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New Zealand Mail, Issue 769, 26 November 1886, Page 16

A concert in aid of the Choir Scholarship Fund will be given, under the direction of Mr Robert Parker, in the Tinakori Churchroom, on Tuesday evening. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company’s steamer Arawa, from Loudon via Port Chalmers, left the latter port at 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday, and was due in Wellington yesterday afternoon. The newly-elected chairman (Mr Taylor) of the Hutt County Council, stated at the meeting of the Council on Wednesday that he would be in attendance at the Council’s office every Tuesday to transaot business, • Special trains will leave town, for the Hutt Park Racecourse at 11.15 a.m. noon, 12.25 p.m., and 1.33 p.m. on Saturday and Tuesday on the occasion of the Wellington Racing Club’s Spring Meeting. The arrangement of the trains from and to the Wairarapa are also notified.

Those who are liable to Property Tax will be warned by the three cases heard before the Resident Magistrate on Wednesday, in which it was decided that the defendants should pay flues of £5 each, and that the amount of their tax should be trebled for neglect to 1 furnish the returns required by law. The allocation of the Education grant for the ensuing year was stated by the Chairman of the Welling ton Board of Education at Wednesday’s meeting to be as follows :—Aaokland, £9746 ; Hawkes Bay, £2391; Taranaki, £924; Wanganui, £2600; Wellington, £4067;/ Marlborough, £766 ; Nelson, £207.9,; Grey/£698 ; Westland, £Bl3 ; North Canterbury, £8032 ; South Canterbury, £1843; Otago, £8739 ; Southland, £3132; total, £45,835 4s. The allocation, Mr Blair said, was mado on a population basis, at the rate of la and 6-10ths for each person. An ordinary meeting of the Board of College Governors was held yesterday. Present—Messrs J. R. Blair (chairman),* A. Bunny, A. W. Brown, the Rev J; Paterson, and Drs Hector and Newman. The Chairman, reported that the fees due for the College amounted tn £261 18s 8d ; rents, £56 10a ; and Government grant, £350; making a total of £668 8s 8d ; against which the bank overdraft: was £602 9s lOd, and the sum of £125 19s 4d'was required for payment of salaries and > other accounts, making a total of £728 9s 2d. The amount required for salaries, &c., was-passed for payment. Wifh reference to'thelsppointmont of Examiners for the annual:.examinations, it was decided that Mr West Bhould take the Girls’ High School, and Messrs Mackay, McGregor, and Hay, the College. As considerable difficulty had been experienced in arranging the matter, it was remarked that the appointments should have been dealt with earlier. The Secretary stated that he had received thirty nominations for the four primary scholarships, the examination for which takes place on the lßt December. Tne usual sum of £ls was voted for the annual prizes. A letter was received from Mr Mackay, stating that the College term closes on Monday, the 13th Deaember. It was decided that.tbe examiners’ report should be received on ..the Friday previons,' and the presentation of prizes made the following day (Saturday, the 11th). The Board resolved to ask his Excellency the Governor to distribute the prizes. Draft of a form of leases for the Board’s land was submitted for approval. With the alterations that the term of lease be for 21 years, aad the payments made half-yearly, the memorandum was adopted, on the motion of Mr Bunny, seconded by Dr. Newman. Mr Bunny moved that the sections of the Paraekaretu Block be let under the conditions set out in the form of lease. Seconded by Dr. Newman, and carried. It was decided that the upset price should be fixed by the commttee appointed to deal with; the matter. The Board then went into committee.

For the bean competition got up by MessrsGraves aud Fleming, of Manners and Cuba* streets, the correct number turns out to be 998. The beans were counted on Wednesday evening by a committee of gentlemen, and a great number of the public were-present. - ' A cheap return train will be run on tbeManawatu line on Monday, taking passengers direct to Palmerston. The train wifl leave town at 8.30 am, and the price of return' tickets will be 10s, available for the same day / or the two following days. A slight accident happened to the afternoon “ train from the Wairarapa on Tuesday, abouthalf way between the Summit and Kaitoke. The engine .struck a log which probably had rolled on the line from the hilL The train/ was stopped, and some delay wa3 caused, but no damage of importance resulted. We are informed by the Marine Department that the principal keeper at Cape ’ Campbell Lighthouse recently found on the lighthouse reserve at that place an pil tin, containing three table bells, six sugar .spoons,, eleven butter aud ten dessert knives. These articles are now ip the possession of the Marine Department. Wednesday’s polling for the election o£Mayor of Wellington resulted in the return of Mr Samuel Browh by a majority of 219votes over Mr G. Fisher, the voting being— 1 Mr Brown, 864 ;Mr Fisher, 645. The total number of votes recorded was 1509, as against 1694 last year, when there were four- 5 candidates, who received the following num< • her of votes -A. W. Brown, 606; S. Brown (elected this year), 563; T. McKenzie, 435 J. Dransfleld,' 90. The report of the- - proceedings appears in another column, A discussion took place at the-Education Board meeting Wednesday in connection with. * ■ the Hutt School log-book, which, the Chairman stated, had not been kept according to instructions, many of the entries being of a 1 controversial nature. In the absence of the head master some time ago the second master had been in charge, and he had made the entries. ' Mr Buchanan suggested- that a circular should be issued calling attention te ' the instructions published in the log-books. It was eventually decided to censure the as- • sistant master who had made the entries com- * plained of. The. Education Board, at the conclusion of. its ordinary meeting on Wednesday, went inte committe to consider some appointments that , were to be made. It was decided to leavp the appointments of master at Porirua and assistant at Wadestown in the hands of ths Chairman of the Board. The appointment of headmaster at Newtown was postponed till next meeting. Complants against * the headmasters at Greytown and Ekefcahuna were considered, and it was decided.to ' postpone consideration of the Greytown case for a month, while the pther matter was left in the hands of the Chairman. ’. -s’

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the sixth edition of tbe “ Index to the Laws of New Zealand,” by Mr John Cumin,' of tho Inner Temple. The Index;' has long been known as a work of great value, and the present edition fully sustains its reputation. Mr Curnin, from his position and legal knowledge, has unusual opportunity for the compilation of such a work. . The book is excel, lently printed at the. Government Printing Office, and is published by.Mr'R N. Manley, of \Villia-street. It is an exceedingly neat and handy volume. ;

Tho quietness with which the ; Mayoral election was conducted on Wednesday, and the absence of any riotous conduct, was generally noticed. Around the polling-booth the crowd were orderly, and made: nothing in the shape of a disturbance. When the poll was declared, abdttt 200 peoplo 'had collected to hear the result, but there‘whs; not much excitement; and Mr Fisher/ -who made ashort speech, was not greatly • hindered either by hostile or favorable demonstrations. In the evening the successful candidate, Mr Brown, was serenaded by a band, /the members of which were duly entertained at Mr Brown's house.

During the past week the remarkable and sudden changes of the weather have been a subject of general remark. At Masterton, ou Tuesday evening, one of the severest thunderstorms happened that has occurred for years. Fortunately it was not followed by any of tbe heavy floods which have been so disastrous in that district, and no very serious damage was done. On the coast, also, we have had gales from the four quarters of the compass/and on Wednesdaythe Maitai, which was due here in the morning, was all day trying to get.through the Straits, in consequence of the very high sea running. The steamers Huia and Waverley also were unable to leave port through stress of weather.

A strange instance of the operation of the principle of maintaining a life policy in force after lapse of payment of premiums, by giving credit for surrender value, has recently occurred. AMr J. Opie, of Melrose, South Australia, effected an insurance for £250 early in 1880 with the Colonial Mutual Assurance Society, aud had paid no premiums for several quarters before his death. The Society did not know- of his death, nor did his widow know that the policy was in force. She became aware of the fact through receiving a circular addressed to her husband, and wrote to the head office, stating that her husband had died in September, ISB4. She has now been informed that she will receive thq

amount assured, less the arrears of premium: and interest.

The ease Seager v. the Corporation of Wellington will be heard in the SupremeCourt in January next. This is a case in. which Mr Charles Seager seeks to recoverpossession of a piece of land of about half

an acre, on which the Corporation yards, near the Clyde- quay Hotel, are partly situated, together with £SOO claimed aa ? mesne profits. Mr Seager’s claim is based oa a Crown grant issued in 1852, and the City Council claims the land under the foreshore grant. Mr Seager’a contention is that hie Crown grant is the only one that gives the low water-mark. as the northern boundary of the land ; and the question of the boundary, upon which'the proceedings will hinge to a great extent, has been complicated considerably since the earthquake of 1856, which altered the low water-mark, and the accretion that has resulted from silting in that part of the harbor. Msr Travers has been retained for Mr Seager.

The use of the Basis Reserve has been granted to the Wellington College boys for their annual sports, to be held on Monday. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Land Board did nob coma off yesterday, owing to the want of a quorum. A speoial meeting of the Board will be held to-day.

According to a return made last September, there are 4121 public-houses in London, 1196 wine and spirit merchants, 1512 beer retailers, giving a total of 6535 persons engaged in the liqnor trade. The boot and shoemakers number 2800; grocers, 2176 ; bakers, 1994. In connection with Messrs Graves and Fleming’s bean competition an advertisement will be found in another column to the effect that all tickets must be sent in before the Ist December, as the prizes will be held over > till all the tickets are in. The winning number is 998. An adventurous Frenchman named De Wogan has been wandering about the sea and rivers of the Continent during the last two years in a paper boat of his own con. struction. The fragile craft has already borne its owner over 6000 miles through the ehannel, by the coast, iuto creeks, and np rivers. This novel piece of naval architecture ' is named the Qui Vive, and is shaped like a /, canoe. It is sixteen feet long, two and a-half feet in width. The shell is about an inch thick, and it weighs fifty pounds. When at Cologne eighteen months ago M. De Wogan suffered a night attack from the Germans, who, it is said, were enraged at the sight of the French colors, and battered the Qui Vive rather badly—not with shells, but with their feet. M. De Wogan lately left Brussels, where he was congratulated on his invention by the King of the Belgians, passed by Calais, and has just arrived at Havre, where he will proceed up the Seine ■to Paris. _ ■ - - ' ■

An Australian paper has the following reference to a bookmaker well-known in New Zealand It is not often that a bookmaker has to take the benefit of the Insolvency Act, but on this week’s list is Mr Abraham Snider, who has had a bad'time. At one time it was hoped that he. would pull through, for a strong Jeffort was made by some of liia friends to help him to tide over his difficulties, but one usurer who had promised support backed out at the last moment ; he considered “ hish case vo3 too critical,” and so the poor booky had to file his schedule. He hopes, however, some day to be able to pay everybody in full. His liabilities were set at £I7BO, and the assets at £l, leaving a deficiency of £1779. The causes of insolvency were stated to have been losses in business as a . turf commission agent, he. having during the last two years lost £SOOO. All the debts are owing for money lent, and the - following are the insolvent’s creditors, all of them being unsecured : —Aaron Waxman, financier, £SOO ; Mish Solomons, tobacconist, £250 ; tteorge Patterson, turf commission agent, £210; Reuben Barnard, money lender, £220 ; Leonard Levy, money leader, £2OO ; Laurence Zucker, turf commission agent, £200; Joseph Harris, turf commission agent, £150; Solomon Hyams, pawnbroker, £SO.