THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1574.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3987, 22 August 1874, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1574.

What we anticipated is likely to come to pass. Mr. Vogel having obtained so large a majority for the abolishing of the North Island provinces, is, it is said, advised by Mr. Stafford, to shortly call another session to pass a bill to give effect to his resolutions. The Premier will not want much advising in the matter. We are rather inclined to believe that the suggestion comes from Mr. Vogel by way of Mr. Stafford, acting as his mouthpiece. Should the Premier adopt such a course, and wo have little doubt but that lie will, the act can only be characterised as a groat breach of faith. At the timo Mr. Vogel moved his resolutions, ho distinctly desired it to be understood that all he asked for was that the principle enunciated was not to take form or shape until the following session —the long recess between the present one and the next to be occupied in considering all the details and bearings of tho bill. Nothing was said about a special session being convened, nor was such a thing even hinted.

If our information be correct the electors have but one alternative left, and that is, with the least possible delay to convene meetings at every centre of 2>opulation in the province and petition his Excellency the Governor to step in between Ministers and the electors to preserve their rights from being sacrificed with such iniquitous speed, and in the face of a gross injustice being perpetrated on the province.

It is with no little satisfaction we notice that a strong Opposition is likely to be organised, and that the session will not be allowed to close without tho voice of a largo section of the colonists having been heard through their representatives. Mr. Vogel's policy has been to carry his resolutions through the House with such rapidity as not to admit of any organised opposition being raised against them. Nothing in the records of our Colonial Parliament will shew a parallel to tho indecent haste with which so largo constitutional measures, involving such important changes, have been thrust upon members, and by a ruse carried before sufficient time hud been allowed for deliberation.

A caucus, our special reporter at Wellington informs us, lias been hold of Opposition members. There were present at it, Messrs. Bunny, Macandrew, Reeves, Fitzherbert, Gillies, Reid, and Shcehan. The nature of the caucus was to consider the present position of political parties, and a unanimous conclusion was arrived at that the present could only be regarded as the beginning of a new light, and that the Government should be invited to go to the country before introducing any constitutional change. It was urgod that steps should bo taken to direct the attention of the whole country to the proposed revolutionary measures—of the dangers threatened by the present Government, the reckless character of the Colonial changes proposed or passed, and tho extravagant nature of Colonial expenditure. Wo have no hope that the present Ministry will accept of any invitation to go to the country. We believe that no pressure which can be brought to boar will induce them to adopt this course. We have no hope for any reduction in the extravagant expenditure being permitted by Ministers. Neither can we bring ourselves to believe that the Opposition will effect a large measure of good. What has to be done to stay the reckless onward course of the present Ministry must be done outside the House. It is only the people of the provinces throughout the colony who will be able to bring any pressure to bear. His Excellency must be appealed to, and the Home authorities advised of the reckless measures which havo been passed or proposed regardless of all consequences. It must be a general cry and a universal protest throughout tho electorates. If this be not done Ministers will but pursue their own course until their career has been cut short for the lack, but not for the want, of inclination to proceed still further.

Ix committee, iu the General Assembly on Wednesday, when the Burial Ground Bill was under discussion, a clause was carried by a majority of sixteen, as against ten, to the effect that it shall l)e lawful for anv person by v, ill or deed, duly executed, to direct that his or her body shall, after death, be disposed of by burning the same to ashes instead of by burial in earth ; such burning, be it understood, not to cause anv nuisance The bill might have gone a little further, for it allows onlv of the alternative J Carth M,? r fire ' aUII aavs nothing about water, lhe wish to be buried in the " deep deepsea," has been by no means unfrequentlv expressed, and it was Madame Malibraii who desired that when dead her body miMit be cast into Niagara's stream, and floated down the rapids, to its utter destruction We do not think, however, that the wislj will be general by the living that when dead their bodies shall be "incremated." Thus writes one whose name has long been held in deep reverence by that portion of the world who do not think that when life ends all is finished :— " There is probably no more thoroughly grounded and well-established custom thaii our manner of burying the dead. Cominc down to us through ages of practice by our ancestors, strengthened by traditions, hallowed by religion, the tomb seems invested witn a sacredness next to the Deity From the costly mausoleum down to the humble grass-grown grave in the old churchyard, all are held dear. Our best sentiments, our tenderest affections are centred around the grave. Not a thought of the dead, of the loved passed from earth, but is associated with our present form of g ( pulture ; by its tender simple poetry and associated sentiment'

much that seemed harsh in the great mystery of death was softened. But now cornea a scientist, theworstaffliotedvictim of the idolbreaking contagion we have yet heard of; he tells us this matter of coffins and graves, our splendid tombs, and all our cherished forms of burial, aie inconvenient, expensive, and useless ; these dead people, he Bays, are still cumberers of the ground, occupying useful space that the increasing population yet above ground cannot well spare ; that the decaying bodies breed pestilence, the effluvia poisons the air, and the decomposing particles infect the water. So we are asked to dispose of our dead in the most economical r.nd effective manner, that is, burn, them ; leaving nothing to the sorrowing ones but the ashes of the dead. It is scarcely worth while to treat this matter seriously, or give, as we first designed to do, the various arguments for or against the newdoctrine ; suffice it to say, that tile arguments in favour are not well grounded in fact, and are generally, so to speak, wholly inadequate to the subject. They bear too plainly the stamp of their origin : they grew out of a restless desire for change, a restless feverishness that we havo likened to physical contagion—a mad, insane purpose to attack whatever is time-houored, held in high esteem, or sanctioned by custom among us. To the fact that such a proposition, coming from such a source, touches the hearts of men notwithstanding the improbability of its being adopted, we may attribute the discussion that gives it prominence, otherwise it would never be heard of outside the immediate influenceof the originator."

The law affecting landlord and tenant in relation to agricultural leases has long been considered very defective and most unsatisfactory. By the loose manner leases are drawn up in New Zealand and the absence of proper legislation the landlord is as often at the mercy of the tenant as the tenant is with his landlord. The same evil has been complained of in Tasmania aud New South Wales. In the former colony legislation is about to be made to bear on removing existing evils so far as it is practicable. A bill has been introduced into the Tasmanian Parliament to amend that part of the law of the Landlord and Tenant Act relating to emblements, the seizure in execution of growing crops and lodgers' goods, and the removal of agricultural tenants' fixtures. Clause 2 sets forth that, on the termination of leases or tenancies granted for the life of the lessor, the tenant, instead of claimin" embleniente, shall hold the tenancy until the expiration of the year in which the lessor dies, and then quit possession Ithout notice on either side. By clause 3, growing crops, even if seized under an execution, aud sold by the sheriff, shall be liable for any claim for rent so long as they remain on the ground. Clause 4 prevents tenants who have erected buildings during their holding to take them away, unless the landlord elect to take and pay for them. In cases of subtenants or lodgers, clause 5 provides that, should an execution or distress bo levied by the superior landlord oa the immediate tenant, the immediate tenant may certify that he has no property or beneficial interest in the goods or chattels of the sub-tenant or lodger, and the latter may then satisfy the superior landlord. Any untrue inventory made by the sub-tenant orlodgerahall render him liable to bepunishedforamisdemeanour. In case of execution or levy being proceeded with, clause li provides that the sub-tenant or lodger may apply to a Stipendiary Magistrate, or two Justices of the Peace, for an order of restitution, and an action at law shall also lie against the superior landlord. Any payment made under the fifth section to the superior landlord shall be deemed to be paid by the sub-tenant. Clause 8 gives the superior landlord power, in cases of subletting, to demand that payments be made to him and not to the immediate tenant. Clause 9 authorises judges to make a table of costs and charges for making distress for rent. The term " emblemeuts," not Generally unaeralood, may then be explained in its legal bearings. " Emblements" is intendedto signify the growing crops which are annually produced by the labour of the cultivator. They are deemed personal property, and as such go to the heir and not to the executor.

The following is a hint from which something may be learned by our Marine Insurance Companies :—Some little time back a ship, named the James Chiston, was stranded on the beach near the Cliff House, San Francisco. This vessel was insured in a company at California, and the owners failed together oil". It is possible there was no desire to accomplish such an object, and that the attempt made was but a very faint and partial one. The owners demanded the amount for which the ship was insured, but the managers of the companies in which it was insured refused to pay. They set to work, and, although there was a layer of several feet deep of sand round her hull, the vessel was got off and handed over to her owners, not having sustained the slightest injury. We have often been impressed with the idea that insurance companies have, as a rule, been too ready in paying the amount of claims for vessels stranded and abandoned when there has not been any necessity for such abandonment. We may state a case in point:—Some time back, a vessel was stranded at Port Underwood and abandoned. The ship was sold for the benefit of the underwriters, and fetched in tens of pounds what she was worth in hundreds. This vessel was immediately afterwards kedged oil - , at a cost somewhere under twenty pounds, ami by some means or other, no one appeared to know, came back into the hands of the original owners. The hint here given will perhaps be found worthy of acceptance.

The first charge, as far as we know of, for a breach of "The Employment of Females Act, 1873," was made on the 4th inst., at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Hokitika. J he information was laid bv a police constable, who deposed to having entered the work-room of the defendant at four o'clock on the Saturday afternoon stated, when he saw the girls in the employment of defendant s wife engaged in dressmaking. How this beneficent law is set at defiance will be shewn by the defence set up, and which resulted in the information being dismissed : "Mr. Purkiss, for the defendant, said the interpretation clause of the Act enacted that the word 'employ' should apply 'to all kinds of manual work and labour in the preparing and manufacturing of articles for trade or sale.' He first of all asked what did defendant do V He, through his wife, converts fabrics, the property of third people, into dresses, &c, for them. Under these circumstances, he submitted that his client did not come within the meaning of the Act as one employing females in preparin" or manufacturing articles for trade or sale." His Worship, in delivering judgment, said : iaking it as a fact, and lie must necessarily upon the evidence take it as a fact, that the defendant through his wife only employed the girls in dressmaking—that is, converting customers' dress stuffs into convertible articles,—and looking at the interpretation clause of the Act under which the information was laid, which limited its operation to those employers who employed females in ' preparing articles for trade or sale,' he could come to no other conclusion than that the defendant was not such an employer of labour as the language of the Act expressed, and consequently the information must be dismissed." We have cited this case so that when the police in Auckland seek to enforce the Act, which is utterly ignored, defendants will know the process to go through to escape its penalties. And so it is with most colonial Acts. They are so carelessly drawn that the proverbial coach and six, with the defendants on board, drives through them toll-free.

AVe are advised by telegram that the Pacific Islands Trade Encouragement Bill has been discharged from the order paper, on the motion of the Premier, on the ground that the Government did not deem it advisable to proceed with the measure at this late period of the session. The Qualification of Electors Bill lias also been disj'];:<.■( <1, the Government promising to support it next session.

Hie Worship the Mayor forwarded yesterto hi 3 Honor the Superintendent at Wellington by telegram a copy of the resolutions carried at the meeting on Thursday night, with a request to read the same in the House. Failing this, a request was made to hand copies of the resolutions to each of the Auckland members. A very pleasing entertainment was given in the Prince of Wales Theatre last evening, on which occasion Master Johnny Gourlay appeared, assisted by professional and amateur talent. There was a good attendance. The performance commenced with the comedy of "Poison in the Cup," which was made thoroughly entertaining by the careful and complete manner in which it was produced. Master Johnny Gourlay, Mrs. C. F. Searle, and Mr. Lancelot Booth took the principal characters, and received the marked applause of the audience. The whole of Master Gourlay's songs were good, and especially "Jones's Musical Party," and "Brown, the Tragedian." Upon each appearance he was encored. Messrs. Newton and O'Hare gave songs and dances, and responded to encores. Mr. Lancelot Booth rendered the familiar song, "Don't hit a man when down" very fairly, and brought down the house with a humorous local song, in which he referred to the recent salvage claim and our political situation. The farc? of the '' Rival Lovers, Paddy and Sandy," concluded the entertainment in a satisfactory manner. Another performance will be given this (Saturday) evening. The silver baton presented by the members of the orchestra and chorus of the Royal English Opera Company to G. B. AUen, Esq., their leader, is on view in the window of Mr. I. Alexander, jeweller, of Queen-street, by whom the baton has been manufactured. This handsome article is composed of solid silver, aud nearly two feet in length; it is mounted with IS-carat gold, set with Thames quartz at one end, and a piece of greenstone at the other. The baton has been designed by Mr. Alexander, and reflects great credit on his workmanship. It is encircled by a large gold ring, bearing the following inscription:—"Presented to G. B. Allen, Esq., by the members of the orchestra and chorus of the Royal English Opera Co., Aug., 1574." A gold band also runs spirally up the baton, on which is engraved the names of all the places at which the compan v have performed in New Zealand. This chaste and unique ornament will be presented to Mr. Allen on Monday. A very brilliant concert is to be held at the Choral Hall on Monday evening next, by the Royal English Opera Company, assisted by the members of the Auckland Choral Society. The first part is devoted exclusively to the Choral Society, which we think is rather a mistake ; the second part to the Opera Compony. A little mixture would have been better. Among the selections we see that Miss May will render several _of her most choice songs—"Softly Sighs the Voice of Even," " She Wore a AVreath of Roses," &c, and in conjunction with Mr. Hallam will sing the beautiful Scotch air, "Ye Banks and Braes." Mr. Hallam will sing the ballad, "The Anchor's Weighed," and Messrs. Rainford, Vernon, Tetnpleton aud Miss Lambert will also assist. There are other specialities in the programme, which will combine to make the concert one of the most brilliant ever given in this city.

The Thames Advertiser says:—The following copy of a telegram from the Hon. D. McLean to the Hon. Mr. O'Rorke, Resident Minister iu Auckland, dated 14th December, speaks for itself:—" Thanks very much for telegram about Thames demonstration ; see editors of papers, and induce them to write against it and the action taken by the miners respecting Okinemuri. The. Government do not wish the country to be opened." The above telegram came into the possession of Mr. T. B. Wilson, formerly of the Thames, and has been by him handed to us for publication. As silence may be interpreted into an aduiiooion that Mr. O'Korke had waited upon the editors, as requested, we, for our part, may say that Mr. O'Rorke did not make any such request to the Editor of the Herald, and that this is the first we have heard of the matter. Quite a show of prime meat was yesterday exhibited at Messrs. E. Fisher and Co.'s shop, Queen-street, reminding many of Newgate-street in olden days. First and foremost was a fine deer, shot a few days ago at Motutapu, the first venison that has been exhibited in Auckland ; then a number of prime lambs in excellent condition, bred by Mr. Fisher at Hauraki ; also fat sheep, dressed after the fashion of the Parisian butchers ; and several prime bullocks. The whole formed a very creditable show, considering the dry summer we have had and the severe winter season, the quality and condition of the meat being excellent.

"We (Bay of Plenty Times) learn that a telegram was received on Wednesday last from His Honor the Superintendent, stating on the authority of the Minister of Public Works, that the survey of the road from Cambridge to Tauranga was being rapidly pushed ou. It is to us painfully apparent that there is some mistake somewhere, as we have made diligent enquiries, and can hear of no surveyor in the field at either end, nor can we hear of any preparations in hand for organising such survey. A late issue of the Poverty Bay Standard says the rates of wages are unaltered : Bricklayers, 12s per day ; painters, 10s per day; carpenters, 10s to 12s per day: blacksmiths, 10s to 12s per day; plumbers, 10s per day ; labourers, Cs to Ss per clay. A few domestic servants and others, drafts from the immigrant ships lately arrived in Auckland, have come on hither and found ready employment; but more are wanted. Good servants command good wages. The serio-comic drama of the "Martyred Politicians" will be enacted on Barrack Hill to-night, with magnificent scenic effects and brilliant accessories. Considerable expense has been incurred in the preparation, and a large attendance is anticipated, as the admission fee is gratis. A brass band has been engaged, and a new local song will be rendered by the people's champion, entitled " We're abolished."

A remarkable connection between the ebb and flow of the sea tide, and the supply of water from the artesian well lately sunk at Napier has been discovered. It lias been found that at full tide the well water will rise about 3 feet above what it will do at low water, thus furnishing further evidence to shew that the artesian wells sunk on the Ahnriri plains tap underground streams flowing into the sea. A cruel practical joke was perpetrated in Nelson the other evening. A number of hats and coats were abstracted from the Wesleyan Church during an evening service. The losers were compelled to face the inclemency of the night in their light underclothing, and returned to their homes with their heads bound in handkerchiefs. The abstracted property was discovered the Wednesday following in an empty shop in Nile-street. The liallarat Courier states :—"Mr Bardwell, of Ballarat, has received a letter from Mr. Whallcy, M.P., requesting him to offer a reward of £100, for information that will lead to the discovery of Arthur Orton, and also asking him to communicate with Mr Throckmorton, in order to obtain specific information of the arrival of the Osprej- in Hobson's Bay in 1554. The ordinary weekly sitting of the R.M. Court was held yesterday, and a good deal of business was transacted. There were three defended cases, but none of them pre- ' seuted any features of public interest. Mr. Benjamin Balmer was admitted yesterday a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, after a very successful examination. Mr. Balmer served his articles with Mr. Tyler, cf Grahamstown. An inquest will be held at one o'clock today at the Whau Asylum on the body of a patient named Joseph Findlay Childs, who died yesterday. An adjourned sitting of the Supreme Court in banco was held yesterday, and Mr. MaoCtii-mtek was heard to argue in the demurrer in the case Dudcr v. Biclunond.

A report extending over two columns of one j of the moat singular meetings we recoliect hearing of appeared in a New South Wales mewspaper, the Yass Courier of the 21st ult. There was what was termed a burlesque banquet presided over by an alderman, with another civic dignitary as his vis a vis. The room was decorated for the occasion—a black banner bearing a death's head and bones being immediately above the Chairman's head. The chairman, in proposing the toast of "The Governor," explained that they "were simply met in a spirit, of drollery to celebrate the release of their great captain, Frank Gardiner, alias Christie, alias a dozen names besides. It was on that account that he (the chairman) felt such great pleasure in proposing the health of His Excellency the Govenor, who, as the representative of her Majesty in New South Wales, had gone out of his way to release unto them their noble captain and brother robber, Frank Gardiner." This was received with loud cheers, and then came the toast of the evening—" The health of Frank Gardiner, alias Christie, whose release we now celebrate." Gardiner, said the chairman, was the illustrious chief of Australian banditti, and, though holding "no brevet from the Horse Guards, had earned for himself a more than military title by daring deeds of rapine and robbery. He had set a never-to-be-forgotten example to the Colonial youth. It must be owned that those bigots who foolishly imagined that virtue and honesty were proper objects of emulation had received a 'backhander,' a 'floorer,' a stab in the dark, at the hands of the Governor and of those honorable Hounds who had come forward on this memorable occasion to release their friend and brother from those cruel bonds of captivity with which humbugging justice had shackled him. Long might such ' Honorable Hounds' live to eujoy their honor. As each recurring 11th Julv came round, might there ever be such an honorable pack in existence to release to the people the Barabbas of their hearts." After the band had played " When Jontiy comes marching home," the vice-chairman felt confident "that those present would drink a bumper to Gardiner's pals, his associates in crime, his companions in exile,' , which he would propose. "He could not help thinking that these poor injured innocents had been ill-used in a vary harsh way." The band played "For they are jolly good fellows." Then a gentleman present proposed the "Navy," spelt with a k, and another gave "The Honorable Majority who voted for the release of their Brother Robber." After this the band played appropriately enough " The Bogue's March.' , The next toast was the " Bushranging Interest," aud the band played " The Dead March in Saul." The Press was then honored with three hearty groans, and the gentleman who replied, said that the editor of the Government Gazette ought to have occupied his position. Just then, says the Courier, " three men, with black masks over their faces rushed into the room and, calling upon the company to 'bail up,' fired at the chairman, who fell back as if shot. This incident caused great excitement and laughter. The chairman, on recovering, remarked that till then he had been under the impression that there was such a thing as ' Honor among thieves.' But now even that belief had been rudely shattered. There was no such thing as honor." The proceedings, which were said to have been marked throughout by a sense of fun, tempered with decorum, were then brought to a close.

A correspondent ef the New York Herald writes as follows:—"Here is a good story which has not yet found its way into print, but for the truth of which I can vouch. Lord George Gordon, a young man of four-and-twenty, wishing to marry a certain young lady, went quite recently to ask the permission of his father, the Duke of Argyll. The duke, a pompous little man, replied, in effect, 'My son, si;iee our house has been honoured by being united with the Royal Family, I have thought it right to delegate a decision on all such matters to your elder brother, the Marquis of Lome. Go, therefore, and consult him.' The Marquis of Lome, on being applied to, said, 'My dear brother, in a case of importance like this, I should think it right to ask the decision of the Queen, the head of the Royal Family, into which I have married.' The Queen, on the matter being laid before her, declared that, since her terrible bereavement, she had been in the habit of taking no steps without consulting the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, the brother of her deceased husband. To the Duke then was the case referred, and from him a letter was received, telling his dear sister-in-law that recent political events had induced him to do nothing, even as to the giving of advice, without the express concurrence of the Emperor IVilliam, before whom he had laid the matter. The Emperor William wrote a long letter, declaring that though he was surrounded by councillors there was one only who had on all occasions proved himself correct, loyal, and faithful, and without whose advice he (the Emperor) would give no decision, therefore, he had referred the matter to his faithful Minister, Prince Bismarck. And it is narrated that when Prince Bismarck was made acquainted with the subject, he roared out, ' Gotfc in Hfmmel, what a fuss about nothing ! Let the boy marry whom he pleases so long as she is young and pretty.' "

The following letter to the editor of the Waka Maori shews that the Maoris are as keenly sensible as their European neighbours of the truth of the old proverb about a "bird in the hand" : —" Whangapoua, 22nd June, 1574. Greeting. I hear that the 10s is the sum payable per year for the Waka Maori, and that you duly notify in the Waka that the money must be paid in advance, and that the Waka will afterwards be sent. You are a prudent and cautious man, my friend, but doubtless you are right; some of the young men might cheat you. Adhere to that principle, ' the money first and the Waka afterwards,' and you will be safe. It is certain the skids must be laid down before the canoe, for it to slide" upon ; therefore, I send you in this letter 10s as skids for the Wakt Maori to travel on to me here at Whangapoua. When it arrives then will ' Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.' This 10s is for the year 1574, and 1 'want the back numbers commencing from January last. It is a nuisance that my name, which I affix hereto, is so very long, but I give you the initials only of a portion of it. —T. H. W. Tapiata Kiwr." i

Messrs. John Broad wood and Sons, of London, the eminent pianoforte makers, still maintain the high jiosition they have so long held in the manufacture of their instruments. In answer to an order from their Invercargill agents, Messrs. McPherson and Co., they reply :—" We are so extremely busy that, although employing some 700 hands, and having four steam enirines going, we are hardly able to keep pace with the demand for our instruments. It may therefore be some little time before we can send you more pianos. You may be interested to learn that Her Majesty the Queen purchased of us, a few weeks, ago, one of our walnut concert iron grand pianos, at 300 guineas, as a present for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The piano was duly sent home, and, I we have since been informed, has the un- | qualified approval of their Koyal Highnesses. We lately quoted in these columns the purport of a letter from Messrs. Brogden and Sons to the Agent-General, urging a claim on the Government in respect of " the heavv liabilities they had incurred in connection with the Xew Zealand emigration." The letter was forwarded by the Agent-General on the sth of May, aud to him, on the 3rd July, the Minister for Immigration promptly and emphatically replied, to the effect that the Government was of opinion that " Messrs. Brogden and Sons are not entitled to the relief they ask, nor to any relief whatever." It is added—" Messrs. Brogden and Son have the remedies, and their employes the rights the laws of the colony afford, and to them they must be left." Encouraged by approval from many quarters, some being those whence it was least to be expected, the Premier does well to bring before Parliament a Bill for giving effect to his proposals relative to the tr&Je of the Pacific Islands, says the ITcw Zealand Times.

The Bendyjo Advertiser calls attention to a dangerous practice: "The extraordinary" effects of dynamite haveinducedseveralwood ' splitters to use it for splitting large trees One danger attending its use is thetarelessness the splitters display in the storage „{ the explosive and the percussion caps used in connection with it. It is the practice -with the view of keeping the materials dry' to place them ia hollow logs, and instances have been reported in which these hollow logs have been carted away with their con tents. An accident from this cause happened on Monday. In a house near the gold mines, Ironbark, a large block of wood had been placed on the fire, and had just «ot fairly alight, when a louda-eport, as of the firing of a gun, was heard. Upon the owner of the house proceeding to ascertain the cause, his astonishment and alarm may be imagined when he found that the log of wood had been blown to pieces, and scattered over the trhole of the room. It was extremely fortunate that there was some one in the house at the time, otherwise it must have been burnt down, the fire being sent in every direction. The explosion was attributed to the heating of a dynamite cap, two or three of which had been previously found in the same stack from which the wood was taken."

The Otago Witness gives the following strange instances of the occasional mischief of the jury system. They are taken from an English letter : 1. Some time ago, in London a man was tried, for robbery and brutal violence. The evidence was perfectly clear and no defence was attempted. To the surprise of every one the jury deliberated for twenty-four hours, and finally acquitted the prisoner. The reason afterwards leaked out. One of the jurymen was the father of the prisoner, who was indicated under an alias nobody suspecting the fact. -2. The other day five men (in Ireland) were indicted for riot, having been out on bail. When they were called, all answered to their names. When the trial was well advanced it was noticed that only four prisoners were present, and immediately a hullabaloo was raised and a hunt made. Ater seaching high and low, the truant prisoner was found—and where \ Sitting quietly in the jury box, having been duly sworn to try the rest! An English paper says -.—Curious persons who examine the Monthly Army List have often expressed their surprise at the display of patriotism made by New Zealand as illustrated in its pages, where not dozens only but hundreds of our brave fellow-sub-jects are found bearing commissions in the colonial Volunteer service, which are duly recognised in the official lists. Of majors alone, for instance, there appear to be enough to fill a very respectable battalion on their own account without any assistance from the lower military grades. The Greymouth Star says:—"lt may be rather a radical and extreme view to take of the case, but our own opinion is that a bushfire that would destroy a few million pounds worth of timber would be a blessing to the people of the West Coast." So much for conservation of forests in that part of New Zealand. A favourable opportunity is afforded for visitors to attend the great native meeting at Miranda to-day. The fine new steamer Hauraki, belonging to Messrs. Holmes Brothers, is announced to leave the wharf at 4 p.m. for Tararu. She will leave Tararu for Miranda at 10 a.m. to-morrow, returning at 3 p.m. for Auckland via Tararu. Since the trial trip of the vessel improvements have been made in her machinery, and she is expected to make the trip at great speed. The Hauraki commences her Coromandel trade on Monday. She will prove a great acquisition. We observe by advertisement in another column that Mr. Dyson, so long doing husiness as draper and importer in this city, commences a final clearance sale this day. Mr. Dyson is compelled to adopt this course on account of his premises having been disposed of, and the purchasers requiring possession at an early date. Suitable business premises are unquestionably very scarce, anil as Mr. Dyson is unable to obtain premises to remove to he purposes giving the public the benefit. Upon legal and technical grounds Mr. Von der Heyde's election has been declared void by the committee appointed to enquire and decide upon the petition presented to the Assembly. Mr. Von der Heyde now offers himself for re-election, and it is scarcely likely that any opposition will be made to his candidature. The Town Clerk notifies that all changes of ownership or occupation of city property require to be notified in writing to the City Council office. The All Saints' Bazaar Committee request that all friends who have promised aid i\ ill send in their contributions of work, in order that a day for the bazaar may be fixed. The annual general meeting of shareholders in the Caledonian Gold Mining Company will be held at the company's office on the 31st instant. A dividend of Is 3d per share has been declared in the matter of the Whau Gold Mining Company.