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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5537, 25 December 1878, Page 2

In order that [the staff of this journal may have Christmas Day and evening entirely to themselves, the New Zealand Times will not he published to-morrow. Publication will bo resumed on Friday.

The following letter from Sir J. Vogel has been published in tho London Times : “ Sir, —The following telegram (Ecutor’s) appears in The Times of : today :—Now York, October 9.—Advices from New Zealand stato that a number of bush natives have murdered and eaten five Wesleyan missionaries. The traders and coast natives have killed eighty bush natives in retaliation. I need scarcely suggest that this report is calculated to occasion anxiety in tho minds of those.connected with New Zealand. I therefore ask permission to say that there can be no doubt the occurrence did not take place in that colony. Apart from tho conviction which I have that the Maoris would not bo guilty of such an outrage, the wording supplies internal evidence that the catastrophe oocurrred in some other group of islands, and that the news has merely come by way of New Zealand. In tho latter colony the distinction between bush and coast natives is not known, nor is the term * traders* in use. But these expressions and distinctions are common in other groups, such as those of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides,” ' •

Tho telegraph office will ho open this day from 10 to 10.30 a.m., and 5 to 5.30 p.ra. fj The Wellington Artillery Cadets have gone on a trip to Nelson for tha holidays. They have taken with them a gum, and there is be a contest between them and the Nelson Cadets at gun drill. A parcel of 250 cases of kerosene ex Otalci, of the brand known as Young’s patent crystal oil, was tested by the Inspector yesterday, and ■flashed at upwards of ten degrees beyond the regulation flashing point, 120 degrees. A meeting of the City Tramway Company directors was held yesterday, when Mr. O. W. Sohultze was elected chairman of directors, in the room of Mr. E. Toomath, It was reported that 16,000 persons travelled on the line last week.

Sergeant-Major Sevan, of the Otago Constabulary, is to be transferred to Wellington. The present efficiency Of the Otago police force isyn a great measure duo to the strict discipline and energy of Sergeant-Major Bevan.

A barmaid named Sweeney was arrested in Greytown by Acting-Detective Smart on a charge of deserting her child in Christchurch. She was brought before a justice of the peace iu this city yesterday afternoon, and remanded until Friday next. At a meeting of the creditors of Mr. T. McCarthy, hold in Masterton on Saturday, an offer was made on behalf of the insolvent with the view of taking the estate out of the Court. The offer was entertained, and was to be considered at an adjourned meeting. Several applicants for hackney carriage drivers’ licenses, whose applications were opposed by the Inspector, were yesterday heard before the Public Works Committee. As it was the first time the complaints had been made, the committee resolved not to suspend the men’s licenses, but cautioned them against a repetition of such conduct. The superintendent of tho quarantine station, with Dr. Johnson and Captain Holliday, the health officer, visited the quarantine station yesterday afternoon, and found everything satisfactory, and. that the patients were wonfully better. An increase in their number occurred shortly after they arrived at the island, Mrs. Molloy having given birth to a fine hoy. The ship was inspected, and passed, everything having been done in the way of painting and disinfecting. It has been decided that the Moa shall leave for the island at D o’clock on Friday morning, to bring over the Wellington portion of the immigrants and saloon passengers. Those for Taranaki will be taken from the island.

Miss Amy Sherwin’s farewell benefit at the Theatre Royal last evening was numerously attended, and the capital bill of fare submitted deserved still greater recognition. Miss Sherwin sang “Scenes that are brightest”— that superb gem from “Mavitana”—ina manner that brought forth thunders of applause, and a demand for a repetition. The tencficiairc agreeably responded to the call by singing “ Within a mile of Edlnboro’ town.” “ The Old Arm Chair ” was sung with great pathos, and Miss Sherwin was cheered to the echo for her encore song, “ Home, sweet home.” Her mad scene from “ Lucia ” was a grand performance musically, and in an acting point of view also. The two comediettas before and after the interlude went remarkably well. To-night’s sacred concert ought to draw a very large house, as the programme is an exceedingly attractive one, A special meeting of the Wellington Diocesan Standing Committee was held on Monday. The principal business was to receive a deputation from the episcopal residence fund committee, consisting of his Honor the Chief Justice, the Hon. Randall Johnson, and Mr. Levin. The Chief Justice explained that it had been found necessary to raise about £2OOO by loan for the completion of the new episcopal residence, in addition to the £2OOO already in hand ; and it was thought that the Standing Committee might assist in this necessary diocesan work by becoming the borrowers, and guaranteeing the payment of interest and sinking fund. After a long discussion, In which the proposal was considered in all its bearings, the Standing Committee resolved to devote a sum of £l6O per annum, derivable from rents of town sections, to the payment of the interest on £2OOO at 8 per cent., also to pay off £IOO of the sum annually. The deputation then retired, and the committee adjourned. There will probably be three candidates for the seat for Gladstone, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Teschemaker. These are—Mr. Studholme, Mr. Bruce, and Mr. Reeves, the proprietor of the Lyttelton Times. The Mataura seat, vacated by Mr. Wood, will likely be contested for by Mr. Shanks, the Chairman of the County Council, Mr. Dennison, and Mr. Richardson, a surveyor. Seme of the station-holders are, we {Oamaru Mail) understand, experiencing great difficulty in obtaining wool washers. In one instance a station-holder offered 355. a week and found for seven and a halt hours a day, with Is. an hour tor extra time, the additional inducement being offered that they should receive their full wages in the event of the weather being wet and the men unable to work ; but even these liberal terms failed to obtain the necessary hands. The Bay of Plenty Times states that some of the native boys under Mrs. Neighbour’s care have of late made themselves exceedingly obnoxious by attacking any undefended white boy whom they may happen to come across in their peregrinations. On Thursday afternoon the young blackguards caught hold of a little lad named Battler, and mauled him very severely, breaking his collarbone. As the poor boy was being assisted home they pelted him with stones, and shouted demonically, “ We’ve broken his arm !” No blame attaches to Mrs. Neighbour, under whose supervision the lads are quiet, but unless they can be persuaded to behave like Christiana when out their liberty ought to be curtailed. The Dunedin Aye says:—A letter received by the mail from Sydney states that John McLaren, the evil genius of the police and Mr. Watt, R.M., has made his appearance there as a public lecturer and rival to ex-priest Chiniquy. The writer intimates that on a recent Sunday McLaren hired one of the principal theatres, and announced his intention of lecturing on the question “ Should Religion bo Made a Trade.” Long before the appointed hour a numerous and angry crowd of Chiniquists assembled at the door of the building, and their demonstration so dismayed the lessee that he altered his intention and refused to give McLaren the key. The irrepressible agitator appeared in due time dressed in a faultless Chadband rig-out, with black swallow-tailed coat, bell-topper of the orthodox pattern, and white cravat. Rinding he could not get admission to the stage, he took up his post in the street, and rigorously denounced the expriest and controversionalists generally. It is stated that McLaren since his departure from Dunedin has been in Melbourne, where he attempted to get up an unemployed agitation; but his efforts were not approved of by the Government, and his harangues were put down by the police. In Sydney, so far, he has had a somewhat better reception. The Dunedin Herald says :—“ Mr. William Dooherty, of the Dusky Sound Copper Mining Company, returned te Dunedin from Dusky Sound in the Maori. Wo learn from him that the men sent round by the company started work on'Friday, 25th October, and from the start have been employed every day. They put in two adits—one at 250 ft. level, and the other at 500 ft. level. The company expect to cut the lode at a distance in of 60ft. in the 250 ft. level, aud when the steamer - loft that tunnel was in about 40ft. The 500 ft„ level adit was driven in about' the same distance, and ia the course of the excavation numerous small veins of a yellow copper ore, superior to the surface ores, were met with. Numerous specimens of native .copper were met with in the lower tunnel. It rained a good deal during the time, but tho weather did not interfere with work. Mr. Dooherty goes back by the Maori on her next trip. Professor Dr. Auania Ferrari has had tho honor to perform at the principal Courts of Europe, viz. on the 13th of December, 1867, at the Compiegno Palace, before their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of France; tho 15th of March, 1868, in Turin, before his Majesty the King of Italy and the Royal family ; the 18th of June, 1868, at tho Palace of his Majesty King William of the Netherlands; the 11th April, 1869, at the-Palace of Buda (Pest) before their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Austria; the 30th of June, 1869, at the palace in Stockholm, before their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden and Denmark, on the occasion of tho marriage of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Denmark and tho Princess of Sweden and Norway; the 20th of August, 1872, at the palace in Athens, before his Majesty George I. of Greece, and lately at the Royal Palace of his August Highness the Grand Duke Constantine, at Pawlows, before tho whole family of his Majesty Alexander 11,, Emperor of all tho Hussies. --

Mr. Varley will lecture at the Athenmnm Hall this evening; the subject of his discourse being “Lamed for Life.”

A supplement to the Gazette was published yesterday. It proclaims the 2nd of January a bank holiday in Otago.

The Christmas eve service at St. Paul’s was a great success. There was a large attendance, and the service did not terminate till close on midnight. The special time-table which has been arranged on the Wellington-Wairarapa Railway for to-day and to-morrow will he found in our advertising columns on the third page of this issue.

The fourth competition for tho City Rifles Challenge Medals will take place on Saturday next, the 28th instant. Firing will commence at I p.m. ; no entries will be taken after 2.15 p.m.

James Allan Mnokay, the branch manager for the Hutt district of the bank of New Zealand, was arrested at the Upper Hutt on a charge of embezzlement. We believe his accounts were audited a short time ago and found correct, hut iu consequence of suspicions, more recently an unexpected audit was made, and it was found that the cash was short by about £I3OO. No steps were taken till yesterday morning, when the police were communicated with, and in less than an hour afterwards Mackay was in custody. He was brought down by train last evening, and will appear before the Bench on Friday morning next, and probably will then be remanded. The arrest caused considerable commotion in the Hutt district yesterday, as prisoner was well known to many persons. The N.Z. Herald of December 18, says : “ A short time ago a statement was definitely made that Germany had assumed the sovereignity of Samoa, and general regret was expressed in New Zealand that our own Government had lost tho opportunity. It would appear, however, from a telegram in the San Francisco papers, that the German Government have declined to acquire Samoa as a colony; so that if England considers it expedient, and the Samoans are agreeable, it may still he added as a jewel—though a small one—to the British Imperial Crown. The telegram is as follows : —‘ Berlin, November 18 —The Official Gazette contradicts the report which appeared in the Paris Estaffctte last week, that the German Government had decided to occupy the whole of the Samoan archipelago. The Gazette declares that Germany does not contemplate acquiring or founding colonies beyond the Atlantic. The dispute in regard to,the Samoan Islands will naturally be settled by treaty, which will secure to German and other States interested the privileges granted to the most favored nation.”

The estimated mean population of these colonies for the year 1877, according to the statistical register of New South Wales, was 2,464,560. Victoria heads the list with 849,870 ; New South Wales comes next with 645,994 ; New Zealand occupies third place with 408,349 ; then South Australia, her population being 231,383 ; followed by Queensland with 195,092, and Tasmania with 106,294; Western Australia comes last, with a population of only 27,579. The municipal contests which have just taken place all over the country show a decided gain for the Liberals. At Birmingham the battle was fought in every instance on a political issue, and the Liberals won twelve seats out of sixteen ; that result being in some degree assisted by the appearance of Captain Burnaby, as the future Conservative candidate for Birmingham, on the scene, with the ejaculation, “Would to God that we were at war with Russia,” which alarmed many moderate Conservatives as well as Liberals. At Sheffield and Dudley politics have for the first time been introduced into the contest. Boston has given the Liberals a large majority, and so have Dover and Salford, both of which towns are Conservative iu their Parliamentary representation. On the other hand, Liverpool and Leeds have been the theatres of a moderate Conservative triumph, while at Wigan and Bolton Conservative successes still more substantial have been won.