COMMERCIAL.

WOOL SALES

} Messrs E;'unter and Nolan held their first i wool sale of the season at noon to-day. There j was a good attendance of buyers, and all i the lots offered, about fifty in number, were sold The prices for longwool, in grease, ' were 9d, 9^d, 9gd, 10£ d, and 10£ d; ! longwool, washed, Is lfd, Is 2d, Is 2£d, Is 3d and Is 3f d. Half-bred wool, in grease, j gj^ 9.^ ]s 2£d. Meriao wool, in grease, | BJd, 9d. Locks, 6£d. The buyers were i Messrs Ireland Brothers, Gilford, Suther i laud, Fetter, and J. Osbore and Co. Mr Alfred Buckland's second wool sale of the season commenced at two o'clock to-day, i and was proceeding when we went to press. i The bidding is being sustained with spirit, I and the following prices have ruled to the ! time our reporter jefr, :—Longwoo', in grease, j 9|d„ 101 , 10fd., and lljd. ; half-bred, B£d., 9|d., 9gd., and 10^d. ; mixed, 9d. ,

i At Messrs Cochrane and Sons mart, to \ da>, his Excellency's yacht, the Blanche, $ vat offered for sale. Tbere was a capital S att fVlance, aud the bidding was started at 1 £l.^V by a well-known gentleman having CH inteie.^, j n the pott. By hundreds at a ™\ time. offers wen- up to £2,000. A pause lai tl c • cn td, aft r which another £100 was P»| added. \; a w<s the last bid, and after in •B'j vain fc^ to coax out some further corn but Pet' '?,\Nlc-ioneersaidhevtas compelled rets to J" the yacht. —It is understood 1 that tt¥^\figf^dKMl£?*£o( W imAi 1 \ ft&jHMtfrnOT

CHIEF POST-OFFICE, AUCKLAND.

Mails will Close as follows :— For 'iharoes, this day, at 5.30 p.m , and to-morrow, at 0 30 a m For Corumandel, nn Wridaynext, at 10.30 a m. For Watwera »nd Warkworlh, per Lady Bowen, to morrow, a 10 a.m For Napier and Gisborne, per Southern Cros?, to morrow at 1 p.m. For the undermentioned pla-e* per s.s. Mikado, on Thursday, 26th instant, as follows : — For Sandwich Islands. United States of America, British and Foreign West Indies, Canada. British Columbia, Central and South America, at 6 p m. "or the United Kingdom and Continent of Europe, at 5 p.m For money orders, registered letters, and news papers, at 4 p.m Late letters bearing an extra fee of 6d will be received by tbe Mail Agent on board up to time of sailing For Taranaki, Southern provinces, and Australian Colonies, per Ladybird, on Saturday next, 23th iust-int. at 1 p m.

For Whiti*ngi, T*irna, Opotiki, aid Napier, via Tauraoga, per Southern cross, on Saturday next, at 1 p.m

8. B. Biss, Chief Postmaster.

BIRTH.

FojTRH —On Noveiiber '4, at hT residence Jermyn street, the wife of Mr Alfred Porter of a son.

DEATH.

Cook-On November 22, at Parnell Rise, Mary, the beloved wife of William Uook, Auckland, New Zealand, late of Caahil, Kilmore, couuty H^perary, Ireland ; aged 52 jears.

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

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1874.

For the cause that lacks ssnletanc*, For the wrong that needs resitta»ce, For tho future in the distance. Ab4 tht ssod that we can iv.

No legislation has been more clamantly called for than that intended to abolish imprison ment for debt. The practice of putting a man in gaol for being poor, or it may be unfortunate, was regarded by almost common consent as barbarous, and utterly opposed to the spirit of the age. The various efforts therefore to purge the statute-book of New Zealand of a blot, that is no longer found on the laws of any other Australasian colony, have been watched with? general interest; and considerable chagrin has been felt, as one diffi culty and contretemps after another, caused the amendment of the law to be deferred. In last session of the Assembly an Act with this ostensible intention obtained final ratification, and such as it was it might have done good; but it appears to have resulted in about as pretty a muddle as it is possible to conceive. It was fixed to come into operation on the first ot October, but required certain regulations to be drawn up withoc-t which it would be noperative. The country having lost the nestimable services of Mr Bat hgate, and not yet obtained the equally valuable services of Mr Bowen, or for some other reason, these regulations have not been framed. Bat it is not that matters remain in statu quo, for certain powers of Resi nt Magistrates having been taken away, and no similar powers having been conferred on any one owing to the absence of these regulations, a fraudulent debtor who wishes to breathe the air of free dom, and see new scenes can freely pay his creditors with a parting salaam from a steamer's quarterdeck, and no one can say him nay. It is a very pleasant state of things for creditors to contemplate, and , must be set down as one of the many benefits derived from having a Government that spends the'houra of the recess in one endless round of holiday making and seeing the world. If Mr Bowen is not frightened by the chorus I of welcome which hia advent to public life '

has evoked, we may anticipate that he wid make the little arrangements necessary to better regulate the relations of creditor and debtor; but in the meantime we shall not be surprised if not a few avail themselves of the opportunity of bidding good bye to hard hearted creditors and starting for other scenes where duns cease from troubling and the bothered are at rest.

A statement appears in our telegrams rela tive to immigration and emigration, that should arrest the attention of the most indifferent to political and social questions. Id a year's colonization we have, at enormous expense, brought 8.754 people from the other side of the globe, and they have thrust out 4,761 of our own colonists. This is the simplest and most intelligible way of putting it. We spent, we may assume, at least £150,000 in connection wiih the importing, of these strangers, and we spent nothing at all in providing passages for our own fellow colonists, who have been obliged to go somewhere else to find a living. We have rejoiced over these raw new chums who have cost so dearly, and who will grumble for two or three years at least at their hard lot, and the wrong we have done them in inducing them to leave "good homes" to die in this wilderness, and we have'nt spent a tear or a cent in recognition of those who have borne the burthen and heat of the day of colonization, but go away with their colonial experience from a land that has refused them a home. There is some thing rotten in the state of Denmark. A Southern contemporary attributes it to bad land laws, and bad mining regulations. But whatever may be the causes contributing to the exodus of 4.701, they are at least as de serving of consideration as are the ways and means for introducing 8,754. We do not think that in all the statistics of colo nization there could be found a more striking illustration of the manner in which a "great colonizing policy" may be a hollow sham than is supplied in this drain of population. Like the tub of the Danaides, the filling of Nesv Zealand with population seems so far to have been a boot less task, and it is hardly to be questioned that stopping up the holes by giving settle ment and homes to those that are here, should be simultaneous if not preliminary to the pouring in of immigrants. Population was to be the antidote to the evils of our enormous and increasing debt. The debt will be here, but what of the population ? Nine thousand come ; five thousand go !

We would direct special attention to the im portant London produce telegram received from our Wellington correspondent, embody ing the intelligence brought by the last .Suez mail, per Albion to the Bluff. The recent advance of kauri gum in the Auckland market to the very high figure of £42 per ton, ha°. puzzled a good many outsiders, but the excellent rates l tiling at home, reported in our telegrams, now account for the readiness to buy at an apparently unremunerativeti»ure. The mes-age conveys welcome intelligence relative to phormium, which has been very much depressed here, and we hope an in creased dtmand in our own market will revive this flagging industry, and set many mills now stopped to work again. Any improvement in the home value of these two important staples of our province is of interest to the general public as well as to commercial men, and we hope that, in the event of a revival n the iiax industry, such care will be exercised by producers in the preparation of tho fibre as will preserve its reputation. '1 here is no doubt that this industry has si.fl'ered very seriously from negligent pre paration or wilfully fraudulent packing, which may be temporarily profitable to the perpetrator, but must, iv the long run, bring uiu and loss on the whole industry,

The following really good letter is just to hand from Motu-Thi :—" Motu-Ihi, Nov. 21, 1874. —Sir, —We beg, through your influen tial journal, to return our sincere and heart felt ihanks to the New Zealand Government for their kindness in placing us in quaran tine. We have been told that scarlet fever prevads in Auckland, and have come to the conclusion that our detention is due to that, the Government not wishmg to expose us to the chance of infection. We presume that measures are being taken to quell the disease previous to our landing. Some of us, lam sorry to fay, do not perceive the real cause of our enforced seslusion, and are sufficiently thoughtless to say that they are losing valu able time and money, and would rather run the chance of infection in Auckland, if they could at the same time obtain work. The single men say that they have had no more illness than the saloon passengers, who have been released, and that they should be also let go ! They do not see that that is the very reason why they are detained. lam very sorry that but very few thoroughly appreciate the wisdom of the quarantine officers. We are well taken 'care of here, and have excellent unfurnished apartments to live in, where all lie down together most com fortably on the floor, as we have been told is the custom of New Zealanders. Some silly people want screens and partitions. How absurd ! They ought to learn at once the habits of our adopted home. Everything is done here to fit us for what is before us— from drawing water and cutting wood, to an endless fumigation with brimstone. We again beg to thank the Government for their fatherly care and kind consideration. —We remain, your obedient servants, A Few Sensible Immigrants."

Anent the bakers meeting just convened, a correspondent writes : —Sir, —I perceive by your advertising columns that the bakers of Auckland purpose holding a meeting this evening for the purpose of discussing matters in "connection with their trade." I am informed that an attempt will be made to pass a resolution at the meeting to raise the price of bread, and charge a uniform sum. Now, sir, I think it is high time for the people of Auckland to take the matter in their own hands, and form a Co-operative Bakery Company. Such a company was formed in Wellington some six or eight months ago, and has proved a great success, by paying its shareholders 10 per cent, and that has not been its only benefit. When flour is reduced in price, the price of bread is at once lowered, the bakers being obliged to follow suit, or else lose their custom. The establishment of such a company also prevents Master Bakers banding together on the slightest pretext in order to make us pay more for the " staff of life." Let us be up and doing, and no longer be at the mercy of those wno appear to have no mercy upon us. — I am, &c , Paterfamilias.

We notice that our contemporary the Cross claims that ten of the immigrants per Wai tangi were induced to cast in t heir fortunes with the colonists of Auckland in consequence of a perusal of that journal. We may remark in extension of our contemporaries remarks that the balance of the shipment, some 300 persons trace their conversion directly to the convincing power of tbe Evening Star. This fact we think fairly entitles ourselves in conjunction with our coadjutors on the Cross to some remuneration out of the im migration loan which is so liberally lavished on itinerant agents in Britain. The elemen ary singing class, on the Hullah system, will be commenced this evening by Mr Theophilus Cooper, in the class room of the Young Men's Christian Association, at half-past seven o'clock.

We have r. ceived the following queries respecting the special settlement system : - " Hamilton, JNoyember 23. 1874. To the Editor of the Evening Star : Sir,—l have noticed from time to time that you have en deavoured to impress upon a certain class of persons the importance ot availing themselves of the benefits derivable from the . Special Settlements Act.' Would you kindly furnish answers to the following : 'Is it necessary that his Honor the Superintendent should proclaim a district under the Act before appicat on, or should application be made first? Are the special settlements alone con fined to that portion of ihe island which lies to the North of Auckland? Could special settlements be obtained in the Waikato ou application, or should intending settlers wait umil his Honor takes it into his head to proclaim toe district ? If it is true (as has been rumoured) that the northern portion of the island is alone intended for such settlements, then I say the vi hole thing is a farce, for by a little negotiation large traces of land lying a ong the frontier settlements in the Waikato could be purchased at a nominal sum, and which could be set aside for special settlements. But IJsuppose the Government thinks the land too good for such a purpose. I agree with you, sir, in saying that the Actis a good and judicious one if carried out in the spirit for which it was intended, but it is feared it will not. There are a good many who would be glad of further information on the subject.—l am, sir, yours, &c, Nkw Chum, Waikato." With reference to the location of special settlements there is nothing in the Waste Lands Act that confines special settlements to the Northern portions of the province. Its provisions ore quite as applicable to the South as to the North. There may, how ever, be some difficulty in the fact that a large portion of the best land purchased by the General Government has not been handed over to the Superintendent, and we think it will be found that tbe General Government will not be indisposed |to throw difficulties in the way of these lands being made available for special settlement. It does not appear to be necessary that lands should be proclaimed as open for special settlement before applica tions are made, but we would recommend our correspondent and all others with similar intentions to place themselves in communication with his Honor the Superin tendent on the subject. The settlement of industrious agricultural population on the lands of the province is his particular hobby, and we feel confident that every information and assistance will be afforded.

When the first clock was formed by the three humble artists from Delft, in Holland, in 130S, in the reign of Edward the Third, it was regarded with agreatdeal of superstition, and rudely supposed to be chiefly the work of invisible hands. This wonderful machine for measuring time, however, grew into public favor, and the two first reliable clocks were, in the reign of Henry the Third, placed over the gateways of the abbeys of Canter bury and Westminster. Watches w^re first made at Nuremberg, and taken to England in 1577, in Queen Elizabeth's time. If the clocks and watches excited a kind of super stitious awe in those days, what would not the mysteiious clock to he seen in the window of Messrs. Kohn Brothers, of Queen-street, have done? It would ceitainly have para lysed every spectator with fear. Those ages, however, are passed, and in these days of progress we hail every new invention of the human mind with feelings of profound gratitude. On Saturday evening, so crowded was the pavement under Messrs. Kgliu'b window by persons desirous of getting a sight of Kohn's mysterious clock, that the service of a police constable was necessary in the language of the poet to " clear tbe way." We have looked in vain to discover the invisible workings ef this marvellous clock, which keeps such unerring time, and give it up. There it is, however, in the window of Messrs. Kohn—a picture and a mystery,—to be seen and inspected by everyone.

Rainbows at night are not very uncom" monly seen in Auckland, but they are mostly of white colour, and entirely destitute of the tints that beautify rainbows during the day. About eleven o'clock last night, however, a beautiful and perfect bow was visible in the Southern sky, in which the blue, green, yellow, and orange tints were distinctly marked.

To the Editor : Sir,—On almost every shop front and door facing in Queen-street are projecting large hooks and nails, on which tradesmen are wont to display their wares during the day ; and thus it happens that on Sabbath evenings, when the various churches have sent forth their congregations, the streets for a time a^e densely thronged, and it is of common occurrence for persons to be jostled up against one of these danger ous projectiles, rendering perhaps a costly article of apparel entirely worthless. It so occurred on Sunday last when a young lady, on passing a shop within a few doors down wards from Vulcan-lane, was accidentally pushed up against one of these objectionable nuisances. I do not know whether tho occupier of the shop could be held liable for the damage done, but certainly I think they should be removed at once, for it might so happen that he might be called upon to pay rather dearly for them. The City Council, with its multitudinous bye-lawa,| might add another to the lole by prohibiting the use of these dangerous destroyers of clothing.—l am, <kc, Pedestrian.

A very good plan for making a woman become a Good Templar was recented fol lowed out by a workman in Hobart Town, whose wife would persist in going out to spend his hard-earned wages in drink, in stead of keeping it to buy bread for the little ones at home. As he could not labor at the same time and watch Adam's rib, and keep her away from a defect of our nature, he be thought himself to burn all the paraphernalia (petticoats included) of his own dear Eve. And, as a consequence, she has for some time jast had to keep her couch, supplied with all necessary comfort, but sans certain articles of apparel. What a good idea, says the Mercury, as to how to make a Good Templar, for there she is now as sober as on the first day she saw the sun.

A lively dashing young visitor from the spirit world has been astonishing the people of various States of America. It is reported that this young lady has been caught and detained on earth, and this is the way it was done, as recorded by an American journal: —" Katie King the Spirit is reported to have been caught in a Michigan village by the slack of her breeches. A watcher having been put in a bedroom adjoining the cabinet whence she ethereally emerges, and a sleepy man having leaned against the door of said cabinet so that she could not mate rialize herself into the room, she left by the back way and scudded under bare poles across the fields, where she was caught. She proved to be a lady of Philadelphia a relative of the Holmes mediums, and she was dressed in boy's clothes. This story has an air of improba bility, and we rather favour Katie. Why should the Philadelphia lady have been in boy's clothes, and carrying a light cane ? The truth seems to be that the Michiganders wanted to be very smart, and invented the breeches story. We do not believe in Katie King, but we do not any the more believe this story, mainly because she deceived Philadelphia, a stupid city, but still not so stupid as to be outdone by a girl in breeches scudding over a Michigan goose-pasture.— Katie King is now at Adrain, Mich., still travelling on her shadowy shape."

The directors of the Union Bank of Aus tralia have behaved very handsomely to their clerks and employes. Lately they resolved upon the payment of a bonus of 10 per cent to all the officers of the bank. This is as it should be, and exhibits a proper feeling of harmony between capital and labour—the employers and employed. Such a stimulus to exertion will no doubt be profitable to the bank.— Guardian.

The great American circus was comfortably filled last evening, and the various equestrian and acrobatic performances were greatly successful. The extraordinary feats of Mddle Gracie and Mr Gilham met with rap turous approval. This gentleman was also excellent in his representations of England, Ireland and Scotland, and the quickness with which he changed the representative cos tumes was very remarkable. He was capital iv the three characters, and equally correct in tbe several dialects. Young American, and Messrs Hutchins and Turner, were f uliy up t > the mark, whilst " Dick Tuiptn's ride " was well sustained throughout. The wayside public house and the carmine host, were picturesque and full of life. The " Black Bess" of the piece had evidently been studiously trained for its parts, and is a very fine animal. The performances throughout were rendered with remarkable fidelity, were thoroughly appreciated, and resultt-d in a feeling of apparent satisfaction to all present. Most of the scenes will be repeated this evening. The following description of a Fiji cannibal chief is from the pen of the Austra lasian's special correspondent :—" Bitova has always been a violent, bad man, and a thorough obstructionist iv all good measures. Some 14 years ago he strangled his own daughter for a simple act which, according to Fijian custom, is tambu. A canoe was upset, and the occupants, with great difficulty, swam to a reef. Eitovas daughter was safe on the reef, and looking round for her companions she saw a young man struggle manfully through the waves, and finally gain a firm footing. She was so pleased to see him out of danger, that in a moment of forgetfulness she half embraced him. The kinship of tbe young man made this tambu. The old chief saw the act from a distance, and jswore that she should die. The old men of the tribe soroed (made presents and humbled themselves) to Bitova five separate times to beg the life of his daughter. They finally offered themselves to the executioner in her place ; but the old savage could' not be moved from his grim purpose. The only concession he would make was to kill the old men first if they wished it, and his daughter afterwards. And so the unfortunate girl perished. Bitova has also clubbed and eaten some of his nearest relatives."

The "big gooseberry" is proverbial, but we can't grow them. So in dull seasons the harassed journalist has to fall back on gigantic straw berries. A sample of fruit from a new seedling strawoerry, really worth examination, has been placed on view in the window of Mr. Brewin, seedsman, in the market, who supplied the seed from which the plants were grown. Some of these straw berries are four-and-half inches in circum ference, and of rich flavour. They were grown by Mr. George Smith, of the Hobson Bridge Nursery, who will have a large num ber of the plants on sale for next season.

Mr George Goldie, the officer appointed under the Public Health Act of 1872, calls the attention of the public to the fact that section 20 of that Act provides that from and after the Ist June, 1875, earth closets will be compulsory, unless water closets with proper drains, communicating with a main drain, are already in existence. We have seen by several cases which have been brought before the Police Court lately that some persons aie careless iv these matters, and have not due regard for the health of the community. The provision of the Health Act therefore, is not inconsistent, but absolutely necessary for the public good.

The Good Templars of Napier purpose giving a concert at an early date. The pro ceeds of the concert to be devoted to the purchase of a piauo, for, we presume, the Uood Templar Lodge.

Mrs McLean, widow of the late John

McLean, who met with bis death at Maketu in September last, while in the act of falling a tree, begs to acknowledge receipt of tbe sum of £8 collected on behalf of herself and

five children, by John McLean, of Napier street, and to return her sincere thanks to the subscribers for their timely assistance. The master-bakers of Auckland will hold their adjourned meeting this evening in the British Hotel, when it is hoped thero will be a good attendance, as matters of importance are to be brought forward in connection with the trade.

The Auckland mails via Suez arrived by the Albion iv the South, and have now got as far as Wellington on their way North in the ss. Tarunaki. We may therefore ex pect to ba placed in possession of our correspondence in a few days. The members of the several Volunteer bands mustered strongly last evening iv the drill shed for practice, and played the National Anthem together very effectively. Major Gordon was iv attendance, and the practice was conducted by Bandmaster McComisb.

The vacany caused by the resignation of Mr H. Pycroffc, lately teacher of St Matthew's school, Hobaon-street, has been filled by Mr Harold E. W. Sutton, second master of tbe Mount Hobson District School; and from what we can learn it will be to the advancement of the latter-named gentleman in a pecuniary point of view. The t;otal number of scholars at present is forty-six, though new boys drop in daily. The school room, we hear, is large and commodious, and capable of holding many more. Mr Sutton being of an energetic disposition, it is to be hoped that the Bchool will increase both in numbers and learning.

THE SUEZ MAIL.

[SPECIAL TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR.]

ENGLISH SHIPS FOR AUCKLAND.

WELLINGTON, (From our own Correspondent.)

This day. I send you the followine shipping and commercial reports from the European Mail and Home Neius. —

LONDON.

The ship Cospatriek sailed from London on September Bth, for Auckland, with a full compliment of immigrants and the following saloon passengers : Mr and Mrs Reilly, Mr and Mrs Cook and infant, Messrs Davis, Holloway, Allan, McKerron, and Craig. The fine ship Dilharee, loaded by the Shipping Company, sailed from London for Auckland on September 30th; and the Glenlora, from London for Auckland on the 26th September.

GUM AND FLAX MARKET.

New Zealand flax, £44 to £51 per ton ; kauri gum (rough), £27 to £40 ; do (scraped), £41 to £53; good scraped, £54 to £87; selected, £88 to £93.

NEW YORK.

The Edith Eoae sailed for Auckland on September 18th.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD, THE UNDINE.

A MAN OVERBOARD,

Wiliam Frbderick Frttsher, a young man employed as a seaman on board the Undine, cutter, was lost overboard while the vessel was off Wangarei on her way to Auckland from Hokianga yester day morning. A fresh breeze was blowing from the N.W. at the time, and a moderate sea was running. Deceased, when the accident happened, was in the act of slack ing off the main-sheet. Just at the momeut the rope was free of the cleat, the vessel gave a lurch, and the sheet running out suddenly, over-balanced him over the aide. Cautain Miller at once gave orders to round an a boat was lowered within three

minutes of the accident, but although every* attempt was made to find the unfortunate man, it was without success. He could not swim, and there is scarcely a doubt he sank at once. Deceased was a native of Hull, and is not known to have any relatives in the colony. He was a very steady man, and was preparing to pass as mate.

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

A CARLIST MASSACRE.-HORRIBLE BRUTALITY.

You have, doubtless, by this time received all the p.irticutais of the horrid massacre of Valfogona. There was not even the pretence of a court-martial. The captive Carbineers were taken from their original place of con finement by two Carlist chiefs, Bosch and Bru, acting under the orders of Sahalls, tied with ropes in couples, and conveyed on foot to Llayers, under escort of fifty Carlists. One of them, who was lame, and could not bear the fatigue of the march, was dispatched with bayonets on the road, and left for burial in the hands of some woodmen. Upon their arrival at Llayers the others were shut up in the parish church, where presently Federico Bru intimated to them that they were to prepare for instant execution, for " they were all rascals of Carabineros, and {Saballs was determined that not one of them should live." He allowed them the assistance of three priests, and only one hour's respite. They were mostly married men, and tried to save their lives by clubbing the little money they had and tendering it as their ransom ; but Bru observed with a sneer, that he had already their money safe at his discretion. They then snatched from each other's hands such pencils and small slips of paper as they could lay hold of, and wrote hasty farewells to tbeii wives and families. At 11 o'clock Bru re appeared, and they vainly implored him ! for the delay of another hour. But i their hour had struck. Bosch drew up a ! shooting party in the churchyard, and a first I couple was led out and made to stand with j their backs against the walls of the church. The word was given, a volley was heard, and all was over with them. The report of the rifles allowed their comrades within the church no doubt as to the fate which awaited them. Pinioned as they were, they tried to embrace each other, and nerved up their courage by mutual exhortations and loving leave takings. So affecting was the scene inside the church that one of the priests fainted, and had to be conveyed to j the parsonage. One unhappy pair was thus led out after another, first tho-e who were most downcast and resigned, then those who strugcled and clung to the walls, to the posts, and even to the dead bodies on the ground of those of their comrades who had gone before them. In the rear of the shooting-party was the little Carlist party, whose duty it was to dispatch with the bayonet those men whom the rifle-balls had no immediate fatal effect. At half-past twelve all was over. Eighty-four perished. Only one, by name Avolas, a native of ! Llayers and fellow-townsman of Bosch, was I allowed to go free. —Correspondent " London Times" on Spanish frontier, August 31.

METHODIST MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA.

Bishop Harris, in his present official visitation, found 2,500 native Methodists in China, with 80 native preachers. The missionary work has become well established in the empire.

RITUALISM IN THE WESLEYAN CHURCH.

The Wesleyans in England nave become somewhat exercised over the discovery that the seed of ritualism have been found in their church Liturgy. A committee was ap pointed, at a late conference, to consider the subject of levising the liturgy and Book of Offices, with a view to the removal of all expressions which are susceptible of a sense contrary to the principles of Evangelical Protestanism.

THE AUSTRIAN POLAR EXPEDITION.

Hamburg dispatch to the London Times o^ September 25th says that at the sitting o^ the Geographical Society, af terJCaptain Wrip" recht, of the Austrian Polar expedition, had spoken, a further account was given of their travels by another member of the expedition. He said they had discovered a sound one hundred miles long and ninety miles in breadth running: northwards and dividing the land into two extensive tracts on the 12th of July in latitude 81 degrees 57 minutes. The expedition halted, but they saw that the land stretched away to the north as far as latitude S3 The explorers came to the conclusion that it was impossible to reach the North Pole iv this direction, and thtt the theory of the existence of a polar sea untenable. Vessels would find no harbor to put into during the winter, and a large expedition, without having a ship in the immediate neighbourhood, would be impracticable, in consequence of the peculiar formation of the tracts of country. A North Pole expedition, in this direction, was there fore hopeless.

OUTRAGES ON OVERLAND RAIL ROAD

PASSENGERS ROBBED BY FORCE, AND TRAINS TAKEN POSSESSION OF BY ARMED BANDITS.

Passengers by every train arriving from the East both first-class and emigrant (says the " Alta California"), make statements of atrocious treatment and robbery at the hands of armed bands of desperadoes, who infest the line of the route in great numbers, and prosecute their depredations on passengers without restraint. But for the constant and , corroborative evidence received from those t who have passed the ordeal of the overland railroad journey, it would seem incredible that such outlawry could exist with immu nity in the country, and a publication of the real facts must deter all but very courageous people from venturing upon the overland journey These outrages have been commonly excused by the railroad authorities on the representation that passengers who are relieved of their money are simply the victims of their own folly, in wagering with three-card monte swindlers ; but the burden of complaint now represents bold and auda cious robbery, under threats of life, with bowie-knives and pistols. The following statement, prepared by the passengers who reached the city by the emigrant train this morning, ia a fair description of every-day ccurrences on the line of the Central Pacific, but the details are hardly up to the reports of previous atrocities that have been received in the city :—We, the undersigned personp, have just arrived in California from Omaha, and we feel it to be our duty to warn the public that neither life nor property is safe on the emigrant trains of the Central Pacific Bailroad. This thoroughfare of travel is infested from end to end with thieves, gam blers, and sharpers, who are little better than highway robbers. The conductors and brakesmen of the trains are either afraid to exercise any authority, or are in league with these mauraders There is no law and no place of appeal for protection, as is the case on shipboard, but every peacaful or unarmed passenger is at the mercy of any ruffian who chooses to maltreat him. The conductors refuse to take any t notice of such outrageous actions when complained to. On our recent trip; many poor men of our party were fleeced out of their last dollar at three-card monte — several of them being family men. We do not complain of this so much as we do of the fact that our train was literally captured this side of Reno by a gang of eight or ten monte brigands, who, because they could get no one to bet with them, passed through the cars calling the passen gers filty names, striking them, spit ting tobacco-juice in their faces, flourishing bowie-knives and revolvers, and threatening to cut our throats; or blow our brains out. They were all heavily armed, while few of us had weapons of any kind, and

HTw&iUd not come to this State with, the expectation of having to fighfc, our way through. At Truckee we were informed that a passenger on an eastward bound immigrant-train had been barbarously beaten for refusing to gamble with these seoflndrels. It was also stated that more danger exists on the eastward-bound trains than on the trains for the west. All of these gamblers and capp rs are personally known to the rail-road conductors, but are never disturbed, but, on the contrary, usually ride in tbe same car with the conductors, after they have concluded their devilment for the ; trip. No far as we.could discover, not the ' slightest semblance of law was observaole along the Central Pacific Railroad in Nevada, everything being controlled by ruffianism and ihreats of murder, and we believe that the travelling public, especially the poorer class, should be made acquainted; with these facts."

POLICE COURT.—This Day.

(Before Thomas Beckham, Esq. R.M.) TWO M ONS. Anthony E. Cowan, and Thomas Wend over, were charged with being intoxicated last evening. One of the men was found hi the Kyberpass-road in a state of doubt, as to whether two moons were shining or only one. The astronomical error was admitted. His Worship said, that from what he had witnessed yesterday on the part of Cowan, he thought he was a confirmed lunatic: at present he must go to prison for seven days, when probably he would be medically ex amined. Wendover denied being drunk, ha was only stupid ; and as he said he could bring a witness to prove that he was per fectly sober; he was remanded until to morrow. ERRORS, WORDS AND MISHAPS.—AN ERRIKCf COACHMAN. Charles Nelson was summoned to answer a charge of leaving his horses and carriage unattended in Queen-street on th« 17th inst.,. which were detected by the official eye of Serjeant Saunderson. Defendant said he had only left bia hbrseg for a few minutes, and was ignorant of the fact that he was doing wrong. He had not > studied the by-law lately, as the authorities \.< had not furnished him with copies. Sergeant-Major Pardy informed the Court that defendant had gone into a public-house j at the time of the offence. ; His Worship : Ah, there it is ! you could ; find your way into an hotel without a by-lavr , to shew you the way. Defendant said he hoped the Court would be lenient in its judgment, as he had been at respectable coachman for many years. Fined 10s and costs. THE ARCHILL NUISANCE. Thomas Faulder, the well-known contrac tor, was summoned under the Municipal Act of 1866, for allowing night soil to be spilt in the Great North Road on the 19th instaat; also with suffering night soil to remain on land in his occupation, abutting the Great North Road , Mr. Brookfield appeared for the Provincial / Government, and Mr Joy for defendant. Mr Brookfield wished to place the matter on its broadest grounds, and he submitted that no by-law of the Municipal Council could be effective in creating a public nuisance out of the boundaries of the city unless deodorised. He had learned that the nuisance at Arch-hill had become an intolerable one. Mr. Faulder took the refuse out of the city and deposited it on a paddock of his where the fluid was allowed to pass away into the water, so that if the nuisance was to continue the people of Auckland would soon have to drink a very fine decoction, instead of pure water Mr. Brookfield then put in the Acts of 1866 and 1870, also a plan of the Mnnioi-'.' pal Police Act. Bis Worship recommended that the case ■ $ should be heard on its general merits. Mr. Vincent E. Rice was called, and deposed that he knew the allotments oc cupied by defendant,, and that they were within the boundaries of the Police Act,and over a mile beyond tbe limits of the city. He was there in June last ; it was cold weather. Mr Joy objected, and asked witness i£ he was particularly interested in the case. M r Rice replied that he was not personally interested, he simply acted in accordance with his duties. The Superintendent's house is within half a mile of the place. Mr Francis Humphries Heighway, Inspec tor of Nuisances and under the Board of ;. Health, knew the premises at Archill ;he was there on the 19th inst. and saw two loads of offensive matter deposited in the evening of that day. The smell arising from it was ' very bad ; it was allowed to accumulate in the ' paddock; when the wind was in the direction 1 of the North-road, the smell was very ' offensive. * Mr Brookfield : Do you consider that those ' smells are conducive to the public health ? k Mr Joy : I object as the witness is not a medical man. ; Mr Brookfield : Well, I will ask Mr High way if the odour affected him. 1 Mr Highway : Yes, one morning the odour ' turned me completely inside out. (Laughter.) F. J. Jones, chairman of the Newton District Board, deposed that Mr Faulder had been in the habit of depositing the boil there for three years, but at first very little was brought there, but lately it had greatly m- S creased. It was now an intolerable nuisance, and members of his own family had been ill i in consequence, . , , Mr Brookfieid : Has the nuisance had a [ bad effect upon the health of your wife, Mr _ Jones ? . b Mr Jones :I am nofc a married man, sir. I I was referring to my mother and her family. 3 She has not been well since. I , Mr John Motion, farmer, of the neigh- |j s bourhood of Arch Hill, deposed that he was I I in the habit of travelling to and fro into ) town, and he took care to steer clear of it. . Whenever he sniffed it on the breeze he i touched his pony on the hind quarters, and m r was round the next corner in a very little i time. He did not mind it when to windward, i but when to leeward he began to square ; I yards. (Laughter.) > Mr Joy then addressed the Court for the > defendant, and argued that it was a hard case for his client, who was the servant of the City Council and the public in general; '. and it just happens that because the depot v. , i was near the house of the Superintendent ' , ; the case is brought forwaid. Mr Joy shewed I that according to the Gazette his client wat right in what he had done. His Worship asked how they were to get I it to the allotment ? According to the law, i they must not take it there at all, for by : putting it into the cart the contractor breaks the law. His Worship supposed, however that a new law would be made in lieu of thj . present defective one, which it was abnM* 4 impossible to understand. Mr. Joy contended that Ffulder was a j| mere name in this case, and fhe depot oka been made in accordance withthe act- - '• Mr Joy said that the City Council had .only acted in the strict terma, of tbe A6t as «' | pressed by Government; he would res pectively submit that in this case, cou« . „ would not think of imposing \°?%; % Z. r would call evidence to shew that Fauiaer, had done his duty in this respeot, and acceu in compliance with the orders «»Jj|f T^ I > . Council; and as for the Public Health Act, ! that was only in embryo. . . fcgeemg His Worship 1 The Health Act it seem. : allows policemen to be smoked. j • Mr Brookfield said he could not He ; pected to reply to his friendijutfe sa , eloquehUaifguageon an W*X wU A 1 Hethen%roceededtodealwihthej ar Jk , sections of the Act, relating t. «J^ (^ ; carters, aud their liceacesandmghtiy a I Be also read a number of sections or AtrJWbopedMrßrookfie^^£ [ I "^Brookfield skid he would aUoff>»

THE EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 25, 187*.



Drapery. WRATT E A T, NEW ZEALAND HOUSE, Tegs to draw special ntlon to his GENTLEMEN'S OUTFITTING, f MERCERY, AND a Mall), TAILORING DEPARTM£N£; rOi SSt .. early jnary barquentine .-■• VESSELS EXPECTED Mikado, s.s., from Fydney, about 26th instant Hero, s.s , from Sydney, 30th instant Cyphreces, s.s., (English Mail, via 'Frisco), about 7th G December Assaye, ship. fr«m London: sailed September 3 Olenlora, ship, from London ; sailed T«ran*ki. s s., from the South, Tuesday next, (Suez G Mail) ~^ , ~ Rapido barque, from New York.via Adelaida, loading Edith Rose, barque, from New York ; sailed Sept 18 Bella M.ry. barque, from bobart Town; sailed 7th p November Chintuileet, brig, from Hobart Town, early Euro pa. barque, from Sydney, early Kejiil^orth, so oouer, from Samoa, early f. Ivanhoe, schooner, from Levuka Pacific, s-choo' er from Samoa, early Ryno, from Napier, tarly I Jessie Henderson, schooner, from Dunedin ; sailed 21st Q Hebe, brig from Tasmania; s* led 7th instant Actne^, schooner, from the South, early Ea-i Lothian. ba>quc, from Lyttelton, early T'nion. barque fiom Newcastle, early q SUr of the South, s.s., from the south, early Moneymck. barque, from Dunedin, early Dilliaree, ship, fr m London ; sail^i October Inverness, ship, from London ; sailed October G EXPORTS. Per Wonga Wonga for Sydney : 14 bags ri fungus, J. Reid ; 7 Inles flax, 70 do tow, Cruicksbank and Co ; 35 do do, G. Dacre ; 1 coil wire rope, Henderson and Maefarlane ; 14 casks oil, H. M. Jervis ; 5 do do, L. D. G Nathan and Co ; 3 cases plants, Henderson and Maefarlane ; 1 do coal, J. W. Friend ; 1 parcel wool, Dargaville and Co; 14 bags oysters, T. H. Smith ; 1 box gold, National Bank of N.Z. ; 1 do do, Bank of N.Z. ; 100 bales phormium, 44 do tow, J. R. Roberts ; 9 casks spirits wine, 1 parcel, T. Jenkins ; 25 bags oysters, Welby ; 14 do do, Smith. For Melbourne : 18 casks hides, A. Dorn well; 7 do oil, 17 do jimejuice, L. D. Nathan and Co ; 1 case coal, G. W. Friend ; 1 parcel account book, Bank of Australasia. —H. M. Jervis, agent. Per Mary KiDg, schooner, for Greymouth : |Is 1500 bags oats, 300 bags barley.—D. H. McKenzie, agent. The schooner Rover took her departure last night for Poverty Bay with a general cargo, and as passengers—Messrs W. Milmer, J. Stephens, W. J. McCabe. The cutter Mercury brings a cargo of coal into the Manukau from Port Waikato for Mr !-■ W. J. v* aller. J The ship Assaye is now 84 days from Lon don. BeiDg a very powerful clipper ship she may be expected at any hour. •J The brig Vision arrived at Dunedin yester ; X day from Kaipaia after a good run of six j days. The p. s. Golden Crown left for Sydney and Melbourne last night at eight o'clock. Every precaution has been laken to ensure her making a good and safe run, and given two or three days fine at starting to enable her to 9 get rid of some of her superabundant coal, we do not doubt she will make a successful passage. The schooner Puby sailed to-day for Wangaroa with 6000 bricks and 10 pieces of machinery. T The schooner Queen has cleared in ballast i for Russell. The ba rque Stanley Castle entered out wards at the Cufcorns to-day for New York. The s s. Wonga Wonga sailed to-day for Sydney and Melbourne, with cargo as per I impoits, and the following passengers :— Saloon—Miss HebecCci Parker, Mr and Mrs rji "Wm. Wt st, Miss Carey Hunter, Dr George Goode ; M«?srs Jdo. Journeaux, John Cole man, Jno. B Mills ; and 16 in the steerage. j The s.s Mikado is due to-morrow from Sydney She will sail for San Francisco, six hours after arrival, with the English mail. Captaiu Lewis' new schooner is to be $ launched from Messrs Niccol and Son's yard on Saturday morning. The cutter Undine arrived this morning from Hokianga and Ahipara with the fol i lo * ing cargo :17 hides, 158 bags gum, 34 I cases gum, 1 bale wool, 1 bale sheepskius, ! Lewis Bros. ; 1 case, 1 parcel, gCochrane and Sou ; 38 bags gum, 13 hides, Arnold Hines J and Co. ; 3 bundles empty bags. —M. Niccol, agent Respecting the salvage claim for £13,000 for services alleged to have been rendered to B the barque Scbiehallion by the s.s. Maori, at Lyttelton harbour, in September, 1873, we learn that the barque arrived in the London j Docks on Thursday, the 18th December, 1873, and was arrested by the Marshal of ihe Court of Admiralty. Bail was given for the ; amount in which the suit was instituted, and I tbe ship and cargo released. A commission ! has been tent to Christchurch to examine | 1 James Fotheringham, of the Heath cote, \ brickmaker; George M'Kay, of Lyttelton, : shipping agent; and Edward Norris, pilot at the port, before C. C. Bowen, Esq., one of the i 'ommissioners appointed under the com- I mission. The ship Waitangi was berthed at the ; wharf this morning. She occupies the billet I 1 outside the western T, lately occupied by the 1 J Ferndale. The William Gifford barque has been moored on the west side of the wharf, where ] she will discharge her cargo. The ship Hydaspe3 is rapidly putting out i her cargo. She will sail for Sydney in about I a fortnight's time. I ] The schooner Mary King has cleared for 1 ( Greymouth with a cargo of grain. She is 1 detained in harbour waiting for some new i j yards. I As will be seen by our commercial record 1 the yacht Blanche was offered at auction to '< day and withdrawn at £2,100. < J



: - SUMMER DKESS GOOD | EX. T ive j U9 t ppened a very choice lot of SUMMER DRESS GOODS, Comprising— Have C T NEW PRINTED MUSLINS, IN GREAT VARIETY. GRENADINES. PLAIN BLACK, BLACK STBIPED, and COLOURED STRIPED GRENADINES. ' WHITE SATIN STRIPED MUSLINS, CHECK MUSLINS, Etc., Etc., Etc. The above are NEW GOODS, just landed, and worthy of special attention. RUSHBROOK & BRIDGMAN, (LATE R. HOBBS.) Wholesale and Retail Drapers, Clothiers, JUNCTION DRAPERY WAREHOUSE, (Opposite the Army and Navy Hotel,) Upper Queen - street, Auckland. A. LINABURY AND CO. Having talcen those CENTRALLY-SITUATED PREMISES (Three doors below the City Hall), Lately in the occupation of Mr S. Smith, Chemist, WILL OPEN On TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 27, With an ENTIRE NEW STOCK of SPRING AND SUMMER DRESS GOODS AND GENERAL DRAPERY. Full particulars in future advertisement.