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Dunstan Times, Issue 628, 1 May 1874, Page 2

Locally'grown grapes have beau selling d uring the week at M pet pound in Clyde. The eldest son of Mr E. G. Field, Clerk of the Court, Easeby, has unfortunately had one of bis arms broken at the wrist, from a fall from his horse. Bather -an amusing incident occurred at theTimaru Licensing Ccurt cn the 21st ultimo, when one of the conditions of one of the applicants obtaining a license being that he should be married iu a fortnight from that date. Intelligence has been received from Auckland that the Eev. Father Jf orris, of the Thames, formerly of Otago, died in the Auckland asylum on the 25th ultimo. The deceased gentleman officiated in this district solne years since, -aud Was very much respected. A miner named Oliver Jao’.son, a resident of Nasoby district foi the last seven or eight years, died suddenly on Thursday morning -the 23rd ultimo. It appears he went as usual to his cldim in the morning, and told his mate he felt unwell, he was not iced soon afterwards to stretch himself out on the ground. He was carried to his hut and died in a short timo.

“ I thought, as I was coming to Court this morning,' that ithis'result was quite possible.” So spoke IrraHonor, when, on Saturday last, the jury serving in)the case of Eegina v. MTntosh acquitted the accused without even hearing an r address from his counsel, or' evidence for the defence. Of course, the accused was at once discharged, but not "until the Crown Prosecutor had Mated-'that he certainly had not expected such a verdict. The submarine boat Platypus, about which so much has been heard recent 1 y, was sold on Saturday last the 25th instant by Messrs M'Landrc-ss, Hepburn and Co. for 4001. Mr C. S. Roovei was the purchaser. Tenders have since been called for the conveyance of the same to Cromwell. By this it will be seen the new proprietors are determined to lose no time in placing her in woik, and we heartily wish them success.

At the last usual weekly meeting of the Waste Lands Board held on the 24th ultimo, Mr Strode brought under the notice of the' Board the fact that a coal scam was now being burned at Coal Creek, near Tcviot. He was informed that it had been on lire for the last four or five years, which he considered to bo a shameful destruction of property. He was of opinion that the Govermnent'should he at once requested to turn on a water race, in’ order that the fire might ho extinguished. The coal in question was of a most valuable character, being far superior to the ordinary lignite. The chief Commissioner said that (there was also a valuable seam of coal being bur ned in another part of the Province, and it was quite time that”steps were taken to put a stop to such waste. It was resolved to communicate with the Government on the subject.

At one of the Carandini diverts in Auckland lately, Mr George Cottm-ell’s “ Carnival de Venice,” which created so much amusement when given by that gentleman here, elicited an unusual kind of applause. There was a very fine black Newfoundland dog, who gave many signs of his being interested in the musical selections. The imitation of Paganini (solo nasaline) had an astounding effect upon him. He stood the test for some time with impatience, but he at length made his way to the stage, whether with a friendly or hostile disposition did not at first appear. But he was evidently greatly pleased, and the signs he gave of his enjoyment nearlyconvulsed the audience, who were thrown into a paroxysm of laughter which lasted several seconds. The performer was not the least disconcerted at this genuine compliment, and ho had to appear again.

A man of countless herds and boundless wealth had occasion to visit the old country. He had been so fortunate as to sell out and get paid for some non-auriferons land by a gold-mining company. On the return voyage he was seriously ill. The doctor of the ship was most attentive to him—much more attentive than his officious duties demanded. Upon arrival, the passenger, who had quite recovered, expressed his gratitude for tiro service rendered him, and presented the doctor with a brown paperparcel containing, as he said, “ a little present.” Visions of a bunch of Colonial fives or a cheque of munificent amount flitted through the brain of the gratified doctor. When alone he tore open the package with trembling fingers. He found a necktie and a note from the donor, saying he “ he had only worn it once, and as he didn’t like the pattern he made the doctor a present of it.” The doctor has never sworn since—he exhausted the subject then —Hawke’s Bay Herald.

The town of Hokitika was lighted with, gas for the first time on the 27th April. Drum blond, the hank manager, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.

It is rumored in Dunedin that Mr Fish, , Junior, is to be requisitioned to stand for i Mayor at the coining election. ] In consequence of the absence from • Clyde of the Resident Magistrate and j Warden, there was no business transacted ' in either olfice.yesterday. , o‘Farrell, the Melbourne bands Office j defaulter, is known to be in New Caledo- ( nia, but has succeeded iu eluding the , police. • The usual monthly meeting of the Com- ( mittee of Management of the Dunstan ( District Hospital will be held in the Com- ( mittee Hoorn, Town-hall, Clyde, on Monday next, the 4thiust,, at 8 p.nr ; The estimated income of the Town of , Gromwell for the Municipal year 1871-1875 , is published at 2051. 10s. This surely is a | mistake. The expenditure is put down at j 5001. On Monday last there was an addition to | the population of the Province, by the arrival of the Asia, with four hundred aud . sixty, seven souls on board. ' Happily there was no sickness. Again we have to record another ease of . stack-burning in the Arrow District. This time, fortunately for the owner (Mr. W. Sooles) the property was insured in the \ sum of 3001., about 1001- less thau its value. The following telegram fomn the Pre- : mier was received last night by the mem- , bers of the House of Representatives resident iu Dunedin “ I take the earliest opportunity of informing you that His Excelleney the Governor has been advised to summon Parliament forj despatch of business on the 3rd of July next.— Julius Vogel.”— Daily Times, April2B, A Sydney telegram to the Melbourne Press states that “ the French Government has telegraphed for further particulars as to the escape of the Communists from Now Caledonia, as they cannot believe it.” .It is mentioned, also, that lloohefort intends to sail for England at once, and then to pass over to Switzerland where he will await the turn of affairs ru France. The progress that is being made .with the contracts and other works on the toad Clyde to Cromwell is highly satisfactory, and hold out the hope that a journey between the two places during the wi nler will not be so dreaded an affair as iu past years ;if equal capital and labor, with as good judgment, is expended on the road during the next two or three years as has been during the past, the ,ruad will be as good as is iu the Province. The polling for the election of a member of the House of Representatives, for the City of Dunedin, vice Mr. J. Bathgate, re- \ sigued, took place on the 23rd ultimo, and resulted in the return of a Mr Wales b; a . majority of 9J over bis opponent. Or. the i declaration of the poll. Mr. Wales, the successful candidate said, ha was so much taken by surprise at the result of the election that he could not find 'wonts to express iiia feelings. Mr. Wales is a con- ; tractor aud well known iu Dunedin as one | of our Volunteer crack shuts. Mr Barton | is the well known barrister. The workman engaged in the work of taking down the top of the Dunedin Fiist Church spire was, from hisnonepituous position at a height of more than 180 feet from the ground, the observed of all on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday last. He has made good progress with his job. He works away in his airy situation with apparently the greatest unconcern and coolness, and gives the sensational-loving pan of the citizens a treat to which the performance of the Siamese is mildness itself. He did not go up yesterday. The weather was too bad for him. Daily Times. We have to record with regret the death at the Dunstan Hosqital on the 2-ith ultimo, of Mrs Emily .Smitham, aged thirtyfour years, wife of Mr William Smitham, formerly of the Sydney hotel, Clyde, Kawarau hotel, Cromwell, and late of the Bendigo hotel, Clyde. The deceased had been unwell for some time, but outwardly, not so bad as to cause fear. On Monday preceding her death, she walked to the hospital to consult Dr. Thomson, who, on seeing her had but a poor opinion of her case, and detained her as an inmate., the result has proved the correctness of his opinion. A remark of Mr Bathgate’s caused a great deal of merriment in the Licensing Court, Dunedin. After granting Mr G. Dodson’s certilioatc for the Empire Hotel, the Magistrate cautioned the applicant, aud stated that “ His house had the reputation of being gthe resort of Calcutta sweeps !” We are not aware whether or not Mr Bathgate, in the innocence he so often displays, believes Calcutta Sweeps to bo a disreputable class of chimney cleaners imported from India, but the observation we have mentioned caused no end of merriment. The Tnapeka Times says : —“ It is goneally understood in well-informed circles in Dunedin that the weekly paper known as the Southern Mercury, ami which has hitherto been printed at the office of the Dunedin Evening Star, of which paper it has largely been a rc-priut, has lately changed its proprietory, it having been purchased by the Guardian Newspaper Company (Limited). The Company intend the paper shall occupy the same position to the ; Guardian as the Witness does to the Otago I Daily Times, namely: a re-print of the > Guardian. It will he an interesting study [ to watch the future of the paper, and iia ■ rapid transition from a liberal gold-fields s 1 platform to the principles advocated by : j the squatting • cum - speculating banking j party, of whom the Dunedin papers, one . : and all, have always been the obsequious servants and dilligout advocates.”

All the escaped Communists have sailed from Sydney for England.

The shell of the new Court House at Clyde has been finished now some weeks, and if we are rightly inf mined taken off the hands of the contractor, but no sign, has, as yet been made to render it of use by the erecting of tha necessary fittings. The work being a Government one, we may look, for a little delay, we would, however, drawthe attention of tho Government to the fact that, their sanction to the building was obtained on tho grounds of its ue cessity, the miserable den that has done duty as a Hall of Justice being unfit, in every sense of tho word, for the purpose, they must per-foree see the necessity of at once issuing the necessary orders f or its completion. In tho very last speech his Excellency Sir George Bowen made during Lis late visit to Tasmania, he spoke words which deserve all the publicity the Australasian Sketcher can give them, lie said that his position in respect to the ladies of Victoria was something of a parental.one.a father’ , kind of regard.as it were, to his daught rs. I have often heard young men speak of their father as the “ Governor,” but have not thought it nice. Now, however, that bis Excellence is prepared to assume parental responsibilities, no objection can be taken to our girls using the expression ; and those who dislike siaug have to thank Sir George for legalising an impropriety of speech that has often giated on their ears. In future, when the girls speak of their new found father, it should be as the “dear governor.”—Queenslander, During the hearing of a case beard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Dunedin, for a breach of the “ Prison Act,’’' Mr Thomas Logan being .the defendant, the following passago-at-arms took place between dofondant's solicitor (Mr. J. H. (Harris) and tlie Resident Magistrate : (Mr. Haggitt, counsel for the prosecution, having stated the case:)— His Worship asked defendant to step into the dock. Mr. Harris : ‘ This is scarcely a charge, sir.’ Mr. Bathgate : ‘lt is a very serious charge.’ Mr. Hams said Logan appealed on summons, and, and it was illegal for his Worship to place him in tho pihoiiers’ dock. He would like the Magistrate’s authority for placing delcudant in the dock. Mr. Bathgate : ‘ J have taken a note of your objection. Are you quite satisfied.’ Mr. Harris : ‘ Certainly not. It is a question of right ; and, as ho appears on summons, he has no right to be placed in the dock. I ask your 'Worship's auth.rity. It is the first time 1 ever saw an accused person, under a Statute of tnis kiud, placed in such a position. If your Worship insists upon it, damages may bo sought against you.’ Mr. Bacngate (warmly); ‘lt is an extraordinaly tuing to held out such a threat to a magistrate.’ Mr. Harris : ‘lt is not a threat.’ Mr. Bathgate : ‘lt ii very bud t.;sio, Necking will keep me from doing my duty.’ Mr. Haggitt was asked to give an opinion, but ho sam it made no difference to him wucthtr deiouuaiit appeared in the dock or witness box. Began remained in the dock, and, after hearing evidence tho M igistrate indicted a lino ul of. < K-<~O*XZ43Krteo