The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 552, 7 February 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1878.

Messrs. Maclean Brothers sold to-day the Tapui Stations, consisting of 3,5<-'0 acres and IS,<'oo merino sheep, with a leasehold attached to the station of 2fj,000 a.cres and 2,000 acres reserve, for the sum of L 21,700, the purchaser being Mr. W. Gardiner, of Maerewhenua.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this afternoon, the hearing of an application of Mr. Balmer for a re-hearing of the action brought by Messrs. Wright and Hardy against Mr. W. Fenwick, for a breach of an a'Teement in not giving them the threshing ' of certain quantity of grain wa3 gone into. ; It will be remembered that a fe\v days ago his Worship gave judgment iii favour of the plaintiffs for a portion of the claim. The grounds on which the application was made was that since the case was heard fresh evidence had been obtained on behalf of the defendant which would materially affect the principal statements made on the side of the plaintiffs, and flint the weigjit of evidence at the last hearing was in favour of the deiefendant. Mr. Balmer for the defendant was heard in support of the application for a re-hearing, after which Mr. Hislop argued at some length to show that sufficient grounds had not been adduced to warrant the granting of a new trial, and quoted a number of authorities in snpport of his contention. His Worship said he would have preferred the matter being proceeded with by an appeal against the decision, instead o an application being made for a re-hearing After dealing witli the matter at some length, he concluded by saying that the defendant might easily have obtaiued the evidence which he now proposed to bring forward had he made any effort to do so. The application was refused. At the meeting of those gentlemen desirous of becoming members of No. 1 Company Volunteers, held at Teaneraki last evening. Major Steward and Captain Sumpter were present. A contingent of No. 1 Company was formed, Mr. Burns being recommended to the appointment of Sergeant in charge. Mr. Piper was elected Secretary, and Messrs. Burns, Nicoll, and Piper, were appointed to form a Committee. The first drill of the new contingent will be held on Wednesday next, at 7.30. Votes of ] fhanks were passed to the visiting officers, A meeting of the Oamaru School Committee will be held on Sa'.urday next, at 11 a.m., at the office of the Secretary. Business —To confer with delegates from the various School Committees in the Waitaki County in reference to the nomination of candidates for the Education Board.

Whatever may be Mr. Barton's faults, lie is an eminently popular man. It appears that he holds perfect levees of his friends in hid cell, and that an expression of public opinion in favour of kindly treatment has had the effect of securing to him the privilege of living in his accustomed manner as regards diet. A meeting of the Oamaru Schools Committee will be held at Mr. Hardy's office ou Monday evening next, afc 7.30. Business The selection of a Hector in the stead of Mr. Thornton (resigned) and two teachers ; also, the nomination of candidates for the Education Board.

The Hon. Mr. Larnach, in response to a request from Mr. H. S. Fish, on behalf of the Friendly Societies, has promised that on the occasion of the Friendly Societie*s Fete, to take place on the 21st of March next (the Anniversary of the Province of Otago). those desiring to participate in the festival shall be conveyed by rail to St. Leonards at reduced prices. This is as it should be. The Government will, bv this concession.

induce a larger numbor to travel, realise more for the- railway department than by rigidly adhering to ordinary fares (which were never intended to apply in extraordinary cases), and will, at the same time, assist Friendly Societies in their laudable work. The late Government would have taken uu-

til the day after the event to consider the f matter, which would have been left to some irresponsible quill manipulator. Wc have been favoured by Messrs. Bonayne and Cotterell with a copy of the lUuMrcled JYWc Zealand Herald for February. It is quite up to the standard of its predecessors, and contains, in addition to a host of interesting matter, suitable for Home readers, several very finely-executed wood engravings, the most meretorious of which are "I'm Ready," and "The Fern Gatherers,'' and a lifely picture entitled "How we Spend our Christmas."

It is stated on reliable authority that Messrs. Guthrie and Larnach contemplate starting a branch Woodware Manufactory in Wellington, where so many facilities are said to exist for the prosecution of their business, and from whence they will be better able to supply the northern market.

The Tasmanian cable is interrupted, and telegraphic communications must be sent to Melbourne, from which place they will be posted to Tasmania.

In a recent speech at Adelaide, Dr. Moorhouse, Bishop of Melbourne, said—"l am sure you will excuse me if I say that in the days of early enthusiasm I used to dream—that dream so absurdly extreme as some may it—of voluntarily becoming a working man myself, in order that I might learn to sympathise with the working men's class, so that I might better, if the providence of God would give me the grace to do it, elevate it a little higher. I believe that to be the great problem of modern history, not to elevate one class above another, not to make one class the master of another, but to take the common mass of humanity, embrace it in the arms of our affection, and lift it bodily np. I believe that is the problem in England at the present time, and it is some satisfaction to me to feel that this problem is receiving some solution in these Australian Colonies." The Bishop declared that he is "not a bit afraid of his called overeducating the masses." " When the working classes find that plough-driving pays better than quill-driving they will stop the 'quill-driving." Depend upon it, these things arrange themselves very quickly. I do really try wherever I find any people to listen to me to impress upon them the necessity of inculcating their children with the feeling of tlie dignity and the pleasure of labour." "Let us,' 1 said Dr. jVloorhouse, " try to make people take their pleasure in their work, not after it. There are people who think of making their fortunes and then giving the slip to their daily tasks and being happy for ever, They will be miserable for ever.

"A great prejudice, says the Auckland Hi-raid, at first existed on the part of the railway stokers, and even some of the higher officials, against the Waikato coal, and great dissatisfaction was expressed at Mr. Stewart's persistent determination that it should be used and no other. The prejudice has not only disappeared against what was contemptuously denominated "Maori" coal, but it is preferred to all other kinds, and now that the stokers have become familiar with its use, a much less quantity is used than formerly; indeed, a to)} of Waikato coal now lasts as long as the same quantity of Newcastle formerly did, and when it is remembered that this coal is supplied to the railway at os. per ton, an idea of the saving in the cost of fuel is obtained." Shag Point Coal is far superior to the Waikato coal, which crumbles and loses its intlammable properties on the slightest exposure to the atmosphere. But the price is ridiculously high, and prohibits its use to such an extent that only one tou is consumed iustead of ten.

Numerous experiments of an encouraging nature have been made in Melbourne, Geelong, and other places with the telephone. The instruments were in every case made from drawings and descriptions receivedfrom Europe and America, and with further experience it is expected that still more successful results will be obtaiued. At the Melbourne Observatory an apparatus, con- | structed by Mr. Josephs, was tried, under the direction of Mr. Ellery, Government astronomer, A wire was carried from the Government astronomer's office to the great telescope room, a distance of SO or 90 yards, and observers were stationed at each end. When there was perfect silence it was found that words spoken in one room could be distinctly heard in the other, and a regular conversation in fact could be kept up. By the use of induction coils, a resistance equal tothatwhich would be produced by lengthening the wire to the extent 500 miles was obtained, but the sounds were transmitted as accurately as before. The telephone has also been tried between Melbourne and Geelong, a distance of 45 miles, with very satisfactory results. There seems to be no limit to the transmitting power of these very wonderful instruments, We would like one of our local scientists to experiment, and give the public the benefit of his researches.

The arrogance and self-sufficiency of Prince Hassan, the son of the Khedive of Kgypt, is unbearable. It was through his jealousy and intrigues that Mehemet Ali was recalled. Lately he has turned all his envy on the English officers with Suleiman Pasha. Col. Baker, the other day, gave him a very wholesome setting down for his presumptious impertinence, Jt is strange how time and circumstances alter a man. When Prince Hassan was at Oxford he was a general favorite with both sexes ; indeed, there was some talk of his marrying a daughter of Dr. Liddcll, the Dean of Christchurch, to whom he gave p. splendid Arab charger, but the difference of religion was an insurmountable objection. At the request of a deputation consisting of Messrs. Howden and M'Gregor, the Minister of Public Works yesterday instructed Mr. Carruthers to arrange at once for the line of railway between Dnntroon and Bound Hill. —Lkinc-diii Aye.

Daniel Webster once dined with an old Boston merchant, and when they came to the wine a dusty old bottle was carefully decanted by John and passed to the host. Taking the bottle, he poured out Mr. Webster's glasu and handed it to him. Then pouring out another glass for himself, he belt it to the light and said; —"How do you like it, Mr. Webster?" " I think it is a fine specimen of ojd port," "Now, can you guess what it cost me?' said the host. " Surely not," said Mr. Webster; "I only know that it is excellent." "Well, now, I can tell you, for I made a careful estimate the other day. When I add the interest to the first price, I find that it cost me the sum of just one dollar and twenty cents per glass J" "Good gracious ! you don't say so," said Mr. Webster; and then draining his glass, he presented it again with the remark :—"Fill it up again as quick as you can, for I want to stop that confounded interest."

The true name of the New Zealand settler who recently pre'sented to his native town of Jedburgh, a park of twelve acres, for recreative purposes (says the N. Z. Herald) is Mr. John Tinline, who has for many years been a successful settler and sheep-farmer in the Province of Marlborough, and who thus remembers the dwelling-place of his youth.