The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1102, 12 April 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1880.

The Christchurch mail which was duo here on Wednesday last arrived in town yesterday afternoon, and the one which id oidd have arrived on Saturday was delivered to day, shortly before two o’clock. The delays have been caused by the frightful condition of the road in places through the encroachments made on it by the Teremakau, and which, for nearly three miles on this side of the Goro-o necessitated the mails and passengers behm packed on horses through the bush on Saturday last. The s.s. Albion will bo finally tendered at Hokitika, at 11 o’clock to-morrow morning. The Rev. Mr Hall, Wesleyan minister, was a passenger by yesterday’s coach from Christchurch to take the Jvumara Wesleyan circuit; and to-day the Rev. R. A. Mortimer, of St. Matthew’s Church, Christchurch, arrived to temporarily officiate for the Rev. E. A. Scott, who at present is on a visit to “ the city of the plains.”

There were only twelve entries received up to Saturday night for the new chess handicap tournament. The committee appointed met afterwards and resolved, in accordance with the wish of several intending competitors, to keep the entry list open till Saturday, the 17th. The Grey River Argus publishes to-day over four columns of names of contributors in Greymouth and the country districts to the Irish Famine Relief Fund, together with the amounts individually subscribed. “From every gully and little township,” the Argus says, “subscriptions hare poured in handsomely, and the money thus raised will go a long way towards relieving the existing distress.” The total amount is £577 3s.

It is not generally understood (says the Wanganui Herald) that the present Parliament will expire by effluxion of time in February, 1882, and that the dissolution, according to English custom, will take place at the end of next year, soon after the conclusion of the session of 1881. The dissolution may take place by the exercise of the royal prerogative before then, and it is quite possible that, should the promised Representation Bill pass next session, the Governor may be advised to dissolve the Assembly immediately after the session is over, in which case we shall have a general election in September next. The Government of course will select their own time, and a good excuse would exist in a Redistribution of Seats Bill becoming law ; indeed there is an impression among some yoliticians that the passing of such a measure implies an immediate dissolution consequent upon it. The necessity, therefore, of every man taking care to register his name will be apparent.

The following are the horrible circumstances of the death of Miss Catherine M'Coll, aged sixty, who in our telegrams was reported as burnt to death at Wellington on the night of the Ist or morning of the 2nd instant : —She was housekeeper to a gentleman named John M‘Laughlan, and was last seen by him about 1 o’clock' at night, when she was lying on the sofa helplessly drunk. He left her there and went to bed, leaving the candle burning. Rising this morning, he found her charred remains, and, with the exception of her stays, all her clothing was burnt; portions of the wall had also been on fire. Mr M‘Laughlin states that lie heard no noise during the night, and was unable to say how she was burnt. Deceased had been drinking heavily for about ten days. The German squadron, which, in view of the possible outbreak of war between the Chinese and Japanese, has been dispatched to the waters of Eastern Asia, is often called an “ironclad squadron.” There are, however, no ironclads among these vessels. The corvettes Prinz Adalbert, Louisse, and Vineta, and the gunboats Cyclop and Wolf are only iron vessels cased with wood. The only German iron-armoured vessel on foreign service is the Hansa, which has been sent to protect German interests during the war in the Pacific between Chili and Peru.

German telegraphic engineers have lately been experimenting with aluminium as a material for telegraph wires. This metal can easily be drawn to a mucb finer gauge than is possible with iron, and its conductability is twice as great as that of iron wire. Its excessive cost has hitherto prevented its use for the purpose indicated, but it is found that an alloy of alluminium and iron can easily be made which will produce a wire both finer and stronger, and less susceptible to atmospheric changes than iron wires, while it is much superior as a conducting medium. The following inimitable order was given by a well-known Irish member at the Kildare Club the other day : “ Waither, get me a large glass of pure spring wather.'’ The unction with which the words <c pure spring walher” was enunciated would have delighted the ears of Sir Wilfred Lawson ; but just as the waither got well away to the other end of the room, this addendum was added : And waither, just put two glasses of Il’ish whisky in it I”