Otago Daily Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1879.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5556, 9 December 1879, Page 2

Otago Daily Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1879.

A cokeespondekt confirms the remarks ■we recently made on the neglect -which the «elf-paying immigrants recently arriving have experienced at the hands of the Government, especially in the want of any official information about land. We hold that immigrants coming out with a bona fide intention of settling should be afforded every possible facility, ami if land is not to be obtained in one place, they should be forwarded to* another, either partjy v ,pr ,'.- wholly at the expense of the Government. Since our re* marks were , penned, the Hermione and the Wanganui have arrived with over "400 self-paying immigrants, and the Dunedin with about the same number of free immigrants. It would be interesting to know the respective fates, of the two classes. Those who are! brought out at Government expense will certainly, be comfortably housed1 and fed till employment is found for! them. The rest will have to do the best they can, with little or no official assistance. We do not, of course,'advocate such an interference with sound principles of political economy as would be involved in the doctrine that Government is bound to find every man who comes to our shores either in employment orin bed and board. But unquestionably a great responsibility is incurred by any Government that sends Home immigration agents to induce men to come • out • and settle in the Colony under representations that theyy can readily find employment or obtain a suitable piece of land at a reasonable price. We think the Government is then bound to render every assistance by way of reliable information and cheap; locomotion to the intending settler. Many of these men would probably do better by leasing or buying private lands on deferred payments than by purchasing any of the Government land at present open. But they need advice and guidance, and this, we maintain, the Government ought to afford by means of competent officials, even though the Treasury does not immediately benefit by an increase of land sales. It matters comparatively little whether the new arrivals settle on private or on Government laud, so that they do As to those: seeding employment, they might be allowed free passes to any part.of the country dis-' tricts where their services are needed, and the same chances as are offered to others of the unemployed of any Government work. The feeling that the cold shoulder is turned to them will have a very prejudicial effect on future immigration of this character, and it might be avoided by a little judicious stepping outside of ordinary official routine. Our remarks do not apply to Otago alone, but to other places in the Colony where a stream of self-paying immigrants is setting in. We ourselves will gladly; afford the new arrivals every opportunity, of making known their ,wants through our columns. ■

Contrary to expectation, the T Publio Works Statement was not delivered la»t night. The intelligence received with reference to the new loan made several important alterations necessary, and the officers of the department were busily engaged yesterday reconstructing the Statement, which will probably be delivered to-night. .

Tbe Secretary to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce yesterday received the following telegram from Mr W. D. Stewart, H.HJt.:— ; "Debtors and Creditors ■ Amendment Bill paused in Committee, but may bediscußSed at third reading, or a new amendment proposed.' Bill will not be overlooked.' 1 ; • '>■'■' Mails for Sydney per s.s. Tararua will' close at Auckland at 2 p.m. to morrow. i

A sitting of the Supreme Court in Bankruptcy was held before Mr Eegistrar Gordon yesterday, when several debtors obtained final orders of di-oharge, and other applications were adjourned until Monday next.

Private contractors complain that men are unwilliflg ,to accept employment at "seven shillings a day because, they can go, on the Government railway works at Mullocky Gully and earn as much na lls a day at piecework. We do not think the scale of Government remuneration should be fixed so high as to interfere with private enterprise. Webelievebetween 5000 and 6000 men are now emfloyed by the Government on various rail way-works throughout the Colony, and practically the Government has thus acquired the control of the labour market.

The Rev. G. P. Beaumont has been appointed by Bishop Navill to be Rural Dean of Queenslown. :

Yesterday afternoon, before Mr Watt, E.M., the adjourned charge against' Thomas 'Kobeiftson of Laving stolen certain books entrusted to him for sale on the time-payment system was resumed. The evidence of another witness having been taken, his Worship dismissed the charge, giving accused the benefit of a doubt left on his mind. :

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Port Cbalmeiß, yesterday, Charles Felton, one o' seamen of the ship Hermione, who waa'charged with embezzlement of cargo while on a voyage from London to this port, and also with carrying a naked light in the hold, was sentenced to ■ be imprisoned with hard labour for sixteen' weeks. Frank Woolfe, one of the ship's apprentices, charged with aiding Feltoa in his nefarious acts, was ordered to be imprisoned four weeks for each-offenca.

The numerous passengers brought by the ships Dunedin and Wanganui were landed yesterday forenoon, and conveyed to Dunedin by, the 1,25 p.m. train, the immigrants by the ;Dunedia:being:cnder the special supervision of Mr Colin Allan, the immigration officer. .

A .woman named Jane Taylor was charged at tha Magistrate V Court, Port Chalmers, yesterday, with solicit ing alms from various persona in _, the town on the pretence that relief was wanted, by a distressed family. Tha charge" was fully substantiated by the evidence, and the prisoner waa ordered to bo imprisoned with hard labour for four.weeks!

The No. 1 City Guards1 were inspected last evening by Sub-Lieutenant Matthews (No, 2 ■V7»kari Rifles), ActiDg-Adjutant for fcho month. There were present—l captain, 1 lientenant, 1 sub-lieutenant, 4 sergeants, 1 bugler, and 35 rank and file. Of the cadots there were present—l captain, 1 lieutenant, 4 sergeants, and 24 rank and file. Staff-Sergeant Black, more was in attendance.

The ordinary meeting of the Athenaeum Committee was hold last ovening. There were present—Messrs Dennlstou (chrfrmttn), Logan, Lubecki, Webb, Bracken, Hay, Montgomery, Carrick, S'.riet, Whitson, and

Dr Macdonald. The following entries were found in the Buggeßtion-book, and the Committee decided to take no notice of them:—" That the Committee inform membars when they intend to issue a correct catalogue, mentioning the name of the gentleman who is to be responsible for it, s) that if it be ca wholly laudable as the last the thanks of the institution be tendered to the compiler; that^ the Committee inform the members as to prices paid for newspapers—which are paid for and which are got free; tlut the Commutes inform members whether they think it is sufficient to " note' my suggestions- I have been to the reference-room, and do not observe that 'noting' my suggestion on the last pagehivi made the books cleanei." The librarian was instructed to devote himself wholly to the reorganisation of the library and to the publication of a catalogue, and it was decided to give him additional assistance while he was than engaged. Mr Carrick reported that a fountain for the institution would cost 13 guineas, and it was resolved to proceed with the erection of one, A question arose as to whether the Committee should let a portion of the wall of the entrance to the Athenamm for advertising purposes, and after some discussion it was decided not to do so. A number of accounts were passed for payment.

An inquest was held at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Muoselburgh, yesterday, on the body of the man Henry Madden, found at the Ocean Beach on Saturday morning lut, Dr Hocken was coroner, and Mr J. P. Jonea was chosen foreman of the jury. Madden, who was a North of Ireland nan, a tailor by trade, 39 years of age, and had lost his left nrm by a surgical operation at the Hospital, had been au inmate of the Benevolent Institution since February, 1.878. He got leave to go out for an hour or two on Monday, the Ist inst., being a holiday, .and did not again return to the Institution. There was no trar;a obtainable of him until the Friday afternoon, when h e called on an acquaintance named Posseniski, who is a tailor at Outran), but was staying at St. Kilda at the timeMadden was then suffering from the effects o drink, and his clothes were covered with sand, &3 if he had been lying down at. the sandhills. He asked for some tabasco, and said he intended returninu to the Institution in the morning, admitting.that he had been drinking. Mr Posseniski advised him to return at once, but he would not do so. Next morning early the body was found near Lawyer's Head by a labourer named Wallace, who was walking on the beach. It was naked, except; that both socks were on and an undershirt. The other clothes were lying on the rocks cloße by, which would have been covered with water at high tide, si that it is conjectured the drowning must have taken place but a short time previously. Deceased had been of drinking habits for several years, but wai said to have been in good health and more comfortable in appearance since ha had been ia the Benevolent Institution. The Jury returned an opsn verdict of " Found drowned."

Presentations are pleasant, no doubt, but i is highly desirable that testimonials should always be paid for beforehand, as »i!l ba seen from what follows:—On the Gcoasion of Mr S'mpson's departure from Dunstan for Dunedin he was presented with an address, tut he never expected to be placed in the position he was in the other d*y, when in Court he was called upon to decide the caee of Thomas George v.T. E. Aah, a claim of L 5 10a for " illuminating an address from residents ia the Dunstan district to W. L. Simpson, 8.M."; The case was adjourned for Mr Watt, E.I(L, to hear. ' „ !

■ ■ At the City Polios Court yesterday, before Mr Watt, R.M., the following police business "was disposed of:—One female, a widow, who, it was stated, had gona through the whole of 'the Crimean War with her husband, a coloursergeant in the 68th, and a.male defendant,' answered to the charge of drunkenness; Mary Maule, of whom the police said she had been here from Christehureh a week, and that was a week too -long, was sent to gaol for 14 days for vagrancy; a lad named James M'Kerjzie, for fighting in Princes street, was fined 20s, or three days; another lad, named John Thomson, for an assault upon a constable by striking him on the head with a candlestick, was fined 40s, with the alternative of one month's imprisonment, and.ordered to pay 12a 6d for the constable's damaged hat, or go to gaol for an additional week; George Harrison, for breaking a couple of doors in his father's house, waa fined 20a, and ordered to payXs, the value of the doors, or suffer six weeks' imprisonment; and Bridget Jaggar,*!on a charge of obscene language, was fined 40a—failing payment, to go to gaol for seven .days. .

The quarterly meeting of the Dunedin Young Women's' Christian Association was held last evening, Mrs Davis occupying the chair. From the report read by Mrs Inglis, it appeared that a ; commodious ■■ room had been recently added to the Association's other apartments, and in consequence a higher rent would havOitp be paid. The report also contained a proposal to start a mutual improve, ment class, and the matter was referred to a committee for consideration.

The schools under the management of the Dunedin School Committee will close for the Christmas holidays on the 12th of December, and will reopen on the 26th of January, 1880. At the requoit'of the masters, the School Committee last evening agreed that the vacation should commence a week earlier than usual, in order to allow the pupil teachers to attend the examinations. ! The Dunedin School Committee laat evening decided to recommend that the following ap"pointmenta of teachers ba made for the new school id George street:—Head master, Mr David A. M'Nicoll J matron, Miss Jana Pratt; and second ma9ter, Mr Win, Bennett. 1 The ordinary meeting of. the. South Dunedin ! Borough Council, which was to have been held last night, was adjourned till this evening on account of the meeting of the Suburban Councils'. Conference. Mr Hislop, who has for a length of time held the office of head clerk in the general manager's office at the Dunedin railway station, is, we hear, to be removed to Palmerston, where he will occupy the position of stationmaster: We hear that Mr Lance, of Canterbury, has consented to accept the position offered him of handicapper for the Danadia Jookey Club, which has hitherto been held by Mr C. Mooro. The Civil Servics examinations all over the Colony commenced yesterday. . In Dunedin the examinations were conducted at the Education Office by Mr P. G. Pryde. For Otago there are 15; candidates—l 3in the junior and two in the senior division. The examination, of the'junior division will close to-day, and the examination of the candidates in the senior division will commence to-morrow. Mr Wm. Crombie has been appointed goodsmanager at the Dunedin railway station, vice Mr Norman resigned. Mr Crombie was recently the manager of the Dunedin tramways, aud {previously to obtaining that position he was employed for several years in connection with the Railway Department here and at InvercargilL .■ . ~. We are informed that eight converts to Mormonism have been made in Dunedin, and thut on the return to Dunedin of Elder Batt, who leaves for Christchurch today, the converts will be baptiaed by immersion. Two more oldera, fresh from the city of the Latter day Saints, are also to pay New Zealand a missionary vißit. Elders Batt and Bailey both express satisfaction at the treatment they have received in Dunedin, and the pitient manner in which they have been listened to.

Our Blueßkih correspondent writes:—"Some of the disciploß of "quaint old Izastk," who haye gone a-fiahing to the Waitati River this season, have been very successful in cap, turing fine trout. On Sf, Andrew's Day a young gentleman returned to Dunedin with a basketful, which ha took on the previons Saturday evening in a couple of hours, the average weight of the fish being abont one pound. In addition he had with him a beautiful specimen which he had taken on the morning of his return, weighing exactly four pounds. Since Saturday evening last the same gentleman has caught 13, some of them weighing: two, two and a-half, and three pounds. Another gentleman, also from Dunediu, haa taken seven, the largest weighing six pounds. An old settler at Blueakin has alto been very successful, his largest tako in one day having been 28 very fine fish. In fact, he and hia family (eight in number}, to use hia own expression, always

have " truts " for breakfast. Another gentleman well known in Dnpedin, but now resident at Blueslda, has stated that he has. no reason to complain of his fishing experience this season on the Waitati. The beauty of theaffairis, that five minutes after a fiaher gets out of the train at the Waitati ho can be on the fishingground, and when he wants refreshment, can within another five minutes adjourn to the Saratoga Hotel.

On Saturday last (says a Southland paper) as Mr James Colyerwas riding over liis property on the opposite side of the Bluff Harbour, he discovered the body of a man in an advanced etite of decomposition on Gravelly Point, Awarua Bay. There is little doubt that the body is that of a tailor belonging to the barque Celceao, who fell over from the, wharf and was never found, .though the pslice dragged the spot repeatedly. ' Constable Coffey, on receiving information of the finding of the body, brought it acro33 the bay and placed it in a shad upon the whsrf to await an inquest.

Mr B. S, Smythe, who left Adelaide last January for England via the Cape, with the Rev. Charles Clark, has returne i to Australia as representative of Messrs Thomas Cook and Son, the famous tourist and excursion managers, who intend to offer special facilities to visitors to the Australian Colonies during the Melbourne Exhibition next year.' TheS. A. Advertiser says :—" Whether the Idea of openlog an Australian branch of their tourist business originated with Messrs Thomas Cook and Son themselves, or was pressed upon them by the Melbourne Exhibition officials in London, or was suggested by the energetic colonist who has come out as their representative, is a question of very little moment; but there can be no doubt that it is a very good idea so far ss the Melbourne Exhibition is concerned. The agencies of the well-known firm, which have been established in the principal cities of England, the Continent, and America, and even in various parts lof Asia, will prove most effective channels for advertising the exhibition, while the travelling facilities which Messrs Cook offer their constituents are very considerable.; Their tourist business, commenced in a very small way about thuty years ago, has grown into an immense institution; and the money turnedove r by the firm every year is said to amount to many millions sterling. The prejudices which were at first entertained against the system, and probably with good reason, have ceasad to exist, as the arrangements have become more and more perfect; and the list of persons who travel with Messra Cook's tickets at the present day includes persons of all ranks, from the Emperor of Brazil, the Archbieihop of Canterbury, the Hon. W. E. Gladstone, and Sir Garnet Woleeley downwards. Next year, of course, Melbourne will be duly lauded 83 the chief shrine for pilgrims, but Messrs Cook and Son's operations will extend to other parts of Australia, as the circular tickets issued in, London for the Victotkn Exhibition will embrace tours in one or more of the neighbour-; ing Colonies, including Now Zealand and Tasmania, To ensure a large clientele Mr Smythe, m manager of the Australian business, will doubtless deem it. advisable to see that the public of Ear ope and America are well posted upas to the charming and varied Attractions which Australasia has to offer to the tourist; and in his negotiations with the different Colonial Governments, steamship companies, and other public bodies, we trust he will obtain similar concessions and facilities to those which have been granted to his principals bath in the Old and the New World."

On Thursday, September 18th, the Moore and Bargees Miastrals began their 15th year at St. James' Hall, Londra, where they had up to that -tima giren aa unbroken series of 6467 entertainments. The Time), remarking: upon their uninterrupted popularity, says :— ''The edition of tha song} and ballads which is sold in the hall ia in its 915 th thousand. Empires have been founded and Republics have taken the place of Monarchies, but the old craving for the form of amusement which ia identified with blackened faces survives. It is many year] since Christy waj popular at the Mechanics' Hall, New York. A band of the Christy Minstrels came to England, and one of the fragments of that troupe settled in St. Jamas' Hall in 1865. At first it called itself the Christy Minstrels, but found it had no exclusive title to the name, bo it assumed a trademark 'of its own, and all the goodwill which for 14 completed years has been gathering round the blackened vocalists of St. James' Hall belongs to the firm of Moore and Burgess. It was not thought at first that the Ethiopian sarenader by any other name would, in the opinion of the public, sing as sweetly, and there has been a good deal of litigation ever the right to use the name of Christy. Now, however, that of Moora and Burgess has become classical. There ate still some of the original peiformers in the troupe. More than a hundred have passed through the ranks, and 23 have been removed by death during the tenancy of the hall." It is said that Messrs Moore and Burgess are worth over L 30,000 each, all made from the profits of their enter, tainments. i

" Lex," in the Newcastle Courant, writes :— " In searching for local information asked for in your local notes, I came upon the following which may be interesting to some of your readers: — 'Who ever knew uctil comparatively late yean what w»a the origin of the cautionary saying, " Mind your P'd and Q'a " ? A modern antiquary, however, has put the world right in relation to that saying. In alehouses, in. the olden time, when chalk "scores?l were marked upon the wall, or behind the door in the taproom, it was oiutomary to put the " P " and the " Q " at the head of every man's account, to show the number of "pinta" or "quarts" for which he was -in arrears; and we may presume many a friendly iu-tie to have'tapped his neighbour on the shoulder, when he was indulging too fretly in his potations, and to have exclaimed, as te pointed to. the chalk score, " Mind yourP's and Q's, man ! mind your P's and Q'a 1" The writer from whom we glean this information mentions an amusing anecdote iv connection with it, which had its origin in London at the same time a "Learned Pig" waß attracting the attention of half the town. A theatrical wag, who attended the porcine performances, maliciously set. before the four-legged actor tome peas, a temptation which the animal could not resist, and which immediately occasioned him to lose the "cue" given, him by the showman. The pig- exhibitorl remonstrated with the author of the mischief on the unfairness cf what he had done; to which he replied, " I only wanted to ascertain whether the pig knew his "peas" from his "caes!'""

The Sydney Morning Herald says:—" A very singular incident is narrate! in coanection with the affair at Mr Glede's. AMr Garde, agent for the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, was with Dr M'Killop in the vicinity when the affray took place, and afterwards the doctor attended to the wounded. Subsequently, Trooper O'Leary, of Yass, wished to effact a policy on his life, aud in one of the rooms of the house tha necessary medical examination was made and the proposal accepted. It transpired afterwards that while this was being done the bushranger Rogan was concealed beneath the bed in the room with two loaded rifles and a revolver,"

A aait was recently tried before an Indiana justice of the pence, wherein a lady was plaintiff and a bank defendant. The evidence showed conclusively that the fair plaintiff had no light to recover; of this no one could have the " shadow of a doubt." Her learned counsel knew well that, unless he could get the sympathy of the justice, his client would have a "lost cauee." Ho therefore laboured very hard in applying the "sympathetic cause." He gußhed. with eloquence of great warmth in referring to bia client's rights, until finally great tears came trickling1 down his cheeks, at the sight of which the justice —who was a very tender-hearted individual— was also moved to tears. This satisfied the attorney that the sympathy of the Court was on the side of the lady, and he closed his argument by saying: "It does my heart good, to believe that this honourable Court, in the exercise of a sound discretion, will not allow the lights of a puro and noble Indy to be trampled beneath the cloven feet of a soulless corporation," and took hia seat as confident that he would get judgment aa even the poor lady wa». Thereupon the justice gave the following comprehensive and satisfactory decision. He said: "The plaintiff in this case is a woman, and her counsel has for the last hour touched the sympathy of the Court in her be-

half, and lam glad of it; but I think, under the law, that justice is on the side of the bank. I, therefore, w''l find ;in favour of the bank, and let (he record ahow that Mrs has the full sympathy of the Coort."

The Statist recurs ta the subject of " the position of silver socnritiM—that is, securities where the dividends are payable in Bilver, principally the home securities of countries whose money is silver. It is quite certain that I at the present moment, through the distrust as to the future price of silver, countries which borrow with an obligation to repay principal and interest in silver have to pay a higher rate for their money than countries which pay in gold. This is manifestly the case with the Indian Government, which borrows both in silver and in gold, and has to pay nearly a half per cent, higher rate on {its silver than on its gold obligations. But this position of silver securities, we maintain, offers an opportunity for prudent investors who ara not daunted by the panic about silver. There is no reason wly silver securities, aa compared with gold securities, should be so much undervalued as they are. There seems to be an impression, indeed, that silver must continually fall, through the continued effect of the past events, but this is not bo. The magnitude of the Btock of Bilver still held by siher.usiDg countries is immense, and the uuddsn change being over, the difficulty in the way of the ordinary new supply from the mines making any impression on the price remaini much what it was before. At the high range of silver prices established, much more silver !b required in tho3e countries than before to do the same work."

Tenders are invited for supplying the Dunedih Lunatic Asylum with provisions, medical comforts fuel, and nccessfies for the 12 months ending Decotn her 3lst, 1880. Tenders ar« invited (or the leasing; of book-stalls on stations on t!io DuneJin section of the trunk line of railway. The single women immigrant? by tho ship Dunedin will ba open for engagement at the CUvtroham depot at 11 a.m. to-morrow. The single men and nwried couples by the .'came Tergal will ba open for engagement at 11 a.m. this day, . Messrs J. Wiikie and Co., of Princes atree', have just issued aome very pretty litt'.e illuminated pocket calendar* for ISBO. Special arrangements have bean m&dc by the Railway Department for the running of trains during tho ' opera season In Dunedin. Particulars willbeto'ind in our advertising columns. We have to acknowledge tho receipt ol No. 2 ot the " Victorian Eeview." . , , "We have received No. 18 of " Hansard" and a number of Farliamen ary papera from the Government Printer, Wellington. ; ;