting to bo held m October text. The «haroholders preoanfc expressed their willingness to take up tho balance of unallotted sharas of the first issue, reserving to absent shareholder their right to participate if they desire to do so. The sociaty for Biblical Arohfteology has) lately received a rich preient for its library in tho shape of an ancient Pentateuch roll, dating apparently from the tenth century. Thia manuscript it the only oopy of the Pentateuch as uacd by the Aden J«w, descendants of the pre- Mahometan inhabitants, which haa yot reached this oouutry. The Council of the Society hope soon to exhibit the roll to the pubho with a detailed examination of its philological and arcliaeologloal picularitiei.

Arguable discovery has been irade in the episcopal archives at Coire (Orisons), ot two fragments of an old Lat-n veruon of fe , Lnke, which had b n stuck on tbe inside of th« cover of a book. Th»y oont- n Lake xl.ll—29 and xiii.16—34 In the new number of the StutUea wvl Kit 'hn, Professor Eanke gives the two mo-t ; npo ant columns, containing Luke xiii. 1G—25 (" alii gavit Satan" —foris stare dicenftes].") and he rtmarkg that the text aor~e3 most closely, especially in its omissions, \wth that of the Codex Vercellsrsis (^acc. iv). Either the manuscript fiom which it ; s taken wr* a copy of that Coder, or e'sa both ira mse.ipts T»»re derived from the same source. A p>no tree in front of a house in New Plymonth was shattered - id «et on fire by lightning during a recent thunderstorm. Prices in Mr. Hojta's Art Fnion wi'l be drawn for on Friday next, at Messrs. Upton and Co.'s, at 4 o'clock. ine deray of wood ai'ses fi-om inlc ial ond not extern 1 raoistive ; hence the ("finger of shakes, as fiey admit it Ouen to]ll>e ve y cenUe ; aiHl 30 long rs " ce e\npo"iiiou * avowed, decay wi'l noi ve y rcac^ly set m It v.ould be ve y absr'd (o say that no pi if ought to bo used m tlie mto'Ici* of a iiou«o, but it is cci a; 'i that a piece of wood pa- i':>l on both s'des wi]' rot lnat nea -ly so lo"g .13 one not printed at all. The /caioa h ev e'en^. Iho paint cficctiialh closes nH tlie pou^ nod prevents ilw evino "on of (lie mo'>tu c, which even the b-^ seasoned jiV ik w ' cc itain, and herce dec y sooner scis m, in one slnpe or oihe* 1 For the spmo je wood painted on one 3ic]e onlv w< n last 'o-i^e • t i-n that pa>nfed on tuo s dc. Thus 11 an old binld'nn;, Ibo waiiscoi, doo r, wj^cTovra, $ ? will be found to be ouce'ed whci 1 ic sI-h 1cases will be sound, bec .isc neve* pni «<■•il. The old houses >n (lie quauit c y of Cie^er prove the tvulh of Vvs. Some jeris ago, a Live-pool br'der who b d soi* e contracts there told tbc wAlev 1 hat the muucoi's exposedbcani5v.ee gci'c'aUy sound, aod Uicv are -11 unpainicd, bul (lie mkuIo wo k !>. d appciently beo renewed. The best that c n be done, under all cucinn«t:'ncc3, is to g re a coat of point before ]ea\nig t^>e woik?!iop, and t'us is generally done, at least m the laij,e estabr^hment". —Bmtd wj Ne>i s\ A common cause of complaint on the part of newspapers is thu3 referred to by the North Ohigo Tim<-> .— "More than once, persons have asked us to abstain "from publishing some paiticular item of Police-court news. If we complied with the request of one applicrnt, no honest reason could prevent us from agreeing with the request, if advanced, of every person who might thus attempt to 'gag the Press.' TVhat would a merchant say if asked to be •'formed of the amornt of his bank over. <"raft ? Vet this andacious request would not be worse than that we now refer to."

A call of 108. per share ha<i been made on *H shares m the Middle Star Goldmining Company. The members of the Auckland Harmonic Society will meet for practice this evening in the Young Men'» Christain Association Rooms. It is notified in another column that on November 27th noxfc tho City Council will offer for fifty years' lease, by public auction, allotments 1, 4, 5, C>, and SI, section 31, City of Auckland. Notice ia given that creditors in the estate of W. Jeffory will receive a dividend of 41 in the pound on npphcation to Mr. William Baker, the trustee.