The Otago Daily Times. WITH WHICH IS INOORATED THE OTAGO GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 879

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5301, 14 February 1879, Page 4

The Otago Daily Times. WITH WHICH IS INOORATED THE OTAGO GUARDIAN. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 879

The success of the Anglo-Indian army in Afghanistan has been so marked and uninterrupted thatwe scarcelyseem now to feel any great anxiety for news of its movements. Tlie telegrams and other reports we receive are very scant and intermittent —owing largely, no doubt, to the precautions taken by the military authorities to prevent their operations being made public. To sum up the results gained as far as known, it appears that the two columns acting on parallel lines in the Khyber and Kuram Passes have each made good progress. The former, under the commandof General Browne, pushed steadily on to Jellalabad, which was occupied by the British troops on the 22nd of December last. It is reported that the Afghans between Jellalabad and Cabul are in a complete state of anarchy, and that the Sirdars are fighting among themselves for the command ; so no serious oj>position need be apprehended in this direction. In the Kuram Valley General Roberts captured Piewar Kotal after a short but sharp encounter with the enemy, in which the British loss was comparatively slight * and afterwards made a reconnaisance in front, which showed the way was open when he is prepared to advance. He has taken up winter quarters at Kuram, and will probably advance on Glinzni in tlie spring. The Quettah column, under General Stewart, has made a most satisfactory march to Candahar, on the northern side of the ranges, which town was entered without opposition ; and, if we may trust the late rather unintelligible telegrams, has pushed forward westward to Girishk on the Herat road, and north-eastward to Kilagillighie, a strong fort on the route to Gluizni. Candahar is at an elevation of about 3500 feet—some 2000 feet lower than Quettah ; and the troops will be in comfortable winter quarters there. We may look for a simultaneous advance of all three divisions in the spring. With Stewart's attack from the south, and Roberts' from the east Ghuzni is not likely to make much resistance ; and the whole power of the expedition can be concentrated on Cabul. Whether an advance will be made on Herat seems at present uncertain. The line of the " scientific" frontier which the British Government is anxious to exchange for the " haphazard " one which it has hitherto had to guard, is not revealed; but we may be sure that, having undertaken a rectification of frontier, it will not stop short of securing* the very best in its power. Prussia has a strong force under General Lomakin on the march in the direction of Merv, and has, it is said, threatened to occupy that place should the British gain possession of Herat. But this could only be done by a difficult march and a large army, and with the support of Persia. The effect of such movements would be, virtually, to leave nothing but the Safed Koh, the western extremity of the Hindoo Koosh Bange, between the British and the Russian advanced posts. It is evident that the opinion expressed in 1875 by the eminent Russian diplomatist, Baron Jomini, is gaining ground with both Governments, and that they are beginning to recognise the feasibility of possessing coterminous territory in Asia. There is no valid reason why England and Russia, if they fairly realise their mission in the East as the heralds of 'Western civilisation, should have more difficulty in the peaceful occupation of contiguous possessions there than is experienced by the other great Powers iv Europe. At any rate, it is evident that the experiment will ere long be tried, and the idea of preserving a " neutral zone " will be aban-

doned. The approval by the British nation of the policy adopted by Lord Beaconsfield's Government has been amply signified through its representatives in Parliament. Notwithstanding the vigorous denunciations of that policy which had been poured forth by Messrs Gladstone, Childers, and other prominent members of the Liberal party, the divisions on the Afghan question showed lin cash case a large majority for the

Government.' So clearly did the Opposition leaders —Lord Granville in the Lords, and Lord Hartington in the Commons —anticipate the feeling of the respective Houses, that they distinctly avowed their approval of the conduct of the war, although they disapproved of the action which led to it, and their intention to put no obstacle in the way of the Government in carrying it to a rapid and suotjpssful conclusion. After a debate of two days in the Upper, and five days in the Lower House, the divisions showed a majority in the former of 136, and in the latter of 101 in favourof the Government. The Conservative party has now been in power for five years, a much longer term than the average enjoyed of late by English Governments; but it seems to hold the reins as firmly as ever, and to be gaining rather than losing in public estimation. The Earl of Beaconsfield's bold yet skilful conduct of affairs through the trying ordeal which the nation has lately undergone is undoubtedly the principal cause of the favour and confidence with which his party is viewed. The fire of the British Lion still lives baneath the strong commercial proclivities which the nation has exhibited; and ninety-iiiae out of every hundred Britons all the world over feel a glow of admiration for the man who has raised the national prestige to something like its ancient traditional position. Russia, we may be sure, was watching with anxious eye the direction of popular feeling in England; and the overwhelming support accorded by Parliament to the Government will greatly strengthen the Prime Minister's hands in his diplomatic relations with England's great rival. It is freely confessed now in Russia that the mission to Cabul was a diplomatic blunder that, has aroused the sleeping vigilance of the British nation, and silenced philo* Russians who would not believe in the aggressive character of Russian policy. The whole Empire is now awake; we have taken time by the forelock, and shown the wild tribes of the Afghan mountains, and through them all India, that the British power is not to be trifled with, and that it is a puissant arm that wields the Empire of India.

In the case of Mrs Marion Johnston, who was yesterday committed for trial for perjury, her husband was called as_ a witness as to a matter concerning which his testimony was almost essential, if the ascertainment of the truth was desired ; but he could not be examined, as the Act allowing a husband to give evidence in his wife's favour was found not to extend to cases of indictable offences. This is one of the comparatively few remaining blots on our system of criminal jurisprudence, but a sufficiently monstrous one. -As the matter stands, a woman is committed for trial, and her liberty is imperilled simply because an ancient and technical rule of law forbids the ascertainment of the real truth in such cases. Had the relations between these parties been of an irregular and immoral character, Mrs Johnston's position might have been a happier one. In committing Mrs Johnston, the Magistrates stated that they felt themselves obliged to do bo after reviewing the conflicting evidence, but had they been acting judicially they might have come to a different conclusion. We do not know exactly what view these gentlemen take of their duties. The simple interpretation of their language is that they did not believe the woman to be guilty, yet they thought it necessary to put her to the distress and expense of a trial in the Supreme Court, the result of which cannot be doubtful.

The suggestion made by Councillor Isaac at last meeting of the City Council, that the Inspectorship of Weights and Measures in the city should be administered by an officer of the Corporation, instead of, as at present, by one of the Police Force, is worthy of some notice. The premises underlying the proposal for the change are, we believe, altogether mistaken. When Councillor Isaac in support of his suggestion said complaints were rife about short weight in provisions, it is to be presumed that only bread was referred to. No one surely expects or imagines that an Inspector of Weights and Measures has any power to punish the tradesman who gives short weight in a pound of sugar. All that the officer has power or call to do is to see that the tradesman's weights are stamped as being correct according to the standard laid down by law. The rest remains with the customer. The weights so stamped must be kept upon the counter, and if the customer buys for a pound of sugar what does not turn the scale, the greater fool he. Most people, however, imagine that the case is different when bread comes to be the article of merchandise. They have some kind of a notion that it is the duty of an Inspector of Weights and Measures to swoop down upon bakers' shops and carts, seize all loaves exposed for sale which may be under the 21b. or 41b. weight, as the case may be, and make an example of the offending baker before a court of law. But this is an entirely mistaken notion. The baker, like the grocer, is by law required to have his weights tested by the standard and stamped accordingly; and the duty of the Inspector of Weights and Measures is to see that this is done, and to swoop down upon the baker (or other tradesman) who neglects so to do. But there is no law requiring a baker to sell his bread in loaves of any particular weight, or requiring an inspector to watch that he does so. The customer who may wish to buy four pounds of bread may have it weighed, and may refuse to pay at so much per pound for more than he gets ; that is a'l. The seller of bread is under exactly the same regulations as the seller of sugar ; and the Inspector of Weights and Measures has just the same relations with the one as witl\ the other. Therefore, when Councillor Isaac proposes to change the existing state of matters, and as a reason for doing so finds fault with the manner in which the duties of the office are now carried out; and when angry fathers of families write to the newspapers detailing trials in which so-called 41b. loaves were found to be wanting some ounces of their proper weight, and wrathfully inquires as to what the Weights and Measures Inspector is doing with his time, it is well that they should acquaint themselves with the nature of the duties of the officer they complain of. An officer of the City Council might or might not better fulfil tho duties of the Inspector referred to than an officer of the police. That is a question perhaps fairly enough open for discussion ; but at least it is well to have for such a discussion a cloar understanding as to what the duties are.

Our San Fraucisco mail telegrams give information of the death of Mr George Duncan, formerly of Dunedin. Mr Duncan had many friends here who will extremely regret to hear news of his decease.

Mr Henry Towsley was yesterday appointed Chairman of the Otago Harbour Board for the ensuing year. Our report of yesterday's meeting is held over.

Some important cablegrams appear in this issue, announcing the signing of a definite Rußso-Turkißh treaty of peace, and also the purchase by Great Britain of all Crown domains in Cyprus from the Turkish Government.

A meeting of the general committee ap pointed to arrange for the reception of his Excellency on Wednesday, the 19 th instant, was held again last evening. There waß a full attendance, and his Worship the Mayor (H. J. Walter, Esq.) presided. The Chairman

reported'that he had been5 bestirring.. h_im*eli.. with regard to the illuminations on the even-, Lag of the 19th, and that the following buildings would be illuminated:—The Bank of New Zealand, the National Insurance Company's offices, and Messrs Sargood, Sen, and Even's warehouse. In addition to these the Corporation intended to Uluminate Oargill'sMonument; and Mr Proudfoot had agreed to place the apparatus for two electric lights at the disposal of the Committee. One of the lights it was proposed to fix in the vicinity of the Imperial Hotel, and the other on Stemhoff's buildings, at the corner of Princes and Eattray streets. His "Worship further reported that the contractor for the new Drillflhed had generously offered the use of that building to the Comniittee, and arrangements had been made to have the gallery prepared fer the accommodation of ladies. About 1500 tickets, obtainable from the Mayor or Town Clerk, for admission into the building in which his Excellency will be presented with addresses, will be issued, and it is proposed that school children be invited to sing the National Anthem as the Governor enters the building. The order of the programme has already appeared in this journal, but as it is brief, we republish it. His Excellency is expected to arrive in Dunedin at 2 p.m., and will be received at the railway station by his Worship the Mayor and the Corporation. He will then be escorted to the Drillshed and presented with addresses. At 4 o'clock a levee will be held in the Supreme Court hall. His Excellency will afterwards proceed to the Fernhill Club, where he will dine; and at 9 o'clock a procession of the citizens, Friendly Societies, Fire Brigades, and Volunteers, accompanied by the Volunteer Bands, will start from the Club for th c railway station. Here his Excellency will take the train to Port Chalmers, and embark fn the Ringarooma, We believe that the School Committee will be asked to grant a half-holiday to the children of the various schools. The Committee will meet again this evening at 8 o'clock.

The Telegraph Department informs us tl at communication on the Port Darwin line has been restored.

An employee at the Princess Theatre, named John Patrick Egan, met with a serious accident on Wednesday night. He had dressed for his part—that of a lord-in-waiting—and was descending some stairs that lead to the stage, when he slipped and fell to the bottom. He was found lying insensible some minutes afterwards, and forthwith taken to the Hospital, where it was ascertained that his spine had been fractured. He is a married man.

Our Waitahuna correspondent writeß :— "Kakarikis are absent this summer, and, strange to say, the silver-eye, and the charm of the hedge, the teetotum, and other bush warblers, are not to be seen or heard within many miles of this. Query—Where are they ?"

We have received several letters from correspondents on Church matters, which we think would be more suitable for the columns of the monthly religiouß journals, and therefore we do not insert them. Our correspondent "Ut Amoria Amabilis Esto" is too diffuse, and, under a cloud of words, hides few ideas. The reports regarding cricket are taking up altogether more space in our columns than we can well afford, although we are anxious to give as much encouragement as possible to this noble game. Correspondents communicating the results of matches might often compress a good deal without any disadvantage.

Only one case—that of Henry Benjamin v. Walter Dunstan, a claim of L 9 15s Gd on judgment summons—came before Mr Bathgate, R.M., at the Resident Magistrate's Court yestciday morning. The defendant, who did not appear, was ordered to Ipay 10s per week, or in default 10 days' imprisonment.

The following information in regard to Macetown reefs has been received by a gentleman in Dunedin, who has handed it to us for publication. The crushing machinery of the Tipperary claim is in full working order. Ninety tons are already through. The engineer guarantees lj oz to the ton.—The All Nations have lately struck very good gold, the best of which will average 1 oz to the dish.—ln the Gladstone driving is being gone on with 50 feet past the shaft, and it is then intended to stope out to the surface. A good crushing is expected before winter. Operations will be commenced before the new machinery is erected. —The Homeward Bound has Btarted crushing, and the machinery is working well.

A special train left town for Gore last evening to which was attached a saloon carriage speci. ally fitted up for the conveyance of Mr W. Conyers to Christchurch. Messrs Grant and Armstrong, of the Dunedin Railway Department, accompanied the train.

The Rev. Dr Stuart, we are pleased to state, is recovering from the shock he sustained on Wednesday, through being thrown from his horse near the Halfway Bush, but Dr Macdonaid, who is attending him,;state3 that it will be several days before he is sufficiently restored to resume his ministerial duties.

The name of a member of the new French Ministry given in the cablegrams recently as

"Jourquiberg" is in all probability the brave Admiral Jaures Guiberry, who distinguished

himself when the Army of the Loire rolled back the German armies, recapturing Orleans, and seriously threatening to raise the siege of Paris. He ia now Minister of Marine and of the Colonies, The other names as given in the cablegrams are intelligible, though nearly all mis-spelt. We have received, just six weeks after the commencement of the year, Mackay's Otago

Almanac and Directory for 1879. It is altogether

behind, the age. For instance, it brings its statistics of the export of wool for the Colony

down to the very late period of 1871, at which

poiut, in fact, all the Australian and New Zealand statistics mysteriously stop, Has this

Colony, have the Australian Colonies, made no progress since 1871 ? Then, under the head of Oamaru Roadstead, the information is given that a new landing company had been formed in Oamaru: we were under the impression that the landing and shipping had long been in the hands of the Harbour Board. Under Moeraki Harbour we are told that "a new iron jetty is in course oE erection at this port, which will, when completed, accommodate vessels of large tonnnge"! Also, that a "new stone graving dock has been erected in Port Chalmeis." The yield of gold throughout the world is brought down to the late period of 1868. The latter half of this_very bulky and badly-printed volume does contain later information, but why favour the public with the first half at all ? The inaccurate and stale information is misleading to strangers, and only swells the work to an inconvenient size. We suspect that the secret is that tli9 old articles are stereotyped, and that Moßraki jetty will go on being built to the end of time, and an appetite for statistics will not be satisfied with any food of more modern date than 1872, till the stereotype plates are worn out, which, thank goodness, they seem to be already—to judge by the printing.

At the City Police Court yesterday, Mr

Marion Johnston was committed for trial at the Supreme Court on the charge of perjury preferred against her by Andrew Reid.

A social meeting was held on Tuesday at lhe Royal Hotel, Palmerston, to bid farewell to R. M. Grinley, telegraphist, who is leaving Palmerston to take charge of the Post and Telegraph Office at Duntroon. There was a large muster of his friends present, who regretted his departure. He was presented during the evening with a handsome gold chain and locket by M. Fagan, Esq., on behalf of his friends, as a token of the esteem in which he was held. Tenders are invited by the Public Works Department for the Wingatui section of the Otago Central Railway. The length of the section is close upon seven miles, and it extends from Wingatui station, on the Main South line, across the Taieri Plain to Mullocky Gully. We learn from the Southland Times that at the Government land sale, held in Invercargill on Monday last, there was a good attendance, and bidding was fairly spirited. The prices obtained for the Lumsden town sections ran from Ll7 to Ll2O, the prices in all these caaes being considerably above the apset. The

total amount realised from this portion of the

Bale was L 2182. One allotment was sold at Menzies' Ferry, at the upset price of L 25. Then the Invercargill sections were offered, but met

with no bid. Six deferred-payment sections were sold at prices ranging from L 37 to L 255, mailing a total of L 795. This, with the other amounts already referred to, makes the total sum realised by the sale something over L3OOO.

.lt.,.QKr..cqmwpqndent. at Mount Benger>*cites. as follows:—"Mr Murray, surveyor, on or. about the 21st January last, performed an act: which was never known to be done by human being before, or even attempted. The act I refer to was the mounting of the Old Man rock. This rock, which is remarkable for its height and general appearance, is situate on • the Old Man Range, and can be seen from a great distance, its height being 53ft., with perpendicular sides for a considerable way up Many times has this Old Man rook cheered the weary digger, sheltering him in turn from the, burning sun and from the chilling blast of snow. Mr Harvey, cadet under Mr Murraywas the second person to stand on the famous old rock."

Mr Mechi, writing on the 28th of November, says:—" Facts in confirmation of the advantages of sewage utilisation are rapidly accumulating. Mr Alexander Aird, who has successfully utilised the sewage of Dantzic for seven years, sends me a glowing account of the crops grown on what was once a barren sand. He hasalso just contracted with the mnnicipality of Breslau (260,000 inhabitants) to utilise for 12 years, on 3000 acres, the whole of the sewage of that city. He says that in Berlin the sewage irrigation system has already proved a great success, and that all the larger towns in Germany are preparing to carry out the same system. The Dantzic sewage lands have this year produced crops of all kinds exceeding those oa the good lands—potatoes, 16^ tons per acre; white carrots, 14J tons per acre. The Metropolitan Board of Works, some seven years ago, granted the whole of the sewage of London north of the Thames for 50 years to a company under an Act of Parliament. I hear that a committee of that Board are now in. quiring why that contract ha 3 remained for seven years a dead letter."

The annual soiree in connection with the Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church took place on Wednesday evening; the Key. James Chisholm, minister of the congregation, in the chair. The attendance was large, and tea and eatables were liberally supplied by the ladies who presided at the tables. Mr J. E. Bro svn drew attention, in a few remarks, to the printed financial statement, from which it appeared that the income for the year amounted to L 712 18a, and the expenditure to L6BB 183. Interesting speeches were given by the Revs. Borrie, Cowie, Hamil ton (Victoria), and Allan. The choir did good service by their admirable rendering of sever a_ jubilee hymns, &c. A very pleasing event occurred during the evening, in the shapo of the presentation of a gold watch and massive albert - chain to the minister. Mr Cowie, in making the presentation, said it was meant to mark the appreciation which the members of the minister's Bible-class of this aud former years entertained of his efforts to benefit them aud the young people of the congregation generally. The watch, which was a very handsome one, bore the following inscription :—" Presented to the Bey. James Chisholm, as a token of esteem and affection from his Bible-class."

There was a good attendance at the Princess Theatre last evening, when Mr Rignold gave his impersonation of " Henry V." for the last time in Danedin. To-night Mr Rignold takes a benefit, and will appear in a new piece en titled " Alone," and the well-known " Blackeyed Sußan." With the reduced prices and the excellent bill of fare provided, we have no doubt there will be a bumper house. Of " Alone," which was written by Messrs Herman Merivale and Palgrave Simpson, and which held possession of the stage at the Court Theatre, London, for no fewer than 150 nights, a contemporary thus speaks : —" ' Alone 'is one of the few pieces of the present day depending for public approval more upon its real literary merits than upon such extraneous aids as stage mechanism and scenery. It is so singularly devoid of either that the one stage Betting answers every purpose, and the drama, though divided into three acts, but performed last evening in two and a couple of tableaux, might be presented in one act if it were so determined. 'Alone' is very smartly written ; the language throughout is good, and the sarcasm biting and incisive. A current of pathos runs side by side with a flow of comedy, and the latter never obtrudes itself to that degree to spoil the effect of the former. This is a characteristic which very few modern dramas possess, and in this particular instance the blending of the two qualities of pathos and light comedy results in a most delightful combination,"

A list of occupants of Crown lands who have not paid rents upon leases or license fees will be found in our advettising columns.

A very interesting mitch will he commenced on the Carisbrook Ground on Saturday, and continued tho followinsr week, between the Caiisbrook and Albion Cricket Clubs ; and as both are sanguine of winning, they are putting their be3t men forward. Tho following are the names of the Albion players :—Andrews, Buckland, Blanchard, Crawshaw, Douglas, Duckmanton, Parker, Harris, Shepherd, Shelton, Tattersall, Hadfield, and Jones.

A cricket match will be played on Saturday between the Normal School and Caledonian Cricket Clubs. The names are:—Normal: W H Kncen, Q Davidson, J Knox (captain), A Nicol, W Fitzgerald, J Fitzgerald, A Tidy, H Jewitt, G Mdlison, W ROrB. J Lindsay ; emergencies, J Douglas, R Stuart, J Eidio. Caledonian: Al_ie, Dawes, Fairbalrn, Ilowlisou, Hitchcock, James, Jackson, W Mitchell, H Mitchell, Robb, and Stafford.