Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 495, 12 April 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

Ax extensive bankruptcy is announced in Duncdin. Here it is—"Eridget Too--1)111, Dunedin, domestic servant; liabilities, £29 19s Gd ; assets, £15." Bravo, Bridget! You are showing your capability for learning of your so-called superiors. You may help to bring the whole rotten system to the reductio ad absurdum. A correspondent sends us the following quotation from Cowper, contending that it possesses a local appropriateness. Of this we must leave our readers to judge. The man that dares tradu c because he can With safely to himself, is not a man ; An individual is a sacred mark, Not to be pierced in play or in the dark. Wis learn that the Titan \va« liberally patronised on Sunday last on the occasion of her running a trip to Little Akaloa. Those excursions are becoming very popular indeed, and deservedly so, as the trip is most enjoyable, and is within the means of almost everyone.

A ckn'sus paper filled up by an Ashburton householder reveals the fact that his wife's past occupation was "bossing him," and that her present one is "still bossing." Ever since the partner of his bosom dis. covered the contents of the document, the bead of the family has been remarkably melancholy and dejected.

It appears that the compartment in the Orari set apart for the conveyance ol cheese to Kuglaud was none too large, considerable difficulty being experienced in getting tlie last case in. The only opening to the compartment is the barred ventilator on deck. The number of cases of cheese sent was 723. It is to be ear nestly hoped that the trial shipment may prove a thorough success.

Rather an unusual way of treating a presentation was carried out in a southern suburban township one day last weekThe head teacher was leaving the school —retiring from the teaching profession altogether—and, as is wont in such cases the scholars subscribed for and bought a handsome desk for presentation to him. With a few suitable remarks, the eldest boy presented the desk, and was answered thus :—" Jist keep it, laddie ; I'll nae doot be able to on vera vveel withoot it.' The feelings of the scholars may be imagined.

Amisetino of the Little Eiver District School Committee was held in the schoolroom on Wednesday evening, the Gth inst. Present — Messrs W. Coop (Chairman), Walters, Jas. Reynolds, Greenland, and Tyson. Tho minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman reported that he and Mr Walters had visited the new school ground, and found the work of clearing and levelling fairly satisfactory. Mr Walters reported that he had instiucted the oontraetors to put in about three yards of cemented rubble-work as a protection from the river. An account from Messrs Giles & Smith, £22 Os Gd, was read ; amount of contract £18 2s, extra work and concrete wall £3 18s Gd. It was resolved that the account be paid. The following correspondence was read, viz.:—From Education Board, circular re telegraph wires; from same, stating that £23 Os 10d had been paid into the Bank to the credit of the committee for salaries, etc.; from same, re

extraordinary vacancy on board ; from same, stating that Mr Perryman was elected member of the bo-ird; from same, re Penny Savings Banks ; from Mr S. Munro> enclosing account for cleaning school' Ordered to be paid, but not to include extras. The teachers' sala.ies were passed for payment. The secretary was requested to get a cheque-book. The meeting then adjourned. Frank Fudge has the following sensible remarks on the Colonial "Jiugos":— Some of our Colonial Tory organs have been crowing over the passing of the Irish Coercion Act. True to the instincts o* their party, they are ready to applaud •' jingoism " and tyranny at Home, notwithstanding the fact that they are inhaling a pure and clean atmosphere in this land of ours, which is, thank God, as yet free from the hereditary leeches who fatten in Groat Britain and Ireland on (lie labor and thrift of the industrious classes. From the drivelling of the Co'onial Coeicionists, I torn with pleasure to the following remarks of Mr Labonchere in a recent number of Truth. Speak ing of tlio Coercion Act, he says:—'• For my pait I know that I Din old-fashioned ; indeed [ may say that I, and two or three otlie" Liberals, are tlie sole political descendants of the Baions of Magna Charla, who met attacks upon liberty with the reply, ' Nolumus leges Anr/iia: miilari.' Nevertheless the present mania for arbitnuy power will, I am convinced, be as shortlived as that for Jingoism. From Philip drunk I appeal to Phiiip sober."

A IIUMOttOUS contiibutor to the Clr.'stchurch Star remarks :—" If I were compelled to choose between becoming an editor or a bailiff or suflieiing summary annihilation, I think I should go in for the sudden death clause. lam told that the average editor has more enemies than any other professional man on the face of the earth, and, strange to say, the more talented he is, the more his enemies advertise him and bring him into prominence. There surely must be something in a man who is well abused. lam further assured that a journalist can never hope to attain to positive eminence unless l>e carries about with him a fist as big as a shoulder of mutton. He must be proficient in the pugilistic art, and prepared at all times to defend his honor and his nose both wiih his fist and quill. There dosen't seem to be much of the poetry of life about al tlii.s, and fate is hard upon the man consigned to ftditoral doom. Don't be editors, dear boys; life is too short. About those bailiffs I haven't much so say. You may see one or two of them every day about the Resident Magistrate's Court, with an eye in a sling, and presentiug as battered an appearance as though they had just come off a battle field. Hewever, of the two I should prefer to' be a bailiff ; but my tip is for the death racket."

Tiik Supreme Court's Christchurch sittings were concluded on Thursday last when James Scott, formerly manager of a station near Ashburton, was convicted of forging and uttering an order for 4SB os. The same prisoner pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzlement. He called witnesses, from whose evidence it appeared that he had hitherto borne a good charac ter, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment concurrent y on the two indictments.

Monday's Press says :—" The first openof the reading-room and referrenrc library at the Publics Library on Sunday took place yesterday. During the day both parts were patronised by an orderly and quiet crowd of visitors. About forty signed the book of entrance to the reference library beyond those holding the ordinary tickets. Shortly before nine o'clock last night, at which hour the library closed, there were about thirty occupants of the readingroom. The greater number of visitors were during the afternoon hours, though there was a fair sprinkling from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Bruce Standard is threatened with an action for alleged libel at the instance of the Key F. Seaborn. It commented very Peverely on him having left the district and forgotten to settle their account for advertising. The rev. gentleman's solicitors write :—"We give you the opportunity of making an ample apology to Mr Seaborn, to be used by him as he thinks fit, And of paying him the sum of £30, to be applied by him to purposes of local charity, failing which a writ will be issued claiming substantial damages. , ' To which the paper makes the rejoinder:— "We have not the slightest intention of complying with the modest request to forward £30, though Mr Seaborn has so suddenly turned charitable. This outburst of charity on the part o£ that gentleman, when compared with his action in leaving Milton so unceremoniously, looks very peculiar indeed. We have also no intention of falling down or: our knees and begging Mr Seaborn 's pardon."

Ax eccentric journalist, the editor of tlie Lyell Argus, is leaving that locality. The "Loafer" thus refers to his farewell:— My old friend the editor and proprietor of the Lyell Times, better, perhaps, known as the Lyell Argus, has sold out hie interest in that celebrated journal. He has been kind enough to send me the valedictory number of the paper which he made so famous. His farewells are very varied, lie has a public notice of the sale of the paper, in which he improves the occasion ; a leading article, ditto ; and a very touch-ingly-writteu farewell article of another sort, concluding as follows ; — " I am bidding you a long farewell, My many friends, kind and true ; But, trust me, I shall not forget you In the land I'm going to. And often, as'neath the blue gum trees I sit and rest awhile, My heart will travel back again. And 'my spirit' haunt the Lyell. " I hope ' The Lost Tribe , will not think me personal when I use the word 'spirit.' Ido not allude to' The Lyell Spirit,' but to the ' Spirit of The Lyell Times: " His last wave is as beneath :— "Notice.—l request thit all accounts due to me be paid at 0nc0....T. J. Metcal fe." A CiinisTCiiUKOii paper gives the following account of a singular appearance:—The pasengersby the morning train on Wednesday were for a time much puzzled, while the train was stopping at the Lincoln station, at beholding on one of the ridges of the Port Hills, pretty high up, a three gabled house. None of the pasengcr.-i, though almost constantly traveling on the line, had saen it before, and speculation was rife as to how it could have been erected with such magical celerity, for certainly it was not there on the rjrei'io.is Saturday. Scientific investigation, how. ever, showed that '.it was a photograph executed by Nature with marvellous ii lelity of a house on the other side of, but noi fa ,- from, the railway line. Yes, there it was, the house with its three gables, its lhgstair on the furthest one, and a climbing plant on the front wall—a smiling likeness of the original, then bathed in sunshine though the hills were enveloped in a thin veil of mirft. Such a mirage i.s not often seen in New Zealand.

His Honor Mr Justice Ward l>as decided in his bankruptcy jurisdiction at Ashburton that publication of bankruptcy notices in a Gliristchurch paper is not a publication within the meaning of the Act. Here is what the learned judge says on the point : " His Honor pointed out to Mr Crisp that the notice summoning the meeting of creditors to consider the debtor's application for his discharge, having been published in the Guardian and the LyHelton Times. was not gazetted withii the meaning of the Bankruptcy Act, inasmuch as t'.io Court being now the District Court of Ashburton, and not the District Com t of Chiistchurcli as formerly, the Lytteltun. limes was not published and circulating within the district." Assessment Courts in some parts of the colony are not the matters of form which is nearly the case in this neighborhood. A \Vest Coast pnper contains a list of objections to the roll of one Riding alone occupying over four columns. In every case an allowance for a professional fee is made to the successful side. In spite of this formidable, list of objections, it appears that a great many more ought to have been made, as the judge is reported to have expressed himself very strongly upon the manner in which the valuation had been carried out —notably in the Boatman's Eiding. lie stated that during his experience he had never met with such a glaring case of roll-cramming. It was his intention to apply to the Colonial Secretary for ft further extension of the time for receiving objections, in order that the roll should be purged as far as possible. Those who have axes to grind in that locality evidently know how to begin at the beginning, viz., the formation of the electoral roll.

Tub Oddteliows' picnic, which was to have been held yesterday, fell through on account of the rain. It will come off nest Monday if the fates and the weather are then propitious. ~ The ball took place in the evening, however, and was well attended. All the arrangements gave the greatest satisfaction.

An American paper thus describes a talkative female— ,1 1 know a lady who talks so incessantly that she won't give an echo fair play. She has such an everlasting rotation of tongue that an echo must wait until she dies before it can catch her last words."

A shark was captured on the beach yesterday aft 2rnoon. The creatttre is of the species known as the blue shark, and measured a little over six feet in length. It had imprudently ventured into very shallow water, probably with a view of capturing a small'boy for its five o'clock tea, when Mr Leprou succeeded in hooking it on shore with a piece of rod iron. Though not fully grown, the creature's teeth were quite sufficiently developed to inflict a dangerous if not fatal wound.