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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9208, 10 November 1888, Page 4

Surely retrenchment will now become fashionable. We are informed as follows by a cable in our yesterday's impression :—" Enormous economy is being exercised in the Queen's household, and the Royal Hunt has been abolished. 'Truth' says the sum saved is to be devoted to making provision for Her Majesty"s grandchildren." Retrenchment, in New Zealand at all events, is never resorted to unless it is absolutely necessary —unless there is an imminent risk of going to the Treasury and finding nothing in it. Possibly it may be the same thing with Her Majesty. Not that there is any danger of going to the British Exchequer and finding "no effects," but then the ever-increasing difficulty with Ministers to deal with the House of Commons in relation to grants for the Royal Family comes to much the same thing. It has been rumoured for some time that a series of allowances would have to be asked from a long-suffering and heavily taxed people for the children of the Prince of Wales ; we presume that some exalted members of the Royal entourage have been sounding influential members to ascertain how the more Radical section of the House of Commons would respond to such a demand. A disposition to grumble has been decidedly shown of late years in the House of Commons. It has been pointed out that the Queen has an annuity drawn from the Consolidated Fund of £385,000, which is specially allotted to meet those expenses connected with her high position, the partial weight of which has been transferred to the Heir Apparent. But it is said that the Queen, having always been of a frugal disposition, has made extensive savings. The Domesday Book shows that her private estates extend over 37,372 acres, the annual rental of which is £20,733. She owns several very valuable estates. As to personal property, there was a bequest of a quarter of a million left to Her Majesty by Sir James Camden Neild, and that must now have reached enormous proportions. It is estimated that the Prince Consort left nearly £600,000, but according to a London correspondent, who speaks with apparently full information about the Queen's private fortune, the will was never proved, and so escaped probate duty. All these items are over and above the Queen's annual savings. It is a grand thing in a hereditary monarchy never to be in any doubt as to the succession, and to be quite secure about the heir to the throne. But there are inconveniences in having too many. It is a case with us of embarras de richesse. It is very expensive when Ave have to provide for a Queen and a costly series of establishments, and have, besides, to give large sums annually for establishments for each of the children of the Sovereign. When the nation has to maintain and endow the third generation, while the first generation is still in full vigour, then people will begin to count the cost of Royalty. The Princes have of course to be maintained in princely style, and the Princesses, when they get married, have to be portioned off like Queens. And that is not the last we see of them, for they seem to marry poor men who maintain a connection, doubtless profitable for them, with the English Court. Possibly Ministers shrink in the circumstances from making further appeals to the House of Commons for allowances,and the Queen, not desiring to trench upon her savings or her private fortune, suppresses the Royal Hunt and other appendages of her royal state— fact, goes in for " enormous economy." But should there not bo some understanding in this matter. There is much talk: now of English nobility and gentry taking to honest means of earning a livelihood, and might not these superfluous princes and princesses, who will never be wanted as monarchs, find it to be to their advantage and happiness to relieve the British people from the necessity of mainiaining them by earning their livelihood ?

The Parnell inquiry is likely to be prolonged and wearisome business Th* counsel for the Times has intimated to th Commissioners that he will not be able t close his case this year. Air. Gladstone his rhetorical performance at Birmin»h'' n declared that the remainder of his 17 belonged to Ireland. Probably his ne ! step will be to get elected for an I r j!u constituency. Returns of the state f American parties show that the R<>t)ij} cans have a substantial majority. The c sade against slavery which is to be und' U " taken by England, France, and German is causing grave apprehension amow'th Central African missions, which it is beltev J will be greatly imperilled by the action of tv powers named. For reasons which are left! for one to surmise, the people of Queen land are by no means pleased with th selection which the home authorities ha • made of a successor to the late s- 9 A. Musgrave. Sir Thomas Mclhvrait n r the Premier, has, we learn, inform?! Lord Knutsford that the . appointment of Sir Henry Arthur Blake has caused ere l dissatisfaction and indignation. Connect* with this appointment, but of far sr*ate importance than the purely personal ast«cf of the matter, is the question raised by % Thos. Mcllwraith as to the right of !" colony to be consulted in the choice of »' Governor. Lord Knutsford vigorously con troverts this new claim, and contends thai the selection of a Governor is for the Colonial Office and Her Majesty alone. This rio?'j. tion is, of course, in conformity with tha old traditions of the Colonial Office, and m spite of the more kindly sentiments toward. the colonies which are now entertained by the Imperial authorities is not lik e j» to be quickly surrendered. The claim to be consulted in the selection of a Governor which Queensland is now making would if readily granted, be followed at no distant; date by a demand to elect its own i; 0. vernor. A very distressing boat accident is reported from Sydney, by which two young men lost their lives. The fiancee of one of them, who was in the boat at tha time, was gallantly rescued by an eyewitness of the accident.

There was no sign of the mail steamer Zealandia from San Francisco up to the time of going to press this morning. We understand that Sir George Grey has arranged to hold a meeting of his constituents of Auckland Central and the citizens generally on some day at the beginning of next week. The meeting will lie hell in the City Hall, and the day will be an. nounced in Monday's' Herald.

The volunteer review and sham fight ah Mangere were fairly successful. The attendance of nil branches of the service was good, and that of the Pukekohe mounted infantry was exceptionally satisfactory. The weather was very fine in the morninc but clouds gathered towards the afternoon' and a downpour of rain was looked for aftci the big guns commenced firing. The downpour, however, kept off, and, with the exception of one light shower at midday, the weather was as fine as heart could wish.

The Police Court was held in the guard. room of the Police Station yesterday morning, Mr. S. Y. Collins, J.P., presiding. Four first offenders were punished for drunkenness. The cases against Mary Aim Biddick, charged with stealing a purse containing £2 17s 6d, and George Clune, charged with attempting to impose upon G. I. Panter, of the Waverley Hotel, with a view to obtain board and lodgings, wers remanded till Monday.

The subscribers to the proposed purchase of the Onehunga Woollen Mills are requested to meet at Mr. Batger's office, on Monday afternoon, to receive the report oi the committee.

There is no indication as yet of anyone coming forward to contest the Mayoralty. In another column it is notified that nominations must be made on the 20th instant, and the election, if necessary, on Wednesday, the 28th instant.

All the inmates of the police station last evening had been celebrating the Birthday of the Heir-apparent in a vinous manner— and this was the outcome : Two were in for ordinary drunkenness ; one, a Maori, for being drunk and disorderly ; James Walters, for assaulting Mary Edwards ; and John Porter, for being drunk while in charge of a cart.

The two coloured men, who were picktJ up in Queen-street on Thursday night, suffering from alcoholic poisoning, were brought up at the Police Court yesterday, and mulct in 5s and costs each. They thought that the remedy was as bad as the disease.

The custodian of the Albert Park, Mr. Goldie, is getting it into a fine condition. All the flower beds are in beautiful order, and gorgeous with bloom. If he can only teach baronets the lesson of " hands off/' he anticipates making the Park a thing of beauty.

Yesterday morning an infant a month old, the child of Mr. Alex. Campbell, Durham-street, died suddenly. It. seems the mother is subject to fits, and took one in the morning. Mr. Campbell took the child out of the bed, and gave it to a girl to take care of while he attended to his wife. After Mrs. Campbell came out of the fib the girl called out that the infant was dead, and so it proved. An inquest will be held this afternoon, at half-past two o'clock, at the Alexandra Hotel, by Dr. Philson, coroner.

Owing to the rain setting in yesterday forenoon, the cricket match, Smokers v. Non-smokers, did not, eventuate. Some scratch matches took place in the afternoon.

There are notifications in our advertising columns respecting the elections for Mayor in the Boroughs of Newton and Devonport..

Some of the discharged stonebreakers intend to interview Mr. Hales, District Engineer, to-day, with a view of ascertaining what prospect there is of getting further work from the Government. There are some of the men who profess their willingness toga to the country and accept farming work. Several are tradesmen—carpenters, brickmakers, wheelwrights, stone-cutters, &c. We learn that the exodus from this port to Melbourne is now falling off, arisingfrom the receipt of advices from those who have gone before, to the effect that distant hills look green, and that it is better to bear the ills they have than fly to those they wot not of. Even with all the activity manifested in Melbourne there are a large number out of employment, with keen competition for every vacancy in commercial or industrial life. The ordinary monthly meeting of th* j New Zealand Educational Institute will take place to-day at the Training College, Wellesley-street, when among other business to be brought forward will be the election of delegates, and consideration of pupil teachers' syllabus. Among the matters to be brought up at the Wellington conference is the following, "That the time has arrived when the New Zealand Educational Institute should be the owner of a paper similar to the New Zealand Schoolmaster, bub of a more useful ana advanced character ; that the Secretary 01 the Council should be a paid officer and act as editor of the said paper. The Dog Show held at the Drill-shed under the auspices of the Auckland Poultry, Pigeon, Canary, and Dog Association, was concluded yesterday. Owing probably to the many counter-attractions, there was nob a large attendance during the day. At the meeting held by the Auckland Operative Bootmakers'-Union, to consider the proposals of the Masters' Association, it was decided, after a general discussion, to appoint a deputation to meet the mast and see if matters could not be mutually and satisfactorily arranged. In the even of no settlement being made, a resort wi be taken to arbitration. There does not seem any desire among the men to prolong the quarrel, or bo bring about a genera strike. Late last night the rain again set m steadily, and will prove of great benefit w the farmers, in stimulating the Pj istur( * By the Southern telegrams: it would seem that in Wellington and Otago the holiday was also partially spoilt by wet weather. Those pleasure-seekers yesterday "'J 10 /' sorted to the Domain for a quiet stroll were giving vent bo murmurs not loud but. deep as to the state of the paths, which are guiltless of gravel. As they struggled tnxougn the mud they were blessing the City tou '' cil, which has now assumed the functions of the Domain Board. Certainly the patns have nob been in a worse state for years past. Major and Mrs. Lovelock, of the Sanation Army, "farewell" to-morrow at tno Salvation Army Barracks, owing to tl arture next week for Melbourne.

■ Bv two o'clock this morning the police had succeeded in " running in" ten or eleven persons on charges of drunkenness, who had been enjoying the holiday after their kind. Some were picked up about the wharves, others in the ©■utter, but all in various stages of intoxication. Near two o'clock Constable McCabe found a man named John Russell lying on the pavement in Hobson-street, in the drenching rain. The constable humanely roused him from his drunken stupor, and tried to get him on his legs. As soon as he had succeeded in doing so, Russell gave him a severe blow in the eye. With the aid of a civilian, Constable JlcCabe succeeded in securing his man until further police assistance arrived.

Affairs at the Sailors' Home have now entered upon a new phase, the committee of management having given notice of dismissal to the manager, Captain Moss. The manager appears to have performed his duties efficiently, but it seems that he has been speaking his mind frankly as to the causes which are making the institution a by-word and a failure so far as. being in any sense a Sailor's Home. As a seaman, and understanding seamen, he was satisfied that it would never be a success on its present lines of management, but it was rather indiscreet as well as unnecessary to say so, for the deserted rooms and the wellnigh empty dormitories might very well be left to tell their own silent but eloquent tale. The Sailors' Home has all the accommodation and appliances to ensure its being -» great benefit to the seamen of the ■poll, who, in fact, should nightly crowd there as a real home for them, and a place where they are clear of the harpies who prey upon them on shore. As a matter of 'act they do nothing of the kind, but prefer to go anywhere else. There are at present about half-a-dozen boarders in the establishment.

Among the curiosities in the Grey collection are some specimens of pottery and a calendar, taken out of the ruins of some of the buried cities in South America. Sir George Grey was crossing the Isthmus of Panama nt the time these relics were unearthed, and secured them. In the centre of the calendar is a human head, with the tongue protruding, as in the Maori carvings, and the similarity in both cases attracted Ins attention. Sir George Grey says that, so far as he has been able to ascertain, the origin of this symbol in Maori carvings is that, on opposing,tribes engaging in battle, the first man killed was cut up and portions offered to the gods, and that the protruding tongue showed the delight of the gods in such sacrifices. He has procured for the Free Public Library some more Fitzroy debentures of 5s each, and private debentures representing sums of 3d, 9d, and Is. The dates range from 1845 to 1847.

The Lyttelton Times, commenting on the fatal accident on board of the Arawa, says : —•• What is the sum and substance of the ftory of the death on board the Arawa as told by the witnesses at the inquest ? A •:i!ij» of men is set to work in a dark place, provided with lights of some kind. One of them falls through an open hatchway and die.-. At the inquest his mates say that, the lifht was not sufficient, and the ship's people seemed astonished that anybody should rind any fault with either the quantity' or quality of the light. To pursue the discussion would be to become involved in perplexities. A plain question sweeps away all cobwebs. Why don't you cover your hatchways with nettings ? That." question was asked at the inquest and nobody could give a satisfactory reply. Morally, the responsibility for the' death rests with those who neglected to place a netting over the hatchway. That is, in plain English, the sum and substance of the story of "the inquest. The fatal accident, according to that view, was a preventive accident. It is not of much use to try and rind who was responsible. The next best thing for the people of the Arawa and other ships to do, will be to remember that after the passing by the Coroner's jury of a rider affirming the necessity for nettings, the absence of nettings will in future cases of fatal accident be the base for a charge of manslaughter against somebody, with a prospect of punishment by no means of the nominal order."

Yesterday the p.s. Victoria was chartered by the united Primitive Methodist Sunday-schools, for an excursion to Man-o'-war's Bay, and was largely patronised, there being upwards of 300 passengers, and a very enjoyable day was spent. Unfortunately, the Victoria is scarcely "the greyhound of the Waitemata," and was considerably over four hours in reaching the Bay. An efficient string band, conducted by Mr. George Turley, helped to beguile the hours away, but not even wind instruments could have got another knot out of her. On reaching the Bay, the excursionists received a very cordial welcome from Mr. Davenport, who placed his beats at their disposal, and did all in his power to make the visitors at home. The party reached Queenstreet wharf towards midnight, just as the rain was steadily setting in for the night, and dispersed for their homes. They are now enjoying their pleasures sadly.

Nearly all the boats of the Auckland Yacht Club we're out yesterday at the opening procession, but the l'ght airs prevailing pre-, vented much good sailing being done. The five-tonners, Ariel and Mapu, were out for the first time this season. The Malua will probably be in the water to-day.

The Devonport Lawn Tennis Club, in consequence of the threatening aspect of the weather, postponed the day of opening yesterday. Members and visitors from other associated clubs are cordially invited to be present at the opening, which is now fixed for Saturday, the 17th instant, at 3 p.m.

Copies of a Bill to amend the Public Works Acts, which it is proposed to introduce into Parliament at its next session, have been forwarded to the various Highway Boards in order to ascertain what objections may be urged against any of its clauses. These clauses are twenty-one in number, and refer to various matters of importance. There is one clause (No. IS) which concerns settlers living in the vicinity of railway lines, and whose cattle, for want of a proper fence, may trespass on those lines. This clause, proposing to give railway servants authority to impound cattle, reads as follows :— Any person employed on or about a railway which is vested in Her .Majesty or any company may impound cattle trespassing upon such railway ; and any act, matter, or thing required under the Impounding Act, ISS4, to be performed or done by the occupier of land as defined in such Act may be performed or done in respect of a railway by any person authorised generally or particularly for that purpose by or on behalf of the general manager of such railway." There are two clauses (9 and 10) on the sublet of removing gorse and other noxious plants twin public roads. Section 0 reads as follows :—" Section 15 of the Public Works Act, 1882, Amendment Act. ISB4, is hereby amended as follows: 1. All the words of the proviso in the first paragraph of the Mid section are hereby repealed. 2. The words 'to clear away and destroy,' in subsection 2 of the said section, are hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof the words ' to cut down and remove' are hereby substituted. 3. The words'or grubbing up and removing such gorse, sweetbriar, bramble, or broom,' in the last paragraph of the said fraction, are hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof the words 'or cutting down and removing such gorse, and then growing on moli road or street, are hereby substituted.'" Section 10 of the Amendment Act is to read thus :—"The occupier or, in case there is no occupier, the owner of any land thall grub up, clear away, and destroy all perse or sweetbriar growing in such land, and which does not form part of a bona tide hedge or fence of reasonable width ; arid on failure to Jo so the local authority may order the occupier or the owner, as the case may require, to grub up and destroy the same, and, if he does not grub up and destroy such gorse or sweetbriar within three months from the date on which such order is served upon him, he jhall be subject to the penalties provided .V the Public Works Act." "The aforesaid section 15, and all amendments thereof, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply, and may he applied in any case where necessity, to compel the grubbing up and destroying gorse or sweetbriar growing on any private land in the same manner and to the same extent as it applies in respect oi gorse or sweetbriar growing on roads ; ar "l, subject to the express terms of the section, the local authority shall have and ma exercise all the powers and authorities conferred by such section and the amendments thereof in any such case."

! _ The Union Steam Ship Company have ' in their offices, in Uunedin, a most ingenious contrivance by which the position of any of the company's fleet can at a glance be determined. On a nicely-prepared chart of New Zealand, the Australian colonies, Fiji, &c, broad red lines are drawn from port to port, showing the course of vessels. The chart is fixed upon a nice cedar frame, in a horizontal position. A small fiat-bot-tomed toy model of each vessel owned by the company, with name on deck, is used to indicate the position of the vessel. Upon the receipt of information of the departure, direction of sailing, or arrival in port of each ship, the model is carefully adjusted to show this. For example, the Mararoa has just left the Bluff for.Hobart. The model of the ship is placed upon the red line between the ports. She arrives at Melbourne, the model is removed to that port. Thus we have a comprehensive view of the ocean with its fleet, without the labour of hunting through a. multitude of names in their endless mutations in manuscript lists.

The Opotiki Herald of Tuesday has the following : —" We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Walter H. Boylan, who passed peacefully away on Saturday morning last. He had been suffering for some time past with a hacking cough that gradually wore him away. About ten o'clock on the morning of his death, he said to his wife he was going to leave her, and asked her to get him his clothes. He then got up and dressed himself. He then had his child brought to him, which he kissed and said good-bye to. After bidding good-bye to his wife, saying, "I will leave you before eleven o'clock," he lay down on the bed on his back, stretched himself out with his hands by his side, closed his eyes as if in sleep, and then passed quietly away, and as he died, so was he buried, in his best suit. He was buried on Monday afternoon in the cemetery here, Rev. Mr. Wills officiating. Mr. Boylan kept the Omarumutu Hotel for some time past. He was a kindhearted host, and many a hungry tramp going and coming from Gisborne found food and shelter there who were without the means to repay him."

j A disgraceful scene occurred in the Victorian Legislative Assembly recently. Mr. Bent said the Commissioner of Customs had crawled into the House in a contemptible way, and then he likened Mr. Dow, new Minister of Lands, to a Whitechapel murderer. Mr. Dow retorted that he had not gone down to Lakes Entrance with another man's wife. An ominous silence ensued, but Mr. Bent passed the matter over with a remark about there being no truth in the insinuation. The Opposition at this time were stonewalling the Distribution of Seats Bill, Mr. Gaunson having announced that in order to prevent the electorate of Emerald Hill being cut up into three single electorates, he would stonewall while any breath was left in his body. The House sat all night and until one o'clock on the afternoon of the 'Jo'th. when the Government gained their point. Before concluding, Mr. Bent appealed to .Mr. Dow to withdraw what he had said, and the latter said he hail been goaded into it, but would have given Ids hand to recall what he had said the moment lie had spoken. He expressed great regret for his utterances.

The sixth annual meeting of the Council of the Now Zealand Educational Institute will be held in Wellington, on the 2nd -January, and following clays. The resolutions which have been tabled give some idea of the direction in which the teachers are moving. We refer to some cf the most important:—l. That in the interests of education, and the teaching profession, the time has arrived when the appointment, removal, and dismissal of teachers should be vested in a central authority. '2. That the present system of classification of teachers is unsatisfactory, inasmuch as sufficient facilities are not afforded for gaining admission to the highest classes. 3. That the Government be requested to subsidise technical classes £ for £ of subscription or rates raised locally, children to travel to them by railway, free, and attendance to count as attendance at the public school, to which scholar belongs. 4. That in the opinion of Council teachers should be empowered to elect, one member to each Educational Board, and that the school districts should be considerably enlarged, 5. That the methed of calculating average attendance should be by the system of ■" working average."

As is announced by an advertisement in another column the ever popular opera, " The Bohemian Girl," will be performed by the Onehunga Choral Society, in the Onehunga Public Hall, on Tuesday and Thursday next, under the conductorship of Mr. W. E. Baxter. The members of the society (many of them having taken part in the production of the "Pirates of Penzance " a couple of years ago) have been rehearsing regularly for several months, and there is every probability of this charming English opera being" produced with the greatest success. An efficient orchestra will be supplied by Messrs. Eady, of Auckland, while Mr. Eagleton has the providing of the costumes. The scenery, too, has been specially prepared, and no expense has been spared to make everything a success. At a full rehearsal on Thursday night the members acquitted themselves very creditably. For the convenience of visitors a late 'bus will leave the hall for Auckland at the close of the performance.

A miscellaneous entertainment was given at St. John's College, Tamaki, on Thursday evening, in aid of the annual school sports. The College hall was comfortably filled, and the following programme was capitally rendered by the pupils of the school and their friends :—Part I. : Pianoforte solo, 11 Martha,'' Master H. Burry ; song, "The Old Lock " (H. Wells), Mrs. F. Brookfield ; recitation, " The Frenchmen and the Rats," Master Ivan Motion ; duo dramatique, "Norma," violin, Master Harold King; piano, Master C. Buckland; comic song, "Dr. Quack," Mr. H. Perring ; part song, "Willow the King," school choir; song, "Gott Mit Dir" (Roeckel), Mrs. F. Brookfield. Part 11. consisted of a drawingroom comedy, "Beauty and the Beast," which was very cleverly staged, and acted by the following dramatis persona;:— Pasha, Mr. G. Smith ; Pasha's daughters : Beauty, Miss Marian Cooke ; Myra, Miss Nesta Cooke ; Linda, Miss Elsie Pierce ; fairies : Moonbeam, Miss M. Purchas ; Snowdrop, Miss E. Brookfield ; Crocus, Miss C. King; Lily, Miss Amy Cooke ; Violet, Miss E. Cooke; Beast, Mr. H. H. Perring ; Pages, Masters G. and C. Brookfield ; prologue, Master D. Cooke. The impersonation of Pasha was admirably done, the by-play being excellent, as was also that of Beast by Mr. H. Perring, while the "get up" of the fairies was particularly good. The entertainment concluded with a farce, "The Area Belle," by the pupils of the school, who kept the audience in roars of laughter by their comic acting. The cast was as follows : —Pitcher (in the police), Master C. Pilkington ; Tosser(in the grenadiers), Mr. H. Perring; Chalks (a milkman), Master H. Burry ; Penelope (the Area Belle), Master C. Buckland ; Mrs. Croaker ("the missus"), Master E. E. Cox. Before separating the Rev. T. F. King, on behalf of the sports committee, thanked all those kind friends who had so efficiently helped his pupils in this very successful entertainment.

Yesterday was a great fete day at the Columbia Rink. The morning and afternoon sessions were devoted to matinees for the children. There were good attendances at both sessions. In the evening there was a crowded house, owing to the varied attractions ; Professor Simmons gave a fine exhibition of fancy skating, gracefully sliding in and out among 24 bottles of fire and coloured lights, the rest of the Kink being thrown in shadow. The spectacle was a very pleasing one. The Hamilton Volunteer Band, under Bandmaster Mettam, played choice selections inside the Rink, and the Garrison Band outside. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the evening's programme was the five-mile race for the championship. There were six entries, and an exciting contest ensued. Four of the competitors did not finish, but the other two, Messrs. Anderson (the dark horse) and Hough, made the pace a merry one, the outsider, Anderson, winning by a good lead. Time, 24 minutes. Hough, who lias hitherto been the five-mile champion, has challenged Anderson for a trophy to be competed for at the rink in a fortnight. Anderson can certainly claim the championship of the province, as he has proved himself the fastest skater that has yet appeared in the Columbia Rink. Professor Simmons "farewells" to-night at the Columbia, when he will give his inimitable performance " The Musical Masher." Those who desire to see finished professional skating should avail themselves of this last opportunity.