Local and General.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 230, 6 December 1878, Page 6

Local and General.

The Hon. J. Macaridrew telegraphs that he will visit Auckland next month.

Isaac Murphy lias "been committed for trial for a criminal assault 'on a little girl at Greytown.

Sir George Grey is expected to visit Ngapuake in response to van invitation from leading chiefs.

The Port Molyneux Cemetery has been brought under the Cemeteries Management Act of 1877.

A new morning paper, to be called the Morning News, is to be published in Sydney in January next.

The Mayor ele«t of Dunedin (Mr Walter) lias initiated- a movement to "present the retiring Mayor (Mr R. H. Leary) with a testimonial in recognition of his services to the City, -

A writ lias "been served on Mr J. H. Kerrf the manager of the local branch of the Union Bank, at the instance of "Geo. Jeffries, of this town, says tlie Southland Times. The charge is.one of slander, and the damages claimed amount to LSOO. The Australian cricketers had some amusing experi|nces in' the 'Old Country. The London correspondent of the Auckland Star relates the following : ""'I met one of them at a picnic, and he told me that in ; country places they were constantly accosted by farmers and men and women of the. agricultural classes, who insisted upon a shake of the hand, "because they came from the land where 'pur Bill' was; settled, and it always ended 'Well, you'll tell him you've seen us^ypu : know, and "we're all heartyj' without' even 'communicating the' name of either speaker oi;reeipient of the message, much less/the ia4dress^'"''*:?'' i " ;i "- :; ? ■':■%. ::-'!A ..-' r \ :- ■-'■;,

Steps have been taken to create a new Municipality at Sawyer's Bay..

Father Hennebery's mission at Auckland on Sunday was attended by 3500

persons,

The 'match played at "Tokonaairiro on Saturday between the' Milton and Dunedin Bowling Clubs was won by the latter.

At his election as Chairman of the Selwyn County Council last week, the Hon. John Hall refused to aeeept ,any ! honorarium. . .

.At the review at Waikato last week, 160 cavalry were present. It .was decided to have a Waikato Derby, of 150 -soys., for 1831.

Mr Rees has issued -a writ for libel against the Napier Telegraph for alleged continued defamation of him. Damages laid at L3OOO.

Mr Barton denies he i ntends^o resign his seat, and ds; awaiting a reply from 'the Government regarding his application for enquiry re Judges.

The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society have distributed 15,000 trout during the season. There are still 5000 left for distribution.

The Post says the Government only intend selling 15,000 acres of the Waimate Plains during the present year. It is estimated to produce L 8 per acre.

jWe learn from, the Timaru Herald thai several farmers in that district liave turned their sheep on to the young crops, which have been completely ruined in consequence of the continued dry weather. The dance -of iLIO,OOO _:W a Presbyterian College 'to *be affiliated to iihe Melbo\irneUniversity, is MrTTraiicrs Ormond. The Assembly purpose naming the institution £he Oianond College. The government have invited the "Wel-

lington (Benevolent Institution to take over the charge <of all charita' Die institutions "in the -city ; but the Committee decided not "feo entertain the proposal.

Thomas Hancock, keeper of the Quarantine station ? Quail Island, Lyttelton, while returning from -the Port to the Island on Saturday afternoon, was drowned through the upsetting of his boat.

The Ann Gambles wreck has gone to pieces. The-contractor ? s engine arid plant was on "board. A lot of iron cargo, with the engine, is likely to be recoverable, but at great expense. The stakes paid over for the "Victorian springmeeting oT theyacing club amounted to L11^249., a large proportion of which went to Sydney -) the Maribyrnong Plate and Melbourne -Cup jfeoth ibeirigwon fay Sydney owners. Messrs Pitt and Acton Adams, both

Wellington lawyers, have announced their

intention of coming forward for tlie seat in the House to be rendered vacant by Mr Sharp's resignation.

A man named Smith., a German or Scandinavian, was found dead on Saturday morning at the Frandon RailwayStation, Napier. At the inquest the verdict was that death had resulted from natural causes. : At a public sale of ostriches at Middlefo irq, in South Africa, recently, twenty pairs of breeding ostriches realised an j average of nearly L2OO per pair. The lowest price given for a single couple was LIBO, and as much, as 1*285 was paid for one pair of birds. At a meeting of the Temperance League, Canterbury, the other nighty the Rev. J. Macfarlane stated that the Japanese ambassadors lately in England were so shocked at the expenditure of 150,000,000 pounds a-yoar on strong drink, that on their return to their own country they in- . tended, to send missionaries to Great Bri- . tain to try and abate tlie evil. : A banquet was given at Invercargill on Friday night to the 'Southland representatives in tlie House. Mr Shanks, County Chairman, occupied the chair, and speeches : were delivered by Messrs Feldwick, Joyce, Hodgkinson, and Wood. A splendid dinner was provided by Mr Kingsland and , Son. The banquet was conducted strictly ; on temperance principles. Our (Morning Herald) Waikouaiti correspondent writes that Mr John Cockerill, . who received a severe blow on the upper, part of the face from a cricket ball thrown by aplayer on the conclusion of the cricket match on Saturday, still lies in a very prer carious condition. He has remained in a state of insensibility since the accident, and is suffering from concussion and contusion of the brain. Dr Brown is in constant attendance upon him. A shocking accident occurred on Saturday last at the Hakia to a young girl named Caroline Hurst, daughter of Mr J. Hurst, landlord of the Windwhistle Hotel. The girl, who is 13 years of age, was trying to catch a horse in a paddock, when the animal in running round got one of ' his legs twisted in some fias. When Miss Hurst got up to him she stooped down to •unwind the flax. The animal, leafing perhaps that she was stooping for" something to hit him with, launched out with both hind legs, striking the poor girl right in front of the face. She was immediately brought to town, and received into iflie Hospital, -where it was found that T>oth bones of the upper jaw were -.completely separated, the nose torn right away, Doth lips were much cut, and theskull fractured as far as the base of the .brain.. Though the girl is young, she . bore her sufierings like a little heroine, calmly telling: Dr Prins and the House Surgeon how the affair happened while they were attending to her injuries. So far she is going on bravely. A circular letter from Hon. Mr Ballance regarding the secondary schools of the Colony says the directions to the Commission wfll be :— li'-To enquire and report upon the organisation and operation of the University of New Zealand, and its effects •' upon other institutions for the promotion of secondary and higher education. 2. The operation of intermediate and higher .educational institutions, . &c. 3. The status, remuneration, -and the general efficiency of teachers. 4. The. formation of ; training institutions, schools of. design, and schools or colleges of practical science, and ; the relations they should "bear to the University and other educational institutions ; of the 5/ The 1 best and most economical mode regarding their admini- -. stratibn, inspection, &c. , aridof themaking^ of these institutions efficient and available to .all ilexes and to all elapses by establish--ing evening schools.. 6. The best mode of ; making ; provision^ peculiarly ; for the promotion 'of education generally, and; theJ increase of .'efficiency in the educational Cestablishmentsplthe Colony. : Suggestions" r regarding the .oßject ; of the Comnnssio:a . ■areinyitedT"' " w '~ " '' i '.''~. -~Z ' ""'"'" "'' "•'""'■' ■■"^ ; *i

The Shah of Persia has, stated. that his eldest son | will make a tour in Europe next year. ' f ' 7

A mail, aged . 148 years, served under Diikie'Ferdinandj'of Burnswick, has died in Hesse. : . „; : . ...'"'•

The Government are about^fco^callfor tenders for) the; construction of the brandh railway to Shag Ponrt. . A writ in the' action Mr Thomas (" The Vagabond •') versus Bennett, of : the Evening Newsy Sydney j for : L2OOO damages, has been -served. . ,

A telegram from ex-Priest "Oheniquy-s says he will visit Kew Zealand on his way home, after visiting Victoria, 'South Australia, and Queensland. •

. The New South "Wales : Government proposals for railway extension; comprising 1112 miles, are to be submitted to the Assembly on December 12. -

A presentation of majolica ware was made to Mr Batkin, of the Treasury, by the officers of that Department j "on his leaving that Department. .

At a meeting of the session of elders at Knox Church, Dunedin, on Tuesday night, it was Tesolyed not to observe the ordinary Presbyterian Fast Day, on "the l9th instant. .

The ""kerosene boncl of Twentyman and Cousin, Christchurch, was completely destroyed by fee on Sunday evening. It contained "between 300 and 400. cases of

kerosene,

The ship "Hyderabad; which has "been so long pn $he "beach near Otaki, has been moved seaward near 100 feet, and with favourable weather it is considered certain she can be saved.

A woman named Matilda Thomson was taken to the Cliristcliurch . Hospital on Saturday night, as it was supposed she had poisoned herself. It was. there found that she "had only taken a dose of aniseed for the sake of frightening her husband.

The Rev. James Buller has in .the press a work entitled " Forty years in New Zealand," and which contains : Ist, a personal narrative; 2nd, an account of the Maoris; 3rd, a history of New Zealand ; and 4th, a description of the Colony. Mr F. Combes, of Auckland, narrowly" escaped, drowning recently, by falling into a well at the rear of Messrs Combes and Daldy's premises. After remaining there about two hours, he was heard by a man named Williams', who assisted him to get "out of his dangerous situation. • Mr'Witliers and his servant narrowly escaped death by drowning in. .Lake Wa~ katipu on Saturday. They were coining alongside the steamer Antrim in a dingy, but "the paddle-wheel of the steamer com-

ing into contact with the cockle-shell capsized it. Fortunately tho men could gwim. The Inspector of Kerosene for the Wellington [Corporation has been testing several consignments of kerosene to different merchants, and out of 1550 cases

not .more than 25 or 30 were considered perfectly' safe foi* household purposes, tho flashing point being from 90 to 100 de-

grees,

At the late meeting of the Victorian Presbyterian Assembly a deliverance in favour of Sabbath observance was. adojyfced. The Rev. Charles Strong expressed himself in favour of opening library museums on Sundays. His remarks caused some sensation, and -the opinion was expressed that he ought to be called to the bar for . uttering such sentiments. John . Barry, storekeeper at Meanee, was mounting his lioi'se at Temieysonstreet/Napier, about rioon.on Saturday, when the animal bolted. Barry fell on the back of his head, breaking his skull. He was attended by two medical men, but died in about an hour. At the inquest on Monday afternoon a verdict of Accidental Death was returned. There was a good joke (says the Wanganui Herald) when a jury here retired to consider their verdict. After a very few minutes, eleven of the twelve agreed to a verdict, 'but the twelfth had a different notion of things, and held out. Arguments were poured on his devoted head in vain, and at last he consoled himself *for his three hours self-imposed confinement by remarking he had never met eleven such obstinate men before 1 In one of the English Colonies a competitive examination was lately hold for the purpose of appointing fit persons to some of the Government offices. One of the candidates inadvertently spelled the word Venice with two n's, thus — Vennice. The examiner, a clever man, but not always a correct speaker, sternly inquired: " Do you know, sir, that there is but one hen in Venice ?" " Then eggs must be very scarce," was the ready reply. The candidate passed. Aspeciahneeting of the Otago Floods Re-^ lief Committee,- Dunedin, washeld on Tuesday, for the purpose of considering the advisability of voting a donation ; from the funds raised, to the sufferers by the recent fire at Waimate. His "Worship the Mayor (R. H. Leary, Esq.) presided, Mr Keith Ramsay : moved, "That the sum. of LIOO be voted from- tire Otago Floods Relief Fund in : aid -of the sufferers by the fire at Waimate." , The motion was seconded by Mr Jas. Hazlett, and carried unanimously, and the meeting closed. : ' ! . The Grey River. Argus is informed by a correspondent that six .German families at Jackson's- Bay have been .^'existing for tlie past three months on neighbours' charity. By the s.s. Waipara, which- visited the settlement ■&, few days ago, \%he unfortunate people forwarded urgent telegrams to the Government, and also to their -consul at Nelson, begging that a steamer be sent 'to take theni away, . as" they are destitute, and cannot pay passages, neither can they live -any longer without relief. There is work <40 miles away on the Haast track, but circumstances will hot enable them to take advantage 1 of .such employriient, and the resident agent refuses to give them any relief , so their case is truly deplorable.

An. alarming accident is reported by the "Wairarapa Guardian. :Mr Oiindy, x>f Featherston, .it out driving a bull, reported to be somewhat of.a,dangerous, animal, along one of the cross-roads at the lower end of the yalley.' The bull suddenly charged at the horse on which Mr' Oiindy was riding,;ahd/in trying to get 6ut : of the way, the horse's leg^'caught ''in a Hole, occasioned by abroken planii- in the road-

way o£ -one 1 of ihe bridges; - Thus transfixe<3jthe bull came 'down upon ttehorsej -and gored it in a frightful manner: The muti.lation^as ■so.ccanptete thatytli^ horselived only a few. minutes, ; : The rider, Mr,Cundy , ; made a : proyiden^al^escapiiij TiistsuflScieiit .clear,: wh^a-^e^^^dejtl^^s^ugh^^