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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5559, 22 January 1879, Page 2

In consequence of the Native Minister’s repeated denial of the truth of the Press Agency telegram from Alexandra, the proprietors of the Press Agency sent the following telegram to their Alexandra correspondent:—“The Native Minister states your report about Eewi’s negotiations ‘ absolutely without foundation, and false in every possible respect.’ Pray at once explain, and give authority for publication;” to which the following reply has been received:—“Keport perfectly true, that such are Kewi’s ideas of settlement with Government, so far as I can believe the words of three thoroughly reliable Europeans and natives, who had it from Eewi’a own lips.” The question of issuing free passes to the Press has at last been settled. Messrs. Lawson and Conyers recommended that one free pass, to be used for reporting purposes only, should be issued to each newspaper office in the colony. This recommendation was submitted to a Cabinet meeting ou Monday, and was approved of. Mr. Lawson at once had circulars printed informing newspapers of the decision arrived at, and yesterday these were posted to the various newspapers in the colony. It is principally due to Mr. Lawson’s exertions in this matter that the Press have had extended to it a privilege which will enable it the better to furnish the public with the latest, fullest, snd most reliable intelligence, and for ourselves we desire to express our indebtedness to that gentleman. An elderly man Jnamed W. H. Parnell was looked up last night by Constable McDonald, for sticking an ordinary dinner fork into his wife’s nose. The fork was driven into the poor woman’s face as far as brute strength could force it. Drs. Kesteven and Harding were at once called in to her assistance; and chloroform had to be administered before they could attend to the wound.

The Imperial Opera House was attended by a very large audience last night, on the third repetition of their excellent programme by the Stewart family. All the items were vociferously applauded. As these clever artists become more acquainted with the Wellington public, their popularity increases, and there is no doubt that they will have a moat successful season. To-night, being the anniversary of the colony, the Opera House will doubtless be crowded in every part. The orchestra, under Mr. Harcourt Lee’s leadership, deserves a word of praise tor the capital manner in which the overtures snd accompaniments were performed.

It is understood that the Government have in contemplation the establishment of an educational museum in connection with the educational system of the colony. Such an institution has been found to be of great value In older countries, as affording a normal school for object teaching in various branches of science, unsurpassable for efficiency. The Appointment Committee of the Education Board had a meeting yesterday. It was resolved to appoint Mr. Austin, of Kawaiwai, to be first assistant in the Te Aro school ; Mr. Oumberworth, of Christchurch, to be assistant master of the Featherston school; Mr. Gordon, of Grey town, to be assistant master of the Masterton school; Mr. T. Wakelin, of Greytown, to bo master of the Kawaiwai school; Mr. Kilpatrick to be master of the Gladstone school. It was decided to advertise for first and second masters for the Greytown school. At the conclusion of the case of larceny against young Bacon for stealing £205, heard at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr. Conolly asked his Worship if it was not possible that some arrangements could be made whereby the complainant might get the uso of his money. Mr. Conolly then went on to say that he believed the money could not be taken possession of by the owners till after a conviction. His Worship observed that he had nothing to do with it. He had no doubt the bank would allow the complainant to draw money to the amount, knowing the £2(55 to be in the hands of the police. The matter then dropped. Dr. Hector has just received a letter from a gentleman resident at the Azores Islands, asking for information as to the most modern mode of dressing phormium tenax ready for market. It seems the people of the Azores have been informedpf the success attending the cultivation of flax in New Zealand and in St. Helena, and think their climate is also specially suitable for the growth and production of marketable flax. The writer explains that he writes to Dr. Hector in consequence of seeing his name attached to the report of the commission which sat in this colony in 1871. A meeting of the Wellington Benevolent Society was held yesterday. Present—Mr. Woodward (in the chair), Rev. B. W. Harvey, Rev. R. Coffey, Rev. R. J. Thorpe, Rev. W. Williams, Rev. W. H. West, Messrs. L. Levy, Holdsworth, and the secretary, Mr. Powles. The time of the committee was principally taken up with a discussion on the question of charitable aid. The secretary reported he had learned that the Government had from Jan. Ist stopped the charitable aid hitherto distributed by the police of the city, and that great distress prevailed amongst the classes which had been assisted. It was resolved to see if the Mayor would do anything, and a deputation was appointed to wait upon his Worship. Further, it was resolved that should the Mayor decline the responsibility of distributing the aid, then a letter of remonstrance on the subject should be addressed to the Government. We hear that the down coach on Monday from Masterton, when passing a threshing machine at Kuripuni had a capsize, caused through the leading horse shying at the machine. Owing to the narrowness of the road at this part the coach got on the side and turned over. No serious injuries were received by the passengers, though several of them were bruised and shaken. The road is so narrow as to barely admit of two vehicles passing one another, hence the mishap. *

We understand that the Government have come to terms with Dr. Duller for the continued occupation of the Supreme Court House and premises till the 31st December next. The old Resident Magistrate’s Court will be converted into police barracks, further accommodation in that direction being very much needed.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the City Council will be held to-morrow evening.

The Union Company have kindly consented to place their steamer Taiaroa at the services of the Regatta Committee to-day for a flagship. The sea-elephant will swim in the Thorndou baths with his trainer to-day half-past 11. We understand that this is a novel sort of exhibition.

We are requested to state that the entries for the Easter Monday sports close on the 3rd April, not 3rd ebruarj, as stated in the advertisement.

The annual volume of “ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute” is now in course of preparation for the press. Contributions from the various affiliated philosophical societies this year'are of the usual bulk.

Mr. S. Herbert Cox, assistant geologist, has just started on a trip to Tuapeka goldfield, in Otago, to report on the means it will be necessary to employ in order to test the depth and richness of the auriferous cements recently discovered there.

A ctnvertatitne in connection with the Wellington Philosophical Society will be held in the Museum on Friday week. It may be added that the society’s liabrary has been enriched by a number of valuable books and papers, which arrived by the last mail. This year’s batch of tree seeds, imported by the Government every season from California, has just ; arrived, and will be ready for distribution very shortly. They are of a superior class, and have come to hand in excellent condition. The meeting of the Drainage Committee, called for yesterday, was postponed for a few days, in order to allow of Mr. Baird, city engineer, preparing a report on the sewage outfall scheme, suggested by Mr. S. Brown and Captains Holmes and Holliday. The affiliated societies of the New Zealand Institute in the various provincial districts have elected the following three gentlemen governors of the institute :—Tho Han. Robt. Stout, M.H.R., Dr. Buller, 0.M.G., and Professor Kirk, F.L.S. Inspector James, who is to take charge of the Wellington police force, arrived yesterday, and will assume duties in a day or two. Inspector Atchison leaves for Nelson at the end of the month. It is said that Detective Farrell go es to Auckland. Several copies of the New Zealand and Australian postal time-table, 1879, a handy little card issued by the Government, are to hand. Besides the mail time-tables, there is an almanac, rates of postage, &c. The printed tables have been reduced to minute size for this card by the photo-lithographic process, and look very well.

We would again direct attention to Mr. Oily Deering’a farewell benefit, which ic tc take place at the Theatre Royal this evening. The programme is a very attractive one, and Mr. Dsering’s friends vill no doubt rally round him in full force on the occasion of his saying good-bye to Wellington. The Resident Magistrate’s Court was occupied the greater part of yesterday with hearing the case against the lad Bacon for stealing £265 from the offices of the Anchor Line of Steamers. A number of boys appear:d to take great interest in the proceedings, and listened to the whole of the evidence most attentively.

The United Methodist Free Church commenced its fifth district meeting in the schoolroom, Courtenay-place, on Tuesday, the 21st, at 9 a.m. Every circuit was represented. The first hour was spent in prayer and praise. The first business was the examination of the certificates of the various representatives. This done, the meeting proceeded to the election of chairman ; the Rev. S. Macfarlane was for the fifth time chosen. The Rev. J. White was reelected to the office of secretary tor the fifth time. Both expressed their thanks to the friends for having given another expression of their confidence in them. Messrs. Cutler and Moore were elected sub-secretaries. The several committees were then elected. The following are the members of the stationing committee :—Revs. S. Macfarlane, J. White, H. B. Redstopp, and Messrs. Oaygill, Cutler, and Major. Finance committee—Revs. S. Macfarlane, J. White, J. J. Penaroy, S. Wilkinson, W. Worboys, and Messrs. Gateway and Mocro. The Rov. S. Wilkinson and Mr. Gateway will' prepare the address to the churches. The question of the training of ministers was next considered, and the district committee were requested to prepare a scheme. The district committee was elected, and the ballot proved to be in favor of the following : —Revs, R, Fisher, S. 3VXn.cfarl»iu?, J". White, and Messrs. Booth, Caygill, Cutler, Flesher, Gateway, and Withers. The Rev. H. B. Redstone and J. Parkin will act as reporters for the Press.

A paragraph in this paper a short time ago inquired the whereabouts of one,. Mr. Hamilton, supposed to be on a Wairarapa station,' heir to an estate at Home worth £40,008 per annum. We hear that the man has been found in Sergeant John Alfred Vernon Hamilton, of the Greytown Volunteers, who has been lately working at the Catholic Church at Masterton as a jobbing hand for Messrs. Bishop and Hawkins, contractors. We are unable to give the name of the gentleman who instituted the inquiry. With this morning’s paper we issue as au inset a plan of the subdivision of those acres well known as lately the property of G. Hunter, Esq., and now owned by the firm of T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co. The sections, 50 in number, will be sold in the Athenasum Hall on Monday next, the 27th instant. For residences these sites cannot be equalled in any part of the city, being so admirably situated that they are (although within a few minutes walk of the centre of the city) completely removed from its bustle and business. The views obtained from all the sites cannot be equalled by any place similarly situated. The following gentlemen have been finally selected by the Cricket Association to represent Wellington against Wanganui on Thursday next:—Messrs. Crowther, Fordham, Hamilton, Kuchen, MoGirr, Maplesden, Robinson, I. J. Salmon, J. A. Salmon, W. J. Salmon, and Speed; emergencies, Messrs. Astili and Wylie; umpire, Mr. Kelly; scorer, Mr. Tustin. The Wanganui team left last night by the GoAhead, and may therefore be expected this morning. It will be noticed with regret that the Wellington Cricket Club are, as in the team which went to Nelson at Christmas, conspicuous by their absence; but the cricketing strength of the team will not suffer in the slightest degree thereby, as the above constitute a good working eleven. Prominent among the amusements for Anniversary Day is the Rechabite fet* and art union. We understand that the committee have completed their arrangements, and that it bids fair to be a success. We believe that Mr. W. Hutchison will superintend the drawing of the art union, which is to take place in the grand-stand at half-past four in the afternoon. It is intended that a procession, consisting of all the Rechabites and Good Templars of the city, headed by tha City Band, will leave tho Rechabite Hall at eleven o'clock ».m. and march to the Basin Reserve, where all kinds e£ sports and pastimes will ba the orders of the day. Should the weather prove fine we have no doubt the affair will be a grand success. It is, says the Hawke's Bay Herald, anything but easy to say whether Sir George Grey really attaches any importance to the Crown conferring of titles upon persons in the colony. Recalling to mind the high positions Sir George has held, the vast experience he has acquired, and the matters of weighty concern he has to deal with as Premier of the colony, it is almost impossible to conceive that he is serious in the affair of the title “ Honorable ” for life. Sometimes we are inclined to think that Sir George is a consummate actor, and that he purposely exaggerates some trival matters into importance in order to draw people away from questions which really affect their interests. It is either so, or else our Premier is subject to hallucinations which take so firm a hold of his mind that they become realities.

From Timaru we hear that the traffic on the railway line is increasing to an incredible extent. Goods trains of enormous length arrive daily, and difficulty is experienced in shunting the trucks out of the way of passenger trains, owing to the insufficiency of the accommodation which the present station affords. A few days ago a train of twenty-nine waggons, laden with wood and wool, arrived from the South. It was so long that the engine had nearly reached the platform before the hindmost truck had come in view, and yet this will not be the largest before the grain season is over. We (says the Herald) recollect seeing so many as sixty, seventy, and eighty waggons leaving here during last season, and if the traffic continues to increase as it has during the past twelve months, we believe that whatever alterations may be made in the present station they will not ha equal t« the requirements of the place. Wo hope that steps will be taken at once, and more accommodation provided, as it is almost impossible for the officials to do their work in the space now at their disposal

Here is a “ wrinkle ” (says the Wairarap* Valley Guardian) for the land tax gatherer, which he can make use of or not just as he likes. The owner of a block of land situated within a hundred miles of any given point of the Wellington-Wairarapa railway line (Yalley section) had occasion some months ago to value his sections in view of an appropriation made for railway extension purposes. £27 sterling per acre was the sum put down on that occasion. Two or three days before yesterday the same authority was required to put a valuation on the same property for land tax purposes, and he set it down at the modest sum of £2 per acre. Comment on a transaction of this sort is surely not necessary, Messrs. Laery and Campbell announce elsewhere that they will sell this morning, at 10 o’clock, at their rooms, 100 cases of assorted fruits.