SHIPPING.

PORT OF AUCKLAND.

ARRIVALS

Aurora, schooner, 52 tons, Brain, from Russell. Samson, p.s., Mundle, from Wangarei. Go-Ahead, s.s., Watson, from the Bay of Islands.

DEPARTURES.

Wild Duck, I etc , 42 ton*?, P. Martin, for Norfolk Island ml New Caledonia.

STEAMERS FOR THE THAMES THIS

EVENING. Royal Alfrel, 10 p.m. Lady Bowen, 11 p.m.

EXPORTS.

Per Wild Duck, for New Caledonia via Norfolk ls'and : 7 cases wine, 3 bales blankets, 18 cases wine (under bond), Cruickshank, Smart and Co.; 26,000 feet timber, 40 bags potatoes, 1 cask hatchets, 3 cases drapery.— Cruickshank, Smart and Co., agents.

The ketch Wild Duck, Captain Martin, will sail for New Caledonin, via . orfolk Island, to day, with general cargo as per exports. The schooner Aurora arrived in harbour this morning, with 75 tons of coal for the Hay of Islands Coal T'ompany. The Heather Bell will sail for Mahurangi this evening. The s.s. Rangatira is not yet signalled in the Manukau. She left Wellington on the 21st. instant. The barque Harmon was loading coals at Newcastle for tin's port on the 20th instant. The s.s. Airedale is expected in the Manu kau to-movrow, and is advertised to leave again on Thursday. The s s. Auckland commenced to discbarge this morning. She is advertised to lea^e for Sydney on Thursday next, at 11 a.m. She will carry (he mails I'or England via Suez. The p.s. Comerang will sail for Napier to morrovi* evening. ;,, The sailing of the barque Constance has been altered till Saturday next.

COMMERCIAL.

•Evening Stab Office, Tuesday afternoon. There .as a very good attendance at the Bale rooms of Mr. B. Tonks this morning, and a quantity of ironmongery, &c, brought fair prices. Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co. sold by auc tion this morninsr, 100 cases of Devoe's kerosene, which brought from 3s lOd to 3s lid.

The sale of wines, spirits, &o ,*in the estate of H. S. Meyers, by Messrs. E. and H Isaacs, to-day, is still g"ing on. There was a very limited attendance at the sale of boots and shoes, by Mr. G. W Binney this morning. A few lines were cleared off at moderate prices.

CHIEF POST-OFFICE.

Shortiand-stbeet. Mails will close as under :— For Thames, Coromandel, and Kapanga, this day, at 5.30 p.m., and to-morrow at 12.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. For Tauranga and Oj otiki, per s.s. Tau ran:■■-., I i-morrow, at 2.30 p.m. For Russell and Kawa Kawa, per s.s. Go-Ahead, on Thursday, 30th June, at 3.30 p.m. Mails per s.s. Auckland, will close at this office on Friday, July Ist, as under: — J.or India China, Mediterranean Ports and Continent of Europe, at 3 p.m. . For Australian Colonies, at 4 p.m. For United Kingdom, via Suez, and for let ters specially so addressed, at 4 p.m. For. the United Kingdom, vi_i Marseilles and Brindi-i, at 4.3'» p.m.. For Late fetters for Sydney- and United Kingdom vi& Southampton, at 4 30 p.m. For Registered Letters and Newspapers, at 2 p.m. For Money Orders, at 3 p.m. Mails for the undermentioned places, per s.s. City 1 of Melbourne, will cluae at this office, on Thursday, the 7th proximo, aB follows:— For Sandwi h Islands, British Columbia, United States of America, British, Cen tral, and So'ith America, British and Foreign West Indies, Continent ot Europe, &c, at 12.30 p.m. For United Kingdom, via San Francisco, at 1 p.m. Money Orders, Registered Letters, and Newspap rs, at 11 a.m. Late Letters for United States of America, and United Kingdom, bearing a fee of sixpence in addition to the postage, will be receive i at this office till 1.30 p.m., and by the Mail Ageut on board the steamer up to time of sailing. S. B. Biss, Chief Postmaster.

POLICE COURT.

The following is the rota for attendance of Magistrates at the Police Court for the week ending July 2, 1870:—. Wednesday, June 29 —Messrs. Joseph New man and C. H. Otway. Thursday, June 30—Messrs. G. B. Owen and G. P. Pierce. Friday, July I—Messrs. R. F. Porter and T. Ritchie. Saturday, July 2—Messrs. A. K. Taylor and D. B. Thornton.

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 1870.

ANOTHER-(base of inconvenience has arisen from contiuued miainterpreta tion of the "'Dangerous G-oods Act," or from neglect of taking timely care to provide against its action. The Bteamer Auckland yesterday arrived from Sydney having a quantity of ke rosene on board, and could not come alongside the Queen-street wharf until this so called " dangerous goods " had been dif charged. Now we most emphatically assert that the Dangerous

Goods Act does not require amend ment, and that there is nothing in it or in the Superintendent's proclama tion based on it that in any way affects " kerosene" as we ordinarily understand the term. The Act provides against an impure article having dangerous and highly inflammable substances in admixture, and if those shipping kero sene from Sydney, or elsewhere, or those receiving it on board will only go to the trouble of obtaining at the port of export certificates that the oil will not give off an inflammable gas until heated to a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, they can land the kerosene where they like, in defiance of Act and proclama tion, and Superintendent and Harbour master, and all the powers in New Zealand. We should regret to see any tampering with the Act. It is a protection against explosive substances being admitted into our homes; and the small inconveniences it produces are being easily obviated.

There is a custom in our Courts during the hearing of cases on trial, which, from failure in the intended purpose, is deserving of notice. In certain cases when it is considered advisable that one witness should be 'gnorant of the kiud ol evidence given by another, it is usual to " order wit " nesses out of Court." Some pur pose must he proposed in this, and some evil must be intended to be guarded against, or such a course U not likely to be taken. The charge may be imagined to be a trumped-up one, or the advocate may believe that the admissions likely to be made by a witness on ihe rack are such as might arm succeeding witnesses ;or from whatever cause, it is believed that more independent testimony i 3 re ceived, and the ends of justice are often better attained, by the removal of witnesses from Court. But such re moval is a delusion. The witness may not indeed care for knowing what a previous witness has said ; but if he does, there is every facility for his being thoroughly posted up. There is no restraint on the egress and ingress to the Court of the general public, and nothing even to prevent a verbatim report of evidence being forwarded to those that have been ordered out oi Court. We find that a recent charge laid in Melbourne fell through mainly from the fact that communications had so passed, and such an embarrassment may at any time occur in any of our Courts. If the process of removing witnesses is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well; and if good is to result, all witnesses should be called by name at the commencement of a case, and made to remain during its progress till called, in some apartment under the charge of one of the officers of the Court.

The Prince of Wales Theatre was fair ly attended last evening, hut there would no doubt have been a much better audi ence had the weather not been so boisterous. The drama of " The Dead Heart" was produced, and, for a first representation, passed off very well. We will take another opportunity of witness ing this piece, and give our opinions more fully. The hurlesque of -'Macbeth" concluded the performance. To-night the same bill is announced. jNotwiths tanding the inclemency of the weather lust evening, there was a very good attendance at the City Hall, when the diorama of " Paradise host" was pro duced, lollowed by Mr. Logan, as tWe Wizard of the North. '1 o-morrow Mr Logan takes a farewell benefit, it being posiiivelyhis last appearance in Auckland. We hope he will have a crowded house, .n immense bill will be provided for the occasion. Supreme ' Court (Bankruptcy) —His Honor sat in bankruptcy jurisdiction yes 'rerday, and disposed of the following business: — John Dooley, of Grahams town, hotelkeeper. was discharged from his liabilities. Hyman Joseph was ex amined at great length by Mr. MacCor mick, m behalf of creditors residing in Melbourne and Sydney. This case had not concluded when the Court rose, at twenty minutes to six o'clock. The fol lowing Cfises were adjourned to the 11th of August:—Walter Dudley, Oughton, and Meyers. The creditors of Mr. H. S. Meyers are requested to send in their claims to his store on or before Saturday next. The Argus says that a wrestling match, in the Cumberland style, has been ar ranged to come off at Croxtou-park in a few days tor _ 100 a-side, between John. P.eson, champion of New Zealand, and George Scott, champion light-weight of England. The whole of tho money has been staked, and as the match is tor the first ten falls, and likely to occupy some time, the Wrestling will commence at twelve o'clock. From the celebrity of the men engaged, a good deal of interest i-* taken in the match. At present, the New Zealander is slightly the favourite.

Thb meeting of creditors, of A_r. fl. P. Kirkwood will be held at office of Messrs. -C<imbes and Daldy at 3.o'c'oek to-morrow, instead of to-day, as previously advertised.

Holding- the Mirror vp to Mature.—Rg flections should never be cast on a passeeyouny lady for consulting a looking-^I-is?—she, ac an rate, faces her difficulties.

PETTY SESSIONS.—Tuesday. [Before Messrs. J. Naughton, S. Kempthorne, H. Morrow, T.B. Kenderdine, J. A. Wilson, J. -day, G. M. Mitford.] In the aVsei.ee of Mr. J. O'Neill, M.H.R., Chairman, the Magistrates waited for half ah hour, according to form, and having elected Mr. Morrow to preside;, proceeded to business. DRUNKENNESS. S. Dodds and D. Caughlan were fined ss. and costs, or to be imprisoned 24 hours with hard labour. Ellen McLean, for a third offence, was fined 205., and to be imprisoned seven days. VAGBANOY. The same offender Was charged with being an idle and disorderly person, and on the evidence of Detective Murphy and Mr. Cun ningham, ( lerk of the Court, was sentenced to be imprisoned four months, with hard labour, cumulative on last sentence. DBttNIC AND DISOBDERLT. Michael Hickey, for this offence, was sen tenced to be fined 20s. and costs, or 48 hours' imprisonment. MFNIOIPAI* ACT. Joseph Craig for allowing his cart to re main in the public street, viz., Rutland-street, during the night of 22nd June, was fined ss. and costs, or to be imprisoned 48 hours. Peter Dowd, for allowing a pig to stray in the street on June 19, in Pitt-street, awai'ded the same penalty. IMPOUNDING- ACT. W. Beswick, for allowing a horse to stray in Albert-street, and J. Russell, for allowing two cows to stray in Parnell Road, were each fined 5s and costs. BREACH OF HABBOB BEOTTLATIONS. William Lamb, master of the schooner Fiery Cross, was charged by Captain William Ellis, harbor-master, with a breach of the Harbor Regulations, by anchoring his vessel in the fairway of steamers going to and from the Queen-street wharf, on the 23rd June. T. Or. Wall deposed : I am captain of the steamer Williams. Recollect coming up with my steamer to the Queen-street wharf on 23rd June, .aw a vessel in the way, which obstructed me, and I.was obliged to stop and no around her ; she was in the fairway. She is the Fiery Cross. Captain Ellis deposed : I am harbor-master in this port. On Fri ay morning last, the b'iery Cross was lying between the two buoys in the fairway, so as to obstruct steamers going to and from 'he wharf. It is not usual for vessels to anchor there. Fined in the mitigated penalty of 0s and costs. BREACH OF T_E MARRIAGE ACT, 1834. Robert Graham was charged, on the infor mation of John Lundon, that he did, on the 2nd of June instant, at Auckland, knowin-jh and wilfully make a fal-e declaration to the Registrar of M.images in and for the district of Auckland, for the purpos- of procuring a certificate in the form schedule B. to the Marriage Act, 1854. Mr. R**es appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Wynn and Mr. MacOormick for the de fence. John Muir Wayland deposed : I am Regis trar of Marriages for the district of Auckland, and produce my appointment and the Gazette containing it of the year 1865. As Re»istra!* I did, on or about the 2nd of June instant, see Mr. Graham in my office. He applied for a certificate of marriage. I required him lo make a declaration, in accordance with section 12 of the Marriage Act, 1854. He made it,, which I now produce. It bears defendant's signature. In consequence, I then granted him the certificate now produced. I would not have granted the certificate without the declaration having been made. I had read to him the declaration previous to his signing it. I filled in the mimes of the parties, and mar ried them according to ihe Act. Mr. Samuel Cochrane and Sergeant N. Bushill were the witnesses present at the marriage. Heard no conversation between Mr. Grruham and Mr. Cochrane. The certificate referred to is in the form of Schedule B in the Marriage Act.

Samuel Cochrane deposed : I am an auc tioneer, residing in Auckland. I know the defendant. I remember being present at Mr. Graham's marriage at the office of the Regis trar. I do not know Miss Jane Home. I know a young lady that gave that name. I had seen her only twice before her marriage. ■She does not bear a strong family likeness to the rest of the family of that name. I say so because I believe it. (Laughter.) Do not know if she belongs to the Home family. Never thought of the ' subject. Did not so underhand from Mr. Gral.am at any tine. By ihe family of Dome, [ mean the Home family, iGreat laugh ter.) I believe th.-re is a family of that name connected by relationship with Mr. Graham. I am not intimately acquainted with the family. I have been told that Mr. Graham and Mrs. Home are brother and sister. I came to be a witness to this marriMge by going to the Registry Office. I went on my feet. (Great laughter.) I went by request of Mr. Graham ; he had asked me a few days' before. Mr. Graham said there was a young woman he was going to marry ; that he was exceeding attached to her, and would I have any objection to witness the ceremony. I said I had none. He did not mention the lady's name. The subject was not subsequently mentioned. Before going inio the marriage I was made aware by Mr. Graham that it was Miss Jane Home be was going to marry. Mr. Graham said there might be something wrong in it. He (the witness) replied he had made enquiry, and that it was quite right ho should get married. This difficulty was with regaad to the relation between them. I had been given to understand that she was his nieoe. I do not know that I had been given to understand this by Mr. Graham. I don't think he ever siid that she wa-s his sister's daughter, but that the relation was to close. It was in relation to this difficulty started by Mr. Graham that I had made inquiry. My understanding was that she might b*. his niece Rumour was that she was his niece. Ido not know that she is his niece. I told him that I. h:id inquired about the matter; that she might be his niece, and that he might salely marry her. This was a few days before the marriage. This wa a little before the int r vie v a wh eh he had mentioned the marriaje. E knew 10 whom he referred. I told Mr. Graham that the marriage would be absolutely valid, and that it was quite right that he should marry her. Mr. Graham objected to getting mar ied. One of the difficulties raised by Mr. Graham was that the young lady was reputed to be his niece. He never led me to suppose that she was not his. niece. I made

enquiries respecting a man marrying his niece. It was in consequence of these en quiries that 1 told Mr. Graham that it was all right. j. • To K M_. Wyhn: Mr. Graham paid to me that she was his reputed niece, but he did not believe it, and there was no family likeness. I made enquiry to discover if, supposing she was his neice> would there be any lawful impediment, and told him there was none. Before my stating so he had expressed the determina.ion not to marry her. I believe it was Wholly my own assurance on this subject that led Mr. Graham .to alter his mind. I went to what I supposed the very best source for getting information, and gave the assurance to the defendant, believing it to rest on bona fide information. He received a blank form from me from the Registrar's Office, and it was on seeing ib that Mr. Graham declined to sign, and then, on my making further enquiries and imparting** the result, and upon and in consequence of my assurance, he did sign. Re-examined by Mr. Rees : He had abso lutely refused to sign at first. He did not allege any reason. I made inquiries from in formation before. I made the inquiries both before and after this refusal. I suppose it was in consequence of the consanguinity, or reported consanguinity, that he refused. He did not say so. I told him that a man might marry his niece, 'there are many cases of such under English law. Mr. Rees, after the examination of the last witness, said he did not intend to call any other witnesses. In reply to Mr. Wynn, Mr. Rees said that the case for the prosecu tion had closed. Mr. Wynn rose to address the Bench for j the defence, and said he would like the Bench to inform him whether he had anything to prove in refutation of the charge made against his client. He contended that there was no ab solute evidence adduced before the Bench that there was any relationship between the de fendant and the lady he married. It was proved quite to the contrary that Mr. Gra ham had . made a wilful affirmation. He made all enquiries he could, and further trot Mr. Samuel Cochrane to make further enquiries as to the matter. . He, therefore, considered that the case should be dismissed. Mr. Rees, in reply, said that the address for the defence by his learned friend, was one that should have been addressed to a jury *'*r their consideration. It was not for the Justices to determine whether Mr. (irahum had made a wilful affirmation, but the evidence that had bf en adduced would be very strong evidence to go to a jury. The advice that Mr. ochrane had given »'r. Gra him was advice which, if acted upon in the country to which Mr. Cochrane belonged, was punishable by death. He woidd therefore ask the Bench to commit defendant to the Supreme Court to stand his trial before a jury of hi countrymen. The Justices were about to ■idjourn to consider their verdict, when Mr. Naughton suggested the evidence should be read ot-er, to which ' r. Wynn objected, on the ground that the Bencli had not given their decision as to whether there was a prima facie case made out. Mr. Wynn's objection, after some discussion between the learned counsel, was allowed. The Justices then retired and after an ab sence of a quarter of on hour returned into Court, and resuming their seats, the chairman said that the majority of the Justices were of opinion that the case should be dismissed. On the verdict being given, some applause, mingled with a few hisses, were audible in the Court, but was, of course, instantly sup pressed- The Court then rose.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

A Gazette was published yesterday morning ; the following are the contents: - Leases re fused : R. Home, for the Golden Terrace; C. Tothill, for the Odd Fellows. Leases aban doned : Tap : Mint, E. W. Brothers, E. Hogan and party, Merry Sunshine, Diamond, F. B. Gipps, and Glen Tilt. Messrs. W. Pugh, S. Seymour, J. King, G. Laing, and J. Johns are trustees for Titirangi District. Mr. A. Dorn well applies for a renewal of slaughter house license. The following contracts have been accepted : Coals and firewood, Messrs. Archard and Brown; rations for Mount Eden and Auckland Lock-up, and provisions for Pro vincial Hospital, Robert Hale; prison and police supplies, A. Dornwell; provisions for Old Men's Refuse, and rations for Sick and and Destitute Persons, J. W. Prime; provi sions for Provincial Lunatic Asylum, J. C. Morrin ; bread for Hospital and Old Men's R fugo, J. L. H tswell; bre id for Lunatic Asylum, Thos. Wilson. Tenders are adver tised to noon of the 29th inst. for works on the main road and Tokatea track, Coro mandcl. Tho following companies publish statements of affairs: Ballarat Star, Over land Route, Scotchman's, Royal Standard, Sir Win. Don, Alburnia, Deep Lead, City of Glasgow, Shamrock, Mountain Flower, Dig gers' Friend, Mocking Bird, Tidal Wave, Venus, tlappy-goLucky, Bank of New Zea land, Mount Eden, Prospectors, Great Re public, Australasian, Glen Tilt, Princess Royal, Junction, Poverty and Charleston, Hand-in- Hand, Dawn of Hope, Star of the South, Point Russell, Inverness, Star of the Karaka, Middle Star, Tuiand Cuckoo, Pride of Parnell, Shooting Star, Original Faugh-a-Ballagh, Success, Vale of Avoca, Berkeley Castle, Auckland Independent, Golden Nugget, Chal lenger and Silver Crown Gold Mining Com panies, the Moanatairi Water Supply Company, and the iaj v Creek Tramway and Crushing Company.

A Race of Sculptors.—The Chip-aways. Slight of Hand. —Refusing an offer of marriage.

A clergyman told an Indian he should love his enemies. "Me do love 'em," replied the latter. " What enemies do you love best ?" " Hum and brandy."

The young man who has been travelling about lat ly,. and jumping off the train to kiss his sister, and then apologising when he found his mistake, has been converted, and will lead a different life. He tried the thing on at New Haven the other day, when the damsel raised her veil, and said, " Golly, massa, what you bout dar."

Hon. Henry T. Blow, Mrs. Henry T. Blow Miss Susie Blow, Miss Alice Blow, Miss Nellie Blow, Pet**r Blow, Master John Blow Miss Maltie Blow, and Miss Lulie tslovv, took passage for Brazil. If, as Burns says, there's " liberty in every blow," the vessel ihut carries this party will carry a good deal of liberty to Brazil.

DISTRICT COURT.—This Day.

(Before his Honor Judge Beckham.) JOSEPH TBIMBIiE V. THOMAS HENBY CHAW" FOBD. Claim £100, damages alleged to have been sustained through defendant refusing to sign a certain transfer of shares in the Shotover Gold Mining Company. Mr. Hesketh appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. J. B. Russell for the defendant. This case was heard partly on the previous day. Additional witnesses were called for the plaintiff. Walter Dudley deposed to being present at the Exchange Hotel on the evening when the conversation about the sale of shares was going on, and gave, generally, corroborative evidence: The plaintiff was next examined, and deposed to the purchase of the shares as stated by Mr. Ritchie the previous day. The evi dence was in most respects exactly similar to that giveu by Mr. Ritchie, so that it is unnecessary to recapitulate it. This was the plaintiff's case. Mr. Russell addressed the jury upon the nature of the evidence he intended to lay before them for the defence, and afterwards called the following witnesses : — R. H. Bartlett, deposed : Remember the evening of the 13th of May. He was in the Exchange Hotel that night, w.th Messrs. Ritchie, Crawford, and . extie. They had come from Mr. Ritchie's office.. Some conver sation took place at the office between Mr. Ritchie and Mr. Crawford in reference to these shares. The evidence of this witness was very similar to that given by Mr. Ritchie, with one exception. He stated that Mr. Ritchie urged Mr. Crawford to sell his shares, and that the latter said he would do so, but only on the I distinct understanding that the 1400 Shot overs referred lo were sold by auction. The defendant was next examined. He deposed that on the evening of the 13th June he had a conversation with Mr. Ritchie, r la tive to Shotover shares - first in Mr Ritchie's office, and afterwards in the Exchange Hotel. Mr. Ritchie was not his solic-tor, but he called there to see Mr. Bartlett, who was waiting for him. Mr. Ritchie asked him if he had any Shotovers. Replied that he had 200. Ritchie said that 1400 were going to be sold by Mr. Newman on Monday, and he believeu j that some of them would be sold for 3s. or 4s. ■ Wittess replied that if he believed that 1-e would sell if he got a buyer, aud asked Mr. Ritchie if he though he could sell. He said he believed that he could not.. Then asked him to see if he could get an off-r, and he said that he would try and do so. They then went to 'he Exchange Hotel, when he saw Mr. Sextie. Ritchie aske I Sex'ie if he could sell any Shot overs. Sexlie said, " I could have sold some to-day at 7s. or 7s. 6d." * Ritchie asked him if he thought he could sell the next day. Sextie replied that he did not know whether he could or not. That he could not depend upon a buyer for more than two or three hours unless he could complete the trans fer. Ritchie asked him to see and get an an swer by to-morrow morning for 100 and let him know. Witness saw Mr. Ritchie again the next morning between ten and half-past ten. His object was to tell him that he need not bother about getting an offer for the shares, as he had made up his mind not to sell. The reason was because the Shotovers would not be sacrificed, as he had made enquiries of Mr. Newman, who had told him the shares would not be sacrificed."Acquainted Mr. Ritchie with ihe fact. Mr. Ritchie said " All right, that he would tell Mr. Sextie not to bother al out them." He did not tell witness that Mr. Sextie had already been there. Saw Mr. Ritchie again about 4 c'clock, when ho told him (witness) that he had got a transfer for him to sign for the Shotovers. Refused to s;gn it, saying that he had given him no au thority to sell. Saw Mr. Ritchie i again on Monday who asked him to sign, but he again refused. Ritchie theD said he would make him do so. Witness told him that although he was a lawyer he was not going to bounce him. Some days afterwards saw Mr. Sextie, who offered him a sum of money for the Shotovers he was supposed to have sold. Refused to take the money. The witness was cross-examined at consider able length by Mr. Hesketh. He had placed the shares in Mr. Newman's hands, and he believed he had sold them for 12s per share. Had received a dividend of 2s 6d per share since the date of these transactions. Seen Mr. Garlick before he Eaw Mr. Ritchie on the Saturday in question. This was the whole case, and'the learned counsel were addressing the jury as our reporter left.

[Left sitting.]

CHARGE OF SPECIMEN STEALING.

On Saturday morning a miner named Brown, an employee of the Long Drive Company, was arrested on warrant by Sub-Inspector Bullen and Sergt. Lloyd, at his residence, Waiotahi Creek, on a charge of having stolen specimens from the Long Drive claim. The facts of tho case have not transpired, but from what we can learn Brown was observed to take a parcel of specimens to a chemist's shop, where he had them crushed, and suspicions as to where they were obtained from were aroused. We understand that Mr. Walker, the company's mine manager, was absent at the time in Auckland. The case came on for hearing to-day at the Police Court, when the accused was committed for trial.— Evening Mail, June 27.

Admiral Farragut has sent tokens of grati tude to five physicians who attended him while he was ill at Chicago. A man who escapes with his life from five doctors has inde-'d reason to feel thankful. Jaw Breakers.—Scientific terms, especi ally when compound, have a tendency to grow to an extraordinary length. " Pneuolaryngo mania " is sufficiently imposing, but what can be said of t-o inflated a word as " Pneumolary ngogathoglossocheilounnia, " which emulates the '- orthoi-'hoitosukophanthodikotalaiporou" of Aristophanes ? The Neio York Times gives an account of the abduction of a girl by the Minister of a Methodist congregation at New York, and says that the . following "Notice "was posted on the door of the Methodist Church iii As toria :—Reward. —A reward of 500 dollars will be given to any one who will furnish information as to the Avhereabouts of * Key. Horace Cooke, former* pastor of this church and lately eloped with a sixteen year old lamb of the flock.

THE ENGLISH MAIL.

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE, Mary Frost, twenty-five years of age ! daughter of a gamekeeper, sued Mr. Josiah Kuight, jun., son of a large farmer near Stone for breach of promise of marriage. The case for the plaintiff was that seven years ago she went to live with Mr. Knight, sen. to assist Mrs. Knight in the housekeeping. She was always treated as one of the family, and never as a menial. After she had been there about eighteen months young Josiah told her that jf she would wait; until his father's death he would marry her. After some delay she consented, but it was agreed that the engagement should be kept a secret from Mr. and Mrs. Knights In 1865 Mrs, Knight died, and plaintiff remained in charge of the establishment. In that same year, too Mr. Knight, sen., was thrown from his horse . and defendant anticipating, bis death, renewed the promise he had formerly given. The-e relations existed between the parties until the summer of last year, when the defendant went to Rhyl. In-order to a clear under- , standing on the subject, the plaintiff aßked Mr. Knight oneSuuduy eveningin August last -whether he intended to keep his promise or not, and he tc_d her he did not. The next day she consulted a solicitor, and the action was the consequence. The plaintiff was submitted to a searching cross-examination by Mr. Powell, Q.O. She resented indignantly the suggestion that she was originally engaged by Mrs. Knight as a housemaid. She knew Joseph Fairbanks and Joseph Turner, and Richard Fairbanks, and Thomas Acton, and John Mair, and Edward Fisher, and a man named Morton^ and another named Hall, and another named Allport; and she would not swear that she had _"t kissed several of them. She had not. walked home with them, excepting from church. She wai never engaged to be married to Mair. They had corresponded, aad he had made her presents. He had never given her a ring. Fisher was a clerk in a county court offi *c, and she had consulted him about taking proceedings against Mair for breach of promise, but it was only in fun. The correspondence betwen her and Mair had been destroyed. Fisher's brother destroyed the correspondence about Mair's breach of promise after the subpoena had been served on Fisher to produce the letters. On one occasion she attended a fete in Stone Park, and some of her friends introduced her to a young man with whom she walkei home, and it afterwards turned out that he was a married man and that her friends had made a fool of her. The defendant knew that she corres ponded with Mair. The corroborative evidence consisted mainly of the statements of two servants wlio had seen the defendant kiss the plaintiff and put his arms around her waist. One young woman said she once heard the defendant promise to marry the plaintiff, and by peepinj; through a little window which commanded a view of the parlour, she once saw her sitting on his knee and "he was smiling." Mr. Powell, Q.C., in addressing the jury on behalf of the defendant, said the new Act of Parliament, which provided that in cases of this kind the plaintiff and the defendant might give evidence, was one of the rost dangerous measures ever passed. In this case the plaintiff entered Mr. Knight's service as housemaid at the moderate wages of £9 a year. It is not to be denied that she was a pretty girl, nor that young Knight was smitten with her, but she never cared about him nor did she ever formally accept his offer. On the contrary, while he was paying her attentions she actually engaged herself to be married to another man. He did not impute anything immoral to the plaintiff, but in point of fact she had been for many years an incorrgibie and notorious flirt, and if the jury supposed she was entitled to a verdict, a farthing damages would be an ample compen sation. , The defendant, on being examined, dis played great bashfulness, and his counsel could scarcely get him to say anything. At length, after a good deal of coaxing, he said that when the plaintiff had been at his father's house a year or so, he used to kiss her occasionally, and he asked her whether she would be married to him when his father died. She said she would. He never heard of her taking notice of other men until after the action had been brought. He knew that she was corresponding with Mr. Msir, but he did not know what it.was about.

At this point the defendant blushed and stammered i o such an extent that Mr. Powell said he could make nothing of him. Indeed after his aamission that he knew nothing of .1. correspondence with Mair and other persons, he thought it was useless to attempt to carry that part of the case any further. Mr. Baron Martin concurred, and added that he thought it was very much to the credit of the defendant that he bad been unwilling to deny the engagement or to throw discredit upon the plaintiff. Mr. John Mair, on being called, stated that in 18fi8he and plaintiff promised to be true t each other, but they did not absolutely enter into a matrimonial engagement They corresponded, nnd he made her several presents, including a ring. In Bumming up, Baron Martin said the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict, but he intimated that her conduct did not entitle her to heavy damages. He also expressed the opinion that actions of this kind ought not to be allowed, arid he thought the new Act would .cad to their abortion. "v

The jury returned a verdict for the plain tiff— damages, £200. \ . Mr. Powell applied to his lordship t£V „y execution that he might raise the qu-,\e*m whether, as Mr. Knight, sen., was still ,p ~ the time specific i for the fulfilment c.''•**_> contract had yet arrived. Mr. Baron Martin said he would con sider the subject. - .

Earthquakes.— Plato in the Timmceus, speaks of a vast island, larger than Lybia and Asia combined, that nine thousand year before his time, had its kings, priests, soldiers, altars, guardian gods, and goddesses." Was thickly-peopled, isle or more properly con tinent, owing to an earthquake or some other violent concussion of nature, sunk in a single night into the ocean and dissappeared for ever.

*HE EYfeNING STAB, JUNE 28,1870.