Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 522, 15 July 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

The sB. Akaroa has made a trip round to Lyttelton, and returned to this port on Wednesday, having called at Pigeon Bay on her way.

A man named William Rogers died suddenly last week at Pollock's settlement after taking 25 drops of laudanum and a dose of sulphur. At the inquest a verdict was returned of "Death from natural causes." " Crowner's quest law."

The Press .-correspondent says :—the Licensing Bill, amended in committee, is just circulated and presents a most curious variegatod appearance. Every page swarms with alterations, which number 123 in all, and others will probabiy be made on re-committal now proceeding.

Elsewhere will be found a condensed report of the action brought by Messrs Goodwin Bros, against Mr James Hay for' damages done by fire. The case is one of considerable interest to Peninsula settlers, where fires are necessarily frequently lighted.

The libel case Eees v. Wickham has resulted in a verdict for defendant. Prosecutor is a well-known lawyer and politician of Auckland, and defendant is proprietor of the Free Lance, published in that city. The alleged libel consisted of some strong comments on the prosecutor's connection with certain Native land transactions. The jury, after a short retirement, acquitted defendant. Another ease against the same defendant was postponed to enable him to amend his plea.

The Messrs Kennedy, of Wainui, have called at our office to explain that an account of a boat accident in which their names figure, and which appeared in our issue of the Ist July, is incorrect. They state (1) that they landed at their u»ual landing ; (2) the boat was not capsized, and certainly is not smashed up ; (3) the only injury received by them was a blow on the head which one got in jumping out of the boat. We congratulate the men on the fact that things appear not to be so bad as made out by our informant, who seems certainly to have made the moat of a trifle.

We have had an opportunity of inspecting a very creditable specimen of loca] industry. Messrs Wallace Bros, wheelrights etc., of the Head of the Bay, have jiij-t completed a baker's cart to the order of Mr C. Grutbcrlefc of this town. The vehicle is thoroughly well constructed, strong enough to bear the knocking about that may be expected on our roads, and at the same time, by no means clums3', but on the contrary quite eloganr. \v. appoarance. As we before remarked, wo consider the work highly creditable to the locality.

It appears that the case against Whitelaw for ill-treatment of patients in the Wellington Lunatic A«ylum has broken down. Agaiu "some one has blundered." Here is the report furnished by the Press Association under date Tu»sdav last : —

" During the hearing , of Whitelaw's capo, yesterday, Mr Travers raised the point that Mount View Asylum hnd not been gazetted under the Lunatics Act, therefore the indictment should not he for an offence under the statute. The Grown Prosecutor admitted the nonproclamation, and the Judge Raid ho thought the point was fatal to the counts as for an offence under the statute. The third count, for cemmon aosault was then submitted to the jury. On tlio Court resuming this morning, the jury who had been locked up all night, stated that there was no chance of their agreeing, and they wore discharged. The down" Prosecutor applied for a new trial. Counsel for the prisoner acked who was to pay for the second special "jury Judge Richmond said as a mattei of law the expenses would fall on the prisoner, but he thought it wouM, under the circumstances, be graceful on the part of the Crown to pay the cost. The Crown Prosecutor said he would represent the the matter to the Government, and endeavour to get them to pay the £12. The Judge asked the Crown Prosecutor if he thought he could go} over tlio non-proclamation of the Aaylum, as otherwise the charge would be merely onu of common assault. Mr Izard replied that he could not. A now trial, by special jury, was then ordered for Thursday, the 21st instant. Prisoner wan released on the same bail. I

At the inqueßt on the body found on the Port Hills the other dsy, -x verdict of " Died from exposure," was returned. The police have not succeeded in identifying it.

We are happy to be able to report that some Akaroa cheese took first honors at the Dunedin Exhibition. Though exhibited by a Dunedin firm, it was really forwarded by Messrs Garwood & Co. Our dairy farmers have evidently not quite lorgotten their cunning in what some are inclined to look upon as a lost art.

Da Foster Wanstall gave an entertainment at Little Tliver on Friday last. It consisted of a lecture on Tennyson, and tho recitation of that poet'd Enoch Arden. The chair was occupied by Mr W. Coop who, at the conclusion of the lecture proposed a vote of thanks to Dr .Wanstall which was heartily rapoEL ied too, A most enjoyable evening was passed by those present. Dr Wanstall announces his intention of lecturing at Pigeon Bay to-morrow evening.