Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 137, 26 September 1868, Page 3

Local and General News.

The Lyttelton arrived on Thursday last, and left again for Nelson yesterday. Mr. Dodson received a telegram on Wednesday stating that the Falcon had left Wellington for Ficton on that day. 4 A pair of English hares were sold by auction at Auckland on September 12th, and were bought by Mr. Robert Graham at £3 10s. each.

A Flax manufactory at Meremere, belonging” 5 to a man named Jenkins, has been burnt down with steam engine and contents. The tire was caused by the sparks in blowing out a candle.

Modern Romance. —Two daughters of Mr. Bishop, Spring Creek, Arkansas, recently shot and killed a workman in their father’s employ. He had slandered them.

The Wellingtou r W^ ewJ X7 Post, of Tuesday last, says that unless something uncommon takes place, the session is likely to last cix or eight weeks longer.

We regret to hear that J3nSicklor,is dangerously ill, and suffering from~imahscess in the leg, resulting from varicose veins. Dr. Horne was sent for onThursday last, and gives an opinion that Dr Sickler is in a dangerous state. Burnt to Death.—A child 10 years old has been burnt to death at Upper Moutere. Her 'dress caught while stirring the contents of a ,poi on the. lire, during the temporary absence of her mother.

On Wednesday evening last, tho Blenlieim| Subdivision of Marlborough. Volunteers and the| Cadets assembled for parade. After the cus| tomary inspection of arms,.a number .of new| members joined tho Corps who came from theS Creek district. 3ERT. —We are requested to state that it iris ;emplation to give a concert in the coarae| of a few weeks for the benefit of Mr. W. Smith,| better known as “ Billy Smith,” whose increasing?, age and infirmities render him a fit object foil, tho assistance of the public. I*! meeting qf,_Valunteers was held in HaveTScTToirTSlonclay last/forTlie election of officers and other business Mr. Thompson was elected as captain ; Mr. J. Wells, lieutenant; and Mr. Cohen, ensign ; Mr. W. Marshall, color-sergeant; Messrs Fear and Warner,/sergeants 5 and Mr. A. Pearl, lance-corporal. /

Gold.—A quartz reef has been discovered about a mile behind the Deep Creek township. The prospect shown to Dr. Sickler (the Warden) was exceedingly rich, and if a fair sample would well repay the cost of working. A party has been organised for the purpose of sinking a shaft The prospectors are Mr. Dimondt and party. / On Sunday and Tuesday last, services have been held and largely attended in the Presbyterian Church at the Bush, and in the Provincial Hall, by Mr : P. Backlund, a Norwegian, who belonging to no sectarian body, we learn proceeds from place to place preaching the Gospel He came here from Nelson, where he had been preaching for some time. The friends of Mr. P. Lawrence will be pleased to hear that his creditors, mainly resident in Wellington, have had more compassion on his misfortunes than many of his townsmen. We are informed that his solicitor, Mr. Nelson, has received an intimation that his offer of a composition of 7a. in the pound will be accepted by them.

Gold.—Mr. James Sinclair has received a note from Dr. Hector, from which we extract the following;—“I have received the quartz, which, from a superficial inspection, appears to be the same as from Bolling River, in the western district of Nelson, ana where, yon are doubtless aware, that not only gold, but also silver, lead, and antimony have been obtained- After the specimens have been more fully examined, I will report the result, bat at first sight they are decidedly promising.”- The -specimens alluded to iirthe kbovd were found,; we learn, within ten miles of Blenheim." ‘ .

The present important debate is likely to lastsome days yet, the motiou of want of confidence in the native policy of Ministers, given by the Superintendent of Hawke’s Bay, Mr. M'Lean, being likely to open up some new ground. We diall have the whole native question rehearsed again, and laid bare before the House, to the great delight, doubtless, of Mr. G. Graham, who will, in all probability, be equal to the occasion. The result of this new motion cannot be doubted, and as it is well known that the Government will not vacate their seats in .favor of any one else, a dissolution will necessarily follow.— Pont.

\ . News. was received here yesterday of the death iof Dr. Sickler. The event will be much regretted at Havelock, where he was deservedly esteemed... ground for apprehension exists with respect to the Panama mail, due on Monday last, but not yet arrived. The Suez mail was receivedhere yesterday.

Wesleyan Chapel has had some important improvements added, and which are now completed. The building has been lengthened some 9 feet, containing an extra window on each side. The sitting accommodation will thereby be increased considerably—a desideratum much required. Mr. Gorrie was the contractor, and the price about £7O. ““■Captain Hayes again. —A gentleman who was a passenger to Wellington on the 18th August by the ‘ Kaikoura’ from Panama, and subsequently came on to Auckland, informs us that, whilst the ‘ Kaikoura’ was lying at Opara coaling on the 9th August, a gentleman came on board to contradict the statement that had been circulated in the papers to the effect that the notorious Captain Hayes had been shot in a duel with his mate. He stated that on the 30th July Captain Hayes was at Tahiti, busily engaged in fitting out the ‘ Rona’ for another cruise to the South Sea Islands.— Weekly News.

As a proof of the richness of the Thames goldfields, it is mentioned that a sample of quartz tested at the Hank of New Zealand from the Marquis of Hastings Claim, Tapu Creek, yielded at the rate of over 102 ozs. to the ton. This claim has only been taken up six weeks. A crushing at Gibbons’s machine from another leader yielded 7 ozs. to the ton. On September sth the s.s. Duke of Edinburgh brought up to Auckland two boxes containing about 3 cwt. of gold, shipped by the Bank of Australasia at Shortland. 500 ozs. of this had been refined and freed from all silver.

Almost Universal Suffrage.— Mr Haaghton has given notice that he will move a resolution which indicates a .policy at all events. It is certainly no half-an-half motion. “ Mr. Haaghton to move that it is desirable that the Electoral Franchise should be extended to all subjects of her Majesty in the colony who shall be of full age, and able to lill up their own applications to ■be placed upon the Electoral Roll.” Considering Sir. Stafford’s well known radical opinions in contrast with his despotic temperament, it may be suggested that this is what is called "a sprat to catch a mackerel.”— Post. Yesterday at noon,’a young man of the name of Frank Haymes, at watchmaker, died somewhat suddenly at the Alabama Hotel, of consumption. The deceased was to have been conveyed to the hospital at I’icton on the same day, but for this occurrence. He came to Mr. Masters about four mouths ago and solicited employment, which was given him ; and we have reason for saying that during some time, while he has been ailing, he i-eceivcd every attention and kindness possible a' the hands of his employer He was a stranger here, but is believed to have a brother living at Napier, and his mother resided with a’Mr Seccombe, brewer, Auckland.

The! Creek. —Mr. G. Watson, of Renwicktown, informs us that on Thursday last, having occasion to go to the bush with his dray, he crossed the two rivers ; the Opawa at considerable depth, and no water whatever in the Wairau. Off returning in the evening, and coining to the usual crossing, to his surprise he found the latter river up to his horse’s belly, while the Opawa was almost dry. Such was the effect caused by the opening of the dam at Murphy’s Creek. We learn also that steps are being taken by the Renwicktown people, in conjunction with Dr Renwich, to stop the creek on his land above the Breach, which we recently stated threatened to carry the Wairan river through the low lands below Reuwicktown • gd Under the heading “.Stevens the Swindler” the Lyttelton. Times tbps' compliments a departed; gentleman:—“This character, who, about the beginning of Augiist, victimised at least one, local firm, has gone, it is believed, to America by last Panama mail. We are informed that he managed to got a forged acceptance on Cruickshank and Co., of Auckland, cashed in Melbourne j and he drew upon D. Nathan and Co., r of Auckland, for .£2OiK), which amoijht he con/ trived to get in cash ; and that he ordered, b.tit did not. obtain, goods to the amount of v ’£3ooo from the Longlaud’s Foundry Company in Melbourne Steven escaped from Hobart Town, on July 23, in the schooner Cleopatra, and was in Lyttelton on August 2. Our friends of the “Sleepy Hollow,” across the Straits, are determined to indulge in their alleged favorite propensity in an approved and scientific manner. Not content with following the usual branches of education, it appears that the Nelson people have formed a class of pupils on mesmerism, under the experienced guidance of the well-known professor of electro-biology, . Mr. J. H* Cook ; so that, physically speaking, this pleasant little town may even well deserve the nick-name under which it has been long known; —Post. Can this be the same person who last week gave a performance (of a sort) at the Provincial Hall, and afterwards left by way of the Awatere without calling in to see the carpenters who provided a stage for him, besides sundry other little liabilities incurred, and possibly in his hurry forgotten ? The Taupo Buns.—The Weekly News says ■— Considerable interest is now attracted to the Taupe district, in which a large extent of land has recently been leased from the natives. By the latest, news from Taupo, we were informed that the JJauhaus had refused to let the sheep be placeA.onl their part of Te Tatua run, leased by the - H.on- Tetley t M. L. C. * of M arlborough, they having'been^"wrongfully excluded from the grant by the - Judge of the Native Lands Court, who presided at the late sitting of the ' Hawke's Bay Herald has-the following:—“Communication between Wairoa on biieoue hand and Taupo on the other, and Napier, has lately bUett organised by the Government, in order that, duringthe continuanceof disturbances, full and reliable information may be had regularly of the movements, if any, of hostile tribes. An orderly will arrive‘from Taupo once, and from Wairoa twice a week, so long as native affairs continue in their present unsettled state. Under such an arrangement as this, there is no possibility of any seep being taken by any body of natives without the Government; being fu’dy and timeously informed of it.”

It appears that the Western A ustralia Geelong t weeds'are in great -demand, owing’not only to their superior texture, but to their cheapness in. oomp.irisoa with the imported article. Shirts or jumpers formerly charged.lGs. are now quoted at 95., made from colonial material. — Colonist. New Rush. —A'Westport telegram in the Orey River Argus of the 13th inst., which reached us . this morning by the Nelson, states that the Brighton rush is causing considerable excitement. Stocks there are reported to be low, and.addi-.-tibnal police much wanted. A telegram was. received from Mr. Warden Broad, on Wednesday last, stating that three fresh claims had struck gold on the prospectors’ spur near Brighton. There is great excitement in that neighborhood, and every section in Brighton is again occupied, though but a few weeks ago houses, sections, all literally went begging, and no one could be found • to take them as a gift. — Mail. Mks. Alice Evereste. —The gallant Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail, thus describes the reception given to this lady in that city, owing to some shortcomings on her part:—“Avery fair audience assembled last night at the Temperance Hall, to hear the lecture on ‘Love,’ announced to be given by Mrs. Alice Evereste, but we regret to state that the proceedings came to a premature termination, amidst a scene of considerable confusion, shortly after the appearance of the lecturess, the most respectable portion of the audience retiring almost immediately. Ear be it from us to be uugallant enough even to hint at the cause of this reception, which was possibly only attributable to the temporary indisposition from which the fair exponent of the tender passion was obviously suffering. Suffice it to say that the not unreasonable demand made by members of the audience, that the entrance money should be returned to them, not being complied with, their indignation found expression • in no measured terms, and in a somewhat curious fashion, the scene being only terminated by the prompt action taken by Mr. B. Chrisp, who extinguished the lights, and closed the hall, leaving the malcontents to ponder over their misplaced confidence in female lecturers.” Latest from the Furs. — The schooner Banshee has returned from the Fiji Islands to Dunedin, bringing a small cargo of oil and cotton and nine passengers. Amongst the latter were Messrs. F. J. Moss, aud W. N. Morton, late Inspector of Police. It seems that the natives were becoming very troublesome, and the boats of H. M. S. Challenger were dispatched up the river Rewa with sailors and marines. After firing a few shells they landed at the village and, burnt several houses —a single native only being occasionally seen. Thinking the destruction was a sufficient warning not to be troublesome for the future, the boats returned down the river; in doing so they were fired upon from the scrub by a large number of natives, and a marine was shot through the lungs. A settler, named Creelman, who was also in the boats, received a gun- v shot wound, and died from its effects. The boats returned fire and proceeded to the ship. As an indication of the number of natives killed, 42 sticks were sent to the king, which are said tqcorrespoud with the number killed in warfare. When the village was being bombarded and fired tlfe natives went back to some European settlements and burned six houses, leaving some of the settlers entirely destitute. The Brisk Lad sailed f(|r Sydney previous to the attack. The Charybdis, man-of-war, was shortly expected at the If P*. I Oof. readers will doubtless be looking forward t<| our present. issue with considerable expectations that we shall give them a full and particular account of the circumstances which have furnished the gossip-loving public with food for remark during the week. For their sakes, we regret that we shall be under the necessity of disappointing them for obvious reasons. We can .only say that a few days ago a person holding a public position in Blenheim, unnecessarily feeling himself aggrieved at the tone of a letter which appeared in the Express of Saturday last, waited upon our publisher, and demanded the name of the writer, which, having been entrusted to us in confidence, he declined to give. Without going Into particulars too minutely, we may state that (the after conduct of this person, aptly described •by ourcontemporaryasa “comparative stranger,” was the reverse of that of a gentleman, since after closing the door, he set his back against it, and proposed to “take it out” of his opponent x with his fists ! We need scarcely say, however, that he thought better of it, and retreated with, out carrying out his threat. Our publisher feeling that not only was the sanctity of his premises invaded by the would-be pugilist, but that the freedom of the ‘ ‘ Correspondence ” column of the „ Express was threatened, placed the matter in the hands of Mr Nelson, his solicitor, who in a friendly spirit of mediation, at once suggested to the individual that an amende was due to our ostensible representative, aud for two days waited for him to volunteer such a concession of hastiness of temper, but in vain. On Tuesday he was reminded of the circumstance by letter, which he has not yet had the manliness to reply to, or even to acknowledge its receipt! Of course there is a direct remedy for contemptible conduct such as that we have indicated, and it is extremely likely that it will presently he brought to the test, distasteful and undesirable as such a course mast be to all concerned. Nor can we shut our eyes to the necessity existing for care in what we have to say on the subject, sines wo might, by an incautious word, lay ourselves open to aa action fop libel, which would place aa at the disadvantage of lighting against cheap law. What steps wo shall take, and when, are matters which our readers will therefore excuse us from naming here. The real issue involved in this outrage is our right to preserve in violate the confidence reposed in us by our correspondents, whether intimidated or not, and this we can fortunately decide for ourselves without appealing to .ny tribunal beyond that of public opinion, which iu this instance we know is universally with us. We have only therefore to state most emphatically that the course pursued by us in the past will be adhered to in future, and the Express will bo more free and independent in all its conduct than heretofore, if that be possible Those who write to us in confidence may rest assured that no amount of bullying or intimidation will causa us to give up their names, and any attempt of the kind will be met with prompt and vigorous action in resenting it, of a nature likely to be impressed on the minds of those who try it on.

—The Patca correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle, writing on the 13th inst., says that a man named Dore, who had been left m the bush after the disastrous engagement at Te Ruarura, had come into comp that morning very much exhausted, having been without food all the time he was in the bush. He had feigned death y-:hen the natives came up to him, showing sufficient nerve not to call out when they twisted his broken c*nn. He states that while he was hiding in the bush he heard the natives dragging two wounded men into the pah—one he recognised by his voice t<; be Corporal Russell, of the Taranaki Volunteers ; l.e heard him say, “ Why don’t you kill me at once, yon wretches?” The other was calling out in broken -Maori, and he could not understand what he said. When, as be supposes, they had reached the pah, there was a great shouting and yelling, and soon r . ter he saw a great deal of smoke, as if large tires were being made, and then he heard the most dreadful screams. There is too much reason to fear that these poor men were roasted.

Maryborough Public Aocount. —We take the following abstract of accounts (omitting fractions) from a. General Government Gazette published on Friday last, for the quarter ending June 30th :—Consolidated Fund : Total receipts, £2,106 6s 7d. Expenditure : Total, .£1,143 6s 6d. Land Fund : Total receipts, £1,124 Os lOd. Expenditure : Total, £4,984 15s Bd. Annexed to the accounts is a table, in explanation of the sums payable and paid to the Provinces on account of Consolidated Revenue for the same period, from which we learn that the moiety of receipts was £1,083; the payments on account of services provincially charged, £1,043; no deductions weremadefor interest, and the balance payable to the pi’ovince for appropriation was £‘4o, while nothing was paid. Accounts for the year ending June are also given, from which we find that the receipts from the Consolidated Fund were £'9,235, and the expenditure out of the Provincial half. £4,239 ; leaving £551 to be paid to Provincial Account. The Land Fund was £’8,587, and the expenditure, £8,302. The moiety of the Consolidated Fund, £4,237 ; payments for services provincially charged, £3,835 ; leaving a balance payable to the province of £402 ; while the actual payment was £551. A note says the over-payment in this case arose out of an error in the account rendered to the province. The details of these accounts are given, but we prefer to give only the totals.

A Good Priest. — A correspondent of a Wanganui paper gives the following description of the behaviour of Father Roland at the attack on Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu :—“On that grey and rainy morning, when the ‘snoring waters’ of the Whaingongoro were muttering of floods and fury to come, when our ‘ three hundred ’ mustered silently in column on the parade-ground, one man made his appearance who at once drew all eyes upon him with silent wonder. His garb was most peculiar: scanty but long-skirts shrouded his nether garments, an old waterproof sheet hung loosely over his shoulders ; weapons he had none ; but there was a warlike cock in the position" of his broad-brimmed old felt, and selfconfidence in the attitude in which he leaned on his walking-stick that said, ‘ Here stands a man without fear.’ Who is it ? Look underneath the flap of that clerical hat, and the frank, goodhumoured countenance of 1 Father Roland ’ will meet you. There he was, lightly arx-ayed for a march of which no one could say what the ending could be. With a good-humoured smile he answered my question as to what on earth brought him there with, that on holding evening service he had told his flock that he would accompany them on the morrow, and there he was ! Truly there stood ‘a good shepherd.’ Through the rapid river waist-deep, along the weary foresttrack, across ominous-looking clearings, where at any moment a volley from an ambush could have swept our ranks, Father Roland marched cheerfully and manfully, ever ready with a kind word, a playful sentence to any man who passed him. And, when at last in the clearings of Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu the storm of bullets burst upon us, he did not wait in the rear for men being brought to him, but ran with the rest of us forward against the enemy’s position. So soon as any man dropped, he was by his side ; he did not ask, * Are you Catholic or Protestant ?’ but kneeling prayed for his ‘last words.’ Thrice noble conduct, in a century of utilitarian tendencies.”

Eire at Taranaki. —On the 6th instant a disastrous fire occurred at New Plymouth. It broke out on the premises of Mr. Shariand, a storekeeper, and resulted in its total destruction. At a distance of 30 feet only was the Herald office, .which suffered from the misdirected efforts of those present to save it. The Editor (with whom all who know anything of the routine of a printing establishment must deeply sympathise) says :—“ On arriving at the scene of the disaster, we found that the printing-office door bad been opened, and that several persons, kindly, were trying to save the plant, by removing it from • the; building to the other side of the road. • The presses were all unshipped, cases full of letter, galleys of type, and standing formes of the newspaper and jobs were removed indiscriminately, and although every care was used in their transit by those who carried them, yet the damage done is considerable. None but a printer can possibly conceive the destruction the plant has suffered .by this removal. When we saw the cases full of type put on the ground with a jerk, and the type; spring over :the sides, we shuddered again. We, likewise arrived too late to prevent the presses being taken down, so we fear that the bolts, screw-nuts, and other small pieces are distributed about the place, and we have great doubt if half of them will be recovered. The persons who assisted to move the things from the office must not think we are throwing any blame on them after their kindness, we are only describing the thoughts which would arise in the mind of any practical printer arriving on the spot and witnessing the plant of a printing-office being, removed by unskilful hands in a hasty manner. Printers will understand our feelings when we tell them that we found a sack containing: wood letters, remains of packages of type which had been tied up, column rules, sidesticks, fancy letter, a tin of ink (opened), packs of printingcards (new), &c, &c., indiscriminately mixed. In cohclusion, the writer adds—During the whole of Sunday, children might be seen picking up in the street the types that lay strewed about, which is of course now unfit for use.”

We learn from the Wakatip Mail that the Clyde Municipal Council has sustained a loss of £99, through their Town Clerk ; and as they had failed to take security from their officers, the Councillors, to appease the wrath of the papers, made up the deficient sum out of their own pockets.