Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 198, 9 October 1869, Page 3

Local and General News.

We have not heard of any noticeable change in the tides this week worthy of remark, notwithstanding Saxby’s predictions. The Pictou Philharmonic Society gave their first concert on Friday week, which was well attended. Mr. Guy officiated jis conductor^ We learn that flax mills are about to be erected I near Reuwicktown on a considerable scale by Mr. | Coulter and others associated [with him. The Wesleyan Bazaar is to be opened by His Honor the Superintendent, in the Provincial Hall, at noon, on November Ist. Hxs Honor Mr. Eyes has let a contract this week to Messrs. Jeffreys and Co. for the substantial repair of a very bad place on the Eenwicktown road, near to Sinclair’s bridge. A Provincial Government Gazette, issued yesterday, declares that certain roads described in a schedule annexed are public roads in accordance with rights reserved in the respective Crown Grants. They are situate in ; —Wairau Valley, Omaka, Kaituna, Waihopai, Awatere, Flaxbourne, Waitohi Suburban, and Queen Charlotte Sound. A complimentary dinner was Riven on Thursday week, at Mr. Overend’s Hotel, Picton, in honor of Mr. F. G. Downes, who is leaving for J Port Chaknersy-as-armark of respect and esteem ; in which he was held by the public of Picton. About 30 gentlemen sat down to dinner, which is stated by the Press to have been of more than ordinary quality, and the speeches were of a highly laudatory character. W e regret to state that another accident occurred to Mr Coleman’s flax mill yesterday, when the drum of the machine, which was recently replaced, flew into pieces ; a boy attending the machine had his leg slightly grazed. An examination of the pieces shews without doubt that the casting was beyond dispute imperfect, and ought never to have left the foundry; it seems strange how it held together at all, and cannot have been tested before being sent. It is likely that tome legal action will be taken in the matter. The Malay, our last wool-ship, arrived safely < at Gravesend on July 27th - - The Wild Duck, 1 from Wellington, arrived at the same place on the following day. Xhe Hera sailed from Gravesend for Nelson on July 23, and was spoken off the Wight on the 27th, and off Falmouth on the 30th. The John Bunyan and the Siam were both loading at London for Nelson, and were expected to sail on the 15th and 30th August respectively. The Melita and Wild Duck, for Wellington were to leave about August 14th and 20th. We publish to-day the programme for the Concert of the Philharmonic Society, which is to come off on Thursday Evening next It appears to be a capital selection, and includes some very good old songs. A musical friend while on a recent visit was present at a recent practice and informed us that he was much pleased with it. For our own part, we have greater hopes of the forthcoming concert than any of its predecessors The Band are to be present, and, from their late practices, they evidently expect to surprise their friends with music of an advanced nature.

The English Mails arrived on Thursday last, but the news is unimportant. The Irish Church Bill had passed The third , series of Colonial Wool Sales took place in London, commencing on the 12th. 6,166 bales were catalogued. There was a large attendance of foreign and English buyers. The biddings were considered spirited. Closing rates of May, June, and July fully maintained. Arrivals to date 185,67 J bales, to which must be added 35,000 bales, mainly Port Phillip ; held over from previous sales, 215.000 bales. Victorian fleece and scoured, Is 6Jd ; greasy, 9Ad. The August sales of Australian wool were very spirited. Sydney wools fetched three half pence to twopence per pound in advance ; and Port Phillip in advance. A debate took place in the House of Lords on the affairs of New Zealand. Lord Granville declared that the Government adhered to the refusal to grant military aid. Viscount Bury, in the House of Commons, pleaded for a small guaranteed loan for the retention of one regiment in the Colony. Earl Carnarvon, in the House of Lords, advocated the despatch of a special envoy, armed with powers similar to those conferred upon Sir Henry Storks in Jamaica Bishop Selwyn proposed a temporary withdrawal of settlers from disturbed districts, giving them compensation by means of a small loan. He advocated the retention of Imperial forces None of the suggestions received any encouragement from Earl Granville, who said the same policy was rigidly applied to Canada. The Spectator says the disposition of English officials to treat the complaints of the colonists with scorn and insolence is fully displayed in debate as well as in the correspondence contained in the Blue Book, which is from end to end a repository of carefully-worded and apparently intentional contempt.

Dr. Maunsell, of the Melbourne Hospital, has been elected Surgeon-Superintendent of the Hokitika Hospital. There were twenty-one applications, ten of which were from Victoria, and the others from various places in New Zealand. Paper from Flax.—We learn from the Bruce Herald that Mr. K. McGlashan, of Dunedin, has erected machinery on his property at the Water of Leith for the preparation from New Zealand dax of a pulp suitable for the manufacture of paper which be purposes shipping in a compressed form to British paper-makers. I The foundation stone of a new Wesleyan 1 Church was laid at Dunedin, on August 25 I The ceremony was performed by the Rev. T. / Buddie, chairman of the district. The new | church is to be a very handsome building and ) the site is at the corner of Stuart-street and [ Moray-place, upper side. church burnt down on the 27th ult. The building belonged to Mr Wrn. Nelson. It was insired for £IOOO. Jacobs and lasacs’ stock was insured for £IOOO ; £250 in London and Liverpool and Globe, and £750 in the New Zealand office. Cause of fire unknown. The Lictor, a humorous paper published in Sydney, represents a Yankee sayingto an Englishman :—“I guess the great victory of the Kearsage over the Alabama will be remembered when your Lord Nelson and Trafalgar are forgotten.” To which the Englishman replies—“ Yes, but not till then.”

In Charleston the butchers have raised the price of meat. We are informed by one of the trade that mutton, according to late sales at Westport, stands them in eighteenpence per pound, including hoofs, offal, shanks, skin, and bone, of which latter two articles the animal is mostly composed.— Greymouth Star. Wanganui papers report that the other day Sergeant Patrick Boylan, No. 2 Division Armed Constabulary, deliberately shot himself. He was under arrest for the second or third time for drunkenness when he committed the rash act. He was a brave soldier, and not long ago a credit to the Colonial service.

The Maori King.—A telegram from the Alexandra correspondent of the Herald states that Tawhiao reached Hautara yesterday on his return from Kawhia to Te Kooti. A large meeting is to take place next week to arrange about taking revenge upon Te Kooti for the late murder of a Ngati Apakura native near Taupo. Te Kooti’s force numbers about three hundred men. Rewi is still near Taupo with Te Kooti.

Te Kooti.—The Southern Cross of the 25th ultimo, says :—Te Kooti it appears has had the misfortune to murder four King natives, because they would not join his forces, and great indignation is expressed thereat at Tawbiao’s headquarters, so much so that the arch-rebel is to be killed as utu if he should again put in an appearance at Tokangamutu, We fear, like Mrs. Glass, Tawhiao and his followers will have to catch their hare before they “ pot ” him. The Kaimanawa Block.—We learn that the terms on which the native owners of the Kaimanawa block have ceded that territory to the Government, are the payment of a bonus of £6O in money, and one-half of any sum received by the Government for miners rights or leases in case of the country proving auriferous. This arrangement may be considered highly satisfactory, seeing that the Auckland Government is paying the whole of the revenue derived from mining leases to the native owners of the land. The Lyttelton Times of the 30th ult. says : Business all through the month has remained very quiet, and no sales of any importance have transpired. A few country orders are now coming forward, and as the shearing season advances, trade will no doubt revive. A few unimportant failures have taken place but credit remains sound, so that no fears are entertained of the future. Flax dressing is already employing a large number of men, and as new mills are being erected in almost every direction, we may reasonably look forward to our shortly having another important article for export. The farmers have been busy finishing up their work, but the land is looking very dry, and unless we shortly have rain the crops are bound to suffer severely. In the New Zealand Gazette of the 25th inst. the election of J. D. Ormond, Esq., as Superintendent of the Hawke’s Bay Province, is formally announced. The appointment is, we need hardly say, an exceedingly popular one Mr Ormond has been for some years paststeadily building up a colonial reputation, as a disinterested politician, and an able, energetic, administrator In his double capacity of General Government agent and Superintendent, Mr. Ormond will have large opportunities of benefitting his province, and his exertions on behalf of the inhabitants of Hawke’s Bay will re-act to the advantage of the colony at large, the interests of which are likely to be considerably affected by the judicious action of the representative of the Government on the East Coast at such a critical time as the present. Extraorinary Love Story.—The case of an unfortunate young man resident in Wanganui, of the name of Alfred Webbe, is exciting considerable interest in that town. It appears that the young man, who bears a very high character, and was a messenger in the Post Office, fell desperately in love, as young lads will. Fancying, as ardent lovers blinded by their passion are sometimes apt to do, on somewhat, slender grounds, that the attachment was mutual, Alfred Webbe intruded on the premises where his lady love resided. For this offence he was committed to gaol, and after a few days’ incarceration was brought up before the Bench of Magistrates and committed to the Karori Asylum as a lunatic. The case is one which requires the most careful investigation, and we trust that the decision of the Court, which is declared to be too hastily arrived at, will not be carried into effect until the case has been submitted to further medical enquiry. No effort should be spared to avert the terrible doom which the consignment to a Lunatic Asylum implies to the young man. If a tem■porary derangement of the intellect has taken ’plKee, consequent on the excitement and disgrace •of his unusual position, a change of scene and a abort rest from ordinary occupations will probably restore the brain to the healthy discharge of its ordinary functions. — Independent.

It is currently reported that kerosine has been discovered within a short distance from Nelson.

God Bless the Duke of Argyle ! —Under the above heading the Nelson Evening Mail has the following“ Among the telegrams published in the papers lately, we find one from the North, to the effect that ‘ the Laird was scratched at 10 15’ on that morning, and consequently did not come to the post. To which member of the Scottish nobility does this interesting fact refer ?” The best bicycle velocipede journey at present performed, was made by Mr. C. A. Booth, the champion of skating, who did the whole distance from London to Brighton (52 miles) in 1\ hours. Booth arrived in Brighton in time to get a bath, have his dinner, and catch the last train to town. This beats any similar journey on the same road by two hours. Some of the downhill was done at the rate of a mile in three minutes.

Mail Steamers —The Independent says—- “ We understand that Mr. Martin has received a letter from the Under-Secretary for the Post Office Department, informing him that the Government has decided that the contract which was concluded with the P.N.Z. & A.R. M. Company for Inter-Provincial Steam Mail Services, and which was transferred to and is being carried out by the Circular Saw Steam Navigation Company, shall terminate on 31st December next.” The following is a copy of a notice served upon a friend of ours—“ June 2, impounded on the first take Notice that i have impounded 309 sheep that has been graseing on your lant and i give you Notice as the reputed owner of the sheep and there is three pence per head treaspuse and poundes fees for the first 20 two pence per head for the next 10 one penny and a per day for the next 9 one penny per day and a i per head per day for food they have been marked in both ears slit and cut in right and left.”—Kaikoura Herald.

Some consternation was spread through Hoki tika on Monday, by the announcement that German Charlie, a notorious criminal, had escaped from the Upper Gaol He received a sentence of six years’ imprisonment at the January' sittings of the Supreme Court, for having robbed the house of Mr. Cleary, the Governor of the Gaol. Since his incarceration he has been employed as wardsman, and he managed to escape by placing a large table against the wall of the prison, and thus clambering over the barricade. As soon as possible a pursuit was commenced ; up to a late hour the prisoner was not captured.— Colonist. f The p.s. Osprey.—This vessel has been in Mr. Charles Seager’s yard for some six weeks, during which time she has been lengthened eighteen feet. The machinery has also undergone a thorough overhaul, and she has been painted both inside and out. She will now carry upwards of 100 bales wool with ease. Altogether she is a most suitable craft for the work she is engaged in, and will be ready for sea about Wednesday [last]. The workmanlike manner in which the alterations have been effected reflects the utmost credit upon Mr. Seager’s establishment.— Independent.—She is hourly expected with the Falcon. ’‘“‘Kaikoura.—Our contemporary the Herald has the following amusing local in his last issue “ Hurrah ! Another arrival in Kaikoura, as will clearly be seen by referring to another column. There is evidently a firm determination in certain quarters to populate this district, judging from the number of new arrivals recently of the nature referred to. During the past three weeks, not less than about six young olive branches will have been christened by the Venerable Archdeacon Butt. Who was it who said we are not making progress ? He had better mind, or the ladies will find him out, and then woe betide.” The Melbourne Cup.—The Australasian of September 4th states"'that for the Melbourne Cup 100 to 9 is offered on the field, Manuka being now undoubtedly first favorite, as there are still a few 100’s to 9 in the market about Sheet Anchor. A new star has this week, however, risen in the firmament —Traverton, about whom a commission arrived from Sydney on Monday. All the money here was at once taken up, at prices ranging from 40 to 20 to 1, and he is now firm at 100 to 6„ a price which, I see by telegram, has been taken about him in Sydney. Nothing else has lately been mentioned, although there have been the usual amount of double event transactions. The Omeo, steamer, from New Zealand, arrived on Wednesday evening, and Mr. Redwood’s colt was not on board. He has receded in the betting to 100 to 5. Alexander Johnston, formerly in the employ of N. Edwards and Co’s branch firm at Greymouth, having pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzlement, was brought up for sentence yesterday. His Honor said that the prisoner, having nothing to say, was a sign of good sense, if not of grace. The offence to which he had pleaded guilty was a very serious, far more serious than the ’usual run of cases. He (the prisoner) had been in the employ of a respecttable firm, had had a position of trust, and had deliberately abused that trust, absconding with a large sum of money. His crime could not be classed with, and could not be treated the same, as that of a man who, receiving small sums of money, had yielded to temptation. Still he would take into consideration that it was a first offence. The prisoner was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, with hard labor. - Greymouth Star. Ministerial Antagonism.—The Nelson Colonist says : —“ A series of keen and not overscrupulous attacks on the Fox Ministry may now be expected to emanate from Nelson. Two exMinisters are to be resident in this city. One is already here, and his fine Roman hand, his political antagonism, and pet phraseology, could unerringly be traced in the leading columns of our contemporary on Saturday morning. In addition to these are Mr. Curtis, a staunch supporter of Mr. Stafford ; and other members of the House, including Sir David Monro, besides those who, like him, have a strong antagonism to Mr. Fox and his Ministry. These have a pliant journal in which to gain full expression to their views, and, accordingly, we find the well-known stylus at work, censuring the Ministry and their actions. But the thing is too palpable, and will work its own cure. A Minister driven from office, after enjoying its sweets for five years, is not likely to write otherwise than acrimoniously of those who ousted and succeeded him.”

A specimen of malachite lately reported to have been discovered in the Mount Benger district, is stated by the Tuapeka Times to have been sent to Melbourne for analysis, and to have been found to yield 75 per cent of copper. The discoverer keeps the precise locality where be found the ore a secret, until proper arrangements can be entered into for preserving his claim to a share in the benefit of his discovery.

The King natives are said to be dying off very fast of a malignant disease, supposed to be typhus fever, and to be caused by their disregard for personal cleanliness The Alexandra correspondent of the Auckland Herald states that the natives are not yet planting on the Upper Waipa, and express their surprise at seeing the Europeans getting in their crops as usual, and gives hints as much as to say, “You do not know what is coming, or you would not be planting.—Grey River Argus.

The Nelson Mail concludes a glowing account of a Fire Brigade dinner with the fqllowing confession : —Our reporter begs to be excused from narrating any of the proceedings after 11 o’clock on the grounds that about that period of the evening he became consciorfs of the correctness of the theory that the earth whirls round the sun. He remarks that he never felt the rotary motion so plainly before and is unable to decide whether the peculiar sensations he experienced are to be attributed to the turkey or to the near approach of the Saxby weather. Under these circumstances we are, of course compelled to accept his excuses. Me. Winter, late Westland County Treasurer, has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for embezzling the County’s moneys The sentence here is considered a very light one ; but there is no doubt His Honor Judge Richmond took all the surroundings of the case into consideration. The late County Treasurer had, in the first place, confessed his guilt, and did not aggravate it by putting the Government to any unnecessary expense in conducting the prosecution. His previous career in the County has also been irreproachable. He is an aged man, with a large family to share his shame, and suffer privation by the withdrawal of his support. The sentence, apparently light, is in reality a heavy one, and the offender may, from this time forward be looked upon as morally dead to the woi’ld.—Greymouth Star. We quoted rrecently from the advertising columns of the Nelson Mail, the following suggestive intimation :—“Notice.—The friends with whom my wife gossips will do well to advise her to go home, and attend to her baby, eight mouths old, which suffers much for her neglect.—W. R. Parmenter.” W. R. Parmenter and his gossiping better half do not seem to have agreed, and in a subsequent domestic revolution W. R. seems to have come off “second best.” The Examiner says ;—The time of the Resident Magistrate was occupied on Saturday last, .and again yesterday, over the matrimonial dissensions of Mr. W. R. Parmenter and his wife. Mrs. Parmenter was proved to have assaulted her husband and threatened to stab him. The case was adj ournpd from Saturday to Tuesday, to enable the parties to make an arrangement between themselves, the Magistrate recommending a separation ; but on their appearing in Court, nothing appcaio.l to have been effected, and Mrs. Parmenter was therefore bound over to keep the peace for six months, and to find three sureties of £2O each.— Greymouth Star. A Boqdet of Candidates. —On Saturday a numerously signed requisition, only an instalment of the whole, was received from Westport by Mr. N. Edwards, who was strongly urged by letters and telegrams from the West Coast, as well as by applications from the town and from various country districts, to consent to become a canditate for the Superintendency. After mature consideration, Mr. Edwards finally declined to accede to the request. Since then, quite a bouquet of candidates have offered themselves to an anxious and admiring public. His Honor, the present hokhr of the office, still desires to retain his seat. Mr. W. Gibbs, of Totaranui ; Mr. Win, Akersteu, of Nelson ; Mr. Thomas Dwan, of Charleston ; - and, last, and least, Mr. J. Poppleton Horn, of Appleby, have severally announced their intention to come forward and appeal to the people for their suffrages. Mr. Horn’s notification is supposed to be a joke. It is said that Mr, Gibbs has had large promises of support over the bay, and Mr. Akersten’s friends affirm that in both town and country he has had similar extensive inducements. Mr. Dvvan’s requisition shows eighty names. It is further stated that Mr. Donne is, “ still they come,’’the feeling on the West Coast for a change being pretty largely shared by various parts of the settled districts. If one might quote the sentiment of the renowned Mrs. Gamp, as she tossed off her glass of rum in the back parlor of the undertaker’s dwelling, we might be inclined to say, “ The best of lucks for all !”

Davies and Campbell v. Wells.— As an error appeared in our report of this case last week, we give the following resume : —The plaintiffs sought to recover £6l for timber supplied defendant’s mill at Havelock, who pleaded a set-off. He admitted having had timber to the value of <£4o. He was not indebted, as it was supplied under an agreement, which the plaintiffs had broken, by only supplying 11,000 feet per week instead of 15,000, and having refused to complete the agreement by supplying the balance of the entire quantity the agreement stipulated for. By consent, a set-off of £IOO for breach of agreement was allowed to be pleaded by defendant. After a lengthened investigation of the entire case, which lasted nearly four days, the Resident Magistrate gave judgment. He said he would give his judgment on the strict moral view of the case, and would take the measurement of the timber actually supplied from the evidence of the defendant, which would amount to £4O, which he, the defendant, would have paid if the plaintiffs had gone on with the agreement. He believed the defendant had given every facility to the plaintiffs to carry out the agreement, which he would find they had broken ; so, he would certainly give the plaintiffs damages, and he believed a sum of £lO would satisfy the requirements of the case. He would also give, as further damages, to the defendant his entire costs, £lB 95., and leaving the plaintiffs to pay their own costs, which amounted to about £l6 16s. Mr. Pitt appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Nelson for the defendant.

Tae salary of Mr. Weld, the Governor of Western Australia, was to be £1,200 ; it is now to be £2,500. — Colonist. Prospecting in Marlborough. —The followinf lettej, signed, Charles Percival, appears in a late Colonist : —StR, —I returned on Saturday last from a short prospecting tour, (with two others) up the Eiver Rae, for a distance of seven miles, from where it runs into the Pelorus ; and although auriferous indications, such as maiden quartz, mixed quartz, quartz and slate, black sand, etc., etc., were found in every creek and crevice, we could not find the color. The river itself we were unable to bottom owing to a layer of gravel, averaging from ten to twelve feet, more or less covered with water, and which would have taken more of the sinews of war than we possessed to have tried it. I waited on his Honor the Superintendent and expressed my willingness to form a party of four or five to prospeet the upper part of the Rae, if he would so far assist the development of the resources of the neighboring country (which if successful, must materially help the town of Nelson), as to find the bare necessaries for such a party, without payment for time and labor ; but he declined, on the plea that organised prospecting parties never answered, that the finding of the precious metal was mere chance, and it was best to leave it at that. So that you see his Honor is very careful of the interests of Nelson. I now appeal to the public of Nelson, asking no more than what I have already asked his Honor, and if they are willing to forward such a scheme either in kind or money, any communication or suggestion addressed to the undersigned, will be carefully considered. ynidANUKA. the Magnificent.— A crowd of persons interested in racing matters assembled at the corner of Trafalgar-street last evening to see Mr. Redwood’s team as they entered the town on their way to the steamer Omeo, in which vessel they will be shipped to Melbourne. A rush took place to the stables, where they were to pass the night, and Mr. Redwood kindly permitted the horses to be stripped, to allow the eager crowd to obtain a view of these noble animals. With a considerable amount of squeezing and pushing, we worked our way into Manuka’s box, and certainly the splendid creature, whose fame is now so wide spread, is a sight well worth going any distance to see. He is a dark brown, standing 16 hands and half an inch, and, view him as you will, it is impossible to find a fault in him. The beautiful sloping shoulder, and immense length from the stifle to the hock, leave no room for doubt that you see before you the qualities required for speed, while the short back, immense muscular development in arms and thighs, and the powerful hind quarters speak of enormous strength ; w.th regard to his powers of endurance we are too well acquainted with his performances on the Canterbury course to be in the least sceptical on that point. It is the opinion of those who are well able to speak on this subject, that seldom, if ever, has such a horse made his appearanc even on the Derby course, and, should no accident happpen to him, we fully expect to hear that the Melbourne Cup and several other of the plumes of the meeting he is going to attend have fallen to the lot of his enterprising owner." Peeress and Misfortune are, both of them, beautiful

tl 3 , V«i. --- iL.i. meed of admiration they deserve, they should be viewed before their grand stable companion- -a precaution which we unfortunately neglected to take. The three horses were shipped on board the Omeo this morning, and we most heartily wish Mr Redwood that success which he so richly deserves. Should Manuka succeed in carrying off the Cup he will not only restore to our Nelson horses their somewhat faded prestige, but, we understand, that at least £20,000 of Melbourne m moy will find its way to New Zealand in bets alone. It is with no little anxiety that we shall look for the first tidings of the/Melbourne race meeting.—Nelson Mail. Jr s'*