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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 468, 8 April 1867, Page 3

The Provincial Council of Wellington! will meet fo.' tae despatch of business on the 2fitli April, at 3 p.m. Hitchens, the celebrated billiard-player, H playing at Adelaide, and intends shortly to visit New Zealand. Sir George Grey. —Speaking of the Governors projected movements the New Zealand Advertiser, March 29, has the following ;—“ It is said that his Excellency Sir George Grey will pay his intended visit to Nelson about the 7th of next month. Kumor also has it that he will not return to Wellington until May, and that in the meantime he will go North after he visits NeUon. His Excellency had an interview with General Chute yesterday, the result of which has not transpired.”

Tue Late Muuueb at Patea. —Thej only news (if m ws it can be called) respect- 1 ing the late murder at Patea that we have received by the last mail is contained in the following paragraph from the Wanganui Times, 22ad March, which says : “There is reason to neijeve that the haifjeaste who accompanied poor Hrady, and !who knew that lie had a large sum of mo nej on his person, had more to do with, or knew more about the murder than the Hau-baus. No doubt the case will be thoroughly inquired into, and we shall be anxious to hear the result.”

Fibk.—A firo which,but for a combination of fortunate circumstances, might have b-ea attended with serious consequences, took place in the bakehouse of Mr Casey, Hastings-street, on Thursday mornin g last, The premises in question are completely

surrounded by an extensive block of builddings, and at the time tiie alarm was iirst given (about half-past one a in.) it was difficult to say where the fire had originated. At that time the fire was raging furiously and little hope was entertained of saving from total destruction the burning building itself, to say nothing of the adjoining premises. But as wehavesaid, there was a combination of fortunate circumstances which served to make the result otherwise. In the first place there was no wind; there was plenty of water close handy; and numbers of willing ami active men were speedily at work. Aiiihese pul together sufficed to stay the progress of the fiery element, and in less than half andiour after the first alarm all signs ot a conflagration had vanished ami our streets once more relapsed into their usual state of quietness. The cause of riie accident may be attributed to a quantity of firewood having been put int the oven during the day to dry; taken out while in a pa lial state of ignition, and placed against the wooden wall of the bakehouse, where it had smouldered until morning, and then broke into flame, caught the wall and ascended to the roof, when bursting through which it was happily discovered, and, as we have shown speedily extinguished. We arc glad to learn that the damage sustained by Mr Casey is comparatively small. We cannot close this bruf notice without im pressing upon the public the urgent necessity of exercising the utmost caution in the matter of fire.

A wiur—returnable within sixty days—has been received in Auckland for the election of a Superintendent. The Herald thinks it like y that the election will be ail over in half the time. As far as present appearances go, there is every probability of a severe contest —Mr John Williamson being the most likely to get returned. On the night of the 19 li March, a fire broke out in in the premises of Mr J. Switzer, boot and shoo maker, Princes-streer, Dunedin. The damage sustained amounted to £3UO. The Daily Times says that this was the Grst alarm of fire given in Dunedin since the 3rd November, 1886, when the Provincial Council Hall was found to be ablaze.

P uu its of PnoxECXiON. —The effect of the protection tariff lately passed in Victoria, which levies a duty upon imported breudetulT-, is already felt in South Australia. A telegram from Adelaide, of the 12tli instant, appeared in the Argus of the 13 h, which says : —“The operation of the Melbourne ta; iff has already seriously affected our exiort trade, and freights for Melbourne enmot be obtained.” Who tiler increasing the price of the 11 staff ot life” by artificial means will be relished by the labouring classes in Victoria, remains to be seen.

N’aiiuow Escape.—ln connection with the late murder of the mail .Brady, between Warea and Opunake, the L’aranaki Herald states that early m ihc nigur, when Ihe murder was commuted, .Ur. 0 M •*- seiiger, Air. I'.C. \V il-mn, and some Maori* passed the spot on llicir wav to Warea ; and the next eve dog, n mot s'losi t, Air A. S. Atkinson, and a Aigat ira unit lad, also passed the same spot, without knowing mat anything had happened, and fortunately without lulling in with anv rebels.

Dfath from A.nim.u, Poison.—O.i Monday, (lie ISth ultimo, Mr. James Layton was ciunged in skinning a diseased sheep. lie had two small pustules or pimples on his wrist, and it is supposed that the virus thereby penetrated into his system. Medical aid was not called in till the following Wednesday, when the arm had begun to swell considerably, aud the pulse was almost imperceptible. Even then the origin of the symptoms was not known, and it was only by subsequent inquiry that the medical men were able to ascertain that deceased had been skinning a diseased sheep. It was then too late to do anything except to administer strong stimulants and tonics. Tne poison had penetrated throughout the entire system, and the only chance was to create an artificial action of the heart and nervous system, such as might resist the operation of the virus. A consultation of all the Albury doctors was held, and the case was deemed hopeless. Mr. Layton lingered on till Saturday, the 23rd, when death ter'minated his sufferings. It is a curious circam--1 stance that the sheep Mr, Layton was engaged in skinning was one of Kelly’s flock, purchased at ; Humbug Creek, near Wagga Wagga. Kelly, the j proprietor, (lied suddenly whilst driving these | sheep, and his death was put down to sunstroke. (Mrs. Kelly, his wife, died suddenly at Beech worth, I after taking delivery of these sheep and selling them by auction. Her death was attributed mainly to grief lor the loss of her husband. The shepherds who drove these sheep were afflicted with unaccountable swellings on various parts of the body, and two of them are even now scarcely recovered. About thirty sheep died in the journey between Wagga Wagga and Albury. The pigs fed on their flesh died, without exception. At Beechworth more of the sheep died, and their carcases being given to the pigs, also caused the death of several more pigs. The deatli of Mr. Layton has caused people to reflect a little. It is now remembered that in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly the symptoms were exactly the same. There was vomiting, and swelling of some of the limbs in every case. There was the same absence of j pulsation in each instance. The conclusion now arrived at is, that all these deaths were caused by j animal poison. inquest was held on the resolved now is, whether the poison of diseased sheep cannot he introduced into the human system without such direct contact with the Wood as is usually accepted as a necessary condition of contagion. The sheep have been opened, aud | found to be suffering from all the symptoms of pieuro-pneumoma. This is a disease that had been hitherto supposed to be confined entirely to cattle, although we have heard of horses being attacked by it. Anyhow, those learned in such matters will do well to extend their researches so far as to ascertain whether sheep are capable of being infected with tills or any similar disease; and if so, what danger accrues to those manipulating the carcases,—Border Post.