Page 2 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 285, 5 December 1877, Page 2

The Counties Act Amendment Bill, which was read a second time l?st night, makes a number of technical amerdmen*« in the Counties Act. It also provides for the payment of members of County Councils coming from a distance to attend the meetings, if the payment is sanctioned by the Council. Executive committees, for the discharge of such duties ps may be decided upon, may be appointed by the Council. The Chairman of every Road Board shall he compelled to give r'l information required of him by any County Council on any matter requisite to enable them to carry out their duties, aud a penolty of £o is provided for in cpse of refusal. Two new clauses dea' with loans and overdrafts, giving County Councils lower to raise special loans not exceeding iour times the amount of the rates they are empowered to levy ; and the overdrafts at the bank must not in any year exceed the rates raised in the previous year. The Rating Act Amendment Bill provides for the nwe uniform valuation of property within counties. Thero shall be or'y one va'uation roll in any county, such roll to be prepared by the County Council, and to continue in force for three years. Several amendments are made in the clauses relating to objections, to facilitate the hearing of appeals against the assessment. In districts where before the Rating Act passed, the ratepayers had the power to rate themselves this right is restored to them, but a proviso is made that where they refuse o- neglect to rate themselves the loc? 1 authorities may fix the rate. Warnings for gales from the northward and westward were issued to several southern stations. A rapid fall of the gl. <?s has since taken place, and there is every probability of a heavy gale shortly. Urgent warnings have been sent to-day to pl places south of Napier and New Plymouth. The sea w'U be heavy at Hokitika and Greymouth. We express no opinion as to how far the thief who stole Captain Edwin's barometer last sight (as detailed in another column) is responsible for to-day's N.W. gale. We should be disposed to say that tho commencement of the gale immediately on the theft of the barometer must be regarded clearly as respectively effect and cause, but wo do not desire dogmatically to lay down an absolute rule on the matter. Still it is quite obvious that if Captain Edwin's barometer is stolen, it is utterly absurd to expect that he can keep the weather in order. The adjourned meeting cp'led at the Odd Fellows' Hall last evening, to take the necessary preliminary steps towards establishing a Deep Sea Fishing Company, again fell throuorh, only about a dozen persons attending. It hrs been decided now to float the company privately, and wo understand that immediate steps will be taken to carry out this decision. Several of our leading merchants and capitalists have promised their support and assistance to the undertaking, which we hope ere long to chronicle as an accomplished fact. An accident, which might have been attended with fatal consequences, was nearly occurring on the Queen's Wharf at an early hour this morning. One of the waggonettes usually attending with the delivery of goods, was proceeding along, when the horse made a stumble, and, instantly recovering itself, bolted to one side, and it was only with the utmost efforts of the driver that it wr=s prevented going headlong into the harbor. The accident happened in front of the new addition now being made to the wharf, and was witnessed by a few bystanders who were warm in their praises of the coolness displayed by the driver. In reference to a paragraph in our last issue, headed " A hard case," in which we directed attention to the hardship inflicted on the crew of the Zealandia through the compulsory destruction of their clothing under the Health Act, without any compensation being given to them, we desire to state now that, in accordance with a generally expressed wish, a subscription list will be started, and that we shall be happy to receive at this office any donations in aid of these men, who havo been subjected, through no fault of their own, to such severe hardship and loss. Mr. James Sexton, farrier, requests us to state that he is not the James Sexton who was summoned at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. There were no cases, either ci\ll or criminal, before the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day. Mr. David Hall, the city missionary, thankfully acknowledges the receipt of the contributions following in aid for November : — A. C. L., ss ; Mr. J. S., os ; A. and J., ss ; Mrs. F. ss; J. and R. S., ss; Mre. X.,55; Captain G. T., 10s; Mrs. A., £2 2s; J. C. C, £1 ; Mrs. 8., 2s 6d ; Mrs. M., 2s 6d ; Dr. H., £1 ; Mr. T., ss ; Mr. G. P., ss; Mr. J., ss; R. G., 10s. Total, £7 12s. At the Licensing Court yesterday, after we went to press, the following transfers were granted : — Alex. M'Millan to S. Cemino, for Prince of AVales Hotel, Grey-street : S. Cemino to A. Fisher, for Imperial Hotel; H. Lansdon to J. Bertie, for Prince of Wales Hotel, Torystreet ; G. Biddle to D. Rivers, for Ngahauranga Hotel. On a transfer being applied for of the license of the Theatre Royal Hotel from Thomas Urwin to Thomas Bailey, Inspector Atchison expressed his dissatisfaction with the way in which the house had been conducted by Mr. Bailey, who had been managing it for some time past. Bad characters were harbored there, and on Sunday, when he