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Evening Post, Volume XIII, Issue 37, 14 February 1876, Page 2

The Hero brings our San Francisco mail per Grenada from Sydney, although the fact was not noted on the Telegraph Shipping Board. The mail wil be brought dowu the coast by the Hawea, which should leave the Manukau to-morrow. Efforts however, are being made by the Postal authorities to arrange for her to start to-night, and thus save nearly a day. The mail in any case, should reach Wellington on Wednesday or Thursday. It is already 16 days late. Sydney Smith once said " that it wouid take a surgical operation to get a joke into a Scotchman's head," and som^ people here, it seems, are so dense in the upper-storey as to suppose that the account of "The Black Death in Mcl bourne" was a narrative of a veritable occurrence, instead of being merely a cleverly written skit, designed to alarm and startle Municipal Corporations everywhere into the necessity of taking proper sanitary precautions to guard against disease and death. The Wellington Municipal authorities being "a frightful example " of apathy and carelessness in this respect we dedicated " The Black Death " articln specially to them. The last paragraph in the article of course explained the "skit." Even' the most obtuse — aye even that most unparalleled numscull who perpetrates the blunders of the Times — could scarcely fail to understand the explanation therein conveyed. That he did so fail to understand it ia clear from the " absurd article in this morning's issue. Nothing less powerful than a Naysmith's steam hammer could knock an idea into the head of this unhappy and misplaced man. We leave him to the compassion of the benevolent ; and meantime counsel all and sundry to clean up their backyards, clear out their cesspools, and live cleanly in their surroundings, lest that scourge overtake them, " The Black Death." We notice that John Bryce. Esq., M.H.8., the senior colleague of Sir Julius Vogel in the representation of Wanganui, has come to tuwn for the purpose of welcoming and conferring with his fellowmember. There are many subjects connected with the Wanganui District on which Mr. Bryce could afford Sir Julius Vogel valuable information, and !he will doubtless do so. But Mr. Bryce has another object in his visit. The Wanganui people having elected Sir Julius, want him to come up and hold forth on things iv general, and that odd £100,000 in particular, which, with touching and child-like simplicity, they think he is going to get for them. Sir Julius owes something to Wanganui people, and if he survives the banquet, and the deliverance of his speech thereat, he should hie : him to "the banks of Petre Water" i forthwith*. It appears after all that the Grenada did fo on to Sydney, carrying with her the Tew Zealand mails and passengers, notwithstanding a very strenuous remonstrance on the part of our mail agent against such a flagrant breach of contract. She arrived three days late, having started two days behind time, aud lost another day on the way down. We again direct special attention to the sale by auction of 24.000 acres of Crown Lands, which is to take place at the Land Office, Provincial Government Buildings, to-morrow at 12 o'clock noon. Intending purchasers can obtain maps and schedules giving size and description of sections, by applying at the Crown Lands Office. In compliance with a generally expressed wish the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company have arranged a very convenient and attractive excursion to the Blenheim races this week. The s.s. Phoebe will leave for Picton at mid-night to-morrow (instead of the following day as previously advertised), conveying excursionists who* can proceed to Blenheim by rail in time for the first day's races. The Taranaki will be despatched specially for Picton on Thursday at 8 a.m:, taking- passengers for the second day's races, and returning afterwards with both steamers' excursionists ; the Phoebe proceeding on her regular Northern trip. This should induce a large number to combine the pleasure of a short sea voyage and a visit to the Marlborough races. Dr. Johnston, the Coroner, was called as a witness in a civil case, which was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. When he stepped into the witness-box he said, " before giving his evidence, that he should require a fee of £3 3s for his attendance. He

added that he knew nothing of the case itself, and was merely called as an expert to say whether certain charges for medical attendance were fair or otherwise. His Worship stated that £1 Is was all that the Court could allow a professional witness, and that Dr. Johnston would have to be contented with that sum. The doctor, however, objected, but when he was told that if he refused to give his evidence, he would be committed to gaol ; for contempt, he gave it under protest. [ The schooner Herald is now lying on the Patent Slip in Evans' .Bay, where she may be inspected by all. She will be taken off on Thursday. The repairs to the s.s.. Tui having been completed, she came off the slip thi3 morning, and was brought round to the Queen's Wharf. In addition to the new boiler plate, she has been supplied with two new fans to her screw, in place of those knocked off at the Wairau Spit. She also has been thoroughly painted and cleaned throughout, and has been fitted with a convenient fore cabin, capable of accommodating 12 steerage passengers. The Tui will be replaced in her regular trade shortly. A special meeting of the City Council- j will be held on Thursday next, at 3 o'clock. The ordinary meeting will be held at 4 o'clock on the same day. The Rechabite representatives left Wellington by the steamer Rangatira this afternoon, for the purpose of attending the annual meeting to be held in connection with the order at Waipukurau on or about the 17th instant. The names of the representatives are :— H. Budden, J. Okell, F. H. Fraser, District Secretary, Rogers, Cooppr, Barber, Smith, (Kelson) and Rogers (Rangitikei). A great canine and panoramic exhition will shortly be held in Wellington. The exhibition is the joint property of Mons. ORiel and Mr. H. F. Towle, and it is spoken of in the highest terms of praise by the Australian and New Zealand Press The dogs are said to be able to spell any word spoken by the audjtory, to tell fortunes, &c. That useful little steamer the Tni again has been specially retained by the Government on telegraph service. She ha* been engaged to act as a tender, to the large steamers Hibernia and Edinburgh, now engaged in laying the Australia-New Zealand cable. The Tui will leave to-morrow evening for Nelson on this errand, proceeding thence to Cape Farewell to look out for the Hibernia and Edinburgh. • A meeting of the Governors of the New Zealand Institute was held at the Colonia Museum to-day ; his Excellency the Marquis of' Normanby presiding. The. meeting was as usual of a private nature, «nd the business has not transpired. We understand that the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company have offered Messrs McKirdy and Oakes, to lay on a steamer direct for the Thames and back, to bring down the unemployed Thames miners for engagement on the" railway works in this province, provided a certain number be guaranteed by the contractors. The match between the Wellington and Dunedin Artillery was concluded this morning, when the Dunedin men made 6*49, against the Wellington men's 716. Nine men fired on the Dunedin side, and an average is struck to obtain the score of the tenth. The third annual general meeting of the shareholders in the Wellington Trust and Loan Company will be held at Mr. Hunter's rooms on Monday evening next, at halfpast seven (not at norm as stated by a contemporary), when the directors report will be read, shewing that the year's profits have reached £5127 3s Id, enabling a dividend of 10 per cent to be declared ; it will be payable on the 23 rd inst. The mortgages now held by this company amount to £135,703. Three directors, Messrs. J. Dransfield, -T. R. George, and G. Hunter, retire by rotation, but are eligible for reelection, as also are the auditors, Messrs. D Ramie, J. Knowles, and G. M. Kebbell. The attempt to raise the Kate Moynahan has not yet been successful, owing to the extent she was embedded in the sand ; but Capt. M'lntyre still i§' sanguine of ultimately accomplishing his object. It is the intention of the N.Z.S.S. Co. to place successively on the Patent Slip their five screw steamers, Phoebe. Wellington, Taranaki, Ladybird, and Rangatira, for cleaning, painting, and overhaul so far as may be found necessary. Mr. R. Hastwell announces that he is prepared, whenever sufficient inducement offers, to run a c»ach from Maaterton to Palmerston, passing through the Forty Mile Bush and along the famous Manawatu Gorge, the scenery of which is a'most unsurpassed in New Zealand for beauty and grandeur. Excursion parties can obtain the use of a coach by applying to the manager, Mr. T. McCarthy, at Master ton. Smith's Combination Troupe gave their final performance on Saturday night, when the Theatre was extremely well filled. The s.s. City of San Francisco was piloted on her late trip up and down the coast by Captain Holmes, of the Southern Cross, who performed his arduous and responsible duty most efficiently. At the Primitive Methodist Church, in Webb-street, the anniversary services were held yesterday; Mr. Nixon preaching in the morning, and Mr. Ward in th-* evening. There were numerous congregations at both services, and good collections were marie. The • customary tea-meeting in celebration of the anniversary will take j place to-morrow evening. The racehorses Auckland Kate and Fishhook arrived from Wapier by the Rangatira on Saturday. They are on their way to Dunedin. It is notified that the Odd Fellows' Hall Dramatic Society will give their first performance at their Hall on Wednesday evening next; for the benefit nf a distressed brother. " The Cuban Slave" and " Bombastes Furioso" will be produced on the occasion. Boiliner down will shortly be commenced in the Wairarapa. Mr. A. Tyer, of the j Wairarapa Boiling Down Works, announces | that ajarge number of sheep are guarani teed for the- season, which -has now commenced. The Hawk«'s Bay Herald states that plans of the projected Harbor Works at Port Ahuriri have been received from the Engineer -in -Chief. They consist of two parallel piers, one to run out from the Eastern Spit and one from the Western, in the direction of the Bar. there to be 400 feet apart. The length of the pier, which is to start from the Eastern Spit, is set down at 145H feet, and that of the pier which is to start from the Western Spit at about 1000 feet. The piers will consist of double rows of piling, bnund together "by cross .nieces, and filled between with rubble. The Auckland cowespnndent of the Napier Telegraph states that business of every kind is very dull at present in that city, and there are abundant signs— if nothing turns up, such as a new g«>ldfield — that a period of business depression is steadily coming on. Men who read the signs of the times, and have the wherewithal, are preparing to seek pastures new. It is to be hoped, that something will turn up and save this part oFNew Zealand from such a state of affaire as existed a few years back, when people clamoured for bread and were given a stone. "The chaste moon" is behaving very badly lately. It stayed out all last night, and was full besides.