CLYDE, FRIDAY, MARCH 6. 1886. SPECIAL TELEGRAMS:

Dunstan Times, Issue 1253, 5 March 1886, Page 2

CLYDE, FRIDAY, MARCH 6. 1886. SPECIAL TELEGRAMS:

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.]

(From our Correspondents).

Dunedin, March 4, 7.35 p.m

At the Land Board yesterday Mr Pyke appeared before the Board and stated that he had sent in a letter asking for the grouping of the small runs that had been offered on the previous Saturday. They were situated at the back of the Old Man Range, and there was a total acreage of 2000 acres, there was about 400 acres in each run, and he did not exaggerate when he stated that no one of these runs would carry 400 rabbits, not a rabbit to the acre. The letter, he understood, was not there, and he would ask for an adjournment in the meantime. 'The adjournment was granted Messrs McKenzie, Clark, and Dick are the new members of Education Board.

The Hon. Mr Tole spoke to the electors of Auckland last night, and received vote of thanks and confidence.

Intelligence from Arrow correspondent to the f Times’ this morning shows that if Mount Criffel did not come up to the sanguine expectations entertained by some, those who have mado a thorough test of the field are beginning to reap some reward. It is stated that one party has came across a rich patch, out of which they have obtained 1000 ounces of gold. It was reported at the Land Board yesterday that a number of deferred payment licenses who have capitalised their payments are allowing their interest to fall in arrear, 'This statement seemed to take the. Board somewhat by surprise, and consideration of the question was adjourned till next meeting. A meeting of the backers in the totalisator ofMeteorin the Consolation race in the Dunedin J.C. Meeting was held last evening, when it was unanimously resolved to take proceedings for the recovery of the dividend. Crooks,late manager of the Commercial Bank of South Australia, has ad.-, dressed a letter to the chairman of the Board of Directors of that institution. In his letter Crooks confesses that ho obtained sums of money by way of overdraughts. He further admits that he had reduced the overdrafts by transferring various amounts from loan accounts without the knowledge of the directors. London, March 3 The Socialist leaders who were committed for trial have been admitted to bail.

The negotiations which have been proceeding at Bucharest have at length ended in the signature of a treaty of peace between Bulgaria and Servia. The treaty consists of only a single article, simplydeclaring tho restoration of peace between the two countries A conference composed ot Ambassadors of the various Powers represented of the Porte will be held here shortly, its deliberations being restricted in the considerations of the Boumelian question.

The sal© of small grazing runs is re* presented to have been a success by the Dunedin papers. So it may have been in respect of the Nenthorne runs, the smallest of which was some 2000 acres; but it was an absolute failure as regards the Cairn Hill runs, there not being a bid for any one of them. It is a fearful and wonderful thing to contemplate the mismanagement of the land under the successive Ministers, each seemingly more foolish than his predecessor. The so-called “ grazing runs” at Cairn Hill ranged from 430 to 640 acres each. Perhaps some of our readers do not know where the Cairn Hill survey district is. Surveyors have a peculiar way of naming districts. Cairn Hill itself is in the gorge between Clyde and Cromwell; but the Surveyor's Cairn Hill is on the Old Man Eange at Bald Hill Flat. The land offered is the centre of a rooky detached mountain lying between Bald Bill Flat and the Molyneux, with no water except the Molyneux and that lying at a foot of a nearly perpeu* dicular face fully 1000 ft high, and yet our wise l and Board, the still wise Survey Department, and die infallible Ministers who are allowed to govern us by the grace of Parliament, consider that 400 acres of this rough mountain country is enough to enable

a man to got up in business as a grazier. It is to lie., asked if any worse fafe could befallja jfi'an than to he possessed Jof.a farm dF run of from 400 to 600 acres of suchland. There are evidently some of .pur legislators or tinkers who con aidjr so.rand doubtless such an area in some of the favored spot* ,is ample,-but we’ will never believe that anyone, not’even a Minister of the Crown, cap ,hq go devoid of t sense as* to’ say;,tlia'|anyone of these Cairn ill runs,- or for the matter of that, the whole grouped together, is Jat man to make a decent.living on. , The whole thing is a mistake, or "we willTje‘charitable enough to suppose so, as even from the first advertisement of. 4 sale the ground was described as being six miles from’Alexandra, and eight.from Roxburgh; whereas-thejigures should have been 8 and 17 respectively.

The case cited below, and taken from the “ Western Star,” we think will be an eye»opene? to many more than the miner. We had ever been of the opinion that thieving was thieving, and that the perpetrator when caught had meted out to him a punishment commensurate with the crime committed. His Honor Judge Ward, however, holds to a different opinion, and it is well that that opinion should be widely known. We do not pretend to question for one minute the correctness of the decision, we but say tbe scale has been lifted from our eyes.

At a sitting of the District Court commenced at Invercargill on Thursday last before his Honor Judge Ward, the case against Ah Pee, for theft of gold from a race at Ro.uud Hill (the circumstances connected with which weroijilly reported when the charge was heard in the R.M. Court), was dismissed.—Mr Finn, for the defence, submitted that Barnsley had no claim to the property at the time of the alleged robbery, bis miner’s right not having been taken out till January 4. He could have no claim whatever te any gold without a miner’s right, and was therefore a trespasser. Probyn was also out of it, having sold his interest in November to one Stewart, who had not been called as a witness. Brendtson had sold out all his interest in the gold, and it was not clear ihit Taylor had even a miner’s right. He submitted that none of the parties named had a right to the gob), and that there was no* case to go to the jury.—-Mr Russell (Crown Prosecutor) said that it was held by tho accusal’s counsel that the different persons allege! to have an interest in the .claim were disqualified, as they had no miner’s right, but he contended that it had been adduced that they held a title from Brendtson, who procured a right from the mining registrar at Riverton.—His Honor said that any person mining, and not holding a minor’s right, was a trespasser, Barnsley ha 1 no right at the time of the alleged robbery, so that he was a trespasser. Vesey was merely. j, servant : O’Brien had no right; Taj lor had parted with his, and so had Probyn and Brendtson. The duty of the jury was simple. The accused was charged with stealing gold, the property of one of tho persons he had named, but the gold not being the legal property of anyone of the parties named, iheir duty was simply to acquit the prisoner.—The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of “not guilty,’ ami the accused was discharged.

Contributors to- the Dunstan District Hospital are reminded that the first meeting under the “Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885,” will be held on Monday evening next, the Bth inst, in the Library Hall, Clyde. The advertisement in another column convening the meeting does not state the objects of the meeting, and as many probably will be in the dark on the subject, we will endeavour to make it clear. Under the above Act, and after its passing, it is enacted ffliat all hospitals in the country should in future be managed by a central board, but leave was granted to any one institution to apply to be incorporated as a separate institution. The formula for this was by memorial to His Excellency the Governor, but such memorial, to be acceptable, [.was to bo accompanied by a list of not less than one hundred persons who shall have signified their intention to contribute in yearly sums of not less than five shillings an amount o not less than LIOO to such institution. This was all done, and after a laps® of time the incorporation was completed, and the first meeting of contributors is convened for Monday next. Now, tfha business for that meeting is to elect the Board of Management, or, as they are called by the Act—Trustees. lu the case of the Dunstan District Hospital, the number of Trustees to be elected is six. lu regard to the election, however, another Act of the session of 18«5, viz., “The Local Bodies Contractors Act,” has to be taken into consideration, as will be seen from the following, which is Section 2: “ Any member of any local body —local “ body including District Boards and Trus- “ tees appointed under the provisions of “ the Hospitals and Choritabla Institutions “ Act, 1885— who eaters into any contract “for the supply of anything or the per-- “ tormance of any work with the local body “ of which he is a member, or who know- “ ingly supplies anything whatever to such “ local body, shall not be entitled to pay“meat for the same ; and any sum paid in “ respect of such contract or supply shall “ bo recovered, together with ten pounds In “ addition thereto, with full costs of suit, “ by any person who shall sue for the same “in a Court of competent jurisdiction. . , “ and tho person suing shall he entitled to “ tho ten pounds with the full costs of “ suit."

Most contradictory rumors are afloat respecting the crops throughout the country. AVe can but say that wi.U but very few exceptions—there are isolated patches that could be irrigated- in Vincent County they are » complete failure, and but little that will stand threshing. There is a good bit on band from previous years, prices accordingly aro not oxpecto.l to reach extravagantly high, though they may expect to bo considerably above what ruled during, the past, year or go,

The difference that’arose between some of the claimholders and the wages men at Tinkers about New Year, we are happy to say is amicably settled, the men agreeing to resume work at the proposed reduced wages from 10s {to 9a per day. The late rains increased the supply water, and all the claims are now again in full swing.

The following will represent Clyde against Wanaka pn the former’s ground to-morrow: Stevens, Thomson, Nicholi, Hogan, Shaw, Morrison, Laidlaw, Simmonds, M'Connochie, Holden, and Keele; emergency, Hueston, Keddell, and Harper. A narrow escape from drowning in the. Molyneux happened during the week to a man engaged on one of the dredges. It ap* pears his intent was to go ashore in the boat, but by some mischance the boat capsized, and the man was thrown into the water. Being a good swimmer he at once struck out for the Chore, he,was, however, drawn into an eddy from which he was unable, despite every effort to get out, and he found himself being gradually drawn under. He had a pair of gum boots on,. and feeling that his life depended on ridding himself of these, with wonderful courage he allowed himself to sink, in the meantime unfastening his waist belt,- to vjhich the boots were suspended. This done, be-cleared himself of the boots, then rising again to the surface he made for the shore, which he eventually reached not much the worse for his ducking As we have said, he is a good swimmer, and added that he displayed uncommon coolness, Is due what may be classed as amongst the wonderful escapes from drowning iu the Molyneux. The Auckland ’ Star ’ gives an account of an elopement case in which the wife of a ship carpenter went off with a bricklayer She is 36 years of age and her lover but 25. The husband went home on Saturday afternoon, after a hard week’s labor, and then discovered to his discomfiture that hiafaituless spouse had decamped and left him not only with four children, the youngest being four years of age. but almost hopelessly incumbered with debt. The chillren told him that their mother had gone away, they did not know where, but she had bid them “Good-bye.” Further enquiry showed that the wife had taken with her all her clothes, also her husbands earnings for the previous fortnight, about LS l * which had been left her by her mother two months ago, and money that her husband had placed in her hands to bank and provide for the family support during' the last two years. Now, the unfortunate man has coming in daily accounts for rent and olh r things which he supposed were paid, and worst of all a bill which the wife had incurred in order to fit out her lover with new clothing for the journey they had evidently planned for some considerable time. The interesting couple are supposed to have left for Sydney by the mail steamer on Sunday morning. Some very extraordinary proceedings seem to have taken place in the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Masterton recently. The Rev. J. C. Andrew, of lea, was charged by the rabbit Inspector (Mr Drummond with neglecting to abate the rabbit nuisance on his run. The Resident Magistrate (Mr Stratford) absolutely refused to allow the defendant to cross-examine the plaintiff or to offer any defence, saying that his mind was qui'e made np to inflict the minimum penaly. Mr Andrew,' according to a report iu a local paper, quoted the 94th section of the Act throwing the burden of proof on the defendant and requested in simple justice to be sworn, and his statement heard ; but Mr Stratford said the 54th section was a farce. He should not waste time by allowing the defendant to be sworn, and gave judgement for LI an costs. Mr Andre formally requested his Worship to take a note of his claim to be heard iu his own defence and the refual to allow to allow him to be sworn. His Worship declined to do so, and the case was thus ended for the prosecution. A poisoning case of somewhat exlraordinary character occurred (says the ‘Tuapeka Times ’) at the Provincial Hotel Evans Flat, last Thursday week. Shortly after dinner some of the people about the hotel were taken suddenly ill. It soon became evident that the illness was pretty general, as almost everybody who had partaken of dinner was more or less affected. The following had partaken of dinner :—Frank Gordon, A. Clark, William Buchanan, F. Buchanan, J. Buchanan, J. Tracey, James Drysdale, Louisa Olaringbold, and Mrs Clai k and child. The dinner consisted of mutton, potatoes, turnips, and a pudding. The all partook of the full fare with the exception of Mrs Clark and a traveller, who did not touch the pudding. About half an hour after dinner all the others commenced vomiting, and betrayed other symptoms which indicated the presence of an irritant poison. The vomiting continued at intervals throughout the afternoon, when it was thought expedient to sene for medical assistance. Dr Withers, accompanied by Inspector Mooro (to whom the intelligence had also been communicated), proceeded to the hotel but by the time they arrived the patients had recovered from the effects of their mishap. An iquiry was immediately instituted into the cause of the occurrence. The fact that Mrs Clark and the other person who had not partaken of the pudding were not affected indicated unmistakably that the mischief lay in the pudding, and this opinion was endorsed by Dr Withers. It appears that the flour of which the pudding was made had been lying for some time in the store. A packet of “ rough on rata ” was found in the room, and it is thought that by some means unknown some of this substance got mixed with the flour. This is the only way in which the can be accounted for, and we have no doubt if the affair is the outcome of a practical joke the police will soon become acquainted with the perpetrators. The sufferers are now pretty well recovered, but Dr Withers is of opinion that had they treated themselves( to an additional “ help ” tho result ' would m’ost likely'have proved fatal. *

The supposed Russian spy, “Father Victor Kanoics,” who was sent to the Madras Penitentiary to undergo a term of imprisonment under a sentence passed upon him by the Deputy-Magistrate of Cochin, submitted an appeal before Mr Justice Hutchins and Mr Justice Parker, on the Appellate Side of the High Court, against the sentence .of the DeputysMagistrate. He submitted (says the "limes of India’) that he had. been sentenced on no evidence whatever. Not a single witness had been confronted with him. He had first been charged with being a Russian spy, but that charge could not be sustained. Other charges were brought against him, one of which was that he was Oliver Pain, and even that could not be substantiated. This charge depended mainly on the resemblance he bore to Oliver Pain, as stated, by Mr Spangier, in Bombay ; but Mr Spangler was not brought down to Cochin to see for himself the person supposed lo have been represented in photo. The Cochin Court had sentenced him simply on newspaper reports and on certain telegrams which the Deputy-Magistrate said were confidential. The appellant produced several documents showing that he was the person he represented _ himself to. be, namely, Father Kanovics, a priest of the Order of Reformed Barnabites. Their Lordships reversed the decision of the Deputy-Magistrate and released Father Kanovics.: