News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 1242, 18 September 1875, Page 15

News of the Week.

The Anglican Diocesan Synod will meet on the 21st of this month.

The Police have no intention of prosecuting an inquiry into the origin of the late fire at Phoenix Bond.

On Saturday last the Sailors' Home contained seven boarders, ten having entered and fourteen left during the week.

At a meeting of the Athenaeum Committee, held last evening, it was resolved to send £100 to the Home agents to purchase books.

At the Police Court, Port Chalmers, .on Monday, the Mayor presiding, John Brown and Wm. Thompson were each fined 10s, or in default, to be imprisoned for 24 hours, for drunken and disorderly conduct. Our Poverty Bay correspondent telegraphed last Tuesday that a violent shock ot earthquake was felt at twenty minutes past eleven on Monday night. * It was the severest felt for fifteen years. The direction was west to east.

Some lambs, tho first of the season, were shown at the City Company butchery last week. It is very rare that lamb is to be had so > early, those- exhibited being in the market three or four weeks beiore the usual time. We believe they came from the West Taieri.

At the Police Court on Saturday Wm, Blair was fined 5s for drunkenness; and Robert Stevens was fined 203, in default 48 hours' imprisonment, for having no lawful means of support. James Smith was sentanced to three months' 1 imprisonment. Messrs Birch and Mercer presided.

The Queen's Theatre was again uncomfortably filled last Sunday, when Mr Dick presided at the service. The Rev. J. G. Pateraon, of Waihola, and Mr Jeffreys delivered impressive discourses. " Angels Hovering Round," one of Sankey's collection of hymns, was beautifully rendered by the choir.

We are informed that, in anticipation of the -approaching season, cricketers in the Tokomairiro district are beginning to bestir themselves. They have secured a piece of ground near the railway line, and have put it into good order ; in fact, our informant states. that there will be none better in the Province excepting Dunedin. We' wish them all success. " '""' MrJ. Connell, of Hanover street, writes us, suggesting that a public* subscription should be started to give the. deaf;- mute John ' Eager some substantial testimonial for the heroism he displayed in saving a child from drowning at the old jetty, Yauxhall; on Sunday last. We shall be very pleased to take charge of any subscriptions thafc may be sent us>for so deserving.an object. ■

A Press Agency telegram states that on Tuesday nighv,* alter the adjournment of the House, the leaders of both parties met to continue negotiations, and it was* finally resolved that the Abolition Bill should come into operation one day after the first session of the new Parliament. All factious opposition will now be withdrawn, and the Bill considered in committee oh its merits.

A prisoner was received into the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday from the country. While one of the hard labour gang of the Tuapeka Gaol, he met with an accident by which his thigh bone was broken. He has been in the Tuapeka Hospital .for three months past, and will, when he sufficiently recovers, be sent from the Dunedin Hospital to Naseby, where a charge against him is to be heard. ,

Our Auckland correspondent informs us by telegraph that there was - a • pleasant gathering at the welcome to the Vesey Stewart's party of special settlers. Old colonists told their experiences and young" ones their hopes. Music, dancing, and feasting made up a good programme. — Four valuable horses belonging to Mr Quick were drowned when swimming across the Waikato River.

The seoond quarterly meeting of the Primitive Methodists of Dunedin was held on Wednesday — Mr Clark in the, chair. The Secretary reported that there were 38 enrolled members, S lay preachers, 6 "other office-bearers ; and after paying all, demands ud to date, there remained , a balance in favour of the Society of £18 19s 2d. A steady but certain progress' appears to characterise this Society. *

We were shown by Mr White, of Tokomairiro, on the 10th, a Rockingham, glazed teapot, which is the first of the kind which has been turned out from his establishment, and he expects in a short time to be able to, supply New Zealand with these teapots.' The one m rmesfcioß, which hap been placed

in the window of Messrs Matheson Brothers, compares favourably, with the English article, being superior both in finish and glaze.

At the Police Court on Tuesday, John M'Kelleny was fined 5s for drunkenness, and on a further charge of using obscene language, he was ordered to pay a penalty of 20a, in default, three days' imprisonment. Daniel Gallic was discharged with, a caution. Four children — Andrew, Christopher, Eva, and Walter, Le Bott — brought up as neglected children, were remanded until the following day. Dr Niven and T. S. Hickson, Esq., J.P.s, presided. At the regular fortnightly meeting of the St Paul's Young. Men's Association in the vestry on the lObh inst., the President (Yen. Archdeacon Edwards) occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance. The Secretary read an interesting paper on " Scandal," in which he rather ungallantly gave the palm to the conversation of the gentler sex at " afternoon teas." An amusing discussion took place, and the proceedings were closed in the usual manner.

From the Sydney Morning Herald of the 31st ultimo (obligingly furnished by 1 the officers of H.M.S. Sappho), we (Cross) extract the following item : — A telegramdated London, August 28, to the following effect, has been received by the secretary to" the Australian Mortgage, Land, and Finance Company : " The August wool sales continue very flat. Fleece is a penny to twopence lower. Greasy wools have fallen fully one penny lower than the price obtained at the •June sales."

A social gathering of the members of the Perth, Angus, and Meams Association, and their friends, was held at the Oddfellows'' Hall on the 10th inst. ' There was a go ! od attendance. The President (Mr K. Ramsay) occupied the chair. After tea a concert took place, and of the songs given those' of Miss Webb and, Mr Denovan were particularly well appreciated. Afterwards jtbe company enjoyed themselves by dancing. Mr Charles Sykes was the pianist.

A Taupo corresprndent of the Southern Cross says :— " The • mountain ' has been lately giving some symptoms of awakening from its long slumber, and sundry rumblingswith lurid lights playing'fitfully around the crater's rugged lips, betoken possibly an ap-, proaching active season of the tapued giant.' The natives prophesy the death of one of their chiefs soon, in consequence of Tongariro's threatening aspect, and all the Tyndalls and Huxleys in the world wouldn't alter their ideas in this respect." , A leading member of the Opposition telegraphed on Wednesday evening as foL follows : — The newspapers put altogether a wrong construction on the conditions agreed to by the Opposition. What is done is simply that we abstain from factious Opposition, the quid pro quo being that the Bill shall not come into force till a given date. All other conditions, such as the Provincial Council not meeting, and such like, we protest against and will oppose, but must submit to if forced upon us by the majority. ; '

During the week ending 11th September, 24 patients were ad nitted into the Dunedin Hospital and 18 were discharged therefrom. Four patients died during the week, viz. ': Jane Kelysham, nged.4l, native of Scotland, from disease of the heart ; John Edhouse, aged 52, native of England, from disease] of the heart ; Catherine Halley, aged 52; native of Scotland, from disease of the heart ; and George Brown, asjed 64, native of Holland, from disease of the brain. The number of patients at present in the Hoapitalis 176, ot whom 42 are females.

A meeting w«s held at Herr Schott's Rooms, and convened by that gentleman, for the purpose of forming an Orchestral Society in conjunction with an instrumental class of instruction, having for its object the development of orchestral instrumentalists, with the view of assisting other Societies in the production of works requiring a oomplete and efficient orchestra. Mr Hunter 1 was elected secretary pro tern. The meeting then adjourned till Thursday, 16th inat.,'for jthe election of president, committee, and enrolment of members. ' •

A Coroner's inquesbwas held at Steadman's Junction Hotel, East Taieri, on the 9th inst., on the body of Henry Steadman, who was killed near Saddle Hill Toll-bar on the 7th ihst., by the upsetting of a coach. Evidence was given to the effect that deceased, who was unmarried and twenty-seven years of age, was driving Mrs Steadman'saookch' from West Taieri to Dunedin on the "day in question, and through striking a horse hitched to the near wheeler, caused it to jib, and ao brought on the accident. A verdict of " Accidental death" was returned. , ■

The Russian World directs the attention of the Russian Government to the proceedings of the Americans in the Okhotsk Sea, and counsels it to take instant measures for neutralising the efforts of the United States of America to, gain a footing in the Kurile, Islands. If, it says, we let the Americans establish themselves there, a conflict between Russia and the United States will, sooner or later, become unavoidable, and in case of a war between- the two powers Japan "will be against us. A war of this nature might also possibly bring about a separatist movement in Siberia.

! The Wellington correspondent}' of i 'the West Coast Times aayo the member 'for Hokitika is a lively chicken in, the Grey, rookery. Sir George has only io.ilap jhia wings, and White will crow aloud' even to midnight. If a Maori hen disturb him even, his feathers bristle up and his comb reddens. • He hates all men in power seemingly, j It has ever been so. He now loves Grey next to White. His. violent opposition to ! the Government measures is a sad mistake for Westland at present, as Sir George Grey and party are not at all likely to handle the Treasury keys this session.

The increasing pressure of business in connection with the Resident Magistrate's Court demands the immediate attention of General Government. Frequent complaints have, been made of the great inconvenience borne by the general public through this, Court not having sufficient officers. His .Honour Judge Bathgate was sitting in Chanv bers in the District Court on the 9th inst., and consequently did not commence his duties at tfie R,M. Court till about an hour «ftar tfea ta appointed, thereby focon.

veniencing.the Bar, the litigants, and the representative of the Press.

The new arrangement respecting the medical staff of the Dunedin Hospital, which, we intimated not long ago, had been decided upon by the Provincial Government, had effect given it on Saturday last. As we formerly stated, Dr Hulme continues to be the controlling head of the institution. In the meantime, Dr Hocken is associated with him in the supervision of the surgical wards, while DrsFergusson and Brown attend to the medical cases. Ib is said that some of the Hospital officials have resigned through reductions of salary having been made simultaneously with the chaDge in the arrangement of the medical staff.

The Tuapeka Times is pleased to learn that therailway works on Messrs Morrison and Co.'s contract are progressing satisfactorily. The services of Mr Adamson, who was manager at the Cham Hills tunnel, have been secured, and the Round Hill tunnel ia now being pushed on as rapidly as possible. Bricks required for the work are being prepared at 4 spot adjacent to the mouth of the tunnel, and nearly all the necessary material has arrived on the ground. About fifty men are employed on this contract. Fencing has been delayed a little for want of material, but the manager is using every exertion to get a supply of posts and rails. •

At a, meeting ot the Committee of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, .which was held at Timaru on Saturday last' it was resolved to subscribe £100 towards a fund for- defraying the expenses of a ship, ment of salmon ova from California if Mr W. A. Young, of Palmerston, will consent to go over for it, and if he will also superintend the hatching of it on arrival in New Zealand. It was stated that a letter had been received from Dunedin intimating the intention of the Otago" Acclimatisation Society to forward 1000 trout ova in a few days, and the writer adds — "As they have reached, the stage when the eyes are visible, they will -bear the journey well, and a fish should be hatched from almost every egg."

.The Bluff correspondent of the Southland News writes :— " The Kent has just brought a party of seven sealers from the Snares— the take being 550 skins. The party left' the Bluff at the end of May, and had splendid weather on the passage, • which occupied three days. After landing: stores, &c, they commenced operations— securing- 23 seals same day. The weather was remarkably tine the first month, after which it broke, and became squally, accompanied with rain and snow. This lasted about four weeks, and then improved. After being on the island three months, the party ran short of provisions, living chiefly on birds and fish. They left on Wednesday last, and arrived as above."

Mr Hislop, secretary to the Education Board, .and Mr U'JK.en, chairman of the Kensington School Committee, visited the Ken. singtpn District School on Tuesday, and introduped Mr Stott as 'schoolmaster in place of Mr'Taylor,' ths latter gentleman having to leave the school rather suddenly to fill the position' of Sub-Inspector, to which he has just; been appointed. One 1 of the pupils handed Mr Hislopa beautiful writing desk, .fully furnished, and a silver pencil-case; for presentation' to Mr Taylor as a token of affection from his scholars. Mr Hislop made the presentation in a suitable manner, and expressed his' high opinion of Mr Taylor. Ts£ pupils decided on the ! presentation,' and subscribed the necessary funds a few hours after they received information that Mr Taylor was going to leave them.

The half yearly meeting of the Press Dramatic Club took place in the Press Club Reading' Room on Saturday evening, when there was a good attendance of members. The report and balance-sheet were deemed highly ' Satisfactory, and adopted. The following office-bearers were appointed for the ensuing half year : — President, Mr R. H. Leary ; Vice-Preaident, Mr F. Humphries j Secretary and r Treasurer, Mr J. Allen ; Com. i mittee,,'H. M. Cole, J. Dungan, M. Donnelly, E. ( J. Le.Qrove, and H. Rhodes; Stage Manager, Mr J. J. Utting; Auditor, Mr Le Grove., It was' resolved that the Club's next performance should be, in aid of the members of the, Company now playing at the Queen's, and who suffered considerable loss ' by ,the destruction of the Princess Theatre, After the transaction of some formal business, the meeting dispersed.

A Northern exchange says that an amusing incident occurred a few days ago in the Melbourne office of one of the English Insurance Companies. The business has largely increased of late, and the London Directors seem to have come to the conclusion that they, would save money by getting rid of their, agent, who was paid a commission, and sending* out a salaried officer to take his place. The personage in question arrived by the Somersetshire, and at once installed himself in the private' room of the local agent, who happened at the time to be away. When he, returned, he demanded the in", truder's,' business, and on being informed that he. was, the hew agent, kicked him out of tho place in ,a. y.ery unceremonious manner. Of course, the squabble was too good not to get intothe hangs of the lawyers, and there ara ii nn ° w tfJEPi actions.on the tapis— one by the old. .agent,for. t wrpngfurdismisßal, another by the new r 6ne, for assault and hattery. j ..The.Napier Telegraph.regrets to record * i serous, aooidejit which jtook place on Friday atPortAhuriri. At*, two or, three gentlemen- were standing opposite Messrs Routledge,'Kennedy,,and Co.'s warehouse, Capt. Griffiths^ the Raugatira, rushed out of an adjacent building .with agony depicted in hia face and besought the bystanders to extraot a knife which had been accidentally driven between the tendons and arteries oi ' h ' s w ™*\ - The Captain's terrified face, and the horrid nature of the wound, which was bleeding profusely, absolutely scared the spectatore, ,who made one or two timorous attempts at surgery, which the Captain's l >»^ere4»bortive. On theory of &*^v?&°!* g raißed » ho * e ™. the worthy Captain 1 regained^ equanimity and, with/a f det&bniaQarburst of memmeut retreated, exhibiting as he went a conjuror's kmfe with which he had successfully "did. died his sympathuag friends. TherTuapekl^^sayss "A temporary

of men are now employed excavating for the platforms. The road from the terminus to the briilcc has been newly metalled, and is very n-u^h in consequence. It is questionable whctai-T it would not have been better to h ..ve laid a temporary tramway, as we understand that an enterprising contractor wouid li ive executed the work for £500, provided the Government would have lent the necessary rails and sleepers, cf which they - have plenty to spare. We recommend this to the attention of the authorities, as the newly i als road is positively dangerous, and the slightest mistake in driving would precipitate passengers over the steep bank into the Clutha River." We most certainly endorse tae suggestion made by our contemporary, and can testify, at the same time, to the dangerous state of the road referred to. The Southland Times says : — Mr Conyers, railway inauager, and a party of gentlemen, left Dunedin at 7 o'clock on Tuesday morn* ing with the intention of arriving in Inver- . cargill at 9 o'clock in the evening. They reached Balclutha by train, and started by coa ;h for the Mataura. The journey to Popotunoa was made quickly enough, but between that place and the Mataura the roads are so frightfully cut up that progress was very slow indeed, the fact being that from Ocaria to the Mataura, a distance of 14 miles, the patty had literally to walk all the way. It was therefore 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning before they got fairly started on the Matarra railway, arriving in Invercargiil at 4. A copy of Tuesday's Daily Times was brrught on for our edification, but unfortunately we had not the pleasure of perusing it on the d<iy of publication, and returning the compliment which our contemporary paid the other day to the Southland Times. Messrs Meech and Cook, two of the surveyors sent up from Wellington to pronounce np r >n the Don Juau'a condition, paid a visit to the Graving Dock workshop yeaterday and were taken through the building by Mr Blair, the engineer in charge. Both expressed themselves surprised and pleased at the evidence of substantial progress that met their gaze on every side, and asseverated that no , Setter evHence of the enterprise of Otago could be desired. The magnificent machinery, much of it in position, excited their unqualified admiration. The opinion of such men, both thoroughly practical, and skilled in their profession, is worth recording. Mr Meech, who is the proprietor of a Patent Slip at Wellington, is a man of wide experience, having been connected, in his young-r days, with the naval dockyards ot England. He passed some shrewd remarks upon the Graving Dock, and dropped some valuable hints upon the construction of dock gates. Our Lawrence correspondent writes :~A BuiMing Society on the terminating principle was started last Thursday night by a public meeting in a moat sacoessfnl manner. JSome 300 shares were taken np in the room, . and many more are applied for. Mr Fraer, the Mayor, was elected President, and an influential body of officers and director's were chosen. The effico of Solicitor was con- . tested by all the legal gentlemen of Lawrence, Mr M/Coy being elected by a large majority. — A meeting of the Provisional Directors of the Company about to be formed for the pnrchasbg of the Beaumont Bridge from Mr Hayes was held on Thursday. Ke- , solutions were passeil in favour of the undertaking, and there is little doubt bat the Company will be shortly and successfully fl atcd. The directors are an influential body, and are B<ui>fied of the profitable nature of the investment., Mr M'Ooy was app'»in'ed Solicitor, and Mr King Secretary and Broker. Tw.o prisoners undcrsenteuce were received into the Gaol ou Saturday night. One of them was William Wood, who was sentenced r on the 10th instant by Mr Parker, R.M., at o<unaru, to three calendar months' imprisont . Bunt, with hard labour, for stealing a swag containing a quantity of wearing apparel. The other-was Henry M'Oarthy, alias Stephen Tooiney, who was sentenced at Oamaru, ' .on the- 9th instant, by Mr Parker, 8.M., to four calendar months' imprisonment with hard labour, for stealing a watch chain with - pendanta and a pocket-handkerchief from the person. Toomey is well known to the Gaol tffisuls. Ha was tried at the Supreme Court, Dump tin, about two years ago, on a charge of , t r jbbery i ro'm the person in Walker street, ' and acquitted. Subsequently he removed to Tiniarn, where he committed a robbery for " whioh : he was convicted, and for which he' did twlve months. After he was discharged ' - from Timaru Gaol he migrated to Oamaru, wher<? he committed the offence for which he js now imprisoned. "I ho Express^ of the 11th , lost., states that Mr Smith, the electrician to th 3 Tek-graph Department, arrived in Blenheim on Wednesday, for the purpose of , CxJug the new duplex instruments referred t'j in the fallowing extract from the annual report of Mr Lemon, general manager, lately presented to Parliament : — "The duplex . nyateru of telegraphy mentioned in the last annual report has been in successful operation on the No. 3 wire in the Cook Strait cable bince the 18th June, and the advantage of speedy communication consequent there* upon has been very obvious. Instruments are now ready, and the Byitem will be immediately introduced on the No. 3 wire between Blenheim, and Christohurch. It is propistd to introduce shortly the automatic • system on some of the longer circuits, instrnimnts for this purpose having just &trive.l from England. In the transmission of long Press messages, which may possibly require to b=> sent in various directions, the caving of labour cannot be over-estimated." The Cromwell correspondent of the Duuatan 'f injea write* ;— Cromwell seems a favourite «j>ot for the fast young men to make, i->, slid, judging by the conduct of one „ ©r two of these promising youths, it is not Ut Uichul to imagine that Sergeant M'Gann , will sbottly see it to be his duty to interfere. On Sunday ev&ninos these dashing, gay, . young sparks are to pe*seen in little bands standing at the street comers, indulging in UiigupgH far more expressive than polite, and pasmng observations, to -which many people Lave hitherto been strangers.. Some of the sueeies, ranging from si*t#faa tp twenty years of age, iins^ine that being teen under the Inflaence of spirituotu liquors impresses 9sb,grs -#tih thQ opinion that ft§y are pea

and valiant fellows, but the sooner their ! minds are disabused of that erroneous imI preasion, the better for themselves. Of course these pertinent remarks are not in- | tended to apply to all the young men in the town, and it is only those whom the cap fits that are requested to take the gentle hint. A large meeting of gentlemen took place ' on Friday evening in the Linden School- ' room, for the purpose of making preliminary arrangements necessary to the formation of a lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr Joseph Braithwaite occupied j the chair. The chairman stated that he had attended at the request of a number of I applicants, and gave a lucid description of the principles, privileges, and benefits of the Order, after which several gentlemen signed their names as willing to become members, making in all about 35. It was decided to call it "The Linden Lodge;" meetings to I be held weekly for the first term to the end [ of the year in the Drill Shed, Kaikorai, P G. Brother Alexander being nominated as i N.G. A resolution was affirmed, praying ' the Grand Master to grant a charter for the institution of the lodge at as early a date as convenient. A hearty vote of thanks to the ! chairman terminated a very enthusiastic meeting. The jJrill Shed is undergoing thorough alterations, and will when completed make a comfortable lodge-room. The local paper complains bitterly at the delay in opening the Lawrence Court House, | which has now been finished between two j and three months, and says :—": — " The building is considered to be suited in every [ respect for the 'purposes for which it was constructed, and yet it has been left unventilated and nufurnished ever since the contract was completed. Who is responsible for this state of things it is very difficult to tell. Doubts are entertained whether the Provincial Government or the General Government are the propar authorities to look to for some action being taken. Meanwhile i the walls of the building are quite damp, ! and the plaster work in several places is I falling to pieces. This is partly caused by ! the want of drainage surrounding the building, but more, we think, owing to their having been an entire absence of fires or ventilation. A few shillings expended on Kaitangata coal would have prevented what will cost a few pounds to put in repair. But this is just the way we have been treated, and ever will be treated, so long as we have two Governments clashing wfth each other. Ifc is rumoured that the Provincial Government are going to furnish one part of the building, and the General Government the other." We learn by telegraph from our Queenstown correspondent that a largely attended pnblic meeting was held on Saturday night at Skipper's Point, Upper Shotover, requesting the Government to have the Wardens' and Kes-dent Magistrates' Courts held monthly. Mining interests are much prejudiced by the irregular manner of holding the i Courts. A petition to Hia Honour the Superintendent was adopted. A vote of want of confidence in the administration of the goldfields affairs by Mr M'KeUar, goldfield secretary, was carried. It was shown, at the meeting that the inhabitants of the Upper Shotover numbered 600, and that the holding; of Courts at stated periods, at least monthly, was imperative. A vote approving of Mr T. L. Shepherd's action in the matter of the abolition of the provinces, and his general attention to the interests of this mining community, was carried unanimously. A proposition on immeiiate abolition was lost by three votes, the amendment being to the effect that the subject be remitted to the country. — The Phoenix C mpany smarted their machine yesterday, and all worked well, but owing to a lump of wood getting into the turbine wheel operations were stopped. The mine looks well. The reducing of the capital of the Sbotover Ter race Company from £30,000 to £10,000 is generally approved. Under the new arrangements if property conducted, the success of the new company is assured. — A party of Chinese the week before last obteined COoz. of gold from washing the Shotover Company's tailings.