THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1876.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4479, 22 March 1876, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1876.

The extent and scope of the Good Templar movement are illustrated by an interesting report of the proceedings of " the second annual session of the Grand Lodge of New* Zealand North," held at New Plymouth on the 11th, 12th, 13th, and loth of January last. The report is published in pamphlet form and sold by the secretary and district deputies. No one can read it without seeing that the Good Templars are a powerful and able organisation, nor without cordially sympathising with their objects, however he may differ from the fanatical views of the more narrow-minded among them. Besides the higher officials of the Grand Lodge, the representatives of twenty-six lodges answered to the roll-call. Their election was verified in the usual way, but a debate; occurred as to the qualification of nine representatives whose lodges had not paid "the Grand Lodge levy re Hastings," which the initiated only can explain. The "Credentials Com-' mittee" recommended.thai these representatives should not be allowed to take

their seats till the levy had been paid. however, decidedjthat, as it a conditionygprepresentaftipiisiliat the fee shoulggGe I>ai<J, SS 7thbjji ! lodges which a£clin|pfcp> be debarred me nghwf , JSJte. Ht!il;l'?.Grand "VYorthy gJhfef TfMjfir" itheifersad his report jghei "repbrtTs a very able -immenle'' amount of labour done during the year. It describes the •anarchy— into- which™the : ~Order ;:=.wasfailing before the Grand Lodge was formed, the steps /taKen. Pto the_ number of Good Templars in thV "formation" into districts, and the .formation of Maori Lodges in various parts of the island. "yVith reference-to. the latter an incident is related which' will be regarded is painful or amusing, according to the light, in which it is viewed: The Native Minister authorised the sum 6i £20 to be given—torn what fund is not stated—to the member's of the first native lodge, for the purpose of procuring a set 6l regalia for lodge purposes. Unhappily, the natives, looking on the amount as a; gift to themselves and as one of the usual bounties, we presume, of the Native Office,, immediately divided it equally, and "one of them, I am informed," says the horrified G.W.C.T., "actually spent' the amount in drink." The rest of the natives were disgusted and the movement was much injured. It will thus.be seen, continues the-.-report in words of wisdom that might be adapted to many other things, that the laudable desire of Sir Donald was frustrated ; " furnish-; ing another instance how the plan. of dealingin an exceptional manner with the native population sometimes' defeats its own ends. Had the lodge been allowed to go on, trusting to its own resources for sustenance, possibly it might now have been at work." •■lt might have been added,: that the Public Treasury, at all events, would: have been- £20 richer had this policy been adopted. The report then describes what had been done by the Hon. W. Fox in England, what had been done in .establishing a constitution for "Degree"Temples and various otherwork. "VvV cannot attempt anything like an adequate resume of the numerous subjects with which the report deals, but,, have said enough, we hope, to indicate its general scope. New Zealand North is dirided into five districts-,. with a total membership of 4,305. The.proceedings in the. lodges seem, on the whole,: reasonable and orderly, but the appeals to the Grand Lodge shew: high-handed proceedings enough in. some of them. One brother was expelled for "contempt." He had " sided"' with another brother .expelled "for'" all in his power-for the good of the Order." In both, cases the appeal was sustained, and the decision of tho inferior Lodge upset. Then we have an account of the dealings of- the Grand Lodge with its "official organ." It appears.that after, elaborate negotiations they had succeeded in arranging with the Southern Cross for seven of its columns, at a rate little more than two guineas per week. During thirteen weeks they had paid for the use of these columns the sum of £28 14s 4d, to which must be added the editor's very moderate "expenses and stationery" £12s. • 6d, shewing a total outlay on the official organ' of £29 16s lOd . for., the quarter. Towards this outlay, various Lodges and private members had contributed £16 12s, and the Grand Lodge added £13 4s lOd to make up the deficiency. The official, organ seems dissatisfied and disposed to kick, 6rst, " through some . influence from the publican interest, and, subsequently, from dissatisfaction with the pecuniar result." For these reasons tho editors of the Good Templar columns complain they have been restricted of late to five columns, which are insufficient to do the good they desire.

The views as to the " political action" taken by the Good. Templars will interest many of our readers. The W.C.T., in his address, approaches the subject with great diffidence. He tells us, however, that during the late general election the Central Political Committee of the Grand Lodge took step 3 to bring their principles prominently before candidates. Circulars were sent, and answers received froni a very large number. We are told also that " of the candidates returned a large proportion are willing to vote in favour of a measure embodying our main views." Members are warned that their replies "have been carefully filed for further reference, should such be required." They are informed that "should any of them prove false to the pledges given us, they may rest assured those pledges will be made public, and their hopes of future honours from our hands at least, need be but of a slight nature." We should like to see a copy of these questions and of the circular sent to candidates. It was kept very quiet during the elections, but its general nature is, we presume, explained in the resolution of the Grand Lodge, that "leaving all other aspects of Temperance legislation open to question, this Grand Lodge expresses its entire conviction that the public sale of intoxicating liquors is a question that should be remitted to the people." This resolution was an amendment on another maintaining that no political committees are necessary or useful, that the weapon of political power ought not to be employed, and that ''the prohibitive legislation sought is wrong in principle, being subversive of public liberty." We heartily agree with this last resolution, and regret that it was not carried instead of the amendment we have quoted. The adoption of political means.will lower the tone and statue of the Good Templars as surely as it would that of any other organisation seeking to deal only with the moral nature of man. Charlatans and adventurers will join their ranks. Their moral force will be destroyed, while the dread of their gaining political power to be used in a narrow, one-sided, one idea'd, and bigoted way, will deter many from joining their ranks whose aid would be valuable, and whose heartiest sympathies are with the cause for which alone their organisation professes to exist. We are not of those who think that no good thing can come out of Nazareth. The Good Templar 3 think otherwise, and will only recognise as good or useful public men those Trho subscribe to prohibitory legislation.

Tho Marquis of JJormanby has signified bis intention of visiting Napier on Tuesday, 30th inst.

TVe believe Mr. John Hall may be expacted to arrive by the next mail from San Francisco, which is due on Sunday. If so, the new theatre will be pushed on to completion with all despatch. It is also possible that' Mr. Hall may be induced to appear for a short season at the Prince of Wales.

The burlesque of "Fra Diavolo" was. repeated last evening, with the same cast, and with the same effect, as upon the preceding evening. The burlesque was followed by the " Witches' Chorus," from " Macbeth," better known as " Locke's music." Miss Lydia Howarde, first witch; Miss Navaro, second witch; Mr. Collier, third witch; and Miss Jennie !Nye as Hecate. The chorus went exceedingly well. The performances concluded with the " LimerickBoy." A burlesque of "11 Trovatore" is announced for this evening,

To-morrow evening AfY. F. G. Ewington will delrrex his concluding Dutch Revolt against Spam.'VvCffiisS2who heard h2§two former, lectures ari£>not likely last/ foSl| hegKasy , inyested Hritn snfeat jujterest/vDjaj deliveringv his ledfcurea S£i! a, popVdah styleigl There anOfew •jrj&dh j3§ •Infoimfed/ihvitte present*3ayN 'TCh'ether Tse regard the intellectual struggle which is now going on in Germany, or the pamphlet warfare- wMch-iSsJaging^in^England,—betweenv the'eV-Premier on" the one" hand, and the jh'eadslof the'Anglo-Jloman hierarchy/on the" ' other, r t"he question of 'present, 1 randiutureisdEraughfrwit'iTiiterest toall classes" in the community. "And yet, perhaps, there is no questioriTwhich It is more difficult to_ lecture, upon in a mixed community, withoutinflaming evil-to be avoided,! at allfiost,..in a 'young, country: like this;. Old countries have been-deluged with blood in the name of and-the.longest and' fiercest wars have left the combatants only more exhausted, and further than ever from "agreement in So long as the world stands there will be differences inbelief, and' the only safe principle is for all' parties to agree to difFer. The violation of this prin-' ciple has desolated the fairest lands, marredthe career .of her whose- onward march might have been fair : as the moon and clear as the sun, and it has swollen the martyrology of every secinon of the Church.- - Whatever will induce the enlightenment and liberality so essential to 'our agreeing to differ, should be welcomed by all who ,are, interested in the progress of • thg race, and we think that history and historical - lectures induce;- this : glad result.;; Frotri history, men learn what follies are'to - be shunned, and' what" their fathers have endured for the good and true ; and writers, like Schlegel, rank -the study of history higher than philosophy .and art. • On a controversial subject like that which. Mr. Ewington is dealing with, it would be'too much to expect that he will please all parties alike, but his freedom; from "personal bias has "enabled him to deal with the question so far with commendable impartiality, and we have no doubt he will Observe the same fairness in his lecture to-morrow night.

; There is a kind of process now going on among the Armed Constabulary similar to that known in Artillery drill as "changing rounds" Constables who" have been for several years stationed in. one-particular district, and become, so to speak,' acclixna-. tised, are being removed—and their places filled by strangers to the locality. This is hard ;on men who have made themselves homes and plantedtheir vines and'fig-trees.-■The policy "of' such a measure," ~ although believed in by those in authority, is stilly questioned by the generality of the public. ■ Those in authority say that i£ men areleft too long on one, station, they become intimate with the residents, and this will naturally incline them to'she-w partiality. ' On .the other hand, the general public, who have more confidence in the better side of human nature and something optimistical in their character, aver that the longer a man remains in one place the better he is likely to be acquainted with the characteristics and' methods of living of the inhabitants ; and that if his morality be such as to warrant his being retained on the Police Force, his determination to perform. his'duty will never be affected by any private "or personal considerations. Perhaps, the; authorities havo reasons for their action. - Who knows ?

We regret'to' hear' that so [large a proportion , as half of ; the salmon ova' shipped by the Durham has perished.' The ova may be expected in New Zea.land by the first, steamer,, from Melbourne. The salmon ova KasTbeen gatheredchiefly from the. rivers; and .streams in the South of. England, and" his : been. shipped with great care., It is to be. hoped that the Auckland Acclimatisation■;• Society will secure some of the ova; and, have it~distri=. buted in the province "with care and de- ■ spatch. The introduction of.English salmon is most desirable.-' A quantity : 6f Californian salmon ova> has been distributed throughout theprovinee, chiefly by. the exertions "of Mr... J. 0. Firth. -It is the opinion" of'.many, that the California salmon never rise to the fly, but others- regard this, ai.a moot question, and consider that it. depends entirely .upon the amount of food,contained in thewater, whether either English or California salmon come to the surface for food. - We hope that before long, both kinds of]salmon will be so plentiful in our. streams that, the difference in their habits maybe noticed by the 'most casual observer. Winiata is at Te Kuiti, telegraphs one correspondent, and Winiata is at Taurauga wires another. Winiata is asserted to be hiding at the North Shore, while at the same time Winiata is proved by another to be at Katikati, taking supper with a native constable, who, having entertained his illustrious guest aud regaled him with shark and spuds, hands him his hat and bows him out of the door of Bobinson's boarding-house. We are further assured that ho had only half

a-crown in his pocket, and that he had "changed his trousers." Possibly the scarcity of coin of the realm in Winiata's pocket, is attributable to the fact that in his nervousness omitted, when changing his trousere, to Uiift his cash from the pocket of one pair to the other ; at the same time these yarns about Winiata's whereabouts remind, us of the poetical story of "Taffy," and it is to be hoped Winiata's career will have a similar ending to the prowling Welshman.

The negotiations for the completion of the arrangement on which the pumps at the Waio-Karaka are to be started, have been carried on unremittingly during the last few days, but we believe that the necessary agreement has not yet been signed. One difficulty after another has cropped up, or has been dragged up, till those who were engaged in the business were almost inclined to abandon it in despair. No sooner was it thought that everything was clear, and that nothing remained but to append the signatures, but some objection occurred to some one of the parties, which to him appeared insuperable, and the lawyers had to commence da now. The shareholders of the Queen of Beauty came up to town yesterday, and, probably, a satisfactory settlement will be come to to-day. We have to acknowledge the receipt of Whitaker's Almanac for 187G, a publication comprising within its 320 pages of closely printed matter an immense amount of authentic information "respecting the government, finances, population, commerce, and general statistics of the British Empire throughout the world, with some notice of other countries, &c, &e." Indeed, a more varied and highly interesting collection of facts regarding nearly every habitable country in the world we have never met with. The book is edited and published by Joseph Whitaker.F.S. A., and is issued to the public at the extremely low price of one shilling per copy. Messrs. Upton and Co. are the agents for Auckland. The following advertisement appears in the last number of the Wananr/a :—"Notice. To our friends who reside in the Islands of iS'ew Zealand, Europeans and Maoris. Friends, I beg to inform you that

at a meeting of Good Templars, they resolved themselves into a committee of working members for the cause at Matahivri. And this committee have prohibited spirituous liquors, or drunken people in this district, and if ardent spirits are brought here, or drunkards are found after this notice in the district of Matahiwi, the committee will take action by law to prohibit such. —TV. H. Orihau, W. Secretary.

Aβ Poverty Bay the question is being discussed whether the late floods will eventually benefit the district or not. The Standard says :—" The land that has been inundated at Warenga-a-hiki, Alakaraka, and Matawhero —and it is little of it that has not—is now deeply covered with silt, and with this top-dressing, the best crops ever known to have been raised in the district may be expected nest year, and for several years afterwards."

' ; A correspondent of a Napier paper urges the ..licensed victuallers of that ijroyince to form a Licensed Victuallers Association.

At the conclusion of the business at the Police Court yesterday morning, named Mack, "who said he had just liberated from he hajtfbeenirife carcerated fdk Jkjs could not pjiy SaV fore His to know 85V Khe would she , .; Thames, wnerefie resided.^fie"sh^^sota 7 penny in his pocEe'ftcanU hSd'not Auckland from whom he could borrow money sufficient to pay his passage to -He "ouT~oTE'~employment before the time he was .sununonEd forfnon-payment of the rate. His • wife had been an invalid for eighteen years, rand-recently- he had hadrto-pay-,14s perweek towards her support, in..the Thames Hospital. __ At "the present time he did not "linow-whether .his two little, boys,-,from -whom"'he" had'been taken away at the ■Thames, had anything to eat, or in what circumstances theywere placed. He supposed that he would have to sleep out somewhere that night, a proceeding .which might terminate in his being brought' before .the Bench as a vagrant. Bis Worship and.Mr. E.B. Lusk, receiver of the education rate, who also happened, to be in Court, pointed out to the man that had he, in the tirst instance represented to the local school committee at the Thames his indigent circumstances, he would have been exempted frompaying the rate, and thus have avoided being sent to gaol. The man then took his leave. We have no doubt but that if,he. states his really hard case to the captain of the Durham, that that gentleman will have him gratuitously conveyed to his home.

< The following interesting conversation was 'overheard at, the Custom-house, yesterday, between a well-known "captain, and" one of the Customs authorities. Captain : " You have'sent a memorandum, to my office, stating that I am indebted to you for a certain sum. IJwas not aware, that I owed you anything.". Clerk: "It is : for pilotage at Kaipara,' captain;" -.. Captain. :.:" But Ihad no pilot, and ; i; think 1 am exempt.", '■■. Clerk: "All I khowis, that the claim has been sent up to us to collect." Captain': " The facts of the case are these : When I arrived at the Kaipara with my steamer,' I went; to , the pilot's house for him to pilot me in, but the pilot's wife, informed me that he was .but. cjhe offered to give me a Maori. The Maori came, on board, and the first thing he i did was to put ine on'the ground.': He said, •' She's aground, and it's my fault. 1 I' ther: - ■fore backed her off, and piloted her in myself and charged the Maori for his passage. Clerk.: " I think, in that case, you oughtto• be exempt from pilotage." Captain: 1 thSEsoT top i" and he went away thinking 50.. - ''.': .'■•...■ : . ..'■■■•

The Alexandra correspondent ■of the. WdiJcdto'Times has the following, which we,, believe' to be authentic information:— j. "Several have arrived from Kawhia, who report that Hone te One has demanded of Tawhiao the surrender of the murderer ; but 'th'at the King positively refuses to give' him up ; saying that if, with all pur wires, roads, and poEoe force, we' allowed him to pass through our settlements in broad daylight; how can we ask him to give him.up now that ho has got beyond our: reach, and fled to him.for protection. The mailman states that he himself saw Te Kooti, Winiata, and six followers at Te Kuiti, when, last there, and he was told that the Tairua murderers .were with them. ; The natives Irving between this and Kniti will not rise to : fight for such villians, -but a few lawless spirits about, Mokau willcertainly, try and protect them without trying "to consult the humbug King or anyone else, and they are now making such efforts to disturb the whole of the native copulation.by boosting' of their exploits, and holding us up to ridicule,' that it is to be hoped some influence ■■ will be brought to bear upon them to protect not only our settlers,' but also the peacefully disposed portion of their own race, from the influence of siieb a lawless, band of desperadoes." . . ,--. . -.- Messrs. Jones and Vare are proceeding energetically with their contract for the con,; struction of the road to of the beach. Two good objects are being fulfilled by this work. First, the making a~ level track to one of the most important of the suburbs; and second, the fiUiug up of that great dismal swamp the intake, wnicti is being rapidly effected by carting into it the mullock.from the western side-of J'ort Britomart. .That from the eastern flank is being utilized in the formation pfthe.new 'track. . ;

The Wailcalo Times says:—" The interprovincial pigeon match between Auckland and Dunedin, which was to have decided the merits of the crack marksmenof each province, miscarried through the Dunedm team firing at a'larger number of birds than those shot at by the Auckland team. The contest was, therefore, by mutual consent, allowed to be considered a drawn one, and will be shot over again on Saturday next, the ''Sth. Ten men on each side, and thirteen birds to each man. The following are the gentlemen selected; to represent Auckland on this occasion, namely, Messrs. J. Russell, E. Wynyard, S. Morrin, A Aikm, Bishop, I. Gwynne, Middleton, McGregor Hay, Kennedy Hill, and K. Laing. It will be seen that, of these, three are Waikato men The remainder of the team, very courteously, have left to the Waikato portion to say whether the match shall be shot at Ellerslie, or at the Queen's Redoubt, as more convenient for them. The place of meeting will in all probability be Ellerslie, as our men would as soon go to Ellerslie while they are about it, as not."

His Excellency the Governor appears to be doing the whole round of amusements in the Lake District. On Monday night he was present at a haka in the great carved house at Ohinerautu. He will visit the terraces of Itotomahana to-day. What might we not grow in Waikato with such a soil and in such a climate if we only tried! Yesterday Mr. Hyde left at our office a bouquet of full-grown hops, the vines oE which are growing luxuriously, self-sown, in his garden, on the Ngaruawahia Jioad. That hops, if some one would undertake their culture who thoroughly understood it, might be with profit, in situations sheltered from the prevailing autumn winds, there is little doubt, but that anyone will have the enterprise to attempt it, there is much. Perhaps, by-and-by, when we have, flourishing local Agricultural Associations m thi3 province, and connected with them experimental farms, on which the culture of a variety of products could be attempted and proved, we may come to find more profitable occupation—at any rate, for our smaller f arms than the production of beef and mutton alone.— Waikato Times.

The Wananga attacks the Waha Maori for printing only the speeches delivered on one side in the debate upon the Hawke's Bay transactions. It says :—" If the Ahabs of the ' Ring' feel injured by the action of the Wananga, let them start a paper of their own, at anyrate let them not be suffered to employ a publication which ought to be judicial in its impartiality in defending their misdeeds. And as the editorial columns of the paper should not be used for the purposes of the party in power, so neither ought the correspondence columns of the paper be opsn to the publication of letters, either of a controversial character, or containing either attacks upon, or defences of the public men of the colony!" The Waha, it must be remembered, is printed and published by the Government.

The Piako District, we are glad to learn, is beginning to receive due attention to its requirements as a growing and prosperous community: The number of its settlers is daily on the increase, and a church and school will quickly follow the hotel, which has already been established. The church and school-house will be built in one, and Government have given. £100 towards the cost of the building in its educational capacity. TVe hope soon to see tenders for a regular weekly post between the Piako. and Hamilton called for.— Wailxito Times.

' A contract for driving from the United Pumping Association's shaft, at the 650-feet level, towards the Ku'rahui 150 feet, has been let.bj T _tender.tp_.Mr._John_Gifvan ; Jie being the lowest"tenderer.' "--— --':----■--■.—-. -

The truth will always prevail. It will be remembered by some that \ago a certain young lady arrhted.' heftjfr%inv Hobart Town, in the regulaMfcideij Sella" Alary, for the uppnjjflle jduties of barmaid atjonSfpf opxc&iy hotelsi-!On Jjfeeount of some misc&du'ert; sjifej wasfatterdischarged, and r<H3bart Town in thesame vesseKhat.btoughtJ Finding inan interesting condition, Btte had the audacity to attempt to hide her sßame by making -an 'atrocious.charge againat.,both.>the-captain,-"and'cEief officer of "the Vessel. The case, on being 'brought on at the Hobart Town Police Court; was, at the defendants' request, ad-joufned,~to-'enable.witnesses:being brought from Auckland to prove inconsistency of the girl's story; aud'.on one "of the recent passages of the Bella Mary, these witnesses were taken over, . and their 'evidence' was so conclusive - regarding the utterworthlessness ef the girl's statement, that the charge Was dismissed'against the twodefendants, who left the court without a stain on their character, and the wilful girl committed to take her trial for. perjury. On the last trip of ■ the Bella Mary, afresh captain and mate had to be put on board to' enable those who had been so seriously affected to remain behind to prosecute. The trial of the girl took place in the latter part of last month, and on being found guilty of perjury she received a sentence of seven years' penal servitude. This sentence appears severe, but the Judge in inflicting such a' punishment, evidently considered the iniquity of the offence. Had the girl been enabledto have sustained her plausible story, thel ■ result would have been that .two respectable'men, of unblemished character, would have been utterly ruined.'

' A motion was made at the Harbour Board yesterday, tor the preparation of; specimens of timber used in the several harbour works, and a,report thereon as to. their value in comparison with jarrah, and other Australian timber.: The! value of the motion at once commended it to the Board, aud it--was passed without opposition. Mr. Daldysaid that since the year 1845 he had had plenty' of opportunities of judging of the merits of different classes of timber, and his opinion was, that when they got really good jarrah timber it stood exceedingly well. He was informed that jarraU which grew near the sea was almost worthless ; but when it grew inland, and was out at the proper season, it was capital timber. The New Zealand kahikatea was well known as a good, serviceable wood. Mr. Holdship said he had been struck with'the similarity of jarrah and totara. He had placed some of both these • woods under the stringers of the -wharf, and •on examining them, he found that the worms had entered the end of the jarrah some two inches further than in the totara. He ythought jarrah would not be better than ■totara, provided that they got the heart of totara, and saw that it was cut at the proper season of the year. He thought it most desirable that the Board .should make some tests to discover the best season at which to cut New Zealand, timber. Wβ hope the 'experiments will be made, as.at present there is much unnecessary waste caused by trees being cut at the wrong season. ■

A yery.sucessful concert was jgiven by the Newton.-.' Choristers, last evening, in the .Newton Congregational Schoolroom. The audience was numerous and highly appreciative. The- choristers numbered IS ladies and 12 gentlemen. Mr. W. Baxter acted as conductor, and Professor Lambert presided at the;harmonium. in an efficient and "highly satisfactory The programme gone through was as follows: —Overture, Professor Lambert; chorus, " The Marseillaise".; solo, "I Hear Sweet Voices Singing" (J. K. Thomas), Miss Minnie Malbrook ; trio, " To all you Ladies now on Land" (Dr. Calcott) ; chorus, "Happy and Light," frpm;Balfe's " Bohemian Girl"; solo, ". My Village Home," and, in response' to an encore; " I Should. Like To," Mr. Brinsden ;"■ quartette, "Soft Winds Around Us," from Weber's "JPreciosa"; duet, "Slowly and Softly Music Should Float"; solo and chorus, "Bihg the BeirSoftly" (words by Dibdin, Smith); chorus, "The Gipsy's Star," from Verdi's " Il<Trovatore ; overture,, Professor Lambert; chorus, " From Yonder Vale and Hill, from " Lucia di Lammermoor"; solo and chorus,. " Leaf by Leaf the Roses Fade" (Arthur Vane); duet, " All's Well" (J. Braham); trio; "Ye Shepherds ■ teU me" (T. Massinghi) ; chorus, " Fays and Elves," fromFlotow's "Martha"; solo, "The English Girl," Mr. Brinsden; solo, "Castles in the Air," Miss Barton; quartette, "See the Moonlight Beam," from Donizetti's '' Lucrezia Borgia" ; : chorus, "Hymen's Torch," from Meyerbeer's " Huguenots." The entertainment was bronght to a close at a reasonable hour, with the "National Anthem."

The want of the North Shore—a place for lauding goods, was brought before the Harbour Board by Mr. O. Mays at its meeting yesterday. . Much inconvenience has been felt in consequence of there being no lauding quay at the North Shore for timber or heavy goods, and this need has been very persistently and energetically laid before that Board. Mr. Boylan said it was a mistake to let the North Shore into the Board, but that

the: place must be fairly dealt with. H( thought, however, that something woulc have to be done to make the North Shoiv contribute more towards the revenue of the Board. A return of the amount expendec at Devonport showed that the expenditure was very much more than the receipts However, the motion that a landing quay b( constructed to the west of the Victori: wharf, North Shore, at a cost not to exceed £250, was carried. It was stated at the Harbour Board yes terday that the man in charge of the Nava Reserve Station at the North Shore, has casi off boats beached on the reserve, and caused them to be seriously damaged, but that irj some cases he had received a bribe fron: persons and allowed their boats to remait on the reserve. The charge is a. serious one, It is possible a man may be so duty-strucl as to refuse to allow a boat to touch property under his charge, but it must he quiti another motive to that of duty, if he can be bribed to suffer in one case what in anothei he: uses his authority to prevent. The charge will be communicated to the naval authorities and we hope a strict investiga tion will b« made. The bones of Te Moananui, who died ii Hawke's Bay some twelve years ago, abou the time that the fracas took place betweei the people of the Hapuku and the returnee prisoners from the Waikato, are to be ex humed. Over a thousand visitors are ex pected to be at Matahiwi to join the langi Several thousands of pounds have been leviec or obtained to provide suitably for thi guests. Te Moananui has been buried ovei a dozen years. His bones are to be carriei to Ruapehu. A specimen of coal from the Kilburne an< Maramarua Coal Company's mine, in th< Waikato, which we have already described may be seen at the office of the Harbor Board. The coal appears to be close, but i of a bright black, very much resemblin Newcastle coal. It was taken from a seal fifty-four feet thick, so that there must feel very large quantity of it in the mine. Mr. Dangar, of Sydney, has contributi. £100 towards a fund to send a rifle ten from Australia to Philadelphia, to comjte with the riflemen of the world at the Cntennial. It has been proposed to send far men from "Victoria, four from New Scth Wales, aud two from New Zealand, he expense would be about £122 for each iiividual. The District Engineer, at the Thaes, has decided to let off portions of the Urna Road in sections, to different parties.who proceed to the locality on Wednesda (today), and commence corduroying the rorst parts of the road, at the rate of £2s per chain. The work to be performed asiiecework. With regard to the spacious block obuildings being put up for Messrs. Mcfthur, Shera, & Co. we should have stated fat the warehouses are being erected- by MrAlderinan McArthur (of London), and te3 T are certainly a strong proof of the corifiince he feels in this part of Her Majesty's doinions

The 2!~apier Telegraph says: "The last apolitical canard set afloat in Auckland is to that the General Government will to cut a canal from the Manukau to Auckland, so as to gain round the support o£ party." £jA/Roxburgh telegram in the Dunedin Star states that Mr. ex-M.H.R., has a horsewhipping for branding sheep 'belonging to a cockatoo farmer, namea Sutherland.

Total pAbsMncnce— -oif- Saturday^ evening , -..- r , -,-, ...

-~ Bankruptcy— no.tices .appear elsewhere -in - reference to the estates of Joseph MosesfjoT"" seph Hart, John G.-McLeod, and S. H Webb. , .., .... . - -

> ' A call of Gd.per share has been inadeiin v the iTJnion Quartz Crushing and Gold Mb; ■■ ing Company. " .:■'..[■■ ■ •-., : Tenders are required for the erection of a. Court-house at Hokianga. — - -... ~ . .., An assistant matron is required for thegaol. . . . ' ,' .-. A revision of the jury list'wilT.take/place'O on the 7th prox. • ' ! -■■-.■.'.' ; Creditors in tKc estate of Thomas Peek arb% requested to prove their debts. ■ ' ■■' •.--.-5