SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

mnn wATFTii ™3 Evening, 8.51 HI«£I WAli-K-j To . morrow M ' orninKi g. IO SUN BKT.—This Evening, 6.55 S'J M KISIC.-To-Morrow Morning, 5.33 MOJN'S AGE.-First Quartor,lßtb, 3.25 p.m.

ARRIVALS.

Arayle, s.s., Crawford, from Whanjrarei Hawea, s.g., Kennedy, from the South

DEPARTURES.

LAST EVENING. Stella, Government a.s., for Rusaell. Annie Milbank, p.?., Anderson, for Whangarei

TO-DAY. Hawoa, sa, Kennedy, for Russell

PROJECTED DEPARTURES.

Melbourne, via South,—Rotomahain, Thursday London -Fernßlon, loading Tuuranga—Glenelff, Monday For Now Plymouth and. Southern Ports —

Wellington, Wednesday For Rns3ell—lona, Monday • Ilawea. Friday For Tauranga and Southern Ports — Hawea, Mondo.y Whanpcoroi—Argyle, Tuesdays and Fridays ; Anne Milbank, Mondays and Thursdays.

VESSELS EXPECTED.

Bismarck, H.1.G.M.a., from Samoa Ejrl Granville, ship, from London ; sailed No vember 29 Agate, barque, from New York; sailed Septem-

ber 23rd Klinor Vernon, barque, from New York; sailed

10th November Stramthro, ship, from London; sailed Nov. 27 Trevelyan. ship (V.N.H.S.), from London ; load-

ins. City of Quebec, barque, from London. Elmiranda, barque, from Naw York Camille, brig, from Now York Mercia barquo, from London ; sailed Dec. 30 Agnes Donald, schooner, from Levuka Halle Brandon, schooner from Line Islands la'and Lily, brigantine, from Chatham Islands Act've, brigantine, from Sydney Myrtle, brigantlno, from Tonga. Griffin, schooner, from New Caledonia Pirate, schooner, from Tahiti Coronet, schoonar, from Marshall Group Bthel, brigantine, from Wellington Energy, schooner, from Levuka Fiery Cross, schooner, from Oamaru

IMPORTS.

P.r Hawea, from Dunedin—so cases whisky, 20hhdsale 72 cues, 4 trusses, 1 package. From Lyttelton—B cases baoon, 1 capes cheese. 30 sacks malt. 10 cratef, 3package?. From Wellington— a cases, 1 box, 1 package, Itt link. From Napier— 4 casks beer, 3 packages, 1 case. From Gis borne-19 hides, 19 cases fruit, 2 axles. From Tauranga—2 horaep.

EXPORTS.

Per Borealis for Levuka: 10 boxes soap, 40 tins biscuits, 4,483 pieces timber, 5 pieces iron cast ings. 110 pieces iron, 2 pircels nails, 1 case furniture, 2 cases tombstones, 5 cases slates, 7 cattle, 1 boat, 40 bags potatoes 21 boxes onions.

Inwards Coastwise, — Mary Ann from Mahurnn«i, with 431 bushels lime; Rover from Mahurangi, in ballast; Isabella from Mata kana, with 20 tona firewood; Perseverance from Waihtke, with3so bushels shingle; Adah from Thames, with 18,000 feet sawn tinVbar; Paku from Tairua, with 21,000 feet saw timber.

Outwards Coastwise. — Mary Ann for Mahurangi. with 14,000 feet timber; Makarau for Matakana; Isabella for Matakana; Atlantic for Russell; Perseveronce for Waiheki.

The s.s. Stella left for Russell and the North last evening.

The b.s. lona will arrive to-morrow morning from Rusaell and northern ports.

The ship Bee Nevis cleared at tho Customs to day for Lyttelton, where she is to load with itrain for London.

The Union Company's s.s. Rotomahana is r-xpected to arrive at Hussel], from Sydney, on Monday, and she will reach this port on Tues day. She is announced to leave for Melbourne, via Kast Coast and Southern ports, at 10 a.m. on Thursday next.

The schooner Christina arrived at Lyttelton from this port yesterday with a cargo of timber.

The schooner Mary Anderson has been placed on the berth for New Caledonia. She will sail several days hence should sufficient inducement offer.

The s s. Glenelg will arrive to-morrow morn ing from Tauranßa.

The b.f, Argylo arrived last evening from Whang 1 roi and Manpapai with 80 sacks kauri gum, 100 boxes fruit, 15 boxes eggs, 5 cases and 12 kegs butter. Passengers : Mesdames Lam bert, iMcLean, Falls and child, Mis3es Hooy, Kcissons, and Cunningham. Messrs Bennett, Will, Marsden, Goldwater, Kean, McLean, Mc- Kenzie, Hagles, Taylor, Dailow, FergUßSon. Hamilton, Scott, and five in the stoera?e. The steamer returns to the same ports to-night.

The s.s. Hawea arrived last evening from Tauranga, Hast Coast, and Southern ports. Passengers: Mr and Mrs Hames, Mr Moore and Misses Moore (2), Mrs Simpson, Rev. Mr Morley, Messrs. Grey, Dowling, Bennet. Dutton, Neill, Peacock, Greenhill, McDowell, Cadden, Barstow. McUpo, Kelly, Coleman, Fittock, Kinscholwood, O'Connel', Coyle, Young, Lake man, Howard, Herd, and 7 steerage, she left for Russell this afternoon.

The barque Elmirabda left Lyttelton for thi? port yesterday She will load here with kaur Kum for New York,

The barquontino Sophia and the schooner Minnie Hare were taken into the Graving Dock to-day. The schooner Norval fs loading up for Hast Coast ports.

The brigantine Borealis cl ared at the Cus toms to-day for I evuka with a cargo of timber, etc, and the following passengers: Mr and Mrs Turner and child, Messrs T.Long3how, I. Israel, and Cavo.

PORT OF ONEHUNGA

ARRIVALS.

TO-DAY. Wangatiui, p.s , Bayldon, from the South Rowena, s.s., Amodeo, from Waitara

IMPORTS. Per Rowena, from Waitara—22 head cattle and 18 Kega butter.

The s s Rowena arrived to-da7 from Waitara. Passengers-Mr Tutty and two others.

TELEGRAPHIC SHIPPING.

Russell, this day. Arrived: Stella from Auckland; lona from North. Loaded; Dream and Gem. Sailed: lona, Passengers: Dr XouDg. Messrs Woods, Coleman, Gunson. Nettleman, Fife, Waggot and sis otherß from the Nojth.^ The b.s, KinKaroema arrived from Auckland at 1 p.m. to-tlay

"Wellington, thia day. The 8.8. Wtmaka ] e ft for Lyttelton -with the Frisco mail.

COMMERCIAL.

KvEJfiNO Star Office, Thursgday.

MB AtFBED BUCKLAND'S WEEKLY REPORT. At the Haymarket, on Friday, February 6th, fodder brought from 2s 9d to 3* M the, ewt; Poverty Bay rye gross. 2s 9d; oats, 2s 3d; maize 3s i& the bushel. Medium draught horse So*« 3 I0«to £20; riding horses, frjm £2 to £19 No heavy draught offered. At Waiuku, on Saturday, there was a Rood mußtorol' cattle. For young stock, steady com petition, but. for grown cattle, soarcoly an °alf the Sheep Fair, on Monday, the rams ottered were generally o£ good quality, but in excess of requirement. ThS aged Knelish sheep bfonght from £6to £10 and about 50 of the b'st of the others from &1 to £1, but the greater number offered sold from 8s to 20s each. Scarcely any lambs were offered, and those were St low Talaos, 6s to 7» each for longwoo led lambs of good quality. The ewes were in less number than required, and a much larger num berwould have been sold, without alteration in their values. Price* ruled very similar to those obtained last year, and varied from ,6s to 13s 9d each, with the exception of a pen of pnre linooln hoggetts, which brought 35s each. The taSorted rams sold at the Haymarket, on Tues dftr brought Itoxether the principal sheep hSe'dewln the province. All the sheep were of uood quality, and, for the favourites, there was ta competition. The prices realised were, 76, V. i 34 31 and 25 guineas respectively. At Kemnera.ou Thursday, dairy cattle {were athiKher values. Store cattle also sold m"re fVeelf, and were slightly better worth than last wo3k. Fat cittle were in fall numbers; 160 h/adi yarded. Last week's prices wer-a Scarcely sustained. Inforiorly fatted cattle were Sought by tho Rrazio.s, and we 1 fatted steers 5s each, lower Prices ranged from 18s to23s forcowß. to2ss for good steer 3, the greater number ™in K ing 21s tho 100 hs. Sheep,™ averaca supply : prices from 13 to 2d per lb.; lambs of good quality, 83 to 10s each, but many we in low-condition, and Bold at 5s each.. Few Su-s yarded, and those were in brisk inquiry. MESSBS HUNTER & NOLAN'd WEEKLY REPORT. Horse*.-A moderate degree of activity has diaraoteriaed the market; the supply has been SdtouAteand sales hive beonmoro satisfactory fiMin £1515s to £20 10s: draught, £33. f'nrMp— "'he supply h-ss been good, and a 3ie^n i«kr SrHf? ff in vuliic but dairy and fat stock fully ma, nta"ned Joto quotations, particularly light w?iKhta well fatted. A small draft from the Walkaro farm reflected credit on the feeder, and W§^-/h C e TnSferatal<waedtorthefalr«. Tuesday was very limited, and Of these the ftiaiority- were of inferior description. Bwes MWatiromfisto 12b; ewe hoggets from 9s to ID3 6d; cwo lambs from 4s to Ss i rams from 17s to 355. There was a law number yarded for the butcher at the regular sale. The demand waseteady thronßhout, a«d last week's prices wer given. Lambs were .plentiful, and sold at 'Wil^Sfci number were yarded, but some good porkers elicited keen competition.

Whywomen/ailHOSOon. Is an Interrogatory that answers for itseU in oar knowledge ol their natural P^cUvUy to neglect the means of bniW fng up thcii frames. Entering uto the married state, or habituated to domeatlo labours, they trudiw and toil, and exhausting their powers, grow callous to the results, and fall into seden tary habits. Unuaedto buffet with the world, they havenothin? to call their aGiijrities into vlaso say© within tho narrow Um.i'fl of homo, little recking that a persistent and judicious use t,l " Udolpho Wolfed Schiedam Aromatic *3ehßaPOß " will tone their systems, and flt them for even higher enterprises than they are wont to espouse.

Nobei/B Patent Dynamitb.—By repeated pXDeriraenis, and long and extensive uso in all the Australasian Colonies, and all over the ■World Abel's Patent has uncontrovortably Droved itself to ba about twenty per cent. «trorjf*er than eieiy other brand. IMS dyna mite i» advantageously applied to mining and QUM-rying b ost-ng in hard or soft, wet or dry, roska oenstfttction nt tunnels, clearing land of tree roots and! boulders, breaking usbjpcksof mutal or stove, clearing oway wreciks, wars, sunkenrockß.trrpedoe.i'tormingatrongholas.&c Homo of its advantages urfl—immense saving in labour, time and money. Safety (n use, transit and storage, &c. Printed/nstrnctions with every five lb' package. Buyers aho.uld in wet in getting "Nobel's." Prices greatlym duced.—N.B.—rha company's travelling in atraotor. bow in An• Jduiui, and will give all -KSr—;»(„„ rfinnlred.-Apply to B. Pprter

CHIEF POST-OFFICE, AUCKLAND.

Mailb will Close as Under :— This Day. For Whangarei Heads, and Wangarei, per Argvle, at 4 p.m. For Thames, per Rotomahana, at 5,30 p.m. Saturday, 11th instant. ForWaiwera, Mahurangi, Matakana, Manga wai, Wa'.pu, and Mangapai, per Rose Casey, at 10 a.m. For Tairua, per Pakn, at 8 a.m. . For Taranaki, Wanganu', and Wellington, per Wanganui, at n a.m. For Walwera, per lona, at 1 p.m. For NgunKUru, per Starr, at 11 am For Thames, per Kotomahana, at 3 30 p.m. Monday, lOtli instant For Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, and Southern Provinces, per Hawea, at 3 p.m. For Coromandel, per Coromandel, at 11.30 a.m. Kor Russell, Kawakawa, Wakgaroa, and Mon gonui, per lona, at 4 p.m. For Tauranga and Opotiki.por Glen°lg,at 1 p.m. For Wangarei Heads and Wangarei, per Anne Milbank, at 1 p.m. Tuesday, 17th instant. For Russell, Kawakawa, and Australian Colonies, per Rotorua, at 3 p.m. Wednesday, 18th instant For Taranaki and Southern Provinoes, per Waltaki, at 11 a.m. S. B. BISS. Chief Postmaeter.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Receipt Stamp.—Receipts for sums amounting to £2 or upwards requlra a penny stamp. !t is immaterial -whether the payment is made on account or not; any receipt for &1 or more re quires a stamp, and intentional evasions by sub-division of the payments, or otherwise, are punishable with fine.

BIRTH.

ELLISON.—On Saturday, February 7, at her residence, Parnell, tho wife of W. R. Klllson of a son.

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

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.

for tha causa that lacks assistance. For the wrong tha needs nstitonc*, For tha future in tha distance,

And tha Kood that wa can. do.

The mistake—a very popular one, and sometimes participated in by holders of the office—of confounding the functions of a Governor with those of a Viceroy, has recently cost Sir Anthony Mus grave, Governor of Jamaica, the pretty little sum of £14,000. Jamaica is an unfortunate place for Governors. Mr Eyre, formerly of New Zealand, suf fered tho shipwreck of his fortune and chances of preferment there, and was only saved from criminal prosecution for a capital offence through the exis tence of a colonial Act of Indemnity. This was sufficient to save him where imaginary prerogatives had utterly failed. Jamaica is a Crown Colony; and a Governor exercising a sway that is almost irresponsible is, perhaps, more tempted than others to trust to hazy divine prerogatives, instead of to the statute k\V, for their authority. The case which brought Sir Anthony Musgrave to grief is one, however, in which His Excellency is deserving of very considerable sympathy. A ship, called the Florence, chartered by Seuor Jose Iquacio Pulido, and bound from Colon to St. Thomas, put into Jamaica for repairs. It was found that the vessel had on board a quantity of powder and other ammunition, and a proclamation being in force in Jamaica prohibiting the export of war material, Governor Musgrave detained the vessel for a month. The charterer, thereupon, brought an action for damages in the Supreme Court of. the colony, and Sir Anthony pleaded that the act of deten tion was done in his official capacity as Governor and in the bonafide discharge of his duty aa such, without any per sonal interest of his own. And also that he was entitled, as Governor, to the privileges and exemptions apper taining to the office and its holder, and that the acts in question were done in the exercise of his reasonable discretion and as acts of State. The case was argued on demurrer before the Supreme Court on July 6, 1878. The Chief Judge (Sir J. L. Smith), in giving judgment at great length (in which Mr Justice Kerr concurred), said, in effect, that it must be taken to be established ;that there was no personal privilege appertaining to the office of Governor which exempted him from being sued in the courts of the colony of which he was Governor. (" Hill p. Bigge," 3, " Moore's Privy Council Keports," 465.) And further, that " The Gover nor of a colony did not represent the Sovereign generally, but had only the functions delegated to him by tlie terms of his commission — in other words, the Governor of a colony was not a Viceroy, but simply an officer with limited authority from the Croum. A foreign ambassador, on the contrary, was abso utely expmpt from all municipal jurisdiction by the comity pf nations and the rules of international law.1' .The demurrers were therefore allowed.

His Excellency appealed from the decision of the Colonial Court to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council upon general grounds maintain ing that His Excellency's pleas before mentioned were good ; that His Excel lency, as Governor of the island, was ,not liable to be sued in an action of trespass, or for acts done by him as acts of State; and that the demurrers ad mitted that the acts complained of were done by the C-rovernor in his reasonable discretion and as acts of Stato. J'lom papers by the lasb mail wo gather that the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has giren its decision uphold ing that of the Colonial Courts in all respect. Tho case of Hill v. Biggs wag again ta^en by their hordships as conolusive that 3 Goyerpor .do.es not possess any immunity from being sued in the colony over which he holds juris djpjijon. They also declared that the plea of priye}eg|3, pn the ground that the detention of the vessel wap fj,n apt of State policy, could not be sustained, and thsir Lordships laid it down clearly, that a Governor Pftnnot be regarded as a Viceroy and does not possess any sovereign power; that he is, in fact, protected no further than the strict limits defined by his Commission.

given at different times by the Privy Council, and it is a wonder that an ex* perienced Governor like Sir Anthony Musgrave was not better aware of the limits of his authority than to place himself in his present very unpleasant position. In the minds of the less ex perienced, however, and specially of those who have revelled in the high sounding title of " vice-regal party," the judgment will appear almost revo lutionary. Half the glories of the office, with its mysterious attributes of reflected sovereignty and inherent pre rogatives, is departed. Instead of a prince, swaying powers dating from antiquity, and sustained by an. un written law more powerful than decrees written on parchment, the Privy Council has reduced us to a public officer "with limited authority from the Crown ;" so limited that the whole Commission is contained in four pages of foolscap.

Read by the light of this decision, it will be instructive to examine more exactly what the Governor's functions are. The Commission granted to the Governor of New Zealand, and laid before Parliament at its last session, provides: That the Governor shall keep the public seal of the colony; that there shall be an Executive Council for the colony under such laws as the colonial legislature shall make ; that the Governor may, under the colonial law, grant lands in the name of the Crown, appoint judges and justices, grant pardons to offenders, he may (so far as the Crown lawfully may) suspend persons employed in any office under warrant of the Queen, may summon and prorogue parliament; may appoint a deputy during his temporary absence ; and may administer oaths of allegiance. It also provides that lie shall summon the Executive Council, and, unless prevented by reasonable causes, shall preside at its meetings. He is required in the execution of tho powers and authorities granted under his commission, to consult the Executive in all cases, unless in his judgment tho Queen's service would sustain material prejudice, or the matter is too unimpor tant or two urgent to allow of such consultation, hut when ho h*s acted without consulation, he must at the earliest practicable period communicate to the Council the measures which he may have adopted, and the reasons thereof. He is empowered to act,in the exercise of powers granted under Her Majesty's Letters Patent, in opposition to the (advice of tlie Executive Council, but if he shall in any case deem it right to do so, he shall report fully on the matter to the Queen. The Governor is prohibited from assenting to any bills for divorce, to any bill granting land or money to himself, affecting currency, imposing differentialjdutics, (except as allowed by tho Australian Colonial Duties Act, 1573,) any bill inconsistent with Itnperiul Treaty obligations, any bill interfering with the control of Imperial forcos, or any bill whereby the Queen's prerogative, or tlie rights, property, or trade of subjects residing beyond the colony may be prejudiced. Whenever an offender shall have been condemned to death, he is required to call upon tho judge to make a written report on the case, which shall bo taken into consideration at a mooting of the Executive Council, but tho final decision of tho question of life or death, shall bo given on his own deliberate judgment, irrespective of the advice of a majority. Ho must, howovor, when dissenting from his advisers, make a minute,setting forth his roasons at length for so deciding. Wo have now epitomised all the Powers conferred upon his Excellency by Her Majesty's Letters Patent Their general scopo is really to consti tute him a kind of nominated Chairman of the Executive Council, with a few independent powers to be ex ercised chiefly in matters affecting Imperial interests. In all things affecting the Colony ho is, in conjunc tion with tho Executive, a mere admin istrator of the statute law of the Colony, as determined by Parliament. Governor Musgrave erred in assuming that he had prerogatives independent of the law. The consequences of the error are severe, but they will not be an unmixed evil if they become the means of dispelling the illusion that great powers may be arbitrarily oxer cised by Governors, even in Crown Colonies, without responsibility.

The decision, though important, is .only one of ft peries that have been

A telegram from Hawera to-day states that the telegraph wire on the Wainmte plains has been cut, it is supposed by a party of natives who were digging potatoes near the spot. Suspicion aroused, there ,is no trouble in finding food to feed it, and the cutting of the telegraph wiie is con nected with a report that the natives are digging potatoes though not yet ripe, The probability of course is that there is nothing whatever of an alarming nature in these things, but, on the whole it is a healthy sigti that they are not treated with total indifference by those upon whom the responsibility of preventing a surprise devolves.

Latest cable dispatches indicate the pro bability of a flying squadron of tho British fleet visiting these colonies under Rear- Admiral Clanwilliam. Tho loyal colo nists ot Victoria hoped to attract the heir-apparent to the Melbourne Exhibition, aud receut telegrams from Mr Childers shewed that tho idea was not altogether abandoned. It has since transpi cl, however, that there are many reasons why it would be inconvenient and injudicious for the Prince of Wales to be absent from the mother country at this juncture; the chief qbjectious l}eing his un willingness to incur so much expense to the nation at a time of depression, the jealousy that might be creatid by his ap parently favouring Victoria as aguinst New South Wales, and other reasons equally co gent. When the heir-apparent's decision was communicated thecolonistsfell back upon the suggestion that his sons—Princes Albert Victor and George—would represent royalty at the openiug of the Exhibition, and it will be seen from our cable despatch that this hope may yet be realised.

The prediction in Vienna, of which we weie informed in recent telegraphic advices, that war was imminent between Great Britain and Russia, obtains corroboration from a highly important cable despatch received to-day. Ie was rumoured in London yes terday that Persia is about to occupy Herat with 20,000 troops, and has entered into a close alliance to aid E'aglq.nd in the conquest of Afghanistan. The additional strength which Persia would bring to. our forces in Afghanistan may be judged from tho fol lowing statistics of her military resources. The Persian army, according to the official returns of the Minister of War,uumbered at the end of 1878,105,000 men, of whom 5,000 were artillery, 70,000 infantry, and 30,500 cavalry, regular and irregular The stand ing army on a peacefooting numbered3o,ooo, including 5 batteries of artillery aud 1,500 men, 70 battalions of in rautry, 18,000,10,000 irregular cavalry, and 500 regular cavalry. Since 1878 the army has been reoiganiscd and it is estimated that out of her population of 4,400,000 Persia could muster a larger array on a war footing than 105,000 meu. She would moreover have the advantage of scientific British Com manders, rnateri^ls of war, and pro bably that which js now mqro than pver " the sinews of war " —money.

The proposal to construct a railway from the Persian Gulf to Herat, a distance of"at leasf; CQQ rnilefl as the crow flies, is one of those gigantic pfojep|s only equalled b,y fte purchase 'pf the Suez Canal Shares, tlio acquisition of Cyprus, and other similar surprises with whioh we have become familiar under the Imperial nolipy pf the Beaconsffeld Administration, England has - the command of the Persian Gulf through her naval superiority, and by constructing a line of railway to Herat, she would opea

up a new line of operations, shorter than that via Peshawar, and with a perfectly secure naval base of operations. The pre sent aspect of ail";iirs shows that Russia is, in racing parlance, " nowhere " in the race for the' Moorahab Valley. With her expeditionary army defeated and driven back upon the Caspian, Russia is com pletely unprepared to checkmate the Peraiau advance 011 Herat, and can only give expression to her chagrin by impotent threats through the Press ot St. Petersburg. If war between Great Britain and Russia is inevitable, Earl Beaconsfield appears to be following the maxim of Washington '"To be prepared for war is_one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

In respect of claims for compensation against the Municipal Corporatiou, the cry is still " They come !" Today, another addition was received to the list which we published yesterday. It is made by a grocer of Victoria-street, named Burke, aud the amount is £100. The gentlemun oE the wig and gown must be having a prosperous season of it.

While the steamer Rowena was at Wai tara, two fingers of the winch-driver, a man named Dicfcson, were crushed in the machinery. He returned by the steamer, and immsdiately on her arrival at Onehunga to day, he proceeded to the Hospital in order to have the fingers amputated.

The usual devotions for the season of Lent opened on last Wednesday evening in St Patrick's Cathedral. There was a large congregation. His Grace Archbishop Steins officiated, and preached a highly interesting and instructive sermon suited to the occasion. The service concluded with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament by the Archbishop.

The public of Auckland will be glad to hear that Mr Gordon Gooch of the Royal Academy of Music, has been appointed music master to the Auckland Grammar School. This will secure the presence iv Auckland of an accomplished musician.

To the Editor : Sir, —In your last even ing's issue a letter appeared signed " Sulky Stroke." Had the signature been "Cow ardly and Sulky Stroke" it would have better expressed the character of your corres pondent, he evidently being afraid to sign his name. His statement that I asked a member of another club to pay the entrance fee for the North Shore boats is untrue ; the balance of his letter can be judged accord ingly, and taken for what it is worth.— Edwd. W. Burgess.

The blacks have a tradition about a mighty Australian aboriginal Nimrod, tall as a gum tree, who is said to have per formed marvellous feats ages ago, when kangaroos wero very giants, and the jumps they took fairly jumped any claim their de generate descendants have to agility. Tho natives also have v theory that when a blackfellow dies he, so to speak, "tumbles down crackaback to jump up white man."

Mr G. V. Stewart, J.P., was a passenger on board the a.s. Arawata for Melbourne, Mr Stewart proceeds to Great Britain to bring out settlers for Te Puke.

Our Waikato contemporary is funny lit tho expense of Mr Sheeuan. Speaking of tho admission of phospberns duty free, the "Times" says:—"We presume that Mr Shoeliim, anxious ns ever to promote the in. terests of sons of old colon is*J, and to place phosphorus within the reach of the most indigent in the hope of bringing them up to the standard of Englishmen, has been tin means of accomplishing this patriotic ob ject. We nlso observe by a reference to the sanii! schedule Unit oil of rhodium is ad mitted duty free. Is this done with the view of enabling Government to 'catch rats' at a cheap rate ?"

At Wellington Mr Stewart, says a tele gram, interviewed tho Public Works Depart ment iv reference to Tauranga and Kati kati works, and the Tauranga, Thames and Katikati load. The roud will be made, £3000 having been appropriated. £4000 has been appropriated to tho Tauranga and Tc Puke road. The To Uereatukahia road will bo surveyed, and it in at present under con sideration. The Wainiapu bridge might be constructed on the basis of Mr Stewart's proposal—£looo collected by private sub scriptions. The Tuapiro Bridge will at all eveuts soon be commenced.

Mr John B. (jough, the famous temper ance orator, who created such a sensation in London some years ago by his lectures in favour of total abstinence ; full of strange incidents in his own career, wns expected iv New Zealand, but accordiug to the follow ing extract from a letter recoived by Mr John Lamb of this city, from Mr Rao, of the Hnglish National Temperance, the New Zealand people will not have the pleasure of listening to the eloquent pleadings of John I!. (Jough : " I hear there is not much pros pect of your getting Mr Gough at tho Anti podes. Ilia health is by no means good, and if it improves I think he will re-visit Uhh country, as he prefcru seeing old friends to making new ones. If I had his talent, I think I should enjoy a tour through the Australian colonic, but his apcukingdraws .su largely upon his Ntrength and nervous energy, that lie cannot enjoy atrip when bo lias rtork to do."

A report is current in town to the effect that a requisition in being prepared for signature requesting the Mayor to convene a public meeting to protest against the inaction of the Government and Harbour 15:>ard regarding tho railway reclamation. His Worship, however, has received no communication on the subject, anil it is possible that tho matter is still iv embryo. It has certainly not assumed .any definite shape,

Wo undcrsiand the Rev. Fletcher Long, fon of the llev. Joseph Long, of Alexandra street, and who arrived from England by the hist mail, will preach at St. Matthews' Church on Sunday morning next. Many of his friends will doublk'sa be glad to hear him.

To the Editor : Sir,—Would it Hot be better for the inhabitant!) of Parnell to get up a requision to His Worship tho Mayor to call a public meeting with the object of discussing the advisability of establishing a Free Public Library in our midst, instead of gruntiug and groaning oxer imaginary grievances. Such a step as I suggest would tend to bring about a bond of union amongst the discordant elements to be found iv our community. The new Council Chambers will soon be finished, and what more fitting opening could be had than a meeting of tho kind. I suggest leaving the matter in your bauds, hoping .that some abler^ pen. .than mine will advocate the measure to a success ful issue.e-I am, &c. A PAKNELt Man.

The City Council has at length taken over the Mechanics' Institute, and sub scribers whoaie iv arrcar with their fees, or who have books out from the library, aro requested to interview with Mr Hurrop, receiver of muuicipal rates.

The building trade must be very brisk just now in Auckland. In whatever direc tion the observant burgees takes his walks abroad his eye is arrested by the sight of cottages and shops iv course of erection, while in some localities rather pretentious looking edifices are progresasing towards completion under tho busy hands of strong corps of workmen. Tho contrast which some thoroughfares present now to the condition in which they were but a year or two since is in itself a striking evidence of commercial well-bciug aud muuicipal growth. Vincent-Btrcct, in stead of being a thinly peopled, region with a series of sloxighs in its unfavoured roadway is now a pleasant thoroughfare lined with cheerful resi dences. Drake-street, furnished with gas lamps and asphalted foot-path?, bears no likeness to the muddy track of yore,wlth;itß wooden bridge and troop of squalid larrikin?, while Nelson-street bus developed from a succession of fern-ql^d gujlies iuto, the dignity of a paasnblo and froquoutpd pro menade. Iv various parts of the city haud somo school; buildings are being erected, while in nearly every street of any importance,habitations of various styles and and sizes are being built. ■ , •'

Referring to our report in last nights j§sug respecting the narrow escape from drowning at l'onsonby, wo find that the two lads who wero with young Scott were Wni. 'ParquhdrVdbd John Coutts, and that they gallantly hold him up until becoming ex-: nausted themselves they were obliged to leave him to his fate, but 011 drawing near the shore attracted the attention of .Mr Walter J ones by t^eir cries forljolp, who at once went to tho rescue oiSoutt. 'flu's makes the seventh life Mr Jones has been instru mental in saving. On the occasion of the regatta last year there were three men saved by him, not four as thought-his crew at that time wero two of his brothers, and a person named J. Carrigan. The gal lantry of this act was testiiied to by the cheers with which Mr Joues was greeted by hundreds of npectators, on his coming alongside the whart • with the three men, after rounding the North Head buoy. If we recollect rightly, tl)is cacje wa^ brought before the Harbour Board at the time with the view of the Board recommending it to tho notice of the Royal, Humane Society, bvit we have never since heard with what result. We dp noj; think it ig yet tPO late, 18 months time being allowed by the Sjooiety within which cases may be yepdrted to them, and we hope it will now bp taken up again, !\Ve hfj,ve heq,rd that threp other ljvps have been sq.yed from drowning by a younger brother of Mr Jones, making ten in all which they have rescued. Surely' such acts 'should be recognized,,'('.'• .etuw k

MrSeddon, of Hamilton, has instituted an action for £100 damages against the local Borough Council for alleged injury to his property caused by the embankment on the west side of the bridge.

We learn from the "Waikato Times" that the Armed Constabulary are making good head way with the road between Cambridge and Taupo. All the creekshavebeenbrigded between as far as the Waipa. The Poka whenua has been bridged also, and the chief body of men are stationed there under two sergeants, in carrying the work of road formation towards Waitoa, the remainder being employed at Fei-gusson's Gully in clearing the road. Only six men are left at the Kihikihi station, and as many at Alex andra.

Mr R. E. M. Campbell proceeds to Te Fapa with a view of arranging with the natives for the opening of the Cambridge and Rotorua Road via Te Papa.

We mentioned a short time ago that various Auckland breeders had forwarded two-tooth rams to the Napier fair. At the sale the various price-* varied from £3 to £10 10s, the highest price paid being obtained for rams bred by Messrs A. and J. Anderson, of Mangare.

It now appears probable that tho race between the yachts Lnla and Jessie Logan will not take place. The owner of the former challenged the Jessie Logan, and desired the race to take plnce immediately, but Mr Logan says his boat requires certain alterations thit Will occupy a.bout four weeks iv completing. Mr Buchanan is still desirous that the race should take place, but in the event of its tailing through, he will claim that the Lala is the faster of the two yachts. We trust to see both boats amongst the entries for the yacht race at the forthcoming Ponsonby Regatta.

The criticism which a local divine has seen lit to pass upon one of the most popular novelists of modern times, while directly leading to a lively newspaper discussion, has also provoked a certaiti amount of dis satisfaction, and the result of this is that tlie Key Mr Edger is to be inter viewed by a deputation which will request him to give a Sunday evening dis course at an early date on " Charles Dickens." The prime movers in the matter anticipate a favourable answer to their re quest, and Sunday week is talked of as the probable date of the lecture. Considerable interest is being evinced on the subject and perhaps the booksellers will most appre ciate the clerical advertisement as facilitat ing their sale of works of hction.

Our reporter was wrong in his strictures on the children at the Parnell Christmas Tree entertainment. We are informed that the children who created some disorder did not belong to the Wesleyan Sunday-school. At the same time it is only right to say that some unusual oxuberauce of spirits and childish merriment were natural under the circumstances. As Goldsmith wrote :

•'By spots liko thoso aro all their caros Doguiled. , ThoßjJOrta of children eatisfy thoohlld."

We shall be guilty of no breach of journalin tic etiquette when wo nay that our reporter is a bachelor, and that we have hopes that at some future day, when he enters tho Hymeneal condition he will look with a more indulgent eye on tlie gambols aud noise of children. It is never too late to mend. It is but just to tbe teachers also to Bay that they exerted themselves to the utmost to render the entertainmenta success and to preserve as much decorum as was proper to tha occasion.

The first meeting of creditors in the estate of James Norris, baker of Onehunga wivs held to-day, when Mr Thomas MacfFurlaue wns appointed trustee. The liabilities aro set down ut JC4S4 Cs lid and the assets at £99 13s Gd.

A correspondent writing from Ifawea to the " Paten Mail," Hlnten Mr Crombie Brown, tlie "LyttcltonTimes"correspondent somewhat roughly, and in refutation of Ilia remark that in Te Wliiti's domains not a drop of liquor was to be obtained, bo writes :— ■' If lie would only stop till the yearly moeting in Murch next, he would nnd hogsheads of beer and gallons of .-<piiit.s, put under the ."kins of the natives ; and if he had any wish to prowl about among the wharcs after dark, that Parihaka was a den of vice and iniquitj, such as would not be tolerated in civilized community. It is a well-known fact by all who know really any thing of the ' noble Maori,' that ninety per cent, of tbe young Maoris only attend To Wliiti's meetings for what they c:in ;,'ct to eat and drink, and for the iniduight revels that take place in that Arcadian (?) retreat. While Te Whiti is holding forth, like many of the Pttkeha sinners, tbe mass of Maori dom —male and female—with a very small exception in proportion to tho numerous gathering of people, are otherwise engaged than listening to him, and very few of tho youuger Maoris, on returning from Parihaka, can state that they know anything that the prophet has said."

An American named Professor Wingato claimed to be the inventor of an apparatus with which he could destroy a vessel at a distanco of lire miles. This would, he reasonably said, put a stop to nil naval warfare, since anybody in possession of his secret could shatter a hostile fleet without getting within ruiigo of its guns. He gave v public exhibition at New Orleans two years ago in the presence cf many scientific men. The hulk of a schooner was operated upon. The professor approached within about a mile of it iv a small boat, aud then it was blown to atoms. As to the nature of this awful force, he would only say that it was electricity, applied without any direct connectiou betwecu tho machine and the object to be destroyed. He turned up at Boston last .summer, formed a stock com pany, and got $1800 for a preliminary ex periment. A little steamer was obtained, and in a dark house on its deck, with care ful privacy, Wingato arranged a great amount of apparatus. On the day appointed for the test, a few weeks ago, an old vessel was towed to a safe point in the bay, and the steamer was stationed a mile away. Suddenly there was an explosion at a con siderable distance from either craft, nnd afterwards the wreck of a rowboat, with two mangled human bodies, was found at the spot. Wingate, greatly agitated, said that his experiment could not be carried out that day. The newspapers could not at the time ascertain the facts. Now tho "Boston Herald " gives an explanation based on a confession by Wingate to one of the stock holders. The trick used at New Orleans, and to bo repeated in Boston, was to explode a large dynamite torpedo under the vessel by means of a rope running to the pretanded electric apparatus. The two men wero on their way to place the torpedo when an accidental explosion occurred.

Tho angry opposition which Hahncmann's reform excited forty years ago was hardly surprising. When trie expectation that ero long the lancet would rust in its case was deplored as a lamentable heresy; when medicine advanced to the combat with acute disease venesection in her right hand, and incrcurialisation in her left, robbiug hei patients of a good portion of their life-blood and than poisoning the remainder, how could anyone be tojerated who aih'rmpd (as ljahiieiiuum dill in 1822) that this entire an nphlo^istio appnratus wns nuperceded by the administration of small doses of aconite ? But now that the lancet has rusted for many years; now that bleeding,is hardly known,jind mercury rarely used save for syphilis, all ground for indignant reprehension for our practice seems to have been cut away. The anomaly has become greater still iv tho last ten years, which have sceu the large adoption of the positive as well as the negative doings of homoeopathy—in which aconite has been acknowledged to be the grrat antipyretic Hnhncmann said it was, and scores of similar remedies have been borrowed from the practice of his school. Mea are feeling that thoy cannot ariy longer ignore the method wliioh has homo such fruits, that thoy cannot persist in ostracising those whoso only crime is that they follow —" Monthly Homoeopathic Review."

The Irish Famine

The Mayor aoknowleclgo3 the recoipt of the following sums towards the Irish Rolief Fund 1 -Reader Wood, M.H.H., £2 2s; Murdoch McLeod, 5s j R.U., 2s. Collected by T. H. White, £2 6s Gd. Captains Casey and Nearing finished tha small beat allotted to them by His Worship the Mayor for relieving the distress in Ireland. The amount collected is £53 15s, as follows !—J. Clusey, £5 ;T. Hedges, 5s ; J. H. O'Brien, 5s ; A Friend, 11. P , 10s ; J. Mackey, jun., 5s ; Joe Fraser, 2s 6d ; L. Kaspor. ss; J. N. Oxley, 103; D. Gouk, 10s; James Stewart, 5s ; E. Ij. ss; 11.8 M., 5.s j Friend, 2-i Gd ; Butch, ss; Fernandez, £1; W. ami G . Wiustono, £1 Is; C.F., 10s; A. 8.5., £1 5 S.L.S., 5a j W*. ami Co., £1 Is j James Robertson, £1; George Fraser, 10s; fttewart and Garlick, £1 Is; J. Craig, £1 ; E.M.8., ss; J. Mackay, £3 ; H. 8., and S., £lls; A. Powell, ss; Geo. McNab, ss; Mrs Darby, 10s; H. J. Anderson, £1; E, lEHingriam,' 5,8 jJ. Ueqo". 10s J Mr' De Couroy, £1; Mr Soppet, 2s <5d ; J.K., 53 j P. Duffey, 10s; T. 8.. £1 Is, A.L., ss; C.p.S, £1 Is; A.8.P., 10s; E. and A- Isaacs, £1 Is; J.C., 5s 6d; Russell au:J ;Devore, £Us i W, S, Graham, £1 j Sjai gqt>4, Son, and Ewep, £1 Is \ A. Laurie, !lQs q<J j Robert Rose, £J Is; C.8., 3s 1 ■J. IJalyday, £J Is; W. Hill, £5 , ;M, Murchie, £2 3s j T, A. White, fills; Snooks, IQs j Poaseueskie, 10a 6d; A friend, 5s j D. B. Cruiokshank, £3 3i; 'Mr Heath, ss; Mr Lamb, £1 Is; Mr Hill, 10s; J. Stodart, ss; Fairey, £1; J. Nearing, £1,

CABLE NEWS.

ETJJROPEAN,

[UNITED PKKSS ASSOCIATION,

Flying Squadron Probably Visits Australia. LONDON.

February 12. A flyiug squadron will leave Eng land in April or May for a cruise round the world, and will probably visit Australia. Tbe Right Hon. Earl of Clanwilliam, C. 8., Junior Lord and Bear admiral, will command the squadron. The squadron includes H.M.S. Bacchante, 16 guns; but it is doubtful whether Princes Albert Victor, and George of Wales, song of the Prince of Wales, who are on board, will accom pany the ship.

The Chlrnborazo. LONDON.

February 12. The repairs to the Chitnborazo wil shortly be completed, and she wil resume her voyage on Monday. Persia Occupies Herat. LONDON.

February 12. It is reported that the Shah of Persia will shortly proceed with an army of 20,000 men to occupy the city of Herat in Afghanistan.

Anglo-Persian Alliance. LONDON.

February 12.

Persia lias entered into a treaty to assist England in the conquest of Afghanistan, and will place her army in the field for that purpose.

Great Railway Scheme. LONDON.

February 12,

It is reported that England has entered into an engagement with Persia to construct a line of railway from Herat to the Persian Gulf.

Bussia's Chagrin. LONDON.

February 12.

The whole of the Russian Press angrily attacks the treaty between England and Persia, and dare 3 Persia to reject the friendship of Kussia.

Frozen Meat Experiment.

LONDON,

February 11

The "Pall Mall Gazette" has an article on tlio subject of the shipment of frozen meat from Melbourne, and congratulates the Colonies on the great success of the experiment, which it says, will open up a new and profitable source of industry, and in course of time prevent England from being de pendant upon Amorica and the Con tinent for its supply of meat.

English. Farmers

The "Pall Mall Gazette" deplores the unfavourable prospect before Eng lish farmers, but rejoices at tlie per sonal success of Duffy aud Paterson.

[REUTERS SPECIAL CABLEGRAMS.]

Persia's Move on Afghan istan. LOND <N.

February 12.^3 Persia proposed that a commission be appoiutcd to define the north-eastern bound ary of her territory. In the nu-antime, however, she states it is her intention to occupy the Afghanistan province of Seistan, and eventually Hen. t. It is also gcnerall)' believed that Great Britain has assented to this arrangement.

South African Confedera-

tion. LONDON.

February 11

Tlm latest intelligence from the Cape of Good Hope states that the House of As sembly has been prorogued. The Colonial Secretnry has num.uncoil that it is the intention of the Government to introduce a series of resolution?, with a view to the confederation of the whole of the South African colonies. Russian Press Threatens Persia. LONDON. February 12. The " Journal de St. Petersburg" con tradicts the .statement that Persia has been released from her Treaty obligation not tc. occupy Herat, and declares, in positive terms, that if Persia rejects the friendship of Russia for that of England, she dooa so at her peril.

Increase of Jbiussian Pacific

Fleet.

A statement obtains currency that Russia has further increased the strength of her fleet in the Pacific. The South African Con-

federation.

LONDON,

February 11. The House of Commons has been pre> roeued.

The Ministry announced that a series of resolutions would be brought forward in favour of the confederation of tho States in the South African Colonies.

AUSTRALIAN.

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Subscriptions for New Caledonia. SYP.NEY,

February 13. Advices received hero from New Caledonia state that the French Consul there has sent iuvitations toall the Vico- Consuls throughout the Australasian Colonies to oolleot subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the late destructive cyclone.

REUTERS SPECIAL CABLEGRAMS.

Arrival of the s.s. Decan. MELBOURNE.

February 12. The steamship Decan arrived here to day from Kngland, and tho Tararua from New Zealand.

SVDNFY.

February 13,

Arrived— Wakntipu from New

' £11 18s was subscribed yesterday in aid the. suU'overs by the late cyclone in New Caledonia.

In a contest between threshing machine!", held at Giange, Koby's was awarded lirst prize.

Sailed : Kotomahana yesterday, for New Zealand.

Criminal Assault at the Whau.

Elizabeth McKay, aged 12, was crimi. nally assaulted on the Whau Blook-house Road, yosteyday, by a young man who was riding along the way at a lonoly place where there aye uo houses near. The little girl had been sent by her aunt to bring home some cows, wlien she was met and ill-used. After a time she escaped from the titree gaily where she was and reached her home. Tho young man then rode uway. The oocurronoe was reported to the One hunga police ami Sergeant Greene and Con stable Uollis hasteueil lo Mrs ISoyd's place and having procured a description of the person from the girl, rode after the offender and arrested a young man named Breen on the charge. The girl waa much knocked about, Miohael Bi<een is a young man of 19, employed as a stock-driver, but without any settled occupaiion. He was brought into Court, and charged to.day bofore Mr Barstow with attempting to commit a rape on the girl MoKay, on the 12th mat, and was remanded to Onehunga, where the case wijl be heard on Wednesday uext.

Plielmin (to tourist, who has taken shelter in a leafy shebeen); " D.ade and its qoa^ed to the bone you'll be gittinj; wld atiames through the roof. Come outside, sorr ; it's drier ia $he we^ I", "" T' : '

Operations at Waimate

Suspicious Circumstance—Tele graph "Wiie Cut

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT),

HAWERA, this day. The telegraph wire was cut with some sharp instrument about two feet from a pole situated on the south of the Inaha stream, last evening. The natives have a cultivation a few yards away, and, although the potatoes are not ripe, strange to say, they commenced digging there yesterday. The cultivation is one of those fenced in and planted in defiance after the surveyors were turned off the plains.

Another Native Rumpus.

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WANG AN UI, Thursday. It is reported in town that Mr Rarkley, a Government surveyor engaged in the Puke totara block, has been turned off by a party of armed natives. The land in question is up the Wanganui River. The natives took possession of the surveyor's camp, and in sisted upon the surveyors leaving. Another report reached town by the maii carrier between Fordell and Murimoto that shots have been exchanged between hostile natives at Murimoto. Pas have been formed, and shots exchanged. It is not known if there is anyone injured.

Topics of the Day.

[By our Special Correspondent in London.]

London, New Year's Day. THE EUSTON SQUARE MYSTEKY.

CONVICTION OF BASTENDORFK,

After a protracted trial lasting several days the man Sewerin Bastendorff was ou Tueeday, December sth, convicted of per jury. There was as your readers are aware a momentous question connected (no one can say how closely) with the issue submitted to the jury. In August 1877 there came to lodge with BastendorfT, at his house in Euston Square, a certain Miss Hacker, who tor private though comparatively puerile reasons, disguised her identity under an assumed name. She continued to reside there " till October 1877 and from that time nothing was seen or heard of her until the beginning of the present year when her skeleton was discovered in the coal cellar of the house, suspicion fell on a dismissed ser vant girl, of Bastendorffs named Hannah Dobbs who at the time of the finding of the body happened to be serving a terra of imprisonment for theft. She was forth with charged with the crime of murder, tried and acquitted. On coming out of prison, Miss Dobbs appears to have taken herself to literature, for shortly afterwards there appeared a pamphlet, detailing not only her autobiography, but what was more important, her experience at the house in Eustou Square. This precious tract was published by the prosecutor; in the perjury Case Mr George Purkess who is proprietor of that edyfying print, " The Police News." It purposed to be wiitten entirely by Dobbs herself, but no one doubts that Purkesa was the bona fide scribe. The most interesting portions of the contents were a series of extraordinary libels on Basteudorff, whom the girl accused not only of being concerned in the murder of Miss Hacker, but of other nameless and infamous crimes too horrible to name. Of course Bastendorff could not re3t quiet under such serious imputations, so he applied for an in junction to stop the sale of the pamphlet on the ground that it contained false and mali cious libeh, and pending the trial of the action for libel, the court ordered the sale of the print to cease. In applying for this injunction, Bastendorff cited in his affidavit certain passages in Dobbs's statement which he swore were lies, and of these the most important and the one which is the pivot on which his trial turned is Hannah's account of her early intimacy with him, an intimacy begun and carried on in the autumn of 1877, long before she entered his house. The publisher of Dobb's pamphlet finding the sale stopped and a nice property spoiled, now swore revenge, and without waiting for BastendorfFs libel action indited him criminally for perjury, on the plea that when he got the injunction by swear ing that certain of Dobbs's allegations were false he was himself uttering lies upon oaths. " Thus," says the "Daily Telegraph," from which I quote, "do we narrow down the real question in this complicated case to a clear and defi nite point. Hannah Dobbs, in page 4 of her statement, says :' It was at Mrs Poarcd'a, 4, Torrington Square, I first saw Mr S^werin Bastendorff.' She further tells how they came to know each other; how he Bpolce to her and another servant while they were cleaning the windows ; how they went out together a night or two after ; and then, and frequently, down to about the time of her leaving his service (which she subsequently entered), they kept up a rela tionship of an immoral character." Bastendorffs affidavit flatly denied these statements, and if they, or even one of them, were true, hu, of course, must have committed perjury. The one most susoep tiljle of clear proof is that which refers to the way in which Hannali Dobbs and Bas tendorif became intimate, aud impropeily so, in August, 1877. In support of tlio accuracy of this allegation, Dobbs and her fellow-servant were produced; and their evidence was strengthened by a witness for the defence, a Mrs Carpeuter, who deposed that uuou a particular day in August, 1877, Dobbs and Bastendorff passed the night at her inn at Kedhill. But for this last witness, who was not called for the prosecution, it would have been hardly possible to find Bastendorff guilty. The unconfirmed evidence of Dobbs must of cour.se have been taken as worthless, but when she was backed up not only by her two fellow servants but by an independent witneßs,~the jury were obliged to convict. 1' rom. this brief summary it will be seen that nothing transpired at tlio trial to throw any light on Miss Hacker's mysterious fate. The issue was indeed entirely beside the question of the murder though whether now Bastendoru" has been proved to have committed perjury on one count, he will bo indited on another, and a more important one, remains to be proved. The inaction of the police scorns to indicate that they see no reason to believe Dobbs' assertions.. Mr Justice Hawkins did not pass sentence when the jury returned their verdict, but waited till the first day ot the winder sessions, when Bastendqrff was sent to prison for I? months with hai-d labour.

Oh! What a Day we are Having.

New Theatre at Taumareke.—High Church v. Low Church.—Another Yankee Notion.—Admission Two Shillings Only ! We do uot wish to startle renders at a dis tauco by debating upon our rights to write about the rites of the church—far from it — but some Yankee notions are really cheap (aud nasty)—our churches are empty, and something must be done to rise sufficient funds to_ pay the keepers—especially w.h\le money is so very tight. AY hat is \a prevent the.] collecting of the colored ohlldren of the jatate schools and decking them out in all the shades of the lain bnw, and charging 2* each to see them? There are geese enough to pay it, and it tends to make the girls believe that at the very least, they are but helping the school mistress to turn over the ready shilling ou Sunday iv return for her tuition to them and tlw victuals they havo consumed all these years—poor dears, they kuow uot a Bishop's displeasure, or the thousands of pounds they cost the country, or the mean ing of the 4th Commandment. This was the play-card- in blue ink:—" Service of Song I Taumcrerc Church, Sunday, Jan. 25th !! Admission 2s each !11 President, the Bishop of Auckland ! IS!" It is need less to say, whan the Bishop first behold the announcement, no was horrified at the im pudence of some people, villifying his lordship's good name; he knew nothing of this new mode of extortion on the Sabbath. Why the people of I\awakawa might just as well have announced ' Confir mation on Sunday morning ! Tiokets 5s each ! I only that they had better respect a Day of Rest and probably knew that the Bishop would uot [sanction the employment of oheck-takers, or the sale of paste-board on a Sunday. It appears that the Bishop not only denounced the admission 2s each proceedings, but also had the doors of the Free Church of England flung wide open to. all, so that those who felt inclined to drop a cent in the dish had their choice of giving a small donation in exchange for the murdering of high-class music by the ' Tautari' scholars. We have not heard of the money being returned for tickets sold before the Bishop's interception, nor do we suppose it ever will be. Un, the whole, we understand it was a paying gam© and shall not bo surprised shortly to hear of the importation, of a second-lwnd organ from Italian Alley, Hattpn garden, London —one that wiU imitate the last bars of ' Pop gqes Weasel' at everysjx, revolu tions olf an old warrior's laborious jejks^-. an,d 2s admission charged ev^ry S.unday in the calendar, ' Qet m,oney,honestly if you can; b,utgeV;t,' *WNorthern Luminary." February 7.

POLICE COURT.

Yesterday.

(Before R. C. Baratow, Esq., ft.M.) ALLEGED ATTEMPTED RAI'K.

In the case of Stephen E. Hughes charted on remand with having unlawfully assaulted Mary Jane Saxon at Ponsonby on tlie Ifti December, 1879, with intent to commit rape, the following evidence was given iff. the Star went to press yesterday. ' Mr K. Hesketh appeared to watch tli case on behalf of the prisoner. Margaret Saxon, mother of the girl d posed, on the 17th December my dauohtp' came home. It was about 4' o'cWfc- She said to the children " Where's mother*' I answered from the inner room "HereT am." • l

Mr Hesketh submitted [that tbia was nnt admissable, as the girl was not a child but almost a grown up woman, what this wit Dess was stating was not within the hearing of defendant, nothing was easier than t make evidence. '

Mr Pardy said it was admissable buth« would not press ,for particulars of what th girl said to her mother. c

Witness : She made a complaint to m« I immediately got my hat and went with her to Mr Hughes' house. He was not f home, and Mrs Hughes came. I said " f want to see about this girl." I spoke toh ou the subject. Mrs Hughes wished me tn leave my daughter with her. I objected and took her home. My husband cain» home a little before six o'clock. I told him what had happened. He got his hat and said, " Come along with me," meaning «,» and my daughter. We went to 9e e Mr Hughes. Kaw both Mr and Mia Huahw My husband followed Mr Hughes into th front room. Mary Jane, myself, and Mrs Hughes went in after. My husband sai,i to Mr Hughe*, •• What have you £' doing to this girl?" He made no answer Mr Hughes told her that she had told i different story to Mrs Hughes. Mary thea repeated her former statement. Mr Hughes interrupter!, and said " No, no, Mary T did not." She replied, " Yes, Mr Hushes you did." My husband said, " Let oshtar Mrs Hughes." who said, "These are the very words she made use of to me." m! husband said, "I will have you arrested and he made for the door. Mr Hughes caught him by the arm, held him back aud closed the door. My husband said' "You hoar what the gill says. Did you not carry her into the room ?" Mr Hnahes replied, " I own that I canitd her into°the room, but nothing more." My Irusbar.d said, " Why did you meddle with her at all ? 1 would not take your Bible oath. I will take her to a doctor." Hu»hes said " Tis no use doing that. It will get me into trouble, and do you no good." The further hearing of the case was adjourned until to-morrow (this day) at noon. '

THIS DAY.

DRUNKARDS,

Three persons were charged with drunken, ness. Sarah Ann Salmon was sent to prison for s-even days, being an habitual drunkard.

THE LITTLE SALMONS.

William and Alice Maud Salmon w^ e , charged with beiDg neglected children. The last prisoner was the mother of the unfortunate children, the father was tepre. sented as a "racing sharper," in consei quence of whose neglect the mother had taken to a life of profligacy, and the cb.il. dren were left to the gutters. Ordered to the Industrial Home for five years.

LARCENY OF A GOLD RING. v, Thomas Brown was charged with stealing a gold ring aud shirt studs, value £114 3 gf on the 26th January, the property of James Farrell.

Prisoner pleaded guilty. Three mouths' imprisonment with hard1 labour. , .., ■

BRANDY.

William Henry Drew was charged with the larceny of a bottle of brandy. value"ss, on the 13th instant, the property of Henry N. Abbott. " J

Mr Tyler appeared in defence, instructed by Mr Brock. He said he believed this charge would not be pressed by Mr Abbott The defendant had been his chief barman for some years. There was no felonious, intent, aa defendant intended to pay forthe bottle of brandy, which he sent away Dj* his little boy for his sister.

Sub-Inspector Pardy gave a differeit version. Mr Abbott, has continually. nus« sed bis brandy, and set a watch, saw the. little boy leaving the hotel with a kit, the' boy was stopped, and the bottle of brandy, discovered ; Mr Drew had made no entry of the same.

Mr Abbot gave evidence to the tame effect; he followed the little boy as far a*. the Anchor Hotel, brought him back anl challenged Drew with the matter, he replied that he intended to pay for it. Cross-examined by Mr Tyler : He saidhe would pay for the brandy.

To Mr Brock: I keep books; enter goods myself.—Mr Pardy • 1 understood that Mr Tyler appeared in defence.

Mr Brock: And so do I; prisoner can have a dozen lawyers if he likes. Mr Pardy smiled, and thought prisoner was ably defended. To Mr Tyler : 1 gave him two, bottles of. brandy at t hristmas. but never recollect allowing him to act in this way. Constable Walker gave evidence as toJ the arrest. His Worship said prisoner had laid him-" self open to a grave suspicion, but the" evidence was scarcely strong enough for a y conviction. He had certainly acted vety foolishly, and he hoped it would act as &J lesson to him in future. Discharged. THK LARCSNY AT SEA. • ' -

Berthold Kell was again brought np on 8 charge of larceny of £28, tlie property ofj Eugene Kourge, at Sydney, on the 27tli*s Janaajy. Remanded for a week

BREACH OF LICKNSI • G ACT, James Stewart was charged with supv plying liquor to. Heuiry Slater on Sunday, the Sth inst Mr Hesketh appeared in defence and' pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Martin deposed to seeing Mr Slater go into the Thames Hotel. He| followed, and .saw MrSlatertakiuganbblefi in water, . . ; ;r

Mr Slater deposed that he had been for a walk aa far as the wharf. He was taken * poorly with a pain in the stomach, aijd^ asked Mr Stewart to oblige him with a drop of something to {;ive him ease. He TO. really not in the lnbit of drinking, especi« ally on Sundays. To Mr Hesketh: He took the nip medicinally, and not for tho love of brand?., , Mr Hesketh addressed the Court and; said he pleaded not guilty, for the Bake 3,1 eliciting the facts of the case. He would; now plead guilty, and hoped the Court would take a, lenient view of the matter; ""'■• His Worship ordered a tine of 20s and Costs. A SIMILAR CASE. William Hamley was summoned on two charges, Ist, by allowing drunkenness in hit house, the Auckland Hotel, and 2nd, by suffering prostitutes, to wit, Matilda Jones and other?, to congregate in the sail, ho.tel, on the 10th inst. ,1 Mr Hjsketh appeared in dercuca apa objected to the information aa it was Jai»:| under an obsolete act. His Worship said the objection wa? fatal; he could not convict upon the iulormation. ■ Sub-Inspector Fardy regretted the nffl-' take, as he had frequently spoken to Mr,, Hamley about the habit of haibounng; ihievea and prostitutes in his hotel. TWL soeues, day by day, were of the most*** volting description. ' .W His Worship said he had noticed ljn-j pioper conduct through the windows of tW, court. . . ;. - if Mr Heskoth thought the r-inarks shonl(l| not have been made by the Sub-Inspector. Mr Hamley said he was continually p™ ting those characters out at oue door, aoo they immediately bobbed in at the otner."_"& His Worship said he certainly shonia,! call the attention of the Licensing Benw; to the opposite bar, which was a pal»»e nuisance, / ; j'* i Mr Pardy said Mr Hamley always MF , his house so well previously to coming .»■■■ the Auckland. . ~^.,-' His Worship: Evil communicajp corrupt good manners. The charges were withdrawn.

WINDOW SMASHING,

Robert Hay son wr.s charged with. 6g* inn windows ia a. house at Newton, w 40s, the property of Thorns B. HannafwO; Defendant said they were broken myw«£, : ously, that is to say, stones from uw«f hands made holes in the windows. Thos. B. Hannafordgave evidence. ■" warned defendant frequently to leave house. He had not paid a copper in '^ for six months, and refused to go °y,iQ]&( would stick to the house in spite o ; i^v Harry." When lie found thathewtf.^ pelled to leave, he said he would "Ke (hat it should be uninhabitable ima person, save a tinker. wpiliffiS ? To Mr Pardy, Hayson is a travel^ | "Sindant: Beg your pardon, a rg^: j able tinman, who can mend a pot or , as well as any man in the province..»» , put class ia windows to boot. ■Some evidence was >. ke t DL-Ivi- His Worship, considering thai, w deuqo was insufficient, diamissed tw B'l ,

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.



Special Advertisements. QUK Q.R E A~T OA L £ OF MEN'S AND BOYS' CLOTHING, HATS, CAPS, AND SHIRTS, COMMENCES THI.B EVENING. All the New Shipments recently received will be sold at sale pricks. a.lk Xricks. J. COSGRAYE & 00. T FEW GOOD RE ASO N S FOB MAKING YOUR PURCHASES AT THE NKW r^EALAND /CLOTHING "PACTORY. The Materials are mannfactnred In New Zealand. The Garments are made in New Zealand. The Money is expended in New Zealand. The Stock to select from_i3_thejargeatln New Zealand. The Cut and are equal to bespoke. The Prices, considering the quality and finish, are lower than those of any other house in New Zealand. And notwithstanding the extra tariff just imposed in New Zealand, there is K& NO ADVANCE IN PRICES! You can still purchase A SIKGLK GARMENT AT THE WHOLESALE PRICIC FROM THK New Zealand Clothing Factory. Auckland Retail Branch : QUKE.N -STREET. Opposite Theatre Roy Q T O CX- TAKING -{BARGAINS!} ■ryiLLIAM TOATTRAY. In preparation for Stook-taking, has REDUCED the PRICES of his Large Stock of SUMMER COSTUMES, SILK JACKETS, SUMMER SKIRTS, & PINAFORES, which he is now offering at such prices as must oifeet a Speedy Clearance. SILK JACKETS, Reduced from 67s 6a to Sss Ditto Reduced from J3510s to £4 4s Ditto Reduced from £1010s to £7 SUMMER COSTUMES, Reduced from 17s 6d to 10s Gd Ditto Reduced from 27s 6d to 19s 6d Ditto Reduced from 42s to 30a Ditto Reduced from £5 to £3 7s Gd BUMMER SKIRTS, Reduced from 7s 6d to 3s Ditto Reduced from 9s 6d to 6s 6d Ditto Reduoed from 12s 6d to Sa 6d| PINAFORES, ~_,. A B , Reduced from 7s 6d to is 6d Al W. RATTRAY'S costume, mantle, millinery, and General Dkapery Establishment, NEW ZEALAND HOUSE, 66, Queen Street, Auckland (Opposite the Bank of New Zealand). 'TIHISLIXUM. 100 DOZEN 2-BUTTON KID GLOVES (Quite sound), Only Is lid per pair. A Large Stock of FANCY GOODS, MILLINERY, COSTUMES, PINAFORES, DRESS GOODS, &c, &c. To be Sold at Nett Cash, for a Short Time only. DRESSMAKING ON THE PREMISES. Costumes made in 24 hours' notice. A. LINABUEY & CO., 204 AND 206. QUEEN-STREET. f<O-OPERATIVE PRICES FOR CA3H. CO-OPERATIVE PRICES AND QUICK SALE. CO-OPERATIVE PRICES A PUBLIC BKNEBIT. We are Selling, the Cheapest DRESS GOODS We are Selllng'PßlNTd and CALICOS at a. Small Advance on Cost. MANCHESTER GOODS MILLINERY 1 - UNDERCLOTHING Men'a and Boys" Clothing n „ At Co-operatlvo Prleaß. . ~for cash only. just op;enkd A lot of NEW POMPA P O IT X PRINTS. P. Q._ S. We have adopted the Pure Cash System for the following reasons :— I.—lt is fairest to both bnyer and seller, be cause, by avoiding bad debts, our Cash. Customers will not have to make good the 108963 occa°i,otiod by defaulters, and the Quick Cash Returns will enable us, as Sellers, to buy move extensiy.ely, and take full udvantago of cash discounts, in which gain our customers will parti cipate. 2, The increased bnsines* which must follow consequent on selling goods at a small advance cm cost, will give our customers the same advantage as though they were shareholders in a Co-operative Society. 3. Oar patrons will always have a large, fresh, . and well-assorted Stock to select from. BUY YOUR DRAPERY AND CLOTHING FROM Gtarlick & Cranwell, city hall arcade, QUEEN STREET AND LORNE STREET. The Triumph of the Age.—ln moderate price and distinctive excellence the Wiloox and White Organs eclipse all other styles. They are capable of brilllanteffecta as wellasof sustained harmony, and the many varied and beautiful combinationo adequate to the performance of Classical, Logitinjato Organ Music.—Sole Agency i Auckland Music .Wahehouse, 74 Qu.ean-stroei. The nowP.C.S system nowboing initiated by G. and O, will certainly prove a benefit to the public. It has been a great sucoessjn i-ydnoy and Melbourne and when strictly carried put tho customer who buys at an establishment jyhe c the goods arc marked low to ensure a rapid sale mußt be a grrat gainer. G. and C, sell their drapery, millinery, and c'othing at such prices for cash hs (rfvas tho buyer tho advantages of a shareholder in a eoropeiafivo society, without the risk of being called upon to bear portion of the teas should the year's buginesflpjiove unsatis factory, 0. and C. will aim tj rutuin the po'n fidenco whloh f c publi i have hitherto shown them, nnd ate determined to g.ve the pure cash BSBteni a fair trial; wheChor they gain or loee the first year. Country buyers on remitting cash with order will be bupplied with goods at co operative pi ice, just the same as though they made a personal s .lootion. Furnishing goods, euch as carpets, floor cloths, bedsteads .bedding, and genera! houau furniture, the largest portion erf ffhioh is turned out at our own fao ory, wilj beraancfid ftt the lowest remunerative prices, ur.d v discount of /'.vc per cent, will be allowed :o those who paj jit tho lime of purchase. Hav ing rpalised the entire valdfe ol the stock during the late cash Hale, the present stockis njsv/ Ann VBKK chkaplV BOtraiiT. 'An inspection Jo invited.-^ABCiCK and Ounwell, City-Hall , iriirnmhins uoade. Uu.een«tfeet• Auckland, .. <



Special Advertisments. r\ N SALE, Kearsley's Combined Reapers and Mower Mangold and Turnip Drills Turnip Sllcera Oilcake Breakers Winnowing Machines Lawn Mowers. Also, TO ARRIVE, PER 'INGLEWOOD,' Coulter's Corn, Mangold, Turnip, and Manure Drills, combined And Ploughs, double and[single Harrowß Rollers &c. &c. &c Theiabove goods are imported directed from the manafacturers, and will be sold cheap to make room for further shipments, W. J. HURST & CO., 181, Queen-street.



TOWN EDITION. PUBLISHED AT 1.30.