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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4136, 23 June 1874, Page 2

In consequence of prior engagements His Honor the Superintendent was unable to receive the deputation from the City Council yesterday at the appointed hour. As a matter of fact, the proposals to be discussed are of such an important nature that a further period for consideration of their bearings was not undesirable. His Honor will receive the deputation to-day at noon. The yacht Blanche arrived in harbor early yesterday morning, having His Excellency Sir James Fergusson on board. Tho Blanche brought up at her old moorings, and His Excellency shortly afterwards landed at Government House, the Union Jack flying from the tower during the day, denoting his return.

It will give some idea of the work the steamers of the San Francisco line have to do, when we state that the steamer Tartar, previous to sailing for San Francisco on the voyage on which she is engaged, took on board not less than two thousand tons of coal.

An inquest upon the remains of Ferguson, the missing seaman of the La Hogue, was held yesterday before Dr. Johnston, district coroner. The public are already familiar with the particulars of the case, which were duly deposed to; and, upon the evidence adduced, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

An adjourned meeting of the Co-operative Baking Society was held last evening at the Odd Fellows' Hall, for the purpose of passing an addition to rule 13 of the society's regulations, empowering the Managing Committee to purchase a freehold or leasehold property, which they might lease, mortgage, or deal with as might be deemed most advantageous to the interests of the society. The inclemency of the weather banished the possibility of a numerous attendance, but the necessary number of proxies had been sent in to secure the adoption of the resolution placed before the meeting, and the proceedings were therefore of brief duration. There were about twenty shareholders present. The next business of the society will be transacted at its meeting on the Ist July, when a new committee of management will be elected. Major Gordon inspected the Masterton Cavalry Troop on Thursday last. The number was a very small one, the state of the weather precluding anything like a fair attendance. On the same day twenty-four members of the Rifle Volunteers of the township were also inspected. The Inspector complimented the latter on the manner in which they went through their drill, and expressed a hope of seeing a fuller attendance on another occasion. On Friday, says the Standard, the Major inspected the Greytown Cavalry and Eifle Volunteers. In the former four men and two officers were present, but in the latter three only were present.

It is with great regret we announce the death of Mr. John W. Vanes, from consumption, on the morning of yesterday, June 22. Mr. Vanes came over to Wellington some two mouths ago, on the last trip of the barque Camille, in the hope that a more bracing climate than that of Sydney would restore him for a time to better health than he had for some time enjoyed. Since his arrival he has been engaged on the staff of the Wellington Independent and Ncio Zealand Times, having come from Sydney with a liigh reputation as a shorthand writer and Parliamentary reporter for the Morning Herald. Mr. Vanes was highly educated, and a very talented musician, having acted as organist in many of the Australian churches. • In Sydney he had also been a teacher of mathematics in the College. He was the son of a clergyman in England, but is understood to have had some relatives in the Colony from which he came to New Zealand. He was a member of the fraternity of Freemasons. Though he had gained strength since his arrival in Wellington, the bitter weather which has lately prevailed prostrated too much his already enfeebled constitution, and brought on a relapse, from which he never rallied, and which ended in his death early yesterday morning. His funeral takes place at four o'clock this afternoon. The Australasian Skelcher for the present month, which has reached us by the Claud Hamilton's mail, is a somewhat sensational number. It has views, drawn from descriptions supplied, of the three dismasted ships now lying at Williamstown—" The John Kerr, in tow of the steamer Williams ;" " The Loch Ard in a gale ;" and " The Cambridgeshire," as she lies alongside the pier. The Loch Ard seems in a most frightful position, and if it at all represents the scene after the dismasting of the ship, it is little short of miraculous that she ever reached port. In noticing these disasters, the SketchcT confirms the view lately expressed by The Times, that the chief cause of these and other similar disasters was the use of inferior iron work in the rigging. Captain Marshall, speaking of the disaster to his ship, the Cambridgeshire, says, " the whole of the damage was done within the limits of a single hour," and " from no other apparent cause than the employment of inferior material in the ironwork of the ship." The wreck of the pilot cutter Corsair is a less satisfactory picture than the others. " A Catastrophe in a Mine—the Rescue," is the subject of a full-page illustration, and is drawn with spirit. There is, however, a fifth marine disaster recorded pictorially —"The Wreck of the British Admiral." It also is a full-page drawing, and so is " The Torchlight Procession of the Fire-brigades," which lately took place in Melbourne. The scene is the front of the Treasury Buildings, before which an enormous number of people are congregated, the firemen, with torches blazing, forming a line of light in the centre, while rockets are going up and bursting high over the heads of the crowd. " Scenes in Melbourne Observatory," " The Challenger in the Ice," " A Group of Penguins," and " The Sunbury Coursing Meeting," are pleasing pictures. In connection with the last, the -Sietchcr mentions that "Some very good puppies were among the performers, but the hares rail undeniably stout and game, and it takes a very good dog to kill one." Hares, in fact, in Victoria, while they multiply very fast, grow so largo and strong that they " can gallop like a racehorse, often going clean away from a brace of dogs without a turn." The Skctchcr also gives portraits of the Earl of Donoughmore, and the young Tasmanian lady (Miss Stephens), who has lately become the Countess of Donoughmore. In a favorable review of the Educational Gazette, the Southern Cross says :—The Gazette should be in the hands of all who feel any interest in the progress of education in the Colony.

An impression was pretty general among the nautical men of the port yesterday that the strong wind which prevailed, blowing from the north-west, was only the precursor of a still stronger breeze to come, most likely from the south-east. The barometer began to fall about noon, and went down rapidly, indicating bad weather to come. The masters of some of the larger vessels at the wharf took extra precautions, getting out more chains and cables, so as to provide for an emergency. At an early hour this morning, the wind had somewhat lulled, and the rain had ceased for a time. The sky, however, was still dark and gloomy, the stars had a dull and warning look, and the aspect of the night was by no means such as to relieve the fear that more bad weather w. 13 approaching. We are requested to ask the patrons of the opera, who propose to patronise Miss May's benefit this evening, to come earlier than usual. So great has been the demand for places in the dress circle, and so many seats have been engaged, that the attendants may be unable to show the attention they desire to do in seeing ladies and gentlemen to their proper places unless they come early. The committee of the Highland Corps met last evening at Mr. Lindsay's, Lambton Quay, to consider the balance-sheet for the past year and regulate other matters affecting the position of the company. Upon careful examination of the accounts, it was found that after discharging all liabilities connected with the purchase of new uniforms, busbies, &c., the funds of the corps were sufficient to meet all existing engagements. A balance-sheet prepared upon this satisfactory basis will be presented to the general meeting of the company on Thursday evening. Last night the Siamese Troupe of jugglers and acrobats gave another of their peculiar and very clever performances in the Odd Fellows' Hall. The weather, unfortunately, limited the attendance, which should have ■ been good to be in proportion to the merits of the performers. The conjuring, balancing, top-spinning, and wire-rope walking, were extremely clever. Of the conjuring, the knifetrick was particularly clever, puzzling the optics of the cleverest to observe how a knife carefully wrapped in paper, tied up, and placed close to the eye of the operator, could find its way into his boot. The juveniles of the company are wonderfully clever. The two girl trapezists are very young, but astonishingly fearless ; and the way a little fellow, of five years old or so perhaps, allows himself to be thrown about on the feet of the "tub man" affords strong evidence of the perfection of their training. These young things, we believe, are apprentices to the business, and are not accompanied by parents or other relatives. Their presence in the troupe is a curious proof of the strange social customs of some among the Oriental races ; though, perhaps, it might be quite possible to find instances of equally curious absence of proper parental feeling 3 according to European ideas —even in Colonial society. We regret that the Siamese troupe have been so unfortunate here as regards weather, and trust that they may be more favored, and fairly patronised, during the remainder of their stay here, which will close on Saturday first. In it 3 chronicle of the month, the Australasian Sketchcr noticing affairs in New Zealand, remarks respecting the number of immigrants despatched from England in April last, and that the Agent-General was to ship in May and June:—"With such a copious stream of population flowing steadily in, the progress of the Great Britain of the South is fully assured." " Saturday Night"—a new weekly journal of h'ght literature, published by the proprietors of the Southern Cross newspapers, Auckland—• has now reached its fourth number. It is modelled on the London Journal, with improvements, and is carefully got up. The opening story, " Beryl's Husband," is cleverly written. "Saturday Night" should be wellpatronised, not merely because 'of its local claims, but for its merit. The Melbourne Leader of the 6th instant publishes an illustrated supplement, containing portraits of the seventy-eight members of the Lately-elected Legislative Assembly of Victoria. A brief biographical sketch of each of the members appears in the same number of that journal. A Masterton correspondent of the Wairarapa Standard points out that the following new buildings have been projected in Masterton, but a 3 yet only exist on paper, viz : A new post-office, new English Church, new schools for East and West Masterton, new Freemasons' hall, besides some private premises, such as a wholesale store, solicitor's office, and stationer's shop. The Masterton carpenters are likely to have their hands full for some time to come. Miss Stephenson has given a succession of dramatic entertainments before large audiences in Carterton, Masterton, and Greytown, and has more than ever established herself as a favorite in Wairarapa. Mr. H. N. Douglas, who was a leading member of the Steele-Keogh Company, made his first appearance on the Auckland stage in the play of " The Marble Heart." A mistake, which it might in future be well for Post Office officials to avoid or prevent, if possible, in the transmission of mails, is thus referred to in a paragraph in the West Coast Times: —lf any of our readers received Wellington papers per Albion yesterday, they must have been surprised at the blackened condition journals arrived in. The exchanges we got were particularly well dosed, and the following simple explanation has been afforded us. The Government, in a fit of economy, thought fit to transmit some ink, of some peculiar virtue we should suppose, by the mail, to an official in this Province; but the earthenware enclosure got smashed in transit, hence the smudges. Supposing this to be correct, as we have every reason to believe, a greater instance of mistaken official economy we scarcely ever heard of, whilst, at the same time, the transmission was, singular to say, directly in violation of the postal regulations. We may add, that of all the papers we received, the Neto Zealand Times copies were the morst thoroughly saturated with the inky deluge, so much so as to be in parts illegible. AUCKLAND. It was lately stated in the Auckland papers that a serious epidemic among cattle prevailed in some parts of the Province. Since then the Mangawai correspondent of the Southern Cross ha 3 written :—" A considerable number of cattle, especially yearlings, have died lately in a similar manner to that described. Some attribute the cause of death to eating burnt flax, the tow being indigestible and retained in the stomach rolled into a ball ; just as hair will do in a dog that has made too free with wild pigs. The irritation caused by the tow or hair soon produces inflammation, which ends in death. I believe no medicine will relieve the arimal." His Honor the Superintendent, says the Southern Cross, has received a private letter from His Excellency the Governor, intimating the enjoyment which has attended the visit of himself and Lady Eergusson to Auckland, and their deep sense of the kind feeling manifested towards them by the people of this Province. The Poverty Bay Standard states that Mr. Stubbs, the manager of the Gisborne Petroleum Company, informs it that several new oil springs have been discovered on the company's ground, about half a mile due south from the old springs. They appear to be as prolific as any hitherto found. Mr. D. J. O'Kceffe requests us (Thames Advertiser) to intimate that the land referred to as having been purchased by him at Pukoroko was not purchased recently, but some time ago—at least it has been assigned to Mr. O'Keeffo for certain large sums of money advanced by him to the family of Pokai. What we do not understand is, how Mr. O'Keoffe gets possession of land belonging to the Ngatipaoa tribe, when all parties have been solemnly warned that Mr. Mackay has paid £2OO on the whole lands belonging to the tribe in • the districts of the Thames and Piako, binding them to sell to the Government uoly.

The accident to Mr. and Mrs. Comiskey, lately reported, seems to have occurred at Newmarket, and is thus described : —" A lady and gentleman were driving into town about half-past four o'clock, in a buggy which had been hired from Ml'. Crowther, and when they were a short distance past the Royal George Hotel, on the Parnell Road, the horse shied, and by doing so dragged the buggy with its occupants over an embankment. The lady escaped with a few injuries, but the gentleman was picked up by two persons who witnessed the accident, apparently dead. Mr. Tait, chemist, was sent for, aud it was found that the unfortunate sufferer had sustained a most severe wound just under the temple, the cut extending about four inches, and was bleeding profusely. The injured gentbman was, as soon as practicable, removed to town, when he was placed under medical attendance." NELSON. It is definitely arranged that the Rev. Mr. Flavell will proceed to the Ahaura at the close of the ensuing month, where he will permanently reside. The Rev. Mr. Cross, who has recently arrived from England, will take charge of the Inangahua district. The Puller News waxes quite eloquent upon the fact of Messrs. Carruthers and Higginson having paid a professional visit to AVestport. Thus :—•" Westport, and indeed the whole Colony, may rejoice at Mr. Carruthers' visit ; the first, because the patient waiting aud belief of its inhabitants in the resources of this district are soon to be rewarded ; and both, because our coal resources and facilities for export are intimately known and appreciated at head quarters. Our railway and harbor works must soon be un fait accompli, and the Colony supplied with its own, the best, coal at lowest rates. Then cheer up Westport ! Justice will at length be done, and the heavens may remain where they are a bit longer." Mr. Warden Broad's last trip to the Matakitaki appears to have been a rather eventful one. The Eeefton Courier says :—lt seems that the police officer stationed at Lyell had done something to excite the Matakitakites, and on his arrival there with the Warden about twenty or thirty of the roadmen expressed their intention to " go for him right off." But whether the demonstration was a friendly or hostile one it is hai-d to say, as the original intention was not cairied out, but instead the belligerents pitched into one another .indiscriminately, and a tolerably hot conflict ensued, during which a good deal of skin and hair was sent flying about in all directions. In the rencontre Mr. Temperly and Constable Chichester, who were acting as mediators, got several " clips," after which the latter gentleman threw - themselves into a hollow square, and finally retired in good " order"—if not to say " condition." The melee having lasted its due time, the combatants adjourned for. refreshment, and an amicable spirit having supervened, coats, hats, &c, were donned, and " there was a sound of revelry by night." But the matter was not permitted to end in such a manner, as a Mr. Dan McLean, who appears to have been the instigator and ringleader of the disturbance, was arrested and lodged in gaol. The Reefton Courier hastens to correct an amusing error in the interests of all Good Templars. By an unfortunate misprint contained in its mining reporter's letter one of the most sober and well-regulated miners in the district, working in the Devil's Creek, was said to have been " drinking" very hard of late, whereas it should have read " driving." An Ahaura telegram, dated June 15, in the Grey Hirer Arr/tts, says :—Large meetings have been held at Ahaura, and Nelson, and Moonlight Creeks in re the removal of the Warden of the Grey Valley. Strong resolutions have been passed against it. The Provincial Secretary arrived here this evening. A deputation of the leading men of Nelson Creek, also a deputation from Ahaura and Totara Plat, waited on him. The interview lasted two hours. Mr. O'Conor said the removal of the Warden was not finally decided upon, but he thought that one Warden could do the duties of the Inangahua and Grey Valley. AVhatever arrangement was made, the convenience of the miners would be consulted, but retrenchment must be made. He held out no hopes of money for the Road Boards immediately, as the Provincial overdraft was £17,000. He charged the late Government with concealing the real state of the overdraft. There is great excitement in the mining districts about the removal of the Warden. During Mr. Broad's recent stay at Matakitaki, according to the statement of a Eeefton paper, he was asked by a man to grant a matrimonial divorce. Mr. Broad informed the •applicant that he was quite ready to do anything in the way of cancelling certificates for head races, but powers to cancel marriage certificates he had not. Whereupon the applicant remarked, " Didn't you give me six months at Charleston, and isn't that power enough for you to have 2" but the Warden didn't see the analogy, and dismissed the application. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, Nelson, Henry Cape Williamson was brought up on remand, charged with passing a valueless cheque at the Custom House Hotel, in April, 1873. Mr. A. Adams said that during the adjournment he had endeavoured to obtain the receipt which the prisoner averred to be in his desk, but a difficulty had arisen. Mr. Morse, who had the desk, held it as a lien for a small sum of money, and declined either to give up the desk or open it. He had also endeavoured to procure the address of Atkinson, but without avail. He had received a telegram from Mr. Carr stating that he had heard that the money had been paid, but that of course was no evidence. He contended, however, that prisoner had not been guilty of any moral fraud, and seeing that he had been incarcerated in gaol for nine or ten days, as he believed unjustly, he asked their worships to dismiss him. In view of these facts their worships dismissed prisoner, at the same time expressing their regret that the matter had not been cleared up more satisfactorily. Messrs. Sharp and Pickering report a sale to Mr. Francis Holder of the property at Pangatotara, belonging to Mrs. Wroughton, for the sum of £1,400, cattle and sheep to be taken at a valuation. WESTLAND. It has been decided to call a meeting of gentlemen favorable to the formation of a branch of the New Zealand Institute in Hokitika. The promoters are the Exhibition Committee. Public meetings have been convened at Waimea on behalf of the miners of the district, to take into consideration the employment of Chinese labor on the Waimea Waterrace. The rails for the Brunner railway are being stacked in Boundary Street, Greymouth, as they arrive. The Star is inclined to think a more suitable place might have been found than a public thoroughfare for this particular purpose. The Provincial Secretary has given notice of his intention to move that Clause 117 of "The County of Westland Act, 1808 " should be repealed. This clause provides that the cost of maintaining the Westland portion of Christchurch road should be borne by Westland. In the Provincial council, while the discussion in committee on the Trespass and Impounding Bill was going on, a slight encounter took place between two members whom the Kejister describes as " those renowned warriors, Messrs. Seddon and Gumming." The former kindly remarked that though goats were plentiful in his district, long-eared animals appeared to frequent the Totara district. A most beautiful tree fern of an entirely new species has been discovered by Mr. James Tait, of Sale Street, Hokitika, a well-known horticulturist and botanist, and we had the pleasure last evening of inspecting two of its magnificent fronds. The largest is eighteen feet in length, and from five to six feet in breadth. They droop far more than the ordinary species, forming a complete and graceful canopy as it were. Mr. Tait is a skilled judge ; he assures the West Coast Times that the tree he has found is entirety new and i unknown.

The management of the Wealth of Nation's claim has been removed from Reefton to Greymouth. Mr. M'Millan, of Greymouth, has been appointed legal manager. The Hokitika licfjistcr regrets that the male ward of the Sea View Lunatic Asylum is becoming very crowded, there being now thirtynine male patients confined under the charge of Mr. Gribben and his four be necessary to make immediate additions to the Asylum, in order to ensure the comfort of its unfortunate occupants. The tenders for the construction of Westland public works have generally been very close between local contractors, but the Greymouth Star thinks the neck-and-neck race between": Messrs. Garven and Hungerford for the construction of the Grey Gorge bridge show 3 an assimilation of ideas and a nicety of calculation that is remarkable. In a contract amounting to £Jfioo there is only £29 3s. Id. between the amount of the tender accepted and the lowest declined. MARLBOROUGH. A man named Thomas King, who has been employed by Walter Gibson, Esq., is reported by the Times to be missing. He was in Blenheim about a week ago, and having left the town, he was next seen at the accommodation house on the Clarence river kept by Mr. James Gibson, who, finding King laboring under delirium tremens, endeavored to take care of him. He, however, got away from the house and went down to the river. Some persons who went after him succeeded in getting him back, but he again got away, and he was traced to the river, but no further traces of him could be discovered. It is uncertain whether he went into the river and was drowned, or whether he wandered into the bush, and has perished there. The Press has received information that a man named Thomas Connor died suddenly at the Grove. The deceased had been about Pictou for some days, and left on Saturday last for the purpose of obtaining work. Nothing is known to satisfactorily account for his death, but it is supposed he died from disease of the heart. Mr. Arthur Fiven, contractor for carrying the mail between Picton aud Blenheim, was lately drowned. He left Blenheim at 4 p.m. on the 11th on horseback for Picton, with the Nelson mail, and on the following morning his body was found amongst the raupo beside the road on Mudford's Flat, by Mr. P. Hoskins, who was on his way from Picton to Blenheim. The horse was also drowned, and lay beside him. The mail was found strapped on the unfortunate man's back. Mr. Fiven was well known in Nelson, having for several years been in the employ of Mr. H. H. Stafford, of Stoke. Deceased was about thirty-four years of age, and leaves a wife and four young children to mourn their loss. As soon as the news of his death was received in Blenheim, a subscription was started, and in a few hours over £4O was collected.