Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 584, 9 June 1858, Page 5

Local Intelligence.

An adjourned meeting for the object of forming a Total Abstinence Society took place at the' Town Hall, on Saturday evening,—Mr. C. W. Turner in the chair. Both the chairman and Mr. Mills addressed the meeting, earnestly urging the cause for which it had been convened, and auguring well for the rapid extension of the Society from the fact of between 30 and 40 having already joined as members. After the meeting was dissolved, the members proceeded, to elect office-bearers, —resulting in the following appointments:—President, Mr. C. W. Turner ; Hon. Sec. and Treasurer, Mr. Ebenezer Mills; Committee, —Messrs. Balestie, Bamford, Bradwell, Dean, Mason, McPherson, and Trogear.

An inquest was h«ld at the Eoyal Hotel, Christchurch, on Saturday last, before W. Donald, Esq., Coroner, on the body of a man named Robert Gunson, but better known as 'Shepherd.' It appeared that deceased had .been walking from the Perry towards Christcliurch, and on the road complained of something wrong in his chest from which he was unaMe to walk. One of those with him went for a wvt to put him into, but before the cart arrived 'he unfortunate man was dead. A post-mortem showed that deceased was suffering |iojn tubercular disease of the lungs and dilajation^ of the heart, with a large effusion of Wood in the pericardium, which was considered 'I' lo immediate cause of death. The verdict was ' Died by the visitation of God.' J-'ie Coroner in summing up remarked upon "le necessity for investigating minutely into

cases, of sudden death at the present time, whon poisons such as arsenic and strychnine are, ho regretted to say, commonly used and scattered about.

The Canterbury, with the English mail on board, had not arrived, nor was anything further heard of her up to the moment of our going to press, although it was confidently expected yesterday, from the favourable change of wind, that she would make her appearance during the day. We had, therefore, to depend entirely upon our Australian papers for European news ; and these are very limited in miscellaneous intelligence, the latest dates being those published immediately after the arrival of the Australasian.