LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9832, 29 May 1895, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A slecial meeting of the Auckland Board of Education was held yesterday, for the purpose of considering, amongst' other things, the regulations regarding pupil teachers, brought up by the Chief Inspector and a committee of the Board. These were considered seriatim, amended, and then approved, and ordered to be forwarded to the Minister of Education. The question of teaching pupils in the public schools who had paseed the 6th standard was also dealt with in the report of the committee, and the remainder of the afternoon was occupied with the consideration of the report of the Chief Inspector on the school work of the past year.

Yesterday, at the Magistrate's Court, Mr. Northcroft, S.M., commenced the hearing of informations laid, against Mr. Dadley, shoe importer, etc., under the Shops and Shop Assistants Act. Mr. Theo. Cooper, who defended for the Shopkeepers' Defence League, argued exhaustively against the Act, his speech occupying some three and a-lsalf hours. Mr. Tole, for the Crown, then replied on some of the points, and the Court adjourned until ten this morning. A large number of tradesmen interested in the half-holiday question were present, including the president of the League (Mr. Hobbs), and the members of the committee. The Mayor was also in attendance to give evidence. Mr. Cooper intimated that ho should call His Worship and the Town Clerk (Mr. P. A. Philips) to-day.

A good, deal of bueines was dene yesterday at the meeting c tho Ciown Land! Board. Mr. L. BagttU preyed, in the absence of Mr. G. MuJler, Co«mifi»ioner of Crown Lands. Mi Kensington, chief draughtsman, who the meeting, to answer depar *l questions, received a telegram yesterdayfpm Mr. Mueller, stating that he was still dawned at Nelson. The Board decided to ntify a number of Crown tenants in arrears if rent, that their holdings would be forftted, unless the rent was paid within a moth. It was also decided to declare a numbr of leases null and void, owing to the Jesses being in arrears. The following resoluion was carried by the Board: —"That the Commissioner be requested to recocmend the Government that all land advertiements be inserted in the Auckland WiiKLY News." There was a consensus of (pinion among the members of the Board hat owing to that journal's widespread emulation in the country districts, and beig known and read throughout the colony it was the best newspaper in which to advertise the Crown lands, either for salror lease.

The following resolution, of which Mr. Woodward lad given notice, was to have been proposd at the special meeting of the Eoardof Edcation held yes terday.butowing to the lateress of the hour, and the time occupied in he discussion of other matters, it was allowed to stand over till next Tuesday :—" Tlat the former resolution of the Board relaive to the enlargement of the Richmond Road School be rescinded, and that the eitire question of additional school accommodation, including Richmond Road, be furtherjonsidered."

The ordaary meeting of the City Schoofs Commits was held last evening, an the Wellesleyjtreet School, when the following members *ere present : —Messrs. J. Blades (chairmatj, Julian, Adams, Squirrel!, Fairs, Cnwe, Farrell, and Dr.'. King and Walker. A communication was received from the Board of Education, intimating that the! could not see their way to increase tie staff of the Napier-street School. Regardiig the question of the supplying of boots to children attending th» Chapel street School, whose parents were unable to purchase them, the Board wrote Statinj that they could not see their way to suiply the books. The committee decided to ask the Board why a distinction shoull be made between the Wellesley and Chatelatreet Schools. At the invitation of tie committee the head masters of the variius schools in the city attended the meeting and discussed several matters in connection with school management and discipline. The Board of Education wrote askhg for particular:! re the dismissal of a boy, named Walter Smith, from the school. It wis agreed to give the Board particulars. A communication from the Board re the resolution of the committee which prohibited the closing of their schools at two o'clock on wet days, was considered. The Boaid pointed out that they were losing both financially and otherwise through the present arrangement of the City Schools Committee with regard to wet days. Mr. Blades took exception to the statement of the chairman of the Board that the revenue suffered to tho extent of £100 through the resolution of the committee. He thought they should call upon Mr. Udy for an explanation with regard to this matter. He (Mr. Blades) was prepared to show that such was not the case, and he challenged the chairman of the Board to prove otherwise. He moved a motion to the effect that consideration of the communication should be deferred until the next meeting, and in the meantime that the Board be asked to show the committee where this loss was incurred. The motion was seconded by Mr. Julian and carried unanimously.

The death is announced in our columns to-day of an old colonist and South Sea Island trader, Mr. E. O. Nicholas, of Kiue (Savage Island). Mr. Nicholas died yesterday at the age of 60, after a long illness, baring come up from Savage Island at the beginning of this year for medical advice. The late Mr. Nicholas, who was a native of Wales, was a son of the late Captain J. M. Nicholas, who served in one of the British line regiments during the Indian Mutiny and other campaigns. The deceased came to Auckland from Bristol in the early fifties, <»nd after carrying on business here for some years he commenced his trading experiences in the Eastern Pacific, residing at Manahiki, Penrhyn Island, and Aitutaki (Cook Group) for some time. Subsequently he went down to Niue or Savage Island as a trader for the firm of Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane many years ago, and for the last few years carried on business there on his own account. His widow resides on Niue with some of her family, the rest being in Auckland. The' funeral takes place to-morrow afternoon at the Purewa Cemetery. Mr. Nicholas had a large number of old friends in Auckland who sincerely regret his death.

Some time ago the firm of Cooke and Cooke, rent and debt collectors, brought an action in the Magistrate's Court to recovei from Read Bros., watchmakers, Newton, a, sum of £1 Is, an annual subscription alleged to be due under an agreement. The magistrate gave judgment for the defendants, and plaintiffs gave notice of appeal. At a meeting of tradespeople held in the Foresters' Hall, Newton, Sast nio-ht the circumstances were laid before those present, and it was agreed to support the defence financially, as numbers of others were effected by the decision, and a committee of six was appointed to collect the amount necessary to augment that which has already been voluntarily subscribed.

A meeting of the Auckland Women's Liberal League took place yesterday evening in Wesley Hall. Mrs. Kerr (president) presided. After the routine business had been disposed of, a motion was taken concerning the abolition of the ballot in the election of members. It was decided to abide by the decision of the majority. Several notices of motion were tabled for next night of meeting. Mr. R. French being unable to be present to read his paper on " Non-party Government," on account of illness, it was read by Mr. Morgan. The writer said the functions of government were ever widening, and as its goal should be the happiness of the governed, the women of the colony should unite in removing every hindrance that existed to good and efficient government. There were certain evils tolerated in the General Assembly, simply owing to party allegiance. Mr. French gave an historical resume of the discussions which had taken place in Parliament on the question of non-party government. The discussion which took place on the paper, showed that the members of the League, for the most part, were in favour of party government, and adverse to the views of the author of the paper. Mr. W. J. Napier, who took part in the discussion, promised to address the League at some future date, on "Some reasons in favour of party government."

A telegram has been received by the Auckland police authorities that the charge of horse stealing against Win. Lloyd Quentery, who was arrested up North, has been dismissed, and that the accused has been remanded to Dargaville on the second charge—that of the alleged larceny of a gun.

A special meeting of the Ponsonby School Committee was held on Monday evening in the schoolroom. There were present-.—Messrs. W. Leys (chairman), J. Shaw, J. Maxwell, C. E. Wright, J. Turner, and R. T. Warnock. The business before the committee was the consideration of the petition urging the Board of Education to void the election of the School Committee on the ground of certain irregularities. The Chairman submitted a draft letter which he had prepared in reply to the statements contained in the petition, and after reading it moved, "That ib be forarded to the Board." After consider able wiscussion, the draft letter was adopted.

The weekly meeting of the Mount Albert Literary and Debating Society was held in the Wesleyan Schoolroom on May 27. There was a large attendance, and the President (Mr. Thomas Allen) occupied the chair. The subject of the evening was the Journal, edited by Mr. S. J. Harbutt, and the following anonymous contributions to its pages were read by various members of the society Editorial Notes, A Chinese Menu, Gossip, The Duel, Reminiscences of Tummas Sharpies, Wearyin' for You, Scraps, What Constitutes a Gentleman, Political Morality, Comparisons, My Impressions of the Colonies, Tobacco, Friendship, and Power of Bearing Extreme Heat. The paper entitled, " My Impressions of the Colonies," elicited a considerable degree of adverse criticism, to which the writer replied. The music was under the charge of Miss Brooks, and several items were rendered by Mr. H. L. James, Miss Schnackonberg, Miss Maud Sellers, and Mr. S. Aafcley.

A tragic incident Is reporl by Captain Mathieeon, of the brtque D<V,i o n, which has arrived ab Sydnti from Blakely. On March 14, when tlfc vessel. a B j n latitude 22deg.*14min. south, lon|d e 41deg. east, a sailor named Cohn iteen we nb nfb, and requested the wptainl D ijw his (Petersen's) brains out. As 1 unfortunate man's mind seemed uerana the captain ordered him to his cabin, 4ding to secure him there. Before, "Ivor, he could be placed under restraint,! gob on the fore-rigging, and jumped t, there overboard. A boat was i»|diabely lowered, and sent away, but t| eearc h for the unfortunate man proved|j tle!f , The weather was fine at the tim|p eter . sen was a native of Norway, and s| e d all right up to the day of his commift, the rash act. | In our obituary columns of yefoay's Issue appeared the death of Mr. CHt 8 £. Willdigg, at Sydney, on the 2:>ffi Qg t. The deceased was well-known in Auhnd, being a resident here formerly, arlhaid Auckland a visit a few months nga His death must have been somewhat audi as letters received by his friends on MLlay did not refer to his being indisposedffl'he news of his death was received by tie. Mr. Willdigg leaves a wife and familjljie was an enthusiastic musician, ancles following his profession ab the time ins death. | Early in April last the clerk o|he Diocesan Office, Mr. Edward Bacon,wiiLd occupied that post for fourteen years,fed of brain fever. He loft a widow illdifferent health, with seven little chilli, the youngest a baby, totally unprovld for. Tho widow is receiving a small aIL. ance of 5s a week from the Ladies' Bfe. volent Society, and is endeavouring to «& a few shillings to maintain her chilli, though ill and weak from consumption, H unable to do any hard work. Mr. Bah was the second son of the late Mr. Til Bacon, of the known Freemascf Tavern, London, and was in his young d;\ an officer in the army, and also a memo of the order of Freemasons. Mrs. Bacl has also come of highly respectable pareri age, and makes an appeal to us " on behta of her fatherless little ones," to make ht sad case public. We shall be happy t acknowledge and forward any donation which the benevolently-disposed may for ward for the benefit of Mrs. Bacon and hei children.

The funeral of the late Charles B. Dunn] took place on Monday in the Catholic Cemetery, Panmure. [Notwithstanding the continuous downpour of rain, the funeral cortege comprised many friends and wellwishers of the deceased, who, it may be mentioned, was brother to Mr. A. R. Dunn, an old and much esteemed friond of Mon-

signor McDonald. The funeral obsequies were performed by the Monsignor, who was assisted by Father Kehoe, of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland. The children attending Father Walter's School sang with a very pleasing effect some well-selected hymns, both in the church and at the grave, and those present were addressed in very feeling and very homely terms by him.

Last evening Mr. R. Crabb, G L.V.D., temperance lecturer, delivered the second of his series of lectures in St. James's Hall/ the subject being "[Nuts to Crack." Mtf W. J. Macdermott presided. The hal was crowded, and a number had to stanf. The lecturer in a humourous and effective address, which was frequently applaudjd, contended that homes could not be happy, unless temperance reigned there, and /he parents made the home a centre of live, affection, and happiness for the children. The press complained of the larrikins and larrikinism, but these were simply tit products of neglected homes. It wis agreat mistake to think that only the hornesbf the poor and the workers were desolatld by drink, for the shadow of intemperan« was Eometimes thrown across the threshold of aristocratic mansions and pleasant-looking suburban villas. To-night Mr. CrW>b will take as his theme " The People's Sights, the Case for Prohibition." /

At the Ponsonby Baptist Chuich last night, the Rev. A. H. Collins gavj an interesting lecture under the auspices of the Mutual Improvement Society. There was a very fair attendance, Mr. Thorn presiding. The subject dealt with was "My Trip Through the Continent of Europe," the scenery, works of art, engineering achievements, and public buildings, a? well as the manners and customs of the various countries through which Mr. Collins had passed, were graphically and faithfully described. The lecturer's opinions were always interesting, and his impressions of what he saw were entertaining. French, German, Swiss, and Italian life were all 'touched upon in turn, and altogether an enjoyable evening was spent. Before the gathering separated, a vote of thanks to Mr Collins for his lecture was carried.

An event of considerable interest to the Presbyterians located in Te Aroha and Ohinemuri took place in Te Aroha Public Hall on Sunday last, May 26. After public worship had been conducted by the Rev. John Macdonald, of Te Awamutu, three gentlemen, namely, Mr. J. S. Ingram (Paeroa), Mr. John McKenzie (To Aroha), Mr. Joseph C. Slevin (Waihi), were ordained and admitted, and Mr. D. Craig, Wairakau, inducted to the eldership of the congregation, having previously answered all the questions satisfactorily which were put to them by the Moderator. This is the first election of elders since the formation of the extensive charge. There was a large congregation, and Presbyterianistn there has been considerably consolidated by the formation of this permanent session.

At the last fortnightly meeting of the Woodside Mutual Improvement Class, the president, Mr. Eenge, occupied the chair. Three new members were duly elected. This being " Journal" night the following papers were read and discussed, viz. : — "On the Wallaby," by Mr. H. Rollett; "Kisses and Kissing," by Mr. W. Chapman ; " Work," by Miss U. Harris. The business for next meeting was then announced as "Readings and Recitations."

"Parliamentary Side-shows" was the title of Mr. C. E. Jones' second humorous lecture, delivered last night at the Young Men's Christian Asnociation Lecture Hall. There was a fairly good attendance, and the audience throughout were kept interested and amused by an admirable combination of historical facts and humorous incidents, recited with a quvdnt individuality which never allowed the interest to flag for a moment. Referring to the assumption of John Bull that he invented all that was worth inventing, amongst other things that parliaments were due to his capacity for self-government, he showed that their germs were brought to Europe from the villages of India. He alluded to the origin of the existence of the Lords and Commons in a manner far from complimentary to the former, and then dealt with incident? of the British Parliament and American Congress. His references to parliaments were not always confined to the humorous side; they were instructive and historical, and Mr. Jones was not only listened to with marked attention, bub he was warmly applauded and invoked roars of hearty genuine laughter. To-night Mr. Jones will deliver his famous Mormon lecture.

A very enjoyable musical evening was spent by the large congregation at St. Matthew's Church, last evening, when a programme of music of great excellence was provided by the Church organist, Mr. Toweey. It was devoted entirely to compositions by the famous Anglo-Saxon composer, Handel, all of which were rendered with great success by the executants. After the singing of the hymn, "The Church's One Foundation," and shortened Evening Prayer, read by the Rev. _J. Alloway, Mr. Towdey opened the recital with an admirable performance of tho overture to «' Saul," after which he played with taste and finished technique- the popular gavotte in B flab, and the taking "Siciliana" from the Fire Music. The difficult organ concerto in D minor received a masterly interpretation. The opening andante and adagio movements were given with careful regard for expression, and the concluding fugue was executed with telling effect. The programme also contained the celebrated " Harmonious Blacksmith," the much-admired Largo," and the "Coronation Anthem," all of which received artistic deliveries. Madame Chambers and Mr. Towsey gave a specially meritorious performance of Handel's violin sonata in A major; while Mr. Percy Dufaur's singing of the recitative and aria " With Pious Hearts," from " Judas Maccabteus ;" and the massive solo, Why Do the Nations," from the " Messiah," was much enjoyed; and Madame Chambers' fine interpretation of the exacting aria, from " Samson," " Lob the Bright Seraphim," proved her to be a vocalist of no (mean order. It is intended next month to .'give another recital, when the subject will be Mendelssohn.