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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1057, 2 June 1892, Page 22

The Government have been advised that the Hinemoa, with Lord and Lady Glasgow and family, and Sir P. A. Buckley on board, left Sydney on Tuesday for Wellington. She is consequently expected to arrive here about 3 p.m. on Monday next.

Tuesday was the seventh anniversary of the opening of St Patrick’s College. On the Ist day of June, ISBS, it was thrown open to students, since which its rapid progress as a scholastic institution has formed part of the current history of the City of Wellington. The first general meeting of the Wellington Bacon Curing and Cool Storage Company was held on Tuesday, Mr Seager presiding. Messrs Edward Barber, Alex. Munro, A. H. N. Campbell, E. Seager, Chas. Stewart, R. Gardiner and 11. Wilson were elected directors for the ensuing year, and Mr Deacon was elected auditor, the auditor’s fee to be five guineas. It may be mentioned that this company was only registered in February last and that it started operations on the 20th. of April at its factory in Waterloo quay. Since then only 150 pigs have been cured, but now pigs are coming to hand at the rate of from 30 to 40 a week from country shareholders. Ammonia machinery for cooling purposes, similar to that now used at Ngahauranga by the Wellington Meat Export Company, has been ordered from England, and when it arrives the company will considerably extend its operations; At present only three hands are employed.

The Benevolent Trustees held their fortnightly meeting on Tuesday afternoon the members present being the Rev H. Van Staveren (chairman) and Messrs C. E. Willeston, J. Collins, R. Mothes and S. Lancaster. Mr Duncan wrote agreeing to accept the Trustees’ offer of LSO for the lease of four acres adjoining the house recently bought for the purposes of a refuge. It was agreed to thank the Grey Valley Co. and Thompson Bros, for donations of two tons of coal each. Rations were ordered to the family of a barber who had fallen from a cab coming from the races and fractured his arm. It is feared that his arm will have to be amputated. A deserted wife approaching her accouchement, and with three small children to maintain, waited upon the Trustees and stated her case. It was decided to find 4s a week for rent of a room and to provide rations. A poor and descrying woman with seven children to support, and whose husband (a sailor) had gone to Wanganui in search of work, told a pitiable story. That morning she had pledged the shoes of her little boy for 2s in order to furnish the children with a breakfast, She had had 13 children. It was decided to release the child’s shoes from pawn, and grant rations for a month. Several other cases were dealt with. The account of 12,904 rations given during the month and allowances to sick people (L142-18s Id, in all) was passed for payment.

Malingering is not unknown at the Wellington Hospital, and therefore the patients may be assumed to be in comfortable, quarters there. The Chairman of the Hospital Trustees at Tuesday’s meeting entertained his fellowmembers with a very amusing account of a recent case in point, which certainly proclaims the malingerer in question to be quite an artist in his way. The doctors were nonplussed in the effort to diagnose the man’s malady. He appeared to be quite well and of a normal temperature of body during the day time, and yet at night, after a fresh poultice had been applied to that part of his anatomy which he alleged to be the seat of pain, the thermometer invariably registered a temperature of about 140 degrees, thus indicating quite a feverish condition on the part of the patient. The murder came out at last. It was discovered that the ingenious sufferer resorted to the trick of inserting the thermometer underneath the hot poultice. The patient vvas not apprised of the discovery, but to his complete astonishment he was congratulated .on his rapid convalescence, and on the following day he was discharged, despite his protestations that he was as bad as ever. A night or two since he returned to the Hospital vith a lugubrious face, in order to obtain readmission. The medical officer, however, smiled significantly, pooh-poohed his pretended fears, and advised him to address himself to some honest employment. His ingenuity ought certainly to suggest some better resource for a livelihood.

The Juries Act Amendment Bill, which bears the name of the Hon W. P. Reeves, contains 11 lengthy sections, and is altogether a more comprehensive measure than the one dealing with the same matters that was introduced last session. The first section deals with short title, and proposes that the Act shall come into force in October next. In section two are provisions exempting from service on juries all visiting justices under the Prisons Act,, and the following railway employes : —Engineers in charge of districts, traffic managers, station masters, guards, engine drivers, firemen, signalmen, porters, shunters, inspectors, gangers, foremen, and shop managers. .Section four proposes to limit the area of jury districts to a radius of 10 miles from a ‘ Court town ’ —power being also given for contracting or enlarging jury districts by proclamation. Sections five and six are those that will gi ve rise to most discussion, as they provide, respectively, for the total abolition of special and grand juries. In sections seven and eight is provided the machinery that is to take the place of grand juries. Power is given to appoint additional Grown Prosecutors, and indictments presented by any Crown Solicitor or Crown Prosecutor, or by the Attorney-General or Solicitor-General are declared to be as valid and effectual as those heretofore presented by a grand jury. Sections nine and ten extend and define the power of challenge, while section eleven proposes to increase the scale of P a Y" ment to jurors. "With some necessary amendments, thi3 will prove a very beneficial measure.

The aged and indigent retainers whom the Benevolent Trustees maintain in comfortable quarters at a boarding-house in the neighbourhood of Plimmer’s steps, are rather dainty in their gastronomical tastes. Their stomachs rebel against pork sausages for instance. It was mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting that on Saturday night seven pounds weight of these sausages were brought in from the butcher for Sunday’s dinner, and that one indignant old gentleman arose in his wrath and hurled the whole consignment into the backyard or the Evening Post office. 11 w.is also stated that one of the proprietors of that establishment had had to complain of the old men’s habit of throwing bread into this backyard lest it should be served up to them again. They like their bread prttcy fresh, it seems. Still, all the inmates are not of this character. There is one of them —an oi l fellow of years, named Burk - ' who sets the others a fine example of sturdy independence. He appeared before the Tiustees yesterday, and told them he felt well enough to shift for himself. He purposes going up country and into the bush to collect fungus. All he wanted was a passage by train to Longburn and three weeks’ rations, after which he believed he would have enough fungus on hand to keep himself going. The Trustees spoke of. his great age, and said they were quite willing provide for him. Burke, however, felt that while he could labour be ought not to be a burden upon anyone, and so in admiration at his self-reliant spirit, the Trustees agreed to give him the desired start.

The case against J. H. Pollock for assisting in keeping a house used for the purpose of illegal betting was on Tuesday adjourned sine die.

The Ist of June was the date upon which it was intended that the inland penny post for letters would come into operation within the Colony. It will not be practicable to make the change for several weeks, however, on account of various details having yet to be arranged. Ministers have no intention whatever of abandoning the proposal, as has been asserted.

A strange and pathetic story was related at the meeting of the Benevolent Trustees on Tuesday afternoon. Amongst the passengers who were ship-wrecked by the loss of the Pleione at Waikanae some three or four years ago were a man named Foster and his wife. In coming ashore the boat containing them was capsized, and both the man and woman were injured. The man displayed some aberration of mind as a consequence and was committed to the asylum ; his wife obtained admission to the hospital. In due time they were both liberated, and during the last twelve months they had been living at Cotterville terrace. The woman died there a week ago, but her husband informed no one of the fact. He piled a heap of rags upon the body, and for two days and nights he lay beside the corpse. The neighbours then became aware of the death, and the undertaker who was sent up to measure the body for the coffin had some difficulty in getting the poor fellow to carry out his purpose. The body was buried, and on Tuesday the widower appeared before the Trustees. They told him lie must leave the cottage and enter a boardinghouse, where they had engaged quarters for him. He is very quiet and inoffensive, but evidently somewhat demented. His aunt is married to a Oliurch of England clergyman living at Hampton, near London, and he is anxious to get Home to his friends.' Such is the story, and sad enough it is. The Otago Daily Times says : We congratulate Sir Patrick Buckley on his elevation to knighthood. Though a member of the Liberal Ministry, Sir Patrick is evidently not so extreme a democrat as to despise this kind of reward for public services. If it be true, as reported, that the Hon J. Ballance has refused a similar title, it may be that he . has thought it incompatible with his position as a democratic leader ; or, perhaps, as our Wellington correspondent thinks, the time is inopportune, looking at the constitution of his party. Though. several colonial statesmen, such as Mr Francis, have refused titles, we only know of Mr George Higinbotham, the present Chief' Justice of Victoria, as having distinctly insisted that it is incompatible with the attitude democratic statesman to accept one. This combative bus most valuable public servant, has point blank refused such a title, and considers them a degradation rather than an honour. We have heard of others who have so ex pressed themselves, but without going to the point of a refusal. We do not altogether agree with this sentiment; but perhaps it will not be matter for regret if the day comes when colonial Parliaments pass resolutions requesting the Queen to confer no more honours, of the kind on colonists. The manner in which and the motives for which they have been bestowed have more than once brought them into ridicule, and the tendency to jeer at a knighthood —which, for good or bad reasons, is reckoned inferior to those of the old Orders—is a growing one. With regard to Sir Patrick Buckley, we think the honour well bestowed. Mr Robert Cleave, the well-known nurseryman of Invercargill, inserts a list of his latest novelties in our columns to-day. Mr Jamieson, secretary of the United Insurance Company inserts a business card today.