Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6695, 3 May 1883, Page 4

It is at all times a pleasing task to note the progress of industries and. companies in our midst. These, when prosperous, are at all times beneficial, but the benefits are more sensibly felt when the capital which keeps them going is famished locally. This is the case with the If orthern Steamship Company, whose second annual meeting was held yesterday. Though a young company, it has met with, a degree of success which ought not only to be satisfactory to the shareholders, but which should encourage the directors to still further strive to make the future success eclipse that of the past. Oar population is rapidly increasing, and vast resourceshorticultural, agricultural, mining,. fishing, &c.—only wait the magic touch of steam to make them spring into active and vigorous life. It is in vain that ■ our country settlers produce the fruits of the earth in abundance, unless some reliable, ready, and reasonably cheap means is provided of getting it to. market. But it is almost in vain to try even to grow fruit profitably so long as it has to be carried fong distances to onr sea ports over such villainous roads as that, to ; take an instance, which connects VTark.worth with Port Albert. The company under.notice is fostering the development of our local resources, by providing regular, means of getting passengers and goods from many of our northern and southern townships to Auckland, and we hope the time is near at hand when the directors will. see their way to using a number of small steam-launches to connect our many small harbours, and gather the settlers'prodnce, &c., to the ports where the larger steamers call with regularity,and thus connect with Auckland. By this means not only would additional encourage-; ment be given to our settlers in . rural districts, but the trade of the country would be worked into a well organised system so that the settlers in each district would know without fail when to expect the steam launch or tender to the larger steamer. The Chairman, in his address.implied that the ne wsteamer, for which plans, etc., were sent home several months ago, is to be gone on with without further delay. The last year's operations were highly successful. The paid up capital {is only £52,144, and the net profits on. the year was £11,063 3s 2d, to which had to be added £455 5s 7d, being the balance for the year ending March, 18s2. After paying the directors' honorarium, dividing a dividend of ten per cent, tor the first halt of the financial year, and carrying .£ISOO to the insurauee fund, the directors yesterday found themselves with a sum of £7161 4s 3d at their disposal. A dividend for the half year at the rate of ten' per cent, per annum was ordered to be paid. .£IOOO was written off for depreciation, £2500 carried to the insurance fund, and £1053 19s 9d carried .. forward to the new account. The results are highly satisfactory for a small company. The insurance fund. now stands at £6000, and as the repairs done to the boats during the past year fcave come out of the working expenses, with" out going into stock, we trust that each succeeding half-year will show extended operations, continued prosperity, and an ever increasing influence iu the develop* ment of the resources of the : northern part of the colony.

It is stated in our cablegrams to-day, in consequence of the recent accident to H ef Majesty the Prince of Wales will open the Fisheries Exhibition. The Amsterdam Exhibition has bee:i opened with little ceremony. It is said to be inferior both to the Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions, and onl) a few of the courts are in anything like orderA conspiracy to establish a Republic p been discovered in Russia. The Affirmation Bill has had precedence voted it.,^ aa r ia " irent will adjourn for the Whitsuntide Recess on the 11th instant, and will re-assenio again on the 2iat. Tiie trial of tbe I > " a ' Park murderers is still proceeding. As already announced in our columns, Excellency the Governor will visit u a ' ka next week. He will leave Aucklaud on Wednesday, on which day he will *\ r:iv Hamilton, where he will probably be P sented with an address. It is, we ben the intention of His Excellency to brief visis to Alexandra.

F Whiteker and Mr. R. J. Gill, of the Land Purchase Dethe Mayor of Christchurch, UrT G Ruddenklau, who is at present on to this city, visited the Free Pubbc Library yesterday in company with Mr. P. A philipsi Town Clerk. rn the estate of Augustus Lmabury, Queen-street, a deed of arrangement ?En the debtor and creditors was yesterday declared duly executed by the Regisnf the Supreme Court sitting in banco. Th? liabilities were set down nt £11.834 19s 2? and the assets at £14,315 8s 2d. Stock n'hind was set down at £5000 and book =£hts at £1704 10s Sd. Mr. Theo. Cot.per appeared in support of the application for the srder. • A meeting of the Domain Board was to have been held yesterday, but lapsed for •want of a qoorum. There were present Jud"e Fenton, Messrs. Walker, Barstow, and^lacffarlane.

The almost interminable Chinese case before the District Court during tha last three J av , terminated yesterday in a nonsuit of tne plaintiffs, with costs £1S 14s. The Chinamen summoned the defendants— Murphy, Maunsell, Morrow, and Stockley, settlers at Arch Hill—for damage done to a •market garden. It was proved by a witness named Aley, called by the plaintiff, that the aatt'e did not go on to the piece of ground In question until they were driven up to the en-loaure by the Chinese themselves.

The despatch of the mail steamer was delayed some six or seven hours on Tuesday through the difficulty of getting labourer* to wo?k the vessel. Two Union Company's boats came in that naming, and ns the work at them was on cargo, they naturally enough had the preference. There were, however, plenty of men '* knocking around,' but they would not take the work pressed on them. Many were offered 2s an hour, and even 6d but they preferred to stand idle. There'are men who will not work if they «an do without it. A week's work, in their opinion, entitles them to a fortnight's holiday, with the mild excitement of frequent liquors Their home cost 3 them very little, M the wife frequently goes out to do a day's wa3hin" or scrubbing, for which she is well paid, while the children soon earn monsy. lieu' of this class simply lauijli at a passing offer of work when they are not disposed to take it. The detention of the steamer, however, from such a cause is a very serious matter, and really if the difficulty can be got over in no other way, Chinamen will have to be imported to coal the vessels.

The pcopo3.il to cut a canal between the. Maaukau and the Waitemata is attracting the attention of some o£ the Southern journals. The Ashburton Times, commenting on the scheme, says :—"The matter is now of course in its chrysalis state, but there is bo saying (when the House meets) how soon it may develop into the butter-fly stage. There is plenty of Auckland influeuce in the House just now, and it will be found pretty stroiig when occasion offers. We have no objection to the canal being constructed, but we do emphatically object to its being done at the public expense. We have some scored to set:le with Government before that."

We understand that the Union Company intend to commence the issue of special tourist tickets to Fiji, so as to enable persons living in the South, and who feel the winter severely, to spend a few weeks in the warm climate of that colony.

The lady superintendent at the hospital is in great want for supplies of old linen. This is an article that is required every day, and in the course of a short time a large quantity i 3 used up. We have been desired by the Hospital Committee to draw the attention of our readers to the fact, in the belief that as soon as the need is made known a supply will be forthcoming. If any bundle of old linen be left at the Secretary's office, Lower Wyndham-street, it will be called for, and if the name of the giver is left with the parcel, the receipt will be acknowledged.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a sopy of the tour of the late Auckland representative eleven during their trip in the Southern provinces. It has been pnblished in pamphlet form under the title of " On the Tented Fields of the South, ISS2. By The Childe."

Early yesterday morning the Water Police boat, in charge of Sergeant Martin, proceeded to Shelly Beach reef, and the constables. assisted by Mr. Bydder, continued the search for the body of Professor Walker. There wa3 only a foot of water at low tide where the boat had capsized. The bight above the reef was carefully searched, but ■without result. There was considerable difficulty in using the drags owing to the rocky nature or the bottom. As the accident took place at the first quarter of the ebb, it is presumed that the body drifted over the reef, and will be ultimately found along the Freeman's Bay shore. Sir G. M. O'-Rorke authorised yesterday the offering of a reward of £10 for the recovery of the body. Professor Walker had a very valuable watch upon him at the time of the accident It is contemplated to give the remains of the unfortunate gentleman, when found, a Masonic funeral.

The Rev. Mr. Westwood, who lectured on Monday evening on the Great Pyramid of Egypt, is to deliver a lecture on Friday evening on the subject of Anglo-leraelism. He intends to cover a large portion of the ground usually debated on this subject, showing the origin of tie English, Scottish, and Irish peoples, and will also prove, or attempt to prove, that Queen Victoria is a direcfc.descendant of King David. Mr. Westwood has postponed his departure for Australia, and intends to occupy the time ttaua placed at hia disposal in delivering a course of lectures on various subjects, and holding a course of evangelical services. One of the lectures will be deveted to a relation of the incidents of the career of a pioneer missionary for twenty-five years. Mr. Westwood has seen much bush life in Australia daring the many years he has been employed as a missionary there. No doubt the lecture will be interesting, and be well attended.

A story is going about to the effect that down South a Press reporter was taken for His Excellency the Governor, and loudly sheered by the crowd. It was only when on removing hia hat to acknowledge the compliment, a piece of corned beef dropped out that they discovered their mistake. Then that reporter fled, pursued by the enraged multitude, and dropped en route a bootsole and a coat-skewer.

The annual meeting of the Grafton Football Club was held last evening at the United Service Hotel, Mr. Orchard in the chair. Messrs. White and Orchard were elected delegates to the association. The following officers were elected :—Mr. Biggs, Captain; Mr.C.E. tVhite,Secretary andTreaaurer; committee, Messrs. Halyday, Newell, and Orchard. The following new members were elected: Messrs. Baker, D. Martin, .• P ona ld, R. Graham, H. Armitage, Hardwick, F. La wry, Good, Meldrum, G. Martin, Knight, Stevens, O'Reilly, Robertson, C. F. iieid. Tlie club played seven matches last season, and won five and lost two.

Old 53th men will, no doubt, feel inter- | e3ted in the news lately to hand that an immense fortune has fallen to the descendants of the late General Wynyard, their former colonel. As the matter at present 3tanda (aays the Rangitikei Advocate) Kobert, the only surviving son of Colonel Wynyard, becomes possessor of a sum of one million sterliog. A similar amount is to be divided the children of Captain Gladwin Wynyard, who, it will be remembered, married a native girl, and upon his retiring Erom the army returned to New Zealand, and settled upon some land near Lake Takapuna, at Auckland, where ho resided until "'s death, some few years back. Even allowing a broad margin for the exaggeration which generally obtains in rumours of inherited riches, it is positively certain that enormous wealth, consisting of street property in London, will pass, through the death of an aged kiosman, into the bands of >>he few living descendants of the well and popular colonel of New pet among regiments—"The Jolly "Id 58th."

• Prosecution under the Beer Duty Act, instituted by the Collector of Customs against James Shanley, publican, of Kamo, came before the Police Court yesterday. The olleace was that of not defacing a stamp on a cask from which beer had been drawn. As it appeared that it was an inadvertence on the part of defendant's servant, and the oaence was admitted, a nominal fine of 10j ana costs was imposed.

«tp annu &l meeting of members of the onaonby Home " will tako place toevening at Miss Hill's schoolroom, ne business is the election of officers, and make arrangements for the ensuing season.

" The JR«v. J. Robertson, M.A., and Captain Daldy were passengers by the Tarawera, which sailed last evening for Sydney. They go to attend a series ot meetings to celebrate the Jubitoa. of Congregationalism in Australia. In May, 1833, Pitt-street Chureb, Sydney, waß founded, and this was the first church of the denomination in Australia. It is only right perhaps to say that prior to this there was a Congregational church in Tasmania, which celebrated its jubilee some three years aso. The opportunity is being seized by the friends at Sydney to note the event by inviting representatives of the Congregational Unions of the adjoiningcolonies, and of those of Tasmania and New Zealand. Mr. Robertson and Captain Daldy represent Biresford-street Church and the Auckland Congregational Union. Other representatives go from the South Island Union as well as from Wellington. The meetings commence on Monday, the 14th inst., and extend to Wednesday, the 23rd, and they wind up with a trip in the harbour on the Queen's Birthday. Subjects of first-class importance to the denomination are to be iutroduced in short papers, and discussed by the delegates, amongst which are—"The place and work of Coogregationalism in Australasia," " Methods of ministerial training," "The amalgamation of the colleges," "Lay agency," "On reaching those who live iu neglect of Christian worship," &c. There will also be a children's jubilee flower service, carried out by the Sunday-school Union, at which short addresses will be given. Pitt-street Church was formed in May, 183S, by the Rev. U. Price, now of Tasmania, who will be present and take a part. The subject of his address will be, "Review of the past fifty years of our church life in Australasia." The succeeding pastors have been —Rev. Jarrett, Rev. Dr. Ross, Rev. W. Cuthbertson, 8.A., Rev. John Graham, John Jeffries, LL.B.

At the Police Court yesterday the evidence in the case of Daniel Scallon, charged with perjury, wos read over by the Clerk of the Court. The Resident Magistrate informed Mr. Cooper, counsel for the prisoner, that he had considered the points raised by him, and decided that it would be advisable to send the case to the higher Court. Scallon was accordingly committed for trial, and allowed bail in his own recognisances of £100 and two sureties of £50 each. Bail was at once forthcoming.

Yesterday afternoon a respectable looking but elderly lady, dressed in deep black, engaged a carriage on the cab-rank. She told the driver to take her to a certain restaurant where a dinner was awaiting her, but on reaching the place the restaurantkeeper was not aware of the fact. After the cabman had driven her about the town to various places, unsuccessfully, he came to the conclusion that his fare had "abee in her bonnet," aud he endeavoured, but unsuccessfully, to induce her to get out of his carriage. As a last resort he drove up to the City Council offices, and appealed to Mr. Goldie, the Inspector of Carriages, as to what he should do with her. Mr. Goldie took in the situation at a glance, and coining out to the carriage door he informed the lady that he was the Mayor, and would be happy to see her in his office if she had any complaint about the cabman. The bait took, and as soon as she alighted the cabman drove off, being glad to get clear, even without his fare. After a lengthy conversation with Mr. Goldie, on things in general and her family troubles in particular, she quietly left, thanking him for his courtesy, aud promising to call upon him on a future day.

Mr. John Joseph Howard, painter, Auckland, has applied for letters patent for an invention for mixing or gauging mortar, cement, concretps, asphalte, or other such substances for erecting buildings, and for laying down roads, streets, tramways, pathways, kerbs, channels, and other like purposes, called a concrete mortar mixer. Messrs. Charles Burrell Stone and John Henry Upton have been gazetted trustees of the Auckland Savings Bank. Mr. Walter Greenshields, of Auckland, has made application for a new suspender called the " diamond suspender." Objections are to be heard at eleveu o'clock on the morning of the 13th July. A correspondent writes :—The building used as an accommodation house, recently burned down, in Hatfield Bay, between the Wade and Waiwera, is rapidly being replaced by a superior one of thirteen rooms. It is being fitted up with every convenience and comfort. The greater portion of the rooms are now ready for use, and when finished will be one of the b?st, most comfortable, and commodious houses on the whole line of road, and a great boon to the travelling public. In a Gazette published on the 26 th April appear the new regulations for the public prisons of the colony under the Prisons Act, ISS2. A fortnightly service from Sydney to Fiji is strongly advocated by the Fijian papers. It is maintained that it would greatly facilitate commerce. The only occupant of the lock-up last nignt was a professor of the oonsorial art, who was suffering a recovery. His particular hallucination is that the Salvation Army is after him. Probably when he is clothed and in his right mind, the Salvationists will look him up, and it will be all the better for the barber if they do get hold of him. Professor Tucker was able to get about yesterday, and in a few days will have wholly recovered from the effects of hia immersion during the late boating accident. Mr. G. P. Pierce, Manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, has returned to his post after an absence of three months, during which he has been engaged inspecting the branch offices of the company in the South. Owing to the widely extended evasion of the provisions of the Registration Act, Mr. Goldie, the Dog Registrar, intends to bring forward a case each day, until he clears up the arrears. Over seventeen unregistered dogs will be offered for sale at Arthur's mart to-morrow, and those not disposed of will receive the " happy despatch " in the iron cage at the market.

The fire reported in yesterday's issue as having been seen at 3 a.m. from town in the direction of Mount Eden turns out to have been at Mr. J. Robinson's, Valley Road, Mount Eden, his stable ■ being burnt down. All attempts to save the building after the fire was discovered were fruitless, but the horses and a trap were got out safely. The harness and a quantity of straw were destroyed. Mr. Robinson can throw no light on the origin of the fire, and he had not been near the stable from 10 p.m. the previous night. The dwelling house, which is situate no great distance from the stable, fortunately escaped. T.The building was insured in the Norwich' Union for £35, and the amount was promptly paid over yesterday.

With reference to the complaint made in yesterday's iseue by Mr. A. Guthyk, of Coromandel, respecting the steam service between that place and Auckland, and expressing a hope that Mr. Biss, the Chief Postmaster, would look into the manner in which the time-table is kept, we may inform our correspondent that the Coromandel steamer is not subsidised or under control of the Post Office Department as regards time-table. It is arranged to suit the tides at Coromandel by the Secretary of the company. The mails, of course, are sent by the steamer whenever she goes.

The Salvation Army (writes a London cor- j respondent) seems to have reached the zenith of ith success. Yielding to popular opinion, " General" Booth has lately discountenanced the processions of his arrry through the streets and thoroughfares of our towns and cities. He has lately published an appeal for funds to assist him in carrying on his work. He has an income of over £60,000 a year, which income has been devoted to the purchase of leasehold and some little freehold property, chiefly chapels, music halls, and places of worship. The whole of these investments have been made in "General" Booth's name, and a large proportion of the income of the Salvationists has gone towards the expense of uniforms, bands of music, drums, trombones, and all the paraphernalia of this method of revivalism. Mr. Booth has rather startled his friends by telling them that he is in debt to the extent of £20,000, for which he has to pay interest in some cases to the amount of 7i per cent.

An excellent opportunity is afforded for the exercise of the artistic and structural ingenuity of our architects by the announcement made by the New Zealand Insurance Company of their intention to give a premium of £250 for the best designs of a block of buildings to be erected in Auckland for the business purposes of the company. _ Full particulars may be obtained on application to tbe general manager, Mr. G. P. Pierce,

For aught we know (says a Wellington paper) there may be at the present time in the Scottish town of Montrose a young lady who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her wedding trousseau from London, which she ordered some five or six months ago. It is, at any rate, extremely unlikely that she had the "slightest idea that a box which contained a quantity of her finery alluded to is at present lying in an ugly, matter-of-fact-looking warehouse in New Zealand, some 16,000 miles from its destination. The facts simply told are that someone in London mistook the name of the place to which the article was to be sent for that of the barque Montrose, which was then lying in one of the docks ; that it was duly shipped aboard the vessel; and that the mistake was not discovered until its arrival in Wellington. The New Zealand Shipping Company ordered it to be sent honr.e again by the stpamer British King, but for some unknown reason it was short shipped, and will now probably await the departure of the Fenstanton, from Port Chalmers. It is to be hoped that the young lady has found consolation in another and equally handsome garment, and that those who are responsible for the mistake have duly accounted for it in the light of poond3, shillings, and pence.

The Bay of Plenty Times, in a leading article says:—"lndignation is much too mild a word to convey the real feeling that exists in consequence of the late fatal accident at Waihi. The death of John Downey can only be laid at the door of the Thames County Council, and the Post Office authorities. In any other country than this such neglect would be treated in a very different spirit, and criminal informations would be laid against the responsible parties."

The importance of extending the telegraph line to Cape York, and eventually to Thursday Island, has recently been under the consideration of the Government, and it has (Che Brisbane Courier says) now been decided to despatch a party to examine the country with a view to carrying out the work. It is expected that a suitable route will be found along the divide, between the Gulf waters and those ot the eastern coast, and that this will probably, from its comparative freedom from scrub, be found the easiest line to maintain. From Capj Yo- k a cable will be laid to Thursday Island, and there can be no doubt that, should the Imperial Government sanction the annexation of New Guinea, the cable will ultimately be carried across to that island, thus affor ting the means of immediate communication with the seat of government in Brisbano.

A lecture entitled " Maoriland" was given in connection with the Adelaide Young Men's Society by Mr. H. Haywood in the Stow Church Lecture Hall, on Monday evening, April D. Dr. Cleland, one of the vicepresidents of the society, presided, and there was a good attendance. Mr. Haywood gave an interesting and intelligent account of New Zealand, its resources, products, and capabilities, described the chief towns, and dwelt at length on the characteristics of the original occupants of the land, the Maoris. He spoke in high terms of the intelligtnce and industry of the Maoris and their friendliness to the Europeans, and gave some interesting picture? of bush life. Special mention was made of the curative properties of the mineral springs. The lecture was illustrated by dissolving views of town and country life—South Australian Advertiser.

The Kev. Cannn Pearce (says the Argus) in preaching on Sunday at St. Paul's, Swan-aton-street, upon "Hymns Ancient and Modern," passed some severe strictures upon that class of hymnolony which, depreciating human life and its duties, is continually decrying every-day life, and yearning in its dilettanti versification for a transfer to another world. The rev. lecturer pointed out that it was an insult to "the Giver of every good and perfect gift" to be continually wishing to be out of that state in which it has pleased God to place us. Such religious poetical hystericiem, it was argued, could do no good, but only produce evil, as it made men discontented with their present ex-; istence, and left them spiritually barren as to the future. As an agreeable contrast to tnis, one of -Lesley's hymus was recited, in which the Christian wu bidden to do his duty here faithfully and loyally as an anticipation and forecast of his higher duties in the next world.

A correspondent, "Consistent," writes asking is Masonry unsectarian, and whether the practice of attending as a body one particular place of worship is consistent with the statement that it is unsectarian ?—and whether the discourse delivered by the Rev. Mr. Nelson at the inauguration of the lodge at the North Shore was quite unsectarian?

"Consistent" concludes by urging that all such discourses should fee confined to the temple of Masonry—the lodge-room where all denominations could join in prayer to the Most High.

The annual meeting of the members of tbe Sydney University Football Club was held a few day 9 ago, when the eighteenth auuual report was submitted, and office-bearers elected for the ensuing season. There was a very large and enthusiastic attendance, and Mr. E. J. Raper, 8.A., occupied the chair. The report stated : Last season was marked by the inanguratioa r>f intercolonial matches, a team from Queensland having visited Sydney, and a New South Wales team having invaded the land of the Maori. Your committee would here, on behalf of your representatives, who played in New Zealand, acknowledge the kindness, good feeling, and hospitality shown by ttie people of that colony towards them, and express a wish that such may be reciprocated on the retura visit of the New Zealanders. On the motion of Mr. G. C. Waldron, seconded by Mr. W. J. G. Mann, M.A., the report was unanimously adopted. The latter gentleman, in the course of his remarks, urged that immediate steps be taken by the Southern Rugby Football UDion to make definite proposals concerning the visit of the New Zealand team to Sydney. After the conclusion of the formal business of the evening, the company spent a social hour or so, and the health of Mr. Ware, a visitor from Wanganui, being proposed, that gentleman in reply returned thanks for the footballers of New Zealand, and informed tbe meeting that if possible a team from Maoriland would visit Sydney during the ensuing football seas an.

A special train will leave Onehunga for Auckland to-day at 6.55 J.m., returning at 11.15, so as to enable residents at a distance to witness the performance of Miss Jennie Lee at the Opera House. .Excursion rates will be charged.

This being Ascension Day there will be services at St. Paul's Churcli at eight a.m. and eleven a.m., and at half-past sovon p.m.; anil at St. Sepulchre's at eight a m:, eioven a.m., and half-past seven p.m. A meeting of the Fruit Growers' Association will bo held to-morrow at Messrs. T. \V. Hickson and Co.'s ofiice.