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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 20

The Chief Judge of the Native Land Court and Judge Butler left for Otaki on Wednesday to hold a sitting of the Native Land Court there yesteid ty for the purpose of hearing and determining a number of applications for re-hearing in respect of the Aorangi and other blocks in the Otaki district. Judge Mackay is to hold a Court at Danevirke to-day for the subdivision of the Tamaki block, which is situated not far from Danevirke. The block has an area of about 34,000 acres, and the subdivision is with a view to its acquisition by the Government.

A first dividend of six shillings in the pound is to be declared this week in the insolvent estate of Albert Delaney, formerly of the Trocadero, Wellington. The amount of liabilities in respect of which the dividend is to be paid is £775.

A very successful trial of Mr Ford’s siren took place on the 16th. It was first tested at the Kailway Wharf, then at Soames’ Island, and finally at Fort Ballance. During the trial at Soames’ Island half a gale was blowing in the • direction of Petone, yet the siren was heard distinctly at Fort Ballance. The cylinder used was made of copper instead of brass, which is a more suitable material, whilst the piston was without packing. Still very good results were obtained. This was all the more satisfactory as the instrument was only 2 k inches in diameter, the proper size being from six to eight inches. It is intended to have a brass cylinder of the requisite size constructed at the Petone workshops, when another trial will be made.

Messrs J. and A. Anderson, of Christchurch, are the successful tenderers for the erection of a lighthouse tower on Farewell Spit. The contract price is <£B69 10s.

It is seldom that a vessel comes into port after a long sea voyage so clean and with everything on deck so neat as the barque Star of the East, which arrived from New York on Tuesday, and was berthed at the Queen’s Wharf yesterday. The cleanly appearance of the vessel was admired by hundreds of people on the wharf. The condition of the barque certainly reflects the greatest credit on Captain Killam.

At the annual meeting of the W oiling ton branch of the New Zealand Fire Underwriters’ Association, officers were elected for the ensuing year as follow:—Chairman, Mr F. Pickering (Imperial); vice-chair-man, Mr P. Butler (Phoenix); executive committee, Messrs G. H. Harbroe (Commercial Union), J. H. Hall (Liverpool, London and Globe), W. Evans (Standard), W. I. Bolam (New Zealand). At the Magistrate’s Court on the 16th, before Mr Martin, S.M., a boy named William Draper, charged with theft, was remanded for a month in order that his friends may get employment for him in the country. The information charging Andrew McKerrow with having threatened Felix Parry Jones with a loaded pistol was dismissed, the affair being evidently the outcome of a foolish joke. His Worship expressed fils strong disapprobation of such jokes, and remarked that it was lucky for the defendant that he had not been guilty even of a technical assault by pointing the pistol, because if that had been proved he should have imposed the maximum penalty and ordered defendant to find substantial sureties to keep the peace.

The Council of the New Zealand Football Association met on Wednesday at the office of the Colonial Mutual Association, Mr P. D. Leslie (Otago) in the chair. The questions to be submitted to the several associations in New Zealand in reference to future tournaments, as drawn up by a sub-committee, were adopted with slight amendment, as were also the revised laws of the game. Lyttelton Times : —■" We hope to see the Government and the Harbour Boards cooperating with the coal companies with a view to providing New Zealanders with good coal from their own coalfields. A foreign trade will follow the development of our own industries as a matter of course.”

We have received a copy of a Maori Diary for 1895, edited by Mr Friday Tomoana, a young Hawke’s Ba,y Native, who, besides being an excellent footballer, possesses a literary talent which speaks well for his intelligence and education. The diary, which is extremely neat in its get-up, is a well-printed publication of 140 pages,'and contains a variety of useful information of a similar character to that found in the leading English diaries, besides a quantity of specially compiled information of particular interest to, the Native race. Messrs* George and Young, Hastings, the printers of the novel and useful little book, deserve great credit for the neat appearance of the publication.

The immediate cause of Princess Bismarck’s death was heart disease, complicated by dropsy. Her Highness had been suffering for years from bronchial catarrh and a gastric affection, and on one occasion, about eighteen months ago, was found lying in a pool of blood at the foot of her bed. Since then she bad been subject to frequent fainting fits. She was cheerful to the last. She sought to conceal from the Prince the gravity of her condition and spent much time out of bed. On the night of her death Prince Bismarck had watched by her bedside up to 1 o’clock in the morning. He then retiredi and was not present when the Princess breathed her last at 5 o’clock. The news of her death was gently broken to him about an hour later by Dr Schweninger. The Prince, who was quite overcome with grief, rose immediately, and spent some time by the side of his dead wife.