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New Zealand Mail, Issue 810, 9 September 1887, Page 16

There was no criminal business transacted at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Bishop Luck, of Auckland, arrived from Picton by the steamer Penguin on Wednesday morning. He was accompanied by his secretary. In another column we publish a fairly full report of the very interesting and useful lecture on “ Health,” delivered by Dr Newman on Tuesday evening, which we were compelled to hold over from yesterday’s issue. It will repay attentive perusal. There is quite an unusual prevalence of sickness in Wellington just now, mainly.of the influenza type. Colds of every kind are, epidemic in an exceptional degree. The remarkable severity of the winter, and the equally remarkable changeableness of the weather in the early spring, are no doubt the main cause. Judgments for plaintiffs were given in the following civil cases at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning :—R. Burrett’s executors v. E. Hamlin, £l, with costs 10s; E. W. Mills and Co. v. D. D. Nicholls, £l6 15s Sd, costs' £1 Is ; W. Dawson and Co. v. Robert Hughes, £7 2s, costs 10s; H. Fell v. F. Dixon, £2l6s, costs 6s. In the case J. Watkins v. Jacob Epuni, claim £5 17s, an order for 14 days’ imprisonment was suspended for 14 days. The liabilities in the estate of Charles Willeby Hawthorne are set down at £143 5s 9d, and the assets at £2 10s. The debtor’s furniture, valued at £4O, is mortgaged to the Well ngton Loan Company to secure an indebtedness of £37 10s. The principal creditors are—Henry Tippler, £2B 19s 5d ; R. Sutherland, Christchurch, £11; A. A. Barnett, £lO ss; F. Moeller, £9 12s ; Lyon and Blair, £S 16s lOd ; F. J. Preston, £7 8s lid ; Gear Meat Company, £6 8s 8d; Wakefield and Roydhouse, £6 2s 7d; E, Wilson, £5 7s. The Petone Navals paraded on Wednesday at Petone for musketry instruction, under Captain Marshall, District Instructor of Musketry. The City Rifles and Guards will parade at the Volunteer Drillshed this evening for inspection by the Officer Commanding the District. The Polhill Gully rifle range is now being put in order by prison labor, under the supervision of Colonel Butts and Captain Marshall. The Committee appointed to organise the Garrison sports are to meet at the Volunteer Drillshed on Monday next.

The quarterly meeting of the Lambton Licensing Committee was held in the Resident Magistrate’s Court buildings on Wednesday. There were present—Messrs Willeßton (chairman), Goldsmith, and Hayes. The clerk (Mr J. Ames) said the police report of the various hotels was satisfactory, but there was a matter in reference to the fire escape at the Club Hotel that would have to be dealt with. The police report on the matter was as follows : —“ There is a good fire escape on the outside of this building, but it leads down to the back yard, which is surrounded by brick walls, and in the event of fire persons going down the escape would get into a trap.” Inspector -Thomson said he had examined the escape very carefully, and Mr Lichtschiendl had undertaken to provide a ladder, which would remove the difficulty mentioned in the report. The proprietor had also agreed to place knotted ropes in the bedroomß. Mr Lichtschiendl, who was present, said he would have a new ladder put up and knotted ropes fixed in the bedrooms. Inspector Thomson stated that he had communicated with several of the country stations as to the fire appliances in the various hotels. He had only received a few answers, but he was glad to say that those went to show that the country hotels were well provided with fire escapes, ladders, &c. . A permanent transfer from A. E. Armstrong, late o’f the' Ship Hotel, to Mrs F. Townsend was granted, the police offering no objection.

His Honor the Chief Justice was a passenger by the steamer Penguin to Lyttelton on Wednesday evening.

At a meeting of residents of the Hutt on Tuesday night, the following gentlemen were--nominated as trustees for the public cemetary:—Messrs W. A. Fitzberbert and Henry Jackson (Anglican), James Knightand W. J. JKirk (Wesleyan), C. _E. Bunhyand Jno. Kavanagh (Roman Catholic), D. Speedy and G. Mcllvride (Presbyterian).

A motion for a new trial in the case of Woodger v Dugdale is to be made in Bancoby Mr Travers, on behalf of the defendant. It will be remembered that in this case, which was heard a week or two ago, the ownership of part of a section of land at. Newtown was in question, aryl judgment was given by a jury for the plaintiff, Mr Woodger.

A concert and soiree were held in the schoolroom, Makara, on last Friday nigkt,. which, despite the inclement weather, were very successful, and will result in a small sum being added to the Shotter fund. A well-known resident intends making a personal canvass from house to house for subscriptions for this fund, and no doubt the residents will generously subscribe.

When the late Rev Dr William Adams of New York was at the pan-Presbyterian Council at Edinburgh, finding the church rent into Regular Presbyterians and Independent Presbyterians and United Presbyterians, and what not, he said in his speech : “Brethren, you are R.P.’s and I.P.’s and U.P.’s—why don’t you call yourselves split peas and be done with it ? ”

Ah interesting lecture, entitled “The Uses of Spiritualism,” was delivered by Mr R. Donaldson at a meeting of the Wellington Association of Spiritualists on Wednesday, night. There was a very small attendance, owing, no doubt, to the inclement state of the weather. Those who were present, however, listened to the lecture with great attention. On concluding, Mr Donaldson was awarded a hearty vote of thanka.

A sitting of the Hutt Magistrate’s Court was held on Wednesday morning, MessrsH. Jackson and W. A. Fitzherbert, Justices, presiding. A charge against Adam Gordon, of having allowed ten cows to wander at! Petone, was dismissed after evidence had been taken. For ill-treating a horse, Herbert White was fined £1 and 17s costs. For allowing three horses to wander, Quong Ti was fined 3s and 17s costs. A charge against Chun Lee, of having committed a breach of’ the Police Offences Act by ploughing on. Sunday, was proved by Constable Harnett, and a fine of Is and costs imposed. Joseph Gigger and William Silsberry, two boys, for disturbing a Salvation Army congregation at Petone, were each fined 5s and costs. A charge against J. Edmunds, of having used insulting language to a railway porter at Petone, was withdrawn.

The members of the School of Design are actively engaged in preparing an entertainment, which will prove an undoubted attraction. It will take the form of tableaux, which will be given on a scale not hitherto attempted in Wellington. The Theatre Royal has been engaged for the occasion, and the tableaux, which will comprise several Shakesperian and other scenes in their entirety, will be staged with full scenic and stage appointments. There will also be a living “waxwork” exhibition, containing in the collection many new and original characters. -A gentlemaD, who is well qualified, has undertaken the duties of showman. A good musical pregramme has also been arranged. The grouping of the various sets is in the hands of Mr A. D. Riley, Director of the School, who has given a good deal of time and attention to the matter, with the result that a most artistic display may be expected.

- The late Captain George Browning (says the Sydney Morning Herald), was one of the oldest colonial master mariners, having arrived in Sydney in the year 1822, as second mate of the brig Lord Rodney. His life was an eventful one. In the year 1831, being in command of the schooner Caledonia, lying in Moreton Bay, the vessel was boarded during the night by a piratical convict boat’s crew. These convicts sent the schooner’s crew ashore in the boat, and compelled the captain to get the schooner under way, and to navigate them to one of the South Sea Islands, for which service they agreed to spare his life, and, bn arrival at the island, to give him the schooner. The pirates were divided into two parties, six Englishmen and five Irishmen. They quarrelled on the voyage. The six strongestmurdered the five weaker men and threw them into the sea. - The first land made was Noumea. A boat’s crew went tothe shore, but the first man that stepped out of the boat the savages immediate clubbed. The rest got back to the schooner. They then started for theNavigator Islands, and made Apia. The natives came off and invited all on shore. The pirates scuttled the schooner. The chiefs soon recognised that Browning was the best man, and treated him with great kindness. He remained on the island for a long time, and was ultimately rescued by an English whaler. The convicts quarrelled amongst themselves on the island, and some were murdered. Captain Browning published a narrative of this event, which book seemed to have got into the hands of the late Benjamin Boyd, who after many interviews with Captain Browning, resolved to go out to Sydney. He gave Captain Browning charge of one of his large steamships, the Sea Horse—she was brought out to Tasmania and Sydney by him. Captain Browning was afterward and for some years associated with the late Mr Hennings in establishments at the South Sea Islands, and also commanded vessels on this coast for many years. On one voyage in the Northumberland, cutter, 20 tons, trading from Sydney to Hunter River, having been caught in a heavy southerly gale, he ran his vessel in at Newcastle, between the mainland and “Nobbys.” His brother is Mr Samuel Browning, of Auckland, late chairman of the Bank of New Zealand ; one of his sisters married the great Ericson, of Monitor fame ; one of his nieces is the widow of the late General Chute. He died at the age of 86 years, and wa3 buried at Rockwood.

V The Taranaki Newß states that on Sunday a section of the Ngatitahekirangi tribe went to the land awarded to the Ngahaupoto tribe, situate about three-quarters of a mile from Rahotu, and pulled down the boundary fence which had been erected in accordance with the plan of award. Of course there was a great rumpus amongst the contending tribal factious, and the fence was re-erected to be again demolished. Information of “Mb* was S sentlto the police, as a breach of “Srwm threatened. The Natives, after a great deal of talk and no blows coni p A S that they had better refer their crievance hl to the Resident Magistrate at and a private prosecution for treswUl b. inetituted by the Ne.haupotoe"ag-i-st the counter daatt who assert that they have nothing to do with the award of the West Coast Commissioners, SrtSrt «i»y <**» a» ,'“ d ““rirfolif; the •» recognised by the trines. etee-d that the .^ong.t Natives show. that the.affair » purely a a matter Whiti. for some reason ntv to interfere, ie wauj n.etipi. of his own, has held aloof from any partunaffair no doubt fearing that FfWave his judgment in favor of one party .. ®ij offend the other, and his power would be greatlv weakened thereby. Major Take the Resident Magistrate at Opunahe, w“ll probably be able to tender the-Natives Tome wholesome advice, and possibly the conflict will end without any actual resort to the Resident Magistrate s Court.