Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 72, 29 May 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

Sir George Grey will deliver an address at Gisborne to-day. A Masonic lodge, under the English constitution, will be opened at Woodville shortly. The natives in the King country are in favor ef the sale of liquor being prohibited in that district. Between the years 1871, and 1882, 35,660 seamen nnd 3062 passengers lost their lives on British ships. Constable Manning has been appointed Inspector of Weights nnd Measures for the Boroughs of Palraerston and Feilding, and for the counties of Oroua and Manawatu. We understand that the case of Gagern t Lightbourne, which was adjudicated tipon in the R.M. Court yesterday will in all probability be re-opened by the plaintiff. It is confidently asserted that Mr Rochfort is actually coming to commence the exploration of the Oroua Valley railway route, and that a party of his men are in town to-day. A siormy meeting of the shareholders of the Chartered Bank has bee« held and a motion for a committee to enquire into its affairs was only withdrawn in order to avoid damaging the credit of the bank. The Feilding Variety Company will repeat their performance here on the 7th of June. They will also perform by speciai desire at Palmerston on the 14th, and at Marton on the 21st of the sauae month. The following weights have been declared for the Fuxton Winter Handicap : —Armourer, Bst 101 b; Alma, Bot 41b ; Du.->k, 7st 101 b; Scrutineer, 7m t oil); Orphan, 7st 3lb ; Kautara and Lady Artist, 6st 101 b. Mr Chadwick is handicapper. It is rumoured that Mr Pilliet the member for Stanmore, has offered to resign his seat in favor of Sir Julius Yogel. It is understood that if Sir Julius accepts, no opposition is anticipated. It has also been suggested that Sir Julius be asked to contest the Avon seat with Mr Rolleston. Great complaints are mado of the attendance of larrikins at the Salvation Army meeting at the Thames. It is presumed the larrikins go to be converted, and as they are the class from which the ranks of the Army are recruited, it is difficult to understand " the complaints." The Earl of Seafield died at Claridge's Hotel, London, about 9 o'clock on the evening of the 31st March, aged 33. His nearest surviving relatives are his uncles, tlie Hon. James Ogilvie Grant, and the Hon Lewis Alexander Grant. The next heir is now a bailiff at at Oamaru. Great numbers of sea fowl are now killed by flying against the telegraph wires along the British Coasts during stormy weather. The society for the preservation of wild birds, has the subject under consideration and Parliament will probably be petitioned to have the wires removed or made innocuous by padding. The New South Wales Rifle Association intends to hold an International Rifle competition in Sydney towards the end of the year. It is proposed to invite Victoria, Queensland, New Zealand, and the other colonies of Australia to send teams of ten men each to Sydney in October, 45 shots to be fired at 300, 500, and 600 ranges. The Canterbury Times says that, in Canterbury the Government party in the H ouße may be said to be broken up. Soon after Mr Richardson replaced Mr Wilson at Kaiapoi, the st&unchest and best of the Ministerial supporters in the district, Mr Wright, resigned his seat. The others are in a fluid state, ready tor obvious reasons, to flow into any current that takes them against the Government The first smoking concert held in Wellington came off at the a thenseum Hall last Friday evening, under the auspices of the Early Closing Association, and proved a great success. The attendance was not so large as might have been expected. An excellent programme was gone through, and a rery pleasant evening was spent. Another smoking concert will be given at an early date. — Post. In an address to his constituents at Port Chalmers on Monday last, Mr Me Andrew is reported to hare said that "if he had one spark of the intellectual power of Sii George Grey he would ruffle up the spirits of the people so that thn very stones should roe — not again.it the unearned increment, but against the upas tree of centralism." After this bathoß it is almost needless to say that the intelligent electors passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the speaker. A luncheon was given by the Mayor of Wanganui on Tuesday to Wahanui and the other Chiefs who accompanied him from Waikato. In responding to the toast of his health, the wily old chief whenreferring to the country being opened for gold prospecting, said "you people who have white skins wait — not fcr a long time, I will not say any time — but just wait and keep your mind at ense this is all I have to say." Just so — wait. ..■.■•■' ;

France intends shortly to blocade the whole coast live of Madagascar. The Chief Wahanui and suite were passengers by the noon train to-day from Wanganui en route for Wellington. It having been decided at Oxford, that the title of "Esquire" has become vulgarised. Cambridge has joined in a movement to adopt plain " Mr" as the distinguishing oadge of social eminence. A presentation and address were made to G. G. FitzGerald, Esq., M.H.R., last evening by the residents of Wanganui, on the eve of his departure to Wellington, where he will fill the editorial chair of the .New Zealand Times. The editor of the Palmerston Times takes the trouble to correct a typographical error which appeared in our last issue, where the word " quarter" was v ied instead of "eighth," in a local referring to a sale of land in Fergusson street at the rate of £32 X) per acre. The good example shown by the Feilding burgesses in contributing by a special rate to the support of their public Library was spoken of in highly complimentaray terms by Mr Eichardson at a recent meeting of the members of the Welling* ton Athenfflai. Foxton had better look to its laurels. The township of Shannon, now being formed in that vicinity by the WellingtonManawatu Kail way Company, bids fair from its position and the nature of the surrounding country to grow into a formidable rival to Foxton ; and it is not altogether beyond the bounds of possibility that at some not far distant date announcements may be made to the effect that the s.s. So-and-So will leave for Shannon at such an hour, " calling at Foxton should sufficient inducementoffer." There is, we understand, a good wharf at Shannon, and the river is said to be easily navigable. — Post.