Town and Country.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 574, 3 February 1883, Page 16

Town and Country.

Mr H'ho uas Osborne, of Welington, has applied for a patent fer a new meat press. A. V. Hamilton has been appointed a cadet In the Survey Department. A Masonic lodge, under the Scottish constitution, is about to be established in Palmerston.

Our Carterton correspondent has written that at the election of the Waihakeke School Committee on Tuesday last, the following eleotions were ma<ie :—H. Braithwaite (chairman and treasurer), 15. and T. Strawbridge, E. S. Maun3ell, A. Moody, R. Goodin, J. B. Penny. The captain of the English Eleven now in the colonies, „the Hon. Ivo Bbgb, is said to possess gigantic pedal extremities, h'.s feet measuring 18m,—good, useful feet for resenting an insult ! A contemporary suggests that the hnn. gentleman’s extraordinary pedal devel >pment may account for the “ fine stand ha sometimes makes at the wicket.’ 5 The members of the Ratepayers’ Reform Association are evidently getting sick of the ■term which they raised with regard to the drainage works of the city, for at Lst wee v’s meeting of the Drainage Inq dry Commit ee, only one member of that body was present, and he oonfined himself entirely to listening to the proceedings. Probably the result of their severe cross-examination of witnesses as to the state of the Kant-terrace drain has disheartened them. Tney relied entirely upon the fact that the inspector had emerged from it wet np to the middle, and “ caved in ” when it was stated that the officer referred to had not tumbled into a hole, but that he had gut into deep water immediately above the point at which a drain leading from the Central Prison works on Mount Cook discharges itself, no doubt acknowledging themselves that they themselves had tumbled iuto a hole. Several clergymen in Chri-tchurch. have recently been writing in the local press about the necessity for Bible-reading in schools, and condemning, in no measmed language, the present syst-m. At the last meeting of the East Christchurch School Committee, the chairman said he would like to draw their attention to the significant fact that during his term of office the chairman had not received a Bingle application from a minister of any denomination whatever to be allowed the use of the school buildings for religious instruction. The building was vacant every day after 4 o’clock, and all day on Satur lay. If the clergy were so anxious about their “obligations to the young,” surely they would avail themselves of their ample opportunities of instructing them, thereby counteracting the iuferred evils of the present hated system of education, •which leads to no better results than “smoking tobacco and swearing at parents.” The under-mentioned gentlemen have been appointed Registrars of Marriages and of Births and Deaths, and also Vaccination Inspectors, for the districts respectively set opposite their names :—Tames Kdward Ind Boys, Greytown ; John Joseph Pickett, Carterton ; John Bigge, Masterton ; Robert Langdon, Castle Point.

We have received the following memo, from Mr Gray, Secretary of the Post Office Department : —The s.s. Australia, with the December English mails, left San Francisco for Auckland on the 16th instant, three days later than time-table date. The s.s. City of New Vork, with the January colonial mails, arrived at San Francisco from Auckland on tha 22nd Inst., three days earlier than time table date. The Agent-General telegraphed to the Government last week to the effect that at the last moment he had found it necessary to make a material alteration in the draft contract for the direct steam service to New Zealand, and in consequence he had been unable to forward a copy by the outgoing mail, as he had intended. He hid also been obliged .to extend the time for receipt of tenders until the 30th April next. A copy of the contract as amended will be forwarded with as lit tie delay as possible, and will give any New Zealand tenderers plenty of time to compete if they Bhonld care to do so.

The following is the resolution passed by the committee of the City Council upon the dock question, which resolution was submitted to the joint committee, composer! of members of the council and Harbor Board, when it was resolved to dissolve the joint commi.tee “ That, in view of the fact that the City Council has been divested of all control over the harbor of Port Nicholson, which control, by act of the Legislature, has been vested in the Wellington Harbor Board, this committee declines to admit that the City Council is charged with any-duty or responsibility connected with the construction of a dock for thel port, the. carrying out of such a work being specially defined by the Harbors Act, 1878, as one of the functions for the performance of which Harbor B >ards were created.”

Mr P. Scally, contractor, writing from Makatoko, Hawke’s Bay, in reference to the recent fire in Ausiin street, whereby his stable was destroyed, desires to make a statement In reference to the house and contents burnt on the same section about nine months previously. He says that the house and furniture did not belong to him, nor had he any insurance on it. It belonged to, and was insured by, a man named J. Mongon. Anew kind of asphalt concrete has been patented by an Oamaru firm, which should prove especially useful in localities where earthquakes are frequent. The concrete is prepared first in a pulverised form, and in its manufacture limestone, sand, gravel, or clay, may be equally well used. It is then reheated, and amalgamated with a certain amount of coal tar, and in this condition may bo cast in moulds of any t-iza or form, and is eventually turned out in blocks of great hardness ami firmness. The granular substance of which these bl-.cks are composed is of an adamantine hardness, and perfectly impervious to any liquid, however insinuating, and at the same time possesses a curious elasticity and toughness. This elasticity may be imagined from the fact that if a brick be made from the concrete iu a curvtd form, a sufficuntly heavy weight placed on its curved side will press it flat on the ground, and if the weight be removed the brick will resume its original curved form. The toughness of the material has bten tested, and found to sustain a strain of 10601 b.

His Excellency the Governor has appointed Frederick William Pennefather, Esq., L.L.M., to be his Private Secretary, and M?j<>r Charles "Vernon l£ccle*, Rifle Brigade, to be his Aide-de-Catnp. An observation unprecedented in the history of comets wns made at the Cape Town Obs- rvatury on September 17, at 4h 50min 58sec Cape mean time, corresponding to 3h 37min 8-ec Greenwich time. “The comet was followed,” writes Mr Gill in a communication to Knowledge, “by two observers with separate instruments, right up to the sun’s limb, where it suddenly disappeared,” at the hour named. To be seen under these conditions the comet must at the time have been intensely brilliant —partly, no doubt, from the effect of solar heat aud light, but partly also, we conceive, on account of the resistance it experienced in its onward rush at the rate of certainly not less than 340 miles per 1 second ! The Emperor of Biazil telegraphs to the Academy of Sciences that the comet was visible in full daylight on the 18th, 19th, and 20th September. The spectroscope showed the presence of sordium and carbou. On the 26th, from 4h lOmin to 5h 40min in tbe morning, it was a splendid object. Mr R. A. Proctor has made calculations which satis'y him that the period of the comet aud the length of the greater axis of its orbit are rapidly dimini-ihiug ; that it will return to us within a few months, and that it will soon be destroyed by being absorbed into the sun.

“ Men of the Time ” contains the following notice of the eminent musical composer whose death has just occurred :—“ Frederick Ferdinand Adolphus von F’lotow, composer, born at Tenterdorf, in Mecklenburgh-Schwerin, April 27, 1812, was intended for the profession of diplomacy. His fondness for music induced him to go to Paris, where he placed hiunseli under the composer Reicha. The revolution of 183® recalled him to Germany, whence he returned a few years later with several operas composed by him during the interval. None of these, however, found favor with the Parisian managers, and it was only the impression they produced by their re presentation in private before amateurs that obtained for him the commission, in 1338, to furnish the music to ‘Le Naufrage de la M 4 luse. 5 This at once established his position, the opera being successful. Since that time he has composed neveral, of which the * Forre-ter, 5 produced iu 1840 ; ‘L’E'dave de Carooens,’ in 1843 ; and ‘ L’Ame eu Peine,’ id 1846, hold possession of the French stage ; while * Stradella, 5 in 1844; ‘Martha,’.in 18c8 ; and ‘ Zilda,’ in 1866, established his reputation in Germany as a composer of light operas. ‘lndia,’ ‘ Riibezahl,’ and ‘ Marie- tiaterina,’ are favorites in Germany. After residing in Paris and in his native town, M. Flotow settled in 1855 at, Schwerin, where he became director of the Court Theatre. He was elected a corresponding member of the French Institute in 1864 Hi 3 latest composition is * Fiore di Harlem,’ an Italian opera, at the rehearsals of whiih he himself presided at TuriD, in November, 1876.”

Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonald &; Co., have been instructed by the Hon. John Martin, M.L.0., to subdivideinto build ng sections, and s ill early in May next, those valuable town acres si uated in Tarauaki-street, Vivian-street, Tory-street, and Ebor Btreet. This property is surrounded by family residences, and in the heart of the city, and will, without doubt, be actively competed for, as the terms of payment extend over a long period, bearing a low rate of interest.

- The New Zealand Shipping Company has declared an interim dividend for the year ended 31st December at the rate of 10 per cent, per anuum.

We notice that Mr Sage, the sail and t°nt maker, has removed into commodious premises within a door or two of the office of this paper. If not exactly a “ sail-loft,” he has secured a remaikably good sail-floor, and in prepared to expeditiously execute any orders that may be entrusted to him. Preparations are busily in progress for establishing the telephone service in this city. Workmen have been engaged for several days in stretching wires between the various buildings to be connected, and on -the roof of tbe Provincial Boildings quite an imposing array of insulators is being placed in position on a framework of novel and apparently ingenious construct on. A Dunedin telegram appeared in last week’s issue referring to the report of the directors of the Colonial Bank, to be presented at the meeting on the 31st January, in which it is stated that the directors intend to recommend payment of a dividend of 8 per cent, per annum. We are requested by the United Press Association to explain that this is incorrect. The amount should have been stated at 7 per cent. The mistake arose in the transmission of the message from one telegraph station to another. ! ( We have received from Mr G. Reichardfc, Lambton-quay, two musical compositions of Herr Carl Schmitt. One, “ A Cho al March,’’ can hardly be termed new, siuce it has already re-ched a th rd edition—a convincing proof of popularity. Apart from its merits as a composition, it would form an excellent study in time, a point in which many otherwise good pianoforte performers are deficient. We recommend the p : e:e to our lady readers. The other piece, ”0 Salutarie,” is arranged for four voices, and is a very pleasing religious melody which, sung by good voices, must prove extremely effective. It is printed and published by H. Bre 11 (VucklaEd.and is very creditable as a local printing production. We notice that it is dedicated to the Right Rev. Father O’Sullivan, 0.5. R., and was first sung at the opening of the new St. Benedict’s Church, Newton.

JQMr McGrath, the contractor for the Te Aro reclamation, has already made a beginning with his work. An embankment, .which is to form the eastern extreme of the first section, has been ran some two chains into the water, close to where portions of Rhodes’ wharf are still standing. The material used is broken rock, which, it is thought, will resist the action of the tide, and thus obviate tbe erection of a retaining wall, which would otherwise be necessary. A number of drays are also employed in carting material to the foot of Cuba-street. Mr McGrath has let the contract for the erection of the trestle railway from Clyde-quay to the site of the firßt reclamation to Mr Stratford, who will commence work early next week. This job will have to be com| leted before the reclamation can be proceeded with by means of trucks and attain power. ~ o

i Mr Laery, of the firm of Messrs Laery and Campbell, suationeers, of this c'tv, returned to town yesterday week from the Old Country, via Melbourne. He arrived by the Te Anau, and was met on the wharf by a number of his old friends.

Although there was considerable competition at the sale of privileges in connection with tbe Wellington Racing Club’s coming meeting at Messrs Xiaery and Campbell’s rooms yesterday week, the prices realised were not equal to those of last year. The following is an account of the amounts realised Grand stand bar and luncheon room, Mr Faber, £2l ; No. 1 publicau’s booth, Mr Stafford, £24 ; No. 2 ditto, Mr Duggan, £23 ; No. 3 ditto, Mr Leech, £2O ; No. 4 ditto withdrawn. No. 1 refreshment booth, Mr T. H. Smith, £4 ; No. 2 ditto, Mr Williams, £3 10s. Fancy bazaar, Mr Judd, 10s ; right to erect stables, Mr Neill, £3 ; right for legal games and amusements, with the exception of totalizator?, Mr Thomas Wa’ker, £7 ; cards of races, Mr Johnstone, £2O ; gates, Mr Cleary, £3OO. Total £426, or £63 below last year.

The Wanganui Chroniete of last week pa yg ;—Some sensation was caused when it was known that Mr W. Stretch, who was formerly a shoemaker in this town, but had recently been appointed dog-tax collector for the count}, bad suddenly dropped down dead on Monday evening. It appeared that Mr Stretch, who had been in indifferent health for a long time past, had ridden to Mr Young’s gate up the No. 2 Line, and had dismounted. He was taking off ihe wrapper from his neck, when blood was seen to flow from his lips, he fell to the ground, and died almost instantly. He had long suffered from aneurism of the heart, and to this cause hie sudden death is no doubt due. No inquest will, therefore, be held on the body, which was brought into town by Mr John Stretch, the deceased’s brother. The deceased was 42 yearn,of s ,tvg e > and leaves a widow and three young children entirely unprovided for. He had resided in Wanganui five or six yearß, and was a member of no friendly society, a fact due probably to his weak state of health. “It is only fair,” writes tbe St. James’ Gazett >, “ that a person meditating a great reform likely to shock those wedded to the old unreformed ways should give due notice to the world at large of the character and extent of the reform which he or she contemplates introducing. This is what has been considerately done by a Mrs Scott, who is described in a New York paper as * a San Francisoo dress reformer.’ This lady is an advocate of what is euphemistically known as the ‘ divided skirt ’ or the ‘dual garmenture,' though, for her own part, she scorns any such periphrasis. Mrs Scott, then, has given public notice to all whom it may concern that on the Ist of January next ‘she will begin to wear trousers In public ; * and she has accompanied this startling announcement with a request for police protec'ion in case the street crowds should inßult her. The chief of the San Francisco police has, it is said, informed her that it will probably be his duty to extend to her a larger measure of protection than she will quite appreciate —that he will, iu fact, have to take her in charge. On the other band, she has had legal advice to the effect that California has no law under which she can be prevented from dressing in the manner she proposes. Mrs Scott has spared the world any idle speculation as to the shape of the new garment. I My trousers,’ she informs us, ‘ are made with a plait, and descend just to the line of beauty in the calf of the leg where the dresses of young girls come, and if young tdrls wear their dresses so, why should not old girl* adopt the same fashion ? ’ ”

The Waipawa correspondent of the Hawke’s Bay Herald mentions that Archibald Forbes was to lecture at Waipawa on Friday night last, and in connection with the local excitement in anticipation of the event, he mentions one little circumstance thus :—“A gentleman who had a share in making the arrangements which resulted in Forbes agreeing to come to Waipawa, went over Waipukurau to see what “show” there was for rnnning a special train, and to book places in the train. Among other persons he canvassed was a well-known runholder. The canvasser tried hard to persuade this person to buy a ticket, but in vain. But, to make up for his refusal, the canvassed one made a remarkably liberal proposal. He said, ‘ You bring Mr Forbes over to see me. I will show him over my place, and—and I will give him some lunch.’ It is only right to add that I did not get this yarn from either canvasser or canvassed, hut from a person who overheard the conversation.”

Tbe Auckland Star, in an article on the Hamilton murder trial, says the public are convinced that a foul murder has been commited, aod that the position in which the case is left is most unsatisfactory to all concerned, including tbe now acquitted ptisouers. It accuses Judge Gillies of a strong bias throughout the trial, and notably in his summing up, which reads like the speech of a defending counsel rather than that of an impartial judge. It admits, however, that the jury could have come to no other verdict.

The management at the Theatre Royal very fairly deserve the praise accorded on Saturday evening for the arrangements made to give His Excellency the Governor and party a proper reception on the occasion of thrir first visit to the Theatre Royal. The central seats in the dress circle were reserved, and flowers and decorations were used in good taste ; the programmes of the night’s performance were printed on satin. A guard of honor from the Artillery Corps was paraded at the entrance to the theatre in waiting for the arrival of the carriage from Government House. We understand that His Excellency was much pleased with the performance, and will on .Monday next, or on the following Tuesday, again honor the oompany with his patronage, on which occasion ‘‘ Girofle-Girofla ” will probably be performed.

Mrs Bernard Moore makes an urgent appeal on behalf of the Wellington Hospital for giftß of old linen, and also magazines aud children s books. Plants, too, in pots would be very gratefully received. Any parcels sent will be acknowledged if addressed to the lady superintendent. Petty larcenies in various annoying shapes are being constantly complained of in and about the city, which, however, it is only charitable to supooie, are at ributable more to a spirit of though less larrikini-jn than to any decidedly criminal tendency amongst the inhabitants of the district.

The work of constructing the new portico and verandah at the Theatre Royal is. pro- • ressing towards completion in a satisfactory manner. Already all the heavier portion of the work is done, and the carpenters are now working at the superstructure, and preparing for the lighter and ornamental work. Another fortnight will see all but the last finishing touches completed. From tbe throngs of children wending their way to the various State schools in the city on Monday mornine, it was evident the reassembling of classes after the holidays commenced well, and the attendance-sheets are likely to show a good average for the first quarter of the year, unless anything unforeseen occurs, as was the case last year when the measles epidemic spread with sudden rapidity throughout every school in the city. We hear that at the Mount Cook boys’ school there has been a large number of new entrants, many pupils having been drafted in from the infant schools.

Some excitement was caused in the city on Monday afternoon, by a statement which was made to the effect that tbe Union Company’s steamer Penguin, which left Wellington for New Plymouth and Manukau with the outward San Francisco mail on Monday afternoon, had broken down before rounding Cape Egmout. On making inquiries, it was ascertained that a mishap had occurred to the machinery of the vessel, and that she had anchored off Stoney River, and sent a boat ashore to telegraph the fact to Mr Wheeler, the agent of the company Id Wellington. Nothing was, however, known as to whether the accident was of a serious nature or not. The Government was immediately communicated with on the subject, and the Stella was ordered to leave at 6 o’clock Monday evening, for the purpose of taking passengers and mails on to Mannkau. The (Trder was, however, countermanded when it was ascertained that arrangements had been made at New Plymouth with the steamer Hauraki, which happened to be passing, to perform the service required. Shortly before 5 p.m. Mr Wheeler received a telegram informing him that the damage to the Penguin bad been repaired, and that she had proceeded on her voyage. According to their contract the steamers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company must wait forty-eight hours for their mails without making any charge for the detention, and there was therefore very little probability of the southern mails being missed, or of serious expense being incurred by the Union Oompany or the Government. It is Btated elsewhere the Penguin reached Onehunga on Tuesday, and the mails were duly for warded, t Tuesday night His Excellency the Governor was entertained at a banquet given in his honor by the members of the Wellington Club. The president of the club, Mr A. de B. Brandon, senr., occupied tbe chair, and about 70 members were present. The chairman was supported ou his right by the Bishop of Wellington, the Hon. Walter Johnston (Minister of Public Werkß). and Col. Pearce, Vice-President of the club), and on the left by the Chief Justice, the Hon. Major Atkinson (Colonial Treasurer), and the Hon. John Johnston, M.L.C. His Excellency was accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Major Eccles, and his private secretary, Mr Pennefather. After the toast of “ The Queen” had been duly honored, the Chairman proposed the toast of “ His Excellency the Governor,” and alluded in a few felicitous sentences to the previous career of Sir William Jervois, and congratulated the colony, and Wellington in particular, on the arrival of his Excellency, from the high estimation in which he wai held, »n estimation which he was sure would be more fully borne out the better he was known. His Excellency replied in a most genial manner, and expressed his gratified surprise at all of what little he had seen of the colony, which certainly surpassed all hi bad heard of it. He had quite made up hia mind to remain here some years, and it would be a great pleasure to him if he were spared to do so. He felt honored, not only by the magnificent and enthusiastic public reception of himself by the citizens when he was lauding, but also by his reception by the gentlemen assembled to meet him that evening. And although gratified and deeply pleased, ho was not in the least surprised, for wherever such loyalty existed towards Her Gracious Majesty as he had witnessed in Wellington, he was sure Her Majesty’s Representative would also be warmly received. He hoped very shortly to make some return for the hospitality of his friends that evening, by receiving them as soon as possible at Government House to the best of his ability. Our telegrams this week announce tbe formation of a new French Ministry uuder M. Failures. This Ministry, like the last, is composed of men who have not oorne prominently before tbe world, and who are probably chosenas stopgaps until some reoogDised party leader feels himself in a position to form a Cabinet.

have to acknowledge the receipt from Mr D. M. Buckie, Commissioner of Government Insurance, of a copy of the new prospectus of the Government Insurance Department, which enumerates additional special advantages offered to assurers who desire to avail themselveß of the Government scheme of life assurance. Among these new advantages the prospectus mentions that “ various restrictions, common to life insurance contracts now no longer exist in this department. Policies, after age is admitted, are now rendered indisputable and unchallengable from the date of issue, uuless for fraud. Extra rates for license to travel, &c., are now abolished, as are also extra charges for occupations, excepting such as are connected with the liquor traffic. A new feature of the scheme is the contingent debt system, by which the option is given to under-average Jives either to pay the extra rate, or to be accepted at par, subject to a debt on the policy, equivalent to the extra rate, which debt become# cancelled if the average expectation of life is attained by the assured. Finally, the system of surrender values now established by this department, and the extension of time for maintaining policies in force are exceptionally liberal, and are unique in the history and practice of life insurance offices.” The Commissioner of Government Insurance is gratified to be able to , state that tbe business of the department continues to make most satisfactory progress. We understand that tbe Rev. David Brnce, late editor of th« New Zealand Times ba3 purchased, in conjunction with Mr Carriok, the Waikato Times. The Hon. Major Atkinson returned to Wellington from Taranaki on Saturday evening.

His Excellency the Governor and suite paid a visit to the Museum Tuesday afternoon, the Vice-Regal party being met and conducted through the various compartments on the lower floor by Dr. Hector, who also explained the working of the intercolonial weather exchange. No less than three hours were spent in the institution.

Hie Honor Judge Hardcastle presided Tuesday at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, having returned from Masterton on Monday.

It is stated by an English paper that Mr Gladstone’s next “ great measure ’’ will be the disestablishment of the Church of England. The Hon. W. Rolleston arrived in Wellington on Tuesday by the s.s. Wakatipufrom the South, and left again in the Stella on Thursday evening for Kawbia via New Plymouth. The carrier pigeens which have been keptatthe office of the United Press Association for some time past were given a trial Tuesday, the distance —certainly very short—being from Newtown Pa-k to their home—about three miles. It is almost needless to say that they “ struck a bee-line,” and arrived almost together. One of them carried the result of the Opera team’s innings in their cricket match with the New Zealand Times’ employ4i. It is with great pleasure that we publish fa our telegraphic columns the victory of the English team over the Australians at Sydney, not so much because it is the English who have won, but because a long series of successes on one side tends te eradicate all elements of sport from the affair and to lessen the interest that attaches to these matches. The result of these three matches shows how great an effect the quality of the pitch has on the game. In the first match of the series there can be no doubt that the Euglish would not have received such a crushing defeat had they not unfortunately had to play on a wet wicket ; while iu this lait trial of strength the small scores on both side?, after the heavy rain of Sunday, point to the same conclusion. The victory of the English in the second match, on an even wicket, must, in our opinion, necessarily prove that of the two teams the representatives of the Old Country are more adept iu tbe national game than their Australian brothers.