TOWN & COUNTRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 704, 28 August 1885, Page 16

TOWN & COUNTRY.

Mr Daniel Climie, C.E., is petitioning Par liament for £2O-0, as compensation for services rendered in being tho first to dis* cover a practicable route, via Johnsonville, for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. The petitioner alleges that Mr Macandrew, when .Minister for Public VVorks, had assented to the stipulation that he should receive a bonus of £2OOO if successful, as he claims to have been, in finding such route. i The men composing the torpedo corps connected with the A.C. Force held a practice on the torpedo boat yesterday week in the harbor. Lieuteuant Smythe, who was in charge, put the men through several movements, such as the placing of the spar, &c. The practice lasted from 10 a.in. till 2.30 p.m. Although the weather was unfavorable the little vessel . behaved exceedingly well, several times during the drill attaining a speed of 18 knots per hour. The Petone Naval Brigade will hold the next practice, which will probably be to-morrow. The following patents have been applied for :—Esau Fisher, of Southland, for a fencingwire strainer ; W. E. Richardson, of Outram, for a butter-printer ; John Middleton, of Ashley County, for improvement in chaffbaggers ; Thomas Bruce, of Waipa County, for a new bee-hive ; Hjalmar Graff, of Feilding, for a movable iron stanchion for wire fences; W, Wri -ht, of Melbourne, for machine for bending rails and other metal bars ; E. Waters, of Melbourne, for improvements in vacuum brake apparatus, and the same for improvements in heating and purifying water lor boilers. There wa3 a long sitting of the Harbor Board last week. The dock question again came up for consideration, and the Mayor j in the course of a long speech, referred to a statement made by Mr Duthie at a previous meeting, to which Mr Duthie afterwards replied. ** Demagogism,” “ elaptrap,” and other similar expressions were made use of on both sides. At times the discussion was rather warm, though Captain Williams, who was suffering from a cold, asked permission to take a chair near the fire. In consequence of the great pressure on our space, only a very condensed report of the proceedings is published. The following tenders have been received by the Public Works Department for the Napieir-Woodville Railway Platelayers’ Cottage Contract :—A-cCepted—Illingworth and Walker, Danevirke, £271 ; Declined—D. Gilfillan, J. Beagly, T. Iblotson, Woodville, £274 ; F. Burbush, Feilding, £284 ; JET. Holden and Rabone, Woodville, £295 f T. P. Leighton, Mataura, £330 ; and for the Upper Waiau Road Bridge and Approaches Contract. Accepted—J. Anderson, Christchurch, £13,482 ; Declined —'Stocks and Wallace, Christchurch, £13,498 ; M. Danaher, Wellington, 15.500 ; Black and Allison, Dunedin, £15,507 ; H. McKenzie, 1 Woodville, £15,967 J. J. J. O’BrieD, Auckland, £20,145. Mr Jellicoe made a grave charge against Mr Devine yesterday week. He stated that both parties in the case, of Ryan v. Ryan had agreed to pay the expenses of a joint commission which had been appointed to take evidence in Victoria. Witnesses were called in that Colony on both sides, but though Mr Justice Richmond made an order that both parties should pay the expenses of the Commission, the respondeut’B solicitor had done nothing in the matter. It was an attempt to deprive the Commission of their fees, and he had been instructed to ask that the respondent should be compelled to pay his share. Since the evidence had been sent to the Court here copies of it had been taken and hawked round to witnesses. He asked that the evidence should not be used till the Commissioners’ fees were paid. Mr Devine said the statements made by Mr Jellicoe were altogether false. They were the usual kind of remarks made by his learned friend in that Court. His Honor the Chief Justiceinterposed, stating that thematter could be referred to later on, when the evidence taken by the Commission was handed in. The case of Ryan v. Ryan occupied the Supreme Court all day yesterday week, and was adjourned after Mrs Ryan, Mr Barlow, and two other witnesses had been examined. The petitioner, Anastatia Ryan, asked for a judicial separation from her husband, Michael Ryan, on the grounds of desertion, cruelty, and adultery. The defendant pleaded that he had been driven away by his wife’s conduct ; that since he left her he had contributed about £SO a year towards her support ; and that the petitioner had committed adultery with a storekeeper named O’Brien, residing at Echuca, in V ctoria. The parties were married iu Rockhampton, Queensland, on the 16th of October, 1864, and. up to 1876 there were five children as the issue of the marriage. In that year the respondent left Victoria for New Zealand. He came to Wellington, and was employed by the Gear Meat Company at the shop in Lambton-quay, and afterwards at Petone. He remained with the Gear Company till last year, when he went back to Victoria, and tried to arrange a judicial separation with his wife. This she refused, and the respondent returned to New Zealand, being engaged after coming back by the Wellington Meat Export Company, at a salary of £3OO a year. The wife and children followed him here, and he took away the children from a cottage at Newtown during the wife’s absence. The petitioners evidence was given in the minutest manner. She was subjected to a very severe cross-examination by Mr Travers, who, with Mr Devine, appeared for the respondent, Mr Jellicoe being counsel for the petitioner. Although we have had a very successful sale of our Salvage Stock, our country customers must not imagine that we have cleared it all out. We have still some special lines, either damaged by fire or water, that will be sold for what they will fetch at James Smith’s, Te Aro House, Wellington. For instance we have 20 pieces damaged Tapestry Carpeting at Is per yard ; about 100 yards Felt Carpets for 6d per yard ; 10 pieces Linoleum, damaged by water only, 2s lid per square yard. A heap of blankets from 7s 9d to 12s 6cl per pair, besides a lot of Men’s, Boys, and Youths’ clothing a 3 announced on .first page of this paper at ridiculously low prices. Our country friends should, therefore, take an early trip to town, where they would be certain of picking up some of the most extraordinary bargains ever heard of in New Zealand or sold at James Smith’s, Te Aro House,; Wellington

Full accounts of the debates in both Houses of Parliaments with reference to the recent 'trouble at the Hospital appear in our Parliamentary reports. In the Legislative Council, Mr G. R. Johnson, Chairman of the Hospital Committee, explained his action in connection with the dismissal of the nurses.

Ngapaki Tepuni dropped dead on Petone beach at 9 o’clock last Friday morning. He was the eldest son of the great Maori chief of the Ngatiawa tribe, who was the great friond of the Europeans on their first landing in New Zealand. The deceased was the oldest Maori in the district, and is supposed to have been close upon 100 years of age. The Rev J. K. Elliott's lecture last evening week, at Newtown, was well attended. The lecturer referred to numerous superstitions, which, though now laughed at, were once believed in. He stated that, in his opinion, all ghost stories were either the effect of imagination, or were caused by tricks, which could easily be accounted for. A -vote of thanks was proposed by Mr J. Kitchen, and seconded by Mr C. Baker. The rev lecturer ! Responded, and then pronounced the benediction. The Supreme Court was occupied all day last Friday with the case of Ryan v. Ryan, the ipetitioner in which claimed judicial separation from her husband on the grounds of desertion, ■ cruelty, and adultery. Several witnesses were examined. The respondent gave a most unqualified denial to all the charges made against him, but admitted that he might have struck his wife once or twice. His son Dan, a strongly-built young fellow, aged 20, gave very strong evidence against his mother, and expressed his belief that she had carried ' on in a very improper manner with a man named O’Brien, livmg at Echuca. The son’s evidence created a great sensation in the densely crowded Court. He was subjected to a very fsevere cross-examination by Mr Jellicoe, who appeared for Mrs Ryan. . During one of the intervals at the rehearsal of the Exhibition Cantata last Friday, a handsomely silver-mounted ebony baton was presented to the Rev P. N. Hunter. It bore the following inscription :—New Zealand Industrial Exhibition Cantata. —Presented to the Rev P. N. Hunter, conductor, by the composer, C. S. Thomas.” The Rev Mr Hunter, in acknowledging the gift, stated that it had afforded him the greatest possible pleasure to undertake the work, and from the very commencement he had taken the deepest interest in it. The members of the band and choir have unanimously resolved to gi</e a complimentary performance of the Cantata for the benefit of the composer dnring the next fortnight. The Theatre Royal will probably be selected. Some of the Masterton residents have renewed the petition to the Minister for Public Works, made a few. months back, to alter the train leaving Masterton at 2.10 p.m. and arriving in Wellington at 7 p.m., and to make it instead to leave Masterton at about 4.30, thus arriving in Wellington a little after 9 p.m. The object is to give visitors and business men a longer time in Masterton than at present; it would abo obviate the necessity of visitors staying the night in Masterton. The objection which was previously raised to this by the rest of the Wairarapa residents was that it would not suit the general public visitiug Wellington, the proposed hour of arrival there being toa late for convenience or amusement. As this objection has not been answered, it will be as well for the other localities concerned to make known their views to the Minister in good time. Some time ago it was announced that the late Hon John Fraser, M.L.C., of New South Wales, had bequeathed the sum of £2OOO to found an annual.prize of £IOO for an essay in defence of the Christian faith. This essay ■will be open to all residents in the five 'Australian Colonies, and to natives of the same resident abroad. The subject for the first competition, in June, 1886, will be “Agnosticism, considered from a moral and spiritual point of view.” The judges named in Mr Frazer’s will are the Professor of Classics in the Sydney University, the principal of St. Andrew’s College, and the minister of the Palmer-street Presbyterian Church. The present Professor of Classics, however, finding -himself unable to accept the position, the trustees have decided to ask the Moat Rev. Dr Barry, Primate of Australia, to act as coadjutor with the other judges. This Dr Barry has kindly consented to do. Mr Jellicoe was rather unfortunate last Friday. He called a witness named White, residing in Garrett-street, who refused to give her name until ordered to do so by the Jndge, and then she asked what right Mr Jellicoe had to bring her to the Court. The sparring that took place created a good deal of amusement, but Mr Jellicoe had to give up the task as hopeless, and the witness (a very big specimen of humanity) left the box in a way which was likely to be remembered by those who saw her, defiance towards the learned gentleman being depicted on her countenance. Later on Mr Jellicoe came to loggerheads with Mr Travers, and the Chief Justice had to interfere in a very peremptory manner. Some time afterwards !Mr Jellicoe essayed the task of crsos-examining Dr Grace, but the latter was rather too clever of fence, and as he left the box he exclaimed in his fascinating way, “Is there anything else you would like to know ?” But Mr Jellicoe did not trouble him any 'vrther. -'’Mr W. J.Denuiston, whose,death at New Plymouth is announced this week, was ’’youngest son of Mr Thomas Denniaton, for many years editor of the Southland Times, and brother of Mr J. E. Denniston, the well-known barrister, and of Mr G. L, Denniston, merchant, Dunedin. The deceased was formerly in the employment of the British and New Zealand Agency Co. in Dunedin. About two and a half years ago, owing to ill health, he had to give up work, and took a trip to England. Some time after his return, he entered the service of the Union Shipping Company in Wellington, in the hope that the climate here would improve his health. Latterly, disease has been gaining fast on him, and about three weeks ago he went to New Plymouth w:jjh his father, in the hope that the change would do him some good. It, however, was of no avail, and last Friday he died of consumption. Mr Denniston wa3 about 30 years of age.' Deep regret is felt by bis fellow officials in the Union Company’s Office, by whom he was much liked, aud there will be the tame feeling among the many friends of his family and ■himself in the Sontb.

Owing to some hitch, the torpedo practice, which the Petone Naval Brigade was to have held on Saturday afternoon, did not take place. The Nelson Garrison Band played several pieces of music on the Basin Reserve on Sunday afternoon, and notwithstanding the inclement weather a large number of people were attracted to the spot, The flags of the vessels in port on Saturday last were hoisted half-mast high as a token of respect to the late Mr W. J. Denniston, of the Union Steamship Co., who died at New Plymouth the previous day. One of the strongest N.W. gales felt in Wellington for some considerable time blew on Sunday, although, so far as is known at present, no damage has been done to any of the buildings in the town or to the shipping in port.

The Press Association cable message published this week respecting the Zulfikar Pass question is evidently elliptical. It, no doubt, should read not that Russia has ceded the pass to England, but has yielded the point in dispute. The news is of great importance, and the diplomatic victory will be of immense service to the new Ministry.

The N.W. gale on Sunday mght was the heaviest felt for a long time in Wellington, causing two-storied wooden houses .-to rock, and roofs, windows, and doors to rattle in a somewhat alarming manner. No damage, however, has yet been reported to any buildings in the city or suburbs. The wind moderated early on Monday morning. In the House Monday night Mr Hurst asked the Premier to explain what Bills the Government intended to go on with this session. The Premier replied that it was impossible at that moment to say ; it wonld depend how the business progressed. If the Government were allowed two or three days’ grace they would probably be able to make a statement of their proposals in regard to the business. At the request of Admiral Scott the signalling squad connected with the Wellington Guards went through a number of movements in this particular branch, in the vicinity of the Government Buildings, on Saturday afternoon. It was originally intended to hold the movemente in the neighborhood of Kilbirnie, but owiDg to some of the men being engaged at the Exhibition this plan was deemed impracticable. However, the signalling was gone through very successfully, Admiral Scott expressing himself highly pleased at the proficiency of the men. Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R., recently forwarded to Lord Rosebery a copy of hia patriotic song, “ The Old Flag.” By the ’Frisco mail, Mr Pyke received the following letter of acknowledgment :—“Lansdowne House, Berkeley Square, 16th July, 1885. Dear Sir, —Allow me to thank you very much for the spirited and admirable verses that you have been good enough to send me. It seems to me that they have merits of their own quite apart froth the sentiments expressed, and I, like you, look forward to the incorporation of the Southern Cross in the Union Jack. Believe me, yours respectfully, Rosebery.— Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.R., Dunedin, New Zealand.”

The inevitable late passenger, in the person of a buxom young lady, turned up on Monday afternoon just as the s.s. Te Anau was heading off from the wharf. A gangway was let down on the port side of the vessel, near the stern, and assumed an almost perpendicular position. The young lady, however, was not daunted, for grasping the ropes of the gangway, she hauled herself up with the celerity of an experienced salt, and was dragged on board between the awning and the poop-rails. The figure the lady cut was not by any means graceful, but the pluck displayed drew forth the plaudits of an admiring crowd. The backing of the vessel was not unattended with danger, for her stern came some distance over the wharf, and fear was expressed that she would damage her propeller blades by striking the piles.

A highly instructive and interesting lecture on the approaching solar eclipse was delivered by the Ven. Archdeacon Stoek, in St. John’s Schoolroom, on Monday. There were about 250 persons present, and they were frequently most enthusiastic in their applauae. The lecturer stated that the shadow of the eclipse, which would take place on the 9th September, at a quarter to 8 o’clock, would first touch New Zealand at West Wanganui Inlet, Cape Farewell, and it would cross north of D’Urville Island, going out at Castle Point. The eclipse would be visible at places within 50 miles north or south of that locality. The totality would last lmin 31sec in this city. The best place in Wellington to see the eclipse was the outer pilot station, as there the approaching darkness of the moon’s shadow would be seen better. The darkness wonld not he "total, there being just sufficient light to read the time on a watch. The Archdeacon showed the relative distances of the sun, moon, and earth, on a piece of string.

The case of Haines v. the Accident Indemnity Company of Victoria came on for hearing at the Supreme Court on Monday. The action was one in which the widow of the late William Henry Welch Haines, a Wairarapa settler, who was kilted by a fall from his horse, sought to recover the sum of £BOO, the amount of a risk taken by the defendants on the life of the deceased. The following were sworn in a 3 the special jury :—Messrs E. T. Gillon, F. J. Burns, T. K. Macdonald, H. R. Clegg, R. S. Ledger, J. Duthie, W. Hesther, J. Clark, J. Mowbray, W, Knowles, A. Godby, and R. Riley. Mr J. Duthie was chosen as the foreman. Mr Travers, in opening the case for the defence, stated that he would call evidence to prove that the late Mr Haines was in the habit of falling off his horse, and ought not therefore to have bsen on horseback when he met with the fatal accident. Three witnesses were called, who stated they had often been in the habit of riding with deceased, that he was an excellent horseman, and had never been known to fall off a horse previously. Mr Travers thereupon declined to proceed any further with the case, stating that he had been misdirected, and that the Company would not have defended the case had the real facts been known to them. The jury returned, at the suggestion of his Honor, a general verdict for the fall amount. His Honor certified for full costs for a special jury, and allowed fees for two counsel, as the case was a very important one.

Mr S. Danks offers himself for re-election as Councillor for Lambton Ward.

Colonel Reader returned to Wellingtou from his trip to Australia by the steamer Manapouri last Friday. Three pure bred shorthorn bulls rising two years old arrived by the steamer Manapouri from Melbourne last Friday. They are the property of Mr D. McMaster, Wairarapa. The case Ryan v Ryan occupied the Supreme Court all Saturday and again on Monday until 4.10 p.m., when the jury retired to consider the evidence. At 5A5' pm- they returned with a verdict against the respondent of not guilty of cruelty or of adultery, but guilty of desertion. His Honor reserved bis decision.

The office of Librarian to the General Assembly Library ha 3 been filled by the appointment of Mr J. Collier,. M.A., a gentleman now in Auckland, bat recently from Eagland. Mr E. Tregear was second on the list. We should like to know what were Mr Collier’s special recommendations. He was put over the heads of more deserving men.

At the meeting of the Committee of the Benevolent Society on Tuesday, rather a hard case was mentioned. A gentleman named Carr found himself in charge of a baby, and applied to the Society to be relieved of the care. The mother asked permission to leave it at his house for a couple ef hours, and though several days had elapsed, had not turned up. All the consolation he got was a recommendation to apply to the police. A fairly numerous audience filled the Lyceum Hall Sunday evening, attracted by the announcement that Baron Mollwo would deliver a lecture on “ Nihilism.” The address, which occupied less than an hour in delivery, was somewhat disappointing, for. there was little information respecting the organisation, objects and progress of the great movement in Russia. Baron Mollwo condemned with much warmth the Government of Russia, and gave a few historical facts ef interest.

A meeting of ladies was held on Monday afternoon at St. James’ Church, Newtown, to consider a proposal to form a branch of the Ladies’ Christian Temperance Union. Mrs Dudley Ward, the Acting-President of New Zealand, and Mrs Fulton addressed the meeting, and gave interesting accounts of the work in the South Island at the different local unions formed by Mrs Leavitt, who visited our town a short time ago. ,The ladies present decided to think over the suggestions made by Mrs Ward, and to come to a decision at the meeting to be held the next Thursday. The lumpers’ strike at Lyttelton did not prove of any inconvenience whatever to the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s steamer Tainui, her loading being finished, and everything ready for leaving port several hours before the time fixed for her departure. Captain Everett, of the same Company’s barque Crownthorpe, now loading wool at the Railway Wharf for London, states that he does not anticipate any difficulty whatever from the refusal of the lumpers to work his vessel. The remainder of the witnesses in the case of Ryan v Ryan were examined on Saturday. The evidence of the daughters was rather unfavorable towards the petitioner. A little girl (the youngest) was brought into Court, but the jury showed a very decided disinclination to ha ve her examined, for which they were admonished by Mr Travers, who stated that it was a matter for his Honor, and that there was no intention of placing the little girl in the box. The case throughout has been a very painful one.

was a large attendance at Messrs J. H. Bethune and Co.’s sale of properties, &c., on Tuesday, and the bidding was spirited. A corner allotment with 36ft frontage to Willisstreet by 78ft depth to Ghuznee-street, with ten-roomed house, was . purchased by Mr Macdonald at £650. An allotment opposite the Ministerial residence, having "a frontage of 30ft to Tinkakori-road, by a depth of 50ft, with a three-roomed cottage, was purchased by Mr R. Tobin for £2lO. The Pungarehu Hotel, two miles from Parihaka, with ten acres of land, blacksmith’s shop, stables, &c., was withdrawn at £4OO. The theodolites, surveyor’s tools, flowering shrubs, fruit and forest trees, &c., realised good prices. The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Society Committee took place on Tuesday afternoon, when there were present—Mr H. S. Wardell (in the chair), Rev H. Van Staveren, Vea Archdeacon Stock, Messrs S. Danks, T. McKenzie, C. P. Powles, J. E. Smith, B. Smith, H. J. Williams. A sum of £2 10a was granted to a woman with a family and a lunatic husband, to send her and her children to Palmerston. The Relieving Officer reported the case of a woman who had left a child at the house of a resident in the town and disappeared. He had recommended the complainant to apply to the police. The case was reported of a man recently from Dunedin. He has a sick wife and five children, and though seeking work, was unable to find it. A fortnight’s rations were granted, the man to give work of the value. The case of a man of 70, who had been formerly on the hands of the Society, and been injured while drunk, was brought up. He is unfit to work. It was resolved to give him help on condition of his future good behavior. Rations were ordered for a month, and 2s 6d a week for rent were ordered for an old man who is crippled. Further cases were dealt with.

A second trial of the Star Hand Grenade was made Tuesday afternoon on the reclaimed ground, opposite the Government Printing Office. A building was prepared similar to the larger of the two experimented on a few weeks ago. It was smeared with tar and deluged with kerosene. Fire was applied, and was allowed to grow to great fierceness, when, on breaking one grenade, it was totally extinguished. This experiment was gone through a second time with success. On a third occasion the planks were so delapidated by the previous fires that it was found that the grenades would not break, the resistance not being sufficient, and this part of the experiment was unsuccessful. A number of boys stupidly kept throwing stones at the burning mass, and one stone glancing off the woodwork struck a gentleman standing by a severe blow on the face. A judicious application of stock-whip among the boys would not have been amiss. A great crowd assembled to witness the experiment. It has been clearly proved that, in the early stages of fire, the grenade is quite effectual.

The R.M.S. Ruapehu takes about 10,000 carcases of frozen meat from this port. Henry Webb, of Wellington, bootmaker, has filed a petition to be adjudged a bankrupt.

A Government parade of all the Volunteer corps belonging to the city of Wellington took place on Monday evening at the Mount Cook Drillaked.

The Manawatu Daily Times says that rabbits are beginning to be a nuisance in the district, having already done some mischief in one garden. The use of the Lyceum Hall was offered to Baron Mollwo for a day this week in order that he might repeat his lecture on Nihilism. He, however, has declined the offer, but will lecture on the “ Eastern Question ” next Sunday. The Hinemoa returned on Monday from her trip to Picton with a number of members of the General Assembly. The trip was a very pleasant one, and the utmost hospitality and kindness was shown by the Marlborough people tc their visitors. The ball of the Heretaunga Light Horse took place last Friday night in the Drillshed,Petone. A special train conveyed ticket-holders from Wellington, and returned early thia morning. The ball was completely successful, and the room, from the number of uniforms, was exceedingly gay. With reference to the statements published relative to the misreporting of Mr A. G. Horton’s evidence before the Printing Committee, it should be explained that the examination in question took place before the Committee of the House of Representatives, not before that of the Legislative Council. A man' named Martin Nelson, a sawmiller by trade, who some months ago was treated for insanity at the Mount View Lunatic Asylum, was taken into custody last Friday morning on suspicion of being of unsound mind, and, on the certificates of two medical men, who certified that he was insane, was committed to the Lunatic Asylum.

The Government have informed Mr Samuel that, in accordance with their promise to him given on Friday last, a Commission is now being engrossed, and will be at once executed, appointing Messrs Reeves, M.L.C., Dodson, M.H.R., and Harper, M.H.R., Commissioners, to investigate into the circumstances of the recent dismissal of surgeon and nurses at the Wellington Hospital. The AC. Torpedo Corps, under the command of Major Boddam, went out in the torpedo launch on Tuesday morning, for the purpose of trying a new spar-torpedo invented and manufactured by Mr Jardine. The torpedo in question is a mechanical and not an electrical one. It fires upon striking an object, or at the will oE the officer iu the conning tower of the torpedo boat. Two safety pins prevent an accidental discharge of the weapon, which, when loaded, contains 451bs of dynamite or gun-cotton. The infernal machine was charged with a primer of lOoz of gijnpowder and four fulminate of mercury detonators. The charge chamber was then opened, and the torpedo was launched over the side of the boat into the water. This was to try whether water entering the chargechamber could in any way effect the efficiency of the machine by wetting tbe priming charges. LTpon hauliDg the weapon upon deck, it was, of course, found, full of water, which was allowed to remain in it for some time. Major Boddam then instructed Mr Jardine to fire the priming charges without allowing the torpedo to come in contact with any object ; this was instantly done, and ‘the machine was blown to atoms. Mr Jardine explained the working of his invention to Major Boddam, who expressed himself as being well pleased. The “ Jardine spar-torpedo ” can be manufactured at a very cheap rate in this city, which is in itself a good recommendation.