News of the WeeK.

Otago Witness, Issue 824, 13 September 1867, Page 11

News of the WeeK.

[prom the daily times.]

The man Smith, who was conveyed to the Hospital at Hokitika with his skull fractured by a blow from an axe inflicted by Griffith Jones, died last week.

A number of pheaaanta have been forwarded by the schoner Despatch, from Canterbury to the Chatham Islands, for the purpose of acclimatisation.

Repeated rumors (says the Wakatip Mail) about the excellent yields from the head of the Lake have been current, but what fountion they have we do not know, except that the miners therefrom occasionally visit Queenstown, and seem to be well satisfied and pleased. Our own view is that this part of the district has never received a fair trial.

We understand that the guarantee given by the contractors for the efficient working of the submarine cable connecting the two islands terminated on the 2i>th instant ; and the.. New Zealand Advertiser states that a certificate will be granted. Thiß releases Mr Donovan, the contractors' agent, and that gentleman will shortly proceed to England, af tier, having most successfully accomplished the 'very arduous duty with which he waa oatruated.

The district of Okarita, which for a time boasted of a .large population, and some of the richest auriferous beaches on tho West Coast, Beems now to be almost deserted. The local paper, in announcing its last publication, says :—": — " It is with much regret we see several of our storekeepers, who we hitherto thought would be Okarita's oldest inhabitants, signifying their intention of relinquishing business in this town. The dulnew of trade has continued so long that we cannot wonder at a few seeking some more lucrative fields ; but during the last fortnight the intention to leave seems to have set in both wholesale and retail."

It appears that the black swans, which lately migrated from the River Avon r in Canterbury, have taken up their abode on Lake Ellesmere, and have there bred to a considerable extent. The Press of the sth instant says :— " Mr Goodman, a settler near the lake, yesterday brought into town, and gave into the charge of the keeper at the Acclimatisation Gardens, upwards of thirty eggs, all of which were in a fecundate condition ; these egg 3 will be hatched by the incubator in the Gardens. For some time past, the lake has been very high, and last week, in order to lower the water, an outlet waa cut to the sea, and six nests were found by Mr Goodwin in the ground from which the water had receded."

We understand that arrangements ar» being made for establishing a company for working under Bethell'a "Thnber-Oreo-soting Process," for waterproofing, seasoning, and preserving wood, from wet and dryrot, worms, &c. The patent is an old one, in Great Britain, the United States, <fee. ; and the process is one of the advantages of which, as applied to wood intended to be subjected to exposure, whether in -w.*ter or out ot it, very many -persons in the Colony must have had experience, and of which most people must have heard or read. Mr R. Brazill, the agent for the patentee, left Dunedin a few days ago, for Wellington, to register the patent for this Colony.

A new plan for reforming drunkards has been adopted in Nelson. The Examiner thus notices the first person brought under operation of the system:— "The first case of posting a drunkard under the new Licensing Act took place yesterday, when the following notice from the Resident Magistrate was served on all the publicans, respecting a wellknown individual of the name of John Smith, formerly a brewer in Nelson : — 4 Notice : fhe undermentioned person having been convicted of drunkenness three times within the space of six calendar months, yoa are hereby c rationed not to supply him with spirituous liquors, wine, ale, 'beer, or porter, for a period of one year from this date.' Then follows the nam« and description of the offender."

The civil sittings of the Hokitika District Court opened on Saturday week. The only case of interest was Smith v. Ponsonby, in which the plaintiff sought to recover the sum of L 57 from Captain Gordon Ponsonby, late commander of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company's steamship Claud Hamilton, for lighterins goods from the said steamship. Mr Reea, "for the plaintiff, submitted that Captain Ponaonby was personally liable, as would be any man who made a contract, for the contract he had entered into with Smith. Mr Harvey applied for a nonßuifc, on the ground that the vessel being in port, Captain Ponsonby had no power whatever to enter into a contract. His Honor granted a nonauit, with costs, and Mr Rees immediately intimated his intention to appeal.

At the inquest on the body of Michael Hawkins —of whose death we give particulars in another column — held on Tuesday, at Waikouaiti, evidence was given of the results of a post mortem examination of the body ; and the jury returned a verdict, "That the death of Michael Hawkins resulted from a blow on the head, which blow was struck by some person te the jurors unknown." We learn further, that the deceased's mates were too drunk at the time of the affray to be able to give any information as to blows struck ; and that it is not probable that the striker of th© fatal blow will be discovered, so as to be charged with, manslaughter.

Of the Mataura and Nokomai districts, Mr Warden Stratford, in his report of 31st August, says :—": — " Mining has been carried on very briskly during the present -month, owing to the unusual supply of water by rain and thaws. Every description of mining is carried on at Switzers, driving, stripping, ground sluicing, and cradle washing by th« creeks. Not one kind of work more than, another prevails; but when the supply of water is increased (which we may probably expect in another month) tunnelling will give way to sluicing almost entirely. As far as I can hear, the poorest claims are yielding L 2 10s a week to each man, and the very richest L2O. Five Acres and Commissioner's Hills are pegged all over with claims, the holders waiting for Skene's great race to commence operations. I should think thera are not less than 100 claims on the two hills as yet unworkable. News has been brought in that a discovery has been made at tha head of the Waikaia, but on account of the great quantity of snow now lying in that direction, few miners have gone out as yet The want of » bank agency is very much felt, as well as an escort, as gold has to be conveyed away by private hands, and money matters of all kinds to be arranged by private accommodation. Cartage to Switzers is rery high, owing to the bad roads, and all the; approaches to the Township are heavy and boggy. The population of the diatrict-r Miners, 000 ; others, 100,"

Thcmembers t)f the' No. '1 Company of Xhmedin.yolunteera have presented one of their officers, Lieut., Longfield Davis, *with a iighly complimentary address, in recognition of " the services he has rendered, not only •to the Company,, but to the Volunteer cause in general/ The address is very neatly -engrossed upon a- sheet of parchment, the ■writing being encircled by a scroll of an •exceedingly chaste and appropriate design, executed by ,Mr Brown, Mercer's Buildings, Princes street. The address has been presented t© Lieut. Davis, on the occasion of lis departure for Queenstown.

According to announcement, Professor Hamilton delivered a lecture on Phrenology, in Crickmore's Royal Assembly Rooms, Port Chalmers, on Tuesday evening. The subjects chosen were the organs of the domestic and social affections, and the life-preserving and self- defending organ's 1 . The audience was numerous and attentive and appeared to -take great interest in the subjects brought nnder their notice ; though, as might be exjpected, the application' of the doctrines to real life were more appreciated than the strictly scientific parts. _ Great amusement ■was created by the examination of the heads ■of those who ascended the platform after the lecture.

From the Dunstan, Mr Warden Robinson, in bis report dated 31st inst., writes : — In the early part of the month the weather was cold and stormy ; in fact, the month das throughout been marked by the frequency of heavy squalls. The quantity of snow on the mountains is greater than has been observed for years past, and travelling has in conseaequence been much interrupted. Mining operations also have been much checked, or entirely suspended, in some of the higher lying gullies. The Chinese population continues steadily to increase ; and as remarked in a former report, the Chinese miners seem resolved to give the country a thorough trial, ior they are to be found in the most remote and apparently unlikely places. The chief settlement of them at present is in the neighborhood of the Half-way House, between ■Clyde and Cromwell. The latest news about them it that there i 3 a rush of Chinese to Maori Gully, near what is popularly known as M'Pherson's station, in tLe Roughridge Ranges.' The new dredging punt, built at •Clyde, wa3 launched on the 17th of the month, with all the honors. There can be aio doubt' that the system of dredging is .growing more and more into favour a3 a method of working for gold. The workings art the celebrated Frenchman's Point are still l>eing -carried on with vigor. A feeling is gaining ground among those most in a position to form an opinion, that there must be many other portions of the river banks which traly require working in a similarly thorough Tray to yield equally good returns. Of course, the amount ef sluicing work to be done must always be regulated by tho quantity of water available ; but with the Molynetix rolling past us, 'it is. absurd to say that all the water ©f the district is taken up. The value of crater as an agent in gold mining is plainly shown by the enormous sums that miners lave been willing to expend in the construction of races. Were anything like a similar amount applied under the direction of competent engineers to the raising of water for mining purposes from the great rivers, I am satisfied that the result would be a large profit on the capital, and a still greater advantage to the country. The population of ■the district is 1900, of whom 850 are European and 350 Chinese, engaged in mining operations. Mr Warden Hickson, Mount Bengor, reports that the weather during the greater part of the past month has been very severe, ieavy falls of snow and rain having occurred, making some of the roads in the district impassable for a time, and causing a further rise in the river, which necessitated the removal of boxes, wheels, &c. , from the principal sluicing claims along the banks ; indeed, causing a general cessation of all mining operations. Now, however, the weather is moderate, and the sluices are once more busily working. An eighth share in the Hit or Miss Co.'s claim, at Potters, -was sold, a short time since, at L2OO. Thi3 claim can only be worked during about seven months in' each year. A water race from tfce Teviot, carrying six heads of water, was also sold for L3OO. Rates of wage 3, L 3 12s to L 4. Population — European miners, 400 ; Chinese, 150 ; storekeepers and others, 70 ; total, (j2O. Mr Warden Croker, writing from the ■Gabriels District, 31st August, says: — "The «ost of provisions and rates' of labor in this district continue as previously reported. Mining interests in Gabriels continue in a satisfactory state. In the Waipori district there is" less gold obtained than usual, •owing, ,in the first place, to the fact that claims on the flat are, to a certain extent, -worked out, consequently, claims are being opened 'on the spurs. The prospects are generally ; but until Jwater race 3 are brought in, full results cannot be obtained; secondly, the lost time in tbese winter months' is quite equal to three days a ■week."The estimation in which the talent of Miss Fanny Carandini is held was shewn at her Taenefit concert on Wednesday at the Princess The boxes were completely filled, and the pit, though not over-crowded, "was also well attended. Nothing- is more difficult *than to maintain the interest of a series of concerts, extending over bo long a period' as those given by the' Carandini family ; yet on Wednesday evening there ' appeared to be no diminution .in thepleasure with -irhich several old and many new songs were , to, • ■> • „,,,,

During the week en&ing September 6th, 13 men and 3 ■women we*e reoeivecl'intoHhe Dunedin Gaol; and 15 men and 2'wotneii were! discharged. The following are the numbers and conditions of the prisoners — Awaiting trial, 1} with sentence of .death recorded, 2; undergoing penal servitude, 15 ;hard labor prisoners, 41 men, 14 women $ in default ol; bail, 1 ; debtors, 7, men, 2 women. Total — men, 67 ; women, 16. Two meetings have been- held at Christ's church, to consider the question of • New Zealand scholarships. At the. first, a motion was carried approving of any, successful candidate having the option of attending any University or School of Medicine in the United Kingdom, or any of the Inns of .Court in London. At the adjourned meeting, a motion in favor of the foundation of a New Zealand University waa proposed ; but an' ( amendment, declaring the proposition to be' premature, was carried by 17 votes. The following items of mining news from the. Blue Spur appear in the Bruce Herald of Wednesday : — Morrison and Co. fired their heavy blast on the 2nd inst. using a charge of 29501bs of powder, deposited in the' chambers ; the upper chamber contained (JOOlbs of powder, and the lower one 23501b5'/ The shot is, in all respects, a splendid success, and reflects the highest credit onMessrs Morrison- and Co. for the practical skill and energy they have dis«, played in introducing improved methods of blasting into their workings. On this occasion the Company only opened two of the 118 kegs of powder they used for the purpose of inserting the train into the loose powder, and the remaining 116 kegs were placed unopened around the chambers, and a large open space was left between the powder and the tamping, in order to ensure the complete combustion of the powder, and render the explosion, more effective. The old method of tamping tight with loose clay and gravel was discarded, and the tamping, used was blocks of loose cement, and large stones placed loosely in the tunnel ; and the advantages of this method in wet ground cannot be too highly appreciated, as the tamping gives free exit to all drainage water, and keeps the powder quite dry. The excellent results of Messrs Morrison and' Co 's blast prove the efficiency of the method they adopted. An accident occurred during the week to the gate of the Hibernia Water Co.'s dam, which for a time put a stop to' washing operations in the claims of Kepple and Co. and Fife and Co., the two companies who own the race and dam. Livingstone and Co. successfully fired a small blast with a charge of 2501bs of powder, on the 4th. Fife and Co are putting in a tunnel for another shot. The Blue Spur Company have five or six weeks' washing on hand before they finish the cement brought down by their last shot. The L-yttelton. Times, in a leading article, says, "The conduct of Mr Stanley Jones, both as Commissary-General of the Imperial troops in New Zealand, and Imperial Commissioner on a special and important snbject — but especially the former — suggests a question of some importance, so far aa the Colonies are concerned. We read over the despatches of Sir George Grey to Mr Cardwell, or some other Secretary of Stata for the Colonies, and, we find continually the same thing occurring — Hia Excellency meeting and rebutting charges brought against himself, his responsible advisers, and the colonists, by the Commander of the forces, or some of his subordinates. The case 3in point are, unfortunately, only too well-known. General Cameron complains to the Commander-in-Chief in England, who faithfully transmits the complaints to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who writes harsh despatches to the Governor. Mr Commissary-General Jones forwards criticisms to the Lords Commissioners of the Imperial Treasury on the General, and slanders the Governor, Ministry, and Colonists — neglecting his own duty meanwhile, as we have seen — and these also find their way to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who pens more despatches to the Governor couched, if possible, in harsher terms. An obscure and credulous Colonel of Her Majesty's forces, serving in the Colony, writes to an equally credulous brother ,in England, charging the General, Governor, j Ministry, and Colonists with the most brutal atrocities towards the Natives. These charges are also duly transmitted to the Secretary ©f State for the Colonies, who so far believes them as to insult the Governor and Colonists by asking the former to refute them. And all this ends in ,the curt recall of a Governor, whose only fault seems to have been a dignified and spirited defence of his own position; and an unanswerable vindication of the people he governed. It appears that a General, unsuccessful and disappointed; a Commissariat officer, insolent and culpable in the performance of his duty ; and a Colonel with an anile belief in and talent for the marvellous, may write what they choose to the Imperial authorities with impunity and , even accept-, ance, while a Governor distinguished for his ability, and notedforunweafied devotion to his duty, cannot defend himself and the people of this Colony from gross and.therefore obvious calumnies, unless at the expense of hia posi- . tion. This is the only conclusion which it is possible to arrive at after a careful consideration of the whole subject. Much as the colonists will regret the recall of Sir George Grey, they will regret still more the manner in which that recall has been made, and the conviction thus forced upon them that the Homd authorities are ready to believe whatever' is spoken to the disadvantage 'of the' Colony; while they visit its defence with the^ severest punishment." "

It sfcait*ai)y, the- Wellington Independent fhatja samri^'snSdk 6t Earthquake, lasting Beveralise*Joilds; I'*»w1 '*»we > ,felt :: th«ire early on tfie ! tndrriingx)frthe26tianilt."' Itwaji accompanied 1 by ia jTumbling noise. We ext^cVfroin the' *Waik"ouaiU Himld the following notice of the celebration 'of the anniversary, cff the 'Loyal .' Prince Alfred Lodge, Mi'U, wMchtookplace, accord ingtoaniiouncement,{on. Thursday >st» the 29iih ult.. -and was one of the most successful affairs ever i witnessed in Waikouaiti. , After due consideration and, some, discussion it was decided that 'the celebration should ponsist of a- concert, supper "and f balL 'As the^ most commodious and .available building in the town, Tennent's store had been 'selected in which, the concert ,. and , ball were to be held, and the interior of the building had been completely metamorphosed.' A handsome stage 1 had been erected, which displayed considerable-artistic taste, and added not a little tothe attractiveness of the store, the walls and ceiling of which, were decorated with p. liberal display of evergreens. ..flowers, aud emblems o| the, Order,, effectively arranged, thus\rendoring"to "the wliole a pleasant and' comfortable appearance. To those members of the' eomniittee who devoted tim^and ;labor; to make the store presentable too much praise cannot be bestowed ; indeed, so general was the, desire amongst the members of committee' tnat the affair ahould j come off with- success that' all did their best to consummate this, and the result was both ' creditable and. .commendable. The j Concert was announced to commence punctually at 8 o'clock, by.which'timethej'tore wa3 well filled, and by half, past 8 o'clock it wag literally crammed, all, the available seats being occupied, and many had to content themselves with standing room. There must have been upwards of two hundred people present, which evinced the great interest taken ha the concert by the public, from many of ,the .performers being residents in the town,, and' the knowledge that the proceeds were to bo devoted to the Public' Library, no doubt contributed its quota. At the conclusion of the concert a large portion of the company present adjourned to an adjoining apartment, when an excellent supper, prepared by Bro. James, P.G., w,ts in waiting for them. The tables were laid out in yery neat style,' and the room was suitably decorated with 'fern leaves and flags. About 30 ladies and 50, gentlemen sat down to supper. Bro. 'Coupar, N.Gi, occupied the chair, and Bro. Templeton^ Y.-Grr-filled~the vicechair. A band, specially engaged from Dunedin for tho occasion,' under the r< leadership of Mr Lack, discoursed.- -excellent music throughout the night. Tie ball-room waa well filled, ' and presented a very- gay and animated appearance, the members of Odd Fellowship- being -iii regalia', which contributed much to reader the scene a most pleasing one to look upon. Mr Macn»i£ officiated as M.C., and the dancing t was conducted with great decorum and judgment. I Dancing commenced about twelve o'clock, and was kept up with great animation till day-break,' when one of the most successful and pleasant evenings ever spent in this^ town was brought to a c10.5e,., -

A Melbourne telegram of the 29feh nit. published, in the- Sydney papers, states :— The M'Culloch Mifcisttfy- has returned to power, tha Opposition never having been asked by the' Governor to form a Ministry. A bill ,for the appropriation of L 300.000 sterling was' brought up to-night to pay salaries ; it is certain, to pass. • The Parliament .will be prorogued for a few days, and the Appropriation BilL with the Darling vote included, will then be sent up as before.

The Canterbury Pretfs of the' 6th inst., in relation, to the proposed Scholarships, says, • " The meetings of the College library have resulted in ajpetition which is to be presented to the General Assembly, in the name of the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch. The petition set 3 out that two meetings of persons interested in the establishment of New- Zealand scholarships were called by Eublic advertisement, and held at the College brary, Christchurch, on Monday and Wednesday evenings, the 2nd and 4th instant, arid that at those meetings the following resolutions , were passed : — ■ ' That in the opinion of this meeting, any successful candidate for the public scnolarabip3' proposed to he created by the General Assembly, should have the option .of completing bis studies at any of the "Universities of the, United Kingdom, or in case of his intention to go to the bar, or to study for the medical profession, that he should have the option of entering any of the Inns of Court of London, ,or any one of ■ the recognised schools of medicine in the i United' Kingdom.' ' Tha^ every such scholarship should bo tenable for not less than four years, and-should be of tbe annual value of not less than L2oi), with'the addition of IdOO-fortravelling and '6thef extra exgens.es ,of the. first year, and ; HOO for thd'se of the-la3t year I .'" -'That all competitive examinations should be such aa to- test the- qualifications'" of Ihe' candidates for the highest kind of University education.' j ,'vTlw^. -while, thJB would r.Tegasd wiibj's^tis^a^ionan^, public measure by which! th'&j pVeae^.ed^ca^onal, standard, in: the _Colony 'njay Be/ improve^ fit .considers that at present the 1 estabiisnpient' pi a, Uni-. veraijy, fpr;\]Sfew Zealand 'is" premature.'' 'That the Chairman 1 r 6f' the meeting 'be requested to 1 draw up petitions to : £h'e J.fcegislatlVe Council and' the Hotise 'of.' RepresentativeS, J adopted at the' two meetings h«ld on 2- and S^tjtember.4, and. ito -sign .such- petitions on 1 behalf {of Jibe. I m9etjng, 1 - The petition! prays that'the House will resolutions into-.

[ An Auckland jour&aVxßojfrejtimiB 1 *ag«V"J ' gravely 'proposed £hat some ofj fhe.^mafle^.jf ■vessels belbngihg^to that city might not "bs\ ■unprofitably' 'employed 'In' importing, 'occa* sionally, a cargo of ice from Otago ■! Tht ■ ' West ,Coa,3t ffimea is responsible- for something equally amusing. In reporting the - arrival of the steamer Keera at Hokitika,. . that journal says : — " The Keera made aa i unusually long stay at Djihedin, being delayed there, by a period of, the most inclement Weather, that' extended over a fortnight,, and very nearly brought business to a standstill. For-uight days it rained, with nth&ti oecasionrU variation of, snow-storms, 'that once covered the streets with a coating three feet in thickness, to the amazement of th»Dunedinites, as such visitations are rar* even in that southern locality."

Tt is rumored in the Wanganui district, that a discovery of gold has .been made io, the Patea River, and that sluicing is going, on extensively.

Water is now being introduced by pipesto the Acclimatisation Society's grounds,. for the purpose of supplying the pond which has already been formed by thd Manager, Mr Clifford, and the breeding ponds intended for the reception of the trout ova which are expecttd shortly from Tasmania. The Water of Leith is the sourcsfrom which this supply is brought ; a fourinch pipe being laid from that stream som* distance above Duncan's Mills, through the Town Belt, and across the road ■ immediately contiguous to the toll-house.. Inside of "the grounds, a tank has been built, for the reception of any silt conveyed by the water,, and from the tank the water is led by & three- inch pipe to the artificial pond forbirds, and by a two-inch pipe to the fishbreeding boxes. The pipes used are ordinary clay drain pipes, but they are being jointed. v/ith zinc or tin, and well puddled ; and it. is expected that they will- fully answer- the purpose which they are intended to serve. Thefence around the pond for water-fowl has nowbeen completed, and Mr Clifford 'is at present: busy finishing the pond, aafar as it is at-pre-sent intended to form it, and in laying the necessary out-let pipes and rubble.-facing: to the banks. Around the pond- will boplanted weeping willows and other trees of a description suitable to the situation, aiwL the black swans, which are hatching, will be some of the first 6f its inmates. At present the fence forms ?„ convenient temporary enclosure - for the Cashmere and Angora goats, which, however valuable they may otherwise be, have, really dene a considerable amount of harm by destroying thobark of many of the smaller indigenous treesThe foncin^ of the breeding-ponds for trout,, is .the next piece of work to be done, and an^ enclosure for the Axis Deer is also conteiu*plated.-

In the North-east Valley, on Tuesday, an. accident happened by which a fine horse waskilled, and its rider, slightly injured. A workman in one of the works near-theWater-of Leith had got upon a torse, and was riding, it furiously and recklessly along the side of" tho road, in the vicinity iof the toll-bar, oc-~ casionaily spurring on the animal to perform> feats in tho way of leaping over ditches and heaps of 3tones. As he rode out beyond the • toll-bar at a smart icanter, the horse failed tonotice a shallow ditch which intersects iha • un-macadamised portion of the road. It propped, right into the ditch, and, in the effort to recover itself, apparently broke its back, for it rolled over, and after one or two Vainstruggles to regain its feet, it died. Theman was thrown a considerable distance,, and got a bad fall, but the ground was comparatively soft, and although stunned and insensible for a little time, he did not appear *ta be seriously injured. Had he not been, thrown so freely from his seat the - chances--are that he would have got beneath th«~ horse, and become himself a sufferer to at more serious extent, by his own carelessness and culpable folly.

The Readings, on Thursday evening (says , the Tuapeka Press), came off with more than usual eclat. The fine weather— which hasbeen so rare'of late — enabled many persdn* to attend, who have been hitherto prevented from so doing ; and, accordingly,- we observed in the crowded room many, faces front ' the more distant parts of the neighbourhood. We think the increasing popularity of thes*readings would justify the Committee iriiudd*ing them weekly, instead of fortnightly. ■ TheGlee Club are attaining considerable proficiency in their part- of ' the performances, and delightfully vary the entertainments Dr. Halley was voted to the Chair ; and Messrs Adams, Vauso, Francis, Ford, Morrison, and "Bailey, and Master Bastings gav«readings. Solos were excellently sung. byMessrs Hall aud Maule, while Mrs Hall's part in the Glee Club was fully up to herusual style. Our Dunstan Correspondent, a day or t,YT»- • ago, referred toabilli'aramatchatQueenstown,. batween Messrs Powell and Eichardt. TheWakatip Matl, of Saturday, says, 1 " The twoadvertised billiard matches between MessrsEichardt and PoweE were played, the /one • ,on Wednesday, and^ the oijher on, Thursday ■ 'evening lasii. Considerable interest va» manifested, and the saloons were well filled on each night by lovers pf the game. Th» first game was played in Eichardt's Queen/a ' Arms saloon, and the second 1 l in 'Powell'* 'Jockey Club saloon. The ;matches werefor LlO each. The results in the' respective case* ' were so different that it is difficult to say* '< whether it lay. in- the tables-.ortie^imiopof- ■ the players. Possibly each had a shore, in deciding the contest ' In "the first .maida, Mr Eichardt made his 300 whan Mr l?oweli scoied ' only '217-? -and > in-tb.e" second', Mr - Powell scored 300 to Mr EichardJ's 25©/ ? - : *

We are informed that - the Revd. Thomas T?orsaittt, .'Minister of "th'e' Congregational Church, Port Chalmers, having been invited to accept the pastorate . of a church at New-. oastle, New' {South "Wales, the pulpit 'of* which is at present vacant, has accepted the " invitation..' , It is understood'that Mrs For- ■ aaith's health, has suffered during the winter, ■ and it is hoped the change may , prove beneficient .to her. The Rev. gentleman's congregation generaUy regret his leaving. Capt. Thomas Robertson, of Port Chalmers, has ' completed the painting of three very &ie marine, pictures, as a portion of the series of paintings which are to constitute "the> prizes in his second Art Union. The ■pictures • are now at the rooms of Mr De Maus, photographer, Fleet street, for the purpose of being photographed, and by all wiio have seen them, they are considered to •'he some of the best pictures of marine scenes ■which have yet been painted by the same artist. They are also pictures which permit •«£ very satisfactory photograph's being taken, ■-and Mr De Maus has succeeded in producing •number of photographs, which are not only • -accurate representations of the originals, but -are, in other respects,, very creditable specimens of photographic art. The largest of tiixi pictures, and the one which is most valuable' in a historical and artistic point of Tiew, is a painting of "The Landing of SirQeo. ' -Grey. at Port Chalmers, from H.M.S. Brisk." j The bay of Port Chalmers, and its picturesque • surroundings, have already been painted by •Captain Robertson, in a variety of aspects and from several stand-points ; but the present picture is essentially different from all hia former ones, as it includes a greater ex- ' tent of the hill scenery of the Port, and the - sea and eky jure painted under an aspect which, though it may be an aspect common •enough on a bright, breezy New Zealand summer day, ianot-joften so faithfully represented in a picture. The Brißk ia repre- = seated as at anchor off Rocky Point, with her .yards manned, her guna firing the salute, and 'the Governor's boat leaving the ship's side, 'The other vessels represented in the picture *jw th« Caribou, Warrior .Queen, and Velocidade ; and, as usual with Captain Robertson's drawings of ships, each is sketched with ~-a» accuracy of detail which makes the pic■•tttre doubly valuable. The picture of the 'Brisk as, especially, a " faithful, likeness." But, next to the peculiarity of the 'Coloring of sea and sky, the perspective 'Of the picture is its best feature. The shipping are seen in good relief, and, in the painting of the township of Port Chalmers, the idea of distance is conveyed without any. -sacrifice of clearness or distinctness of detail. Of the other pictures, one is a painting of " Vessels off Otago Heads," the principal •object being the ship Caribou, sailing "by iihe wind," under a press of canvas. It is an exceedingly lively picture, finely sketched -and colored. The third is of the same character, although fully more attractive and impressive. It is a painting of "Vessels in Foveaux Straits." The ship City of Dnnedin is represented in the foreground, with othere between her and tha shore, each preparing or prepared for the bad weather which the appearance of the clouds to the westward' 'suggests as impending, in quantity unlimited. In the background are seen the Bluff, Dog Island, and the Takitimo Ranges, 'Capt Robertson is at present engaged in the painting of some other pictures, including -some views of wreck scenes; and, with those -which are now being photographed, they ■will form a very valuable and interesting -addition to tho yet small number of paintings of the same character which have been produced by the amateur artists of New I

-Zealand. A correspondent of the Tlmaru Herald, amongst other equally sensible remarks on the altogether neglected subject of the ventilation of public buildings, says :—": — " In every building' erected for mental instruction it is most important that the house should be well ventilated. Of all houses, a church should he most perfectly ventilated. If there be no -change of air, it passes through so many lungs that its vitality becomes exhausted ; -the people pant, they know notwhy, because 4hey have become stupified— feeling an almost irresistible desire to sleep. The minister -preaches in vain. The sermon is lost, and worse than lost. How is it, then, that this ■ventilation matter is so little tho subject of •^careful thought ?" The Soiree and Concert held last week in the School House, Mornington, in .aid of "the Sabbath School Funds, was in every ■way a success. The room and its approaches were densely crowded, and many who had paid for 'admission were obliged to be con--•tented with a view from stages and ladders -erected outside the open windows. But all inconveniences were good-humoredly borne. The audience had evidently determined to "be pleased, and, despite the crowding and <srußhing, the whole affair passed off without a single drawback to the general enjoyment. 'The nail was very prettily and tastefullydecorated. The walls were covered with banners, and ferns, relieved here and there lay bannerets, bearing inscriptions in gold, from the ceiling flags and streamers -were hung, and the beams were converted into arches by decorations of foliage, :»nd cut flowers fringed with fern sprays. From the first, beam a flag-'with the word ■"Welcome" was hung. 'After tea preparations were made for the concert. The chief feature of the first part of the entertainment was the songs : " Erik my Country" and ■"Home, 'sweet home," sung in a .most expressive and touching manner by Miss Bell, who'accomp'anied herself on the pianoforte. The latter ballad was esjpe'cially effectivje 1 and awakened the sympathie's,-of ,the audience. A lady aiuateur sang " Sweet spirit, hear

my .prayer," .and , ''fljhe dashing •vfhite sergeant, ' ' . yf ry . creditabjjy, X , well-known amateur ' from Port .ph4ffpi|B; ba»g m » number of songs, and .by 'His' versatility mode himself •a'favbrite:'' ri |^sti i ' he 'gave two Scotch songs ;-the», a spirit 'stirrm^ seahallad ; and lastly;.an' lrish dittyJ l Okher' gentlemen amateurs gave a.. number of ballads, duets, and trios very fairly. . Mr G; J; Brown was accompanyist to the' latter. '.The' second portion , of. , the entertainment consisted of the performances of the now wellknown Dunedin Ama. cur, Christy Minstrels, whose vocal and instrumental ajbilitie.a were the means of bringing down constant rounds of applause,- and whose' '* witticisms" "created as constant 'roars' of laughter/ At the close of theeoncerb, Mr Bamford apologised for the scarcity Of accommodation,' 'alluding to the necessity that had long been felt'in the the district for a larger xoomj <"He said the soiree had, been < thoroughly successful, and the object of its promoters would be gained, as a Large sum of money had .been realised. He asked for a vote of , thanks, to. the ladieß who had provided the tea, and to, those who had taken part in the ' entertainment. The j request was heartily responded to.

The greater part of the towaship of Hokitika seems to have been, last week, in danger of "being washed away by the sea. A telegram' of the 30th ult,' states : — "A, very heavy gale is blowing from the south-west and there is a tremendous snrf oh. A greatdeal df the beach has been washed away by the stirf . ' Beach street has disappeared, and Revell street is threatened from end to end. Ten houses' that- were in danger of being washed away have -been removed to-day. There is a great panic in consequence of the encroachments of the sea." The Grey Rivy Argv? ol the following -day reports :— " At Hokitika, the sea was very high yesterday morning ; during a short rtay on the Beach our informant saw two houses washed down and smashed to pieces in a minute. Since Thursday night the crown of the Beach is fully 12 feet nearer Osborne's Hotel. In returning 1 Home by Osborne's right-of. way, onr informant -calculated' the dis<tance,' and is- of' opinion" that the surf is not more than > yards ' from Revell street." The West Coast Times Bays' :— "So furious was the onslaught of. the waves that in more, than one instance .the windows of the houses were in and the rooms filled -with water to the great consternation of the tenants. r During the whole of yesterday and up to a late hour last night men were busily" engaged in pulling down, houses which had been • erected all along the North, Beach, whilst horses- • and drays \rere carting away- the materials; The water swept far up into the Empire right-of-way, and flooded many of the -tack premises in Revell street. The sea came up Ores' lane, Bendigo lane, and York -lane, and' flooded from thence into Revell street, pouring down the side channels until it reached the river. We have heard many persons who have resided in Hokitika for some time Bay that never before have they known the sea encroach so far up oh the land. It is, however, hoped that after Stfnday, when the highest spring tide is expected, that the beach will again make-up. If signs of this shortly appeal", it will be the means of allaying much anxiety on the part; of the owners and occupiers of property on thenor£h side of Kevell street. Last night the surf was exceedingly high. Most of the back premiseu on that side of Revell street nearest the beach were flooded, and the water again rushed up the rightß-of-way into the main street. Beach street for a time was inundated, and a cottage half-way down the Empire right-of-way was struck by a heavy sea, which broke dowii the kitchen wall, and necessitated the removal of the inmates. It was reported that a woman and child were aearly being carried away with the surf, and that they were rescued with .considerable difficulty."

The Provincial Council of Hawke's Bay recently called for a return, having reference to the charges under the head of Supreme Court. The Provincial Secretary on the following day laid 'upon the table in its stead a letter from the Deputy-Registrar, enclosing a copy of the circular issued 'by ihe Colonial Secretary to officers <of the General Government, forbidding, them to give any information respecting their departments. The required particulars were, however, obtained from other sources.' From private sources the 2vew Zealand Advertiser learns that the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company had prepared their last half-yearly report preparatory- to laying, it before the Directors 'at their next general meeting, which would be held immediately after the departure of the laßt mail via Panama. The report and balance-sheet, it is abated, will indicate a loss in round numbers of about L9OOO on the inter-provincial service alone ; but it is gratifying' to add > that the Panama service has paid, ithe results showing a steady increase for the first six months of the establishment of the line. The report States that for the first two months of this period of six months the earnings of the Company's vest sels running between Panama and Sydney to be under LIOOO/ while during the last two months of the same^perjod they had in} creased to over L 6,000. ' The Company had recently gained a' law- suit, which- was likely to 'place nearly L20,0u0 in their coffers, atfd altogether, -though no dividend will be paid, and the price .of their share has again receded j in consequence of that, they are full .of lif<s and /vigour, and having a half million sterling engaged,, in £ueir New Zealand steam seryjce3,, they fee}, thai; -with only ordinary, "success and ordinary prudence they are ceri tain ultimately to succeed. • ' f

The shooting by the Naval Brigade; for the rifle lately presented to the Company by Captain Stavely, took place on Saturday afternoon, at the Company's Butts, j on' the Ocean Beach. There were about j twenty, competitors., This is the first of twelve matches by members of the Com- i pany, and in order' to secure the prize,' the winners in each will have to compete. The ranges are 200, 400, 500, and 600 yards, Hythe position. The following are the four I highest scores on Saturday : — 200 Tl S. P.O. Smith 23333—14 Gunner Stevens 23333—14 Lieutenant Stewart 32333—14 ! Gunner Dobbie 20232—9 I ' ' 400 Tl. i S. P. O. Smith ' 40444—16 Gunner Stevens ... 23333—14 Lieutenant Stewart 40423—13 Gunner Dobbie 43332-15 500 Tl. S. P. O. Smith 32333-14 : Gunner Stevens 40303—10 Lieutenant Stewart 03232—10 Gunner Dobbie 43032—12 600 TL S. P. O. Smith 04233-12 Gunner Stevens ./. 30344—14 Lieutenant Stewart 34240—13 Gunner Dobbie 30330—9 The Melbourne Argus says :—": — " There is at length a reasonable prospect of the establishment of regular and rapid steam communication by the long sea route between the Mother Country and this Colony. Two Bchemes have been submitted to the notice of the public and the Government during the last month by the local representatives of English firms, and in each instance a guarantee is offered that the voyage shall be accomplished in six weeks, via the Cape of Good Hope. Mr BurstsU, on behalf of Messrs Randolph, Elder and Co, announced that those gentlemen were •prepared to build a fleet of steamships, of 2620 tons' burthen' each, capable of carrying 400 passengers and 1000 tons of measurement goods, and calculated to make tho run from Plymouth to .Melbourne in forty-six days, which would be reduced to forty-two or less in the event of their" being eaoonraged to build Vessels of greater tonnage and power. In return, Messrs Randolph, Elder, and Co., ask that this -Govern.-) ment should either guarantee a reasonable rate of 'interest on the capital invested, or contribute a subsidy of LIO.OOO per voyage out and home, the first vessel' to be placed on the line in eighteen months from the present time. The second offer emanates from Messrs J. H. Harrington and Co., of Billiter square, London, and has beeH made through Mr Lawrance, shipbroker, of this city. They proposa to lay down a monthly line of steamships between Plymouth and Melbourne for the conveyance of passengers, measurement goods, and specie, and to compass the distance in forty-two days. Their conditions are, that the contract : should endure for ten years, and that they ! should receive a subsidy of L 60,000 per annum, subject to a deduction of LSOO per diem for every day occupied in excess of the stipulated time, and to an addition of a like sum for every day by which that term may be shortened. They will be ready to despatch the first ship of the line in twelve months from the date of ratifying the agreement ; and it is stated that five vessels, of 2500 tons burden each, built expressly for speed, and fitted up with the latest improvements for economising the consumption of fuel, could be laid on at very short notice. Both propositions, we believe, are occupying the attention of the Government, and (political , complications apart) they could have scarcely presented themselves at a more opportune i moment."