Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4902, 2 August 1877, Page 2

The Borough of Parnell is without a solitary endowment. We believe that representstons are about to be made to the General Assembly for the purpose of bringing this matter under tho notice of the Colonial Legislature. The loss of their riparian interests in connection with the Harbour Hoard is a serious one. It Jβ proposed that

t'lc triangular piece of laud between Manukau Uoad and Varnell Rise should be devoted to the purpose. But this is a Lunatic Asylum reserve. No doubt it might be made .in en dmvment, laud of equal vnlue being given to the Asylum. There will, no doubt, be a way found to do it if there be a general wish to do it.

It is curious to observe how the interests of the public may sometimes be sacrificed by the conflicting assertion of rights on the part of local bodies. The following is a case in point:—The ground on either sidf. of the culvert which bridges the smallest of tidal creeks opposite the Union Sash and Door Company's mill, in Mechanics Bay, is in rather a. dangerous state. The spot also forms the angle of the Manukau Koad and F.irnell >?ise, and is extremely dangerous for carriage traffic after nightfall. The Borough Council passed a resolution to build a retaining wall at this spot, and had dug the necessary foundations and carted the stoue requisite for their purpose. But yesterday tho Engineer to the Harbour Board gave notice to the workmen employed, and afterwards to the "local authority" that the Borough was encroaching on tho p-";-c-'.;.- o c t l ie Board, l'lie work was thereupon stopped. Of course, we cannot imagine that the good sense of the Board will prevent tho prosecution of a ueeful and necessary work. But the Borough may bo placed in a position to say to the Harbour Board that if the ground belongs to the harbour property, it is the business of the Board to undertake the work which the liorough Councillors have been hindered in carrying on. The work is unquestionably one of the greatest public utility. The claim of the Harbour Board is, that they are lords of the noil up to high water mark. The Borough has dealt with the ground a3 t> e i n g within their boundary. We trust some accommodation will be arrived at. and that the safety of the public will uot lie jeopardised by merely presumptive contentions.

Regarding the prize of £200 which was offered for the most approved design for the erection of a Town Hall in Dunedin, we have seen the following telegram sent to Mr. Greenshielda of. Auckland: "'ln Haste' won the prize for the Town Mall design." " In Haste" was the motto taken by Mr. T. B. Cameron, of this city, who, 12 years ago, •was the successful competitor for tho plans ordered to be furnished for the erection of St. James' Church, Auckland, and who, two years afterwards, carried off the palm against 23 competitors for plans for the erection of a church at Wanganui. We congratulate Mr. Cameron on his continued success.

The football practice in the Metropolitan Ground has at length commenced to show ,-v little spirit. At one time yesterday there were uo fewer than five balla flying about, and as the number of players increased, side» vrere chosen, and some excellent, though short practice resulted. Kiug for one side obtained two tries, and E. Burgess and Mowbray also played well. Exception must, howover, be taken to the cjuantity of Bmall boys who throng tho ground, and who not only impede the players, but are iu danger of being hurt themselves, perhaps severely, acd then there will be more outcries against football.

We would particularly direct the attentioa of our local Cattle Inspector to the rough manner of shipping and discharging cattle in the Auckland harbour. A case of this character, which occurred yesterday afternoon, has been brought under our notice by an eye-witness. Four bullocks were taken by a cutter to be shipped on board the mail steamer, but owing to the apparent inexperience of those in charge of the craft, the transshipping involved positive cruelty — those on board the steamer were as bad as fche others. One of the beasts, whilst being lifted into the mail steamer, had one of its horns broken ; and, after being landed, was pulled round several times by the legs and horns before being made fast to tho staunohions. Many of the bystanders expressed much surprise at the treatment received by tho animal,

The fourth of the series of entertainments instituted in aid of the Harmonium Fund of the Weyleyan Church, Devenporfc, was held yesterday evening, aud passed off iu a highly agreeable manner. Tho chair was occupied by the Ftev. W. J. Williams, who made a few felicitous remarks before calling upon tho fir3t performer. The programme was a long, varied and interesting one. It wai made up of songs by Missus Croll and party, and Messrs. Mofflin and Green ; organ recitals by Professor Lambert, vocal duets by -Miss [Andes and Mrs. Clark, Mr. Ilowden and Mr. Hartley, Miss Oarty and Mrs. Clark; instrumental duets by Mr. Cousins and Miss llarbutt (concertina and piano), by M iss and Master llarbutt (pianoforte), by Professor l_amhert and Miss llarbutt (organ and pianoforte), two songs with choruses ; a pianoforte solo by Professor Lambert, a reading by Mr. William Beaumont, and a speech by tho liev. W. J. Scott. The reading given by Mr. Hcaumont was original, and highly amusing. It was descriptive of a parade of a Waikato Militia regiment during the Maori War of ISG2-3. The singing of the National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close.

We understand that Paul of Orakei has been specially commissioned by a number of his people to proceed by the first steamer leaving for Wellington, with a view of qetting the General Government to agree upon the amount of compensation to which both himself and the members of his tribe are entitled to for land taken by the Public Works Department for the Kiverheail and IU-lensville line of railway. Coiißulerini: the length of time since tho line was fir.'t open for traffic, it. docs appear somewhat strange that a settlement of such claims was other matters connected with the future welfare of the Northern natives which were discussed at a numerously attended meeting of chiefs and their hapus at Otamatci some time ago, which those present then decided should he brought before Parliament, and no doubt Paul will be able to make the representations of his people known to Auckland members during his stay in Wellington, so that any cases requiring attention will bo gone into and grievances redressed. As a rule, tho Northern chiefs aud their tribes have asked but little from the Government of the day.

Mr. Jameß McCosh Clark and family were passengers yesterday by the s.s. Zealandia to Ran Francisco, en rout*- to England. The departure of thin ceiitleman and his wifo has caused a vniil in tho fashionable circle of Auckland which will not soon he filled, and tho ncrecihlo reunions which were periodically held in Mr. Clark's residence, will be greatly missed by those who had tho pleasure of receiving invitations. Mrs. Clark's absence, however, will be felt with a keener pang of regret by those who were made the recipiontsof her bounty, viz.. tho poor and necessitous, and the inmates of the several eleemosynary institutions of the city, in whom she always evinced a lively interest. A number of the friends of the lady and gentlemen were present on the Wharf to see them off and wish them a good voyage. Mr. George Vcsey Stewart took passage in the same vessel. TTo goes to the home country to make the necessary preparations for tho bringing out tho special settlers on whoso account the additional grant of 10,000 acres at Katikati was made him by tho Waste Lands Board. By the Uotorua, which sailed yesterday for Sydney, the two sons of Mr. Justice Oillies also left Auckland.

Scarcely a month has elapsed sinco a first start was made with the mison-work of the Graving Dock, and already, owing in a great measure to the favourable weather which has prevailed, the progress made has been moat satisfactory. The whole of tho rubble masonry at the head of the Dock, and extending some distance along the inner wall, has been finished, find along the outer wall it now extends fully half the length of the Dock, ami half the floor is laid for the same distance, the rubble floor consisting, we may state, of rubble masonry two font thick. The object of the contractors in thus pushing forward the outer side of the dock is to prevent any breaches being caused in the cofferdam in consequence of the great pressure which has to be resisted on that side. A very considerable portion of tho dressed stone bottom of the Dock is also laid at the upper end. Tho blocks of stone are 2!, feet thick, and these resting on the rubble bottom makes the total depth of masonry 4* feet. A large stfjff of men are kept employed, in order to push the work forward with all possibln despatch. Yesterday the pumping machinery, which arrived from England by the ft. Broujhton, was being landed, and, as the foundations for the engine and boiler are all but complete, tho erection of thu machinory will be commenced without delay.

A gentleman of experience, who returned to town yesterday after a visit to the Waitekauri district, where he remained for sufficient timu to enable him to form a pretty correct opinion of the resources of that country, speaks very hopefully of it's present, and future prospects. Except in the Waitckauri Company's mine there is not at preBent much work going on, but operations have been resumed or started in several other mines, and there appears to be a greater amount of energy displayed than usual. JSoveral good-looking lodes are being opened up. The out put from the leading mine is as great as is required, and there does not seem to be any falling or" in tho quality of the ore, judging" from its appearance and the returns at the crushing mill. The tramway which is in course of construction to connect the Young New Zealand, Perseverance, Welcome, and others, with that loading to the Waitekauri battery, is in an advanced state. The whole, of the cuttings, fillings. &c, are completed, and it now only remains to finish the bridges. Some of those are of considerable magnitude- and span, especially one near the Cornstalk claim, where the legs for the trestle-work are r>o feet in length, but as the country is well timbered, no difficulty is experienced in procuring suitable materials It is probable that the whole structure will be completed this month, and already somo of the mining companies are preparing to avail themselves of it The Young New Zealand and the Welcome companies havo very large quantities of ore our., which they expect to yield well, and it will be forwarded to the battery as soon aa prao' ticable. J

Wβ understand that the inspectors of lunatic asylums have been informed by circular.that local inspection is to be dispensed with. Tho lunatic asylums throuah out the colony are to be placed under the sole control of Dr. Skae. At a meeting of the newly-elected Board of trustees for the Mount Eden Highway District, held on Tuesday night. Mr. J. Thompson was elected chairman, Mr. R. Udy, secretary ; Mr. E. C. Carr was appointed collector, and Mr. A. Crookit poundkeeper. By a printer's error in our last issue, the area of the confiscated lands, for the transfer of which the Waste Lauds Board resolved to appiy to the Government, was stated to be 64,000 acres, whereas it should have read 640,000 acres. The proportion of surveyed laud wasSO.ooo, not SOOO. The two celebrated brood mares Fanny Fisher and Peeress were taken to Sydney yesterday by the s.s. Kotorua. Mr. Walters, their owner, accompauied them, his object in taking them to New South Wales being to place them with the stud horeo Yattendon. The monthly meeting of the Domain Board was to have been held at noon yesterday, but fell through from want of a quorumMessrs. Mitford and Warren, and the secretary, were the the only gentlemen in atteudof an hour's waiting not producing any accession to their number, they concluded to ndjourn. The only cases or. the charge-sheet at the Police Court yesterday, were four charges of drunkenness. Three of those were preferred against as many females, and the remaining lieethara presided on the Bench. Jane Kelly being an old offender was sentenced to 7 days' imprisonment, and the others -rvere puuished in the usual manner. The Bill on Crossed Cheques, which, on Tuesday, passed through committee without amendment', differs apparently but slightly with the customs now prevalent amongst bankers. The words "not negotiable," which have not hitherto been in use, may be added by any lawful owner, but no persou taking a cheque crossed generally or specially, that is crossed with simply the words " and Co." on it, or the name of some particular bank, can uive a better title to the cheque than the person had from whom it was taken. The object of the bill seems to have been not so much a departure from established custom as to make either legal or compulsory by law what is now sometimes regarded as a matter of usage.

We invite the attention of the proper authority to the dangerous condition of a wooden culvert over the water-table iu front of the eastern carriage entrance to the Supreme C/ourfc grounds. Xt has been in a, dilapidated condition for some time, and we have seen ono or two aeeidimts at this place. One was in the case of a lady, whose foot went through tho broken and unfastened plank into the mud underneath. A person at night might have a leg broken in this man-trap. As it is a part of the public road, and within the city boundary, we pre siime the responsibility of leaviug the place in its present condition will rest with the City Council.

What's in a name ? The inhabitants of Edwardes street petitioned tho City Council yesterday, to have the name of that thorough fare chained to (s.iy) Alexandra-street. Will arose that now blooms in that interesting locality 1)3 fairer or richer, or more sweet smelling when the place is called by the name of Alexandra, who used to be designated the Rose of Denmark. The people of Kd-wardes-street ask for the change being desi rous of living "quiet, peaceful, and sober lives." .-'urely the tenor of their lives must be cftlm and tranquil to which such a change would give perpetuity of innocent repose. And they say tlm sinners have gone forth from their midst. They, at least, believe that thei'u is everything in a name, and his Worship the Mayor, as the mouthpiece of the City Council, will probably proclaim, " So uioto it be."

We have received the August number of the Church Gazdln. The leading articles consist of *' Comments on the Diocesan General Klection, K577." "Au Appeal to Common Souse," which is taken from the -Veio Xatluml Church JS'w., and which lias a good deal of its title contained in it, and a short article entitled, " Can a man belong to two (.'hurehos ;it euce ?" which has reference to the position of the Church of Kiigland in New Zealand in connection with the motlier clmrchat limne. An account of the annual meeting of the subscribers to the Orphan Home, St. .Stephen's, I'arnell, is given, together with the annual report of the manager ; a list of subscriptions and donations, and the balance sheet. This laet ikows a balance in bank and in hand on the 313t of March last of £350 3s Ud, as compared with £120 Gs Id ; balance at the same date in IS7G ; but in the past year repairs and additions to the Home have been effected at a cost of £170 17s. These include the erection of a new kitchen, the want of which has been for some time much felt. The report regarding the prosperity and usefulness of the institution speaks satisfactorily, and we note that the Board does not lose sight of the occupants when they leave, but can point with satisfaction to the fact that many of them are now rilling situations with credit to themselves. Sunday school lessons for three Sundays in August and two Sundays iu September, as usual, form a feature in the Gazette which contains also a considerable quantity of Church news, notices of books, &c, ami other interesting information. In addition to this, tho report of the liome Mission to iluue MO, 1577, and the rules for the direction and management of the Orphan Home aro given in the Supplement.

After referring to tho desirability of constructing the Thames and Waikato Kailway, and stating that during the Hying survey mailo by Mr. Simpson of the proposed line in 1873, he found tho distance to be 59J miles, our Waikato contemporary of yesterday says:—"The Thames people, we observe, many of them, afraid lest the undertaking as a- whole should be shelved by the Government, are desirous of urging that, for the present only, the construction of the Thames end of the line should be undertaken. To do this would be a most palpable and egregious error. Whatever of engineering diiiiO'.iUy exists upon the line is to bo found in the twenty nine and a half miles between lira liamstown and l Imahu, on the Thames River. The thirty miles between Hamilton and Omahu can be completed for a sum of £3000 per mile ; the cost of the sixty miles as a whole would equal the average cost of New Zealuud railways, namely, £o'ooo per mile ; so that, while half the line could be constructed for £90,000, tho cost of the whole sixty miles would be some £300,000. If, however, by first undertaking the construction of the more costly end of tho line, the advantage, even to Grahaimtown, would be greater, we could see some rea=oa in the argument. But it is not so. Grahamstowu would find no market for its timber as it would do if communication were opened with Waikato, and a railway from Graharastown to Omahu would scarcely open up a supply of the agricultural and farm produce which the Orahatnstown people require. It would, indeed, simply exchange river for mil comU'unioatiou, as far as it went, without connecting the goldlields with the Waikato market. And this is just where the argument in favour of beginning at the Waikato end of the line tells. If the whole line canuot be constructed, then let us havo that half which is not only the least costly to construct but which does, what the other does not, namely, bridges over the whole distance between the two districts, to connect which is the object of us all. The Kivrcr Thames is navigable as far as Omahu, and the line of 30 miles from Hamil ton to Omahu would completo a system of steam communication between the goldfields and the Waikato district. Manifestly, then, and we speak in tho interests of the Thames tnlly a3 much as cf Waikato, the end to be omaienced upon is that which, when the railway is half finished, will bring Grahams- I t-.iivn into direct steam communication with j Waikato, and not that eud which, leaving I Waikato altogether cus olf, will connect the goldh'elds with as yet comparatively unsettled and liou-producing districts.

The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners announce that the celebration ot their second anniversary will take place at the Lome street Hall to-night in the form of a soiree and ball. Tea will be laid at half-past 0 o'clock, and dancing will commence at 9 o'clock. Thieving from steamers is becoming prevalent. Yesterday Detective Grace arrested a man named John MeFadyen on a charge of stealing a rug from the steamer Anno Milbank, and he will be brought before the Police Magistrate to day to answer to the charge. The other occupants of the policecells are a woman who was found drunk and a man who failed to contribute to the requisite support of his child in the Industrial Home. At a meeting of the Domain Board held some months ago it was decided after dne consideration that efforts should be mado to adorn and beautify the Domain, chiefly by the planting of native treed. Accordingly shoots of trees of indigenous growth were procured from all parts of the province and carefully husbanded in the nursery. Here they throve remarkably well, and latterly the work of transplanting them to different parts of the Domain has been going on, and the most successful results have been anticipated. Despite, however, the care taken to procure healthy plants, and the money expended in their care, the sanguine wishes of the lovers of arboriculture are likely to be doomed to disappointment, for an unlookedderive a morbid pleasure in the destruction of anything of publio utility. Mr. Chalmers, Monday last, to the newly planted native shrubs, found a great number of them pulled up bv the roots aod thrown away, so that if prompt and decisive measures are not taken, the result is not dilliuult to foresee. It woul'! be desirable, perhaps, to offer a large reward for such information as would lead to the discovery of the guilty parties, who could tlien be visited with condign punishment; for it is only severe repressive measures that will have any effect on the perpetrators of these acts of vandalism. There arrived by the steamer "Enterprise, yesterday morning, the new winding rope for the Queen of the May mine. The rope is SOO feet long and six inches wide. It was manufactured by the Auckland Steam Rope Factory, and is a good specimen of colonial mauufacture.— Thames Advertiser. The District Engineer is a purchaser of puriri timber. Tenders are required for the erection of a two-storied building in Albert-street. The Luke Highway District Board intimate that on Wednesday, the loth im,t., a Kite of Is in the £ on the annual value will be struck. A mine-munnger is required for the Rangitoto Silver Mine. Applications to be sent to the company's office, Hobitika. The Board of Education announces that the ne;v school at the junction of Jlount Eden and Valley Roads will bo opened on Monday next. A list of lands open for occupation under the provisions of the Homestead system, will be found in another column. Those interested in die Church of England Home Mission work, are reminded that a meeting will he held in the Cathedral Library this evening at hn.lf-j>ast seven, to consider how the extension of the work may be best secured. Messrs. B. Tonks and Co. will offer to-day the large Rtock in tralc in the estate of H. S. Meyers ami Co. It is one of the largest and most important sales which has taken place for a loDg time past, consisting cf wines, spirits, teas, tobaccos, and sundry merchandise. The attention of the trade is directed to the advertisement, as the goods will be sold, and offers an opportunity of replenishing stocks which seldom