Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5670, 2 June 1879, Page 2

The election of city auditors for the ensuing twelve months will be held to-day. The candidates are Messrs. Augarde, Elliott, and Stevenson, and two are to be elected. The polling commences at 9 a,m., and terminates at 6 p.m.; and takes place at the Corporation buildings. To-day being Whit-Monday will be a holiday with the Banks and the Superior Courts, In answer to a question put by counsel on Saturday, Mr. Mausford, 8.M., said he should like a holiday on Monday, but the state of the business of the Court was such that he could not take one himself nor give one to the officers. There were over 100 civil cases set down for hearing on that day. A discussion in the Court on Saturday also revealed the fact that the time of the officials is not 9.30 to 4.30, as in other Government Departments. A clerk was wanted at 9 o'clock, and Mr. Mansford said the Court would have to wait a little. The clerk wanted had been at work “ all the morning,” and had now gone away to break* fast !

A woman named Eugenie Flinders tried to commit suicide yesterday afternoon by jumping off the wharf. The unfortunate woman had a small bag with her and a bottle of whisky. Two boatmen rescued her, and she was conveyed to the Hospital. The number of patients admitted to the Wellington Hospital during the month of May was 33 ; discharged, 31 ; died, 2 ; left in Hospital, 67. As will be seen by our telegraphic information, the Ladybird, which was to have taken the new company who are to open the Imperial Opera House, has met with a break-down. It is therefore, not improbable that the new season may be deferred for a day or two longer. '

The Wellington Licensed Victuallers’ AssO' elation holds its annual meeting to-day.

The annual meeting of the Wellington Volunteer Fire Brigade will take place this evening.

The members of the St. Paul’s choir intend giving a popular concert to-morrow evening at the Church Room, Tinakori-road. A young man named Wilson was looked up on Saturday for stealing £lO in money from Mr. England’s house at the Hutt. The partnership hitherto existing between Messrs. Sellar and Hales, storekeepers, of Mastertou, has been dissolved, and the business will in future be carried on by Mr. Hales.

A man named Mark Tool was arrested on Saturday for stealing a coat from the New Zealand Clothing Factory. Other charges, we understand, are to be prefeired against the thief.

The adjourned extraordinary meeting of the Wellington Coal Company will be held this day, at noon, at the company’s office, for the purpose of confirming a special resolution to wind up the company. The Ladies’ Work Meetings in connection with Ht. Paul’s Church, Thorndon, will be held during the winter months in the forenoon, instead of the afternoon, as was previously the custom.

Regina v, Kinross was continued at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, at 9 a.m., and several witnesses were examined. A long discussion took place at the outset on the point as to whether Maori depositions must be taken in Maori as well as in English. Mr. Rees urged that such a course must be followed, .inasmuch as the Supreme Court Judges would not receive the depositions in evidence in the event of the death of a native witness before the trial unless they were so taken. Mr. Travers said he had never heard of such a thing, but the interpreter to the Supreme Court, Mr. Baker, on being appealed to, said Mr. Justice Johnston had so ruled. Mr. Rees said there need be no trouble about the matter, because the interpreter could take down the evidence in Maori. Mr. Travers said he would prefer that Mr. Baker, Clerk of the Court, one of the most skilful interpreters in the colony, should do that, another officer taking down the English version. Mr. Mansford said he would let that course be adopted. The case was then proceeded with, and the evidence taken down in the two languages. At 2 o’clock the Court adjourned till the 10th June, after a long argument on the point. Mr. Rees asked that the case might be adjourned until after Parliament met, because he heard that the officers of the Legislative Council whom he had summoned as witnesses were going to fight to the utmost against giving evidence until the Legislative Council gave them permission—it had even been said he would be attached for contempt if he pressed them too far. He had no desire to offend the Council, and if the case were adjourned till Parliament met he would get the necessary consent. Mr, Travers said he had foretold this difficulty at the outset, and now that his friend found he could not get evidence to support the charge he wanted unreasonable adjournments. Mr. Rees said he could get evidence—the Journals were quite sufficient. Mr. Travers denied this, and said he should object to so long an adjournment. The case must be dismissed it sufficient evidence were not brought forward. Mr. Rees said that would not help defendant. If the case was dismissed a fresh information would be laid immediately after Parliament assembled. Mr. Mansford said he should not adjourn to beyond the 10th June unless defendant consented. Mr. Rees said he should go on with the case, and hinted that he might continue to call native witnesses till Parliament met. It is not often that the dramatist or the theatrical manager condescends to deviate from the beaten path of catering for the multitude rather than for a special section of it—the reasons being chiefly of a pecuniary nature. The author of the drama which is to be played at the Opera House to-morrow night—the opening of Messrs. Hiscocks, Hayman, and Co.’s dramatic season—has, however, laid himself out to interest that now growing and large section of all communities, the temperance advocates, by means of a powerfully written play in which are vividly depicted all the horrors, the miseries, and ills which spring from a too free use of the “ flowing bowl.” “Ten Nights in a Bar-room,” which is founded on the powerfully written work of the same name, while it has an interest for all lovers of the drama, appeals chiefly to those persons interested in the temperance crusade of the present age, and is perhaps the only drama which has secured the attendance at the theatre of the clergy and the heads of the temperance movement.' In Sydney this play had a nine weeks consecutive season, and in London it is now playing to large audiences nightly as it has been doing for over 150 nights. The piece will be produced at the Opera House with new scenery by Mr. Williams, numerous tableaux, vision scenes, &c.

The popular concerts, which met with such general approval last year, are to be resumed again this season, under the management of Mr. R. W. Cary. The price of admission will be also similar, and no doubt many persons, who wish to spend an enjoyable evening at a very moderate outlay, will be found liberal in their patronage. In these dull times cheap amusements should be welcome to a large number, who cannot very well afford to take themselves and families to places where the ordinary prices must necessarily prevail, on account of the large expenditure which the managers of our theatres have to undergo. We feel sure that in Mr. Cary’s hands the concerts will be none the less attractive than those which drew such large audiences to the AtheBieum Hall last season.

The Waka Maori, in an article on the Maori difficulty, says We have learned that efforts are still being made to hoodwink the country. Great wonders are to be achieved through the instrumentality of Bowi. Four millions of acres of country are to be thrown open to European enterprise, a railway is to be constructed, and a perfect Maori Utopia founded. The blandishments of Grey and Co. having been tried on Bewi in the first instance without effect, they transferred their attention to the King, and fawned upon him and flattered him in the most cringing and despicable manner, but he repelled their advances with supercilious coolness. Now they have gone back to Bewi, their first love. And so they have fussed and fidgetted and rushed from one chief to the other in a state of nervous apprehension, begging and praying for patronage and making the most unheard-of promises—promises which could never be ratified by Parliament. Meanwhile the two Maori gentlemen, Tawhiao and Bewi, are quietly laughing in their sleeves and wondering what has become of the vaunted wisdom and dignity of the pakeha rangatiras. The country is told that there is a split between Bewi and the King, and that the King party is entirely broken up. We do not believe it. The interests of Bewi’s party and the King party are identical, and their object is tbe sa me namely, the restoration of the confiscated lands. We shall see the result in due time. Whatever arrangement may be arrived at (if any), the pakehas will be no gainers by Grey and Sheehan’s meddling policy.”

Mr. Sheehan has long been known (says the Auckland Free Lance) for the excellence, if not for the purity of his songs, and we were not surprised to hear that, tempted by the success of Orpheus, he tried the effect of one of his best on the Kingites. The result, however, proves that the Native Minister is not a musician equal to Orpheus, or that the Kingites are more obdurate than mountains.

There is luck in odd numbers, they say, but Mr. Justice Hannen has emphatically protested against a third appeal being made to him in the case of a lady of changeable disposition, who has married her original husband twice, and has just been divorced from him for the second time. He deprecates any third attempt at matrimony, for, as it turned out, the husband was more cruel to his luckless spouse after the second marriage than after the first. What an excellent novel might be written on the position of a man falling in love with the wife he had divorced. A number of large hotels in Melbourne have adopted the “box” system in their bars. Under this the persons serving customers are exactly in the position of ’bus-drivers. They can five change, but cannot take money for drinks. The latest hotel to which the system has been introduced is the Eoyal, where the boxes, ranged along the whole of the bars, are very conspicuous features. No doubt, as the advantages of the new style become better known, it will find many supporters amongst the licensed victuallers. Some of the large fancy repositories in Bourke-street and the arcades have also adopted this plan. It is intended to build another grand theatre in London, to be called “ The Alcazar, A company has been formed with a capital of £IOO,OOO in £lO shares, and it has secured the freehold ground on the north side of Leicestersquare, where Saville House stood. Tim area of ground that the theatre will cover will be nearly 16,000 feet.

A few weeks ago we (Australasian) wrote on what, at this distance, seemed the want of dignity and self-r - peot shown by the New Zealand Government in sending Ministers, time after time, to be snubbed and trifled with at the meetings of natives so frequently being held. A telegram we received the other day represents the climax of this, as we may call it, cringing policy. We are told that at the great native meeting in the Waikato, Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan, the Native Minister, were present, “ but King Tawhiao has passively refused to visit or receive them, and simply ignored them.” The barbarian chief declared he would “ have nothing to do with Grey, and would not consent to his management.” This repetition of dancing attendance in vain at the court of this arrogant savage would, it might be supposed, satisfy the most greedy appetite for humiliation. .Not at all. Mini-ters have in view something far more ignominious. The telegram goes on to say—“ Hopes are still entertained that Tawhiao will ask Governor Robinson to visit him.’’ In this case, we presume, the Governor would he invited by his Ministers to wait on this chief, to be, very probably, iusuited by some piece of savage caprice. As we said before, we cannot, at a distance, criticise with any confidence the action of the Government in a matter which depends so much on local knowledge as the mauagementof the native question. But that the past action of Ministers has exposed them to repeated insults and humiliations, and consequent loss of prestige, is, unfortunately, not an opinion, but a very apparent fact. . That, if the Governor were to follow their wishes, he would be exposed to a similar rebuff is only too probable, and the expectations of Ministers have been too much discredited by the result in their own cases to command any confidence whatever'.

We have received the first number of the Bruce Standard and Farmers' Chronicle, which is published at Milton, in Otago, where Mr. Joseph Mackay used to hold sway iu the newspaper world. The paper is of the usual double-demy size, and is very creditable from a typographical point of view. If it be true to its first promises the residents of Tokomairiro will have cause to be proud of their new journal. We trust that it may be as prosperous as it promises to be outspoken.

Next year, as our readers are aware, is leap year (says the European Mail), and the marriageable girls of England will once more have it all their own way. If they do not receive prompt proposals from their swains, they have the liberty to “ pop the question" themselves, and if accepted the contract must be kept, or the young men concerned must look out for an action for breach of promise. A proposal has been made -that all disengaged girls should wear a red skirt as a sign that they are open to an offer, and it is said that this plan will be very generally adopted. A white rose in the lady’s dress will further signify that the wearer is possessed of capital. The St. Arnaud Mercury asks ; —“ Did any of our readers ever try making tea with cold water 1 If you never have just do so the next warm day, when a cool refreshing beverage is desired. Place the tea in a pitcher in the morning, with just enough cold water to cover it. At dinner time fill the pitcher with cold water from the well, and you will have the best cup of tea you ever drank—that is, for warm weather. The finer qualities ef the tea are much more fully retained than when steeped upon the fire.” We (Walea Maori) have been requested to bring to the notice of the natives in this district that for rescuing any animal being driven to the public pound, a fine of £SO may be imposed or six mouths’ imprisonment given. A few weeks ago a native named Rihara Pukawa rescued a horse which was being impounded by J. W. Johnson, Esq., of Maraetaha. Mr, Johnson strongly recommended him not to interfere ; he explained that the law was very severe in such cases, and told him that if he persisted a summons would be taken out against him. Notwithstanding this the native took the horse away, and the case was subsequently brought before the R.M. Court. Mr. Johnson asked that a merely nominal penalty might be inflicted, as he only wanted the native to understand that he could not be allowed to do such things with impunity. In consequence of Mr. Johnson’s appeal in his favor, the native was ordered to pay a penalty of 10s. only and costs 17s. The Court also warned him that for any future offence of the kind he would be dealt with much more severely. Lctjthe natives of Tauranga all tak warning by this case, and remember that if they desire to live in harmony with their pakeha brethren they must learn to respect the law.