LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1849, 24 May 1888, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The telegram which we received from our oorieepondent at Wellington Jasc night was calculated to disquiet the mind of the public, but from subsequent information it will be seen that there was very good ground for believing the report of an expected outbreak of hostilities to be true. The present state of Europe can hardly for long be continued and from the signs of the times the outbreak of a war of a greater or leaser oharaoterd can hardly long be delayed unless more cordial relations are brought about between the Greater Powers. M. Gounod and M. Dumas are fast friends, The Prince of Monaoo is almost entirely blind. The working day m Paris has been reduced from eleven to ten hours. The postmen m England are beginning to complain of Sunday deliveries. There are 513 Chinese "detained" at Melbourne. It is stated that there are only 787 empty houses m tho city of Auckland. At Picton lately 150 oases of herrings were scoured at one haul, A farmer m Southland sent home some Bait butter, and got 100s a owt for it. It is said that m the Euahine ranges there is a vast undeveloped field of mineral wealth. Dr Hansen of Bergen is preparing for a enow-shoe trip across the centre of Greenland from east to west. A Boston lawyer who has taken up hi ß residence m Para, Brazil, has a oolleotion of orohids numbering 20,000. The Parisian women have at last revolted. A league for Public Morals has been formed to suppress impure literature. Keatinq's Cough Lozenges cures Coughs, Asthma, and Bronchitis. Medioal testimony states that no other medioine is so effeolual m the cure of these dangerous maladies. One Lozenge alone gives ease, one or two at bedtime ensures rest. For relieving difficulty of breathing they are invaluable. They cpn'tain no opium or any violent drug. Sold by all chemists, j n tins la Xdfd and 2s 9d each, >

Miss Delphine Baker is about: to establish a jj Christian newspi'-cr i;: .7crus~i I crn. The Arohbiahop of Gran, the Hungarian primate, has an income of £80,000 a year. The latest torpedo boat will be 400 feet J long, 23ft feet beam, and of 26 knots speed. In Russian military circles no seoret seems < to be made that Bulgaria will be annexed. The English steamship companies antioi pate a large increase m Irish emigration this year. The attempt to enforoe evening dress at the Berlin Opera House has been given up as a failure. An elephant m the funeral procession to a recent Hindoo cremation wore a silver oollar worth £5000. The bodies of over two hundred viotima of the recent avalanches m the Italian Alps have been recovered. Baby King Alphonso XIII is suffering from epilepsy, an hereditary disease m his mother's family, the Hapsburgs. The projeot to establish ship-building m Spain by English capital seems now to be perfect. It will begin at Bilbao, An electric boot polisher is now on the market, which produces a brilliant polish. An eleotrio stove is also announced. On April 10 there was unveiled at Neuilby a monumental statue of Farmentieo, who introduced the potato into Franoe. The Sultan of Turkey has commanded that the ladies of the Harem shall henceforth appear decollete. The world moves. Eleven thousand nine hundred and fortyseven British soldiers m India are members of the Soldier's Total Abstinence Association. The Oamaru branch of the Educationa Institute will move the Institute " to take steps to obtain a uniform set or sets of reading books throughout the colony. The revenues of the Church of England have declined enormously. The living of Rochdale, that used to be worth £50,000, or £60,000, is now worth only £20,000. Mr D. Thomas requests us to call attention to the alteration m the date of the sale of Mr Colo's land, Btook, etc, at Seafield, the date now fixed is Thursday, 31st May. At a meeting|of the Committee of the 0.J.0. it was decided that the added money m the Grand National Steeplet v ice should be reduoed from £500 to £400. At their next meeting the Selwyn County Counoil will take into consideration the advisability of revising the by-laws relating to traotion engines. Lord Wolverton's will does not confirm the report that he had left a large sum to Mr Gladstone. The property was worth £1,875,000. The Archbishop of Canterbury says that one of the greatest evils by which the working classes are afflicted is the custom of early marriages. A health writer says " the washtub is an excellent gymnasium." But will our young ladies tackle kindly to it ? " Ay, there's the rub." — " Norristown Herald." The Italian labourer is making considerable trouble for the French labourer m France. There are said to be not less than 250,000 Italians at work there now. A four-tooth crossbred sheep 1541bs weight, dressed, was on exhibition at St. Albans recently. This is oertainly a fine carcase, but not long ago some half dozen oaroases of wether mutton were sent Home frozen whioh ranged about 2001bs each. The Government will not bring m an amendment to the Land Act to enable the homestead village settlers to ohange their perpetual leases for deferred payment or oash terms, as a large number of them have asked the Government to do. The deer liberated some time ago on Morven Hills and the interior of Otago seem to be thriving well by all aocounts, and recently a settler at Otekaike oame across a fine buok and five does. Had his dogs not been with him he states he would have been attacked by the stag. The usual weekly meeting of the Star of the East Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held m the Aroade Chambers last evening. There was a full meeting. The Entertainment Committee reported that the date for the anniversary was fixed for June 21st, the entertainment to consist of a tea and oonoert. The Lodge then went into harmony, and after a short programme of songs, readings, etc, the meeting closed. It is rather suggestive that while m New Zealand the Australian Mutual Provident Sooiety has to pay a license fee of £200, and nearly £8000 for Property-tax, the oharges made upon its funds by other colonies are comparatively insignificant- South Australia oomes first with £493 for Income-tax, Tasmania demanded £24 for Property-tax. Victoria and New South Wales do not figure m the list at all. A Government Inspection Parade of the Ashburton Volunteers was held at the Drillshed on Tuesday night, Major Douglas being the Inspecting Officier. Captain Fooks was alsopresent. New buff belts, and slings and black pouches were distributed out to both companies to take the place of the old brown ones whioh have become very shabby and dilapidated. The Rifles mustered 45 (Captain Dolman) and the Guards about 40 (Captain Sparrow). At Auckland reoently a Bench of three Blue-Ribbon J.P.s told the Police Inspeotor that he would do well to summon the people who supplied liquor to men already well on the way towards intoxioation, and so try to stop the evil that way. The Inspeotor replied that the hands of the police were tied, as they could not get at the publioins, who would shield themselves by Baying they had given instructions to their employees not to sell to drunken persons, and if summonses were issued he would have slight hope of conviotions. The Benoh rejoined that if this were so, then the next best thing to do would be to make represehtati 3to the Lioensing Committees of such houses as were m the habit of supplying drink as stated. We have received from the Hon Secretary of the Otago Rugby Union — Mr M. Ross — the Annual for 1888. This is the eighth year of publication of the volume which is well got up and full of most interesting matter to footballers. The honorary editor, Mr J. H. Chapman, has been associated with Rugby football for many years and he has succeeded this year m bringing together a very readable and valuable fund of information on the game. It appears that the Rugby Union m Otago has been all through m a flourishing condition, and after expending £434 13a 3d m forwarding the interests of the game during 1887 a balanoe of £2 0s 5d remained m hand to start the new year with. There were last year 21 olubs m the Union 14 senior and 7 junior. ■ We can recommend all footballers to prooure a copy of the Annual.