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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8268, 29 May 1890, Page 4

The fisheries dispute in Newfoundland is still causing great irritation, and it will do so until arrangements are made on % better footing than have been in the past. The people of Newfoundland are furious, and are sending a petition to the Queen, which is said to be couched in violent terms. By the latest news, we are informed that a British warship has closed the British lobster factory in St. George's Bay. This place is part of "the French Shore," where the French claim the exclusive right to erect establishments. From the action recorded it would seem that the British authorities acquiesce in the French reading of their Treaty rights. From Parish we learn that the officials there anticipate an easy settlement of the Newfoundland difficulty. But in all probability France will be found to show an unyielding disposition, and will not abate an iota 01 her claims. The two small islands of Miquelon and St. Pierre are now all that) remain to her of a vast dominion in the continent of America, lost to her when Wolfe defeated Montcalm. A Portuguese expedition to Africa is said to have been compelled to retreat, and the commander to have committed suicide.

The Bank of r>!ew Zealand received from the Thames last night, per Rotomahana, six boxes of gold bullion, containing 6000 oz., valued at £15,000.

Mr. F. La wry, M.H.R., addressed a meeting of his constituents at the Panmure Public Hall last night. There was a large attendance, and Mr. Clery, chairman oi the Road Board, presided. Mr. Lawry spoke at some length, mainly- dealing with the subjects on which he has already spoken, and at the close of the address he was accorded a unanimous vote of thank? and confidence by acclamation. The Hon. T. Fergus, who returned to Dunedin yesterday, will leave for Wellington to-morrow morning.

A banco sitting of the Supreme Court was held yesterday, and Mr. Justice Conolly delivered judgment in two appeal cases, which were heard and argued before him yesterday week. The first was a case of appeal from the decision of the Resident Magistrate's Court, in Gisborne. The action was that of Common and Company v. the Colonial Union Company (Limited). The plaintiffs in the action sued for and received from the defendants, the charterers of the ship Claremont, for the value of certain goods shipped to them, which were not delivered. The company appealed, pleading that it was the owners, not the charterers, who were responsible; bub His Honor upheld the judgment of the lower Court, and dismissed the appeal. The second case Earl appellant and Vercoe respondent—was an appeal from the decision of the Resident Magistrate at Tauranga. In this case Stephen Earl, father of the appellant, became bankrupt, and certain cattle and horses which were in his possession were sold by order of the Official Assignee. The appellant, Edward Earl, claimed the animals as his, and, after they had been sold to Vercoe, seized and kept possession of them. Vercoe brought an action in the lower Court to recover possession, and the Magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiff, on the ground that he could not go behind the order of the Court of Bankruptcy. His Honor held that the judgment was right ; that if the order of the Court of Bankruptcy was wrong, the appellant had his remedy, and could get it set aside, instead of taking the law into his own hands, and seizing the cattle. He dismissed the appeal with costs.

It will be recollected than at the last; meeting of the Crown Lands Board a report was submitted in regard to certain kauri timber taken by Mr. James Drake from Crown lands, and the Commissioner was authorised to take action against him foe the wrongful removal of timber. Mr. Drake writes a long letter in explanation, pointing out that he had been misled as to the boundaries of his section. He concludes by stating, " I honestly aver that I never suspected I was felling a tree not really within the bounds of the land I had bought, and I am sorry the miserable mistakes have culminated in such exceptional treatment of myself as compared with other and confessedly equal sinners.

We are informed that the petition to the City Council praying lor a reconsideration of the late alterations made by it as to the hours during which the Free Library ia open to tho public, will be presented tonight by Mr. D. oldie, M.H.R. Over a thousand persons have already signed it, and very general disapproval has been expressed at the recent changes. There appears to be no doubt but that an over, whelming majority of ratepayers and rest dents are anxious that every possible facility should be given to the public to take advantage of this valuable institution. Three or four times the number of names would have been attached to the petition had time and means been available to hava applied to others. The substance of the petition has already appeared in our columns. An advertisement appears in this morning's paper stating that those who have not yet signed may do so at Mr. J. M. McLachlan's, 222, Queen-street, until five o'clock this afternoon. In connection with this subject we have been requested by the committee to publish the following letter from Sir George Grey, which was addressed to one of their number :— "Parnell, May 8, 1890. To Mr. J. M. McLachlan, Queen-street, Auckland. Deal sir,—l always think that if you make a present of anything valuable to another person its chief charm consists in the fact that the subsequent management or disposal of the present shall never be interfered with by the donor. This feeling on my part prevents me in any way interfering with the management of the Free Library by tho City Corporation. I have no doubt that you will express your own opinion on tho subject of the recent arrangements made for the management of the Free Library, which you are fully entitled to do, but I think you will agree with me after what I have stated in the beginning of this note that I ought not either directly or indirectly to interfere in the matter.Yours faithfully, G. Grey."

On Tuesday evening Pastor Birch entertained the members of the Ministers' Association and their wives at a"social" in the Tabernacle rooms. In addition to the ministerial members of the Association several other ministers were invited. Soma 30 guests sat down to tea, Mrs. Birch and Mrs. Salter presiding at the table. After tea the party adjourned to the large social room. After devotional exercises by various clergymen—the President, Revs. Macnicol, Lee, Chew, and West, the Secretary, Rev. Mr. Baiter, introduced Mrs. Schnackenberg and Mrs. Holloway as a deputation from the Women's Christian Temperance Union, who desired the Ministers' Association to aid in preventing intoxicating drink being introduced into Rarotonga. The request was acceded to. Apologies were received from the Rev. A. Reid, T. Hamer, R. bommerville, A. J. Smith, A. Carnok, and G. B. Monro. The president stated he hoped each meetings would be held quarterly. He had received letters from three places in the North, 20 miles from any place or worship, and desiring evangelistic s 6l "™ o *-,; and he threw out as a suggestion that ait the churches should unite, and send an evangelist under the auspices of the Ministers' Association to meet such cases. ma idea was favourably received. Addresses were also given by the Revs. B. L. Thomas. J. Dukes, W. Gittoa, J. Chew, Scott West, Wills, and Lee. Prayer by the ***.«• Worker, and the Benediction by the■*«£. E. Beat, brought an enjoyable B°ci« gathering to a closet

Speaking at Geraldine, Bishop Julias *aid :—A great deal hang? upon the question of education. What I mean by education is influence and training. Children learn more in their homes than in the State school or in any other school, good or bad. I believe what we have to strive for most of all is not to get religion into the State schools, but to tret it into the homes. (Applause.) Get ib there; let the children read it, learn it, mark it, from their parents ; let it be breathed into their daily life by letting them breathe an atmosphere of religious love and truth and faith, and these children will have a religious education that surpasses any other that I know of, and if we only get religion into the homes, religion expressed in the daily lives of the parents, in the morning prayer and grace at meals, and the whole life of home, then we can dispense with it elsewhere, for the children will find it where they can best receive it. But you know they ;lo not always find it . there. Then Domes the Sunday-school, and very often the parents send the children to Sundayschool in order to get a good afternoon's quiet and poace. 1 believe our Sundayschools may be in the future more efficient than they are now. Ido not believe in the Sunday-school being just a mere nursery for keeping children quiet, but believe in the Sunday-school which is carefully educating the children in the word of God and the tenets of the church to which it belongs. The best results can only be obtained by the church giving its best efforts to the Sunday-school. We do not. want feeble teaching, dull lessons, and general disorder, but we want the very best teaching and order, and the most perfect, discipline we can find if we are going to make our Sundayschools what- they ought to be. (Applause). Yes, you quit** approve of what I say, and so some of you will be coming forward and saying to your vicar, "You want some teachers, here am I, send me."

At a late meeting in Melbourne, some tatements were made with reference to lail-making in Victoria. There were, it eems, in 1887, two nail factories in the olony, to establish which a duty of £12 pr ton on horse nails, and i' 3 per ton on :vier nails had been imposed, In 1888, as tb result of yet higher duties on nails, two tare factories were opened. "The total mmber of hands employed in this indutty," observed the speaker, "was now eiguten men and twelve boys. The total aamtl production was 1000 tons of iron nail and about 200 tons of other nails. Nov, if knowledge were desired as to how muo the employment of these eighteen mensid twelve boys cost the country, all that would have to be done would be to add-othis production the total import of nails »nd calculate the increased price resiilthg from the duty." We imported," contaued the speaker, " in ISS9, SI tons of hors; nails, and 670 of other nails. The conumers paid the duty of £3 per ton on 46? tons, and of £12 per ton on 281 tons. ; In other words, the community paid £2,722 a year, for the honour and glory of eoploying eighteen men and twelve boys at Lu.king' nails."

At. Hatch, of Invercargill, has a dificulty with the Customs Department. H< recently undertook to convert into oil tin penguins which abound in the Macquirie Islands, but on attempting to land the oil in New Zealand he was requested to pay duty, as the Macquaries are now under Tasuania. Mr. Hatch's oil from the Auckland or Campbell Islands being colonial produce, could come in free, and fish oil (including '.hat of the sea elephant) even from the Miccjuaries at the primage duty of 1 percent., but that from the penguins being ' foreign,"' and not fish, is subject to a duty of bd per gallon and a primage in addition. Mr. Hatch declines to pay the foreign rat-?, his oil lies under guard, and he has appealed to the head of the Customs for remission of the impost, or rather for its reductioQ to the rate levied on fish oil, viz., 1 per cent, on its value.

There is every prospect of fresh routes of tourist rathe being opened up next summer. One of :hem is by Roto>ua, Galatea Plains, to Ruanhuna. in the Urewera Country, and thence ;o Cisborne, where the tourist could catch (he East Coast steamer, instead of coming back over ground already travelled. Bishop Stuart, we understand, states that there is a grand tourist route to be opened up chit way. The trip from Rotcrua to Kuata'auna could be accomplished in a day, and irom thence to Gisborne in a day. Another route proposed to be opened up is from Rotorua to the Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga, so that tourists could go from Rotorua to Waitomo Caves, or vice versa, without making the detour by rail which is at present entailed.

A correspondent, Mr. V. R. Addey, B.E. of the Royal University, Ireland, has a grievance against the officers of the Charitable Aid Board. In a letter dated Iron: »he Young Men's Christian Association Rooms, of yesterday's date, he says : — "1 adi at present suffering from a brain trouble, the result of a sunstroke received some time time ago, &nd called on the Charitable Aid Board this morning, by the advice of Dr. Lawry, of this city, to request an order for outdoor medical attendance. To my surprise the desired order was not only refused, but I was ordered out of the room. I presume the secretary taking it upon himself to say that I was in a perfect state of health, and required no treatment. I think it is too bad for one temporarily prevented from following my usual occupation—that of a civil engineer and surveyor, and in consequence harassed by poverty —to be thus treated in an office intended for the benefit of the public. Through the courtesy of Dr. Collins, of the Auckland Hospital, I received the necessary prescription and medicine, but I think it my duty to call attention to the matter in the interests of others."

The exhibition of teas in the Victoria Arcade by Messrs. L. U. Nathan and Co. was opened to the public yesterday, and was thronged with visitors, the majority being of the fair sex. Those, while keenly appreciating the artistic and beautiful decorations, did not forget to partake of •i fragrant cup of tea made from one or fcther of the firm's noted blends, the quality si which was admitted by all to be beyond cavil.

At the Wellington Chess Club last Friday fright smoker met non-smoker in a fair situp fight, each side fully resolved to demonstrate the superiority of its principles. Doth sides lamented the absence of doughty champions, but the smokers seemed to be possessed of the larger portion of that prurience which "runs away and lives to fight another day." The result accordingly was somewhat disastrous for the smokers, who succeeded in winning only 1 game ;jnd drawing 3, while the non-smokers won 3 and drew 3.

The Otajio Daily Times thus concludes a review of Mr. Fergus's late speech : —"On the whole we do not think that the Ministerial policy is likely to meet with much approval, but as it can evidently be altered to ' suit the times,' this is after all no such important consideration. Unfortunately there is no possibility of New Zealand having a good Government until a new generation of politicians has sprung up and acquired the necessary experience, so that we must go on making the best of Ministers who take a very low view of their responsibilities, but are kept from serious blunders by the common sense of the country."

At the Opera House last evening, the St. Maur Dramatic Company gave their last performance of the thrilling drama " The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," to a good audience. The play was again produced in a most effective manner, and the efforts of Misses Seymour and Kennedy, and Mr. St. -Maur were specially recognised by those present, while Miss Smithson was honoured by some floral tributes for her clever acting ** Mrs. Sampson. This evening and tomorrow night, Mr St. Maur will by special request, reproduce '• Jim the Penman," in which so great a success was scored at the beginning of the season. The laughable comedy, "The Arabian Nights," is to be repeated on Saturday evening.

There was again a crowded attendance at Wirth's Circus, laßb evening, and the performance was, as usual, lively, clever, and varied. It was well appreciated by the- audience, and the several performers were frequently accorded lengthy applause. The school of trick Ernes were much admired, while the jockey act by Masters C. and A. Wirth, Was well received. Miss Marines' Wirth, to her juggling tricks on horseback, and aring wire-rope act with trained pigeons, however, received the lion's share of appronation, lhe management announce a K?.ow» performance for Saturday

The Council of the Sailors' Home have recently imported from home a handsome brass plate, 2 feet 6 inches by two feet, to be erected in some conspicuous part of the Home in remembrance of the late Mr. E. Cost-ley, to whose bequest the handsome building now erected owes its existence. In the centre of the plate is the following inscription : —" This Home was built and endowed with money bequeathed by Edward Costley,. who denied himself all the luxuries and most of the comforts of life by helping those who are in need of help in Auckland. He died April 18, 1883." The inscription is enclosed in an ornamental black bordering, with Greek crosses in each corner, in red, on a brown ground. At the top of the plate is a cross, anchor, and heart, and at the bottom a medallion with the legend, "Auckland Sailors' Home, founded ISS7,'" and in the bordering the words, " The greatest of these is charity"— I. Corinthians, xiii., IS. Some of the statements in the inscription have caused some comment.

The first private exhibition of the Auckland Photographic Club was opened last night in the club room. There was a good attendance of members and their friends, and a good show of pictures, some of them of exceptional merit. The principal exhibitors were Mr. Morton, Mr. Walroad, Mr. Humphries, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Will, and Mr. Francis. We must defer a detailed notice of the pictures till next issue. The young club is heartily to be congratulated on its success in the somewhat ambitious undertaking of an exhibition within six months of' its formation, and the public exhibition at the end of the year will be anticipated with much interest.

Messrs. Wilson and Clayton, auctioneers, etc., will sell to-day, at the premises of Messrs. McCarthuy and Griffiths, brassfounders, Albert-street, the whole of their stock, tools, lathes, &e. The sale is held on account of dissolution of partnership between Messrs. McCarthny and Griffiths.

An Evangelistic service will be held this evening, at half-past seven, in the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms. Mr. Cheal will give an address. All arc invited.

The Auckland Amateur Opera Club's usual rehearsal of "La, Mascotte " will not be held to-night, inconsequence of the Choral Hall being engaged by the Society of Arts. The next practice is announced for Thursday, June 5, in the Choral Hall.

The fortnightly entertainment of the Burns Club will take place this evening.

A grand promenade concert will be held in the Choral Hall, by permission of the Auckland Society of Arts, on Monday evening next, in aid of the funds of the Ladies' Benevolent Society. The funds of the society are somewhat low, ami it is hoped that' the public will aid it in this effort.