General Intelligence.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 74, 9 December 1875, Page 6

General Intelligence.

A recent gale in Westport upset a new house and blew away the front of a shop. :

A man at the Buller fell over a cliff while in a state of intoxication, and was drowned.

The golden weddipg of a couple in Hokitika was recently solemnized by a feast, to which numerous guests were invited.

A bill has passed the second reading for permitting women to graduate at the Melbourne University. England snubs Russia for her interference in Turkish matters.

Scarlet fever is increasing in Melbourne. It broke out in the Lying-in-Hospital, where two deaths occurred. The institution was v consequently closed.

The Otepopo Slate Quarry Company whose slate is turning out well, have recently laid down a tramway'from the mine to ground of a more accessible nature.

An accident occurred at the Ludgatehill terminus pf the London, Chatham, .md Dover Railway, London. Thirty persons were more or less injured. Mr John Watt, teacher of. Havelock School, has been appointed master of the Main District School at Hampden, in the room of Mr.Munro, who retires from the service. Mr George Hume, at present teacher at Waitahuna, has been appointed teacher of the Manuka Creek School> in place of Mr Bourke, who takes charge of the school lately established at Beaconsfield.

The following cablegrams are dated London 13 November : — The representations from Australia in favour of the annexation of New Guinea are under consideration of the Cabinet-—Wea-ther very unfavorable, with continued floods in England and France. — The Strathnaver from Sydney to London, aud the Strathmore from London to Otago, are posted at Lloyds as missing. Wheat is unchanged. A contemporary says : An important discovery of moa bones has been made north of Auckland by the Secretary of the Auckland Institute and Mr George Thorne, Along the beach for many miles north of Whangarei Heads, they discovered numerous bones, and have brought down portions of fifteen moas. The leg bones of one of these indicates a height bf ten feet. Unfortunately, there is no complete skeleton of the head. They also discovered a complete human skeleton, in a sitting posture (as it was usual to bury Maoris), which has 'been brought into town together with several other skulls and human bones. With the moa skeletons were found many large sized pebles, which the bird was in the habit of swallowing with his food ; also a stone hatchet of a very rude type, and bits of volcanic glass, evidently chipped for the purpose of cutting flesh. The bones have evidently lain some hundreds of years, and the Native* in the district had no knowledge of their existence.

The * Mount Ida Chronicle' writing of the necessity of Otago protecting herself by a united representation says : — There can be no doubt but that the Opposition will carry fifteen at least of the Otago seats. It is sheer treachery to Otago to endeavor to weaken the influence the majority must have. Tt would be a different thing altogether if the majority were about to introduce damaging innovations. In such a case it might be patriotic to neutralise their efforts. All they wish is to be let alone ; or, if they are not let alorie, to be allowed to use their own brains to make the best of a disturbance which was none of their own seeking. We fancy we have seen the unity of Otago insisted on before'now by the * Evening Star' and the « Guardian.' It is curious that the very opposite is being advocated without apology, and with every appearance of the most intense self satisfaction.

We extract the following account of a mysterious death from the North Otago Times : — " A very mysterious and sad occurrence took place at Lake Ohou, between Thursday the 25th, and Sunday the 28th uit. From the meagre particulars that came to hand, we learn that on Thursday, the 28th, uit. Mr Dick, manager of Lake Ohou Station, sent two men named Hugh Hannah and Matthew Cunningham with a boat across the lake for a boatload of chaff. On Saturday night they had not returned, and grave fears were beginning to be entertained for their safety. On the following (Sunday) morning a search party was organised, and a thorough search round the shores of the lake was instituted. The boat was found at the south end of the lake with all the chaff, oars, &., strewed along the shore, and inside the boat, lying across . the thwarts, face downward, was the body bf Hugh Hannah. There were two or three bruises on the head, notably one on the left temple, blood was flowing from his ears arid mouth, arid his neck, on being exaniined was thought to be dislocated. There were no evidences of a ■ struggle havino* taken place in the boat, nor were the deceased's clothes in any way deranged. It is sripflbsed that the wounds on the head resulted fl oik the body rolling' from side to side of the boat 1 with the action of the -wavesj but it is supposed by the people on the station .that the man was murdered, and! the surmise is that the deed was done by Cunningkani, of whom no ti a .63 have yet been found.

Mr Darigar has given notice in the New' So ut h: Wales' Assembly for ! a sum "\ of £2000' tb7send a rifle team 'to' America; next yeaV. ;Mr Richard "Wilson, of Milton, contractor foi? the ' Kakariui' Main? Road Bridge, has nearly complet Yd the work, the appearance 'of which' is iriuchto his' credit. ""■'--'■■ - ■ • - '• 7 .

;The ' Daily Telegraph 'is the title of a hew morciihg journal announced to be published in Welliiigton.' The paper ;wiUbe circulated gratuitously tor a; time. •■•■■•"■•" ■■■'.■

!lt is stated that the range selected for the Colonial' prize firing will be at Mr Churt'on's farm, Marapngabriga, near Wanganui. The site ! is admirably adapted for the intended purpose. iln compliance wi th a larg ely signed requisition, Mr Mborehouse has consented to allow himslf to be nominated for the Mayoralty of Wellington. The Hon. Mr Richardson was to ad-

dress the electors of Christchurch last evening. Mr Rqlleston, the Superintendent, was also announced to address the electors of Avon.

The other day an original half- acre block in liourke-street, Melbourne, fronting the Theatre ' Royal, Was put up to auction, and Withdrawn at the reserve of £4 0,01)0. Bids Were made up to £38,000.

Examinations of teachers and pupilteachers, and candidates for employment in schools, are to be held in IJunedin, and other places in the province, on the 21st and 22nd prox. Intending candidates' must give notice before the iOth of December.

Among the eccentric . things which appears in the * Lyeli Argus ' is the following, in the shape of an advertisement :—" Wanted, by a" middle-aged man, a Sober and Industrious Woman for a Wife (no nonsense.) , One that can nurse a baby (if required) preferred. Money, or color no object. A Wellington correspondent of the 'Lt ttleton Times ' says :— -" Wanganui is very anxious to get Sir Julius Yogel to stand for the second seat just given to it, but will, I fancy, have to put up with a local and less distinguished representative? Sir Julius is likely to stand for Riverton, as being a safe constituency, less likely to change than any larger town and very easily satisfied in the matter of local requirements. The following advertisement appeared in the ' Hobarton Mercury of a late date •— -"To Youn^ Ladies, • Widows, and Old Maids.— Wanted; by a Young Gentleman, tired of Queensland lifej a situation as son-in-law in a respectable family in the garden of. the South Pacific. Personal appearance no object whatever ; money everything. Apply to P.P.A., Telegraph Department, Brisbane."

A lay reader of the Church of England, Melbourne, accused by one of the Churchwardens of indecent conduct towards some of his female pupils, and with drunkenness, has brought an action for slander, and the jury gave him a farthing on the indecency count, and £75 on the drunkenness count. It was a rather curious case, and showed what sort of people are appointed to church preferment.

A few weeks ago in the west of France, a farmer's daughter carried off the first prize for superior ploughing. Near Dieppe, an elegante has a country woman for "coachman." The future of the woman question thus looks bright. But then " men housemaids " are a glut in the French market.

An extraordinary case of somnambulism is recorded as having recently occurred at Murfreesboro. One of the young lady students of the W. F. College, during the night got up frbm her bed, threw over herself a loose wrapper, and started down the town; She went into Colonel Vaughan's residence, and into his room and laid Pn a lounge. It greatly surprised arid frightened the colonel, though he. knew something was wrong, and did not molest the "sleeping beauty.". Soon the Rev. : W? G. Starr was informed where the girl was, and went after- her. He took her. back to the college, carried her to tbe bedroom, ensconced ?her in bed, and left the room. „-The young lady, on awakening next morning, knew nothing of where she; had perambulated or anything about her nocturnal visit.

In his Fnancial Statement the Colonial Treasurer of Victoria estimates the expenditure for! .the year at jE4,524,644, and reckons on a probable deficit of £180,873, to meet which', he proposes to raise £215^000 as follows : — Land andy property! tax,, £125,000,-. income tax for ' half-year, £60,00)0; bank notes tax, ,£26,000 ; increased duties,' £4-000,; which, iafter deducting deficit, leaves af surplus of He also proposes^ to relieve imported goods to .the value of 977, producing £113,894 of revenue; and to borrow y/*€3,0p0,000 for new railways, water supply works, and building state schools. The land and property, tax is tb be 5 per cent, within cities, towns, and . boroughs, ; *- and / 7 per cent. : for "the large estates. The income tax is to be 2 § per cent.: on all incomes above • £500 per annum.— r-IVf r | Graham'Serry, who ledoffthe Opposition, moved as an amendment.-" That the financial proposals of- the Government are -unsatssfactory,"y iand as "yet only two other members.have spoken.UTt is /^generally believed .that the ■ Goyerrimerit 7prbppsals .will be agreed to,, excepting the 'income tax. which is; generally condenined, and ?is - terjy unpopular. ' !

An early closing association. has been, foraied at Palmerst'oa.

• : Aii Ordfeir-m'-oouncil in the. 'Gazette', exempts from sale a piece of land : for the coustrudtion-of a- line of : railway froni' Winton to Kin gston^ authorised;! to be cbnstrtibted under' the \ Railways j Act;iß?l.7

1 The cbst of the last session of the General Assembly is said to amount 'to £29,200 25.; : out of which £16,500 Was for actual payment to members ifor their- expensed, in addition to £1,050 f for their to and from Wellington.

The railway line leading from Qamaru to Moeraki' will -be opened, it ! is eipected,' for ■ the first fwenty-four miles, early in March next, and the re^st of the line to connect- Dunedin will likewise be rapidly proceeding with. ' : The' Dunedin Police -are taking stringent measures to suppress sly-grog-selling, which nefarious practice ■- has .been carried on in Dunedin rather proniinenfcly of late. Three persons wfiom. the Court records showed to have been 'fined LSO on a previous occasion, we're each fined LlO and costs at the; Police Court yesterday, for persisting in breaking the; law. The Revenue Officers ap-* pointed are taking up the matter in earnest. It would" appe/ar from the reduction in tbe amount of the fines that there is actualy a great pecuniary benefit in being an old offender. --'Daily Times:''

A deputation from the settlers who haye within the last tew years taken up land by purchase and upon deferred payments upon" Mr M'Nab's run, between the Mataura and Waikaka rivers, waited upon His Honor the Superintendent. The deputation consisted of Messrs John and A. D. Johnston, who were introduced by Mr H, Driver. A memorial from the settlers was presented, setting forth that they were hemmed in •by unbridged rivers, and when these rivers Were flooded it was almost impossible . to get aupplies .of necessaries. The conveyance of materials over the railway bridge had been stopped j and, furthermore, the roads in the district were in bad order. The memoriailists prayed the Government to erect two bridges over the Waikaka stream, to take measures for restoring and improving communication by means of the railway bridge, and to place culverts where necessary on the roads leading to Gore. It was pointed out that the Provincial Government had received .£IO,OOO or £12,000 in cash from the district, and that a large area of land had been taken up on deferred payments, but little or no money had been voted by the Council for works 'in the district. — His Honour said there were many roads and bridges required in various parts of the Province, and of course the Executive could not execute works, for which np provision had been made by the Council. He did not understand why the conveyance of. materials across the railway bridge had been put a stop.- and he would make further inquiry into the matter. With regard to the bridging of the river, his Honour said he would look into the votes passed, by the Cou.icil for public works, and if money could, be found, the bridges would be erected. Before the members of the deputation took their leave, his Honour tried to console them by pointing* out that, like all the , eai*ly settlers of the Province, in future times they would be able to look back with pride upon their present struggles, and reflect , that they had thus taken an active part in what had long ago been termed by Lord Bacon " the heroical work" of colonisation. The worthy settlers, however, were inconsolable, and plainly hinted that however pleasant it might be to reflect upon early struggles, for their part they would prefer to despehce with that portion of the " heriocal work." * Daily Times.'