POLITICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8463, 11 August 1888, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

Politics yesterday might be summed up in the one word “stonewall,” for nothing else was thought or talked about in the lobbies.

The Goldfields Committee met yesterday morning, and took the evidence of Messrs G. Tolhurat, S. Brown, Gordon (Mining Inspector), and R. B. Gore with reference to the number and quantity of mineral exhibits at tiie Melbourne Exhibition. The Committee, having taken evidence, adjourned till Monday to consider their decision.

It is rumoured that arrangements are being made for the systematic stonewalling of the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act Repeal Bill, and of the Harbours Bill, if these measures are pressed on by the Government, It is said farther that the Maori stonewallera will then reciprocate the help they received from certain of the European members. Q.

The English mail, via San Francisco, closes to-day at 1 o’clock. An English mail, via Brindisi, closes on Monday, at 12.20 p.m. A trial of a patent woolpresa will take place at Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co.'s warehouse at 2.30 o’clock this afternoon. A number of members of Parliament and others interested have been invited to be present. Two horses harnessed to a oab belonging to Mr J. Lane bolted yesterday afternoon on Lambton-quay, and when nearly opposite the Police Station one of them got his leg over the traces, and fell. Some passers-by promptly went to the rescue, and held the animal down till the traces were cat, when it got np na njared.

It is not a br ! advertisement for the commercial stability of Wellington when we find business men from other parts of the Colony settling in our midst. The latest addition to our ranks of citizens is Mr McGregor Wright, artists’ oo’ourman, from Morayplace, Dunedin, who has taken the premises No. 129, Lambton-quay. Mr Wright, who is an expert in his trade, has a well assorted stock. He makes a specialty of gilding and regilding. The French prisoner Cury, on being informed at the Terrace Gaol yesterday that he was to be discharged, was very much affected and burst into tears. He behaved in a moat excited manner, and was quite overcome with joy at regaining his liberty. He was released from prison about 6 o’clock. Mr C. B. Morison intends to make an application to the Government to pay his passage back to Auckland, from where he'was brought. Before MrH.'W. Robinson, R.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, a first offender for drunkenness was dealt with in the usual manner! For a similar offence Wm. Thompson was fined. 10s or' 24 hours’ in default. The youth Alexander Hausmann was charged on remand with having received two pairs of skates, well knowing the same to have been stolen. After the evidence of Detective McGrath had been taken, the accused was remanded until Monday next. In the civil case, Wellington Loan Company v. Joseph Cottrell, a claim of £55, the plaintiff was non-suited, with costs £5 10s. Mr Gray appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Chapman for the defendant. It was reported to the police yesterday morning that a little girl named Beatrice Chisholm, aged 11 years, had been missing from her home in Tasman-street since Wednesday last. It seems that on that day she had expressed a wish not to go back to school in the afternoon, but her mother told her she muat go. She left her home, but did not go to the school; and up till yesterday nothing had been seen or heard of her. She was, however, discovered during the afternoon at Mr George Walter’s Welcome Restaurant, Willis-street, where she has been staying since she left her home. Her brother proceeded to the place to reclaim her, and, while paying for her board, she again cleared out, and has not since been seen.

With reference to the alleged poor display of New Zealand mining exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition we may mention that Mr James Hazle, a well-known West Coaster, who has been' connected with mining. since the first, rnah to Hokitika, returned yesterday by the Rotomahana from a trip to Melbourne. In an interview with him last night he informed 6ur representative that from what he saw in the New Zealand Court at the Exhibition the mining exhibits at present are a disgrace to this Colony, In his own words he says : When I saw them I felt ashamed that I was a Now Zealand co’onist. The specimens shown are a puny lot, and are entirely unworthy of the Colony. They gave no idea of the mineral wealth of New Zealand, especially the exhibits from the West Coast. I was simply disgusted at what I saw.”

Xt was announced some time ago that Mr A,- S. Allan was about to retire from the Registrarship of the Supreme Court. It was, however, found that his retirement then would be inconvenient, and he has accordingly held the position since, but we may now state, definitely, that his retirement will taka place on the 26th of this month. Mr Allan is a very old public servant, having been connected with the Supreme Court for 30 years. He was clerk for six years, Deputy-Registrar for three years, and Registrar for 21 years. During his term of service he also acted for four years as Registrar for the Court of Appeal of the whole Colony. Mr Allan’s duties have always been efficiently performed. He was remarkable for his bonhomie and obliging He will be missed ..by habitues, of the Court, and, we may add, retires on a well-earned pension. We hear that he meditates going into business on his own account.

We notice from an advertisement that the Columbia Skating Rink is for sale. A race for girls under 12 years of age takes place at the Colombia Rink this afternoon for a gold medal. The praotios for “Elijah” chorus takes place on Monday evening, at the Congregational School • room, Bowen - street, at 7 o’clock. A man named Patrick Bnrke was arrested last night by Constable Brea on a charge of stealing a bottle of sauce from a coffee stall in Harbour-street. Ho will be brought up at the Police Court this morning. Gaspariui, the French convict, will be sent to Sydney by the Wakatipu to-day in charge ol Detective Walker. On arrival in Sydney he will be handed over to a French official there, and then taken back to Rew Caledonia.

Upward of £27,000 has been raised toward the fund for erecting a Nonconformist college at Oxford, to be called the Mansfield College. It is anticipated that there will be little difficulty in raising the whole of the amount required. Detective Ohrystal arrested last night a man named James Gassney, alias Grey, alias Lea, on a charge of stealing a dolman, valued at 20s, the property of some person unknown. The man will be brought before the Court this morning.

The steamer Huia is advertised to leave for the Grove with passengers for the Mahakipawa goldfield - early to-morrow morning, and is expected to return to-mor. row night. On her return she will be laid up here for a couple of days to have a new mast fitted in her.

Few people (says the Northern Advocate) are aware of the extent to which the truck system has been carried at most of the mills and timber stations. Not only are stores limited, aud workmen obliged to buy at those stores, but at oue place, if a man rears and fattens a pig of his own for bis own family consumption, he has to pay a tax of Id per lb to his employers. The horses attached to a cab belonging to Mr George Orosbie bolted when opposite the Government Railway Station at about 6.30 a.m. yesterday, being suddenly startled by a passing engine. Crosbie, who was driving, was thrown off the cab, but he fortunately escaped without serious injury. The horses were subsequently brought up opposite the Goar Meat Company's shop, Lambton-quay. A carious insect, a sort of cro-a between a grasshopper and a kangaroo, has been received by Mr E, Brown, the curator of the Masterton Museum (says the Daily). It was caught at Dalefield, and was sent to the museum by Mr G. H. Shute. Its length over all is 10in, the body being but l.Jin long, aud a iin thick. It has six legs, the two hind ones being Sin long, shaped like a grasshopper’s, and covered with prickles ; its colour is a dark brown. It is rarely to be found here, but the sender saw one of the same species several years ago. A number of the Wellington competitors have been very successful at the Wairarapa Poultry Show, which took place oa Thursday last. Mr R. E. Bannister, who exhibited twelve Cochins, was the fortunate winner of ten priz s (five of which were first prizes). He also entered four light Brahmas, and secured three first and one second prize fur them, Mr J. R. -Shelly and Mr George Remington each took four prizes, the former for four dark Brahmas, and the latter for Laugshans. Mr F. J. W. Fear was another successful exhibitor.

Comparison of the grand passenger steamers of the leadicg steamship companies with the average vessels of her Majesty’s Navy exhibits a melancholy contrast. The steamers of the Canard line, the White Star, the Inman, Peninsular and Oriental, Donald Currie, Orient, British India, Anchor, Star, Glen, and other lines do not publish the fallacious performances of their vessels by the measured mile, but they travel at a uniform rate of speed which eclipses the crawling pace of such vessels of the Royal Navy that one chances to meet when voyaging, and as one flies by these tortoises it is impossible not to be sceptical in the belief that in the event of war they are to be our sole protectors. According to the Christchurch Press the men Clarke and Tarbon, who have done a little card-sharping in Melbourne, are pretty well known in Christchurch. The former and his then mate were each fined £25 for running totalisator prices on the Biccarton racecourse in November,lßß6. A few months subsequent to this Clarke was joined by a man known as Tarbon, the sharper recently arrested in Melbourne. These two victimised an hotelkeeper in Lyttelton to the extent of a few hundreds of pounds. Clarke arrived by steamer and made the acquaintance of Boniface, to whom he introduced Tarbon as a wealthy country gentleman. The three sat down to a game of cards, which ended in the hotelkeeper losing his money, and bis victors departed by the boat which sailed for another shore the same. evening. The two had travelled together round the New Zealand coast, and it is reported: of them that they did a very fair trade in their peculiar line of business. Clarke, though a heavy man,. was an expert runner, and won a match on Lancaster Park against a member of the bookmaking fraternity, when bis chance of success was considered to be very small. His present accomplice Tarbo (or Tarbon) followed menial occupations, among which was that of an oyster opener, before he joined Clarke, and graduated to the position of a “ wealthy Mexican on a visit to the Melbourne Exhibition."

The annual meeting of the members of the Wellington Special Settlement Association No, 2 was held in Mr C. F. Richmond's office last evening. There ware about 12 members present, and Mr G. H. Baylis occupied the chair. The annual report, which was read by the secretary (Mr G. F. Richmond) stated, amongst other things, that the survey of No. 2 block had been completed, and the plana had been passed by the Chief Surveyor ; that the township had been paid for, and the roll of owners sent in to the Commissioner; and that there was still outstanding on the final call the sum of £36 3s 2d, which members were earnestly requested to pay promptly. The balance-sheet showed that the receipts were £631 3s 9d, expenditure, £482 14s 9d, and balance in band, £l4B 9a. The balance-sheet and report were adopted on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Falkner, The members of the Committee— Messrs Anderson, Morgan, Bay'is, Fauvel, Richmond, Kershaw, were re-elected, and Messrs Baylis and Fauvel were re-elected auditors, Messrs Baylis .and Falkner, the delegates appointed by the Committee to inspect, the ground and. site of proposed improvements in the township of Newtown, presented a report, in which they recommended that certain works should be carried out, providing the No. I Association paid its proportion, the total cost not to exceed £75, as follows: 50 chains clearing, etc,, £25, and 100 chains ditching, etc., £SO. A lengthy discussion took place, and eventnally.it was decided—- ** That members be invited to contribute £1 per head out of moneys held by* the Association on their behalf toward improvement in township roads, according to the unanimous consent and approval of a -Joint committee of both Association ; Mr Baylis and Mr Falkner to act for No. 2 Association.” A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.

Paganini, the celebrated violinist, discoursed -wonderful music from a solitary string, and charmed the cash from the pockets of thousands. So we again revert to the one subject of absorbing interest to ourselves and our numerous c'ients, viz., the merits of the Tailoring Department at Te Aro House.

We believe in ourselves, we believe inthe skill of our cutter, we believe in the abilities of onr staff of tailors, we believe in our well, bought, well-selected stock of materials, both colonial and foreign, and our faith bai evidenced itself by the quality of our work, and the satisfaction of the numerous patrons

of the Tailoring . Department at Te Arc House.

And all who have tried us believe in our ability to perfectly fit either the manly or juvenile form, and come again, not once or twice, but constantly. These are brave words, but the facts are undeniable. We succeeded in placing oar Dressmaking Department in the premier position in the city, and we have equally succeeded in giving a distinguished prominence to the Tailoring Department at Te Aro House.

From the artiiaa to His Excellency the Governor, from the smallest taxpayer to tha Premier, from the demagogue to the patriot, our Tailoring abilities, our magnificent stock, are available by all classes of the community, and the more the merrier say we in the Tailoring Department at Te Aro Honse.