Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 197, 2 October 1869, Page 3

Local and General News.

Whooping Cough is now prevalent in Napier, and twelve children have already Succumbed. We learn from the Evening Post, of SepG 23, that another of the Poverty Ray Rebels, Ni Pam* araro, had been tried and found guilty. He was sentenced to death with the same formula as given in our last week’s telegrams. No hope of mercy held out.

The Nelson Council was dissolved on the 22nd ultimo. The only candidate for the iSuperintendency, as yet before the electors, is Air, Curtis. Messrs. Edwards and Barnicoat have both declined the proffered honor. We learn that the Maoris both at the pa near the Bush, and those in the Pelorus, are shifting camp towards the ranges, having heard some version of Sax by’s prediction respecting the high tides in the coming week. J. Allen, Esq., Collector of Customs, has been f appointed Postmaster and Telegraphist, in the / room of Air. Ifowne37~wTio proceeds to Port \ Chalmers. O wing to the amalgermation of offices, the Post-office and Telegraph department are to be annexed to the Custom House, and alterations for that purposeare being proceeded with ,--Fress.

How Long ?—Commodore Lambert has been censured by the British Government for the part he took in returning to Australia in the Himalaya without the troops at the time of the White Clifts Massacre, and for the aid rendered by him at which time both Houses of the New Zealand Legislature recently voted him the public thanks of the Colony. It seems incredible.

On DiT.--The vigorous and spirited leading article in the JS r ews of Saturday last, on Government contracts, and holding them forth as an example to the Borough Council, is said to have convinced the Provincial Government that its, choice of an organ to represent it, and consequently the best for the interests of the Province of Marlborough, was a good one from the first. That journal has therefore again been appointed the Gouernraent organ ; but at a scale below oae-tifth of that received by the same party some four years ago.

A Public Me ting was held at Havelock, i i the School, on Thursday, September 23rd, for the purpose of electing a person to fi.l the vacancy in the School Committee, caused by the resignation of Mr. Douslin. Mr. Fear occupied the c iair, briefly stating the object of the meeting, and called upon some person to propose a fit and proper person to sit on the Committee instead of Mr. Douslin, who had resigned Mr. Perry tin n proposed Mr. Paul as a tit and proper person, which was seconded by Mr. Black, and carried, After the usual vote of thanks to the chair the meeting separated.

We understand that Mr. Kiernan, who has \ resigned the'situation of Schoolmaster at Have- V lock, .intends before leaiGng {vvsic!f"wiir be~m, ahoTff a fortnight), to give an evening’s enter-, tainment consisting of dissolving views, music, singing, readings, &c. He will next pay Mahakipawa and Picton a visit, and lastly Blenheim, ' so that we can promise our readers a rare treat. Our young friends will be delighted to hear that; the principal events in the life and adventures of , Robinson Crusoe will be illustrated with these ‘ views ; also comicscenes, cities, &c., toonumerous to particularise. Blenheim Volunteers. —This Company held a general meeting on Tuesday evening when most of the members were present. Captain Bvthell occupying the chair. The minutes of the last meeting having been read, the Chairman stated that some material still remained for the supply . of uniforms, bub he thought it would be better, as the term for the present suit was nearly expired, for those who uad not yet received their clothing to wait until they saw whether there was to be a new one provided. He next adverted to the question-*ofJtlui-JB.aJid. The time agreed upon, with the Blenheim Brass Baud for the use of the instruments hacTexpired, and he wished some understanding come to with respect to them. He did so because he had been insulted bj' mem*" bers of the Baud, which he considered he had no right to be, because, as Captain of the Company, ' it was his place to see that they were not taken from them. After a deal of talking from those present, it Was finally agreed that the Band should retain the instruments for another twelvemonths on its leader giving a receipt for them,: and this term might again he enlarged, if necessary, on the same terms. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the business of the meeting. yS

The Correspondent of the Mining Record writes, under date the Kith July, as follows : Last Sunday morning the people of Cargo were in a state of great excitement in conseqmnce of the capture by them of a thief, commonly ki own as Red Mick, alias Michael Newman, He is the brother of Kelly, who was executed at New Zea-

land. for highway robbery and murder, in company with Sullivan, Burgess, and Levy, The prisoner was taken for two offences, and titd tr) a tree in the main street, until the police, who were Id miles away, came and apprehended him ■

The premises of Mr. Blakea, saddler, Wanganui, were burnt down on Sunday last; origin unknown. Damages upwards of Jt, 100. The Mercury says :—“ We are informed that wheat grown in Canterbury is being delivered in Masterton at 9d. a bushel less than the price current for that grown in Wairarapa

The Chronicle says the telegraph wires are now on the poles as far as Rangatikei, and the whole form quite a new feature along our roadsides. It is said that the poles have been a source of great gratification to the buffalos on the prairies of America, as rubbing posts. We saw them the other day devoted to the same purpose by our New Zealand bullocks. This is certainly getting all possible use out of them. Hop Growing in Tasmania.—The profits arising from growing hops is becoming understood in Tasmania, and within the last three or four years the cultivation of the hop has been greatly extended in that colony. The export of hops from England to Australia and New Zealand is fully 600 tons a-year, and there is no reason why the whole of this quantity should not be grown in Tasmania and New Zealand, in both of which colonies hops thrive fully as well as in England. If some of our small farmers were to turn their attention to growing hops, they would find their account in it. Flax Dressing in Canterbury.—We hare inspected, says the Lyttelton Time*, the flax mill owned by Messrs. Pavitt, of Saltwater Creek. The- buildings, which are spacious and conveniently’ arranged, are situated on the banks of a clear and a swift running brook, tributary o* the Ashley, which affords a capital supply of water, and over which is built the washinghouse. At present, the engine—a portable eight-horse power—drives four stripping machines and one scutcher, or five strippers when the scutcher is not at work. The mill is turning out an excellent sample, and gives constant employment to about thirty hands. f Accident.—An accident occured to W. H. I Wharton, E&^^dn”Mohday'Tast''oh _ S tTSeirbefw'Bßir'Picton and the Grove, by which I he not only lost a valuable horse, but had a very I narrow escape of losing his own life. Mr. Whar- : ton was returning in the evening from Havelock on horseback, and when on the west side of Rbakfigpeare Bay—a very dangerous part—it being dusk at the tune, the horse, in crossing one of the many ruts on the track, missed its footing and slid* backwards down the bank, managing, however, to catch the edge of the track with its forelegs. After giving the animal time to recover itself, Mr. Wharton attempted to get it on the track again, but the horse had by some means got its hind legs entangled in supplejacks or other scrub, and instead of regaining the track it reared up and fell backwards down the hill, jamming its head and forelegs beneath a log, Mr. Wharton managing to jump off as the horse was in the act of falling over. Every exertion was made to extricate the animal, but before that was accomplished it died. This is one of the many accidents which have already happened on thistrack, and unless steps are at once taken to put it in a safe condition, we fear we shall before long have something more serious to chronicle.— Press. Extract from a letter written by an Auckland correspondent, to the Oatnaru Times : “ Unfortunately, too, instances are not wanting where missionaries have been hucksters and traders in lands ; and, while preaching religion, have been keeping a sharp look-out for their pockets, paying for fenciny with the Bibles sent out by* people at home. I can give an instance of this sort of thing. A certain missionary, whose name I do not choose to give, informed his congregation on one occasion during morning service that he had just received a bale of beautiful white duck and another of blankets, which he was prepared to dispose of unusually cheap, &c. A little boy* son of an old settler, was the only white person present. And he was evidently unnoticed until too late. A few days afterwards this boy was asked by the missionary if he knew what he told the Maoris, to which he replied that he knew all, and was astonished to hear a missionary talk of trade and gospel together ; whereupon ihe latter colored up, and promised the f boy some tracts , to ensure his secresy. Speaking generally I do believe that the missionaries have done a great deal of harm, though I admit there are exceptions—good Christian men i who have faithfully toiled for the good of their dark-skinned brethren, looking for no reward in this world. One such 1 met not long ago,; travelling from pah to pah, submitting unmurmuringly to discomfort and hardship of every description—exposed to all weathers, to toil and danger—yet cheerfully lovingly doing his Master’s work; but such are few and far between, and their influence for good is greatly counteracted by the conduct of such others as I have before referred to.”