LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 51, 13 December 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The tender of Mr Powles, to paint St. John's Church for £"31 10s, was accepted. Wo hixvo to acknowledge the receipt of a quantity of Parliamentary returns and reports from the Government Printer. Service will be held this evening at the Church of Eugland, at 7.30 p in., and at Us conclusion there will be a choir practice. The commission of Sir William Fox has been extended by the Administrator of the Government to the 23rd December, 1883. We omitted to mention that Mr S. Goodbehere was the author of the excellent article ou the transit of Venus, which appeared in our issue of the 9th inst. Mr Linton's sale of timber at Ashurst, on account of Messrs Warue aud Beard, was well attended, and 130,000 foot were dispose 4of at good prices. The amount of beer duty collected in the colony for the year ended March 31, 1882, was £58,500, as ..gainst £16,015 for the year 1881— aa increase of £12.487. Fifteen trucks, eontaiuing one hundred and fifty bales of wool, arrived by train at Foiton on Saturday last, from the Oroua Dowin estate, and from Mr Alex. McDonald's property, Awahuri. Messrs Hall and James were the successful tenderers for the contract to clear and put culverts into the race-course, the amount of their teuder being £49. The work is to be proceeded with immediately. Mr L. A> Caldwell will commence operations again at his sawmill, Makino* during *Ue current week. Ho has made excellent arrangements for the disposal of his timber. Silver coin to the value of £22,700 has been received, by the Government from the Boyal Mint, in return for the old and worn silver coin sent to England some months ago- The bank of New Zealand, will put the new coin into circulation. A horse iv a market cart bolted at Awahuri on Saturday. It took a straight course to the river and plunged off the bank into the cooling waters, whence it was soon extricated without any «erious damage either to itself or the trap. The Wellington and Foxton coach capsized just before leaving Wellington, on Vlonday last. Mr Mallock, of Canterbury, was thrown to the ground, and the coach falling on him, fractured his hip. The ether passengers escaped uninjured. A "HUtory of N-ew Zealand," by Mr Gr. W.. Itusden, for many years Clerk to the Parliament in Victoria, is in the Press. This history will deal with the manners and laws of .the Maoris, the discovery of the Islands, and the history of affairs iv the colony up to the preseut time. The Duaed : n folk are much exercised because the Minister of Justice won't let them no tain the services of Mr CaldweJl as governor of the gaol The principal reason advanced by them is that " they | have been used to him so long, and they object to a change." Verily the good people of Dunedin hereby commit themselves. Colonel Sterling, of the Coldstream Guards, had a narrow escape at the battle of Tel-el-Keber. He was looking through his glasses when a bullet struck his hand, taking off one of his fingers; passing downwards, the bullet struck his revolver, and found its billet in the case. Had the revolver aot been there i olonel Sterling would have been killed. Steps are being taken for the establishment of a glove factory in Christchurch. The necessary machinery has been sent home for, including the new sewing machines made expressly for glovo sewing. There i« a good opening in the colony for a glove factory, and skins are easily obtainable. Female" labor will he principally em; loyed. A churchwarden, the sphere of whose duties lies not a hundred miles from Feilding, is determined as well as energetic in the performance of his duties as collector of the offertories- On Sunday morning last one of the congregation was rather dilatory in producing the customary coin, but the objurgation to "ante up, old man," had the desired effect on lim, and also hastened the movements of the adjacent worshippers.

There are now 116 entries for the Feilding Sports. This number far exceeds that of any previous occasion. The newly appointed Governor of this colony, Sir William Jervois, will arrive per Wakatipu from Sydney in January. The Hobart Mercury has discovered that science is advancing at such a rate that medical men will soon be able to make families and communities to order. The Sydney Echo thinks that "either the Austral is the greatest blunder committed in modern shipbuilding, or somebody connected with her has been guilty of criminal negligence." Sir Garnet Wolseley and Sir B. Seymour were offered either a pension of £2,000 a-year for life or a sura of £50,000. They elected to take the latter. "We have heard that it is contemplated by the Palmerston Wesleyans to have a Picnic and lancy Fair during the holidays, in order to dispose of goods unsold at the late bazaar. Every child sent to the State School represents an additional 24s a year coming into the district. Parents should reflect on this and send their children to school. Picnics seem to be the order of the day am.mg the Wesleyans just now. The Sandou and Hulls congregations intend to have one ci\c)i on Boxing Day, and the Marlon people one on New Year's Dij. Arrangements are in course of preparation for holding in the Feilding Town Hall a novel aud attractive entertainment entitled "' Ye Olde Englishe Fayre." It is to commence about the beginning of the New Year, and is to last for 5 or G days. We predict a large patronage for the show, particulars of which will be duly advertised. John Sh.cpphard, aTimaru storekeeper, who levanted to San Francisco about six nioutbs ago, but who returned and gave himself up the authorities, com mi t ted suicide on Monday last, by shooting himself through the heart with a revolver. He was out on bail, and his case would have come on for trial yesterday. He htid been advised to plead guilty as he had no chance of .escape. We learn that the authorities have not issued instructions to close the post aud telegraph offices this year on Boxing Day. Hitherto in the country stations the offices have been open fur half— an-hour in the morning, and an hour in the afternoon, on Boxing Day, thus enabling the officials to witness the games and sports the same as tho rest of the settlers. In large towns the officers can exchange with each other, but this is impossiUe in c mntry stations where there is only one q Gcer in charge assisted by a m. ssenger. j We hope tho commissioner, Dr Lemon, will see his way to grant the country , stations Sunday hours on Boxing Day. ■ The title of Meisrs Gilbert and Sullivan's new comic opera, which in due ; course will succeed " Patience" at the ; Savoy Theatre, is (according to the . Queen) to be " Perola," and the plot is , said to hinge oh the lore of a Lord Chan- ; «ellor for one of his own wards in chancery. The part of the Lord Chancellor is to be played by Mr George Grossmith, and the work is to be brought out in I'ngland and America simultaneously, so as to secure tho copyright in both countries. The original performance in England will, however, be of one evening's duration only, the regular performance of the work being deferred until "Patience" has ceased to attract large audiences, a contingency which, judging from present appearances, The Queen says, seems unlikely to arise for several months to come.