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New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 634, 23 November 1865, Page 4

Provincial Council Elections.—Northern Division. —Colonel Balneavis makes notification tlmt the declaration of the poll for this district will tako placc on a day to be hereinafter appointed. St. Stephen's Orphan Home Bazaar.— Contributions for this Bazaar proposed to be held in January next, will bo thankfully received by the followingladies:—St. Paul's Parish , —Mesdames Whitaker, Beckham, Dacre, Feuton, Gillillan, Lloyd, Mouatt, Porter, Reeve's, Waterston ; St. Matthew's Parish—Mesdames J. W. Bain, J. Brown, Cadman, Gamble, George, G. Graham, J. J. Henderson, Hobson, Hooper, Maude, Mrs. Stirling, Walker, the Misses- W. Williams, Talbot, Lumpen, Dawson; St, Marj's Parish—Mesdames Selwyn, Abraham, Oorbett, Lincoln, Miss Maunsell. bt. Mark's, iiemuera, Mesdames Baber, Heywood, Stanley, Jones, Lyell, Williams, Commissariat Tenders. —The Deputy Assistant Commissary General invites tenders, receivable until noon of Monday, the 27th, for 40,000 lbs. of salt pork, to be delivered immediately ; for -10,000 lbs. to be delivered in six weeks, and -10,000 lbs. to bo delivered at three months. The meat must be first-class. Fresh pork, packed in cases of about 200 lbs. each, and to be received under the usual Commissariat regulations. Particulars at the office of the Deputy Commissary General. Cricket. —Married v. Single.—The match which we announced in our issue of yesterday as to come off in the Albert Barracks Square was postponed in consequence of the boisterous I weather which prevailed. It. will, however, (weather permitting) be played this day, and wickets will be pitched at 10 a.m. The respective Elevens remain unaltered in any material respect. Considerable interest is manifested as to the result, a close game being anticipated. We sincerely hope that there will be "ho necessity for further postponement. A Convict Sun*.—l received a short note from Sir Astley, informing me that he had procured for me the appointment of surgeon on board a ship, which had been taken by Government for the purpose of transporting a number of female convicts to Australia. I cannot say I felt particularly delighted by the information. In the iirst place, I had fixed my hopes on receiving a permanent appointment, and this would of course terminate when the voyage was ended; and beyond that, it led to nothing. However, there was some occupation for me, which, if not very remunerative, was better than idling my lime away, and I immediately wrote Sir Astley a letter, thanking him for his kindness, and promising to call on the authorities to whom he had referred me without delay. I now began to make preparations for my voyage to Australia. I placed £170 of my little capital iu the bank, and tho rest I kept to purchase my case of instruments, outfit, and to provide for my current expenditure. My spirits were elated at the prospect of my visit to the autipodes, and I promised myself pleasure satisfaction in my new employment. Never was man more thoroughly disappointed. My voyage was one of continued misery from the time the I ship left > ngland till she arrived in Sydney. At the present time it would hardly be thought credible were I to relate the method of life on board a convict ship five-and-thirty years before. At that time nothing was more common, on the caprice of a captain of a ship, or possibly on the complaint of a second or third mate, to lash an unfortunate creature up to the gangway, and Hog her most severely, in exactly the same manner that sailors are flogged in tho navy ; and so common and so little thought of were these occurrences, that it was not even thought worth while to enter them iu the ship's log. Although, in my own time, an improvement had taken place in the treatment of theso wretched women, heaven knows it was even then bad enough. When they arrived at their destination, and wero assigned to the different settlers, there was always one loud cry of horror at their degraded state. And yet there was little to l>e wondered at. If any good or modest feeling remained in them before the ship left England, it was almost certain to be destroyed, before she reached her destination. After the treatment they had been subjected to duriug the voyage, and tho examples they had constantly before their eyes, it would have been far more surprising, when they landed, if they had preserved one commendable attribute of womanhood, than that they had lost every principle which makes woman honorable. It would bo impossible for mo to lay the details of tho general demoralisation of the ship before the reader ; suffice it to say that my life, when on hoard, was made wretched by it. I endeavoured, to the best of my ability, to mnke things better; but as in those days the relative positions of the surgeon and the captain of the ship were but ill-defined, my remonstrances had no weight, and my threats were laughed at. —" The Village Doctor," in St. James'x Magazine. Messrs. llarris and Turner will sell_ to-day, at tho rear of Messrs. Harris and Laurie's store, a quantity of cedar and scantling. Messrs. John Eouerton and Co. have received instructions from Messrs. Sehapp and Ansennc to sell to-day, at the wharf, Custom-house-street, 50,000 feet of Kauri timber, 60,000 feet of Hobart Town hardwood, 20,000 Kauri shingles, 4000 Hobart Town rails. Messrs. E. and 11. Isaacs will sell to-day, at Webb's Buildings, a large quantity of oilmen's stores and sundries, comprising—arrowroot, sardines, cheeses, brushware, cigars, and tobnoeo.

Bank or Auckland. —Tlie directors announce a sixth call of 10s. per share, payable on Saturday, the 23rd December. To BiucKirAxrcus. —Messrs. Amos and Co., contractors, are in want of bricks for the New Supreme Court Building. Otahuhu Public Hall. —The opening of this new building will be inaugurated on Thursday the 30th inst. Tho day will bo kept as a general holiday in Otahuhu, His Honor the Superintendent will preside on the occasion. Mr. R. Robertson will throw open his grounds for the amusement of the public. Tea will be provided at five o'clock. Several well-known amateurs will perform concerted picces of vocal and instrumental music. Baxtee's Estate (Mahurangt.)—Claims against this estate must be sent in to Messrs. Hobbis ttud Hurst, of Queon-street.

Smald Debts Couet. —There are fifty-five cases to bo heard, in the Small Debts Court today.

Speaking of the advisability of forming local | institutions in country districts in New South i Wales, the Sydney Morning Herald says : — I " Many complaints have been made that the Government has witheld the expenditure of the votes for minor roads. The need of good roads is so great that the want of the money has been severely felt, and members are strictly representative in uttering complaints on this score. Yet, as it was necessary to withold part of the authorised expenditure in order to keep within the limits of the deficient income, there was no vote which could be more properly clipped than that for minor roads ; and if the votes were cut off altogether, so as to force the country atI larn-e into the general adoption of municipal institutions, it might be a very good thing. The general revenue ought not to be chargeable for minor roads. The proper fund for their construction and repair should be drawn from local taxation. The land to which these roads will give access, and which will be enhanced in value by such improved access, should be made to bear the cost of the road-making. Until this is done there will never be a sufficient sum of money available for the proper maintenance of secondary roads ; and when it is done, the rural residents will never be at the mercy of any particular Minister to get the money for the mending of their ways." Police—Henry Lidman was fined 20s. and costs, yesterday, for being drunk. Alexander MoCubbery was charged by the master of the brig Highlander, with being absent without I leave; but the master not wishing to press the charge lie was sent on board with a reprimand. I William Harris and John Mulloney were charged with wilful disobedience of lawful commands on board the brig Highlander. They pleaded that there was not enough hands on board the ship to discharge it. His Worship said they had nothing to do with that. After a caution from the Bench the men were ordered to return on board to their duty.

The Skeleton of Jeremy Ben-tit am.—Dr. Southwood Smith had been the intiqjate friend of Jeremy Bonthain. It was the wish of the venerable philosopher that his body should be dissected, and for that pnrpose lie left it to the enlightened physician who had been his attendant at tho time of his death. Having called upon Dr. r>mith at his house in the city, as I was going away he said, in his quiet manner, " Would you like to sec Bentham?" I could not quite comprehend him; but leading his way into the hall, he unlocked, with a small key that hung to his watch chain a mahogany case, something like the sedan chair of a past generation. Behind an inner covering of plate glass sat the figure of the old jurist in the identical clothes which he had worn living; a waxen face, round wliicn was clustering the white hair, covered with his well known broad brimmed hat, and he leant on the trusty stick with which he had so often paced the Green Park. I long stood absorbed in many thoughts of the great mail's career. Dr. Smith withdrew tho glass, opened the few buttons of the waistcoat, and then showed the skeleton, which preached the same lesson to the pride of liumaii wisdom as the skull of " poor rorick" did to the gibes that were wont "to set the table in ft roar. —— Knight's " Passages of a Working Life.''

Supposed Drowning.—Considerably anxiety was yesterday manifested upon the wharf respecting the late of Captain Stanton of tho brig Emma Prescott, who has been, missiug since

sailor named Cieorge Page is also missing, and some apprehension exists for his safety. This man was seen about eleren o'clock on Tuesday night going from tlio waterman's stairs in a dingy towards his vessel. Nothing has since been heard of either the man or the dingy.

AitTiriciAL Manttbe. —"We learn from the Sydney Morning Herald " that a company at Hoba'rt Town, "which includes some names of great respectability, has been formed to work a concession made by the Secretary of State to Dr. Crowthci' (long a resident of Tasmania), to collect a phosphate of lime deposit in the islands of the South Pacific. This substance materially differs from the guano of South America iu its component parts, the South American containing 20 9 parts of phosphate of lime, and the remainder moisture producing ammonia. The South Pacific deposit, on the other hand, contains from seventy to eighty parts of phosphate of lime. The use of guano iu England has been diminished because it yields too much cellular tissue for the grain-bearing plants —too much stalk, and too little grain. The importance of this distinction will bo apparent from the statement of Liebig, the celebrated agricultural chemist, —namely, that a pound of phosphate of lime will produce a bushel of wheat (CO lbs.), and that the dearth which avenges overcropping of roots or cereals arises from no other cause than the disappearance of this essential element of production, is ow what this company say is,—that they have acquired a right to take from lauds not far from us, a substance which will convert our barren fields into lauds of great fertility,—that the substance tlioy have to sell, which lies in the compass of a seetlbasket will make the wheat crops four or fivefold. They say that there is an inexhaustible supply, which can be delivered at a few shillings an hundredweight, which, will nourish sixty times its weight iu corn and roots. If these statements are true, they will be not only fortunate adventurers, but great benefactors. In Tasmania the substance has been applied with results which, we are told, promise to restore Tasmania to the highest rank as a wheat-grow-ing country. The quantity imported has risen in three years from one hundred to a thousand tons. It has been tried at Bagdad by Capt. Chalmers, au old and most estimable colonist, on Sir J oil n Owen's estate at Orielton, and at Clarence Plains. Laud, which yielded barely eight bushels, is now yielding thirty to thirty-five, and we need not say that a large crop commonly implies a sound ono. We may add that deep ploughing in fine weather, and careful scarifying so as to keep clear from weeds, are conditions of success. Such then are the facts which have reached us, and which we believe to be true. An unlimited supply of fertilising substances is on our shores—the phosphate of lime, soluble in water, would refresh and restore many a colonial farm now exhausted and half deserted. A new opening is offered for agricultural enterprise, and the Australias may be made independent of foreign corn, not by raising the price of bread to the consumer, but increasing tho supply itself. An experiment was made by a Tasmanian farmer with four kinds of manure, including bone-dust and guauo, and the best crop was obtained, side by side, on tho land manured by the soluble phosphate of lime."

Supbeue Court.—His Honor presided over the sittings in Banco yesterday. There were three cnsea lieard, a report of wliicb. will be found in another column.

Phinck of Wales Theatbe.— The perform, ances last evening -were the same as tho3c of Tuesday evening. The ordinary dramatic p er formances were followed by the usual distribu! tion of prizes to ticket holders, consisting of a great variety of articles of value, suited to p er sonal ornament or use. To-night the "Pink Domino" will be repeated, followed by the laughable farce, the " Dead Shot," to conclude with the drawing for twenty prizes, comprising a number of articles of jewellery and fancy ar. tides. The Hamilton Races are announced to come off on the 18th and 15tli of January next. The following gentlemen's names appear in connexion with this interesting event Stewards : Capts East and Brown, 4th W. 8., Lieutenants Pitt' IstW.R. Judge ; Lieut.-Col. ilould. Starter' iW. C. Mainwaring, Esq., B.JI. Treasurer •' Lieut. Shilson. Clerk of the course: Ensirm Connell, 4th W.R. Captain J3rown is hon. aec.