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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3835, 31 October 1883, Page 2

Mr D. M. Luetic, Commissioner of tho Government Life Insurance, arrived overland from Wellington last night. We aro glad to state that up. to tho present time is but one criminal -caso set down for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court. Tho tender of Messrs Glondinning and Griffin has been accepted' for the proposod new offices for the South British Insurance Company at £2049. The Rev. W". Diuwiddie has consented to take charge of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch. The Roy. Mr.Dinwiddle is the eldest brother of the Messrs Dinwiddle, of this town. Mr and Mrs John Bennett, of Puketapu, are passengers by the P. and O; boat Ballarat from England, which arrived at Melbourne yesterday. They may bB expected to bo in Napier on Saturday week. There is to be a galaxy of legal talent at tho next sittings of the Supremo Court hero. We hear that Messrs Travers, Izard, 8011, Sheehan, and Fitzherbert have been engaged as counsel on several of the cases to be heard during the civil sittings. The members of the Musical Society meet as usual at 8 o'clock this evening for the practice of the Messiah, - when it is to bo hoped all will be present. We aro requested to state that members of tho society only are admitted to these practices. Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad," a panorama, is likely to bo hero by next Saturday's boat. If it should come it will open at tho Theatre Royal on Monday night. The ! paintings are spoken of highly,. and tho lecture is full of the dry fun of the celebrated American humorist. At a sitting of the Supreme Court in bankruptcy, held at 11 o'clock this morning beforo the Registrar, an order of declaration of complete execution of the deed of arrangement made by M. J. Skinner, of Ormondvillo, baker, with-his was granted on the application of Mr Lascelles. Last evening an Austrian, and a strangor to Napier, fell down in a fit in Hastingsstreet nearly opposite tho Bank of New Zealand. Dr Spencer was sent for, and had the man removed to Mr Wolsman's', shop, where restoratives were administered, Soon afterwards he recovered sufficiently to : givo his name and address, and was conveyed home by the police. In reference to. tho excursion steamer leaving Lyttelton the evening before the Christchurch agricultural show, wo loam from the local manager of the.Union Steamship Company that the reason for the date of departure is to avoid calling here on tho Sunday. Should, however, there bo a sufficient number of passengers, the company would willingly delay the steamer for a day if it were so desired. The Corporation has received two months notice to quit its offices. The notice has been given by tho Commissioner of Grown Lands "in pursuance and exercise of tho power and authority vested " in him' tinder the Public Reserves Act*, 1881, :! and, tho Land Act, 1877. In tho face of Mr Dick's promise, and of the understanding given by Ministers to Mr Buchanan, M.H.R., tho action of the Commissioner is high4iaiidcd, but we presumo he would not have sent the notice unless he had received instructions to do so. Tho Mikonui Water-race and Gold-mining Company has not been successfully floated. Three thousand shares were taken up in Napier, but elsewhere it appears the investment was not popular. At all events a circular has been forwarded to shareholders stating that the number of applications for shares has not warranted the registration of the company. It is now proposod to - offer 15,000 or 20,000 shares in the London or Victorian market, and in the meantime shareholders can either have their deposit returned, or retain their interest iv the company. It is reported that tho King of Portugal intends to abdicate at an early date. Perhaps the cares of State, added to the constant worry of trying to keep in mind his Christian names, lias led to,his determination to retire. In the repose of domestic life ho will be able to forget public affairs and to devote his whole attention to tho study of that which his godfathers and godmothers gave to him at'his baptismLouis, Philippe, Marie, Ferdinand, Pierre, D'Alcantara, Antoinc, Michel, Raphael, Gabriel, Gonzague, Xavier, Francois, D'Assisse, Jean, Jules, Auguste, Volfando, do Braganza, Bourbon. The whole of tho above was born in 1838, being the seoond son of his parents. He succocded to tho throne in 1861, on the death of his brother King Pedro. He married the youngest daughter of Victor Emmanuel, tho lat« King of Italy, and has two sons, Carlos and Alfonso. The following cases were heard in tho R.M. Court yesterday after our reporter left:—Harford v. Cottrell, claim £30 2s lOd. Tho defence was that tho goods word obtained by a person named Purcell, who had a contract to build a house for defendant, and Avho becamo insolvent beforo the contract was completed. On the other side it was stated on oath that tho defendant had agreed to hold himself responsible to the plaintiff for payment of the goods, After hearing evidence, and tho arguments of counsel on either side, His Worship

intimated that ho would reserve judgment for a week. Wise, Caffin and Co. v. Monteith, claim to recover £3 12s, tho cost r of a colonial directory, with advertisement relating to defendant's business therein. The order for the book aud advertisement was admitted by defendant, who refused to take delivery afterwards because the work, which professed to be published on tho Ist of January, was not tendered to defendant till April 30th. The facts were admitted on both sides. His Worship gave judgment for 30s, as the value of the advertisement, stating that a publishing firm could not expect defendant to accept delivery of a hook tendered four months after its supposed date of publication. Ihe Court then rose.

Tho Rev. D. Sidoy desires to acknowledge with sincere thanks the receipt of the°following additional subscriptions on behalf of tho" Roy. Mr Shirriffs' family relief fund:—The Right Rev. the Bishop of Waiapu, £"> 3s; Messrs Ncal and Close, £2 2s. Per Messrs Logan, Price, and Westmoreland: Mr A. M'Hardy, £3 .•}:■; Mr R. Gollatt, sen., £2 ; Mr J. M. Brown, £1 ; Messrs Ford and Williams, £1 ; Mrs A. Logan, 10s; Mrs J. M'Kenzie, 10s ; Mrs A.M'Kay, 10s; Mrs J. Ford, 10s; Mrs J. Westmoreland, 10s: Mrs S. Beachem. 10s ; "Mrs Wm. Hawkins, 10s ; Mrs Jas. Avison, 10s; Mr Andrew Logan, 10s; MrK. Gollan, jun., 10s; Mr D. Gilanders, 10s; Mr Wm'. Hawkins, 10s; Mr H. Hartshorn, 10s; Mr T. Gollan, 10s; Mr J. Gollan, 10s; Mr J. Hastings, 10s; Mr Wm. Robinson, 10s; Mr E. Clarke, 10s: Mr J. E. C. Price, 10s ; Mr G. Clark, 10s ; Mr J. M'Kay, 5s ; Mr Wm. Logan, 7s Gd ; MrF. Tehou, sm; Mr T. Boyle, ss; Mr A. *->- Harwood, ss; Mr R. Ellingham, os; Mr Emil Nichikon, 5s ; Mr W. Thomns, .5s : Mr W. Russell, 5s ; Mr W. Farghor, 5s ; Mr James Broadbent, ss; Mr T. Liddlo, 6s :Mr Geo. Pilchcr, ss; Mr AY. Blackford, 5s ; Mr Albert Cowper, 5s ; Mr R. Anderson, ss; Mr Albert Neilson, 5s ;Mr Charles Neilson, ss. Further contributions will be duly acknowledged. In tho Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before Captain Preccc, R.M., Ebenezer Dixon was brought up for sentence on three charges, viz. (1) with drunkenness at Clive on 27th instant, (2) with being an habitual drunkard, and (3) with having assaulted Constable Leitch while in tho execution of his duty as a peace officer. His Worship said he had deferred sentence in order that evidence as to the prisoner's sanity might bo procured. Tho Court had now two medical certificates, besides that of the medical officer of the asylum, to the effect that ho was quite sane when not under tho influence of drink. For the first offence ho was fined 5s and costs, or in default 48 hours' imprisonment; for the second offence two months' imprisonment with hard labor ; and for the third offence two months' imprisonment with hard labor ; each sentence to commence at the expiration of the previous term. Martha Smith, on remand for lunacy, was ordered to bo detained in tho Napier lunatic asylum.

At a meeting of delegates from Friendly Societies at Mastertoti, to consider the Friendly Societies Act, tho following reasons why the Friendly Societies Act should be repealed were adopted :—" I. Because the Act confers no benefit and entails much useless labor and expense 2. Because the action of the Government shows that it is desirous of supplanting the societies with a scheme of its own, and has used the Act to obtain the necessary information from the Societies to enable them to do so. 3. Because the complete failure of the Government Industrial Insurance Branch shows the incompetence of Government actuaries to deal with the principles upon which the operations of Friendly Societies are based. 4. Because the rules of the societies and tho common law of the country arc quite adequate to meet all the matters provided for in the Act." It was further resolved to send copios of tho reasons to all branches of Societies in the colony.

A well-known newspaper agent, Mr Gotch, has (says the Melbourne Leader) boon rendering good service to the Australian public. The proverbial difficulty of getting butter out of a dog's throat is of ton referred to whon matters look bad for getting money foolishly paid. Mr Gotch had paid £50 for as many shares, part of a now issue, in a company that tho prospectus represented as doing well and paying handsome dividends. As it paid no dividends after Mr Gotch got into its share list, he examined accounts and found that tho directors had allowed him to bo misled by tho prospectus on which ho purchased. Ho sued tho directors of tho company for return of his money on the score of misrepresentations so made. Tho jury has decided in his favor, tho which is a warning to directors of their liability for anything misleading that a delusive prospectus may Bet forth.

Tho magistracy of Melbourno have recommended tho Victorian Premier to introduce legislation for the checking of larrikinism, and to that end recommended that the proposed Bill should be framed on the following lines:—l. That all malo persons found guilty before two Justices of violent assault, or of using obscene language, or of obscene behavior, or of wilful destruction of or injury to property, may, in addition to or in lieu of any punishment to which they aro at present subject, bo ordered to be whipped, in tho case of offenders from ten to fifteen years of age to tho extent of twenty strokes of tho birch rod, and in tho case of offenders from fifteen years of ago and upwards to the extent of twenty-five Lashes with the cat-of-nine-tails. 2. That offenders undor fifteen years of age ordered to be whipped shall receive the punishment at the rising of tho Court, and that offenders of fifteen years of ago and upwards shall be flogged within twenty-four hours after the rising of the Court if practicable, but in no case shall such punishment be delayed beyond one week. 3. That section 20 of the Police Offences Statute relating to obscene, threatening, or abusive language, etc., in public, be modified so that either fine or imprisonment, with or without hard labor, may be imposed in lieu of fine and in default of imprisonment, as the law now stands.

"Tangati Matau " writes as follows to tho Auckland Star of an invention for rooting up fern : —A blacksmith in To Awamutu has made for mo something of similar shape to a tranys that men use to protect their boot from the spade. It was a piece of iron a foot long, 3£ inches broad, and 1 inch deep. He beat the top side out to a knifo edge, leaving the back untouched; turned up H inch each end; beat them out, and drilled holes. I shaped two pieces of a sapling similar to the sides of a sledge, placed tho queer-looking thing between them, and screwed it on ; nailed cross-pieces on for strengthening, and augured two holes ; passed some fiax through ;_ put a junk of wood on the sledgo to weight it. My iron was an inch and a-half below tho woodwork, so I cut an opening in the ground for it, and pulled away. The flax gave, and so did my strength, but the fern was cut an inch below the ground, and this being but a model, I will at another time havo something similar made of steel of larger dimensions for , horse-power, if it answers as well as my model. A boy and two good horses can clear acres of fern and small ti-treo in one day, and when dry, the fern-root and one and a-half inch of loose soil will ho burned. Tho burnt soil would bo fit to grow wheat and oats, which would bo bettor than, waiting two or three years as at present. This is one of a series of inventions that I hopo to succeed in.—The same correspondent gives tho following recipe for making an article of diet from the raupo plant;— Take up the young raupo as deep as possible, slice all tho white and stew ; pOur it all into an oar the ware jar and add sugar. After two days tho liquor will be jollied, having tho taste of curds. This can bo ■ brought to required taste by additional sufar and essonces, or added to stewed fruits it gives the stew the consistency of jelly. Tho question, how long can a human being live without sleep, is difficult; to answer, though it has often been asked. An Austrian paper of recent date contained a letter from a correspondent living in China, which throws a little light on the subject. A Chinese merchant at Amoy was tried tor killing his wife, and found guilty of murder. Ho was sentenced to death by the privation of sleep, He was placed in a cago under tho watch of four policemen, who watched him six hours each during tho twenty-four, and ho was never a moment alone. Ho could eat and drink as much as he cared, but neither night nor day was ho allowed to oloso an eye. The unhappy man lived nineteen days. At tho tegi-ning- of tlie **? £ clay his sufferings wero so great that ho beo-ged them to take his life either by shooting, drowning, burning, hanging, beheadkig, or felling, but the guards turned a deaf ear to him. Such executions are too expensive to become genoral.

The Rev. Mr Sheehy, who, as the cable-o-rams have informed us, has been appointed by the Pope Archbishop of Sydney, in succession to tho late Archbishop Vaughan, has been in Now South Wales for a"considerable time, aud is well known. He was Vicar-general to Archbishop Poldino-, the predecessor of Archbishop Vaughan. The latter prelate, on his advent to the colony, appointed his own Vicar-general, but he made Mr Sheehy " arch -priest." In that office he has continued till now. His appointment is subject to the approval of the Synod of Australian bishops.

A puzzle to total abstainers has just died in Franco at the ripe age of 70, leaving an account in a log-book of all that he had drunk for tho past 50 years. His habits in this respect were very regular, his_ daily allowance being seven pints of wine, a couple of glasses of absinthe before each of his three meals, and 12 ponies of cognac, rum, or some other spirit to drive away despondency. Tho total for the halfccnturv amounted to 127,827 pints of wine, 109,550 glasses of absinthe, and 219,132 ponies of spirits. Tho old gentleman boasted that he had never had a day's illness in his life, and ho certainly scorns to havo proved his point that a hard drinker is not necessarily a short liver. Perhaps, however, ho might have lived twenty years longer if he had been a total abstainer. Australian wine-growers will have hard work to compete with those of California. Viniculture is now carried out in that muchfavoured country with extraordinary activity. Very "largo districts are now planted with the grape vine, and tho yield is enormous. It is calculated within three years the vino will produce a wine-making grape ; in the fourth year there is a profit, which in the fifth is sufficient to pay on' all preliminary expenses, including the cost of tho land. Some idea of tho extent of cultivation may bo gathered from the figures given. This year's crop of grapes will produce five hundred thousand gallons of wine and a hundred thousand of brandy. The labor is mostly that of the much-abused Chinaman, although a number of skilled experts from the wine districts of Franco and Germany are also employed. Tho process is simple enough, and is greatly aided by machinery which does tho stemming and squeezing. After that tho liquid is clarified by whites of egg*, isinglass, or gelatine, filtered through" charcoal, and drawn off into casks for shipment. Great quantities of these Californian wines arc consumed in the States, and no pains are spared to make them popular. Cuttings of the best wines are imported and acclimatised. Just now experiments aro being made with tho Cochin China grape, one of the most prolific in tho world, and no doubt Aye may yet see an American imitation of tho rare and costly wine known as Imperial Tokay.

Wo take the following amusing skit from a Sydney paper : —" A man in a Now Zealand town sued the Corporation the other day for injuries sustained one night by coming in collision with a telegraph post. And ho got £30 damages. This is the kind of law we believe in. Wo think a stop should be put to the midnight roystering of telegraph posts and such things. The way they go tearing around at night is something scandalous. A man is going peaceably homo and one of these harum-skarum posts cannons up against him and leaves him in such a condition that, if ho is able to find his own door, he is probably unable to explain how ho got there. And so it is that mistrust and suspicion aro sown in a family. If thero were any decent law hero, we know one ruffianly specimen of this class we should issue a summons against. It is a pilllar-box, and is supposed to stand on the corner of the street which wo at present make famous by living in. But, does it stand? Not much—at night, anyhow. We have endeavoured to teach it a lesson once or twice, but in vain. Last time we tried wo stayed in for three weeks afterwards. We are sorry to havo to make such on accusation against what ought to bo a respectable feature of the street, but we are constrained to'do it. We believe it drinks. If we only had those New Zealand magistrates over hero wo fancy we could get damages enough from tho Corporation to retire upon for injuries sustained through that pillar-box alone. But thero is no justice in this country." Terribly damaging to the system are those fiery compounds of cheap unrcctified spirits, surcharged with fusel oil, which their nefarious vendors and importers either insinuate or openly declare to bo equal to Wolfe's Schnapps.—f Advt.]