General Intelligence.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 189, 22 February 1878, Page 6

General Intelligence.

Sir James M'Culloch intends shortly retiring 1 from Parliament. ' .

The Victoi-ian Woolen Company have declared a dividend of: 10 per cent.

Philip Samuel,. Berliner, Melbourne, has been sentenced to 12 months for fraudulent bankruptcy.

Tt has been decided to form a company to work the Golden Point reef near Picton, the capital to be Ll o,ooo in Ll shares.

A dreadful murder has occurred at Stronde, Victoria. Mr M'Caskill'swife was murdered. The body was found partly burned. Sir John Coode, the eminent engineer, is engaged on the Victorian harbour works. . His report is likely to be exhaustive and valuable.

Tbe Rev. G. Smith, D.D., has arrived at Auckland. He is making* a tour of the Colony as a delegate from the British Weslevan Conference.

Henry Breetle, a labouring* man at Sandhurst, kicked his wife in the abdomen the other night and killed her. He has been arrested.

A tender has been accepted for the erection of Wilson Hall, at the Melbourne University, for LB9IO. The Hall is the generous gift of Sir Samuel Wilson.

The Government have again written to die Christchurch City Council asking* that body to take over the charge of Hospitals and also the Benevolent Inpfitutwn. The Council has asked for full particulars as to funds.

A school boy of fifteen, named Percy

Carophell, commited suicide on the railway, Melbourne. He had his head completely severed from his body. The cause was a love affair. Later in the day a woman drowned hc'rself.in the river through unrequited love. ~~"n=-.

Mr Whitaker, late Attorney-General, addressed his Waikato constituents on Monday evening. At the conclusion of bis address the following rather doubtful resolution was passed : — That this meeting of the electors of Waikato have the fullest confidence iv Mr Whitaker's parliamentary experience, and his ability to promote the welfare of the district.

Therp has been nothing* of a startling nature in Victorian political circles during- the week. The Assembly-has prised a declaratory resolution asserting its Tight to make votes legally available for expenditure upon passing the Assembly. The motion, which was" nor debated ai any length, was eventual! v carried by 29 votes. Mr Berry proposed a resolution for an address to the Qu^nn, setting forth the circumstances of the. crisis. This is considered necessary, in view of an appeal to the Home Government for. an alteration of tbe*constitution, whioh is said to take the form of a nominee Upper House. In the' course ef, the debate it was suggested that a comproniise might be arrived at by the Council passing the Payment of Members , Bill, and the Government withdrawing the item from the Appropriation Bill. Although no member of the- Government responded, several ot their supporters said if it was agreed to the Ministry must give way to sterner men. This was received with applause by their supporters generally.

A procession of the persons: — men, women, and children — who have been induced by Father Henneberry to take the pledge of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, marched on Sunday afternoon from St. Joseph's chapel, Dunedin, down Rattray-street, along Princes-street, , across Smitli-street to Dowling-street, and thence to the Chapel yard. Fully 1500 people took part in it, the boys being* placed in the van, the girls next, then the single men, following them the single women, next the Hibernian Sbciet}', after it a carriage containing the clergy, while the rear guard was followed by the married men and. married wornea., Father Larkin. walking at the end. of the procession!" At each division was carried a distinctive legend, either in Latin or English, while each individual in tlie long array wore a green sash decoration with the temperance medal.. A large, concourse of. spectators followed the procession on' either side of the,. streets,! while at. corners pf thoroughfares, and.pther, places, of vantage along .the . line s of; route crowds of people had congregated,^vho fresly .passed their, opinion upon, the dis;,. play., One,, man "recognised, among the "abstainers;" two, women, the. wives of .well known publicans, jand a barmaid,'! aud glee/ullyj,maa\e the Afactknpwn. ! If ; the , man's/ .statement! be,'! 7tru'e, A . f 'theh', Fa^er LHenneb^ be .indeed- £otent<Ay^^

The Victorian- Assembly has adjourned till Marcli 5. '

Hie Chief Justice has refused a writ of habeas corpus in the case of Mr G. E. Barton. A

A woman named Hannah Jones; has died suddenly at the Lyell, froni; excessive drinking. A company is being formed in Sydney to establish a trading station in the south-west end of New Guinea.

Mr Elphiristone, a schoolmaster at Sutton Grange, near Sandhnrst, was drowned in a waterhole while bathing.

Mr Graham Berry has declared it was as unlikely that payment of members would be taken from the Appropriation Bill as that the sun would be blotted from the heavens.

It is stated (says the Grey River Argus.) that G. E. Fitzgerald, Esq., late Resident Magistrate at Hokitika, has received a literary appointment on the New Zealand .Times.

An order has been given by the Defence Minister, giving a 1 pension; of LlO a year for. life to Major Ropata Kepa Waiwera, Maori chiefs,, for holding the New Zealand cross.. Mr Henry Bunny, member for Wairarapa, has been appointed tlie Commissioner of Anuiiies at a salary not stated ; also, Commissioner , of Railways for the North Island, without pay. Including the tenders for railway waggons to be made in tbe Colony and those ordered from Home, it is expected tbat before next season 1400 waggons will be added to the railway rolling stock.

Tawhiao had a large meeting on Saturday last at Hikurangi to consider Sir George Grey's late visit there and the approaching one. A public meeting was held there on the afternoon to consider railway extention : to the frontier.

The Taranaki Herald says some time since a dog belonging to Mr Bishop, a farmer, of the Egmont road, was engaged worrying a sheep, when a foal twelve months old came to the rescue, seized the dog* with its teeth, and threw it over an adjoining fence. By a resolution of the Cabinet it has been resolved to confer upon Mr Wm. Conyers the appointment of Commissioner of Railways for the Middle Island, ancl that henceforth he is to have full charge of constructed railways in this Island. This announcement will be received with satisfaction throughout the country generally.

The Waverly correspondent of the Wanganui Herald telegraphs that the Maoris have stopped the survey north ofthe Momihaka, and attempted to seize- the chain. A meeting of settlers was called for, Saturday night. The survey is one which was referred to the

Native Minister w.hen he warned Papa against obstruction, and told him that the consequences would be serious. It is reported that lately Ministers have obtained certain papers and documents throwing light upon various land transactions in the North Island, and that the investigations which followed disclosed facts which will result in proceedings being taken in the law courts. Tt is said that if the writs have not been already issued, orders have been given for them to be issued.

A Christchurch telegram says.: It is proposed to fit out an expedition to the New Guinea goldfields, the party' to consist of 100 practical miners; each miner to contribute LSO. It is estimated that a vessel could be chartered to land them for LI2OO. The remainder would be spt aside for provisions, tools, etc., for the journey to the goldfields. It is proposed to make up the party fyom Christchurch, Dunedin, Hokitika, and the . Thames. . Messrs Cuff and _ .Graham,, the well-known shipping* firm, are the' agents. ; Mr Ccnyers, the General Manager of Railways for the South Island, on Wednesday left for. Wellington for the purpose, says tbe Canterbury Times, of making strong representations to the Government on the urgent necessity that exists for the immediate supply of a large number, of additional railwaytrucks on the line between Christchurch ancl -Port. It is to be hoped that these representations will not be without their effect, as the present shortness of trucks is a very great loss, not only to farmers and merchants, but to the community at large. . . ■ .

Sir George Grey's meeting in Wellington on Thursday night was die largest and best ever held in Wellington. About 2500 persons were present, and hundreds went away who could not obtain an entrance. An omnibus with a band preceeded the Premier, .who drove down to the Arcadewith a couple of carriages, full of friends. BJue lights were- burned along the street, and at the Arcade the meeting.was intelligent, appreciative, r-nd- at- times enthusiastic. Sir G ; eorg*e Grey's speech' was a magnificent one, and lie, carried his hearers completely with; him. 7 His speech lasted about an hour -and a half. '

....- Poor T. L. Shepherd, yclept ■ " The Smiler".has hot been able long to retain office after the removal, of Ahis .friends' from power. It will be remembered th at for . service's rendered he was appointed to' some office, in connection .with the Government Ihsurance.Departm^nt, but .nqw. Mr .Knjght".has':suspßn.dpa jihe " smiler" .and. .recommended Ahis; eH s ~ missal; . ' Ah' en'quirylv'intb Athe^facts is being* held In. Weilin*»t6n'at'tH'e'jfe : quest of the exrrepresentattive,' whichjL irpubs li^li.e(d,' 7i t" is jTAsaid A v^ill. Adi^cl^se Asdiiie Ire!!markable_'aon^ oflScial character, rxry-yy^ :y-c Anl] ?&•■!s ai.tfi;o t-^q J>:»3tTJ>S SIU '"j '?/ ~. r.~"*J fl ..^ \

The singing, ..music,; ,and drawing masters tinder 7 the y^fcipnan^Board of Education have been dispensed with. The Hon. the Minister of Public Works, accompanied by Mr Oarruthers, arrived in Dunedin on Saturday night. Thei contract for the c last sfection of the railway connecting Melbourne with Sydney, has been let,. The length is 77 miles,' and the time ibr the completion of the contract is three years. Mr Walter Butler, one ofthe recently discharged police magistrates and wardens, died at Melbourne on Jan. 6. He had been in bad health for some time, but:the Argus attribufesChis ' death to his dismissal by the Government. A woman was recently convicted in Sydney under an old Statute of George 111. for fortune-telling. Two constables in plain clothes called on the lady, and received more flattering predictions than generally fall to the lot of policemen. The defence was that the Act was not in force in the colonies, and the point was reserved. When ; a dog dies or' is killed in the streets in Wanganui the Borough Council votes two shillings and sixpence for burial expenses. 1 A's > dogs are nowhere else treated with, so much post-mortem respect, it ~ is 'no" wonder that all the sick and dying dogs for miles around are crowding into Wanganui. The Hon. Graham Berry has been making a tour of the country districts of Victoria,, and he has everywhere been welcomed' by -large- crowds of working men, who have presented addresses complimenting the Government jon^heir attitude, and urging them to continue the policy they had' ; adopted/ 'liWtil an alteration of the Constitution; has : been effected.

A Nelson telegram says ! a' fatal accident under curiousLcircumstauces has occurred at Golden Bay. A man named Thomas Scott was Splaying at see-saw— that is, standing back to;back with another man with tbeir arms hooked, each alternately raising'"' the other, when the man who .was; lifting Scott gave way under him, and-Scotfc fell on the back of his bead, breaking his neck. Scott's wife X ; committed suicide by shooting herself three years ago, owing to the brutal treatment of her husband. -■••-; 7

A northern paper has the following : — There is a dog at Taupo, ; and ' also a young pig«, and , these, two, .afford a curious example of animal sagacity and confidence in the bona fides of r each other. These two animals' live 1 fit the Native pa, on the opposite side of Tapuaeha.ruru,. and the' dog discovered some happy hunting grounds on the other side, and informed the pig*. The pig* being only two months old, informed the dog* that he could not swim across the river, which at that spot debouches from the lake, but that in time he hoped to share the adventures of his canine friend. The dog settled the difficulty, He went into the river, standing up to his neck in the water, and crouched' down ; the "pig 'got on his back, clasping his neck with his fore legs. The dog then swam across, thus carrying his chum over. Regularly every morning the two would in this way go across and forage around Tupuaeruvu, returning to- the pa at night, and if the dog was ready to go home before the pig he would wait till his friend came down to be ferried over. The truth of this story is vouched for by several who have watched tbe J movements of the pair for some weeks <past. A golden wedding was celebrated at the Presbyterian Church on Thursday last (says the Lyttelton Times), tbe old nouple being Mr and Mrs Alexander Rollo, both; natives of Perthshire: -They went to church with their children, grandchildren; and* 'a large circle of friends, numbering about 500. : After the minister hacl addressed tbem, he presented them with a very handsome Bible, and a purse : containing 22 r .sovereigns,' after which a phbtbgrapn was taken by Messrs Grand 1 and -'Dunlop. When this, was. done ; tbey started for home, where those present partook of Mr and Mrs Polio's hospitality. We (Press) were shown on Friday a sheaf of oats with more than half of the grains literally eaten out of the, busks. The sheaf had been taken from a' paddock of nine acres at St. -Albans;; and was said to be a fair sample of the whole of the crop as .it now stands after the ravages of the sparrows. Mr Mann estimates his loss at between 20 and 30 bushels 'on each aerie. •' '*' ; -

Mr G.AE., Barton, at present going sentence in Wellington Goal for contempt ot court, was 6h a Monday returned as M;H.R. .for. Wellington. , The following is the result of tbe poll : — -BartoD, 500 ; Pearce,'462; ! Hutcbi^son, 263. There-was lesSjexcitement.^than is usual at an election. Mr Bartoh'B son, in returning thanks to the electors, said he recognised' that their coming to the poll in such numbers was due to the' : fact- that theyAwere^riflorsing the policy of Sir George Grey in tbe first place, and in the second affirming that his father was suffering for his defence of the right against the unjust treat-ineht:,of-the'Judges. iiAfterHfie^oll was declared, about 50 of Mr Barton's supporters w r^ntLrUj)tp r tbe *,^oal, and asked A Ito see him. The goalef* allowed him to come to a grating, where he waved his hand and to speak, A but completely, broke downA from .emotion. There w^t^rekr^emi^^Mr ,B. 7 Barton, was carried- shoulder highfeW the crowd when the poll was declared. He made an admirable speech.