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Evening Star, Issue 4317, 28 December 1876, Page 2

The Hon. the Postmaster-General proceeded overland to Christchurch to-day. It is worthy of note that while twentynine cases of drunkenness were heard at the Christchurch on Boxing Day-only one case came before the local Court. At the Port Chalmers Police Court this morning Joseph Young, John Philips, and Henry Fegan were each fined 10s, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, for drunkenness. The * Southland Times’ leams that the Government intend forthwith to commence the formation of the Western District railways. There will al obe a re-valuation of the work done and the plant taken over from Mr Proudfoot, so that the public will have an opportunity of forming an opinion of the correctness of the amount fixed by the arbitration.

Damages of L3O were given conjointly against a sergeant .of police (Richard Wigmore) and Thomas Smith, a publican, in Victoria a few days ago. The case was tried before Judge Cope, and it was shown that Smith, the publican, having lost a case of whisky, went without a search warrant, in company with the sergeant of police to search the premises of Michael White, laborer, living at Hotham. They did not find the property, and White feeling aggrieved at their suspicion of him sued them for trespas , and obtained a verdict against them for 1.30. Taking advantage of the fine weather and the holiday in Dunedin, the Don. Mr Ormond (Postmaster-General), Mr W. N. Blair (District Engineer), Mr Carruthers (Engineer-in-chief), and Mr Connor (District Engineer on the West Coast) visited Lawrence yesterday. The party went from Dunedin to Murray’s Flat by special train, and accomplished the distance in five hours. They went on to Lawrence by cab, and after inspecting the “lions” of the town, accompanied by Mr J. C. Brown, left again at three o’clock for Murray’s Flat, whence they proceeded to Dunedin by rail. The * Times’ states that the visit was purely a non-official one, intended more to afford Mr Ormond an opportunity of visiting the district than anything else. Mr J. C Brown writes to the ‘ Tuapeka Times ’ in reference to the Lawrence telegram re his supporting the candidature of Mr Clayton for Gabriel’s riding that appeared in our columns last week:—“ This telegram regarding myself has notaparticleof truth, was invented by the sender, and transmitted I believe, without your knowledge. If any one of the 2 2 electors, who recorded their votes on Fiiday last, will say that I endeavored in any way to influence their vote, or even spoke to them about the election, I will pay to the Tuapeka Hospital £5 for any and every person making such a statement, Mr Bastings has reason to exclaim, ‘Save me from my friends,’ as I / feel sure these statements having currency, I did not improve his election.” I

A lady in Wellington has added twins to I the population of the Colony three times in j i 'Die pjatelayiug on the Lnwt lino is all bub compL ted as far as Waitahuna. The Public Works Department believe it will be ready for opening as far as Havelock on the 15th prox. The charge of assault with intent against William Walker will be proceeded with tomorrow at the City Court. The child is progressing favorably, End may be considered out of danger. Martin’s Bay appears to be offering some attraction to a number of persons in Cromwell, as the local paper hears of one or two families, as well as single men, making preparations for emigrating there. Thero will very soon be no part of the Colony free from scarlet fever. All the principal towns, and very many of the minor ones are already infected, and the disease is unquestionably still on the increase. As evidence of the fact of how little there is of “ shattered hopes and blighted fortunes” in breach of promise cases we may mention that the rumor has reached us of the union of the plaintiff in one of the Taieri breach of promise cases with a well-known chemist. A painful sensation was created at Quartzville and throughout the Bannockburn on Wednesday last by the accidental drowning of a fine little boy of two years, son of Mr Wm. Bennett, storekeeper at the first-named place. The little fellow had, about one or two o’clock in the day, been playing about a race which runs through the township, and must by some means have fallen into the watercourse. There appear to be some sharp inclines on the Canterbury railways, for the Timaru ‘Herald,’ in alluding to the completion of the Opawa railway, a branch of the Main Trunk line, remarks that a slight idea of the fall in the country through which the line passes will be gained when it states that a few days ago a number of trucks, after being started at the Opawa station, went without the application of any propelling force by those in charge of the train to Pleasant Point, a distance of sixteen and a-half miles, in three quarters of an hour. Mr Bryce, one of the members for Wanganui, when recently addressing some of his constituents, cautioned them against expecting that the Counties Act would work with perfect smoothness. If the subsidies were not forthcoming, he believed it would work very rustily, and taxation would be necessary to meet the requirements of the Colony very shortly. He saw no sufficient power vested in the County Councils in the carrying on of work to open up the country, but if they had the power he saw no sufficient reason why they should not exercise it. The General Government would have to assume some of the Colonising powers itself. It was an essential weakness in the system, and he saw no other way of getting over it. Ultimately he believed the Councils would be invested with increased powers—possibly with the control of education matters.

The Artillery Band will resume practice on Friday, January 5. A picnic and concert in connection with All Nations lodge, 1.0. G.T., will be held at lawyer’s Bay on Monday next. Wise’s Almanac for 1877 has reached us. It is a marvel of cheapness, and will be found useful to all classes of trade. We havereceived from Mr Mears a copy of the_ Victoria Company’s almanac for 1877, copies of which are now ready for distribution on application at the office. ®We have received from Mr J. Braithwaite No. sof the * New Zealand Songster,’ containing Mr Bracken’s Christmas poems and the whole of Mr 1 mmet’s songs in “ Fritz ” We have received copies of the Royal Insurance Company’s (Dunedin agents, Messrs Henderson Law and Co,) Sheet and Book Almanacs for 1877. 'I he latter contains tariff duties and other valuable information. The South British Insurance Company have forwarded us conies of their neatly got up Almanac for 1877. The Liverpool. London, and Globe Company’s almanac, which contains an excellent picture of the Company’s chief office, is also to hand.