The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 335, 3 October 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3.

Tha usual meeting of the Mutual Improvement Association took place on Tuesday evening at the schoolhouse, Akaroa. We are sorry to say that it took place, also, with what may now be called the usual result, viz., it lapsed for want of attendance. The Rev. Mr Douglas came prepared to read a paper on " Reading and the choice of books." In such hands the subject would certainly have received able treatment, and it would have furnished material for a highly interesting discussion. Hardly any of the members, however, put in appearance, and consequently the affair fell through. One more effort is to be made to see if it be practicable to keep the Association in existence, a special meeting being called for next Tuesday evening to consider the advisableness of breaking up or continuing the Association. A few members have certainly used every endeavor to infuse interest into the meetings, and have spared no pains in doing so, but they have not been adequately supported by those for whose especial benefit the Association was designed—the young men. It remains to be seen whether these latter will yet show their appreciation of the efforts made for their entertainment and instruction by mustering in force for the future.

Under date " Dunedin, Sept. 29," a correspondent of the Press telegraphs as follows :— ** A most brutal and fatal assault is alleged to have been committed by James Smith upon his wife in Great King street. Smith, a tailor, formerly resided with the deceased at Caversham, but they seem to have lived very unhappily there, and she obtained a protection order on account of the ill-treatment she suffered at his hands. The deceased then left her husband and went to reside with her brother, M'Kenzie, of Heriot row. Smith removed to Dunedin about the same time, and lived in one of the cottages opposite the National Hotel in Great King street. At 11 o'clock on Saturday night, the de ceased proceeded to Great King street to see her husband, for the purpose of obtaining from him some money due to her on the maintenance order. She was then brutally illtreated, and shortly after twelve o'clock was seen lying on the footpath by a man who, not being able to ascertain whether she was injured or intoxicated, simply reported the matter to the night warder at the hospital. At a later period she was again observed and the nature of her injuries having been ascertained, she was removed to her brother's house, where she arrived at 1 a.m. yesterday. M'Kenzie states that when she was conveyed into the house, all sre said was, "He has kicked me twice, and broken one of my legs." Dr Maunsell was afterwards sent for, and he arrived shortly after 2 a;in., and dressed the patient's wounds. She had sustained a compound fracture of the right leg above the knee. She was attacked with a series of epileptic fits, and it was found impossible to move her to the hospital until half-past five o'clock yesterday afternoon. She then rallied, and her friends, taking advantage ef the opportunity, had her at once removed to the hospital. Shortly afterwards she was again attacked with fits, which continued until seven o'clock, when she breathed her last. It would appear most probable that the intense nervous excitement consequent upon the assault was the cause of the epileptic fits which resulted in death. The deceased was 37 years of age. The case was reported to the police shortly after nine o'clock last evening, and at a quarter to ten Smith was arrested. The prisoner, who is charged with murder, was brought before the City Police Court this morning and remanded for a week, no depositions of the woman even having been taken.

The latest process of how to raise the wind during an election campaign was illustrated in a novel manner by one of the candidates for Grey River. One of the candidates who came before that constituency struck upon the idea that, as every candidate is entitled by law to claim six copies of the electoral roll, he would use his privilege in this respect to some advantage. The price charged to the public for these rolls is 6s a copy, but finding no ready sale at that price, the recipient of the half-dozen copies was in a position to compete with the Government, and by disposing of his allotted number at 3s 6d a piece, lie managed to pocket a guinea, which subsequently found its way to the nearest publican's till, in payment of forty-two drinks during the contest. It is needless to say the candidate was neither first nor second on the poll, though he was observed to enjoy a quiet slumber on a shingle-bed after the roll money had departed. ' £>,

The last dissolution of Parliament is the

'second which took place in New Zealand. The first was in 1856. Ever since the Assembly sat its five years' of life out.

As will be seen by advertisement, there is to be a meeting on Monday evening for the purpose of forming a Model Yacht Club. It is to be hoped that there will be a good many join. For a: seaport town we could not have a more useful institution, in fact it might be called a nursery for yachtsmen, as nothing gives the young idea so much insight into the building and management of a yacht as model sailing, as the wind acts on a five or ten tonner, so it is on the model, and it would surprise some of the long shore folks to see one of these little wonders clawing off a lee shore in a hard breeze. The dockyards are full at present, and the demand for juncks of wood, lead and calico have been so great that the price has advanced about 50 per cent. There are fourteen yachts, measuring from three to five feet at present being built, some of them on the most approved principles, long and narrow, all lead and wings ; others after the old style, good beamy boats. It is proposed to hold the Model Regatta on the 9th November, Prince of Wales' birthday, and we are sure it will be a sight well worth seeing. Lyttelton is to send two models to compete. It is to be hoped that we will have some turned out to keep the prize here, which is to be a valuable silver cup.

It is somewhat singular that the Press of Wednesday, while reporting the Hon. J. Hall's speech fully, not only does not give a word of the speeches of Sir George Grey and Mr Sannders, but does not even mention that any spoke after the leader of the opposition, leaving it to be inferred that the House and the Government were absolutely struck dumb by the eloquence of the indictment preferred against them. The reader is irresistibly reminded of the story or fable as to the idiotic conduct of the ostrich when pursued.

At the Christchurch R. M. Court, on Tuesday, John Jones, who was lately arrested in Akaroa, was charged with forging and uttering a promissory note for £45, with intent to defraud T. B. Lloyd. Accused was remanded to the 9th October.

At the last meeting of the Christchurch City Council a considerable amount of business was got through, and yet the sitting only occupied an hour and a half. Could not some of our local bodies take a pattern by this expedition ?