A CURIOUS RUMOUR.

Evening Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 2, 2 July 1879, Page 2

A CURIOUS RUMOUR.

Among the various rumors which have found circulation during tho present political crisis is one which is sufficiently interesting to be given for what it is worth. The story goes that the fertile intellect of Sir George Grey conceived the brilliant idea that the absence of his Excellency the Governor from Wellington just now might be utilised as an occasion for qu'etly ignoring the Crown altogether in the opening of Parliament. It is alleged that, acting on this happy inspiration, the Premier intimated to the (J over nor that there was no < need for his Excellency to hurry back from ' Auckland, as the Hinemoa should await his pleasure, and if she started from the Manukau a day or two before the date fixed for the opening of Parliament, the Governor would reach Wellington in ample time to perform his part in the ceremony. 1 1 is whispered, further, that the Hinemoa was to be accidentally delayed en route, either by the weather being too thick for fast steaming, or the night too dark, or the machinery heating, or something else fortuitously occurring, so that the steamer should not arrive in Wellington until after Parliament had met. By this ingenious device the "Imperial" element would be completely eliminated through the unfortunate— but purely accidental — absence of the representative of royalty, and the elect of the " sovereign people " alone would appear on the scene. It is further reported with a degree of circumstantiality, which is quite remarkable if tbe story be unfounded, that the Premier was remonstrated with on his supposed intention, and reminded that such a proceeding w,ould be in, direct contravention of the Constitution Act,' on which that " deep and truly knowing man" smiled a "smile that was child-like and bjftnd," and calmly observed that as he had no small part in .framing the New Zealand Constitution, he might be deemed fully aware of its provisions, and therefore could be trusted to know what he was about. On dit that even this assurance was not satisfactory, and that a telegram has been sent to the Governor's Private Secretary, warning him of the pleasant little device, and requesting to make hi* Excellency aware of the Premier's agreenble solicitude on his behalf. The story, whether fact or fiction, is interesting, and perhaps instructive.

A rumor was current in town to-day to the effect that fighting had actually commenced, and that a man had been killed. We at once telegraphed to our correspondent at Hawera, and received a, reply from, him-staUog that there was no truth whatever ia the rumor. We learn from a Press Agency telegram despatch from Auckland, at 1 2 p.m. to-day, that the mail steamer City of New York was then signalled, and was expected to arrive in harbor in two hours time. The Tairoa is waiting at Onehunga for the southern portion of the mails, which should arrive here on Friday night or Saturday morning. Considerable interest was manifested in the polling at the Hutt to-day, and both sides were working energetically irom an early hour in bringing up voters. Mr. Jackson's committee, however, seemed to be the better organised of the two, and little doubt appeared to be entertained by his friends of his being returned. The polling-places were fixed at the R.M. Court, Lower Hutt, and the schoolhouses at the Upper Hutt, Taita, and Wainui-o-mata. The voting commenced at 9 o'clock. A number of Mr. Jackson's friends left Wellington by special train at noon to-day to record their votes. Tne poll closed at 4 o'clock, and of course the result was not known' up to time of our going to press. We shall receivo a telegram from our correspondent after the result is declared, and shall post it up at our office for the information of the public. A resident in the Adelaide road called at our office this morning, and made a suggestion which is deserving of consideration. He says that opposite the soap works in the road referred to there are several pools of water at a higher elevation than the road, and that this water floats on to the road as soon as it is made by the workmen, and remaining on the surface renders the road a perfect quagmire. Our correspondent suggests that the water from tbe higher ground might be carried away by constructing a drain along the right-hand side of the road for about 100 yards above the soap works, where it would flow into a culvert to be constructed across the street, and so conveyed to the lower ground on the left side. The City Surveyor will doubtless do what is necessary in the matter. A little girl, about two and a half years of age, the daughter of Mr. D. Gordon, residing at Mr. Kelly's Upper Willis-street, strayed from her home shortly after 10 o'clock this morning, and has not been heard of since. The child was dressed in a white fur cap and jacket, and red dress. Any information as to her where ihouts will be thankfully received by Mr Gordon or the police. Dr. A. K. Newman will lecture on "The Brain in relation to the Mind," at the Colonial Museum, on Saturday evening. The public may anticipate a very instructive discourse, and the lecture should be a success. It is given under th* auspices of the Wellington Philosophical Society. The opening of the new Methodist Free Church in Courtenay Place will take place on Sunday next. The inaugural service will be conducted by the Rev. Mr. Redstorte, who will also officiate in the evening. > The Hey Mr. Paterson, of St. John's Presbyterian Church, will give a special discourse in there during the afternoon. A tea meeting wilVbe held in the church on Thursday, 10th July, when the chair will be taken by Sir William Fox. The Maoris of the Manawatu district intend holding a "jubilee " in January next to celebrate their conversion to "Christianity. A circular to that effect, says the' Manawatu Herald, has been sent to -Governor Robinson, the Native Minister, Bishop Hadfield, and a large numher of native chiefs and clergymen in all parts of the island. , An amateur Ethiopian performance by the members of St. Mark's Church choir took place at the schoolroom, Sussex Square, last evening. The room was well filled by the friends and relations of the performers, whose vagaries caused considerable amusement. There was a fair attendance at the meetir.g of the Wellington Literary Association lai t night, when several addresses were deliverer . The question to be settled at the next meeting is — 4 'Do the present bankruptcy laws meet the requirements of justice V "The Woman in White" again attracted a numerous audience to the Theatre Royal last evening. Ihe piece announced for to-night is a new drama, entitled "Ail for Her," which is very highly spoken of. Mr. Wybert Reeve will, of course, play the leading character. The usual monthly meeting of the Fire Police took place last night at Captain Asber's room. The u-ual routine business was conducted. Several accounts for expenses incurred during the late fire were passed for payment, and it was 'ecommended that the plant distroyed at the late fire should be replaced Three hon. members and five working members were proposed and duly elected. An adjourned meeting of the employes in the various foundries of Wellington: was held at the Central Hotel last evening. There was a very large attendance, and Mr. James Luke occupied the chair. The object of the meeting was to receive the report of the deputation which bad recently waited or. the employers. The report having been read by Mr. Mictz, the

secretary, a lengthy, but rather desultory, discussion took place. The majority of those present were against the proposal of the masters to pay the men according to merit, in fact they did not see how that was to be done if the wages of thosa who now received the highest pay were to be reduced, because it was a well known fact that the best men got the highest wages at present. The opinion was generally expressed that the masters could make larger profits on their woiks if they had better appliances. The question arose as to who was responsible for the crisis in the trade, some of thope -present blaming the employers and others the society; Mr. Johnston, engineer of the steamer Rangatira, suggested that the question should be submitted to arbitration ; but, after some conversation, the proposal was rejected. It was ultimately decided that the meeting should be adjourned until Saturday next, and that the men should hand to the secretary a statement of the amounts oaid to them under the reduced scale of wages up to that date, and the amount they would have earned under the o'd system. The Chairman observed that if this course were adopted, they would knew what their position really was, and could act accordingly A vote of thanks to ths Chairman terminated the preceedings. Mr. N. W. Werry, Under Secretary for Railways, has courteously forwarded to us copies of telegrams received from Mr. Conyers, Commissioner of Railways for the South Island, giving particulars of the damage caused by the" recent storms and floods. Traffic is suspended north of Kaiapoi and south of Selwyn. A heavy slip occurred on the Pori Chalmers line, Tendering it impassable, and damaging the engine of a train which was passing at the time. Other bad slips have occurred on the N orth line, also at the Roundhill tunnel, on the Lawrence branch) eighc yards being washed away at Manuka, and a bridge on the Outram branch broken. Communication between Dunedin and Oamaru is entirely suspended. The Port Chalmers line is now clear, as also the South line so far as Greytown ; thence to Waihola the country is " a perfect sea ;" from Waihola to CHnton the line is clear. Every effort is being made to resume traffic. The Wairarapa Guardian, a tri-weekly paper published at Carterton, has ceased publication. The Standard, in noticing the fact, urges that thera is not sufficient trade and population in the Wairarapa to support more than one paper. During the month of June, 1879, there were admitted into the Wellington Hospital 23 patients j discharged, 18 j died, 1; left in Hospital, 71. Mr. David Hall, the City Missionery thankfully acknowledges the receipt of the following subscriptions in aid of bis support for June : — A Friend, 53; W. W. X., ss; Mrs. W., 10s; Col. W , £1 ; Mr. E. T., ss ; Dr. 8., £1 Is; W. W. L , 10s 6d ; Mr. R. P., £1 ; Mrs. W., 15s; A Friend, Is: Mr. J. B, £1 Is; W. &H.,105. Total, £7 3s 6d. A man named Alexander Mu'r was, this morning, arrested on warrant by detective Sullivan for deserting his wife in Christchurch. A detachment of 26 Armed Constabulary left for Carlyle in the s.s. Patea this morning. They were to have started yesterday, but did not do so owing to the unfavorable weather. A gymnasium is to bo opened at Spiller's hall, Boulcott-street, on 7th July by Professor Long. Particulars will be found in an advertisement. Mr. J. T. Steele, of Lambton Quay, has received a shipment of twelve cases of men's overcoats and ulsters, the stock of a Melbourne manufacturer, which he advertises at exceptionally low prices. ¦ A shipment of copper ore has jU9t arrived by the Charles Edward from the D'Urville Island copper mine, for conveyance by the Australind to the Waratah smelting works, Newcastle, N.S.W. The shipment consists of what- is known as silver-grey and peacock, taken from the lowest or 100 ft level of the mine. It is much better selected than the previous shipment of the company, and any person interested in copyer mining would be repaid by inspecting the ore, andobserving the workmanlike manner in which it has been dressed and prepared for smeltiog by the present foreman of the mine. It is anticipated that the present shipment will show a high percentage of copper. Another instance of the injury being done to trade in the disturbed district is afforded by the Herald's report of the late meeting of the New Plymouth Quarterly Licensing Court. With respect to the application of George Be#»ish for a license to the'Oeo Hotel, the Court said that the evidence adduced showed that the applicant was in every respect a fit and proper person to keep a licensed house, but in the present aspect of affairs the license of the Oeo Hotel would be suspended on grounds of public policy, but the application could ba renewed at any Quarterly Licensing Meeting, up" on the advent of a more favorable condition of things. The applicant also admitted that he had recently been warned that the coach road was stopped for travellers. So long as this was the case the Court was of opinion that the renewal of the license was unnecessary.. The present state of depression ia trade'is evidently not confined solely to Wellington, but is felt generally throughout New Zealand. Insolvencies may be rife here, but they are of frequent occurrence ia all the large centres, in some of which the failures have been for greater amounts than, happily for Wellington, those occurring here. Messrs. Hallenstein Brothers and Co., of the New Zealand Clothing Factory, Wellington, have purchased the assigned estate of a southern insolvent firm, Messrs. Aitkeo, Paseoe and Co., and will submit the whole stock to sale from to-morrow. The funeral of the late Richard Barton took place on Monday at Featherston, and was (saya the Wairarapa Daily), as regards the number of friends following, the largest that ever took place in the district. Visitors arrived from the Upper Valley, the Hutt, and Wellington in large numbers to j^in the settlers of the tower Valley in paying their last tribute of friendship. The cortsge extended from the Royal Hotel to the Church, where only a portion of it could gain admittance- The service was conducted by the Rev. R. Coffey, of Wellington. A Maori runanga was held on Friday and Saturday last, at Horowhenua (says the ftfanawatu Herald), to consider matters relative to the recent Maori trouble between Kawana Hunia and the Horowhenua natives of the Maupoko tribe. The runanga took the part of Hunia, and fined the Maupoko £52, the cost of holding the enquiry. The Horowhenua natives decline to accept the dictum of the Court, and refuse to pay the amount. They also despatched a special messenger on Monday morning to Major Kemp to lay the circumstances before him. The adventures of a scholarship are thus described by the Manawatu Herald :—": — " When shall we- hear the last of tbis Wanganui scholarship? Some time ago Mr. Inspector Foulis declared a youth named Murdo Ross, son of the Rev. Mr. Ross, as the winner, but it turned out upon closer enquiry that Master Ross had not fulfilled the requirements of the Act in attendance, having been, in fact, sent to school merely to carry off the scholarship. The Board therefore declined to grant it to him. At the May meeting of the Board, the Inspector stated that a lad named William West was the next on the list, and the Board accordingly granted the scholarship upon him. But at the meeting last week poor Mr. Foulis again 'came to the fore,' and said he had found upon examination that West was disqualified on precisely the same ground as Ross. After a long discussion the scholarship was awarded a third time, on this occasion to William Low. These facts are a strong comment on the management of educational matters in this district." It was reported on Monday, says the Wairarapa Daily, that a cadet on Mr. Cockburn Hood's station had probably been drowned in the Taueru river. The young man in question, a Mr. Robertson, was proceeding on Saturday night with a friend to Glendonald. On reaching the river it was found to be much swollen with the recent rains. Both horsemen attempted, however, to cross it, and in so doing were swept down the stream. Mr. Robertson's ' companion, who is our informant, was. washed cut of his saddle, but succeeded in regaining it, when the animal stuck in a snag, and for a' second time he lost his seat. However, he | stuck to the animal, holding on by the ear, and, after a severe struggle, both horse and man reached a shallow thoroughly exhausted. While in difficulties himself, he saw Mr. Robertson's horse plunging wildly and turning round as it was washed <*own the stream, its rider still clinging to it. Our informant, having recovered himself somewhat, walked up and down the bank cooej ing and calling his companion, but without result. On Sunday a party went searching for the missing man, but with no success. It was quite possible that Mr. Robertson got through the river, landed on the opposite side, and proceeded to Glendonald, but grave fears are entertained that he has fallen a victim to the flood Mr. Hood, who was away from home at the time, returns this morning to Glendonald, and is rather hopei"q! of finding Mr. Robertson at the station, as the horse on which he was riding was a steady oni3, and pretty sure to reach the opposite shore.

The Temperance Crusade, like all other agfjressive movements, goes beyond the bounds of reason and common sense. Once these pales overstepped and it assumes the form of fanaticism. A great physiologist nas Baid, that whilst the use of alcohol is, on general principleß more injurious than beneficial, great benefit may be derived from its use, medicinally administered, in appropriate cases. In these cases, he adds, it is a powerful remedial agent Hence the endorsement of UdoijPho Wolfe's Schiedam Aromatic Schnapps. — FAdttJ

Costumed for the Cold Weather.— John Bull with his Cape on his back ! An editor in Sheboygan, Mich., was shot at four times last month, and now his " reptile contemporary" refers to the matter under the j head of " Amusements." Conscience. — " What is the usual definition of conscience I" asked a man of his pastor. 4< A man's rule for his neighbor's conduct is about the way it comes out practically," was the reply. I