TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2524, 4 February 1869, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Bankruptct.—His Honor Mr Justice Gresson will hold a sitting under the Bankruptcy Acts, at the Old Town Hall, at 11 o'clock this morning. We have already published a list of the cases.

Fire Brigade,—The steam fire engine was taken out last night for the purpose of proving whether it was safe to force water through 1200 feet of hose with only one outlet, The delay at the late fire was alleged to have been caused by a difference of opinion on this point, and some interest was manifested by the public in the result. The members of the Brigade mustered at half-past seven o'clock, and the length of the hose mentioned being attached, a pressure of 95 lbs of water was put upon it without causing more than one or two unimportant leakages. A further enquiry into this and all matters connected with the late fire was afterwards made by the Fire Brigade Committee of the City Council, but the result will not be known until the next weekly meeting. Kiccabton Road Board.—The ordinary meeting of the Board'was held yesterday at their office, Cashel street west. Present :fMessrs Pavitt, Helmore, and OV&laghan. On the motion of Mr O'Calaghan, Mr Pavitt took the chain. The minutes of the former meeting were read and confirmed. : Alette* was read from Mr J; Ollivier, Provincial Auditor, informing the Board that he had audited and passed the accounts of the Board for the last two years, and that had been kept in a very satisfactory manner. A letter was read from Mr J, C. J. Stevens, relative to the drainage of section 9, on which the surveyor was directed to report at nekt meeting. The surveyor's report on the Fendalltown and Papamri Junction Road was read and adopted, and the work ordered to be carried out. Some damage done to the Harewood Junction Road by the overflow of tnc Wairarapa Creek, was ordered to be repaired. After passing accounts for works done, the Board adjourned until Wednesday, March 3. Concert.—A concert in aid of the funds of St. John's Cadet Corps, took place at the Town Hall last evening, and was comparatively successful, alike as regards the attendanceand the manner in which the programme was carried out. The fife and drum band attached to the corps appeared on the platform, and played well under the direction of Mr Rowley, junr. Mr Zincgraffi was to halve opened the concert by a pianoforte solo, but the programme was departed from in this particular. Mr Zeesler, who has proved himself to be a good vocalist, sang "It's a way we have in the army," and was deservedly applauded. Miss Ada Sinclair Taylor was encored in everything she sang, and Mrs Lloyd ,and Miss Oakes, were similarly complimented. Miss Lavinia Taylor's clever performances on ' the English concertina are too well known to require praise. f'L'etoile du Nord," " Les Huguenots,'' iand " Le Prophete," were vociferously applauded, and the Scottish fantasia was encored. Mr J. H. Henuett's comic song was also encored, and Mr H. Poore's flute solo met with a capital reception. When the musical portion of the programme was grae through, nr John Ollivier addressed the audience on'the origin and nature of the Hau-hau worship. Six Cadets then appeared on the platform dressed in Maori costume, and performed the evening service of the Hau-h'aus, under the leadership of Mr Willcocks, junr,, who took the part of the high priest,, j To judge from the applause, the concert gave the fullest satisfaction,

Bankrupiot.—Meetings of creditors in the estates of George Albert Riinge and Thomas Adkisson Gates were to have been held yesterday; morning, but no creditors attended, and were, adjourned by the Registrar Until Wednesday next. i|

: .What: Next ?—Certain strong - minded wompn assembled in Chicago ori;Aug. 6;j and : ! after balf-itn-hourjs deliberation, decided! tbfit inert Kive shown their' inability to rule, and that the reins of government must be transferred to women. A woman's league was instituted ; every member must take the subjoined oatli:—"'We, the people, inhabitants of America, are prepared to rally around and support a new and divine government of Church and State—a combined ftheocratic arid'deinocratic government; men representing the State, and women the Church—the Church controlling the State." Miss Buffon addressed the convention. She said;— "Society shakes and trembles under the reconstructive hands of women. The new government had assumed such gigantic proportions as were unsuspected by the opposing powers. ' Have we a government ?' was a question often asked by statesmen. She was happy to announce that the women had a government instituted and officered by women—a defactogovernment, acknowledged by thousands of men and women—a combined government of Church and State. (Applause.) It was running all right, and drawing into it philosophers and scientific men. The great central idea was, who should rule this earth—man or woman ? A new era had been reached, or such a question could not be found. The blood of woman clamoured for the right to rule the earth, and to so construct the State and Church as to prevent abominations entering. Man had gone just as far as be dared, and was now waiting to take the oath of allegiance to the new government, and become loyal subjects thereof, of which woman is the head and prime mover. They needed the protection of men, but if that were denied them they would go alone. Woman would never yield her position. Man might pout and rave and storm, but there she would stand immovable, with a ray of light enshrining her," Attempted Suicide.—'The Wellington Evening Post of Jan. 17 contains the followiog:—A passenger by the Kuahine from Wellington to Panama, named Courtney, attempted suicide while on the voyage. The Panama Star informs us that theunfortunate man is a native of Ireland, about fifty-five years of age, a Catholic Missionary. On the afternoon of the 30th Novi, he complained: of a slight indisposition, and retired to his room, and not coming up to supper as usual, the surgeon of the ship went to call him. Finding no response to his knocks at the door, his suspicions were aroused, and the carpenter was ordered to force the door open, when a horrid sight presented itself. The unfortunate man was found stretched out senseless, his throat cut from ear to ear in a most mangled manner, and his arm being also deeply perforated with a knife iu an attempt to open an artery. Me must have died from exhaustion very soon nftewards had he not been discovered ; however, luckily, he was not so far gone as to be beyond recovery, and his wounds being sewed up, his life was saved, though at first he made several attempts to tear them open, and the captain was finally obliged to confine him in irons, to keep him from attempting to put an end to his existence. He is now in a fair way of recovery, and in full possession of his senses. He says the attempt to commit suicide was caused by a peculiar dream he had a night or two previous On examining his papers, drafts were found for £3OOO sterling, besides a large quantity of gold under bis pillow. A will was also found of a very reeent date, leaving all his effects to the Bishop of Lancaster, England, The unfortunate man is how at the Aspinwall Hotel, in this city, under medical treatment, and may possibly be able to prosecute his journey to England on the next steamer. A Rohance.—An interesting, little romance is related in the Melbourne'papers, in which a colonial young gentleman has played one of the leading parts. Some six or seven years ago, the gentleman referred to left Melbourne to complete his education on the continent of Europe. Dufing a collegiate vacation, while enjoying himself at a ball at Ostend, he met and danced with a young French lady of considerable personal attractions; and by ten days, when ht resumed his studies, the acquaintanceship so casually made had ripened info a friendship, and ultimately became an' ardent attachment. The young gentleman was prevented from communicating with his mistress by the rules of the college, and she, ignorant of the fact, wrote on many occasions to him; but, of course, her letterswereintercepted.and thepersonforwhom they were intended never saw or heard of them. Under these circumstances both parties lost sight of each other, and were deprived of hearing of each other again, or at all events of meeting any more. About three years ago the gentleman returned to Victoria, when his father handed him a goodly bundle of billet deux, which had come to grief at the college. The recipient heard nothing more of his lady love, till within the last few dayß, when he learned that she had ascertained of his return to Australia, and resolved to follow him, She is now a passenger by the ship Somersetshire, which is expected daily in Hobson's Bay. The lady, it appears, is of a very good and wealthy family; her mother having been waiting maid to the late Queen of Belgium, and her father being the possessor of medals from most of the crowned heads of Europe—Queen Victoria included—for bravery displayed in lending assistance to shipwrecked persons, while Comptroller of Customs on the Belgian coast.

The Ddke op Edinburgh's Visit.— The Argus of Jan. 4, writing on the approaching visit of his Royal Highness to Victoria, says" The visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh is looked forward to witli much pleasure. On this occasion, of course, he will be received more as a private visitor than he was when he came to our shores twelve months ago. There will be leas of ceremony, and probably to our visitor a great deal more of enjoyment. There will be fewer deputations and of those formal and loyal addresses which occupied so much of his time, and gave to much trouble to his private secretary, a year ago. But the Duke will be able to come and go with the most perfect freedom. Receßt discussions in the Parliament and Press of New South Wales, have shown that there was no foundation for the supposition that any Eenian conspiracy ever existed there, and that the attempt on the life of the Prince was but the act of a solitary person, probably monomaniacal on the supposed wrongs of his country." The narrative of the principal incident connected with the Duke's visit to Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland, which has recently been published in England by authority, offers little that is either novel or interesting. Alluding to the attempted assassination of the Prince at Clontarf, Messrs Milner and Brierly state that, when speaking of the event afterwards, his, Royal Highness remarked that" when he heard the report of the pistol, he did not feel that he was shot, but thought that he had trodden on a Chinese cracker; and that when he fell forwards, the sensation was not that of falling, but as though he was being lifted up behind. It was only after he had raised himself by his hands into a Bitting posture, and saw a man pointing a pistol at him, that he knew he had been shot; when, finding all sensation from the smalt of the back downwards to be entirely gone, and that there was an extraordinary coldness iu bis legs, which lay quite powerlesß, he concluded that his back was' broken. It seems that after this deplorable affair the Duke persisted in his intention of completing his cruise, in obedience to the latest orders received from the Admiralty, but that Commodore Lambert, 1 in view of the Prince's impaired health, and of the state of affairs in New Zealand, took upon himself the responsibility of ordering the Galatea to proceed direct to England; and her passage home constitutes the subject of the last chapter of the volume.

A Monster " Float."—The Engineer contains an article in which the three projected methods of crossing ihe Straits of Dover-by a tunnel, a bridge, and an embankment—are carefully examined, and each is shown to be attended with all but insuperable difficulties.

The writer concludes as follows After all, ia it not questionable whether the same end may .not be without either bridging,'tunning,. the Channel? 'accommodation were provided in the of proper harbours at each side, there'| would be no difficulty in running steanj'flbats, across the Channel, at the raitp of twenty-five miles an hour. These floaty might b&lOOQ jfeet long, and 120 fast Afi<lQ,'i , arid propelled each by fpur'sfcrewsj each 'screw driven by an engine oapable of exerting 6000 indicated horsepower. ■ Trains would be run directly on board, and not a passenger need leave liis seat, unless he chose to stretch his legs on the spacious deck during the run of forty minutes or so. Two floats would be required at work, and one to lie by for repairs. Almost any amount of engine power might be used as the weight of coal to be carried during a trip would be a mere trifle. Floats and harbours might be established for about £3,500,000, less than one-third of the sum a railway would cost. The scheme, in our opinion, deserves consideration fully as much as any other yet proposed for crossing the Channel. That objections may be urged against it is certain: but then what scheme for crossing the miserable eighteen miles or so is not open to objection ? '1 he great question is, would it pay ? We think it would, but without a guaranteed subsidy from the Governments of France and England, it is not probable ihat money will ever be raised to test the question practically."

Duke op Edinburgh lUoes.—The New Zealand Sm of Jau. 27 thus informs us how Otago proposes to entertain the Prince:—At a meeting of the committee appointed to make arrangements for nces to be held during the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, held on Monday evening, the following programme was adopted:—First day: Maiden Flate of 80 sovs, entrance 3 sovs; distance, 1| miles. Weight for age. Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, a handicap of 200 sovs, with a sweepstake of 5 sovs eatih added, the second horse to receive 20 sovs from the stakes; sovs; distance, 2 J miles. Taieri Stakes, of 80 sovs 5 entrance 3 sovs; distance, 1 mile; weight for age. Ladies' Purse, of 75 sovs; entrance 5 sovs; distance, 1J miles; welter weights for age; gentlemen riders. Handicap Trotting Race, of 50 sovs; entrance 3 sovs; 3 miles and a distance j optional saddle or harness; no weight under 10st lib. Second Day.—Handicap Hurdle Race of 80 sovs j entrance 3 sovs; 2 miles and a distance, over 10 flights of hurdles. Galatea Cup of 100 sovs; entrance 5 sovs; distance, 2 miles; weight for age. Tradesmen's Plate, a handicap of 100 sovs (presented by the committee of the Tradesmen's Races), with a sweepstake of 5 sovs each added; entrance 2 soysdistance, \\ miles. Selling Race of 50 sovs; entrance 3 sovs; distance, 1J miles; horses entered not to be sold to carry weight for age; if to be sold for £75, allowed 7 lb; £50,141b; £4O, 211b; £25,281b. The winner to be suld by auction, and any surplus to go to the funds. Consolation Handicap of • 50 sovs; post entry, 2 sovs; distance, 1 mile. Hack Hace of 25 sovs; post entry, 1 sov; catch weights. Winner to be sold by auction for 20 sovs, and any surplus to go to the funds. The meeting will be under the rules of the Otago Jockey Club. The stewards have not yet been appointed. The Riverton Diggings ; x Suggestion, —Mr R. Berndston, a practical Victorian miner, is suggesting the formation of an Alluvial Gold Washing Company, in the Longwood Ranges. In a letter to '• A Hivertonian," as published in the Southland News, Mr Berndstun says, " When first arrived on the Thames Goldfields, its similarity to the Longwood iianges at once struck me, and after minutely examining the ground and the workings, I felt convinced that this impression will prove literally true. I was not without data for comparison at the time, as I have had a good deal of practical experience of this place. The discovery of the Thames was a mere chance—if Hunt had not found the small leader it might not' have been opened now. There was not as much induceinent for prospecting as here. Except this claim, no others got gold-bearing quartz on the surface, the further discoveries were all owing to the capitalists stepping in, the miners soon found that they could not do without them, The claims were then thrown into companies, and a good thing it was for them all. The capitalist has received his reward in the shape of good dividends and large premiums on his shares; the miner, in permanent employment; and the couutry at large, in plenty of employment for its surplus labour, and standing in the world as a mining community. I am convinced that, with a little expense and judicious perseverance, we would very Boon receive the same benefit. We have the advantage of the Thames in having alluvial gold diggings, that even now would pay for proper working. The loss of time from wet weather to the individual miner is more than half, and dry seasons are as bad—they then suffer from a want of water. 1 Even with those inconveniences, I daresay there is not a digger in the Longwood that is not making two or three pounds per week—l know there is one party making six or eight pounds per man per week; but if you take the low rate as a standard, aud allow them to work all the time, it would far exceed current wages. A company would have the advantage in being able to reduce this loss of time by having proper appliances for the wet weather, and plenty of water for the dry season." Native NEWS.-The Southern Cross of Jan 15 contains the following:—A private letter from the Maori King was received by a gentleman in Auckland a day or two ago. The letter is in the handwriting of the King's secretary, Manuliiri, but it has been written by the King's order. Tawhiao indignantly denies this sympathy with the murderers of TeKooti's gang, and deprecates war. He complains very much of certain lies concocted by tlie friendly natives, and he says the Government ought to prohibit people going up to see him, unless they arc provided with passes, in which case he will prohibit persons from his own place crossing into the pakeba country without his expressed permission in writing. He says his desire is to live at peace with the Europeans, but he hopes they and the Government will disbelieve the tales that are told by the Queenites. We have been obligingly shown a letter from Tamati Ngapora, written from Tokangato a gentleman in Auckland, and received a day or two ago. It is dated January 3rd, 1869. Tamati assures the gentleman, alluded to of the peaceful intentions of the King, and says the present apprehension by the Europeans of an outbreak is entirely owing to the lies disseminated by a certain party who desire to precipitate a war in the Waikato. Tamati urges the recipient of the letter to keep fast hold of his end of the rope, while he (Tamati Ngapora) holds firmly to his. Another letter has been received from the king's headquarters, which |s confirmatory of that written by Tamati, and the one we mentioned in our issue of Saturday as emanating from Manuliiri, the king's secretary, It also confirms the intelligence forwarded by our Alexandra correspondent that the king had ordered Tapihana Tawiri to retire from his threatening position in the neighbourhood of Alexandra. Whilst on this subject we may state that, during his late visit to the Waikato, Mr Matkay heard of the reported alnrm at Alexandra, aud promptly telegraphed to Captain Pitt to ascertain the true state of matters at that settlement. In reply Captain Pitt sent a telegram stating that be had just seen Mr lurner, and that though l'apihana bad been at Kopua he had returned to Kawliia without doing any mischief. Captain Pitt further informed Mr Mai kay that l'apihana had neither ordered Mr Turner away nor any other person. It is quite certain that, whatever may bave been 'J'apihana's first intention, his conduct met with the entire disapproval of the king. It will be remembered that some time ago a rumour got into circulation to theiffect that an armed party of llau-haus. under ltiki, Tona, and Hotc, were in the neighbourhood of Tauraugawithevidentlyhostileintentioiis. We stated ourselves on the best authority, at the time, that the party had gone over to Katikati on a fishing excursion, anil we were obligingly furnished with information on Saturday last which fully confirms our former statement. Irihia le Kauae, chief of the Ngatihaua, arrived at Ngaruawahia on Friday last, and reported that he was sent specially to Tanranga by the rest of the tribe in order to ascertain

whether there was any truth in the published report that Riki was in the neighbourhood of Tauranga with hostile intentions. Te Kauae says he found Riki and bis party at 'l'e. Moananui's settlement at engaged in catching and add that, although Hiki is the' most 'obatinate Hau-hau in the Ngatiliaua tribe, liG dis&jms ' any hostile intentions towards the p|jj§ha, The fact that the Ngatiliaua seat a fecial messenger to injure into the truth or dthcrwise of a newspaper report shows that they are quite alive to events; and, moreover, they are determined, if possible, .that' none of the members of the tribe shall by any ill-considered or violent action involve them in trouble with the pakelrn.