Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 448, 5 November 1880, Page 2

Local and General.

The ketch Jessie, bound for the North put into this port yesterday afternoon, windbound.

We hope our readers lmvo not forgotten the dramatic entertainment which ia to take place to-night at the Oddfellows' Hall. A glance at the programme which appears in another column, will show that an excellent and highly amusing bill of fare has been provided, while the names of the performers are a guarantee that the various items will be well rendered. As we before informed our readers, rehearsing has been going on most assiduously, and that there might be no likelihood of a hitch, the performers went to the trouble last evening, of having a full dress rehearsal, which went off very well. We hope to see their energy rewarded by a bumper house, and a substantial addition thereby made to the funds of our local Literary Institute. To avoid a crush at the doors, it is recommended that visitors provide themselves with tickets before hand. They can be obtained at any of the stores or hotels.

The only case which has come before the R. M. Court since our last issue, was one in which Mr W. Wood was mulcted in the usual penalty for allowing a horse to wander at large.

The retrenchment policy of the present Government has found another means of exercising itself at the expense of Akaroa. By abolishing the Customs Offices at this port, they have contrived to save the country the yearly outhy of £25. One effect of this saving will be that goods imported from Home or the Australian Colonies cannot, as heretofore, be brought hither in bond, and be entered and have duty paid on them hero. This will cause serious inconvenience to our mercantile men, who must now employ an agent at some other port to pass entries for them, and of couree " part " for the duties, perhaps some time before they receive the goods. In this connection wo may state that the U.S.S. company have issued a circular letter informing their customers that " in consideration of the abolition of the Customs at this port, the company will undertake the passing of entries (at the Head Office Dunedin) free of charge. , '

A correspondent writes as follows from Sunnier :—"The great excitement here for the last day or two has been the stranding of the Annie Ogle on the beach. It took place on Sunday afternoon, and was entirely owing to carelessness. They had great hopes of getting her off again, but now there is no hope, and she is breaking

up fact."

We regret to have to record a serious loss which has been sustained by Mr B. Sliadbolt. It appears that his justly celebrated stud horse Eclat was travelling under the charge of Mr B. Shadbolt, jun. While going up out of Okain's Bay towards Stoney Bay, the horse began prancing about, and by some means managed to get his hind legs over the bank, which at the place referred to is very steep and precipitous. The poor animal was unable to recover himself, and, rolling over, fell to tho bottom, and is stated to have broken his back by the fall. At any rate he received such injuries that he had to be destroyed to put an eDd to his sufferingsEclat was probably the best bred horse on the Peninsula, and his death is a loss not only to his owner, but to the district at large. He was bred by Hector N. Simpson Eeqr., of Victoria, and was purchased by his present owner from Mr 11. D. Parr of Launceston, Tasmania, for the sum of three Hundred Pounds in March 1876. Eclat was just eight years old and wan just in his prime. His pedigree is as follows : —Eclat, by Camden, out of Prestige, by Premier (imp.) ; out of Sheil-na-Guira, by Eory O'More (imp.) ; out of Nora Creina (imp.) ; Camden, by Warhawk (imp.) : out of Calliope, by iEiber (imp.) ; out of Cassandra, by Trows (imp.) ; o it of Alice Grey, by Emigrant (imp.) ; out of Gulnare (imp.). Eclat is closely related to Dagworth, the Barb, Yattondon, and Maid-of-All Work. Ed at was no mean or slow performer either on the turf or over the sticks, and his owner will find the loss of this grand horse a great loss indeed, not only as his first purchase, but the less of the season also, which was likely to have proved a remunerative one to his owner.

Mb T. Brooks holds his usual monthly cattle sale at the Head of the Bay yards to-day. To, morrow Messrs W. 11. Wood and Co. will sell household furniture and effects at tho residence of Mr Justin Ay liner, Akaroa. Particulars of both sales appear in our advertising columns.

On Tuesday evening, the 2nd inst., a soiree and Sunday-school treat were held at Little River in connection with the Presbyterian congregation there. There ■was a very Buccessful gathering. The tables were supplied by Mesdames Walters, Smith, and Reynolds. After tea a public meeting was held. The Rer Mr Fraser, having been unanimously vsted to the chair, began the proceedings by expressing the great satisfaction he experienced when he looked back from the large meeting then assembled, to the condition of Little River when he visited the district in the early days of the Province. Ho said it was very gratifying to him to see the progress that had been made in the place. The meeting was then addressed by Mr Gissicls, who preaches in the schoolroom once a fortnight. An en-co-iraging statement of the condition of the Sabbath-school was given by Mr Smith ; and Mr Buchanan, as Treasurer of the congregation, gave an account of the funds, amounting to between £30 and £40 exclusive of a harmonium, and expressed the hope that, though they had not fulfilled their engagements in money matters during the past year, they would be able in the coming year to raise a much larger amount. The Rev Mr Douglas then gave an address to the children, in the course of which he indicated the great gratification he derived from the prosperity of the Little RiverJ Sunday-school. The Rev Mr Hill, of Lyttelton, then gave an address. Before the termination of the proceedings, Mr Fraser stated that a site for a churoh had been secured on very favourable terms from tha trustees of the late Mr Rhodes, and a subscription list was started in the room, when a considerable amount was nubscribed. Votes of thanks to the ladies who had so liberally provided the refreshments ; to Mrs Johnston, who had kindly presided at the harmonium ; and to Mr Fraser, brought the meeting to

a close.

The long-standing vacancy in the Borough Council caused by the resignation of that eminent economist, Cr Henning, has at length been filled. On Wednesday last, Mr J. Sunckell jtin. was nominated for the office, and, in the absence of any other candidate declared, duly elected.

Tins is how an eminent journal replies to one of the "Stop-my paper" fraternity, who has thought fit to lecture the paper on its " tone " :—" We are sorry the too liberal tone of our paper displeases you, and that in consequence we have lost your valuable patronage. On receipt of the sad news we were afraid that the fact of your ceasing to be a subscriber would completely paralyse our business, and render all our efforts to please the public in future futile. We are in hopes, however, that with a struggle we shall bo able to survive the terrible shock. When we deem it advisable to adopt a 'snivelling , tone, you may perhaps deign to bestow your patronage upon us again."

Competition must be pretty keen in Wellington just now, to judge by the following, which we find in the Wellington correspondence of ft contemporary:— "' Notwithstanding the tightneis of the money market, competition in every kind of business, and dullness of trade, a firm of auctioneers here last week—when the City Council called for tenderers to state lowest commission at which they would sell certain Corporation leases—offered to conduct a sale for nothing. This is carrying competition rather far. The amount of commission on the sale at the usual rate —£5 per cent—would only hare amounted to about £35. Yet tenders ranged downwards from that amount to £ or 5s per cent., stopped there and jumped to nil. As was very naturally expected, the action of the cheap men was severely animadverted upon. Some uncharitably-disposed persons suggested that as times were dull with them, the discount from the advertisements would satisfy them."

Judging from a recent case heard in the Small Debts Court, Mudgee, a great many newspaper subscribers are ignorant of the law bearing on the subject. For their benefit we make tho following extracts, which we commend them to " read, mark and learn " :—" Any person who takes a paper regularly from a Post Office, whether directed to his name or another's, or whether lie has subscribed or not, is responsible for the payment. If a person orders his paper to be discontinued, he must pay all arrears, or tho publisher may continue to send it until payment is made, and collect the whole amount, whether the paper is taken from the office or not. The Courts havo decided that refusing to take newspapers and periodicals from the Post Office, er removing ami leaving them uncalled for, is jM'iina facie evidence of that intentional fraud." The Trade Pro tec ion Society sued sixteen «f their subscribers for arrears of subscription to their paper. The'defendants admitted that they were subscribers, but refused to pay the amount sued for, alleging by their attorney as a defence that their paper was pent to them after the) had given notice to the owners to discontinue sending the same to them. Tho plaintiffs, by their attorney, Mr J. M'Carthy, contended that the defendants were liable, as at the time notice was sent the defendants were in arrear in their subscriptions, and his clients could, in face of that notice, continue sending the paper until all arrears were paid. In support of this view be referred the Court to several authorities on this matter. The police magistrate, after hearing the attorneys on both sides, sustained the view of the plaintiffs' attorney, and gave a verdict for the amount claimed in each case, together with witnesses' expenses.

Says the Echo— What a sweet boon to Wellington is its District Court! Once a month the R.M. for the time being puts on a gown, a pivir of starched bands, and occasionally a wig, and lo! he has developed from "His Worship" into "His Honor the Queen's Judge." Even the author of " Sartor Resartus" would in this instance, be compelled to admit that it is the clothes which make the man. But not only the judge from a chrysalis becomes a butterfly. The Clerk of the Court imitates him reverentially and afar off, but also with a gown and bands. The bailiff of the R.M. Court finds himself converted far the nonce into a full blown usher, and Le too struggles into a gown. And then as a rule the light flippancy which too often pervades the atmosphere of a Magistrate's Court is exchanged for the solemnity of a court of a superior jurisdiction. Occasionally, however, the proceedings of the District Court resemble nothing so much as a burlesque—ns was the case the other morning. There was the Judge on the Bench, the usher (his stentorian lungs renovated for the occasion), a single policeman and two reporters and thus was the Court constituted. No lawyers or suitors made their appearance, and the three cases on the list were wiped of as follows : No. 1 was announced to have been settled out of Court ; No 2 was judiciously blinked, inasmuch as it should never have been on the list of causes at all ; and No 3 was adjourned untill the next sitting day. All the proceedings were conducted in a few whispers between the judge and his clerk, and lasted somewhat uuder three minutes. If this is the kind of thing going on in the District Courts all over the colony, there can be no wonder that the Government has determined to lessen their number.

This second day's races of the Victorian Racing Club's Spring Meeting was held on Tuesday at Flemington. TUe weather was splendid. There was an immense concurs of spectators, estimated at over 100,000. The course, it is believed, has never before been so crowded" The Marquis of Nonnanby, Sir Win. Jervois and the Duke of Manchester were present. The following is the result of the enp race. The fields for all the events wore large and the racing good :—Mr W. A. Long's b c Grand Flaneur, 3 yrs, by Yattendon—First Lady, 6st 101b ; 1. Mr W. Branch's b c Progress, 3 yw, sst7lb ; 2. Mr F. li. L. Itosse'fl Lord Bnrgbley, 5 yrs, 7st 51b ; 3. Twenty horses started, and the race wns a capital one. Mata never showed to the front. Progress led for some

distance when Lothair and Grand Flaneur came up at the home turn.the latter winning a splendid race by three-quarters of a length from Progress. Lord Burghley was third, Lothair, Martindale and Chester following, Time—3min. 34|sec. Napper Tandy was placed third by the Judge, but this was found to be an error. Tho result of this race appeared on Wednesday in a Mail extra.