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New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 16

Two bottle-nosed whales were observed close to the shore at Paikakariki last week. We understand that the members of the Wellington Club propose to entertain the officers of the Japauese man-of-war Tsukuba at a dinner, which will probably take place next Wednesday. Tbe Captain and the Commander of the Japanese corvette now in the harbor, accepted an invitation to dine at Government House last evening.. They afterwards accompanied his Excellency to the theatre to witness the performance of <e 'My Partner.’’ The sitting of the-Compen3ation Court which was to have been held on Wednesday morning was postponed. The divorce case Wright v. Wright was also to have been taken, but it was adjourned till the June sittings of the Court.

The Kimberley goldfields in Western Australia are attracting considerable attention from all parts of the colony just now. Some old 1 miners engaged on Mr S. Brown’s contract at Paikakariki left their employment last week, with tbe intention of going thither. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the Masonic Directory for New Zealand for 1886; compiled by Mr George Robertson, a well known.aufchority on Masonry. The directory contains the-names of the officers of all lodges connected with Freemasonry in the Colony, besides other information. The Mayor went off to the Tsukuba Wednesday morning, and arranged with Captain Fukishima that the visit of the members of the City Council and Harbor Board to the vessel should take place on Friday morning. If possible, the Ellen Ballance will be obtained for the purpose. A lad named Albert Green was arrested Wednesday on a- charge of stealing a £1 note from his father. Mr Greeu states that his son is quite incorrigible,, and he wishes to get him committed to an Industrial School. The lad, he says, is always pilfering, and after, the £1 note was missed Mr Green found his eon sitting on the wharf fishing. The boy acknowledged that he had taken the money, and had spent it in fishing tackle, ginger beer, and other articles. He was charged at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and ordered to be sent to the Caversham Industrial School until 15 years of age, his father to pay 5s per week towards his maintenance. . -

The monthly Government'parade of the Wellington Battalion was held Wednesday night in thtTDrillshed. Tbe men were inspected by Colonel Butts, who appeared highly satisfied with their general efficiency. After the inspection, the battalion was put through some movements by Sergeant-Majcr Bell. Sir George Whitmore witnessed the proceedings. The total number of men on parade was 296, made up as follows : Wellington Naval Artillery, under Captaiu Duncan, 54 ; Petone Naval Artillery, Captain Fitzherbert, 45 ; City Rifles, Lieutenant Collins, 52 ; Wellington Goards, Captain Loveday, 49 ; Wellington Rifles,. Major Shannon, 37 j Newtown Rifles, Captain Cole, 35 ; Garrison Band, under Bandmaster Cimin >, 35. Major Crowe was in command of the battalion, and Colonel Butts was in command of the parade. After tbe inspection and drill, the battalion was dismissed.

The- School of Design, under Mr A,. D. Riley, promises to be a highly successful institution. A special meeting of the Committee was held on Wednesday, at which the returns of the school were given for the period extending from April 13 to April 30. These showed the total number of students under instruction to be 183, the attendances being 564. Considering the short time the school had been in existence, the Committee thought the results highly gratifying. Iu the classes open to the general public, over 50- students had been registered. In order still further to popularise the institution, it was decided to reduce the fees of the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and Wednesday and Friday morning classes (drawing and painting), from two and three guineas respectively to. one guinea each per quarter. Special evening classes have been formed for persons engaged during the day, the course of study embracing drawing from the round practical geometry and perspective. Up to the present these classes have been exceedingly well attended one averaging an attendance of 34. The fees for these classes have been fixed very low (10s per quarter), and they should therefore become popular among young people connected with trades who desire to p-iepare for higher studies. The examinations are to be held in July, at which all teachers under tbe Education Board will be allowed to present themselves for the purpose of obtaining some sectiou of their drawing certificate, which will be recognised by the Education Department as satisfying its requirements. Candidates obtaining certificates will not therefore be asked to pass in the same section again. Examinations will be held in the elementary day schools in June, when a first grade certificate will be granted to successful candidates. All tbe classes of the School of Design are arranged upon the system adopted by the Science and Art Department at South Kensington, at which place Mr Riley received his education. It is expected that the certificates issued by the Wellington Board of Education will be recognised at tbe South Kensington Department.

Mr McOardle asked at yesterday’s meeting of the Land Board whether it was true that the Government proposed to lay off- a township at the back- of Pahiatua. The Commissioner replied that he had heard nothing, of it.

During the mee'ing of the Land’Board yesterday,. Mr Reese suggested that - as the land on which black birch grew was supposed to be invariably of very poor quality, the. department in offering for sale lands on which this timber predominates, should specially mention the circumstance. The Commissioner said he would do so if the existence of the timber came under his knowledge. The Taiaroa inquiry was brought to -a conclusion on- Wednesday, when Mr Travers addressed the Court on behalf of Captain Thomson, late master of the vessel. TheCourt adjourned to consider its judgmeut, which was delivered at 10 o’clock- next morning. Mr Travers’ address will be found elsewhere.

It is highly probable that legal proceedings will be taken shortly against the gentlemen who made certain charges at a recent public meeting at the Lower Hutt against a local schoolmaster. The matter has attracted considerable attention in town, while at the Hutt it is the one absorbing topic. It is quite certain that the affair will not rest where it is.

The Wairarapa Daily says—A daring robbery was committed on Tuesday night in one of the principal hotels in Masterton, by which a commercial traveller lost - a pocketbook containing about £43, and other valuables. The police have arrested on suspicion a notorious character named Shine, who arrived in Masterton by the mid-day train on Tuesday.

At a meeting of the Petone Town Board held on Tuesday night, it was resolved not to take steps toward carrying out a drainage or water scheme, but to leave the work - to the new Board that will be elected in September next, the present Board obtaining alt information re raising loan, should the polling be favorable. The polling, however, has not been favorable.

In dealing with a case in the Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday morning, .his Honor Mr Justice Richmond commented upon the circumstance that many companies appeared to begin business either with no money at all, or upon borrowed capital. Unfortunately the acoustic properties of the chamber in which the sitting of the Court was held are extremely bad, and his Honor’s remarks were consequently almost inaudible;

During Mr Stratford’s occupancy of the - Bench at the Resident Magistrates Court his tact in managing the business has led to a great saving of time. Necessarily his-efforts to stop irregularities have occasionally somewhat disconcerted the parties cone . Oei Wednesday a gentleman in Court leant forward and whispered to tbe Inspector of Nuisances, who was in the- witness box, whereupon Mr Stratford astonished the offender by.informing, him that he was guilty of contempt by speaking to a witness on oath. Mr Stratford added that he was not angry at the interruption, but he thought it well to state what was the law in such a case.

A New Zealand- nurseryman writes to the Gardeners’ Chronicle (London) on the subject of killing seeds before they- are sold, and asking the co-operation of the Chronicle to put a, stop to it, or the English export trade will suffer. He says :■?— 1 “In June last season (1885) I had a consignment of seeds from a London house (which here shall be nameless, but to a, commission of inquiry Ifw-ould not hesitate todivulge the name), and the whole lot wereperfectly valueless even turnips, radish, and' cucumbers, which retain, their vitality longerthan most seeds,, were included. They wereall carefully tested in different ways beforebeing condemned. They must have beonskilfully and deliberately killed, for,, to heighten the deception, they looked bright and fresh. Such conduct is highly reprehensible, and is nothing more or less than acommercial fraud, and ought to be severelypunished.”