The Evening Herald.

Wanganui Herald, Volume X, Issue 2693, 31 January 1876, Page 2

The Evening Herald.

MONDAY, JANUARY 31. 187 G.

The formation of a Harbour Board is postponed, as our readers will perceive, till a Bill can be introduced next session providing for its constitution. We need not say that some doubt existed from the beginning witfi respect to the powers of the Superintendent and Governor in Council as being in every respect equivalent to the legislative power of the Provincial Council. One good result however has been accomplished. The Superintendent is evidently willing to support the passing of a Bill on the model of the Napier Harbour Board Bill of last session. This is the course which several members of the Committee appointed to obtain the constitution of a Board, were very strongly in favour of, whether the Superintendent possessed the legal powers anticipated or not. The preliminary steps have been taken, and the Committee form a co\mcil of advice on the subject. The question of endowments is one which must necessarily be discussed, and if possible settled, before the Bill is is introduced, and here the membersrepz-e-seniing the District as well as the Municipal Council ought to be conferring parties. The foreshore presents itself at once as an endowment which the Harbour is fairly entitled to. But endowments of a more extensive character must be made, and it will be for the Committee to have a meeting for the purpose of determining from what sources they ought to be derived. It is the opinion of many that the Board ought to have control of the foreshore on both banks, from the town to the Heads, and we are inclined to think this control will be found absolutely necessary if the river is to be effectually and permanently improved. We would suggest to the Committee that the discus - sion of these questions ought to be had as soon as possible, as it might be found desirable to appoint a deputation to interview the Government on the subject.

An old settler, Mr George Roberts, has departed from amongst us to that bourne from whence no traveller returns, after years of an active and busy life, and of thought which influenced to some considerable extent the early history of Wanganui. Mr Eobertshad been in failing health for many years, but it was not until the last week or two that anything suddeu was i eared, lie was in more than his usual health and spirits on the day of the last Wanganui election, and as he was a keen politician, he took a deep interest in the result. As he was riding into town the next clay he received a nervous shock from an accident to the conveyance on which he was riding, from which he never rallied. On Thursday last it was evident to his friends that he was sinking, .and that the end could not be far distant. Ht breathed his last early yesterday (Sunday) morning. Mr Roberts at one time was considered one of the wealthiest men in the District, but he went into farming and came out of it penniless, through a strange conI currence of unfortuuate circumstances. Few nieu possessed more original thought or native vigor of raiud. Thoroughly independent and fearless iv the expression oi opinion, he exercised a strong influence in the early days of the settlement, an instance of which was afforded afc the hifce election, when one of the candidates sfcateu that his introduction fo political life was due to Mr Roberts. There are few who will be remembered more kindly for a generous heart and warm sjtupathies by a large circle of friends than he who has just taken his final leave. We believe we are not stepping beyond the mark when we say that the tea meeting which will come oil- tomorrow (Tuesday) night will be one of the most successful yet held in Wanganui, for the preparations are of the most extensive and satisfactory kind. As an additional attraction we need only poiut to the lecture afterwards, which cannot fail to be as interesting as the first part oi the programme. The subject of Mr Buddies lecture will be " Courtship and Marriage," and we have no doubt but many, both young and old, will find passages which will prove interesting and iuslructive. The work in connection with laying the siphon at the lake was completed on Saturday, aud the water could be let down to the town any day. There remain to bo put in pipes in several places, which are expected to arrive almost daily. When these short ends are completed we may expect to see the water turned on,

In reference to the expulsion of l : ius IX by the Masons, as would appear from statements in the Masonic News, the following appears in the Tablet :—" It was a vile invention of Mazzini, in 1547-48 to circulate the story (hat Pope Pius IX. was a Freemason. So foolish was tho fiction that its promoters, when as iced when he had become such, fixed the year 1808 ! when Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferrelli, now Pope Pius IX., was not seventeen years old ! Freemasons will acknowledge that a youth of that age could not havo been a Mason. Bwt, moreover, it happens that was the very year in which, iv October, at the bands of Monsignor Incontri, Bishop of Voltarra, he received tonsure, thus entering the Ecclesiastical Estate. The absurdity of the allegation in regard to ono who had the history of his life accounted for, year by year, from his early youth, did not need the good-natured denial of the story given by.the Holy Father. And, this notwithstanding, we have a photograph of Pope Pius IX.— circulated through Europe by Jews — from one of whom we happened to get it — representing the Pope in the insignia of a Grand Master Mason !" According to the Timaru Herald, the recently returned provincialist members for Waitaki are disqualified :— "Mr Shrimski because he is under contract with the Government to do certain auctioneering business for them, and MrHislop because he is Crown Solicitor. Under the Disqualification Act, certainly, tho tenure of a post of piofit such as that of Crown Solicitor effectually debars a iC'Mi from holding a seat in i"arliamenli,aud so does the fact of being in any way concerned in a Government contract. During the last session we saw Mr Montgomery obliged to seek re-election at Akaroa, through being j cug.igedjthough without his knowledge, in a| Government contract. Anyone, indeed,thus situated who takes his seat in Parliament, is liable to very heavy penalties, which,however were, we believe, remitted in Mr Montgomery's case, in view of his manifest innocence \ of improper intention. If the circumstances of the Oatnaru case are as they are stated there seems to be no doubt whatever thatMr Steward and Mr O'Meagher are duly elected." "So far," continues the Herald, "us ; the political views which we entertain are concerned, as well as our estimate of the personal qualifications of the candidates we should heartily welcome such a result ; but I on broader grounds we could not but regard it as a matter for great regret that the deliberate and emphatically expressed choice of a large constituency should be made of no avail through an accidental technicality. We should sincerely like to see Mr Steward and Mr O'Meagher — especially the latter — in the House ; but we should wish them to arrive there by the election of a majority of the voters, not by the disqualification of more popular candidates." A correspondent in the Budget complains about the management of the Waitara railway, and states that special trains were refused on several occasions when a good thing could have been made out of them. He also asserts that special trains would not have run on New Yours Day had Major Atkinson not been present. Doubtless there is cause for complaint, and the matter should be looked into. A Brisbane blackfellow has succeeded in throwing a cricket ball 141 yards, being 20 yards further than any previously known. The Sydney Town and Country Journal states that its Nesy Year's issue weighed six tons. In order to raise the necessary funds for experimenting in sending home a cargo of frozen meat, stockholders in New South Wales propose to tax themselves to the extent of £1 for every 100 head of cattle, and 5s for every 100 sheep. Jf the following, taken from the Yreka Union, is correct, the a bullock Prodigious liasbeen eclipsed by the Yankees : — " We learn that a gentleman named George Miller has just arrived at Ashland, Oregon from Lost Itiver in the Klamath Lake section, with the largest steer over exhibited, which astonished the people of Ashland, as it will all others who see the animal. He calls him the "Lost Hirer Kauger," is 19 hands high, 20 feet from tip to tip, 'and calculated to weigh, when fat, 5000 pounds. Mr Miller is on his way to the State Fair at Salem, Oregon, and will stop at Ashland a few days to give the animal rest, as his feet are quite sore is making the trip from Lost River. He is certainly the largest animal ever witnessed, next to the elephant. Mr Miller also intends taking him to California, where he will fatten him and take him to the Centennial. The following gentlemeu have been selected to represent the Patea District in the forthcoming' cricket match with Wftuganui, which will take place on the 2udFebruary at Patea : — Fraser, (Captain) Jucomb, McKay, Biddiford, Fcokes, liobson, Jenkins, Inman, Aruudell, Tenneut and Taplin. Play is to commence at 10 a.m. sharp. We are glad to see by a notification in the Gazette that somo alterations have been made in the rates of postage on book or pattern parcels within the Colony. Formerly the rate was : Not exceeding one ounce Id ; two ounces 2d ; four ounces 4d, and 4d for every additional four ounces or fraction. Now an ounce lequires a postage of a penny and anything over that 2d, lor every four ounces or fraction. But this does not meet all that is required, for the postage home is far too heavy. We remember a number of settlers who wished to send home copies of the Handbook of New Zealand, aud found that the postage was heavier thau the purchase money. There should be a reduction in this direction ; in fact, there would be nothing lost if the Haudbqok were allowed to go free,

On the 10th December last, (says the Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) a gentleman engaged in stock operations under the verandah, received in the course of business, a cheque, which, was passed through his banker for payment on the same day. lie heard nothing further of it until the second post delivery on the following Monday, when notice of hishonour, couched in the usual terms, was received by him, accompanied by a request that the cheque- should bfc taken up, lie immediately went to his banker's and- handed in his own cheque for that which wasdishonoured,which latter was given ever to him. Oil looking at tho cheque, he, to his surprise, saw that the signature was cancelled. He called attention to the fact, but was met by a sort of evasive answer, which did not mean anything. On examining still further, however, he again called out, "Stop, what is the meaning of this ? Here is the paid stamp of the drawer's bank on this cheque. 1b has not been dishonoured, and I want my own back." Without a word more the good cheque was returned to the gentleman, and the dishonoured cheque taken back by his banker, to be returned to the bank which apparently in regular course paid the cheque for their customer, but finding two days afterwards that a loss was likely to accrue, adopted this rather questionable mode of throwing the loss on an innocent individual, who would certainly have had to submit had he not been quick enough to detect the ruse that was attempted to be put upon him." Naturally enough tho publication of these particulars caused other customers of banks to look pretty closely into their transactions, and in a day or two another paragraph appeared stating that another person had found, on examining a cheque that had been returned to him as dishonoured, that the signature had been cancelled, and the cheque marked for payment and paid. He took it to his bank, aud demanded that the cheque should be properly placed to his account. This was refused. He therefore 'threatened that he would take action against the bank, on which the cheque was quietly taken and the matter dropped. All this is very sharp practice on the part of the banks. It is very 'cute, no doubt, but it is a lriucl of 'cutencss that is not easily distinguished from dishonesty. The Union Bank of Australia has declared a dividend of £1 15s per share, together with a bonus of 5s per share for the half-year ending 3 1st December, 1875. Professor Tyndall appears to have conquered the fog at last. He has invented a huge trumpet, through which he will be able to force air by steam, and the blast will be loud enough to waken the seven sleepers. He says he can make his trumpet heard six miles off, against wind and through fog. The annual returns on the position of the Wesleyan Church throughout the Colony were read by the Secretary at the last meeting. The following is extracted from the statistical returns ; — Churches, 144 ; other preaching places, 177; ministers, 56 ; Home missionaries, 7 ; Sunday-school teachers, 1,041 ; scholars, 10,000 ; local preachers, 214 ; class readers, 190 ; church members, 3,302 ; on probation for membership, 628 ; catechumens, 189 ; European attendants on the ministry, 24,799 ; Maori attendants, 2,534 ; deaths of members during the year 24. There has been a net increase iv the number of church members of 201, with 628 on probation. At the same meeting it was resolved that the next Conference be held at Christchuroh. That the Rev. A. It. Fitchett be reappointed editor of the New Zealand Wesleyau, and that the Eev. J. Berry supply a series of Sunday-school lessons every month to the New Zealand Wesleyan for the use of Sunday-school teachers throughout | the Colony, such lessons to be published one month in advance. The N. Z. Times thinks it would have been just as well to havo put two new cables across the straits somewhere further north as to repair the old one. A man at Sydney having declared that he believed in nothing, was somewhat surprised on being told by the Coroner at an inquest that he could not give evidence either before him or in a Court of Law. The Pacific Eailroad Company has a way of its own of doing business. The Earl of Carnarvon has addressed a circular telegram to Governors iv the Australian Colonies informing them that the Company had withdrawn its promise of conveying goods to the Philadelphia .Exhibition free of charge. Full rates will have to be paid coming, while nothing will be charged for the return. For our own part we are of opinion that this resolution will also be rescinded as soon as the articles are at Philadelphia. At present it looks as if the Company did not wish to see Australian exhibits, and being there, were anxious to see them out of th& States again. Mr Adam, the English emigration agent for Otago, in one of his recent lectures in Scotland, (says the Guardian) stated that within the last few years 20,000 young women had been married in New Zealand, uud that within a few years to come 25,000 more would meet with the same fate. MiAdam seems to pin his inducements, so far as women are concerned, to the- marriage ticket. The next thing we shall expect to hear is that he has set up a matrimonial agency on his own account. At a meeting of the Patteson Memorial Committee at Sydney, it was stated that there was in hand a sum of £1,015, most of which had been placed out at interest till it was known how it should be applied. A glass bottle, unbroken, has been found embedded iv a hardwood tree in New South Wales,

Cheap fares are beginning to bo tho order of the day for tho Han gi tikei settlers. It will be noticed in [mother column that Mr Young has reduced the fares to Bulls to 2s 6cl each way. We notice with some regret, however, that the coach will only go out one day and in tho next. The alteration takes effect from the Bth iust, ,Somo little alarm was created in the Avenue yesterday (Sunday) through some shavings catching fire and blazing- up. The fire was however quickly put out, without any damage being done. A prospecting expedition is said be now out inland somewhere befoveeu the Kai Iwi and Waitotara, where some people seem to think gold exists in payable quantities. The exact route the party has taken is uot known. There Avas another vexatious dela^ at the Bridge, after having warped the schooner Strathnaver through this (Monday) afternoon. The vessel was got through with all despatch, but on trying to close the bridge the turntable stuck hard and fast. Foot passengers could cross, but no vehicles. Cookery's coach could not come in, and was left standing on the bridge. The llangitikei mail coauh of course could not leave, but Mr JBoz'esfoz'd was not to be outdone, so he took his horses out, and took the Turakina coach, getting away after having lost about a quarter of an hour.- Doubtless the hot weather cause the iron to expand to-day ; but it is nevertheless high time to find out what is really the cause of the stoppage. We learn since that in trying to close the Bridge all the cogs of the main pinion were broken off, as also one or two of the second. It will be remembered iv May last that Mr Davis wrote to the Council against opening the Bridge at mid-day during tho summer, as it would stick fast, and there would be a risk of breaking the wheels. This advice was uot followed, and wo now have the consequences precisely as they wore expected by Mr Davis. The wheels will have to be taken out and new ones cast in their place. A General Government Gazette dated Jan. 27, contains regulations aud rates of charges for New Zealand railways. The Hon. G. M. Waterhouse, W. T. L.Tiavers, E*q., and l)r Hector are reappointed Governors of the New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year. G. hi. Laugbridge is appointed Clerk in the Oolonia'i Treasury, vice A. Or. Wiggins, transferred. The certificate of Capt. llolloway, late master of the steamer Lady of the Lake has been suspended for three months. The tender of H. C. Tonks for supplying firewood, rnta, in one and two feet lengths, at £2 10s and £2 per cord, has been accepted.