The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1062, 25 February 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1880.

Mr Seddon will this evening explain to his constituents at Diilman’s Town, the grounds on which he felt compelled to resign as their representative in the Westland County Council,

The Christchurch coach, with four bags of mails hut no passengers for Kmnara, passed the Bealey at an early hour this morning.

The following rider was attached to the Verdict of the jury empanelled at the inquest held yesterday afternoon, on the body of Frederick Chafe Kennedy, who accidentally mot his death by drowning on Monday evening -last That the jury feel, very much on,-the matter of the numbin’ Of gravel pits now existing in the Borough of Knmara. We recommend that the Council be requested to have all those water-holes filled up immediately, so that no more life may be sacrificed.” The rider, though evidently returned with the best possible intention, is an extraordinary compilation of the English language.

The sale of the various properties belonging to the late Dr Dermott, took place at Hokitika yesterday, when the

total amount realized for all the lots submitted was £1572 7s,

The funeral of the son Of jVTr John Kennedy (who was accidentally drowned on Monday evening last) took place ■ this afternoon, and was attended by a large number of the friends of the bereaved parents, and also many children. By the steamer Kennedy, which left Grey mouth yesterday with the outward English mail, Mr Masters, M.H.R., and family were passengers for San Francisco. The harassing nature of the late session has told seriously on Mr Masters’ health, and, under the advice of Ms medical attendant a change of air was deemed advisable which advicethatgentlemancarriedout by leaving yesterday morning for the shores of America.

The winning, numbers in Tonks’s Albion Derby Sweep on the Dunedin Cup appear in another column.

Westland will have only one representative at the meeting of New Zealand Rifle Association, which is to be held at Nelson on Monday next, in the person of Volunteer Badger, of the Greyteouth Rangers who left for Nelson yesterday, Lieut. Munyard, of the local contingent, being unable to attend through business engagements.

Through the great Melbourne telescope the nucleus of the comet lately visible here appeared simply as a faint nebulous mass, with a slight central condensation ; the tail like a thin wisp, extending eastward a couple of degrees. The comet has passed its perihelion and is rapidly receding, and is no longer visible to the naked eye.

The ship Border Chief, while on its voyage to Melbourne recently, passed an iceberg -250 feet high and five miles long. The Australian Eleven play a return match against Fifteen of Victoria on February 27th and 28th and March Ist. This is their farewell match of the Eleven previous to their departure for England. An English paper states that it was announced at the London Post Office that .the despatch of mails for Australia and New Zealand, via Southamp. . and Suez, will cease in January. The last direct mail for Melbourne by that route was made up on the morning of the Bth January, and the last mail for Brisbane, via Torres Straits,, on the morning of the 22nd January. Thenceforth the mails via Suez will be forwarded solely by way ■of Brindisi; and commencing with Friday, the 13th of February, mails will be made up and despatched on the evening of every alternate Friday throughout the year. On and from the Ist of February the following rates of postage will be changed on correspondence for Australia of New Zealand forwarded via Suez: Letters 7d per |-oz ; newspapers (not exceeding 4'o'z), Hd each ; book packets, and patterns, or samples, 1£ per 2oz. The postage must in ail cases be prepaid. The privileged letters of soldiers and seamen will be charged 2d each, and unless that rate be paid upon them, they will be forwarded by private ships, as opportunity offers. The rates of postage noW levied on letters, Ac., forwarded to Australia and New Zealand via San Francisco, remain in force, and letters, &c., intended to be conveyed by private ship will also continue to be charged as at present.

The Victorian Irish Relief Fund exceeds £19,000.

The following horses accepted for the Australian Cup : —Savanaka, Wellington, Darriwell, Richmond, Lord Harry, Sweetmeat, Columbus, Suwarrow, Secundus, Avornus, Glenormiston, Petrea, Belladrum, Caspian, Zambesi, Galway, Don Carlos, Pollio, Kanaka, Adventurer, Prattle.

J. It. Mort, law clerk, committed suic.de at M £ Douald Town, New South Wales, by placing his head on the rail, the tram nearly severing it from the body. He left a memo, stating that he did so because his employer’s son stated he kept him on from charity. Mr H. Barkly publishes in the Times some intelligence from Bulgaria which might make a third-rate English squire’s mouth water. He has recently been offered 3000. acres of deep alluvial soil, able to grow anything, and within two miles of a port on the Danube, for £6OOO. “ As a further inducement to purchasers, a farmhouse, extensive farm buildings, two steam thrashing-machines, a steammill, 1200 sheep, 100 oxen and cows, and a drove of horses, are thrown in. Large oak woods cover a part of the land, which, I am informed, might be cut and sold, to cover the entire cost of the estate.” There are many such estates in the market, and labor is .cheap and good, while deer, wild boar, partridges, black

game, and all kinds of waterfowl, abound. There is a prospect for a young squire, with £IO,OOO, good healthy plenty of energy, and no hope of doing anything in this over-stocked country ! He will, however, wc imagine, go to Hew Zealand, and leave Bulgaria to the painstaking Herman, who will enter it, as he does Poland, civilize it, and become as hated as the Englishman in India or in West Ireland.

At the meeting of the Dublin Corporation on Dec. 22 the Lord Mayor announced that he had received a telegram from Adelaide, Australia, inquiring, “Does Ireland warrant appeal here?— Mayor, Adelaide.” He had sent the following reply Great distress anticipated south and west of Ireland public aid most desirable.” The postal authorities had refused to transmit the message unless he had paid a charge of 10s 6d for each word. He had sent the message back, but could not state if it had been forwarded.