LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1619, 26 July 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ . - The "Gazette" notifieß the appointment of Mr J. Ward as Registrar of Electors for the district of Rangitata, of Mr J. R. Colyer as Returning Officer for Ashburton, and of that of Mr G. Jameson for Rangitata. The second of the series of Sixpenny Entertainments m St. Stephen's Sohoolroom will take place on Thursday next at 8 p m. A requisition is being extensively signed asking Sir Julius Yogel to address a public meeting m Ashburton at an early date. It is announoed that a meeting of the 1 Oddfellows will be held on July 29, when ; important business will be considered. * The 'Supreme Court at Tasmania has granted a rule nisi calling on the Rev Charles Price, Independent minister at Launceston, to show cause why a criminal information should not be filed against him for libel contained m a letter, bearing his signature, published m the •• Examiner" of 21st June, againßt the nuns of the Launceston convent. A miner named William Radnell unearthed a splendid specimen of gold at Tarnagulla, Viotoria, on the 6th inst., on some old surface workings, where he was specking after the late rains. The nugget weighs 660z 15dwt, .and is estimated to contain 50oz of pute gold. The looality where it waa found is south of the main street on the Great Western reef. — " Evening Herald." The "Waimate Times" says: — "Very much dissatisfaction is expressed here amongst mutton growers at the way m whioh account sales are m London. We have been shown correspondence and account sales whioh fully bear out an idea abroad that the matter should be investigated thoroughly, and with as little delay as possible. Colonial shippers are being made victims of to a certain extent, and rigid enquiries as to the cause of these returns whioh we have seen should be instituted." The following graoeful tribute is paid by the " Otago Daily Times " to a brother journalist whom reverses have overtaken ; — "There are few men m New Zealand who have given their gratuitous services oftener for benevolent and literary objects than Mr Thomas Bracken. As amateur actor, reciter, and lecturer, he has contributed for many years past to the entertainment of his fellow citizens, and he has been the means of helping many a worthy cause. It was a graceful aot, therefore, on the part of several old amateurs to tender Mr Braoken a farewell benefit previous to his departure from Dunedin for the North." According to a Dublin evening newspaper a breach of promise action will probably be heard shortly m Dublin, m which a parrot will ;figure prominently. An elderly professional gentleman engaged to a pretty young lady m her teens, was visitingjher father, and knocked at the study door. A parrot he had presented to the young lady shrieked out, " Come m," and on suddenly entering the room he found hia Jianee Beated on the sofa with a young man, who was withdrawing hit arm from her waist. The parrot meantime imitated the sound of kissing, and wound up with mooking laughter. The marriage was broken off, and to an aotion for breach ol promise the defendant pleads justification. The Payment of Members Bill came on hi its second reading m the New South Wales Legislative Council on the 12th inst., and, after an animated debate, was thrown out bj 30 votes to 9, A fishing boat came to the Auckland wharJ termed a miraculous draught of fishes, save the " Bell." In half an hour, and at one draw of the net, it had taken 160 dozen mullet— so many that, although it took but half an hour to net them, it kept the fisherman engaged for two and a-half hours to get the fish out of the.net. Two young girls were at dinner at their home m Marseilles, when they were told that a spcoial friend of theirs had died the previous night of oholera. At once they became very nervous, and left the table precipitately, ordered a oab, andj told the driver to take them as fast as possible to the town of Aix, some distance from Marseilles. When the cab got outside the oity, the coachman looked through the window to ask the address of the place to which he was to go. He saw one of the girls m convulsions and the other utterly uncon" scioua. In his turn, the driver got frightened, abandoned the oab, and ran about like a madman. When the polioe, who were sent for, arrived and opened.the oab, they found one girl dead and the other dying. A little further up the road they found the coachman lying on his face dead. Some mysterious circumstances have transpired m connection with the reoent murdet of Mr Edward Hawkins, the manager of the Tieryboo Station, Queensland, who was found m his bed shot through the head. Mrs Granbaucr, the wife of a settler on the Condamine, states that she saw the murder of Mr Hawkins enaoted m a dream several times, and that all the circumstances are vividly fixed on her mind. She oomtnunioated with the police, and was taken to Brisbane gaol, where a number of prisoners were drawn up. She Beleoted one prisoner, and declared him to be the man whom she saw m her dreams. The prisoner Beleoted was William Clayton, who was arrested on suspicion of tha murder of Hawkins, and is now awaiting trial. On Clayton being asked, he deolarea that he had never seen the woman before, and she wai equally confident that she had never seen him except m the dream. Clayton has since been discharged, the Attorney-General deolining to file a bill.