Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4483, 27 March 1876, Page 2

If the statement is correct that the murderer Winiata lias been entertained at supper at .Katikati, by the native constable stationed there, and afterwards allowed to escape, Te Area, who, we believe, is ;the constable alluded to, should not be allowed to retain his post, and it behoves the Government to make enquiries into the matter. From what we have heard of Te Area, the term constable is a misnomer. His duties are stated to consist of cutting firewood and catching fish for some one in office there. He is described as a lazy fellow, who, when called on to assist in his official duties in the preservation of peace and good order, generally refuses to interfere. However, we believe the whole story about the visit to Katikati to be apocryphal. The two seamen belonging to the Brodick Castle, who were given into custody on the arrival of the ship by the captain, for wilful disobedience of orders, have been awarded four weeks' imprisonment each by the Resident Magistrate. There can be no mistake about the commission of the offence, as the men pleaded guilty to the charge. When the ship left Plymouth the Immigration Officer there requested the captain not to send his topgallant yards aloft until reaching the tropics, but meeting with nothing but light winds, the captain deemed it advisable to send the yards up on Christmas Day, as the progress of the vessel was much impeded without setting sufficient canvas. The men refused, however, to work on that day, and their mutinous conduct received the sympathy of the immigrants, regardless of the fact that the captain had issued the order almost entirely on their account, so that there should be no unnecessary delay on the passage. A great many other captains similarly situated would have put the refractory seamen in irons, and insisted on the immigrants turning to and working the ship, but Captain Thyne having perhaps a kinder heart than the general run of skippers, overlooked the offence, and setting to work with his officers sent the yards up himself, whilst the crew were keeping up their Christmas along with the immigrants in fine style. The two men just sentenced, unable to appreciate their captain's forbearance, continued their unruly behaviour throughout the voyage, and have consequently met with their deserts. There is one matter that we might call the attention of the immigrants' to in this case, and that is, their derision of the water police when called down by signal to the ship to do their duty. Many a drunken sailor has owed his life to Constable Sampson, who, instead o£ either locking him up or leaviug him to his fate, has kindly escorted him down to his ship aud seen him safelv on board. Those who hooted and yelled at him, as the police boat lay alongside the ship, shewed a gieat lack o£ sense and a great deal of folly. First impressions work a wonderful effect on the mind in after life, and which are perhaps difficult to erase. On Saturday, when the immigrants were landing on the wharf from the Brodick Castle, one of their number, seeing a cartload of scoria going down as ballast for a vessel alongside, asked of a bystander what the cart contained, to which the latter gravely replied, " That is our chief article of export, sir." The new chum gazed wistfully on the volcanic stone, which apparently bore on its face the ravaaes of ages, aud evidently thought that if the resources of Auckland were confined to blocks of scoria, there would be little ehauce of his getting rich here. He will, however, in time find that our products include other articles of considerably more value than stone ballast for ships. The country requires to be developed when scoria will soon be played out. The wag who endeavoured to mislead the new chum should be indicted. During the late competition among our colonial marksmen at Wangauui, the carbine representatives waited upon Col. Lyon, aud asked that a gold medal should be given to the Carbiue Champion (in lieu of the gold and silver medal), the same as the Infantry Champion. Colonel Lyon promised to bring the matter before the notice of the hon. the Defence Minister. The result has been that he has granted their request, a letter having arrived from the Defence Officer, stating that a gold medal would be forwarded to Major Gordon for presentation to Gunner Bell, of the Auckland Artillery, the Carbine Champion of JSTew Zealand; also, the carbine team will each be presented with a new carbine as soon as the shipmeut, now on its way, arrives. Gunner Bell will therefore be the winner of the gold medal and two carbines, which will be his own property. We hope our Auckland Volunteers will endeavour to retain the honors they have won. During Saturday the testimonial presented to Mr. Battley, by the teachers of the Wel-lesley-street Baptist Chapel, was on viow at the Queen-street entrance to the photographic establishment of Messrs. Hemus and Hanna, the gentlemen who executed the portraits. The photographs are life-like, the greatest praise we can bestow upon them, and reflect the highest credit upon the artists who succeeded in produciug such an admirable proof of their skill in the pursuit of the profession in which they are engaged. Miniature fac similes of the testimonial can be obtained at the moderate price of 3s per copy. Xt lias been written, ' Jti-onoui* toy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land." But what shall be done to the man that chastises his paternal ancestor, even to disfiguring his countenance and blackening his eyes? A ease of the kind occurred a few days ago at a public-house not two hundred and twenty-two miles from Grey-street. The old man still bears on his features the evidence of ill-usage, which, if iuflicted by his son, the latter may rest assured that his days will not in consequence be lengthened. That young man is not to be envied. When he goes to insure his life, he should keep the secret within his own breast, that lie has failed to honour his father. The immigrants, arrived from Plymouth by the ship Brodick Castle, were disembarked on Saturday, by the ferry steamer Tainui, and were conducted to the Immigration Depot. There are now several applications lying at the Immigration Officer's Office for farm labourers, domestic servants, and others, aud there need be little fear but that, in the course of a few days, the whole of the new arrivals will be accommodated -with work in iheir various branches of trade. What are our merchants about ? They are content to import then- sugars second-hand, in driblets from Melbourne, whilst Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin can each import whole cargoes from the Mauritius. It will be seen by reference to our telegrams that another full cargo of sugar has arrived at Port Chalmers from the Mauritius.

-The whirligig of time brings about strange revenges, and the Snez Canal purchase, more thas any other event of modern times, illustrates- the truth of the aphorism. There was a day when the Egyptian oppressed the Israelite and made him serve with rigour; now it is "Benjamin" who goes to the relief of the modern Pharoah and bidding him draw through Messrs. Rothschild (1) at sight £4,000,000, reinstates Egypt in the world's good opinion, besides proving the accuracy of the view taken by the " fifth estate"— Punch— that '' the dealings of the Hebrews with the Egyptians did not end with the 'unredeemed pledges , the former carried across the Red Sea. Of yore the Hebrews longed for " the fleshpots" of Egypt; and to-day, history repeating itself, Stock Exchange Israelites are hankering after Egyptian " bonds !"— while owning Disraeli's coup, a master stroke, " worthy of their forefather Moses, who first taught Jews the spoiling of Egyptians." Then there is the odd coincidence that the modern Cave (the new English Finance Commissioner of the Khedive) should, like that of Adullani of old, be resorted to by those in debt, difficulty, and discontent; aud the still greater paradox that the Egyptian financial system never looked healthier than since it has taken a "Care in !" In the cartoon over the preface of his new volume, Punch depicts himself standing upon a Pyramid formed by sixty-eight volumes of his immortal journal (associated of course with forty centuries of time) looking across the waste at the Suez Canal, winding like a silver ribbon in the distance, while from the Desert sand the Modern Sphinx uprears his head—"Dizzy !" Four millions sterling for a share iu the New Cut which links Alexandria and Suez ?—a canal " which has swallowed up a great many thousands of Egyptian fellahs , lives, and more thousands of European fellows' capital!—and the answer of the Sphinx, of the tribe of Benjamin, was : " Four times four would not be a penny too much to pay for India's door-key," and the sentiment has found an echo in every English heart.

" Ben the Boatswain" was produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre on Saturday evening, to a very fair house, the attendance being especially good in the stalls aud pit. Mr. R. W. Lawrence assumed the leading role, and gave a good representation of the warm-hearted and daring sailor. Miss Jennie Nye, as Christine, was successful in gaining the approbation of the audience. Her rendering of a song ("Early Love"), incidental to the part, being encored. The performance concluded with the third act of " Rip Van Winkle," in which Mr. G. W. Collier achieved a success in his pourtrayal of Rip. He was deservedly applauded at frequeut intervals. To-night the theatregoing public will be given a treat, which they will not have the opportunity of enjoying for some little time to come. The Opera Bouffe Company will make their last appearance in Auckland on this occasion, for which a grand double bill has been prepared, consisting of " Chilperic" and "La Chatte Blanche." As the entertainment will be protracted till a late hour, the performance is announced to commence punctually at 8 o'clock. Mr. DeLias has concluded an engagement with Mr. and Mrs. Bates and Mies Lizzie Morgan, who may be expected to arrive here by the next steamer from the South. Mr. Lawrence and Miss Carry George will also be members of the new company. With this strength the drama will be adequately represented.

The first number o£ the Otago Licensed Victuallers' Gazette has been issued. The object of the journal is "to advocate the cause of a large class in the community, namely, the licensed victuallers and those connected with the trade," asking " for no peculiar privileges, for nothing common sense does not dictate, or that justice should not concede." Under the head of "Ourselves" the following occurs :—" It may be said that already the Press of the Colony is ready to protect the interests of all classes, and among them that which we seek to protect, but in the face of the efforts made by a smaller section of the community than that we represent, to heap vituperative epithets on those engaged in and supporting the liquor trade, through their own journals and in columns specially assigned to thern in eertsin papers in the colony, it is advisable to shew the public the injustice of the charges brought against respectable men. We condemn drunkenness as thorougly as any can— so also do those who support us—but we hold that teetotalism, as at present advocated, has failed, and will fail, to eradicate the evils complained of on all sides. We seek the adoption of a middle course ; the enactment and enforcement of such laws as shall place the liquor trade entirely in the hands of respectable persons. If this be accomplished, more good will be effected than can possibly follow the publication of intemperate tirades against all and everyone who can use without abuse the good Providence has given us." We have been requested to state that a printer's error crept into the handbill issued by Mr. Samuel Coombes, and circulated in the Weekly Herald, in which it is made to appear that Mr. Coombes is now selling the balance of G. W. Friend's estate, instead of Mr. De Jongh's. It is only fair to the person who bought G. W. Friend's stock, to state that the error was unintentional, as Mr. Coombes could not possibly benefit by stating what is not true. It is well known that the whole of that stock was purchased by one person, and that no one is more sorry that such an error should have passed unnoticed than Mr. Coombes himself. The same error appears on the posters on different bills in the town, which will be altered early to-day. The Hue should read, "the balance of the stock in Moses and Do jongh's The time for receiving tenders for the construction of a graving-dock, according to the amended specifications, is drawing near, the ISth proximo being the date on which the Harbour Board will consider the tenders. The want of a graving-dock was only shewn last week when ihes. s. Llewellyn was detained Beveral days on the hard, shipping a new propeller, when, had she been enabled to have gone into dock, a single tide would have sufficed. The brig Vision would also have been glad to have availed herself of the dock had such existed. How the proposed length of the dock and site will suit the requirements of the port remains to be seen. Both are open to objections. From a letter which has been placed in the hands of the editor of the Southland Times, and of which the writer is Mr. W. M. Sanguily, one of the survivors from the wreck of the General Grant, we learn that another attempt is about to be made to search the sunken vessel, and see if the gold shipped in her can be found. Many of our readers will recollect that this unfortunate ship, several years ago, on her way from Melbourne to London, got out of her course, and when off one of the Auckland Islands, was drawn in by a strong current and ; wrecked, many of the passengers and crew being drowned. The Otago Guardian o£ the 17th says :— " It is gratifying to have fresh evidences of the high estimation in which New Zealand loans are held by the investing public in the home country. A London telegram which has just reached the colony advises that the Bank of New Zealand there has successfully floated the Dunedin Corporation loan of £100,000 at the price of £102 per cent. The favourable price obtained, and the fact that the Stock Exchange has granted a quotatien for the loan, redounds to the credit of the Bank of New Zealand, who have acted in the matter." . The usual -weekly meeting of the St. James's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Class will be held this evening, in the vestry of the Wellington-street Presbyterian Church. Two papers on interesting subjects will be read. The public are cordially invited to attend. .The directors of the Crown Princess mine received the following telegram on Saturday evening :—'' Water in shaft has been reduced to within 4 feet 7 inches of Flat Sheet. It is confidently expected it will all be out early this week, and that the company will resume operations on the low level at once,"

A correspondent writes : " T?*&lyou please answer in your notices to correspondents if in the event of the Governor of New Zealand refusing to sign an Act of Parliament passed here, it is sent home to bo signed, or what do they do in the case." The side not3of the 56th clause of the Constitution Act is. " Governor may assent to, refuse assent or reserve bills." We quote the whole clause - —"a 6. Whenever any bill which has been passed by the said Legislative Council and House of Representatives shall bo presented for her Majesty's assent to the Governor he shall declare according to his discretion but subject, nevertheless, to the provisions contained in this Act, and to such instructions as may from time to time be given in that behalf by her Majesty, her heirs or suecessors, that he assents to such billl in Her Majesty's name, or that ho reserves such bill for the signification of Her Majesty's pl°nsure thereon : provided always that it sha*f aaj may be lawful for the Governor, before declaring his pleasure in regard to any bill so presented to him, to make such amendments in such bill as he thinks needful or expedient, and by message to return such bill with such amendments to the Legislative Couucil or the House of Representatives, as he shall think the more fitting, and the consideration of such amendments by the said Council and House respectively shall take place in such convenient manner as shall, in and by the rales and orders aforesaid, be in that behalf provided. ,, A Governor may therefore refuse to assent to auy Act presented to him by his Ministers, but in such a case he would probably have to face the difficulty of a resignation of the Government The usual plan, we believe, when the Governor and his Ministers have a good understanding, is, that they explain to him the measures they intend to bring forward, and if he sees auy objection, the difficultyis talked over and an agreement come to. When the Governor does assent to a bill in Her Majesty's name, he must send it homo as soon as possible, and the Queen may disallow it within a period of two years. We believe that as a matter of fact, the Queen never sees these Acts, but they are submitted to the law adviser of the Colonial office, whose recommendation tho Secretary of State adopts as a matter of course, except ■where the Act may affect important questions of policy. The Thames Advertiser has tho following; —"We are informed ou good authority that money has recently been paid by private individuals to the native owners of the Aroha block for the purchase of small portions of the land. Of course such advances are quite illegal, and the persons making them mo likely to lose their money ; but they declito that they are prepared to run the risk, ia the hope that the proclamation under tho Immigration and Public Works Act will shortly bs removed, and then their claims may be recognised. Of all the good blocks of laud in this district, that at the Aroha is one of the very best, and although it has been offered for sale by the natives, tho Government have never shown auy strong desire to complete the purchase of it, although w© believe they have made advances upon it. We will do Mr, Mackay the justice to say that he urged upon the Government the desirability of completing the purchase; but strauge to say the Native Minister raised some objection—probably to the amount of money asked for the block The large block recently purchased at the Piako by Mr. Mackay, consists of a great inoportion of swamp, whicli is utterly unfit for settlement, but then the figures look well on paper, aud will hell) to swell the totals in tho official returns at the next session of the Assembly. ' That is all the use much of the land is likely to be for many years to come. " In the Lenten Pastoral of Bishop Redwood of Wellington the following passage occurs :— " Viewed even in its mildest aud least objectionablecharacter, seculareducationisfalso in its principles, and pernicious in its results. What, indeed, is its main and fundamental principle 1 That the education of the people belongs to the civil power. Now this proposition must be denied by all Catholics, and even by all right-minded Christians." His Lordship further remarks : '• We cannot permit without an indignant protest, nay, without an unflagging struggle, the consciences of Catholic yjarents to bo violated; we cannot allow the right 3 of fathers and mothers to be wrested from, them for the sake of a portion of society falsely calling itself the State." Another sample of tho black sand from Tairua was tested yesterday by Mr. E. F. B. Hortou, at the National Bank, for Sawyer and party. It yielded at the rate of 2280z8. 13dwts. i )er ton. This test was much superior in value to the previous one, but the sand in this instance was clean, the clay and other foreign substances being removed from it. We are informed that, where found, there is a considerable quantity of clay mixed up with the black sand, and that a piiddling-niachuie will be erected for its treatment instead of an ordinary battery. The particles of gold are very fine, and great care will therefore be necessary in treating the stuff by any process so as to save a large per-centage of the gold. The locality of the field is, we understand, in the line of the Brothers claim.— Advertiser. • On Saturday afternoon an accident, which happily was not attended by any seriou3 consequences, happened in Wyndham-street. A hansom cab was coming down the steep incline of the street when, approaching too near the footpath, the wheels were caught on the kerbstone, just opposite the National Bank, aud the horse thrown over on its side. It was, however, speedily liberated from its awkward and painful position, apparently without any injury. Tho Wanganui papers have plenty to say about Sir Julius Vogel. Iu coucluding tho presentation of address, the Chronicle says: —"Many remarked the feeble, languid appearance of Sir Julius as he stepped on the wharf from the steamer, indicating either physical ill health, or, perhaps, what is more likely, mental anxiety aud overtasking of the braiu. Comment was freely passed, especially among those -who had known him years ago, upon the almost painfully altered appearance of our guest, who looked almost an invalid."

The re-election of a committee for the Kauwaeranga School District, for the year , 1576, consequent upon the illegality of the late election, was held on March 24, at the school-house, Shortland,—Mr. Mcllhone m the chair. There was a considerable attendance, and the voting resulted in returning ■ Messrs. E. Douglas, H. Mcllhoue, J. Grigg, F. F. Day, and D. McNab as tho committee for the Kauwaeranga District, under the education laws of the province. The return of the volunteer representatives to Balclutha was celebrated by a dinner. The chairman, in proposing the toast or " The health of the champion, Mr. Willocks, and his companions, Messrs. Blackie antt Anderson," said the company had met to do honour to three young men—young in year? and young in experience. It was the vt& ' time any of them had left the province for twenty years, and they had left their marks where they had been. The Southern papers are as much horrified as ourselves at the hash sent up as a r e E> rC of Sir J. Vogel's speech at Wanganui. In. 8 Otago Daily Times says :—" "We shall charitably suppose that the champagne of Wan- . ganui is of an exceptional heady character, and that it had become altogether too mucß about this period for the brains of the rress Agency representative. Upon no other hypothesis can we account for the Wconceivably foolish nonsense which has been forwarded to us." The Otago Guardian has the following y— "We have been favoured vrith a copy of a very much free-thought publication, entitled Enodi, printed and published at Grahamstown, in the Auckland Province. We nsTe consigned it to the tender mercies of »« office stove." The editor has been in snen a hurry to get rid of Enoch that it is evident he hardly looked at it. The Wellington Evening Post says :—■ " Baron Kothschild is about to pay a visit to New Zealand. He will be aocompaniea by Count de Turenne, a representative or one of the most ancient families in Fiance.

The Registrar-General's report on the vital statistics of the boroughs o£ Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Hokitika dnring the month of February, 1876, has been published. The total number of births during the period undemoted wa3 973 •of deaths, 176. The proportions of Aeatka per 1000 of population, stands as follows:—Auckland, 2.89; Thames, 1.08; Wellington, 2.49; Nelson, 1.37; Christchurch, 4.19; Dunedin, 2.10; and Hokitika, 2.00. The births were 24 less than jn January. The deaths were 22 more in number than the deaths in January. Of the deaths, males contributed 100; females, 76. 108 of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 61.36 per cent, of the -whole number ; 84 of these were of children under one year of age. There were 9 deaths of persons 65 yeara of age and over ; 4 of. these persons were males, and 5 females. The males were a*ed 65, 66, C 7, and 70; the females were a?ed 65, 67, 6S, and 84. Two a«ed 70 and upwards died at Nelson ; the other at Auck]nnd. There were 11 violent deaths, of which one came under the head "railway accident." The birth and death rate compare unfavourably with those in January, Although favourably with those in February, 1875 ; the deaths haviug been 170 in February, IS7G, acainst 178 in February, IS7o ; the mortality of children under 5 years of age having been in February of each year exceptionally great; it amounted to 66.55 per cent, of the total deaths in February, 1875, and 01.36 per cent, in 1576. The deaths from zymotic diseases increased from 60 in January to 7S in February. Of the 4 deaths from scarlet fever, 2 occurred at Auckland, and 2at the Thames. Of the 9 deathe from typhus or typhoid fever, 3 (typhoid) occurred in Auckland, 3 (gastric or typhus) in Wellington, and 2 (typhoid) in Christchurch. There were 47 deaths from bowel complaints (dysentery, diarrhoea, and cholera). The largest number of these (17) occurred in Christchurch (2 from cholera) 10 occurred in Auckland, 7 in Wellington, and 10 in Dunedin, Of these last enumerated 44 deaths, 3S were of children chiefly under 1 year.

Yesterday, about midday, the attention o£ persons passing the lower part of the Kyber Pass Road was attracted by a fierce blaze, like that of a foundry, flaming from a chimney near Newmarket. A rush was made to the place when, it was found that the inmates of the cottage to which the chimney was attached were all absent. They had left the dinner to cook itself while they went to church. As the fire became more and more intense, and a strong southerly breeze was blowißg, carrying flakes of incandescent soot over the roofs of the buildings on the northern side of the road, it became necessary that some active measnres should be taken to put the firo out. A lad, who was among the spectators, volunteered his services, and managed to get on the roof. Ho was then supplied with a clothes prop and an old gunny bag, and by persistent ramming the latter down the chimney, el<-red out the burning soot, and stopped tlie flames. YVhat condition the interior of the house is in, can only be imagined by householders who have been in a similar predicament. Some excellent works of art are on view at Mr. Phillipps , , oil and colour warehouse, in Queen-street. They are nearly all copies of pictures by celebrated painters. Many of them are aquagraphs, and are the first specimens of the new process of picture copying that h-ve been imported. By the process of aquagraphy even the marks of the brush, as shown by the raised surface in the original pictures, are exactly represented, and in every other respect, a better copy cannot be desired. The oleographs on view are also very good. Altogether the collection is one fhat cannot fail to attract attention and patronage.

At a meeting of the Gas Committee of the City Council, held on Friday last, it was decided to order fifty lamp-posts and lampheads from home. It was found that it would be more economical to import that quantity than to have them made in the colony. The committee also agreed to request the Gas Company to light the lamps on the second night after full moon until 9 o'clock, and, as an equivalent, to extinguish the lights on the two following nights at 10 p.m. instead of at midnight. The suggestion is a judicious one, and it is most likely the Gas Company will accede to the lequest of. the committee.

The following items of Waikato news are from the Times of Saturday :—A serious accident occurred to Mrs. J. Wood of Hamilton East on a, journey to the Piako district on Wednesday. When about eight and twenty miles on the road a capsize took place, and Mrs. Wood received serions injuries, having more than one of her ribs fractured, and being otherwise severely bruised and shaken. —At an inquest on the body of Mrs. liobinson, the jury returned a verdict that death was caused by serous apoplexy.—A tolegram has been received from Ohinemutn, announcing the death of Mr. John Reynolds, of Pukekura, son of William Reynolds, Esq., of Pukerimu, who died on the 24th. Mr. Reynolds was on a visit to the Lako Country, and was not very well when he left the Waikato ten days ago. On arriving at Ohinemuta he became much worse, and when the remainder of the party left he was in a most dangerous state. The cause of death was a fever, supposed to have been contracted in the Waikato previous to leaving.

A Sfeto Zealand Gazette, published on the 16th, contains the following notices :—Proclamation by the Superintendent of Auckland re breaches of the regulations for granting water rights under tlio Auckland Waste .Lands Act; appointment of R. C. Barstow to be registrar under the Sale of Poisons Act for the Province of Auckland ; of A. J. AHom to be Receiver of Gold Revenue at Ohinemuri, Auckland,

The Grand Lodge of the 1.0. G.T. of New South AVales was held in Sydney on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th insfc. The number of members within its jurisdiction was stated at 2700, that being an increase of 950 for the past year. For the present year the Subordinate Lodge capitation tax was fixed at 4d per quarter for males, and 2d per quarter for females. The JS r ew Zealand Gazette contains the annual balance-sheet of the following Savings Banks for 1575, viz. : —Auckland, Hokitika, aud Kelson. From these, returns we find that the amounts lodged by depositors last year were —Auckland, £55,151 Gs 7d ; Hokitika, £5610 I'ia lid ; Nelson, £4378 7s Gd. A boat capsized off the Iforth Shore on Saturday afternoon, and the occupants were in peril. Fortunately, the s.s. Argyle camo upon the scene in time and rescued the parties, who were transhipped to one of the ferry steamers. The boat was also recovered with the assistance of the steamer's boat which put off to render aid. The list of new Justices of the Peace is published in the last Gazette. We give the Auckland names :—Henry Burton, Auckland ; James McCosh Clark, Auckland; Patrick Commisky, Auckland; Andrew Kay, K&ikfhi, Auckland; Charles Cookman McMillan, Auckland; George Vesey Stewart, Katikati, Auckland. The annual inspection parade of the Hobson Company A.E.V. and Band, •Jakes place to the Drill-shed to-morrow (Tuesday) evening at 7.30. Members absent from this parade will forfeit their efficiency certificates ' and capitation. Class firing, last stage, at 5-30 a.m. to-morrow. One person for assault, two for drunkenness, and another for the larceny of a quant'ty of wearing apparel, valued at 30s, the Property of William Stainton, were duly lodged in the watch-house cells at a late hour last night. . Several long Cabinet meetings were held in Wellington before Sir Julius Vogel left 'or Wanganni, in order, it is believed, to arrange the Ministerial programme so that le might expound it in his speech. The application of Mr. Gledhill, of Welles-iey-street, Auckland, for a trade-mark lable len»«! 3 -"?! lam ? agne cider " is set forth at ■wngth in the New Zealand Gazette.

We are pleased to see from our Ihinedin exchanges that Volunteer Provo, an old Auckland shot, has taken the Ist prize (£10) in the firing for the district prizes at that place, beating Captain Wales and a number of others well knona in volnnteer circles. It will be remembered that Provo also took the first district prize at Napier, while he was residing there the year before last. He has likewise, on two occasions, carried off first honors in Auckland at similar contests. His score at Dunedin was 71, or just three points ahead of the second man.

The New Zealand Times thus refers to the late Eden election for the Provincial Council :—" A vacancy occurred in the Auckland Provincial Council lat3ly, and true to his tenets Sir George Grey had an election to fill the vacancy, although in the nature of things it was impossible that an Auckland Provincial Council could ever meet again. The electors commented on Sir George's action by returning a Mr. James Wrigley, the most consistent and persistent centralist that Aucklandhas ever had." It wonld seem from telegrams in the Southern papers, that, " Ing to Sir George Grey's strong objection to any one leaving Auckland, the Government has informed Mr. 'Jakes that they cannot provide passages to Welliugton for the men engaged by his agent at the Thames." Mr. Vesey Stewart informs us that the paragraph in our columns, stating that one of the Kati Kati settlers had signed the paper at the Thames as one of the destitute, is without foundation- The statement made by us was made on good authority. Mr. Wilson's circus tent was blown down in Dunedin on the evening of St Patrick's Day. There was great consternation and confusion amongst the audience, but no serious damage was done. The growth of the Roman Catholic Church in luvercargill has been so great that the Bishop has found it necessary to appoint a second priest to that parish. Last evening the Rev. Dr. Wallis lectured on Spiritism. WaDt of space prevents our giving an abstract of the discourse today. According to announcement elsewhere, Mr. Samuel Coombes must have money, and when Mr. Coombe3 comes to the determination of getting money, he gets it. There are various mode 3of getting money. The Quaker instructed his son how to get it, and the son proved an apt scholar. Mr. Coombes instructs himself. He declares that he must pay his bill3. This is a self-imposed task that many other men of business would do well to follow., Mr. Coombes's method of getting money on this occasion is to institnte a monster clothing sale, at which he is prepared to dispose of his stock at cost price, and at less than cost price even, to the extent of 50 per cent, under coat. His stock is a large one, and includes.the stocks of two other clothiers, who were unable to pay their bills, even when Mr. Coombes came to their rescue. The winter is approaching, when straw hats, white coats, and light texture trowsers will no longer be proof against the inclemency of the weather,. and boys must be clothed, and so must their fathers. The annual meeting of the City of London Gold Mining Company wiH be held in Mr. Garland's office, Wyndham-street, to-day, at noon.