Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5649, 24 December 1879, Page 4

"i hero will be no publication of the Us:;: alu on Fiiday next (Bjxing Day), in or.!cr to give a holiday on Christmas Day to these employed in the establishment.

His Honor Mr. Justice Giliies was occupied in Chambers yesterday settling issins in civil eases. The issues were accordingly settled in Webb v. Edgccumb, an a.'t'ou far lib.-l. lioth the plaintiff and defemla t are newspaper proprietors, formerly of I'm-erty 13 »y and Taurauga, now of Poverty Bay anil the YVaikato.

A tulcgram received yesterday from iVikeao says:—"Kauri gum is still "advancing in price here. As much as i's7 per Hn has b,?cn given."

The sitting of the City Council yesterday was unusually prolonged, as ill addition *o the ordinr.ry business, the annual tenders hail to be considered, as well as the fixing cf the officers' salaries for the ensuing y-ar. The latter businc-rs was not conclude I when, owirg to the lateness of the hour, au adjoumment took place until to-day.

A meeting of the Regatta Committie was held last evening. Several letters wore received and read, anions them one fiorn the Harbour Board, declining to give a subscription to tho Uogatta. The secretary was instructed to write again to the Hoard, pressing the claims of the regatta fjr » share ot its patronage. A silver cup, valss" at £10 10', was placed oq the table, the present of .Ufssrs. Wilsons and s'ortou. The cup 13 to be called the Nkw Zealand Herald Cup. Tho secretary was instructed to write a letter of thanks to tho dolors.

Tli" I>' lW Ofiiccs are closed from the 24th r I)'Ct lnbrr to the 2ud of January, bith ."LVinchlsive. Yesterday was the last day •'" transacting legal business before lhe hoiiUys. The offices will l>: open on Hjtu'rdav, the 3rd of January.

Some of the crew of H.M. s. C-r.uorant, n-iiv in pert, afforded amusement la-it i.i .1 br>.'" audioi-.ee, not in the way in which liiili asiinro is u-uaily supposed to coutri■rAo in this rospe'et, but by means of an ex client entartaium- nt given by them in aid of'-i bcnovolont object, that <f contributing jn the s-hape of a benefit performance to the •uii'l being raised to aid the widow and Orphans of the late J. r> >ylo, who wai killed bv a fall of earth while working on tho rq--fiiii.itioii cor.traet at Fort Britoinart. The troupe, under th; cognomen of "The St-:el L ; Troupe," appeared, by the kind permission of Captain Hruce and his onicers ; -lid it «" r,s satiffactory to observe tiiat the Loinc-strc-et Hall, in which the entertainme nt took iiiace, was crowded in all parts. ]he lull was decorated with llag'. The lirst iart if the 1 roaramme consisted of the • c-ro micstreK' "chair performance. The s w'i were well sclccte;!, and well sung. ■\jw.s and Tambo wee experts, aid the .uijis and cra'iks usup.l to entcrtainm"nt3 of tVls class, were given with decided e(T-ct. An interlude of singing', dancirg, aud lions followed, and the performances cmeluded with a really capitvl burU-squc ia the drama of "The Colleen Biwii."' Tiio drcs?e3 and "ii-ial make-up were unique, aud several of the perfonmrs exhibited a decide! talent as hurle=(jue actors. The performance throughout was heartily applauded, ami tbe benelrt will prove a substantial one financialiv. After the enteriainmcnt, tlu hall w'-.« cleared sud a ball took place, for which -, ianje number r miiued, =n.", altboni;h the 'evening was warm, the w.f.ries of T.rpsichorc apparently enjoyed themselves well.

IV-rlnp3 the happiest illustration of what is known as the " corkscrew " witness, was to be s-.i-n yesterday at the hearing of the stabbing c;se '" t-c Polieo Court. A female was <'ivuis: evidence, but whether from .->. peculiar fj'ii.nvnoracy it whatever cause, the appcarJd wholly 11 nable to give a. straight jorwaid. inteilitible answer to any tjutstion Urop-'uiuUd to her. Afttr going round a liaii:!-,' (jiKS'.ion in a circle for about a uiiam'r of an hour, a " y.'S" or "no" ivoui'i at last be extracted 'rcni her by bviiraulL , pressure. The gime ivss scarcely w'.rth the cardie. The B: iK-h gave he' up"; Sab-Inspector t'ardy wrfstled with her for a while, but at last resigntd in favour of Mr. Tvicr, who wr.s alss signally unsuccctsful. Whin the second caic came on, of felonious 3?sinlt. in which she was also a witness, Mr. I'arilv developed a new plan of attack. He paraiihiased the muddled replies of the witness" in an intelligible form, and then aske 1 her over aj:ain if the facts were so and so. 1 bis ~ brought Mr. Tyler to his legs, who accused Sub Inspector l\irdv of leading the witiuss, an 1 putting

iarsiiiage in her mouth which she did not w'.iii. Mr. Parily gave ash.irp retort to the leariieil counsel. Mr. Tyler said he would not submit to such language at the lands of anyone. He was not a particularly amiable man—in fact, rather irritable—and if Le got

••his tack up," wouH impirt striking conviction to somebody. Mr. Pardy said be also would not submit to the language ustd ; hi had endeavoured to do his duty, fairly and justly, both in t':at Court and anywhere else, and had received the approval on uiiuy occasions of counsel for the prosecution anil for ths defence, with the exception of Mr. Tyler. Mr. Dargavillc, Chairnsau of the Bench, endeavoured to throw ol npon the troubled waters by i-sr.ri: i; Mr. Par.'y that he hid often tesril "lawyers abuting each other in O'.: , "' wurso than that, but it «vs i-l- -■ -way they bad got, and such

fcrj.i-S-j was bandied End received in a sense. At tlrs stase business :ra_- u-nmed by the examination of the :'rn-.a witness, who haA been the unwitting caj.- f all the trouble, and lo the infinite ami;.- ;>.-ufcot tlie spectators, she just co:n----m:: i 'ii the fid style. It was tlv.-.r that the .....I!julty did not arise cither from wilfu 1 .- n;53 or prevaricate n on her but sicupiy from her mental T,eculia>itic3. As Mr. i ari;aville remorke \ there was r.o doubt ti.e witness was speaking the truth, but she was a woman, acd it was a way they had The presentation of a gift to every visitor, which has been faithfully carried into effect hy the proprietors of the Oriental Kxhibiuon, has proved a most attractive feature, and will be continued to-day. This evening bring Christmas Eve. a grand Curutmas trie will be shoivu, respltnclant with all k : nd3 of Oiient.il curiosities, and bijouterie, each one of which will be numbered, and given to the holder ot the ticket bearing the corresponding number. There will be some very valuable articles among these treeornimeuts, and fortunate, indeed, will be the individual to whose lot they may chance to fall. The admission will be 2s Gd, which will entitle the holder to a ticket for the tree. Children or any others who may only wish to pay Is for admission, can have the privilege of doicg eo, but they cannot, of course, expect to participate in the tree articles. For them the side table will bi open, and they will receive some article off it as hs3 been done for the la-.t two days.

The following is a very g-od illustration of th-2 fact that we ia Auckland are not commonopolists of all the ignorance to be in the colony. Two gentlemen, resident in a very exclusive pirt of the South Island, entered the Museum lately, acd observed the statuary with somewhat Uazi indiff=renc?. One of them, we have been informed, is the "glass of fashion and the mould of form," as he pa'lops over the Canterbury plains. "Xo ; there's nothing in it," said Sir Charles Coldstream, when he Lelicld Michael An.elo's colossal statue o: Moses, "although it be another remarkable individual by the horns." The :«-o gentlemen were tolerably indulgent uctil th-y came to the recumbent, nule, but battered statues taken from the pediir.cnt of the Paitheuon. "Keally," said tlie more exquisite swell, "it is like these Auckland people. Ihey ought to do something to put these figures in a state of repair. '•Vc would do it quick enough if we had them in Canterbury." The other Philistine called not his companion a o'<jt/t. The Waihilo Times has the following : — " Major M.-.ir returned to Waikato on Satur■hv evening, after a prolonge I cojourn in the 'Kmpirc City.' Major Mair is appointed <-':v;i Commissioner for the Auckland dis-t-ij:, aad will in future reside in Auckland, paying aeriodcal visits to Waikato, jind rtbri-sen-in" the Government with the King Kitty. The removal of this old and valued 'jovernment oiiicial was a very grave blunder c:i the pjrt of the late Govcrnnaeiit, and tho a:-.ion of tho present Admi.astrat;oa ia r.nutating lii-n will meet with as much approI'.ii'jn from Waikato residents aa it does ir-in all of tha uativta."

T;ie funeral of Mrs. Avey, the respected v.-if u cf Mr. Avey, of the Park Hotel, took |j'ao; yesterday afternoon, and the esteem in v. hich sho was held was manifested by the very lar.e atteudan e. The members of the r';>uata:n of Friendship Lodge 1.0.0. F., the Li:enstd Victuallers' Association, and the ('■-nrun Society, were largely represented.

We learn that Jiff. Barton, the manager '•'■ tin Colonial Bank, hurt his kncs severely "•■i Moti'lay, while playing at tennis on tho J'-rnell Lawn. A few days rest will in all Potability see the gentleman in harneES a <;a'n,

Ona of the most lamentable illustrations of the eviU of intemperance was given yesterday in the committal of Stephen Home to tako his trial at the next Ees3uma of the •Supreme Courb on a thirgo of stabbing h.'u -.vife. The poor woman, the victim of his violence, an 1 who had to b; :i;co:inne>iat-d with a chair in Court whilo g vinj; her evidence yesterday, elepese 1 that wi;e:i sober he wj3 a good husbmi 1 and f.i'.her, but when maddened wit'i drink he was fit for any atrocity. The statement ii unfortunately true in more cases thaa that of Stephen Horce.

The members of the Choral Soci-.ty announco their intention of performing a very liberal and graceful act—that of giving a f-ee, public p rformanco of the grandest o: all oratorios, Handel's " Messi?li." We are sure there wi'l be a raost attentive and orderly assembly. We und< rst>nd that .Mr. Riccar.ii his generously off..ret his assistance, whijfi will ndd gieitly t>> th« succes3 of the concert. The concert will take place in the Choral Hall 011 Sunday afternoon, commencing at 3 o'clock. At the early morning srrvic-3 at St. Sepulchre's Church at ha'f-paet 7 o'clock tomorrow (Christmas Day) the Bishop will give an aeldreas to the communicants. In the evening there will be service at the same church at 7 o'clock. The programme fir the Cam'u-idgt! Jockey Club Summer Meeting appears in o;ir a-1-ver'.i-iog columns, anil ia a d-c":ele-Uy attractive one, containing a Maileu Plate of 30sove., a Handicap Hmdle Kacc of-IOjov?., the Cembricigo Cup of lOOsovs , Waikato Steeplechase, a enp with SOsovs. adled, Publicaus' l'nrae of SOsovs., Flying Stakes of 2030V5., and Consolation Handicap of 21sovs., winding up with a Hurry Scurry. Entrance fees must be forwarded to the secretary Hot later than the "27th inst., and tho weights will be published on January 6. Acceptances for all the handicaps, except the Publicans' Purse, must be made' before S o'clock on the evening of the lllth January. The races take place on 15th January.

The following entries hive been received for the Handicap liases to bu run at the Waikato Club .Summer Meeting of the Bth and 9-ih January, ISSO. Waikato Turf Club Handicap : Peterson's Gladstone, Buckland'a Omega, Liing's Harold, Hellit's Clover, White's Birney, Hunt's Yatapa, Mclvor's Loch Lomond, Butler's Tiaertes, Vallance'B Piulire, Vatlanoe'a Lars, R.iv'a Terapleton, Ray's Line Haud, Walter's Libeller, Lennard's Malvtro. C.iulton's G-ill'.o Callum, R. Farmer's Lady Klizabeth. R. Farmer's L-uly G>-rtrude, Allen's Lalla Rookh. Publican's Purse Handicap—Buckkul's Omega, Wilkinson's Urakau, Laing's Harold, Hunt's Yatapa, Mclvor's Loch Lomond, Mclvor's Balmora', Vallance's Pinfire, Vallance's Lara, Ray's Terapleton, Walter's Libeller, Walter's Billingsgate, Lennard's Malverii, Caulton's Gillie Callum, Farmer's Lady Elizabeth, Lady Gertrude, Allen's Lai a Itookh.

The following is the return of sick treated at the Provincial District Hospital, Auckland, f r the week ending December 20rh IST!):—Remained list returu, 04; admitted since. 9 ; discharged, 4 ; died, 2 ; remaining, 07 ; males, SO ; females, IT ; Arrangement of cases :—Zymotic, 17 ; constitutional, 7 ; local, 45 ; developmental, 16 ; violent, 10. Two deaths occurred, viz.: —J. EL, male, a»ed 30 years, on 13th inst., of heart disease ; U . R., male, aged 49 years, 011 14th inst., of pneumonia. Thanks are returned to Mrs. Hughes for plum?, Mrs. Tyler and Mr?. ,T,.yce for strawberries aad Mrs. T. H. Hall for old linen.

The Thames AilyeHiser states tiiat the heavy rains of Friday and Saturday last c.iused such a fresh in the Kan w.cranga as to briiiK down about 3000 logs to the b.X'ins of the Shortiand taw-inil's, and leave such stock 0:1 hand as will serve to keep th : mill fully employed for the ensuing year. Some of the logs brou.jl'.t d .wn have been cut for a long period, and the clearance is a most satisfactory 0110 to the ow;:erof this valuable plant and bush. Notwithstanding the repeated convictions 111 the Police Court, the offence of driving vehicles across railway level crossings when on engine 13 approaching is still on the increase. A man yesterday was lined at the Police Cjurt £2 and costs for this offence, which Sub Inspector Pardy said was becoming so frequent that the train w\»s now expecte.l to wait for the vehicle, n.'t the vehicle for the train.

Tha hoa-.rarium of membere ot the Assembly, sitting duriiii; the double session of tbis year, ha 3 amounted to the handsome sum of £400. The Hr.n. Jlr. Chamberliu has resolved to make a crisis in public affairs beneficial to others as well as himself. He has stnt a cheque for £10 towards the Sttings to be erectel in the Auckland ITow many of the Iio". members of the General Ass.mbly will be disposed to follow his example ? They will sorely not allow themselves to be outdone.

The erection of Messrs. Bycroft and Co. Biscuit Factory was given to Mr. Fhilcox, contractor, yesterday, who are now erecting the company's mill, in Shortland Crescent. The new building will be at the rear of tbe present structure that is fast approaching completion, and will face Chancery-street. It will be a very large and massive erection, consisting of three stories, the lower on*, being built of scoria, and the two upper ones of brick. When the block of buildings from the Crescent to Chancery-stieet is fiuished, it will bs one of the most spacious and substantial business premises in the city.

In the shop of Mr. Maxfield, grocer, Queen-etrett, may be Been a package of honey sent down from Te Awamutu by Mr. S. Parsons, of that district, and consigned to Mr. Max-field. It is, we believe, the iir.-t attempt in Auckland to deliver honey in comb, aft'r the fashion practised in the American States. The hives are formed of two divisions, the lower containing nine frames and the upper IS. When the lower division is filled, the bees pr-ceed into the upper section, and fill it also, for their winter store. When the upper frames are filled up, they can be withdrawn and empty oil s put in their places, and the bees will &!<aiu Jilt them up if the season i 3 favourable. Thu bees, a3 a rule, make the combs lengthwise, in the direction of the frame; liiit sometimes, if the bottom tier has been so begun, will form them crosswise. The advantages of the Am-rican method of constructing the hive are, that the frames are removable at pleasure, there ia no destruction of the bees, and the product of the lower portion of the hive is virgin honey in comb, of uniform colour aud quality, free from all impurities, and a much more sightly aud palatable adjunct to the table than strained honey. The honeycomb in the lower division runs about oOlbs. in weight, and of tho upper 301bs. Mr. Parsons started with three hives, aud has now 20, the Waika'o, fiorn the abundance of white clover, being very favourable for apiarian operations. Bees require very little care, and will well repay all the attention bestowed upon them. Our country seitlers, by taking a leaf out of Mr. Parsons' book, might find themselves pecuniarily the gainer 3 at the end of the year ; at all events it is well worth a trial. The exhibit of virgin honey at Mr. Maxfield's shop will well repay inspects n.

The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders in the New Zealand Insurance Company is advertised to be held on tho 14th January, at 2 p.m., to receive the half-yearly report of the directors, and to elect two directors and auditors.