The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1888.

Evening Star, Issue 7475, 20 March 1888, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1888.

Mr O'Conor, M.H.R., and other members of the Westport Harbor Board flatly refuse to resign.

No appointments as railway commissioners will be made till the chairman of the i Railway Board has been selected. j We have the best authority for stating i that Parliament will be summoned for the | despatch of business not later than the last ( week in April. I

Mr Walter J. Leslie, of the Wellington • Press,' ami the publisher of a series of clever parliamentary sketches now being issued, has received the vacancy on the ' Hansard' staff.

TheChristchureh City Council are making wholesale reductions in the salaries of the staff and wages. The town clerk is reduced by Ll5O a year—3o per cent. ; the city surveyor, Ll5O clerk, L 25—10 per "cent ; collector, L2,>— 11 percent. : superintendent of tire brigade, L.JO per cent. ; inspectors, LHO ner cent. ; caretaker, L 20—23 per cent.; foreman, 10s a week ; laborers, 4s a week. The total savings amount to L 725 per year. It was stated that the reductions were made solely to save an increase in rating, and that the ollicers were most efficient.

At the meeting of delegates of the Otago District, M.U.1.0.0.F., at Queenstown last week the following resolution was proposed •.—" That this meeting regrets that circumstances have arisen depriving the Otago district of the valuable services of F.P.G.M. Leslie, owing to his absence from Dunedin, which absence we hope will be only temporary; and that wc convey to that brother the very cordial thanks of this district for the long-continued and valuable services he has rendered to the district, and our best wishes for his future welfare." After P.P.G.M.s Sligo, Fish, Harrop, Ibbotson, and P.G. Miller had spoken of P.P.G.M. Leslie's services to the district and order in most flattering terms, the motion was carried by acclamation. The trouble over the appointment of an unqualified person to the position of fourth assistant at the Milton High School is likely to be settled by fresh applications being called for. At a special meeting of the committee on Friday night it transpired that the meeting which selected Miss Richards had been irregularly convened. After considerable debate it was decided by a bare majority not to intimate to Miss Richards when she should commence her duties, and a special meeting is to be held in a few days to consider the following resolution : "That whereas this committee voted for the appointment of Miss Richards as fourth assistant teacher in the Tokomairiro District High School, not being aware that she was not at the time in a position to make the application, and has since failed at the annual examination to secure a certificate, this committee withdraw their recommendation of her appointment; and that the resolution of February 20, recommending Miss Richards to the Education Board be hereby rescinded." The Board came in for some hard knocks for placing the committeo in a false position.

A very important test case was heard at Queenstown on Friday before Mr District Judge Broad. The case was that of the Oiticial Assignee v. W. Murish. _ Mr Solomon, who appeared for the Assignee, stated that this was an action brought by the Official Assignee against the defendant for a refund of the sum of Ll6 paid to him by one B. P. Robinson, a bankrupt, a few days before his bankruptcy, and to the detriment of his other creditors. It was only one of a similar number of cases. Robinson in his evidence denied having given any preference to his Queenstown creditors, but only paid them first, intending to pay his Dunedin creditors out of the book-debts and sale of his property. Mr Gilkins, who appeared for Murish, contended that the bankrupt had sufficient to meet all demands if time bad been given him, and there was therefore no preference. His Honor, in giving judgment, said: " There is ample ground for inferring, with certainty, that Robinson was unable to pay his debts as they became due, from his own money. He must have had in contemplation a bankruptcy which was unavoidable, for he tells us his only hope of escape from the Bankruptcy Court was that his remaining creditors would accept a composition. Apart from the inference to be drawn from this state of things—and which brings this within the principle of Castendyck's case—l am satisfied there was, on the part of the bankrupt, a deliberate intention to prefer bis local creditors. He realised the whole of his immediately available assets, and distributed them among his Queenstown creditors—paying them in full —and then offered his creditors at a distance a composition, which they refued to accept. The payments mentioned in the plaintiffs particulars are void, as against the Assignee, therefore, because they were made with the view of giving the creditor a preference. Judgment is given for plaintiff."

The death is announced from typhoid of Mr Robert Browning, a young member of the Auckland Bar.

At a special meeting of the Albany street School Committee, held last evening, Miss Wary S. Macmillan, at present teacher in the Industrial School, Cavershaill, Ms selected as the successful candidate For the position of fifth assistant, there were thirty-seven applications for the vacancy. Mr David Proudfoot has blossomed into an ardent Republican on the other side> and acknowledges himself a warm admirer of Andrew Carnegie, the Pittsburg millionaire. Mr Proudfoot : s ambition is to scatter among the benighted Australians copies of ' Triumphant Democracy,' and to that end sought the permission of the author, who last mail forwarded him a presentation copy, accompanied by this characteristic letter :—" Am delighted to find that in the great new continent Triumphant Democracy, the ' Koyalty of Man,' has ardent disciples like yourself. Your country is to be a second America if true to herself, but as a colony she is doomed to insignificance. Strike out for yourselves, and by so doing show yourselves worthy of the blood that is yours. Some day I hope to visit Australia, and will find you out."

Mr Aldridgc lectures in the Choral Hall this evening on " The Metallic Image of Daniel." Cheap excursion fires will be issued to Palmerston laces on Tuesday, the 27tli inst. Conceit in Lyceum Hall to-morrow evening in connection with North-east Valley School. The Equitable Insurance Company inform us that thc-y have no risk whatever on Mr Shearer's premises at WaiSara. A railway excursion will be run on Fiiday to Hillgrove and Hampden. Particulars will be found advertised.

Members of the Pirates Football C'ub a>e reminded that dribbling pract'ee may be had every evening at the CarisOrook Grouud. The half - general meeting of the Colonial Bank of few Zealand will be held on Wednesday, the 28th inst., at 3 p.m. The business will comprise the election of two directors and two auditors.

An excellent programme of music w.v gone through at Ashonm Hall, Wakari, on s-aturday afternoon by the Kaikorai Band, under the conductorship of Mr K. Mr Hume expressed the hope that the band would find it convenient to attend on other occasions and contribute to tin patients' enjoyment.

There are now on view at the f.ffic" ff Mr William Hunter, i-liaiebroker, .Steinhoff Bindings, specimens of the ore being obtain d from the now famous Broken Hill (New South Wales) mines. The specimens are said to be very rich, averaging from at the rate of 80Jm to 5,0030z to the ton, and certainly any persons interested in silver miirng should see them. On 23rd inst. oheip excursion ticket', available for the northern express', to Hillgrove ami Hampden are to be issued at Duicrlln and Port Chalmeis. The beach is vilbin easy disknee of both Hampden and Hilljjrove, and the latter station is the stopping place for I'oit Moeraki. Tlrs hj a ftood oppoitunity of spending a day at the seaside at a small cost.

The i-tiiff of the Union Stetm Ship Company presented Mr James Mills with acongtatulatory address, which took the foim of an illuminated text, enclosed in a margin formed of sketches of New Zealand scenery, interspersed with etchings indicative of the company's busine s. The whole is enclosed in a csket made entirely of New Zvland woods (a fine piece of inlaid work), and is a duplicate of the casket presented by the City Corporation to the Queen on the celebration of her jubilee. At the Dunedin Licdci tafel's meeting last night Mr V. Holmes presented Rcrr Seherek with a golden lyre, which he said was the highest honor that could be conferred on a member. Heir Schcrek returned thai Ira for tleiare compliment paid him, and sad that though he cease .1 to be the r conductor he would .still tak- a lively interest iu the LicrV-tafi-1. He intended to procure in Melbourne a number of parting and oilier musical works for the rnembeis

The corrplimenlaiy cone .t tendered t / Hcrr Benno Schcrek by t'-e rtus'cJ. people of 1 lunedin will t-ke plaic th -> evering in tlie (i,irr non J Fall. Ktom U e inb- rest taken in tre mittcr. and the large number of sea's that are t sivve'd, a uunvr us naj be reckoned upon. Indeed every effort lias be:-n made to . hure a worthy tarewc'l to the gcir'al beneliciirrc. Her 1 Scherek himself will contribute Wo piauo'ort: hol'js-a fcV.uie of espec'al interest in an excellent programme, particularly when it is remembered iliat tLn will be I's last performa :ce in tl: ; s c ; ty. The meeting of the All Nations Lodge, No. 1:5, I O.G. P., was he'd last ev-iing in fie Chur.h of «ii'dand >'i hoolroom, Port Chalmers. The G. Counsellor (Bro. R. N. Adatrs). the G. Secretary (Bro. D. C. C: mc"o<i), and a runbor of other \'<otoia were present from Dunndi •. T! 1 : officers and members of the Ijight of the Ocean Wgc, on board H.M.S. Opal, to the number of about twenty, attended and pa ; d the lod-je an official \i it. The visitors were hearti'y we'comerl, and the ofticirs of the naval 'o'lge wrce lcquested to occupy the vaiious chairn. wl : ch they did with consiilerab'e abi'ity. About ha'f-past e : 'jht the pubPcwao af'-nitt-xi, and an excellsiii piog.-.imme o* sinking, reciting, etc, wai provided, TJis C.T. (Bio Cru.i>) of the C| -I prti.ided, and several of the naval brethren agisted in the meeting. Nearly all of them pang popular songs in fiiat-class style, and were enthusiastically encored. One of the naval brethren, Bro. Hester, deservestpec'?' mention for the four or five splendid rccitatiowhich he delivered. The subjects were goot 1 and they were exceptiona'ly well rendered. At the coi.clus ; on of the nrogramme the C.T., Bro. Cross, thanked the All Nations Lodge for their inception and the public for their attendance. Hearty votes of thank* were passed to the G.L. officers, tho Light of the Ocean Lodge, and other visitors for their attendance; after which one of the bett Templar meetings ever held in Port Chalmers \ran brought to a close.