The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2361, 22 March 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1884.

The Christchurch coach arrived early this afternoon, bringing East Coast and Australian despatches. By it yesterday morning his Honour Mr Justice Williams returned to the East Coast; also Mr Stringer, who defended Hughes in the late arson case at the Supreme Court, Hokitika.

The Ashburton Guardian of Saturday last reports that " Mr Fitz Gerald, in the conrse of his address to his constituents at Hokitika on Thursday evening, spoke very strongly in favour of the Abolition of the Gold Duty Bill. He said he and others got its three readings passed in the Lower House, and the Bill would have have become law had not the Legislative Council thrown it out. He considered it a class tax that ought to be entirely done away with, and said if the Goldfields members would only pull together next session their influence would certainly secure its abolition." It is curious that none of the Hokitika papers give this part of Mr Fitz Gerald's reported speech, nor even refer to the subject.

The last sermon but one of the course on " Spirits and the Spirit World," by the Rev. G. Hay, will be delivered in the Presbyterian Church to-morrow evening. The particular subject will be—" Saul and the Witch of Endor; Spiritualist meeting ; real apparition." A public meeting is to be held at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday next, for the purpose, it is announced, of inaugurating the introduction of the Blue Ribbon movement into Kumara. The Rev. S. Lawry, of Hokitika, the Rev. J. Holland, and other speakers will address the meeting on the objects of the Blue Ribbon movement. Selections of music will be given by ladies and gentlemen from the different churches. The chair will be taken at eight o'clock. There are now, it is estimated, upwards of 25,000 members of the Blue Ribbon Army in this colony. The Union Company's steamer Mahinapua leaves Wellington this afternoon for Greymouth. She will arrive on Monday evening, and be despatched from thence on Tuesday as advertised.

Commander Edwin wired the following yesterday afternoon :—"lndications glass rise, but fall again after twenty hours, with northerly winds." Mr C. Rogers, an old Ballarat resident, who has just returned from the Bega diamond fields in New South Wales, says the Bega field will be the largest ever discovered in the world. He exhibited 70 very fine diamonds, which he brought over with him.

The County Council notifies that accounts for services or supplies to or for the county must, in all cases, be rendered monthly, and that accounts not so sent in will not in future be recognised. Messrs Girdwood, Lahman, and Co. will sell at the Preston Yards, Greymouth, on Monday next, a lot of very nice quiet bullocks, heavy-weight cross-bred wethers, and heavy-weight pigs ; at 12 o'clock.

The West Coast Times has the following : —"lt is reported about town that the mental condition of the convict Donohue is to be inquired into by Dr. Grabham. We give the rumour for what it is worth." The presence of diphtheria at the Arahura has been notified by Dr. Rosetti to the County Council. We (West Coast Times) understand that stagnant water holes are the cause of the disease. At the meeting of the Council held on Wednesday, Mr Rose drew attention to the state of a place close to the Three-mile sawmill, which he said was in a filthy condition. The Council resolved that the road inspectors get imperative instructions to have all hotbeds of disease immediately looked to. All holes filled with stagnant water near dwellings, and all drains and cesspools should be thoroughly attended to during the present warm weather if health is to be preserved. The Willmott Combination are pretty strong in cricket. We observe a match will be played at Greymouththis afternoon with the following team representing the the town club :—Foy, Perkins (sen.), Perkins (jun.), Guinness, Moss, Aldridge, Acheson, Kitchingham, Fricker, Garth, Murphy, and Williams ; emergency : Walton. The Combination Company will bo represented by Messrs Tcece, Scott, Ross, Simmonds, Wilkinson, Marter, Alexander, Rede, Sheils, Malcolm, and Clements. The two last are members of the <;,-(>y Cluii, and play with the Company to make thy match more oven.

There is to be a grand band contest held in connection with the Easter Volunteer Review and Encampment at Oamaru, on the 12th and 14th April. There are three prizes offered : first band, £4O; second band, £25; and third band, £lO. Mr W. H. S. Roberts is the Contest Secretary. The rules and conditions may be seen at this office.

On her way up to Reefton from Greymouth, Miss Smithson gave two performances at Brunnerton, and on the second occasion the accommodation was insufficient to admit all who were desirous of being present at the entertainment. At Nelson Creek the state of things was similar, which is a good earnest of the popularity of Miss Smithson's performances.

The Japanese man-of-war Ts Sukba arrived at Auckland yesterday, from Japan. Tokio, Japan, has twelve Presbyterian churches. The Government daily paper advertises the Bible for sale. A large convocation of Buddhist priests has been called at one of their famous temples for the purpose of abolishing the ancient rules forbidding the clergy to marry or to eat flesh.

The intensity of the struggle for a livelihood in England is illustrated by the statement of a magazine writer, that there are 300,000 families in London who are in the habit of pawning small articles, and that more than 6,000,000 unclaimed pledges are sold every year, in that city> while over 270,000,000 articles are taken in pledge in the course of the year throughout the country.