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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9086, 21 June 1888, Page 4

Stanley is reported to be dead. The report comes from Zanzibar and lacks confirmation. Similar rumours have boforetime been current, and have always proved to bo unfounded. Everyone will hope that the present sinister report will turn- out to be equally untrue. Coming, however, on the heels of the alarming intelligence published the other day of an encounter with hostilo tribes, and his desertion by his followers, and of his being wounded, this latest rumour of the death of Stanley must cause an uneasy feeling regarding his fate. There has been no authentic news of the gallant explorer since last October. He was expected to reach Emin Bey about the middle of December. The last letter received from Emin stated that the party that he had sent out to look for Stanley had returned, with no news of him.

A Bonaparfcisfc has been rotumed for the department of Charente. The election is chiefly interesting from the fact that that turbulent person, M. D£roul6de, who has succeeded in keeping himself en evidence by noisy manifestations, was at the bottom of the poll. As M. D£roul6de is not only the president of tho Patriotic League, but the poet of the Revenge, his defeat possesses a more than passing significance. He was recently fined for shouting "Vive Boulanger !" on tho Paris Boulevards at midnight. His failure to win the support of the electors of Ch&rente, in spite of his patriotism, his poems, and his worship of the hero of tho black horse, looks as it Boulangism was on the wane.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer opposes the proposal to allow trust moneys to be invested in colonial inscribed stock. He does so, as will bo seen by a cablegram in another column, not from any misgivings as to the character of the security, but mainly by reason of the administrative difficulties which he foresees, and the possible danger accruing of injury to the Imperial credit. Tho subject was brought up in the House of Commons, and after some discussion was, at Mr. Goschen's request, allowed to drop. The time, however, is not far off when an alteration will be made in the law so as to allow trust funds to be invested in colonial stock.

The contest for the American presidency appears, after all, likely to lie between Blaine and Cleveland. The former seems to " have again changed his mind about standing for the office, and it is thought Erobablo that he will bo nominated by the hicago convention. In that case the cam-

paign is likely to be a fierce and bitter one. The question'of protection versus free trade is certain to occupy a large space in the coming election. Mr. Cleveland leans towards the latter ; Mr. Blaine is an uncompromising protectionist.

The Wainui, which arrived from Wellington, yesterday evening, brought the Auckland portion of the Aorangi's mails.

Mr. Malcolm Niccol has been appointed chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board in place of the late Mr. W. R. Waddel. At the meeting on Tuesday Mr. Niccol thanked the members for the honour they had conferred upon him.

On the receipt of the news of the German Emperor's death, the Premier of Tonga, having previously been instructed by His Majesty King George of Tonga, should the Emperor's illness end fatally, to cable his condolences and sympathy to the present Emperor and German nation, sent in consequence a cablegram on Saturday last to that effect. Yesterday a reply was received informing the Premier that the message had been laid before His Germanic Majesty, and that he had directed that his thanks should be conveyed to King George for his kind expressions of condolence.

The funeral of the late Mr. Georgo Whitelaw took place yesterday from his house at Ponsonby to the cemetery at Waikomiti. There was a.large attendance of friends of the deceased, and of gentlemen whose acquaintance he had made in business, connected with the banks, insurance offices, and mercantile establishments of the city. The Rev. Mr. Runciman, of the Presbyterian Church, Ponsonby, conducted the service.

Yesterday the Auckland Financial Reform Association telegraphed to Sir George Grey their thanks to him and other members for arranging to use their best efforts to reduce the Estimates. The committee have been engaged for the past three or four days in considering the votes proposed for the several departments, and the secretary has been directed to communicate the result of the deliberations of the committee as quickly as possible to Messrs. Goldie, Withy, and Monk. Some of the Auckland members, it appears, have requested the assistance of the Association in this very important matter. From Parliamentary paper B 15, known as Mr. Barron's return, we find that the Department for Public Works has spent only £947 less for the year ending 31st March last than the year before; the Education Department spent £2805 less ; but the Defence Department spent this year £209,999 against £182,569 last year, being no less than £27,430 more. We understand that a public meeting is to be called, to consider the heavy expenditure proposed by the Estimates, on Monday evening next.

The question of precedence of cases at the Police Court yesterday formed the subject of an exchange of protests between the members of the bar and the police. Inspector Broham and Sergeant-Major Pratt desire that the police cases shall have precedence, so that constables required in the cases may be able to get away and attend to their duties in town. They argue that the smallness of the force in Auckland renders it unsafe to keep the men from fluty, and in the case of those who have been up all night on night duty the officers plead they should nob be deprived of sleep by being . kept in the Police Court. The bar, on the other hand, ignore the claims of the police, and stand upon the precedent that for some time it has been the rule to take all summary cases first, and leave indictable cases till the last. Mr. Baddeley thinks the police cases should have precedence, and Dr. Giles favours that order, but up to the present no definite change has been made or rule laid down, and yesterday as usual the bar got their way, and summary cases had precedence. Mr. Theo. Cooper, in arguing for this yesterday, referring to Inspector Broham's agitation for the reasonable change, made the punning remark that " new brooms sweep clean." Mr. Baddeley retorted that Inspector Broham was by no means a " now broom." Mr. Cooper replied that Inspector Broham, when hero before, let the present practice stand, to which Sergeant Major Pratt rejoined that circumstances altered cases, and men sometimes saw good reasons for changing old opinions. The matter ended for the time as we have stated. In common fairness, however, to the police, who have their outside duties to do night and day, it would be only gracious on the part of counsel to withdraw their objections and allow police cases precedence. If counsel do not do so, then our Resident Magistrates have a duty to the public to see that tho police are not rendered inefficient, worn-out, and weary by being deprived of their reasonable and natural rest, and should cut the matter short by ordering that police cases shall have precedence.

Dr. Girdler will give the next lecture in connection with the technical classes, in the Nelson-street School, on Wednesday, June 27, on the subject of "Health and Disease." This will be followed by one a fortnight later from Professor Thomas on a matter of vital consequence to this colony, but too long neglected, viz., on " Agriculture as a Practical Science," with experiments specially prepared to illustrate the subject. The committee are pleased to know that a leading citizen, well versed in tho science, is prepared to aid them in establishing a class for the study of agricultural chemistry, and are prepared to receivo names of those willing to join.

Pastor G. Muller last evening at the You Men's Christian Association Lecture Hall delivered the second of four lectures on The Second Coming of Christ." There was a large audience, and great interest was manifested in the subject. The lecturer, after recapitulating the points of Tuesday evening's lecture, proceeded to discuss the fourth great event that would attend the second coming of Christthe restoration of the Jews—which occupied the evening. The theme is a most interesting one, and the address will be found in another column. Pastor Muller announced at the close of his lecture that he would have to deliver a fourth lecture, as he could not get through his subject, even in outline, in three, and would therefore also lecture on Friday evening. Ho also stated that he would preach for the last time at the City Hall on Sunday evening next.

At the Police Court yesterday a man named James Evans was charged, before Mr. Baddeley, with stealing an axe, the property of Mathew Arbuckle, of Surrey Hills, and valued at ss, on the 16th of June, and also on the same date with stealing a spade, the property of Isabella Wilkie, of Ponsonby, and valued at ss. The Resident Magistrate, as an attempt to put down these petty and irritating thefts, sentenced the prisoner to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, the sentences to run consecutively.

A crowded audience attended at the Trinity Schoolroom, Devonporb, last evening, and witnessed a highly successful performance in aid of the local reading room, whose funds should benefit materially thereby. The entertainment consisted of an athletic display under the conduct of Professor Carrollo. The Trinity Athletic Class performed dumbbell and club work in squad to music, while exceedingly clever feats on parallel and horizontal bars and Roman rings were exhibited by the Professor and several of his leading Auckland pupils. The musical items were excellent, and the numbers by Misses Bartley and Swinnerton and Mr. Benge were well received, while Professor Carrollo's rendering of " White Wings" was loudly applauded. At the conclusion of the performance a hearty voto of thanks to Professor Carrollo and the others who had assisted was unanimously accorded on the motion of Mr. Malcolm Niccol. In Mr. Proctor's magazine "Knowledge," of April 2, there is a review of Mr. White's book on "The Ancient History of the Maori." In the course of the notice the following occurs :—" The lament or incantation which heads each chapter evidences not only the grace and fulness of the Maori language as a vehicle of poetic feeling, but also the truly astounding aptitude of the Maori mind for abstract thought. Remembering that the idea of a Supreme Being did not exist among the tribes, we, however, need very satisfactory proof that the subtle speculations embodied in the theory of Aeons, beginning with the age of thought and ending with the age of gods and men, and that such definitions as those which are given in this volume, e.g., of Tua as meaning ' behind all matter,' and ' behind that which is most distant,' are the genuine equivalents of Maori thought, and not the unconscious gloss of philosophic interpreters. "

. The preliminary evidence in the Thisfcln burglary case, in which William Anderson « charged with breaking out 0 f the Thistle Hotel, and stealing therefrom a bottle of whisky and a bottle of rum valued at 5s each, was taken vesterdor afternoon before Dr. Giles, R.M. The vi dence of Mrs. Mary Coyle (the licensee i the hotel), John Brown (the barman) and Constable Kelso was taken, after which th« case was adjourned till Saturday Mr Napier defended the prisoner, and Ser" geant-Major Pratt conducted the nrosp/-,," tion on behalf of the police.

A very salutary fine was inflicted bv Mr H. C. Baddeley, R.M., at the Police Court yesterday morning, in a case in which Mary Adarason was charged with allowing three cows to stray in Symonds-street on the l''th instant. Constable Dews stated he found the co ws just coming out of Symonds-streeti Cemetery, and that he had received many complaints as to gardens having been spoiled and injured by cows. The defendant had not an inch of ground to feed her cows on but turned them out to get their living as best they could, and in addition the dofendant had been summoned twice before. Mr. Baddeley fined the defendant 10a for each cow, and costs. The fine may prove a warning to those who are in the nabit of thus setting the by-laws at defiance. Horses are also frequently turned out at night.

Yesterday evening Detective Walker arrested at Ponsonby a man named Daniel Geary, on a charge of having stolen a kitchen range, a register grate, and a gas stove, valued at £16, the property of Mr S. E. Hughes, on the occasion of the fire in Grafton Road some time ago. When arrested Geary admitted having sold thg articles, but denied the stealing.

At the Onehunga Police Court yesterday before Drs. W. R. Erson and W. G. Scott' J.P.'s, James Neville, a waterman, was charged, on the information of Peter Clark secretary of the Public School Committee' with neglecting to send his son, John Neville, under the age of 12 years, to school. Defendant pleaded guilty, but stated that he had sent him to school as long as he possibly could. The boy could read and write fairly well. He had recently obtained a situation for the lad, and the weekly earnings were a very great assistance, as he was very poor. The Bench ordered the defendant to send the boy to school, and t< pay costs, 7s.

In the Public Hall, last night, the On» hunga Rifle Volunteers celebrated theii third anniversary by a grand ball, which was from beginning to end an unqualified success, and reflected the greatest credit on the management. The building was gaily decorated with bunting and evergreens, while suspended, round the room vera Chinese lanterns. Fronting the stage was a large punga tree, from which was hung a large shield, containing the photographs of the company, numbering' fifty-two, which was to have been presented to hon. Captain Glenny that evening, bub through unforeseen circumstances he was unavoidably absent. Among the visitors we noticed Colonel Shepherd, Captain Geddes, Lieutenants Allen and Bilky. Dr. Tennent, Lieutenant Keesing, Captain Kohn (Wellington), and his Worship the Mayor (Dr. Erson). Shortly after nine o'clock dancing was commenced, to the spirited strains of Hunter's String Band, and a programme of 27 dances was gone through. Captain SirW. Wastenevs, Bart., ably performed the onerous duties of Master of Ceremonies. The catering was attended to by Mr. Johnston, of Newton, who, in his usual good style, provided all the delicacies of the season. On the whole the ball was a grand success, and it. may be safely said that it eclipsed anything that has previously taken place in Onehunga. #

A lady correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette, writing from Cambridge, New Zealand, gives the following interesting account of a visit to the Maori King Tawhiao : "It is a ride of about ten miles from Cambridge to the Maori settlement. The houses are all built of rushes, and have no windows at all, so that from the distance they look like so many little haystacks. On entering the village a whole herd of mongrels ran towards us, barking and jumping up at the horses. The men, women, and children pat in groups on the ground, the women plaiting plates of various sizes, which serve for one meal only. The men had been catching eels, and were busy cooking them. They had made a fire in a long narrow enclosure, against the sides of which the eels had been placed, wrapped up in leaves. The Kine came to meet us, but he did not know a word of English. Fortunately one of our party knew the Maori language, and was able to translate. I thought the King would look very wild, and wear nothing but the traditional blanket ; but he did nothing of the kind, and looked exactly like a tame rough, terribly shabby, in a torn shirt, and trousers and waistcoat of broadcloth, probably the remains of the suits he wore when he was in England. He , also wore a ' larrikin' hat, with three sacred feathers stuck in —a strange mixture of civilisation and savagery. When we went into his hut to see his wife he brought a coat, which belonged to his European attire, out of a box and pub it on, which made him look like a tattooed undertaker. Presently he showed us a handsome album filled with English beauties, which had been given to him. The Maoris invited n» to dine with them ; but, though the eels smelt very savoury, and everything was very clean, we had not the courage to partake of the feast, and therefore declined and rode away, much pleased with having seen one of the swells of a recent London season in his own home in the wilds of New Zealand."

Lloyd's Weekly, of May 13, has the following :—William Sewell, of Staines, went to New Zealand in the lonic, 1884, and was last heard of a year later ab the J unction Hotel, Epsom, Auckland. His mother writes.

A large attendance patronised the Columbia Rink last evening, and were greatly amused at a hurdle race in which nine competitors took part. After many slips and tumbles, the race terminated in favour of Mr. Bennett. An exhibition race against time was then run by Mr. L. Dixon, who confirmed his title as the champion skater of the colony by compassing a mile in 4min 18sec, thus breaking the New Zealand record.

A very agreeable dance or ball got up by private subscription was held last night in the Parnell Public Hall. There were about 150 ladies and gentlemen present, and the hall was decorated with flags, the stage being occupied by the refreshment tables. The splendid new floor laid for the Eureka Skating Rink proved in every way well adapted for dancing, and Mr. Eady's tine string band provided the necessary music. The gentlemen of the committee acted as masters of ceremony, and a very enjoyable pleasant night was passed up to about one o'clock, when the party broke up.