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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3804, 14 May 1873, Page 2

To show the rapid advance being made by the city of Wellington we may, among other things, point to the rapid extension of th« works of our local Gas Company, and also to the satisfactory premium at which the shares of the company are saleable. A sale of a large number was effected a few days since at £7 per share premium, or an advance of about 75 per cent on their nominal value. On Saturday last the additional line of telegraphic wire was opened between Ohristchurch and Hokitika. This will be the means of obviating the delays which have often occurred in the communication between these places. We understand that it is also the intention of the Telegraphic Department to construet — subject to the consent of Parliament — a second line between Blenheim and Canterbury, via the Wairau river to tile Waiau. This will also much facilitate the business of the office and ensure complete communication with the South. One of the laborers who struck for increased wages on Monday was yesterday arrested by the police on the charge of attempting to intimidate the men who refused to leave their work. It appears that the man, whose name is M'Corkendale, was greatly annoyed because some of his fellow-laborers took a more sensible view of the labor question than he could possibly arrive at, and in a fit of exasperation he walked round the pipe track yesterday charging the men at work with pusillanimity because they did not follow him in the demand for higher wages. The case will be heard this morning. Mr Hoskins made his reappearance at the theatre last evening as Dr Pangloss in the " Heir at Law," which afforded an opportunity for the display of the highly polished and finished ease which makes Mr Hoskins unrivalled in high comedy. The erudite and eccentric scholar was delineated with the characteristics appi'opriately pertaining to the representation of an academical tutor of the olden time, and in the caste the scholarly attainments of Dr Pangloss were very amusingly set off by Mr Howard's Daniel Dowlas, which was equally good in its way. Mr Steele and Mr Douglas as Dick Dowlas and Zekiel Homespun played with all the perfection of proficients, and the rest of the characters were well represented. The ' ' Enchanted Isle" concluded the bill. Mr Buckley gave notice of motion yesterday that he would move to-day that £5000 be appropriated as a reward for the discovery of a payable gold field in this province. Last evening's exhibition of the Diorama, which was given under the patronage of his Honor the Superintendent and for the benefit of Mr Perrier, was scarcely so well attended as the deserving character of the entertainment and the special object for which the exhibition was given would have led us to expect. Nevertheless Mr Perrier seemed to appreciate the kindness of those who did honor the occasion with their presence, and gave his description of the two classes of scenaty with much piquancy and effect. The auditory was drawn chiefly from the more intelligent class of the community, who derived much pleasure and instructive enjoyment from, the exceedingly interesting lecture which accompanies the diorama. Mr Perrier will have but one further opportunity of discoursing upon the subjects which must have formed the subject of much study to him, and a crowded house on that occasion would not be a misplaced compliment, for the diorama is certainly superior to anything of the kind that has ever before been exhibited in Wellington. A rumor, which probably found its origin in the circumstance that the mail steamer Baroda had been quarantined at Melbourne, was current in the city yesterday afternoon, to the effect that the Albion had been put into quarantine at the Bluff. Up to a late hour last night we received no confirmation of the rumor, though it is quite possible the steamer may have been subjected to the regulations of the Board of Health, a precaution which would only be a proper exercise of the powers conferred on the port officers, inasmuch as the vessel has the Suez mail on board. The mail bags were transhipped from the Baroda in Hobson's Bay, and though it may be quite true that there is no ground for serious apprehension, the step could not be considered a supererogatory one. The Baroda was quarantined at Melbourne, but was permitted to proceed to Sydney, where she will undergo the prescribed period of detention. New Zealand already knows that in matters of this kind prevention is better than cure. Seven of the roadmen who gave up the pick and shovel and resorted to a short season of inebriety made their appearance at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning charged with drunkenness. A fine of 5s and costs was imposed in each of the following cases : — William Barnard, Thomas Florence, Charles Reading, David Dick, A lexander Tullock, James Read and John Cole. Alexander Wilton was also charged with drunkenness and being illegally on the premises of Mr Rowden. A fine of 10s was imposed in this case. The rape case against John Jones was further adjourned for a week, the police requiring an extension of time to prepare the evidence in another case of indecent assault to b© preferred against the prisoner. The sittings of the Court of Appeal are adjourned till Friday. Argument in Holmes v. Rolleston was concluded on Monday but judgment was reserved. The accuracy of the weather gauge at the Museum was borne out by the "hard blow" of yesterday morning, which sent the dust up in clouds, much to the aggra-* vation of pedestrians. The arrangements of the chic officers have been so well attended to of late that the city has not been visited by a dust storm for several months. The perfection in these arrangements have been aided to a great extent by exceptionally fine weather, but the experience of yesterday would suggest that even though there may be no existing contract for watering the streets, the occasional employment of the water carts would conduce to a pleasurable relief from the effects of such dust storms as that of yesterday. Amongst the recent additions to the Museum are the following contributions : —Bones of the Dido (Did us inept us) of Mauritius, presented by Professor Newton, of Cambridge ; bones of the Solitaire (PezopJiaps Solitarm), presented by Mill. Newton, Colonial Secretary of Mauritius. The bones are considered to be valuable, as representing birds of extinct species . A meeting of the Benevolent Society was held yesterday afternoon at the Provincial Buildings. Present— The Bishop of Wellington (in the chair), the Yen. Archdeacon Stock, Rev W. H. West, Mr T. B. Powleß, Hon C. J. Pharazyn, Mr D. Lewis, and Mr L. Levy. The only contribution paid in was 10s 6d from the Rev W. H. West. No applications for relief were received.

As a fact throwing some light upon the discussion going on regarding ultramural cemetries, and their probable effect upon human life, we may mention the following personal observation. A few days ago two men were employed in digging a drain from the rear of the Colonial Museum to the Corporation sewer. The stratum was stiff marley clay, a capital deodoriser, and yet the laborers dig- | ging up the ground were obliged to keep a disinfectant beside them in the form of a bucket of chloride of lime. The only necessity for this was because a few scraps of flesh from anatomical specimens had been buried there. . The ambiguity of the impounding ordinance invested a case of most trifling consequence with all the importance of legal argument and judicial investigation in the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. The case was that of Dick v. Sinclair which arose out of the dependant having impounded eight cows belonging to the plaintiff, for which he claimed certain fees, which he considered to be in strict accordance with the terms of the ordinance. These were paid, but the defendant discovered subsequently that the clauses of the ordinance were very conflicting, and were capable of many interpretatiovs, and having no desire to make any other than a legitimately legal charge, he offered to refund a portion of the claim which, however, the plaintiff refused to accept, probably thinking that under the terms of an act so losely constructed he might not be compelled to pay at all. The defendant was therefore callpd upon by summons to return the amount. There was no disputation as to the facts, but Mr Ollivier, for the plaintiff, contended that the defendant when he impounded the cattle was not justified in charging both pound fees and trespass fees. If he impounded the cattle on his own land for the time being they were of course in the same position as if they were in a public pound, in which case they could not be said to be trespassing. Mr Quick argued that his client had every authority, in terms of the ordinance, to charge poundage, trespass, and sustenance fees, but the Act was found to be so contradictory and so totally inexplicable that his Worship said he had no hope of giving such a decision as would be satisfactory aa the Act was thoroughly unintelligible. Mr Ollivier concurred with this expression, and said the Act was somewhat ridiculous, though he claimed that whatever light gleamed from it was favorable to his view of the case. His Worship ultimately cut the Gordian knot by allowing poundage and sustenance fees, at the rate of Is each per head per day, which amounted to a judgment for the defendant. The laborers' strike was as short as it was insignificant. The plain fact is, there was no reasonable ground for a resort to extreme proceedings, and though we have no desire to attribute the demand for increased wages to anything but a sincere belief on the part of the men that they are fairly entitled to share the advantages which the present prosperity has placed within the reach of all the other classes, still there does seem to have been a disposition on the part of a few of the hands merely to put to the test the strength of mind of their employers. This intent is manifested in the circumstance that those who took upon themselves to occupy the position of " leaders" — the blatant deceivers who lead the innocent ones into erroneous ways — turned to their work yesterday morning when they found the contractors had no thought of giving way. A few of those who had blindly followed their lead still hold out for the increased rate of pay, but the moral taught by the proceedings of the last day or two suggests that they should follow the example of the wily ones in what is sensible and return to their work. If they cannot see now how they have been beguiled they must be naturally very obtuse. The chief features in the business of the Council yesterday were the Cemetries Bill, and the Diseased Sheep Act. On the former a unanimity of opinion was elicited that was as decided as the facts adduced were striking. The discussion on the Diseased Sheep Bill was of a different character altogether. The way the discussion was managed was possibly irritating to those enthusiastic sprits who chafe under such well-intentioned impediments to business, but to many the debate was rather diverting. Of course Mr Andrew was as usual the life and soul of the enjoyment, and may fairly be complimented on his mirth-compelling power, for he generally succeeds in either inducing the Council to laugh with him or at him. As might be expected from the tone of the past debates on this bill, many of the remarks in the discussion appeared to be dictated by strong personal feeling, and of course elicited rejoinders of an equally personal nature, a recital of which would not add much to the dignity of the deliberations, and as the more seriously inclined members strongly deprecated the importation of such unbecoming displays, the reporters would exercise a wise discretion in eliminating them from their notes. It must be said to the credit of the various members of the Executive, and notably so in the case of the Provincial Secretary, that firmness was judiciously tempered by mildness and conciliation, and a desire to expedite business which materially assisted in effecting the object in view. At the Dunedin Police Court John Smith Johnston, a barrister by profession, was charged with vagrancy. He was discharged with a caution, and a small sum allowed him out of the poor box. The building of the new paddle steamer for the N.Z.S.S. Co. is boing rapidly pushed forward by Messrs Nicol and Sons, North Shore, Auckland. The " Cromwell Argus" states " upon undoubted authority," that Mr Thomas Nipper, the party who was alleged to be the much-enquired for Arthur Orton, does not claim to be that individual.