Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5016, 13 December 1877, Page 2

Mrs. McManu.i writes a lung ioiter contradicting a statement in a Wellington journal to the effect that the Petitions Com ruittce gave a one-sided and malicious decisiou against the Justices regarding whose action in her sou's case she had petitioned the House. The subject has so frequently been before the public, and the particulars are so well known, that we cannot afford space for lira. McManus's letter.

It will be remembered that at the recent race meeting held at Ohaupo, certain charges were made of unfair play having taking place between Paddy and Polly. A long discussion ensued on the subject, at a special meetiug of the Waikato Turf Club, held on Saturday, the Sth instant, when the following resolution was come to :—" That Paddy be disqualified from running in any race where the \\ aikato Turf Club rules are iu force."

So many and such large interests in the Waitekauri Gold Mining Company are held in Auckland, that a strong desire is expressed (as shown by advertisement) that the next general meeting should be held here, iu order to give the proprietors an opportunity of expressing their views and opinions relative to their propertj', which they have never yet had, from all meetings hitherto being held in Grahamstowu. A numerouslysigned requisition lies at No. 11 Insurance Buildings for further signature.

Following the example of the Auckland Grammar School, the Church of England schoolboys at Riruell intend holding athletic sports in the Domain to-day. The following is the programme of events which will be competed for :—JUO yards (handicap) ; 130 yards, for boys under 13 years of age ; high jump ; one-half mile (handicap) ; one mile (do.); hop, step, and jump; 1(10 yards, for boys under 13 years ; throwing the cricket hall ; sack race ; two miles walking race ; tug of war. The sports will commence at 10.30.

A Waipu settler writes in reference to the meeting lately h-ld iu that settlement at which resolutions were passed in favour ot Sir George Grey's < lovertnnent. Our correspondent concludes : —" i\ly aim in writing the above is to show that, as a settlement, we do not wish to be considered so blind as to think that the late Government were all so very sellish autl corrupt as some say, and on the other hand to show that we are not so very ' carky-headed' as to expect uothing but unmixed gooc 1 from the preseut Goveriis ment.

\Ve are to notice that while dis* cussiou regarding the water rates is progressing, the beuelitd of the supply itself are being extcudcd. A strong gtatf of meu is now engaged in laying a six inch aub-raain through \Vellesley-street, from Queen-streefc to bymouds-streefc, and fire-plugs are being fixed iu suitable positions. This m tiD will not only prove available for lire, and domestic purposes in th« street through which it is beiug laid, but branches can be carried from it through the by-streets which branch off this thoroughfare.

A movement was on foot on the part of the working-men of Auckland to give Sir George Grey a reception on their own aeoouut, and a meeting was held last night to consider the question. Ihu grievance among the workmg-meu assembled appeared to be that they were debarred from taking a part in the preliminary meeting by the time at which it was called, when those who were iu employment could not be present. However, after a full discussion of the subject, it was decided not to make a second address or demonstration, but that as many of the working-men as could make it convenient should attend the reception of Sir George Grey and take part in the subsequent proceedings.

"1 he following was the letter sent by Mr. Rowe to his constituents, in answer co the resolution from a public meeting asking him rt-'sigu "\\ elliugton, December 3rd, IST". H. E. Power, I'Jsq. Sir, —I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd November, in which you communicate to me a resolution passed at a meeting held at ( irahamstown, on tlu 22nd. 'J lie resolution states that my action is opposed to the beat interests of my constituents, and tbat I be requested to resign forthwith. i must ask leave to uitTer from the statement as to the effect of my conduct on the interests of the electors. On all occasions the 0110 object I have had in view lias been (according to my best judgment and ability) to advocate and promote in every possible way the interests of the whole electorate. in order to do this 1 hare remained here at great personal inconvenience and loss : and eveu at the close of the session there are several matter;: of vital importance to be attended to ; and should the request conveyed in the resolution be complied with, they will certaitdy be passed over; besides 1 am assured that my resiguatiou is not desired by a majority of the electors. Will you, therefore, be good enough to inform t!ie gentle men present at theueetiDg that it is not my intention to resign my post for the reasons assigned aud grounds stated in tile resolution.— I am, .to., \V. Howe."

From our Coromandel telegrams it will be seen that the Warden of tliat district lias granted an injunction to tbe Union Beach Company to restrain the fVew Golden Pali against using the shaft which was sunk by that claim a sliort time ago, anil which they are now using for ingress aud egress to tluir workings. Mr. B.ivldon, of tile Thamts, lias surveyed the ground on behalf oi the Union Beach Company, and has made the Golden Tab shaft 13 feet inside the Union licach boundary, and upon this the Warden grants the injuueiio:i. This injunction, however, completely stops tliu I'ah Company for the time being, as the position of the shaft is very elo-c to highwater mark, and according to the survey upon which the in junction i> granted, a new shaft beyond the prescribed boundary would be iu, or at the very edge of high water. The Pah Company are not content with the survey just comple'.-jd by Mr. B lyhion, ail I have sent down .Mr. Macfarlaue, ami upon his survey their fuiure actions will be decided. The strangest part of the whole affair is, that the Golden Pah 1 'ompmv's ground was surveyed by the surveyor of the Union Heach Company, and when the L'ah Company applied for the lease, that gentleman testified upon oath it was a correct survey, aud furthermore marked out the present position of the shaft. 111 sue', circumstances it is not to be wondered that tile Pah Company intend lighting, and we understand they propose to produce evi. rlunce that iu the survey Mr. liayl ion lias been misled by pegs, which were not iu existence at file time the original suivey was made.

Wo understand the New Zealand Insurance Company have purchased til.: site and premises in Hastings street now occupied by Mr. Robinson's Fancy Hoods K-positorv. to which they intend to transfer the business of their Napier agency. It is evident the company intend spending within the town a portion of the large amount they must have received ill premiums in this district;. Ultimately, no doubt, thev will erect handsome and commodious otiiees, and Mr. A. Leslie Campbell is to be congratulated 011 having secured so prominent, and in every way eligible, a site for his company.— HairAe'.f Han Jlcru'a.

An "English correspondent writes :—" That eminent public functionary, the veteran Oaleraft, now resting in sweet seclusion fn.m his labours, is said to be engaged on an 4 Autobiography of work which promises to be of thrilling interest, though. 1 hear it said the bi»«>k hai been ho louii in execution—if he will pardon the expression —that Mr. Caleraft may have bet'ii susoending it. The of ai\ execution, r will at least riv»l in interest a nev.* fiook now ready at all the libraries, entitled 4 The Autubiognpky of a Chimneysweep/ I am assured this ia the bona file production of a sooty genius who graduated from a climbiui* boy of other day a till he reached the top of his profession.

A female stowaway, named Hughes, was given into the custody of the Water Police yesterday afternoon by the ma'e of the brig Elliotts. The veaselj is outward bound to Newcastle, and was just on the point: of hauling from the Wharf when Hughes was found concealed in the forecastle.

The monthly quadrille party of the Free Templars was held yesterday eveuing, in the Cook-street Hall, and passed otf very satisfactorily under the supervision of the M.C.. Mr. W. J. Donald. About 25 couples were preseut. The dance music was supplied by Mrs. Hertz on the piano, and by Mr. Davis on the violin.

The police force have had their attention forcibly directed to the prevalence of prostitution amongst young girls. It is time the matter was taken up, for the scenes which are sometimes observable are really disgraceful. Voung girls, mere children, so to speak, can be observed hanging around street cornera waiting aud watching, and the police find the greatest difficulty in dealing with this class of youthful criminals.

Captain Morris addressed his constituents at Gisborne, Poverty Bay, on Tuesday. His address was generally antagonistic to the preseut Government. He stated the probable policy of the Atkinson Government next session, which would be a re-distribu-tion of seats, change in the incidence of taxation, simplification of local government, additional powers to local bodies? A vote of confidence was carried, there being only two dissentients.

Professor Priedrich, one of the Old Catholic leaders, is publishing a " History of the Vatican Council." 'I he first volume is out; the second aud concluding one will appear before the end of the year.

On dit that the hero of Mr. Rees's novel, "Sir Gilbert Leigh," is no less a personage than Sir George Grey, and that this story is devoted to depicting the main incidents of the life of the great pro-Consul.—Thames Star.

The Thames Evening Star states that Mrs. McManus on Friday last received a telegram stating that the sum of £100 had been placed on the Supplementary Estimates to compensate her for the time and trouble she took in bringing the peculiar hardship of her son's false imprisonment before the Parliament of the colony.

A paragraphist in an English paper commuuieates some gossip about the home life of the great English scientist. Darwin's life, he says, is a comfortable one—he has never been obliged to light poverty, and has had plenty of leisure in which to follow his chosen studies. He married his cousin, Miss Emma Wedge wood, and they live in the lovely County of Kent. Mr. Darwin's eldest son. William Darwin, is a banker at Southampton ; the second son, George, took high houors at Cambridge, and is now a Fellow of Trinity ; the third, Frank, who has inherited his father's ill-health, acts as his secretary ; the fourth, Leonard, is an officer in the artillery, and distinguished himself as one of the scientific corps sent to observe the transit of Venus; the fifth, Horace, is an excellent mathematician. One married and one unmarried daughter complete a family whose constant care is to relieve its head of all possible trouble or anxiety.

Rabbits are a nuisance on sheep runs, luit in one case, mentioned in the Lytldton Times, it would appear that the cure is worne than the disease. Mr. Saunders, writing to that journal, says :—A ferret belonging to oue of my sons escaped from its box, and spent the night iu feasting on chickens' brains. It killed 15 buff Cochins, 8 golden pencilled Hamburgs, all his white Cochins and coloured Dorkiuga, aud a light tirahrna and white Dorking hen, both imported. The chickens were so tame and accustomed to be handled that they allowed themselves to be killed in the nest, and were laid in heaps in their coops. Th'j.se fmvU had been well protected froin dogs, cats, rats, and ordinary intruders by two viligant imported fox terriers, but both of them had been taught not to molest a ferret. ■So tbe3' quietly watched the destruction of their charges, believing that a ferret, like a kin*;, could do no wrong.

A correspondent siguing himself " Verdant " writes as follows to the Tnames Star: —The other day I had occasion to visit Auckland, and I will relate a piece of sharp practice by which L was victimised, hoping that other visitors to our nroviucial metropolis will profit thereby. I was standing at the corner of Queeu sfcreet and Shortland Crescent, when I wa3 accosted by an aged female in black, lookiug intensely miserable, and who, after relating a most pitiable tale of woe, asked for a little money to assist in the burial of her dear departed husband, who had died the night before. My heart was touched, and I "shelled out " a shilling or two. and went on my way rejoicing in the belief that I had done a charitable act. Judge the revulsion of feeling which I experienced soine hours later when ( saw mv widowed suppliant of the morning roll out of a pub. looking as jolly as she had looked sorrowful when soliciting my charitv, having, doubtless, been herself on the alms obtained from tne and other unsuspecting greenhorns. I was subsequently informed, greatly to ray disgust, th-it this same old lady is a good rea-dor of physiognomy, and only "goc3 for "those whom she considers look precious green.

Ihe Rev. A. i\. Green write 3 from Svnagogae-house, Charlotte street:—" The Marquis of Salisbury in his admirable address at Bradford on Wednesday. is reported to have said:—" The duty on the part of those who are well off to assist the poor in the time of illness has been r«eognispd from the earliest periods of Christianity." Pre sumably the gifted speaker intended to 91 y, " the earliest oeriods of hummity," aud if. indeed, by a Inpxus. the word Christianity shpped out, it is scarcely to be wondered at. considering how much of late the action of Christianity" (V) in the Hast, and the con sequent need of aids "to the poor in times of illness." have occasioned incessant and painful thought, and still cause intense and continued anxietv, to the sorrowing world in general and to hor Majesty's Government, of which the noble marquis is so prominent a mcinlrr. in narticuhr. T hope that the reporter either failed to catch the right word and confounded the applica tion of terms so like in sound, and occasionally, as we all know to the worlds hitter experience, so dissimilar ami variable in practice, or that, as I suggest the word from obvious causes, was uopermost in the mind of the speaker. Tf howver, the term Christianity in its r lation to th» duties we owe to the sick and the suflering was a lviscdly used, then T, as a Jew, take ex ception, not to the word in the abstract, but to its application as a qualitative. I distinctly sav tint the history of humanity does not date ah initio from Hie earliest periods of Christianity, nor awaited sn ih recognition, but from the earliest periods of humanity, as lovingly taught by that holy religion on the morality of which the ethical canon of Christianity is founded— ludaiain."

The payment of members debate (says the Melbourne. Arrji,s of the 2Sth ultimo) was opened in the Legislative As*emhl\- yesterday bv- an unusually vehem-nt speech from Mr. Berry. The. Hon. member contended that the country had twice tacitly approved of the payment principle, and that therefore the control of the fpiestion had passed away from the hands of the Council, and the Assembly had now a perfect right to continue the system by means of the Estimates. And after this Mr. Kerry proceeded to deal with the Council. The desire of that body, he said, was to revenge itself on the majority in the Assembly, because hon. members hail ventured to lay their sacrilegious hands upon the. estates of the landed proprietors. (•' And *:ve will do it next yar," interj'cted Mr. Mirams) l>ut, continued the Chief Secretary, "They will not dare to throw out the Appropriation Bill. They will not dare—because, by so doing, they will sound their own death knell. Too Legislative Council will be known as a name iu history, but it will cease to exist in the legislation of Victoria." This burst was greeted with uproarious cheering on the part of the Ministerial members, which was y> - plied toby a counter demonstration from the Opposition, one hon. n:e/nber profanely ejaculating, *'What excellent fooling." Mr. B Try complained that after ono prominent member of the Council had offered, on behalf of that: body, to submit the question to a plebiscitum, the Upper House had " backed out" of the proposition. "The rejection of the Appropriation Bill," continued the Chief Secretary, "is an act of revolution, and if there is any member in the Assembly willing t > aid and abet the Council, I say ho ia a trai'or and revolutionist, and the consequences, dire as they must be, will lie upon, his head."