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New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4545, 8 June 1876, Page 2

His Honor the District Judge gave judgment yesterday for the plaintiff for the full amount and costs in the case of Waymouth v. Sims and Brown, an action for the destruction of a boathouse, shipwrights' shop, and grating. The claim was for £100, and costs £12 10s. His Honor made an order for payment of the whole —at £20 a month. His Honor, Mr. Justice Gillies, gave judgment yesterday on the demurrer argued last Court-day in the case Susan Grattan v. George Giles. The judgment is given at length in another column. The liighth Musical and Literary Entertainment of tlie Pitt-street Mutual Improvement Association will take place on Friday evening next, in the Pitt-street School-room, at 7.30 o'clock. The winter entertainments of this association have always been an unqualified success ; and from the programme, which appears iu our advertising columns, we do not think this one will be behind those previously given. Somehow or other, winter evenings, although cold, have the effect of warming the hearts of any number when brought together for the purpose of amusement, aud a social feeling is engendered which is unknown at other seasons of the year. For the entertainment, next Friday evening, prose, poetry, and music have been searched for gems of thought aud intellect wherewith to satisfy the most fastidious taste. Mr. McMaster will transport himself, so to speak, to the " Ould Country" while he reads "-Barney Geoghegan" (tlie Irish member) with the true brogue ; Mr. Beaumont will appear in an original reading, being a satirical address, composed by himself; Mr. Eastwood in "The Jackdaw of Itheims" is sure to be amusing ; and Mr. Theophilus Cooper in " Khipil's Palace" will be worth listening to. The music, under Mr. Bridson, will be a treat. The entertainment will begin at 7.30 sharp. It i 3 gratifying to learn that our remarks on the mode adopted by the railway authorities in the matter of disposal of nightsoil has been of some good. The management appears to acknowledge tlie error of its ways, and henceforth the contents of the etation closets is not to be deposited, as heretofore, into the harbour. The contents also of the closets attached to the workshops, &c, will in future not be buried in holes dug by the railway employees in the reclaimed land in Official Bay. But the authorities are determined that tho charge of lavish expenditure shall not be laid at their door, for the services of the night-soil contractor are still to be dispensed with. The manager of the railway has expressed his determination to have a special truck built for the purpose of doing the contractor's work. It is remarkable that when a proposition was made some months since to remove the night-soil collected in the city by rail to Papatoitoi, or some other country district, and so save expense to the ratepayers, the railway authorities refused to entertain the question. Since then the charges to the city householders have been doubled on account of the extra expense attached to the removal. Yesterday a horse and cart was standing near the railway station, Onehunga, when the horse took fright, and breaking the chain by which it was fastened, dashed at full speed down Princes-street, and had not Constable Green, at a considerable risk to himself, seized the reins and brought the horse sharply to a standstill, an accident more or less serious in its nature might have been the result. There was to have been a meeting of the Domain Board yesterday, at noon. At the hour announced, a quorum was not F reE eat, and the business was adjourned to the next ordinary meeting day. Mr. Thomas Buddie, solicitor, was elected one of the committee of the Permanent Coeperative Building Society on Tuesday eyening. His name is by a mistake printed "Buttle" in our issue of yesterday.

Wβ have received a letter about " Wairoa grog shanties," recounting the fatal accidents that have occurred though the drink supplied from them, and dealing somewhat severely with any one who would not at once " go in for" closing all the houses in the_ district. Having taken a prominent part in drawing attention to evils of excessive drinking on the part of the men working in the Wairoa, and yielding to no one in our anxiety to see a better state of things introduced, we feel that we have a right to give a word oE advice and caution to those who have taken up the matter, and who have marked out a course for themselves. They ought not, in the first place, to proceed on the assumption that anyone who does not entirely coincide with them is guided entirely by mercenary motives. Nothing so irritates people as to assume a very lofty positioa in dealing with them. You cannot very well abuse a man into doiug a philanthropic act, and in dealing with a person who has any grit in him, it is better not to try. Further, we think it fairly open to question whether the '' putting down" of the hotels in the Kaipara district will be followed by the stoppage of scenes of drunkenness, and the consequent accidents. It must be remembered that in that district are a very great number of bushmen, who work hard, who are not the most comfortably housed or fed—men who have been accustomed to an occasional "spree," as a change from the laborious monotony of their life, and who ivill have drink on their holidays. To compare these men with the Albertlaud settlers is simply nonsensical— these latter being at their own homes, having regular meals, and all the restraints of families and neighbours around them. Wo think it is open fairly to question whether the extinguishing of all the licensed houses would not lead to great evils through sly grogselling. We do not profess to offer c positive conviction, and we should be glad to see the experiment which the Wairoa people, acting from the very noblest motives, seem bo anxious to make, fairly tried. We should also be glad to see, with or without that experiment, those interested in the trade devoting some time and means to improving the condition of the men, mingling with them on their holidays, and striving to get them to employ their spare time in rational amusements.

Perhaps it is not generally known that the district between Riverhead and Helensville possesses more than that usual attraction for sportsmen—abundance of pheasants. It is infested with wild cats. These animals are the progeny of tame cats brought into the district by settlers, who, after living in the neighbourhood for some time, took their departure for other places leaving their feline friends behind them entirely unprovided for. The cats being thrown upon their own resources, however, proved themselves equal to the emergency, for making the discovery that young pheasants—(of which plenty are to be found iu the proper season) were agreeable and nutritious food, they took to livingjon them. Gradually becoming bolder and more skilful, the hunting cats made the older birds their prey, and now even the cock pheasants are pounced upon and killed with great facility. Of course the thing is quite a nuisance, and those persons who succeed in doing away with it in part or in whole would be hailed as public benefactors by the nettlers. The animals have increased and multiplied with marvellous rapidity, and unlese preventive measures are speedily taken they will certainly replenish the North Island in very little time. They generally choose the sandhills as tlieir home and play ground, and a gentleman, resident in the Pairoa district, assured us that the marks of their feet are so numerous on these hills that anyone viewing them, and unaware of the true cause, would readily suppose a drove of sheep had passed over them. Puss instead of degenerating on regaining her liberty seems to have steadily improved. The fur is long and silky and the animals are larger and more active than those who frequent the hearths and homes of settlers. We understand that a Tabby was shot the other day which would in every respect have compared very favourably with auy other in the colony. It was like a small tiger.

In recording a little act of heroism at Ouehunga wo regret that we are unable to furnish the name of the youthful hero. Oα Monday last two brothers were iishing on Onehunga wharf, when the youngest fell into the tide, which runs rather strongly there. The elder one —a boy about fourteen summers—without hesitation, plunged in to his rescue, without waiting to divest himself of boots or garments. With great difficulty he held the little fellow up, battling hard against the strong current, and succeeded in taking him alongside the Luna, where a rope was lowered down to his assistance. To this he held and supported his brother until a boat proceeded to the rescue of the pair; and when the occupants of the boat reached them, and were about to seize him, ho cried out, "Take hold of Bobby lirst; hu's almost done." And, indeed, both were almost done from the long immersion, but the eldest had maintained his pluck to the last, and, to all appearances, would have died sooner than he would have loosed his hold of " Bobby" until the latter was safe. That boy deserves a medal.

Through an oversight yesterday, we omitted in our report of the proceedings of the annual Licensing Court to state that the only application for a new licence was granted to Mr. Frederick Archard, of the Britomart Hotel, Customhouse-street. This house ha 3 just been completed at a cost of £2000, and is well suited for the trade for which it is intended. Although considered a new application, the house in reality takes over the licence of tiie Sailors' Home, which premises arc to bo closed as a public-houso. Mr. Archard has been loug and well known as a coal and firewood merchant and telegraph contractor iu this province. Previous to his arrival in Auckland, some twenty years ago, he was in the licensed victualling trade in London. He is therefore no stranger to the business. The Luna did not start from Onehunga on Tuesday, the sea outside being too rough for her to pass the Heads. His Excellency the Governor and Lady Normanby stayed at the Mauukau Hotel, Onehunga, the whole of the time they were detained by the Luna being unable to put to sea, and left there to proceed by that steamer at a-quarter past four yesterday. This is the second time that His Excellency has honoured Mr. Hardington by a visit, and on both occasions expressed his pleasure at the accommodation and attention he received during his stay, which extended on a former occasion to seven or eight days. The first lecture of the course of the Young Men's Christian Association will be given in their hall to-morrow evening, by Josiah Martin, Esq., on Nature's Chemistry, describing some or the agencies at work building up, altering, and reforming the surface of the earth, the formation of coral islands, with deep sea researches, and cave explorations. Several beautiful experiments in chemistry will be introduced, and a series of views of the terraces of Rotomahana, and other places, will be exhibited by the agency of the lime light by Mr. Dennes. A large number of diagrams will be used to illustrate the lecture. The examination of some of our youths under the Civil Service Regulations, which has been continued at the office of Major Green, the General Government Agent, for some days, was concluded yesterday evening. The papers will be transmitted to Wellington by the next Southern iteamer, and the results subsequently notified. We have no doubt but our Auckland boys, as heretofore, will come up to the standard of proficiency in their knowledge of general subjects, and dispose of the test questions submitted to them in a creditable manner. The Police Court poor-box was opened yesterday by Messrs. G. W. Owen and A. Stewart on behalf, of the .Home for Destitute and Criminal Children, and was found to contain £4 4s 2d. The Maynard Variety Company, we learn, will open at the Prince o£ Wales Theatre on Saturday evening next, with a full and entertaining programme.

The process of laying the water-pipes throughout the city is being proceeded with by the different contractors in an energetic manner. The following street have been completed :—Queen-street;(up to its junction with Wakefield-street), Shortlaad - street, Princes-street (as far as the Northern Club), Waterloo Quadrant, Alten Road Stanleystreet, Mechanics' Bay, Grafton Road, Fortstreet, Gore : street, Custom - house - street, Commerce-street, Grey-street, Pitt-street, Vincent-street, and parts of Cook-atreet, Albert-etreet, and Symonds-street. The pipes in all these streets have been subjected to a hydraulic test of 2501b5. to the inch with satisfactory results. A large number of pipes in the market-house have also been put under the specification test—twice the working head—by the Clerk of Works, under the superintendence of Mr. Errington, and found to be all right. Other sections of pipes in the city, as laid, will be subjected to hydraulic pressure. At the Springs the pipes track has been carried across the swamp, and the part up Archill has been completed.

At a sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court, for the Kaipara district, held in HeJensville on Monday last, before Captain Symonds, R.M., a man named Frank Kapteut was convicted of stealing two brooches and some clothing, of the value of £5, from a native woman named Martha, and sentenced to two months' imprisonment with, hard labour at Mount Edeu Gaol. The robbery was committed about Christmas last, but the prisoner was not apprehended until the 24th ultimo. He had been remanded from time to time until the Bench, was occupied by the Resident Magistrate. He was brought to Auckland yesterday morning in charge of the constable stationed at Helensville.

Mrs. Mitchell will give her annual concert this evening, in the Choral Hall. The programme, as published, is an unusually attractive one ; and taking into consideration the names of the Xjerformers and the eminent services which the lady has lent in the cause of niusic in Auckland, as well as her ready willingness to assist in any entertainment for a charitable object, we feel convinced that the public of Auckland will attend in large numbers, and thus evince the high estimation in which she is held by them. We desire to draw attention to Mr. C. T. Wren's "list of coniferous and other ornamental trees, shrubs, plants, fruit trees, &c, for 1876," which was issued as a supplement to the Herald a short time since. The catalogue contains the names of a large variety of trees, shrubs, and plants, with the prices for which they may be obtained, and will undoubtedly prove very handy to intending purchasers. A two-stamper pneumatic battery, sent out some time ago from England by T. 2lussell, Esq., has been temporarily erected for inspection in one of the sheds of the distillery by Mr. E. S. McCoakrie, of Hobson-street. The stampers are equal to eight ordinary stampers. The maker is Harvey, of Cornwall. At about 4.30 o'clock yesterday evening the chimney of a lodging-house in Parnell, kept by a Mr. Hargreaves, caught fire, and after burning for about an hour was extinguished. The origin of the fire was due to the fact of the chimney being in a foul condition. At the Onehunga Police Court an inebriate was fined 5s and costs yesterday, and an old offender named William McCallum was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, for having been found on certain premises at Onehunga, late at night, without being able to give any lawful reason or excuse for being there. Mr. H. Alley of Hikutaia writes a letter to the Thames Advertiser dated Alexandra, June 1, on the recent interview between Sir D. McLean and Tawhiao. We make the following extract : —I arrived here last night, and I give you the gist of a conversation 1 had with a few chiefs. They say the King was misinformed, and cunningly made to believe that Sir George Grey vas the honoured individual that was coming to meet him. When he (the King) arrived at the settlement he was told it was the new Governor. Well, he (the King) said he was disappointed, as the new Governor knew little or nothing about their grievances, but he was more disappointed when, the Native Minister arrived alone. I hear the Native Minister is not the mau to bring the King to terms. They hold him in the utmost contempt. The King asked him to return Waikato. All other points were minor ones, and would be easily settled. From what I hear, the King will make no peace, uuless with Sir George Grey. The natives say he alone understands all about their troubles, aud they have every confidence in the honour and integrity of purpose of that gentleman to do them justice. The natives do not understand our laws, and they are surprised that an Act * recently passed should stop their friend Sir George Grey from coming to see them. There is not a doubt but Sir George could and would make peace with the King natives. I understand the .Native Minister had the pleasure of meeting with poor Todd's murderer. I am told the natives pointed him out to the Native Minister, and they think he was afraid to take him prisoner.

The Thames Advertiser publishes the Thames Harbour Board Bill which has been drafted by Mr. Whitaker. The bill provides for a Board to be constituted "for the management of the affairs of the Port of Thames, and such Board shall be a body corporate of the name of the Thames Harbour Board"; and each of the local governing bodies will be represented therein. It will consist of nine members, the Mayor of the Borough being ex ojftcio one, the Borough Council electing two, the Highway Boards one each, and the other three "by the persona who shall have paid charges in respect of the port of Thames to the amount of not less than £2 sterling during the year preceding the election." The Southern Press are clamouring for the abolition of the coast service in our mail arrangements. The Wellington Argus says :— " As to the substitution of the Bay of Islands for Auckland as the port of call, we do not know that it would matter much to the rest of the Colony, although of course Auckland would not like it. In any case, if there is to be an alteration, we hope the absurdity of bringing the big ocean steamers down the coast will be abandoned. Even as matters now stand, if the steamers must come, it would usually expedite the delivery of the Wellington and Southern mails to send them down the West Coast by one of the ordinary coasting steamers. We veuture, however, to think that no satisfactory service is likely to be instituted, until Wellington is made the New Zealand port of call, and that this will have to be done sooner er later, we are quite certain." The Tairua correspondent of the Thames Advertiser records that the first lady resident of Nevesville, Mrs. Allen, arrived there on Wednesday last to join her husband, who is engaged in the Tairua Company's works. Another house is in course of erection to receive another lady, who is expected up this week.

The trustees of the Auckland Public Cemetery will be glad to receive contributions of trees and shrubs suitable for ornamental planting of the cemetery. Persons having claims against the estate of John March, late of Karangahape Road, are requested to forward the same to Mr. W. Thome. Mr. G. "W. Binney will hold a sale of produce, also apples, pears, jams, and tart fruits, ex Jane, from Hobart Town, at 11 a.m. to-day. An extraordinary general meeting of the Auckland and North Shore Ferry Company will be held to-day, at 2.30 p.m., at the office, Wyndbamstreet. The clearing out sale of ship-chandlery, &c, on the premises of Messrs. "Williams and Co., will be continued by Messrs. E. andH. Isaacs to-day, at 11 a.m. A sale of town and suburban freehold properties will be held at noon to-day by Mr. B, Arthur.

TYPHOID FEVER AT KOHIMAP.AMA. We regret to learn that the accounts from Kohimarama, regarding the prevalence of typhoid fever, continue of a. gloomy nature. The whole of Mr. Biddick's family are still ill with the complaint. Airs. Biddick, who died on Sunday last, wae interred next day, making the second death in the family from the same disorder during the past six months. Mr. Biddick and all his children, four in number, are still ill with the fever, and attended by Dr. Purchas. "We learn, also, that two other Europuan families are suffering from the same cause. Mrs. Jacobs, the wife of Captain Jacobs, las also been very ill with typhoid fever for some weeks. Several of the Maoris located here are also still suffering. Communication with the district has been stopped, and no cattle or sheep have been landed at Orakei for some months on account of the disease there. The distress in this sorely-afflicted district is very sad. It is also very unaccountable. One would think that, if there were a healthy district round Auckland, it would be Kohimarama.