Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 520, 8 July 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

The following choice item from Auckland appeared in the telegraphic news of a Dunedin morning contemporary :—" An entertainment is to be given at the Theatre Royal for the benefit of the murdered man,' .

It will be remembered that the inquest on the body of the man killed by tho accident on the Roslyn tramway resulted in a verdict of manslaughter against the driver. It appears, however, that at the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court the Grand Jury threw out the bill against him.

The Ta.emanian correspondent of the Printer's Register gives the following pnrli'.-ulars respecting a gentleman not unknown in Akaroa :—Mr F. B. Manning, who was lately connected with several Cliri<k'hurch (New Zealand) journals, is in Ilobart. Since his arrival, a few woeks ngo, he has published a Tasniinian " Brad, shaw," which reflects great credit on the compiler, and h equal in get-up to anything of the kind published in Now Zealand. He is now energetically canvassing for a 500 page directory, which he will shortly issue.

Tub following telegram has been received by Mr A. Westenra, Secretary to the Sericulture committee :— Please muke arrangements for the planting of Mulberry trees expected diiii}. I think at present 250 allotted to Aknroa ; probably before spring more will arrive. G. B. Fkdeuij, •Survey olii.-o. It will be seen by advertisement that appears elsewhere, that the committee inviio applications for mulberry trees from persons desirious of undertaking the planting of them. It i-> to bu hoped that those who apply for trees will be prepared to givt; their cultivation a fair trial.

An entertainment of a novel character is to lie presented tins evening and tomoirow at the Odd follows' Hall, Akaroa. The first part consists of legerdemain or conjuring, which we find highly spoken of Ity the Press in the \arious places where the company has travelled. This is succeeded hv a ventriloqui.il entertainment by Mr W. 11. Manning, We hive witnessed Mr Manning's performance, and can confidently recommend him as being one of the host ventriloquists we linve mst with. There is also an exhibition of; clairvoyance or second sight, some impersonations of actors and others, and a gift distribution. On Saturday afternoon a matiriou will take place specially for schools and families. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns. Tiic Bruce Herald is responsible for the following: — In a township pleasantly situated on the hanks or a noble river, within the limits of the Provincial District of. Otrtgo, and not very far from tho southern boundary of the Comity of Bruce, a funny little jncident occurred not long ago. A worthy sergeant of police waited upon an equally worthy J, P., who, by the way, was the only official magnate the sergeant could find at home, and politely requested him to attach his surnntiire to a summons, as being necessary before service. The J. P. obligingly took the document, and, without reading its contents, wrote his name in a legible hand, and returned (.ho paper to the Sergeant. The Sergeant duly witno'.-jL'd bid Worship's signature, cuolly bio.led the wriiing. glanced down the document to sec. tlmt id I war, right, then handing it back to iho J.i'., '" (served it on him !' ; '

The son of Mr James Hartley, who had his thigh broken last Monday, is progressing as well as can be expected. From a Wellington telegram we learn that Government have agreed to run excursion trains »t a third of the single fares in {■oiii.uitlion with the Dunedin Exhibition. "Father, what does tho printer live on ?"—" Why child ?"—" Because you said you had not paid him for two years, and you still take the paper." " Wifo, put that child to bed; ho'a an everlasting talker." The Government has received a cable message from the London actuaries, to whom were submitted <''|the'" Insurance Department accounts, staling that they find that,the Bum>fJ4Jso,oooJ|ie divisible amongst the assured for the quinquennial period. A case tried k at the Supreme Court on Tuesday last should prove a warning to Friendly Societies and similar bodies. The treasurer of a lodge was charged with embezzlement, but owing to the loose way in which the lodge had carried on its business the case broke down hopelessly. We doubt if one in a hundred of our Friendly Societies could successfully sustain a prosecution against one of its officers. . Wk regret to have to record a disastrous fire which took place at Mr Walters's premises at Little River on the morning of Wednesday last. It appears that about three o'clock in the morning in question, Mr Walters and his son being away from home, Mrs Walters was awoke by smoke coming from the kitchen. On getting up and rousing her children, , ] it was found that the whole back part of the house was in flames, and the inmates had barety time to escape by the front door in their night dresses. The premises and nearly all the contents were totally destroyed. The house and furniture are uninsured, but there is an insurance of £200 in the Union Company on the stock. The origin of tli3 fire, to use a penny-a-liner's expression, is "enveloped in mystery." has been resumed on the Little River Railway, and over a hundred men have been put on. What the Government realty mean to do with it is shrouded in oracular utterances. No doubt, if pressed) they would reply that its completion would be " kept steadily in view." Since writing the above the following telegrams have been placed at our the Clerk to the County Council. Ihe first is from that gentleman to our member, and the latter is his reply :— "Am instructed by Council to ask you what in the nature and extent of last contract let on Little River Railway. Edward S. Latter, Clerk to Akaroa County Council." " The contract is for completing ballasting for seventeen miles from Lincoln. The Minister of Works gave a favorable reply, though not »n actual promise, to my request to extend the line to Lake Forsyth. The extension of the line to Little River is under tho consideration of the Engineer in Chief, who will report to the Minister of Public Works, when I shall have a further interview. W. Montgomery." A meeting of the Little River District School Committee was held in the School room on Friday evening last, tho Ist inst. Present, Messrs Coop (Chairman), 01 phert, G. W. Joblin, and Greenland. The minutes of the previous meeting were road and confirmed. Letters were read from A. Simpson, F. Barker, and Crearer and Whitcombe as to prices of school books, stationery, etc. A letter was road from Mr Westropp as to furniture, etc., for the new school. Chairman reported that with regard to Mr J. Anderson's account a receipt for the payment had been found, and that he hud advised Mr Anderson of this. lie also reported that the charge of the new school, together with ihe keys had been duly handed over to him. It was proposed by Mr Greenland seconded by Mr G. W. Joblin and carried unanimously, i; That the Chairman be requested to write to the Education Board, staling that the furniture in use now in Ihe old schoolroom is quite unfit as '.veil as insufficient for the new schoolroom, and that until fit arid sufficient furni tura is supplied, the committee does not see itrf way to open tho new school." It was resolved that the Chairman be authomed to issue cheques tor salaries and cleaning schoolroom on receipt of advico of the amounts being , paid into the Bank to tho credit of the committee. The ineeti?;g" then terminated.