Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 3075, 27 December 1872, Page 2

There were imported .into •Npw yeealand last year $3,867 tons of coal,’ the .total, value which was UW, 151. The exports were 1 090 tons, valued at LRSI2 .Considering the fact that coal of a fair quality* and m some cases superior, has been found in almost every part of the Colony, it is singular that the community should continue to send such large suras out of the country for an article lying almost at their doors. A notification appears in the General vcnmeiit \te, dated the 12th inst., directing the attention of shipmasters and owue 8 of vessels within .olio jurisdiction of New Zealand, to the fact that peptics numbered from J3l to 14 inclusive, ,of hhetiißd UAjft of “ The Merchant Mii ping Act 18.54,” will v ' 1 ' i nfo °P era fi<m up. hi the first day of Marc 4 ?; 1973. The oct referred to is au .Imperial meHSurfl, fat b y the Parfiadien,o ef New Zealand lv6o. The annual .treat jLo£b£ children attending the Moray place and Russeli street Congregational Sunday Schools was given '/esterday m the grounds adjoining Mrs Kettle’s, kindly lent by her for .the occasion. About' £oo children were present, a,ud the teachers and friends mustered in force. During ,the clay, addresses were delivered by the Rev. T. Roseby and Mr B. Short, of Sydney. Before dispersing, the children assembled on Mr* Kettle's lawn, and gave hearty cheers for that lady, her family, and the teachers, w r Hudson" catered, and gave general satisfaction. '£lk. following is au extract from a letter from a gen«wua» in Victoria, received by the Albion :- “ ovying ix, the prevalence, just now, of snakes in' Victoria, 'eve?y hpu -ehold census .business at 2 p.nr .for the aofe purpose of kiiliijo jndoor's.uakes. Large' snakekillintr cats are wof'th 2s 6d, and terf era fetch L2. Bix snakes wwe my pifipw all night recently, unknown to me, J[ got up at dawn, feeling queer, when I saw the pillow move and immediately, with help, placed a safe on it. About 2 p.tn. w removed fcho snakes, which were crushed but not qqlte dead. As a rule upwards of 100 snakes 'are daily in a small h< use.” It must be ihe writer ©f that letter resides.

The Tomahawk Athletic El up .held eparts at the Valley on Christmas Day in tßV'prcsence of a large number of persons. The following were the results of the principal events : - Quoits, six competitors ; F. Bryce, I ; D. Rryee, 2. Hurdle Race, 3UO yards—four entries : A. Henderson, I ; T. Henderson, % Font-race (in heats), 150 yards—five e tries A- Henderson, 1 ; P. M‘Kenzie, 2; time, 20 secs. Hop, -Step and Leap twelve .entries : D. Malcolm, 1, ssft.. Throwing Heavy Hammer (15165), seven entries: Dick, 1, (36ft 6m, ■; J Smail 1, .2,60 ft. .Sin. Running Long Leap, four entries : J. Smaill, 1, 15ft. lUim ; D. Msdeoim, 2, 15ft B£m. Boys’ Race, 200 yards (heats) : P. White, 1; T. Rurgess, 2 ; time, 23 secs. Champion Race, 300 yards—Hiree entries : A. Henderson, 1; P. M Kenzie, 2; time, 35 secs. Running Long Leap : T. M Cudden, I. Walking Race, 1200 yards—four cutries : A. puckporth, 1; G. Harrison, poising

the Caber, three entries : A. Smaill, 1; Dick, 2. Boys’ ffiaraose Race, 200 yards ; T. Burgess and J. Bryce. Wrestling, four entries : A. and J. Smaill, ties.

The long spell of hot dry weather in the Oamaru district still continues, and appears li’ ely to do so. From the Upper Waitaki, however, the Times has news of a singular storm, some say a wat :rsp •ut, which occurred on Rriday last. In the space of a few second two dry creeks at Rugged Ridges were transformed into roaring torrents, four feet deep, and in a few minutes the River W.utaki had risen considerably. The sudden downpour was proceeded by a rushing sound, and two or three men who were nearer upon one of the creek beds at once made for the bank. The third remaine i, and in a few seconds was cut off from his companions by a broad deep stream. The storm extended to the Oteniatati, and the torrents of wate which fell tore up the roads, making holes in s-,.me places to the depth of three to four feet, it soon passed over, and the streams fell rapidly.

'ihe police profess to have got hold of Warren, the defaulting Sydney bank manager. A rather good looking young m in, ~f about 22 years of age, of medium height and fair complexion, appeared in the d ck at the Mayor’s Court this morning, under the name of Evelyn Warren, to answer a charge of emb zzling money, the property of the City Bank of Sydney, He was arrested y-ster lay evening near the Junction Hotel by Detective Parreli, who was journeying into town as the other was leaving. The accused had been staying at the Criterion hotel for a couple of days ; and is supposed to have come from Melbourne. Only 3s 9d was found on him, while tlm Warren wanted is said to have left -Sydney with LlOffi) in notes ; and was there thought to have gone to Auckland to catch the San Francisco boat. Tuc Bench, however, considered there was sufficient to justify the remand of a month applied for, the accused protesting stoutly that he was the victim of mistaken identity.

The adjourned inquiry touching the death of the lv. v. John Williams was held this afternoon in toe City Council Chambers, before Mr Hocken, City Coroner. The witnesses who had been examined up to four o'clock were James Ross Mitchell, a passenger by Cobb’s coach on the morning of the accident, and John M’Crobie, a settler at '-re n Island. The former said it was he who, at the driver’s request, pro-sod on the reins; that his doing so was without any perceptible effect, as the horses were increasing (heir speed ; that he did not consider the bores were running away, as they wore under command, although, tho driver was not able to pull them up. He believod th ■ accident was unavoidable after the horses got away. b far as he c >uld judge the driver f-fcarted down toe hill cautiously, and if he had been able to use the break thoroughly, the horses would not have got way on. The witness M’Crohic, who saw the accident, said he thought from the rate at which the horses came down tho hill that they Mere unmanageable. Our full report will appear to-morrow. Some interest was excited at Lawrence on Monday by a civil case in the local Court, in which H. J. ■ proule, late master oi the Roman Catholic sc 00l there, was plaintiff; and the Kev. Father Larkin, the local priest, defendant. The claim was for salary, and on Wednesday tho Bench gave judgment for the defendant. Father Larkin then charged Mr Spronle with embezzlement ; and Mr VI ouat, the prosecuting counsel, in opening his case, said the charge was not brought with the view of punishing Spronle ; but as his action had placed the prosecutor, who was the head of the Catholic body, in the up-country districts, in a peculiar aucl painful position, it was resolved to bring the matter before a competent tribunal) in order to iix the responsibility ou whom it justly fell. .Some time since a Roman .Catholic school was erected in Liwrence, and various means wore resorted to iu order tp raise the funds necessary to pay its cost. Among other devices, an an union was projected. The sanction of the Superintendent was obtained, anti the accused as teacher of the school was entrusted wdk the work »f getting it off ’* be idea of an art union was afterwards abandoned, and dints had been made to gejb accused to account for the iiion ys he had received, but without avail. He contAided that’it was not necessary to prove the offence of emhez/U’meuj, but that it would be competent tor the Bthc.h 1 to commit for larceny as a bailee. After a good deal of evidence had been taken, it transpired that tic Superintendent's sanction to the art union was not forthcoming, whereupon Mr Pyko, H.M., said that independent of that material fact, two important matters bad not been proved, viz., the fixing of a date, and that Spronle had not accounted for a particular ticket. He, therefore, suggested the withdrawal of the case, which was acted upon, Mr Copland, for Sproule, getting the Bench to note the iact that he objected to the withdrawal.