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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9249, 31 December 1888, Page 5

According to the Freeman's Journal, the proprietors offered P. J. Sheridan, Mr. Israeli's sometime colleague on the Central League, the sum of £10, COO tocomeforward and give "faithfu! testimony" before the Special Commission concerning the Kilmainham Treaty. The offer, it is stated, wits declined. Sheridan is at present in America, and therefore beyond the jurisdiction. of the Court. That he should have declined a fortune to speak the truth is, perhaps, a, fact as damaging to the Parcellite case as his evidence would no doubt have been.' Thers can be no question that he would be a very important witness, and able to .throw a flood of light on - the secret; methods of the League. Ho was i. one of the principal organisers of the society called " The Irish Invincibles," whose career of iniquity culminated in the PticEnix Park butchery, a crime which appalled the civilised world ; and he was ■also one of a gang of conspirators known as the " Patriotic Brotherhood," an association, said Mr. Justice Lawson, " avowedly established for the purpose of committing murder." ■One can understand the eagerness of the Times to induce him to enter the witness-box and give "faithful testimony." To understand his motives for refusing one has only to remember the fate of Carey, and to know the character and resources of those with whom he was formerly associated in his campaign of crime in Ireland. Viscount Eversley, whose death 13 announced to-day, was better known as the Right Hon. Charles Shaw Lefevre. He was, born in 1794, and first entered the House of Commons fifty-eight years ago. In; 1539 he was appointed speaker and acted in that capacity for eighteen years. A boy ha 3 been murdered end horribly mutilated in Bradford, Yorkshire. The supposed murderer has been arrested. Mr. John Bright is recovering. Mr. Gladstone, who was 81 on Saturday, has caused a sensation in Italy by writing a letter urging that the claims of the Pope to exercise temporal power should be settled by arbitration.

* To enable the staff to have a holiday to-morrow (New Year's Day), the Herald mil not be published on Wednesday morning.

In an article on the Governor elect of Kew Zealand, which we publish this morning, our London correspondent furnishes Us with seme very interesting personal and biographical particulars of Lord Onslow.

The Anglo-Colonial notes, written by our London correspondent, will be found in another part of to-day's issue.

Our London correspondent sends us some particulars of the doings of Mr. Rees and "of the Maori football team, which are published in another column.

At the Police* Court on Saturday, before Dr. Giles, 1».M., Mr. J. O'Meajjher, the wellknown solicitor, was charged with being \irunk and disorderly in Queen-Btreet on the evening of the 2Sth instant. The charge arose out of a disturbance at the Gospel Temperance Mission tent, near the Waverley Hotel. Mr. O'Meagher asked that; the case be remanded till Monday. SergeantMajor Pratt said that he did not object to the" adjournment, though the witnesses for the prosecution were in attendance. Mr. O'Meagher remarked that he had spoken to Inspector Broham, who was not opposed to an adjournment. He might state that he bad been arrested on the previous evening, and lodged in the lock-up, and treated with great indignity; and he thought it but right that his .application should be granted. In reply to Dr. Giles, several witnesses who were in attendance said that they could not conveniently be present on Monday. . His Worship, however, said that they would have to attend, and he granted Mr. O'Meagher's application.

On Saturday week last a rather uncommon accident occurred alonsida the San Francisco mail steamer Alameda, lying in Neutral Bay, Sydney. A package containing £1000 gold specie was being passed . from a waterman's boat to the steamer, when tho package slipped and disappeared beneath - the water. Since then a diver has been engaged at work searching for the parcel, but so far without finding it. It is eaid that the bottom of the harbour at the place the accident occurred is many feet deep in thick mud, in which tho thousand sovereigns have doubtless been buried.

. There are said to be nearly 5000 cases to fae.broug'at before the Natiye Lands Court, about 500 being in Gisborne and Tologa Bay, . East Coast. This should clear up the arears of business. In many of the cases, it ia said all that requirea to be done la some formal matter.

' It was anticipated that Mr. A. GustafaBon, the well-known temperance advocate, would arrive in Auckland by the steamship Alameda, yesterday, and some disappointment was felt when it was found that he was not amongst the passengers. He was announced to give an address at tho Newton Congregational Church, in connection with the Newton Gospel Temperance Mission, and a crowded audience assembled, but the chairman, Sir W. Fox, had, of course, to intimate that the address would Dot be delivered.

There were in the lock-up last evening three prisoners on charges of drunkenness, and Mary Lewis for vagrancy, v

There is at the present tide on exhibition in the window of Messrs. Hesketh and Aitken, seedsraea, Queen-street, a sample of the largest gooseberries yet shown in Auckland. They were grown by Mr. David Mclndce, Epsom,, and are of the variety known as Clayton. Some are very large, as may be readily believed when it is stated that the twenty-five now on exhibition weighed one pound when placed in the window. ■ ;

A water colour painting by Percy Dixon has been presented by Mrs. J. M. Clark to the Auckland Art Gallery. During the holidays a large number of visitors have inspected the gallery, and a larger number than usual have also visited the library.

The beautiful inlaid circular table manufactured by Mr. W. SeuSert, which was exhibited in Auckland about two months ago, has been on exhibition in Sydney, and has attracted a great- deal of attention on account of its artistic finish and beauty. A Svdney contemporary, the News, under the heading, "A Handsome Piece of Furniture," speaks of is as follows : — A work of art in the shape of a circular card table was on view in Messrs. Paling and Co.'s window on Saturday. It was made by Mr. W. Seufrrrt, of W&keSeld-street, Auckland, and consists of 11,000 pieces of New Zealand woods of twenty-four kinds, in their natural colours. The work is beautifully executed. The design consists of a centre star surrounded by ferns, and outside this there is a series of the very finest and handsomest scroll work. The edging of the table is worked in squares of the various woods, and tends to perfect the whole of one of the handsomest pieces of furniture ever constructed."

The train which usually leaves Helensville for Auckland at four p.m. will to-day leave at five p.m., and run correspondingly later than usual throughout. This train will not connect at Newmarket with the twenty minutes past six p.m. train Auckland to Onehunga and Otanuhu. The usual meeting in connection with the Auckland Total Abstinence Society was held last Saturday in the Temperance Hall. The entertainment was of a novel character, I being the leap year meeting. The hall was crowded to witness the entertainment by the fair sex. Miss Sanderson presided. The ; meeting commenced by singing "Yield No& i to Temptation," and was followed by an address by the chairwoman on " Woman's Influence and Power." The following programme was gone through -Piano solo, Miss Stevens; song, "We Parted by the Riverside," Miss Sime ; recitation, " Woman's Work," Miss R. Jarvis; song, " The Maiden's Prayer," Miss Dixon; recitation, " Death Doomed" (encored), Miss King; piano solo, Miss Gribbon ; song, "List the Music Stealing," Miss Heron; recitation, "The Return," Miss E. Heron ; song, "Bother the Men" (encored), Miss King song, Give Me Freedom Ever," Miss Robertson, piano solo, Miss Lester; duet, "Strictly Confidential" (encored), Misses Heron and King. The Misses Stevens and Lester played the accompaniments. The entertainment was given by the Church of Christ. The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to all those who assisted in the programme. Ib was announced that the programme will be given by the men on board H.M.s. Rapid. There will be an I entertainment on Thursday evening at the Temperance Hall by the men of" H.M.S. Oped. .

We have to acknowledge receipt of the Christmas number of the Graphic from Mr. Wildman, bookseller, -which equals if it does not even surpass its predecessors. There are three large engravings with the number, "Juliet," from the picture by P. H. Calderon, R.A., and "Sweet Anne Page," from the picture by G. D. Leslie, R.A., both illustrative of the gallery of Shakespere's heroines. The third is entitled "The First Attack,"from the picture by Seymour Lucas, A.R.A.a" soldier about to commence a flirtation with a fruit girL Its companion sketches are "'Twixfe Two Worlds," from the picture by Arthur Hopkins, R.W.S., and Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot," from the picture} by J. C. Dollman, R.I. There are seme amusing sketches, entitled, "Little Mothers," " Perils of the Illiterate," and fun and frolic for youngsters by Miss Emily Lees. Tom Hood's ballad of " Faithless Nelly Gray" is comically illustrated by W. Ralston. The tales are also good, one being " Mr. Row Bahawdur Ramchumder Gopaldas's Wedding Party," the narative being written by Mr. Phil Robinson, illustrated by sketches by Captain E. R. Penrose, Bombay Staff Corps.

The teachers and pupils of her class in Epiphany Sunday-school presented yesterday to Miss Jackson, the mistress of the Girls' Industrial Home, a copy of Dr. Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. The Government have lately removed the Home from Surrey Hills to Parneil, at too great a distance to allow Miss Jackson to continue her work in Epiphany School; and it was to mark the regret of the Sunday-school, and its appreciation of faithful work, extending over a period of three years, that the presentation was made. Dr. O'Callaghan, in presenting the book, paid a feeling tribute to Miss Jackson's worth as a teacher, and the esteem in which she was held by them aIL

The annual picnic in connection with St. John's Wesleyan Church, Ponsonby, will take place on Wednesday next, when the steamer Rose Casey will leave the Queenstreet Wharf at half-past nine for Motutapu. On the same date the Devonporb Wesleyan Sunday-school will hold their annual picnic at Motutapu, the Britannia leaving the Queen-street Wharf at half-past eight and Devonport at nine a.m.

A picnic in connection with the Sailors' Home, for seamen and workers in the Home, will take place to Birkenhead on New Year's Day, leaving by the ferry-boat at ha If-past nine o'clock. Last year a picnic in connecwith the Home was held in this locality.

The Gospel Temperance Tent Mission closed its meetings at the Tent on Saturday night, with a praise and thanksgiving service. Sir William Fox and other friends addressed the meeting, and a number ci testimonies were given by those who had taken the pledge during the mission. This closed a very interesting series of gatherings. Yesterday a fresh mission was commenced by the voluntary -■ workers in connection with the Sailors' Home. The service at half-past nine was conducted by Mr. Little, manager of the Sailors' Home, the one in the afternoon, at three o'clock, by Messrs. Little and Arding, and that in the evening, by two new arrivals from Australia. There were good congregations morning and afternoon, while in the eveningthe Tent was inconveniently crowded . A Maori prisoner was brought up yesterday from Tauranga, named Hori Futete, who is sentenced to a month's imprisonment for larceny.

The Northcote Ferry Company will run special trips to-morrow to' Isorthcote and Birkenhead, and the City of Cork will make an excursion to Pdverhead, calling at Hobsonville, Greenhithe, and Harkins' Point. An excursion of St. David's Sundayschool will take place to Buckland's estate, Tamaki, the Takapuna leaving Queenstreet Wharf at a quarter to nine a.m.

In our advertising columns will be found the full programme of the concert to be given by Mrs. Bahnson in the Choral Hall on Thursday evening next. It is a varied and attractive one, and as Mrs. Bahnson id a vocalist of acknowledged ability, the concert promised to be one of the most successful since tho Sherwin concerts in this city.

Wo are requested to state for the information of those intending to join All Saints' picnic to-morrow at the Queenstreet Wharf, that the Britannia will call somewhere near the Northcote ferry too at about half-past nine a.m.

There was a crowded audience in tho City Hall last evening at the evangelistic service, many being visitors in town for the holidays. Mr. W. Brakenrig, general secretary, presided. The address, a deeply interesting one, was delivered by the Rev. J. S. Hill from tJho subject, "Keeping Ourselves in the Sunshine; or, tho Life Worth Living." Marked attention was paid by the congregation. Special hymns were sung by the choir before the commencement of the service, and during the dispersion" of the-people the hymn "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" was sung. „, ; There was an excellent attendance at the Columbia Rink last Saturday evening. _ At nine o'clock there was a five-mile handicap race for the championship, for which there were a large number of entries. The race was easily Avon by Master Clout, although he was scratch, and many of his competitors j had six or seven laps' start. ' J