Evening Post. MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1881.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 18, 24 January 1881, Page 2

Evening Post. MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 1881.

Owing to excessive pressure on our space to-day, we are compelled to hold over our leading article, several letters, and other matter. We understand that last Saturday waß the most profitable day our railway has yet seen, nearly £500 being taken, and 4000 persons carried during the day. A change has been made in the programme of his Excellency the Governor's tour through this island. His Excellency having been detained in Auckland longer than he expected, has decided that he •will not visit Taranaki and the West Coast on this occaBion, but will postpone it to a future time, and will come on direct from Napier to Wellington overland, instead of proceeding across the island through the Manawatu Gorge. Sir Arthur Gordon arrived at Ohinemutu last night, and is expected to reach Napier via Taupo on Saturday. The Hon. Mr. Rolleston leaves Wellington on Wednesday, and will meet his Excellency at Napier. The Governor will probably return to Wellington about the middle of next week, A summons calling upon George North to show cause why he should not be declared a bankrupt was down on the list to be disposed of at a sitting of the Bankruptcy Court, fixed for 3 o'clock this afternoon. The annual election of school committees for all the town and country districts takes place this evening, according to advertisement. It is very desirable that the meetings should be well attended, in order that good committees may be chosen for the ensuing yaar. A most miraculous escape from serious injury occurred on the tramway on Saturday afternoon. As the tram was turning the corner in Sussex Square, opposite the Caledonian Hotel, Mr. Layfield, of Adelaide Road, who was standing on the outer edge of the platform of the first car, suddenly lost his balance, owing to the jerk which generally occurs upon the curves, and, not being able to recover himself, jumped from the step and fell heavily to the ground, almost under the wheels — so near, in fact, that his head was struck by the following car. He, however, escaped with a few bruises. It was such a narrow escape that a bystander was heard to say that he " shut his eyes to avoid the sight of a mangled corpse." We have received several complaints as to the speed at which the tram travels round the corners as being highly dangerous, not only to the general public in the streets, but also to passengers, so long as the latter are allowed to stand on the platform of the oars. An adjourned sitting of the Court of Appeal was held in the grand jury-room at the new Supreme Court building this morning, when their Honors Chief Justice Prendergast and Mr. Justice Richmond delivered judgment in two cases, viz., Reid v. Friendly Societies (Dunedin) and National Bank v. M'lntosh (Christchurch). In the former case the appeal was dismissed with costs, their Honors failing to see any ground for disturbing the decision of Mr. Justice Williams, before whom the case originally came ; and in the latter case, judgment was ordered to be entered up for the amount claimed (£2000), after which the Court adjourned till Wednesday, at 10 a.m. A meeting of the creditors of Edward Augustus, of Lambton Quay, hairdresser, was held on Friday afternoon at the offices of Messrs. Sievwright and Stont. A deed of assignment to Mr. Ancell (manager for Messrs. Kempthorne, Prosser and Co.) was assented to. There was a sitting of the Banco Court to-day, before Chief Justice Prendergast and Judge Richmond, when arguments were heard in the matter of Evans v. Traynor — a case on appeal, possessing no particular features of interest— Mr. Travers appearing for Evans, and Mr. Ollivier for Traynor. Arguments had not concluded when we went to press. By advices from the Melbourne Exhibition, we learn that in class 43, woods and timber, the New Zealand exhibitors have taken 27 orders of merit ; and for wool, New Zealand takes two first awards, besides others. The total number of patients remaining in the Asylum on Saturday was 139 — males, 78; females, 61. Nearly 2000 people attended the Taratahi Races, which were held on Saturday (Anniversary Day), many coming by the excursion trains from Greytown and Masterton, and others on horseback or in vehicles. The races passed off with great success, only one unfortunate mishap marring the day's pleasure. During the Hurdle Race one of the horaes fell just after clearing a hurdle, and came heavily to the ground with the jockey, the latter sustaining a fracture of the collarbone and of several ribs. He was carried off the ground and suitably attended to. A singular accident occurred at Te Ore Ore on Friday last. A load of hay belonging to Mr. Thompson had been piled on one of Mr. Vile's waggons, when one of the men lit hia pipe, and the gale which was then blowing carried a smali piece of lighted tobacco into the hay. In an instant the whole mass was in a fierce blaze, and there waß only just time to save the horses, by cutting everything loose, before the waggon and all its contents were reduced to ashes, nothing being left but the ironwork, which was twisted and bent beyond recognition. The horses had the narrowest possible escape, as in a moment after they were released, by the traces being cut, the heat was too great for anybody to approach. The tender of Mr. John M'Lean, contractor, of this city, has been accepted for repairing 20 miles of the road between Foxhill (Nelson) and Buller. The price named in the tender is £3000. Mr. M'Lean leaves Wellington on Thursday next with several teams of working-horses and plant. The teachers and scholars attending the three Sunday schools in connection with St. John's Presbyterian Church, numbering nearly 600 members, held their annual treat at Newtown on Anniversary Day. The tram cars were brought into requisition, and carried the party to the terminus, whence they were marched to suitable paddocks on Howe's farm. After spending a most enjoyable day, the party returned to town. A word of praise is due to Mr. Sisley, the obliging manager of the Tramway Company, for the excellent arrangements, and for his courtesy and care, no mishap whatever occuiring to mar the day's enjoyment. The late employes of Mr. S. S. Griffiths assembled at the Bank Hotel on Saturday afternoon, for the purpose of presenting a testimonial to him. Mr. Kearsley, who presided, handed to Mr. Griffiths an address, bearing 17 signatures, expressing their deep regret at the severance ot a business relationship which had been so long and pleasantly maintained. The address was accompanied by a gold nugget and ring as a small mark of the esteem and good will on which the recipient was held. Professor A. Haselmayer, the prestidigitateur, will open at the Theatre Royal on Ist February. The Professor has just concluded a successful season in Napier. The match which was played on the Basin Reserve on Saturday between the Wellington and Greytown Cricket Clubs resulted in an easy victory for the home team. W ellington in the first innings scored 107 runs, of which Webb (not out) made 46. The Greytown men in their first innings only succeeded in putting together 51. The Wellington men | then went in a second time, and had mads j 43 runs with one wicket down when time was called. H. Page (not out) scored 25. The Wellington Cricket Club thus ! won on the first innings by 56 runs. The insolvencies are announced of William Hart, laborer, of Carterton, and Henry Innis, grocer, of Wellington. Mr. Watson, the newly-appointed headmaster of the Willis-street school, has successfully passed the first Btage of the examinations for the B.A. degree. The name was wrongly telegraphed a few days ago as " Mr. Watson, of Otago."

An ordinary meeting of the Kilbirnio Highway Board was held at the Tramway Hotel, Adelaide Road, on Friday afternoon last, when there were present — Messrs. Hendrey (chairman), Mace, Compton, Agate, and M'Clelland. Among the inward correspondence which came under the consideration of the Board was a letter from the Hutt County Council, stating, in reply to a communication from the Board, that the Council had decided to take under their control the whole of the roads in the Kilbirnie district under the Connties Act, 1876, and Public Works Act, 1880. The letter created considerable discussion, and it was resolved that the County Council " be notified that the Kilbirnie Board deny the right of the Hutt County Council to take over the whole of the roads in the district, and that the Council be requested to specify the roada which they believe they are entitled to take over." The tenders opened at the previous meeting for keeping the Evans Bay Road in repair for three years were declined, in consequence of the attitude of the County Council. Tenders were afterwards opened for the construction of Wright-street, Vogeltown, and of the read leading from Island Bay to Haughton Bay. For the first-named work seven tenders were received, the highest being that of James Dealy and Co., at £6 per chain, and the lowest (which was accepted) that of Mathew Hoar, at £1 19s 5d per chain. Six tenders were opened for the other work, and the lowest (R. Lyon, £26 10s) was accepted. The highest tender was that of Gilbert and Co., viz., £65 9a. The Chairman reported the result of Beveral interviews with the Government last week respecting the division of assets between the Karori-Makara and Kilbirnie Boards, as already published ; and a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Bracesford and Smith, was promised that the Board would carefully consider its request to have "any available funds spent on the street leading from the bottom of Mr. Kemp'B section to the stream." Some business of minor importance having been transacted, the j Board then adjourned. j Some little excitement waa created yesterday in Masterton by the discovery that the | house of a well-known resident had been j feloniously entered during his absence on Anniversary Day, and nearly every portable article of any value removed. All the drawers, cupboards, and other receptacles had been ransacked, and even the sheets of the bed turned down in the hope of discovering further booty. The local constable was speedily on the scent, and within an hour or two detected the perpetrators in some young boys of very bad character, who had managed to get through a broken glass door, and j after carrying off their plunder buried it in a garden adjoining the house in which they lived. They were discovered through their having fired off some rifle cartridges which were among the things they had stolen, the consequence being that one of the boys was badly scorched, and the whole affair then came out. An effort will be made to get them committed to the training ship. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Gilbert and Sullivan's opera, " The Sorcerer," was reproduced at the Theatre Royal by the local amateurs who performed the same work with such marked success about a month previously, under the able direction of Mr. Sidney Wolf, R.A.M. On this occasion, as before, the efforts of the amateurs were rewarded with very good houses, but in candour it must be admitted that the performance was very inferior to the former ones. The impression created was that of over-confidence, and consequent carelessness on the part of some of the performers, and this, combined with their persistent lowness of tone in most cases — which prevented more than a fourth of their words being inaudible—rendered the affair a very qualified success, and, indeed, caused it narrowly to escape failure. The choruses were not nearly so good or strong as before, and the accompaniment at times was decidedly shaky. It needed all Mr. Wolf's watchfulness to keep his forces together, and but for his unremitting care and skill a breakdown would more than once have occurred. Our amateurs should learn by this experience the disagreeable but wholesome lesson that success can only be retained (as well as attained) by assiduous practice. We were able to give almost unqualified praise to their previous performances, but we certainly cannot compliment them on their re-appearance last Friday. On Saturday evening, however, there was a marked improvement, the experience of the previous evening evidently having been profited by ; the performance on the whole went off very well. An accident which afforded those who witnessed it a great deal of amusement occurred on Saturday afternoon in connection with the starting of the model yachts' race, at the Wellington Regatta. Among the entries was a model belonging to an officer on board the s s. Northumberland, at present in port. The model waa in the care of the chief officer and third mate, who had iff in a small dingy, at the end of the pier. Just as the race was about to start, one of the officers loaned over the side of the dingy for the purpose of placing the model in the water, when the dingy capsized, and the occupants were precipitated in the briny deep. Neither was able to swim, and the frantic efforts that each made to recover the dingy were most amusing — to people on the wharf. The amusement was heightened shortly afterwards when a boat, occupied by a gentleman and some children, paddled up, and alittle girl— Miss Lichtsoheindl, daughter of the licensee of the Empire Hotel— caught hold of the unlucky mariners by the hair of the head, and thus saved them from a watery grave. Beyond a good ducking, and having to swallow more salt water than was agreeable, the men escaped unhurt, and were profuse in their expressions of gratitude to the little girl who had been enabled to rescue them. Mr. Gattan Riggs, the Irish Comedian, made his first appearance in Wellington at the Academy of Music on Saturday night, the piece chosen for the occasion being " The Irish Detective." The building was crowded to excess. Mr. Riggs, who was supported by Mdlle. Murielle, Miss Wilton, Messrs. Burford, Clinton, Mnsgrave, and others, succeeded in creating a very favorable impression as a comedian of much versability, and, judging by the frequent applause of the auditors, the performance seemed to give great satisfaction. A more detailed notice must be deferred till another day. The "Irißh Detective" will be repeated to-night, and will be followed by "The Yankee Farmer." The annual meeting of the Wellington Trust, Loan and Investment Company will be held on Wednesday, 2nd February, when the following report will be presented: — " This, the eighth annual report, again refers to a period of great commercial depression, in the face of which it will be satisfactory to the shareholders to learn that the profits of the company for the year amount to £10,785 0s lid, out of which an interim dividend at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum has been paid, leaving £7207 at credit of profit and loss account. Out of this the directors recommend that a dividend of 5 per cent, be paid (making 9 per cent, for the year), and that a sum of £1800 be added to the reserve fund. Two vacancies in the directory have occurred through deaths and one through resignation. The two first-mentioned were replaced by the late Mr. Hunter and by Mr. Kebbell, and the third by Mr. Tringham. The directors who now retire by rotation are Messrs. Allen, Pearce, and Tringham, all of whom offer themselves for re-election." Mr. R. W. Cary has received the music and libretto of Gilbert and Sullivan's new work— "The Pirates of Penzance" — from England, and intends to produce the play with a company of amateurs shortly. Mr. Cary's copy is believed to be the first which has arrived in New Zealand. The annual treat in connection with the Tory-street Sunday school was held on Saturday, when the children and their friends, numbering some four or five hundred in all, had a picnic at Petoni, proceeding thither by special train at 9 a.m. A paddock belonging to Mr. Ridler was engaged for the occasion, and a number of games were indulged in. A I cricket match between the married and single visitors was played, resulting in a I victory for the baohelors by seven runs, the scores being— Married, 103 ; single, 110. A very pleasant day was spent, and everyone appeared delighted with the day's outing. A pukeko dashed through tho window of a railway carriage the other day, bstween Kaikora and Te Ante, Hawke's Bay. Tho glass was a quarter of an inch thick, and the bird was killed by the force of the concussion.