Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7161, 29 October 1884, Page 4

It will be seen by our cable messages today that the English and Egyptian Governments have filially resolved to abandon the Soudan south of Wady Haifa. The instructions to Lord Wolseley are to effect the relief of General Gordon, snd to refrain from undertaking any ulterior operations. There now appears, unfortunately, to be no doubt remaining as to tbe fate of Colonel Stewart and his pirty. The messengers who were despatched from Dongola to enquire into the matter have returned with the intelligence that it is certain that the whole party have been massacred.

The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand wa'j held at the Banking-house, Queen-street, yesterday. Dr. Campbell occupied the chair. The forty-sixth report and balance-sheet were read by the General Manager (Mr. D. L. Murdoch), and adopted. Mr. W. I. Taylor was elected director in the room of Mr. J. C. Firth, who retired by rotation. Messrs. J. L. Wilson and A. K. Taylor were elected auditors. Votes of thanks were proposed to the directors and officials, and were carried unanimously. A report of the proceedings 13 printed elsewhere. The regular meeting of the Harbour Beard was held yesterday. There was a large amount of general business transacted, but none of the iteni3 were of more than ordinary interest. A detailed report is published in another column. Tawhiao, Pataua, Te Tuhi, Horana te Maioha, and PaoroTuhaere, of Orjkei, leave for Waikato this morning by train. Paureturns on Friday. Topia te Turoa and Hori Ropiha have already returned to their people. Tawhiao intends to address a native gathering at W hatiwhatahoe. The ordinary meeting of the Grammar School Governors was lield yesterday. A report of the proceedings will be found in r.uother column.

We have it, on good authority, that the preliminaries for the amalgamation of the New Zenland Tobacco Growing and Manufacturing Company (Limited) and the Auckland Tobacco Company have been, so far, settled. All that is necessary is to convene a meeting of shareholders to sanction the proposals, and this, it will be seen by advertisement in another column has been done, being fixed for Wednesday, ofch Nov., so far as the former company is concerned. The committeesof directors ofeach company have met, and are agreeable to the step now taken. The tobacco growing industry is proving a success, and hundreds of growers in the North Island are now going in for tobacco culture, and making numerous enquiries as to transplanting. Years ago nobody expected that this industry would get so good a footing. The promoter of the affair, Mr. Auguste Vollbracht, has been striving for the last four years in this direction. Through his exertions with the Government the duty was reduced for coloaial-giown tobacco to Is per lb., being thus a rebate of 2s 6d per lb. on all colonialgrown tobacco, as well as 53 per lb. on simi- | larly manufactured cigars.

In our shipping columns we give an account of the launch of the Kaikoura, for the New Zealand Shipping Company.

John Wilihoflt was charged at the Police Court yesterday "with stealing £4 os from the dwelling of Julia Wiison. Mr. Jackson Palmer appeared for the accused, and applii d to have the case dealt with summarily. SeVgeant Pratt consented; but the cas9 had to be adjourned to Thursday, in order that two Justices might be procured to sit on the Bench.

Benjamin West, a disreputable old man, who had the effects of a recent debauch on his face, and had only recently been liberated from Mount Eden Gaol, after undergoing six months' imprisonment for being an habitual drunkard, and idle and disorderly person, was sent back to the above institution for a period of twelve months, where the Bench thought he would be taken care of.

A complimentary benefit concert, tendered by the Waitemata Minstrels to the Artillery Band in aid o£ their band fund, took place last evening at the Foresters Hall, Newton. The band, under Bandmaster Hunter, aseembled outside the Thames Hotel and marched up Queen-street, playing lively airs to the nail on Karangahape-road. The house -was well filled, and the following was the programme : —Overture ; opening chorus, "The Rocky Mountain Lion," company; song, "Sweet Chiming Bells," J. M. Guilding ; comic song, " Can you Wash a Nigger White," H. Roberts ; song, " The Old Home," R. W. Sceats ; comic song, "She Winked at Me," H. Hargrave ; song, "Leave Me not in Anger," J. Trenwitli; song, " Buckles on her Shoes," C. Hannken; song, " Down by the Deep Sad Sea," W. George; comic song, "Lucindah at the Win-dah," T. Leedham ; grand selection, "Rip Van Winkle" (Planquette), Artillery Band ; song (selected), T. Slade; comic song, "The Awful Little Scrub," H. Roberts; song, " Maid of Athens, 1 ' W. Caradus; comic sketch, G. Morris; song, "The Gallants of England," R. W. Sceats; Silver Shoe Dance, Messrs. Riley Brothers ; brass quartette, " Ret am of Spring," Messrs. G. and J. Robinson, W. Reid. and A. Hnnter ; comic song, " Tickling Mad," 8.-Hargrave. At the conclusion of the minstrelsy the seats were cleared away and danciug was indulged in till an early hour this morning. It appears that Mr. J. Billington, member for Cheviot in the Auckland Parliamentary Union, has not resigned his seat, but only his seat in the Council of the Union, the vacancy being caused by his election to the House. There were three persons in the lock-up last night .on charges of drunkenness, and John Elgin alias Smith on warrant for false pretences. The annual meeting of the Wesleyan Home Mission will be held in the Pittstreet Wesleyan Church this evening at halfpass eeven, Mr. Thomas Buddie presiding, when addresses will, be delivered by ministers attending the District Meeting. The net losses to the insurance companies by the late two fires in Des-3trcet, Inversargill, amounted to upwards of £12,000 ; the heaviest sufferers were the Australian Mercantile Union, Colonial of New Zealand, Liverpool, Lyndon, and Globe, Equitable) and Royal,

The really clever troupe of Japanese acrobats, at the Theatre Royal, again attracted a good house last night, and the astounding feats performed by theaa were thoroughly appreciated. The cask act, by Bungaro and his son, was very clever, and the way in which he made use of his feet when balancing and twisting the small screen was as wonderful as it wa3 dexterous and graceful. R. Mat:hew3, in his acrobatic song and dance, introduced some very high kicking at a hat held between nine and ten feet from the ground, and for which he was encored three times. Cumbo Lingar, as a contortionist, threw a new light upon the many shapes the human form can assume. The two comics, whose names are not down on the programme, kept the audience in good humour, but what follows are undoubtedly the cleverest things of their kind that have ever been witnessed in Auckland. The great screen act (Kiu Kitchi and Bozaro) comprises a large screen in the form of an olo'fashioned Tudor window, through the apertures of which another twines in and out finally balancing himself in a horizontal position, merely holding on to the side of the frame with, his hdnda, tho equilibrium being maintained by the wonderful balancing of the man who lies on his back and sustains the screen with his feet. The whole concluded With lightning tumbling by the companv, in which one cf the acrobats turns no less than twenty flip-flap somersaults without stopping. It will be seen by advertisement that Friday night's performance will be for the benefit 01 the Hospital. A Gti rie t mKTTFel!~and~iale "of~ fancy "work will be held in the • Oddfellows' Hall, Ponsonby, to-day, in aid of the Ponsonby Wesleyan bunday-school Enlargement Fund.

„ Wilkie - Collins' eni()tioiinl Tir►eA^la*B'™on"Was re P"ted W a "The at Abbott's Opera Howe by Crawford s dramatic company to house when the various characters? to the piece were very creditably Miss Louise Crawford, as ~ir aiE ei was afforded an excellent showing ber capacity for stron^? of rose equal to the occasion at all thf *'■ a a4 ated points, and carried oat her aQeen 'a. m a pleasing, even manner, and'fr!° 33 elicited rounds of ap D lause. I n \r |ne! % Teece, as Julian Gray, she met~TO-'«? enr y support, that gentleman's finish"! ail e leaving little to be desired. The ni= aciia E rally went very smoothly a „ Sene"Blow for Blov/," is underlmedV' 51 *' night. On Saturday the great 3-n?-drama " Time and Tide" will be '.ro.'-^" 033 ' this talented company. 1 "-ced _ Mr, John Waymoutb, who signed his seat on the City Council a 8 " the representatives of the South V" C ? e consequence of being defeated oa regard to the allocation of ths l oa ~ V ° : ?. ia he considered unjust to the Ward n= sented, offered himself for re-e!ec'->" re^te * was nominated by Messrs. Th'omV 3 n ij | and Harkness Hamilton, and no 2 date offering, he was yesterday d"~l J??!'" I the returning officer duly elected. " ?

To-day (Wednesday) Mr. R. C. Gm wiE hold an extensive sale of land at his a- .• Vulcaa Lane. The chief section of offered is a series of villa sites which hav'j h' Io veytd, on volcanic land, situated between tVo p 3 !tcllcad and the Lake. This propertv i s distance of four miles from Aucklana "iSN e ' 1 v I ' ,i three-quarters ot a 'mile fcoci the Eilerlli? st station. The allotments ranje in size from = rj! l*ay of an acre to fl> e acres in extent. Mr > will also sell a largo number of allotment* 01 * 5 toweship of Pokenn, abutting on the and lacing the Great South I'.oid. Tlie-ea-' 5 ■ other sections of property to be offer-d puts of the province. " Brantwood Estate having been dsno-cl privately, the auction sile at -Messrs. vii;» , Douglas' rooms to-morrow will comisecc- S-h 5 .v properties^the estate of the late A. Blaci £-q 0