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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9217, 21 November 1888, Page 5

Our cable messages this morning stale j Our cable messages this morning state that the Times announces that Russia has I 'turned a protectorate over Corea. This step is likely to lead to complications with China, to whom the territory is nominally tributary. A number of persons, including' several ladies, connected with the African | missions, have succeeded in reaching Zanzi- j bar in safety. Mr. Balfour, the Irish See- I retary, is indisposed. . cording to the : Standard, Sir H. A. Blake will probably I be sent to the Mauritius. Sir H. Parkes, the Premier of New South Wales, has given notice of his intention to move an address to the Queen 011 the subject of the selection of Governors for the Australian Colonies. The drought in Australia is reducing the affected districts to a deplorable condition. The following is an extract, from a private letter received by a gentleman in town from one who holds considerable interests here, but is at present residing in Sydney. The letter is .dated the Bth November, and the extract is as follows.—"I made sure some time back that I should be able to visit Auckland in last September ; bur will try to leave for New Zealand in January or February next. Business here in general is much better now than it was twelvemonths ago, but still room for improvement. The finances of the country are improving by mr returns quarterly. Our revenue here is jver nine millions. The building trade in | Sydney ha? been bad for the last three years, but is now improving. We have still a great number of houses to let. I Lave watched the progress of the various colonies. I am under the impression that we shall have a very great change for the better before another twelve months. We have lost, a good deal of our population, nearly all of them gone to Victoria. I have seen and spoken to no fewer than a hundred people, men that you could rely upon for what they say. In every instance, they all speak of the great prosperity at the present time in Victoria. The building trade there of late has been marvellous— > not hundreds of houses going up, but thou- < sands, and still continuing to build. The < land sales there have been marvellous. Four weeks ago fifty land sales were ad- : vertised by various auctioneers on the Saturday afternoon. I see by last Saturday • week's sales there, in the Argus on Mon- 1 day, that twenty-one auctioneers sold ; £'200,000 worth of property, viz., land, and ] various allotments. We have had some very large sales of land on a Saturday in j Sydney, but I think we have never ex- , ceeded £60,000. Some people predict im- , mediately after the Exhibition is over, that ' they will go back to their old groo\e, but I , must certainly say that I am not of that opinion. They have population, also their manufactories, good legislation, and the finances of the colony are good, with surplus revenues. We have had a boom in the 1 mining business lately, but things have calmed down in that line." For some time past Mr. R. Hobbs, M.H.R., has been taking an active interest in getting grants of land, &c., to those military settlers in the colony who have not yet got grants of land. All who are entitled to land grants, according to the conditions of their service, are now in a fair way of getting their rights recognised. An Act was passed last session, but no action was taken under it. Mr. Hobbs, after a good deal of correspondence with Wellington, has elicited the following reply from the Defence Office, dated November 15, 1888 :— ' " Sir, —In reply to your letter dated the ! 7th instant, re steps to be taken by those . entitled to land under the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteer Land Act, 1888, ' I have the honour to inform you that ap- ( plications should be made to this office. 1 accompanied by an identification certificate, 1 when the remission certificate will be ' issued. — I have, &c., C. A. Humfrey, ' Assistant Under-Secretary of Defence.'' [ Those entitled to land grants should take ' steps at once to have their rights acknow- 1 lodged. c The Stella, Captain Fairchild (which left last night with stores to the Northern ( lighthouses), has just returned from a cruise v among the Auckland Islands. Captain { Fairchild a year ago, as an experiment, j placed twenty-five sheep on these desolate islands. He reports that they have increased a hundred per cent., that the lambs are healthy and hardy, that the apparent t increase of wool in each fleece is note- f worthy, the quality being good and beautifully white. Formerly, shipwrecked seamen ( and others cast on these uninhabited shores could only get salt junk, preserved meats, and ship's biscuit. Now, the} 7 can kill a ' sheep if need be. During the passage of ' the Stella from Wellington to Auckland, * White Island was visited, and was found to J be in a state of great activity, throwing up c stones, mud, and steam. Some very handsome gannets were taken from the southern t fide of the Island, and a large quantity of t sea fowls' eggs of nearly every variety, t These birds and fledglings and eggs are in- ] tended for the Auckland Museum. The vessel stayed a night opposite Karewa, or ( Lizard Island," and the captain and crew ] went lizard-hunting. Captain Fairchild N caught no less than twenty-eight large ] tuatara lizards, one of the crew caught t seven, and others of the crew one or two. , The mode of catching these lizards is to j bring a light on shore. This light is thrown , before the lizard trying to escape, and he is j at once dazed and captured. Some of these c lizards, we understand, will be sent to the doctors of 11. M.s. Nelson for the purpose of dissection, according to their own special 5 request. At Cuvier Island it was found I that many of the pohutakawa trees were in i: lull bloom. This is at least a month earlier ' r than their flowering time in and about Auckland city. 1 At the regular communication of the Lodge Waitemata, E.G., held at the Masonic Hall on Monday night Brother Chas. . Grey was elected Worshipful Master for the ensuing year. - L By the s.s. Mararoa yesterday Signor ( Agrati, the advance agent for the HicksSawyer Minstrel Troupe, arrived from Wellington, where the company have been j doing good business. They are to open at ( the Opera House here on Monday next. ( The usual meeting of the Progressive ! League was held on Monday last in Rob- | son's Rooms. The subject under discus- • sion was "The Uses of Money." Mr. j Fowlds gave the opening address, after ] which the subject was well dealt with by < other members, considerable information 1 being derived from the discussion. A reci- ; tation was well given by Mr. Plieney. I The regular meeting of the Parnell Bo- s rough Council is to be held on Monday 1 night, after which a special meeting is to < be held for the consideration of the water- 1 works by-law recently passed. The ob- I ject is to repeal the present by-law, and i allow of the use of garden hose. ' Nine tenders were received yesterday ab ' the City Council offices for griulini* footpaths and cutting fern in the Domain, and i they were remitted to the consideration of 1 * the City Council at its usual meeting. I

5 The member for Marsden (Mr. K. Thompb son) is at present in town on a visit. Hβ I has received information from the Minister \ I of Lands (Hon. G. F. Richardson) that he j does not think he will be able to come North and visit the Northern special settle- ' I ments before the end of the year. Mr. J Thompson informs us that the land is being I taken up in the North for settlement as fast J as the Crown Lands Department can make J it available for sale and occupation, owing j to the liberal land legislation of Mr. ) Richardson. The Northern Crown waste ; lands are classified at l()s, 7s 6d, and 5s an i acre, and at these figures there is no [ lack of applicants. He states that if there were any prospect of the extension of the North Auckland Trunk railway, the whole of the Crown lands abutting on the route would be at once ' occupied by a sterling class of agricultural 1 settlers. Mr. Thompson is greatly annoyed '■ at. the present condition of affairs at the Puhipuhi Forest. The Government would neither utilise the forest themselves, nor allow private parties to do so, and the result is that it has been practically swept by fire. He considers that the only means of utilising the timber before the remnant is also destroyed by tire, would be for the Government to construct a ten-mile tramway from the Kamo Railway to a point from which the forest could bo worked. That being done, timber licenses should be issued to parties wishing to cut the timber, which tees, with a royalty for all timber passing over the tramway, would in a short time recoup the advance made by the Government. Mr. Thompson attributes tlie improved stato of affairs in Marsden to I the fact that so far as he is awaro there is I not a single local body in tho County of Marsden in debt. As confirming what he states as to the wonderful demand for land at present, it may bo stated that the last moeting of tho Crown Lands Board was the heaviest for the past eighteen months, and j that the officials in the Crown Lands Department are kept as busy as possible. From advices to hand from Captain Walmsley, who accompanied the shipment j oi New Zealand horses by the Bucephalus j to India, in August last, we regret to learn I that the shipment is not meeting with as J ready a sale as could be wished. We I understand that the market is at present j glutted with animals, and of the local lot bur -10 have been quitted, but it is satisfactory to noto that these had realised the good average price of £40 per head. The Diocesan Synod finished its sittings at ten o'clock last evening. The attendance during the last two days was rather thin, many of the country members having had to return to their homes on Saturday, in consequence of the Sabbath ministrations. The usual votes of thanks were accorded, and after the doxology had been sung and the benediction pronounced, the Synud was prorogued. An adjourned meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council was held last night, when there were present His Worship tho Mayor (Mr. C. C. Fleming), and Messrs. Austin, Dunwoodie, \Y. Shaldrick, Tapp, Hastie, Burden, and Keehan. The Water Committi e recommended that additional applications for Fire. Brigade volunteers be invited. Messrs. Burden and Hastie moved, "That consideration of the matter be deterred for 30days." This was put and lost, and the recommendation of the Water Committee adopted. Tin , committee further recommended that applications should be invited horn competent men to lay on service pipes and act as turncock, etc. This was also adopted. The Finance Committee also recommends that the Council authorise the expenditure of £100 in the purchase of the necessary appliances for the proposed Fire Brigade. Consideration of the matter was ; deferred till Monday next. The payments of the property tax yesterday were unusually numerous and heavy, owing to its being the last day, and the clerks of the department, at the General Post-oflice were kept busy. Of course there i are the usual batches of defaulters, who will have to pay the. 10 per cent, penalty. ' Some of them arc so constitutionally dila- . tory that they prefer to pay the penalty ' year after year rather than be prompt in j • payment. i A man named Thomas Dixon was brought in yesterday from the Waitakerei by Detec- ( tive Hughes, who is charged with stealing j gum from the tent of Win, John McDowell, ' at Stoney Creek. Accused has been re- ' manded on bail to the 23rd instant. '■ A meeting of those interested in and willing to assist in the carrying out of the Auckland Regatta of 18S9 was held last ' evening in the Waitemata Hotel. There were about a score present, mostly represen- : tatives of boating and shipping interests, ! nnd Mr. J. Waymouth presided. Mr. C. C. Dacre explained the object of the meeting, and it was decided that those present should use all endeavours to bring the regatta to a successful issue, and Messrs. H. Parker, C. C. Dacre, C. Bailey, and J. : Waymouth were appointed to canvass for suitable members to form an influential : committee during the present week. The meeting was then adjourned till Tuesday next. Two tads named Arthur Soutter and ■ Joseph Preston, the former of whom is < employed at the Herald office and the latter at the Telegraph oflice, were walking ' homewards this morning about half-past twelve, when they discovered that the door of Mr. C. Hopkins' (draper) shop in Vic-toria-street was standing ajar. The matter > was reported to Constable McCoy, who after investigation concluded that the shop i had not been closed at shutting-up time by i tho person who last left the premises, the < key being found in the lock on the inside of ' the door. A large stock was thus left i exposed to depredation. A good deal of interest has been created respecting the discussion in the Synod upon ' the Home Mission Fund. In our yester- j day's issue appeared a paragraph stating ( the sums collected during several years. ; It is stated, however, that though the t amount of income to June, 188S, was £8(34, ! the allocation of grants to country clergy- ) men for the current year is only £150, for the organising clergyman. £320— £25 going ] to his assistant, £40 to officeexpeuses, and < the rest probably to travelling expenses, ; etc. < Another old settler has passed away in the person of Mr. Alex. Pollock, of New- 1 market, ac the ripe age of 78. He is stated ■ to have arrived in Auckland with the ' Duchess of Argyle or Jane GilTord division * of Scotch settlers. ' It is intended to double the cellarage of the Domain Brewery by adding an ex- ( tension 90 by 30. It will be of brick, and \ the contract has been taken by Mr. J. J. ' Holland, the builder. j A small boy of ten years of age, named George Powley, was brought before the Bench yesterday, as a larrikin of the first ( water, on a charge of larceny of pigeons. ] His father gravely assured the Court that ' the boy was too much for him, and that ', neither he nor his mother could control j him. He stayed out at night, and did just - what lie liked. The Bench remanded the • boy for eight days, in order that tho report j of the Probation Officer may be received. There are now on view at Mr. Wildman's i stationery establishment some magnificent J photographic views of tho Milford Sounds and their surroundings, taken by Burton < and Co., for whom Mr. Wildman is agent, i They comprise views of the recently- 1 discovered Sutherland Falls, the highest in the Southern Hemisphere, if not in the < world. The photos, are arranged from '<■ cabinet size to 12 inches by 10 inches, and ' the largest size 17 by 13. At the recent meeting of the New Zea- I land Beekeepers' Association it was decided i that it would be desirable to hold a Bee , Convention towards the end of the season, j when apiarists from all parts of the colony i might compare notes and confer on matters i of mutual interest. In order to carry out i this resolve the Auckland Horticultural t Society were approached, and they consented ! to allow the Beekeepers' Association to hold a show of apiarian products and appliances I ( in conjunction with the autumn show to be ' held in March next. The Beekeepers' As- ; Bociabion thereupon appointed a deputation j to interview the Union and Northern j Steamship Companies and the railway department, the result being that the steam- i ship companies agreed to issue return tickets at single fares to passengers holding ( certificates from the secretary of the Bee"- j keepers' Association that they were bona fide beekeepers. Mr. Hudson, the railway manager, promised to lay the matter before the general manager, Mr. Maxwell, for favourable consideration. The Union S.S. Company have decided to issue special excursion tickets in favour of i school teachers or pupils visiting Melbourne Exhibit""- J

- i A copy of 4he Auckland Examiner, of 3 October 12, 1859, forwarded to us, contains f a prediction on the fate of Napoleon 111., ) from a correspondent, which, read in the 3 light of later history, has a singular in- • terest. We quote a passage :—"Some who . predict by present appearances instead of ; being guided by astrology, say that Louis i Napoleon will continue successful as he > has gone on. I say no ! He has Saturn, j a malifio planet, in the mansion of honour. Certainly it is his own ruling star; but > Saturn is Saturn wherever he may be, and i though it is a nativity fortified by other i most powerfully good influences, still I say : the close of his career will be evil. Jupiter and the Moon may give wealth and do- : uiinion to the end, which his uncle had not, i but he has Saturn where his unole had him. > Thrice tied that uncle from Egypt, from . Moscow, and from Waterloo, and twice has the present Napoleon been discomfited, to i wit:—Strasburg , and Boulogne. What the third disaster is I know not ; but it must ■ come, the stars lie not. Let his future triumphs be what they may—should he die < a natural death—dark days are in store for him who strangled the Republic, destroyed i liberty, and persecuted the patriots of France. For years I havo read the writing on the wall, ' Mene Tokel." Patriots of France, despair not! Shades of Lambessa and Cayenne be appeased, liberty but slumbers. Not many years and another Republic shall, phocnix-like, arise—not a Red Republic—strong, wise, and gentle, guided by morality and true religion; holding in her hands the lily, tho sword, and the olive branch. France shall yet have her Washington and Europe too." The five hoys arrested on Monday for robbing the orchard of Mr. Leßailly, North Shore, were yesterday brought before the Police Court. Mr. Leßailly stated he was constantly annoyed in this way, and had to go round the trees and gather the fruit before it was ripe. The parents and relatives of the accused were in Court, and were prepared to swear that their cow was the whitest. They did not seem quite clear as to the remedy, but were wholly so as to the point that they should suffer no pecuniary loss for the misconduct of the boys. The Bench remanded tha lads for eight days, in order to get the report of the Probation Officer. Bail was allowed. The many friends of Mr. W. E. Barton, the well-known cricketer, will be glad to hear of his promotion to the managership of the Bank of New Zealand at Whangarei. The only occupants of the police cells last evening was a man for drunkenness, and John Bridge, arrested by Detective Walker, on a charge of larceny from tho boardinghouse of Mr. Francis Earl Harrison, Cookstreet, of three brooches, a gold watch, and silver bracelet. A meeting of creditors in the estate of William Head, a bankrupt, was to have been held yesterday, but lapsed for want of a quorum. It will be held to-day at eleven o'clock. The management of the Sailors' Home advertise elsewhere for a superintendent ! who will undertake both the domestic and mission work. This arrangement should get rid of the conflict of authority and interest, which has been so painfully evident of late, in the affairs of the institutien. The Spring Show of the Royal Horticultural Society of Auckland will be held in the Drill-shed on Friday and Saturday from one o'clock to ten p.m. Amongst the improvements lately made at the Lake Takapuna district is the opening of a road from the main road round the Lvke through the bush to the seaside, at a point not far from the mouth ot the Wairau stream. The Highway Board have already given a small sum to form the road, and it would add considerably to the amenity of the district if they would complete the formation, so as to make it available for 1 light wheel traffic. Tho sacred cantata "Judah's Captivity and Restoration :, was given last evening in the Ponsonby Baptist Church by a strong choir, under the conductorship of Mr. Kilpatrick. There was a crowded audience. The choruses were given with considerable effect, and the cantata was very creditably rendered. There was a good attendance at the Columbia Rink last evening, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather Professor Simmons gave his amusing skating sketch, entitled "The Musical Masher." He will give to-night a fresh exhibition of fancy and trick skating. The All-Star Company played with their customary success last night. Mr. Geo. Jennings, Jun., is progressing favourably beyond expectation. The accident by which he was for a time almost paralysed happened a few weeks ago at the Kaiwaka bush, while one of a gang of men forming a tram line for Messrs. Coates and Kendal. In taking out a large kauri stump he stuck to his jack after live others had left for dinner, thinking that he would give the finishing stroke and lift the stump out; but the power of one jack was insufficient to even stay the stump from coming back, which it did, and caught him by the head and forced him, doubled up, under it with his face upon his breast. When taken from under he could move neither hand nor foot. After a few clays lying in the hush whare, he was removed on a stretcher byeleven of his mates to his home here, where he now lies helpless, being unable even to feed himself; in fact, everything has to be done for him. If great care had not been taken of him at tirat, there is no doubt that it would have been a fatal accident. Dr. Montaine had very little hopes of him. The snuie and spinal cord are much injured. It will bu many months, if not years, before a complete recovery can be expected. It is more than probable that he will be partially crippled for life, but good nursing and a strong constitution may eventually work a full recovery.—[Te Arai Correspondent.] One of our local farmers, Mr. D. Giuld, of Te Ore Ore, being dissatisfied with the price offered him by the. millers for his wheat, decided to ship it to London, and sent down by rail last week to Wellington 1000 sacks, or 4000 bushels, and it is now afloat for Europe. 1 hone his venture will bo a profitable one, this being quite a new departure for the farmers in our district.—[Own Correspondent.] Up to the time of going to press there was no sign of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co.'s direct liner lonic. As she sailed from Hobart at 6 a.m. on Friday last, she should come in early this morning. The well-known barque Conference, which has been lying at Lyttleton for two years, and which capsized over a year ago in the dock, has been renovated by her new owner, Captain Lusher, and sails 'shortly for Sydney. .She will bo employed on intercolonial trade. The following tenders were received at the Survey Office for the construction of two bridges to open up the lands at Avoitdale South, lately put up for sale by the Government :— Contract Contract No. lOti. No. 167. George Knight .. ..£66 0 0 ..£s<s 0 0 Oxeuham and Melville .. 77 17 3 .. 70 710 11. Small ill 10 0 .. O 0 II A. Bontham 50 0 f) .. (it 0 0 J. Thomson 79 0 I) .. 79 0 0 Wells mid O'Connor.. .. 76 10 n .. Si 0 0 Searle ami Co 69 1!) :'. .. 74 14 tf Samuel White and Co .. 74 U (I .. 7!) 0 0 James Fuery.. .. .. 77 5 0 .. 84 8 f> Larkin and JJlliott .. .. 95 0 n .. 03 0 0 Mercer and Niccol .. .. 76 18 8 .. 84 4 1 J. IJrodia SO 17 <; .. 07 18 C O. Aspinall 07 10 o .. 05 0 0 K. Mills (for both) .. .. IBS 10 0 .. — F. lleti'eruan (for both) .. Itii) i> I) .. — At Mr. Peacock's meeting on Monday evening, Mr. Roundtree Mas the gentleman who proposed a vote of confidence in him as the representative of the district. We would remind the trade that Mr. Gabriel Lewis will hold a trade sale of India and China teas, candles, raisins, tobacco, etc., at 11 o'clock this day. We would again call attention to the annual public meeting in connection with the Wesleyan Home Mission, to bo hold in the Pitt-street Church this evening. The chair will be taken by Mr. P. McArthur, and an interesting programme of addresses by ministers attending tho District Meeting, singing by native ministers, and selections of music by the choir will be presented. The annual report and list of subscriptions will also be submitted. In our advertising columns will be found detailed particulars of the pictures comprised in the Art Union of Messrs. Aldis and Sons, artists. The pictures given as prizes are twenty in number, some of them large and valued at over £150, but are distributed on the basis of a valuation of £100. As soon as the list of subscribers is made up, the Art Union will be drawn. The Rev. J. Bates lectures on " Socialism " to-morrow evening at the Council Chamber, Devonport.