General Intelligence.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 108, 4 August 1876, Page 3

General Intelligence.

Garrotting* seems to be gaining ground in Melbourne.

An affray between the blacks and black troopers is reported from Queensland. Several of the latter have been wounded.

The Exhibition Commissioners ask the Victorian Colonial Treasurer for an additional vote, tp save the credit of the Colony at Philadelphia.

A portion of the scaffolding at the new Telegraph Offices, Dunedin, fell the other day — height, 16 feet. Three men were injured, not seriously.

A telegram from Grahamstown says : — Mr M'Masters has extracted 43 ozs. pure silver from one cwt. regulus, or molten ore, from the Richmond Hills Silver Mining Company. It is stated that the yield is equal to 140 ozs. silver to the ton of ore.

During the absence of Mr Cony ers from the Colony, Mr Alex. Grant, traffic manager at Dunedin, will be acting general manager of the railways in the Province.

Indignation is expressed at Invercargill at the action of the Deputy-Super-intendent in abolishing the Southland Waste Jjands Board.

The Colonial Treasurer of Victoria has concluded arrangements with the ten associated banks for the floating of the three million loan on the London market, under their management.

The cold season is very disastrous to Victorian squatters. Two million sheep died in Riverina from want of grass. The lambing has been poor—only a very small per centage were saved. This, with the immense fall in the price of wool, will be severely felt in the Colonies.

At an early hour on Friday morning last, the Brunner Gorge railway suspension bridge, which was expected to be open for traffic next month, fell with an awful crash into the river. The anchor plates on the south side had been snapped through, too much strain on them causing the whole bridge to collapse. No lives were lost. The anchor plates were generally considered too weak, but were according to the design sent from Wellington.

The Rev. Hugh Cowie, late of the Presbyterian Mission at Amoy, and who has recently received the appointment of missionary to the Chinese immigrants in Otago, has arrived.

The main line of railway between Moeraki and Oamaru is now completed, with the exception of one bridge, which had to be re-built. It is expected to be open for traffic in six weeks.

The ' Thames Advertiser' was sold sold by auction the other day. It was knocked down to Mr Williams, one of the original proprietors, for £2600.

The Australian and New Zealand Company expect shortly to have 35 double-furrow ploughs at work on their Mataura Station, by which 100 acres a day will be turned over.

Mr M'Kean. has been expelled the Victorian Assembly for making a statement damaging to the characters of members.

The following resolution was proposed ancl adopted by the Political League, Dunstan, on Wednesday, 26th July: — That, in the opinion of this league, the only way the Middle Island of New Zealand can prosper in accordance with its vast resources is by Financial Separation from the North Island,

The Bishopric of Waiapu has become vacant through the resignation of the Rev. William Williams, D.C.L., and we (' Daily Times') learn that the leading clerical ancl lay members of the Diocese have requested the Rev. R. L. Stanford, of All Saints', Dunedin, to be nominated for the office.

A dissolution of marriage has been granted in Melbourne in the case of Drummond v. Drummond. The husband was brought back from New Zealand on a charge of robbing the Provincial Suburban Bank.

The Luna haa been engaged sounding in Cook Strait, with the object of getting a course free of rocks for the second cable.

At the Blue, Spur raining matters (says the ''Tuapeka Times'), are brisk. Messrs Morrison and Co. have purchased a battery, which will shortly be erected, and Messrs Hales and Hinde's large battery is gradually drawing towards completion, and will be at work in a few weeks.

A fisherman, named Alfred, was killed at Sandfly Bay on Tuesday, last week. It appears he and other two men were out fishing, when their boat sprung a leak. They run her ashore where the cliffs were about 200 feet high. Alfred tried to climb the cliffs, but when half-way iip a piece of rock gave way and he fell to the bottom, find only survived fours hours afterwards.

The elopement is reported of a lady from the Arrow, She was engaged to a well-known, townsman there ; but with that fickleness for which the sex is sometimes credited, managed to arrange a pretended visit to a distant relative, and was followed by a' more favoured lover to Dunedin, where the couple were united. The deserted lover has torn her image from his heart, and. intends to put the law in motion for the recovery of the valuable and splendid gifts which he had lavished upon her while under the influence of love's dream, besides sums of money with which he had freely supplied her up to the last moment.

A good sample of slate, suitable for roofing and other purposes, is reported to have been discovered upon Mr M 'Kay's property at tbe Herijt Hundred.

The body of a man has been found on the Victorian Parade, Melbourne, robbed, and with marks of violence, as if strangled. Four men have been arrested on suspicion.

In the session of the Grand Lodge of Free Masons held at New York on June 7, a resolution was adopted, prohibiting spirituous or malt liquors in the Masonic Temple.

The ' Inglewood Advertiser' states that the murderer Sullivan left Wedderburn on the sth inst., and says : — " It is said that some arrangements have ' been made for his exit from the Colony. He had a brief interview with the woman who formerly shared his fortunes." Another paper mentions that Sullivan was assisted by the Prisoners' Aid So ciety. The ** Freemason ' states that at the meeting of the Grand Lodge, resolutions will be moved to the effect thafc in commemoration of the safe return from India of the Prince of Wales, Most Worshipful Grand Master of English Free Masons, a service of praise and thanksgiving will be held in St. Paul's Cathedral, and that the offerings made at the service, together with £1000 from the funds, of the Grand Lodge, be devoted to the benefit of such charitable object in India as the Prince may recommend.

The consumption of sugar in New Zealand is largely in excess of that in any European country. While in 1873 the. consumption here was G4f ; lb. per head, including the Maoris, and 74|lb. excluding them, in Great Britain it was only 381 b .; in the United States, 271b.* and in France, 131 b.

King Tawhiao, on being remonstrated with for not handing over the murderer Wynyard to justice, said he looked upon offenders taking refuge in his settlements as correct according to the Bible, where Cities of Refuge were allowed for criminals, where their safety was secured, punishment being left in the hands of the Almighty. On dit, says a Tasmanian paper, that we are to be visited by one of the younger princes of the Royal Family in a +ew months, or even at a shorter time, tor rumour goes so far as to say that our distinguished visitor is already on his way to this Colony. We are informed that preparations have been commenced at Government House for the prince's reception, by the re-fitting of the suite of rooms occupied by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh when on a visit to this city.-

One or two of the larger station proprietors in the Waiarapa are importing ferrets from Tasmania. It is anticipated that if they will thrive and breed on the runs they will exterminate the rabbits. The question, however, the Wairarapa' l Standard' considers, arises as to how the ferrets are to be exterminated when they have demolished all the rabbits, and with a healthy appetite for animal food, attack, possibly, young lambs.

During the passage of the ship Lincolnshire from London to Melbourne, a Mr Nottingham, who was on his way to Christchurch, to take the position of organist at one of the churches in that city, met with a sad fate. He was proceeding along the deck when his foot slipped, and he fell with great force, his head coming in violent contact with one of the spars on deck. On the following day he expired, without ever having recovered consciousness. To add to the distressing nature of the event, Mr Nottingham had his wife and family of seven children on board with him.

The value of the gold exported from the colony during the year 1875, was £1,507,770, and during the quarter ended March, 1876, .£330,523. The total revenue derived from the goldfields of the colony in 1875, was £88,516, and during the quarter ending March, 1876, £20,164. Thero has been a decrease in the gold returns from 1875 as compared with the two previous years There has been a decrease upon business licenses, gold duty, &0., while gold mining leases, miners' rights, depasturing leases, &c., have considerably increased.

The ' Guardian's' Wellington correspondent says .* — Manders is rapidly acquiring the position of the butt of the House. He talks in so excited and incoherent a manner usually, that whenever he speaks he is greeted with laughter. To-day he expressed his indignation at Stout for always laughing at him, ancl assured the House he would not submit to be laughed at. The announcement was greeted with peals of laughter from all sides of the House It will be no easy matter for Manders to resist the tendency to laughter.

The ' lnangahua Herald' states that matters generally in connection with the Episcopalian Church present anything but a healthy aspect at Reef ton. The parsonage, purchased, by the committee with the proceeds of a bazaar held about two and a half years ago, has been seized under two writs of j? fa, and will be sold subject to the usual notice, Tfie committee are unable to discharge their liabilities, and the compulsory sale of the property referred to is likely to increase tbeir embarrassments in this respect. Meanwhile an effort is being made to establish a Presbyterian Church in the district.

The Christchurch football club con* template sending- a team to Auckland and Wellington this season if sufficient funds can be obtained. The team will also visit Dunedin, JVelson, and Ta*

ranaki

The formation of rhe VV in ton-King-ston railway (says the • News') is now complete f.s far as .At hoi, and platelaying will be commenced shortly. If pushed on at this rate it is possible the citizens of Invercargill may enjoy a trip to Lake Wakatip before the summer is over.

According to the ' Wellington Post,' Sir Julius Yogel is anxious to obtain the Agent-Generalship. It thinks, however, that tbe Premier is, on account of his expensive style of living, unsuitable for the office. £000 a mouth is the smallest sum, the Post thinks, that Sir Julius could perform the AgeutGeneral's duties i'or.

The Welling*ton correspondent of tbe Timaru Herald says :— The programme of the Separationists is said to be to make Christchurch and Auckland the seats of Government. Mr Macandrew is to go Borne as Agent-General, leaving Mr Rolleston **.c> be Superintendent of the Middle Island.

A very sad death' of an intending bride is recorded in the Wanganui papers. Miss Elizabeth Hood came up from Christchnreh to be married to a resident in the Wanganui district. On the sea voyage she suffered severely, and, after arrival, intermittent relapses of mental and physical vigour resulted in death.

Our Cromwell contemporary understands that the necessary steps have been taken for executing a survey of the Molyneux river from Tuapeka Mouth to Cromwell, with a view to removal of obstructions to navigation of steamers to Cromwell, and ultimately to Lake Wakatip.

The enormous expenditure of Sir Julius Yogel during his recent expedition, contrasts very unfavorably with previous missions of Colonial Ministers. In 1859, Mr Stafford went home, partly on private, and partly on public bueiness, and did not for that time either claim allowance or his salary; and in 1861, Mr Reader Wood, who went wholly on public business, only received, in addition to his s.dary, travelling allowance at the rate of two guineas a-day while in England. Sir Julius VcgeJ, besides salary, £1?00, and travelling allowance from departure to return of four guineas a-day, claims a special grant of £4250, of which he took the precaution to obtain £1500 from his colleagues as a sort of stirrup cup before his departure,

A numerous meeting of farmers whs held at Drysdale on Wednesday hist (says the ' Australasian' of the loth), Mr Henderson in the chair, when, after consideration, it was agreed that steps should be taken to have a champion ploughing in Victoria in 1877, open to the competition of ploughmen from all parts of the Colony or the world, and that the champion prize should not be less than £100. A committee was appointed to draw up subscription-lists, and also to wait upon the Chief-Sec-retary with the view of obtaining assistance from Government, Other societies, it was also agreed, should be invited to join in the movement. It was stated that the sum of £70 was in hand from the last ploughing-match in the district.

With reference to the improper proposal made by the Government to give two years' salary to Superintendents if the Abolition scheme succeeds, the 1 Wellington Argus,' a friend ancl well wisher of Sir Juliu.-* and his Ministry, says •—•The proposal to give two years' salary to the Superintendents, as compensation for loss of office, is likely to be strenuously opposed, and properly so. We foil to see what greater claim Superintendents have to be paid lor work they will not be asked to do, than Provincial Secretaries, Treasurers, Solicitors, and even members ot Provincial Councils. The last might just as fairly expect to receive their honorarium for a couple of } r ears after the extinction of the Councils.

A certain Juc-ga " on the other side," is evidently not co be trilled with. A witness living at Baynton, who gave evidence at a cattle stealing case, at the assizes, could not be forced by the Crown Prosecutor, nor by Judge Fellows, to give direct answers to to questions put to him. When the examination closed, says tho Kyneton Guardian, his Honor briefly censured him for the unsatisfactory manner in which he had given his evidence, and unexpectedly concluded his remarks by fining the witness £10, ordering him to be sent to gaol till the fine was paid, and telling him he would not be allowed expenses for attending the court. The reproof was borne philosophically by the witness, but not so the penalty in which he was mulct, as he left the box with a face expressive of much astonishment.

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