Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7646, 25 May 1886, Page 4

Our cable messages to-day state that further fighting on the frontier has taken place between the Greek and Turkish troops. The engagement appears to have extended along the whole line, and to have been of a serious character. The cause of the outbreak of hostilities is at present unknown, bat both sides allege aggression. The news of the occurrence caused intense excitement in Athens, and warlike demonstrations are now being held. By instructions of the Turkish and Greek authorities, hostilities have ceased. M. Tricoupis has protested against the blockade of the Greek ports. The difficulty which has arisen between America and Canada over the seizure by the latter of an American fishing vessel seems likely to lead to something serious. The American Government have demanded the release of the vessel, and a claim for an indemnity has also been made on the part of the owners. The death is announced of Professor Von Ranke, tho historian of the Popes. 1 Both the s.s. Manapouri and Arawata arrived in harbour at unexpected hours yesterday morning, the former from Southern ports and Melbourne, and the Arawata from Fiji. The Manapouri did tho run up from Gisborne in the good time of 22 hours, instead of 24 or 25 as usual, and the Arawata made such good use of the time at her disposal that she reached here yesterday morning instead of to-day—her due time. In the instance of both vessels, it is insinuated that the Queen's Birthday and its holiday had much to do with their early arrival. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the holiday gained is a very well-earned one, and one that, particularly so far as relates to the Manapouri, will not be begrudged. Both vessels brought full cargoes, and a number of passengers. Tho Birthday meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club was held yesterday, under most favourable auspices. The weather was all that could be desired—bright, warm, and in all respects Queen's weather. The attendance was large, and the comfort of the visitors was greatly increased by the absence of so-called games of chance from the course. These the club rigidly prohibited. So far as the races were concerned they were conducted as well as could be expected, and the greatest care was taken "by the officers of the club. The course was heavy, but that was what might be expected. However, with the exception of one accident, the casualties are small. In the Novel Race, Skerving, rider of the horse Wat Tyler, sustained a somewhat serious injury. Ho was thrown heavily against a post, and fractured his hip. He was promptly attended by Dr. I Kenny, and is now in a fair way of recovery. Among the passengers by the Mararoa last night was Mrs. Richmond, widow of the late Mr. John Richmond. Mrs. Richmond was accompanied from Sydney by Mrs. J. Hay and Miss Bruce, and, being met by her relatives on the steamer's arrival, was conveyed to Mr. Aitken's residence at Mount Eden. The remains of Mr. Richmond also arrived by the Mararoa, and, as announced, the funeral will leave his late residence at Jcrmyn-street, for St. Andrew's cemetery, Epsom, to-day, at half-past two o'clock. The R.M.s.s. Kaikoura, of the New Zealand Shipping Co. line of steamships, came into harbour last night from London, via Dunedin and Wellington, after a passage of 40 days 7 hours 3 minutes, or of 39 days 15 hours and 3 minutes steaming time from London to Dunedin. For this port the Kaikoura brings 90 passengers. Of these 12 are in tho saloon, 23 in the second cabin, and 55 in the steerage. She has also five passengers who goon to Napier by one of the Union Co.'s steamships. Owing to the outer berth of the Queen-street Wharf being reserved for the San Francisco mail steamer Mararoa, the Kaikoura—in spite of the protest of Captain ■ Crutchley —had to anchor in the stream : but to-day she will be berthed as soon as the i Mararoa leaves for San Francisco, and the work of landing the cargo for here, some 500 > tons, will be at once commenced, and it is J anticipated that the Kaikoura will get away again on her Southern; journey to-morrow. ' The Kaikoura brought mails from London for ! Auckland (consisting of 45 bags) to tho 9th ! of April last. The San Francisco mail steamer Mararoa, which arrived at midnight < last night, also brought an English mail to i the same date as the s.s. Kaikoura. J Among the passengers by the Southern ' steamer was Sergeant Lyoii3, of Wellington, < who has been transferred to Auckland, vice Sergeant Donnelly, removed to Wellington. It is stated that Mr. Blasch's premises ] burned down the. other morning, were subject to a lease of fourteen, not lour years, 1

, " " in. .i — -A* ' The usual meeting of the Gospel Temper* ance Mission was held' in the Protestant Hall, Karangahape Road, last Sunday evening. The address and singing ha 4 special reference to the Band of Hope work, Mr. R. Arthur presided, and gave some very interesting reminiscences of the early day* ■f Band of Hope work in Auckland. Mr. ■~3. Wood also addressed the meeting. £ ; 00, "Where is my wandering boy to* 1 night," Vias nicely sung by Miss McDer* ! mott. j I A woman named Harriett Podasta, whf was well known as one of the criminal class, died suddenly yesterday morning in a brothel in Wellesley-straet West, under cTrjumstanca , narrated elsewhere in our re) »rt of the ] inquest upon her remains, the unfortanata • woman, who arrived in the colony abouq twelve years ago, had rapidly fallen into m 'jailer of shame, and had frequi ifcly appeared in the Police Court charged with drunkenness. She had been married to a bushman named Siegel, who had, however, separated from her when he found it impossible to check her in her downward course. ' The Police Court business was taken before Messrs. P. A. Philips and J. B. Thomson yesterday morning at the police station. Two men for drunkenness were fined in the usual amounts, and two others were discharged. John Dignan, al:."a " Captain Ginger," was fined 10s and costs for being drunk and disorderly, and Lewis Johnson was discharged for a similar offence. Fred Prouien, charged with the larceny of a washstand and jug, was remanded to Wednesday, and on application bail was granted. Fred Hunter, charged with stealing two overcoats, the property of William Edgar, Cox's Creek, was also remanded till to-morrow. Richard Hingston, an old offender, admitted stealing a spanner, valued at 12s, the property of James Leend, on the Queen-street Wharf, and was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment with hard labour. Among the most recent of local patents is the patent fireproof plaster of Mr. J. B. Blaikie, plasterer, of Victoria and Hobson streets, which is likely to prove a great preventative of fires. The new plaster has been inspected by several agents of fire insurance companies, and others competent to juuga of its merits, and they speak very vingly of it. When the studding of the building is put up a section of wire is stretched along the side of the room, with wooden frame at back, and plastered on the face in the wire in the ordinary manner. On the composition becoming thoroughly set, the framing is removed, and the wall is then cemplerely plastered and fireproof. One advantage claimed is that if a fire broke out in one room it would not spread elsewhere, but would be confined to the apartment in which it originated. We have inspected a section of the plastering at Mr. Blaikie's premises, Victoria-street. It was as hard as a wall, and is evidently all that the patentee guarantees. Our City Fathers would do well to examine the invention, as if it had been utilised in the case of Borsboom's lodginghouse, it all probability we should not have had to chronicle the loss of two lives. "Citizen" writes in regard to the commercial morality of Auckland, and thus concludes :— " Professor Aldis may not be acquainted with all the ins and outs of commercial life, but I am sorry to say his strictures are much needed and well deserved, and I for one feel glad that we have among us one who does not fear to expose a wrong. As a community, we are too lenient in these matters." The well-known barrister, Mr. James Smith, of Dunedin, will appear at the District Court to-day in several case*. Mr. Smith has come up here on a holiday trip, and is going through the interior. A concert and social dance took place last evening in the Foresters' Hall, Newton, for the benefit of Mr. Lewis James, a member of the printing fraternity, who was recently disabled by a paralytic stroke. An excellent programme was produced, in which Messrs. R. Nesbit, Carey, Thompson, E. H. Edmonds, C. Craig, and Misses Faulkner, Hunter, Bullot, and the Mettam Brothers, and Messrs. Marsou, Seagar, Cosson, and Professor Carrollo took part. After the concert the hall was cleared, and dancing was indulged in and kept up until an early hour this morning.

Benjamin Johnson, Newton Road, writes to say that if some of the Auckland merchants who are desirous to promote the welfare of Auckland would call a meeting, he is ready to lay before them a schema of co-coperation of capital and labour by which the goldfields could be developed. He has no fear but that it would obtain their hearty approval. The Northern Luminary has the following: — Mr. McGlynn, after going down 230 feet on Scoria Flat, and getting into all the indications of nearing coal, suddenly had orders from the Auckland speculators last week, resulting in the speedy withdrawal of rods and the exit of Mr. McGlynn and plant. There are anxious enquiries as to what it all means. We don't know." The Plumpton Park Company and owners of greyhounds had a very satisfactory meeting at the Plumpton Park yesterday. The attendance was large and the sport was good. The first round for the shareholders' match has been run off, and to-day the other rounds, and most probably the final round, will take place if time allows. Details of yesterday's running will be found in another column. Referring to the death of the late Mr. Hugh George the Sydney Morning Herald of the 15th instant says:—"lt is our painful duty to have to announce that Mr. Hugh George, general business manager in the office of this journal, died at the Australian Club, Melbourne, at half-past six last evening. Mr. George left Sydney for Melbourne by the express train on Wednesday, to enjoy a brief holiday in the hope of recruiting his health, which, for some little time past, bad not been so good as usual. Nothing more serious than was apparent when he left Sydney was, however, feared, and though fatigued by the journey in the train, he was in good spirits when he arrived in Melbourne. The cause of his death was heart, disease, and the event was a painfully sudden one. Mr. George was widely known and respected both for his ability and his virtues, but his worth was best appreciated by those to whom he was a fellowlabourer and friend. His death will be a matter of deep sorrow to his immediate associates and to a large circle of friends. In January, 1878, after having been 20 years in the Argus office, Mr. George came to Sydney as general business manager in the office of the Sydney Morning Herald. Since that time and up to the day of his death his remarkable aptitude for managing a great newspaper was as much apparent as it was at any earlier periad of his career. Here his ability was wisely exercised, and his constant endeavour was to promote, as far as could be done, the best interests of everybody in tho office, as he had done ip Melbourne. Though he would never tolerate incapacity or carelessness, he was ever ready to acknowledge a zealous performance of duty, and the, just claims of the humblest employe were as sacred to him as those of the proprietors. Inside the office he was greatly esteemed, and outside he was widely respected. His long acquaintance with journalism in Victoria entitled him when he came to Sydney to take a prominent place among journalists here, but the position which was universally accorded him wherever he was present as a representative of the newspaper press was from the first one of the highest. His numerous friends in private life, as well as those associated with him in journalism, will deeply regret his death. The remains of Mr. Hugh George were interred at the Waverley cemetery, Sydney, the esteem in which the deceased gentleman was held being evidenced by a cortege which was of considerable length. The remains were enclosed in a leaden shell, which was encased in a casket of oak. The furniture of this was of silver, and included a tablet inscribed Hugh George, died May 14, ISS6, aged 64 years; and others bearing the phrases " Our loved one" and " Rest in peace." The procession included some 109 vehicles. A large and enthusiastic meeting was held in St. James' Hall last night to consider the question of Home Rule for Ireland aud to support Mr. Gladstone in his efforts to secure that object. Spirited addresses were delivered, and resolutions expressive of most loyal attachment to the throne and cordial thanks to Mr. Gladstone for " his heroic efforts in the cause of Home Rule " were passed, with loud and sustained demonstrations of approval. The hall was filled to overflowing. The meeting was charcterised as the largest of the kind ever held in Auckland. The Governor of South Australia hag received a dispatch from the Governor of New Zealand, in which the latter intimated hat he accepts the position of vice-patron of he Jubilee Exhibition with much pleasure.

Commenting on tho Bryce Rusden case, the Suva Times says :—" It will be a good day for this country when Sir Arthur Gordon is brought face to face with the consequences of his attitude towards Mr. Bryce. That which he is capable of doing in the determination to carry out his own peculiar views in the one case, he will be fairly credited with in the other. If, when having to deal with Ministers who represented constitutional Government and parliamentary responsibility, he considered it justifiable to descend to falsehood and colourable accounts of their proceedings and motives, how much freer would he feel when handling the affairs of those, who, unrepresented and virtually powerless to do aught on their own behalf, have been the victims of his slander, the sufferers of the policy founded thereon. But if the Constitutional colony can prove the falsity of his utterances, tho Crown colony may hope to receive some degree of benefit from that fact. Mistrust once awakened, sven the Colonial Office will have to admit hat a demand for inquiry, conducted by mpartial men, is reasonable. The eyes of ificialdom once opened, a hope may be airly entertained that gradually they may oe cleared of some of the dust which has been so liberally cast in them." Writing on April 9. the London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald says : " According to Mr. Osborne Morgan s reply to Mr. Cobb in the House this wiek, Sir Arthur Gordon will not escape entirely scot free from the consequences of having written letters to Mr. Rusden, the unlucky historian of New Zealand, containing imputations upon the character of Mr. Bryce. Tho Government have been asked to take steps upon this matter, but this they refuse to do, on the ground that the letters complained of were written under mark of privacy, Nevertheless Mr. Morgan stated that the attention of Sir Arthur Gordon had been called to the report of .the trial, and that Lord Granville expected shortly to receive a statement from him on the subject. In colonial circles, where the case is discussed, some sympathy is felt for Mr. Rusden, because it is clear that when he went to New Zealand to collect the materials for his history he fell into the hands of one political party who imbued him with their views upon every subject; and the objectionable portions of his narrative was plainly inspired by Bishop Hadfield and Sir Arthur Gordon. It is also thought that Mr. Rusden's counsel did not make the best possible defence for him." A meeting of tho members of the Auckland Parliamentary Union will take place this •veiling at Robson's Rooms, when it is to be hoped that a better attendance will be sccured than at the previous mectiug, otherwise it will have to be wound up. It commenced with a membership of 300, and at tho last meeting to arrange for the present session twelve members only put in an appearance. Among the reproaches levelled against Auckland is that there is no stability in her local institutions —societies, clubs, &c., each having their rise, progress, and decay. Thoro is over £30 awaiting the disposal of somebody, so it is just possible there will be a better attendance this evening. As showing how they manage these Parliamentary Unions in the South, it may be mentioned that the Dunedin Union is already in full swing, in its present session, a debate on the advisability of constructing the East and West Coast Railway on the terms of the London syndicate, occupying nearly two columns of the Otago Daily Times. A singular case of breaking and entering is reported to have occurred at the newpremises of Mr. Robert Neal, grocer, Wei-lesley-street, presumably on Sunday night. It appears that yesterday, about half-past one in the afternoon, a man, named James Williams, in passing down Wellesley-street noticed that the front door of Mr. Neal's ' warehouse was slightly ajar. He went and opened the door, and discovering that no one was on the premises, went to the police station and reported the affair. Constables Kilkenny and Sole proceeded to the premises, and made a careful examination of them, They discovered that access had been obtained at the back door by someone going in rear of the Y.M.C. Association, Rooms, getting on the lift, and then prizing the | door. The burglers had gone through the warehouse, smashed some of the screws of the spring-lock on the front door, and gone out that way. Word was sent out to Mr. Neal, who came into town, but after examining the premises, he was unable to detect that anything was missing. If the object of the invaders was money they were disappointed, as Mr. Neal, on closing on Saturday night, placed all the takings in the safe, which had not been tampered with. The whole affair is mysterious, and the detectives are endeavouring to throw some light upon it. About twenty members of the Queen's Own Rifles met at the Mount Eden Riflerange at seven a.m. yesterday to compete for Captain Keep's gold medal, which has to be won twice in succession to become the absolute property of a member. The light was good and the wind favourable. The six highest scores in the first competition were as follows Volunteer Gerrand, 70 ; Volunteer Wrigley, 62; Sergeant Tomlin, 49; Volunteer Anderson, 48; Volunteer Veale, 48 ; Sergeant Eagles, 44. The Sydney Morning Herald of the ISth instant says The oldest clergyman belonging to the Wealeyan Methodist Church passed away to his rest on Friday last, and his remains were buried in the Rockwood cemetery on the following Sunday in the presence of a large concourse of people. The Rev. James Watkin, the minister referred to, left England between fifty and sixty ye*rs ago to engage in missionary work in the Friendly Islands. Missionary enterprise in the South Seas was at that time only in its infancy, and the agents of the societies were subjected to numerous • deprivations, and were often exposed to personal danger. Mr. Watkin soon learned the language of the T'ongan people, and was successful in his efforts to impart to them a knowledge of Christianity and the rudiments of civilisation. After a residence of several years in the group he was transferred to New Zealand, where he was employed for some time in teaching religion to the Maoris. His next removal was to New South Wales. In 1869 Mr. Watkin retired from the active duties of the ministry, and from that date until his death he sustained a supernumerary relation to his Church. Mr. Watkin was possessed of considerable intellectual ability, and until late in life he was a devourer of books. He was able to carry on an intelligent conversation on every subject of common interest, and he was especially well read in theology and general literature. Mr. Watkin bad a large family, and, with a single exception, all his children survive him. Three of his sons are clergymen ; one of the three is the president of the Wesley College in Victoria ; another is stationed in New Zealand ; and the third is the chief pastor of the Free Church in Tonga. Two sons are engaged as property auctioneers in this city ; and a daughter is married to a Wesleyan clergyman. The following is an extract from the reply of his Holiness Pope Leo XIII. to the j address from the Plenary Council, which met last year in Sydney " Our thoughts, attracted by your letter towards the distant lands of Australia, stay not but turn thither with alacrity ; for while through those vast regions of yours are found thousands and thousands of men in whom our apostolic office and paternal charity justly give us a deep interest, the depression we feel at the sight of bo many evils elsewhere is changed into joy when we contemplate the Australian Church making such rapid and unimpeded progress. Hence we have derived no ordinary pleasure from what you have written to us respecting the Synod held by yon towards the close of last year, especially as Australia had not, since she received the light of the Gospel, as yet beheld a full assembly of all her bishops." The only prisoner in the lock-up last evening was a woman for drunkenness. The Salvation Army, like the volunteers, made a field-day of it yesterday, and, with band playing and flags flying, marched through the principal thoroughfares. A service was held on the wharf, in order to catch that degenerate section of the public who were en route for the Devonport Races. Mr. F. W. Stevens, of Summer-street, Fden Road, advertises in our colurios to-day that ha Is prepared' to offer l*.nd or. the HaraWfck > block, comprlslDß 4000 aces, on advantageous terms suggested by Mr. J. C. Firth's plan. For full particulars v.e must refer our readers to the advertisement. Tenders for the purchase of the lease and goodwill, and of machinery and plant, <bc., or the business carried on by the lata Robert Burfe I, prlntfcr, bookbinder, Ac., Wellington, will bo received up to the 31st lust. Further particulars will bt fount! in our advertisement columns. Gas consumers are reminded that Tuesday- the 20tli instant, at five p.ni .is the last day Which discount is allowed on cm and "soke account