PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 286, 4 May 1875, Page 7

PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

Dunedin, Christchurch and’Auckland have agreed to join in the invitation of a team of Sydney cricketers at the beginning of next, season.' , It is understood that Parliament will positively meet in July. All the new Bills to be introduced are in a very forward state, so that no delay whatever,is- likely to be occasioned through Mr Yogei’s absence. As a general estimate, Major Palmer calculates that £600,000 have been wasted on inaccurate section surveys throughout the colony, and that it will probably cost £300,000, in addition to the cost of triangulatibn, to set them to rights. The criminal session was brought to a close on 24th ult. There were seventeen cases set down for trial; and of these, convictions were obtained in nine, there were sevea acquittals, and the Grand Jury ignored one bill. ■ .

The Queensland Government has applied to the Commissioner of Annuities here, for full particulars relative to the working -of Life Assurance in this Colony, with a view of introducing a similar system in Queensland. " '-I V-‘ ’ ' •;.

Those who aria interested in the forthcoming wrestling-match it Dunedin, between John Tyson and Georgs Robertson (the halfcaste), announced <to tike place on the 25th instant, will doubtless le pleased to learn that Tyson has almost recovered from the severe accident he incurred whan practising with his trainer., A married woman, lamed Jeffreys, died , at Dunedin on Wednesday last, from the * -effect of injuries receive! at the hands of a seamen named Grossen, vho grossly assaulted tier. At the time of the woman’s death, her husband, William Jeffieys, was so overpowered by drink as to know scarcely anything about it. It .is mderstoo'd that he is very well off and respectably connected, A curious church sqmbble is going on at Timaru. ' The Rev, * George Foster, an incumbent for 14 years, is row resident in the parish, and the congregation’is trying to,get rid' of him. He refuses to resign. The Bishop, who has been appealed to, urges his vesignation, and threaten', to cancel his license. The incumbent st.ll refuses, and it is expected that-the parislionera. will withhold his stipend. This is-the' first case of the kind in the Colony. At the Christchurch Racei, in the Flying Handicap, Red wood’s Phoebe colt and Templeton cammed, and the colt wis disqualified, Templeton’s owner ; receiving, the stakes S,* Mr Redwood appealed to the Jb against their decision, who, while entirely acquitting the rider of any intention to infringe the law, .declined ti reconsider their decision. Mr Redwood has offered to run the Phoebe colt against. Teripleton for any sum of money, if Mr Deleman will first hand the Flying Handicap Stakes oyer to .a charitable institution., The following instances .of the independence of servants., in Auckland are vouched by the Cross : —“ Master, sitting wih friend in parlor,:, ‘John, I want another jug of water.’ Servant: ‘ Why thin, if yen had to carry the wather as far as I hive, you wouldn’t drink so much av it.’ Yoing lady to rnaid-of-all-work : ‘ If you don’t wish pa’s collars cleaner, I shall put them bad to the wash without being worn.’ Servant; ‘lf your father would wash his neck Jean, his collars would not be so dirty, Miss. ” . The Tuapeka Fire Brigade test the effi ciency of 'its members in a praoical waj. The local paper says : —Some litle . excrement was created on Friday nigit, by ihe fire bell tolling out in loud peals. It provd, however, to be a false alarm. A tar bare! was lighted in, the creek for. thapurpos of testing the efficiency of the members of.he Brigade, who were hardly so pronpt as uaal in getting their appliances in woicing orer. Some grumbling was heard froti ownei of property in the vicinity, of the false alrm at a fire having been lighted, a?, for a:ew the bright glare gave i 1 the apjarof a fire in reality. The following apology appeal in tlfflast issue of .the Bruce Herald:—-‘Sir—-standing from you that you conside! the leading article written by m, the ijdersigned John Lillie Gillies, am publishd by me, the undersigned Joseph Tackay, n the Bruce Herald of twelfth Jur last, itputes ) to you, in your capacity of amember tf the Provincial Executive, corrpt condipt for private gain, we hereby egress ourregret for having written and pulished the same, and whilst apologising for W anhoyace the article may have caused ,ni,_ we bg to assure yon that we do nofbelieve tlere was any foundation whateve'for the firnonrs alluded to in the article.-We are, si, yours, <&c., John L. Gillies, oseph ALckay.—To George Turnbull-, Es, Dunedin ’ Tsong Tsi, found glty n f stabbing a countryman, AhCChee p Skippers, nas been sentenced to 12 Tilths’ impri/onment, Previous to sentence being passed, two Chinese merchants, crying on bitiness in Dunedin, gave evidop respecting .the,character borne by the /isoner previ/us to .the committing of the once. Theyiefused to go through the oniffy farce of bowing out a match before gi/g their evict, nee, and asked to be sworn ll the Bible; but that ceremony proved ■ .less farcical than the customary matching and fowl-slaughter-ing, which are sposed to biitl the Consciences of the Cetials. The witnesses ! on this occasion (sa;tbe .Qimes,) appeared to regard the sweffg-jn process as ai huge joke ; their grotjffe gestures 'and laughing faces completely ; set the features of everyone present.

aMgaSStt in