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New Zealand Mail, Issue 933, 17 January 1890, Page 16

Special Bank Holiday.—The banks in Wellington will observe Wednesday next as a special holiday. Mayoral Picnic.—We understand that the Mayor purposes giving a picnic at his Karori residence on Thursday of next week, the second day of the Jubilee celebrations. The Governors of New Zealand and New South Wales, Admiral Lord Charles Scott, and a very large number of citizens will be invited. Band Contest. —The band contest to be held to-morrow evening will probably be the forerunner of many other similar competitions. The principal bands of the city will take part in the contest, which promises to be very successful. Mr Hoffnann, the wellknown music-seller of Wdlis-street, has given a silver-plated cornet to be competed for. A Wealthy Prisoner. —An elderly but inebriated old gentleman presented himself at the Police Station on Wednesday night and asked the watch-house-keeper to take charge of £7O of which he was possessed, and of which he was afraid he would be robbed. As the old gentleman was too far gone to be allowed his liberty, it was decided to detain both him and his wealth. Wily Spielers,—A trio of the spieler tribe lately arrived in Dunedin from Melbourne, ellegantly attired in the garb of Roman Catholic priests. Their get up and demeanour was quite in keeping with their assumed positions. But before they had time to commence operations tbe detectives “spotted” them and spoiled their little gome by politely but firmly requesting them to move on, and Dunedin soon kuew them no more. The question is, where will they turn up next ? Amateur Athletic Club, —At a meeting of the Committee of the Amateur Athletic Club, held on Wednesday night, it was resolved to hold the next sports meeting on Saturday, the Bth March, subject to the City Council granting the use of the Basin Reserve on that date. The programme, which will in* elude the usual events, will be published shortly. It was resolved that at. future meetings members’ tickets snail entitle the holder to admission to tbe ground and grandstand for himself and two ladieß. There is every indication of the coming meet* ing being a success. Phylloxera. —Mr W\ M. Maskell has rouorted that in his opinion the disease p»evalent in Auckland vineyards is the true phylloxera, and he recommends that every vine in the district should at once be destroyed. The Government are advised, however, that this drastic remedy is beyond their powers, and consequently no steps can be taken in the matter until Parliament msets when a Bill dealing with the outbreak will probably be introduced. Meanwhile the Government will communicate with the other colonial Governments, and ascertain iq what way they deal with the peat,

CiiO’sVN LanCs ec(r Sale.—Attentioh is directed to an advertisement on page 20, cobcsrning Drown lands for sale: SOprkmk Court. —The next civil sittings of the Supreme Court will be held on the lOth of February. The Late Bp \ting Accident. —TJp to Wednesday nightthebody of Herbert Mitchell, who was drowned in Evans Bay on Sunday, had not been recovered, although active dragging is still going on. Greetings. —We have received from the office of the Morning Bulletin and Capricornian a very neat card conveying to our staff seasonable greetings. We heartily reciprocate the good wishes. Convivial Times. -A London paper of a late date says—Lord Hopstoun evidently intends to do the thing well in Melbourne, as he is sending out several thousand pounds worth of choice wines to Government House, beside spirits. After all, he is only emu. lating the example of Lord Carrington, who took out to Sydney enough champagne to last throughout his Viceroyalty. The Eternal City. -A contract has been signed between the Commune of Rome and the Anglo-Roman Gas Society for the illumination of Rome and the suburbs by electric light. One hundred and sixtyseven electric lights will take the place of 706 ga-> light’, at an increased expense of nearly 26,*'00 francs annually. The motive p > wcr will be derived from the waterfalls at Tivoli, aud the .-tation for the distribution of the power will be ne*r Porta Pia. “ Nancy Lee.” —The Rev W. C. Waters wr it,. p : —“I have read with smn-' interest your little notice of Frederick E. Weatherley, not only because 1 Uuo« him very well indeed at Oxford, but also because it may nerhaps interest some of your readers to know that I can vouch for tb« truth of your statement, as. singular to re ate, I was the undergraduate who disappointed Mr Weatherley on the occasion which you mention, he being what is called at Oxford my “coach;” and it was in the hour that should have been employed in coaching me that, in consequence of my absence, he com. posed the now (or. perhaps, once) famous song 1 Nancy Lee.’” Larceny. Ettie Sandbrook, a young woman residing in Fraser’s-laue, was charged at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday with stealing a £5 note, the property of Samuel Brooks. Mr Gray was for the defence, Detective Kirby, who prosecuted, called the informant, an elderly man, who is employed at Karorl. His evidence was to the effect that on Wednesday he went to the house where the accused lives, and that while he was there she took the £5 note out of his pocket. Evidence having been taken to this extent, the accused was remanded, by consent of both Bides, till this morning. The only other criminal case dealt with was one in which a first offender was fined 5s for drunkenness. A New German Battleship.—According to Industries, the Germania Schiffswerft at Kiel has booked the order for the first of four large armour clads of 10,000 tons each, to be constructed for the German Navy. The designs have been furnished by the German Admiralty, and the time fixed for completion is three and a half years. The Germania Company confidently expect that a sister vessel will be entrusted to them shortly. It is stated that the German Naval Estimates for 1890-91 make a provision of 32,000,000 marks for warship construction. No doubt this awakening in German naval circles is in part due to the impressions made on the German Emperor by the naval demonstration which took place in the Channel during his visit to England. The Basin Reserve.— -A meeting of representatives of the Wellington Cricket Association and the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club washeld at the Occidental Hotel on Wednesday evening, when it was resolved that in the event of the Amateur Athletic Association applying for the Basin Reserve for their sports to be held on the Bth. March, the Cricket Association would meet them by postponing their matches .which are fixed to take place on that date. It is satisfactory to observe that these two bodies have decided to pull together, so that the Basin Reserve may be used, as it Bhould be, for reoreation either in the way of Bports or cricket matches. It is to be hoped, moreover, that the City Council will give them some assistance in the way of spending the revenue derived from letting the ground in improving the condition of the Reserve. This might be done without trenching on the City Council’s ordinary revenue, and it would lead to more frequent use of the Basin ReBerve. '