Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 144, 14 November 1868, Page 3

Local and General News.

The Supreme Court sittings at Nelson commence on Monday next. It is said that Mr. Vogel is about to start a new daily paper at Dunedin, under the title of The Sun. It is understood that the Governor purposes making Auckland his home, visiting Wellington only during the session of the Legislature. The son of the Rev. Mr. M ‘Gowan, Hutt, has been committed for trial on a charge of wilfully breaking insulators on the telegraph hues. The Wellington petition for incorporation as a Borough under the Municipal Corporations Act, is opposed by a strong counter-petition. The mate of the p.s. Perservere fell overboard on the 31st' ult., while loosening the foresail, in crossing the bar at Hokitika, and was drowned., H, Fry, formerly an hotel keeper at Westport, arid lately cook of the steamer John Pehn,- threw himself overboard shortly • after that, vessel had left Wanganjui, and was drowned.-

SxEPa are being taked- for connectiiig Wanganui with Wellington by telegraph; the line is now being marked off, And tenders will'shortly be calledlbc.. * ''* , - ' ’

Some; new diggings bate been near Dead Man’s r Oreekj ?it- Wstp£rf, and tho reports are very £o6d.' 'The prospects’ Show. £l6 .or £2O •per man per week ' ;’v V *' ,/ _ , TußLytieltonouhoy l«t;tpip here.fcookaoargo of sheep direct to the, -Bulleft 'aud. .returned -on Thursday last. She leaves early tbiamgromgto* Nelsbu direct with a of barley; for Messrs. Hariey & Co, K and;n^y,%C^^»dut«^ next week #

/ Mr. James Smith is gazetted Registrar of ' Marriages, and Births, Deaths, and Marriages, for the district of Pelorus, in the ro6m of the. late Dr. Sickler. —-The Nelson Government is about to reduce the police force in that province very materially. The savings from this and other services are estimated at £3,000 on the year. Another illicit still has been seized at Wanganui. S. F. Vincent was fined £SO; E. Hunt, £SO; and C. Vincent, £IOO. This is the 57th seizure in the colony within two years.

We are in a position to state on authority that the Hon. E. W. Stafford has accepted the invitation of the electors of Timaru to represent that district in the next General Assembly. -A dvertiser Mr. Shepherd, of Christchurch, has obtained the mail contract between Wellington and Wanganui, and a vigorous opposition is expected between him and Cobb and Co. A trial of the L’Extincteur Fire Extinguishers, imported by Turnbull and Co., took place recently on the reclaimed land before a large concourse of people. The experiments were entirely successful.

The Hon. J. C. Richmond returned from Napier on November 3rd, from settling the Native troubles The same vessel brought 114 of the Armed Constabulary from Auckland and

Napier. Bad times exist in Otago, judging from the following extract from the Witness :—“ No less than fiOif tenders are said to have been received for the fencing bet ween Smith and M‘Leans runs at Tuapeka. ”

We (Taranaki Herald) have been informed, by several who have made it a point of ascertaining the fact, that Tohgariro, in the middle of the Northern Island, is now burning, and that the flames are distinctly vissible. A Gazette of the 6th inst. notifies that “ the Governor has been pleased to divide the Marlborough Rangers Volunteers into two companies, to be called the ‘ Blenheim Company Marlborough Rangers Volunteers,’ and the ‘ Picton Company Marlborough Rangers Volunteers.’ ” f A banquet was given to Mr. Kynnersley at Brighton on the 28th ult., and was a great success. Sixty gentlemen sat down. A purse of 50 guineas, and a ring with engraved crest, were presented. Next morning he was escorted to Charleston by a cavalcade of twenty horsemen. „ ' The brig Emma, 175 tons register, from Mauritius, arrived at Nelson on Saturday last with 250 tons sugar, consigned to Messrs N. Edwards and Co. The Emma made the passage in 47 days, and had variable wealner. She is a smart looking craft, in good trim, and of more than ordinarily neat and clean appearance about the decks. In another part of our issue mil be found the contents of three Extras issued during the week; the first was on Saturday afternoon with English news ; a second on Tuesday with news from the Front to Sunday last; and the third on Thursday with the account of the bloody massacre at Poverty Bay. The agent of the P.N Z. and A. R.M. Co., at. Auckland, has received intimation that the: Panama-Service is to be stopped, and that the inter-colonial services are to be modified. The Panama Company’s tender for the two monthly inter-provincial steam mail services for the year 1869 has been accepted.— Colonist.

We regret to hear that W. H, Pxlliet, Bscl,. has been confined to his bed' during the past week, with an attack of rheumatic fever. Although, however, it is to be hoped that the crisis has been reached, it will evidently be some little time yet before he is sufficiently restored to resume his ac f ive duties. — Independent. What Next ?—The Pictou Board of Works at their last meeting ordered the Secretary to write to the Superintendent, asking him to refund the Dog Tax for the past two years ! At the previous meeting a discussion took place as to the value of prison labour on their roads and streets, when a majority appeared to be opposed to its employment. The offer of a reward for strayed cattle through our columns has in numerous instances been productive of the result desired, and we have had to withdraw the offer mostly within a fortnight, but this rule has met- with an exception at last. Captain Dalton has offered £3 each for the discovery of three missing bullocks for over two months, without success. This notice may induce some of our readers to take an extra look round their runs.

Information has reached us that the somewhat cavalier treatment of the German traveller, Mr. Schaefer, by the Maoris north of Auckland, has aroused the German settlers of the Waimea to a sense of the propriety of taking some action in order to defend their compatriot’s honor. A deputation is therefore about to wait upon the Consul General for Hamburgh, resident in Nelson to request him to vindicate Mr. Schaefer s character from the aspersions thrown upon it in consequence of his alleged amour with a dark skinned Dulcinea. — Mail.

Oh ! Oh !—Some o£ the Magistrates at Wanganui, it is said, have received a nice snubbing from the General Government for memorialising the Government with reference to the necessity of despatching the 18th Regiment to Wanganui. The local journals say that for taking part in the meeting at which the memorial was adopted, the Government have severely censured Lieut. -Col. Gorton, W. Buller, Esq., R.M., and Lieut.-Col. M ‘Donnell, on the plea that it was a movement intended to bring political pressure to bear upon the Government.— Colonist.

Napier War News.— Telegrams in the Advertiser dated November 8, says : —“ The Maori Contingent has returned from Wairoa. 'They found the bodies of the murdered scouts. They also met with a woman and an old man—the latter appears to have been present, at the murders, aha was killed by the Maoris, in spite of the efforts of Major Lambert. Tareha returns with the Napier natives to-day. When the alarm took place the military settlers were called out by Sub-Inspebtor Take and placed on pay—-their families oh rations. It is reported that all the canoes .on. the river are secreted at the Reignu. Major Lambert proceeds there to-morrow,.with 40 Europeans and the Ngatipurqs. Another report says that the Hauhaus are oh their road to Poverty Bay,”

■e* A man named Leville recently called at the Craigieburn Station, between Hokitika and Ghristchurchj and demanded food, and onbeipg refused, threatened to take.it, whereupon the cook loaded a double-barrelled gun, and shot him dead, afterwards surrendering himself to the police. - ■ The first wool ship of the’ season., from Port Underwood, is announced to be the I*-Hera,” a new ship, which will now return home.from her first voyage. She is Norwegian built, - and left London this season for San, Francisco with a cargo of general merchandize, where she took in a cargo of wheat, for Messrs. Ross and Hounsell, of Nelson, which she has discharged in excellent order. We are informed that she is a very superior vessel, and well appointed. Persons shipping wool by her may have every confidence that she°will turn out her cargo in as good condition as shipped. She will take about 2000 bales 7 Fire Engine. —We are given to understand 1 that the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company are prepared to supply for the use of the town a very efficient fire engine, worth j about £3OO, upon the condition that the other I Insurance Companies in Blenheim, and the townspeople, will pay the freight of the engine from Nelson, build a suitable shed to keep it in, and | form a Brigade who shall regular excercise with it, maintain it in good working order, and work it when required. We think that this is an opportunity which ought not to be lost, and trust steps will be taken at once to secure so good an offer. *

vr B. Ja Mgs Smith Carroll, one of the oldest inhabitants of Blenheim, departed this life on Tuesday last, and was interred at the Cemetery on Thursday, when his remains were followed by a larger number of persons than we have seen for a considerable period, including about fifty members of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, of which Society he was a member. The deceased was the owner of the Royal Oak Hotel, and during the number of years he has kept it, was universally admired for the generosity and benevolence of his disposition, especially towards indigent travellers. Telegraphic intelligence from Wellington, dated November 11th, in the Mail, says No further news has been received of any fighting at the Front, but it is evident that something is radically wrong between Colonel Whitmore and the Wanganui Maoris, who are returning from the Front, 100 having arrived in’Wanganui on /Monday, and the remaining 350 being hourly expected. They refuse further action until they can confer with the Governor, who leaves Wellington to-morrow. The Herald of Monday evening says that heavy firing was heard that morning at Wereroa, in the direction of the Wereroa redoubt, and it is supposed that Colonel Whitmore was giving battle to the enemy.

Floods are not confined to the Wairau by any means. A few weeks ago we narrated the particulars of a tremendous flood on the West Coast of this island, and we have this week received a private letter - from Masterton (Wellington), in which the following passage occurs : —“ Last Tuesday week, we had a very severe flood here, when several of the flockowners suffered severely. One had about. 1000 sheep drowned, another 300, and several others from 100 to 300 each. Fortunately no human lives were lost by it. The flood rose suddenly by one river bursting its banks, then crossed the country above Masterton, then into another, which then flooded this place.” His Excellency Sir George Bowen, accompanied by the Hon. E. W. Stafford, was to leave town for the West Coast and Wanganui last Thursday (12th instant), by Cobb’s coach, accompanied by a body of mounted police. On the first day the vice-regal party intended making Otaki, and the following day to proceed as far as Ball’s at Rangitikei. On Saturday they will proceed inland, availing themselves of the opportunity for visiting Mr. Fox at Westhoe. After a brief sojourn here the party will proceed to Wanganui, and from thence his Excellency goes to the Front. This is, so far as at present known, a correct programme of the intended tour.— Advertiser.

The Custom-house was broken into at an early hour on Sunday morning last —supposed to have been some time between one and four o’clock am. An entrance appears to have been effected by the thief or thieves breaking a pane of glass in one of the windows at the rear of the building, by means of which they were enabled to undo the fastening, and enter through the window when it was pushed up. It would seem that the entire premises underwent a thorough search, but as nothing of value is kept, in the Customhouse after the offices are closed for the night the would-be robbers were disappointed in their enterprising undertaking, and were forced to decamp without their expected hooty-Advertiser. The Foley Juvenile Dramatic Troupe have paid Blenheim a visit this week. The party consists of Master Johnny and Miss Kate Foley, aged respectively 7 and 10 years ; Madame Tournear, Messrs. Anderson, Vincent, and., O’Neill. They made their debut on Wednesday evening, and with many others we paid them a visit. The first piece was the Rough Diamond, the part of Cousin Joe being taken by Master Johnny, and that of Margery by Miss Kate Foley. Aiiy attempt to describe this inimitable performance would only result in failure on our part, suffice it to say that they enacted ffieir . parts wonderfully well, but-taking their extreme youth into account, it was miraculous. A duet followed the piece, which was very prettily sung, especi-' ally by Miss Kate, entitled “ You never told me; when,” which was rapturously encored. Miss, Kate also sang “Father, come home!” and the “Plaugeof my lifewhile Master Johnny sang “Paddy’s Wedding,” encored, and “Finuigan’s Wake ;” the way in which he twirled his shiilnlagh, his brogue, and the Irish Jig which fob f lowed, repeatedly brought the house down. Mr. ; Anderson sang “Thy bright smile taunts me ' still. The afterpiece was the Limerick Boy; iaV which Master Johnny as Paddy Miles, hail a ‘, splendid opportunity of showing his wonderful - " versatility of talent, Mias Kate, as Jane, enabled to add fresh laurels to those she has has gained elsewhere. As they propose staying. here a few nights longer, it may be the last opportunity of visiting these really talented juveniles, we trust our readers will pay them; a’ ' visit. At two this afternoon, there will be a ' day performance, when Master «Johnny will ’ . ascend a wire rope in the rear of the Council Chambers, and on Monday he will take his bene§& which we trust will be a bumper.

Mr. J. T. Peacock ha 3 been returned as Jd.H.R. for Lyttelton,-in the place of the late 2df. Macfarlane v,xj-.t /. • • -n Bles'heiMv—We j find that the efficiency k£ Master' .George Lyes, 1 as •qiisrfe has;beeh fej*h£*iivaafeeJ of : salary*.’? ’> -Tlie per. a’JJWUBq additaohal-wasr- passed' ih the supple- - -~*i ~ j :

i-v The fdlloinng rather, carious notice appears in the Canterbury l papers are, warned *gai«3t ' toatrylhg ! oneF*FredbriCk Joseph Muir,. a viwiorptoi Ka : —"AJ. B.‘ M ojb. «We:Shouid -faney-'tbe i ydurigxduple would experii tonce! a 'of. delight at having -;tboiruriames- ; aiid their-virtuous -intentions thus paraded to' the public gaze.

;;‘ M A party of prospectors, under Capt .McDoniiell; • have returned to Wanganui after having inade a tour of the Taupo district. The party 'express great confidence in.the belief that there ’ is payable gold to be, found in the Taupo ranges, arid judging frorif ’ the specimens brought from there it is . thought that a very fair prospect exists,’ but the proper prospecting of the district will ihVolve a grea er outlay of . capital than private individuals would be justified in making Advertiser. / V

John Penn;arrived at Nelson on Thursday She reports the three-masted schooner ‘ Amateur,, 232 tons,; belonging to this port, Lane, ■ m?ister,‘ bituucj. to .Newcastle,, and loaded with ' timber, ashore ; on the sand spit about a mile ami a half to the eastward of Bush End. The passengers have arrived safely The p.s. Lady Rhrkly ’ Avas 'despatched this morning to her with levery necessary gear. The har-bor-master,; Mri J. S. Cross, sent second pilot - 'and part of .boat’s crew.-— Colonist. ,

, Cattle. —We have made ouch arrangements with the Boundkeepers at Big Bush -andMaxwellKoad, as will ensure to out readers •the ;; sdyantage .of • knowing - once a; week what ampials are: in each ■ Pound, together with all necessary, particulars concerning them. These notices ,will always.be- found next succeeding the Government advertisements, which invariably commence the tirst column on the second page. We have also in the. course, of preparation the Impounding Ordinance, and the Cattle Trespass Aqt, 1867, now in force in this province. Judging from recent experience, it seems to us that snob a work will.be very serviceable to many of our friends, and much required. OCR. Picton contemporary, “ owing to the falling off of advertisements ” —having become at length convinced of the folly of inserting “ dummies ’’ free of charge, after the period for which .they, were ordered, as "some papers in this province.,are in the'habit of doing”—has reduced the size of the Press to four pages, rather less than,our own ■- We would not have noticed this circumstance had he not stated that it “contains, as'it pp 9. hitherto done,; as much reading matter as,apy newspaper in the province a statement we cannot allow, to pass unchallenged ; the Express has fdpiay.s given very much more reading nutter than,.either of its contemporaries; and altbough vye have lately had a pressure upon our adyertisement space, we contrived last week to jgi^e 13,columns, whilst the current issue of the/Vmonlycontains 8| columns. It is with pleasure we notice a movement wbifth has been undertaken by several of our citizens .to inaugurate a Choral Society in this tO*rifc.-;kT<h* absence of all-kind of musical enter* tainraent.( ; expept;by the occasional visits of such l&ffqiriners 'as the Carandini family) lead us to Society will supply the 8° much, felt in our. community. We tliat it is proposed to give four or efts during the year; and as a means of ascertaining-What. Blenheim: really possesses in the, wiay, % pf . wusical talent,, probably* no better scheme gould haye been devised, than the one to Which wp ppiy drhw attention. The existence of .\yhilo a source of pleasure to the members, ypiU also afford ready, means of raising lands. ipr charitable purpose where the circatnstances pf.the case really demand the public aid. ' We heartily trust the effort, may be successful,- and that ere long we shall be in a position to ;record the first performance of a Society publicly started, and fully deserving of public support.* • T ' . ..

t A Ha£p,7 Thought.—lt has been suggested to ns "|bh'at'Jftmjfev,Year-, may • be i very pleasantly | inaugurated by; the holding of a Floral and ; Horticultural. Sbqsm the Council Chamber. The f undertaking would, we doubt not, be productive of pipch,; pleasure to : all classes. ,ni The objects |shown',should, ,hft the production;of the; entire fprovincei and we, are sure.,there, are many gentle* men wh.<>. could aid, the matter by; preparing'contributions Frizes, of-small amount may be. raised by tho aided by subscriptions-from the ptthlic" Tho aid of music too may ; be invoktd to render tJie decision more' pleasing. The ,day mighk betitly 1 wound up by a concert or- ball We prefer a ; oonc6r( ourselves, and if the. Choral Society Would‘take' the hint, and at once go .into practice* opportunity of inaugurating, their Societycould, be,.devised. Probably we; maybe - able .to say more oh the subject, in our; next issue.; ! |lf : the ladies will but deign to, smile, favourably- upon the ’ proposal, its successwill be assured. "• / v > , v MAKLBOROU.cmVowtntkcbs.—We learn from Hansard .that, this I'ody. received some attention daring the.] - sitting ofParliament* '■ Oh I the v 8 -kt* inst., during .the ..consideration, o£ the estimates. Captain Kenny , said; that- nothing whatever was put presented a< petition prayingsthat - the capitation allowance, should -„not. be. dmcohtinued, and the report of the Committee i was >-favorable.' He thought that Marlborough; should ■be put on the same footing as pther. provinces; as the Volunteer movement..there, bad; been Tery; successful.'— 0 Mr. Williamaph,. could ;-see :n6 reason why ah ; allowance *hqald .be;;given ta the .Middle Island Volunteers.—Qaptaiir i Kenny, kaid ; that some measure of ,justice, should ibe.dealt -out to- Marl-" borough, and. Jhak.3oo men should hot ibe discon raged pojr in, anexcepti .malmannetvl* 1: Sir. Stafford ..said .that jtbe present JpoditiOhldf* coarse taken-;jby her. .jrepjcese ntati ve lawn year. There was a prppositiom.to give. someaesistaface to Marlborough ,thia, year* ..and if -the-'honorable member wished, it might go towards the VolunJteent - - ■- «!■

The Ron.. John Hall,. Postmaster-General, returned from Canterbury -yesterday morning in the si's. Tarafua. We are glad to learn that the hou. gentleman haS ‘ derived inlich benefit in a healthy-point of view from his southern trip.— r Advertiser.

• Latest from Dunedin. —Telegrams in tho ! Independent dated Friday " last, say that considerable disappointment has been expressed at the appointment of A. J. Burns, as Secretary of Land and Works.—A petition to the Supt rintendent has been signed requesting him to convene the Provincial Council to Consider the ; matter. Captain McKinnon narrowly escaped assassination as the Tararua was leaving Sandridge pier at Melbourne—A large public meeting was held at the Theatre to-day, at which 000 persons were present.—The meeting was addressed by ViessrS. Reynolds, Vogel, Bell, and Cargill. Mr. Paterson was not present —A vote of confidence in Mr. Reynolds was carried.—A resolution was also carried to the effect that the meeting regretted tuat Mr, Paterson had declined to meet nis constituents, and was further of opinion thit the course he pursued during the last session of the General Assembly was opposed to the best interests of tue province, and in opposition also to the expressed wishes of the electors of the city, they therefore consider it desirable that he should resign his seat and submit his proceedings to the arbitration of the polling booth.—J. (i. S. Grant proposed a resolution in favour of the abolition of the provinces, wnich was lost. Abolition of Provinces Act. —The following is the text of the Imperial Act, assented to by the Queen on July 31st, entitled, “An Act to declare the powers of the General Assembly of New Zealand to abolish any province in the colony, or to withdraw from any such province any part of the territory thereof.” We omit the preamble :—“ J’he General Assembly of New Zealand shall be deemed to have, and since the passing < f the aforementioned Act to have had, the power of abolishing any Province at any time heretofore or hereafter to be established in New Zealand, or of withdrawing therefrom the whole or any part of the territory comprised therein, and of passing laws for the peace, order, and good g< verurnent of the territory so withdrawn from or ceasing t.» form part of territory of any such Province, whether such territory shall or shall not bn inclu led within the limits of any other Province of New Zealand, and also the power of making £n m time to time such provision .as t« such General Assembly shall seem expedient, relating to the effect and operation of any such withdrawals of territory iu or with respect to the Province from which such territory shall have been withdrawn, and the Superintendent and Members of the Provincial Council thereof for the time being iu office, and the laws in force in such Province at the time of such withdrawals of territory therefrom.”

pXoss of the Schooner Fancy. —We regret to state that intelligence has reached us of the wreck at Greville Harbour, D’Urville Island, of the schooner Fancy, a trader well known on the West Coast.and the property of Messrs Kennedy Bros., of Hokitika and Greymouth, with the loss of all hands except one man, named Michael Walters, who got ashore, though very seriously injured by exposure on the wreck and by being dashed against the rocks We learn from Captain Bc->tt, of the steamer Lyttelton, that when at Uroixelles Harbour, about midday on Friday hist, he found there the schooner Charlotte, then 33 days out from Lyttelton, and bound for the West Coast-, and from whose master he learned the above particulars, together with the fact that Walters, the sole survivor of the wreck', had been found on the rocks at D’Urville Island, where he had been six days without any food or clothing save his shin, by the crew of the Jane Anderson, and had been taken on board that vessel, in which he had arrived safely at Hokitika By the Charles Edward, which arrived this morninj, we learn that the rock on which the Fancy struck (having left Lyttelton on the 28th September) is at the entrance of Greville Harbour, and is about 80 feet high Walters, who speaks most gratefully of the kindness he received from Captain Falconer, of the Jane Anderson, and from his wife, says that he found a portion of the wreck firmly wedged at the head of a cave where it had been driven, the ci.rgo, potatoes and chaff, having entirely disappeared, together with the bodies of the crew, although portions of clothing could be seen. We regret to add that the master of the Fancy, William Fallon, leaves a wife and three children, who are now residing in Nelson.- Maily