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New Zealand Mail, Issue 951, 23 May 1890, Page 16

Birthday Honours. —By a cable message of this week it will be seen that Dr Grace, M.L.C., of this city, is the recipient of a birthday honour in the shape of a C.M.G.-ship. It will be very gratifying to the many friends of I)r Grace to learn that the value of his cervices as head of the Military Medical Department during the time of the Maori war has thus been suitably acknowledged by Her Majesty. The Mail Services. —Returns are in course of preparation showing the financial results of the respective mail services for the past year. It is understood that those returns will be very favourable to the San Francisco mail service, botfi op the score of its small relative cost and as proving it to be the most popular English mail line, even in Christchurch —the headquarters of the Direct Service—rand in Dunedin, the most remote point served. Session Work,— All the Bills intended to be introduced during the coming session are now in print, but have not yet received the final approval of the Cabinet. They will probably be fully considered next week. It is rumoured that the difficulty of devising a suitable governing body under the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill has not yet been satisfactorily solved, but that hopes are entertained of its proving feasible to provide a method which shall prove acceptable to the bodies interested. “Thus® Miserable Bazaars.’’’ —During tho course of a sermon preached St Stephen’s Church, Ashburton, on Sunday morning. Bishop Julius referred to the growth of individualism. Much of this individualism, he said, had arisen through a mistaken desire to establish too many churches. In little townships of about 200 inhabitants there were sometimes as many as half-a-dozen Christian churches all in a row, each tinkling its own little bell, with half-starved clergymen, and supported by a wretched system of “ rag-doll fairs, bun fairs, bazaars,” and other devices. “ Oh, when,” he pathetically asked, “ shall we get rid of those miserable bazaars ? ” Chess- —On Tuesday evening there was a large muster of members of the local Chess Club, the octjasion being the commencement of the annual handicap tourney. Seven games wore played, and some interesting chess was evolved, notably the finish of the game between Gooder and Kelling. The remit of the first evening’s play is as follows, the winner in each case being the first named of each pair:—Barnes v. Wright, Mackay v. VY. F. Barraud, Whittem v. C. L. Barraud, Richardson v. Dryden, Allen v. Tait, Anderson v. Petheriok, Gooder v. Kelling. For Friday (to-night) a match has been arranged between smokers and nonsmokers. Both sides are strong and fully determined to vindicate the virtues of smoke, or the want of it, as the case may be, so that a most Interesting contest is expected. The public are invited to witness the match.

Restored Cable. —The Telegraph Department informs us that Penang notifies that the Penang—Madras cable is restored. Sudden Death.— Mrs King, of Ellice street, died rather suddenly on Tuesday night from heart disease, from which she had suffered for some years. She leaves two sons and two daughters. The funeral takes place at 3 p.m. to-day. Exhibition Awards. —Mr S. Carroll, secretary of the local Committee of the late Dunedin Exhibition, received on Wednesday the certificates of awards for the Wellington prizetakers. The certificates are of a very ornamental character and are handsomely got up. School Strike at Pitone. —A number of school children at Pitone struck on Wednesday, because their master “docked” their dinner hour 50 per cent. They refused to go back at the end of half-an-hour, and sat on the fence discussing political problems uotil the full hour had sped away into black oblivion. Patent Furniture Polish. Householders should be on their guard against purchasing a “ patent furniture polish ” which has been eiteusively hawked about town lately. A bottle of it examined by a chemist in town shows that it is simply raw linse 0 d oil, worth, perhaps, abeut 3d. The vendor, claiming most magical powers for his article, has in some case 3 obtained as much as 3s 6d per bottle for it. PuiiißUHi. —Anew prospecting syndicate, to operate in the Puhi/.uhi district, is, we understand (says the Auckland Herald), in course of formation, and Mr Thomas Barron, who has the reputation of being a skilful and experienced prospector and miner, intends to proceed to Puhipuhi on their behalf next week. The number of the syndicate is to be twenty, and provision is made to protect the interests of the shareholders should anything of value be discovered. Poultry Association. —A. mesfc enthusiastic meeting of the Wellington Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association was held in the Exchange Buildings on Monday evening, Mr J. S. M. Thompson occupying the chair. The principal business before the meeting was the election of judges and class stewards, which resulted as follows Poultry—Mr Elliott (Dunedin), Mr Saunders, M.H.R. (Christchurch), Mr White, dentist (Masterton) ; canaries—Mr Style ; pigeons—Messrs Hcpvell and Curtis ; class stewards—Messrs E. J. Hill, VY. Ross, and R. O’Connor. The Committee are very sanguine of another popular show this year. The tickets in connection with the art union were distributed to the members present. The Secretary announced several subscriptions and special prizes, which will be published shortly. Bankruptcy Statements. —In the bankrupt estate of John Farley the liabilities are set down at £125 17s 6d, and the assets at £7S, the deficiency being £47 17s 6d. The principal unsecured creditors are -Messrs Warnock, Kelly, and Adkin. £l9; F. W. Mason (Napier), £35; Ahlfeld Brothers (Dunedin), £l3 8s; Barraud and Son, £9 12s ; Jones and Ashdown, £7 ; A. J. McCurdy, £l4 3s 4d. The only secured creditor is M. Zimau, who holds a photo, graphic camera, valued at £l2, fora debt of £4. The liabilities of Antonio Arthur Cometti, wheelwright, of Pitone, are stated to be £IOO 18s sd, and the assets £lO9 15s, the surplus being £8 6s 7d. The principal creditors are—The Hutt Park Company, £3O 2s 10d ; Wehley (Pitone), £ls 19a ; J. Beak (Wellington), £lO 10s 6d ; H. Udy (Pitone), £9 7s 6d ; J. August (Pitone), £6 6§ 3d ; E, Barber, £6 7* Bd. A Real Rkmbranht. —A real Rembrandt, signed and dated 1656, is said to have been discovered at Le-Pecq, outside Paris. It was sold at the auction of the effects of an elderly lady who lately died in the town, and was offered at 20.Qf. as a copy of the “ Disciples at Emmaus,” now in the Louvre. It was bonght by a Paris dealer for £162, The picture has no oonnection with the Louvre Rembrandt, and the dealer refused £3OOO for it a few hours after he bad par. chased it. All the artists and experts who have examined the work have declared it to be the genuine production of the great painter. The central figure is not Christ, a 9 had been supposed, but Abraham, who is represented receiving the angels. The patriarch ia arrayed in magnificent robes, and, with his eyes upturned to Heaven, invokes a benediction on the meal he is about to offer to his heavenly visitors, who appear on either side of him. In the upper part of the picture, in the left-hand corner, the signature and date were discovered, the thick coat of dirt and dust which were over them having been removed carefully. A Discovery. --Much interest is evinced in scientific circles by a discovery which has just been made at Kew,. near London, by Mr D. Morris, the assistant director. Hitherto the sugir cane 'has been produced from cuttings or slips exclusively, as no one knew that there were such things as seed in the plant. After a long cearch Mr Morris has at last discovered that each cane produces a number of seeds, fromwhich.it is possible to grow a variety of improved canes, and it is anticipated that, by cross fertilisation and selection of the best seeds, a considerable increase will bo made in the yield of sugar iu the tropical plantations. He instances tho case of beet, which, when first introduced for sugar growing purposes, yielded only about 6 per cent, but now, by the method of selection of proper seeds, it produces about 18 or 20 per cent of saccharine juice. The seedß of the cane have been discovered in the anicle or flowery head of the cane, and the difficulty of finding them has been increased by the similarity of the glumes and the havis. It was only by the aid of a powerful microscope that the tiny seeds were detected, and a number of plants were exhibited at the last meeting of the Linnssan Society, with the seeds attached. At Kew Gardens there are some plants abont nine inches high, which have been grown from seed obtained from cane sent from the Barbadoes. The discovery, it is believed, will tend to drive beet sugar oat of the market.

Resident Magistrate’s Court. —At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr H. W. Robinson, R.M., two first offenders for drunkenness were each discharged with a cautioD, and a female offender for drunkemless was similarly dealt with. William O’Hara was charged with wilfully breaking a window at the Bank Hotel, and was fined 10s and ordered to pay the amount of the damage (30s), or in default six days' imprisonment. A young man named David Adams, who was charged with embezzling sums amounting to £3 19s Gd belonging to . George Peaeook, was, at the request of Detective Kirby, remanded to Dunedin. Prince Bismarck’s Presentiment. —The Berlin correspondent of the Dally News tells the following remarkable anecdote:—ln 1878 Prince Bismarck was travelling from Friedrichsrnhe to Berlin in the Hamburg train, and at one of the stations General von Caprivi got in, intending also to proceed to Berlin. As he noticed some acquaintances among those with Prince Bismarck, he got himself introduced, and remained in the Baloon carriage, entering into lively conversation with the Chancellor. With regard to this meeting, Prince Bismarck, on the evening of the same day, said to some gentlemen of the entourage, “ I have often wondered who is likely to be my successor. Today I have seen him.” Duty on Fruit. —A deputation from the auctioneers of the city, consisting of Messrs F. W. Haybittle, F. Townsend, and Noble Campbell waited upon the Secretary of Customs (Mr McKellar) on Wednesday and urged that the duty on imported fruits should not be increased. Up to the present the importers have paid duty upon the following values:—Oranges, 5s per case; lemons, 7s per case ; apples, 4s per case ; and it is now proposed to increase the amounts as follows :—Oranges, 103 ; lemons, 12s ; apples, Bs. It was pointed out by the deputation that the value of the imported fruit had not increased, but the value of it was less now than it had previously been. Eventually it was agreed that the importers should submit their return of sales for the past six months, and that in future the duty should be paid on the actual value realised within the period mentioned. Casual Labour, —The Maritime Council have received the following letter from the Railway Commissioners’ office in reply to representations of the deputation which recently waited on the Commissioners : “ Sir, — Referring to your letter of 15th May, submitting the proposals of the Maritime Council on the subject of casual labour employed by the railway, I have the honour, by direction of the Railway Commissioners, to inform you that they have given the matter oareful consideration, and are willing to pay, as from Ist June next, the ordinary rate per hour for casual labour employed at ports, such rate not to exceed Is 3d per hour for eenersl cargo between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. With regard to your further suggestion that none hut members of the Union should be engaged, lam directed to say that the Commissioners will give preference to Union labour, but they will not guarautee to utilise it exclusively, and they reserve the right to use other hands if they think necessary.—l have, &c. (signed), E. G. Pilcher, secretary.”