THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1885.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7268, 5 March 1885, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1885.

In another column will be found the correspondence which has taken place between the persona interesting themselves in the forming of a contingent in the colony for service in the Soudan campaign. The idea suggested is that Dunedin and Auckland, and other places of course, should co-operate for the purpose of giving form to the movement. From the statement made by the Duke of Cambridge in the House of Lords, which appears among to-day's cables, there is little doubt of all the colonial offers of troops being accepted. The military authorities, he said, were, now only discussing the requisite details, and that any great delay in deciding definitely as to the acceptance of them was very unlikely, The matter has also been under the consideration of the several AgentsGeneral, who, in a conference with the Marquis of Hartington, the Duke of Cambridge, and Lord Derby, have discussed the questions of transports, discipline, and the efficiency of the volunteering troops. It would seem that the intention to avail themselves of the proffered aid of the colonies has practically been determined by the Imperial authorities, and that a formal announcement to that effect may soon be looked for.

It is therefore expedient that measures should be taken to give direction to the movement which has already made some progress in this colony, with a view to having those willing to embark in the service placed on the lists and put through some necessary drill preparatory to their expected enrolment. The idea of co-operation for the purpose of giving the movement a colonial character is a happy one, and is certain to command more hearty sympathj and support than if it were prosecuted in a disjointed way at the several provincial centres. It appears that the suggestion, made by us when the offer of aid from the colonies to the United Kingdom first attracted public attention, that the forces contributed by the several dependencies in the Pacific should be formed into an Australasian contingent, is likely to be carried out. It is one which would naturally commend itself to the minds, oil all who recognise in this movement an agency by which, not only the relations of the colonies to the mother country may be greatly strengthened, but also those of the colonies to each other. We therefore cordially endorse the views of our correspondents, when they express the desirability of New Zealand being in a position to contribute an organised and trained force as her portion of the said contingent, and that all interested in the movement should unite in urging the Government to give their immediate encouragement to the proposal. Notwithstanding thr: cautious and somewhat, evasive manner in which this question was disposed of in Cabinet, there is reason to believe that the Ministry would heartily countenance it were it pressed on their consideration by a concurrence of opinion from all parts of the colony, which is certain to be realised so soon as the proposal of co-operation takes practical effects

In the statement made by the Duke of Cambridge there is an expression to which it may be important to direct the attention of those desirous of volunteering for service abroad. The acceptance by the Imperial Government of all the colonial offers of troops for the Soudan would, he said, be

absolute, in case the services of the men were foand to be required. Hγ the term absolute we understand tnat the men will be enrolled for the usual period of three years, and be liable to serve wherever the necessities of the Empire might determine. The stirring events which'during the past year have occurred in the Soudan have, doubtless, restricted the views of those volunteering their services to the operations now being conducted in that country: but, should the campaign there have happily terminated before some of the troops should arrive, the understanding is that these services would be available in other portions of Her Majesty's dominions. And to all appearance, these are likely to be called for on other fields than the Soudanese. Events are rapidly developing in Asia which indicate the approach of a conflict there, and we do not suppose that it will make any difference to those Australasians who are ready to risk their lives the interests of the Empire, whether it be in the Soudan or in Afghanistan that they meet the foe. The feeling of loyalty which has prompted this devotion excludes the idea of preference, and the unity of the Empire, to which that devotion gives such a noble expression, is incompatible with the localising of a soldier's duty.

The telegrams of this morning show conclusively that the estimate we expressed yesterday of the professed expectations of the Russian Press, that the question about the Afghan frontier would be settled amicably, was a correct one. The Russian Press writes to Imperial order, and its announcements always mean the oppen site of what they say. It is now evident that, despite the peaceful manifestoes thus issued, the movements of Russian troops in Asia had no other significance than the one we attributed to that the Muscovite commanders were preparing to support by force their claim to have the Hindoo Kush mountain ridge re-' cognised as the military boundary between the Russian and British dominions. In furtherance of this intention they have, according to the statement of Lord Granville in the House of Lords, occupied the northern entrance of the Gulfikar Pass in the Hindoo Kush, and also advanced within a few miles of Panjdeh, in the Afghan territory. This looks like business, and is simply a re-, petition of the oft-told story that Russian statesmen do not sleep on their purposes as the British Government are wont to do. Were the matter" not charged with the gravest issues, it could only provoke a smile to find that Government now urging the Russian Court to order their commanders to halt, and make no further encroachment on Afghan territory. It is oaly another ludicrous instance of the fatal habit they have acquired of giving orders at once wild and weak, on being suddenly roused from their dream of security. Nothing could more painfully demonstrate the want of forethought of the present British Ministry and their incapacity to direct the Foreign relations of the Empire than the manner in which they entered on the arrangements for the delimitation of the Russian advance in Central Asia. They could not plead ignorance of the positions occupied by the Russian troops, or of the facility with which theee could be utilised in the event of the Afghan frontier question assuming the form of a serious dispute. And yet not the slightest preparations appear to have been made against the contingencies so strongly suggested. They innocently despatched a Commission to settle one of the most critical questions of the present time, as if nothing more were required than bland words, and as if the need for that moral support furnished by military dispositions did not exist. It is not thus that Russia attends to matters of such importance. Her plan is to be ready for action when persuasion fails. And hence, so soon as irreconcilable divergencies in the views of her commissioners and those held by the representatives of England revealed themselves she put her forces in motion and seized the advanced strategic positions named in this morning's telegrams. Thus outwitted and forestalled, the English Government now warn Russia that they will resist the absorption of Afghan territory. But their warnings came too late to have any force. The mind of Russia has long ago been determined. Knowing well that England would not consent to her holding the northern passes of the Hindu Kusb, she has resolved to seize them, and is in a position to do this before England could move a single regiment to oppose her. Such, prescience are our statesmen possessed of!

It is fortunate, however, that under the disadvantage which England will thus be obliged to enter on the struggle now impending in that region, a man of Sir Peter Lumsden's sagacity happened to be at J;he head of the British Commission. His retirement to Herat on the first movement of the Russian troops was evidently taken as a precaution against approaching hostilities, and his advising the Afghans to resist the further advance of the Russians, shows that he hopes by his agency to hold the Muscovite forces in check until English troops are sent forward from India. In writing on this subject a few weeks ago we concluded by saying that " the Central Asian question is one charged with important issues in the near future," and already that future appears to have come.

' Oar news from the Soudan to-day is by no means satiefactory. It » reported that Kassala has fallen, and that six hundred of the garrison have been massacred. It may be that this disaster has been exaggerated. The Other day it was announced that the garrison had made a sortie and had been repulsed with serious lofses. It may, therefore, prove that this reverse has given rise to the more sefioua. ne"w3 of the fall of the town, if, however, Kassala-has met the fate of Khartoum, it cannot fail to have an important effect on tin tribes in the Eaatern SoudaD, and will in all probability increase the fighting power of Osman Digna. We have also news that the column under Colonel Brackenbury has been ordered by Lord Wolseley to return to Korti. The significance of this movement is apparent. Altogether the situation in the Soudau is assuming very serious proportions. And to add to" the general uneasiness we have the disquieting report that Lord Wolaeley's eyeeight is becoming affeoted. The New South Wales contingent has commenced its voyage inauapiciously. The transport Iberia collided with one of the escort steamers which accompanied her to the Heads, and three lives were lost, including that of a woman who was taking a last farewell of her husband. Very serious news is to hand from Central Asia. The Russians, it is said, have occupied a pass in the Hindu Kush Range, within a few miles from Panjdeh, an Afghan frontier town. It is stated that Sir Peter Lumsden, the British Commissioner, has advised the Afghans to reaint by force of arms any further encroachments by the Russian troops, and that communications on the subject have been addressed by the British Cabinet to the Kussian Government.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. G. W. Owen, Chairman of the Harbour Board, and other members of that body, invited several distinguished strangers who are at present visiting the city to take a trip round the harbour. Those invited were—Lord Elphinstone, Lord Macdonald of the Isles, Mr. J. A. Froude, Mr. Livingstone (who is, we understand, a relative of the late General Gordon, and is on sick leave from the 42nd Highlanders), and Mr. Froude, jun. The members of the Harbour Board present were —Mr. G-. W. Owen, Captain McKeuzie, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Isaacs, Mr. Niccol, Mr. Goldie, and Mr. Brigharn, Secretary. Captain Daveney was also of the party. Mr. Owen understood that the gentlemen who were the guesta were leaving towu to-day, or else he would have delayed the excursion for the purpose, if possible, of securing more favourable weather, and also a larger attendance of Auckland citizens. The Victorie, in which the party embarked, went up the harbour for some distance beyond Kauri Point, then backwards close in to the Sugar Works, on the North Shore. Coming to the Dock, all went on shore, and the works were inspected with special interest by Lord Klphinstone, who served in the Royal Navy in the Baltic and also before Set>a3topol. Lord Elphinstone was gratified to see a work proceeding which would afford a means of refitting tor any British cruiser in these seas. Mr. Lanigan, the contractor, showed the plans to the viiitors. The Victoria then steamed into the Rangitoto Channel, and thence returned to town. At a meeting of the Senate of the New Zealand University yesterday, Sir James Prendergast was elected a Fellow. The only other candidate was Professor Cook, of Christchu:ch. Professor Tucker's nominaion was withdrawn. Our Onehunga correspondent writes :—"A most successful concert, given by the Onehunga Choral Society, assisted by the members of the Brass Rand, was held in the Temperanoe Hall on Tuesday evening, in aid of the funds of the society." The quarterly meeting of the Onehunga Licensing Committee, which ehould have been held on Wednesday, lapsed for want of a quorum. The only members present were the Chairman (Mr. A. Dunwoodie) and Mr. J. D. Jackeon. There were two applications for transfers of licenses, and the meeting adjourned.—[Own Correspondent. 1 Mr. Collins, the Registrar of Electors for the Auckland District, has received a letter from Wellington, asking that a copy of the revised roll for the Parnell electorate be placed at each of the telephonic bureaus in the district, and that one copy of the correoted roll for Newton be placed at the telephonic bureau in that district. It would appear that the Wellington authorities are not aware that the Avondale bureau is in the Newton district, and a copy should be placed there for the inspection of elector interested.

Mr. Moss writes:—"Monthly meetings of the' Education Board will, of coarse, render it necessary to appoint an Executive Committee, and will throw power into its hands, as you say ; but this is an objection inherent in all administration. If the executive is confined to three members their power will be eaaily controlled. ' The present system, when the whole Board forma the executive, gives only a show of independent action, in all similar bodies a large amount of work is always done by previous agreements among specially active members, who thus form a practically irresponsible executive. I prefer an executive recognised and responsible, and whose acts are scrutinised keenly by the rest of the Board at monthly meetings; which could be more prolonged, and more deliberately conducted than the weekly meetings now held. Country residents, as well as townspeople, could then be returned to the Board, and I fail to see in what way there need be lees openness, and publicity in the conduct of the Board's business than there ie now. On the contrary, I believe that the Board would be relieved of much unimportant detail, and its proceedings be far more closely followed by the public than they can k be under the present system." A meeting of the local committee of the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition was held at the Chamber of Commerce ytsterday afternoon. In the absence of the Mayor Mr. John Reid, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, presided. A list of Auckland exhibits was read by the Secretary. It appears that there are 97 exhibitors, and that the total amount of space applied for is 2503 feeti The applications were received, and ordered to be forwarded to Mr. Callis at Wellington. Mr. J. B. Gilfillan was appointed honorary local Secretary. Mr. Hudson, the General Manager of the Auckland Railways, contemplates making a railway excursion to Waikato on St. Patrick's Day at very low rates.. The train for Waikato will leave Auckland at nine o'clock, and as the train will be a fast one, and be wholly composed of the new carriages, it will only stop at Newmarket to pick up passengers. Persons living at Onehunga or Otahuhu who desire to join in the excursion will have to come to Newmarket by the early morning trains, purchase their tickets at Newmarket, and leave there about ten minutes past nine o'clock. The train will put down passengers, if desired, at Mercer, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, and Hamilton. With the exception of these places there will be no other stoppages, except for taking in water. At Hamilton that day the annual Horticultural Exhibition will be held, and no doubt many Auckland people will desire to see what the Waikato district can produce in the matter of fruit and vegetables. The train is expected to return to the Auckland station at half-past ten o'clock. The fare to Mercer is likely to be 3s 6d for second class, and 5s to the other stopping places on the journey. With favourable weather this excursion will probably prove by far the largest of any during the season.

When the alarm of fire was given on Tuesday a rather impudent robbery was committed from the bar of the Queen's Head Hotel. It appears that two men had been served with liquor by the barmaid, but were unable to pay for it. The firebells pealed outi and she left them in the sitting room. Upon returning she missed 9s from the till. One of the men (Thomas Farrar) then called for more drink, and this timo tendered payment for it. Th& suspicions of Mrs. Mcllhone and the barmaid were aroused, and the police in. Farrar produced the money, and said-he had taken it as a joke. He was charged at the Police Court yesterday, aud remanded to this morning upon the application of his counsel, Mr. E. E. Madden, to procure evidence for the defence. It will be seen from an advertisement elsewhere, that the s.s. Durham leaves Helensville immediately on the arrival of the quarter past seven a.m. train to-day from Auckland for Dargaville, returning from Dsrgaville on Saturday morning, and that the s.B. Kina leavesKelensville on Saturday, after arrival of the quarter past seven a.m. train, returning from Dargaville on Sunday morning to catch a special train at Helecsville for Auckland direct. It will thus be seen that every provision has been made for the comfort and rapid transit of Auckland visitors to the Dargaville races.

quines 'regarding the * the committee in one complamto, and in the other^otV 8 ?* sufficent knowledge of the i Chairman ako proceeded to refer L ?• Q T^ e Hotel, the ClarenS and the occidental Hotel, and iattlS? 1 * intention ;of quashing the HcenTof former . A somewhat lively altercation 111 * place between the licensee, Mr mSi.** and the Chairman, and finally' proceedinga were adjonrted until mlj week. A detailed report; of the pUS? appears in another colnmD, and it »<ii £* read with' considerable interest, at exhiKK the fixed intention of the licen e > mifctee re private bars and other matters

Lecoeq's comic opera, "The Little Dnt.n was repeated at the Opera House laat niokl by Pollard's • Lilipution Compwy "Sfc marked success, the attendance beini mn u larger than on the previous evening, IJjr applause more pronounced. Several of th principal numbers were encored anj tfc drill scene gave rise to enthusiastic ap DrOT i of the steadiness on parade and the er 7 lence of the evolutions of the young soldi The same programme will be repeated th'" evening. Another novelty, " Fatinita "•* in course of preparation, and will sucjJJ " The Little Duke." ccee «

"An Architect," writing in reference the premium offered by the Government f the best design for a Custom house, sayj th°t the Government, in order to get good com tition, Bhould guarantee that the auccemM designer would be entrusted with the Km. vision of the construction of the buildi *' As it is, the Government offer a premium 8 f £100 for a design which under the ordin ar , rate of the profession would cost it £300 he fails to see on what grounds the Govern ment is entitled to a discount of £200.

Owing to the heavy rains of Tue«d» v night the workmen engaged on the faces of Emily Place excavatioas were unable to e on with their operations yesterday.

la yesterday's issue we narrated the cir. cuinstances under which Mr. Dower wai assailed on board his vessel at midnight on Tuesday, by some person who had been illegally on board. Yesterday the police arrested a man named James Smith (ou warrant) on the charge of committing the above assault, and also for being on board the vessel without lawful excuse.

Detective Twohey is buay getting up the evidence in the case of the Rokeby-atreet fire, which comes on for hearing to-morrow Owing to this case it is noc likely that an en. quiry will be held this week into the circum. seances surrounding the fire at the Lyceum, fiobson-street. Iu all probability the enquiry will be held next wefefc.

Wβ have to.acknowledge the receipt of the current number of " Once a Month" from Mr. N. Gr. Lennox. This popular magazine, wbiuh is published at Melbourne, and is ably edited by the Rev. Peter Mercer, D.D., haj now acquired a circulation of 5000 copiei monthly. In addition to the interesting collection of serial tales, art'cles, and reviews, there are several well-exicuted illustration!, comprising viewa of " Waterfall, Otira Gorge, road, New Zealand;'" Menai Bridge;" "Watt's Kiver and Waterfall, at Mount Macedon, Victoria." A prominent feature of this periodical is the publication of portraits of eminent Australasians. It contains this month an excellent portrait of the Hon. John, Colton, Premier of South Australia, and we believe that in the next issue will appear one of the Premier of New Zealand.

Mr. W. E. Sadler writes stating that ha has been gratified with the two papers upoa free trade written by Mr. John Milne. Sir. Sadler sends an extract from his prize essay of ISG4, on- two colonies for New Zealand, in which he states:—" I must say I rather incline to the opinion that the whole Custom, house system, indeed the entire system of indirect taxation of which it is the leading exponent, is a wrong ; but especially an w> necessary evil in ft new country. And were I a highly salaried Collector of Customs, thi» circumstauce would be inadequate to divert that inclination, and, moreover, would not be totally inconsistent with it."

A correspondent, writing from Taranaii, comments on the fallowing facts :—At the last general elections there were four candidates. The tvro newspapers selected two men and lauded them, but the other two headed the poll. At the Harbour Board contest there were seven candidates foi the six sests. The gentleman who beaded the poll was strongly opposed by both papers, and the candidate wuose return waa commented upon by one of the journals as being absolutely certain was rejected by the ratepayers.

The Sydney Morning Herald of the 25th February haa the following respecting the small-pox caee : —" Small-pox has once more appeared in Sydney, and this time under circumstaucea of a peculiar and grave nature. It appears that the sceamship RiDgarooma entered Port Jackson yesterday morning from Auckland, and shortly after her arrivil one oE the stewards named Thomas Jamei presented himself at the office of the Health Board. Thb Bounl was sitting at the time, and on examination of the'man he wai pronounced to be suffering from varioU. Ho was subsequently removed to the Hospital ship Far-away, and, according to a telegram which was received from the floating Hospital at a late hour last night, he is said to be suffering from confluent smallpox, about the fourth day of eruption. Hβ is supposed to have contracted the disease in Sydney prior to his leaving for New Zealand on the last trip. As the patient had been employed iu attending to the wante of the passengers on the vessel, it was deemed ne« ceasary to place them in quarantine also, and accordingly the water police scoured the town yesterday in search of them, and up to nightfall they had secured 15 persons, wbo will be sent to the North Head Quarantine Station. Others are still at large, and as all of them must have mingled pretty freely with other persons in Sydney, it is feared that "serious consequences may arise from the unfortunate occurrence. The steward James, who is 25 years of age, is unvaccinated."

The Wellington Post says:- ,, 1n ty anxiety to hoax Councillor Pethenok. «e Mayor and members of the City CoancU appear to have perpetrated a practical jow of a very undignified aud improper character. While pretending to be sittfag as a Lonncu or committee they passed a bogus resolutioo makiDg most unwarrantable use of the name of one of their late officers, and it appean they went so far as to get the Town U«» to pretend to take, minutes and recora • division. The whole proceeding eeemi w have been in the worst possible taste, ano o a very questionable character. " e ®J wonder at Councillor Petherick having Been deceived into believing the proceeding!; w have been of a bona fide nature, but,, a.w all, we think he has the best of it, and w» the public.will condemn the conduct o colleagues much more severely than tbey w blame him for being so easily mieled. A contributor to the Sydney Daily Telegraph concludes an interesting article « Mr. R.T. Booth by saying :—"« e !f* ft man believed that he had a mission in. li» is Booth. His message is ever uponnW> ' the cause , is his constant topic of convw tion as of thought. Hβ must talk about• because he is always thinking aboat it. will never remain very long in one p • His nature is to roam. He prefers return"* a score of times to a town than stay ,D ?. long at a time. Temperance is not re»g\ but it is a most important element Gospel Temperance is the name oi message. He knows from bitter «P e "* the insidious terrors of drink, tie * too something of its devastating F From the bottom of his heart he eymp"" with the drunkard and believes tnai moderate drinker is the greatest stomas block in the way of temperate retorm.. rescues the drunkard where he o»n, o aayu that the end and purpose of iw w is to save men from becoming And as an advocate of .total aDM amongst the honest, industrious, .drop ; ing classes of Great Britain he baa no The following nominations for the Wellington Licensing Committee, Messrs James Blyth Arthur Hunt Scarrott, Archibald Stewart, aud A he Stevenson Thompson, were.rece ved g ° 4th instant, at Ellershe, by Returning Officer, and being ed to required, those gentlemen were deciw be duly elected. The following is the state of the W Asylum, Auckland, for the week ~_ February 28, ISSS :-Kem»uimg W• ft 317; admitted since, 2; discharged. 0, a ft remaining, 215 males, 104 female* I W

Building operations are tolerably brisk at present, especially in the erection of small tenements, for which there is an unsatisfied demand. Mr. H. G. Wade is advertising for tenders for the erection of a dozen cottages off a right-of-way in Gray-street, three pairs, semi-detached, and six others in » block. ~■■' • .' Mr. Thompson, of the* Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Symonda-street, is still lying in a dangerous state, as the > result of the injuries received on Monday night in the buggy accident on the Kyber Pass Road. Mr. David Berry, of Coolangata, New South Wales, who recently made a gift of a ichooner to the Wesleyan Mission in the Pacific, and also sent a donation of £50 to St David's Presbyterian Church, Auckland, has contributed £1000 to the New South Wales Patriotic Fund. Nine tenders have been received by the City Council for the erection of the Free Library and Art- Gallery. They will be opened and considered at the meeting of the Council to-night. It ie believed, from what hat transpired, that they ate within the stipulated amount. The Auckland Amateur Athletic Club have, through the kind permission of the cricketing clubs, been allowed the use of the Cricket Ground on Saturday, April 11, for their sports meeting, in conjunction with the Waitemata and Auckland Cycling Clubs. At a combined meeting of delegates last night, a most attractive programme, including the Ten-mile Bicycle Championship Race of New Zealand was drawn up, and a Dumber of details arranged for carrying out the meeting. The proprietors of the Mount Roskill, Mount Eden, and Grafton-road omnibuses, yesterday raised the fares from 3d to the old scale of 6d. In the Ponsonby district, where the 'buses are running against the tramcars, the fares are 3d, and they are said to be doing better at low fares than they did under the sixpenny regime, as they are carrying more than double the number of passengers. The following is the report of the Female Prison Gate Brigade Refuge for the past week :—49 beds and 165 meals were given ; seven women were received into the Home, four have been placed in situations, and six remain in the institution. § Last night a passenger by the Suva, from Fiji, called at the police station, and, after stating that he had no means to get a bed, asked the to"k-up keeper as a particular favour to " run him in" to one of the cells. He had slept the previous night on board the Suva, but as she had left for Dunedin he was now without shelter. The police officer informed the applicant that the police station was not a boarding house, and ho retired reluctantly from the guard-room to see if he could fall across any old Fiji residents who wonld help him when down on his luck. Auckland Wkekly News. —In order to keep pace with the growing requirements of the agricultural community the proprietors have introduced a number of new and attiaetive features in this popular and widely-circulated journal, which hare { greatly enhanced its interest and usefulness as a repository . < f information on all subjects affecting agriculture and kindred matters of importance to- settlors and others engaged in rural purluits. Hitherto a considerable portion of apace has been devoted to these topics but It has been found that, to do them full justice, it is necessary that this limit should be extended, and this will also permit of prominence being given to a number of subjects which are now beginning to engage the attention of many settlers, and especially to thn cultivation of sub-tropical produce. No p»ins have been spared by the proprietors of the Auckland Weekly Nkws to render this important department as perfect as possible. Arrangements have been made to have the various articles treating on the different pursuits of the settlers profusely illustrated, and nothing will be left undone to maintain the high raputation which the > ews has enjoyed for so many years as the leading agricultural journal in the colony. It is the largest, best, and most readable family newspaper in New Zealand, and consists of forty pages. Besides being admirably illustrated, it is characterised by the fulness of its intelligence and the variety of its contents. Its agricultural articles are carefully written ; It* country, colonial, English, and foreign news full and well selected, and its literary matter both interesting and edifying. It publishes each week sermons by the most prominent preachers of the age, serial tales by the ablest authors of the day, special articles on general topics by wellinformed writers, entertaining letters from its correspondents in America and England, and « large variety of instructive matter. As a weekly newspaper and family journal, the News is without an equal. In this week's issue will appear an excellent view of St. Paul's Church, from Selwyn Terrace ; a portrait of M. Do Harvtn : and a number of wood-cuts of special interest to the settler. . It will be noticed by our advertisement column* that Mr. Theo. Cooper, senior, has begun business in No. 8, Queen-street, where he will carry on the business of House, Land, Insurance, and Advertising Agent. He will also collect rents, receive advertisements for newspapers, and other publications throughout the colonies. Mr. Cooper has long been connected with the Frees in Auckland, is well known to the general public, and a trustworthy roan, and those entrusting business to him may rely on fair and honourable dealings. Mr. Cooper was for many years publisher of the Daily Southern Cross tewspaper, and since the publication of that paper ceased, he has bean connected with the business department of this journal. Mr. M. Morchie, tailor, of Shortlandi!r«et, will leave for the Old Country to-morrow, via the South and Australia. He will visit tee principal woollen factories at home, and from his intimate knowledge of the trade requirements here, he will introduce the newest goods and latest novelties in the trade, As it is hie intention to purchase for cash, he will be in a position to supply his customers with • good article at the lowest lMtea. A special meeting of the Rationalistic Association will be held in Robson's Commercial Booms, Qaeen-street, this evening at eight o'clock. Mr, K. C. Greenwood sells to-day at eleven a.m., on the premises at Hackett-street, Ponsonby, a well-built and convenient five roomed house on freehold allotment, with 33 free frontage, pleasantly situated, in a healthy local ty, with tine views of the harbour, North Shore, etc At the same time will be sold the whole of the furniture, carpets, bedding, etc.