LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12278, 23 May 1903, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Mr. Ch-amherlatv, in a letter to a con-, stituent, states that lie is fully convinced that the prosperity of the country depends largely on trade with the colonies. Under a wise system of mutual concessions it would, he believes, advance by leaps and bounds! In the past too much consideration had been given to the advantage of buying in the cheapest market. Increased wages' he says, ■ are more important to the working class than reduced cost of living. Lord Eosebery ' does not admit that he has, what the Times ascribed to him, an open mind on Mr. Chamberlain's preferential trade proposals. He is surprised that his Burnlev speech shou'd ' have been interpreted &Wflprting the view* . of the Colonial Secretary. Mr. Asquith says Mr. Chamberlain's, proposals will have . the united and unqualified, opposition of the whole Liberal party. k trade league has been formed to further! a- change of fiscal . policy. It has transpired that many thousands of fever infested blankets used by the troops in South Africa during the war have found their way to England, and been largely sold to the poorer classes. Already several cases of enteric have been traced to this source of infection. The Turkish general in Macedonia has received information that a hundred Bulgarian officers and 2500 men have crossed the frontier and joined the insurgents. The patient digging of modern archaeologists: among the buried ruins.bfa . lost civilisation is being rewarded from time to time by important discoveries which he'.p ' us to complete the picture of the dim distant . past before time ■ had begun to overthrow . those palaces and piles stupendous, of < which the very ruins are tremendous." Among the most interesting of these discoveries is the one recorded in our cable messages this morninga portion of a public library dealing with the earliest Babylonian"; history. ■ The translation of these ancient records will be awaited with eagerness and curiosity. ' v ; "f The new Bishop of Auckland (the Bight Bev. Dr. Neligan) addressed a large gathering of the clergy of the diocese in All Saints' Church at a Communion service yes--terday morning, 68 being present. Dr. - Neligan gave an address of a most interest- . ing and impressive character.' The meeting was followed by a lunch in the schoolroom, . when short addresses were delivered by the ■ Bishop and Archdeacon Calder. In the afternoon His Lordship was present at the opening of the Victoria School for Maori Girls, and delivered an address. A public reception and welcome will be accorded to ■ the Bishop in the Choral Hall this evening.; Those purposing to be present are requested to be in their seats before a-quarter to eight, at which time the Mayor (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) will take the chair. His Excellencv the Governor will be present, and , will address a few words of welcome to. Bishop Neligan. A joint address will be presented to the Bishop by the clergy and laity of the diocese, and one from the Maori clergy and laity. The Mayor, supported by Sir John Logan Campbell, will welcome the Bishop on behalf of the city. The Ministers' Assocation will be represented by the Rev. H. B. Gray (St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church) and.the Rev. W. Ready (St. Johns Methodist Church), who will give Bishop. Neligan a welcome on behalf of their association, and Mr. Thos. Buddie will extend a welcome on behalf of the Y.M.C.A. The latter half of the evening will probably be devoted to social intercourse. At All Saints Church, Ponsonby Road, at nine a.m. tomorrow, His Lordshin will conduct a Maon ordination service, and will remain for morning prayer, which will commence at halfpast eleven a.m. In the evening he will preach at St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell. The Herald Summary, for transmission by the next outward San Francisco mail, will be published on Wednesday, May 27. . Those desirous of forwarding the Summary to their friends in Europe, America, etc., will have ample time to do so, as the newspaper mail closes on Friday next, at 11.30 a.m., up to which hoar papers for mailing may be obtained of runners at the v. post office. This mail will be due in London on June 27. Owing to the accident to Master Cvtjl Ward, who was severely injured by a »» Sir Joseph Ward will remain in Christchorch for a week or 10 days. The lad is progressing very well, but it will be some- days before lie is out of danger. In giving evidence yesterday at an in* quest touching the death of a male prisoner (George Frederick Porter), who died suddenly the day before, the gaoler (Mr. Severne) referred to the presence in ta ° gaol of a lunatic. This caused Mr. W. *' Napier, who was watching the proceeding on behalf of the relatives oi the aeceasea, to ask if it was a common thing for «* tics to be sent to Mount Eden, and it ™* gaol was regarded as a fit and pr°P" place for persons suffering from »"»%' ■ Mr. Severne, in replv, said he certaiWJ did not regard the gaol as a proper p-w to send lunatics to. but the fact remaniea that they were at times to be found tnere.. and considerable difficulty was exP" e " c { j c in having them committed to the . lun , asvtom. Whether this was due to . fart that the asylum was crowded M [™?£, not sav, while quite apart from the .din cultv in this direction some Nativesj ier insane persons did not seem to do. about having the sufferers transfer!, ,-. the asylum, being quite satisfied as i°»» as they knew that they were safe unci*. lock and key. Mr. Grainger, Administrator of Land* « -. Bulawayo, is at present a visitor m *uv* . land. , • -*

' Tomorrow (Sunday) will be the fortieth ' niversary of the ship Tyburnia's departure J!L Gravesend for Auckland with the last • rtv of the Albertland special settlers, the Sip making port on August 30. With reference to a paragraph in yesterday's Herald, in which it was stated that a"graduate who had taken the degree f 'bSc. had gone to Wellington for the piipo S e : of studying for honours and for ft* decree of Doctor of Science, the Rev. D. W Bondman, registrar of the Auckland r!diversity College, writes :-" The student Serred to has not gone to Wellington J!i the purpose stated, viz., of studying far honours and for the degree of Doctor „f Science. In point of fact the gentleman referred to holds an appointment in lt 6 Public Works Department, and he has Jen removed to Wellington by his official moervisors in accordance with the requirements of the public sen-ice. No choice, therefore, has been left to him, and as a matter of course he is obliged to prosecute lis studies in Wellington."

At the meeting of the Crown Lands Board, held yesterday, a letter was received from the Under-Secretary of Crown lands stating that the matter of the disposal 'of timber on leasehold lands had fj<veti considered by the Cabinet, and that timber must in future be paid for as in the past, i.e., royalty paid to.the receiver 0 f revenue from Crown tenats who sell their timber.

Mr. Win. Richardson, the well-known temperance advocate, who recently figured as defendant in a criminal libel charge, being -/nuitted by the jury, made an application to Mr. Justice Conolly at the Supreme Court yesterday for costs. His Honor promised to deal with the application on the first day of the banco sittings.

An old settler passed away on the 19th inst, in the person of Mr. Wm. Sewell, at the age of 82 years. Deceased arrived in ♦he colony about 40 years ago in the ship Hanover, with the Albertland settlers, and went to reside at Takapuna, but for the last 30 rears has been farming in the jwijhbourhood of the Three Kings, Epsom Vor many rears he took a lively interest in local affairs, but of late had lived in comparative retirement. He was very highly esteemed for his sterling qualities md neighbourly disposition. Mr. Sewell was a native of Kent, England. He leaves i widow, one son, and four grandchildren to mourn their loss.

A meeting of the Citizens' Ball General Committee was held yesterday afternoon at the Municipal Chambers, Mr. Bart. Kent presiding. There were present: Messrs H. C. Tewsley, C. Hanson, A. W. Gordon, G. Aickin, E. H. Lyon, Captain Johnson, L. D. Nathan, I. Alexander, M. A Cark. L. Benjamin, G. W. S. Patterson, W, D. Holgate, A. Russell, W. Coleman D. R. Caldwell, J. Reid, S. T. George, W. E. Woodward, and Dr. McDowell. The names of Messrs. E. D. O'Rorke, F. E. Baume, M.H.R. t P. Hansen, A. Kidd, M.H.R.. T. Irving, and Professor Brown were added to the General Committee. The secretary (Mr. W. R. Holmes) announced that the drill-shed had been secured for the purposes of the ball, through the courtesy of Colonel Davies, with the sanction of the Minister for Deduce. Special preparation of the floor will be made. A date for the function was proposed, and will be submitted to His Excellency the Governor for approval. The price of the tickets of admission was fixed at a guinea for gentlemen and half-a-guinea for ladies. A good number of names have been added to the guarantee list, and a canvass will be made by the committee appointed for the purpose during the week. Notification of willingness to assist in promoting the function by guarantee may be made to either Mr. W. B. Holmes or Mr. A. J. Denniston.

The annual meeting of the Auckland centre of the St. John Ambulance Association was held under the presidency of the Mayor (the Hon. E. Mitchelson), at the Choral Hall, last night. The Governor, Countess of Ranfurly, and other members •of the vice-regal party, attended the function. An address was given by His Excellency, and he presented the certificates and medallions gained by pupils during the past year. ,

A well-known citizen in the person of Mr. W. S. Montgomery passed away at Lake Takapuna yesterday. The deceased was formerly a hotelkeeper at the Upper Thames, where he.held large hotel interests at Waikino and Karangahake, in which he took an active interest up till quite recently, when he removed to Lake Takapuna, where he took over the business of the Lake Hotel. Mr. Montgomery, who' was highly esteemed by those by whom he was known, leaves a large grown-up family; two of his sons have ■charge of the Owharoa and Waikino Hotels respectively. Within the past few years Mr. Montgomery paid two visits to the Old Country. Sincere regret at his death has been expressed at the Thames, Paeroa, and other districts of the Upper Thames, and many expressions of sympathy in their bereavement were sent to"the family from these districts yesterday.

Mr. Kirkbride has just completed a tour of the Manukau electorate, excepting Onehunga, with a view to acquainting himself with the wants of his district before he goes to Parliament next month. Yesterday Mr. Kirkbride arranged with Mr. D. A. Sutherland (Mayor of Onehunga) to meet the Council and any residents of Onehunga who may wish to attend at the Borough Council Chambers, Onehunga, on Monday night, June 1.

The Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls at Parnell was opened yesterday afternoon by His Excellency the Governor, in the presence of a very large gathering of residents and visitors. Besides the speech of the Governor, addresses were delivered by Mr. J. H. Upton (acting-chair-man of the trustees), Bishop Neligan, the Rev. P. A. BeHnett, the Rev. Canon MacMurray, Mr. K. B. Morton, and Mr. A. T. Ngata. A full report of the proceedings appears elsewhere.