THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam mil faciam." CUJRDIN, FRIDAY, JUNE 16.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1089, 16 June 1865, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam mil faciam." CUJRDIN, FRIDAY, JUNE 16.

The naval supremacy of England is one of our traditional boasts. From time immemorial she has claimed to be the mistress of the seas; and although the old wooden walls and hearts of oak seem likely to be superseded under the revolutionary influence of modern science and diecovery, by other materials of defence and another class of warriors, it is a fact taken for granted by all British citizens that England is to be, to the end, the first naval power in the world. The origin from which its hardy and adventurous population has sprung, the traditions of its history, the modern developments- of its commerce, its insular situation at home, and the vast extent of its Colonial seaboard, all combine to render Great Britain par excellence a maritime state. Its people are willing that -it shall not attempt to run a race of rivalry with France or Austria in the maintenance of a colossal standing army. But it is a point of national pride that its navy shall be the first in the world —the most powerful in point of effective strength, the most advanced in the applications of the latest developments of science. lix fact, whilst few powers have less need of a gigantic standing army, none has more urgent necessity for the maintenance of a strong naval force. The insular situation of the United Kingdom protects it against invasion except by a descent upon the coast of armed flotillas But the commerce of England spreads ita

sails on every sea, arid she has rich and prosperous colonies -wherever civilisation 'and trade have planted their feet. If an enemy should seek to attack Great Britain 'in? its .moat vulnerable point, the spot chosen would be either the high seas where its richly laden argosies ride, or its colonies, where wealthy cities are unprotected from attack. Few debates in the Imperial Parliament excite more, general public interest than the annual discussion of-the Navy Estimates. That interest has Gradually increased within the last few years, as other powers have tried to keep their naval establishments as nearly as possible on a footing of equality with those of England. The substitution of iron-clad for wooden ships, the introduction of steam as a propelling power, the invention of an entirely new class of ordnance, and the novel experiments in naval architecture and warfare tried in the course of the American conflict, have marked an entirely new era in this branch of the aggressive and defensive forces of Great Britain. Should a war with a great maritime power break out, we should now have to contend with a far more powerful enemy on the sea than any that England ha 3 yet encountered, and thq anxiety manifested is natural that the enemy should be met by a force relatively as superior 03 the navy of England has always hitherto been. No part of the empire has more reason to participate in that anxiety than the colonies of Australasia, which are at the distance of half the globe from the Mother Country, with a sea board ; crdwded with vulnerable points, with cities offering the most powerful attractions to a foe, and with a commercial fleet conveying richer treasures across the ocean than merchant ships are often freighted with.

The last annual resume of the condition and prospects of the British navy, was given by Lord Claude Paget, in moving the Navy Estimates in the House of Commons on the 6th March. He proposed a gross sum, three hundred thousand pounds less than that expended during the previous year, or more than a hundred thousand pounds less", after providing for the purchase of steam rams, an item which came, under the head of extraordinary service. The total Bum proposed to be raised for Navy purposes for the present year was £10,392,224. The number of men employed was proposed to be decreased to the extent of 2400, viz., 700 seamen from the fleet, 1000 from the Marine Corps, 500 from the Coastguard, and 200 from the Civil department of the service. It appears that a contingent consequence of the gradual replacement of the old wooden ships by iron-clads, will be a reduction in the number of hands necessary to man the fleet. With reference to the progress made in the construction of an iron clad fleet, Lord Paget announced that it was the intention of the Government to build at once seven vessels of the Alabama class, having great speed and a comparatively light armament, and designed rather to annoy an enemy than to act as a means of defence. His lordship stated that it was a'so the intention of the Admiralty to build an armour plated low-decked war vessel of 3000 tons, drawing less than 16 feet of water, and propelled by twinscrews. The adoption of the twin-screw system of propulsion has long been urged by Captain Symonrls, an old naval officer, and recent accounts of trial trips,contained in English journals, prove to demonstration that it is capable of realising a far higher rate of speed tlian cither the paddle or the single screw system, whilst it is free from the practical disadvantages which attach to the use of the latter. The invention has been timidly adopted by the Admiralty, but in the corvette now to be built, it will be applied to a ship of a tonnage nearly as great as that of a powerful three decker. A turret ship is also to be built, after designs furnished by Captain Coles. Another new invention, to which a trial isulo be given, is that of a vessel of peculiar construction, propelled by a volume of water thrown out by a very powerful water wheel within the ship—in effect, "propelled by the action of water against water." Lord Claude Paget said, "if the invention turns out successful, it will be of great use, as it gives the vessel the power of turning round on her own centre as on a pivot." In the present year 18.952 tons of shipping is being produced in the building yards, and in 1865-6 it is proposed to build 15,115 tons —the expenditure under this head, for the former period, being £3,390,833, and for the latter, £2,920,654.

He stated that of the armour-plated force there were thirty ships completed or in course of construction, all to be ready for sea, with one exception (the Northumberland) before the cloec of the present calendar year. The following particulars of the iron-clads, which we condense from Lord I'aget's speech, will be of interest. There are seven ships of very great speed but of great depth of water. A second class consists of seven vessels possessing less speed, but also drawing less water. Five ships represent a third class of still less speed and draught, making in all nineteen armor plated " ships of the line." There are in addition seven frigates and corvettes, and four ships, which his lordship describes as "invaluable for coast defences." The navy of England is undergoing a process of reconstruction,

and it is satisfactory to have the assurance that the work of revolution is proceeding rapidly. The same process is, being .pursued by other maritime powers. But if we may accept official declarations, which remain virtually unimpugned after undergoing the searching criticism of a House of Commons debate, " our navy is equal to what it ever was, and may still be relied .on for the defence of the interests and honor of the country."

It is popularly rumored that his Honor the Superintendent has forwarded hia resignation to, the Governor. Aa yet no public notification of it lias been made in Dunedin, though it is generally believed to be true.

The meeting that will be held at the Theatre at three o'clock this afternoon, needs only to be mentioned in order to insure a full attendance. The object is to devise some means of alleviating the lot of those who, deprived of their relatives by the disastrous loss of the City of Dunedin, through a sudden stroke which no human foresight could aveit, have been reduced from a condition of competence to one of helpless poverty. Such a reverse, at all time?, and under all circumstances, depressing, falls with crushing weight when to it is added the ngony of being torn from a parent, a brother, or a husband. We regret to say that many amongst us are thus suffering in mind and in estate ; and from the liberality with which every humane object has hitherto been supported in Danedin, we know that nothing we can say will increase the sympathy felt with our suffering fellow townspeople, nor add to the willingness and desire to relieve it.

We are informed that Mr Isaac Davis, brother-in-law of Mr Rosenberg, of the Club Hotel, and long a resident of Dunedin, was a passenger by the ill-fated City of Dunedin, having gone on board at Wellington. .

The Amateur Concert at the Wakari Drill Shed, takes place this evening, at half-past seven o'clock. It is hardly necessary again to state that the object is to enable the Volunteer Company to pay off the debt remaining for building the shed. We trust there will be a full attendance.

At the Reddent Magistrate's Court yesterday morning two young boys, apparently about tea years of age, named William Richardson and William Ford, were sent to jail for one week for stealing a hen from a house in Cumberland street on Tuesday last. The same two boys and other four, named Henry Muir, Frederick James Lake, James Ho well, OLd_ Angus Ross, were charged with stealing two rabbits from the premises of Judge Richmond, on Tuesday night. As the boys Howell and Richardson appeared to have been the instigators to the theft, and Howell had been previously convicted, ho was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and Richardson to one week's imprisonment in addition to his previous sentence. The others were discharged, as they appeared to have taken no part in the theft.

We extract the following from the "Timaru Herald:"—"An attempt was made on Wednesday night last', or early the following morning, to set fire to the shop and premises adjoining the Queen's Hotel, Timaru, and two mc-n have been apprehejnded on suspicion of being concerned in the affair. The men in question went into the Queen's Hotel the previous evening and demanded some grog, which the landlord (Mr Butterworth) refused to supply ; they then threatened to do for him, or else to burn him out. On Thursday morning the windows of the shop lately occupied by Mr D. Salomon were observed to be broken and the blinds gone ; and on making an examination the blinds were fouad to have been burnt, and the ceiling of the shop very much charred with the fire, and how the premises escaped is almost a

miracle."

There was a general suspension of business yesterday, it being one of the fasts of the Presbyterian Church. The usual services were held in Ibe churches of that body: The weather was clear, with a warm sunshine, and was pleasant despite a strong wind. A goodly number of persons visited the Port; and there was excursionising in various other

direction s

Burglary and robbery of houses appear to bo on (he increase in Melbourne. The "Argus" of the 3rd contains the following : — "A burglary and robbery was committed yesterday morning, early, at the house of Benoni Solway, No. 9 Victoria parade. Later in the day, a man named John Rusßtll, and a woman named Flora Williams, were arrested on suspicion of committing tlie offence, and some property has been recovered, and is now in the hands of the police, awaiting identification. Mr John , Sherwin, living at No. 2 Elm Bank Terrace, "Victoria Parade, has' reported to the police that his bouse was broken open and robbed on the morning of Thursday last. " He was awoko by hearing a noise in the back yard, and on getting up found a man just making his escape over the fence. A number of coats and other articles had been collected together, apparently for the purpose of removal. The thief had evidently been making himself at home, as some sherry which had been left on the table in the front room" had, it was found, been drunk by him. The only things stolon were a number of silver-plated articles, valued at L 2, and a bottle of gin. Entrance was effected by climbing over the back fence, and forcing open the back door."

Mr Justice G&apman teok his seat in the Supreme Court at ten o'clock yesterday, morning. His Honor stated that when the sitting was fixed, the fact of the day being a fast-day of the Presbyterian Church bad been overlooked ; and he should at once adjourn until the following (this) morning.

Prior to the decease of his Honor Judge Milford, in New South Wales, it was arranged that he should receive three months' leave'of absence, and the office of Judge of the Supreme Court, during that period, was offered to hon. J. H. Plunkett, who, in re-

fusing that appointment, gave the following reasons for doing bo :—"I regret: to say that, on the most mature consideration I can give the subject, I have arrived at the conclusion that, in the present state of the law, it is not competent for the Government to appoint a temporary Judge to exercise judicial functions in the Supreme Court. It appears to me that the power to appoint temporary Judge a , as they, were formerlj appointed under the statute 9 Geo. IV., eh. S3 ha 3 been taken away by the Constitution Act. By the 38th section of that act, ' the commissions of the present judges of the Supreme Court, and ot all future judges thereof, shall be, continue, and remain in full force during their good behavior, &c, any law, usage, or practice, to the contrary notwithstanding.' The next section points out how judges are to be removed, namely, ' upon the address of both Houses of tho Legislature of the colony.' The next following section (the 40th) secures them their salaries so long as their commissions remain in force. It will be observed there is no clause authorising an appointment daring the absence or illness of a judge ; and as all the provisions of the 9th Geo. IV., c. 83, which are repugnant to the Constitution Aci, are expressly repealed by that act, as I view it, a mere temporary commission is clearly repugnant to the clauses referred to. It may be considered that it was an oversight in the framers of the Constitution Act, but I am inclined to doubt this, because it was the object cf those clauses to alter the tenure of the judicial office, and to place the Judges of the Supreme Court on the same footing of independence as the Judges of England and of Ireland. And I may observe that the appointment of a temporary judge to discharge judicial functions, cither in the courts of Westminster Hall or the Four Courts of Dublin, is unheard of, and, as far as I can learn, was never attempted."

" Timon of Athens" and " Leon del Monte" were repeated at tho Princess Theatre last evening. The play passed off very effectively, and bo did the three-act comedy. The latter

has a plot which is excessively improbable in eomo points and not clear or connected in others ; but the little action there is is striking enough, and the whole goes rattlingly, thanks to unmistakcable " situations" and the aid of occasionally antiquated but generally wellpointed dialogue.—Mrs Wolfe takes a benefit this evening. Her claims to support are great, owing to the peculiarity of her position as lessee, and also because of the many really good things which have been produced under her lesseeship. " Brutus" is to be produced (we think for the first time in Dunedin) ; and the after-piece is to be "Guy Mannering," with Miss Aitken as Meg Merrilees, and an amateur, who has proved himself a very taeteful.and effective public siDger, as Henry Bertram. The following (extracted from the " Wellington Independent,") are the particulars of tho boat accident at Wellington, intimation of which was received by electric telegraph on Wednesday. We regret to announce, that an accident, attended with the loss of four

lives, occurred in the harbor on the afternoon of Sunday last. The unfortunate victims were a man named W. Waters, the cook; J. the carpenter; J. Goodrich, a seaman; k and W. Cox, an ordinary seaman, of tho ship Chapman. It appears from the statement of William Charles Russell, a seaman on board | the vessel, who was also one of the boat's crew, and the only survivor, that the accident happened about two o'clock in the afternoon. He and his deceased comrades had obtained permission to go on a boat-sailing excursion on tho morning of Sunday, and had passed the forenoon in tacking about the harbor. Shortly after twelve o'clock, the boat was steered towards Soames'lsland, and the accident occurred while returning shore wards. The boat had been tacked all-right, and was going well through the water, the wind being fresh, when a sudden puffstrusk her, and in a moment turned her keel uppermost. The lad and Russell swam side by side for the nearest shore, about a mile and a half distant, leaving the carpenter, the cook, and the other unfortunate man clinging to the boat's keel. Russell was more than two hours in the water, and landed in a deplorable state of exhaustion at Peninsular Point, Evans' Bay. When close to the shore, Russell had the pain of seeing the poor boy Cox go down, without being able to save him. Yesterday afternoon the boat was discovered high and dry on the further shore of Evans' Bay, and the body of the poor lad was lying not far from it. Thebodies of the other men have not as yet been, discovered, but there is no doubt they weteunable to hold on to the boat and were drowned during one of the squalls. ;

Yesterday afternoon a man named ll'Lcan died very suddenly at his residence near the top of Stafford street. About two o'clock ho was preparing to go out for a walkwith his wife, and while in the act of putting on his coat he suddenly exclaimed, "-Oil am dying," fell down, and expired almost immediately. Doctor Hocken, who happened to be riding past the house at the time, was called in, but he found that life was extinct. The deceased was known to have been suffering from heart disease, and to have been under medical treatment for it for some time past.

By way of Melbourne, we have received Adelaide papers to the 31st tilt. On the 25th the Treasurer, the Hon. T. Bcynolds, made his financial statement. He announced that the alterations in the fiscal system of the colony, indicated in, the Governor's speech at the opening of Parliament, would be deferred until next session. These include free distillatioD, abolition of the ad valorem duties, and a revision of the tariff. His statement was almost limited to an. exposition of the nourishing condition of the colony. The most salient features in the speech are thus referred to in the "South Australian Advertiser" :—" The Treasurer's speech was chiefly devoted to showing, from official documents, that South. Australia was in an

■ ' - " -^ exceedingly prosperous state. No doubi he proved his point; and we only regret that this grand national eulogium should be merely a pompous introduction leading to nothing. We wero told that, since 1859, our population had increased 20 per cent., and our exports 100- per cent.; that our corn and wine, and sheep, and minerals, and wool, and miscellaneous produce, were greatly increasing. We were told that in the same-

period our imports had increased from LH

per head of the population to Lls, and osur exports from Ll2 to considerably more than L'JO. Our marine shipping had greatly increased—even our Murray -River trade was increasing ; the revenue for the current year, though estimated at the high amount of L 723.000, would reach L 573.000, being L 150.000 more than was expected ; our land sales for the year were Ll 10,000 more than was anticipated; we have now a quarter of a million sterling ot unemployed money in the banks at interest, and by no process of expenditure could we keep pace with the influx of money. Why, then, in the name of common sense, is the millenium postponed ? The treasurer proposes to spend 1,50,000 in immigration the next lialfyear, and even then ho will have a balance of L96,()()0 available for immigration to start the following year with. He proposes, if the labour market will permit (which it won't) to spend Ll 64,000 on public works in the next six months, besides L 15,000 to L 20,000 for railway improvements, in the event of the railways not being sold. Even then he will have about L 70.000 loft of the Public Works Fund, which he cannot 'absorb,' and which will consequently go to' swell the enormous balanoe at the banke, which balances are lent out hy the banks to the squatters, who are thus— in reality—supplied by the Government with public money to purchase th,airs^g^. This plethora of .vealth induces us to Wish, that the treasurer had developed and applied his principles of finance now, instead of waiting for what it is scarcely within the bounds of possibility he can get—a more convenient season." On Monday next, the 19th instant, the Revising Officer for the Electoral Districts of Dunedin and Suburbs North and Dunedin and Suburbs South, will hold a Court of Revision ol the lista of. voters for these Districts at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, at the Milton Hall, Stuart street, opposite the English Church. All claims for enrolment, duly made, will be conshlered, as well as any objections made to names beiug-phtced on the roll. An inspection of arms of the Naval Biigude, Dunedin Division, will take place this evening nt half past eeven o'clock. It will be necessary for every member of the Division having a rifle, to attend. In reference to Dr Macadam, our Melbourne correspondent writes:—"ln a former letter I expressed a doubt as to whether the stateof tho health of the Government Analyst, Dr Macadam, would allow of his; proceeding to Otago to give evidence upon the second trial of Captain Jarvey, for the murder of his wife. I have now to add with regret that the medical advisers of that gentleman have absolutely forbidden him to make the voyuge to Dunedin, in his present precarious stiito of health." "By the arrival of the Lancashire Witch, from England," says the " Southern Cross," " the father of Ujk gnllant explorer who, in company with Burke, penetrated through the wilds of Australia, and first saw tho waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria, has reached Auckland. Dr Wills came out as Surgeon Superintendent of the immigrants by the Lancashire Witch, ami on tho voyage won the esteem of all who were nnder hiu charge." I We clip the following from the " Argus" of the 2nd inst : —" One hundred sovereigns were stolen from an unoccupied house at Sandridg", between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, under circumstances which entitle the loser to little commiseration. John Bret's, a brnzier by trade, nho reported

tlie case to the police, arrived from Sydney by the Blackbird last week, with his wife and daughter, and took up his residence at a boarding-house in Sindridge, intending to commence business for himself us soon as he couM find convenient premises. On Monday last he took a shop in Bay street, and on the tvetiiiig of that day a. portion of his luggage, among which was a box containing one hundred Sydney sovereigns, was removed thereOn Wednesday morning Breea saw tliafc the boxes were all right, and went into town to make some purchases, leaving; a carpenter, "William. Wilson, at work in. the shop all day. On returning in the afternoon, the boxes- appeared (o have remained undisturbed,.as he left them ; and he locked the doors, as had been his custom, since Monday, taking the keys with him to his lodgings. He went down to the shop at half-past eight o'clock yesterday morning, and found all his boxes broken open, and the greater portion of their contents lying about

the floor. The sovereigns, which were placed in one of the boxes in a small cauva* bag, were missing. Wilson, as he is the only person who was seen on the premises besides the owner of the missing property, has been taken into custody, and- a strong case of suspicion seems to have been, made oab against him. Ho lodged in the same boarding-house with Brees, and before the robbery took place was knowa. to bo without money, as he had proteased.

himself unable to pay the lodging house-*' keeper, and had borrowed Is from Rrecs y yesterday, however, it was discovered that ire changed a Sydney sovereign at aa lioteL in Melbourne. He was also seen ta leaver the boarding-house on Wednesday night- - and these circumstances coming to lighJv Brees gave him into custody, ou Jhe drarge of stealing the money Tae carelessn'iss of the complainant in leaving so much, n\onoy in an unoccupied house appeared so singular, that the police were at first indisposed to believe

his story, but it is now thought thntsome evidence against Wilson, willbf. found."