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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5562, 25 January 1879, Page 2

Owing to some unexplained accident the commission appointing Lord Normanby Governor of Victoria did not arrive by the last ’Frisco mail; in consequence his Excellency’s final departure from the colony will be somewhat delayed. The commissionis expected toarrive by the next ’Frisco mail. Hia Excellency will leave here for Christchurch in the Arawata, and will remain in Canterbury and Otago until the latter part of next month, embarking on board the Eingarooma for Melbourne at the Bluff on the 20 th of February. It is rumored that our evening contemporary was incorrect in stating that the Governor applied for the use of the Hinemoa ; we believe that no such application was made by his Excellency. A meeting of gentlemen was held in the Mayor’s room at 4 p.m. yesterday, for the purpose of determining what steps should be taken to show the esteem of the citizens, prior to the departure of his Excellency the Governor for Australia. The meeting was hastily convened, and the attendance was smaller than it would otherwise have been. The Mayor explained that the first thing which the meeting had to decide was whether it was desirable to do anything in the matter, and if so, what. His own impression of dinners and balls was that they involved a great amount of trouble, without any guarantee of success. He had no scheme to propose, but so far as his own opinion was concerned, he was inclined to think that if an address were presented to his Excellency, signed by as many citizens as possible, it would perhaps be the best thing that could be done. Mr. Moorhouse, M.H.E., moved, —That a committee of those present be formed, to consider the best means of evincing the respect of the citizens of Wellington for his Excellency the Governor. The motion was agreed to, and the meeting adjourned until Monday next. After the meeting several of those present expressed their opinion that something more worthy of such an occasion than the mere presentation of an address should take place, and no doubt they will make their voices heard when the cemmittee meets again on Monday. Longlands continues first favorite for the Wellington Cup, although he is not in so much demand as a few days ago. There are layers of 3 to 1 against him, and backers are holding off. Mufti comes next, and 5 to 1 can be obtained against him. Kata has been backed at 10 to 1, and is likely to see a shorter price. Diver has been inquired after, but no business is reported. Titania is likely to be supported freely, if the acceptances, to be made on Monday night, show that she is intended as the representative of Kay’s stable. Lara’s price may be quoted at 10 to 1, and not a few think that he can win this year’s Cup, as he did the last. Pohokura is looked on by Napier people as having a chance for the Gold Cup, and if he lands here fit will be backed for a good deal of money.

Mr. J. S. Shanks is gazetted as member for Mataura.

It Is understood that Mr. Walter Johnston, M.H.8., will address hia constituents at the latter end of next month.

The Amoy and Foochow courier will cease running from the Isffof February to the Ist of May. The Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company will commence a season at the Theatre Royal, in this city, on March 3. All the rights in connection with the Wellington races will be sold to-day, by Messrs. Laery and Compbell, prior to their usual weekly horse sale. We are requested to remind intending purchasers of Petone allotments that the various sections are now being pointed out on the ground, and that plans of the township are ready. Intelligence was received in town last evening to the effect that the ship Hyderabad had been towed two ships’ lengths further off shore, and Captain Bendall entertains no further doubt that the efforts to float her will be entirely successful. The undermentioned gentlemen have been elected governors of the New Zealand Institute by the incorporated societies for the year 1879 ;—The Hon. Mr. Stout, M.H.R.; Thos. Kirk, Esq., F.L.S.; and Dr. Walter Duller, C.M.G. As the Otaki crew understand that their opponents of the Pleiades are not satisfied with the result of the open-boat race at the recent regatta, the former now issue a challenge to again sail the losing crew tor £lO a side.

It is understood that Messrs. Hiscocks and Hayman have made a most liberal offer to the Theatre Royal Company for a long lease of the theatre. Messrs. Hiscocks and Hayman have become lessees of the Queen’s Theatre, Dunedin, and Theatre Royal, Christchurch. This afternoon the Rising Star and Thorndon Cricket Clubs play a match fin Mrs. Leitch’s paddock. The following team represents the former club : Messrs. Mansill, Brown, Holmes, Benner, Smith, Tustin, Plimmer, Mcßeth, Williams, G. Godber, and Young ; emergency, J. Godber, Gooder, and Benbow. There was very little business transacted at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Charles Whittington and Joseph Cotterill were each charged with furious riding along the road at Porirua. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Mrs. Taylor, a resident in the district, stated that last Sunday she was knocked down in the road, while going to church, by a man on horseback, who was galloping furiously. Several witnesses corroborated Mrs. Taylor’s statement, but none of them could swear positively to the identity of the defendants. One witness named Bailey stated that he saw the two defendants galloping on the day in question along the road. They were both fined 40s. and costs. Messrs. Diver and Holdsworth, J.P.’s, were on the bench. A private correspondent in Wellington to a gentleman in Auckland writes as follows : “ The Government, it is understood, do not purpose sending any more immigration agents, with large salaries and liberal travelling allowances, to the mother country, at least for some years to come; but will take advantage of the intelligent and well-informed colonists leaving for a short visit, to act as representatives, under conditions and allowances to be specially arranged. The Agent-General, Sir Julius Vogel, has had his attention directed to the absolute necessity of the greatest possible care being exercised in connection with the class of people sent out at the public expense, so that, if possible, nono but useful colonists will be encouraged to these shores. Mr. Stout, the Immigration Minister, learned, from official advices from London, that no inconvenience or difficulty is experienced in filling up emigrant vessels either at Liverpool or London or Glasgow for any part of New Zealand, owing principally to the heavy and continued depression of nearly all classes of trade and industries in the United Kingdom, and the enormous * look-out ’ of labor iu many of the mining districts of England.” The last performance of “ Rainbow Bevels” was given to a numerous audience at the Imperial Opera House last evening, and the programme was carried out to the unbounded satisfaction of the audience. Miss Maggie Stewart substituted “ Caller Herrin’ ” for the “ Banners of Blue,” and was encored; and the demands on Miss Nellie for a repetition of the song and guitar accompaniment, “ Maid of Athens,” were responded to with “My Pretty Jane.” To-night the Stewart Family will appear in an entirely new programme entitled “ If.” The following gentlemen have been appointed commissioners to make arrangements to secure the representation of New Zealand at the Sydney Exhibition of 1879. Mr. James Hector is to be chairman of the commission;— James Hector, Joe Dransfield, William Hutchison, Charles Lemon, William Hort Levin, Daniel Mclntyre, Frederick Augustus Krull, and James Smyllie McDewell Thompson, Esquires. Notice is given in the Gazette that the Municipal Council have resolved to undertake the construction of waterworks for supplying the town of Invercargill with water from the Duusdale Creek by gravitation. For this purpose it is proposed to borrow the sum of £IOO,OOO by means of debentures, bearing interest at 6 per cent, per annum. 155 ratepayers voted in favor of the proposal, 107 against it. When the Aspasia, during the regatta, tried to weigh anchor it was discovered that it was foul on the wreck of the Eli Whitney, and after making a vigorous effort with eight men on the windlass, being afraid of breaking the cable, the captain desisted from the attempt, and slipped her cable with forty fathoms of chain. Captain Moore, of the Aspasia, estimates the loss at £SO.

On Monday next the different school committees will be re-elected. The, important part which these bodies now have to play in the administration of the Education Act should induce our townspeople to take a much greater interest in the elections than they have displayed in the past. All the details of the school management are brought before the committees, and it is highly important that the best men available should be secured as committeemen.

A rifle match will take place at Polhill Gully this afternoon between the Audit and Treasury departments. There will be eight competitors on each side, and there will be five shots each at 200, 300, and 400yds. These departments will also have a friendly match at cricket, and also a tug-of-war on the Basin Reserve on Tuesday next ; and a boat race in about a month’s time will terminate the series of contests in which these departments of the public service have engaged. A good deal of interest is taken in the results.

The enormous increase of pauperism in England since the beginning of September is not a good sign for the coming winter. Of course this fact is to be attributed to the widespread depression of trade, and we look in vain for any indication of improvement. In the Black Country, in the Staffordshire Potteries, in the cotton districts of Lancashire, matters are equally bad. This is not, of course, the fault of the Government, which cannot prevent famines in India or China, and successive bad harvests at Home, but it is certain that if, after Parliament rose in August last, Mr. Cross and other Cabinet Ministers had adopted anything like the judicious and tranquillising temper displayed in the Prime Minister’s speech at the Guildhall on Saturday last, if they had told us of a treaty in process of execution instead of a treaty almost certain to be violated, commercial confidence would have revived before now, and we should not be confronted with the prospect of what seems likely to be the hardest winter we have had for many years. It is the fashion to dilate on the ageement which cannot fail to exist between a “ visionary ” First Minister and a flighty Viceroy ; but the fact is that Lord Lytton was' the selection of Lord Salisbury. The nomination was approved and ratified by Mr. Disraeli, but it did not originate with him. Some inquiries (says the Australasian) have been made by the Alining Department with regard to the alleged excessive cost of boring by the diamond drill A comparison was made between the expense of putting down a bore in the Loughlin Company’s alluvial claim at Kingston, and putting down another by the ordinary method in the neighboring alluvial claim of the Lone Hand Company. The result of the estimate of the difference in cost at the time appeared • to show a great saving in favor of the ordinary bore, the diamond-dril-ling being estimated to cost £1 7s. per foot, while ordinary boring did not cost within 30 per cent, of this amount. The great discrepancy in the estimated expense has caused Major Couchman to have a re-estimate made, and on an examination of the previous data it has been found that a great mistake was made in the estimate. A revision of the accounts shows that the total cost of boring with the diamond drill in the case cited was only 13s, *

7Jd. per foot, and it a greater quantity of work bad to be done the average cost would have been reduced. The ordinary boring process in similar country |has been found te cost £1 ss. per foot, showing that in addition to the speed of its work, drilling by the diamond costs considerably under the expense of ordinary boring. The diamond drill now at Castlemaine is to be removed to Sandhurst, at the Great Southern Company’s mine, at the southern end of the Garden Gully reef. The character of the country in which the boring is now to take place is very different to that of the Castlemaine ground, being much harder and more compact. The drill will therefore work under more favorable circumstances for the continuity of its boring.

Mr. Francis Sidey holds a large and important sale of land to-day, to which wo desire to direct attention. About halt an acre of gronud will ho offered fronting Edward-street, off Hawker-street, on which there is a good four-roomed cottage. The site is no doubt a good one, and the advertisement states that the land must be sold. A new three-roomed cottage will also be offered by Mr.Sidey, which is situated in Martin-square. Martin-square has been drained and metalled, and is now in every way a desirable site for a dwelling. There is a good garden-plot to be sold with the cottage. Two large cottages in Tinakori-road, each containing four large rooms and all conveniences. The property is situated next to O'Brien's grocery store, and is advertised to be sold a bargain, on remarkably easy terms. In addition to the above, Mr. Sidey will offer 40 acres of rich land in the Patea district, ahaut ten minutes' walk from the township of tVoodville. The land is level, and well watered. The timber is sold subject to a contract, which is likely to prove a good speo.