Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4889, 22 November 1876, Page 2

A fall of the glass set in yesterday, and warnings for strong winds, or gale probably, from the northward, were issued to places south of Lyttelton. The City Council are doing what they can towards improving the condition of some of the streets in the city and suburbs, speaking chiefly as regards the clearance of offensive matter which has accumulated in different parts, owing to the want of proper drainage. This is a difficult task ; but it is gratifying to observe that great improvement has been made in several quarters—Majoribank-street and its junction with the Adelaide-road, may be mentioned as an instance. A good deal of fillingin has been done in that low-lying piece of ground opposite the City Hotel, and the appearance of the locality has been generally improved, while it must necessarily be made healthy. Laborers are engaged in other directions.

The following tale is authentic; —An honest and respectable bachelor, who lives by himself on his farm without kith or kin, save tabba and collie, and who is a most rigid Sabbatarian, was found digging in his garden the other Sunday. When made aware that he mistook Sunday for Saturday he flung the spade from him in great fury, ran into the house, doffed his Sunday suit, rode in haste to church, and was there in time to augment the collection, and to get the blessing. But the best of it is, the following Saturday he again. forgot the; day, dressed himself in his Sunday suit, and hied off to church, and to his utter consternation was only apprised of his mistake within a chain or two of the church. Who would live a bachelor’s life in the bush ? -

It gives us much gratification to learn that the Captain of the Duke of Edinburgh barque, on being communicated with by the Customs authorities, in reference to an article which recently appeared in the columns of the New Zealand Times, declared that no apprehensions need be entertained in regard to his vessel, as she is perfectly seaworthy. Our readers remember, doubtless, the fire which at Blenheim recently destroyed the Government buildings and several houses. We learn that the various land transfer records, marriage records, and other documents of a similar nature which were locked up in brick safes at the time of the fire were found perfectly uninjured at its conclusion. So much so indeed was this the case that in one of the safes a candle which had been left there was found without the smallest appearance of having been subjected to excessive heat. There were very few civil cases for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Most of those set down were settled or adjourned. The following are two in which judgment was recorded :—Cleland v. Williamson, claim of £ls 9s. fid. Defendant was ordered to pay £5 forthwith, half the balance on the Ist December, 1876, and the remainder on the 2nd January, 1877. Miller v. Eowater, claim £l3 17s. fid. Judgment for plaintiff for amount claimed and costs.

The following is Mr. Herbert Spencer’s definition of evolution :—“ Evolution is a change from an indefinite, incoherent, homogeneity, to a definite, coherent, heterogeneity through continuous differentiations and integrations.” This has been translated into English by “ Presbyter Anglicanus ” in the Theological Review as follows : —Evolution is a change from a no-howiah, untalkaboutable, all-likeness, to a some-howish and in-general-talkaboutable not-all-likeness by continuous something—elsifications and sticktogetherations.”

When the s.s. Lyttelton was leaving the Opawa river mouth on Sunday last she was bar bound inside for a time. The passengers took the opportunity of the delay to land on Dillon’s Point, and whilst there they discovered a skull and a quantity of human remains, evidently those of Maoris which had been unearthed by the effects of wind and water. The passengers with what means they could find returned the remains to earth again. The funeral procession of the late P. Moore, who met with his end by falling from a yard of the ship Howrah, took place last afternoon. The crew of that vessel proceeded in a body to the Hospital, whence the remains were conveyed by a portion of the ship’s company to the grave in the Church of England cemetery. The captain and the chief officer, Mr. Larke, acted as chief mourners, and the coffin was nicely decorated with flags and bouquets. An accident of a serious character very nearly occurred yesterday at the new building being erected for Mr. Urwin next the Theatre Royal. A large plank was being hoisted from the ground to the top of the building, but it seemed that the rope could not have been securely fastened, for the board slipped from the sling when it was more than half way up, and fell. Some men were underneath, and one or more of them would undoubtedly have been struck by the piece of timber (no light weight, by the way) had it not been caught by a cross piece on the lower part of the building. This should be a lesson to men engaged in that class of work to be more careful.

During the past week the Acclimatisation Society liberated eight blackbirds, which form a valuable addition to the feathered tribe being introduced to this colony by the society. As they multiply we may expect to hear their cheery note in different parts of the country. It is to be hoped that there will not be found any check to their increase, as was the case in a part of the South Island, where these birds suffered considerably from the attentions of the cats.

The remains of the late Major Mcßarnet (says the Rangitihei Advocate) were carried to their last resting place on Thursday, the funeral procession leaving his residence at Sandon a little after 12 o’clock, with the eldest, son and Mr. Crawford, R.M. of Wellington, as chief mourners. As the cortege left for Bull’s it was joined by a number of horsemen, and on arriving at that place—: where, of course, every window and shop was closed—the mournful train was swelled by the ranks of those on foot, and then' moved slowly on to the cemetery, where the Lord Bishop of Wellington and the Rev. A. Towgood and others were in waiting. The grandeur of the Church of England burial service lost nothing, as read here over the grave of one who but two short years ago seemed to be in the very pride of life and strength, but over whom, now having regretfully taken one last look, we draw down the veil which divides the past from the present and future. The Maketu correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times writes :—The Ngatipikiao chief Fox has addressed a notification to the Government, and to all his numerous European and Maori friends for insertion in the Waka Maori, wherein he alludes to his tribe having this season planted twenty thousand (20,000) taros, besides other food, and also that they have become more religiously inclined. I presume he considers food the more important article of the two, as ho gives that precedence in his letter. From conversations hold with natives re the “Tareiao” religion, I am convinced that the end will bo that a great number of them will eventually join either the very High Church party or the Roman Catholic body. The fact of having introduced the confessional amongst their forms of worship is a strong argument in favor of my idea. The Protestant missionaries will have to look well to their laurels, for if the Roman Catholic clergy take the field, and adopt earnest and vigorous measures, they will gain the day. It is pleasing to know (says the Marton paper) that this season’s wool clip gives promise, so far, of being the heaviest that has ever been known in the district. The increase too has been eminently satisfactory, resulting, we believe, in about 20,000_ being added to the flocks throughout the district.

A man named Charles Bloom was taken before two Justices of the Peace yesterday, charged on remand with suspicion of lunacy. Ho had been drinking very heavily before his arrest, but when brought up at Court yesterday he appeared perfectly sound in mind, and was therefore discharged with a caution.

A committee meeting' of the Chamber of Commerce will be held this afternoon at three o’clock.

His 'Worship the Mayor and J. Dransfield, Esq., were the presiding justices at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The business did not occupy much time. “Blow for Blow” was repeated at the Theatre Royal last night. To-morrow and Thursday nights Mrs. Hoskins (Miss Florence Colville) will appear. ' Plimmer’s steps very much need repair, being old and worn. Persons going up and down them are apt to miss their footing, owing to the fact that the steps are worn away at the edges. The entertainment provided by Messrs. Kohler and Bent was well patronised last evening, and the performance was, as usual, of an excellent character. Messrs. Kohler and Bent are really good, and all should witness their performances. A man named Lorenzo Stefenini arrived by the Napier from Foxton yesterday, en route for the gaol, having been convicted of stealing, from a licensed victualler named Tansley, a bottle of brandy, some wine, and sundry other articles.

, A Melbourne religious journal contains the following startling paragraph on modern ecclesiastical requirements : —“ It rather jars on one’s notion of the proprieties of the clerical office to read that some of the youngest ministers in England, in circuit where horseflesh is dear and the distances great, have taken refuge in bicycles and career to their appointments balanced perilously and jauntily on the two wheels of that ingenious machine. And yet on consideration, a bicycle must be pronounced as intrinsically innoxious and respectable as a buggy ; and the youthful divines who are taking to it may be congratulated bn the common sense and courage, if the innovation' really economises time and strength. Some of the Methodist papers look favorably on the matter, and the Methodist even suggests, half humorously, that the training institutions for ministers should include lessons on bicycles in their curriculum.

The following interesting event, which occurred at the London Docks, being the capture of a large boa constrictor on board the ship Surprise, which arrived from Port Natal, laden with wool and hides, is related by a correspondent of the London Times : —lt appears that, while at the port, she went within the bar to load, being a small vessel, and consequently was close to the bush. One evening after her cargo had been shipped, while the crew were having a little jollification among themselves, one of the crew who happened to possess a concertina was playing various tunes for the amusement of his companions. It is supposed that the music attracted the boa on board, and being disturbed it must have found its way into the hold, as the hatches were off at the time, and concealed itself among the cargo, as it was not discovered till the ship was well on the voyage Home. When she arrived in dock the question arose as to how it was to be captured, but with the assistance of Mr. Jamrach it was successfully accomplished. I have seen the reptile, and I should think it is about 8 or Oft. in length, and as thick as the calf of a man’s leg. It has existed during the voyage on rats and other vermin, with which I am informed the vessel swarmed while at Port Natal, and now there is not a rat to be seen on any part of the vessel, so that in future it may be thought desirable to ship a boa constrictor instead of other animals to catch the vermin.