The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1887.

Evening Star, Issue 7334, 5 October 1887, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1887.

The only case at the City Police Court this morning was a charge of drunkenness against James Duncan, who was convicted and discharged. Messrs John Elmer and J. D. Feraud, were the presiding Justices. Sir Charles Tupper, the Canadian Minister of Finance, having been interviewed on the subject of the projected invitation to the Queen to visit Canada, given in a telegram to the London ' Evening Standard,' authoritatively contradicted the statement. The Bishop of Eipon has the courage of his opinions. Having been petitioned to E reach against the Royal Yorkshire Exhiition at Saltaire being opened to the public on Sundays, he has offered to delivered an address there on that day himself, since in his opinion " the opening of the building on Sundays, rightly understood and rightly used, gives pleasure, and does much good."

In the North they do murder the names of some of our leading citizens. Thus the Aucklanders were told last week that the meeting held for the purpose of promoting a movement to induce Sir Robert Stout to re-enter politics had an attendance of "over fifty gentlemen, representative of all classes of the community"; that Mr hj. Morley presided ; and that the principal resolution was seconded by Sir J. W. Philp ! A late London cablegram states that a new departure has been sanctioned by the Wesleyan Conference of a mission to the West End of London, which will commence actively at thefbeginning of October. The headquarters of the mission will be established at St. James's Hall, Piccadilly. There will be processions through the streets, headed by brass bands, and in the halls musical performances will be given by lady vocalists.

The • Auckland Bell * is a paper after the hearts of some of our local Protectionists, It declares that the elections were unmistakeably in favor of Protection, and divides the House into fifty-two Protectionists, thirty-one Freetraders, and eight doubtfuls, Among the doubtful are Messrs James Allen, Jackson, Graham, Marchant, Hislop, and T. Mackenzie; and the majority include Messrs Fitzherbert, Fisher, Buxton, M'Gregor, J. C. Anderson, Cowan, and Dr Hodgkinson. During the stay of Bishop Moran in Melbourne he gave an address to the members of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which he descanted upon the advantages of such associations. A vote of thanks being proposed to him, one of the speakers made reference to his candidature for parliamentary honors in New Zealand. This provoked from the Bishop a humorous reply, in which he gave a history of his electioneering experiences. He is reported by the * Argus' to have said :—" An energetic young Catholic had announced himself as a candidate, and had secured the support of the Orange Lodge upon undertaking not to vote for any change in the Education Act. Feeling that the action of the candidate would compromise the Catholic body, the bißhop waited upon many leading Catholic gentlemen, asking them to undertake a contest, but all for valid reasons declined. In this emergency he (the Bishop) announced himself as a candidate, and found it necessary to address the people on the hustings. There he laid before them the Catholic views on the education question. He need hardly tell them that he was defeated, to hia great joy, as he really would not have known what to do had he been elected, but he gained the point he wished—namely, to prevent the Catholic body being compromised by the action of an injudicious young man."

The drink bill of the United States is LI 13s 6d per head ; that of New Zealand is L 3 per head ; that of the United Kingdom L 3 7s lOd. Victoria in 1885 spent L 5 per head in drink—or rather, to be exact, L 4 19s Hd. The drink bill of New South Wales for the same year was no less than L 5 I4s per head ! It is true there is a sudden drop for 1886 to L4l4s 6Jd per head; hut this sum is monstrously excessive. The money wasted in buying liquor—and such very villainous liquor -r would (the New South Wales Commissioners painfully reflect) reduce the burden of taxation exactly one-half. The evidence recently accumulated by the Sydney Commission is in one sense a catalogue of horrors, but it is authoritative and final. The InspectorGeneral of Police declared that it seemed to him an awful thing that 232 cases in one year should occur in which people have met with violent deaths awing to intemperance. In the city of Sydney alone there is a small army of 3,000 persons known to be habitual and absolutely hopeless drunkards. This melancholy host, though dying fast, is ever renewed. The case is given of one woman who had "been committed for drunkenness 'nearly 300 times 1 Ninety per «ent. of the crimes of the Colony are said to be due to drink. Dr Maurice O'Connor, the visiting '/surgeon of Darlinghurst Gaol, gave evidence ihat: " Taking the totals for six and a-half years, we there find that out of 34,266 prisoners not less than 5,686 were aotually ■under medioal treatment for diseases caused jby drJDV

George Robertson, who captured the Little River murderers, is the well-known half-caste wrestler.

A local appeared in our Saturday's issue stating that at a meeting of Mr J. M'Nab's creditors the debtor made an offer for the estate, and on its being declined he offered to bet L 5 that the creditors did not get a better price. We have to explain that it was not Mr M'Nab who made the offer. It appears that M'Nab and another man conjointly owned ahorse. On the horse being sold there was an outstanding account in connection with the horse—for covering services, etc., and it was this account that the offer was made for, and by Mr M'Nab's late partner in the horse, not by M'Nab himself. In an article on the destruction of theatres by fire the 'Australasian Fireman' insists that what is required is direct supervision by competent officers, responsible only to a body like the Fire Brigades Board proposed to be established in Melbourne, armed with full power to insist on the necessary precautions being enforced ; and that the supervision should be extended to churches, coffee palaces, and palatial hotels. It urges that such a board should be given by the Legislature power to peremptorily and instantly close any place of public resort till the safety of the people is first assured, be it church, theatre, hotel, coffee palace, or skating rink. At a banquet given to him and Colonel Thomas by the members of the Victorian Permanent Forces, Sir James Lorrimer, Minister of Defence, said he was glad to see that Sir Henry Parkes was going to do what he could to organise the New South Wales forces so that they could be federated if necessary with those of the other colonies, and lie (the speaker) hoped to secure such an amendment of the Discipline Act as would enable our forces to be called upon to act anywhere in the colonies. It would be a good thing for the colonies to secure official visits of Imperial officers of standing, and he was glad to say that Lord Wolseley had expressed his willingness to come to the colonies to inspect their forces and fortifications. Arrangements were being made to send a joint request to that eminent officer to pay the colonies a visit. The following is an extract from a letter dated New Guinea, August 13, from Mr W. A. Sayer to Baron Von Mueller, of Melbourne :—" I have clandestinely sown some sorghum, okra, and maize, also Borne plums and raddishes, in the Native I have also sown some ironbark pumpkins where the cucumbers were found, as it is on the track to the gardens belonging to the village. We expect to reach Mount Obree by end of the month. Happily, the threat of the Kokoela Natives to kill us was not put into execution, and they are now carrying for us. We have twenty different tribes with us, who were, only a few months before, at war with each other. The bringing of such a number of tribes together is, I suppose, a thing unheard of before in New Guinea."

M. Bareiller, ex-Mayor of Bossise-le-Roy, a country town situated in the Seine-et-Marne, was sentenced to a year's imprisonment in 188G for having fired atand wounded a workman who pressed him for payment of a debt of 10s. M. Bareiller was driven mad with anger by this sentence, and during his detention this sense of bitterness grew deeper. His constitution became shattered, and the disappointment of not receiving a pardon on July 14 wrought an alarming change in his condition. From that day ho could eat no food, and on the 20th ult. he died at the Melan Hospital. This ill-fated man was a landowner of good means, being worth about L 24,000. Latterly he conceived an abhorrence of his country on account of his countrymen, and he declared that he would spare no opportunity of revenging himself for all the infamy cast upon him by the French Judges. He drew up two wills at different periods, by which he left his property of Boissise to Germany, represented by the Crown Prince, with the object of establishing tilers a settlement of young Germans.

The following paragraph is taken from a private letter from a lady now visiting Madrid: —"The young King of Spain was one year old on June 18. The Tailors' Guild of Madrid respectfully asked permission of Queen Christina to present his juvenile Majesty with his first uniform. The Queen Regent cheerfully gave her assent, and now the tailors are busy cutting out and sewing out of the finest cloth manufactured the smallest uniform that was probably ever made for a monarch. It is elaborately trimmed with real gold lace, and much rrnamented. The question of rank arose, and was submitted to the Queen. On his first birthday the King, who was enrolled in the Army from his birth, was to be promoted. In the Spanish Army the officers wear the insignia of rank on the sleeve, hence it was necessary for the tailors to know his degree of rank. The Queen's decision has not yet been made known. A tiny sword, a veritable baby sword, with a hilt of gold that is said to be a masterpiece of the jeweller's art, goes with this remarkable uniform."

The Dunedin Operatic Society gave their fifth and last representation" of " The Pirates of Penzance" at the Princess's Theatre last evening, when there was a full attendance in the circle and stills. All the principals were in good voice, and a capital performance was given. Miss Hume sang the whole of her music artistically, the audience insisting on a repetition of " Poor Wandering One." Mr C. Umbers, who has surprised most of his friends by his knowledge of stage business, again gave his solos creditably. Mr J. Jago, as the Pirate King, acted with freedom and confidence, and was compelled to repeat his principal song ; and Mrs Klingenfeld made the most of Ruth. Mr VV. Young had also to repeat his solos. Last night Mr Corliss was able to get through his part fairly, but contented himself with singing only one verse of "Softly Sighing." At the conclusion the company sang the National Anthem, Mr Jago taking the solo. Mr Macleod Smith (musical director) has every reason to be satisfied with the musical success of the opera. If the weather had been at all favorable we should also have been able to have recorded a monetary success. At a recent meeting of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia the following awards were made for New Zealand .-—Silver medals to Robert Lynan and Edward Thomas Fornc, of Napier, for risking their lives in rescuing the officers and crew of the Northumberland, wrecked off Port Napier on May 11, 1887. Bronze medals to Meremana Konui, a Maori chief, fifty-eight years of age, for rescuing Mary K. Twohill from drowning at Kauranga Creek, Thames, on January 29 last; Arthur Neill, aged sixteen, for rescuing an infant from drowning at the Puriri River on the 22nd of last January ; George W. Hingston, aged twenty-one, and John T. Edwards, aged twenty-five years, helping to save five persons from drowning off the mouth of the Waitangi, Bay of Islands, on November 10, 1886. Certificates of merit to William Smith, ship's steward, for rescuing Mrs R. Hardy from drowning at the Queen street wharf, Auckland, on August 11 ; Frederick A. Connell, for rescuing Herbert Woodham from drowning at the Manawatu River on February 18; William L. Finlayson, for rescuing W. D. M'Andrew from drowning at Mohaka, Hawke's Bay, on December 11, 1886. The cases of John Anderson, John Goodall, and Constable Stagpool were postponed for further evidence. The Freethinkers of the Paris Municipal Council continue to distinguish themselves in extraordinary and rather ludicrous ways. At a recent meeting of this remarkable body of city fathers one of them (M. Lavy) jumped up and said that sufficient alterations, from the point of view of Freethought, had not been made in the classbooks used in the city schools. He therefore proposed that a yote of pensure be passed on the Education Board. M. Cochin opposed this, and a tremendous tumult arose, all the notorious citizens MM. Joffrin, Humbert, and others—shouting out that Lavy was right, and that the name of the Deity should be expunged from the school books. M. Opchin, amid the uproar, said that the Freetmnkers in their fury had caused the immortal verses of the great poets to be changed into so much doggrel. Racine and La Fontaine had been tampered with, and the literary heritage of a glorious past had been defaced to suit the rabid doctrines of a few people who imagined themselves to be social philosophers and regenerators. " You have succeeded in getting the chairman of the Education Board to knock out the name of the Deity from famous lines which do not belong to you, but to all Frenchmen," continued M. Cochin, amid a tempest of hisses and exeorationg. This the chairman emphatically denied, and M. Cochin, continuing his anathemas against the so-called liberalism of his freethinking colleagues, was nearly dragged out of the tribune. Finally the Freethinkers gained the day, having succeeded in getting the vote of censure passed on the chairman, who vainly contended that the choice of classbooks was left to the teachers.

The entries for the horse parade to-morrow I number only thirty-seven, against fifty-nine \ last year. j

The Rev. J. Elmslie, of Christchurch, goes over to Melbourne at the request of the managers of Scot's Church, and will fill the pulpit of that church for two months. The children of the District High Sohool at Port Chalmers have prepared an address to Sir R. Stout, regretting his defeat and asking him "for the sake of young New Zealand " to reconsider his decision not to re-enter politics. Our Auckland correspondent says that there is a strong feeling in political circles there that Mr George Fisher should be the Wellington representative, and either Mr Mitchelson or Mr Peacock the Auckland representative in the new Ministry.

In the divorce case Dorn (formerly of Christchurch) v. Dorn and Nicholson, the jury found for the petitioner on every issue, and awarded him LI ,000 damages. A stay of proceedings was asked for by the corespondent, with a view to an appeal, and the Judge took time to consider the matter. Miss Florence Macnaughton, of Runkerry house, Bushmills, North of Ireland, has just performed a swimming feat under very peculiar circumstances. Peeking to persuade a local fisherman to become temperate, the latter promised to do so provided that Miss Macnaughton undertook to swim the bay between Blackrock and Port Ballantrae, a distance of about oue mile. The young lady accepted the challenge, and accomplished the undertaking in thirty - nine minutes, with the result that the fisherman donned the blue ribbon.

The English papers continue to indulge in speculation about the amount of Court expenses in connection with the Jubilee. The •World' gives LIOO.OOO, the 'Pall Mall l Gazette' L 200.000, and a Loudon correspondent L 80.000; L 47.000 is about the total. There is not the slightest foundation for the unjustified report that the Queon i was desirous to obtain a Parliamentary grant towards her outlay. There is a large accumulation from the Civil list, and it was long settled that everything wes to be paid out of this. A sitting of the Supreme Court in Banco was held to-day before Mr Justice Williams, when the case of the Corporation of Dunedin (appellants) v. Hislop (respondent) was heard. It was an appeal from the Dunedin Resident Magistrate's Court on a case heard there on August 17, in which the Corporation were sued for L3l lis, for rates due by them on land situated in the Halfway Bush Road District. Mr F. R. Chapman appeared for the appellants; Mr Kettle for the respondent. After argument His Honor gave judgment, holding that as to seotions 1 and 2 the Magistrate's decision was correct, but that as to section 3 the Magistrate's decision must be reversed. Judgment was given accordingly, with costs (LlO 10s). Mr James Allen, M.H.R., was this morning the recipient of a wholly unexpected but graceful compliment at the hands of his supporters. Just as he was about to step into a cab which he had ordered to convey him from his residence, a drag, drawn by four greys, was driven up to the house, and it was intimated to him that it was the desire of his supporters that he should accompany them to town in their conveyanee. He complied with the request, and was driven through George and Princes streets to the station, where he was received with enthusiastic cheering by fully 300 of his friends and others. The cheers were renewed as the train, which contained a number of the newlyelected M.H.R.s, drew out of the station. Mr Pyke left by this afternoon's steamer ; Mr M'Kenzie, member for Waihemo, goes on Friday; and Mr Fish on Saturday. At the declaration of the poll for Egmont Mr M'Guire said he hoped that Major Atkinson would not sell the Crown lands in order to replenish the Treasury chest. Knowing Major Atkinson to be a friend of the land monopolists, he trusted he wonld be no party to anything of that kind. With regard to his (Major Atkinson's) promise given during this election not to join Sir Julius Voge), he trusted he would keep it, and that he would make the reductions he promised before increasing taxation. In conclusion he said: "If Major Atkinson keepa his promises and carries the retrenchment he speaks of, then he will have my hearty support and sympathy ; if not, I shall oppose him again upon the first opportunity.

When before the Waikaia electors a few evenings ago, Mr Valentino was ask ed whether he would be in favor of the repeal of the Mining on Private Property Act, whicli placed obstacles in the way of poor men prospecting on farms and estates for gold and of extracting the gold from the earth when found in paying quantities. The Act required a deposit of L 25, which poor men could not find. In the Waikaia district there were over 10,000 acres of golden country that might be done something with, and if it were, the depression about which we heard so much would speedily disappear. Mr Valentine replied : " I would not repeal the Act without substituting something for it. Greater facilities might be given to the miners, but there must be some protection to private property. As far as the Waimea Company's property is concerned —— Mr Ford: lbelievethereis gold there. Mr Valentine : Then I give you a free right to prospect on it, and a farm for nothing if you will find paying gold.—(Applause.) Mr Valentine was also asked whether he would be prepared to get for the miners fair value for their gold, and he replied that a manager of the National Bank had told him that he would send gold to Melbourne and return the mint value to the miner, less one shilling per ounce, and he thought that was fair enough.

A special meeting of the Otago Cricketers' Association will be held in Wain's Hotel on Saturday evoningat 8.15.

Special trains to Port Chalmers and Mosgiel in connection with the Assault-at-Arms and "Queen Elizabeth," on Friday night.

The Rev. R. Waddell delivers a leoturo, "The Last Martyr of the Catacomb?," in the Mornington Presbyterian Church, on Thursday evening. The proceeds will be devoted to' the Walker street Mission Hall fund. The fence around the Jubilee Park is now completed. It consists of six barbed wires, containing sixty-nine chains all round. The straining-posts are of bluegum, the other lighter posts of kamai. Mr George Driscoll was the contractor.

Messrs Ferguson and Mitchell have sent one of their " hureka" biafiles, which, with its elastic grip bar, makes one of the handiest and moat useful files we have seen. The advantages claimed for it are that it does not mutilate papers, securely holds them, while furnishing easy access, ready reference, strength, and durability, and, above all, cheapness. With these recommendations the "Eureka" should at once find its way into every counting-house and office in the place. We remind theatre-goers that the Majeroni season commences at the Princess's to-night, when Sardou's famous play of "Fedora" will be performed. It is many year? since Signor and Signora Majeronj have appeared here, but they are established favorites, and therefore certain to be cordially welcomed by a full houso,' As their plays are all well mounted and well cast, while the atrangements in point receive the personal attention of Mr Liddy, we confidentally look forward to the season, necessarily brief, being a thoroughly successful one. A service of song entitled "Old Christie's Organ " was given in the Congregational Ohurcb, Ravcnsbourne, )ast evening. The attendance was good, the church being filled, and evergreens, ferns, etc , were hung around the room, giving quite a nice and pleasing look to the place. The opening piece, "Home, sweet Home," played on the organ, assisted by two violins, was very tastefully rendered. The connective readings were given by the Rev. J. Beckenlmm. Mr W. Sankey acted as conductor, and the service of song, taken all through, reflected great credit on the manner in which he haH worked thp phoir up. The choir sang well throughout. After the service, Mr Adams, superintendent of the Sunday School, pn behalf of the teaohers and scholars, in a few well-chosen remarks, made a presentation of a very handsome cabinet, glove box, and handkerchief box to Miss £. Palmer, who is about severing her connection with the Sunday School as a teacher, a position she has faithfully filled for many years, and regrets were expressed on her retirement. After the usual vote of thanks had been tendered to the reader and conductor, and duly acknowledged, the benediotion closed one of the pleasanteat evenings that has been spent in the church for a long time.