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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6998, 22 April 1884, Page 4

His Excellency the Governor left by train yesterday morning for Dargaville. The Governor was accompanied by Mr. Pennsfather (Private Secretary) and Dr. C»mo. belL .

.Invitations have been issued for an "At Home," at Government House on Monday April 2S. . -

Our special cable messages to-day contain important news in regard to the Soudan. General Gordon, it is stated, has telegraphed to the British Government that henceforth he will act on his own responsibility. Ht has also written a letter to his old. friend Sir Samuel Baker, suggesting tho advisability of forming a Turkish army for the relief of the garmons in Egypt, the funds to be provided by English and American gentlemen of wealth. Hβ makes this snggestioa because of the apathy shown by Her Maje*ty|s Govern, ment. The situation at Berber is critical. The place is surrounded by rebels, and all retreat is cut off, and' the Governor is in despair. The news of the massacre of 300 refugees from Shendy is confirmed.

Major Harris, M.H.K. for Franklin North, addressed bis constituents at the Otabnha Public Hall last night. There was a good attendance. He spoke at considerable length and answered several questions, and a Tote of confidence was accorded to him. In response to this he announced his intention of atandiag for.the district at the next election. A re. portof the meeting i 3 published elsewhere.

In the sixth page will be found an account of a visiu to the Whsuwhau Coal Compaay'e mine, Whangarri, by our Special Reporter. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held yesterday, His Worship ths Mayor presiding. Dr. Haines was in attendance, and made several suggestions regarding the medi. cal staff. Correspondence was submitted regarding the death of Margaret Slain, who died at the Gaol after being twice refused admission to the Hospital, and this wai referred to the late Chairman for his remarks. An important question as to the right or privilege of friends to be at the death-beds of their friends out of regulatioa hoars, was raised by a letter from Mr. P. A. Philips. It was referred to the Houbs Surgeon for hia report. A detailed account of the meeting appears in another colnmn. The pictures entered for the forthcoming exhibition are mors numerous and of higher class in respect to merit than those seat in previous year*. There have been already received SO oils and 60 water colours. But a great number of pictures remain still in the hands of intending exhibitors.' It would be well to forward them so as to facilitate arrangements. There have been sent in 50 photographs and __ drawings,' besides a large number of ' miscellaneous exhibits. The following are among the artist* represented :—Haultray, Gifibrd, Gibb, Parsons, Gully, J. C. Richmond, Paytorj, A. Martin, Blomfield, Drniamond, Ball, ifesdames J. M. Clark, T. Morrin, and Burcher, and pupils. K. "Watkins and A. sharps have each this year but one picture. The loan collection contains the nae picture by Armitage," " The Dawn of the First Eaeter Sunday." and the. later presents by Mr. Maokelvie, besides many other important works. Two tickets of invitation are issued to each member for the opening ceremony, and the roll of members baa been consideri ably increased, in order to enable them to share the privileges that are offered by the Society of Arts!

An adjourned meeting of creditors was held yesterday in the estate of Lionel Phillips, for the pnrpose of considering whether they would confirm the acceptance of 5s in ttie pound offered by the debtor. A good deal of discussion took place as to the reading of the iaagaage of tbe Bankruptcy Act (section 61, subsection 7) : "Aspecial resolution shall bs decided by an actual majority in number of the entire body of creditors, representing three-fourths in value of the whole of the liabilities of the bankrupt present personally or by proxy at the meeting, and voting on such! resolution." There was a very considerable opposition to the bankrupt, and the vote was against tts acceptance of 5s in the ponnd by a very narrow majority. A vote representing £966 wonld have confirmed the previous resolution to accept the offer. The vote taken represented only £959.

The following telegram was received yesterday from the manager of the Bocky Point gold mine :—" Got several pounds picked stone from hanging-wall leader."

The city water supply appears to be in a rather unsatisfactory position at present. It lias all along been well known that the flow of.-water that .feeds, the Western Spring! passes through Mr. Edgcombe's property, on th-a opposite side of the Great North-road to that occupied by the pumping station. We are informed that recently the Tallow Company wished to have a snpply of water upon their ground, and sank a well forty-firs feet deep. . All this distance they found only clay. Mr. Dalton, surveyor, was consulted as to the propriety of sinking deeper, and he pointed oat. that they would be likely to find water sooner by putting in a drive in the direction of the scoria land than by sinkisg to a greater depth. A contract wae let for putting in a drive forty feet, in the direction pointed out by Mx. Dalton. The contractor had succeeded in reaching twenty feet woes the scoria was touohed, and the water rashes in like a torrent, and the men had to flee for their lives, leaving their tools behind them. The water rose in the well until it castf to the came level as the water in the pumping pond. Since then the levels have bien taken, and it ha& been fonnd that the bottom of the well is upwards o£ 20 feet beneath, the!lowest point where the oity i water supply is at present drawn. In other words, the Tallow Company would app*** to have a command over the water suppv of the oity, by having tapped that supply « a point 20 feet below that which the city draws the daily supply for citizens. As tJU* I supply is tapped within the limits of Uβ i ground purchased by the Tallow Company, I they might be able to drain it off in* , opposite direction. The whole c£ the 148" combe estate is to be put up for salei oy auction on the 2Stn by Mr. Dowdea, mow unpromising outlook is thus before the cityThere is talk of » portion of the land to w bought for slaughterhouse purposes, *°° butchers believing that they could m? 11 ?** _. a slaughterhouse cheaper than the on Ll?•!>,._ possession of the City Corporation. Wnica-._; ever way the matter is viewed there an> difficulties ahead of no mean character.

Mr.'Malcolm Nicool has convened, J? response to an - infiuentiaUy signed ie V sition, to come forward as a candidate v> the vacant' seaf at the Harbour Board- a»Niccol is a gentleman well known for •* interest he takes in all matters pertaining w the port of Auckland, and his election w the Board would be an undoubted acq<" sition. ... .

. An inquest' was held yesterdayat Gle* son's Hotel, on the body of Kdwin Wetoine. who was found drowned n» the" harbow ° Sunday afternoon last. An open verdio " found drowned" was returned. A«► of the .evidence mil be found in «»»?•__ column; ' '

Messrs. James Black, Henry Brett, and Edwin Harrow were nominated yesterday for the three vacancies oh the-Lake Road Board, and were declared duly elected.

There was a good attendance/last night at the final performance of Woodycar'e Electric Circus. " Turpin'e ride to York, or the life and death of Black Bess" waa produced.

"Youth""at Abbott's Opera House last night was again-well patronised. The piece passed off with eciat. To-night the same play is to be produced. Friday is announced as " a grand military night."

Mr. F. W. Frankland, Registrar of Friendly Societies, leaves for New Plymouth to-day. ' "

Last evening was the regular one for the meeting of the, Parnell Borough Council. After waiting half an hour there was no " quorum. This is the first "count out "of this public body during ite municipal existence.

A meeting of creditors was held yesterday in the estate of G. Foster, boot and shoe manufacturer by machinery, Grey-street. The liabilities are set down at £SSOO. The particulars of the estate are given in another column. It waa agreed, on the motioa of Mr. B. Ireland, that tho stock, exclusive of machinery, should be eold. That tenders should be called for the purchase of the machinery, pending the arrival of creditors from Melbourne.

Henry Goodward, convicted at the recent criminal sittings of a rape upon Ellen Payne, and Jientenced to five years penal servitude and two whippings with the " cat," received the iirat flogiting yesterday morning in the gaol .yard. The sentence as executed in the presence of Mr. Basley, Deputy Sheriff; Dr. Fhilson, the gaol surgeon; Mr. Beaton, governor of the gaol; and several of the warders. The sentence as pronounced by the learned Judge (Mr. Justice Gillies) was that the prisoner should be twice " privately" whipped with the instrument commonly called " the cat," receiving 25 strokes at each whipping. In accordance with this sentence the cxecntion was strictly private, and the gaol authorities refused to admit any unauthorised person, or to give any information as to the circumstances under which the penalty was inflicted. But these circumstances have been ascertained from other sources of information. It was no doubt inteode;l that the scandal necessarily implied inflf" judicial flogging"—the nature of tho offence for which it was a punishment being considered—should be fcep.t.within as narrow limit as possible. There was some difficulty in obtaining the services of men to inflict the punishment. Two warders were told off for the duty. They entered npon it with fivident reluctance. The prisoner was made /last to two uprights. His head and neck "fere protected by a thick cellar made of leather. The " cat " was not the formidable instrument made of cat-gut once known to the army and navy. It was made of thick hard cord, with several knots. But it was nevertheless an instrument capable of inflicting very severe- punishment. One of the warders inflicted 12 lashee and the other 13, which completed the authorised number of strokes. The prisoner manifested eigns of severe suffering, , but lie made no outcry. His back was greatly bruioed and much discoloured, and it was only the last few lashes that broke any part of the skin. There w&* but a very slight effusion of blood. Although the flogging will probably not prevent the prisoner from working for more than ten days, it was yet a very severe, as well as a degrading punishment. It will be the more acutely.felt from the circumstances that the prisoner was scarcely in the state of physical training that would enable him to bear, it without very sharp pain. It appears that the W3rdera are much " discontent" at being failed on to perform the duty,, and that one >f them tendered his resignation rather than issist to carry out the order.

To-morrow evening a concert will be given at the Theatre Royal for the benefit of Madame Duquesne. Amongst the vocalists ore Mesdames Alexander and Judaou, Miss Stannton, Messrs. Kdwards, Knox, Sceats, Boyle, J. Hanna, and S. R. Keesing. Ths instrumentalists include Messrs. C. and J. Hemns, Clougb, and H. F. Edgar (who will contribute a string quartette), Misses Clayton, Donovan, and Campbell, and Mesers. fialph Hood and W. H. Webb. A , grand piano has been kindly lent by Messrs. Tonks and Co. for the occasion. The concert has been promoted and organised by M. Albin Villeval, and ho has been very euocessful in that Teepeet. It only remains tor the public to. seconSi Ms praiseworthy efforts on behalf of this indigent Frenchwoman by a large attendance to-morrow evening.

The National Bank have commenced the erection of new banking premises in New" Plymouth, I

■ On Monday next Mr. Dowdeu will sell by auction some valuable scoria land, known aa Edgcombe's. Plans and all Information can he obtained at the auctioneer's.

The Bands of Hope are preparing for their annual gathering, which takes place on Qneei's Birthday. A practice will be held this evening in tho upper schoolroom of: the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church when members of all Bands of Hope are teqnestod to attend. Last year's success encourages the committee to hope for a prosperous anniversary. As only a limited number can be allowed to take part, early application for rehearsal tickets must be made. These tickets can be had at the meeting this evening.

The Auckland Hospital librarian acknowledges with many thanks tho receipt of same numbers of the Illustrated LoDdon News, the Graphic, and Punch, from the "Working Men's Club.

On Friday evening next the public will have another opportunity of hearing an elegant ls;ture by the Rev. Mr. Baker, deputation from the ■British and Foreign Bible Society, at St. James's Hall, as advertised.

The soiree in connection with the Welles-ley-street Baptist Sunday-school will take place toidrht (Tuesday) at half-past six. in the schoolroom. The public meet ug will be held in the chapel, when iddresiee will be given by the Hersi Alacfarlane, F&lrbrother, and Woolley. Mr. Spoigeon will occupy Ihe chair.