AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 12, 13 July 1883, Page 19

AUCKLAND.

(From our own Correspondent.) . Mr. Boyle, who has recently inaugurated a singing class in connection with the Christian Doctrine Society, has now forty pupils, amongst others one of the Reverend Fathers. The Costley properties have been withdrawn from the market, as some arrangemement has been come to between the executors of the will and the trustees appointed to represent the respective institutions affected. A local jeweller and watchmaker was robbed to the extent of £1500 a few days ago. Mr. Henricksen, of Victoria street West, having left his shop about uix o'clock in the evening, upon returning home discovered manifest signs of the disturbance of his precious stock-in-trade, and ultimately— to hia dismay, no doubt — that he tad been robbed. The police have been busy in the matter, and two persons suspected are to be brought before the bench during the week. Mr. District Judge H. G. Seth Smitb, M.A.. delivered this morning bis first lecture as lecturer to the Auckland University College. The groundwork of " Real Property " was skilfully dealt withJ Mr. Smith is in future to discourse upon Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Father Boyle, who has been located at Gisborne for some months past, left that place last week, and was accorded a public leavetaking. Au address, highly illuminated, and a choice album, together with a purse, containing about £90, was presented him. The Rev. Father Riordan, so long connected with Panmure and the surrounding districts, left here a few days back to take Father Boyle's place. At the several Masses on Sunday, the 15th insr., special comment was made by the different worthy Fathers in God as to an unseemly habit which hai of late b«en contracted by tome of the male portion of tbe faithful — vie., that of standing about outside the church door, gossiping and smoking. This matter seems in itself slight, but, when weighed in the mind, becomes a moat scandalous procedure upon the part of those indulging in it. It is an insult to the sacred precincts of the Church, and shows an evident want of purpose. His Lordship presided at a meeting of the Living Rosary Society on Sunday last, and delivered an address to those present. There were a great number ot members present, and the address wm listened to with marked attention.

The bazaar to be held at Christmastide is now advertised. It is for the purpose of raising funds in aid of St. Benedict's Church building account. Stalls have been chosen by the ladies, and, as far as I am able to gather, probably the following will be the result : — City stall, Mesdames Dignau and Lynch ; Newton East stall. Mesdames Boylan and Greenwood; Newton West, Mesdames P. Brophy, Lannigan, and M'lntyre ; Parnell stall, Mesdames O'Brien and O bullivan There will, of course, be many assistants, whose valuable services will to a great extent make the matter a success. The articled law clerks of this city purpose petitioning the House this present session on the matter of thi Law Practitioners Act, 1882. They seek to be placed upon the same footing as they were before the passing of the Act— that is, those who were at that time under articles. This claim caan&t be disputed, and is a vested right. c Jbe conduct of one Mr. W. V. Stevens, an estate and land agent, of this city, has been the comment of the whole town for days pa3t. He has been, it is alleged, attempting to bribe the Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, Mr. T. W. Lewis. It seems that Mr. Stevens, or a ,cJ>ent of his, possesses a portion of the Coromandel Peninsula, known as Matamata-Herakeke, and that he wrote to Mr. Lewis, offering him £200 bonus if he could dispose of the said land to the Government or anybody else. This, together with the fact of Mr. Lewis being in the Native Department, is construed into an attempt to bribe. More* °Z eT '™ 18 o stated that Messrs. Stevens and Lewis were friends, and that Mr. Stevens sought to gain any influence that his friend might have at head-quarters. The matter came before the Court this morning, and judgment his been reserved/ The counsel for the defence pleaded " no crime " on the part of the defendant, as in opposition to the wording of the indictmmt. The Austral, from Sydney, put into our waters for shelter last week, but only remained m the offing. The news of her arrival was received with some interest, and several parties were made up to pay her a visit. A local ferry-steamer was put on by a firm here, and half-a-crown per head was charged those wishing to avail themselves -?T the opportunity. Some hundreds took advantage of this chance, but when the ferry-steamer rounded the Heads no Austral could be seen. She had depaited at early morning ; consequently many were wrath, but nevertheless they did not receive back their money. It is supposed that she put into smooth water to "tighten-up" her p gff in ff- Daily.