Hawkes Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1577.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3919, 30 May 1877, Page 2

Hawkes Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1577.

In celebration of the fourth centenary of William Caxton, a large number of persons connected with the Press dineel together in Wellington on the 19th instant. The dinner was largely attended, and is reported to have passed off with a success scarcely to liave been anticipated. The chair was occupied hy MiHutchison, the Mayor of Wellington, who some short time since was a candidate for the representation of that city in the House of Representatives. Mr Travers, who was the successful candidate on that occasion, was also present at the dinner, and between him ami tlie chairman was the principal part of the speaking shared, or, at all events, so much of it as related to tlie subject wliich gave occasion to tlie dinner. Mr Hutchison, in the course of one of liis speeches, gave some interesting particulars respecting the struggles of William Caxton in the earliest days of the Press. " It was in or about the year 1471," he said, "that "William Caxton set himself down one clay to give to England the benefits of one of the greatest discoveries of these later ages. In moving about on tlie Continent, in connection with the requirements of commerce, Caxton had probably met either with Laurence Coster at Haarlem, or Guttenburg at Mainz, to one or other of whom (or both, more likely) we owe the first use of moveable types; and the Englishman, with intuitive sagacity, realised at once the importance of the discovery. Here was something at last fitted to revolutionise the world, and England should have tlie benefit of it. His first book — 'The Game and Playe of the Chesse,' a fac simile of which was printed hj

Mr Vincent Figgins, a London typefounder, some years ago — appeared in l-t7-i • his last book, so far as known, 'The Polycronycon," bears to liave bee 1 ), imprinted by "William Caxton in the twenty-first year of the reign of KingEdward the ' Fourth, that is, 1-182. It took epiite a century longer before the newspaper had its rise, and yet another century more before it attained to anything like what we now regard as a gooel newspaper. But the work begun by Caxton went bravely on, and was telling year by year upon English life and Eirjlr-h trade, and ever sustainingtile ceaseless struggle for freedom against its many foes."' The speech of Mr Travers was long and full of interest. The principal portion was devoted to the origin aud history of newspapers. To the Weekly Xeies, first published iv 16G_, he gave the honor (quoting from Leigh Hunt's '•' Fourth Estate ") of being the " puny ancestor"' of the broadsheets of our times. About 1663, there was a newspaper called the Kimjdoms Intelligencer. Sir Roger L'Estrange was connected with it ; but its publication ceased in 1665, when the Loudon Gazette (lirst called the Oxford Gazette) was begun. A few years before this, during the stormy period of the Commonwealth, several newspapers were published in England. Passing from England to the Confine at of Europe, Mr Travers remarked, '•' Tliere are many newspaviers there, and especially in Holland and Germany, which have lived two hundred years and more, and bi-centenary celebrations of such newspapers have been frequently held — one in especial at Haarlem on the Sth of January, 1856, when the Haarlem Cov.raat completed its 200 th year of publication. Tlie first number had appeared on the Sth of January, 1656, under the title of De Weekelycke C oaro. it ran Enropa. and a fac simile of this ancient number was produced, at considerable expense and trouble, for exhibition on this occasion. Lord Macaulay, when in Holland, made much use of the earlier numbers of this newspaper for liis history. The Gazette of Leipsie is more than 200 years old. A newspaper was established in Russia in 1703.jwhieh Peter the Great helpetl to edit, and to correct in proof. In connection with the history of old newspapers, it is curious to learn the origin and meaning of the term gazetteas now applied. During the war between the Venetians and the Turks in 1563, the Venetian Government, beingdesirous of communicating news on public affairs to the people, caused sheets of military ancl commercial intelligence to be written, which were read oufc publicly at appointed places, a fee being paid by those who desired to hear them. The fee thus paid was a small Venetian coin called a gazetta, and by degrees the name of the coin was transferred to the written sheet : and it is singular that, since then, in almost all European countries, an official or Government newspaper has become known as a gazetta or a gazette."' Of tlie ri.se and wonderful progress of journalism in England Mr Travers gave a rapid sketch. '• The first British journal," he said, ''-'entitled to the description of a daily paper was the Doily Courunt, commenced on the11th of March, 1702. It is eli-scribed as a single page of two columns, and professed solely to give foreign news — the publisher assuring his readers that lie would not take upon himself to give any comments of liis own, ' supposing other people, 5 he says, ' to have sense enough to make reilec-tions for themselves.' The Daily Con rant passed into the hands of Samuel Buckley, at the sign of tin- Dolphin in Little Britain, who afterwards became the printer of the Spectator, and pursued a useful and respectable career. As a curious instance of the practice of the Government of George I. we are told that Buckley was entered in a list of persons laid before a Secretary of State (1714) as, ' Buckley, Amen-corncr, the worthy printer of the Gazette ; well affected,' — that is, well affected to the Hanoverian succession, a point of great importance at that time. In 1773 the Daily Courant was absorbed into the Daily Gazetteer X Of course no history of the Press, however briefly sketched, could exclude a notice of The Times, the greatest journal of the world. In his reference to it Mr Travers remarked upon the effect of the substitution of macliineiy for hand-labor and the difficulties encountered in effecting the change. It was in 181-4 that The Times was first printeel by machinery, 'flitpatentee, Mr Konig, had been quietly working for many months in premises adjoining those of The Times, graeluallv perfecting his machine, and on the 20th of November it was ready. " The night on which this curious machine was first brought into use," says the biographer of Mr Walter, the proprietor of The Times, '•' was one of great anxiety, and even alarm. Tlie suspicious jiressnieii had threatened destruction to any one whose inventions might suspend their employment — destruction to him ami his traps. They were directed to wait for expected news from the Continent. It was about six o'clock in the morning when Mr Walter went into the press-room and astonished the occupants by telling them that The Times was already printeel by steam : that if they attempted violence thenwas a force ready to repress it ; but that if they were peaceable their wages would be continued to every one of them till suitable employment could be procured, a promise which was duly redeemed. Thus was this remarkable enterprise carried through , and printing by steam, on a gigantic scale, given to the world." After referring to the Press of America, Mr Travers concluded with tlie following remarks on the New Zealand Press : — " On the whole it is conducted fairly, and although at times public men are made, to a greater extent than they consider desirable, the butt and objects of attack, and their feelings in some degree outraged, yet, on the whole, I have no hesitation in saying that, in that respect, even the conduct of tlie Press is not much to be deprecated. (Applause.) I believe, and lam now echoing tlie words which fell from Mr Bowen, that the character ofthe peoplemight be jutlgeel eif by the character of the papers, ami it may be said that there is no more independent boely of men in New Zealanel than those; engageel in editing and publishing the; newspaper literature oi' the colony. .1 believe it to be the reilex of the; feelings and understaiuling of the people themselves, and it is eloing one of its duties in the great battle now going on in the world, with knowledge on the one side, and ignorance and superstition on the other."

A meeting of shareholders in the Theatre Company and of those interested t in the project was held last evening at the 5 Criterion Hotel. Mr Sheehan was in the t chair. Mr Uphain went into a full ex- c planation of the circumstances under 1 which the company was formed, and of ] the advantages that it offered to share- < holders. It was then moved, seconded ] by Mr Gray, and carried unanimously, < ' -That the meeting approves of the formation \ of a company for the purpc s:s and upon the ( conditions mentiemed in the prospectus i and articles of association, and pledges \ itself to make the matter a success." In respect to the question of site it was ; mentioned that with regard to the site of the Foresters' Arms the purchase money would be £2000, the vendor, Mr Gray, taking £1000 in shares ; that the present lessee, Mr Hayden, would surrender the property for the purposes of a theatre and hotel, receiving £200 compensation for the time that would be occupied in erecting the new buildings, and on the condition also that he be allowed to occupy the hotel at the same rental (£200) as he was paying to Mr Gray, and for the same period — five years. It was stated that in the event of the company desiring to buy enit Mr Hayden's interest the sum required would probably be £1800— £800 being the amount of goodwill Mr Hayden had paid to Mr Gray, and £1000 as bonus to Mr Hayden. It was then moved by Mr Manoy, secondeel by Mr Cohen, and carried unanimously, " That, subject to the decision of the shareholders of the company, the site to be selected be the Foresters' Arms property." Some desultory discussion ensued on various points in connection with the site selected and vith other minor matters ; finally it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Gray, seconded by Mr Ellis, " That the canvass for the disposal of shares be proceeded with, and that as soon as 100 shares be subscribed for (exclusive of Mr Gray's shares) a meeting of shareholders be called to formally establish the company, ancl do all things necessary for carrying out its objects." The proceedings then terminated. Mr Beetham, we learn, will leave Napier by the Wanaka on her next trip North. The arrangements that have l>een made for the discharge, during Mr Beetham's alsonce, of the duties appertaining to his offices are these : — Mr Stuart is the Resident Magistrate, continuing in :hat office under the appointment he received when Mr Scaly ejuitted the Bench prior to his departure for England ; Mr Stuart, we believe, will receive the emolument appertaining to the office. Mr Locke is appemited Commissioner under the Native Lands Frauds Preventie-n Act, ancl also Judge e>f the Assessment Court. Mr Gv.y is Registration and Returning Officer for the district for which Mr Beetham held those ollices. A special meeting of the Hawke's Bay County Council was to have been held yesterday morning. It was convened for 10.30, but as at 11 o'clock there was not a quorum present, the meeting was adjourned to the ordinary day of meeting, the second Monday in June. The advisability of making better arrangements than we have at present fencrossing the Napier Heads was brought before the notice of the Harbor Board yesterday, in a letter from the board's engineer. The inefficiency of the present ferry boat has long been a source of complaint, and the wonder is that such miserable means of transit have been continued so long. It will be seen by our report of the board's proceedings that Mr Weber recommends the adoption of a steam launch for the traffic across the Heads, and we understand that there is a person willing to put one on if the Harbor Board will give a subsidy. The traffic is increasing very much, and it is to be hoped that something to afforel facilities for it will be undertaken with as Utile delay as possible. We learn that 98 pairs of hawks' feet were brought in yesterday to Major Scully, and that on receiving the £i 18s — the amount of the reward at Is per pair of feet — the person who killed the hawks, Mr Harrison,, stated that it was the last money he would receive on that account, as there were no more hawks to kill. If this be the fact it will bo good news for the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Soeidy. We learn that Colonel Harrington, late Inspector of Militia and Volunteers, has left the colony for Europe, with the intention of seeking service in the Turkish army. Mr W. K. M'Lean has retired from the candidature for the office of auditor for the Borough of Napier. There will, therefore, be no poll, and on Friday next Messrs Hoadley and Banner will bo declared elected as the auditors for the municipality. The sittings of the Supreme Court in Napier will open em the 11th of June, and are likely to be considerably protracted. On the criminal side there are ten cases for trial, while on the civil side there are \ five special jury cases almost certain to be brought on, though, as yet, only three have been set down for trial. We have been favored with a copy of the New Zealand Volunteer Service Gazette, a monthly paper published at Dunedin, and devoted, as its title indicates, to matters chieJly of interest to volunteers. It has as yet enily attaineel its third number, but if it continues to be as well conducted as it is at present, we may predict a long and prosperous career fen- the Vulii/ilcui' Service Gazette oi New Zealand. Members of St. John's Branch of the H. A.C. B.S. are requested, by advertisement, to attenel the branch meeting this evening, to take into consideration a letter from the Secretary of the Wellington branch, and election e>f auditor. Tlie TXiheral Review has an article on kissing. We extract the following : — ■' The present is not supposed to be a sentimental age, but a great ileal of kissing goes on in it. This is largely, but not entirely, attributable to the female portion of tlie population. Now, amongst the greatest adepts in the art of kissing are yemng ladies of a certain order. When they meet, they at once fly into each other's arms and kiss any number of times. Their ardour is increased rather than lessened by the presence of males, especially if there is ground for the supposition that the saiel males would like to do a little kissing on their own account. . We have known sweet little crea tures in pink say very bitter things c f sweet little creatures in blue, whom they have been enthusiastically kissing, and we have known the sweet little creatures in blue warmly reciprocate the smart things which havo been stated of them by the sweet little t:rcaturos in pink. Altogether, we feel bound to assert that it would promote the creelit of humanity, and tend to foster a better feeling than exists among people if women — and men — made up their minds to kiss those only whom they love." Some timo ago it was stated that tin had been discovered in some parts of New Zealand. The report received no confirmation, and we can only hope tint it may prove true. The discovery of tin seems to have been a gooel thing for the little colony of Tasmania. Some five or six years ago the presence of the metal in that c >lony was ejuite unkirown, and it is only a couple of yoars since tlie marvellously rich deposits on the nejrth-westcrn ami north-eastern c-exists of tlie islantl were duly appreciated ; but the rapid increase of the export maj* be estimated by the fact that while during the whole of 187G tin ore to tlie value of £18,G51 was exported, £21,10(5 worth was shippeel during the first quarter of the present year.— N. Z. Ti'mcs. Messrs Margoliouth and Banner will sell this day, at 11 o'clock, at their rooms, the salvage stock of drapery goods from the late fire.

The following particulars regarding the I transmission of war neAvs to New Zealand papers during the small hours are f-iven by the TN Z. Times : — *' The stations ! coming within the arrangement are Auckland, Napier, Grahamstown, Wellington. Blenheim, Nelson, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill, and at all these stations an operator will sleep, in order to be ready to take off the wires anything that may come through. The operator at Wakapuaka has been supplied with an alarm clock to awaken him at the necessary time ; and if he discovers that tliere is anything to be sent from Sydney, he will rouse the operator at the Blenheim and Nelson stations, the former passing the alarm on one side along to Wellington, which will communicate with the next northern station, and so on till all are awoke, while, on the other hand, tho Blenheim operator will pass the word on to southern stations. To this end electric bells have been laid on at the offices above mentioned." The Wairoa Free Press, in its address to its subscribers, says : — " The Wairoa Free Press will have an extended circulation in New Zealand, the Australian 0 ilonies, and the Mother Country ; and will be found in every club, literary instilute, and Chamber of Commerce in this colony." Possibly some of the Napier people may recognise an old acquaintance in the hero of the following sketch, from an article headed "A Month in Pentridge," by the " Vagabond ": — The prisoner Scott, alias Captain Moonlite, is one of the celebrities of Pentridge. The son of a clergyman of the Church of England, he is reported to have at one time acted as his father's deacon in New Zealand. He " backslid," however, and next turned up in New South Wales as a schoolmaster. There he got into trouble, but escaped, and was next heard of keeping a school near Ballarat. The local bank was "bailed " up, and Scott by a cunning plot, threw suspicion on an innocent man — the manager. Scott was, however, arrested in Sydney whilst endeavoring to dispose of some bars of gold, proceeds of the robbery. Brought back and confined in the Ballarat gaol, he daringly escaped in company with seven other prisoners. | Then he took to the bush, and for twelve ! months roamed over Australia, being known amongst his *' pals " as "Captain Moonlite." He was taken at last, and is now doing his sentence of ten years in Pentridge. He is a dashing, smart, rather cunning-looking young man, of about 30 years of age. His education gives him a superiority over the other prisoners, who also respect him for his crimes, and ho has become a sort of leader amongst them. He is a regular '*' prison lawyer," and is full of quibbles and 1 quirks, and has proved himself, I believe, ejuite a terror and nuisance to Mr Gardit ncr, the Superintendent. I don't think that Scott was quite judiciously treated at first. Potty punishments ami annoyances appear to have been freely dealt out to him as to others. He has chafed against these, and has lately broken out into more dangerous breaches of discipline. Captain Moonite has in consequence of his persistent defiance of authority many privileges granted to him. When the gangs leave off labor, and go into school, he takes liis bath, and afterwards enjoys a siesta in his cell. The other month he, by some means or other, mac aged to secrete a dinner-knife, an ordinary blunt roundpointed prison implement, with which it would be hardly possible to cut the throat of a sparrow. With this formidable arm he stole out of the bath-room and, instead of returning to his cell, entered tlie office of Chief-warder Kelly, of the B division. -i I want to speak to yem, sir,** said lie. "All right, Scott; what's the matter >" said Kelly, who is a very good official, attentive to his duties, linn, yet kind ; and I found was generally liked by the prisoners. Scott shut the oifice door, and Kelly, sitting nt his deck, was suddenly startled by seeing his prisoner standing above him, knife in hand, demanding^ •' Give me your watch, or I'll have yom life." This he reiterated twice, ancl before the astonished chief warder could recover his breath or speculate as to whether it was a joke e>r the man mad, Scott snatched his watch out of his pockei., retreated into the bathroom, locked the door, and nourishing his weapon through the opening at the top, threatened any one who dare molest him. The first thought of every one was that, like Shanldin, he was simulating madness, and Dr. Reed was sent for. That gentleman soon arrived, and told Captain Moonlite that, having seen him lately, it was no useshammingmad, as he was perfectly sane. The festive robber in question muttered through the lattice- wt>rk, ' ' I am armed, approach who dare !" Then, under the grave circumstances of the case, the superintendent was sent for. He came, and what did he do .' Order the door to be broken open, the man secured, and taken to a cell ' Oh, no ! Here was this desperate villain (weight 9st 101 b.) armed with a blunt knife. He said he would not stick at blood. The super, too, remembered that men wore upstairs at school — this might be a put-up game, and the signal for an euitbreak. So Gardiner humored the rebel, and begging him not te> make a noise, held tho door " barricaded outside "' with a pair of steps, for fear ho should suddenly emerge on his quest for "blood." Moonlite, master of the situation, appears to have behaved well. He promised not to make a row, but reiterated his threat, ** I am armed, and will have his blood." And there, no doubt laughing in his sleeve all the while, Moonlite remained for two hours deaf to the coaxings of the superintendent to "give up that knife." Tired at last of his fun, he passed out the "weapon," and the door being undone, allowed himself to be handcuffed and taken to a cell to await punishment for his crime ; and the super went home to his spoilt dinner.