Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 102, 15 February 1868, Page 4

Local and General News.

The Wellington Races are to be held at the Hutt Park Course on March 25th and 26th.

A telegraph station has been opened by the Otago Provincial Government at Cheviot. The Empire Dramatic Company is performing at Charleston.

The Jews of Nelson are making preparations for building a synagogue. Mr. Leonard Stowe has been gazetted Secretary and Registrar to the Medical Board. The brig Eliza Cony, with a cargo of tea from Foo-chow-foo, arrived at Port Chalmers on the 30th ultimo.

The Westport Times says that several of the people of Westport are making preparations for emigrating to Abyssinia. The population of Dunedin and its suburbs, according to the census returns lately taken, is 19,000. ’> The Banks on the West Coast have resolved to reduce their purchasing rate for gold by 6d. an ounce.

The Wairarapa Race Meeting will be held on the 18th and 19th of March. It is expected there will be some good sport. The Tramway Station Hotel at Brighton has been destroyed by fire. A little boy three years of age lost his life during the conflagration.

The Earl of Pembroke has chartered the fine Auckland-built topsail schooner Albatross, as a pleasure yacht, for twelve months.

Sir Geo. Bowen held his first levee on Saturday last, when the Superintendent of Marlborough was among those who paid his respects to his Excellency. Ewart’s Hotel. —A house warming took place at this hotel on Tuesday evening last, when a number of friends and acquaintances met to celebrate the occasion.

Shopkeepers Beware.—Spurious half sovereigns are in circulation at Melbourne, which are in reality only gilt sixpences, but capital imitations.

Two copies of the Municipal Corporations Act have been placed upon the table of the Literary Institute for public inspection. The key may be had at our office.

Suicide, —Mr. William Garner committed suicide last week at Wanganui, by cutting his throat while in a state of temporary insanity. He was 33 years of age, and has left a wife and six children.

A number of the friends and supporters of Mr. Fox entertained that gentleman to a dinner in the Freemason’s Hall, Wanganui, on Wednesday evening. Thomas Powell, Esq., presided The dinner was private, in the sense of no representative of the Press being present. — Post. News was brought by the Kaikoura that H.M.s. Brisk had left Sydney for Freemantle, Western Australia, to aid in quelling a serious riot, caused it is said by Fenians, but which, it is more probable, is a rising among the convicts. This will necessitate the Falcon remaining here for some time longer. — Independent. Sergt. Kennedy says that the person who stole his coat and trousers from a line where they were hung out to dry the other night dropped a ten pound note, which he will restore to him on returning the garments and describing the note. He adds that he will not claim the trousers if they fit the party who took them. Auction Sales. —Mr. Henry Dodson will sell by auction on Wednesday next, about 2000 sheep, of mixed ages and sexes ; also several young draught horses, by Glancer and other well-known sires ; and one ton of sugar, more or less damaged. On Friday, at the Half-way House, Picton Road, household furniture, &c.

A Loyal Mayor.—Mr. Henry Hopkins, May’ or of Hobart Town, just previous to the advent of the Prince, announced his intentions to send a vessel to seek for some of the turtle known to frequent certain cruising grounds of the Tasmanian whalers, in order to provide genuine turtle soup for the delectation of his Royal Highness.— lndependent. , ’ ’

Presbyterian Church. Our friends . the Presbyterians having suffered so much in the recent floods, by the falling of their Church (a loss of about £BO we believe), we are induced to remind the public that subscriptions in aid of completing the building, will be received by any of their Committee, pi by the Treasurer, Mr. Hutcheson.

His Lordship Bishop Suter, accompanied by the Rev. Mr Butt, returned from the South on Monday last. An interesting letter from him, which appears in another column, tells us that he has been very well received during his journey, and he promises to pay ua a special visit shortly. We understand that he left for Nelson overland on Thursday last.

The Cricket Match. —The match Blenheim v. Picton, postponed last week in consequence of the floods, will be played at Picton on Monday next, and the wickets are to be pitched at nine o’clock, when we expect to see a well contested match. The players from this Club are Messrs. John T. Robinson, Morley, Kitchen, Kissling, Phillips, Wandon, Organ, Wratt, W. Robinson, Compton, and James Robinson; umpire, Mr. Shepbeard ; scorer, Mr. Macey. A paragraph in the Evening Post quotes from the Marlborough News that a ‘ ‘ Mr. Blake and party have completed a new survey of the line between Blenheim and Christchurch, which cuts off innumerable angles, and when altered will shorten the distance by 20 miles.” We presume the survey is the one recorded in the lExpress some six months ago as having been made by Mr. Sheath, the Telegraph Commissioner, when he was last here, which has now been gone over by one of the workmen.

The ketch Falcon, Captain William Cracknell, left Port Underwood at 6'30 a.in. on the 6th instant, and arrived in Wellington at 5 p.m. same day, carrying a strong N. W. wind all the way. While lying at anchor in Port Underwood on the 3rd instant, a sudden squall capsized the boat, which was hanging astern, and lost oars, thwart, sternsheets, &c., it raining hard at the time. She left Wellington again for Blenheim at 9 a.m. on Sunday last, and arrived off the bar at 3 '45 p m., after a fine-weather passage. The Hukunui Bridge. —The Lyttelton Times says that this bridge is advancing rapidly towards completion. The iron piles in six of the piers are driven, and the walings, braces, and girders are mostly fixed, the staging being run out to commence the seventh pier. The greater portion of the material is on the ground, and with ordinary weather the bridge will be completed in two months. The testing of the piles has ended very satisfactorily, a pressure of thirty-one tons having caused no deflection. The body found at the Boulderbank last week has been identified as that of Harry Dunstall, a seaman of the Emerald. It seems that when off the White Bluff deceased was at the wheel, when a sea struck him and washed him overboard, and it is believed that his head came in contact with the bulwarks of the vessel, and stunning him, rendered him unable to save himself by swimming. He bore a good character, and his father is said to be a coal merchant at Brighton, England. There has been an attempt to burn down the Chronicle office, Wanganui, by some person unknown. The subsequent inquiry showed that one of the compositors went back on the evening of the 30th ultimo, to show his wife the office, and upon entering found the window darkened by a sheet of iron placed against it. A candle was burning under a table upon some wood, cord, and paper saturated with kerosene. Had it not been discovered in this singular manner, the place would have caught fire when the candle burned down.' The inquiry was adjourned for a week, so as to procure further evidence.

The overland mails for Nelson will in future close at Blenheim on the 14th and 28th of each month, arriving at Nelson on the same day, remaining there on the 15th and 29th, and returning thence, and arriving in Blenheim on the 16th and 30th. We may mention that while the mails are made up here instead of at Havelock, the portion of the service between Blenheim and that place is extra official and outside the contract for which Mr. Lewis is paid. The country is under an obligation to him therefore to this extent, which is an undoubted advantage to ua. Bishop Selwyn.—We regret to learn that a private letter was received from Bishop Selwyn by the last mail stating that he has, after an interview with the Queen, reconsidered his determination regarding the Bishopric of Lichfield, aud accepted the charge of that see. His Lordship will return to New Zealand in order to be present at the next General Synod, which will be held in Otago. It is understood that our new Metropolitan will be Dr. Harper, Bishop of Christchurch. Although Bishop Selwyn has no doubt fully considered the stop he has taken, his determination will be greatly regretted in the colony.— lndependent. A remarkable funeral took place in Dunedin lately. It was followed by only one mourner. The deceased had never beaten his wife, had never embezzled money, and consequently could not “sport’’ horses and jewellery. Therefore only one solitary mourner followed his last, perhaps his first coach. That one solitary mourner was a clergyman, whose career has been one long record of kind words aud noble actions. As the brief funeral passed by, a bystander significantly shook his head and exclaimed, “Ah! I know one clergyman in Dunedin who wouldn't do that.” Is it necessary that any explanatory addition should be made to the remark here quoted ?—Otago Evening News. Earthquake. —Earthquake shocks have been felt over a very extensive area of New Zealand during the last two or three weeks. On Monday, the 29th ult., a slight shock was felt at Kaiapoi; and on the 24th vibrations were felt both at Port Chalmers and Dunedin. Shocks were felt in this city, in the Wairarapa, and at Wanganui about 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning last, and Captain Farnie, of the Lady Denison, which arrived at Wanganui at noon on Wednesday, reports having experienced a shock at sea that morning. About five minutes to eight on .Saturday morning two smart shocks, following instantly upon each other, were felt here, and a telegram from Dunedin states that, a few .minutes before that time, an earthquake shock was felt there in that city.— lndependent.

Marlborough Affairs. —We have heard that the.reasbuHisHonordid not return from Wellington by the last steamer, is his determination not to leave without a satisfactory answer, relative to, the £2,20(1,01 our Land Fund detained by the is said that the Ministry is the subject, Mr. Stafford being disposed to yield, while Major Richardson is in opposition. The return of Mr. Hall from the West Coast may shortly end the dilemma by changing the balance of power, and place us in the same position as the Northern Provinces, under the Loan Allocation Act. As for the £227, it is settled that it is to be paid in three months. The Provincial Council is to meet on the 17th of March, when the whole of the circumstances will doubtless be laid before it. In the meantime Joseph Ward, Esq., has been appointed Deputy-Superintendent

Narrow Escape of the Ketch Alarm.— This litle vessel was all but lost on her last trip from Wellington to Blenheim, having had to slip her anchors and put to sea. The following is an extract from a portion of her log :—“ At 3 p.m. on the 3rd instant, got underweigh with a light wind from the northward, and at 4 p.m. the wind increased to a gale ; at this time the vessel shipping heavy seas, when it was deemed prudent to steer for Chafer’s Passage, but was unable to reach it, and stood for Fitzroy Bay. She let go both anchors in eleven fathoms of water, with 60 fathoms of chain on the port, and 50 on starboard, and finding! the vessel dragging, let go the third anchor ; afkTp.m. (the vessel being close to the rocks) thought it necessary to save the vessel and cargo, to slip the .anchors and put to sea ; she was then hove-to, and rode it out like a duck. ' "

Volunteers. —The firing for the Colonial Prizes by the Picton Subdivision, came off on the 6th instant, and resulted in the victory of Mr. Duncan Guy, who made a score of 60. Some dissatisfaction however exists, we believe, in connection with the affair.

Information has been received at Dunedin by private letter, that the freights from Sydney to London are : —Wool Id. to Id. and 5 per cent. ; tallow, 60s. and 5 per cent, to 705.; oil, Sss. to 955. ; and that these rates are likely to rule during the season. The ship Eastward Ho, which six months ago came into Sydney dismasted and with her bow crushed in by a coilision with an iceberg, has had the misfortune to meet another of the great perils of the sea, having been towed into Hongkong on fire and again dismasted. The Visit of Prince Alfred.— Steps are about to be taken for securing a visit of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to Nelson, and a public meeting, called by the Superintendent in consequence of a requisition to that effect, is to be held to-night, to consider the subject. At the time the sum of A’sooo was voted by the Assembly for the expenses of the Prince’s visit, people in different Provinces said, * ‘ let us secure our share of the expenditure and get a visit from the Duke.” It was then hinted in our columns that most probably £SOOO would not nearly meet the outlay. And now we learn from a Dunedin paper that a much larger sum is spoken of, for the Star of that city says : “We have reason to believe that it is the intention of the Colonial Government to devote £15,000 in lieu of the sum of £SOOO voted in the Assembly for the reception of the Duke of Edinburgh in New Zealand, provided H.R.H visits all the principal Provinces.” There does not seem to be much in the way of an advance towards economy if this statement be correct, and for New Zealand to attempt, even in a remote degree, to vie with Victoria or New South Wales in demonstrations to the Prince, is something which people could not fail to look on as a wasteful competition.— Colonist.

Prince Alfred has with him, as companions. Lord Newry and the Hon. Eliot Yorke, and it may please some of our readers to know who these aristocratic gentlemen are. According to Debrett, Lord Newry, or Francis Charles Viscount Newry, is the son of Francis Jack, late Viscount Newry, and grandson and heir of Francis Jack Needham, Earl of Kilmorey, who is eighty years of age. The earl is an Irish peer, and was created an earl in 1822, the family viscountcy dating from 1625. The family motto is “Nunc aut nuuquam,” and their seats Moore Park, Newry ; Woburn Park, Chertsey ; and Shavingtcn Hall, Market Drayton. The Hon. Eliot Constantine Yorke is a son of the Earl of Hardwicke. The barony of Hardwicke was created in 1773, and the earldom in 1754. The eldest son. Viscount Koyston, is or was M.P. for Cambridge, and one of the sons is named John Manners Yorke, so may have some relationship with the family of the present Governor of Victoria. The family motto is “ Nec cupias nec metuas,” and their seats, Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire; and Sydney Lodge, Hampshire. The ages of Prince Alfred and his two aristocratic companions are pretty equal, the Prince having been born in 1844, Lord Newry in 1842, and the hon. E. C. Yorke in 1843.

Police Court.— On Tuesday last, two men named JohnMcKeown and Samuel Cameron , who came over by the Alarm, were charged under warrant before S. L. Muller, Esq., R.M., with breaking open a case of porter while on board that vessel. On the application of tienior-Sergt. Emerson they were remanded till the following day. They were again brought up on Wednesday, when the evidence given failed to implicate the prisoners, and they were consequently discharged with a severe warning. The police on receiving the warrant for their apprehension on Monday last, went in chase southwards, and on arrival at the Awatere river, found they had crossed that morning. On arrival near Mr. Pullien’s station they discovered a swag, which they believed belonged to the offenders ; from this circumstance they judged that they were somewhere in the vicinity. Sergeant Emerson on going towards Haddocks’ station, discovered McKeown on the road near that place ; with some difficulty he succeeded in 'persuading him to mount behind him, and they returned homewards. Police-constable Gresham, who had been instructed to watch the swag, after a lengthened search among the scrub, discovered Cameron in a drunken sleep on the banks of the river He used similar persuasive means, and ultimately succeeded in company with the others in conveying him to town. Both the fellows were lodged in the lock-up the following day, but not without considerable difficulty.

A Luckless Candidate. —The following story of the hearty welcome accorded by the Onarleston electors (Westport), to one of the candidates for their suffrages, is narrated by the Charleston Herald: —“A large crowd, convened by the bellman, collected on Thursday evening, the 16th instant, in front of Orewdson’s Royal Hotel, it being understood that Mr. W. Berry, alias ‘ Yorkey,’ purposed that evening addressing the electors. The proceedings were opened by Mr. Pound and Mr. William Graham (brother of Mr. James Graham, of Westport renown), mounting on a platform in front of the hotel, whereupon Mr. Graham, as one of ‘ Yorkey’s ’ staunchest supporters, attempted to read what was supposed to be the requisition to Mr. Berry to place himself in the hands of the electors. The din and laughter were, however, so loud, that nothing else could be heard. In the midst of tumult, and while Mr. George Pound was acting as torch bearer to Mr. Graham, they were knocked ‘head-over-heels ’ in the most playful manner possible, and besprinkled with Hour and rotten eggs. This if possible increased the tumult and excitement, wnen an itinerant vendor of eggs who, acting as Mr. Berry’s private secretary and chairman of his committee, rejoices in the distinguished sobriquet of ‘One-eyed Dick,’ came forward to q uiet the disturbance. His appearance was the signal for renewed yells and laughter, and he had barely mounted the platform when the contents of a bag of flour added to his already striking appearance. After the playful reception accorded Mr. Berry’s friends, the" latter gentleman being unable to appreciate the joke in hisown person at least, declined to meet the free and independent electors on that occasion, and the crowd quietly dispersed,”

The Wesleyan Chapel, now in course of erection at Cambridge, Waikato, last week had a very narrow chance of being destroyed by fire ; the shavings about the building had become ignited, probably from the falling of a spark from a pipe. Had not assistance been promptly rendered the building would soon have been in ruins ; the fire, however, was extinguished before any harm was done.— Post.

Horrible. —The Ballarat correspondent of the Argus writes':—“A shocking case of alleged child murder has Just been brought to light, the particulars of which are, so far as the police have ferreted out information, that a woman named Ellen Sahir, whose husband is at present in blew Zealand, but daily expected to return, was employed as a servant in the house of a man named Pallmain ; that a short time ago she was confined of a child, which she burnt to ashes in an oven in the kitchen, and finally threw the ashes and bones out in the back-yard. An inquest will be held.”

Slavery in Queensland. —The Australasian says : —“ There are some startling things said in the Queensland papers about the South Sea Islanders taken to northern ports to work on the cotton and sugar estates. Whole cargoes, it would appear, have been kidnapped from the Fijis and elsewhere to be landed in Queensland ‘in like good order and condition.’ There is quite a brisk demand in Queensland for South Sea Islanders, not only as plantation labourers but for station work. A Brisbane contemporary thus discourses : —“ The demand is greater just now for these islanders than it has been at any previous time. Some of the smaller growers of cotton and sugaruare disposed to follow the example set at Townsvale and Cleveland Bay, and, if they cannot'count their niggers by the hundreds, are ambitious of being proprietors of a score or a dozen of the dusky race. Even growers of wool are inclined to experiment in them, from the wealthy owners of Langton Downs, who import them direct, to the humbler denizens of Wide Bay and Burnett, who are glad to avail of an agency in procuring for them small lots.’ The charges made regarding kidnapping these islanders are not supported by direct proof of any kind, and most people will doubtless reserve their judgment in default of evidence.”

Paradise.—“ Uaka” sends an interesting account of the Friendly Islands to the Lyttelton Times. He says of the island of Eua—“The climate, as far as my experience of five months ■of it goes, is as near perfection as possible. Nobody would ever imagine this island to be in the tropics, on account of the cool sea breeze which is almost invariably blowing ; and yet almost all sorts of tropical fruits grow abundantly there. Oranges, citrons, custard apples, bananas, pine apples, and plantains, are cultivated, or rather, 'are not cultivated, but simply allowed to grow by the natives and they thrive well. Limes, shaddocks, mummy apples, and chills grow wild, and can be had in any quantity for the trouble of picking them. Fruit is not dear to buy. You can buy a basket of oranges (about 30) for a shilling, or a yard of print or calico which represents a shilling, and is more generally used to trade with than money. Cocoa nuts are two shillings a hundred, tomatoes a shilling a basket, and kava a shilling for a good sized root; fowls are sixpence each, yams are a dollar (4s) for twenty. This sounds dear, but it must be taken into consideration that yams and sweet potatoes constitute almost the sole food of the natives, for they seldom eat anything else, except upon grand occasions, such as a funeral or a large tappa party, when they kill pigs and fowls, which they cook in native ovens, much in the same way as the Maoris.”

A Curious Case.— Two cases of perjury of a somewhat remarkable character have been brought before the notice of the Resident Magistrate of Wellington. During the September sittings of the Supreme Court a case was tried in which a publican named Morton sued a man of the name of Browne, carrying on business under the title of Browne and Rogers, for the sum of £250, on a bill for £250 signed in the name of the firm. For the plaintiff it was sworn by himself and other witnesses, that Browne asked for the money, arranged to get it, and ultimately sent his partner Rogers to receive it, at the same time giving the necessary acceptance. Morton swore that he gave the money to Rogers in gold ; Mrs. Morton sworn that she had laid it on the table in gold ; Rogers swore that he had received it and given the acceptance ; while two other witnesses , swore to a conversation which they alleged had taken place between Morton and Browne, involving an admission by the latter that he had received some such sum, and that he would be prepared at the proper time to meet the bill. The defendant, Browne, on the other hand, swore positively that he had never instructed his partner Rogers to give such a bill; that he had never asked Morton to lend him .£230 (which was the actual sum of money said to have been advanced on the bill) or any other sum, and that he had never received any such money either in whole or part. There was thus a clear conflict of testimony, and as the earned Judge remarked, the jury would, by their verdict, “either stamp Morton as a rogue of the deepest dye, who had instigated a devilish conspiracy, or Browne as an unmitigated perjurer.” The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for the full amount claimed and costs, thereby practically indicating that they believed M orton and disbelieved Browne. Some time after the trial Rogers was arrested upon the information of Browne, and examined before the Resident Magistrate on a charge of perjury. Evidence was adduced to show that Rogers had admitted, since the trial, having never received the money, and, that the whole affair was got up by Morton in order to swindle Browne, while Rogers himself received a share of the plunder. Upon this evidence, Rogers was commited for trial; and the following day Browne was arrested, at the instance of Morton, and also placed in the dock to answer a charge of perjury arising out of the evidence he gave during his examination as a witness before the Supreme Court. The Resident Magistrate sent this defendant also to the Supreme Court; so that two persons await their trial upon charges which will necessitate their appearance in the witness-box in turn to give evidence against the other; and the jury, if it decides that one of them has spoken the truth, must almost necessarily convict the other.—lndependent.

The Canterbury. —-Capt. Butt of the Alarm reported on Monday last that the Canterbury was a total wreck, the bottom having gone and the stern ports washed out. Captain Lake of the Diana, now in Port Underwood, has since reported that when he was on his way from Wellington he distinctly saw the Egmont towing the Canterbury into Wellington.