Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 23, 26 February 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

The hop gardens at Awahuri are looking remarkably well. That of Mr Boness promises to yield a heavy crop. The report that has been in circulation that Mr John Sheehan has had an attack of apoplexy is flatly contradicted.

Mr Uacarthiir returned from the south yesterday afternoon. We? notice that Woodyear's Circus will shortly visit Wellington and purposes rrakinc n tour of this eoist. A sale r>f sheep, caftlo and horses was held to-day at noon at Messrs Owen and Lethbridge's Ruatangata station Wan- | gaehti. I The Upper Taonui School Committee have selected Messrs Fry and Watts as their nominees for election to the Wanganui Education Board. The Turakina race priviliges were sold on Friday afternoon and realised -CGO »os. On Thursday the Hawera privileges were sold aud brought £200 10s. A mooting of the Oroua County Council will be held at the Council Ofliee, Feilding, on Wednesday, the oth March, at 12 o'clock, noon. The Manchester Rifles paraded on Saturday evening at the Town Flail. There was a fair muster, aud after an hour's company drill the men wcro marched out. The band accompanied the corps and played some excellent marches. The usual monthly meeting of the Education Jsoard, Wangamii, is being held to-day. Tho appointments committee met at ton o'clock. The business on the agenda paper is of considerable importance and some of the items will prove of considerable interest to Foildiny. Some peaches were submitted for our opinion this morning by Mr W. Slovens. One particular poach weighed Gh ounces, was ripe, and of excellent quality. Some "Early Yorks" were, however, sweeter and of fuller flavor. Altogether we found them worthy of our approval. j Last night 17 truck loads of timber from Messrs Roots and Co's sawmill were lying at the JVlakino siding awaiting . to be sent away. The freight comprised 1,000 sleepers and o large quantity of building stuff. The timber trade at Makino is pretty brisk just now, and as already reported, another mill will be open in a few days. To-morrow will be R.M. Court dny here, and at 12 o'clock the annual titling of the Assessment Court for tlie Borough will bt> held for the purpose of hearing any objections from ratepayers as iho amount of rates assessed upon their properties. The assessment caios, comprising 22 objections, will bo heard first, s-> that the Court will not open till 12 u'dock. Mr W. Stevens has just received a laige consignment of splendid tweeds, of Kaiapoi, Mosgcil, Geclong, Yorkshire. Scotch, German and other makes. Tho fabrics are really first-class, and can be well recommended. Gentlemen desirous, of being rigged up "properly" fur the coming winter will do well to give Mr Stevens an early call. We call the attention of stockbreeders and others to Messrs Ha I com be and Rherwill's sale here on Thursday. It addition to a lar^e quantity of other stock, 25 pure bred 2-tooth Lincoln ranis, bred by T. Bryce, Esq., will be offered, also 12 pure-bred 2-tooth Romney Marsh rams, and 25 pure-bred full mouthed Romney Marsh ewos, bred by Major Willis. Tho Coondia. steamer, from Pomnron for Newcastle, reports that in lat. 40 lb" IST., long. 9 20 W., she picked up a balloon. In the car were found a watcand altitudo indicator, a purse containing 1700 reis in Portuguese coins, a pair of spring side boots, an anchor, two flags, ;i coloured sash, &c. Some papers wore washed out of the car while it was being taken on board. Messrs Ft evens and Gorton held a stock and ram sale here this afternoon. The attendance was fair, but the bidding for cattle was not brisk, the demand for sheep, however, being rathei better, and moderately good prices wore realised. The rams were not in high demand, from 3£ to 4| guineas being the prices given for Roinncys, while tho bids for Lincoln* did not reach tho reserves placed on them by the vendors. A united camp mooting of tho WeKl;>yan and Primitive Methodist bodies took place in MrK-llow's paddock in Campden street on Sunday last, both in the inonuiu and afternoon. The meetings were well attended, and impressive addresses were delivered by several ministers and laymen, interspersod wilh the singing of Sankey's hymns by the assembly. In the evening a testimony meeting was held in the Wesleyan ih-srch, which waa also well attended. The Autumn Show of tho Manchester i Horticultural Society will be held in the Town Hall on Wed esday, the sth of .March. The arrangements which have been made for tho recaption of visitors, with the splendid specimens of floral oxhibits and agricultural products which will be submitted tor the opinions of the judges, will make this show far more interesting and attractive than any of those which have preceded it. Tiie secretary and the committee have been indefatigable, in their exertions, and we have every confidence that they will be rewarded with a most brilliant success. An exciting race between two hacks, one belonging to Mr James Robinson, and another to a Native named Rawiata, took place on the race course at Foxton yesterday afternoon, resulting in the latter making a very easy win. The amount at stake was £25, besides heavy betting ©n both sides, tho horses havint; met before, and each having, we are informed, scored a win against the other. This would account for much of the interest taken in the event, a large number of Maoris, bsides Europeans, being present. Another race between the two horses is talked about. :

The rate of emigration from the United Kingdom to the Australian colonies has actually doubled within (ho last year. Mr Glad-tone is (he only man living to whom a statue has been raised iv a foreign country by popular subscription during his own lifetime. Last night's Pnlmorston Standard says: — Wo learn on the best authority that Mr Walter Johnston will resign his seat for Miimwa'ii in April next. The Woodville Examiner devotes a leader to showing that the promises made to Mr Macarthur by the Minister for Public Works will never bo fulfilled. The Manchester Rifles will parade at tbe butts on Saturday afternoon, at 1.30 p.m., for practice firing. Ammunition will be supplied free, on the grounds. Every member is requested to attend. The Grand Phantasmagoria will appear in the Town J 1 all on Thursday evening. We believe this show is particularly interesting and amiimn», ami as the prices are wonderfully low, we hope and expect to see a bumper heusc. A Palmerston exchange says: — Malcolm, who levanted with a young lady from Palmerston to Australia is on his return journey to New Zealand, having been arrested on a charge of wife desertion under the Act passed last session of Parliament. We le-arn from Christchurch that on Saturday last two men. named Williams and Everett, belonging to a party prospecting f->r nold in the Wilberforce Valley, were seriously injured by falling down the rooks. Everett was nble to come to Springfield, but tho other had to bo left at the tamp till a conveyance was got to remove him. In Lyttrhon a man named John Edward Taylor was sentenced to six months for stealing a clock from the house of a man who had given him food and shelter for the night. He lias undergone sentences amounting to over 17 years, having been three limes convicted of forgery, 14 times of larceny, twice of vagrancy, and nine times of drunkenness. Mr Sutton addressed his constituents at Napier on Saturday night. He strongly condemned tho leasing proposals of Government and the appointment of Mr Mitchelson, also the failure of tho local government Dills, and iuti nalcd that, he hud informed Ministers that he would probably not be a .supporter of theirs nrxl session. Ifo lo- ke<l to the next cloction tv return men capable of forming a strong 1 Ministry. We learn from Melbourne that Mr Murray Smith, the Colonial Agent General, had an interview with the Undersecretary for the colonies regarding the the federation of tho Australian Colonies and Pacific Annexation. In tho course of the interview Sir Robert Herbert announced that Her Majesty's Government had decided not to sanction any annexation of the Western Pacific islands until the Federation of the Australasian i olonies had been accomplished, and it would bo necessary for the various Colonial Legislatures to adopt a resolution confirming the action of their delegates at tho Sydney Convention, before tho Imperial Parliament could pass tho necessary enabling Act.