Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 209, 25 December 1869, Page 4

Local and General News.

Received.—“ A complaint ” from a Subscriber at Kaikoura, is too late this week. We are requested to remind dealers in spirits, and brewers, that the period has arrived for reregistering their premises and taking out licenses for the next year. At the Bankruptcy Sittings of the Supreme Court at Nelson on Friday last in Re Henry Brown of Blenheim, and John Godfrey, of Picton h orders were granted ToFTTectaratioa—of - axecutiolf of deed of arrangement; and in Re J. H. M'Leod Hawk, of Picton, ajlnal discharge wasjgranted U A was experienced on Wednesday evening week* It was not severely felt in Nelson, but at Wake' field, the Roman Catholic church in course o* erection was struck by lightning, and sustained some damage.— Examiner. / The schooner Ruby, Fraser, master, arrived at Wellington from Kaikoura and Waipapa on Sunday afternoon, with passengers, and a general cargo of produce, comprising nine tons of tallow (the first shipment from the Kaikoura steaming-down establishment,) sheepskins, wool, and potatoes. /

The Wanganui Natives.—The local papers say that fourteen or fifteen canoes came down river, on Monday with the main body of Kemp’s men. After receiving pay and taking a few days recreation amongst their friends they propose to return and join Topia and his people in pursuit of Te Kooti. Auckland Flax Market.—Mr. Walker, Queen-street Wharf, reports : Very little has been done in New Zealand flax. Only 60 bales, ex Lady Egidia, at Otago, have been offered at public sale. They were fair, long fibre, paleish, but little more than half cleaned. All sold at £3l per ton.— Weekly News. Westland’s Credit Stopped.—The Grey River Argus understands that the Bank of New Zealand has positively refused to allow the overdraft to the County Council to be further increased. It now amounts to something like £ISOO, and was to have been £IO,OOO so that a large number of liabilities must yet remain unpaid.

It is possible that the Flying Squadron may be in our harbor about the 22nd of January, and the boats from the several men-of-war would render some of the races more than usually interesting. Messrs. Shaw Saville and Co., have we are informed, again presented a Cup to be competed for, which is on board the Wild Duck, now about 70 days out.— Post. Some interesting additions have recently been made to the Museum at Dunedin, in the shape of several stone knives and saws found by Captain Fraser during a recent visit to the Ida Valley, Otago. They were found on the surface of the “ koken moddens ” (kitchen dust heaps) of the savage race who used them, presumably a race which proceeded the Maori in the occupation of New Zealand.— Post. We are glad to learn that the Government have been able to conclude arrangements for the despatch of the Tararua at noon on the 23rd instant, with the English mail. The Tararua will call at Nelson, where the steamer from Auckland will be met and the mails transhipped, will leave on the 24th, call at Hokitika for the mails, and reach Melbourne in time to catch the P. and O. boat. For this service Messsrs. M‘Meckan, Blackwood, & Co. are to receive £2oo.— lndependent. Kaikoura.—Our correspondent says “A largely attended meeting was held at the Courthouse here on the 15th, at the instance of Messrs Ingles and Gibson, the members of Provincial Council for the district, which resulted in our members being allowed to go to the Council unfettered without one dissentient voice, in which case their pledges at the election stands for nothing, and that they may vote for who they like, and what they like.” The Sports Committee met on Wednesday last, and revised the list of Sports for New Year’s Day, as detailed elsewhere, and made several preliminary arrangements. The programme, which is rather lengthy will be commenced at 9 a.m. and continued till finished, under the direction of Mr. Connal as manager, and Mr. j)ou,slin as Judge. The amount of the prizes will A)a published next Saturday.

Kelson College. Wednesday week was the breaking up Judge Richmond distributed the usual prizes to the boys accompanied by appropriate remarks to each. The Rev, Mr. Poole one of the examiners read their report. In this, Penny, a Blenheim boy, received hoSbTaTile mentionasTiavmgmstihguisEed himself in history. He further explained that with reference to a prize given to Penny for proficiency in History, that in the examination, he made one of five who were perfectly equal, and he had to make a second examination of these, in which Penny outstripped the others. News— Our latest news from Tapuehararu via Horoto shows that a new phase of affairs has arisen. It is said that Kereopa has effected a junction with Te Kooti, and that their combined forces intended an attack upon Tapue-. hararu. This news comes from native sources, and such information is proverbially unreliable. We hava not heard much of that miscreant Kereopa lately, and we are not at all anxious to hear of him now. We do not think that he and Te Kooti, even when combined, will venture upon attacking a place well garrisoned by a portion of our forces under the gallant Major Roberts, supplemented by a hundred Arawa and Taupo friendlies. It would be a good thing if Te Kooti and Kereopa would take the field, because then we should have an excellent opportunity of crushing them. We were informed on Wednesday that preparations were being made at Tauranga to give Te Kooti a warm reception should he put in appearance there, as it had been rumoured such was his intention. It was said he had been invited to the district by the native chiefs'Hakaraia and Kereopa.

Lord Ashley will leave Nelson for Wellington on Saturday midnight, and Phoebe to leave Wellington for Picton and Nelson, at 2 p.m, Monday, consequently letters for England, posted prior to 5 p.m. to-day will be despatched by the outgoing mails. According to the Shortland Times, the wellknown De Lacy, of Burgess, Kelly and Levi notoriety, is again an inmate of a gaol, although it is only a few days since he left Mount Eden. On Saturday he was given in charge by Mr. O’Dowd, charged with stealing some jewellery from the Prince Arthur Hotel, Grahamstown.

We have received a copy of the circular issued by the committee of the Canterbury Art Exhibibition, which it [is proposed to hold at Christchurch, in the month of January next, at the New Museum Building, and is to continue open for a month. His Excellency the Governor is patron of the Exhibition, and the following gentlemen have been requested to act for the Committee in this province, His Honor W. H. Eyes, Esq., and A. Dobson, Esq. Narrow Escape. —Yesterday morning, Mr. Ball, of the firm of Messrs. Dodson and Ball, brewers, while engaged in pursuing his avocations at the mash tub, fell in, and but for the timely aid of some of the workmen, who rushed to his assistance, would have been scalded to death, on being withdrawn, it was found that one side of his face and body were severely scalded We are glad to hear, that notwithstanding his injuries, Mr. Ball is about and attending to business almost as usual.

Chrstmas Eve. — The usual midnight Mass took place at the Catholic Church, Maxwell Road, last night, the service commencing about 11.30, and being concluded shortly after lam. The sacred edifice, which was densely crowded by an assemblage representing all religious denominations, numbers having been unable to obtain admission, had been decorated in very tasteful and elaborate style, the Sanctuary especially presented a rich and striking appearance. The sermon was preached by the the Rev. Father Seauzeau, who took his text fromthe Gospel of the Festival, and the music was Webbe’s Mass in C., the Christmas hymn “ Adeste fideles ” (Novello’s arrangement); and Hummel’s “Ave verum ” being also rendered very effectively by the choir.

Washed and Unwashed Wool. The Oamaru Times says that as there has been considerable discussion as to the advantage or otherwise of washing wool on the sheep’s back it may serve to set the doubts of some at rest to state the result of an experiment designed for the express purpose of testing the matter. The Hon. Matthew Holmes last season sent home a portion of his wool in the grease and a portion washed, and the result was that the latter fetched as much as 2s 44d per lb—the highest price we have yet heard of for this season—while that in grease, which Mr. Holmes informs us was of equal quality, realised Comment is unnecessary.

Art-union of London.— ln reply to an offer made By the Council, last year, of a premium of three hundred guineas for a series of drawings illustrating some poetical or histoi'ical work of a British author, they received 34 sets of designs of various degrees of merit. The premium was awarded to a series of great excellence, illustrative of the Rev. Charles Kingsley’s well-known story of “ Hereward the Wake,” found to be the work of Mr. H. C. Selous, already known to the subscribers for his admirable designs to the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” and other works. From these drawings, 20 in number, engravings have been made by Mr. C. G. Lewis, and a copy bound in cloth will be presented to every subscriber of the current year; which volume will be found a worthy successor to “The Norman Conquest,” of Mr. Maclise, and “ The Ancient Mariner,” Sir Noel Paton. Specimens of the work are on' view at the Express office, Mr. Johnson being the Hon. Secretary for Marlborough. The Post of the 15th December says : Rumours of poisoning with arsenic having been in circulation to-day, we have taken some trouble to trace them to their origin, which we find'to be this: by the last trip of the Rangitoto from Melbourne, there arrived 40 bags of sugar, of good white color and apparently of excellent quality, which passed into the hands of various grocers. It has been discovered that several families in which this sugar has been used, have subsequently displayed the usual symptoms of arsenical poisoning, though not in a violent or dangerous degree ; four families at least have suffered, and are now under medical treatment though no fatal conseqsences are likely to ensue. A portion of the sugar has been handed over for analysis to Mr. Skey, and until his report is made public it is idle to speculate on what deleterious substance it may contain. Strange to say, a similar occurrence has just taken place at Oamaru, and a parcel of precisely similar sugar has ben forwarded to Mr. Skey for analysis. Dr. Grace, who is attending some of the sufferers, has exerted hims If to prevent any more of sugar being sold, and all of it that can be traced is ijow placed under interdict. Pelorus Election.—The application of Mr. Rutland, in the Supreme Court, having the object of the unseating of Mr. Douslin, came off on Saturday last, before Judge Richmond, when it was found that the affidavits on the part of Mr. Rutland were not forthcoming. Mr. Kingdon, for him, stated that they had been filed, while the Registrar as positively stated that they had not, and in reply to the Judge, said no fees had been paid for them. Mr. Richardson, for Mr. Douslin, then raised a point that there was nothing to show that he had taken his seat, orintended to do so, and claimed that the rule be discharged on that ground. The Judge held that this was a valid objection, and after consideration deferred his judgment until Thursday last to enable the plaintiff to see what had become of the affidavits, but stated that as far as Mr. Douslin was concerned his mind was made up, and he would not need to wait in Town. On Thursday we received the following telegram from our own correspondent “Rutland v. Douslin.—Rule discharged. An application for another rule on fresh affidavits was also refused, as it did not appear that defendant had assumed to act as a member of the Provincial Council.” We may add that Mr Douslin did not putin his affidavits, as under the circumstances they were unnecessary. We commend the determination of the plaintiff, and only wish he had a better case in hand.

A telegram from Westport, in the Colonist , dated December 12, says:—Another fire took place here last night. It occurred on the same block as the fire of December 4th. The following buildings were destroyed :—Old House at Home Hotel, Ship Inn, Q. C. E. Hotel. Falla’s and Organ’s stores were in jeopardy, but The cause of the fire is unknown.

Murder at Lyttelton. —At the Supreme Court sittings at Christchurch, John Smyth has been tried and found guilty of the wilful murder of his wife, Georgina Renton. The trial occupied two days, the jury retiring at 9.30 p m. of the second day, and returning at 11.40. with a verdict of guilty of murder. The prisoner was sentenced to death in the usual form.

The following singular advertisement, under the head Ecclesiastical, appears in the Auckland Herald :—“ Warning Voice.—Woe unto them that cry ‘ Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace, thus saith a man who speaketh the word of the Lord. Great wrath will shortly fall on all the world for its wickedness and rejection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Its grapes are fully ripe ; and if unbelievers are seeking a sign, the Lord of Hosts will give them a sign on the last day of this present year in all New Zealand. Other parts of the earth will be given a little more time for repentance. This is a true prophecy. Rejoice, ye children of God, for he now beginneth to take away the reproach of Hia people. (Other papers please copy, that this warning voice may run swiftly into the uttermost parts of the earth, for it surely will come. It will not tarry. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord). (My name is secret.)”, Topia a Staunch Ally.— On Saturday, December 4, Captain William M ‘Donnell received a letter from Topia, in which, in reference to his expedition against Te Kooti, Topia says:— “When the Tawr comes up, you must come up. Do not stay away you must come and join my party, to capture Te Kooti. I forgot to tell Mr. Fox when he was here that I wanted you, but I have written to him to say that I want you to join_ my party.” That is a further proof of Topia’s sincerity. He wants a European officer in whom himself and his men have confidence, to go with him and his men to capture Te Kooti, and if necessary, pursue him into the Waikato. As a matter of course. Captain M‘Donnell has accepted Topia’s invitation, and will join him with the best possible delay. Thus Mr. Fox by boldly placing in Topia’s hands a few Enfield rifles as a proof of the confidence which the Government reposes in him, has united the recently up-river hostile tribes, with the lower river friendlies, in a bond of friendship to support the Government in maintaining the peace of these districts — Post.

Thk Wanganui Times informs us that the expedition of the Wanganui natives, under Kemp, to co-operate with Topia in the capture of Te Kooti, started up the river on Wednesday numbering about 400 men. Unfortunately Mr. Booth, the evil genius of every expedition with which he was ever connected, accompanies the present one, contrary to the very decidedly evp-- 1 opinions of Major insist, at all event, he shall not proceed further than Ohinemutu, and to that Mr. Booth assents, provided that Topia should not invite him to accompany the expedition, which Kemp says he will not. If objected to by Topia at Ohinemutu, Mr. Booth will return to Banana, and from thence return to Wanganui with Mete Kingi. We earnestly hope that he has no positive authority from the Government to accompany the present expedition, and that they will soon find employment for him beyond the boundaries of these districts, within which neither Europeans nor natives repose in him the slightest cpfmdence. \ * Sporting.— By the Claud Hamilton, this V evening, Mr. Redwood will ship two three-year-olds for Canterbury—Economy, a bay gelding, by Diomedes, out of Certainty, by II Barbierre, out of a Sir Hercules mare ; and Songstress, a bay filly by Ravens worth, out of Stybird, by Teddington. The gelding is entered for the Canterbury Jockey Handicap, and the filly for the Canterbury Derby, and both are promising animals, but will scarcely be prepared owing to Mr. Redwood’s absence in Melbourne, and the races at Canterbury coming off a month earlier than was originally advertised, in order that they may take place during the visit of the “Flying Squadron,” expected at Lyttelton during the first week of the year. Mr. Redwood’s mares Peeress and Misfortune, are already at Christchurch, under the care of E. Cutts. Mr. Redwood has no horse entered for the Canterbury Cup this year, and for this, the great race of the meeting, Mr. Stafford’s Majenta will probably be the sole Nelson representative, although Lacenfeed is likewise entered for the same race. These two animals will be the only ones Mr. Stafford will send to Canterbury this year, but Nebula and Lady Florence are both engaged in the Auckland meeting, which comes off on the first three days of the year. —Examiner 15th. Jr v New Zealand Flax.— The Independent* of tfee 9th instant, has the following:—“The following extract from the London correspondent of Mr. E. 0. Reece, deserves the notice of all interested in the manufacture of flax :—* By parcel (post) I send sample of flax wholly undressed, and lately sold at £3l per ton ; also, of some well-dressed Canterbury flax, which was recently valued at £42 to .£44 per ton—but I rather think it was done in London, from the aforesaid straw, by a Frenchman’s machine, nearly perfected after many experiments, and by which the raw New Zealand flax can be thoroughly cleaned with comparatively little waste, and made worth £42 to £4B per ton. He is sanguine of perfect success ; and, although now unable to define a price for his machine, he expects they will range between £IOO to .£l5O each. Should the experiments on larger parcels of New Zealand flax, which are purposed this autumn, prove succesful, would you incline to have one of these apparatus ? The New Zealand flax attracts increasing attention in the London market, and should prove an important export from each province.’ Messrs. Devett and Hett report as follows on New Zealand flax :—‘The sales during the month have comprised 385 bales. Otago, at £2O to £SO for second quality, dressed; but strong fibre (one bale), well dressed, £3B. Also, fifty bales, Canterbury, at £3l ; and twenty* \ pigbt bales. Auckland, well dressed, at £3B 15s. Fair roping Manilla hemp, is now 525.”

Mb. H. Augarde, of Nelson, quotes Perseverance Company £5 shares, £1 paid up, at 30s ; Culliford Company. £lO shares, 25s paid, at £l.— Post. A Mb. Allan, of Green Island, near Dunedin, has read a paper on the form of government most conducive to the good government of New Zealand in the event of a severance of its connection ■with the mother-country. He advocated the formation of the colony into a republic, tlm President of which should possess the same functions as those possessed by the President of the United States. Mr. Allan referred to thegreatimprobability of a small and inoffensive State such as the proposed New Zealand Republic, being attacked by any large power. Holloway’s Ointment and'Pills. —Coughs, influenza.—The soothing properties of these medicaments render them well worthy of trial m all diseases of the lungs, in common colds, and influenza. The Pills taken internally and the Ointment rubbed externally are efficacious. When influenza is epidemic this treatment is easiest, safest, and surest. Holloway’s Pills and Ointment purify the blood, remove all obstructions to its free circulation through the lungs, relievo the overgorged air tubes, and render respiration frea without reducing the strength, irritating the nerves, or depressing the spirits. Such are the ready means of saving suffering when afflicted with colds coughs, bronchitis, and other complaints by which so many are seriously and permanenty afflicted m most countries.