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Evening Star, Issue 7180, 6 April 1887, Page 2

Mr,E..M.MpBB having retired from the contest for councillor for South Ward, Caversham Borough, Mr Williap Baskett has been declared elected.

The body of Samuel Johnston, who was lost at Hokitika a fortnight ago, was thrown up on the beach there yesterday.

Timaru will erect a fountain in honor of the Jubilee, and forward an address to Her Majesty. The Christchurch Celebration Committee have declared, by a decided majority, for a home for the aged poor.

It is stated that Admiral St. Hilaire has written to the French Admiralty recommending that the ships on the Pacific station should in future make Auckland their docking port, instead of Melbourne or Sydney. The dairy - farmers of Southland memorialised the Minister of Public Works for a reduction of the railway tariff on milk, but in reply received the cold comfort that the matter will receive consideration in the " sweet by-and-by." The Supreme Court was occupied the whole of the day with the equity suit of Anderson v. Anderson, in which it was sought to vary the provisions of a marriage settlement. Messrs E. Cook and Fraser appeared for the plaintiff; Mr G. Cook for the defendant; and Mr Hesking for the trustees. The case had not concluded when we went to press.

The election of a secretary of the Associated Seamen's Union of New Zealand took place at Port Chalmers yesterday evening. Eight hundred and forty-eight votes were recorded, twenty-three being informal. There were five candidates, the successful one being Mr Millar, chief officer of the steamer Go-Ahead, who received 484 votes. The lowest number recorded was twentyone votes, for Mr Drum. C. A. Smyth' has backed out of his undertaking to make what atonement he could by confessing all particulars of his marriage with Miss Dainty. When interviewed by the detectives he declined to make any statement, saying that he would consider the matter carefully, and communicate his decision to the authorities. Though his wife refuses to give evidence, the police think they will have little difficulty in securing a conviction for bigamy. The Committee of the carnival recently held in the Garrison Hall at Port Chalmers gave a ball on Tuesday evening. The building was prettily decorated, and the music was supplied by the Garrison Band, under Conductor M'Connell. Dancing began at 9 p.m., and was kept up till an early hour yesterday morning. The affair was a great success, and the Committee are to be congratulated on the excellence of their arrangements.

At the City Fire Brigade's monthly meeting on Monday letters were received from the secretaries of the Roslyn, Timaru, and Gore and Gordon Brigades, thanking the members of the City Brigade for their kindness and courtesy to their representatives at the late demonstration. Foreman O'Gorman, on behalf of the Brigade, presented to Superintendent Robertson the aggregate prize, consisting of silver-plated helmet, officer's lamp, belt, and axe, won by the Dunedin team at the demonstration. Messrs Davis and Strachan were elected honorary members.

A temperance demonstration in honor of the Premier was held at Auckland last night under the presidency of Sir W. Fox. The Premier, who was very cordially welcomed, urged that instruction should be given in the public schools in temperance legislation, and dwelt on the importance of the franchise being extended to women. Addresses were delivered by Messrs Glover, Peacock, M.H.R., and the Rev. Mr Chew (late of Kansas). Mr Justice Ward and Mr Seth Smith, R.M., were among those on the platform.

A girl of only fourteen years, the daughter of a very old resident of Dunedin, was charged before the City Court with vagrancy to-day. It appeared that for six weeks past she had led an immoral life, and that all efforts to rescue her on the part of her friends had been unavailing, the girl saying that she preferred to lead a life of prostitution. At the instance of her relatives the police had taken action in the matter, in the hope that if she were placed under restraint for a time she would then be admitted to the Refuge. A sentence of seven days' imprisonment was passed.

Justices take various views of the nonappearance of defendants to answer to summonses issued against them. We have heard it repeatedly laid down in the City Court that no person is bound to attend to answer to infringements of by-laws, but should a defendant absent himself he does so at his own risk, and with the probability of being convicted; but the Justices who sat today laid down the doctrine that it is incumbent on every person summoned, no matter how minor the offence, to attend the Court. A defendant who failed to put in an appearance to answer a trivial charge under the by-laws was fined 10s and costs, Mr A. J. Burns remarking : " This absence is contempt of Court. It is altogether too much of a good thing." The inquest at Hawera on the Maori woman who was supposed to have come to her death through injuries inflicted by her husband was concluded yesterday. The medioal men reaffirmed the existence of extensive injuries on the body of the deceased woman which could only have been oaused during life by violence intentionally used j while the relations of the murdered woman, including her mother and sister, declared they had attended her during sickness and prepared her body for burial, and were positive no injuries such as those described had been sustained. The theory to account for the fracture of the skull was that it had been injured in a fall during childhood ; but the medical evidence scouted the idea. The police assert that there was a combination to prevent evidence being obtained. The jury returned a verdict "That deceased died by violence, but there was no evidence to show by whom inflicted." Referring to the libel action against the Dunedin Star the ' Rangitikei Advocate' says :—"The remedy for this extraordinary condition of things is very simple, and the only wonder is that, in these days, when the 'freedom of the Press' is so much boasted about as one of the main bulwarks of public liberty, it has not been applied before now. Every person who lias a fancy for the expensive luxury of a Supreme Court action should be compelled to give security for costs, and all accurate reports of Court cases, or public meetings, published bona fide in the interests of the public, should be privileged. The present Minister of Justice, who, though a quiet, unassuming man, has in many ways proved that he possesses greater common sense than his more showy colleagues, attempted to bring about a reform of this kind, but was defeated, owing to the bigoted conservatism of lovers of ancient usages. We trust that the Hon. Mr Tole will ' try again,' and if he do, we confidently predict that he will succeed."

Coroner Carew held an inquest at Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon touching tho death of Andrew Oechsa, custodian of the barque Splendid, who was drowned in Carey Bay on Sunday. It appeared that deceased, who was a German, about sixtyeight years of age, joined the ship as cooper about twenty months ago at Auckland. He had lately been appointed caretaker at LI a week and found, but was addicted to drink, and was cautioned about it. Ho was last seen alive on the railway platform at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and half an hour later Mr Clark, engineer of the torpedo boat, who was returning to Deborah Bay with his wife, saw someone struggling in the water near the Splendid, and lost no time in going to the man's assistance. The body was recovered, but all attempts at resuscitation proved unavailing. Deceased appeared to have taken the wrong side of the vessel. The gangway was of the ordinary kind on board whalers. Deceased was a widower, with a daughter living in the United States. A verdict' of " Accidentally drowned " was returned. George R. Sims, writer of ' How the Poor Live, lately commenced in the ' Daily News' a Beries of papers upon the ' Pinch of Poverty.' In that article he says that, in so far as the housing of the poor is concerned,'he has npfc found any great improvement from the outcry whinh terminated in a Royal Commission, But he adds ( "One improvement directly resulting from the slumming agitation must however be thank? fully chronicled. Religion and temperance have stepped in and taken a tighter grasp of the masses. In several slums I passed through I found a church bill displayed in every window—the printed notice of a sermon to be preaohed next Sunday—and on entering into conversation with the inhabitants I found that the great bulk of them were teetotallers, The manners of the people have also appreciably Improved.. In places where a few years ago I was received in much the same spirit as the cannibals of the Pacific Isles were wont to display when a white stranger landed on their shores, 1 found a courteous welcome from both men and women. The conversation of my host was also considerably less garnished with expletives, and their clothes were decidedly cleaner.." 1 ' '' ';"' "

At Adams Plat on Sunday a Chinaman was publicly converted to Christianity in the presence of a'number of his countrymen. Thirty-five Chinese passengers by the Waihora from Sydney are Baid to be under engagement to work in the coal mines at Greymouth. A stack of oaten hay, containing about twenty-five tons, on the Teviot station, was burned down on Wednesday last. It was insured in the National office.

A meeting of the Port Chalmers Pioneer Football Club was held in Mr Thomson's bond last evening, about thirty members being present. Office-bearers for the ensuing year were elected as follows :—Captain, Mr D. Moore; deputy, Mr J. Pickard; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr D. Elder ; Match Committee, Messrs Moore, Platts, and Stevens; General Committee, Messrs Thomson, Collett, Pickard, Falconer, and Elder.

At a meeting of the congregation of the First Church held to consider the question of the introduction of instrumental music into the church services the voting was as follows:—In favor of the organ, 363 members and 127 adherents—total 490; against, 49 members and 2 adherents—total 51. There is thus an overwhelming majority in favor of the introduction of instrumental music, but the matter has yet to go before the Kirk Session.

The Dunedin Presbytery to-day resolved to meet in future on the first Wednesday in every alternate month, at 10 a.m. The Rev. Mr Gibb brought before the Presbytery the question of pulpit supply for the North Dunedin congregation for the next three months, He expressed the opinion that the best thing to be done in the interest of all parties—Gilliesites and anti-Gilliesites —was to obliterate the past. It was agreed to instruct ministers to supply the pulpit during the time mentioned. The Presbytery sanctioned the use of instrumental music in the First Church ; but the matter will be hung up for six months, as Mr Begg's protest to the Synod was allowed. The City Council do not intend to attempt any pretentious ceremony on the occasion of Jubilee day. In accordance with a recommendation from a committee appointed to consider the matter, they decided last night that a congratulatory address should be forwarded to Her Majesty from the Mayor and councillors through the Governor, and that the Town Hall should be illuminated on the night of June 22. The fireworks which arrived too late for the Fire Brigades' Demonstration are to be purchased by the Council at a cost of L 27, and exploded by members of the Brigade. At the opening of the Westport Borough gasworks, on the 17th ult., a large gathering took place to witness the proceedings. The Mayor (Mr Hughes) presided, and Mrs Hughes performed the actual opening act by putting a shovelful of coal in one of the retorts, and subsequently turning the gas into the mains. Several toasts were then proposed, including that of the contractors for the erection and fitting up of the works, namely, Messrs A. and T. Burt and T. Bond. In proposing this toast, the Mayor said that the work had been got through without a hitch, and that this result was highly satisfactory to the Borough. The question of celebrating the Queen's Jubilee in Lawrence was broaehed at the local Borough Council's last meeting by Cr Chalmers, who suggested that the Mayor should give a dinner or the Borough residents a ball; but Cr Johnston (according to the local paper) astonished his fellow councillors by avowing Republican sentiments. He said that the one who could best afford to rejoice was Her Majesty herself, who had had a very pleasant and enjoyable reign, and had been remarkably well paid for it. This ho supplemented by quoting from Carlyle that there were some thirty-two millions of Englishmen, mostly fools—a sentiment which he fully endorsed. The Council forthwith proceeded to the next business.

North Dunedin Rifles parade to-night. Meeting of Protection Leagueat Ravensbourne to-morrow.

Otago Bible Society's meeting at Caversham to-morrow evening. On Friday night, at the Lyceum Hall, a social in aid of the building fund will be held. The concert and ball programme appear in this issue.

Mr H. Credgington, who is about to leave Dunedin for Melbourne, was entertained at a dinner at the Criterion Hotel last evening. Mr J. Gore, M.H.R., occupied the chair, and a few hours were spent very socially.