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New Zealand Mail, 22 April 1887, Page 16

Mr George Leitch left Wellington for Auckland on Tuesday, en route for Aus. tralia. The proposal to light the Telegraph affice with the electric light has, we learn, been abandoned, at any rate for the present. Mr C. B. Izard is said to be a certain candidate for the Foxton seat at the next general election. / It is understood that the supporters of the successful candidate at the Te Aro .election will shortly be entertained at , a social gathering. 'i A new telephone list revised up to latest date has been sent round to the'Wellington subscribers. There are 375 names on the lißt. j Mr F. H. Fraser has received numerous congratulations by letter and telegram from various parts of the Colony congratulating him on his success in the Te Arp election. The largest train that ever passed over the Southern trunk line left Balclutha last week. It consisted of 65 waggons loaded with grain. The waggons with \heir loads would average about 10 tons eacnV so that the weight ol the train was about uSO tons. It was drawn by two engines. \ 3 The new mining handbook at present in the hands of the Government Printer will shortly be laid before Ministers. It consists of 500 pages and about two dozen good woodcuts of the principal mining views, batteries, &c., in the Colony. It contains a brief his. tory of the goldmining industry from the earliest days, beside a large amount of valuable general mining information. The book has been edited by Mr P. Galvin. The experiment was tried- in St. Paul’s Church at Wednesday nights oratorio service of placing the choir immediately under the intersection of nave and transepts, and opposite the organ. The result was a remarkable improvement in the tone and volume of the singing as heard by the congregation. We understand it will be proposed to the vestry to try the experiment again on one or two Sundays if the few seat-holders who would have to be transferred to the chancel (in college-chapel style) will consent to be moved for the occasion. However interesting it may be to know that a flock of 3300 sheep has been driven over the Terrace, it would be much more agreeable to pedestrians, ladies especially, if steps were taken either to prevent the whole length of the foot pavement from being defiled with the droppings of the sheep or else to have the paths cleaned afterward. As it is, the Terrace footpath has been in a filthy state during the last day or two along its entire length, to the grievous annoyance and damage Jof lady pedestrians wearing pretty dresses and dainty shoes. This nuisance ought not to be permitted. There is very bad management somewhere.

Mr Macarthur, the member for Manawatu, addresses the electors in Ashurst to-day. The Address-in-Reply will be moved in the; House by Mr F. H. Fraser, and in the Legislative Council by Colonel Brett. We learn that the Auckland cement isvery highly spoken of, and is considered in commercial circles to he likely to supersede to some extent the imported article. The Fielding Star of the 19th says : Native game is very plentiful in the back country this season. Some very good bags; have been made by visitors from other parts of the colony, who also pass high encomiumson the splendid feed there is for Btock in every part of the bush. Referring to the Rev W. Oliver, the NelsonColonist says :—“ His discourses bear indications of careful study, and contain many gems of thought, while his language is good and well chosen. The Wesleyans in this city are to be congratulated on obtaining the services of so able a minister.” The Hon Mr Larnach, Minister of Mines, is working his way down the coast to Welington. He was at Tarawera on Wednesday, was expected to be in Napier yesterday, and will reach Wellington by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway on Saturday night. Mr Larnach is the only member of the Cabinetat present absent from Wellington. sThe formal declaration of the Te Aro poll took place at noon on Wednesday at Mr Nicholson’s shop, Cuba-street. At the hourmentioned, Mr W. P. James, the Returning: Officer, announced from the balcony that Mr F. H. Fraser was the successful candidate, and declared him elected. Mr Fraser briefly addressed the electors present. It was hardly the time or place to make a speech, and he would content himself with reiterating what he had said on Friday last, namely, that he thanked them for the honor they had conferred on him by placing him in the proud position which he now occupied. He hoped they would be to his virtues ever kind, and to his faultß a little blind. Mr Fraser concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. The C.-mmittee appointed to arrange, if possible, for raising funds with which to administer charitable aid, the hospital, &c., in this city, have received about 500 answers tothe circulars they sent out recently on the matter. These circulars informed each person to whom they were sent the exactamount he or she would be called upon to contribute if a rate were imposed, and asked, what they would give as a donation, rather than have a poor-rate struck. Such recipienteof the circular as prsferred a poor-rate were to return the circular without filling it in. We learn that, from the answers received, the general opinion seems to be, so far, pretty equally divided. In many cases, however, persons have signified Jbheir willingness togive donations much, larger in amount than the sum at which they would be rated. The regular fortnightly meeting of the Poneke Lodge of Druids (Petone) was held on, Wednesday evening in the presence of a large number of members, including many visitors, amongst whom were the D.P. Bro. E. Jones and the P.D.P. Bro. W. K. Bishop. Tne meeting passed a resolution of sympathy with tho friends of the late Mr Howden, and decided that the Lodge should take part in the funeral proceedings next day. Out of respectto the deceased the Lodge officers wore their regalia draped in black. It was resolved to celebrate the first anniversary of the Lodge by a concert and ball, to be held at Petone next month. • Bro. Bishop was appointed the Lodge’s representative on the Committee of the New Zealand FriendlySocieties’ Guarantee Society. During the evening one candidate was duly proposed for initiation. An unfortunate accident happened to a young man named Crowell on Wednesday, Having occasion to pass through the Basin Reserve, he had crossed to the southern side when he found the gate locked. He vaulted over the fence, and, in landing on the other side, a ring on the middle finger of his left hand caught in the top rail and snapped the bone of the finger close to the band, tearing the joint completely off. Crowell proceeded straight to the Hospital, where he was placed under chloroform and the stump successfully re. moved. The accident was doubly unfortu. nate, as Crowell, who is a late arrival here, was to have started work to-morrow. At a late hour last night the Hospital authorities reported that the patient was progressing very favorably. The performance of Dr Stainer’s fine oratorio “The Daughter of Jairus,” at St. Paul’s Church on Wednesday, was remarkably successful. The very beautiful but difficult music was sung with a precision, vigour, and expression that bore testimony to the careful drilling the choir bad undergone at the hands of their able choirmaster, Mr Robert Parker, and at the same time afforded a great musical treat to the congregation. The exquisite “ Wailing chorus ” of female voices was given with singular pathos and effect, and a striking contrast was presented by the bright and stirring chorus, “Awake thou that sleepest,” which followed. The quaint choral movements for male voices, “In the death of a man,” and “Trouble not the master, thy daughter is dead,” were very telling, and the noble finale, “To Him who left His throne, was sung with admirable force and spirit. The solo numbers were entrusted to _ Miss Campbell, Mrs Parsons, Messrs Atkinson, Hickson, and F. V. Waters. Miss Campbell gave an expressive and appropriate delivery of the dramatic recitatives. Mr .Atkinson sang the lovely tenor air, “My hope ism the everlasting,” very well, and effectively. Mrs Parsons and Mr Hickson gave a pleasing and tasteful performance of the charming duet * ‘Love divine, ” and Mr W^aters declaimed the baritone recitatives with his accustomed mueicianly skill. A notable feature of the evening was the masterly condensation of the orchestral score; produced upon the fine organ of the church, by Mr Parker, who played the overture superbly, and also interpolated as au offertorium a very clever original fantasia on the principal themes in the work. A short service preceded the oratorio, and on its conclusion the benediotion was pronounced by the Rev J. Still. The collection was in aid of the choir fund.

The Te Anno, with English (Brindisi) and Australian mails arrived at the Bluff on Monday morning. The Afghan Boundary Commission have discovered coal seams 18ft to 25ft in thickness, covering a vast extent of country in -that section ot' Asia. Evidences of increasing inter-denomina-tional comity are perhaps getting too common to need mention ; but as the latest instance, it may be said that Canon Wilberforce, of the Church of England, recently preached in a Congregation Church at Southampton. The poll fn connection with the proposal "to borrow £4500 for the Petone waterworks, which takes place on Wednesday next, is likely to be well contested* There are a number of people iu the district, we understand, who are opposed to the Town Board’s proposal, and will vote agairst it. Mr H. S. Wardeil, 8.M., occupied the Bench at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. James Brooker, for being drunk in Willis-street on Wednesday night, was fined 10s, or in default 24 hours’ imprisonment, and also ordered to pay 2s cab hire. Thomas S. Temperley, on remand, was charged with attempting to commit suicide on the 29th March by taking acetic acid. The accused stated that when he took the poison he was suffering from temporary insanity, and the doctor who attended him at the Hospital could testify that he had been • afflicted with melancholia. Inspector Browne ; aaid he would be satisfied if the accused would find sureties of the peace. He had no desire to see the unfortunate fellow sent for trial. His Worship said he would be perfectly willing to accept sureties. At first the accused said he did not think he would be able to find sureties, but eventually agreed to try .and find one. His Worship fixed the amount at £25, I* civil cases, judgments for plaintiffs were given as follow : —William Wiggins v Henry Be van, £4 10s, costs 6s ; Thos. 'G. McCarthy v A. W. Blake, £37, co.3ts £1 103 ; United Importers Co. v Henry Lawton, £lO 4s 6d, costs £1 7s ; G. McHattie v J. Guff, 13s sd, cost 3 os. In judgment summons cases, George B. Wilton v George McDonald, claim £1 6s lid, an order was made for the payment of the amount within 14 days, or in default 14 days’imprisonment. •Similar orders were made in the cases of George Turner ▼ John A. Houguez, claim £3 11s 6d ; and William Gawith v same, ■claim £3 11s 6d.