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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5667, 29 May 1879, Page 2

The Sues mail will arrive here to-morrow morning in the Arawata. His Excellency the Governor dined with the members of the Wellington Club last evening! The President of the Club, Mr. George Hunter, occupied the chair, and Mr. A. de B. Brandon the vice-chair. There were sixty-seven gentlemen present. Meetings of the Wharf and Drainage Committees called for yesterday, lapsed for want of quorums. The Photograph Committee met. The photographers present were Messrs. Gibbs, Bragg, Deverill, and Binns. Several views of the city were submitted, but no definite conclusion was arrived at. We understand that an effort is being made to establish a Cottage Hospital and Lying-in Refuge for destitute women in Te Aro, The medical attendance has been promised, and we think that with the committee who have consented to act there ought not to be any very great difficulty in carrying out such a praiseworthy undertaking, which is much wanted in that part of the town. His Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson has caused to be forwarded to the secretary for the Sydney Exhibition Commission, for inspection of all parties interested, ten copies of photographs received by his Excellency from Sydney, showing the weekly progress of the works at the Exhibition up to the 19th inst. The photographs are now on view at St. George's Hall. The Supreme Court sat yesterday, all the judges in Wellington being on the Bench, to hear arguments in redeich. Mr. Allau moved that the rule for the issue of a writ of Habeas Corpus be made absolute, and the AttorneyGeneral (with him Mr. Izard) showed cause, The Court reserved its judgment. To-day, Salter v. Brogden will be taken. The only case remaining then will be Beck and Tonks, bankruptcy. A second meeting of the creditors of Thomas McClelland was held yesterday. The trustee elected by a previous meeting, Mr. Baker, had not notified his acceptance of the appointment, and therefore the Registrar called a fresh meeting. Mr. F. Simeon wag now elected. The charge of arson against Airs. Phillips was concluded at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday. There was a great amount of evidence taken, which was generally of a conflicting nature. His Worship gave the accused the benefit of the doubt, and discharged her. The football concert, which had been postponed, came off last night, and was tolerably successful, although the hall was not so well filled aa could have been wished. One of the principal features was the whistling of a young gentlemau who accompanied himself on the piano, and who created a sensation. Mr. Sherwin sang “My country calls ” with much taste ; and several young ladies gave selection and songs. Altogether it was a most enjoyable evening. Arguments in the case before the Court of Appeal, Kawatina v. Kinross, were concluded yesterday, and the Court reserved its judgment.

An inquest was held at the morgue yesterday before the Coroner regarding the death of John Dutch, who was found drowned at Lyell Bay. The facts adduced at the inquest were similar to those already published by us. The jury returned as their verdict, found drowned.

The creditors of Mr. N. J. Isaacs yesterday held a meeting for the .purpose of considering a, deed of assignment made by bankrupt. The deed assigned all debtor’s property for the' benefit of his creditors, and it was assented to, only one creditor voting against it.

The Board of Education sat from 11.15 till 5.15 yesterday, and disposed of a large amount of business, which is detailed in another column. Among other matters brought up was a proposal to constitute one of the city schools a district high school under the 4ct, but it was decided to fully discuss the general question at the next monthly meeting. The Board meets again this morning, when it will appoint Mr. Everiss’.successor at Mount Cook.

A man named Ounliffe was charged at the Kesident : Magistrate’s Court yesterday with stealing a bull terrier dog. The owner of the dog stated that she had had the animal in her possession for three years, and had christened it Billy. Her pet appeared to be of a roving disposition, and she consequently _ kept him chained up. She sometimes let him loose to have a run, and according to the evidence he had a liking for oysters, as he invariably made straight for Mr. Smith’s oyster saloon. At length the dog became such a frequenter of the shop that the shopman registered him and tied him up. He swore most positively that the dog was his, and his name was Banjo, and he had had him in his possession for three months. The owner of the dog, on the other hand, swore as positively that; Billy had only been missing eight days. Billy, alias Banjo, however, appeared to be more attached to the prosecutor than the accused. The evidence was of snob a conflicting nature that his Worship discharged the accused, but told him that he had had a very narrow escape. Accused then asked if he . might take the registered collar off the dog. His Worship replied that they were not transferable, as it would not do for another dog.

It is a high as well as a deserved compliment to Mr. Darrell as a colonial author—an artist who has won his spurs on the colonial stage, and as a manager whose experience extends over New Zealand, Victoria, and New South Wales —that he should have been accorded the patronage of his Excellency the Governor, the whole; of' the Ministry, the Mayor and City Councillors, as well as the majority of the leading citizens, for his complimentary benefit performance. To-night willnot only be the. occasion of Mr.- Darrell’s benefit at the Opera House, but will be the last appearance of his company. .‘‘The Struggle for Freedom,” will be the pi<soe de resistance on the ’occasion,- and as the drama is from Mr. Darrell’s own pen, we may look, for something not only new but worthy of his fame as au author. We hope -to see a very large attendance ■ to-night as the reward of merit which Mr. Darrell : undoubtedly deserves to receive at the hands nf Wellington playgoers. 1 • The man Shaw who was charged , with lunacy some few weeks ago was. again,locked up last night on a similar charge. .'... A meeting of the creditors of WilliamtNash was held yesterday, and after . appointing a trustee the meeting adjourned. ■ The assets in this case are £ll2, and the liabilities £579.

We would remind lovers of art that Mr. Reynolds’ picture sale will close at the end of the present week. The high character of Mr. Reynolds’ collection is well known, and aft connoisseurs should not lose the opportunity of .visiting it.The Public Works Committee of the Masterton Borough Council have put an exceedingly liberal interpretation upon the. duties imposed upon them. In a report published in the Wairarapa Daily the following is the concluding paragraph : —“ And lastly, your committee would recommend to the notice of the Council the melancholy state of the editor of the Wairarapa Daily. He appears to be suffering from a disease known as Culvert Bridgeisni, arising from a special, derangement of the spinal column. Perfect rest from criticism" what the patient in nfa way understands often effects a cure. Your committee in the meantime will watoh. His case with the greatest solicitude, and we trust- the editor; of ; the Wairarapa Daily .will publish this report in exlcnso, as it is most important the public should be kept fully informed of the wprksand their adjuncts, undertaken; by , the . Council.” An amendment was moved-and carried that this recommendation of., the i, committee ;be struck out.

The Auckland Herald says'“ With regard to a paragraph which .appeared- in a summary of Sydney news, referring to comments made regarding the investment of certain sums of the Australian' Mutual Provident Society on stations, we are requested to state that the' society has £780,000 invested in country fr6e. hold property and estate,' which 1 security has been valued at £1,385;000 by the Society’s valuators.”' ' ; '■

Judging by the following extract from a Wanganui paper that-town is not likely to support the very’ heartily : “ Some time hack (says the Heraldj't he Mayor notified in the usual manner that exhibits for the Sydney Exhibition would be forwarded freAdf Charge. Up to the present no communication from intending local exhibitors has been received. The Mayor has just received from Wellington a telegram asking what amount of space would be required ou behalf of Wanganui, and requesting that a reply be sent immediately. Intending exhibitors had better give particulars of their exhibits at mice to the Mayor so that the desired information may be forwarded.” The secretary of the Wairarapa Hospital, says the Wairarapa Standard, of A fay 2-1, has this week opened the Hospital boxes at Greytown and Carterton with the following somewhat meagre results for the half year :—Greytown—Rising Sun Hotel, -14 s. 2d. ; Bank of New Zealand, ss. 2d. ; Foresters’ Arms Hotel, £2 3s. 9d. ; Quin’s Hotel, 11s. 9d. ; Hospital, 6s. 9d. ; Institute, 2s. Bd. Carterton —Giles’ Hotel, Is. 3d. ; Marquis of Normanby Hotel, lid. ; Ray’s Taratahi Hotel, 3s. 6d. ; Bank of New Zealand, Is. The Masterton and Featherston boxes will be opened next week, and it is to be hoped will show better returns. • Mr. Petersen, • the manager of the Guano Company’s deposit at the Chesterfield Group, has forwarded, per Captain Buike, of the ketch Venus, to the Acclimatisation Society, a present of five birds of the partridge species. They are the first of the kind seen in New Zealand, and will be a welcome addition to the society’s gardens. We had not an opportunity of seeing the birds, as, they were out of the cage among the guano bags, hut understand they do not take the wing readily, but scud along the ground very rapidly, and afford good sport, and are excellent eating. The island abounds with turtle, and the far-famed soup almost palls ou the appetite of the Europeans. Mr. Petersen has scores of the young ones in salt water,,tubs, and Captain Buike has over a score' lot the same creatures in a large open tub.—Auckland Herald. The Olohe, under the heading of “Fatal Saturdays,” publishes the following rather remarkable paragraph :—The death of the lamented Princess of Hesse on the same day of the month and week as that of the Prince Consort attracted general attention, but it may not have been so universally observed that Saturday has been. a fatal day to the Royal Family of England for the last 167 years ; William 111. died Saturday, March 18, 1702 ; Queen Anne died Saturday, August 1,1714; George 1., died Saturday, June 10, 1727 ; George 11. died Saturday, October 25, 1760 ; George 111., died, Saturday, January 29, 1820 ; George TV. died Saturday, June 26, 1830 ; the Duchess of Kent died Saturday, March 16, 1861 ; Prince Consort died Saturday, December 14, 1861 ; Princess Alice died Saturday, December 1 ! 4,1878.

The Melbourne Leader in a recent number makes the following remarks upon Russia complying with the demands of China for the retrocession of Kuldja ;—“ Russia has backed down. General Kauffman, Director-General and Comtuander-m-Chief of the Asiatic provinces of Russia, stole Kuldja during the Taeping rebellion. He said he would occupy it as a friendly Power, preventing the spread of rebellion on the north-western frontier, and evacuate the territory when the Chinese Government was able to keep the peace there. ThoTaepiugs were wiped out in due time, and the north-western frontier extended by conquest to the walls of Kuldja. The Chinese array, with shotted guns, looked down upon the Russians, who refused to move. ‘The Chinese must go,’ said'General Kauffman ; but the Chinese did not go. A special embassy was despatched to St.' Petersburg, and the Czar’s Government decided that, under the circumstances, it were better for the Russians to go. And now the Russian eagles are in retreat the dragon. Russia wants a new treaty'With the Chinese Empire, and has no stomach to fight it. This fact is not without its significance in relation'to our own Chinese question. It is evident that the Chinese have great staying qualities.” The correspondent of: the Sydrcj/ Morning Herald, writing from Paris, says :—“ Prance seems likely to be well represented at the approaching International Exhibition in Sydney. It is understood that Captain Mathieu, of the navy, is to be the French Commis-sioner-General for trie ,affair. : He has resided for a considerable time in Hew Caledonia and Australia, and his appointment is therefore regarded with much satisfaction.”

A Paris correspondent of a Loudon paper telegraphing on March T 1 says :—“ Among the numerous -Bills brought in for the consideration of the Chamber of Deputies this session is one affecting marriage laws as laid down in the ‘ Code Civil.’ M. Saint Martin desires to see .marriages between brothers aud sisters-in-law legalised, his arguments being that they are not contrary.' to .natural : rights, and that, as a matter of fact they actually take place by means of a dispensation, ho less than. 1467 marriages of this kind having been„registered during the year 1876. The Bill maintains the prohibition ot marriages between uncles and nieces, jaunts -and nephews.; but a clause is inserted giving the President ot the Republic power to issue dispensations -in grave 1 oases. The most important feature of M. Saint Martin’s measure js, however, the proposal to render the marriage of priests legal. As the law stands at; present,! not only are, priests; pro- 1 hibited from marrying by the Civil Code as well as by canon law, but in the event of a priest entering into wedlock the union is considered null and void, the woman is looked upon as a conpubine, and the children are bastards.” When Professor Graham Bell wasiu'London he was asked how he accounted for the fact that, a large proportion of new inventions came from the United States, and how it came to pass that he, a Scotchman, born and educated at home, should elect to go and live in America, and date his discoveries thence; Ha said that the fact was, in his case—and he knew that the difficulty was felt with- others—that he could not easily obtain in England those appliances which his work 1 required; If Ho 1 went 1 to an instrument-maker and ordered anything out of the usual way, he was met with all sorts of difficulties, and when these were over he was confounded by the cost. In America, on the other hand, the in-tvument-makers and manufacturers lay. themselves out especially to secure the custom of inventors. They will go to any expense, or submit to any inconvenience in the way of disarranging their ordinary procedure. Of course they do not do this purely in the interests of science. They find their account in, the business they secure should the invention tarn out to be a practicability. They are always . glad .to get new ideas, or be themselves’put oivthe track. The Paris correspondent ot the Sydney Morning Herald states that Marshal MacMahon, having a large fortune in, right of his wife, daughter of the Duke de Castries, paid nearly all the cost ot his official life out of his own pocket, the Duchess giving away among the poor, to whom she has been a most beneficent friend. M. Grevy, though possessed of a handsome;, fortune, does not appear to. be inclined to emulate the generosity oif his predecessor ; he has just had a bill for granting him an additional £16,000 of income for the expenses of the Elysee laid before the Committee on the Budget. Land and Water gives,thpHollowing instance of remarkable intelligence of a horse :—A gentleman living in Surrey had a very fine horse stolen about six months ago, and tried in vain to trace him. As:he, waa passing Blackfriars Bridge the week ‘ before last, a horse neighed 1 very loudly.; Mr ; —— recognised the sound;: and looking round saw five horses tied up, close to the entrance to the- bridge. One of them again neighed ; it was surely his lost favorite nag,.and the l animal showed that-he knew his former owner ; but in changing hands he had also changed 1 color. He had been cleverly dyed or painted a dark brown ; when stolen from the stable he was a bay. The new color was soon washed, off,, and Mr. • racovered his property, bat failed "to trace the thifef, who had sold him at a fair in Hants, to the man in whose possession his master found him. The herse had. always. been in the habit .of neighing when his master entered the stable, and had evidently seen him. as he was about to cross the bridge, and hailed him.

Th 6'Sydney Morning Herald says :—“Weunderstand that Mr. Driver has successfully carried out his* negotiations’ ih 'Tegard* to’ the formation of a new Australian team for England, which will consist of the following players, namely, Murdoch, Massie, Evans, Boyle, Spoffortb, Garrett, Horan„'Blaokham, Alexander, and the brothers Banuerman. It will thus be seea/thati New South'Wales is’represented by seven of her best players, while Victoria contributes four. It is just possible, however, that , Palmer, a promising , young bowler hailing from the sister colony, will be placed in the elevenas Evans, we regret to 'Mat, is a doubtful starter, owing to his wellknown antipathy to a long sea voyage. Should Evans definitely consent to go Home, the choice of a twelfth ■‘inah * will lie between Palmer, Powell] .M6aos, Land 'Bayley—the advisability

of including the latter gentleman having been suggested recently. Buyley, although at present located in the Southern district, was well known in the metropolis last year as a member of the Albert Club. He possesses sterling qualities as a batsman, aud is also a splendid field and not a bad change bowler. Powell has also strong claims to consideration ; and if a selection of the one or the other had to be made it would be hard to say which ought to tike priority. Palmer, however, seems to have best chance of going with the team, as he is represented to be in first-class bowling form.”

As a new proof of the way in which “ the ends of the earth ” are beginning to “ come together” in our day (says a correspondent of the S.'idnc!/ Horning Herald i may be cited the curious fact that a short time ago a despatch, telegraphed from Yokohama on the 22nd February, at 10 a.m., was received in Paris on the 22nd February, at 9 a.m., the difference in longitude cau-mg the apparent anomaly of the telegram arriving at its destination an hour before it had been dispatched from the other side of the globe.

Cantain Thomas sells to-day, at his mart, beginning at 11 o’clock, the whole of his large stock-in-trade of general merchandise, comprising all kinds of malt, vinous and spirituous liquors, groceries, produce, oilmen's stores, &c. Luncheon is to be provided at 1 o'clock.

Mr. Francis Sidcy will sell at the Arcade to-day. at 2 o'clock, a quantity of useful furniture ; also, five Tramway Company shares. His sale of the stock-in-trade of Mr. Bach, tobacconist, has been postponed till Friday next. Messrs, ,T. K. Bethune and Co. will offer for sale to-day, at 2 o’clock, SOD acres freehold land, S&ndon, Manawatu district; aud, by order of the Registrar of the Supremo Court, freehold land and dwellinghouse. Te Aro.

Messrs. Lacry and Campbell will sell by auction to-day. at 2 o’clock, on the premises, Courtenay-place, the whole of Mr. W. S. Falconer’s furniture.