Town News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 230, 5 February 1876, Page 14

Town News.

We understand that the Government has granted a gratuity to the gentlemen connected with the expedition for raising the cable. During the month of January the sale_ of land in the Rangitumanu block has been going on successfully, 6950 acres having been disposed of in small lots to capital settlers. The stationers are already making preparations for St. Valentine's X>ay, their shop windows displaying varied assortments of valentines for the enticement of the young. A supplement to the New Zealand Gazette, issued on Saturday, contains terms of the general convention between the Governments •of Great Britain and Tunis. We understand that Mr. Thomas Mason, of the Hutt, who was hurt by a fall from a haystack on his farm, is slowly but surely recovering. Durino- the month of January there were in the city of Wellington 67 births, 1 stiU birth, 30 deaths, and 22 marriage certificates were issued. In recognition of his services for the Hokitika district in the House of Representatives, it is the intention of Mr. John White's constituents to present him with a substantial testimonial. A New Zealand Gazette extraordinary, issued on Tuesday, relieves the members of the House ■of Representatives from attendance this day, and convokes Parliament for the 25th of April next. On Tuesday morning at the commencement of business hours his Worship the Mayor attended at the wharf, and the ex-lessee, Mr. W. V. Jackson, formally handed over possession. Mr. Reeves was at once placed in charge. The new quarter has been commenced at the Wellington College this week. During Monday and on Tuesday twenty-three new pupils were received. This speaks well for the popularity of the College. A large number of applications have been received for the appointment of French master, and as many of the applicants are first class-men, doubtless 3, good master will be secured. It has been decided that the New Zealand shore end of the cable shall be laid about fourteen and a half miles from the Nelson Telegraph O ffi ce, an d about four miles from the Wakapuaka end of the Boulder Bank, to whence the land line will be immediately extended. It is somewhat remarkable that, the soundings give the greatest depth between Sydney and New Zealand at 2000 fathoms, about the same depth as the deepest part between Great Britain and America. The wounded men Reidal and Paul seem to be slowly but steadily recovering, a fact which cannot be regarded but with astonishment, considering how near they were to death, and how they are hacked about. Young, of course, is out of danger. In all probability the evidence of Young and Paul will be taken on Thursday next, when the case against Smat will be proceeded with unless either of the men should suffer a relapse in the meantime. The Dunedin police authorities are either overpressed with work or are spendthrifts in the use of red-tape. On Friday morning the Inspector of Police here telegraphed to know if Campbell were wanted. No reply came up to the time of the departure of the steamer, so that he was arrested on the responsibility of the police here. But about five o'clock an indefinite answer was received. Then another telegram was sent to know if a remand to Dunedin were required, but up to the rising of the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday the will of the Dunedin police was not intimated, and Inspector Atchison again, on his own responsibility, took action, and applied for a remand to Dunedin. In each case the message to Dunedin was marked urgent. Campbell was remanded to Dunedin, and will be sent by the Wellington on Wednesday.

The return of Dr. Hector, C.M.G., &c, &c, will not take place till June or July, he being about to visit the Philadelphia Exhibition in the capacity of a New Zealand Commissioner. J. A. Bonar, M.L.C., J. C. Crawford, F.G.S., and T. Kirk, F.L.S., have been elected by the affiliated societies members of the board of governors of the New Zealand Institute. Letters of naturalisation have been issued to Ah Le, storekeeper, Roxburgh ; W. P. L. Labes, farmer, Tuapeka ; and L. M. Holmes, draper, Masterton. We direct attention to the very important land sale advertised by Messrs. Bethune and Hunter for 21st February. Besides a quantity of country land, eight lots of the most valuable land in the city are to be offered. We have received a copy of the Licensed Victualler's Gazette, published in Christchurch, for the advocacy of the interests of the hotel trade. The paper is well got up, and nicely printed ; the original matter is in good taste, and the reprint well selected. The thirty-five cwt. bullock, which has been on exhibition in Wellington during the last few days, was taken south in the Taupo on Friday. It may be hoped that better appliances will be used in landing the animal at Lyttelton and elsewhere than were used on its transference from the steamer to the wharf here. Scholarships, open to boys attending the public schools of Wellington, and tenable at the College, have this year fallen to Masters Webb and Ludwig, scholars. Only one was actually gained, but the difference between the boys was so slight that the Governors of the College have decided to award a scholarship to each. Both boys were pupils under Mr. Mowbray, of the Thorndon school. Mr. C. B. Izard, we learn, purposes a visit to the old country, and will start in about three weeks. Mr. Izard has for the past fifteen years occupied a leading position in legal circles in Wellington, and in addition to the work of a large private practice, has for eight or nine years held the post of Crown Prosecutor, so that he has well earned a holiday. We believe Mr. H. D. Bell, his partner, will perform the duties of Crown Prosecutor during Mr. Izard's absence. His Excellency the Governor and the Marchioness of Normanby, attended by suite, and accompanied by the Hon. E. Richardson, Minister of Public Works, and Mrs. Richardson, went by special train to the Upper Hutt on Monday, to inspect the new line. The train ran very easily and smoothly, and it is evident that Mr. McKirdy has carried out his contract in a very substantial manner, and fully maintains his reputation as a contractor. The line will be thrown open for traffic this morning. Mr. Thompson has been appointed station-master at the Upper Hutt. Captain J. Holt and Mr. F. McCarthy have become sole proprietors of the Press Telegraph Agency. These gentlemen have had the control and management of the Agency's extensive business for some time, and have given an amount of general satisfaction which should cause wonder to anyone acquainted with the difficulty of the work. During the last session of Parliament the Press Agency gave excellent telegraph reports of the proceedings in the House day by day, and this was greatly owing to the energy and ability of Mr. F. McCarthy, whose acquaintance with Press work generally is of much assistance to him in his present capacity. We wish these gentlemen every success in their undertaking, feeling fully conscious that they deserve it. A meeting of the Council of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held on Saturday afternoon at the Museum, when the ordinary routine business was transacted. Several new members were elected. The President having communicated to the Council a letter from the President of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, asking authority to contradict a rumor that certain proceedings of the Wellington Philosophical Society, as they appear in the seventh volume of " The Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," are incorrectly transcribed, it was resolved that the President be requested to authorise the President of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute to contradict that rumor. It was mentioned that the Museum would be thrown open to the public during the present week. The exhibits are not all arranged as the Hon. Mr. Mantell could wish, speaking from a scientific point of view, but for the pxxrposes of casual public inspection everything is in very nice order. The old Co-operative Bakery in Willis-street is now in full swing, under the active supervision of the proprietor, Mr. George Underwood, of Victoria House, Courtenay-place. _ It is just about a year since when the premises were sold by auction to Mr. C. Moody, who was understood to have been the originator of the society. During the short time the society was in existence, two new ovens and a commodious bakehouse, with a flour loft capable of storing 100 tons of flour, were built ; and. had the society progressed, as. the start promised, it was the intention of some of the members to propose the erection of a flour mill also. But dissension crept in, and the whole affair collapsed. On the premises falling into Mr. Moody's hands, he cast about for a tenant, and secured the present proprietor, one of the old employes of the society, who has succeeded in establishing a large trade—the average number of loaves produced daily at the present time being 1300, while on Friday, the 21st inst., some 2036 loaves were baked in one oven. The other oven has since been put into use, and the capabilities of the establishment thereby so increased that the staff of bakers would have no difficulty in turning out 2500 loaves per day if required. An establishment of this magnitude is a great desideratum, as in those days of immigration the resources of the bakers are sometimes severely tried to produce extra large quantities at a short notice.

The followiug is a return of patients in the Provincial Hospital during and ending the month of January, 1876-. Admitted, 14 males, 7 females ; discharged, 22 males, 4 females; died, 1 male; left in hospital, 32 males, 8 females. Total remaing in, 40. There are more prisoners in the Wellington Gaol just now than ever there have been before, viz., 84. The want for increased accommodation is much felt, but it is one of those little matters that must stand over until after the provincial changes have been completed. Since the termination of the cable fishing expedition the Luna has been undergoing general repair and cleaning, which is a work of time apparently, for operations in this direction are still proceeding, and do not appear to have approached conclusion. A beautiful piece of ornamental work, made by the tasteful arrangement of seaweed of different varieties and colors, is on view at Mr. Burrett's shop, Lambton-quay. The design is unquestionably tasteful. It is the work of a lady in Wellington who devotes herself exclusively to such work. Mr. Ludlam left by the Otago for Europe on Monday, and will be away from New Zealand about twelve or eighteen months. Mr. Ludlam is one of our pioneer settlers, and an old M.H.R., and now, having seen a great deal of the progress made by part of the New World, has left us to see something of the Old. We wish him a pleasant trip, and a safe return. A landlord and a lodger quarrelled in Cubastreet on Tuesday, and the landlord hit the lodger over the head with a boot so heavily that a gash was formed and blood came. The Volunteer Artillery, who were hauling their guns past about the time this happened, lent the police help, and one or both of the combatants were taken to the lock-up. After an absence of nearly twelve months from the colony, Mr. and Mrs. Krull returned by the Alhambra on Thursday. They were warmly welcomed by a large number of friends. Mr. Krull is one of the leading merchants of the city, and closely identified with its interests, and he cannot fail to be gratified with the progress made in the short time he was away. Councillor Pharazyn rather alarmed his brother Councillors on Thursday when he told them they had run up a lawyer's bill of costs to the tune of £9OO in seeking to recover £142 rates. It turned out that Mr. Pharazyn had imaginatively added about £SOO to the charge, and had forgotten that the. lands were liable for the remainder. It would be unkind to say anything of the next retort Councillor Greenfield gave to Mr. Pharazyn's complaint of want of notice of the rate being due. A large number of gentlemen assembled at the wharf on Thursday to await the arrival of the Alhambra and give a welcome to the New Zealanders returning to the colony after a Home trip. Lady Vogel was received by her father, W. H. Clayton, Esq., Colonial Architect, the Hon. E. Richardson, Minister of Public Works, and the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Minister of Marine, and a large number of other friends tendered their congratulations on her safe arrival. As the s.s. Otago was leaving the wharf on Monday night a young man, name unknown, fell overboard, and but for timely assistance would have been drowned. As it was it was touch and go, for the man when rescued had but little life left in him. The scene was a weird one. Some ten or a dozen men, with wax matches ! trying to obtain a glimpse of the unfortunate ducked one. The matches, however, answered the purpose, as with their aid some half a dozen willing hands succeeded in grasping the man, who was taken home by his friends. The returns of traffic for a number of New Zealand railways during the four weeks ended January 15, are published. These are:—The Kaipara line, passengers and parcels, £lls 4s. Bd.; goods, £l5O 4s. 5d.; total, £265 9s. Id. New Plymouth and Waitara line, £219 4s. 2d. and £25 18s. 9d.; total, £245 2s. lid. Napier and Waipukurau line, £619 10s. 7d. and £428 os. 9d.; total, £1047 lis. 4d. Picton and Blenheim line, £348 os. Bd. and £ll3 15s. lid.; total, £461 16s. 7d. The returns for the Wellington and Masterton line have been already published by us. It is not always good to be too familiar with your cook, judging from the case against C. Ancell, who was on Thursday charged at the Resident Magistrate's Court with horse-stealing. It seems Mr. Charles Pugsley, at the Taita, employed the accused as cook, and allowed him to keep a horse on the premises. Master and man became so familiar that they rode one another's horses as to each seemed best, but after a while they quarrelled, and it is alleged that accused on leaving took away the master's good horse instead of his own weed, and attempted to convert it into cash. Yesterday he was remanded. The Queen's wharf affords a resting place for many sleepy heads on fine nights. This is a curious fact, which has been frequently noticed by parties at different times. It will scarcely be credited that there exists in Wellington much of that poverty common to other large centres of population, wherein many a weary soul is glad to be let rest out in the night air, with no sort of covering between them and the sky above. Therefore we must assume that these somniculous gentry hold the pure night air (for sleeping purposes) to be an improvement upon atmosphere enclosed within four walls and a roof. The berths appear to be taken up at hazard, as there is not much choice, and the occupants betray an equal disregard of form or ceremony in respect of clothing. Some are clad with primitive scantiness, while others, more regardful of personal comfort or adornment, affect a respectable development of clothes ; and some again have been seen with blankets and pillows, the which style of sleeping, being most civilised, is most scarce. A fine night being assured, perhaps this is as good a way of taking repose as any other.

The following gentlemen are gazetted _as having passed the Civil Service Examination from Wellington :—Junior examination: F, N. Frankland, J. H. H. Blow, E. G. Pilcher, H. J. Knowles, N. M. F. Perston, W. Miller, J. Renner, G. R. Card, E. E. O'Neill, and A. M. Hirschberg. Senior examination : J. W. Brown. Mr. Sutherland, one of the contractors on. the Wellington and Masterton railway, met with a severe accident a few days ago, by which he broke his collar bone.» He is now progressing favorably, but it will be some time before he can take any active part in the work upon which he and his men were engaged at the time of the accident. Harry Tindall, on a charge of obtaining money under false pretences, was committed for trial on Thursday. There were two charges, but on that in which Mr. Hall was concerned prisoner was dismissed, Mr. Hall having expressed a wish to withdraw it. Tindall was committed on the evidence of Mr. Charles Pharazyn. We hear that the Wanganui boating people ar* starting a rowing club, and negotiating with Wellington clubs for the purchase of boats. One of the clubs (the Star) has, we hear, presented the new club with the sixoared gig Ruallura. This is an excellent boat, but rather too light for Wellington waters ; however, on the Wanganui river she will be in water for which she is specially suited. Tasmanians in New Zealand, and there are many of them, will much regret to hear of the death of Mr. W. A. Collins, of Launceston, which occurred on the 13th ult., as reported by papers to hand. He was a of standing in the town, and a thorough enthusiast in cricket. For years he has been the mainstay of several clubs, and the inauguration of intercolonial matches was owing to his instrumentality. The Caledonian Society's dinner on Thursday night was a very pleasant one, in consequence of the fact that it was a friendly assemblage, at which each present paid for his own ticket. As a result, there was no representative there of that literary class which regards free admission to a public dinner and drinks as one of its dearest privileges. The fact that such a representative was not invited has naturally given offence to the excluded ; but this can be put up with, considering what a boon his absence was. The following is a return of the traffic on the Wellington and Masterton railway for the four weeks ended January 15 : No. & s. d. & s. d. Passengers .. 9441 .. 478 1 1 Parcels .. .. 200 .. 3S 12 10 Season tickets .. 3 15 8 Tons cwt. Freight, &c. 1126 16 .. 475 2 3 ° 475 2 3 Total £995 11 10 Under the latter heading comes 1379 bales of wool and 71,016 feet timber. This large increase enforces attention to the desirableness of pushing forward the extension of the line as fast as possible. Osgood's Metropolitan Hotel took fire on Monday about noon. The roof was suddenly found to be in a blaze, and the engine, which is stationed next door, was brought, and volunteers readily set to work. The City Surveyor had a full supply of water put on, and the pressure was all that could be desired ; so that before the brigades could arrive all danger was at an end, though they were up with creditable promptitude. It is supposed that a spark from one of the chimneys must have ignited the shingles, which were as dry as tinder. A large hole was burnt in the roof, and the prevention of the total destruction of the building would have been quite impossible had not the fire-engine been so ready to hand. A New Zealand Gazette was published on Thursday evening. It contains : —Notice of reduction of rates on postal packets ; tolls for passengers and goods on Otago railways ; additional gazettes under the Debtors and Creditors Act; re-appointment of the Hon. G. M. Waterhouse, W. T. L. Travers, Esq., and Dr. Hector as governors of the New Zealand Institute ; appointment of R. A. Buchanan to be deputy-registrar of births, deaths, and marriages at Akaroa; of John Daly to be cattleinspector for the northern district of Nelson; of F. G. Dalton to be public vaccinator for Albertland and Mangawai; of Edward Shaw, of Reef ton, to be a coroner, also a sheriff; of F. de C. Maling to be Supreme Court Registrar at Christchurch; of Thomas Cotter to be examiner of titles for Canterbury and Otago; of W. G. Walker to be clerk of the Resident Magistrate's Court, Christchurch; of G. E. Langbridge to be clerk in the Colonial Treasury; of E. C. Hulton to be Government insurance agent at Temuka. Mr. Chew has turned to good account the piece of land owned by him on the eastern side of Willis-street, by erecting thereon three commodious houses, intended for letting as business premises. The site is excellent, being in the very centre of the town, and the buildings when completed will be an adornment to the street, which at present is by no means peculiar for attractive architecture generally, although it contains one of the finest and decidedly substantial buildings in the town, — Jacob Joseph's store to wit. These new buildings have a frontage of 65 feet, and are all connected. On the ground floor of each there is a commodious shop, as also a workroom or store as the requirements of business may demand, and on the upper storey there are five dwelling rooms, in the construction and fitting of which every attention has been paid to securing comfort. The kitchen is provided with a capital range, and the water has been laid on, and connected with the different compartments in which its use is necessary. Mr. Chew himself performed the architectural portion of the work, the contract for building having been obtained by Mr. Beard. Applications have been made for each of the shop?, and one has been let to Mr. Laurie, plumber, who has a temporary place of business at the back.

During Tuesday and WedneEday most of the I immigrants per ship Shakspere were released from quarantine and taken to the immigration barracks. There are only a few now remaining on the island. The demand for domestic servants does not appear to have decreased in the least, all of the single girls having been engaged, and applications are still received by Mrs. Redwood at the barracks. A number of the men have been engaged by Mr. McKirdy, and a lot are to go to Mungaroa. The immigrants all appear to be in capital health, and seem thoroughly satisfied with their temporary quarters. There is an advantage in having a wooden leg, which is a consoling reflection for those who happen to be timbered in that way ; as thus. A man was charged with stealing _ a dog on Friday, for which, under ordinary circumstances, he would have received three months' imprisonment—so Mr. Crawford said ; but the thief happened to have a wooden leg, whereat the magistrate took compassion upon him, and imprisoned him for fourteen days only. Under these circumstances the culprit, instead of "thanking his lucky stars," might well have blessed his wooden leg. It will be seen by our report of proceedings at the City Council meeting on Thursday, that the Minister for Public Works declines to give his consent at present to the execution of the scheme for carrying on street tramways in Wellington. The objections of the Hon. Mr. [Richardson are, however, on purely technical, though perhaps proper grounds, and there is little reason to doubt but that, certain conditions being complied with, no difficulties will arise. The Press gives insertion to the following extract from a private letter received from Mr. Mossop, whilst editor and proprietor of the " Westminster Papers :"—"I am of course interested in Chess Clubs, but New Zealand has just now a large place in my heart, for I have just sent my eldest daughter to New Zealand by Broderick Castle for Auckland, for the benefit of her health, and I pray all chess and whist players (the latter being my hobby) to befriend her in case of need." A New Zealand Gazette was published yesterday. It contains —Proclamation withdrawing land from the Nelson- south-west goldfields ; appointment of J. E. Denniston to be revising barrister for the Province of Otago ; of Joseph Giles to be registrar and returning officer for Wanganui ; of A. R. Ure to the same office for Dunedin ; of Walter Martin to be clerk to the R.M. Court, Christchurch ; of P. H. Ibbetson to be clerk to the R.M. Court and receiver of gold revenue, Lyell ; acceptance of resignation of James Corse, coroner ;' and of W. W. Wallis, Captain Wairoa "Volunteers ; proclamation of reserve for public purposes at Taranaki. There are certain dirty dens of infamy in Wellington, the existence of which is occasionally made known to the general public through police court cases, in which the den holders appear from time to time. While giving evidence in a case of larceny on Friday, Detective Parrell described one of these unclean nests, and his description, not being garnished by any poetic effect, conveyed the notion that the house referred to required and may require still greater care from the Inspector of Nuisances than do the unpleasant odors, or "stinks," as some are fond of calling them, that offend the nostrils of pedestrians in many "Wellington thoroughfares. The formal opening of the Buckle-street school, under the superintendence of Mr. Newlyn, the head teacher, was celebrated by a gathering of the scholars—boys and girls - at the Caledonian cricket ground on Friday. There were about 300 scholars in attendance, and • they all enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content, all kinds of sports and games .having been arranged. In the course of the afternoon the committee met in the schoolroom and partook of refreshment, and afterwards a little business matter was discussed. Mr. Taylor proposed that Mr. Lee should distribute the prizes. To this Mr. Gaby proposed an amendment, that Mr. Taylor give out the boys' prizes and Mr. Toomath the girls'. Mr. Toomath begged to decline, and eventually it was decided that Mr. Dee should distribute the prizes. Three cheers were given for Mr. Newlyn and the other teachers, the same compliment being paid to the committee, and the proceedings were brought to a close by singing the National Anthem. Several of the other schools may probably have a similar treat, at any rate efforts are being made to get up one for the Thorndon school. The annual meeting of the Thorndon Licensed Victuallers Association was held at the Provincial Hotel on Thursday afternoon. There was a good attendance of members, including Messrs. Maginity (secretary), Coker, Cattell, Rivers, Gillespie, Hinge, Brady, and Duck. The minutes of previous meeting having been confirmed, it was resolved that the financial year should commence with January, 1876. A discussion arose respecting the .Licensed Victuallers' Gazette, and it was resolved to support the publication, and the secretary was instructed to communicate with the conductors as to the terms on which copies would be supplied to the association. It was also resolved that any communication to be sent to the journal should be furnished through the secretary. Messrs. Coker, Cattell, J. R. Brown, and J. Maginity were appointed a committee to arrange all matters connected with - the trade. The rules drawn up for the governance of the society were read, revised, and adopted, and the secretary was requested to call up subscriptions. In his report the secretary stated that the receipts had been £4O, and the expenditure about the same, and that, therefore, as there had been no occasion to call up the subscriptions he had refrained from doing so. The principal discussion took place on the question of inducing persons in the trade in other parts of the city than Thorndon to join the association. . The success which had attended the formation of the Thorndon Society, and the influence it had had in serving the

interests of hotelkeepers since its inauguration, were specially commented on, and it was believed that the licensed victuallers in le Aro and the centre of the city would join the societv. Eventually the committee before mentioned were requested to wait upon the different licensed victuallers to obtain then-co-operation. The meeting then adjourned. We learn from the Press Agency that the work of splicing the cable went on steadily all Thursday night, the weather being exceedingly favorable, and at 5.30 a.m. on Friday the task was finally completed, and the cable dropped overboard. By the regular office hours yesterday morning full communication was thoroughly restored, and all three wires working in duplex. After putting the cable overboard, the Buna steamed to Worser's Bay, and picked up the spare cable left there. She then came on to Wellington, arriving at the Queen's wharf shortly before noon. The bottom of the Government steam launch, which has been undergoing repairs on Meech's Slip, presented, on being taken up, quite a curiosity in marine growth. The little vessel was launched about ten weeks since, and had been coated with Borthwick's antifouling composition, over hematite paint. Nevertheless, on inspection by Mr. Meech last week, it was found that she had on her bottom seaweed twelve or thirteen inches long. This weed would appear to have grown at the rate of three-sixteenths of an inch per day. Mr. Meech, whose experience in marine matters is long and varied, characterises the growth of this 5 weed as unexampled in his knowledge. The following Volunteer appointments have been gazetted:—ln the Canterbury Engineer Volunteers —Charles Gordon Ross to be Captain; date of commission, 27th August, 1875. James Godfrey Warner to be Lieutenant; date of commission, 15th October, 1875. In the No. 1 Company, Pukekohe Rifle Volunteers — Hugh Wylie to be Lieutenant; date of commission, 10th January, 1876. In the No. 2 Company, Waiuku Rifle Volunteers —SubLieutenant Hugh Douglas to be Lieutenant; date of commission, 10th January, 1876. Joseph Coulthard to be Sub-Lieutenant; date of commission, 10th January, 1876. In the Invercargill Rifle Volunteers—David Macrorie to be Captain; date of commission, 6th December, 1875. William Benjamin Scandrett to be Lieutenant; date of commission, 6th December, 1875. Alexander Burns to be SubLieutenant; date of commission, 6th December, 1875. In the Mar ton Rifle Volunteer Cadets — Thomas Awdry to be Captain; date of commission, 11th December, 1875. The last Gazette contains notice of the disbandment of the Featherston Rifle Volunteers. On Friday Detective Farrell made a clever capture of a gentleman who has for some months been " wanted" by the Dunedin police —Mr. George Hyde Campbell. The firm of Campbell and Calvert were large crockeryware merchants in Princes-street, Dunedin, and occupied a most respectable position amongst the mercantile firms of the colony. Calvert dropped out of the firm, but the business was carried on by Campbell under the old title. The premises were burned down under rather suspicious circumstances, and some £7OOO was paid over to Campbell by the insurance companies, but the business was concontinued, till one fine day he made an unostentatious exit from the city, in a ship sailing for Hong Kong, and so remarkably cleverly was the escape managed that even when the detectives fruitlessly searched the ship, he was on board. A large number of debts were owing by the house, and several tradesmen were hopelessly ruined. But this was not the worst of the matter, for circumstances it is alleged transpired that at any rate seemed to show that he had been guilty of forgery in having altered a bill so as to make it payable for £l4l 17s. Sd. instead of £4l 17s. Sd. An information was laid against him, and a warrant issued. Nothing more was heard of him till on Friday, when Detective Farrell acting upon information acquired, caught Mr. Campbell asleep in his bunk on the Taupo, in which he had arrived from the North. When arrested, he appeared greatly surprised, but said nothing particular. He was taken to the police station, and when searched some £lO or £l2 was found upon him. On being brought before the Hon. W. B. Rhodes, J.P., he was remanded till this morning, when he will again be brought up and probably remanded to Dunedin. Where he has been during the past year is not known ; but from papers found in his possession, it is pretty clear he has visited San Francisco at any rate. There are on view in the window of Mr. W. G. Jackson's stationery warehouse, Lambtonquay, a number of exquisitely executed watercolor drawings of New Zealand scenery, from the pencil of John Gully, Esq. Mr. Gully has formed a project of issuing a work, entitled " New Zealand Scenery." Fifteen scenes are to be drawn and sent Home, where they will be reproduced in chromo-lithography, and a descriptive article written by Dr. Julius Von Haast will be bound up with them. The scenes selected are : —Ruapehu and Tongariro Mountains, from Taupo Lake, Auckland (sunrise) ; Mount Egmont, with the wooded hills at its base, Taranaki ; Up River Scene, with Maoris, canoes, &c, Wanganui, Wellington ; The Wairarapa Valley and Country, Wellington ; The Mauawatu Gorge, Wellington ; Milford Sound, Otago ; Bradshaw Sound, Otago ; Country above Lake Wanaka, Otago (morning); Canterbury Glaciers, Mount Cook, from the sea (stormy); Canterbury Glaciers, Mount Cook, west side ; Waimea Plains and Cultivated Country, Nelson ; Wairau Gorge, Nelson ; Inland Kaikoura Mountains and Awatere Valley, Marlborough ; New Zealand Foliage (upright), fern trees, nikau palms, rimu, and other rich foliage ; New Zealand Foliage (upright), cabbage trees, toi toi, flax, &c. The specimen scenes now on view at Mr. Jackson's are the fifth, sixth, and ninth mentioned, and a careful inspection warrants in saying that they are equal to the best drawings that come from the old country—the Canterbury Glaciers is perhaps the best. The scene is an enchanting one,

rivalling in grand, wild, snow-capped rugged-1 ness even the choicest selections of Alpine beauty. By New Zealanders the work will be highly prized and eagerly sought after, and in England it should create very great interest. Subscribers are being enrolled now, and the first part will be issued during the preseut year. The charge to subscribers is much lighter than that to non-subscribers, as the proprietors and publishers, Messrs. Wise and Co., of Dunedin, are desirous of knowing the extent of the demand prior to printing. Speaking of the personnel of a portion of the last Parliament, the Grey River Argus makes the following remarks :—" Of the members representing mining constituencies in the last Parliament, two had been drapers, one was a small agricultural leaseholder, three were journalists, one was a civil engineer, one a quasi lawyer, one a retired gingerbeer manufacturer, one an ex-purser, one who is celebrated for the cultivation of geese, and one a sharebroker. None of them could claim any special qualification as a miner, and there does not appear to be much likelihood of the list being materially altered. We shall have a doctor and perhaps several live lawyers, and a tradesman or two, but not one example of the ' noble digger.' " A meeting of the Wellington Highway Board was held on Wednesday, when the ordinary routine business was transacted. The most important point raised during the meeting was the question as to where the Provincial Government grant for the year was to come from. The Provincial Secretary had stated to the collector that he was about to see the Colonial Treasurer, to get an advance for the purpose of paying the money all in a lump sum instead of by instalments, and therefore several members began to congratulate themselves that there would be two grants—one from the Provincial Government, and one from the General Government of the 13s. 4d. in the pound promised. The chairman doubted whether they would get two, and he is pretty correct in his surmise, we fancy. It is not very clear how the General Government can advance the money, and very probably the only assistance the Board will get will be a proportion of the 13s. 4d payable by the General Government. A lecture was delivered on Friday night in the St. John's Presbyterian Schoolroom by Mr. Thomas Scott, a gentleman who has recently arrived in the colony from England. The subject of the lecture was on Sabbath school instruction, and he gave a very interesting and lucid explanation of certain systems of 3 teaching drawn up by a Mr. Mimpress and a Mr. Green, of England, who are enthusiasts in Sunday-school work. The former seemed to be the originator of the system, whilst the latter had improved upon it; and the lecturer claimed for the system that in a series of two hundred lessons it gave a comprehensive history of the life and teachings of Christ, and wove into one harmonious story the writings of the four Evangelists. From his pleasing free conversational manner and his evident good acquaintance with Scriptural history, it is easy to understand that the system referred to, or indeed any system, would work with him well ; but whether it is pre-eminently superior for use by any teacher is not quite so clear. There are teachers and teachers—with some no system would work, with others any system would be a good one. The lecturer also exhibited a " Scripture Pictorial Patchwork Quilt," the handiwork of Mr. Mimpress, and this attracted much attention and gained high admiration, and orders for the importation of some from England were given. A vote of thanks closed the proceedings. We understand Mr. Scott has been engaged by the Bishop of Nelson for church work in that province. WILSON'S PALACE CIRCUS. The Palace Circus was opened on Saturday, according to announcement, and of course there was an exceedingly large attendance, as curiosity had been excited by the glowing accounts of the circus which preceded its arrival here. In one or two respects it is infinitely superior to other circuses that have visited New Zealand from time to time. It embraces a large company, amongst whom there are naturally some of the class ordinary, and there are also some possessed of real talent. But the real attraction lies in the trained horses, whose education has been the special care of Mr. Kingsley. These animals do their trainer great credit, their performances, to say the very least, being wonderful ; and it may with confidence be asserted that they have not been surpassed by any of their kind engaged in the same line of business. One of Mr. Kingsley's horses is a beautiful cream-colored entire, upon whom devolves the more finished and ornamental, or, as one might say, the aristocratic part of the work. He marches, dances, walks on his hind legs with the greatest apparent ease, and in fact does everything but speak. He is evidently a superior animal apart from the effect of his excellent education, the expression of his eyes indicating the possession of unusual wisdom, even though we consider his station in life, and it is most amusing to watch the closeness with which he regards his trainer in order that he may get his cue. The other horse, in a different way, is quite as excellent, and we should strongly recommend all to take advantage of the short stay the circus make in this town to see these really attractive performances. As to the other parts of the entertainment, we may say that, hard as it is to infuse novelty into a business about which there is always a certain amount of sameness, Mr. Wilson has succeeded in getting that which answers as well as novelty, having got together in some way the elements of two or three distinct companies. Thus, he is accompanied by Airec, who will be remembered by all ; then there is a Mr. Hadj Hamil, an Arab, whose performances are excellent, consisting of jumping, turning somersaults, and other acrobatic feats, and during these performances he retains about his person two knives, which he manipulates in various ways while in the act of turning a somersault.

Hamil has a son—a very small boy—whose efforts equal those of any of the Japanese contortionists. The three principal acrobats are Messrs. Lee, Shields, and Williams, whose performances were greeted with enthusiastic applause; and Mr. Gonzales performed the feat of turning a double somersault over the backs of eight horses. Then there is a juggling performance, in which Mrs. Lee is the principal. The horse riding by members of this company is superior to the ordinary run of such equestrianism, inasmuch as the actors succeed in doing all they have to do with cleanness and efficiency. In connection with this subject we must not forget to mention Master Cook's achievements. Cook is quite a boy, not looking more than fourteen years of age, yet his riding on two bare-backed horses would shame the performances of many old stagers in the profession. In what has been said of thecircus in this notice there lias been no waste of panegyric, and there has been no attempt to criticise each particular feature ; but it will, no doubt, convey the impression desired, namely, that, generally speaking, Mr. Wilson's circus is inferior to none that have visited New Zealand, even including Chiarini : s. They performed to crowded houses on Monday and Tuesday nights, and on Wednesday twice once in the afternoon and again in the evening, both being well attended. The public were evidently determined upon two things : first, that in Mr. Wilson's show they have what shopmen call " A good article; and, in the second place, they mean to make the most of it. A capital programme had been arranged for last night, and the varied performances were heartily apj)lauded. "Hearty applause" in this instance is meant to bear unusual significance, because it may have been remarked that the audience, if they wish to convey a sense of their approval of the entertainment, have to do so in a legitimate manner, which we take to be the clapping of hands and the essentially British cheer; there being no wooden flooring, the lazy habit of feet stamping could not be indulged in. There can be no question about the attractions presented in the horse riding,, tumbling, and other varied performances which go to make up Mr. Wilson's entertainment. The very fact of his success in this and every other town in which the circus has appeared is an evidence of this. During the evening Mr. Wilson entered the ring and thanked those present and the public generally for their patronage, and stated that, having been three times round the world, he had never been so thoroughly satisfied with a visit to any town as he did feel with regard to Wellington. On Thursday night Mr Kingsly took a benefit when there was a large attendance. The company left for the South yesterday. MEETING OF ARTISANS. In pursuance of a notice issued by his Worship the Mayor, a meeting of the artisans and workingmen of Wellington was held in the sideroom of the Odd Fellows' Hall on Thursday night, at 8 o'clock. There were about thirty or forty present. Mr. Hutchison was voted tothe chair. The Chairman thanked the meeting for the honor done him, and felt additionally gratified considering that that was the first meeting over which he had been called upon to preside since his election to the office of Mayor. After referring to the object for which the meeting had been called, he proceeded to say there was a great difference of opinion regarding the Public Works and Immigration policy inaugurated by Sir Julius Vogel. Naturally enough there would be differences of opinion upon such a matter, according to the different standpoints men chose to take up regarding it. There were men who believed that under any circumstances that policy would continue to prove beneficial to this country ; and there were others, again, who believed that the result must be ultimately disastrous to the colony. Personally, he thought that safety with reference to this matter lay in avoiding the two extremes. He thought it would be perfectly clear to all that so far as it had gone, the public works policy had been exceedingly useful in providing work and fair wages for the -working classes in every town, and largelyincreasing the prosperity of the colony generally. Whether thatprosperity would continue must depend upon the administration of the policy which had given it birth. He could quite conceive of the administration of the public works falling into the hands of its enemies, in which case it was easy to imagine that prosperity would not continue to any considerable extent. And it occurred to him to say here that already the policy had not received the justice that it was entitled to expect, and that Sir Julius Vogel all along pleaded for it. He then proceeded to show, by way of illustration, that the settlement of the country, which was part of the immigration policy, had not been properly encouraged by the Superintendents of provinces who happened to have charge of the Crown lands of the colony ; and moreover, the land laws had not been so arranged as to permit that settlement which could have been desired. The selling of land did not necessarily mean the sttlement of land; and as illustrating this, he might draw attention to an advertisement regarding the sale of some 24,000 acres of land in the province of Wellington, at £1 per acre. Whatever amount of that land might be sold, he felt assured that not one acre of it would be bought by men who desired to settle down upon it in a legitimate manner, simply because persons desirous of settling naturally wished for land which is accessible. He simply mentioned this, to show that the public works policy had not received that amount of justice which it had a right to expect, and which would have led to a far greater measure of prosperity than that to which the colony had at present attained. But whatever differences of opinion might exist with reference to the public works policy, he thought there would be no doubt in the minds of candid and dispassionate people that the motives and views which influenced Sir Julius Vogel and the Government who initi-

tiated that scheme, were of a very sincere and disinterested character ; that they sought to benefit the country, and sought to do tins without any of the ulterior and personal designs which had been so frequently attributed to them. And in regard to this it was specially gratifying that certain attempts to traduce Sir Julius Vogel in his absence had proved abortive, and that he had come out ol the ordeal without a stain upon his name. He then alluded to the appointment of the 11nance Committee last session, and to the inquiry into the statements made by Mr. Bridges, who came forward and said that he could a tale unfold, but was afterwards afraid to tell it ; and when the Government passed a Bill, insuring him against any pecuniary consequences, he turned out to be like Cannings Knite Grinder —story he had none to tell ; and all that he had insinuated was entirely incorrect. It was pleasant to know that Sir Julius had been able to stand an ordeal of this kind. They had not been able to prove against him the misappropriation of a single sixpence; and the whole of the charges made against him had melted away like snow before the summer sun. Such could not be said of all our public men. Turning to another matter, he remarked that the editor of a newspaper was present who the other evening took It upon himself to say that this meeting had been called by persons who did not in any form represent the artisans or working people of the city of Wellington. He thought what had taken place since gave that statement a complete denial; but he -wished then to remark that the editor of that newspaper until a little while ago asserted that Sir Julius Vogel would never return to this country. Under these circumstances, _ he thought it would have been more gracious and manly in that editor, finding that that he was in error, to acknowledge that he had been mistaken. In conclusion, he referred to the action of Sir Julius Vogel in resisting the payment to Wellington of £15,000, contending that Wellington had never been entitled to that money. He entered into a. history of the whole matter, which, as will be known, arose out of the purchase of a block of land in Manawatu. He then called upon the gentleman who was entrusted with the first resolution. Mr. McComisky briefly moved the following resolution: —That this meeting, feeling convinced that the public works policy of the Government has been largely beneficial to all classes of colonists, and especially to artisans and working men, is of opinion that some ! mark of public appreciation should be shown to Sir Julius Vogel, the originator and chief promoter of this policy, and that his return from England to Wellington is a suitable time for doing so. Mr. Black seconded. After a few remarks from one of the meeting, who spoke flatteringly of Sir Julius Vogel, and offered words of encouragement to working men, The motion was carried. Mr. Worth moved the second resolution in a speech of considerable length, part of it being devoted to critical observations on the present position of political affairs. He also offered some remarks upon colonifation and the condition of our social life, with regard to which he held that certain erroneous opinions had become engrafted in the public mind. Class differences he admitted there might be, but we were all more or less working men. The following was the resolution he had to propose : That with this object in view the following gentlemen (with power to add to their number) be appointed a committee, to take all such steps as they may consider most suitable for thus giving a cordial reception to Sir Julius Vogel:—Messrs. James Bockie, S. S. Griffiths, Kobt. Greenfield, J. Staples, Robt. Archibald, Wm. Prideaux, James Stewart, George Hall, William Waddell, Wm. James, Wm. Tustin, Wm. Weir, Thos. Bennox, D. Bankine, C. McKirdy, Matthew Murdoch, C. Massey, C. Seager, Robt. Burrett, Wm. Tinney, C. B. Worth, J. E. Hayes, Paul Coffey, James Baurie, Easby, James Waters, Andrew Young, Robt. Somerville,Wm. Black, John McComisky, Mace. A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the meeting to a close. Those of the committee who were present remained to take the names of any persons desiring to have their names added to the list. RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. Tuesday, February 1. (Before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M.) GANGE V. ROBINSON". This was a claim for damages, the cause for compensation (as alleged) existing in the fact that plaintiff was the occupier of a section of land, under cultivation, and upon which defendant had trespassed, thereby injuring the plaintiff's crop. The land in question was bush land, being known as an absentee section Kb. 99. Mr. Brandon appeared on behalf of tlie plaintiff ; Mr. Buckley conducted the defendant's case. Wm. Gange deposed that he had been in occupation of a piece of land, section 99, situated in the Upper Hutt, for over 19 years, having obtained his right of occupation from old Mr. Bowler. Witness had sown grass on that land, and had fenced it in, and defendant had trespassed thereon, and had completely spoiled the crop. James Patrick South deposed that he was acquainted with the plaintiff, who had employed him to make a fence which would divide Robinson's from him. He remembered Robinson saying he should not allow them to fence off. Knew that timber had been felled where the grass was growing, but could not say who felled it, and he could not swear which particular piece was Gange's land. John Hogan deposed that he had lived in the Upper Hutt over twenty years, and was a neighbor of Mr. Gange. Knew the land spoken of, which plaintiff had occupied during

the time witness had known him. Saw him sow the grass seed, and saw the grass come up. There were four acres in grass. He would not clear the timber left on the land for £ls. By Mr Buckley: Knew that Robinson had been cutting timber on the land, but could not say for how long. Knew that he had a sawmill at which he utilised the timber^ John Burk was called, but his evidence disclosed nothing new. ■,■,*.-* Edward Morgan was the next and last witness for plaintiff; but, as will be seen, his evidence was entirely favorable to the cause of the defendant. He said he was chairman of the Road Board in 1852. Gange came to him at that time, and said he wished to pay rates on account of the absentee section 99. Witness asked him was Robinson not in occupation. To this Gange replied that Robinson was occupying part of it, but that he (Gange) and Robinson intended having the whole of the land by paying the rates for it Witness, therefore, took his money ; but at the same time, warned him that paying the rates would not <nve a title. To witness's own knowledge, Robinson had been in possession of ten acres of the land for over fifteen years, and had cut the timber and laid part of it down m graSS. i ir -D 1 Plaintiff's case being at an end, Mr. Buckley submitted that in the face of the evidence oiven by the last witness who had been called by plaintiff's counsel, it would be unnecessary for him to call evidence for the defence. It was clearly shown already that defendant had as good a right to occupation as plaintiff, wherefore the action of damages for trespass must fall to the ground. # . His Worship concurred with this view oi the case. Mr. Brandon argued to the contrary. Mr Buckley pointed to the statute which placed it out of that Court's jurisdiction to deal with cases in which there is any dispute regarding titles or hereditaments. The case was not proceeded with, each party to pay his own costs. The Court then adjourned. Thursday, February 3. (Before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M.) HORSESTEALING. Charles Ancell was charged that he did, at the Taita, in the colony of New Zealand, on the Ist day of February, 1876, feloniously steal, take, and carry away one bay pony, branded RM near ribs, the property of George Pugsley. , Inspector Atchison applied for a remand until Monday, which was granted. OBTAINING MONEY UNDER FALSE PRATENCES. Harry Tindall was charged with obtaining money, to the extent of £B, on a false pretence, from Thomas Hall. He was also charged with similarly obtaining a stun of from Charles Pharazyn, of Featherston. Mr. Allan appeared on behalf of prisoner Mr. Hall applied for permission to withdraw the charge laid by him. Inspector Atchison objecting, His Worship decided to hear what evidence Mr. Hall could offer, so that he might decide upon the merits of the case. Thomas Hall, being sworn, deposed: lam a publican. I have known Tindall for some time. He was stopping at my house, and left on the 22nd of January. On the 22nd Tindall came to me, and said he understood that I wanted to buy a horse, and said he had one that would just suit me up at Cotter's. I said I should like to see it. He said he would have it down by Monday. He then said " The banks are not open, and 1 want to get up country. Can you lend me some money—£lo." The understanding was that when he came back he should return the £lO if I was not satisfied with the horse. He gave me a receipt for £lO. I gave him £B, as that was all I had in my pocket. He said, " You can give me the balance when I come back." (Receipt produced.) I was afterwards told that prisoner had no horse at Cotter's. His Worship said no jury would convict on that evidence, prisoner simply having borrowed a certain sum of money, for which he had given a receipt. The case was therefore disThe'Court then proceeded to the hearing of evidence in support of the second charge. Charles Pharazyn deposed : I am a sheep farmer, residing at Palmerston. Prisoner has been in my employment as a purchaser of cattle. I have known him for the last twelve years, and have frequently employed him in the same capacity. About the beginning of December I employed him to purchase various lots of cattle. There was no special arrangement as to terms. It was understood that he would receive weekly wages and expenses paid, as on previous occasions. He came from time to time, stating that he had purchased certain lots of eattle, giving me the prices. He gave me a list of the cattle he had purchased. Ihe list produced was taken from his dictation. TWitness then read out a list of the names of parties from whom he had purchased cattle, with the prices attached.] On the strength of that list, he obtained from me the money which I advanced. On January 6th I gave him an order on Bevin and Co. for £5. On January 14th I paid him £2 cash at my house at Featherston. On or about the 16th he came to me and said he had arranged for delivery of these cattle on a certain day,—l think it was on the Wednesday,—and that would give him time to go to the Hutt, where he believed he could purchase more. He asked me for money then to pay deposits, in_ case of making such purchases. I think it was on that occasion I gave him the £2 cash, previously mentioned ; but I declined to give him money to pay deposits. I gave him instead a written authority to purchase on my behalf. The next I heard from him was by tele°raph. I received the telegram produced. I saw him afterwards. He came to me on the 18th January late in the evening, and said, " You did wrong not to send me the money I asked you for by telegram to pay a deposit on cattle " He said he asked for £25, and that Mr Valentine, of the Hutt, was willing to give

it to him, but he would not to take it without authority. He also said he had got Mr. Valentine to write the telegram I received. He had purchased so many calves; and not receiving the money to pay a deposit, had arranged with the parties that the bargain should hold crood till 12 o'clock on the day following. He said if I would now give him the money he would go to the Hutt first thing next morning and conclude the purchase, and would meet me the next day, to take delivery of all the cattle as previously arranged. I told him if he would give me the names of each of the parties from whom he had purchased, I would give him orders in favor of those persons. He gave me the following list, which I took down in his presence. [Witness read the list of names, together with the price of the cattle, and amount of deposit required.] I gave the orders to prisoner. The number of cattle then represented did not make the eighty-seven head. He said there were a few others belonging to parties whose names he did not know, and he should require some money to pay deposits on these, and to pay his expenses. I gave him an order for £5. Prisoner then said he should require a fresh horse. He would leave the one he had been riding, and take one he had agreed to sell him. On the following day I went to meet prisoner at Featherston. Prisoner was not there, and did not appear on the day followin"- (Friday). On the Friday afternoon I rode to°Valentine's, at the Hutt ; did not see him then. I then came to Wellington, and_ met prisoner in Molesworth-street. I told him I had come to look after him, believing that all he had told me about purchasing cattle was utterly false. He replied that what he had told me was true, and he was prepared to get the cattle. He then produced the orders. I told him that I left instructions with Cotter not to give him my horse. I also told him I would meet him at the Hutt any time he liked, to take delivery of the cattle. Prisoner said he would meet me after the regatta, and repeated that I had accused him without reason. I never saw him again untill now. Having heard that he had gone to the West Coast, I laid an information against him. _ I have received none of the calves which prisoner said he had bought. By Mr. Allan : The first item (£5) was for expenses, the second (£2) was for expenses, and the third item, of £5, was partly for expenses and partly to pay deposits. Did not consider prisoner entitled to expenses when he made no purchases. There had been no specific agreement as to the payment he was to receive. Had not engaged prisoner to canvass for him during the elections, and had never agreed to pay his expenses should he exert himself in that direction. There had been a running account between the prisoner and himself. If anything, prisoner was slightly in his debt. The advances were made to prisoner solely on the strength of his assurances that he had purchased the cattle. The depositions having been read over, Prisoner was formaUy committed to take his trial at the Supreme Court.