Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7787, 5 November 1886, Page 4

The overland lines in Australia ate itiU interrupted, in consequence of which we arr without any despatches from Europe.

The iteunahip Tongariro, of the New Zealand Shipping Company's line, arrive* off Pore Chalmers yesterday morning Jt * smart passage, she not bemg due until th« 9th instant. At Dunedin .he land.d ft! paseengera aad mails for the South Island and last evening resumed her pa ßsag e { 0 J this port, where she >b due on Swd v next Ihe Tongariro left London on the 24th September, and Plymouth the next day and consequently brings mails to the dates named. The San Francisco mail, due this day week, will be the bearer of mails from London to the 7th October, and from San Franciso to the 24th October. The Te Anau which left Sydney yesterday afternoon' should also be tne bearer of a nail f ron j London, via Suez, to the 24th September last.

The City Council held a prolonged meeting last night, and pasted the report containing the recommendations of the Special Reirenchment Committee. Arrangements respecting the Hobson-street improvements were also agreed upon, the city solicitor being in »{, tendance at the meeting.

The usual weekly sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court was held yesterday when a large number of small debt cases were dealt with, and the rest of the day was occupied with the case, Bolton and another v. the Devonport Tramway Co., claim £49 6i. The plaintiffs were contractors for the construction of the tramway at Devonport, and claimed the balance remaining after progress payments had been made, and in respect of 20 fully paid-up shares in the company. The contract was completed in July last, and the engineer's certificate hid been given for the work. The defence was that the plaintiffs had received all they were entitled to, and that the money claimed represented the cost of the work left undone by the plaintiffs, and which the company had to get completed. When the Court adjourned the case for the plaintiffs had not been finished, and the further hearing was adjourned till next Court day.

The conversazione in connection with the opening of the new bunding of the loung Men's Christian Association, to be held this evening, promises to be of special interest in many ways. The whole building will be filled with articles, useful and rare, ornamental and antique. The leading feature will be a largo collection of curios, Ac, placed in tha hands of the committee by various well-wishers of the Association, and will include a Bengal tulwar, porcupine quill box, two-handed sword, model of American canoe, silver, marble, and alabaster idols, Burmese bells, garree, old coins, &c.; a Breeches Bible, 1594 ; a Persian " History of Joseph ;" •' Commentary on the Gospels," by Lefeve, of Etaples, a.jo., 1528 (very rare; a prohibited book, having been interdioted by the Pope, and rigidly suppressed. Lefeve was the friend of Erasmus); first edition of " air Walter Raleigh's History of the World ;" early Bible Dictionary, over 400 years old, bound in pigskin; several black letter volumes of the 15th century; and many other rare books. Visitors will be able to see hats in process of manufaoture. There will also be examples of glass-blowing, cork making, fretwork, pottery, etc., etc. Visitors will also haves an opportunity of learning their weight and height ; also of trying their strength at an excellent galvanic battery, A beam engine and an horizontal engine will be at work, and there will be splendid stereoscopes and graphoscopes on a new principle (lately invented), while the top storey of the building will be devoted to lawn tennis and gymnastics. Refreshments will be provided at moderate prices.

Owing to the avidity with which the lands available for selection nnder the perpetnal leasing system have been taken up, the great majority of the sections are now drawn- It ia anticipated that in a month or so fresh blocks will be open for selection. There is still in possession of the Government, a good deal of fair land, but roads are neceewry in order f;o its being taken up. In the Maungakakia district alone the Government hare from 300,000 to 400,000 acres of very fair land, which will in due time be opened up for settlement*

The charge of breaking and entering the ketch Zillah on Monday last, laid against a man named John Howard, was heard before Messrs. C. D. Whitcombe and J. P. King, J. P. e, at the Police Court yesterday, and resulted in the accused being committed to stand hie trial at the Supreme Court in January next. That immensely amusing comedy of the "Three Hate" was again given at dbbotis Opera House last evening. There was a very good attendance and the efforts of the various performers were greeted with every «g n ° TatisfactioD, and at the end of the seoond act the principals were called before the onrtojn. To - night the ever popular comedy, a" Gov'nor," is to be placed on the boards,, ana judging from the .success that ba> hitherto attended the performance of this p«e«. * 8 anticipate for it a long and successful ran on the boards of Abbott's Opera House, j. morrow evening the performance wiu ° under the patronage of the Auckland Racing Club. , A few days ago a telegram was received from Taupo statin* that been felt at Taupo, and a glow of he «jn at night, for about an. hour, in tta of the Rotomahana craters. It ««» waß that the latter phenomena obwrrea simply owing to lightning, but the A"' 9l Surveyor General, Mr. Percy Snath," communicated with Mr. Blytb, who. suny party is camped in the vicinity of Wβ st of volcanic eruption, with a view to obtaining a report explanatory of the incident. A very successful concert was given in he lecture hall of the Young MeneChn»ti« Association last night in continuation^> it opening meetings. A detailed report wiu found elsewhere. The "land hunger" must be severely W« up North judging from an »PP ll R cat^ gtercame before the Crown Lands Boardjester day. A Kaipara .ettler applied that W Board would put up a mangrove na i m Kaipara harbour for sale. That .»PP»JJj must ha»e a taeta for •• the heroic worfc« colouuatioa,"

Board took place J"****'**? ° oi w hich business was transacced, asnmmary will be found in another column. At the Police Court yesterday. be ore Messrs. O. D. Whitcom >e .nd J P. Km*. J.P.'s, the yo«ne man John Grant y , w ho was arrested in feyuney uy £§&$? the Sro»ecution, the Bench committed the accused to stand hi. triaKJt the Supreme Court in January next. An order of the fwt was made during the hearing of the case for all of the witnesses to leave the Court till called upon to give their evidence, but the prosecution failed to see that the order was complied with in regard to one of the witnesses. A second charge against the accused was remanded.

The Bishop of Waiapu and Miss Stuart arrived at Lake Houee, Rotorua, on Wednesday, from Tauranga, making the journey by way of Oropi, the bush road, in eight hours. The drive is a very pretty one, and well repays the traveller who wishes to see ew Zealand bush scenery. The Bishop does not consider the Church of St. Faith's to be in »ny danger from inundation through the using of the Lake, and has decided to let it remain on its present site. Two fine specimens of the pineapple plant, With th. fruit attached, were brought up from Fiji by the Union company . e.,. Ara"t, vest/rday to the order of Mr. A. Stat/dTh/Sta- Hotel, Albert street. The plants are most picturesque, and show to what a state of perfection this fruit will row in the islands mined. Tue fruit itself on these plants is of great size, although not yet of mature growth. In connection with the crop of fruit at Fiji we learn that both i the bananas and pineapples are rapidly recovering from the check received by the recent hurricane, and the settlers are hopeful of the coming season being a very prolific and profitable one. The specimens named above are well worthy of inspection.

Somewhat unexpectedly Sir George Grey arrived in town yesterday from Kawau. The object of hie visit is purely of a private character. Hβ has not yet quite recovered from the bronchial attack with which he was ieiz?d while attending the late session of Parliament at Wellington. Sir (George yesterday piid a visit to the Free Public Library and Art Gallery, in company with Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, Comptroller-General, whom he Bbowed over the buildings. Both gentlemen were greatly pleased with their visit, and Sir George regards the erection of the new Inetitution as one among the many creditable acts accomplished by Auckland. With regard to the Art Gallery lie sees no difficulty in utilising it shortly for art purposes, notwithstanding the provisions of ;he will of the late Mr. Mackelvie. Bis proposal, which seems a very feasible aud practicable one, is to procure the passing of an Act of the Legislature empowering the trustees of the Mackelvie art treasures to deposit them in the Art Gallery temporarily until such time as they decide on a suitable site for a building in which to house them, and that the interest on the sum set apart for the erection of such a building be appropriated to the purchase of additional pictures. The accruing interest would amount to sonie Jt'3oO a year, and would pnrchase one or two pictures per annum. Sir George is getting everything in readiness in his library at Kawau for the transfer of his munificent gift of literary and art treaiures to the Free Public Library, so soon as the building Iβ ready for their reception, which it is expected to be daring next month. The secretary of the Library Association —an association which like some other institutions, meets annually in different cities in Great Britain — was recently on a tour of the colonies for the benefit of his heilth. He has recently made a report to the Association on the libraries he has visited during his tour, and in this respect he make* some interesting remarks on the public libraries of New Zealand. One thiug which struck him wa« the high percentage of visitors to the population, showing the excellent educational standard prevailing. He makes some remarks as to the claes of books and papers in which our libraries are defiaient, and singularly enough, Sir George Gtev's gift supplies those deficiencies so far as Auckland is. concerned. In the report reference is made to Sir George Grey's splendid library, as aho to the equally valuable one which he presented to South Africa.

£ The annual session of the Wesleyan District Meeting commences to-day, and the clergy from the suburban and country stations are now nearly all in town. It will be under the presidency of the Rev. H. Bull, and among the questions coming up for discussion will be Home Mission and Maori Mission work. A number of resolutions will also be considered, with a view to their adoption and remission to the l<ew Zealand Wesley an Conierence.

At ft meeting of the match committee of the Auckland Bowling Club held yesterday afternoon, at which Messrs. Frater, Cattanach, Oliphant, and the secretary were present, it was resolved to fix Saturday, 20th Kcvember, as the closing dace tor reception of entries for the following matches, viz. :— Club Cup, Champion Bowls (presented by Mr. Oliphant), Subscription Medals, Gorrie's Prize Bowls, J. Rose's Prize Bowls, Winks' Prize Bowls, and Kingswell's Prize Bowls,

It is stated that the Rev. C. Worboys is about to terminate his pastorate of the United Free Methodist Church, Pitt and Vincent Streets, and that the Kev. J. H. Jones has resigned the pastorate of the Ponsonby Baptist Church.

To-day (the sth November) is the anniversary of the memorable Gunpowder Plot, and despite Bishop Cowie's deprecatory letter and the sulphurous denunciation of a section of a the Press, the small boys intend to make the night as lively as ever with bonfires, crackers, <fec, in order that the historical event may be kept in "everlasting remembrance."

A meeting of the delegates of the Auckland Rugby Union was held in the .club room, Imperial Hotel, last night. There was a good attendance, and Mr. A. H. Cottsr was voted to the chair. The letter from the Wellington Union, returning the £20 bonus, and declining to enter any further into the matter by giving an apology, was read. It was considered a direct insult to the Union to return the bonne, and after a short dieouision was referred to a committee consisting of Messrs. J. M. Brighatn, H. H. JJavy and the secretary (Mr. R. L. Skeen) to consider and send reply to the Wellington Union. The question of taking shares in the proposed athletic ground company was discussed, and it was resolved to apply for 50 shares in the company. It wis agreed to purchase suitable badges for the senior and junior fifteens who won the union cups during the past season. The finances of the union were considered, and it waa resolved, before doing anything with the money, that the hon. treasurer should be reqawted to submit a financial statement. The special meeting of the union to confirm the rales was adjourned in order that a more representative attendance might be present.

The annual athletic sports of the Auckland College and Gramoiar School, which *ere postponed on account of stress of weather, will take place to-day, on the Domain cricket grounds A very interesting programme has been drawn up, and some keen sport is expected. There will be •vents for " old" boys of the school, and at the conclusion the prizes will be presented.

A most pleasant gymnastic entertainment *" given last evening in the All Saints' Sohoolroom. There was a very fair attendance. The entertainment was given by the members of the All Saints' Athletic dub, nnder the instructorship of Profeasor Carrollo. The display, which was of a most interesting character, consisted of Indian clubs, dumbbells, horizontal bar, military •loree, fencing, singlesticks, quarterstaff, ttoman riDgs, and parallel bars. The performance was a mo«t creditable one, aad gave every isatisfaction to those present.

OS p • 110 I" 0 ? » the report of the Prison thV ooT^ ga , cle Home for the fortnight ending We 9th uhimo:-N umber meals given, 328; 2,!? ph, ! d ,' 74; perßOne admitted, 21; di,tlon? d f and Uf > 20; etiU in home, 8; dona. Wood rTI 1 from "*"■"• a "ett, Hulme, L.S; a He i l R TaDd B » ddl «T : bread. Meier.. Itobler I? B . uoh «» n . Whitoombe, King.ford, Mr g '-"T?u and PhiHp " ; bacon ftnd cheese SSkrt ™L ? 111 M ,"- Buttle Mount Eden »nd batSf? r « Au , cd Sugar Company ; milk KeanUiu. * £ ucl^ nd » n d Devon.hire dairies.