SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF AUCKLAND.

SUNSET: This evening, 5.28 SUN-RISE: To- Biorrow morning, 6.32 HIGH WATER : This evening, 9.C ; to-morrow morning, 10.15

ARRIVAL

Nebraska, p.s., Harding, from Southern ports

DEPARTURE. Clyde, schooner, for Wangarei

PROJECTED DEPARTURES.

For Taranaki: Go-Ahe?d, s.s., to-morjrow For Southern po *■, via Napier ; fianga.Uia, s.s., on

Monday For Southern ports : Taran^gi gS;i Monday next For Honolulu : Nebrasl^ p, s<) igthinst. For Northern ports: ftowena, s.s., Monday next For Sydney and Melbourne: Hero, s.s., about 21st instant For England. Moss Glen, barque, early For Levvjm : Marion Renny, schooner, to-morrow Tor K.a^p ara: Tauranga, schooner, to-day

VESSELS EXPECTED.

Ijdjnburgh Castle, ship, from London. Sailed 89tb

December Parsee, ship, from London. Sailed 12th January Agra, ship, from London. Sailed - Countess of Kintore, ship, from London. Sailed 22nd

Febv-.iarv "Woodlark, ship, from London. Sailed Hylton Castle, barque, from London. Sailed City of Auckland, from London. Loading Hero, s. s., from Sydney Zanpa, barque, from Liverpool. Sailed 17th January Thames, barque, from New York, via Sydcey. Loading Akhar, ship, from Boston, vialnleltiourne Satellite, cutter, from Levvtka Maty Webster, schooner, from Adelaide. Sailed 21st March (for the Manukau) Alice Cameron, barque, from Newcastle. Sailed 29th

March' jPrince Alfred, barque, from Adelaide Pakeha, brig, from Adelaide Success, schooner, from Levuka Emelie, schoorer, from Tahiti Energy, schooner, from the Islands Prima Donna, schooner, from Levuka Ivanhoe, schooner, from New Caledonia Margaret Campbell, schooner, from Dunedin .1 Tauranga, schooner, from Dunedin. Sailed 4th April Ranjjatira, s.s., from Southern ports Amateur, barque, from Adelaide Upolu, schooner, from Samoa Dauntless, schooner, from Samoa Esther, brig, from Newcastle. Sailed 30th March

The p.s. Nebraska arrived in port at an •arly hour this morning from Southern ports, She brought fourteen passengers for Auck and, and a number of through passengers, in cluding sixty six Chinamen, en route for Hong Kong. The schooner Zior on discharge of her cargo •will proceed to the Navigator Islands. The/steamer Paterson left Napier for Auckland this morning. ■ ,; . Several vessels are'waiting in harbor wind bound. •

The schooner-yacht, Jessie Niccol, Captain Lamb, has cleared outwards .fqr ; ;R9tumah, with the following passengers, Mr C. "F. Wood, (owner), and Mr Smith. She also takeß a quantity of merchandise.

COMMERCIAL.

Mr B. Arthur sold to-day, at his.mart, the .large'original allotment corner of Queen-street and Karangahape road, for £470. Messrs B. Tonks and Co. sold to-day, without reserve, at the Brunswick Mart, Mr P. Vragnizan's farm, situate at the Hot Springs. The farm realized the low figure of 15s per acre. Four allotments at Riverhead brought £3 2s 6d. At the furniture sale, held afterwards, the lots realized tolerably good prices. MINING. The following are the current call and dividend* payable in the companies named below:— £, 8. d. DIVIDENDS. Golden Crown .. 0 2 6 Apiil 16 , Kuranui .. .. 0 2 6 Apill 18 Alburnia .. .. 0 5 0 April 18 OAXLS. Sons of Freedom .. 0 5 0 April 28 Thames Gas.. .. 0 2 6 May 1 Waitemata .. .. 0 0 6 May 14 Watchman .. .. 0 10 May 14 Queen of May .. 010 May 14 Una 0 0 6 May 14 Daughters of Freedom 0 0 3 May 14 MEETINGB. Moore's Coromandel, 18th April __~..,, , , Nolan's Candlelight, 41> Insurance Buildings, Auck land, 3 p.m., 21st April Flagship, Shortland, 22nd April Margaretta, Mr A. A, Browne's office, Wyndham street, Auckland, 3 p.m., 23rd April Black Angel, Grahamstown, 23rd April Bank of New Zealand, Bank, noon. 24th April Alburnia, Insurance Buildings, Auckland, 3 p.m., 24th April , , . ~ . NePlus Ultra, 41, Insurance Buildings, Auckland, 11 a.m., 28th April Otago, Insurance Buildings, Auckland; 2 p.m., PBth A.ong Drive, Mr Tothill's office, Auckland, 3 p.m., AU Nations, Mr Tothill's office, Auckland, 2 p.m., 7thMay , . .■ ~

CHIEF POST-OFFICE AUCKLAND

Mails -wiil Close as Under, :— For Thames, this day, at 5.30 p.m., and to-morrow, at 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. For Coromandel, to-morrow, at 12..30 p.m. For Tar.makiand Wanganui, per Go-head, to-morrow, at noon. Tor Samoa and Fiji, per Marion Benny, to-morrow at 3 p.m. For Mahurangi, Matakana, Waipu, &c, per Lady Bowen, on Saturday, 19th inst.. at 10 a.m. For the undermentioned places, per p.s. Nebraska, on Saturday, 19th inst., as under:— For Sandwich Islands, British Columbia, United States of America, British and Foreign West Indies, and Continent of Europe via England, at For United Kingdon, via San Francisco, at 9.30 a.m. For Newspapers, at 8.30 a.m. For Eegistered Letters and Money Orders, oft Filday, 18th inst., at 6 p.m. \ \* Late letters for United States of America and United Kingdom, bearing a late fee of 6d in addition to the postage, will be received at this office until For Taranaki and Southern provinces, per Taranaki, on Monday, 21st inst., at noon. For Russell, Wangaroa, and Mongonui, per Rowena; on Tuesday, 22nd inst., at 11 a.m. | Por Whitianga, Tauranga, and Opotiki, per Southern Cross, on Tuesday, 22nd inst., at 3 p.m. j (Signed) S. B. Biss, Chief Postmaster.

EThe charge against the three seamen for scuttling the ship Alsager on the high seaa ■was called on this morning at the Police' Court, but adjourned until to-morrow. We are requested to state that the opening of St. Mark's Church, at Remuera, and new: organ, as announced in the last number of thej Church Gazette, willTiof take 'place on the 25th inst,, but it will be postponed until the; ' sth of May, in consequence of the additional! alterations not being completed. . f \/T Coffee.—Brown, Barrett and Cos. Standard; Coffee is both delicious and strong. Brown, I Barrett and Co.'s Excelsior Coffee deserves j preference to any coffee on account of purity i and distinctness of flavour. Note the brands. Sold at almost every grocery establishment in town and province. —[Abvt. ] W.Marshall, fruiterer, Queen-street, has just received, per Nebraska, a shipment of new season American Pea Nuts, the nutritive and stimulating properties of which are now universally acknowledged. When fresh Toasted these nuts act as an excellent tonic, and can be indulged in with impunity. —[Advt.] Dr. Bright'sPhosphodyne.—Multitudesof People are hopelessly suffering from Debility, Nervous and Tjiver Complaints, Depression of Spirits, Delusions Un fitness for Business or Study, Failure of Bearing, Sight, and Memory, Lassitude, Want of Power, .'a, whoso cases admit of a permanent cure by the new remedy Phosphodyne (O-onic Oxygen), which at once allays all irritation and excitement, imparts new energy and life to the enfeebled constitution, and rapidly cures every stage of these hitherto incurable and distressing maladies. Sold by all Chemists and Storekeepers throughout the Colonies, from whom Pamphlets containing testimonials may be obtained. t&T Caution.—Be particular to ask for Dr. Blight's "E hosphodyne as imitations are abroad; and avoid purchasings single bottles, the genuine article being m old in cam mly, I

MARRIAGE.

Shkka—Balnea vis.—On the 17th irst., at St. Paul s Chvrch, by the Ri-htEev. the Bishop of Auckland, a«s'st"d by the Rev. C M. Nelion, M.A.. .Tohn M.cEffer. second son of .Tohn fibers,, Eg , Cnotehill, County Cavan, Ireland, to Jemima, elde t danthter of Lieut.-Colonel Henry Colin Brlneavis, Sheriff of Auckland, and Granddaughter of the late Lieut. - Gen "ral Henry Bainer-vis, C.M.G. andK.H., Colonel of the 65th Begiment.

DEATHS

Acroman.—On April 17, at Mrs Russell's, Coburg street. Annie, the beloved wife of John Acroman ; P^Bfl 20 VGTB °The firneral will leave her late residence, to morrow (Friday), at half-post three o'clock. Friends please accent iWs invitation. HAuwNfi.-On April 16. at the residence nf F. Whilaker. Erg., attheL-lre "NToith Shore, William Hardi-ng, in the 73rd yesr of his age.

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, and the Morning News

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1873.

. . I li L.-+J 1 • For the cause that fecks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that -we can do

Whetheb we look to the colony or to England we can hardly fail to have a growing irritation against Dr feather stone. Our yesterday's telegrams told us that immigrants of all the desirable classes, and especially that most desired of all —women and do mestic servants —are knocking at the doors of the Agent-G-eneral's office in London, and from whatever cause we have not yet seen any such results in arrivals in the colony as might have ] been anticipated from such a repre sentation. On the contrary, so far at least as this province is concerned, the A gent-General might as well have been still at "Wellington filching from the Colonial Treasury for the benefit of the bankrupt metropolitan province. The distinction gained by him as a leader among the sturdy beggars has evidently been wrongly accepted as a qualification for the work of the Agency-General, and of all the crimes that may be charged against the existing Government the heaviest indictment will lie in the gross mis conduct of immigration. Whatever may be the cause or causes contributing to this the Government must be held responsible. If, as is quite sure, Dr Teatherstone has shown himself utterly unfitfor competing with the representa tives of other colonies in the British emigration market, he should have been recalled without mercy, and if the Government has been afraid to do so, the Government should be treated without mercy. Something possibly is to be condoned in consequence of Dr. Ifeatherstone's reputed illness, but in a well-ordered office such a circum stance should have caused little dis organization. "We have been told, ad nauseam, that Dr. Featherstone has been recovering, and has recovered, but we observe no difference in practical re sults. Of course we are glad to hear he has recovered. It would be unkind as it would be impolite to wish he had died; and we do not. But if Provi dence had been pleased to remove the Doctor to another and a happier world it would have been pleasanter for the Agent-General, and decidedly better for the colony. It would, Have relieved the present Government from the duty of re-calling. him, and the embarrass ment of meeting him in Parliament, and it would have left a vacant place for some one of more activity and energy,- whereat the colony would have lasting cause for rejoicing. New Zea land has some features of attraction for British emigrants possessed by no other dependency of the British Crown; and it would be the part of a man of tact and energy to place these features fairly before the the British public. But" Dr Peatherston does not appear to ever go outside of his office in London unless it may be to cross over to the office of Shaw, Savill and Co., and the result is as it is to-day. It can with safety be said that all those who favored the great colonization scheme favored it as a whole, and any reflecting mind must have seen that if in any of its departments it failed, the failure would be total. The Immigration department shows unmistakable symp toms of failure, and it is needless to say that failure in this, —-the very basis on which all hopes of future success rest —cannot but lesult in irretrievable ruin. The colonization scheme was symmetrical and perfect and beaubifnl in theory, and reflected credit on the mind that conceived it, but the successful carrying out of the public works, while people are not introduced and settled to make those works recuperative, and to share in the payment of taxation, will simply be the

successful plunging the present colo nists, and the colony itself, in embar rassment. In such circumstances there should be no consideration shown for feeling or private interests.^ Other colonies through selecting active men to represent them can procure as many immigrants as they desire, while New Zealand, from having placed in the position a blase politician, with, every nerve and sinew imbued with the traditions of our " wretched past," and who appears to spend his time in struggling to play miserable flunky in Court circles, alternate with coquetting with the shipping firm of Shaw, Savill and Co., is left to receive the merest driblets from the over-flowing emigra tion of England. For the honor and the welfare of a Government to which will attach the credit or the "' blame of having intro duced one of the noblest efforts for the advancement of any colony, we hope that on the opening of Par liament the colony will hear that Dr. Peatherstone is do longer "sitting on" the immigration to New Zealand, and that some prospect is*afforded of this, the most important part of the colo nization policy, being no longer dis gracefully misconducted.

An idle attempt is being made to suck funds from the people for the reputed pur pose of contesting the Education rate. Several messages have been forwarded to us stating that the funds are being provided liberally, etc., etc. But we have not been able to verify the statement by enquiry, and knowing the sources of the rumour we have not given publicity to the .statements. We observe that our contemporary the Herald has manifested a little more green ness, and announces from time to time the preparations for the great Edu cation storm. We trust our friends and readers who may feel inclined to take our guidance will not be de luded into parting with their good money for such a folly. The rate is strictly legal, and has been pronounced so by the recognised leading legal opinion of the colony. The Act may be repealed, and next session is the time for action for those who have been sleeping when the Bill was passing through the Council. Meantime the rate is legal, and will be collected despite the interested advice of briefless lawyers and the stupid bunkum of professional agitators. We recommend all who can to pay the rates. But if they prefer a lawsuit instead we shall have the pleasure of laughing at them—and we will do so too.

At about half-past nine this morning a young woman was observed standing at the edge of the wharf for some minutes contem plating the harbour. Shortly after it was noticed she swayed to and fro, and then top pled over into the water. Mr Landers, the assistant wharfinger, with praiseworthy promptitude, immediately jumped in after her, taking the precaution to take with him the end of a rope which was made fast to the wharf. He was enabled to rescue the woman from a watery grave, and with the assistance of others landed her safely on the wharf. From a remark which afterwards escaped from her lips, that she wished she was dead, it was supposed the woman contemplated the act. She was therefore taken charge of by the poli3e. Medical testimony being pro cured that the woman's mind was disordered, she was brought up at the Police Court this morning, and ordered to be conveyed to the Hospital for medical treatment. The poor creature gave the name of Ann Traynor.

There was a flutter of excitement in the vicinity of St. Paul's cathedral shortly before two o'clock to-day, and the cause of the un wonted animation was soon made apparent when twelve carriages, with drivers wearing wedding rosettes, drove up to the door, including the pick of Messrs Quick and Crowthers establishments. The church, which had been prettily decorated with evergreens for the occasion, was crowded with spectators, chiefly members of the fair sex, who invariably take such an interest in these occasions. The bridegroom was Mr J. M. Shera, of the firm of Me Arthur, Shera and Co., and the bride Miss Balneavis, daughter of our esteemed Sheriff. The bride walked up the aisle leaning upon the arm of her father. Her bridesmaids (Misses Louisa Balneavis, Hamlin, Georgina Balneavis, and Mary Balneavis, Lyell, Isaacs, Thompson, and Wynyard), were escorted by his Honor Mr Justice Johnston, Colonel Lyon, Messrs T. Morrin, A. E. Isaacs, Miller, Bliindell, Bennett, and Balneavis. Mr James Russell waa bridegroom's man. The ceremony was conducted by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Auckland, assisted bf the Rev. 0. M. Nelson, M.A., Incumbent of St. Paul's. The choir, of which Miss Balneavis was a member, had assembled in strong force, and rendered the musical portion of the service, which included the 138 th Psalm with great power and sweetness. In consequence of the indisposition of Mr Livingstone Mr Mainwaring officiated at the organ, and, aa the wedding party was leaving the church, played Mendelssohn's Priests' march,; " Atahalie."

Our respected comtemporary, the Gross,, is so "ineffably pained," so " heart touched with grief," so "harrowed," so "stricken with the intelligence," so " harrowed in the extreme," with the "truly lamentable story," so " heartrending in details, ' and so " fright ful to contemplate," and has so " subsided into the sadness of remembrance" as; to let his arithmetic float out to sea, and to have got bewildered in a maze of numbers. His soul is sorely vexed with the exact quantity of human beings that have gone down into the rolling waves off Nova Scotia in the late steamer Atlantic. From 378 to " over seven hundred persons," he drifts in the ecstacies of heart-broken grief, and finally concludes that "no fewer than 560 human beings have met with a watery grave." In the intensity of his sor row he bethinks him also of the illfated Northfleet, the number of whose victims is nearly doubled, and stands at the appal ling figure of " 738 men, women, and child ren." " That was a truly lamentable story," says our contemporary, but it was nothing to that of the London of many years ago, to which, groaning under the burthen of sorrow from the sea, our contemporary, also refers. In that un fortunate ship, "450 souls went down." Where these souls went doxwn to our con temporary does not say, but the inference is "harrowing in the extreme." It is under the spell of this awful spiritual ruin that our contemporary's figures become perfectly intoxicated with, "the sadness of remem brance." The "560 human beings" of the Atlantic, and the " 738 men, women, and children," of the Northfleet added together make for the two wrecks a "total number of persons drowned 1005 ; " which, added to the four hundred lost '* souls" of the London make 1300 human beings lost. Before such a bewildering loss of men, women, children, souls, ships, and numbers, so appalling is the " effect," that we stand and blubber.

We have no doubt there will be consider- I able agitation among the owners of cabs at the contemplated intervention of the City 3 Council in the matter of fares. We are not < disposed tt> make light of the feelings with which this action will be viewed by those 1 who ply for hire in the conveyance of citizens i from point to point in the city. Many find 1 the means of subsistence for themselves and i 1 their families in this particular occupa- \ \ tion a means limited and precarious enough even in present circumstances, and it will present itself to many as inevitable that the I < lowering of fares will at once diminish their ! receipts in like proportion. If this were to ' be the result of the interference of the City Council, and if this " coming down" on the ' cabstand would be merely to relieve the ' comparativelyirioh who ride, at the expense of men struggling to earn an honest liveli hood, we candidly say we should take our place beside the cabstand and fight against all comers. But when we state that in our ex perience we have never known in the colonies a city where in proportion to the population so few drive as in Auckland, and when we state our conviction that this circumstance is owing to the high rate of cab-fare ruling here, we think we can lay claim to being on the side of cabby and work ing for his welfare, as well as for tho general good, when we hold that the fixing of a lower fare will be a wise act of the City Council. Every one that has been in other cities in the colonies knows how com mon it is to see a man popping into a passing cab, or stepping up to the cab-stand, and the horse starting off as if by instinct. Whereas, in Auckland, we observe a man standing on the footpath and fumbling in his breeches-pocket, and inwardly cogitating before he ventures on the investment of a ride, and only indulging when extreme pressure of time, wet weather, or great distance compels the outlay. It is the old, old story of the penny postage j and if the cabmen wish a nearer illustration they may observe it in the vastly increased traffic which has resulted from the lowering of the fares to one-half on our harbour ferries. Times appear tightening, and must be attended by a corresponding diminution in the number of those willing, if even able to patronise the cab-stand ; and we do not hesitate to say that a continuance of high fares would lead to the general employment of that kind of conveyance familiarly known as " Shank's mare." We have been interviewed by Mr W. F. M. Houlton, one of the unsuc cessful candidates for the appointment of Market Inspector. Mr Houlton has sub mitted to us two hundred and fifty-seven testimonials to his general worth and special fitness for the duties of Market Inspector, and we have no hesitation in saying that Mr Houlton has a very large number of testi monials. In fact we do not think we have ever known any one with so many unless Holloway's Ointment and Pills. He has one, we think, from everybody in the city that is anybody ; at least on a cursory perusal—for we have not read all the two hundred and forty-seven— we think he has about as fine a collection of autographs as could well be picked up in the city. Mr Houlton asks us why he did not get the ap pointment. We really cannot tell, but we do not think it was for want of testimonials, at least if Mr Greenwood has won by the possession of a larger number the new Market Inspector must have a very large quantity of manuscript. If all the forty nine candidates had anything like a propor tionate amount of autographs we think it a pity that among the conditions of canefdature it was not necessitated that all the testi monials should become the property of tb.3 Council. These being all deposited in the foundation stone, say of the contemplated works in connection with the Ligar Canal, would have proved of intense interest to aiiti quarian research a thousand years after this, as showing the peculiarity of the chirography of all the early fathers of the city. And as the science, now in its infancy, of reading human character by the handwriting, will then have reached perfection, the valuable collection, after proper fumigation, would prove of incalculable value to the historian in unravelling the motives that prompted the strange vagaries of early colonization. With reference to the appointment made by the Council we are not an a position to offer an opinion, but we have no doubt Mr Green wood was considered by the members to be the most desirable inspector, and Mr Houlton does not request us to say one word against Mr Greenwood or his fitness for the office ; but feeling it difficult to believe that the successful candidate obtained so many to speak in his favour as two hundred and fifty seven, he merely desires us to bring the whole matter before the public, which we have much pleasure in doing. Our own opinion is that Mr Houlton frightened the Council, and the members naturally felt that backeoj. up as he might be by these two hundred and fifty seven, he would be too much for the Council, and that putting him on their back; like " the old man of the sea," they would be unable to shake him off. In fact Mr Houl ton has been testimonialized to death, and as he assures us that all these two hundred and fifty-seven testimonials were given to him,; and even pressed on him without the least soli-j citation on his part, we conclude he has been killed by kindness. In devoting so much space to Mr Houston's unfortunate candida ture we hope we shall not be regarded as giving any encouragement to a visit from the re-^ maining forty-seven who aspired with similar ill-success. We have been appalled at such a waste of effort as is visible in this case, and at such a striking evidence of i decadence in the time-honored custom of testimonialising^ When we think^that two hundred and fifty-, seven persons bearing almost all the best and most influential names in the city and province have thus spontaneously banded themselves together for a particular purpose and failed, there is a "moral," which we shall not insult the intelligence of our readers by deducing for them. It is not for no reason that testi-i monials now-a-days are valueless. For thia the writers of testimonials are responsible, andj we think it is time that the farce was playe dj out. At Onehunga, on Tuesday, licenses were granted to the old houses. When Mr Lun-: don's application for the renewal of the license for the Railway Terminus hotel was heard Major Gordon objected to granting the license because the house was not furnished according to the Act. This hotel has been licensed, but not opened, for the past two years. The other justices granted fhe certi ficate. '"' Our Onehunga correspondent writes: —The Onehunga Cadets have been without a captain for some time, and seldom show up.—The railway line between the station and the Government wharf is making rapid progress. Some of the land-owners along the route were in high glee, expecting heavy compensation, as in the days of the Auckland and Drury railway. The line is taken along just under high-water mark, and there is an end of their great expectations. . The Hon. Julius Vogel was a passenger by the Nebraska this morning. The remains'of Mrs Elizabeth Holmes, wife of Mr John Holmes, were laid in their last resting place, yesterday afternoon, at the North Shore. The funeral was attended by more than two hundred persons. Deceased was in her forty-seventh year, ftud was greatly respected and esteemed.

It -will be seen from an advertisement jvhich appears elsewhere that Mr C. 0. : Montrose has established an agency for con lucting patents business in Wellington, j rhisisawant that has been seriously fell; Dy the public. Hitherto applications . for registrations of patents have been conducted ay solicitors, thereby involving heavy legal ieea, solicitors being neoessarily obliged to iorward the applications to other solicitors m Wellington where the Patent Office is situated. Mr Montrose promises to save much of this expense, and he undertakes to attend to in structions by telegraph, by which, in cases of emergency, much valuable time may besaved. From what we know of Mr Montrose we have every reason to believe that clients could not entrust their business to better hands. An error crept into our list of licenses granted at the meeting of Justices on Tues day. We have Mr Page's Criterion Hotel, Hobson-street, as a ten o'clock license ; it should have been twelve o'clock. We observe that the well-known play o* " Our American Cousin" has been success" fully placed on the stage at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, Mr Hoskins taking the part of Asa Trenchard, in which he has achieved a great name, and Mr Steele «i ---personating LorU Dundreary. The companj | may be expected in Auckland shortly. ' Our dividend list is beginning to look healthy again, no less than three mining com panies being entered on it aspayingdividends, namely the Golden Crown, which paid two and sixpence per share yesterday, the Kura nui to pay the same amount to-morrow, and the Alburnia, to pay five shillings per share to-morrow also. The return of gold from the Thames mines during the past month was 9,10*2 ozs. from 7,300 tons of stone, being an increase of 457 ozs. over last month. The Wellington Post says that Captain Machell has been appointed His Excellency's private secretary and aide-de-camp, and William. Fitzgerald, Esq., his assistant pri vate secretary. Mrs Colclough, better known as- " Polly Plum," has been reviving the subject of "Woman's Rights" at Alexandra. This, lady represents the Ladies' Vigilant Society," which numbers among its English supporters the most remarkable of the maiden lady writers and lecturers of the old country, backed by the genius of the philosophic John Stuart Mill, whose writings in favour of the womanhood suffrage set all the literary maids on the shady side of fifty, from Harriet Martineau to Emily Faithfull, dancing in an esctacy of delightful anticipation. The en deavours of Mrs Colclough have,not been without good effect, and we hope her future labours in her new sphere will be blest with future successes. A challenge of a novel character appears in our columns. Mr E. McOleary is an expert dancer, nature having favored him with an extraordinary pair of legs, which almost in voluntarily move with the rapidity of a steam engine! Mr McCleary is, desirous of exhibiting these natural hangers-on in public, and challenges all the legs in the city to a leg contest, either in jig, hornpipe, or " Roger de Coverley ;" in big shoes, summer whites, or clogs, for any sum of money not extending beyond the purse-strings of O'Hare, or Forbes, or any other man. Who will accept this challenge ? Who feels leg-strong enough to communicate with Mr Armstrong on this bone and sinew encounter.. A ludicrous and startling scene occurred yesterday morning at Grahamstown. On the arrival of the Challenger a rude wind rushed among the passengers and lifted a white hat from its musing owner's head, and carried it up in triumph to the height of twelve feet, and dropped it unceremoniously into that hungry receptacle for chattels and effects, the surging Thames. The passenger, a plucky European, was not to be robbed in this way by the '' sly and wicked wind," and so he immediately divested himself of his clothing (of course the ladies turned their heads), dived in after his sailing beaver, and caught the fugitive crown preserver riding on a wave. He received the plaudits of the male passengers as he held his hat to the sun and bowed to the spectators. We beg to draw attention to the gran~ concert to take place this evening in aid o* the funds now being raised towards the erection of a Sunday-school in connection with All Saints' Church. The concert will be given in the City Hall, and the programme has already been published in our advertising columns. A rich and rare musical treat is in store for the audience, which we venture to hope will be a large and brilliant one. A concert in aid of the Onehunga Bene volent Society came off in the Choral Hall^ Onehunga, on Tuesday night. There was a good attendance, and the audience was well satisfied with the entertainment. Messrs Stevenson, Turnbull, and others gave senti mental and Christy Minstrels' songs. Mr J, Jackson was down on the programme for the reading a " Vulgar little boy," but gave an other instead very successfully. A concert and ball combined were given in the Catholic Institute the same night. Although not publicly advertised there was a large number present, and dancing -was kept up till early morning. Next Wednesday will be St. George's Day, and also the anniversary of the birthday oi the immortal bard, William Shakespeare. The Scotch people keep St. Andrew's Day, and the Irish commemorate the nativity oi St. Patrick, and it has been suggested thai the English folks should honor their patror saint with a celebration, of Ma day. Wf believe Mr John Mason would be glad tc inaugurate some kind of sport for St. George's Day, such as an amateur tight-rope perform ance, a skating rink on a large scale, or even s colonists' political union on the judge arid jury principle. We throw out the hint, and leave it to him to give effect to the same. The continuation of Rutland-street is to bt commenced forthwith. Messrs B. Tonka & Co. have received instructions to sell by auction or Monday next the four cottages in Lorne-streel acquired by purchase by the Improvemeni Commissioners, and which are to be pulled down to make room for the new street. Th< formation of Wellesley-street east is pro gressing rapidly, and the work for which th( contract was iet yesterday will shortly b< commenced. On Tuesday next Messrs Tonkf will offer for public competition, by ordei of the commissioners, fourteen valuablf building allotment* in Symorid-street anc Grafton road on lease for ninty-nine years. The celebrated Shakesperian open-air actor, Mr .Smithy has come to grief in Londor through impersonating Macbeth in the classic regions of Bethnal Green. Wildly brandish ing a wooden sword, and shouting " Lay on, ..Macduff, and damned be him thatiirst criei Hold, enough !" his challenge was answerec' by a restless policemen, who, heedless of th< dramatic unities, bid the valiant genera! " Hold his row." True to himself and t< the text, the tragedian struck an appropriat< attitude of horror, and shouted to. th< constable, "Approach thou like the Russiar bear. The armed rhinoceros, or the Hyrcar tiger, take any shape but that." Fate, however, in the shape of a.police-magistrate. ultimately, rewarded Mr .Smith's histrioni< ability with a week's imprisonment. The London JEra says that this is a precedent i 1 should like to see established, for there art many so-called Shakesperian actors whe deserve at least six months for the manner in Which they "apt" th> immortal bard,

Thefawwell toaeflt to Mr zan will take plane at the Prin ■' , theatre to-morrow night. A ii^- class P lO gramme has been prepared. 'i The dopartnre of tho steam <rjS^* has been postponed until elevei . the Saturday morning. The time fc' r c JJj b For mails has inconsequence been cr 1 ei} c " ... particulars we would refer our i-eaders to tiie mail notice published elsewhere'- The Hobson Company will he ; J then' l\ sua, weekly master on Friday eve. UIJS next at the head quarters. A very busy day is expected f^o^ the Resident Magistrate's Couf fc- f °rty-one cases are set down for hearing 5 seventeen relate to calls in connection w#> 1"^ oompanios, and the remaining tjjwenty-toui . small debt cases. The case of Fitzgerald against^ Moananui, which occupied the Court the iivh()1 T e ,ot J e terday before his Honor Mr Just[ cfi Jolmston, was concluded last night, and vaulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. The ca 4f of .Jon-as v. Loveday, on the application « ;>1 f r Kee^ was withdrawn, it having been' reterr.f l ~, arbitration. The Court then adjourned uutl| next Monday at ten o'clock,; wheu s P eol<il jury cases will be dealt with./ The firms who sent in tenf*".*" t i he co^' .truction of carriages fortti e Wajkato raii wtv are, we hear, Messrs rOousins and Atkin, tfe*n Bailey and Bell* (Auckland arms), and Messrs Price Bror.. of the Thames. The result is not yet know *i- We have to apologise our ParnelT sub scribers for th n .on-delivery of the Star last night. Tihe regular runner for that district is at present laid up with sickness, and the duty of supplying our Parnell supporters was ; deputed to an erratic youth, who has been anything but regular in the fulfilment of the task. Last night's papers were sent to the 'bus ai3 usual, but the boy, finding that the 'bus had not arrived, left the papers at the Q.C.E. upon a promise made by the barman that, the bundle would bs placed on the first 'bus. This he neglected to do, and the whole of the papers were returned to our office from the "hotel this "morning. Other arrangements have been made, which wiM. prevent future disappointment. Wa Sre very glad to learn that the district .-■;.:"hool at the North Share is satisfactorily progressing under the auspices of the new committee. The attendance during the last. quarter averaged 73, and at present is nearly 80, with every prospect of increase. On the • re-opening after the holidays the staff of teachers will be increased by the accession of Miss Cole, a trained and certificated teacher, who, for the last two years and upwards, has been .engaged a8 assistant in the Papakura school. It is probable that evening classes will be established in a few weeks. ■ There are thousands of busy people who die every year for want of sleep. Sleeplessness becomes a disease, and precursor of insanity. We speak of sleep as the image of death, and our waking hours as the image of life. Sleep is not like death, for it is the period in which the waste of the system, ceases, or is reduced to its minimum. Sleep' repairs the waste which waking hours have: made. The night is the repair shop of the body. Every part of the system is silently overhauled, and all the organs, tissues, and substances are silently replenished. Waking consumes and exhausts ; sleep replaces and repairs. A man who would be a good worker must be a good sleeper. A man has not as much force in him as he has provided for in sleep. • The quality of mental activity depends upon the quality' of sleep. Men need, on an average, eight hours of sleep in a day. A lymphatic temperament may require nine, a nervous temperament six or seven. A lymphatic man is sluggish, moves and spe.;ks slowly. But a nervous man acts quickly in everything. He does more in one hour than a sluggish man in two hours, and so in his sleep. Every man sleeps according to his temperament; but eight hours is the average. Whoever by work, pleasure, or sorrow, or by any other cause, is regularly diminishing his sleep, is destroying his life. A man may hold out for a time, but the crash will come and he will die. The is a great deal of intemperance besides that of tobacco, opium, and brandy. Men are dissipated who overtax their sys tems all day, and undersleep every night. A man who dies of delirium tremens is no more a drunkard and a suicide than the. paims ter, the editor or the printer, that works exp ensively all day and sleeps but little all night; Henry Ward Beecher. . The following extract from the JBirminffi ham Post will be read-with interest by Mr Broham, who may be induced to imitate the example for the benefit of colonial tradesmen It tells us that a pictorial exhibition of a rather novel character, on a matter of con-j siderable interest just now to Birmingham' , householders and property ownersj took place at a meeting of the watch committee on ; Tuesday. It consisted of a repoit from the ; chief of police, illustrated by the photogra ; phic portraits of no less than 822 professional • gentlemen who have done Birmingham*'tlfe • honor to select it as their place of residence. ! It seems that 105 are earningtheir livelihood i under police supervision ; the remaining 7171 i are simply known as returned convicts. | The pain of dying must be distinguished! j from the pain of the previous disease; for I when life ebbs sensibility declines. As; 3 death is the final extinction of the coporeal i feelings, so numbness increases as death j comes on. ' The; prostration of disease; like i healthful fatigue, engenders a growing stupor j1 — a sensation of subsiding softly into covered J repose. The transition resembles what may ii be peen in those lofty mountains whose sides L: exhibit every climate in regular gradation ; I' vegetation luxuriates at their base and" ! dwindles in the approach to the regions of ! snow till its feeblest manifestation is re -5j pressed by the cold. The so-called agony can 1! never be more formidable than when the brain Ji is the last to go, and when the mind pre j serves te the end a rational cognizance of the |*i state of the body. Yet persons thus situated [' commonly attest that there are fewj things in 5; life less painful than the close. '" If I had I strength to hold a pen," said William Hunter, 35 "I would "write how easy and delightful it is 5i to die." "If this be dying," said the niece 3! of Newton of Oldney, "itis a pleasant thing [j to die." "That very expression," adds her V uncle, "which another friend of mine made | use of on her death-bed afew years ago." The same words have so often been uttered under 1, similar circumstances that we could fill pages \\ with instances which are only varied by the ' i name of the speaker. ! By the mail steamer Candia, which arrived 31 at Southampton, the Dispatch learns that the I 1 marriage of his Highness the Sheriff of Guazan s with an' English Christian lady, Miss King, l; took place at Tangier on the 17th January. ) The bride rodo to the English Consulate on 31 an Arab horse, covered with a scarlet 3' saddle and cloth embroidered with gold, t and was presented by the bride i groom. The marriage was merely a civil ceremony, and was performed by Sir John Drummond Hay. The bridegroom appeared j: in a flowing Eastern dress of dark blue, and 3 was escorted by a guard of Moorish soldiers, i to the Victoria Hotel, where all the Consu -3 lar body were present. His Highness has > now four wives. Miss King, by her mar i riage with a Mahomedan, forfeits all protec tion to the English law;

THE NGAKAWAU COAL MINES, WEST COAST.

Having paid a visit to the Ngak&wau coal mines on tins coast, eighteen miles distant from Westport, and being much interested in what I saw1,- it occurred to me that many of your readers would be glad to hear some tbixtg respecting the vast deposits of coal in this'district. How I went, what I. saw,, and what I thought of it, may be thus explained. We started, eight of us, on saddle-horses, and a two-horse trap accompanied us from Westport, and continued the route along the 0 , beach, crossing the Orawaite river, two miles a k distant, from the .town. The following riveaown \ at distances of a few miles each are met :>» c c^ The Wareatea, Maungaroa, and the Ngaka wau. all of them fordable at high water. On proceeding up the Ngakawau about one fourth of a mile, we arrived at where the present mine is worked, and by the aid of one Chambers, an intelligent practical caol miner, we were shown a magnificent seam of coal 17it. thick, on the hill side. We entered, ascending the working about 200 yards, and found the seam increasing to 20 ft. To those unacquainted with coal miniDg I may be allowed to observe that many a miner in the old country would travel for many miles to see a 17ft seam of coal. We next examined its extent, and found that the accounts given by geologists is perhaps true, vir., that where this coal is situate it is a alip from Mount Eochford only divided by a narrow creek. We found the coal on the other side of the slip, and also traced the outcrop on Mount Eochford, thence traceable for many miles. The number of other seams in the neighbourhood showed that coal exists i n immeasurable quantities for many miles, and sufficient to supply the Southern hemisphere for many, generations. The advantage that is hero possessed over other mines is that there is no raising required, or is there any fear of flooding, all working being at high level on the hills and mountains, therefore easly drained. The quality of coal is much praised by all connoisseurs ; it has been tested for steam, gas, and domestic purposes and found to be very powerful, andtopossess many virtues seldom- met with in other coals. The delivery of this coal into ship is the next consideration, *and but one route is pos sible, viz., a rail or tramwayfrom Ngakawau river along the flat above highwater to the town of Westport, at a cost of perhaps £30,000, a distance of eighteen miles, where ships of five Tiundred tons can cross the, bar athigkwater, and vessels of three hundred tons all the year round. Some mention has been made about the possibility of deepening the bar at the entrance* of the Ngakawau, and by a sea-wall protecting ships, but all know it is dangerous to touch bars, and at • ,best. an open roadstead is not desirable. The inhabitants say a sum ..of, money-has already been voted to make railways: in/the district, but remark they have no faith and no personal-interest in the House of Repre sentatives to secure its expenditure. Surely with coal, at its present price, and the un calculable boon this interest (if developed) would be New Zealand at large, this vast inexhaustable field of mineral wealth should not be allowed- to remain undeveloped. •Many?l visitors will be doubtless flock to see these mines,''£h'e future Newcastle of New Zealand. "I recommend them to obtain horses at Westport, and eojoy the beautiful ■ride along the firm sands for 18 miles, com manding a view of the everlasting verdure clad' mountain* of the West Coast. At Ngakawau there is an excellent house of accommodation, where mine host and hostess are-people to be appreciated by a traveller. — (ConiiminicatedJ.

POLICE COURT.—This Day.

(Before MessrsW. C. Daldy and G. M. Mit ford, Justices of the Pea.cc.)

DRUNKENNESS,

One person was find 10s and costs for getting drunk.

VAGRANCY.

Thos. Salmon was charged with being found at night on the premises of Messrs Holdship and Co., Custom House-street, without lawful excuse. The prisoner said that he had not enough money to procure a bed. Sergeant-Major Pardy said that it was a •dangerous practice for drunken men to lie down in timber yards amengst a lot of shavings, as they often resorted to smoking. The prisoner (he said) had been discharged from the barque Lochnagar. Mr Beveridge made an appeal on the man's behalf, and the Bench dismissed the case with a caution. ASSAULT AND COUNTER-ASSAULT. A case of assault and counter-assault that occurred yesterday in Shortland-street was dismissed, the matter having been amicably arranged. Messrs Beveridge and Hesketh appeared in .this, case. . ft / ! THE SERIOUS CHARGE OF SCUTTLING A SJfalP. Alfred Etherington, George Green, and Eichard Moore were charged on remand with scuttling the British ship Alsa?er r1,200 register (Captain Eae) on the high seas on the voyage from. Mai den Island to Europe loaded with guano, on or about the 3rd March 1873, the said ship the property of GryeeLim ner of Melbourne. Mr Hesketh, for the prosecution, ;applied to have the information amended by adding 3the words "or to rendering the same use less." This,was allowed.. ;..<_-. ; - *pj . "Mr Beveridge appeared for' the prisoners, and said that as he had only just been re tained on their behalf, he would therefore ask that the case might be adjourned. "!Mr: Hesketh objected, as he understood that the Collector , of Customs had applied to have an official enquiry held in addition to the criminal proceedings., and he had only made himself conversant with the parti culars of the latter, and was' not prepared to. igo7<>n.with the former.1 rJßfe had alsbnitfe witnesses present. The Bench asked the prisoners why they had not engaged counsel earlier. Mv Hesketh informed the Court that thY had during the week applied to him to defend them; but being engaged for the prosecution he had declined. This would have caused some delay. The Bench then remanded the case until to-morrow. Mr McKellar applied to have the witnesses subpoena altered, as they were summoned for to-day. This was done, and the witnesses were further ordered to attend the Court on Satur day, to attend the enquiry to be held under the " Enquiry into Wrecks Act." One of the witnesses applied on behalf of the seaman to -have their expenses, as they were without money. • Mr Hesketh said that he had not sub poenaed' a majority of the men present. !Mr Beveridge replied that although a great many, of the men were called as witnesses for; the prisoners they had no funds to pay them .with. He would suggest that as money was due to the men, and in the hands of the Collector of Customs, they should receive part on account. After some further remarks the matter dropped. i\ . . ASSAULT. J., Henry Neall charged John Freer with an assault. •' '' The case was adjourned until Tuesday,

THE EVENING BTAIt, THURSDAY, APftll 17, IMB-



TWEED TROTJSEESI 15s. 6d. Per Pair, AT THK CITY CLOTHING MAEf, AND A* _ _ No. 180, QUEEN STREET. fIEEAT DEDUCTIONS V3T Ton THREE MONTHS ONLY AT THTS AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY, 194 QUEEN STREET, Next Boob to Savings' Bank. CaHes-de-idnUe reduced from Ifis per dozen to ISs fid. Maori Celebrities (largest stock in New Zealand ttffselect from), reduced from 12s per dozen to 6s. Views from all parts of New Zealand reduced from 12s per dozen to 6s. Enlargements from Cartes-ile-risUe to Life-size, plain or beautifully finished in Oil or Water Colors, also reduced in price. Large Stock of Photographic Goods and Apparatus, Magic Lantern Slides, Stereoscopic Slides, so., greatly reduced. J. McGARRIGLE, Mwittger.