Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5680, 13 June 1879, Page 2

Councillor Thompson's motion to rescind the resolution passed by the City Council against talcing joint action with the Chamber of Commerce in forming a Harbor Board, was discussed at some little length in the City Council last night. After various speakers had addressed, the Council, the. Mayor rose and emphatically expressed his opinion in favor of centralising authority in the City Council, and in doing so he did not seem to have a very exalted opinion of the Chamber of Commerce. Councillor Thompson, replying, took the Mayo" warmly to task, saying that he should have lett the hustings style of speech behind him when he got into the Mayoral chair. He was speaking in an unworthy manner of the Chamber of Commerce. More than one Councillor stated that his vote on this occasion would be influenced by the action which it was presumed from the report of the meeting on Wednesday, was intended to be taken by the Chamber of Commerce in reference to the Te Aro reclamation. On this subject Councillor Hunter stated to the Council that he thought there was some misapprehension. His view of the matter was that the Chamber had no design whatever on the land comprised in the reclamation. Be this as it may, it would seem that the view several Councillors took of the inleution of the Chamber decided them against voting for the motion of Councillor Thompson, which, as will be seen by out report, was lost by two votes. The discussion threw no fresh light on the Harbor Board question, and much of what has been said before was repeated. A petition has been drafted for presentation to bis Excellency the Governor, asking that a grant of two thousand acres of land may be given to the Corporation as an endowment, under the 250th section of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876.* The laud sought to be obtained is in the Forty-mile Bush. . The same petition also prefers a request for a slice of the reclaimed land, the claim being based upon the past arrangements between the City Council on the one side, and the Provincial Government, and the General Government.

By a clause in the Public Works report the City Council, at its meeting last night, departed from its determination not to return the deposit of any contractor who failed to carry nut his contract. The instance in question was said to be an exceptional one, and the man particularly hard up. Under all the circumstances the Council decided to return the defaulting contractor his deposit, £2O, but decided at the same time that the case was not to be taken as a precedent.

A supplement to the Government Gazette of Thursday, the sth June, was issued yesterday afternoon, or just exactly a week after the appearance of the Gazette. The polling-places for the Eastern and Southern Maori Electoral Districts are proclaimed, and the places of nomination are fixed at Napier and Kaiapoi respectively. The nominations will take place on the 26th of June ; the polling, should it be required, in the event of n contest, will be on the 7th of July ; and the writs are made returnable on the 22cd of July. It is somewhat strange these writs have not been issued long before now, considering that Mr. Karaitiana Takamoana died but a very short time after the House adjourned last session, and that Mr. Taiaroa was offered, and had accepted, a (seat in the Legislative Councillor fully two months ago. It is very significant that the writs are not made returnable until about tea or tieven days after the time fixed for' the opening of Parliament. It seems as if, after all the boasting indulged in by, Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan, and their organs in the Press, with reference to their wonderful influence with the natives, they had been afraid to face the elections, and had staved off the evil day as long as possible. It is generally believed that the House will not have assembled many days before a trial of strength takes place, and had Ministers believed that they could have added two more to the number of their supporters, it may safely be inferred that these elections; would have taken place long ago. However, the public will be able to judge for themselves whether Sir George Grey despaired of having “two more companions ” elected by his friends or not.

There will be two sittings of the; Resident Magistrate's Court to-day—one before Mr. Mausford. The principal business before him will be the; case against Mrs. Flinders for attempted suicide ; the Italian assault case ; Mrs. Phillips, for arson ; and A. Rush, for perjnrv.The remainder of the police business will be heard before Dr. Johnston and Messrs. Wallace and Crawford, J.P.’s. Mrs. Sarah : Phillips was re-arrested yesterday for setting fire to a house at Kaiwarra. Her brother, A. Rush, was also arrested for perjury. Both parties were admitted to bail during the evening. ~. ' e

Large quantities of sleepers are reported to be lying alongside the railway line leading to the Palmerston station.

During the months of January, February, and March, 1579, there was .£II,OOO sued for in the E.M. UAirt, Wellington. A meeting of the creditors in the estate of Beck and Tonks, and in the separate estates of the members of the firm, was held yesterday, Mr. Capper in the chair. Proofs of debt to a certain extent were handed in, and Mr. F. A. Kruil was elected trustee. Several smart pas-sages-at-arms occurred between the debtors and creditors, and also between the two debtors themselves. A meeting of the creditors of Mr. Roberts, contractor, was also held yesterday. At the last meeting a deed was assented to which placed Mr. Heberts’ estate in the bauds of Messrs. Kruil and Co., that firm paying half a crown in the £. Mr. Edwards, who appeared for Mr. Huberts, now objected to tire deed being assented to before an adjournment was had, and intimated that he bad twelve proxies. Mr. Travers thereupon accused Mr. Kiiberts of a great breach of faith in signing the deed and then arming himself with proxies to defeat its object. Mr. Edwards objected to Mr. Travers’ remarks as implying bad faith on his (Mr. Edwards’) part. His reason for wishing for an adjournment for a week was that he might communicate with Mr. Kruil and Air. , Travers, and also with his proxies. He could see by the present deed that the creditors would not get more than half a crown in the £. The Chairman then proceeded to put the amendment, that the meeting adjourn for a week ; and the motion, that the deed be assented to, and having done so, declared the amendment carried. Mr. Travers : I shall advise Alessrs. Kruil and Co. to take immediate possession of the quarry under their mortgage, and worlc it on their own account. Alessrs. Kruil and Co. are not going to continue to pay £6O a week wages to oblige Air. Roberts and other creditors. There were no receipts.

The play of “Never Forgotten” was produced at the Imperial Opera House last night, the attendance being one of the best during the present season. The drama is of the sensational order, but the plot is thoroughly interesting from beginning to end ; indeed, so much so, that some very competent judges were inclined to think that the management has made a mistake in not attaching much greater importance to the play than they have done, and in not having produced it earlier in the season. The part of Blanche Bascelles was exceedingly well rendered by Miss Beatrice, whose singing of the answer to “ Thy Face ” was heartily applauded, whilst the song of “ Genevieve ” received an encore. Air. T. G. Joyce, as Philip Everton, played the part of the gentlemanly dissolute ruffian in a manner which showed that he is an actor of no mean order. Air. D’Orsay Ogden took the part of Tippleton Fluke, ALP., and Mr. H. Daniels the Hon. Vane Chesney, in a highly creditable manner. All the other characters were very well sustained. Miss Beatrice will take her benefit to-night, when “A Woman of the People” will be placed upon the boards. As the hcncfiaiarc has made herself a great favorite, there is every probability of a large attendance. Under the heading of “Latest News,” the Mrmawatu Times of Wednesday contains the following, which will be interesting just now:— “ Through the courtesy of Mr. Thomas King, storekeeper, of this town, we have been favored with the perusal of a letter received late last evening from some friends in Hawera. The writer (a lady) states that she expects to have to leave at any moment, but does not wish to do so without her husband, but thinks it wiser to have the children removed for safety. The Hawera Light Horse, of which Air. Livingstone (a name conveying a wholesome terror to the black skins) has been elected captain, are at constant drill, and all the surveyors have been ordered in from the bush. Altogether the letter foreshadows an impending struggle, and points with gloomy foreboding to a rupture close at hand.” The lady in question lives about three miles out from Hawera, and close to the Waiugongoro River. A gentleman in this office was at her house about a fortnight since, and although the native difficulty was talked about, yet there were no indications that either the lady or her husband contemplated removing at that time. Events since then, however, have been thickening, and it is not to be wondered at that ladies should feel a little timid when war, and nothing but war, is discussed. The brave front shown by the settlers, and the resolute action forced upon the Government, will, let us hope, enable the ladies to stay in their own homes, and tend to allay the anxiety under which they have been living for the past few weeks in and around the disturbed districts.

At the Wellington Chess Club on Wednesday evening last, the first match of the season was commenced. This contest differs from the annual matches of previous years inasmuch as it is not a handicap, but everyone entering has m play a game with each competitor, the winner of the majority of games winning the match. The following was the result of the play:—Barraud v. Brown, Barraud winner ; Wright v. White, Wright winner; Kennedy v. Green, Kennedy winner; Hullett v. Didsbury, Hullett winner; Whittem v. Willis, unfinished. The match will be continued on Wednesday evening next. We would remind parents, teachers, and scholars thatto-morrowafternoon a matinee performance of the moral and temperance drama “ Ten Nights in a Bar-room” will be givenatthe Opera House. The admission has been fixed at the nominal fee of one shilling for adults, and children sixpence, to any part of the house.

The Greytown Borough Council has resolved upon imposing a dog tax of ss. for every dog in the township, and Is. outside the town. The main road from Greytown to Tauherenikau is reported to be getting into a very bad state.

Mr. Gordon Allan was a passenger by the steamer Napier, which sailed at 10 o’clock last night for Blenheim ; that gentleman’s services having been suddenly called into requisition in a lawsuit which comes before the Supreme Court to-day. Mr. W. H. Walter, certificated accountant, of Eeatherston, has been appointed trustee in the bankruptcy of Hayward, of Masterton. Charles Brown Moore, fishmonger, of Eeatherston, has filed a declaration of insolvency.

The Palmerston District Cpnrt has been formerly opened. Captain Plumley, late of the barquentine May, left last evening in the Stormbird for Wanganui, having received an appointment in the Railway Department in that place. When the now railway wharf is completed, we understand that it is very likely that Captain Plumley will have the control of it. Mr. Botheram, the general manager, has secured the services of a thoroughly reliable servant by the accession of Captain Plumley to the list of those, engaged in his department, and the many friends of the gentleman alluded to iu Wellington will be glad to learn that he has received a permanent appointment. Mr. Charles Pryke, hotelkeeper, Pahautanui, has filed a declaration of insolvency, and a first meeting of creditors will be held on Tuesday next.

At the meeting of the City Council last night it was agreed that a further advance of £75 should be made on account to the Benevolent Institute.

At a public meeting at Inch Clutba last night Mr. Thomson received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. An interesting game of football will be played on the Basin' Reserve on Saturday between the Thorndon and Te Aro Reform Clubs. The following are the players Thorndon ; W. A. Sandilands (captain), H, McKenzie, J. A. Salmon, Wymond, Robinson, Russell, F. J. Barnett, M. C. Barnett, Clarke, J. Blacklock, Willis, Dr. Gilion, Grimstone, Costall, Knight, Kirk, Woods, Maxton, Davis, Buchanan, H. Blacklock, J. Kruder, Barton, Schultz, Randall, Smith. Te Arp: Stubbs (captain), J. A. Row, Bentley, Forsyth, Haughton, Jaggar, R. Kemble, C. Kemble, Christie, F. E. Sandilands, Cameron, Keasbury, Danks, Gray (2), McDermott, Campbell, Chapman, Hill, Tait, Asher, Bishop, Butts, and Bristow.

The usual weekly meeting of the Wesleyan Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Society was held last evening; the President (Rev. W. Kirk) in the chair. The evening was devoted to elocution, which consisted of readings and recitations, among which were “Rienzi’s address to the Romans,” Byron’s “Battle of Waterloo,” “A parody on Enoch Arden,” “Naseby fight,” &c., all of which were spiritedly criticised.

The Government have accepted the resignation of Mr. Samuel Locke as returning officer for the Southern Maori Electoral District, and Mr. Alexander Maokay, K.M., has been appointed thereto. Mr. Hamlin acts as returning officer for the Eastern Maori Electoral District. As advertise-!, Mr. J. H. Wallace will sell this day one of the most comfortable residences in the city, being that large brick house in Bowon-street, near the Museum, and which was erected by Captain Thomas regardless of expense.