AUCKLAND.
[Fkom ock own Correspondent.] Thursday, 23rd May. To-morrow will be a gala day here. The Volunteers are to march out to Epsom race-course to a review, and, possibly, a sham light. If the weather proves fine, a large number will probably accompany them, while those of a sporting turn will lind sufficient amusement at the Albert Barracks where a series of athletic sports will be held. There are a largo number of entries for the different races, varying from live to one-and-twenty, and some excellent sport is anticipated. "Sphinx" in to-night's Star professes to give " tips " for the winner in each race, but to follow his advice it would be necessary to back each individual competitor to make sure of spotting a winner. All the local celebrities intend to come out to-morrow, each with a view of carrying off the prize. It is to be hoped that the day will prove favourable. I see by the English telegrams that the Tichborne claimant has been liberated on bail, but this does not tally with the accounts to hand by way of Suez, namely, that should he succeed in obtaining his release, the police would immediately re-appre- ' hend him on a charge of forging the name of t ft. C. D. Tichborne to the Tichborne bonds. as , forgery is not a bailable offence I do uot see how he can be at large, unless the police have not carried r out their threat. I observe that his villa was t furnished at a great expense by Mr. Bloxam, a wealthy wine-merchant of Piccadilly, who alao purchased the brougham and horses and placed ' them at the disposal of the claimant There has I been a thanksgiving service at the Tichborne ftoman , Catholic Chapel, in the village of Tichborne, Hampshire, to return thanks for tiie sudden and favourable termination of the great trial. The worthy ; chaplain in his discourse expressed regret that some ■ of his flock had been so wanting in respect and gratitude to kind and generous benefactors as to give their support to the claimant in his daring and ! Unjust attempt to get possession of a title and property to which he had no claim. I have no doubt the persons in the flock alluded to felt a deeper and more sterling regret than his reverence , did on the occasion.
By advices from Sydney it appears that Mr. M. Hannaford, of Auckland, has obtained the prize for oil-painting at the Sydney Exhibition. The Nebraska brought a doublb mail, and a formidable lot it appeared to the post-office authorities. We read by this evening's Star that she brought 431 bags of mails. Of these 205 were landed here, 88 being for this Province, 77 for the western ports for transmission by the s.s. Taranaki, and 40 for Australia. 8,123 letters, 551 books, and 23,202 papers were received and sorted at the Chief Post-office last evening. The Nebraska leaves for the South at 11 o'clock to-night, although why she is not despatched to Honolulu with the mails that should have gone last Thursday Ido not know. I suppose we are to have no ontgoing mail this month. We have one day's later advices from Sydney via the South, "but there is no news of the missing steamer City of Melbourne. People here try to persuade themselves that she is all right, but there appeal's to me to be just the same chance that she has broken down or met with an accident within a day or two's steam from New Zealand as Sydney. She is fourteen days unaccounted-for here, and, as far as we know, seven days at Sydney. This fact ought to be sufficient to rouse those in authority to action, and to send a steamer in search of her. If any harm should be found to have befallen her it will be a bitter reproach to have remained idle and inactive in the hour of need.
There is some chance of having a reformation in our much-abused Mechanics' Institute. A special meeting has been called at the request of a member for the purpose of having a clean sweep and a new code of rule 3. A bright day is dawning on the era of this institution, and it will yet be a means of affording instruction and amusement to us all, and we require these. I once heard an anecdote of a policeman in London taking a man into custody on a trifling pretence ; the man remonstrated, and assured the constable he had done nothing. "No more have T for this four months," said P.C.X. ; "I'm a disgrace to the force and I must take you, so you had better go quietly or I'll hit you over the head and swear you assaulted me." Now it struck me a somewhat similar case occurred at our Police Court this morning. A man was charged with being drunk in Queen street. The police swore point-blank and positively to the offence. It was, however, proved by highly respectable witnesses to the contrary, and the man was discharged. What I want to know is, were the witnesses wrong or did the constable begin to think he was a disgrace to the force and must do something. There was another very funny case—a man named David Nelson, in the representation that he was bono fide traveller, obtained refreshment from a public house in the suburbs on a Sunday and then, went and "peached." The case was very properly dismissed, as the informer admitted having misrepresented himself in order to obtain the drink. He denied that he had ever been in " trouble," but it was unkind to ask him such a question. This case reminds me of another which occurred a few weeks ago.— A drunken man kicked and hammered, at a public house door after
closiug bourn on a Saturday night, for the purpose of obtaining more drink. The barman, under the apprehension that the door would give way, went out to put a stop to the onslaught. The drunken man closed with hiin directly ; he came outside, and the police, ever ready when wanted, appeared on the spot, and took the barman into custody, letting the other escape. He was charged with creating a disturbance and lmil refused, or rather obstacles thrown in the way of his procuring bail until next morning. The case was eventually dismissed by the magistrates, but the barman had to pay three or four guineas for counsel s fees. Who would wish to be a publican after all this, added to the threatened annihilation by the Pei - missive Bill people and U.K.A. folks. 1 his reminds out; that there are some startling res'elations in store in reference to the manufacture of petitions, but we must " bide a wee."
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Bibliographic details
Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 25 May 1872, Page 2
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1,129AUCKLAND. Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 25 May 1872, Page 2
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