Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 534, 26 August 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

Up to the present time £42,500 has been spent on the Christchurch Cathedral, and £15,000 more is required to complete it. The only case brought before the li.M. Court on Tuesday was one of cattle tiespass, George Kearney being fined 5s and costs for allowing two horses to wauder. The General Synod met in Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon at half-past two o'clock. His Lordship the Bishop delivered n lengthly address, which was listened to with close atti-ntion. Afterwards the Synod was adjourned until the following day. Attention having been called in the House to the number of small telegraph stations kept open on Sunday's, at which litt c or no business is done, the Government have decided to close no less than 184 such offices. Among those to bo closed are Akaroa and Duvauchelle's Bay. Tho change will take effect at the expiration of the current month. The oniy offices remaining open in Canterbury will be Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Timaru.

Mk9 Maltby announces a ball to be given at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa, on Tuesday next. These gatherings have proved highly successful hitherto, and we anticipate that the coming one will prove no exception to the rule.

The time for the annual election of three councillors for the borough of Akaroa is fast approaching. The returning officer has fixed Wednesday next as the last day for receiving nominations. The retiring councillors are Messrs Cullen, Noonan, and Sunckell.

We learn that a weekly paper is to be started in Christchurch next month in the interests of the publicans. Boniface should have stuck to the organ he had. He will never get a more thoroughgoing advocate than was the Sun, We presume the trade are beginning to feel alarmed at the evidances of a change in public opinion shown by the new Licensing Bill. They are rather late in tbe day, however, and their action reminds one of an old saw relating to a stolen horse and a stahle door.

Mr Urban V. Richards, canvassing agent for the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia, announces his intention of giving a lecture on Monday evening, at the Town Hall, Akaroa. Mr Richards will deal with the subject of Life Assurance in general, and also explain some of the special features of the system adopted by the office he represents. We have frequently urged the claims which Life Assurance has upon every* well-wisher to the community, and need not now repeat any arguments in its favor. We hope our readers will show their interest in this important subject by attending numerously on the occasion referred to.

The Parliamentary correspondent of the OamaruMail thus unburdens his soul:— Honesty is at a discount. Nearly one half the men who are assembled here, professedly as tbe people's advocates, and who revel in tho pageantry and dignity which attach to a Parliamentary career, would not be tolerated in one's drawingroom or trusted in one' kitchen."

We have received a copy of the '■Tasmanian Bradshaw" for September. The publication is got up and published by Mr F. B. Maning. It contains the usual information to be found in such productions, namely, particulars as to railways, steamers, lines of coaches, and all methods of locomotion. Like its great prototype too, it is eminently unintelligible, especially in the matter of railway timetables. For instance, it does appear singular that the distance between Hobart and Launceston, 133 miles, shou d be traversed by one train in less than six hours, while another entitled the " Mail " tnkes nearly thirteen to do the same journey. However, every railway management has eccentricities of its own, and wo presume "Bradshaw" can only chronicle them. The get up of the production in question is excellent, aud to judge by the numerous advertisements it contains, we should imagine it must be a paying speculation.

The Government are now taking steps through the agency of Mr Federli, who for some time past has been resident in Christchurct, to iutroduce the olive tree. As a matter of course the initiatory work must ue of a purely experimental character but several gentlemen who have given the matter careful consideration are strongly of opinion that the olive culture may be made a successful undertaking in this part of the Colony. In a short time, the stock with which to make a beginning will have been received from Sydney; though at present there appears to be no definite information as to the variety which is being obtained. Mr Federli has recommended the Government that the greater part of consignment of olive truncheons should be entrusted to the Curator of the Public Gardens. The balance of the consignment Mr Federli purposes to send to Governor's Bay and Akaroa, provided he can make suitable arrangements, and secure a fair share of the resulting plants for general distribution. It may be of interest to add that the olive fruits best on a limestone formation, and that gypsum promotes the growth of the tree, the greatest desideratum, however, appearing to be an equable climate.

A meeting of the committee appointed to carry out the concert in aid of tbe prize fund of the German Bay Side School, was held in the Side School on Monday evening last, at 8 p.m. Present—Messrs J. Curry, W. Curry, A. Jones, E. S. Chappell and J. H. Giles. On the motion of Mr A. Jones, seconded by Mr J. Curry, Mr Giles was appointed to the chair. The Chairman in reading the balance sheet announced that the gross receipts at the concert, held in the Oddfellows' Hall on August 12, amounted to £11 18s 6d, and the expenditure M 6 17s, leaving ft bc-dance of £5 Is M. Resolved on the motion of Mr W. Curry, seconded by Mr A. Jones that the Chairman liquidate all outstanding accounts. Resolved on the motion of Mr W. Curry, seconded by Mr J. Curry, that the balance to credit be retained by the Chairman as a basis of a prize fund, to be increased by means of another concert to be held in the Side School at some future time. Proposed by Mr W. Curry, seconded by Mr J.Curry, that an advertise, ment be insulted in the Akaroa Mail conveying the thanks of the committee to those, ladies and gentlemen who so kindly assisted at «•!■•• : te concert. Carried unanimously. The meeting then closed.

Fuom Cliristrhurcli we learn that the present editor of tlie ••Liberty" has resigned and Augustus Munj'ard tikjs his place. The latter is a West Coast man, nn-1 stands over six feet high. More fun is expected.

It is understood that the Judicial Commission will recommend the abolition of District Courts, coupled with material cheapening and simplification of the Supreme Court procedure, while the Resident Magistrates, several of whom are also District Judges, would in that case have extended jurisdiction conferred upon them in the localities where the District Courts were abolished. It is most likely, says an exchange, that the recommendations will be adopted by the Government.

From the annual report of the Christchurch Cathedral Commission we make the following extract. The Captain Stanley referred to was commander of the Britomart:—" The sum of £90 was paid by Dean Stanley not long prior to his death, telegraphic news of which sad event only reached us a short time ago. This money will soon be handed over and goes to pay for a stone font, erected to the memory of his brother, Captain Stanley, of the Royal Navy, who hoisted, the National flag at Akaroa in 1840, so taking possession of the Middle Island of Nevr Zealand in the name of Great Britain. We find the two following paragraphs immediately following one another in the columns of a contemporary. The juxtaposition was probably accidental, but at the same time is highly suggestive. It seems evident that while our taw-makers and administrators are in earnest in en • forcing the laws which repress smuggling, those which affect the drink traffic are made a farce of. Here are the two cases : —" Two hotelkeepers at Outram (Win. Knott and G. E. Ausley) were fined 5s and 20s respectively on Saturday for selling drink on a Sunday." "At the R.M. Court, Wellington, on Tuesday afternoon, the steward of the barque Langstone, H. Cehen was fined £100 for smuggling a rolfl of .ilk."

Concerning that bright specimen of officialdom, Whitetaw, the Times correspondent telegraphs as follows (it will be seen that even this brute was made the recipient of a" testimonial'"):—Whitelaw, of lunatic asylum notoriety, on his release from gaol the other day, after receiving a testimonial from a few admiring friends, cleared for Sydney, where he says a Government appointment is awaiting him. His last act before leaving Wellington was to go up to the Refuge for the Destitute in Tinakori road, of which his mother is now an inmate ; here he forced himself into her bedroom, and until expelled abused her in the foulest language. Whitelaw's mother has been brought to her present position through having been systematically robbed by her sou of her salary as matron of the asylum, as was brought out in evidence at the inquiryAfterwards she was induced to sign a release in order that her son should not be prosecuted on the charge ot embezzling. The conduct of Whitelaw at the Refuge is reported to have been outrageous, and his language filthy and cruel to a degree.

We clip the following further particulars concerning the case of brutal illtreatment of a wife at Oamaru reported in our last issue :— Charles Augustus was charged to-day in the Resident Magistrate's Court with having unlawfully beaten and assaulted his late wife Isabella Augustus. The evidence of two witnesses was taken to prove illtreatinent. After some cross-examination the evidence of Dr Waitj whi*. had made a post mortem examination, was taken. It was to the effect that, the wounds on deceased's body were slight and that death was caused by complication of heart disease, dropsy and general venous congestion. He said that the treatment deceased had received would tend lo accelerate death, and if she had received proper treatment she might have lived a length of time. Dr De Lautour agreed with the evidence given bj* Dr Wait, and ultimately His Worship said that the evidence would not sustain a charge of manslaughter, but he would treat the accused on a charge of assault, and would deal summarily witn him for that offence. At the request of prisoner's counsel he postponed his decision till Tuesday next.

Rain fell heavily yesterday throughout the day, and towards evening the various watercourses were in full flood. This result was probably accelerated by the melting of the snow which lay in consider able masses on the ranges. As on former occasions, the stream near Bayley's Hotel and that at the back of the Mail office were the worst. At the former spot the water was coming over the road early in the evening. We have not been able to learn how it progressed later on. At the Mail office corner the road was speedily flooded, the culvert, as usual, proving utterly insufficient to keep the stream down. We ate afraid that a good deal of the matter carted and Jaid down to raise the roadway in this locality will be found washed away. It will really be necessary for tho Council in its wisdom to devise some means for getting rid of the water which accumulates here by means of the formation of the roadway acting as a dam. On this occasion the water has been making its way across the garden of the house formerly occupied by Mr Wilkins, and tho culvert under the Oddfellows' Hall has also proveJ insufficient.

Says the WantjanuiHerald : —W'aiiganui

is noted for her horses, her cattle, h«r climate, and her pretty women, but in the crimnal line of business the town hasn't a decent show. Three weeks have now elapsed, and half a dozjn drunks are the only delinquents who have figured before Mr Hardcastle. Inspector James, Sergeant Bisset, and Detective Sullivan, are all estimable people, b'lt for the credit of the town they should arrest somebody.

TIIE Liberty case came before tbe Christchurch P.M. Court on Wednesday. The magistrates on the Bench were, J. Nugent Wood, Esq.. R.M., J. Ollivier, It. Westenra, and J. E. Parker, Bsqs. The information and complaint of James \ Willis set forth that John Sansom, Henry Blackett, and John Hossack. all of Rangiora, did on Augast 18 at Christchurch wilfully and maliciously damage certain type, the property of the informant, valued at £18. John Hossack was further charged with assaulting George Gerard at the Liberty offi-je on August 18. For the defence Mr Stringer argued that, the mere disarrangement of the type did not amount to snch injury to property as to bring it within the ■' Malicious Injuries to Property Act 1867 " After hearing the evidence and the arguments of defendants' counsel, the Bench were unanimously of opinion that the offence would come under section 51 of the Malicious Injuries to Property Act, and would hold that the galleys of type thrown down were property destroyed. They would, however, deal with the case summarily, as they felt that it was quite necessary to put a stop to such proceedings as those of the defendants. Though far from having any sympathy with the Liberty, they must take steps to preserve order in the town. It was fortunate for the defendants that Mr Stringer had made such an able defence, or they would in all probability have been committed for trial. Hossack would be fined £5, Blackett £3, and Samson £3, and each of the defendants would have to contribute £4 4s 6d to pay for the damage done. The charge of assault was withdrawn.