Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 4261, 23 October 1876, Page 2

A large seal was seen on the Ocean Beach by a number of gentlemen yesterday afternoon. Messrs D. Macrorie and W. A. Bews have been elected to represent the parish of St. John, Invercargill, and Mr Hodgkins to represent Dunedin in the Diocesan Synod, which opens at Dunedin on November 1. The 'N. 0. Times' has been informed that the Kaka Bridge will be finished to-day, so that next week there is no reason whatever to prevent the line being opened right through between Oamaru and Moeraki Junction. The accident during the contest for the Consolation Stakes at the Oamaru steeplechase is likely to prove fatal to Larrikin. Indeed it is only surprising that considering the injuries received he is still alive. The ' Mail' says it is almost impossible he can recover. The man Dillon, whose accidental death at Koxburgh was reported in Saturday's issue, was not a teamster, nor was he driving the dray on that occasion. Further particulars of the accident appear in the 'Dunstan Times,' which states that it happened about half a-mile on the Teviot side of Patrick's accommodation house. WUon was in the act of getting upon a loaded waggon while in motion, when he fell backwards between the shafts and the hind legs of the horses. Before the driver (Alexander Fraser) could stop the team the waggon wheels had passed on to Dillon's head. Fraser had to move forward the team again to release the body. During the hearing of the case Keiley v. the Superintendent of Canterbury, heard at Christchurch last week, Judge Johnston remarked that the railway authorities, whether under the Provincial or General Government, ought to know that they were the servants of the public, and that they must not take the law into their own hands and use coercive measures, as thpy had done in the ease under consideration. The conduct of such authorities must be placed under the most careful restraint, otherwise any passengers travelling on railways might be subjected to indignities of an exceedingly unpleasant nature. In the case the plaintiff had not even been asked his name or address, but had been treated in a way that no right-thinking man would approve of.

Lawrence declines to takej»art in the Fire Brigades' demonstration on Boxing Day. Disgusted with the "fourth-class "station to be erected at Lawrence, the local Town Council brought the matter under the notice of the Public Works Department. The Under-Secretary curtly replies that "the station can be extended as soon as the traffic warrants it." v Vj e good accouutß from Waipori we published on Friday are confirmed by the luapeka Times,' which says that "early on Tuesday morning the Nil Desperandum Company struck a vein of the richest stone that has ever been seen in the district.. lnose working in the mine never saw richer stone, which continues good as they go up." A Parliamentary telegram in the '« N. 0. Times says:-"The Upper House is determined to cut out of the Harbor Bills all endowments and borrowing powers." Mr bhnmski, M.H.R., in informing the Oamaru c^l • - J?, e carr yi»g of the second reading ot their Bill in the Council, says :—"There is not the slightest hope of the endowment. The police intend to take action against some vendors of milk in the city for weakening improperly the milk they sell. We understand that samples of the milk [supplied to one of the public establishments in town were forwarded to Professor Black, and on analysis by him proved to be diluted to the extent of one third in one instance and nearly half in another. The Oamaru Town Council has been considerably " exercised" as to how to deal with sly grog selling, which seems to be rather prevalent in that town. The offenders are chiefly keepers of boarding-houses, and in its perplexity the Council appealed to the Government on the subject. In reply, the Provincial Secretary refers it to the powers it possesses under certain Ordinances, which are deemed sufficient to put down the evil. How to obtain a half-holiday on Saturday without losing time has been arranged by the working men of Napier. The «Mercury' states that several journeyman have pointed out to their employers the desirability during the summer season of working a half hour extra every day so as to enable them to obtain Saturday afternoon as a holiday. This proposition has been accepted by one large firm. The 'Mercury' is informed that other employers of labor have also agreed to permit of this privilege. This practice is followed by several firms in Dunedin. Some weeks ago we made mention that the committee of a certain Presbyterian Church not many miles north of the Octagon was about to test the feeling of the congregation on the subject of instrumental music. We now hear that a vote, the result of which should be known in a little more than a week, of the congregation is being taken, and it is confidently anticipated there will be a large majority in favor of the introduction of instrumental mnsio. Thereafter the matter has to be referred to the Presbytery. It appears that the Presbyterian congregations at Lawrence and Naseby stands much in the same position. At the last-mentioned place, the congregation have for tome time been in possession of a harmonium, and some of the members are getting anxious to know what is going to be done with it. A subscriber" asks that question very pointedly through the medium of the * Mount Ida Chronicle,' and says his contribution was given on condition that the harmonium should be played during divine service. The following items are from the 'Dunstan Times':—Elliott and party, whose sluicing claim is Bituate about a quarter of a mile on the Cromwell side of Felton's Hotel, had a washing up last week after having been running for nearly twelve months, the total yield being only some 22 ounces. The party expeoted at the very least 200 ounces, and they fully believe the olaim to have been systematically robbed, from the amount of gold they were continually seeing in the claim during the long course of working.— Consequent on the steady rains that fell during nearly the whole of Friday last, the whole of the rivers and creeks rose to a considerable height, and for a time completely stopped the traffic. On a partial subsidence one gentleman, Mr Couts, of Kempthorne and Prosser's, whilst crossing the Manuherikia had a narrow escape of losing himself, horse, buggy, and all. This is the second accident of the kind that has occurred at the Manuherikia within the past few weelts. A noveKy in the shape of a Christmas Club has been introduced by Messrs B. Singer and Co, George street. Full particulars will be found m our advertising columns.