Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1313, 31 January 1868, Page 3

>Li.cni>."EßY for the Thames.—We are glad to see that a valuable addition is to be made to the still insufficient machinery at the Thames. The new crushing machine by Mr. Pratt, of Wangarei, will be in operation at Butt's hotel, Shortlsnd, in the course of a week. Bank op Is'ew Zealand.—lt is notified that an agencv of this bank will be opened at Shortland" Town, on Monday next, February 3rd, for the transaction of general business. We observe that there is t< ':.>■• Caledonian Dancing at Cunningham's Hotei, at 8 o'clock this evening. The Govebnoe's Despatch.—Kis Excellency's despatches, brought up on Wednesday by "the p.s. Sturt, from WeUinpton, were forwarded by the s.s Gemini to .he H'.iwau early yesterday morning. Auckland ' Naval Volunteers. — The monthly inspection parade will take place in the drill shed, Princes-street, at half-past seven o'clock, this evening. Members are to attend in arm? and f.cconirements. Auckland Gas Coup int.—The half-yearly meeting of the Auckland Gas Company was convened to be held yesterday, at 3 p.m., but at the appointed hour there were only 18 shareholders present, the number required by the Act, in order to form a quorum for the transaction of general business, being 19. After some delay, it was determined to proceed with such business as could be transacted, and the minutes of the former meeting having been confirmed, the directors' report and statement of accounts for the half-year—showing a dividend of ten per cent.—were also read and adopted. Two resolutions, of which notice of motion had been given by Messrs. D. Burn and E. "Ridings, relative to tho reduction of the number of shareholders necessary to form a quorum at general meetings to 10 instead of 19, and the payment of directors for their services, lapsed for want of the necessary quorum. Besidekt M-agistkate's Court. —The usual weekly sitting of this Court was held yesterday, when some 23 cases were disposed of, many of which were settled out of Court. There were only three defended cases, only one of which contained any points of public interest. This was an action brought by Mr. G. Taylor, proprietor of the Wh&rf Dining Booms, Lower Queen-street, against Mr. Weaver, to recover payment for certain refreshments supplied to agents, polling clerks, canvassers, and others, on the occasion of the elec'ion for City East in T)«2cember last.. ar rt in which th. defendant was a candidate! Ti ap'..-'ar* > d that Mr. Wm. Griffin had bee;.! employer! •.; defendant's agent in the election, ?nd tLut dif- refreshments had been orcLn-e-i by oce of tl\e canvassers named Me Bougaii, who, it was aliened, had been authorised by Mr. Griffin to pledge the defendant's cs-edit. Mr. Griffin, in iva own. svideece, stated lii.i, he considered himself authorised, in \~l'i capacity of to defendant, to cz\<-T refreshments on his account, but "*•).-. Weaver positively denied having given tny authority' to pledge his credit. It was iiot clear, however, from the evidence whether Mr. Griffin had directed McDougall to order the refreshments, and the latter, who might have thrown some light on the question, was not called in evidence. His Worship, after hearing the evidence, —which showed that 29 meals, together wich refi »shments had been suppl"."t ■■->!inwte'l t T .fit the evidence was =asufficienr '■■■ vrxmsi: :i judgment, and Mr. Beveridge thereupon took a nonsuit. Police.—At the Police Court, yesterday, two drunkards were punished in the usual manner. Frederick Doran and John Williams, charged witl-. having stolen a quantity of clothiDg from on board the schooner Hercules, pleaded not Railty, were remanded until this morning. Stackpool E. O'Dell, charged with stealing JnoDey, jewellery, &c, from the dwelling-house of Mr. J. Jf. Newbold, wa3 remanded until Monday r.ejrt. Tee'Champick PiotrafCMJur of England bbaten Mi Faemeb'3 Sok.—The Great Lincolnshire Ploughing Match for Spalding and Deeping Fen came off yesterday. Eight competitors entered the lists ; among them was the formidable crack man James Barker, sent by AXessrs. Hansomes. A young Lincolnshire larnier, J. Creasy, had pluck enough to put in an appearance, and with a Howard's plough made such splendid work that the Ipswich champion was completely distanced. At the treat Somersf-tshire Meeting on the previous "ay, a local pionghman, W. Kingston, in the class Open to all EngUm:!, also with a Bedford Plough carried offthe silver cup. -Momina Star,

Financial Reform.—A public meeting is convened to be held at 7.30 o'clock this evening, in the Presbyterian school-room, Parnell, to consider the question of financial reform. Am. Saints' Church. —A soiree will be held in aid of tho Minister's Maintenance Fund in connection whh All Saints' Church, Ponsonby Road, on Thursday, the Cth February next. Tea will be provided at G p.m., in marquees erected adjacent to tho church, and a military band will be in attendance. A social meeting will be held afterwards in the church, the chair being taken at eight o'clock. Suitablo addresses will be delivered, and selections of sacred music performed by the choir, assisted by lady and gentlemen amateurs, under the direction of Mr. Pice. Should the weather prove favourable the affair will doubtless be a decided success. The Roubkby in Victoeta-steuet. —At the Police Court, yesterday, Stackpool E. O'Dell was brought up, in custody, charged by Mr. J. N. Newbold with having stolen from his house in Victoria-street a sum of money in gold, notes and silver, &c, cf the total value of nbout £100. Mr Wvnn appeared fortlieprosecution; Messrs. Joy and J. Hussell for the defence. A remand was applied for by Mr. Wynn, on the ground that another person said to be implicated in the robbery hnd not yet been apprehended, nnd the hearing of the case was adjourned until Monday next. Bail was applied for by the prisoner's counsel, but O'Dell declined to avail himself of it, stating it to be his desire to remain in custody. He appeared to feel his position very acutely, and had evidently suffered slightly since his apprehension. A large erovrd of persons had assembled in Court to hear the trial. On the question of Provincialism v. Centralism. Mr. Collins, a candidate for the seat of Collingwood in the General Assembly, thus recently expressed himself as to whether Provincial Governments should be abolished or not, he thinks, —" That we had better not be in a hurry to get rid of them uutil wo are sure of something better — unless we arc sure that in giving up Provincial Councils we are not giving ourselves up to be governed by a Ministry somewhat inclined to despotism." The time may come when the provinces, ceasing to be jealous of each other, when their land is all sold, when inter-communication shall be much easier, and when the propensity of some of them to run into debt iias been cured, that we may all be able to unite in upholding one strong central government. That time is probably remote ; in tho meantime, let us not be in a hurry to fly from the evils which we know to others, possibly worse—let us keep a tight hold of our liberties, and let us recollect that the only thine that the Colonial Government has done for A'elson is to saddle her with part of the debts of her less economical but more favored sisters."

Dubious Phospects.—New South Wales heavily weigh \ I with debt :ir. \ vsm tion, has. \t seems, its oi<" "•. -w .! ; -.r evils to cciter.3 wn; . The Sydney Mc.rr.hir/ Herald savs: —" At the present time :.'••• view v, if'j despondency their burnt a , 'lighted crop?; the seeking protection against a sul ti- , enemy that may biast their prospects in a week. The sheep farmers loot with dismay on the scorched grass and the diminishing water supply ; and now the ! cattle farmer, in addition to his apprehension on account of sciieity of water and herbage, is ■warned of the approach of pleura pneumonia. Were there any reason to question the reappearance of this disease amongst the herds of New South Wales it would be exceedingly injudicious to sound the alarm. But the facts that have come to our knowledge from persons whose duty it is to investigate the truth, place the circumstance beyond doubt. Pleuro-pneuiuonia we know has existed for some time in Queensland, and in the absence of any law to prohibit the transport of infected r-::0. - across the border, iic difficulty is experieui , - d ;;-■ Ix-li-iving that the complaint iias ihown itse -' in the northern districts of New South Wale.s. But, not only are the cattle sickening along the north-west points of contact with Queensland. Within a few miles of Sydney cattle hare die.i of it within ti<e last fortnight."

Chinamen on the Goldfields. —The Mount Ida correspondent of the Waikoiiaiii Herald says:—"Yesterday (Sunday, Jan. 5), fifteen Chinamen arrived here from Dunstan Creek. I believed they called at the Camp, and requested to know where they might pitcli their tents. 'J hey were shown a piece of grouij J in full view of the Police Camp, and perfectly isolated. There the party erected their sis tent*, and. no doubt, expected to make themselves comfortable ; such, however, was not to be the case. The rumor soon spread that Celestials had invaded the Hogburn territory, and the barbarians began to accumulate around the walls. Whilst this was taking place, and before I had myself visited the camp of the invaders, I perceiveA, upon a small eminence at the upper end of the township, a small party about to make a descent from the north. This, however, turned out to be a mistake of ray own, as it was merelj a sham fight, got up tv' attract adherents to the noble cause of externum lug the infidel. TVis by-play was to a certain extent, successful, and about a hundred men rolled down to visit these poor Mongolians. Whatever their intentions were, their actions were pacific ; but they warned the invaders, and told them that they would have to ' clear out' before a given time next morning. The unfortunate Chinamen had to accede at once to the demand, and promise to clear out by the time appointed, upon which these true modern barbarians retired to their lairs. Mr. Sub-Inspector Sincock did everything in his power to protect the weaker party, and succeeded in so far that no disturbances have taken place up to the present time. Should such a thing take place, Providence alone can tell what the upshot would l>i?." JSTf.w Gatßlkihtin Acstbaxia.— A. Western journal states that a aor aiv.i roost destructive species of blight has attacked the cat crops in the vicinity of Lispower, and at the farms situated near the Bald-hills, whence it is traced as far as Yarram Yarram on the one side, and for a great distance amongst the farms to the north of the latter place, on the other. TJte blight referred to is a description of insect. Mr. Elliot, who is the largest sellfe in the neighbourhood where it was first observed, stales whole paddocks have been i>o completely destroyed that they are no™ beiag mown down, or thrown open for cattle. In some instances wheat has also suffered so badly that the scythe is at wort, and the cattle admitted. Mr. Petri, who lives but a short distance from the Hopkins-hill, states that his whole breadth of crop is completely destroys!. The ravages of tbe injeot r : '-"3 the ear a prematurely ripe appearance, nuJ o- opening the ltaves myriads of then are di:,.'arbed in neevly every instance, Pbice op a "vVife. — As showing the marketable value of married women in Victoria, we give the following from the Melbourne Herald of the 14th December: —" A most disgraceful occurrence took place on Saturday at Palestine. A man offered his wife for sale publicly. There was some competition, and the lot was eventually sold ' under the hammer' for £20—£6 cash, and the balance at three and six months. We may add that no police are stationed i'a the locality of this scandalous transaction."