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Dunstan Times, Issue 969, 12 November 1880, Page 2

Since writing our leading article we have learnt that our representative, Mr P>ke, has addressed a strong letter of remonstrance to the Minister oi Justice respecting the abolition of District Courts on the Central Goldfields Ed. D.T. As instancing the variations in the temperature we may mention that the thermometer last Sunday morning at 3 30 registered 38, and at 12 noon the same day it stood at 63, showing a difference of 30 degrees within nine hours. Last Saturday the 6th instant, there was brought into Clyde a large quantity of peas, which were eagerly bought up at one shilling per quart. They were grown from seed imported by Mr George Matthews, of Dunedin, thus proving at once tho early productiveness of the Dunstau. We arc informed that the rabbits on the ranges situate on the Hawksburn and Earnsclengh rims are dying by thousand s. This is to be attributed to the scarcity of food, but in tho low country we are sorry to say they arc almost as numerous as ever.

Farmers iu the whole of the district are beginning to cry out for rain ; the crops looking parched, which is to be greatly attributed to the dry winds which have prevailed of late.

The quarterly meeting of tho St. Dunstan Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held in the Town Hall on Saturday last. The reports of the retiring officers showed the Lodge to be in a satisfactory and progressive condition. The number in good standing on the roll, 47 being an increase, in spite of losses, on the previous quarter. The D.G. W.C.T., Bro. Dunn assisted by Bro. M'Ferran, installed thefollowing officersfor tho next term W.C.T., Bro. Little ; W.V.T.jBro. Crawford ; W.S., Bro. Dunn ; W.F.S., Bio. W. 11. Williams ; W.T , Bro. Smart ; W.C., Bro. Walker ; P W.C.T., Bro. M‘Ferrari ; W.M., Bro. Morris ; W.B.S, Sis. M'Connochio ; W.L.S., Sis. L. Williams; WAS. Sis. C. Williams; W.D.M. Bro. T. Williams. For the trout fishing season now open 258 licenses have been taken out iu Danis iin. Goldshrough’s Monthly Circular for October, 1880, says “The auction sales for the season opened at our warehouses on the 6th inst., and up to this date 28,253 bales have been catalogued, aud 19,150 bales sold. Prices have, so far, been very firm, and show an advance on the rates current at the opening of last season of from 10 to 12J per cent., prices ruling from lid to 14d. The attendance of buyers has so far been very large—English, Scotch, Continental, and also American firms being well represented. Biddings have been spirited, and competition animated throughout. The quantity disposed of in this market. to date, exceeds last year, to corresponding date, and would have been much larger had the reserves on some of tho cli, s

offered been more reasonable. Speaking of the clip generally, wo can report favourab'y, it being well-grown, sound, and better classed than usual, more care having, as a rule, been exercised in the skirting, in order to rid the fleeces of burrs and objectionable portions. Wool is coming forward freely from the neighbouring colonies to this market for disposal, as its claims as the central Wool depot of Australia are fully recognised, the facilities for sale being unrivalled in the colonies.

The Queenstown Free Press (published at the Cape) says that the owner of an ostrich farm at Tafelberg, near Cradock, will net L 20.000 this year out of the sale of feathers ami young birds. The fortunate owner is a Mr Distin. f

The Cromwell Argus says ;—" Rather a sensational accident happened here on Sunday afternoon last, and the wonder is that more disastrous results have not to be recorded. Our townsman Mr MaoKelb.r was driving a young mare in a light buggy along Melmore-street. At the foot of Sligo streCt something startled the animal and she Swerved off the road. Just at this point the bank of the Kawarau River —running some GO or 70 feet below—is unprotected, and the driver was powerless to restrain ihe horse, which buggy and all, bounded over the precipice. Happily, Mr MaeKellar had sufficient presence of mind to spring from the conveyance a few yards from edge, otherwise it is difficult to see how he could have escaped with life. The strangest part of the affair is that the horse was recovered will little or no injury not* withstanding his terrific leap. The trap of course was utterly demoli-hed. Steps should at once be taken to fence off this ugly and very dangerous gap. The Tapanui Courier very properly remarks “ Sarmei sin this district would do well to pay closer attention to cleaning their grain next threshing season than they have done io the past. It is now an established fact that gram carefully cleaned, is worth from one penny to three pence per bushel more than a lot that has been carelessly put through the machine, and with dust and chaff mixed with the corn. In days gone, by, when New Zealand did not produce more grain than could bo consumed locality, it did not matter so much whether pains had been bestowed on the dressing or not : but now that our growers have to compete in the English market against all comers, they must endeavor do send their produce to, market in first-classs order. This season some thousands of bushels of grain have found their way to the British market, and next season, if the harvest should prove favorable, a still larger quantity will be sent. As the extent of graingrowing land in this district is so extensive it would be as well for the Karine 13 Club to take the matter of grain cleaning for export into consideration.

Magistrate* frequently arc paid compliments liy parties to suits coming before them for settlement, ami are sometimes addressed as “ Your Reverence,” "Your Highness,” &e. In the Dunedin R.M. Court the other day a defendant in an assault case when asked if he was sober at the time promptly replied, “Sober as a judge,” ami the opportunity for furthering his client’s interest was promptly taken advantage of by the defendant’s solicitor, wlu> ad. led “ That's a compliment to your Worship.” '

The seventh annual report of the National Insurance Company is published. The receipts for the year have been LI01), 613 Is 01, the expenditure for same .period has been L73,.k9 Is 7.1, leaving the sum of L27.0C3 19s IU. Out of this the Directors declared an interim dividend in March last, and they now recommend the payment of a further dividend of 10 per cent, per annum on paid-up capital, and. a bonus of 61 per share L 15.000 is to he carried to re insurance fund, L 2003 19s Ud carried forward.

From 1857 to 1880, sixty-two vessels have been wrecked in New Zealand waters. Their value is L 521.000. Seventy seven vessels between 1350, and 1880, ha»e sailed from New Zealand and have never been heard of, and the number of lives lost in the missing vessels is 814.

The Home papers state that when last mail left England the Colonial Office was making anxious inquiries about an acting Commandant of one of England’s Colonial possessions, who, along with the treasure chest, was reported missing. Who can he

A law ot England enforced in the seventeenth century reads:—“ All women, of whatever age, rank, profession, or degree, whether virgins, wives, or widows, that shall, from and after this Act, impose upon, seduce, and betray into matrimony any of his Majesty’s male subjects, by scents, paint’s cosmetics, washes, arliiicial teeth, false hair, Spanish wool, iron stays, hoops, higb-heoled shoes, or bolstered hips, shall incur the penalty of the laws in force against witchmaft, sorcery, and the like, and that the marriage upon conviction, shall stand null and void.”

In the “ Warrnarabool Standard” of 9th October, there is an account of the trial at tho Belfast Assizes of a man named Henry Thomas lleid for embezzling £”,'l6, the property of tho Wamiambool -Permanent Building and Investment Society. In summing up. His Honor Mr Justice Stephen said that he had no doubt of the prisoner’s guilt. The jury, however, returned a verdict of ‘‘not guilty.” After an interval of silence, His Honor, looking at the Crown Prosecutor, asked, “ What is tho use of going on with the Belfast cases’ It’s perfectly disgraceful. I would advise the Crown Prosecutor not to proceed further. It’s a disgrace to the whole system of trial by jury.” Mr Hodge, who prosecuted, then applied for a postponement and a change of venue before proc eiling with toe other charges against tho prisoner. Tins w is opp .s.oi by Mr Moleswonh, and finally His Honor row in a

passion and said ho would discharge the prisoner altogether. “My opinion is, continued Hie Honor, ’’that Belfast to be exterminated. It is Belfast, that is on its trial-not that man. 1 ! W Honor then left the Court.

A thief who rivals the exploits of Ainsworth’s hero has just been tried before the assizes of the Oise. He is a Belgian, named Blomme, who has applied himself especially to the plunder of country houses during the absence of the occupants. More than once he has been captured, but always succeeded in escaping from prison, and then recommenced his exploits in some new region. His last escape, which was from the prison of Beauvais, was accomplished under extraordinary circumstances. He was placed in a cell lighted only by a small window at a great height from the ground, and as his ingenuity in defeating the vigilance of tho gaolers was well known, he was the subject of special measures of security. Amoug others his clothes were takon from him every night, with the exception of his shirt, which he politely offered to give up with the rest when called on. One morning in April last the gaoler was surprised to find tho cell empty. Blomme had concealed an iron spoon, and sharpened it on tho tiles of his cell, an.i with this improvised tool hail divided three planks of his camp bed into six, lengthwise,' and then tied those end to end with his shirt torn into strips. B> means of this sort of pole placed against the wall ho reached the roof, dragging after him his polo and bedcover. He next cut a bell-rope from the belfry, and with this tied to a beam, let himself down. He had to drop about 15 feet, but reached the ground in safety and unseen by the sentinel. Clad only with bis blanket, he remained hidden the whole of the next day in a wood without food. The next night he walked to Breteuil, and broke into a house, iu which he found not only refreshment and clothes, but a small sura of money. This enabled him to start afresh, but be was recognised by a gens d'arme and again arrested. He was lodged afresh in prison, attached with a chain, but he contrived to open one of the links, aud passing it around his neck, attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from a nail. The project was defeated, however, by the timely arriv »1 of a warder. He has been tried and sentenced to eight years’ hard labour.

A Bombay paper states “Some little amusement was caused in tho .Small Cause Court on July 22nd. A Chinaman, had to bo sworn, as much to fulfil the law as to insure his refraining in his evidence from ‘ways that are dark. ’ Part of the ceremony, it seems, so far as the Heathen Chinee- is concerned, consist- in breaking a plate in Court, and John had accordingly brought one with him ; hut probably with an eve to economy, he tried to palm off a common mud handy-cover on the Court. The Court however, t'>ok a very different view of the matter, would have none of it, aiid John was ordered to bring a china plate. He went oiT wuh all expression on his face the reverse of ‘childlike and bland,’ and returned in about an hour with a pucka Birmingham cheese-[.late, which being put in and accepted, John was led into the verandah, where the prescribed formula was gone through, and the plate smashed. As ho turned back into the Court, ‘he smiled a sickly kind of smile’ and shook his head at the friability of things in general and cheese-plates possibly, oaths in particular, for, after giving this [dodge of his veracity, ho proceeded to inform the Court that bis name was—Stewart !”