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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3088, 20 May 1881, Page 2

Messrs E. W. Puckey, Samuel Deierhton, and Brookfield, have been appointed Judges of the Native Lands Court. The Hon. Mr Oliver, Minister for Public Works, has resigned his portfolio, urgent private affiairs rendering it necessary for him to retire from the Ministry,

Captan Underwood, of the Rotomahana, recommended in his evidence at the Tararua inquiry that a lightship should be placed off Toby Hock, instead of a lighthouse at Waipapa Point. The disturbance that was reported to have occurred between some of the Armed Constabulary and the natives atPungarehu turns out to be nothing serious. The affair happened a fortnight ago, and arose out of a trifling misunderstanding. In our report of the proceedings in the Magistrate's Court on Monday last, we stated that judgment was given for tho plaintiff in the case of Herrick v. Kirkpatrick. It should have read "judgment for defendant, with costs and counsel's fee." We have been notified that the tender of the Daily Telegraph for the advertising and printing tor the Hawke'a Bay County Council has been accepted. In future all advertisements for tenders and work required by the County Council will appear in this paper only. Mr Henare Tomoana is now travelling in the East Coast district for the purpose of addressing his constituents at the various native settlements. In his speech at Gisborne on Thursday he advocated increased Maori representation, saying that the natives were entitled to eight members. Lieut. Hermann gave his ventriloquial entertainment m the school-room at Taradrle last evening to a good house. Judging from the expressions of approval from the audience the entertainment was highly satisfactory. To-night the entertainment will be given at Olive, to be followed by a liberal distribution of gifts. By an Order-in-Council an alteration has been made in the scale of fees under the Land Transfer Act. In addition to the registration fees, one per cent, on the purchase money expressed in the transfer, if not exceeding £200 ; if exceeding £200, one per cent, on that sura, and a half per cent, on the remainder of the purchase money. The accounts of the Fire Brigade, a statement of which is to be laid before the general meeting of the brigade on Thursday next, were audited last night by Messrs Pell and McVay. The accounts were found to have been admirably kept. The receipts for the twelve months ending the 31st of: March last were £269 11s 6d, and the expenditure amounted to exactly the same sum. Mr. Bain, M.H.R. for Inveroargill, addressed his constituents last night. On the conclusion of his speech the following , amendment to a vote of confidence was declared parried:—''That the thanks of this meeting be tendered to Mr Bain for his attempt to explain why he supported a Ministry whlcb has consistently and persistently tried to strangle the industries and commerce of Invercargill." Pre-sessional addresses are now the order of the day. Mr Turnbull met the eleotors of Timaru last nipht, and received a vote of thanks and of confidence. In the matter of education he advocated the payment by results system, and the reading of the Bible in schools. He was in favor of a land tax an compelling profitable occupation, and - said the local bodies were the best judges as to the extent to which properties should be taxed. Miss Jenny Nye was one of the fortunate few who, intending to take passage by the ill-fated s.s. Tararun, wrecked on the Otara reef, were prevented by fortnitoue circumstances from doing so. Miss Nye had packed her boxes, and made every preparation for proceeding to Melbourne by the steamer, when she was induced by a tele* gram from Mr Shepperson to join the Lydia Howarde Company to open at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on Thursday last. The change of purpose was a most fortunate one. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before H. Eyre Kenny, Esq., R.M., Henry Hndpon, an old offender, was charged with vagrancy. It appeared from the statement of the police that the accused only came out of gaol on Monday last, and that he had been wandering about the streets ever since, and he had complained to the police that he had no food, and no* where to sleep. In answer to His Worship the prisoner made a rambling statement about his having a claim upon someone for work done. He was sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard lahcr. There was a good attendance at St. John's winter gathering last night. The programme was an admirable one, and was carried out evidently to the satisfaction of the audience. Mrs Neill contributed two songs in her usul finished style, and Mies Pirani charmed the audience with her rendering of " Juanita." Messrs Foster and Gilpin did good service among the gentlemen amateurs, and Mr Simpson, has not previously appeared before a audience, sang with considerable powerW Mr Hampton produced " The leatherbottel" with his usual success, and reoeived a warm welcome. Mrs Crowley played a pianoforte solo most admirably, and the whole concert was satisfactory and enjoyable. Residents in Napier have for some days past been somewhat amused at a bright lot of little visitors who have paraded our streets at intervals, and enquiries have been numerous as to who they are. We may say for the information of our readers that they are the crew of H.M.S. Pinafore, and that they will give an account of themselves at the Theatre Royal tbis evening. This lillipatian crew have been warmly welcomed at every port into which they have sailed, and the Southern press has nothing but praise for their really wonderful performance. Those who have seen Pinafore will have some idea of the mirthprovoking nature of its performance when the characters are taken by little mites like the members of this company, admirably dressed, with good voices, and trained in a way that has been described as marvellous. No one need have any fear that the individual members of this gallant crew will not be well cared for by Mr Reynolds, who has them in charge. They all appear as blythe and hearty as the most fatherly of First Lords, even Sir Joseph Porter himself, could desire. The New Zealand Times says: —" As yet there has been only one seizure made by the police of the implements used by "John" in the game called fan-tan. The game in reality is similar to that knewn as " under and over." There is a lead plate about sixteen inches square, which is placed on a table. At one end a Chinaman, who in English would be called a croupier, takes his position, and opposite him is the banker. The sides on the right and left hand of the banker are made up of even numbers, viz., two and four. The other two are odd, being one and three. Those playing place European money on which side their fancy directs them ; the excitement then commences. The croupier has a great heap of Chinese money on his righthand side, which is simply used as counters. He takes a metal cup and scoops the come it contains, empties them out on the table, and counts them. If they are found to be an cv.en number those who backed the right and left side of the croupier wins the ' amount staked less 25 per cent, which the croupier claims for the use of his stock, and 5 per cent, is claimed by the propietor of the house where the game is played. It is astonishing how intent the Chinamen are in playing this simple game. They never take their eyes off the table or the croupier. When Sergeant Anderson, who is no small man, visited the gambling house on Saturday night ho was several minutes in the room before he was observed, although nine of them were playing. When he was seen, however, several of them made a bee line for the door. When the croupier saw Sergeant Anderson he gathered up all his tools and as much money as he could lay his hands on, and was making off with the rest of hip associates. He was, of course, allowed to go, but minus his fan-tan, implements. If " John' , is brought before the Cour» at all the offence will bean indictable \one, as there is nc local Act here which iwouid deal with the matter,

A young girl, daughter of a settler in the Oamaru district, was kept from school one day recently to assist in the potato field. When she returned to school the next morning, she handed to her teacher a note containing the following unique specimen of composition :—" Kepatomataterin."

We learn from the Lyttelton Times that Miss Lonise Pomeroy, the American actress, has broken her engagement to appear at Christchnrch on the 17th proximo, and also her further New Zealand engagements. Her agent, Mr Helymer, writes that she may probably vinit New Zealand in October or November. Legal proceedings are likely to arise out of this.

The gulf between stage and church is rapidly being bridged over in England. At Chester, an amateur performance of a comic opera has taken place, no less than three clergymen sustaining prominent parts, and acquitting themselves well. Nay more, the chorus of one hundred voices was trained under the direction of the Reverend Precentor of Chester Cathedral. We (Melbourne Bulletin) should like to see church and stage more in unison in this part of the world, and we cannot but think the feeling which prompted the Chenter clergymen well worthy ot imitation, although we express no opinion as to the happiness of the class of lyrio drama chosen.

Schneider, of " Grand Duchess " fame, is selling off her possessions. Her hotel in Paris realised £35,000. La Grande Duchesse is about to retire into the shades of private life. She is growing old, and she looks old, even on the stage. There are rueful gaps in the sweet-toned voice that was once so mu&ioal and so merry. There are wrinkles round the blue eyes that have lost no inconsiderable share of their sunny sparkle. She will carry into her seclusion no inconsiderable share of this world's goods. Her diamonds alone are valued at 60,000 dollars, her necklace (the gift of a duke) being , worth £20,000 dollars, and ber earrings, which were a present from the Prince of Wales, being estimated afc 10,000 dollars. Then her pictures, bronzes, knickknacke, &0., will bring fabulous prices when cold.

We do things on a big scale in Otago (says a writer in the Echo.) Wβ have had the biggest mining smash, that at Kaitangata, and the biggest fire, that at the Octagon. We possess the biggest editor (linear measurement)! and the biggest murderer, Butler; and now we have fully maintained our reputation by securing the biggest tramway accident. We don't olaim any special credit for our pre-eminence. Our greatness has been thrust upon us, and we bear it with a meekness that tnuet disarm the jealousy of our less-favored neighbors. Aβ for the Roslyn Tramway Company, I'm sorry to say I've no shares in it, but the lucky holders have my tenderst sympathies. What with doctor's bills and actions for damages they are likely to have a very lively time of it. Luckily the capital is limited, or we might have a diamond edition of the Glasgow Bank episode.

In an artiole on the wreck of the Tararua, the Tasmanian Mail gives a list of some of the maritime disasters that have occurred on the shores of Australasia. It says : — " Perhaps the worst was the wreck of the emigrant ship Oataraqui, on King's Island, In 1845, when 414 lives were lost. The Dunbar disaster at the G-ap, near South Head, Sydney, in 1857, will be remembered by the fact that there was only one survivor—Johnson—out of 120 passengers and crew. Nine years afterwards, singular to say, he rescued the only survivor from the wreck of the steamer Oawarra, at the entrance to Newcastle, 59 persons being drowned. In the wreck of the steamer Admella, on the trip between Adelaide and Melbourne, in 1859, 75 periehed; while the disaster tb at befel the General Grant, off the Auckland Isles, in 1866, caused the loss of nearly 90 persons. Then there was the loss of the British Admiral, off King's Island, in 1874, when 79 lives where lost; the steamer Gothenburg, wrecked in Flinders Passage, in 1876, 102 lives ; and the steamer Dandenong, off Jervis Bay, in 1876,40 lives." To tnia should certainly be added H.M.S. Orpheus wrecked at Manukau Heads on the Bth February, 1863, when 198 lives were lost.

H.M.S. Pinafore at the Theatre Eoyal this evening at 8. Messrs H. Monteith and Co. will sell tomorrow, at the Horse Bazaar, horses, produce, &c, at l.? 0 p.m. Lieut. Hermann at Clive to-night at 8. General orders for the Napier Volunteers advertised. The Weekly Meectjey with news for home published to-day. A special train will leave Hastings on Monday at 6.30 p.m., returning after the opera is over. Messrs Weal and Close have received from London a choice assortment of the latest novelties. Mr A. Campbell will open in Emersonstreet to-morrow with a large stock of drapery, hosiery, &c. Accounts due to tho estate of James Taylor, of Kaikora, will be sued for after the 10th of June. The schooner Endeavour is open for freight or charter to any Southern port. Apply to Messrs Cross and Smyth, The Borough Engineer invites tenders for the formation of Burke-street. The Daily Telegraph has been appointed the County Gazette.. Messrs Kennedy and Gillman insert a preliminary notice in relerence to the sale of a consignment of Japanese trees and plants. A number of new advertisements will be found in our " "Wanted " column.