Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5277, 10 January 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1879.

It is difficult to say what degree of authority attaches to what appears in the leading columns of the New Zealander. Knowing, as most persons do, how largely it is owned by members of the Ministry, one is apt to regard its utterings as having a considerable Ministerial j tone about them. It has indeed been supposed that not one or ' other of the members of the Government'! takes a turn at the editorial wheel. Whether this is the case or not, it is more than probable that the New Zealander is considerably put to use, to get an 'inkling of the direction public" opinion is going. This may not be always • the case, but it Would be "safe, we think, so to regard its article of Tuesday last on the constitution of the Legislative Council, and the change in that constitution which may be considered satisfactory. "Without hesitation," it asserts, "the basis j should be electoral," and it goes on to say, "We are prepared further to main- ! I tain that there is no necessity whatever for a qualification different to that re- ] quired for the election to the House of Representatives." We have said all j along that it would be folly to attempt any change in the constitution of the j | Legislative Council without good reason, i but certainly such a change as the one j the Nmu Zealander suggests is about the worst that could be conceived. It may be that the system of nomination by the Governor — virtually by the Ministry — is objectionable because it is open to abuse, but it is a far better, system than that of election by constituencies. It is certainly the case that Ministers have at times nominated per- j sons to the Upper Chamber by way of reward for services; rendered, and not because those persons were peculiarly qualified for the position. But we* do' not think there has been— until very lately at any rate— any appointments to ] the Legislative Council so unsuitable as , to demand, for that reason, a change, in the system ; and we are. convinced that j any Ministry- that would , to any considerable extent so debase the power placed in their hands would not long retain office. The general opinion of the J country is, we are sure, that the Council performs its functions satisfactorily, and more particularly in that very respect which is obnoxious to a few— that of checking hasty legislation. There are hot ' many,, we should say, that will endorse,! the following wholesale condemnation of jthe Upper Chamber with ; which the New Zealander closes it article i':— ," The Legislative Council of Now Zealand cannot be j allowed to pursue the, course which of late years seems to have commended it- | self to 1 their — shall we say rather limited I i intelligence — namely, by persistently and with deliberation insisting upon i thwarting the development of Liberal j policy — obstructing every measure which has for its object the relief of the bur- ' thens of the people, endeavoring to create class privileges in favor of the ' wealthy lower orders ; ' and by restrict^ ing the franchise, preventing the practical expression of the popular voice."

A fatal accident occurred at Mr. Parsons' farm at Papakura yesterday. From what we can learn, it appears that a man whose name we have been unable to hear, was mounted on a' horse which had a sore back. The horse took fright and galloped away, when the rider fell off, but hung, by the stirrup, the horse galloping several times round the field with the man hanging. When the horse stopped the poor fellow was dead. The election for four members of the Hospital Committee, took place yesterday, the polling place being the Town Clerk's office. The result was the election of Dr. Spencer with 26 votes ; Mr. M. It. Miller, 26 ; Mr. C. B. Winter, 25 ; Mr. H. A. Cornford, 25. There" were nine other persons who received votes; one having 3, one having 2, and the rest 1 vote each. Of those, only three were eligible. The Theatre Eoyal was, largely attended in all parts last night, on the occasion of the first appearance of those brilliant artistes Mr Hoskins and Miss Florence Colville, who met with a most hearty reception. The performance opened with the comedy of the "Serious Family," which was admirably played Tby the company. Mr Hoskins gave a masterly representation of Aminadab. Sleek, and received repeated rounds of applause for his excellent acting. His make-up was also inimitable. Mrs Ormsby Deknain, the dashing widow, was played by Miss Colville in such a manner as to convince the audience that she is a finished actress. The vivacity which she threw into the part, together with her admirable by-play, were really enjoyable. The curtain at the end of each act fell to loud applause, and the principal performers were frequently called before the footlights. Mr O'Brien, as Capt. Murphy M'Guits. with his racy brogue, played there part admirably, and fully shared in the applause which was bestowed on the leading characters. The other parts !were also well cast, Miss Lizzie Lawjrence playing Mrs Torrens, and Mr i Jerrames representing Mr Torrens . Miss jMarie Wilton was quite at home as Lady jSowerby Creamly, as was also Miss iNelly Daley in the small part 6f Emma i Torrens. The comedy altogether Iwent off without a hitch. The I farce " Founded on Fact" followed, in which Mr Hoskins, . as Mr Skeptic, kept 'the audience in roars, of laughter. Tonight the famous comedy the "School

for Scandal" will bo produced, Miss CioiviUe appearing in her celebrated character d£ Lady Teazle, and Mr Hoskins. as Charles Surface. There will doubtless be another crowded house, as it is some time since artistes of such genuine ability as ,Mr and Mrs Hoskins have apI pearcd at the Royal. Mr Stout, the Attornoy-General, will address his constituents at Diuiedin this evening. . The Hawke'4 Say Racing Club hold a special meeting last evening at the Masonic HoteL There was a largo attendance of members. Mr F. E. Ham- j lin was voted to the chair. After considerable discussion, it was resolved that I there should only bo one day's racing at J their first meeting, to take place onMon- | day, the 17th of March. A number of I items of business were disposed of, amongst others that the committee be empowered to appoint their own treasurer, and that Mr Lanco be requested to act as handicapper. The programme as it appears in our advertising columns was then adopted. It will bo seen that there are several marked' features in the programme, larger amounts being given for soyeral events than have ever previously been given in Hawke's Bay, 100 sovs being' given for tho Hurdle Handicap, arid 2o() sbvs for tho Hawko's Bay Cup. In our report of the speech delivered by the Hon. W. Fox at the Good Templar meeting at the Protestant Hall, on Wednesday evening, an. error occurred in some of the statistics quoted by that gcntloman. "What Mr Fox said was, that for every four drink shops one death occurred during the year, not that four persons were killed by one drink shop in a year. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before R. Stuart, Esq., R.M., Ben Smith was brought up under a writ of arrest for £42, issued by Messrs Bennett and Brooking, under the "Resident Magistrate's Act, 1868," sotting forth that defendant was about to leave tho colony with the intent fraudulently bjbo evade, payment of the debt. Defendant pleaded a set-off of £55 against plaintiffs. After tho evidence of Mr Bennett had been taken as to the amount being due, and the: defendant being sworn, his Worship asked defendant whether it was his intention to' leave the colony or not. Defendant said he would swear he did not intend leaving the colony. His Worship then said that as plaintiffs were unable to prove that such was defendant's intention, the Court had no power to adjudicate, and the defendant would bo discharged. The summons could then come on in the ordinary way on the 17th instant. There wns no other business. We are requested to draw attention to the sale of leases of educational reserves that will be held at noon to-day in the Council Chamber. Messrs Routledge, Kennedy, arid Co. will hold a sale to-day in their rooms, Terihysori-street, bf candles, fruit, petroline, boots and shoes, books, empty kegs and cases, wallabi skins, wheat, onions, potatoes, furniture, &c. The sale will commence at noon. Divine service, will be held on Sunday next, 12th inst., as follows : — By the Rev. A. Shepherd, at 11 a.m., and at West Clive at 3 p.m.; by the Rev. J. Parkin, atHampdon, at 11 a.m., and at Waipa wa at 7 p.m. Mass will be celebrated by the Rev. Ei Reignier in the schools room, Havelock, at 11 a.m; Referring to the rumored removal of District Judge Kenny from Taranaki to Hawke's Bay, the Taranaki Neios of Saturday last says: — "A rumor has been afloat for some time that Judge Kenny is to be removed either to Wanganui or Hawke's Bay. The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Hekald' states as a fact that the Judge is to be removed to the Bay. We believe that although a change is contemplated by the Government, nothing definite has. yet been done in the matter." Among the many book and sheet almanacs we have received during the last few days, (says the Poverty Bay Herald) there is one printed and published by Messrs Dinwiddie, Morrison and Co., proprietors of the Hawke's Bay HerAld. It comprises nearly 200 pages of parefully arranged matter, which should make, it valuable for reference by all classes of persons, whether in the Hawke's Bay Province or living outside of it. It is. the cheapest shillingsworth of information we. have seen for : some time.. Mr. Hoskins took his benefit and leave of the Auckland stage on Saturday evening; as Ferdinand Honeyton, in " The Happy Pair," and Dr. Pangloss, in " The Heir-at-Law." As might have been expec£ecl (says . the Herald), the house was filled', not only with an appreciative but , a fashionable audience. A veteran actor, " after treading the stage for forty years during the whole of which period he has enjoyed, not only a foremost reputation, . but great personal esteem, may reasonably claim, ujjon his retirement, a valedictory greeting of more than ordinary cordiality. This was accorded to him on Saturday night by a full " dress circle," and full house, whioh are not usually seen together in tho theatre on that particular evening of the week. Although Mr. Hoskins was suffering from an acute form of illness, he was faithful to his engagement, and Itow well he played, even at so. great a disadvantage, the audienco amply, testified. It would be difficult to surpass his Ferdinand Honeyton in refinement, or his Dr. Pangloss in accuracy of reading and quotation, which are tho chief signs of high culture. Miss Florence Colville, as Constance Honeyton in the first piece, was at her best. She received frequent acknowledgements of her. talent and her nice sense of what is apt and fitted for the part she assumed. ' The ' Wellington correspondent of tho New Zealand Herald writes : — " Some alterations will very likely be made in the matter of Judges' clerks, or, as they are more . generally termed,. Judges' associates. It appears that these young gentlemen have unusual privileges. Parliament annually votes their salaries ;'- they travel at the taxpayers' expense ;-get<a yearly allowance in connection with Supreme Court libraries ; whilst their connection with the Judges generally^ cteases after having served tho necessary period enabling them to go up for examination as barristers' and ' solicitors; without "in any way ' undergoing preliminary examination which lawyers' articled clerks have to go through. Tho Cabinet have already saved the colony some thousands of pounds by knocking off the unnecessary salaries of. Colonial Sheriffs, and, it is not unreasonable to suppose that it will save the annual appropriations close on. another, two thousand pounds by "circularising" their honors that as all their secretaries ! are persons, who can well afford to do I without salaries and travelling allowances, it.is not fair to the colony to pay them premiums for perfecting themselves to enter a lucrative profession." . A Southern contemporary hag the following : — On Saturday a man who had partaken rather too freely of fiery liquids walked up to his neck in the river to cool himself. Some onlookers, fearing that he might catch a chill from which he might not recover, took the liberty of interfering with the liberty of the subject, and handed him over to the care of the police." ■ A contemporary says :—-" There is one child, that has started pretty high in the world. As. the captive balloon in Paris was mounting to the clouds two weeks ago a young lady in tho. oar. was taken ill. A doctor from Tarbes, who happened to be in the car saw her safely delivered of a boy before the balloon reached the ground, when a cab took the mother and child to an hotel. The husband, son of the leading Manchester manufacturers, presented the doctor with. lOOdol, for bi» services,"

The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for January has a group of portraits on its front page, "meant for the present Ministry, but really, with one or two ex- . ceptions, having little resemblance to those gentlemen. The Timaru Herald, referring to the portraits, says : — Most of them are so bad that the Minister's have good diuiso to boinplain of being Caricatured. The portrait of Sir George Groy is evidently taken from an ' old picture, and gives him the appearance of a •man of fifty, whereas he is noarly seventy, I and looks even older. Tho double waistcoat which he wears in the ongraving, is tho costume of a past age. We can remember Sir George wearing it, though — a buff outer waistcoat, with a red one underneath, showing at the throat ; but it was many years ago. Colonel Whitmoro's portrait is only a little like him. It givos him a fiendish squint which he does not really possess, and a stoop which is just the opposite , of- his brisk, upright, cocksparrow bearing. Mr. Stout's isj scarcely a likeness at all, and does nd justice, to his noble,head, and curiously boyish face. In reality the Attorney -General has a very amiable and ingenuous 'countenance; but this picture makes him look stupid and sullen, and ten years older than he is. Mr Sheohan's is a remarkably, good likeness, as good, in fact, as could well be got in an engraving. , His is a singular face, and resembles strangely the c&igy' of sacred persons that ono sees repeated" over and ovor again in the Italian paintings. Sir George is . fond of calling Mr. Fisher "my intelligent colloaguo," but in this portrait the PostmasterGeneral looks altogether too knowing. It is more like Mr Eichardson than Mr Fisher. Mr Macandrew's would, have been a fairly good likeness if it had not given him 'such a fearful squint and a nose which boars no relation to that prominent, rubicund feature in the original. It wants, also, the heavy, overhanging brow which forms such a marked characteristic of his face. Mr Ballance's picture is by far the best of the group. It is j really very like him, and is, moreover, a pleasant, perhaps a slightly flattering likeness. On the whole, the portraits of the Ministers do not do justice to them, and are only about good enough for the pages of the Hue and Cry. Colonial illustrated papers always make a mess of portraits, though very successful in sceneiy." An Otago paper has . the following : — The British National coat-of-artns, carved in Oamaru freestone and riohly gilt, which was wont, in the happy golden days of Provincialism, to do duty over the Speaker's chair in the Provincial Hall, is laid low. This memorable relic, reversed and debased, is now to bo found doing duty as a seat for loungers at the porch, of the Supreme Court. Shades of the immortal J. L. Gillies and the Hon. W. H. Eeynolds, -how are, the mighty fallen ! ■ '. In ; Melbourne, Sunday, the 22nd of December, was set apart as a day of mourning for the Princess Alice. Thirtyfive minute guns were fired during the night, the Volunteers have been ordered to wear mourning for two months, and the Civil servants were requested to wear black bands on the arm. A Government Gazette extraordinary was also issued at Sydney on the 17th, by which His;Excellency the Governor invited, the Civil officers of the Government, and all other Her Majesty's subjects, to go into mourning on Sunday, the 22nd instant, in token of their sympathy with Her. Majeaty in her great affliction. His Excellency further directed that on the same day the Koyal Standard at Government House, and the Union flags at the forts should be hoisted half-mast high, from eight o'clock a.m. until sunsett ■ The Australasian says, in reference to the attempted burlesque on Mr Graham Berry's embassy to London, " The person who benefits by the affair is Henderson himself. He is no longer the dilapidated individual whose approach was a terror ! to all members of the Assembly, but I wears a ready-made suit of the latest fashion, exhibits a gorgeous, aluminium watch chain, and smokes the largest of cigars. On Saturday Henderson left town in a hansom cab with his ' private secretary ' to wait upon . the Governor, present his credentials signed j by the chairman of the public meeting at which Henderson was nominated, and to request His Excellency to authenticate j the document. The retorn of the deloI gate was anxiously expected at headquarters, but for some unexplained reason Henderson did not appear again upon the scene, though he was heard of as - patronising Collins-street. It seems that Henderson proceeded to Governmenthouse, but His Excellency was staghunting at the "Werribee, and Major Pitt ! declined the honor of a personal interview.- --| The embassy burlesque took a new turn on Tuesday. In -the morning I Henderson, accompanied by his private secretary, presented himself at the officos of the P. and O. Company to. engage a passage by the Assam, and met with a refusal. The ire of Henderson knew no bounds. He visited Governmenthouse in the morning, but His Excellency was 'engaged,' and requested the delegate to communicate his business in writing. Henderson's private secretary is now occupied in drafting a protest, which His Excellency is to be requested to forward to the Secretary of State, calling attention to the circumstances under which Henderson is denied egress from the colony." A squatting acquaintance of mine shears over 140,000 sheep (writes JEgles in the Australasian). Towards the close of the shearing he made his appearance at the station. The evenings he found very dull, and at last suggested to the young fellows, who served him for £1 a week each, a game of whist. " Oh, not whist," suggested one of them, "we have no practice. Let us play a handed euchre!" The employer gracefully acquiesced, and ere the sitting was over had the LO.TT.'s of the whole party. Before returning to town all hands were paid, and their cheques were just about enough to discharge the liability of each of the partakers in the game which relieved the ennui of the owner of 1*40,000 sheep. "' Paddy Murphy," dating from Auckland, Christmas-eve, has tho following in the Saturday Advertiser : — I've jis cum over in tho Hineymo to spind the Christmas wid me dear ould friend Billy Swanson. Av coorse I axed Sir George's lave afore I lift Kawau (for betchune you an me, Sir . George is nearly as much attached to ine as the Markiss). Bill wants me to write a node to his Ixcillency on his deparchure, and I've promised to comply with his requist. Billy and the Markiss are grate friends intirely, so they are, an' they like one another as the divil likes holy water. Billy is goin' to give Mac a dhressin' down about the Free Passes, an', faix, Mac desarves it, for sure ke's goin' from oneixthraime to the, other, so he is. If he pursists in his iday av deprivin' the Press o' their passes, be the hokey, I'll lave the Kabinit, so I will, an' that'll lave thim in a puirty pickle. Sure they know well enough pat I'm the main stay o' the prisint Ministhry. Faix, all the flowery illoquence o' Sir George, an' the Soothern blarney o' Mac, an' the fourinsick iloquence o' Stout, an' the" fineanehil schaims o' Ballance, an' the warlike demonsthrashuns o' the Kurnil, an" the sly little tricks: 6' Johnny, an' the Maori high-falutin' o' Honey Nay, an' the lamed disquisishuns o* Fisher, will avail thim nothin', an'. I lave the Kabinit. (Scene, a grocery store, in a Highland village, kept by a decent Highlander and his daughter)— Father— " Flora !" Daughter — " Yes, father."; . Father— " Tid you'll mark doun the things the big mason got P" Daughter — " Yes, father." , Father—" Weel, mark them doun again," to mak' . sure," -rr-. The JBailie,,