COUNTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4151, 16 June 1876, Page 3

COUNTRY NOTES.

{From our , Exchanges. )

The Oamaru branch of the M.U.1.0.0;F. • have passed the following resolution in re- + ference to the new Friendly Societies’ Bill: —“That the Bill in its present form is far too and binding, and would be unworkable so far as the Manchester Unity is * concerned. '■ " . A very sudden death occurred in Milton on Monday evening, it being that of Lucy * Brownlow, mistress of the Roman Catholic * School. It appears that- after the duties of ] the - school; were over for the day, she was 8 visited by'a-neighbor, who had some con- i versation with her. She was then in her usndl health;ahd was preparing to have tea wh«n the neighbor left. On Tuesday morn- . ing she Was found sitting in her chair at the 'table, dead. The tea had been untouched, but she had partaken of some bread and meat. The medical evidence adduced at the inquest shltoed that: the cause of death was suffocation, a piece of the meat having been | found stuck in her throat. • Great consternation was caused at Milton yesterday; ! when it becaine known that a ’local auctioneer had been; apprehended on a ’charge of theft of grain, on the.information of a well-knpwn miller in the district. The accused was immediately released on bail. To-day’s ‘Herald ’ has the following reference to the matter :—E. N. Legge v, J. A. ■Henderson. charged the defendant on information with having feloniously stolen, taken, and carried away sixty bags of oats, the property of the plaintiff, from his premises at Helerisbrook. After the information had been #ad the plaintiff asked for ah adjournment, in order that he might procure evidence and secure professional assistance. Mr Carew crauted Aremand t« Monday. The long-talked of trotting match between Mr M’Laren’a Frost and Mr Dwyer’s Quicksand, for L2O a-side, took place on the Tokomairiro Ra,cecourse, yesterday afternoon, in the presence of . about fifty persons. ’! he distance was three miles, and the horses were ridden by their owners. Quicksand went off with the lead, aud was never caught, winning by about a hundred and fifty yards. The’time was te'n minutes fi'tv seconds. - / The ‘Bruce Herald’ has the following allusion to the late Mr W. G. Maitland “Mr Maitland arrived in Otago in 1853, being then quite a lad. He went to Fiji in 1870, and started a cotton plantation, returning to and from Otago frequently, wis stay in Fiji would be about three years, but he was ultimately forced to leave through ill-health. After his permanent return to Otago he entered into partnership with Mr Robert Grigor, at Balclutha, under the style of ■ Gngor, Maitland, aud Co., auctioneers. In ■ public undertakings he> was always fore- . most alike with his advice and his purse. : He waß "rgely connected with the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company, and also witk the ooaihing business between Balclutha aud Mat-aura, Ab a sportsman he was ever to the fore, and was one of the. beat bowman in the Clutha district. The deceased gentleman was. one of the most popular mou in the distnct, ami his loss will be mourned, not only here, but wherever he has boon, lie uas taken ill on Friday, the (Jth, suffermg from iullammatiau of 7'fim lungs, brought on by a former attack of dysentery, the rcsult of continued exposuroi aud over-exertion winle shipping machinery from the Macleay i River, m r\ew South Wales, for his Fijian i PkgtefcQP. During hilfeui days’ illness he i sufibred severe agony,”

The Government Merchant Shipping Bill was passed through committee in the House of Commons.

In the House of Commons, Mr B. Cochrane asked for the production of papers relating to Khokand. Mr Disraeli said that none existed, but England’s policy was frankness and firmness. The entente cordials with Russia was never better. Russia had notj regarded the title dS Empress as a menace, and she had an equal right to conquer in Central Asia as England had in India. In replying to Mr Wcl®* the Chancellor of the Exchequer declined to discuss the question of the neutralising of the bu£? ca ™> even were the project mooted; The mC. of England holding so many shares would greatly facilitate an arrangement, for the reduction of the tax. '

Che Khedive has signed a contract with a group of French financiers for consolidating all debts into bonds bearing interest at 7 per cent. The bonds are issued at 80 to par, and are redeemable in sixty-five years. The Prince of Wales, after being magnificently fifed in Spain, arrived at Portsmouth on the 11th May. The Princess and children boarded the Serapis in the Solent. Great enthusiasm was shown in the metropolis. The Queen, met the Prince at Buckingham Palace. The streets were draped with flags along the whole route, and there was a general illumination, with a grand gala at the < ipera, in the evening.

(For rest of News see Fourth Page.)