New Zealand Parliament.

Marlborough Express, Volume XIV, Issue 1183, 1 November 1879, Page 6

New Zealand Parliament.

[By Telegraph.] Thursday, October 30. In the House, Mr Turnbull gave notice for the simplification of divorce proceedings. In replying to questions, the Premier said the adjustment of the expenditure of public money in Auckland would be based on the principle of justice to all parts of the Colony. A bill to regulate the Immigration of Chinese is promised. Mr Saunder’s question regarding the late Ministry and the electioneering telegrams standing over till next sitting day. Money bonuses will be set aside for each Island for the discovery of gold or diamonds. Correspondence telegrams relating to the alteration of polling places at the last election will be laid on the table. The Government promised to consider the question of promoting the establishment of a phosphorous manufactory for the object of the destruction of rabbits. Mr Bryce promised to get prepared a return of the. Native Office expenditure from July, 1869, to October, 1877. The Land Tax Amendment Bill was read a second time. It was agx-eed that the honorarium to members should be settled by statute. Mr Sutton’s resolutions to extend and improve the system of local government, so as to enable them to carry out public works' and maintain local institutions, and that Government introduce a bill for that purpose led to some debate. The Government promised to consider the matter during the recess. The measure required is too comprehensive to be dealt with this session. The debate was adjourned for a month and interrupted at 5.30. Friday, November I. The Premier announced that the Government concurred in the opinion that the Agent-General

should not be a director in the Loan Company, nor a candidate for the House of Commons ; but shareholders, thinking that their interests would be prejudiced by Vogel leaving the Company and as some late Ministry allowed his connection with the Company, he would be allowed a reasonable time to sever his connection. The Coverment promised to consider the question of the simplifying the law court proceedure. The Premier, in reply to Mr Saunders, said that some members of the late Government sent electioneering telegrams as public ones, and if not prejudicial to the public service would be laid on the table. A bill to reduce the price of members’ rights was read a first time. The qualification for Elections Bill came on for itt second reading. Sir G. Grey complained that the bill did not give Manhood Suffrage, in Committee he would do his best to amend the bill, so as to secure Manhood Suffrage, and to give the Natives the same rights they have under the Constitution Act. Several members having supported the bill, expressing hope it would be made more perfect in Committee. Tawhai and Te Wherero protested strongly against any alteration in the Maori vote. The latter predicting trouble by the stoppage of roads in the North Island. Tole approved of the dual vote to Maoris, who paid rates. Others spoke, mainly supporting the bill. The debate was interrupted at 5.30, The Rabbit skin Trade,- No fewer th n 3,966,409 rabbit skins w r ere exported last year from New Zealand, the estimated value being £33,000. The returns for this year will be considerably lessened owing to the employment of poison in lieu of rabbiters.

A Northern Contemporary heads an article thus.—“ To Reader Wood Incombustible and Impermeable.” It turns out that the intelligent compositor took on himself to convert “render” into “ reader .” The member for Waitemata is not disgusted with the dedication.

A Christchurch telegram of October 20 says:—Alfred G. Saunders, late of Mallet and Saunders was arrested yesterday on a charge of being concernedj with H. Canning at Timaru iu forging the name of Edward Jones, an absentee, to a deed and transfer of some laud in the Timaru district. Mr Barton, the member for Cavcrsham asked the Government Whether they will give instructions fur each station in the colony to keep lists of names and addresses of those who desire to employ labor, the nature of the remuneration offered; together with alist of those who want employment, and the remuneration required ; and, to facilitate the interchange of information, for telegrams between policestations iu connection with such lists, to be free ? In the House of Representatives last week Mr. Wright asked the Minister of Justice —Whether he would inti’oduce a Bill to amend subsection 2 of section 10G of ‘ ‘ The Debtors and Creditors Act, 1870,” so as to give to artisans and and laborers a preferential claim for wages due to the extent of three months, instead of one month as provided by the Act ? The Premier in reply said the subject had been given a careful consideration, and the Government were of opinion that legislation was desirable on the subject. It was one of the subjects the Government would take up as soon as the measures now standing on the Order Paper had been disposed of.

New Islands :—The fine barque Alexa* belonging to Messes W. and G. Turnbull and Co., arrived in harbor at Wellington on Sunday at 3.30 p.m., after a passage of 82 days, from Foo Chow. The following particulars of the voyage are from the; captian’s log :—On September 9th, at 5.20 a.m., sighted a group of islands, six in number (the Catherine Group), thinking by the time above mentioned to be clear of all danger ; ship standing on a wind south by east true ; the south wind island, when seen at daybreak, bore west 14, On going to mast-head, sighted six small islands, covered with cocoanut trees to the water edge. They appeared to be circular ; twelve and a half miles in diameter ; water braking between each of them. There is only one island laid down on the Admiralty chart for 1877 ; position on chart, 9.31 north, 162 east. Captain Robb calculates the group to be 165’53 south and 8.57 north. The south island which is the largest of the group, is in 8.50 north, 155 57 east. There seems to be some truth in the statements of the man Edward James whom our readers will remember was arrested a few days back for having forged a deed of conveyance of sone property in Timaru, belonging to a certain James who has not been heard of for several years. At the Christchurch Resident Magistrate’s Court on October 25th Albert G. Saunders was charged with aiding and counselling James to forge the deed of conveyance, in Christchurch on March 28th, 1876. The accused had been arrested on warrant, issued at Timaru, and a remand was necessary in order that another party implicated might be brought to Christchurch to answer the same charge. Mr Inspector Hickson admitted that it was beyond the jurisdiction of the Christchurch Bench to deal with the charge. The accused was remanded till Wednesday, bail being aliowed, himself in £SOO, and two sureties of £250 each. This charge has reference to the conveyance of rural section 1070 in Timaru. The real owner, Edward James, is said to have been drowned on the West Coast, and another person of the same name is alleged to have been induced to execute a deed of conveyance. On the following day at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Timaru, the other person implicated in the affair. D. H. Manning, a publican at Pleasant Point, was charged with aiding and abetting Edward James to forge the name of another person named Edward James, believed to be dead, to the transfer of a certain 100 acres of laud near Timaiu. The case was remanded till Monday next, bail being allowed. It is likely to turn out one of the most extraordinary cases on record, as the real Edward James has not been heard of for many years*

Secular Education and Eible Reading’ in schools create much discussion in the columns of \ the Dunedin newspapers. The following is the retort of an advocate of Secular Education: —“It appears that in defence of the reading of the Bible in schools, and of religious education so-called, truth is of little moment. According to one advocate of Bible reading in schools, the present system of purely secular education has great potentialities for the manufacture of Reids and Hawkinses, and men of that stamp.’ Now it is a fact that all the criminals found guilty at the present sittings of the Court have had Biblical training. Murray was trained in the Bible and Shorter Catechism, aud was once a deacon of the Presbyterian Church ; Reid was also trained in the Bible, and was a lay reader of the Episcopal Church and Treasurer of the Church Society ; Hawkins was also trained in the Bible, and was a churchwarden ; Smith was trained in the Bible, and was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Surely after this, secularists might be entitled to say : If Bible-teaching and religious training bring forth such fruits, it is time for something else to be tried. ‘With great seriousness the momentous question ‘Where are we ?’ may we 11 be asked by the Bible-in-Schools Association.”

An Old Yarn.— A Scotch pedlar, without the remotest intention on his part of getting into a quarrel or fight with any men, had put up (with his pack) for the night at a country ale-house on the borders of Wales, where, as the fates would have it, he found in the kitchen of the inn a motley assemblage of not the moat desirable companions, and among the rest a Welshman, whose aim from the very first seemed to be to get into hot water with poor Sawney. The latter, sagaciously appreciating the true character of his tormenter, and determined to get rid of him in the quietest way possible, told him that he “did not want to light.” This only excited to a still higher pitch the bravado of the Welshman, and he told the Scotchman “he would make him fight.” “Well,” said Swawney, “if I must £ fight, let me say my prayers first,” which the Welshman conceding, the Scotchman fell upon his knees and implored his Maker to pardon him for the “twa men he had already killed, and for the one that was aboot to dee.” The Scotchman slowly rose from his knees, but the Welshman had made tracks. The Canadian Taripf and the Wool Trade, —A serious grievance, which is likely to make every farmer a determined foe to the new tariff, is the absence of any duty on wool. This omission is directly attributed to an understanding between the Canadian Government aud the woollen manufacturers. On the one hand, the United States farmers are protected by a duty on wool which enhances the price, while the Canadian farmer, being unprotected, will practically find his prices ruled by those of Great Britain, the cheapest market in the world. On the other hand, the American woollen manufacturers have had but little more protection than the Canadian manufacturers now have, and the prices of the Canadian fabrics will therefore be practically fixed by at least the artificially enhanced United States prices. The Canadian tariff, says the Toronto Globe, is therefore much more unfair to the farmers than the United States tariff; for while the Canadian Farmer will have to sell his wool to the manufacturer at the lowest rates in the world (otherwise foreign wools -would be bought instead), the manufacturers will be at liberty to combine so as to over charge him sixty per cent, for their productions, even if made out of his own cheap wool. The Canadian farmer, in fact, will be educated into a knowledge of the iniquity of the tariff every time he makes a purchase, and every time he effects a sale.— Wool Trade Review.

The following letter appeared in the Dunedin papers some few days back. It is written by a gentleman who stood for the membership of Dunedin in Jnly last, but was unsuccessful. The letter is a genuine one, notwithstanding that it is extraordinary :—“ To the Merchants of Dunedin : Gentlemen —Will you place funds at my disposal to enable me to make a tour of New Zealand, Dunedin to me is now a perfect blank. Ido not wish to give lectures, because in the present circumstances of the Colony I feel that ray utterances might have the effect of a live coal of fire dropped into a powder magazine. Again, a three months’ tour would enlarge my ideas, reinvigorate my system, and send me back into your midst with copious notes for publication. Or, better still, will you help me to return to England ! I have been 24 years in Dunedin—l would like a wider theatre for my talents for the next 24 years. I will neither write nor say aught detrimental to the interests of New Zealand. ‘ Let the dead past bury the dead.’ Let me turn over a new leaf, and utilise for the good of the world the talents lent me for a day. I love Dunedin, If you wish me to live and die in your midst, then, as a last resort, start me in business as a bookseller. A first-clasa book shop, full of the newest works asl they emerge from the English press, and presided over by a good judge of books, is a great desideratum in these colonies. Stretch out your hands to me at this critical season, and let us all forget the past. Let me say, in the dying words of Bums —“Let not the errors of my youth, nor sins, remembered be; in mercy, for Thy goodness sake, O Lord, remember me.” You can easily, without incommoding yourselves, pull me out of the net, and set me on a course of usefulness, happiness, and prosperity. — J. G. S. Grant,” At Auckland the other day a young man who was swimming at a flong distance from the shore was on the point of turning back when he observed a slight rippling in the water. On closer examination he saw a shark about twenty feet long making for him. Being a long distance from shore, he thought it advisable to make for an adjacent rock on to which he hastily scrambled. Evidently the fish' was not to be duped of a meal in this way, for he made several attempts to capture the occupant of the rock. It being high water at the time, the only safe plan was for the gentleman to wait until low tide before which the shark would ha veto withdraw. He was quite right for the fish evidently tired at his non-success, beat a retreat, and the swimmer made the best of his way home having been on the rock fully four hours,

The follow remarkable notice of insol- J vency appears in the Melbourne Teleijrnph : Lottie Melville, of No. 16 Victoria parade, barmaid. Causes of insolvency : Being out of employment. Liabilities, £36 Ss 4d ; assets, 10s ; deficiency, £35 8s 4d. Mr Halfey, official assignee. A Dublin professional man addressed an artisan, who was waiting in his hall, rather brusquely, “Halloa, you fellow, do you want me?” The answer was neat, “ No, yer honner, I am waiting for a gentleman !” A claimant has arisen for the whole of the land between Prince’s Bridge Melbourne and the bay at Sandridge, a distance of about four miles. The land has been valued at five millions sterling. These sort of claims seem to be popular, as we have heard of similar ones being made to various large tracts of country both in this colony and its neighbours of late. At the Invercargill District Court n Monday the case of Campbell v. Mackay was tried. The claim was for £l5O for injuries received through a savage dog belonging to defendant flying at, and biting Cambpell, who was in Mackay’s employ. Judge Harvey awarded the plaintiff £2O and costs. A couple of medical spiritualists in Dunedin, which by the way, is the premier spirit supporting community in this Colony have entered an action for Libel against the Mount Ida Chronicle for £2500, for comments which appeared in this journal connected with the death of a man named Scholtz, who they had operated on for deafness.

The total received for land sold for cash ormwaey scrip in 1878, wsa£l, 252,992 undeterred payment, £29,368. Lands held under depasturing and other leases (except gold-mining) from Ist January to 31st December, 1878—For depasturing purposes, 1072 runs, with an area of 13,109,955 acres ; rents and assessments; £106,886 ; agricultural leases, 132,’333 acres, rents, £13,756. For leases for mineral and other purposes, 18,586 acres, with a rental of £3305. The Wellington Ganick Club propose to give a grand benfit entertainment on Thursday night next at the Theatre Royal in aid of the Cricketers’ Association, The Wellington papers inform us that the occasion will be made brilliant by the presence of the Governor, Lady Robinson, the Hon. J. Hall, and the members of the the present Cabinet. We have not the least idea in the world as to whom the members of the Garrick Club are, but w r e should think that its leading spirits are somewhat sarcastic, as they have selected to play that evening the comedy. “All that Glitters is not Gold” The police, armed with a search warrant, visited the office of a well-known solicitor, at Christchurch one day last week in pursuit of a document which was important to the prosecution in the Timaru forgery case ; the office was searched in vain by six constables, nothing but two safes were left; the keys were not produced, and two blacksmiths were procured who commenced to break them open. After one blow had been struck the solicitor gave in and handed over the document under protest; he could not stand the destruction of the safes which were valued at £l4O.

A few days ago we received by the Press Agency a message from Tauranga which ran thus : —“ Fitz Gibbon Lough Castle Grace Katikati which we construed as : —“ Mr Fitz Gibbon of Lough Castle Ireland, and Mr Grace of Katikati, proceed to Wellington by the Pengiun.” The word ‘ * Ireland” was introdused as a bold attempt at explanation. We regret to say that in this instance we made a very bad shot at the intended meaning. The other morning a gentleman called at the Post office and introduced himself as Mr Fitz Gibbon Louce of Castle Grace, Katikati. He had no need to explain his bufiness, as they knew at once what he had come about.

A Pleasant Town to Live in.—According to Humbolt Sthe oldest town in the •world Ts Jakutsk, 5000 inhabitants in Eastern Siberia. It is not only the oldest but probably, also the coldest. The ground remains always frozen to the depth of 300 ft., except in midsummer, when it thaws three feet at the surface The mean temperature for the year is 13.7 deg. Fab. For ten days in August the thermometer goes as high as 85deg. From November to February the temperature remains between 42 degr and 68deg. below zero. The river Lena remains frozen for nine months of the year.

The following extraordinary, and, we should say, highly improbable story, appears in the ‘ Lyttelton Times’ lobby gossip, of all places .--—“A horrible rumor is being circulated respecting the disappearance of a man formerly residing not a hundred miles from Wellington, and although the police pooh-pooh the matter, personal inquiries made on the spot convince me that there should be a searching inquiry. For obvious reasons 1 will not mention names. The man disappeared some weeks ago, the police alleging that the last time he was seen alive he was coming out of a public house. But neighbors allege that for two hours afterwards they heard his voice in altercation with his wife and paramour, and that next day and for several days afterwards, enormous fires were kept up in this house, and the smell of burning flesh was so horrible that complaints were made to the Inspector of Nuisances. Surely there is a case here for investigation.” Pretty Yices. —Lord Loftus, the new Governor of New South Wales, is not in luck. Lately at Home, Colonel Wellesley, husband to Lord Loftus’ daughter, eloped with the actress, Katie Vaughan, and was removed from the Vienna Embassy in consequence. Now in Sydney. Mr Linklater, a barrister—a welcome guest of the upper ten there, a son-in-law of Lord Loftus, from whose second daughter he bolted on the Continent—was arrested aboard the ship John Duthie, bound for London, charged with bigamy. He has been remanded for a week. Mr Linklater omitted to bring with him his wife from England, and, during his sojourn in Sydney, married another. Tidings of the second marriage reached his first wife’s ears, and she set the - law in motion. The prisoner being so well know in upper circles, the affair is causing considerable interest.

There are in the Odour 1 1 0,008 maleover 21 years of age, of whom 82, 271 are on electoral rolls. A good story is told of Professor Blackie On the door of the Greek class room in Edinburgh University, Professor Blackie had occasion a few weeks ago to put up this notice: “Professor Blackie regrets he is unable to-day to meet his classes.” A waggish student spying this, scraped out the intial letter of the last word of the sentence, and made it appear as if the Professor was regretful at his inability to meet those fair specimens of humanity familiarly known outside the college quadrangle as the “lasses.” But who can joke with Blackie? The keen-eyed old man, noticing the prank that had been played on him, quietly erased another letter and left the following to be read by whom it might concern : “Professor Blackie regrets he is unable to-day to meet his asses.’* Mrs Hatch has for many years been a conspicuous spiritual medium in Boston. Her speciality is the production of flowers from spirit sources. She gave a seance a short time ago at a private residence. The lights were extinguished as usual, and the persons in the circle •were enjoined to hold fast to each other’s hands. Flowers were soon dropped here and there. Mrs Hatch began to explain how they had been brought from distant places by spirit hands. All the gas burner’s in the room had been connected with an electric lighting apparatus, and suddenly the appartment was brightly illuminated. The medium was completely exposed. In her lap was a pile of flowers, and she was caught in the act of tossing them into the air.

A novel kind of robbery was brought under the notice of the Melbourne magistrates recently. Two sisters named Susan and Sarah Wilkins, aged nineteen and seventeen respectivel3 r , had, for some before they were detected, carried on this plan of operations : they watched children going on errands to shops, asked them them if they wanted lollies, giving them pennies to buy some, and then offering to take charge of the childrens money till they returned assuring them that they were friends of their mammas. In this manner they succeeded in securing sums varying from 6d to a £I-note. The police suspected them for a long time, and watched them in private clothes for •weeks. They were caught in the act, and are now locked up on remand, a large number of charges having been laid against them. Crushing a public-house looks a singular statement to make, but it is founded on fact - The old Commercial Hotel at Castlemaine has actually been put through a crushing battery and yielded at the rate of 7dwts to the ton. The bricks used in the construction of the house were made from the sludge and clay taken from the bed of Forest Creek, which necessarily contained fine gold which escaped from the primitive appliances used by the miners in those days. For many years a roaring business was done in the old house ; but reverses came ; the hotel was deserted and fell into ruins, until lately a speculative genius hit upon the heavy idea of putting it through the mill and after taking away the woodwork about the premises bo seat the bricks and mortar to the crushing battery, with the result above stated. We have heard frequently of Victorian streets being paved with gold, but the fact of houses being built with gold is rather difficult to beat.

Writing from London to the New York Times Grace Greenwood, a well known authoress says ; —A strange rumor has been for some time afloat in London, and I now find it given with considerable circumstantiality if no substantiation, in thtV Paris Figaro. It is not less than the statement that the late Prince Imperial left a ■wife—a beautiful young English girl, whom he had privately married, and had installed with her baby and nurse in a retired furnished house in Bath. It is stated that when about to depart for Africa he placed his wife and child under the special care of a Catholic priest, to whom he was only known as an officer in the English artillery, and to whom he said that grave family reasons hindered him from applying to any other friend, and even from revealing his real name. This priest frequently i visited his charge, and happened to be present when the young woman received the news of the death of the Prince Imperial, at which she fainted. From this and her great distress afterwards, he was led to divine her secret and his suspicions were confirmed by hearing that the lady actually went to Chislehurst at once, and made desperate but vain efforts to obtain an interview with the Empiess. Should this romantic story prove true —and what romance need surprise us where a Bonaparte is concerned ?—there is another Prince Imperial, there is another shadowy life for the Empire, of shadowy regency for the Empress ; and it would bring surcease to the agony of indecision from which Prince Jerome is silently suffering.