Provincial and General.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 19, 23 March 1870, Page 3

Provincial and General.

At Campbell’B Creek, Victoria, the 41b. loaf is being sold for fourpeuce. Mr W. i\. Hunt, of Thames goldfield celebrity, has left Auckland for England, where he purposes to remain. Hawke’s Bay has shipped direct to London t v i) year wool and Has to the amount of £104,000. This is in addition to large quantities of produce shipped coastwise. The Oamaru Times states that a long stream of mutton-birds, comprising many thousands, was seen travelling southwards on Saturday. The steamers Airedale and Wellington have lately made pleasure trips from Wellington to Lyttelton and back, each with nearly 200 excursionists on board. i> The price of flour at the Wangapeka diggings, Nelson, is £33 per ton. The rate charged for the carriage of goods for the last twelve miles of the journey from Nelson is £1 per ton per mile. A post mortem examination has been held on the body of a Mr Horn, who died lately at Napier, when it was found that he had at one. time swallowed a small piece of wire resembling a common pin, round which an abscess had gradually formed, until it terminated in death. The Hobart Town Mercury notices the arrival of the brig Sarah, from Greymouth.

She took with her as ballast 50 tons of the Grey River coal, the first imported from New Zealand to Hobart Town. A flaxmill is being erected in the Mataura river, at Menzies’ Ford, upon two pontoons moored in the stream. The chief advantage claimed for this idea is that the mill can be floated up or do am the river to the flax growing upon its banks, thus saving the expense of the cartage of the raw material. One of the largest scores at rifle-shooting ever made in New Zealand at 400, and GOO yards, five shots at each ran"e, has been made at Nelson by a Sergeant Casley, of- No. 1 City Rifles, and is given in a contemporary as under:—At 400 yds, 5 bull’s eyes; at 500 yds, 3 bull’s eyes and 2 centres; and at 600 yds, 2 bull’s eyes, 2 centres, and 1 outer ; making a total score of 54 out of a possible 60. In Auckland (writes the Evening Star)

'a case of walking in sleep occurred a few evenings ago, which nearly resulted in fatal consequences. A little girl, who resides in Cook-street, and is subject to somnambulisn, arose from her bed in the middle of the night, and while walking about the room, fell from the top to the bottom of a flight of stairs, striking her head heavily as she fell. The girl's face was very much bruised, and she was considerably shaken, but fortunately escaped without serious injury. Considering that she fell on her head, it is a matter of surprise that her neck was not broken. A great many of the lower classes in Melbourne appear to think that their only duty as parents is to take care of their children until they have been weaned, and then, having made them look as miserable as possible, to turn them into the streets under the eye of a constable, who will take the urchins before a magistrate and have them sent to the Industrial Schools or the Training Ship. No less than flve children,

ranging from five to thirteen years of age, were brought before the City Bench on the 23rd ult. as neglected children; and of these, two, “ who wene bad boys intiralv, and wants a flogging, yer worships— which nothing but sending ’em to the Training Ship ’ll take the wickedness out of em,” were sent homo with their parents, one was sent to the Industrial School, the father to pay a sum per week for its support, and the other two were remanded till next day for further enquiry about them. The nomination for the election of a representative for the Taieri district in the Provincial Council, in the room of Mr A. J. Burns, took place on Monday, at East Taieri. Mr James Allan was proposed by Air Todd, and seconded by Mr Jas. Cullen. Mr Henry Howorth, who was present, stated that he did not intend to contest the election with Mr Allan. Ho other candidate being proposed, the Returning Officer, after Mr Allan had addressed the electors present, declared him to be duly elected,—- Daily Times . Yesterday morning (says the Wellington Post of the 16th ult.), the police became possessed of- the intelligence that John Handly, the man injured by a case falling on his head on board the Lord Ashley the previous day, had died at the Hospital. They at once took steps for holding an inquest, and in tho afternoon the Coroner

arid a jury, accompanied by the guardians of the law, proceeded to the Hospital, and after the usual preliminary steps, went to Jiow the body. The body, however, was found sitting up in bed alive and quite comfortable, and apparently quite surprised at the advent of such a number of visitors. On the object of the visit being explained, Hantlly sairl he was obliged for their prompt attention, -.but bad no intention whatever to die at present. The dbroner and all his band of rude disciples took their departure rather chopfallen. The A elvertiser of the 17th is indignant at the Pott, for treating as an amusing joke the gross blunder k?&vhich a number of our fellowcitizens were taken away from their ordinary avocations to sit in incjnesb on the corpse of a man who proved to ba alive.