Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1265, 4 December 1867, Page 3

Domain Pastuees. —Tenders are invited bv Mr. J. Brown, Secretary to the Domain Board, receivable until noon of Friday tlie 12tli inst., at tlie Superintendent's office, from persons desirous of renting the Domain pastures^

!The Wharf Ha k uois Light. —w & would draw the attention of the authorities to the fact that the group of lights at the end of the wharf were not lit up at 9 o'clock last night, and for aught we knotv lit last night at all. Police.—One drunkard was punished at the Police Oourt yesterday, and .Robert Kelly alias McKenna was convicted of stealing a pocket book containing a £10 note, a deposit receipt for £20C, and several private letters from the person of Wm. Huson, was committed for trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court. Pbince of Wai.es Theatre.—Signor ~V"ertelli gave another of his wonderful performances last evening, but the continuance of the wretched weather we have experienced for some time past, was enough of itself to preclude anything like a numerous audience. Nevertheless, though the audience was small, the performance was most excellent. There was a partial change of programme, several novelties being introduced, in fact the Signor on this occasion excelled himself, not only carrying a lad upon his back along the cord, but standing on one leg with his living burden. The gymnastic portion of the performance seemed to find particular favour with the audience. • This we attribute to the fact that two members of the Auckland Gymnastic Club appeared with the Signor, and went through, a series of feats on the horizontal bar, which would have done credit to more pretentious performers. Indeed, we were hitherto unaware that any members of our local club had attained to such proficiency as gymnasts, and the two gentlemen are not only a credit to the club to which they belong but to the city of Auckland. Signor Yertelli will aDpear this evening, assisted by three gentlemen amateur gymnasts. We regret to notice in our obituary notice of to-day the death of Mr. J. Watson Sain, who [ expired yesterday after an illness of several days duration. Mr. Bain was an old resident in Auckland, and a member of the first Provincial Council under Colonel Wynyard's Superintendency, as indeed he was of the present one— a seat for the City East becoming vacant by his death. At the time of his death, Mr. Bain also held the offices of Chairman of the City Board, Lloyds' Agent, and American Consul. Drowning.—We regret to state that the steward of the Water Nymph, William Hopwood, was accidentally drowned last night. It appears that the steward and the cook of the vessel had been ashore on leave and were returning on board at about midnight, when the cook, having crossed the gangway, heard a splash in the water, and on looking behind him missed his comrade. He immediately returned to the gangway and found that the hand rail on the right hand side had been broken down, from which it is surmised that the deceased must have been misled by the darkness and stumbled over tho gangway, carrying away the handrail in his fall. He was twice heard struggling in the water, but no cry was heard. It is supposed that he must have struck the mooring chain in his fall. Mr. Commissioner Naughten and Constable Jervis were promptly on the spot, when every endeavour was made to recover the body by means of dragging, but up to 2 o'clock without avail. Captain Babot and his crew rendered eveiy assistance. The steward was much respected by the officers and crew of the vessel, having made several voyages in her. His age was between 50 and 60, and we are informed that he had a wife and family in England. Supeeme Court. —The criminal session of the Circuit Court was resumed yesterday. His Honor Mr. Justice Moore took his seat on the bench at 10 a.m. George, otherwise Charles Thomas, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of old metal, the property of Peter Birley, and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. John Clune, aged 12 years, charged with burglary at Onehunga, was acquitted, and ordered to be detained to the end of the session so that he might be admitted to some institution. Patrick Fennell and three other men named Harvey, Burbridge, and Lockey were indicted upon a charge of killing a heifer with intent to steal the carcase, the property of W. Eussell, of Cambridge. A verdict of acquittal was taken for Fennell in order to enable liim to give evidence for the Crown. All the prisoners were acquitted. James Boyle and John Childerhouse were indicted upon a charge of cattle stealing at Howick. Boyle withdrew his plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty. Boyle said the reason he pleaded guilty was that he had an innocent man by his side. The prisoner Childerhouse was found guilty. Boyle, it appeared, had been four years ago convicted of felony, namely for firing a rifle at a prisoner whom he was escorting, and killing him. He had just completed his sentence of four years' penal servitude ,for that offence. Both prisoners were sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour. There remains only one case undisposed of, namely that of John Waddington Graves, charged with obtaining money under false pretenccs. His case will be taken this morning at 10 a.m. The Court adjourned at half-past three o'clock.

The City Boabd must be reduced to sore straits for want of funds when its official records find their way to the butcher's shops as waste paper, &c. We shall look with some interest to the next half-yearly returns, to see the amount realised by their sale as such. A gentleman called at our office yesterday, and left with us the official record of the poU taken for East ward No. 1, on the 23rd October, 1867, signed by the Revising Officer. It came, the bloodstained record of a harmless and not very exciting contest, into his possession, along with a pound of chops, which he had purchased at one of Our city butcher's shops. Eeally this is too bad." Who can say that the document may not vet be required—and leaving that out of the question, is it right that the signatures of some fifty-six gentlemen who voted on the occasion, should be left to fall into the hands of any unscrupulous person who might put the possession of them to evil purposes, or even that it should be allowed to be thus publicly known who had voted for Mr. George, who for Mr. Harris. We trust that the fate of the records of the poll of the 23rd October last, has not also been the fate of even more important documents. In whose charge, we ask, was this official paper, and through whom has it found its way as waste paper to a butcher's shop ? An Unexpected Bombiedmint. —The bourne Argus of the sth ult., has the following : —" Some well-grounded commotion occurred in St. Kilda yesterday. About 1 o'clock p.m. four thirty-two pound. shots were fired from a gun in the St. iCilda battery. One of the shots struck the portico of Mr. A. i'lark's house iu Acland-street, dislodging a quantity of brickwork and falling in the garden. A second shot tore down a portion of the fence, passed over Barklystreet, crushing through and tearing down the garden gate and fence close in front of Mr. S. P. Lord's house; it afterwards diverged across the yard into the laundry, and finally settled down in an iron boiler. The laundrymaid had a narrow escape, having been standing in the line by which the shot passed not a minute previously. The remaining shots were recovered near Acland-street, where they had harmlessly struck the ground. On inquiry being made at the battery, no positive information could be elicited as to the cause of this' inexplicable' practice. By later infor-1 mation we learn that a gun had been condemned and dismantled for some time. A party had recently been sent down to examine it, but finding some obstruction in the muzzle of the gym, they primed and fired the piece, without having previously taken the precaution to turn the muzzle seawards. It is generally credited that the local volunteer corps had nothing to do with j this reckless conduct. Captain Snee has already visited the battery and a full investigation of, the matter will take place," '

Adjottbned Licensing Meeting An adjourned meeting of Justices of the Peace for the transfer of publicans' licenses, was held yesterday at noon, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, when some fourteen applications were received, all of which were granted. -Reception of His Boyai, Highness. The sub-committee met yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock, in the Board Koom of the Commissioners ; His Honor the Superintendent in the chair. A plan of proceedings was drawn up by a nd submitted to the meeting. Mr. Firth, we believe, has gone to consult with tne natives as to what part they will take in the proceedings. An estimate of the cost was also aid before the meeting. As the whole meeting was truly preliminary, and, as a full report will be laid before the general committee at their meetog on Thursday next, we have been requested to withhold any report of what took place in cxtenso.