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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3927, 15 October 1873, Page 2

Lady Fergusson's health, we understand, is fast improving, and that all symptoms of a dangerous character have passed away.

His Honor Mr Justice Johnston and a jury of twelve were occupied the entire day yesterday in hearing the case Jacksoh v. Wilkinson, in which the plaintiff, a livery stablekeeper, sued for £108, the value of a horse, buggy, and harness, which were destroyed through the negligence of the defendant, to whom they were hired. The case was, properly speaking, one for decision by a Resident Magistrate, but as the amount sued for exceeded the jurisdiction of the inferior court, it became necessary to move the ponderous machinery of the Supreme Court, and to invoke the aid of the highest legal talent in the land, which will probably make the cost to the defendant something like twice the amount originally claimed. From the evidence it appears that some time in the month of June last the defendant hired the buggy to drive a lady and two children out to Porirua, but by mistake he drove along the old Porirua road, which was proved in evidence to be exceedingly dangerous at all times, instead of taking the Ngahauranga road. Coming suddenly upon an awkward turn/ the defendant lost all command, and the horse and trap, passengers included, were precipitated

over a cliff. The horse was killed, the trap was smashed, and the harness was totally destroyed, but the passengers escaped uninjured. For the plaintiff, it was alleged that the defendant was intoxicated at the time of the accident, which was borne out by the statement of one of the witnesses that "he smelt heavy with drink." The same witness stated that he saw the trap being driven towards the point on the road at such a pace that an upset was inevitable. On the other hand, the defendant stated that the horse kicked when some part of the vehicle touched its hocks and became unmanageable ; and that, therefore, he was blameless for the consequences. A great amount of evidence was adduced, and counsel on each side — the AttorneyGeneral for the plaintiff, and Mr Travers for the defendant — having addressed the Court, the jury found for the plaintiff for the amount claimed — £108, and costs.

At a meeting of the Education Board held on Monday, a letter from Mr Stewart, Foxton, was read in reference to the proposed new school there, when the secretary was instructed to forward a plan of proposed model school for country districts, and ask the local committee to obtain estimates for the erection of a suitable school building. A letter from Mr Grope, of South-east Taratahi, was read, asking that the Board would erect a schoolhouse there. Similar instructions to those in the last case were given, but at the same time to inquire what amount of assistance the settlers were prepared to give, as also what site was available, seeing that in every instance where a new school was erected the settlers had contributed either in land or money or both. A letter from Mr J. V. Smith, East Masterton, was read, enclosing tender for the East Masterton school for the sum of £150, and the tender agreed to, the Board at the same time expressing similar opinions as in the case of the Taratahi school. A letter from Mr Fairbrother, stating that the trustees of the Carterton school declined conveying the same to the Board prior to consulting Mr Carter, now in England,was read, when the Board expressed an opinion that they would not be justified in incurring the expenditure for the erection of a new schoolhouse until the deed of conveyance to the Board was completed. The secretary was instructed to write to Mr Ketley, collector for the Wanganui and Waitotara districts, requesting him to forward a list of defaulters as to capitation fees, so that in the event of proceedings being necessary they might be sued for. Some other matters of pure detail were attended to, and the Board adjourned until Monday, 20fchinst.

It will be some satisfaction to the residents of the city to know that the waterworks are so far advanced that a supply of water for the extinguishment of fires, and for watering the streets, will be available in less than three weeks from the present date. This much of the work would have been finished a fortnight ago but for the exceptionably wet weather during the month of September, which prevented the contractors laying the mains as rapidly as was desirable.

As there seems to be a probability of there being little outlet for the activity of the boating men of Wellington previous to the annual regatta in January, arrangements are being made to forward boats and crews to Wanganui, on the understanding that the Wanganui people will assist in getting up a regatta in their own town on Boxing. Day. It has, also been suggested that a team of cricketers should accompany the boating men, and should these arrangements culminate, the Wanganui people will have a lively time of it on Boxing Day and the few days succeeding, the intention amongst the men being to make a three day's stay. The trade and traffic of the cifcy are fast tending to make the reclaimed land and its vicinity the recognised business centre. The few vacant pieces of land remaining can. only be bought up at an enormous premium upon the prices ruling about twelve months ago, and extensive structures are springing up in rapid succession. The gigantic store for Messrs Johnston and Co was hardly commenced when the plans were prepared for another large store for Mr J. E. Nathan, which is to be erected at the corner of Grey and Featherston streets. The building, which is from the design of Mr Toxward, is exceedingly appropriate in its appearance and internal arrangement for the purposes which it is intended to subserve, and some idea of its proportions may be gathered from 'the j fact that its cost will be something like £4000. „ i The periodical entertainments given under the direction of Mr Mowbray will be resumed at the Sydney streefc schoolroom shortly. The preparations for the first, entertainment of the series, which will be given on Tuesday evening next, have been for some time on foot, and there is . no doubt that the members of St Paul's Choir, who will be assisted by others of the musical fraternity, will provide the parishioners with an excellent evening's entertainment. The only case heard at the Resident Courfc yesterday was a charge of embezzlement against Adolphe Beissell, an individual who has figured in many peculiar situations in Wellington during the past two years. In April last the prisoner lived with a person named Batt, who had sufficient faith in his honesty to entrust him with the sum of £3, for which amount he was to procure a money order and to enclose it in a letter which he was to seal up and post. Mrs Batt also gave the prisoner half-a-crown to pay for registration and postage, and to maintain an appearance of honesty the prisoner when he returned handed her 6d change. In due course the letter, addressed to Elizabeth Mulvaney, in care of a Catholic priest at Killinker, Ireland, reached home, but the poor old woman, for whose benefit the £3 was intended, found that the money had either been stolen or had been omitted by mistake, and this fact being communicated to her friends in Wellington, the prisoner was arrested. The Post Office officials proved that no Post Office order in the name of Mulvaney was issued from the office in the month of April, and the charge was so clearly brought home that the prisoner, who offered no defence, was committed for trial. The committee of the Wellington Benevolent .Institution held their usual weekly meeting yesterday afternoon. Present — Archdeacon Stock (elected chairman), Rev B". W. Harvey, Rev W. H. West, Rev W. J. Dean, Hon H. Sewell, Hon C. J. Pharazyn, Miss J. Woodward, and Mr C. P. Powles. Paid in by Archdeacon Stock: "Evening Post" box, lis Id ; — Jackson, Esq, £2 2s j Messrs Greenfield and Co, £1 ; Mr Barber, £2 2s. Quarterly subscriptions :Mr Smith, ss ; Messrs Anderson and Co, ss ; Mr Webster, 5s ; Mr Fitchett, 6s ; Mr Dixon, 10s ; R. N., 10s ; Mr Somerville, 10s ; Mr Foster, 10s ; Mrs Cooper, 10s ; total, £9 5s Id. Donation received from Hon H. Sewell, £5. Several cases of distress were relieved.

An eighth saw-mill is in course of erection on the shores of Pelorus Sound.

As wehave already informed our readers, we have been threatened with an action for libel arising out of a letter signed "Justice," published in our issue of the 10th inst. Our columns are at all times open to those who write on matters of public interest, such as were touched upon in our correspondent's letter. We are, however, anxious on all occasions to avoid injuring the feelings of any person, and we need not assure our readers that in publishing the letter in question we had no intentions to throw aspersions on the character of so respected a gentleman as Captain MTntyre. The subject was one for fair public comment, and we fail to see that we have trespassed beyond the limits usually assigned to journalists under similar circumstances.

The people of Wellington will probably see the last of the William Tapscott before many days have passed away. Captain Flinn expects to receive two or three additions to the crew to-day, which will make the complement up to about twenty-two, and with this numbpr on board the ship will be towed to sea by the Luna. A number of citizens, desirous of testifying their dissent from the condemnation with whieh-Captain Flinn has been visited, propose to give him a dinner previous to his departure ; but it is doubtful whether the feeling will assume the shape of a ceremony of the kind, as Captain Flinn, we understand, expects to get away from Wellington either to-day Or to-morrow, in which case the dinner, if it is to come off, will have to be very promptly arranged. Mr Liardet, who has before now made many creditable attempts to foster local industry, has just completed a magnificent collection of muffs, tippets, and other articles of ladies' costume, from the skins of the wild fowl which frequent the coast, such as gannetts, gulls, albatrosses, etc. The sale for tins class of goods in Wellington is very limited, but Mr Liardet hopes to be able to find an outlet in the cities of the South, where a greater value is attached to articles of the kind than in Wellington. Mr Liardet has already about 300 skins in store, amongst which are a number of black swan skins from the Wairarapa Lake. The enterprise has been entered upon in a systematic p^an, arrangements having been made for the constant employment of a person who is to be stationed on one of the islands in the Straits to shoot the birds and cure the skins. It would be almost superfluous to wish Mr Liardet success, as the demand from the South will assume a satisfactory pecuniary result.

There was more than one reason why the performance given by the "Pearl Snowdrop Minstrels" last night was a success. First of all, the fact that the corps dramatiqae was composed of officers of the Imperial Squadron now in harbor was sufficient to attract the feminine youth and beauty of the city. Then there was the other fact, which probably exercised greater influence upon the public, that the proceeds of the entertainment were to be devoted to the aid of a most charitable institution — " The Royal Seamen's and Marine's Orphan School and Female Orphan Home." No purpose could have struck a more congenial chord of the hearts of British colonists, and it is not surprising that the theatre was not only crowded but "crammed." The programme was first the " office scene" from Tom Taylor's celebrated comedy "Still Waters Run Deep, " in which the gentlemen who undertook the characters of John Mildmay and Captain Hawkesby did full justice to their parts — better, indeed, than many professional performers we have witnessed in Wellington. The musical farce, "A Manager hj a Fix," followed, .and it was exceedingly well done, the gentleman who took the part of manager being probably the best performer of the evening. His snatches of comic songs were not only amusing, as all comic songs should be, but were well sung, which is the exception rather than the rule. The "nigger" portion of the entertainment was perhaps the most attractive. Somehow, black faces, wooley heads, white teeth, impossible collars, and bizarre attire, will go down with the British public, and all we can say of the Pearl Ministrels in their " darkey" performance is, that could it be possible that they should all be dismissed her Majesty's service to-morrow, they would collectively earn a very good living, and put all the professional niggers that are in the habit of abstracting silver 'from the pockets of New Zealand colonists into a veiy deep shade. The band of H.M.S. Pearl played occasionally during the evening, and added very considerably to the enjoyment of the audience. On the whole we may correctly say that the entertainment was one of the best and most successful ever presented in Wellington.

The opening of Ghiloni's Waxwork Exhibition attracted nearly the whole of the juvenile population of the city to the Odd Fellows' Hall last evening. As a collection of figures, they are of average merit, though there are certain incongruities in the matter of atfcire which detract from the credit, which might otherwise attach to the exhibition. It never seems to strike waxwork proprietora that there are cei'tain proprieties in dress which ought to be observed in representations of the kind if they are to be what they pretend to be. For instance, whatever may be said of the celebrated Mr J. Fawkner, the Victorian pioneer — and this is the best counterpart of the original in the room — it cannot be said that he ever before appeared to such disadvantage in the matter of boots. This is a failing peculiar to most of fche figures. The faces are good, but little regard seems to be paid to matters of detail, in which direction care is no less essential to success than ill the formation of the profile. Some of the figures are constructed with moving mechanism, and though we have pointed out defects, it must be admitted that the exhibition is well worth the price charged for admission. We have received from the Government Printing Office a batch of Parliamentary papers, including a number of despatches from the Agent-General relating to emigration to New Zealand, the Vienna Exhibition, and various other matters of interest, which will receive attention on a future occasion.

At the Crown Lands Office yesterday, 1675 acres of pastoral land were sold by auction, Mr A. Sutherland, who had previously applied for the land, becoming the purchaser at 5s an acre, in consequence of thero being no competition. Messrs Cameron Brothers purchased 2003 acres of 5s land at 7s 6d under the regulations, which stipulate that upon the purchaser advancing to that price the land need not be put up, to auction. The sale realised £1170 2s 6d.

An act of unprecedented liberality is recorded by the "Times." Mr James Baird, of Auchmedden, the Scotch ironmaster, has paid over to a body of trustees, to be called the, Baird Trust, the sum of £500,000, to be applied for religious purposes in connection with the Church of Scotland.

Station property in Canterbury, according to the " Lyttelton Times," is steadily rising in value. We publish elsewhere some English items received by the Clio, which were accidentally omitted from our yesterday's issue.

The practice of the Choral Society will take place at the Masonic Hall on Thuraday evening as usual. The ball, which was to be held in the Hall on Thursday evening, and for which the Society kindly gave way, will now take place on Friday, so that the arrangements of the Choral Society will revert to their original position. Mr Hugh Knight, for many years teller in the Bank of New Zealand at New Plymouth, died at his work the other day from heart disease. The " Taranaki Herald" says he fell back dead just as he had balanced his accounts.

A recent despatch from the AgentGeneral stated that Mr Carter, one of Dr Featherston's sub-agents, had reported that even in the secluded pastoral valleys of Cumberland men were receiving from 20s to 25s per week as wages. This statement is confirmed by a recent issue of the " Penrith Observer," which mentions that at the hiring at Kirkby Stephen on July I4th of servants open for engagements during the hay harvest, ' ' for good menservants wages ranged from £5 to £7 10s for the month."

The Early Closing Association of Canterbury has passed the following resolutions : — That in order to meet the reduction of the time caused by the early closing, employers of labor be invited to begin work at 7.30 every morning, and to stop work on Saturdays at noon. That the employers of labor be respectfully requested to pay their weekly wages on Thursday instead of on Saturday, as at present, in order to facilitate family purchases on the market day, which it is proposed to alter to Frid^g^ instead of Saturday. * j w*:-.-

The "Nelson Examiner" states that the life of the late Captain Rouse was not insured, because, his constitution not being strong, the office to which proposition had been made had not thought fit to accept the risk. His children, the "Examiner" also states, are five in number, the eldest being only seven years of age, and the youngest an infant.

An interesting account ©f the celebration, lasfc month, of the first anniversary of the native day school at Kaiapoi is given by the "New Zealand Church News." Among other things mentioned is the great display of greenstone, one piece alone being valued by the natives at £303. The children were examined by the Rev Canon Dudley, and about 120 prizes were distributed. There were also sports, and (in the evening) fireworks, out-of-doors ■ and feasting, songs, recitations, and the exhibition of a magic lantern indoors, everything passing off very satisfactorily. Among the songs was a comic Maori one, in character, by a native, who "convulsed the audience."

A batch of immigrants who arrived by the Berar, at Auckland, lefc that city for Gisborne, Poverty Bay, under engagement to Captain G. E. Read, of that place, on the 25th ult. The party consisted of five married couples, with ten children, and' three single men. The whole of fche immigrants signed the pledge of total abstinence before leaving. James Lee was charged with drunkenness before the Auckland Police Court the other day. In answer to the charge the prisoner said "he was very sorry." He had not been two days on shore, and he hadn't calculated exactly the strength of the Auckland beer. He had always been accustomed to take three pints down South without getting drunk. He had tried it here wifch the result of finding himself in the lock-up. He would take care he wasn't taken in so again. He could see now that it wasn't safe to take more than two pints of Auckland beer." This speech caused great laughter in Court. The prisoner was fined 20s and costs,, but the Auckland "Star" thinks that as he gave a good reason for his misconduct, that at once testifies to the great superiority of the Auckland malt liquor over that brewed down South, and shows so good a principle prevalent in the habits of the accused, the fine of 208 and costs inflicted might well have been dispensed with, and a reward of merit substituted.

Under the title of rubber stereo, Mr J. W. Ffrost, of Christchurch, whose adaptation of the American rubber stamp is well known and highly appreciated, has introduced what promises to be an important aid in the art of printing. The process, Mr Ffrost's own invention, is inexjiensive, and has so far proved remarkably efficient.

The ballast-fillers working for Mr E. G. Wright upon his Malvern railway contract have struck work because they demanded and failed , to obtain 9s per the day of eight hours, instead of 'Bs. The demand was made because some of the platelayers were getting Bs. The strike, if it continues, will hinder the progress of the work until Mr Wright can supply himself with fresh men, and this he has every hope of being able to do.

Mr Cook's splendid break of 762 has been eclipsed, if the following account of the "longest break on record," from "Bell's Life," is correct: —On the Thursday evening preceding the Liverpool Cup a number of gentlemen assembled at the Adelphi Hotol, Liverpool, to compare notes, &c, after which, several of them paid a visit to the spacious billiard rooms attached to the hotel, and were amply rewarded by witnessing the scientific manipulation by Mr William Timbrell, the manager, well known as an excellent player. Mr Timbrell was conceding 1400 points in a game of 000 up to a well-known gentleman amateur and athlete, and during the game he made an uninterrupted and unparalleled break of 893, of wliich number 296 were spot strokes. The applause and excitement at the close of the break were intense.

The "North German Gazette," writing in reference to the review at Spithead, held in honor "of the Shah of Persia, says : — The culminating point in the programme devised for the pleasure of the Shah, has been reached ; he has seen what could not be witnessed in any other part of the. carth — the mightiest and finest fleet in the world. Great Britain had collected a portion of her fleet in one place, and presented them in their best array before her guest. With just pride might the English people point to these sea-giants and say, " With the ships here collected alone could we' beat the combined fleets of all the world, and yet this is only a part of our naval power, which is scattered over all the seas of the globe." The "Jewish Messenger" (American) is determined to put a' stop to some of. the old-fashioned and uncomplimentary references to the Jews. It observes that whenever a Jew is convicted of any crime, the nature of his faith is prominently stated. "If," continues the "Messenger," "the custom were adopted of giving the religious faith of every criminal, Jew or Christian, our police reports would be strikingly varied, and would

furnish food for the. diligent historian. They would naturally assume a form like this :' Albert James, a member of the Episcopalian Church, was arrested yesterday for arson.' 'Mary Donohoe, who attends St Stephen's Cathedral, and is a devout Roman Catholic, was convicted of stealing a pocket-book.' 'Arthur Manning, who sits in a front pew in Dr Tyng's church, and is a prominent member of the Young Men's Christian Association, has been detected in an attempt to defraud the Custom-house.' 'A serious looking Methodist was brought before Judge Lynch this morning on the charge of being intoxicated. He was discharged.' ' Three men were arrested for committing a burglary. They were, known to be prowling Presbyterians, and' members of the Tract Society.' 'A young chap was caught in the act of stealing a bath-tub. His name is Dooley, and he is a hard-shell Baptist.' "

• During the discussion on the military estimates, Lord Elcho asked whether the department could not advantageously introduce Australian tinned meats. Sir Henry Storks replied that the soldiers refused to eat them.