NEWS OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 99, 20 March 1875, Page 4

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

His Honor Me. Justice Chapman will* retire at the end of the present month, from the Supreme Court Bench to enjoy a well-earned pension and dignified repose. Towards the end of last week His Honor stated in Court that he had some time ago intimated to the Grovernment that he was desirous of retiring from the Bench, and had sent in his official resignation on the 22nd February last. He had just received a reply from the Government, the following portion of which he would read: — "Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, March 6th, 1875. — Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that your Honor's letter of the 22nd February, intimating your desire to resign your office as a puisne Judge of the Supremo Court of New Zealand as from the 31st of March inst., has been laid before His Excellency the Governor, and that His Excellency will be propared to accept your resignation at the date indicated by yourself." Messrs W. J. M. Labxace, J. Scoular, and Gr. F. Reid were elected local directors of the !N"ew Zealand Shipping Company at a j meeting of the Otago shareholders held on Monday last. The Committee formed i a Auckland for the purpose of raising a testimonial to the late Mr. Williamson, Superintendent of the Province, has issued lists inviting subscriptions to be invested a 9 follows j — : 1. To provide an income for Mrs. Williamson for life, and after her decease for Miss, Williamson, if she should survive, 3. After the de*

cease of the survivor, to establish a Bchool in Auckland, or a scholarship in the Auckland Grammar School, to be called the Williamson Memorial School or Scholarship. Any subscriber to the amount of £45 directing that his subscription be treated as a loan for the benefit of Mrs. Williamson only, will be entitled to have his money returned at her decease, or the loan may be expended for the benefit of Miss Williamson for life, and also bo returned at the death of the survivor if so desired. There appears to be quite an exodus of miners from the Queenstown district. It is stated that forty miners are about to leave there for the Palmer and other new rushes, and that others are propared to follow. The amount of money, in round numbers, at present deposited in the Savings Banks of the Colony, is as follows : — Auckland, .£86,661; Thames, £21,543 ; New Plymouth, .£13,414; Napier, £26,930; Wellington, .£102,401 ; Blenheim, .£12,762; Greymouth £19,308; Hokitika, £13,699; Christchurch, £155,547; Dunedin, £190,325; InvercargUl, £27,226. The Princess Theatre is now in the hands of Messrs. Steele and Keogh. These gentlemen have promised to present a succession of novelties during the season that will be woi*thy of the patronage of the public. During the week special attractions are announced, the management evidently being determined to command fair attention amidst the perfect sea of amusements now in preparation for the holidays. The first stone of the Port Chalmers Waterworks was laid by His Honor the Superintendent on Monday last, in the presence of the Mayors of Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and a large number of Portouians and Dunedinites. The event was celebrated by a dinner in the evening. The site of the reservoir is close to Mr. Watson's saw mill, on Sawyer's Bay Creek — a commanding position, situated some 280 feet above the level of high water mark, or about 50 feet higher than the summit of Flagstaff Hill at the Port. The Wellington correspondent of the ' Otago Daily Times,' who is generally well posted up in rumours political, furnishes the following gossip : — " In political circles here, some speculation is already taking place as to the probabilities of next session. The general idea eeems to be that the General Government will not seek to do anything in the shape of Constitution-making or mongering, but will plead the Premier's absence, Mr. Prendergast's resignation of the AttorneyGeneralship, and Mr. Travers's refusal to accept office, as reasons for not fulfilling the pledges given last session. They will try to make the session as short as possible, and get the new elections over before the end of the year, and as soon as the new electoral rolls can be got ready. A very general impression also exists that Mr. Vogel will not put in appearance until just on the eve of the meeting of Parliament, so as to strengthen the claim for indulgence." The admirers of feats of horsemanship will be glad to learn that the American Circus has returned, and will, during the race week, give a series of performances. The circus is a most enjoyable species of entertainment and is to the Dunedin public a speciality in the way of amusement, so we we have no doubt that they will be as successful as on previous visits. The stonework of the Auckland Supreme Court, erected only eight years ago at a cost of £23,000, is crumbling to decay. A contract has been let to endeavor to renovate it. Mr. J. L. Gillies, Seci'etary to the Otago Harbor Board, has resigned his scat in the General Assembly as member for Waikouaiti. It is thought that Mr. George M'Lean (who was once a member of the firm of Cargills and M'Lean, and who represented an Otago constituency in the General Assembly some yeavs ago) will be elected to the vacant seat without opposition. Mr. John Roberts, who represents the Kaikorai District in the Otago Provincial Council, is aboxit to visit the Home-country, and will consequently be absent during the next session of the Council. In accordance with a request made by a meeting of his constituents at Green Island, Mr. Roberts does not intend to resign. There is some dissatisfaction expressed with reference to this course, but the dissatisfied ones appear to be in a minority. The ' Daily Times ' states that the General Government has made a large reserve at Preservation Inlet, including an island, as a site for a penal establishment for long-sentenced prisoners. This is done in accordance with a recommendation of the Prison Commission of 1867, and Dr. Hector's report showing prisoners could be employed working the granite. Another accident occurred at Port Chalmers on Thursday week last. One of the victims had an almost miraculous escape. From the report given by the ♦ Times ' it appears that a large Blip of over 100 tons of earth came down in a cutting at the back of the Eailway Hotel, where the formation of the Northern Trunk line is in progress. The falling earth buried two men, respectively named. James Crowley and Patrick Lean. Several other men were working in the cutting, but managed to escape the fall, whilst Lean who was a little behind his less fortunate companion, darted under a cart standing near the face, and so escaped with a slightly bruised leg. Crowley who was right in the way of the slip, was caught by the falling earth and completely buried. Willing eager hands were soon at work digging him out, but with slight hopes of recovering him alive, and yet singular to relate, when a portion of the superincumbent mass of earth had been removed, Crowley was found lying in a cavity just large enough to contain him. The slip, composed mostly of stiff clay, had, in fact, arched over him, and hence his life was preserved. He was quite conscious when released, and after a short time was able to walk home with the aid of a little assistance. Mr. Wylie, the contractors' agent, was in immediate attendance with restoratives, and medical aid also very promptly forthcoming, the man's injuries were looked to and found to be confined to severe bruises about the back.

lif our last issue we reported that news had been received from Australia of the total wreck of an old New Zealand trader, the steam* ship Gothenburg. At that time there were no details given as to the manner in which the disaster occurred, and, if, was hoped that all the boats which put off from the wrecked vessel, would, reach the mainland safely. By the Melbourne steamer Albion ,we have received fttll particulars of the sad event, from which it appears that none of the missing boats has survived, and no less than 99 lives have been lost. The Gothenburg was on a voyage from Port Darwin to Melbourne, and left the port of Palmerston on the 16th February with 85passen* gers, 36 of a crew, and 300 ozs. of gold. The place where the Gothenburg met her fate is considerably south of Flinders Reef, and close to Holborn Island, on the Great Barrier Beef. All went well with her until the 24th February, when a heavy gale set in, with rain. At 7 p.m., the vessel struck with such force that there was only two feet of water forward and five fathoms astern. The captain had a quantity of empty casks brought aft and filled, and he thin tried to back off the reef, but failed ; at high tide he tried and failed again. The gale at this time was increasing, and the eta. was making the ship thump heavily. She commenced leaking about midnight. The water put out the fires, and the boats were got ready for lowering — biscuits and water being placed in each. At 3 a.m. the weather had become worse, and the two port boats were lowered, but, failing to keep off the steamers side, the mate ordered the boats to round to on the starboard side. The gale waa so heavy that the rescued men say that they failed to regain the ship. They heard the captain call to them, hut as two oars alone were left, they were helpless, and drifted ashore. The next afternoon they tried for hours to effect a landing, but failed until 9 p.m., when they got under the lee of the hind, and sighted the Leichardt next morning and were rescued. On returning to the wreck they found that the steamer had slipped into deep water, and that the main-mast was just awash. The wreck lay about fifty miles from the mainland, and was submerged to the lower mast-head. When all hope of saving the vessel was abandoned, the boats were ordered to be got ready, then there was a rush, and in the heavy sea they capsized. A few men got away in the lifeboat, which waa damaged. Three men were taken off Holborn Island, where they had been subsisting on sea-birds and shell-fish. The drowned include Judge Wearing, his Associate, the Crown Solicitor, the Hon. Thomas Reynolds, Dr. Milner, Mr. Wells (editor of the Northern Territory Times) and a number of women and children. Th.c captain and officers are all drowned, with the engineers. Wk would again draw the attention of our readers to the fact that the close of this month is the limit to which they can defer registering their votes. It behoves one and all, then, to lose no time in being possessed of this important privilege. A committee of gentlemen have kindly volunteered to attend at St. Joseph's School on Monday, and every evening during the Aveok, from half -past seven, for the purpose of enabling those persons to register their names who may wish to do so. The celebrated libel case of Macassey v. Bell, which was the means of setting nearly all the lawyers of Dnnedin by the ears, and which has provided the Supreme Courb in the Otago district with, abundance of work for many months past, has only been "scotch'd, not killed." It is still likely to trouble the souls of unfortunate jurymen; to rouse the bad blood of our irascible local lawyers, and at the same time to fill with hard cash the pockets of the said lawyers. At the first trial the- jury gave a verdict for the defendant ; but Mr. Macassey at once moved for a new trial. His Honor gave his decision upon the plaintiff' a application last Friday, and granted a new trial. An attempt will probably be made to upset his Honor's decision in the Appeal Court at Wellington. . ..• St. Patbick's Day was observed as a holiday m Dunedin— the Government offices, banks, and some places of business being closed. During the last hours of St. Patrick's Eve, the Artillery Band, under the leadership of Mr Hume, played an excellent selection of Irish airs in the Friendly Societies' Hall, and at nud-nio-ht sallied forth into Princes street to rouse the echoes with the inspiriting strains of " St. Patrick's Day in the morning." , Aswp previously announced, no public demonstration was made by.tbe Irish, residents. Masses and vespers were celebrated during, the day at St. Joseph's Church, as on Sunday. . - o The Hibemicon Panorama and Concerts are to be resumed durino- the race week. We hear, as we expected, that- crowded houses has been the order of the day down Southland -harer* doubt but that during the company's week they will, now that they have obtained the Queen's theatre, do such a business astpisego them away in the best of spirits. Mrss CnniSTiA*-, the accomplished vocalist, who, during the laet three months has been charmiug the people of Auckland, will arrive in Dunodhi in a few days, and is announced to make her first appearance at the Temperance* Hall on Wednesday next. The lady, who i» an associate of the Royal Academy of Music, is spoken of in the hi"host terms, by nil the leading Australian journals ; and the Melbourne ' Ar^us,' declaring that of Madame Arabella Goddard's Concerts, the crifted contralto " fairly divided the laurels with the eminent pianiste, if, indeed, she did not secure the lion's share of them. Amoxost the groat noTclties in the world of amusement that claim the attention of the public of Dunodin at the present are the lectures of the Rev. Mr. Charles Clark. We have often hoard it asserted that had this gentleman's life been given to the arts of the sta«e he would have attained to the highest reputation as an actor and induing from the masterly lectures that he has treated the people of Dunedin to we may fully endorse the numerous testimonies given of his great dramatic power. We see by advertisement that Saturday evening will be the last of his entertainments hero. The overflowing patronage that has been acccrJed to him here as elsewhere. ! must be most gratifying both to Mr. Clock and to all those who would j like to see really iutellectual entertainments properly appreciated.