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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4258, 12 November 1874, Page 2

The Court of Appeal was occupied till three o’clock yesterday, hearing argument in Vincent v. James, a case involving questions as to matters of practice, and interesting only to the legal profession. Kussell v. Sealey will be gone on with this morning. The Otago, as was anticipated, was detained in Melbourne until after the race for the Cup, on the sth instant. She sailed on that night, and arrived at tho Bluff yesterday morning at daylight. So much interest is taken in New Zealand in the annual contest on Flemington course for the Melbourne Cup, that undoubtedly the most interesting item of the news is that which records the victory of a lightweight, Mr. A. Chirnside’s h. g. Haricot, 4°yeara, carrying fist. 71bs., with Mr. J. Wilson’s b. g. Protos, aged, second, and Mr. O. Dublin’s hi’, c. The Diver (late Dolphin) i years, third. The telegram is brief, and says nothing as to the position of the favorites at the close. The winner was a good deal fancied by some, but the last betting about him was at 100 to 8. In “Centaur’s Index” to the Cup horses. Haricot is dismissed with very brief notice. • He is by Ladykirk from Saucepan, and the only appearance he has evermade on the turf, before the recent Ballarat races, was at Warrambool last year, wlren he won the Ail-aged Stakes, at weight for age.

During Tuesday afternoon the fall of tire barometer continued, becoming very marked at stations upon the West Coast of the Middle Island. N.E. winds, varying in strength, prevailed over the colony, a gale from this direction, with heavy rain, being reported from Tauranga. By Wednesday morning the northern barometers had fallen fully fourtenths, but the decrease of pressure had not been nearly so great in the south. To the northward of Wellington the winds were mostly between N.W. and N.E., whilst to the southward of it they were from the S.W. to S.E., the westerly direction being the prevailing one. It is questionable whether it can be accepted as indicative of flourishing times, but it is nevertheless a fact that the civil business at the Resident Magistrate’s Court is becoming very extensive. The fees and fines received yesterday reached a larger sum than was ever before received in one day since the Court had an existence, over £SO being paid in to the clerk for summonses, &o. Patea bridge is now opened for traffic. The contract was completed within three days of the proper time. The trade of the township is attracting attention. The steamer Wallace is to make a trip once a month between the port and Nelson. - New Zealand is not to be allowed, without a struggle, to obtain possession of the steam trade with.. Fin the part of the Australasian Steam Navigation Company of Sydney to send one of their vessels monthly from Sydney to Levuka. It appears to be doubtful whether the mail steamer City of Melbourne from San Francisco will call at Auckland, or go on direct from Honolulu to Sydney. She is now overdue, and the probability is that the City has gone on, and that we shall not have the mails for this colony for some time to come. On Monday last, the Kaiwarrawarra Rifle Volunteers fired for money prizes, presented by W. L. Hirst, Esq. Ranges, 200, 300, 400, and 500, five shots at each range. The following members took prizes ; —Member Menzies, Sergeant Beale, Member Barlow, Corporal Nairn, Members Compton, Hodges, Sergeant Harris, Member Aplin) - Lieutenant Thompson, Members Chew, 8011, Cameron, and Bidmead. Tho day was very favorable for rifle shooting, and the scores were very good.

There was but little business at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. In the absence of Sir. Crawford at the Hutt, Messrs. Wright and Wallace, J.P.’s, occupied the bench at|the opening of the Court. Two drunkards were disposed of in the usual manner ; and a charge of assault by a wife against her husband was dismissed,’ the plaintiff not appearing. Later in the day Messrs. George Crawford and Wallace presided, who remanded, till to-day, two young girls named Emily Harris and Charlotte Martin on a charge of vagrancy. These promising young persons were found illegally on the premises of the Wellington Gymnasium. A numerous audience witnessed the panorama of “Paradise Lost” at the Theatre Royal last evening. •' The excellence of the paintings is well known. Mr. Charles Massey, as lecturer, was all that could be desired, and received the acknowledgments of the audience. The comedy of “The Crown Prince" concluded the evening’s entertainment. It was mentioned yesterday, in the report of the proceedings before the Resident Magistrate’s Court on the previous day, that two charges of nuisance had been brought by the Inspector against Mr. David Anderson. This, wo understand, was incorrect. There was but one case, and it was postponed until the City Council should be able to arrange as to how the sewage is to be disposed of. The programme for Madame Arabella Goddard’s second concert appears in our advertising columns. It is, in our estimation, an admirably selected one, and more suitable to the public taste than the former one. ■ The great pianiste herself will jjerform three brilliant fantasias, introducing popular airs, amongst the number Thalbcrg’s “ Homo, sweet home,” by general desire. We are glad to see that Madame Goddard has secured the services of Mr. Romford, the late popular basso of the English Opera Company, in consequence of which the proposed benefit to be given to that gentleman by his friends has been laid aside. The programme also comprises two violin solos and a number of first-rate songs, duets, and trios, Mr. Justice Chapman arrived yesterday in the Phoebe, from the South. His HonOi'“Judge Chapman was a passenger by the Phoebe from Dunedin yesterday. The Eeiiding immigrants by the ship Star of India will be convoyed to Eoxton by the Napier on Saturday next. The police received information from Marton yesterday to the effect that a newlyarrived immigrant, named Thomas Leach, had died suddenly. The ■ steamer Napier has been engaged to land the immigrants, with their luggage, from tho Star of India, She will commence tho work at 8.30 this morning. The plant of tho Wanganui railway bridge is now on board tho barque Cordelia, which has arrived at Port Chalmers from Liverpool. She is to leave for Wellington to-day, and may he expected early next week.

Thirty immigrants for Christchurch, ex Star of India,, proceeded to their destination by the Ladybird yesterday afternoon. The Wanganui Chronicle condemns the Government for sending* to Tasmania for the timber required in the erection of the new Government buildings at AVellington. “Is it quantity, or quality, or variety, or one and all of these things together (it asks) that is at fault on the present occasion, and which reduces the Government to the necessity of bringing coals to Newcastle ? We have at work at least from twenty to thirty mills, with engines of pretty high average horse-power, cutting timber all over this one province, and more are being started every day, not to speak of the numerous mills in Auckland, Marlborough, and elsewhere in New More totara has been recklessly burned in this province than would suffice for the work many times over, and yet a large quantity of that useful timber remains, and the mills are cutting it down daily by the thousand, several of them scarcely deigning to try the teeth of a saw on any other land as yet. We need not speak of rimu, matai, or black birch, all of them excellent and strong where totara might be reckoned brittle or weak. And then equally accessible, because brought to our doors from Auckland, is the kauri, not a whit behind totara in some respects, and perhaps surpassing it in others. If our authorities must needs erect buildings which in durability and ornament will be a monument of their taste and ambition for generations to come, have they not all the requisites at their very door by which they can secure both strength and beauty on wall, floor, and ceiling? If they desire to vie in these particulars with the buildings of Old World, have they not all the most desirable elements of a variegated or tesselafced floor in the combinations which can be made of matai, raairi, black and white hinau, &c. Or for wall and ceiling what could look finer than panels of rimu, matai, totara-knot, or mottled kauri, with mouldings of white kauri, which is very easily wrought, or vice versa ? If it must be that the substantial part of the timber to be used in the Government buildings must come from Tasmania, we trust that the ornamental and internal fittings will be devoted to the exhibition of the capabilities of New Zealand’s own timber. Our palaces of mental and governmental industry might do worse than make visible to the eye of the home-born, and the stranger from every clime, the capabilities of Now Zealand herself. To go to Tasmania for the materials of this exhibition is to proclaim the riches of New Holland and the poverty of New Zealand in another of the things in which she is possessed of native wealth.” Ngahumhura, a venerable chief of the Arawa tribe, died on Thursday at Rotorua. He was greatly and worthily respected by the settlers and the Government. His loss is greatly felt by the natives; intense grief overspreads the district, and there is great and general lamentation. The Waitara railway is likely to be completed within contract time ; and, if so, we may expect to have the trains running by next May. Mr. Henderson arrivedlast week, and is taking steps to push the work on more rapidly than it has progressed of late.