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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 945, 16 February 1871, Page 2

A person called Felix M'Cartby (says the Wanganui Herald) was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labor, for a wanton and unprovoked assault on Colonel M'Dunnell, in his own grounds a few evenings ago. M'Carthy's only motive for the assault was because the Colonel refused to recommend him for the Colonial Cross.

The Wanganui Chronicle says that Mr Henry Hammond's shop, used for his butcher's business at Bull's, was burned to the ground a few nights ago. Great exertions prevented the fire from spreading to the adjacent buildings. Mr Hammond lost his books in the fire. It is not known how the fire originated.

At the close of the late election for Christchurch East, Mr Donald, the Eeturning Officer, said that those present would doubtless be curious to know how the new system had worked. Altogether he thought the electors had understood the new system remarkably wejl. Seven had put their names across the ballot paper, two did not strike either of the names out, and one had carefully torn the number off his ballot paper—these were the only informal papers during the election, and he thought it shewed that the electois understood . the system of vote hy ballot pretty well. One noticeable feature, however, was that less than one-half of the electors on the roll only had voted.

The Auckland papers report a most unfortunate accident which occurred a few days ago to Mr Rapsoa, the refiner at the Bank of New Zealand. This gentleman was occupied on some work with the furnace, when a crucible which he was holding burst, and a quantity of fused gold ran into his boot, burning the side of his foot in a most dreadful manner. Dr Stratford fortunately happened to be passing at the time of the accideut, and being called in, proceeded to dress the wound, from which no permanent injuries are at present likely to ensue. In reference to the shipping item regarding the shipment of dangerous material on board the Celasno, the following letter to the editor of the Daily News explains the whole affair:-—Sir, —The newspaper reports of the prosecution against us by the East and West India Docks Company for causing mineral extract of a dangerous nature to be sent to the Celaeno for shipment being decidedly unjust to us, we beg to state briefly the circumstances : —We received a commission from a Wellington correspondent for a number of lamps and a' small quantity of mineral extract, both to be ordered from a lamp manufacturer, to whom acthe order was sent, with our usual instructions to pack carefully for shipment. The manufacturer forwarded the lamps in one case, and the extract in two packages, which he omitted to mark outside as required by law, nor did he acquaint the railway company of the contents. Having no declaration of contents, the railway company advised the three packages to us without remark, and in usual course our shipping clerk, guided by mark and numbers, ordered them to the Celaeno. One of the packages appearing damp outside, our clerk insisted on its being opened to discover the cause. Up to this moment neither we nor the dock company were aware of any irregularity, and immediately on its being discovered, we placed the whole circumstances before the company and afforded them every facility forjudging of the matter. It will be apparent from these statements (which were made in court) that while we have been held responsible as the only parties with whom the dock company could deal, the manufacturer, in reality, is the offender. We may be blamed for not sooner discovering and rectifying the irregularity, but the dock company will exonerate us from any desire to wilfully evade any of their regulations. The circumstances are worthy the attention of merchant shippers, as showing how unwittingly they may be involved in serious responsibility by the carelessness of their suppliers.— We are, &c, Jas. M'Ewan & Co., 122, Cannon street, London, E.G., Oo . 22. A strange story comes from Sydney. No less than the clandestine removal of the remains of the Hon. Dan Egan, the late Postmaster-General, from the vault which they occupied under the cathedral. The circumstances of his death are singular in the extreme. His wife and children were drowned in the Dunbar at the entrance to Sydney Heads. Near the spot where they met their death, the lonely statesman —for he had out lived all that he loved and cared for—was accustomed to spend his brief holidays, and he was staying at an hotel not a hundred yards from the spot where his wife and little ones shrieked their last vain appeal for help to the relentless waves, when the final summons came to him. Fortune never appears to become tired of persecuting one who might fairly be termed a colonial (Edipus—he is denied rest even in the tomb. —Leader.

According to advices received in Liverpool from the United States there is reason to fear that the United States frigate Shenandoah has shared th,e fate of the Captain. She left Boston for Lisbon on the 3rd September, and has not been heard of since.

The Evening Post, February 8, says : —All danger of popular commotion during the elections being over, the immigrants ex Celseno were landed this morning by the Wanganui. We understand that they are to be distributed—some being taken to Napier by the Lord Ashley, an 4 some to Nelson by the Wanganui. Including the expenses of Dr Featherston while engaging them, their passage from Stockholm to London, the cost of their shipment from Loudon to Wellington, their passages to the different New Zealand ports, and their expenses until finally disposed of, tht-y will cost the Government a nice little sum.

It is said that the war costs Germany a million sterling a day.

The return match between the Karori and Makara Volunteers was fired at the Makara Butts ,on the 7th inst., the ranges being 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards, Aa in the former match, the Karori men were victorious, making 303 points to their opponents' 265. In the former match the Karori men won by 108 points.

The Lyttelton Times of the 3rd Feb. says: —A melancholy accident occurred yesterday morning in the yard of St, John's School. It appears that a girl named Eliza Brown, the daughter of Frederick Brown, Colombo-street, was playing about a horse which is generally kept there, stroking its hind legs, as some of the other children say, when it began to kick, and struck her violently on the right temple. Three severe wounds were inflicted, one penetrating to the brain, and notwithstanding the unremitting attention of Drs. Nedwijl and Deanier, not the slightest hope of her recovery was entertained at a late hour last night, We are informed by the schoolmistress that the unfortunate girl had been cautioned but a very short time before the accident to keep away from the horse.

" Young man, do you believe in a future state?" —"la coorse I duz ; and what's more, I mean to enter into it as soon as Betsy gets her things ready,"

It is often asserted, says the Pall Mall Gazette, that during the last few years we have physically degenerated, that few among us possess the activity of the old hunting squires who drank so much port wine, and made use of so much bad language; we are, in fact, accused of having become effeminate in our manners and debilitated in our constitutions. There is reason to fear there is too much truth in this assertion —indeed we should have reason to congratulate ourselves if we could even boast of being effeminate ; but, painful as the confession is, it is useless to deny that men dare not even, if ihey could, perform many of the feats that women delight in. It is not only the female acrobat who surprises us by ber activity, but old* ladies occasionally show such marvellous powers of both mind and body that thoughtful men feel if ever women insist upon what they call their rights there is really no force in existence capable of resisting them. It is not necessary to turn to Paris with its corps of female gunners for an example—« it is impossible to peruse the columns of the daily journals without'observing that in this country women, young and old, are capable of deeds of daring from which the nervous and stronger sex would shrink aghast. Take, for instance, the story told by the Liverpool Mercury last week of Mrs Brownhill, of Melling, aged 61, who leaped from the express train a few days ago as it passed through Eainford on its journey from Kirby to Wigan. Mrs Brownhill wished to get out at Rainford, and as the train dashed past that station this daring old lady took a flying leap from her carriage, alighting without the slightest injury on the platform. Again, for presence of mind and how admirably are these qualities displayed by an old lady defendant in the case of Bartlett v. Bernard, which came before the Court of Queen's Bench recently. Mrs Bernard, it seems, was about seventy years of age, and had a life interest in property which on her marriage would go to her grandchildren. She had the misfortune to become bankrupt, and for the moment it appeared as though her property would fail into the hands of her creditors instead of those of her grandchildren. Mrs Bernard, how* ever, was not going to allow this waste of money ; she therefore married a pauper of about her own age so as to effect a forfeiture, and thus by the operation of law transfer the property to her grand* children. The creditors maintained that the marriage was collusive and fraudulent. Baron Martin, however, held that the creditors were not entitled to recover j the Court of Queen's Bench took the same view as that learned judge, and the brava old bride was therefore thoroughly whitewashed by holy matrimony • the judges refused a rule, and Mrs Bernard is free from all bonds but those of marriage. For physical, and mental energy there is nothing in the world to compare* with a, tine old English, lady, like Mrs Brownhill or Mrs Bernard, who can either leap, from an express train or marry a pauper at a momeut's notice^