WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 47, 21 March 1874, Page 6

WEEKLY EPITOME.

The 'Post' asks: — "Shall we ever have a satisfactory anc punctual San Francisco mail service? It would seem not, and tha the congratulations indulged in by the Government on the establishment of the new service are decidedly premature." It then goes 01 to say that the delays will almost make the new service as bad ai Webb's line. Tee G-ievmouth 'Star 1 "has reason to believe that a notice o: motion for a call of the Council to rescind the very foolish vote ol permitting the Speaker to join iD debates will be tabled shortly." The * Star ' also says : — " Should the intended attempt to upset the ridiou'ous resolution relating to the Speaker's debating privileges ia the Provincial Council be unsuccessful, it is proposed, we understand, to bring the matter before the Assembly, in its next session, and ask for a slight amendment in the Province of Westland Act, whereby the genfra! principles of the regulations of other deliberative bodies will be enforced." The enquiry ia still going on at Auckland with reference to th< stranding of the Anazr, barque. Captain Holman stated positively that he was not drunk, but ho did not deny having taken drink on th< night of the accident. Thomas Holt, a passenger, believed that tht captain was intoxicated. A number of witnesses stated that they were positive that Captain Ilolman wa3 drunk on the night of the accident, Edward Farrel, seaman, deposed that he saw the captain strike at the first officer and second mate with a knuckle-duster. Farrel did not consider tins captain properly drunk, as be did not lie down, but managed to keep his feet. Daniel Primrose stated that the captain vaa uuder the influence of liquor during tho night of the accident. Mr Maceat, C.E., reports that the Para Para Company's iron field is the most extensive of its kind ho has ever seen, even in Great Britain. Mr Dlusdell, late proprietor of the ' Evening Post,' was entertained at a dinner by a number of his friends, at Wellington, prior tc Lis departure for America and Europe per E.IJ.S.S. Mongol. MiTTKicr Piutmmond, the defaulting bank manager from Melbourne, attempted to escape from Wellington Gaol on the 13th iust He secreted himself m the gaol yard and was discovered. Drummond I* now on the Alhambra. en route for Melbourne. The detective in

charge of him has stated it is a foot that Drummond, though a Bank Manager, received a salary of only £2 10s a week. Sullivan has been removed to the Mount Eden Gaol, awaiting a favourable chance for shipping him away. The Queensland Government has requested the Governments of the other colonies to stop emigration to the Palmer River for the present. Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, and the Banks, Public Offices, and Insurance offices were closed. Tberc was very little done in the way of celebrating the anniversary of the birthday of the Patron Saint of Ireland, if we except one or two displays of bunting and the dinner of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society, held at St. Joseph's schoolroom in the evening. Another accident at a thrashing mill,, which resulted fatally, occurred on an afternoon last week to a young man named Eason, near Balelutha. He was employed feeding the machine, when by some means he slipped in among the moving gear, and before the engine could be stopped, one of his lsgs and the lower part of his body were so dreadfully torn that he only lived a short while after* wards. The esteemed Magistrate and District Judge of Dunedin must surely be a sensitive patriot, to judge from the shock he received by a little affair some days ago, which might hava cast a stigma on his country. A disreputable woman, enjoying a wide notoriety, was charged with harbouring thieves, and Sergeant Bevan, in giving evidence, was asked to state her nationality. He replied " Scotland," to which His Worship, with a blush, as though tlw shade of Scott was lingering over him, involuntarily sighed " Oh dear ! " A delighted inhabitant of Lawrence writes : — It is not every town in Otago can boast of having two line Bishops and two Judges in their borders, and we are proud to be able to do so at present. Thh c Bruce Herald ' remarks :—": — " Mr Lvunb, the revenue officer, appears to have caught a Tartar in his first attempt up country at obtaining a conviction for sly grog selling. In Hilgendorf's case, a severe attack appears to have been made upon Lutnb, -which it is reasonable to suppose would be the foundation for another charge. Rumor has it that ' it has been squared,' whatever that may mean, and that the law will not be vindicated. If so, what will the Govarnment say to it ?" The rune in the Wakatipu district, numbering twenty -three in i all, and covering an area of about 200,000 acres, which were some days ago put up to auction at Quoenstown by the Provincial Government, realised a total annual rental of £7325, or nearly 9J per acre. At Grahamstown, St. Patrick's Duy was observed as a general holiday. The Hibernian Society marched to the Catholic Chtpel to hear a sermon. The members of the Society wore a green regalia. ; A Dr Bruce Barclay has lately been perpetrating some wholeI sale swindling, and obtaining money by falte pretences throughgut I Otago. It is rumored that he does not hold a medical diploma, and that he has let in Mr Raymond, the chemist, and Mr Sampson, hatter for tidy sums. Thb Break o' Day G.M. Co , Lyell, have just completed crushing 145 tons quartz. The yield is 112? ounces of gold. At a latb meeting of the Otago Waste Land* B\jard an application vra« read from Mr William St. Paul Gellibrand to purchase a pieceof bush land in the Hawkesbury district. It appeared that Mr G^Uibrand owned already some 700 "or 800 aerea of bush in that district, and that if the bit applied for were sold the settlers would have none whatever. The Board did not seem to favor the idea tint one individual should gobble up all the bush in one district, and refused the application. The Patba land sale, on the 13th instant, was a great success. The best rural sections brought £5 to £6 15s per acre. Wairoa town, sections realised from £5 to £10 per acre. Kakaramea suburban sections fetched from £7 15s to £15 10s per acre. Mb Mclntosh, of the firm of Grave and Mclntosh, Oamaru, charged with forging an instrument of lease, has been, after two- days' trial at that place, committed. Bail was accepted for £500. Two oi the Union crew, with coxswain, and an equal number of Messrs Burt's employes, were engaged in a pulling match a few days ago, but before Lalf the course had been gone over, one of the formei became excited, and leapt into the water. A little swimming about put a new sensation into him, and he hastily returned to- the boat and made for home. The Club Hotel, land and premise*, in High street, laave been sold to Messrs Butterworth Brothers, who intend to build an addition to their present establishment, in order to moot their growing business. The tender of Messrs M'Kenzie Brothers for the Deborah Bay contract of the Dunedin and Moeraki Riilwav has been accepted. Messrs M'Kenz ; e were the sub-contractors for the Caversham Tunnel, and carried out that -work in a most satisfactory manner, so that good progress with the Deborah Buy Tunnel may bo expected from fiem. The Provincial Government are calling for tendors for the erection of ten double timber cottages for immigration purposes. These are to be erected at Kensington. Tenders for the building of a number of others will shortly be called for. The cottages are intended for the accomodatiou of immigrants, and they will have the privilege of purchasing them on easy terms, when they find themselves able to do so. A yiEECE gale w.is experienced on Saturday at the Thames ; one hundred feet oi the shore end of the Tararu Wharf being carried carried away. Another " Heathen Chinee," as childlike and bland of aspect as he of the cards at 'Prisco, has fallen upon evil times, and into the hands ot the Police. Sam Q rin is his name, alias Sam Queen, alias On Say, alias Pon Huk, aliasSiag N&m, alias Flash Jimmy. Latterly he has been p arsuing a sad course of iniquity, and has obtained much property by false representation, and was about to transfer himself and his belongings to the free land of America, when the Police interfered and arrested him. The return boat race in which employes of Burke'a and

Strachan's Breweries .were to contest for £10 a-6ide, and which has been on the tapis for tome weeks past, was pulled on Tuesday afternoon. As en the last Burkes men were victorious. A sad case of drowning occurred at Port Chalmera a fen days ago, James Murphy, who fell off a lighter, drowning just as assistance came to hand. He caught hold of an oar reached to him but being too weak let it go, sank, and was drowned. Ouk Auckland correspondent telegraphs, on the 18th instant, as follows i — Business done— Bank New Zealand, £17 2s 6d ; National Bank, £3 4s 6d j Alburnia (second issue), 5s 6d ; CaledoniaD, £9 2s 6d ; , Sons of Freedom, £5 ; Union Beach, 23s to 25s ; Caliban, 4s j Windsor Castle, Is. Between one and two thousand Catholic children gathered yesterday in Mr Dignan's paddock, near the Cathedral, and marched through the city to the Domain, to celebrate the usual St. Patrick's Day Fete, under the management of the members of the Christian Doctrine Society. Three bands (Hobson, Otahuhu, and Temperance) attended. The weather was beautifully fine. A most enjoyable day was spent.