THE SITUATION.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 97, 22 October 1881, Page 2

THE SITUATION.

It is undesirable that the present " Bituation" should be complicated by any misconception as to itß factors, and therefore we may say briefly that there is nothing at all in the points which have been raised as to the resumption of office by Sir Arthur Gordon, and the gazetting of Mr. Bryce's appointment. The latter was notified in a Gazette Extraordinary issued late last night, and that notification stated that he was appointed in lieu of Mr. Kolleßton, resigned. That paragraph, therefore, intimated to the public the fact of the resignation in the regular and customary way, and nothing more is usual or required. As~ no ex* ception has been officially taken te his Excellency's resumption of office, that matter may be dismissed from consideration with a tolerable certainty that it will not apj. ear in the present situation. The absence of any proclamation announoing such resumption of office is immaterial, there being no rule on the subject. No formal announcement is legally required. Something may perhaps be heard of tho point, whether anything that was done when fcJir Arthur Gordon was within three miles of the coast is valid ; but it ia eminently improbable that any Constitutional Governor would take advantage of such a paltry pettifogger's quibble. The one serious point in the whole affair is the undoubted existence of a difference of opinion between the Governor and hiß Ministers on the Native question, bnt, as wo pointed out yesterday, it is incredible that an officer, of Sir Arthur Gordon's experience and knowledge of the world, would seek to forca his own ideas down the throats of his Responsible Advisers. We therefore feel warranted in assuming that a few days will see a satisfactory understanding completely re-estab-lished.

A quantity of reading matter will be found on the fourth page of to-day's issue of the Evening Post. Mr. Rolleston, who was to have left yesterday to join Mr. Bryce at Pungarehu, has deferred his departure owing to certain unforeseen matters which have occurred in Wellington, but will proceed very Bhortly. Major Atkinson also was to have gone up to meet his Egmont constituents, but has been similarly prevented. He, too, expects to leave early next week. The s.s, Hinemoa, in command of Captain Fairchild, left for Opunake yesterday afternoon with a detachment of 60 men for the A.C. Force at " the front." : Mr. George Fisher, a candidate for the office of Mayor at the next election, will address the ratepayers at the Arcade on Monday night. From and after Ist November proximo money orders will be issued on the German States, and on the Ist January next a system for. the exchange of money orders between the United States and this colony will be established. t, 't! The tenders for the Petoni Station contract close on Monday at noon, not Thursday, as stated in error in an advertisement. A meeting of the creditors of C. F. Gulliver, of Kaitoke, teacher, was convened for to-day, at the Supreme .Court The liabilities are sworn at £1 78 14s Bd, Mr. Robt. Bart being the principal creditor (J2100 ) The assets are set down as follows : — Two sections at Beaconßfield, i>2s ; land at Bulls, land at Featherston, .£150; total, i>225. The meeting lapsed for want of a quorum. There was a clean charge-sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. Tho spring exhibition of the Horticultural Society is to be held in the Arcade on the 17th November. It is satisfactory to learn that the missing oil photograph ot the late Mr. Lipman Levy, which was at first supposed to have been stolen when the auction sale took place on Wednesday week, has been discovered in one of the small rooms of the house, where it had been removed for greater safety. The following further subscripiions have been' received on behalf of the Doran Family :—A Friend, .£1 Is ; do, 2s Gd ; Thos. Williams, £2 ; Jno. Young, 6s ; J. Petford, 10s 6d ; Thos. ftl'Caffey, 5s ; W. Tonks, £1 Is; C. B. King, £1 Is; F.G., .£1 ; Friend, ss ; M. Qnin, 10s 6d. -I Mr. Henry Clapcott has been appointed Eeturning Officer for the Hutt. The Hon. R. Oliver is gazetted as having been Bworn in as a member of the Executive Council. Mr. Oswald Curtis is gazetted Resident Magistrate at Nelson. Mr. T. G. Eichardson has been appointed Ranger of Crown Lands for the Land District of Wellington. The Eev. W. T. Western, 8.A., minister of the Church of England at Carterton, is gazetted as qualified to perform marriages. Dr. Heotor yesterday, received for'distribution the 69 prize medals awarded for New Zealand exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition, viz., 9 gold, 25 silver, and 35 bronze The following Wellington people were awarded first prizes :— Kitchen and Son, gold medal, soap and candles ; Crossley and Co., silver medal, leather tanning ; Dr. Hector, silver medal, minerals and geological maps ; H., K. Liaxdet, silver medal, feathers and furs; C. W. Wrigg, silver medal, draughtsman's work. Bronze medals, as first prizes, were awarded to the fol owing — Dr. W. L Bailer, C M.G., F.R.S., for publication "Book on Birds;" W. T. L. Travers, landscape photography ; Wrigglesworth and Binns, portrait do.; Waddell, M'Leod, and Weir, cabinetware. Special awards of gold medals for " services rendered " have keen made to Sir Hercules Robinson, Dr. Heotor, and the Hon.' John Hall silver medals to Mr. Chas. Callis, late secretary to the New Zealand Commissioners, and Mr. J. H. Hutchison Blackwood, of Melbourne. During the last few days the harbonrt£HS been literally swarming with mackerel and herrings ; and the juvenile anglers "who fish from the Queen's Wharf and Railway Wharf with reels of cotton and other primitive appliances have been having what tn"e Americans call a pood time. Last night the - bay seemed to be fairly alive with fish dart- J ing about in all directions, and making the water luminous with phosphorescent flashes. It is a pity that angling for tarakihi and kahawai does not apppear to have that refining influence on the morals whioh Isaak Walton always claimed for trout fishing. The language indulged in by many of tne ragged young urchins who congregated on the Queen's Wharf last night was anything but pleasant for the ears of respectable citizens taking advantage of the fine evening for a promenade, and it might be a3 well perhap* if a constable in plain clothes were to take a walk in the same direction,in order to point out to these juvenile blasphemers I thai profanity is not necessary to the success ¦of piscatorial pursuits. Mr. Hautrie West's orchestral and ballad •ooncert at the Athenaeum last night ivas well attended, and passed off very successfully. Mr. West ha 3 collected a very promising little band, which, if it will only keep together and maintain steady practice, bids fair to develop into a strong and effective orchestra. The overtures-to Wallace's " Maritana" and Yon Suppe's "Poet and Peasant " were excellently played and loudly applauded, as also were three operatio selections, a waltz, and a galop. Mr. West conducted with his usual ability. Gounod's well-known "'Meditation" was admirably interpreted by Mr. West (at the cabinet organ). Mr. Schwartz (piano), and Miaa Cherrett (pianoforte). The vocalists were all in good voiue and sang capitally. Mrs. Greenwood contributed two songs, Mrs. Webb, Mr Edwards, Mr. Palliaer, and Mr. Widdop one each. They elicited enthusiastic applause and encores. We regret that owing to pressure on our space we are compelled to. give but a brief notice of the concert, which we hope is but the first of a series. Mrs. Bedelia Burke, the landlady of tke Clyde Hotel, Clyde Quay, ba3 to-day been served with a summons, charging her with, having refused to supply Constable Henry Gordon with lodging without va'id ex«use. The facts of thp case will be heard on Tues« day. ¦-, '/;

T Mr. Bryce's appointment as Native and Defence Minister was notified in a Gazette Extraordinary issued late last night. During last night a wanton and dastardly act sterns to have been perpetrated by some maliciously - disposed person or persons, I which might have resulted in the 10-s of life. On inspecting the fire-escape, kept in the yard a'ijoiming the Corporation buildings, it was found this morning that the apparatus | had undergone some injury. It had become displaced by some means not yet discovered, while the guys were broken, the upper portion of the netting was crnshed, and the machine had snstained other damage of a less serious nature. Had a fire occurred last night, the escape would have been of little or no use, and in it 3 absence some Berious accident might have ensued. Detective Benjamin now has the matter in hand, and we hope he will succeed in bringing to justice the offenders, whoever they may be. A meeting of the Pharmacy Board of New Zealand was held at the office, Brandonstreet, yesterday. The President occupied the chair. Six applications for registration as " Registered Pharmaceutical Chemists " were passed, making now over 150 dnly registered chemists for the colony. At the Board meeting, communications were laid before it from Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, from the several district portions of tho General Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand, respecting the important subject of establishing examining boards, so that no one really competent Bhonld be excluded from registering, and a'so of initiating means for systematic pharmaceutical education. A special meeting of the Board will be held to consider means for attaining these objects. We have received a copy of the New Zealand Gazette containing the" ultimatum" to Te Whiti translated into Maori. Mr. Rolleston's name appears at the foot of the proclamation as Na te Roretana. Ihere isn't much similarity between the two, but the Maori equivalent perhaps sounds more romantic than the original. The interpreter, however, has apparently been unable to get round the names of the late Governor and the Chief Justioe, for while all else is translated into the Maori language tha patronymics " James Prendergast" and " Hercules Kobinson" stand out in all their native simplicity. Perhaps the translator had a dread of wounding the feelings of these high functionaries. " Hemi Perenteate" and " Herkulehi Ropetone" would scarcely look the correct thing in an ultimatum of eucli importance, however euphonious they may appear. The Pomeroy Company will open their season at tho Theatre Royal on Wednesday next, with "Twelfth Night." The Rev. B. W. Harvey, M.A., at present incumbent of St. Paul's, Wellington, will enter upon his duties as head-master of the Wanganui Collegiate School in January next. The trustees aro about to erect a spacious house for the accommodation of boarders, which is expected to be ready about the same time. The school is excellently situated, a liberal course of instruction is provided, and with the accession of so accomplished a scholar, and so able a teacher as Mr. Harvey, there will doubtless bo a large inorease in the number of students. Particulars as to the terms, &c, and also as to six scholarships i^ is proposed to offer, will be found in our advertising columns. An Adelaide telegram states that the Attorney-General is prosecuting the manager of the German Court at the recent Exhibition, for £2800, being treble the value of jewellery which he tried to pass without paying duty. The Trustees, Executors, and Agency Gompany, Limited (head offico, Dunodin), has, we learn, been floated, and tho sharelist ha 3 been closed earlier than anticipated. Applications have been received in excess of the number of shares available. A Masterton correspondent writes: — "A good deal of dissatisfaction exists with respect to the action of the Wairarapa Pastoral Society in eliminating the word " pure-bred from their programmes for the coming show, and dispensing with pedigrees. This action has deterred several runholdors from exhibiting. There is alsp a strong feeling of discontent in the district on account of all the valuable society prizes being awarded for cattle, horses, and sheep, whilst agricultural exhibits are rewarded only by very flimsy certifioat9s." A "Carterton Resident" writes to us as follows : — " I would direct attention to a proceeding* which, in default of explanation, would seem to be slightly arbitrary and uather discourteous. Constable Evans, who hasjbejn in_thj3 district some little time, received orders to hold himßelf in readiness to ' repair to Wellington at three or four days' notice, upon which the larger number of the leading residents of the place, together with the Resident Magistrate and J P.'s, petitioned the Commissioner to re-consider his determination, on the ground that the man has evor been impartial and unobtrusive in tho performance of his duty, and further, by the length of his residence, had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the locality, absolutely essential where the district embraces so large an area as this. For all rpply a substitute is appointed, and the petitioners totally ignored. Surely, sir, if the man has been guilty of any violation of duty, the courtesy of a reply to the petitioners would not have been misplaced." A correspondent writes to us complaining, in doleful tones, of: the efforts of an amateur musician in the neighbourhood of Torystreet, who gonorally selects Sunday for practising. Our correspondent says the noise reminds him of a crocodile trying to swallow an ophicloide, but this may be exaggeration. Probably this hint will be sufficient. Messrs. T. Kennedy Maodonald and Co. continued their land sale yesterday at 2 30. A Eoction of land with a frontage of 54 feet to Grant-road and cottage thereon was sold to Mr. Wilcox for £50. The extensive business premises in Hunter and Featherstone - streets, lately occupied by Mr. E. W. Mills, was next offered, and considerable interest was manifested in the sale. Mr J. E. Nathan started the bidding with an offer of £5000, and after some spirited bidding the property was knooked down to Mr. Boauchamp, agpnt for Mr. Frederick Keep, of Birmingham, for £11,600. The sales for tho day realised £30,815. This fact demonstrates clearly that business in this city is rapidly improving. Evon six months ago it would have been impossible t> hive effected sales of freehold and leasehold property to anything like that extent in ono day, or in a much longer period of time. In fact, it was difficult to quit land at any price. Yesterday, however, there was keen competition for nearly every lot put up, and the figures realised were extremely satisfactory. To-morrow afternoon a united service of I teachers and scholars connected with the i Sunday School Union will be held in Wes'ey \ Church. Addresses will be deliverod by the i Revs.J. Paterson, and H B.Redstone, and Mr. !F. H. Fraser. Tho children are to be seated | by 2.45 p.m., after which any space avail \blo will be open to the public. Theso services 1 conclude the Sunday School week. ! Thia evening the steamer Kennedy, chartered by the Caswell Sound Marble and Portland Cement Company, will leave Wellington for the Sound, taking with her sixteen men, a number of cottages to be fitted up for the mon at the company's works, and six months' . stores. Nearly all the men aro skilled workmen, and will be directed by A. D. Douglas, a manager of considerable experience. The cost of this expedition is about £1,600. We understand that Mr. M'Kay, of the Geologi]cal Department, will also proceed by the 'Kenneoy to inspect the quarries and » report to tho Government; also that a ', representative of the Anchor Line of steamers will visit the Sound with a view of seeing what prospect there is of profitably establishing steam communication with the 1 plac ?. The enterprise of the marble company i is one which promises to open up an important ' new and profitable industry in the colony, and it is satisfactory to find that the directors intend to prosecute the work with energy. Of the quality of the marble there can be little doubt, for the two specimens submitted to Mr. S. Herbert Cjx, analyst, wero prononnced by him to be valnable marbles, and they afterwards took the first prize against all marble exhibits in tho Sydney Museum. With practically an unlimited quantity of stone of the best description, a well-filled share-list, and a prospect of bonuses from the Government for the production of marble and cement, the company starts under favourable auspices, and we can only wish them success in an undertaking which can scarcely fail to prove advantageous to the colony as a whole. We may mention that by the last 'Frisco mail, the secretary of the company, Mr. W. M'Lean, received letters from Sir Julius Vogel and a large London firm, pronouncing the marble to be of the first quality, and stating that if the company | desire to place a second issue jin the market, , there would bo no difficulty in getting the shares taken up at Home. In reference to the Melbourne Race 9 "Asmodeus," in the Leader writes *-" Friday (the 7th) being the off day of the week, the proceedings were of a very commonplace character. The only galop worth recording was that performed by Sir Modred, Somnus, and Hilarious. They completed a very fast mile and a half, the time for the round of the outer circle being 2min 35sec, the fastest spin of the season. Sir Modred went particularly well, and seemed to have most in hand at the finish." A London telegram to an American paper says : — A great sensation has been caused at ' Bristol by the discovery of a cargo of 300 tons of human bones, being discharged there to the order of a local firm engaged in manufacturing manure. The bones were shipped from Rcdesto, at Constantinople, and are supposed to ba principally the remains of the defenders of Plevna. There are complete limbs among the horrible cargo, and in come.cases hair still adheres to the ekulls.

It is said that the blue gum is an enemy to almost all in3ect life, and Mr. Mills, of Marlborough, Victoria, has turned this property of the eucalyptus to good account. By hi 3 making a practice of strewing blue gum branches on the ground round about, and fastening strips of the bark round their Btems, his frnit trees throve wonderfully; and whilst those of his neighbours are blighted, his are entirely free from insects. A somewhat curioua case was heard at the Oamaru Resident Magistrate's Court recently, before Mr. Watt, R.M., when John Augustus Hutton sued William Maitland for the sum of 3s 2d, charges on a telegram sent by the defendant to a party in Chri«tchurch. It appeared that tho defendant had a short time ago received a " collect " telegram from a gentleman in Christchurch, for which he had to pay la 6d. Defendant sent in reply a " collect " telegram costing 33 2d. Thia telegram the recipient in Christchurch refused to pay for. Mr. Hutton, therefore, as the officer in charge of the Oamaru department, demanded payment from tha defendant, which he refused, and brought the present action. Plaintiff was nonsuited on a technical objection raised by defendant's counsel, Mr. O'Meagher, who explained that the reason the defendant contested the case was that he thought it seemed mysterious that tho party in C hristohuroh should refuse payment of the telegram sent him ; and defendant had some suspicion that either the contents of the tulegram had been in some way imparted to the recipient, or that he had been permitted to open tho telegram before paying for it. 1 hese, however, were mere surmises on the part of the defendant, and Mr. O'Meagher thought it waa a matter for investigation by the Telegraph Department Messrs. M'Dowell Brothers announce, in our advertising columns, the arrival of their new Bummer shipmonts of drapery and clothing, and also their purchase of a merchant and importer's stock of men's clothing and hosiery, which they have now on sale at greatly reduced prices. Our readers are reminded of Mr. J. H. Wallace's sale of Dr. Bennett's library, which takes place on Monday, at 11 o'clock, as advertised.

Variett is charming, and nowhere is this more fctrikingly displayed than in tho dress department at Te Aro House. There is an abundant selection of Prints and Satteens, both plain and in elegant pompadour designs, Cream Serges, Oatmeal and Oatcake Cloths. Special steamer shipments of summer woollen Fabrics aro also ta hand, bought very advantageously in the*rlome markets. Theso will bo offered at correspondingly moderate prices. It is no exaggeration to say that greater variety or better value i 3 not obtainable in New Zealand. In addition to all this wealth of selection, unusual facilities are offered in tho dressmaking department for getting dresses made as they only ought to be made. A perfect fit, that ne %)lus ultra of really good dressmaking can always bo guaranteed in the modiste's department at Jambs Smith's, Te Aeo Hoube.— FAdvt.l Alt, those interested in opening publichousea on Sundays are requested to send in their namea (with 2s 6d entrance fee enclosed) to the Secretary of the Excelsior Lodge, Independent Order of Good Templars, corner of Tory-street and Courtenay Place, when they will immediately be proposed for membership in that lodge. Meets every Wednesday evening. — Advt.