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New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4271, 22 July 1875, Page 2

The traffic returns of the Auokland and Mercer railway for the four weeks ending 22nd May, 1875, amount to £G45 11s 9d; passengers, £443 18s 10d; goods, £201 12s lid.

The total value of gold exported from New Zealand to June 30, 1875, was £30,281,409, of which Auckland contributed £3,420,247 ; Marlborough, £169,790; Nelson, £5,710,572 ; WesUand, £7,603,269; Otago, £13,371,411.

The charge of incendiarism against Susan Conley was proceeded with at the Police Court yesterday, before Dp. Home and C. M. Marshall, Esqs., J.P.'s. The accused yras committed for trial at the next criminal sessions of the Supreme Court, to be holden in October next. The evidence of the girl Harriet Bolton w»3 of a most extraordinary nature." According to the Police Court report she stated : —"When 1 got to the front door thure was a man standing by the gate. This man was about the street whenlleft. He epoke to me, and asked me if I knew where a widow lived who had a big daughter. He then went over to the house on the other side of the road. He then came back, and said that perhaps this (Mrs. Conley's) house was the one. He did not come into the House at the time, but I went in by the front door, which was only closed to. I stood at the door talking to this strange man, but I shut the door, that he should not come in. I afterwards went into the back bed-room, and saw the fire in the box now in Court. The man pushed his way in the door, and asked for a match. I said we had none, and asked him to please to help me, and lie said, ' Let me go ; let me go.' I was in front of him. He turned round and ran out."

The following extraordinary outrage has occurred at Sandhurst, Victoria:—"An outrage, remarkable for cool audacity and heartless brutality, was perpetrated at about three o'clock this morning (July 7), in the City Club Hotel, Mitchell-street. At that hour, two men, one of whom was masked, the other with a blackened face, gained an entrance to the place by going through Bathlane aud scaling the gate, and at once proceeded to the bed-chamber of Miss Clements, a barmaid employed at the hotel. They blew out the light they brought with them, seized the poor girl, who was in bed, gagged her, and cut off all her hair close to the scalp. The ruffians 'then decamped, and made good their escape from the premises before Miss Clements could arouse the landlord. She was noted for the possession of a splendid head of hair ; and the supposition is that some unscrupulous woman, envious of her capillary wealth, planned and instigated the outrage, for the poor girl has not, to her knowledge, an enemy in the city. She cannot, she says, identify either of the ruffians, so that I fear Detective Alexander's efforts to trace them -will be fruitless. No other violence was attempted. The assault is one of the most remarkable as well as cruel that has happened here or elsewhere.

A special meeting o£ the City Council was held yesterday. The question of street tramways was adjourned for a month, no eligible tender having been received. The only tender before the Council was considered, as stated by one councillor, to be altogether too liberal on the one side, and so it was determined to endeavour to get a more advantageous offer. The petition for the division of the City into wards, which had been referred to the Council, was unanimously opposed, as unnecessary, as not expressing the general desire of tho ratepayers, and as not conforming to the Act in several respects. A petition for the introduction of certain amendments to the Corporation Act was agreed to, and is to be forwarded to the Parliament now sitting. A report of the business is published in another column.

It is understood in Melbourne that already the new colony of Fiji is attracting numbers of capitalists from England, Ceylon, and Mauritius, and that in Sydney negotiations have been completed for the purchase of nearly 70,000 acres of land, for planting and grazing purposes. In Melbourne, Mr. J. S. .Butters has, during the last week, effected sales of two large sugar and coffee plantations ; one plantation of Manilla hemp, cotton, and sugar, besides several lots of unimproved lands for planting and other purposes. We are also informed that negotiations are pending for the purchase of a block of 50,000 acres of land, which, if completed, will have the effect of introducing sheep and cattle to the young colony in large numbers. We (Melbourne Argus) understand that

arrangements have been completed with

Messrs. Joshua Bros, for the immediate transfer to the Victoria Sugar Company of the plant and business of the Yarraville Keh'uery, and that at the earliest possible moment the work of that refinery will be increased to 500 tons per week, in order to meet the deficiency in the supply of refined sugar caused by the recent destruction of the Sandrulge works. Additional machinery is now on the way, which will further increase the capacity of the Yarraville works to 750 tons per week. The sum said to have been paid for the works by the Victoria Company is £500,000.

His Honor Mr. Justice Gillies sat yesterday in banco. Mr. J. B. Russell applied to enter the verdict in Clarke and wife v. Casey

for the defendant. The application was refused. It was intimated that Captain Casey would carry the case to the Court of Appeal. In the case of Hutchinson and Co. v. Kerawhiti, a demurrer to the defendant's plea, His Honor sustained the demurrer. There was an argument of some interest upon the question as to whether kauri gum in native

land if purchased wns an interest in land under the 87th clause of the Native Land Act, 1573. An outline of the argument appears in another part of this impression.

The wretchedly ill-paid condition of many of the clergy of the Church of England in this colony, says the Australasian in its letter for Home readers, has formed the subject of comment in the newspapers. It appears to be produced by the apathy of members of the Church, weakened ia the habit of self-help by the tradition of it being a State-supported Church. It has been shewn that many of the country clergy are miserably poorly paid, and that this has had the effect of seriously lowering the stamp, as regards education, ability, and general culture, of the young men who are now found to accept the position of ministers.

Travellers fond of collecting curiosities will do well to take warning by a singular adventure which recently happened to a 3 - oung gentleman who was returning from North Australia (says " Atticus"). Amongst other mementoes of his visit he had brought with him an alligator's egg, which for safety he had deposited in hisbunk. One day he was disturbed from his slumbers by something creeping over him, and putting out his hand he found that his visitor was a lively young alligator. The warmth of the bed had hatched the reptile.

Tho annual meeting of the Albion Coal Company, announced to be held yesterday afternoon, in Messrs. Beetham and Lowe's Office, lapsed from want of a quorum. The shareholders evidently place the most implicit confidence in their officers, for at the time appointed for the meeting to be held, only two gentlemen put in an appearance, one of whom was a director and the other the secretary of the Cqmpany. The same officers as were elected last year will consequently continue to hold office during the ensuing twelve months.

We desire to express our thanks to the officers ef the Auckland telegraph department for the uniform conrtesy which they are in the habit of displaying towards the representatives of the Press. As our readers will have noticed our telegrams yesterday occupied close upon five columns, the whole of which, notwithstanding the pressure of work upon the lines, was expeditiously transmitted, and with an amount of accuracy which speaks creditably for the efficiency of the operators.

Three runaway lads from the Training School, named respectively Woods, Danzey, and Anderson, were captured at Howick on Tuesday evening, by Constable Naughton. They were brought into town by the coach, and will be presented at the Police Court this morning, upon a charge of desertion. The rules under the Naval Training Schools Act, 1874, are gazetted, as also are the regulations under Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits Act, 1870. We would draw attention to the regulations for surveys under the Native Lands Act, published in the New Zealand Gazette of July 15. Dr. Goldsbro' desires ns to contradict a silly rumour current to the effect that he has broken his leg.

The discussion in the Australasian upon the proposed New Zealand cricketing trip occupies two columns. Mr. L. Goldsmith has written a letter combating the recent remarks oi the A utiralasian upon the subject, and in support of the projected tour. He says that •'negotiations have been opened, and there is every probability that, in combination with the cricketers of New South Wales, a team will be got together which will creditably represent Australian cricket. The proposal is to take six players from each colony, so that, even if a return match were fixed to take place in the absence of the team, the Sydneyites would be weakened in the game in greater proportion than we shoula be, especially if the ' rather blast and worn-out players' who are anxious—as you sayto go to New Zealand were required to do battle for us against New South Wales, and were absent in New Zealand at the time." To the assertion that matches with the New Zealanders would have no interest to Australia, Mr. Goldsmith replica :—" I think in this that you are more mistaken than in anyother of your statements. . . . We know comparatively nothing of New Zealand cricket, ami your Hiieers on what it probably is might well have been spared. Yet you assume that no public interest would bo felt in the doings of our men and their Sydney ] companions over these mcu, all of whom have been before the public for .years, ard whose names are as well known in connection with cricket in the colonies as they possibly can be. On this point I think I can successi fully appeal tVom you to the public. Finally, in addition to the other reasons stated, yon looked upon the project with special disfavour because it is in the management of private gentleman rather than in the hands of the M.C.C., or of a general association. . . . The short reason is

this, we are not now asking the New Zealanders to visit as, though should be heartily glad to receive them. Nor did the English cricketers ask us to go there. In the one case we wanted to see cricket in its perfection, and we were willing to pay for it. In the other, New Zealand wants to see Australian cricket, and is willing to pay the necessary cost. And as the only way we could get what Wβ wanted was at the promoters risk, and as the only way in which New Zealand can get what it wants is at the hands of private gentlemen willing to risk money in the transaction, those gentlemen have been found, and will, if possible, carry through their undertaking." The Australasian replies at length, but maintains the position it first took up in opposition to the trip, and in anything but a friendly spirit, or even courteous manner, it concludes thus:—"However, if Mr. Goldsmith's ' every probability' eventuates in a certainty, and a combined team is got together, we wish him and them good luck. We shall be glad to hear that the promoters enjoyed themselves, and pnt some money in their pnrses. But we confess to feeling very little interest in the matches or their results. Perhaps, however, if they get well beaten wherever they go, it may stimulate the New Zealanders to come here, although we must confess we see little chances of such a coutingency, if the grounds in New Zealand are any way decent ones, and the weather is at all favourable, for, as a rule, Victorians cannot play cricket in cold weather, preferring a hot wind with the thermometer at 100 deg., to the fresh breezes and cool skies of Maoriland."

Highway Board annual meetings will be held to-day, as under:—Pukekohe West, Paddock Settlement, school-house, I p.m. ; Devonport, Devonport Hall, 7 p.m. ; Otahuhu, Public Hall, 7.30 p.m. ; Remnera, Episcopalian school-honse, 7.30 p.m. The fourth lecture of the winter series at the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms will be given to-morrow evening, by £. Ellis, Esq., M.D., who takes for his subject, " Was Adam the First Man ?" The officers and members of Court City of Auckland, A.0.F., are requested to assemble opposite the Parnell Hall, at a quarter past 2 o'clock this afternoon, to attend the funeral of the wife of Bro. Davis. The members of the Auckland branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society will meet to-day, at 2 p m., to attend the funeral of the late Brother J. McCarthy, of Parnell. Tenders arc required for the erection of a store and other works at Newmarket railway statiou. Legouix's opera of " The Crimson Scarf" will be performed, at the Choral Hall on Tuesday next, by the Choral Society. A dividend is payable in the estate of James Lamb. The quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be held to-day, at 3 p.m.