Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4461, 1 March 1876, Page 2

We are glad to learn that the hon. Dr. Pollen, Colonial Secretary, who has recently been suffering from bad health, is now convalescent.

A telegram from a well-informed and reliable correspondent at Maketu, states clearly the position of matters there. TheTTretvera are still at Whakatane, not having made any forward movement to attack their enemies at Katikati. Curiously enough, the TTfewera are in the same predicament as the Katikati people. About a couple of months ago one of the Urewera killed a native who was supposed to have caused a death through witchcraft, and when they came down to take vengeance on the Ngaiterangi, they were met by a demand to give up the man. they have sheltered. We hope that both culprits will be got. Owing to the resistance made by the Arawas to the survey of Te Puke, the surveyors have had to be withdrawn in the meantime.

The election of two gentlemen to the office of city auditors for the ensuing year takes place to-day at the Mechanics' Institute. It is perhaps necessary to remind ratepayers that the election rests with themselves, and not with the members, as many seem to imagine. We trust this will be borne in mind and acted upon, because the choice of auditors being a matter of considerable importance, it is the duty of the ratepayers to record -their votes, and return those candidates they deem most eligible. The candidates are Messrs.- Waymouth, Fraser, T. L. White, K. Garlick, M. Leers, and P. McTavish. The poll will commence at 8 a.m., and close at 4 p.m.

The performance of " Chilperic" was again repeated at the Prince of Wales Theatre last evening. The acting and singing were as good as usual, and seemed to greatly please the audience. At the conclusion of the Quarrel Scene, Misses .Lydia fiowarde and Jenuie'Nye were obliged to come before the curtain and bow their acknowledgments. Mr. Harry Power's rendering of the Fiji medley and chorus was enthusiastically received, and a loudly-demanded recal had to be complied with. Mademoiselle Solange Navaro was in very good voice, and she was frequently aud heartily applauded. This and to-morrow evening are the last nights on which "Chilperic" will be produced, so that those playgoers who have not yet seen it should not let the opportunity slip by. On Friday evening, "La Chatte Blanche" or The White Cat," will be placed upon the boards of the theatre.

The new Public Hall at Newmarket, which is to lie occupied by the local Literary Institute, was publicly opened last night by His Honor Sir George Grey, Superintendent of the province. His Honor's address will be found in another column, together with the report of the Committee. Hia Honor's speech was followed by a concert, which was rery successful, a large number of the ladies of the district and several effective members of the Choral Society contributed to the result. The programme will also be found in our detailed proceedings. We believe that another concert will, bo given in about six weeks, to form a fund for increasing the books in the library.

A social gathering of blue-jackets took place last evening, at the men-of-wars men's rendezvous—Fernandez's hotel, Official Bay. The ship's company of H.M. gunboat Eenard assembled at the hostelry, by the invitation of the worthy host, and partook of supper, in celebration of Mr. Fernandez's connection with Her Majesty's Navy. The evening was spent in toasts, songs, and convivialities to a rational extent, shore liberty having been kindly given to the men. by the captain of the gunboat. Away from holystoning decks, nothing pleases Jack Tar better than an evening's amusement of this description.

We understand that the introduction of the grub pest, which we spoke of a few days ago, and which is causing such havoc amongst the pear and plum trees and hawthorn hedges, is attributed to Mr. Justice Gillies. It seems that the grub appeared in Otago some time before it was known in Auckland, and that it is supposed to have been brought from Dunedin in some earth which was attached to the roots of plants brought up here by Judge Gillies.

At the late meeting of the Wesleyan Conference in Sydney, it was resolved to adopt the following recommendation of the Tonga District Meeting,—" That this meeting having full confidence in the ability of theJKev. J. E. Moulton, to rexise the Tonga Scripture requests permission from Conference, that the Kev. s'. E. Moulton proceed to England during the year 1877, for the purpose of putting the Tongan Scriptures through the Press."

Last evening, between eight and nine o'clock, an outbreak of fire was discovered in the rear of the premises of Mr. Langsford, tailor, Shortland-street. A crowd 'quickly congregated in the vicinity; but all fears of a. conflagration were dissipated by the administration of a few buckets of water to the '.'devouring element." Sergeant Mulville and a number of the police were promptly on the spot, and willingly lent their services.

We understand the Epsom Road Board have received the first instalment of the money due to them by the Government, amounting to £69 10s, half of the sum to be paid. We presume that all the Road Boards will be paid up in full within a very short time.

The Alexandra correspondent of the Waihato Times writes : Winiata is at Tokangamutu, or rather in its immediate neighbourhood. I have no doubt whatever of this, as I was only yesterday talking to a native, on whose word I can implicitly rely, and he tells me that he himself saw Winiata Pakemapau, at a settlement not far from Tokangamuttt. ' •

_ Ameeting of to the funds for the St. Alatthew's Ohnrch Memorial Window, was held in the Parish school-room last evening. The meeting was of a private character, the members of the Press being excluded.

In the police cells, last night, were incarcerated, two unfortunate drunkards, a seaman from the ketch Pearl for a breach of this Merchant Shipping Act, and a man for stabbing.

The WhangareiComtl has an article on the new coal seam at Kamo, from which we give the following^extract.:—" We understand" that the s'.s. .Argyle, whichjis expectediiere. for the first time on Tuesday next, will test a sample of coal from each of, the seams, and report on the same.. Wβ have seen tho coal from No 2 scam Burning in a grate. It burns with much rigour, appears very gaseous, and from inhaling the smoke, the coal did not appear to contain- an-undue proportionsof_ sulphur. The mine itself has been opened out in a very practical manner, and the energy displayed by the lessees deserves commendation. From the annexed report supplied by them it can be seeu what wort has been done by four men, besides which they have erected a whip and hive commenced to connect the shaft with the surface, which, when completed, will largely facilitate operations. The coal from No. 2 seam is •very similar to tho Newcastle article ; and is particularly hard and difierent in that respect to any other New Zealand coal that we have seeu (with the exception probably of that from the West Coast); it can be taken out in solid blocks as large as the shaft will permit. We saw one block weighing fully three hundredweight, aud it was with difficulty we ■ could break it. The following is the report above referred to : — " The following operations have been carried on by us since the Ist January, 1576 :—We put in a drive a distance of 120 feet. When we got in SO feet, we cut, what we term, the No. 1 seam of coal. We drove on this 40 feet. It is 5 feet 6 inches in thickness, and we found it to be of a very hard nature; the hanging wall or roof is a green or inud sandstone, the footwall or pavement is fireclay, which is of good quality. After so far proving the No. 1 seam, we theu started and suuk for the No. 2 seam. We cut this 22 feet below the No. 1. Tho No. 2 seam is S feet 6 inches in thickness, and of superior quality. The hanging wall is a hard brown sandstone ; tbe footwall is a very hard rock. We" intend to confine our operations principally on the No. 2 seam for the present, as we are confident that this coal will give every satisfaction to the public either for steam or household purposes. The beginning of next week we will be prepared to supply coal to the public: the prices will be aeen in a future advertisement."

The Waikteto Times, of yesterday, has an article on the Raglan settlement, from which we make the following extracts:—"Now that the steamer Go-Ahead is trading regularly between Raglan and Auckland, its advantages as a district for purposes of settlement, and the natural products of that extensive and valuable part of the country, will be likely to receive due consideration. What is needed, however, is to open the district by easy inland communication with the rest of the province. Still, till this is done, the advantages of steam communication by sea are not to be despised, and are, indeed, beginning to favourably affect the progress of the settlement already. The Go-Ahead is continually calling on her way up or down from the South, besides making a regular special monthly trip, and the care aud attention and business habits of the officers in charge of that vessel are, we learn, already causing the most apathetic of the settlers to see the desirability of encouraging, as far as they can, a regular steam service which brings so many advantages to the district. There are, however, other matters which will have to be attended to to make the port of Kaglau what it ought to be, and to the full as valuable to the residents as it might be. There is at present a stone wharf or landing, but the approach to this by such a boat as the GoAhead is obstructed by rocks. These are, however, of a soft nature, aud could bo removed at a comparatively trifling cost— possibly some twenty or thirty pounds. The Superintendent, some time since, offered to find half the money necessary for the purpose if the settlers would guarantee the other half. They have done so, and we should therefore recommend the .Raglan Town Board to take steps for putting the matter in hand at once. Again, the public of Kaglan ixiay not be generally aware of the fact, but it is nevertheless the case, that one of the most enterprisising and energetic of their settlers, Air. T. B. Hill, when a member of the Provincial Council, some years ago, managed to get a section in the township adjoining the wharf, something like an acre in extent, set apart as an endowment for harbour and wharf purposes."

The Hawkt'a Bay Herald has the following respecting Mr. Horace Ford, C.E., who died lately at Auckland. Mr. Ford was one of the most promising young civil engineers in the colony. Ho was thoroughly up in the scientific part of his profession, and his general attainments were considerable. He was for some time in charge of the portion of the railway line in this province between Te Aute and Waipawa. Subsequently he settled in Poverty Bay, where he was engaged in laying out the Patutahi block in sections. It was while there that he was attacked by the fatal malady—aneurism, of the aorta—which has since cut him off at the early age of 30.

The writer of "London Town Talk," in the Argue, says:—" One of our penny papers, envious of the six hour monopoly enjoyed by The Times over the Channel cable, has actually laid down a submarine cable of its own, and proved its right to be called The Daily Telegraph indeed. Nobody cares a, halfpenny for French news; but if The Times bought St. Paul's, the Telegraph would make a point of forthwith purchasing Westminster Abbey."

The Melbourne Herald says that the Newinpfton Company, Pleasant Creek, have now got to the great depth of 1170 feet, which is the deepest mine in Australasia. The ground is better, and quartz has made appearance.

There have been several prosecutions lately of persons who had kindled fires in back yards in thickly-populated localities. These cases will no doubt have the effect of stopping o. very dangerous practice.

Mr. F. G. Ewington has been induced to offer another lecture on the topic of the Dutch Revolt against Spain. It will embrace much that was not alluded to in his former lectures, and will be highly interesting to members of all religious persuasions. Mr. Ewington proposes to deliver it in the large room of the Young Men's Christian Association, on Tuesday, 14th instant. The amount received will be applied in aid of the Mount Eden School Building Account.

A notice appears in our shipping advertising columns in regard to the departure of the mails for England by the Granada, which Teasel is expected to leave Auckland on the 13th inst.

An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders in the Tairua Gold Mining Company is to be held on the 10th instant. Some important business will be transacted. In addition to other candidates for a City Auditorship, Mr. Richard Garlick has come into the field.