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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7081, 28 July 1884, Page 5

It is stated in our cable messages to-day that news has been received that the French troops in Madagascar have suffered a reverse. On the 27th of June they attacked the Hovas, but after prolonged fighting they were obliged to retire with considerable loss. It will be remembered that the peace negotiations between the French and Malagasies fell through, and that instructions were sent ont to the French commander to renew hostilities. He has renewed them with the result stated. The Franco-Chinete embroglio is still unsettled. We now learn that China has been granted to Thursday to reply to the Frcnch ultimatum demanding the payment of an indemnity. There is no news from the Soudan, bnt from a statement made by Lord Hartington, the situation in that country would appear to be improving. His Lord»hip has intimated that the Government hardly considered that an autumn campaign in the Soudan would be necessary.

The R.M.3.5. Zealandia came into harbour yesterday at one o'clock, from San Francisco and Honolulu with the English mails from London. The trip was a pleasant one for the greater part of the voyage, and has been done in excellent time.

At the declaration of the poll at Onehnnga on Saturday afternoon, Sir Maurice O'Borke referred in touching terms to the death of Mr. Barton Ireland.

The brought by the R.U.S.S. Zealindia, which arrived here at one p.m. yesterday, left London the same day that the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamship lonic left Plymouth for this port vim Hobart, viz., June 19th. The lonic i« not expected to reach here nntil about the 7th of August next. Those who are inclined to consider that the direct steamers can serve New Zealand in the matter of the speedy delivery of mails quite as well as the San Francueo service, will no* have a good opportunity of watching the result of this race, and we think it will be found that the Zealandia's mails will have reached and been distributed at all the Southern ports before the lonic baa done mnoh more than arrive at Hobart. The Zealandia has delivered her mails here in 3S days frrom London, but the lonic is not expected to do the passage from London to here under 45 days, that beiog the time usually occupied by the direct steamers to Auckland.

General O. A. Sheridan was a through passenger by the mail boat which arrived yesterday. *

When the water mains were laid down in Wood-street, Ponsonby, the earth above them does not appear to have been sufficiently rammed down, or a sufficient quantity put on. On Saturday, a cart passing along fractured one of the connections, and the consequence was that the water poured out in a torrent down the street. Mr. Woolfield, Inspector of Abattoirs, happened to pass by shortly afterwards, and he rode off to the Ponsonby .Reservoir at anee, in order to acquaint the turncock of the circumstance, so that the water might be turned off and the pipe repaired.

The meeting of the Onehunga Chamber of Commerce, which should have held on Friday night in order to re-consider the action of the Auckland Harbour Board re Mannkau harbour, lapsed for want of a quorum. The small attendance was attributable to the wet weather.

On Saturday evening the Ponsonby fire bell rung out an alarm of fire, but it only E roved to be a foul chimney in a dwellingouse a short distance from.the Ponsonby telephone bureau. The fire was suppressed without any damage being Incurred.

Three boyß between the ages of seven and nine years were brought op at the Police Court on Saturday, charged with stealing £5 10s, the property of Mr. Alfred Berger. The lads, it appears, after robbing the till of Mr. Berger's shop bolted to the Thames by the steamer which left at midnight. They were observed to be very flush of funds, and Detective Doolan commenced to stake inquiries. The result was that two of them bolted back to Auckland by the return steamer, but were arrested on their arrival here, and the other one was arrested at the Thames. The sum of £4 17s was recovered, and as the parents of the lads were willing to make the deficiency Mr. Berger did not press the charge. Sergeant White, under the circumstanoes, and considering the youth of the lads, and that there was no reformatory, asked leave to withdraw the information. The young prisoners were severely reprimanded and permitted to go home wiith their parents.

The natives of Parawai, Thames, have for some days been lamenting over the death of Mere the well-known chiettainess. The deceased was a woman of high rank, being one of the daughters of the late Taraia Ngakuti, the head chief of the four confederated tribes of the Hauraki district. It is probable the deceased was nearly 70 years of ace, but the statement is only approximate. The body has been taken to Ohinemuri, where the tangi will take place.

The largest rope ever made in New Zealand was made on Friday by the Auckhud Fibre Manufacturing Company, limited, it being eighteen inches in circumference. The rope was made from coir, ' and Wjaa hawser laid. Every description of rope is, we understand, now produced by this company.

"A Parent" writes:—" While faulfc is very properly found with the common schools

being granted half-holidays on several occations, what is the rule with the Auckland College and Grammar School, where it is allege I the snme practice is observed. Some of the young ladies of the High School have felt aggrieved that they get no such half* holidays as are so readily granted to the former favoured school." The Wanganui Chronicle of the 24th say*: —•"The flood of congratulatory telegrams received by the Hon. Mr. Bryce on Tuesday evening from persona all over the colony, proof of the high estimation in which be !• fcsld as a colonial politician. Altogether Mr. Bryoe received over 300 mensgee."

Among the passengers by the mail steamer yesterday was Gerald Masaey, the poet, who intends to lecture in the oolonits. " Men of the Time " gives the following biographical sketch of tt}o poet. " Gerald Massey, born at Tring, in Herefordshire, May 29, 1628. of very poor parents, in early youth was employed in a silk mill, and afterwards became a straw plaiter. He received a scanty education at the Bristol and National schools. The Bible, ' Kobinson Crusoe," the • Pilgrim's Progress,' and ' Greek and Boman History,' constituted his obief reading whilst at home. At the age of eighteen he repaired to London, became an errand boy, and spent some years in trade before he began to gain his living by writing- A volume entitled 'Poems and Chansons," published about 1846, was his first work, and in 1848 he edited a paper called the Spirit of Freedom, and in 1549 published 'Voices of Freedom and Lyrics of Love.' The tame year he became one of the secretaries to the Christian Socialists, who, headed by tho Her. Mr. Maurice, were trying to promote co-opera-tion amongst the workina classes. He wrote 'The Ballad of Bate Crystabel and other poems,' published in 1555; ' Craigcrook Castle and other poems,' in 1856, and ' Havclock's March and other poems,' in IS6I. Mr. Massey, who afterwards published a prose work entitled 'Shakspere's Sonnets and bis Private Friends,' received a pension ou the Civil List io 18S3. His latest work is 'A Tale of Eternity and other poems,' published in 1569. He coatributes to various periodicals, and lectures on literary and other subjects. In 1873_ he proceeded on a lecturing tour.to the United States, where he gained an unenviable notoriety by the delivery of a blasphemous lecture entitled ' Why does not God kill the Devil?'" . .

George Ebbs, a photographer, was fined 20s and costs at the Police Court on Saturday for obstructing the carriage-way on Beach-road, Devonport, by placing hii photographio apparatus on it for'the purpose of taking photographs on Sunday, the 13th initant.

The mails by the Zealandia were brought ashore very promptly yesterday, and those for Auckland sorted, so that many of the merchants and those having letter-boxes were enabled to get their mail correspondence at on early hour in the afternoon.

In our obituary notice will be found recorded the death of Mrs. Whitson, relict of the late Mr. Robert Whitson, and who died yesterday of bronchitis, at tho advanced age of 77. The deceased lady has not long survived her husband, who died last November.

To-morrow a meeting of the Harbour Board will be held, at which Mr. Aickin will more, " Thst Mr. A. Devore bo appointed a member of the Finance and Legal Committee ; and that Mr, J. Beid be also appointed to the Works and Tariff Committee.'

On Saturday evening there was a large audience at the Opera Home, when " The Black Cloaks" was again produced. During the performance applause was frequent. Tonight is tho last opportunity the publio will have of witnessing "The Black Cloaks," as to-morrow "The Bang's Dragoonswill be produced. Miss Leaf's benefit will take place on Friday night, when " Barbe Bleu " will be placed upon the stage.

The committee of the Auckland Society of Arts held a meeting recently at Mr. Leeeh's Art Gallery, Shortland-street, to arrange lists of competitions for the ensuing year. Considerable changes have been effected, and in some of the sections the value of the prizes increased. It is anticipated that "the new lists will be delivered to members and others early in August. The committee intend to hold a Christinas card competition early in November next, when prizes will be given for competition designs, to the value of £10. Further particulars will be found in the advertisement elsewhere.

Mr. W. J. Courtney writes a letter addressed to the members elected to represent the Auckland constituencies, pointing ont the advisability of their attending a public meeting before proceeding to Wellington, in order that they might get the assistance of the public, and cnite for the good of Auckland and its people. He that this coarse would enable the people to judge whether any member "ratted,"in which case he would be asked to resign. They would-be expected to come to the front and give pledges before leaving that they would carry oat their promises to their supporters and the country. Mr. Courtney concludes as I follows : —" Aa this is a time when we want staunch men to secure in the future our long-neglected rights, and aa country members will have to come to town before leaving

for Wellington, they will have an opportunity of attending the meeting. I wish them to write to the HntiT.n Office fixing a date for the meeting, so as to give time to secure a halL This is done in other British oolonies where I have lived and has been found bentficiaL" By advertisement elsewhere it wQI be seen that the Crimean War veterans resident in the Provincial District of Auckland are about to repeat their celebration banquet shortly, and a meeting is to be held in Robson's Dining-rooms cn this _ (Monday) evening, for the purpose of electing a committee to manage the affairs of the celebration.

The fortnightly meeting of the French Literary Society was held on Saturday, M. de L'Eau, President, in the chair. M. D. N.ttGarnier gavenan interesting lecture on "The Cholera." The lecture proved to bo a very instructive one, M. Gamier describing all the peculiarities of this terrible disease which is now raging in France, and the re'medies for its prevention and cure. M. E. R. Watkins followed with a reading from Topffer, which he rendered in good style.

Detectives Walker and Haghes arrested on Saturday a man named Thomas Homan, on a charge of larceny of a gold watch and chain, value £5, the property of Mr. Henry Richmond, of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It appears that Homan had attempted to pawn it at Mr. Hart's pawnbroker, but as the detectives had furnished him with a description of the watch, he at once detained it, when Homan decamped.

The Timaru Herald of the 22nd inat. says

"There are very few instances, indeed, judging from the best available information, where a really valuable m amber is likely to be put out by a less desirable candidate. Mr. DeLautour, we understand, ran* considerable risk of being defeated at Newton by Mr. Peacock, and that would undoubtedly be a lots to the House, though Mr. Peacock has shown himself a creditable representative enough. Mr. Dargaville and Mr. Bwanson, both good msn, are engaged in a deadly duel at Auokland North, and one or the other must necessarily be wiped out, which is to be regretted. No man in tho House would be more mined than Mr. Swanson ; whilst as for Mr. Dargaville, he hns proved himself to be of tho stuff that good politicians are made of notwithstanding ono or two blun» v ders ot rashness and inexperience." The Timaru Herald refers thus to Mr. Montgomery's recent speech at" Akaroa:— " A more extraordinary speech for one to make who claims to be a leading politician we never heard of in the whole oourse of our experience. The fact is Mr. Montgomery came out in his true colours, and betrayed that natural timidity which is the dominant feature in his character. We can hardly help pitying any man in such a position; but at the same time it is impossible to help laughing at the figure of fun that Mr. Montgomery presented, stripped of his borrowed plumes of leadership, and going down on all fours before the electors of Air»m>, entreating them for mercy's sake not to cast him aside in his old age. Unless the electors are totally devoid of all sense of humour, or else have a heart as hard as stone, tbey will surely respond to. Mr. Montgomery's pathetic appeal, and ' give him another ohance now that his party are coming into power.'"

Mr. Bolles ton, in the conn aof- an address to his constituents at Temuka, said:—" In reference to borrowing, he said times were very hard. Sir Julius Vogel had come upon the scene. He was like a bell-wether. He had plenty of followers. Mr. Cox (Mr. Rolleston's opponent) had said, 'we will weight him so as to keep him down ; Vogel is a strong man,and the people of Now Zealand dare not ignore him.' He (the speaker) urid be considered it perfect nonsense to talk about not daring to ignore Sir Julius Vogel or anyone. These were political jellyfish—namby-pamby politicians. (Lsughter.) He might have sometimes been wrong, but he had never been afraid of bearing the consequenofes. Sir Julius Vogel went home when the colony was in a mess. A view of some people was to have ready money—plenty of it—and soon, bat as producers and as an industrial olass it would be to their interest to look at the dangers of » policy of speculation." «