Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6964, 13 March 1884, Page 4

Our. news from the Soudan to-day state that a skirmish betweenra,number/of ,-British I troops and: the rebels took place at .Zariba, -a few miles from Souakim, and that the latter were easily dispersed; It was expected that a battle, would be fought yesterday; between: the. rebels , under. Oaman Disnal and; :the British troops; The French army in Tonquin has reached. Bacninh.. and captured two forts in the vicinity of that town. The, Mayor's party returned last night at eleven o'clock: by ,the : steamer Ruby - from theirtrip to the Southern Wairoa F .lls. A full account of-the : excursion will be found on cur. sixth page, ,The ordinary sitting of the Supreme Court: in banco was held yesterday by. Mr. Justice Gillies. Several legal questions were argued. The.two principal;., cases, were an applicationto sell the site of the. High-street Independent School and Chapel,'the.proceeds to purchase a site for a school and chapel at Mount £den.~, The application was granted. And: an appeal from a decision by District Judge Smith, re trustees of Thomas v. Cohen, in which a question arose as to whether bank- ' ruptcy should date, from the/ first act of. bankruptcy or from the petition of the debtor, -and . adjudication, by.-., the; Court. These cases are repbrted:in,another.column; : The testimonial to Mr. J. M. Clark, in recognition of his services ;to: the:city during, the three-years.of his mayoralty, will be pre-; sented at:. the. Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. The address which is to be prer sented is a superior specimen of. penmanship; and- painting; It. is; the ;work .of : Mr. J:.:. Slater; - The frame- is a handsome one of puriri, and comes from the establishment of; Mr. Seufifert; The address is well worthinspection, and .would grace any parlour; A first meeting of the creditors of Mrs. Mary Cameron, a storekeeper, was held yes-: terday : before the Official Trustee. The par- ; ticulars of the estate will be found in another column.

- The annual meeting of the Acclimatisation Society." was held yesterday, Mr. James Russell (President) presiding.. The . annual report and statement of. accounts were read and adopted.- Mr.. James Russell.said.that as the business of the society consisted , now. chiefly in the distribution of fish; : and as he could render little assistance in this branch of the. work,-.he cbnsidered it. .desirable, that he should retire from the presidency of the society... He proposed that Mr. A. Bull be elected President for this year; : which ..was agreed .to by., the meeting. . Mr. R. C. Barstow was elected Vice-President,v and Colonel Smith's name was added to the committee. j A report of the meeting will be found in another column.

We learn that enquiry has been made respecting the caae of hydrophobia, said to have occurred in the Bokianga district. * A reply from the Resident Magistrate there, also from a Maori chief, state that the report ,is wholly without foundation.

Our readert may remember ffjf "Polished . CX y Mir. G. B. Federli, of QiriiSh "perimenta h« had n P°" production. Mr. Federli Bln «Uk land, and thoae interested in «. In nckmay easily ma lce arrangements forh interview with him at the « Federli has found that the mnu!®" grows quite freely i n "S tf6 « the climate there iB fairly go od for ti? i-* I*'1*' insects, though the J°' the perature had a hurtful effect te ®- worms at first. After a tim* h 8 '"Ji- : seemed to suffer no ' changeable climate of Chri^hnr^° m tb? worms throve spendidly,£*fS■ greatest avidity. On a re-ent £ *•>«¥ Federli exhibited worms in differm^ 0 " Mr ' ' growth at the Industrial Exhibition in pf* « ' church, and among the interested J! C t bru t\ was a Chinaman from Canton !? ec^ t of> spoken to about the worms, the rv bein S seemed to think they were 'some he had not previouly : known.', ■ 3 informed . that they were Utterly scouted the suS '> silkworms, could not live , tllK able: climate _as that possessed. He ..further ; . n'ghts 'cold .there woald': kill =n ' L Qce silkworms;. On a subieoupn* a Federli showed the same r " worms.m all stages of growth; some 8 L;, k " their- coooone, and,some moths in the " ofdepositingeggs.whentheChineaV.? v' expressed the greatest surprise and if '- r began to make inquiries about a i°i? piece of land;, intending to sehd'to a supply of the best %an et y 0 T fw treeb .and: the. .varieties of silkwor-m rrj ' native district. Mr. Federli m u the Silk-gprowmg Association at th e : Th *'' ,It and several people at the Thames whn been taking some interest m ..n",.™' experiments, before he returns to ri ' 1 church. He will remain in Auckland". 1 * ;about a weok,;and during-his stav L w afford all .information' which he power to give; ■ Aw

At the annual meeting of the aation Society, held yesterday Mr. James Burtt stated that the banana grew to great perfection North, and that Mr. . John \V e bi£>, « Hokianga; had been very sncoeesfnUn\i! cultivation of this variety of the banaiH. The following circular has been 18sued , the temperance party ,in the Tak» Dana *.• trict :-;The ratepayers of this be called upon to record their vote on tZ day, the 18th of this month. It j, j"™ that no uncertain ..sound should R0 forth it this .eleetion.v peacefulcej, 0 f a Sabbath-loving immunity, will be greitll disturbed. Already we have had sufficient there is danger staring us in the taco by the crowds flocking over on Saudavi to obtain liquor, since a strict watch ha. been kept on the city hotels. In proof 0 f this, the local police reported on Muudav March the 2nd, that three men were tound drunk and incapable: on . the. publii scene he had never before wit. nessed> at Devon port on the Sabbath Dav ..Matters, will, become most serious if thi■ pleasant marine anburb is thrown opon for all the thirsty souls of the city to oome aorouto quench.their appetite with strong drink on the Lord's Day. The place will become a pandemonium instead of a quiet retreat for respectable families to reside. The rate; papers are respectfully called upon to,arre«t .this, calamity by Recording their votes.for the following gentlemen, who are pledged to support the closing of all public house* at ten o'clock, and the restriction of Sunday trading strictly in accordance with the Act —Edward Bartley, Henry Brett, . Adani HecdereoD, Alex, M, McCallum, Joka bason. •

A man named John McMillan waa arrested yesterday on the- charge o£ larceny 13 bailee, .and.if the charge against him is instainea the .. proverbial; Yankee book "agent have to look to, .his. laurels as the premier . possessor ;0f :conaummate cheek. The. allegation. ,is that MoMillan, as agent for a man named Hobolt. sold a book ''The Life of St. Patrick," to Mrs. Annie Kerrall, .the: price fixed being 50a. It' was purchased on the deferred payment system,, delivery was ; given,; and the first instalment yras paid by the confiding matron. A day or two after -McMillan 'came to lf«; ■Kerrall and. asked- for the loan of the boot ito show.it to a. neighbour., -This she readily -agreed to : and gave the book, bat it was never returned, and she gave information'tithe police, which led to; the. present;charge being laid. T MoMillan;.- wias arrested-yester-day, and will be charged with larceny as a bailee to-day. y ;;:::"'.'.-;;:-/ ; i : . On Tnesday. evening forty members of the Band of Hope Union choir proceeded to ' Onehuoga, to' perform the ; temperance.- cantata, "The fieaeue of Harry Gray." There ; wa« a ,large, andi,appreciative:audience,^aiii' the^piece!:'gave^every."satisfaction I .Mr. W; Turley read the narrative, and Mr. Cranwell conducted.the choir. The soloists were Mrs." Goodisori, Misa Marsoh, Miss Patterson, arid;' Mr. C. B. King. A hearty vote of;thanki} wais paased by acclamatiod to ,'the ohoir «ud: : conductor, and Bpeci&l mention,was"'made. of: the reading by Mr. .Turley;.The.-cantata is to be performed in the. Choral Hall on Thursday, the 27th icstait, for the fdnds of the Drum and Fife Band.

Thomas Margetts, who on the prerioai day had been committed for trial on a charge of embezzling co-partnership . funds, wm. again charged at the . Police Court: yesterday.; with embezzling £19, the property of John: Levy, a co-partner, on the 19th of Norombar. ,The- proceedings were withdrawn, as, it ;vii. considered: unnecessary to proceedwith the remaining, charges in the lower- Court, tie prisoner being'already committed.

; . At: the Police. C:>urt: yesterday, a,, negro, restaurant keeper; Samuel Cox, who keepi eating houses in Queen-street and Welleileystreet, was convicted on ;a: charge of knoff; ingly. permitting prostitutes to assemble in., his house. The evidence: was of. a tery unsavoury character, and, as might hare been expected from the> ; ;character of the witnesses, very contradictory. The cbarjp was.-'-laid-' under the third section of the Vagrant Act Amendment Act, 1869, and the full.penalty'of. £0 »nd. costs wasimposed. A second charge preferred under the hy-lswf, charging Cox with keeping a brothel, wu withdrawn.

The export of -butter to Sydney still coc* tinnes. By the Ringarooma, which left yesterday; 611. kegs, were shipped; Xb* cause of this export to the place..named, u that; prices. l for salt butter in .Australia are quoted much higher than here..

We are informed that the Government, ii their . virtuous , raid ;: on .the civil service to reduce expenses; and .show: well before, .the 'General Assembly, hare • attached the Armed Constabulary Department in iVa;kato : andiTaranaki, 1 with-a vigorous hand; A boot 100 men,have been dismissed, including 28 ;of those stationed at-Kawhia, and 25 :TaiS" naki men. The Walks to stations a: .Cambridge and Alexandra have also been considerably reduced.

Mr... J. Craig has on hand the carting: ?! ;the large cases containing the tram cars to Ponsonby from the schooner Charles L Pearson; , for the Auckland 1 Tramway Coni; pany,; and not Messrs; Winstone as. previously stated. 1

Mr. E. Harrow .was out Ssbing ; the other day. in .Rangitoto. channel, and amidst. hi* sport with'the schnapper was. provoked by sharks getting L-off with his tines: aadihoots. ■In the afternoon he took'out a shark. Um, aod .hooked eight' sharks, vof between four and five feet long, .He' baited ,a. hook.-.with a piece of the liver of one "of" the sharks afld. threw.it out, when it was at once surrounded, by a crowd of black gulls, - who were so eager that on .Mr. Harrow, drawing bait -clfli®to tha boat, he could catch the gulls.with his. ■hand andilift them into the.boat; The peoplf : on sHore were qHite amazed .to'see so large a Sock of gulls surrounding the boat. Oar Onehunga correspondent, writes-j----..The.following gentlemen were nominated, to? Licensing Committee : - Messrs. J. Bycrqfti P. J. Donovan, A. OunwcKxiie, C. G. ing, J. D. Jackson, J. Mclntyre, D., Neil- . son,. J. Robb, W; Sutherland, K- Webb. The poll will take place on Wednesday, the :19;h: In Onehnnga all liceniei hare t limited to ten o'clock ainee the pre«ent .Act has been in force, and there are. no bsrniiua' or upstairs bars. It is however to be feared there ;s some Sundiy drinking.

A telegram from Sydney in the Argiia of February 21.says "Some amusement wa« caased in.the vicinity of the Assembly If", nitrht by the conduct of» lady whose had recently ".been ...deeply■, wounded, by, tn» treatment ', her.: husband At »•.; hands -of a. certain member ot tiie uoo», Armed with a horsewhip, she'waitedo* hour about the precincts of the Assembly the expectation of meeting the memwr . question in order to administer a bat as be did not venture out of the cftafflxr nothing came of the affair."

Among the various reports circulated re•rooting the Union Company's express gteamer Takapuna, one was to the effect that Messrs; Denny and Co., the builders of the other tjnion steamers, had flatly refused to undertake her construction, on the ground that her model was defective, and her proposed power excessive, but that the Barrow Company had consented to build her, one of the conditions of contract being that she was to be taken over On approval iubject to her realising the requirements specified in the agreement. The story further went that the Union Company were so dissatisfied 'with her working that they had refused to acoept her. Now, we are assored on the beat authority that there is not the slightest foundation for these reports ; that the reason the Barrow Company, and not Messrs. Denny, built the Takapuna was that the former were the lowest tenderers and that the only dissatisfaction felt as to the Takapuna by her owners is that she has so far proved such an unprofitable speculation. —Wellington Post. A meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union held at Christchurch on March 6, Mr. \Vynn-Williams, M. H.R., in the chair. Mr. \Vi V. Millton, Secretary, reported that he

had been in communication with the other Ifew Zealand Unions respecting the trip to Sydney, and read a letter from Mr. Sleigh, to whom the management of the tour had been entrusted. That gentleman suggested that the clubs should begin the season earlier taan usual, in order to get their men into form and obtain some guide as to the ultimate choice. He mentioned that the team irould probably have to leave at the end of SJay, which some members appeared to think was rather too early. Mr. Sleigh ilso pointed out that the Union ought to ascertain at the earliest possible moment whether likely players would be able to get leave of absence, with which the meeting agreed. Mr. Kesteven moved the resolution of which he had given notice, regarding the establishment of cup matches, and read a draft of rules which he had prepared on the subject. After a very slight discussion it was decided not to establish cup competitions. It was mentioned during the proceedings that the rules of the game had been materially altered. The choir of the Wesleyan Church at Otahubu drew together a largo and apprec:ative audience on Tuesday evening, to a service "f song. The piece chosed was " Christie's Old Organ " The connective readings were given by the Rev. G. Bond with considerable pathos. The musical selections were very effectively rendered, and it wa3 evident that uo pains had been spired by the choir, under the management of Miss Burns, its painstaking and devoted leader, to make the entertainment successful in every way. The funds were on occount of the parsonage debt. The Rev. J". S. Hill, in proposing a vote of thanks to the choir, gave an interesting address, rsferriog to the power which invariably accompanied the simple proclamation of the Gospel, and to the many instances of blessing which had attended consecrated singing. The meeting separated, all appearing to have thoroughly enjoyed their evening.

The Universe, an Irish Catholic paper published in London, in an article on The Friends of Ireland," thus sums up O'Donovan Kossa, the noted Invincible :—" O Doncvan, we do not wish to rebuke too harshly, nor ia it needful, for his influence in New York is almost nil, extending only to the lowest stratum of the Irieh population. We can forgive much in a man who has been put on low diet in an English prison, has been frequently flung into a blackhole, and has had his hands pinioned behind his hack for days. That accounts for his distempered views. It is not in human nature to be magnanimous to those who .have tortured ub ; but for the sake of others, if not for his own, Jeremiah O'Donovan ought to put a curb on his tongue. He is getting old now, and should have more sense than to keep repeating his monotonous threats to undermine one of the moßt powerful empires in the world, and bury Victoria's diadem under the ruins of Windsor Castle." The article concludes :—" O'Donovan, Finerty, and Ford are the aptly-named triumvirs of Irish patriotism-gone-mad. The sooner Irishmen turn & deaf ear to the counsels of such bedlamites, iie nearer will she be to the goal at which Bhe is aiming with a steadfast yearning. We are not alone in this opinion; the vast majority of Irishmen at this side of the Atlantic are with us, and we are proud to ■welcome James Kedpath as an adherent to the same sound doctrine, and gladly adopt his words that ' Ireland will never be redeemed by men whose policy demands, as its tirst condition of success, the repeal of the Ten Commandments.' " I

The election of a Road Board for the Northoote Road District took place yesterday. The following gentlemen, being the only candidates nominated, were declared duly elected : Rav. Alex. Murray McCallum, Messrs. Benton, Bradney, Faulkner, and Heath.

"Verity " writes respecting what he terms a plague spot amongst us. He says : — " Every railway servant and every steamboat arew appear to imagine they have perfect right to thrust their great dirty claws into every box, case, and basket of fruit sent either to market or to friends. It matters not to them whether it be gift to the temple or publican. These are the olagu" spots that both the Government and public companies ought by all means in their power to put down. As one, I have no pleasure in forwarding fruit, either to market or friends, and it is high time that a strong oorrectiva hand be nsed to stop such low thievish practices, as it has been carried ou to my own knowledge for more than twelve years, and is on the increase, and is a blot on our transit commerce which needs to be wiped out. It is a universal complaint, and I could not tell the number of them communicated to me. The captains have been spoken to upon the subject over and over again, and one merchant informed me that in one fortnight he had to charge the railway and S.S. Company with three missing packages."

This evening an entertainment will be given in the Choral Hall in aid of the funds of the new Baptiiit Tabernacle. There will be a service of song, entitled "Psalms and SoDgs, &c., of our Forefathers," which will be rendered by an efficient choir, accompanied by gentlemen of the Choral Society's Band. The connective reading will be by Mr. Thomas Spurgeon. The entertainment ■promises to be succeesful.

We observe that Mr. Wertheim, the proprietor oD he celebrated wonderful Wertheim sewing machior*. ou opened one of his agencies in our city, In 170, The machines of this firm have obtained a wftll-desorved fame all over Australia, and no doubt the Auckland public will appreciate them aa well. Mr. W. J. Eeale, the sole agent for Auckland and the Northern Island of New Zealand, has been for many years the manager of- the Adelaide branch of Werthelm's seeing machines, and we wish him every •access In oar city.