THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO, FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1876.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4481, 24 March 1876, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO, FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1876.

In no point is Auckland so much behind other provinces as in school buildings. In the smaller provinces the demand for buildings is easily met. The numbers to be accommodated are not large, and any cheap building, favourably situated and surrounded with open land, answers the purpose. Light and air, the two great requisites, are easily provided. The same buildings, or even larger buildings of the same character, placed in the crowded streets of a large town, become objectionable in every sense. In Auckland the Grammar School and the Common Schools are all held in hired buildings erected for quite different purposes. The makeshift and mean character of these buildings—as public schools—is apparent. Much the same may be said, of our public libraries, or the institutions that serve their purpose. "We are behind the other large provinces by a very long way in these matters. We are told that we owe this to the absence of energy and industry on our parts. Let us see how far the people of Otago, for instance, owe their supremacy in this test of progress to any exertions or' sacrifices they have made to obtain it. .

The Otago Daily Times, a month or two ago, contained a report,on the Normal School 'just put up in Dunedin. It contained also the report, of a deputation that waited on His Honor the Superintendent, to bring under ;his notice the necessity of re-building the 1 Middle District School. Both reports are highly instructive.""They indicate very i completely the. difference between us in \ other matters besides school buildings, and the causes to which that difference is due. The Normal School is situate in the centre of the city. It is built o£ brick, with a frontage of 70 feet, and an extreme depth of 142 feet. The basement floor contains a large cellar for store purposes 49 by 23 feet, large rooms for janitor, a play-yard (asphalted) 62 by 42 feet for boys, and one of 40 by 20 feet for girls. There is a committee-room and a rector's room, each 18 by 14 feet, with four class rooms, each 28 by 21 feet, well fitted and furnished with every requisite. At the back of the building is the In- . fants' School, 40 by 21 feet, fitted with i galleries, and with seats of different heights to suit the different sizes of the children. The rooms on the street floor are 14 feet high, with fireplaces, and the most modern improvements in ventilation. Water is laid on, the most complete conveniences for washing are provided, and care taken to meet every reasonable want in this part of the building. Upstairs is devoted to the Normal School proper, with a fine classi room of 28 by ■ 21 feet, fitted with desks and seats of the most approved description. In addition to the Normal School there is a School of Art, having a classroom 68 feet by '24 feet, with a carved ceiling, a master's room 20 feet by 14 feet, modelling-room 22 feet by 15 feet, and a cast-room, 46 by 22 feet. Then there is the painting-room, 27 by 21 feet; the whole of the rooms being well lighted, and the building being put up I at a coat of £8000. The "practising " department" of the school opened with 260 } pupils. The training department was not to be opened till a later date, and t we have not yet heard the numbers with which it began. A rector, with seven assistants, forms the staff of the school - which, it must be borne in mind, is in r addition to the University, the High [ Schools, and the District Schools of the province. Now, the point to which we I desire to draw the attention of our Otago i friends more particularly, is this : Of the £8,000 expended on this building, " and of the large sums expended on other • school buildings (probably exceeding , £100,000 in all), not a fartlnng has come out of their pockets—not a farthing is t[ the product of taxation in any form. It . comes entirely from the land revenue of i the Colony in which we have to share. That alone is the origin of their superiority in these matters, a superiority not due in the smallest iota to the greater pluck and energy which they are ' acquiring the habit of assuming as the cause. In Canterbury they are in degree —but in degree only—less remarkable. . They tax themselves for school buildings, , but they supplement the tax so enormously from land revenue that it bears but a trifling proportion of the cost. Their Normal School in Christchurch has cost and the amounts they spend from ! the land revenue for this purpose have , been far in excess of those in Otago. The ■ same remark applies to their Road Boards. ; In Canterbury they raise by rates, in ! "round numbers; '£10,000. This was supi plemented last year by £125,000 from' Generals and revenues. "We : raised bv rate? £13 : 000,"n.nd it was supple- \ menteuV'by' £V2',000. Yet we are told by the Press*.and the people of Otago and Canterbury to regard ourselves as an in- . feridr people, degenerating through too I fine a climate and losing the enterprise and industry which they have more j happily prese:ved. . . j

nowvsee deal.mOtago |th!e District -ScHciol buildings. It appears] thejjDanedin.".; Corporation, cut down ;a street and rendered-necessary the removal v ofxtlie'/Middle District School. IVleantime, the school was held in a temporary building, and in consequence had fallen-from- onenofrthe best attended- in .the city tp.a subordinate position. _,The. Sup'erihtendent>.agi:e re'd;with.:.tlie';.deputa_tion, .but told..themJher.e, were, many otter cases before the Government just as pressing,' ; ancT* he--was obliged to postpone them all. "It would^ take £30,000 to meet all the necessary requirements," and this, be it remembered, af.er having spent at the least, probably £100,000 as we have before observed. His Honor " went on to say," says the report, " that he thought the only mode meeting ..the demand, for school buildings was'to carry out the idea" he had .always advocated of.borrowing money on ' the Education Reserves. There could be •no difficulty in raising;money on such a security." Mr. Wright, one of the depu.tation, "pointed out there would soon be demands for new school buildings in all the other : ' wards', the population having largely increased without school accommodation increasing in the same ratio." After some further remarks, and a reference to the £20,0b0 already spent in school buildings.during the year, the Superintendent promised to bring the matter before the Executive and see what could be done. Contrast this with the , position of Auckland and with the tene taken by Canterbury jind Ofcago papers in dealing with.her. - ""Auckland contributes much more to the colonial revenue than ■■ Canterbury, and is , second only in that [respect to Otago. They have hundreds of thousands to spend for school buildings . from the proceeds of colonial land and of educational reserves. Much as they have spent, they still 7 want thousands more. In Auckland we do not possess five thousand pounds'.'worth of school buildings altogether, and they have been raised very largely by local contributions. We ask the very moderate sum of £25,000, and say we shall be able to provide with this sum proper school accommodation for a population exceeding that of Canterbury and comprising one-fifth of the entire colony. It is only a few thousands more than Otago .has spent in a single year, or than Canterbury has spent in a single- Normal School, yet we are reproached with having advanced a inade-up claim, with the intention of " sponging on the Colonial purse and embarrassing the General .Government." Aucklanders must be. regarded as more than men, or. less than men, if they are expected to submit to the continuance of a policy that reduces them to a position of humiliation, and subjects them to the contemptuous reproaches and more contemptuous advice which that position is then used to justify. If the Southern provinces are to enjoy exclusively the Colonial Land fund, there must be a new " equitable adjustment of the Colonial burdeni/' or they must be refused the right to make us share any general taxation they choose to impose. . ■''<■„''''..'

It is with considerable surprise, and, we may add; some regret, that we learn that, for the present at any rate, the meetings, of the Auckland Teachers' Association have been suspended. During'the three years the society has been in existence, a good deal of gdod.was,effected in a quiet way, and if it had done nothing else,-it taught the public that some, at least, of : the public school teachers were in-earnest in'their work. We hope to hear that before long the Auckland Teachers' Association has been : reorganised, and trust the experience of the past will enable the promoters to carry it on with success. We are confident there has never been a time in the history of the colony when such an association would have been more useful than at present, and we cordially hope that the efforts uow being made to establish a New Zealand Teachers' Association will meet with all the success it deserves. The movement here referred to originated at Christchurch, in the province of Canterbury, and we are sure there are many besides school teachers who would gladly know what has already been done. In the month of January last a conference of certificated teachers was held at Christchurch, when Mr. Cumberworth (president) took the chair, and briefly introduced the delegates from the other provinces. The secretary having read the correspondence, and explained the action which the Canterbury Association had taken, Mr. Hill (Christchurch East) moved, and Mr. Newlyn (Wellington) seconded the resolution, as follows:—"That it is desirable, in order to protect the interests of teachers in the approaching changes in educational matters, to unite the various district associations under the name of "The Certificated Teachers' Association of New Zealand.'" This was agreed to. Moved by Mr. J. H. Newlyn, and seconded by Mr. G. Newell Phillips—"That the repeated examinations which teachers are compelled to undergo when removing from one province to another are inconvenient aud unfair to the profession, and should give place to uniform certificates for the colony. The certificates to be issued by a Central Board of Examiners." Several "other resolutions were adopted. In March, a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Certificated Teachers' Association, was held at Christchurch, when a number of resolutions were passed in reference to the business of the Association and education generally. One of the resolutions was as follows:—"1. That the control of the State education of the colony be vested in an education department nnder the General Government; and that the system be secular, uniform, and compulsory throughout the colony." An association of teachers throughout the colony would be of great benefit; to the members professionally, and might be of much service to the cause of education.

In reference to exposed wells, we learn that, no later than yesterday, two were ordered to be covered in Howe-street by the Sanatory Inspector. In future, we leara no notice will be given, but lnformafcions-at once laid. It is very evident that it is impossible that one officer can attend to all tbe various matters lie is supposed to overlook, besides which his duties only pertain to the limits of the city, aud the larger number of artisans' and mechanics' dwellings are out of the Kinit3 of the municipality. How is it the police do not use their eyes a little more ? There is plenty of provision for such matters under the Municipal Police Act, section 27 : —"Not keeping in good repair any rail, gate, fence, or cover, over or about any area, or entrance to any cellar, well, or other place," &c., &c. Penalty, £10 line or three months , imprisonment.

The regular fortnightly meeting of N"o. SI Branch, Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, .was. held at St. Patrick's Hall, Hobson-street, on Wednesday evening. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, the attendance was not as large as usual, only about 40 being, present. The principalbusiness'was the financial report aud balance-sheet, which, on being read.by the secretary, shewed that during the past quarteri" 50 fiadbeen added to the permanent fund in the bank, 'also an increase of .£33 -to the general fund,-which proves in a most manner the progress this society is making, and reflects great credit on its officers; bevenil new members were elected,', and a number of others proposed .for next meeting. After the disposal of the ordinary business, the President, by request of ■ the Sports Committee, presented the prizes iron oa St. Patrick's Day to the several winners.

At the yesterday. , , morning.' much amusement |was created by the near-, ing o! a chirge' of- assault preferred by one! woman against another. It apnears:tha't on St. Patrick's Bay the complainant-- wa3 in the house of defendant, waiting to accompany her to the Domain, when, according to the evidence, the defendant accused her of talkingabout "mutton. -This the complainant indignantly repudiated, and the defendant then commenced abusing her in no measured terms, _a which induced the former person * to leave the place where she was so unjustly maligned.- Defendant followed, and in a mild and conciliatory _tone oKvoice desired to speak with her. Complainant, thinking all was about to be forgotten, approached her late enemy, who, however, without the slightest provocation, struck her full in the chest and knocked her 'down. The defendant . denied the state- : ment point blank, and, with, a great deal of volubility, proceeded to give her version of ; the little .'contretemps. The complainant, she-said,-was- drunk at the time the affair ; took place; that she did not know what she iwas doing,:'and,' therefore, it did not 're- : quire lniich force to knock her down. She \ (defendant) was '.a decent married woman, aud.the mother of nine—no, ten—children, and earned her living over the washtub. Complainant's husband was a most horrid man, and his wife also. They were interlopers—newcomers —immigrants—while she had resided for four years in the one house, and seven years in the one street. Her character was, simply, irreproachable. His Worship, in spite of this eloquent appeal, ordered her to enter into her own recognizance of £10 to keep the peace for six months, remarking at the same time that he : thoughtrst Patrick himself should settle all these little difficulties.

The Spiritists have been hard at work in Parnell recently. They have taken the advice given them gratis some time ago, and nave endeavoured to find a means of eliminating the force of gravitation from mundane matters. They have failed most egregiously, and have not as yet contrived any means by which water may be induced to run up a hill. It will not do it, and water-still finds its level. The last eccentricity connected with that rather eccentric district has been the construction of a culvert about a couple of feet above the level of the cutting it is supposed to drain. But all the charming of the Board's civil engineer, - and all the table-turning of the Parnell circle have failed to deprive the water of its legitimate weight of ten pounds per gallon, and induce it to stultify Newton's deductions from the fall of an apple. It will not rise to the level of the culvert. The spiritual yeast applied to it has not been of sufficient quality or quantity. The water still remains a stagnant pool, retarded by the sill of the culvert from flowing downwards, and prevented by the universal law of gravitation from rising to meet and coalesce with the waters above the firmament. This is not the only skilful piece of engineering which has been carried out in Parnell recently.

The burlesque of "II Trovatore" was repeated at the theatre last evening, to a fair house. Miss Lydia Howarde as Manrico, and Mdlle. Navaro as Leonora, well sustained their reputation, and were frequently and warmly applauded. Mr. Harry Power gave a thoroughly good representation o£ Kinchin, and Mr. G. XV. Collier as Azucena also created a favourable impression. The evening's amusement was brought to a close, amidst much hilarity, with the laughter provoking farce, "Did you ever send your wife to Camberwell ?"• The opera bouffe season has thus concluded, and to-rnorrow evening the legitimate drama will again take its place on the boards of the theatre. An impression has been prevalent to the effect tnat Miss Jennie Nye was about to accompany Miss Lydia Howarde and company to the South, but we are glad to announce that this is not so, Mr. UeLias. having been successful in re-engaging that talented young lady, as well as Mr. 1?. W. Lawrence. The programme for to-morrow evening comprises the comic drama, " Milky White," and the well-known comedy, " His Last Legs." In the former Miss Jennie Nye will take the part of Annie "White, with song, "Early Love," and Mr. K. W. Lawrence will appear in the title role. Playgoers will be glad to learn that Miss Carry George has also been engaged, and will shortly make her ayjpearance. On the whole, the new season promises to be a most successful one.

The weather yesterday was somewhat stormy, and was bitterly cold. During the day there were several sharp showers of hail and rain. It is not often in the middle of winter that hail falls in Auckland ; but to have a sharp shower of hail in the beginning of Autumn is somewhat remarkable. The storm on Wednesday detaiued the steamer Durham at the Thames until Thursday morning, and consequently she was unable to take up her trip yesterday. This caused considerable inconvenience, as by it all communication with the Thames was closed from AVednesday night, and the first boat from Auckland will leave this evening. 'Yesterday there were more than twelve persons who desired to leave for the Thames, and were unable, as the storm, of the previous day prevented the boat continuing her regular daily trips.

A visit to the settlement of Onehunga would lead one to infer that from some unexplained reason new life has been infused into the town. After lying in a dormant state for eight or ten years, it has awakeued from its hybernation. New houses are going up, improvements being made to the streets, aud, altogether, there is an unusual air of business about the place. Possibly the railway has something to do with this chauge for the better. Men of business can now reside there, reach their offices or ; countinghouses in Auckland at a reasonably early hour of the morning, and return home to their six o'clock dinners. In London, many city nien reside twenty and more miles from their places of business,' aud the same kind of thing would obtain here to a large extent if the railway were-under efficient management.

The Standard Fire and Mutual Insurance Company is now prepared, in addition to its ordinary business of Fire and Marine Insurance, to insure the fidelity of persons in situations of trust. Although this branch of insurance is a novelty in Auckland, its utility will bo readily recognised. It will place persons in trust in a more independent nosition than when they have to seek friends and relations as bondsmen. At home a considerable amount of business is done in this department. Forms of proposal aud all information respecting the may be obtained from the local agent, Mr. Henry Gilfillan. . .. .. .

A correspondent complains of the condition o£ of Grafton Pioad opposite the Stockade. He says that the road is too narrow for the traffic, and that the post-and-rail fence hems in passengers as if with the deliberate intention of making work for the coroner. He tells of an old gentleman who had to mount the fence and' remain a Iα Blondin until a number of. : butchers' horses, bakers' carts, and other vehicles had been driven by. The other portions of Grafton Road are kept in good condition, and the complaint should receive attention from the local trustees.

Some improvements have been commenced in regard to the footpaths in the fast-rising village of Newmarket ; and we understand that after the end of the present month, when the rates shall have been collected and the available amount known to the Highway Board, very considerable alterations will be effected, and the thoroughfares placed in a condition that is likely to put to shame the managers of sbineof the more wealthy snr-j rounding districts. !

The flag announcing the placement of tlie roof principals in the new block of buildings,' was flying all day on Wednesday and terday, on the old Supreme Court site, Queen-street. A similar token of progress was flying from the new brick building being erected on the Barrack Hill for Mr. Smith, draper. Whatever trade may be dull, there is no dullness in the buildiag trade.

""* It will be seen .-from-our..; telegrams" that intimation has beta sent to the PostmasterGeneral that MesSira;' \ Gilcbrisi,, Watt iind Co., of Sydney, have been appointed; general managers for the Pacific ;Mail iin Australia and New H. Hf Hall;' The company have no Vdoubt seen how obnoxious Mr. Hall was to""the public of New South Wales and New, Zealand, and how in both colonies, people were inclined to augur badly of the entire service, because of his connection with it. The new agents are of a very different stamp, and, we have little doubt, will give satisfaction.

~The difficulty about the unemployed at the-Thames has not been got over. We do not know whether the men are still waiting in the expectation of a vessel being sent for them, but.it would seem that the General Government have forgot all about them. Mr. Hume, in compliance with the desire of Messrs. Oakes and McKirdy, wrote to the Superintendent asking when he was going to furnish free passages for the men, and got the following reply : — " Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 20th March, 1576. Sir,lam directed by His Honor the Superintendent to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 16th instant, requesting I a final decision as to passages foremen to Wellington. lam desired to inform, you that the Superintendent has nothing to do with this matter, but will, without delay, forward a copy of your letter to the Honorable the Colonial Secretary.—l have ;the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant, Yixcent E. Rice For the Provincial Secretary." What reply he got ;from Dr. Pollen we. do not know, but it is obvious that against him only has' he any remedy. The men at the Thames, however, are, apparently, beginning to • console themselves with the idea that things are not so bright at Wellington after all. ' The following telegram has been published : —" Upper Hutt, March 22. Mr. Mahoney, Thames, —Insert iu Advertiser "that rate of wages on railway is eight shillings per day. Average time, four days per week, caused through wet weather.—John Williams, Mungaroa Tunnel." Upon this the Advertiser makes the following remarks :—" We have made inquiries from another source, and we find that the above statement is substantially correct. The country is very wet, provisions dear, and the men scarcely average four days per week, so that they are barely able to make what is known as ' tucker. '• And this, it must be remembered, is at a comparatively dry season of the year. The winter is coming on, when the average time made per week will be less.than at present. Under these circumstances there is not much to encourage men to proceed to Wellington." Yesterday's IVaikato : !Times says: On. Tuesday night Mr. lleid;' the proprietor of Woodside farm,' on the Hamilton aud Cambridge road, retired' to rest with his family at the enstomary hour, everything about the place being safe and in proper order as usual. About one o'clock yesterday morning, Mr. Reid's ' son, who was sleeping with tha window of his bedroom open, and being unwell was fortunately awake at that hour, heard the crackling as of the burning of straw, and hastily getting up found that an oaten haystack, containing some fourteen tons of hay—£he outer of several stacks aud the nearest to the road, and to windward of the others,—was on fire, the flames having hold of the stack about the eaves, and commencing to run rapidly over the roof. He at once alarmed his father, who called out all hands, and the whole of the family and a working man living in the house turned out to save the in-operty. The value of the stack destroyed was about £60, and it was not insured. It was only in July last, it will be remembered, that Mr. Reid was the victim of an incendiary fire, his mills at Tamahere, being burned, and by which fire, though insured to the extent of some £300, he was the loser of nearly double that amount. There could be no doubt the fire on that occasion was the act of an incendiary, as a previous attempt had been made and discovered, and from what we learn, but;which, for obvious reasons, it is not do- j sirable should be published, the fire of yesterday morning is not only the act of au incendiary, but of the same incendiary as on the former occasion.

The gale of 'Wednesday seems to have been pretty severely felt at the Thames. The Advertiser of yesterday says :—During the preceding night the steam launch Buona Veutura, which was at moorings near the Goods "Wharf, undergoing an overhaul, was blown.. away, and was found yesterday morning safe and snug alongside the |)latform off Mary-street hard, which was built for the purpose of enabling firewood vessels to discharge. The Durham had a rough trip from Auckland • yesterday, and great difficulty and delay was experienced in bringing her alongside the Grahamstown Wharf, so as to laud the passengers. She did not attempt the return trip to Auckland iu the face of the strong gale whicli was blowing, Before the heavy squall broke, and when the flood tide was making, Mr. Segar's iron yacht drifted from her moorings, off the Good's Wharf and came alongside Curtis's "Wharf, whore she was scuttled, iu order to prevent damage to the structure or the vessel. The other vessels in harbour rode out the gale without difficulty.

The Thames Evening Star reports that there was very nearly being a fatal accident at the Thames butts on Saturday morning. It appears that it is a common practice for firing parties to go out without the presence of a bugler. Indeed, we believe that a bugler is seldom present to sound the " cease" or " commence firing" as required, a whistle doing duty in many cases, lieutenant l""ield was in the mantlet, aud wanted to go to the target. He raised the danger iiag, and heard, as he thought, the auswermg whistle from the firing poiut. Carrying the flag before him, he went out from under cover, when suddenly he heard a report, the "ping" of a bullet, and the flag stick was cut in two within a couple of feet of his body. The whistle he had heard was from a boy who was looking after some cattle in the neighbourhood. Accidents and narrow escapes have been so frequent at the rifle rauge that it is time the utmost precautions were insisted upon.

The Bluenose arrived in Hamilton from Ngaruawahia yesterday afternoou, and after a few minutes stay went on to Cambridge, having on hoard the body of Mrs. itobiiisou of that place. It appears that Mrs. Robinson, whose husband's death at Cambridge was only reported about a fortnight ago, after the funeral, not feeling very well, went up to the Hot Springs at Waiwera for a change, and: returned Ib Waikato on Tuesday. She came up iu the Alert, which vessel broke down near Eangiriri, and her passengers were transferred to the Bluenose, Mrs. Robinson amongst the rest. The Bluenose then started, : having several barges in tow. Mrs. Eobiusou became seriously ill on board, and the Bluenose at once ca3t off the barges and came on at full speed, but Mrs. Robinson died before reaching Hamilton and medical assistance. The deceased, though quite a young woman, had been suffering, we are informed, from heart disease. — Waikato Times of yesterday.

The name-board of a boat, carved, painted blue, and gilt at tbe edges, on which the name " Rose" is carved and gilt, was picked up on Wednesday, at Stouey Creek, near Puru. It does not appear to have been in the water for any great length of time, for the paint and gilding are quite fresh. The board had been fastened on with three screws, two of -which evidently drew through it, fracturing the wood, and the third appaars to have broken off near the head.—.. Thames Advertiser.

.Relative to Winiata, a correspondent of the Waikuto Times writes .-—The King and his party are returning from Kawhia. Te .Wahanui, Tiria, the King's, sister, and more than 100 ethers have- reached Kouua, and Tawbiao is said to be on the road. They all take it for granted that AVynyard is at Kuitj, and loudly, protest against his 'remaining ■there to bring trouble upon them. - They are to hold a meeting at Waitomo about hid immediately. It is amusing to sen how alarmed they are at the prospect of getting into a row with the Government.

Oue solitary drunkard wai the only oscu. pant of the policejcella last evening.

\ - t . t V'XXhe Thames Advertiser, in an article upon jth'e action of the Government with reference to the Thames lands, says :—" Our objeetig a peaceable and legal acquisition of the upper country. We hold that certain blocksof land have been purchased by the Govern ment, and hare no right to-be given back to the natives, as was the case with Ohinemuri. We iurther assert that magnificent blocks of laud have been acquired by private individuals,' to the serious detriment of the Deoni" at large, and that other blocks are' slippC ■ out of our grasp through the improper-con nivance of the Government at these pxa chases. The e\-il is growing, although the transactions are not conducted quite "m" openly since the exposures which were brought about through the exertions of Sir George Grey at the last sessiou of the A« sembly We shall have more to say this subject in subsequent issues; but in the meantime we may mention that a petition 13 about to be got up at Ohinenrui, to prevent the passing away of a portion of the Arohh block to a firm of land speculators. Some of the land in this block is of excellent quality, and fears are entertained that the G* ■ vernuieut will allow the ' eyes' to be picked out of it before the meeting of the Assembly Why the Government have not long since completed the purchase of this block, is a mystery. The natives were anxious to sell the price was agreed upon, and Mr. Mackay was anxious to pay the money. But Sir . Donald McLean interfered, and stopped tile purchase, and now there is danger of some portions of the block being handed over to the 'landsharks.'"

Last evening the panorama of "A Trip nn the Rhine " was exhibited to the scholars of the Welllesley-street Baptist Sunday-school iu their school room. The attendance was but small, in part accounted for by the unpropitious state of the weather. Mr. Seer-' ing H. Matthews acted as lecturer, and ably discharged the . duties devolving upoa him in that capacity. During the evening, the children sang a number of hymns in a highly creditable manner. We are glad to observe that the Harbour Board authorities have acted upon our suggestion and bridged over the chasm that exiiited between the Victoria wharf and its buffer piles. It is only a fe>v. days since that we had occasion to call attention to the laches of the city authorities in offering facilities to people ,to break their necks in dangerous places in the city. •• All preliminaries have at last been arranged for erecting a new building on the site of the old Q. 0. E. Hotel, in Shortland-street We understand the work of the construction of the proposed shops will be commenced in; earnest on Monday next, under the management of Mr. Cameron, the architect for the new building. The letter of " Colonist" will be referred to iu to morrow's issue. Tenders are required for leasing in sections the Three .Kings Wesleyan Native Settlement. The thoronghbred marcs Misfortune, Awatea, and Malvina are for sale. • '■'■ A notice to chess-players appears elsewhere. .'