The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 895, 13 August 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1879.

A sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s and Warden’s Courts will be held tomorrow morning. The Warden, C. Broad, Esq., held the usual monthly Warden’s Court at the Greenstone, this afternoon. The presentation of a testimonial to Mr Dale, formerly Postmaster in this town, in recognition of his courteous and obliging manner while filling that office, will be made at the Public Hall, Main street, tins evening, at half-past seven o’clock. We observe that the Hon. Mr Gisborne has issued an address to the electors of the Totara district, soliciting the honour of again representing that electorate in Parliament. Although the honourable gentleman is not seeking the suffrages of the electors of this district, still there are many who would like to hear Mr Gisborne explain, as one of the representatives of the West Coast, his action in regard to the Education Reserve in this town, by which he proposed to increase the exorbitant rentals under which the sectionholders holders are now labouring by the addition of a business license. It is said that a coalition Ministry, comprising Messrs Seddon, Lang, Byrne, Grimmond, Barff, Jack, X.Y.Z., and the editor of the West Coast Times, will be shortly formed, their policy being the merging of the Arahura Road Board, creating Kanicri a now county, and direct railway communication between Christchurch and Knmara. As a correspondent a short time ago expressed himself through the medium of our columns dissatisfied with the expenditure incurred in carrying out the late entertainment in aid of the Hospital, we are requested to state that he can now, provided he is a subscriber to that institution, inspect the balance-sheet of the entertainment at the Secretary’s office. An amusing incident occurred yester'lay (says the Dunedin Morning Herald of the 7th inst.) in connection with a charge of drunkenness preferred against a man named De la Zouche, at the City Police Court. The man followed the pro-

fession of an organ grinder, and as is usual in such a business was assisted by a descendant from the stock whence it is believed, in some circles at least, that humanity is descended. Our readers will understand by this that the assistant was a monkey. The charge against the man being proved, he was fined 5s and costs. Sergeant-Major Bevan remarked that great difficulty had been experienced in getting the prisoner to the lock-up on account of the tenacity with which , the monkey stuck to its master and defended him. The man being unable to pay the fine was committed to prison for 24 hours, his boon companion following. On arriving at the gaol the happy pair were presented to Mr Caldwell, who expressed his willingness to receive the more advanced sample of humanity, but utterly refused to take the lesser developed one, on the grounds that it was not mentioned in the warrant. The two were then separated, the man taking up his abode with Mr Caldwell, the monkey being conveyed back in a cab to the Police Station, where it was lodged in one of the cells, there to wait until its master is once more free. It has not been determined what rations are to be served out to the monkey, but we trust that for “ The Memories of the Past” (in the light of Darwinism) poor Jacko will be well cared for. A Parliamentary return, moved by Sir C. Dilke, shows, with respect to the various Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom, the total number of electors on the register now in force. In the Counties of England and and Wales there are 883,049 electors ; in the Boroughs, 1,563,319; and in the Universities, 13,031 ; making a total of 2,459,999. The Irish Counties have 172,570 el.' ctors ; the Boroughs, 55,247 ; and the University, Dublin, 3472, making a total of 231,289. The Scotch Counties have 92,310 electors ; the Boroughs, 204,142 ; and the Universities, 11,489 ; making a total of 307,241. There are thus 2,999,229 electors on the register for the whole of the United Kingdom. The Prince of Wales has made a very liberal concession to his West-country tenants ; the rents of all his farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall estates are to be reduced 20 per cent, per annum for three years dating from last Michaelmas. It is earnestly to be hoped that other large landowners will follow this excellent example ; it is childish and unpractical to imagine that an ostentantatious remission of 10 per cent, in the rent of a single half-year, which x’ents at best were 10 per cent, too high, can be a panacea for such hard times as the farmers are struggling against at present in England. Adjutant-Major Abdullah Effendi, the military attache of the Turkish Embassy, while riding through Hyde Park on May 24th, on his way to the parade in St. James’s Park, was thrown from his horse near the statue of Achilles and fatally injured, remaining unconscious until eleven o’clock at night, when he expired at St. George’s Hospital. The jury at the inquest returned a verdict of “Accidental death.” An amusing and novel case has been before the Birmingham County Court, a confectioner being sued for £5 damages sustained by a child in consequence of the defendant keeping a savage and dangerous cock-fowl, knowing the said fowl to be savage and dangerous. The judge and the solicitors engaged in the case were unable to find any authorities bearing on the case. The evidence showed that the cock flew at the child knocked her down, and pecked her face very severely, and the surgeon said some of the marks would be permanent. The cock had injured other people and the defendant’s attention had been called to its being dangerous The judge held that the defendant ought to have kept the fowl tied up when informed it was dangerous and and gave a verdict for £1 compensation and the surgeon’s fees. On May 24. during the usual exhibition of the diving-bell at the Polytechnic, a link of the deconding gear gave wav’, and the bell fell with great force to the bottom of the tank. Two or three persons wore in the bell at the time, and they were imprisoned beneath the bell, and in danger of suffocation. The officials promptly turned off the water and broke the glass windows in the bell.