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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 414, 1 March 1877, Page 2

The Selwyn Council still refuses to bring the permissive provisions of the Counties Act into operation—Mr Hall dissenting. Captain Febkies, of the s. a. Zealandia, died on the passage to New Zealand, and was buried at Honolulu. Mb. M'Hutcheson, of Naseby, is repor" ted in the Dunedin papers of Monday last as practising upon the Oval, but the ' Guardian' reports was not up to his usual form. His Excellency the Governor has stated that the Kumara was the most wonderful goldfield he had seen. That settles the question. The Palmer G-oldfields yielded for the last year 183,000 ounces of gold, against 322,000 ounces, the yield of the New Zealand Goldfields, - The English mail left Auckland for Port Chalmers on Monday afternoon. There is a chance, if the steamer is not detained at the various ports of call, that the mails may be delivered up-country on Saturday. The ' Guardian' of Tuesday states that the following telegram has been received at Christchurcb by Dr. Haast from Sir George Airey :—" It is particularly requested that the sun's disc be watched every two hours or oftener for a small planet, March 21, 22, 23: .Photographs prefeiable to eye view.—Astronomer Royal, Greenwich, London, February 23." Dr. Haast says the planet in question is without doubt the supposed small iutromercurial planet which lately has given rise to so much search and discussion at Home.

A large leg bone of a Moa has been brought to the 'North Otago Times' office by Mr. A. V. Johns. It was found at Maerewhenua, 70ft below the surface, and is petrified to the hardness of bluestone. The 'Star' reports :—"The Hon. James Young, Canadian Commissioner, is deputed by the Government of the Dominion to report on New Zealand and Australia as fields for the development of Canadian commerce. Two ship loads of labor-saving machines are now on the way to Australia. . ; The Naseby Cemetery Managers at a meeting resolved to erect a substantial post and wire fence round the present enclosure, instead of the old sod wall, which has proved insufficient to prevent cattle and goats from finding their way inside. The materials for the fence are already on the ground.

The -Canterbury cricketers twenty-two made a good game against the Englishmen, getting them all out for 70 the first 9 wickets falling for 39 runs only. Our last exchanges report 4 Canterbury wickets down for 27 runs. We believe the Englishmen won by fifteen runs.

At Roxburgh, peaches, apricots, &c, are reported by the ' Tuapeka Timeß ' as being very plentiful. Mr John Beighton has given away many hundredweights to his friends, and yet the trees are loaded too heavily. The market price of fruit varies considerably in this district, running from 3d to 8d per lb. In the ' Daily Times' telegraphic summary of mail news we see it stated : —" The ' London Times ' contains a long letter from "Tudor" (Mr. Macindoe), Secretary of the Otago Convention, rebutting reports of the Wellington correspondent of that journal, setting forth the objects of the Convention, and its loyalty to the Crown, notwithstanding its determination to resist the coercion of the Colonial Parliament.

From the * Daily Times' we learn that a Prospecting Association haß been formed at Charleston. It oflers & bonus of 25 per cent, to the party who first finds a payable goldfield within an area situated between the Totara and the range dividing the Four-mile and Fox's River, and terminating at the White Horse Track, the said new Goldfield to be within an area of two miles from prospector's claim, and to be capable of giving continuous employment to 250 miners for six months at current wages—the offer of bonus to extend to the Ist day of October next.De, Cabr is again about to visit Naseby, and will open on Saturday at the Town Hall. Since Dr Carr visited Naseby last, he has made his mark in the North as a clever lecturer as well as able phrenologist. His studies of Colonial celebrities are considered successful. He has with him on this occasion, for illustrative purposes, a large collection of skulls of celebrities, and photographs of distinguished and representative characters, the exhibition of which will tend greatly to elucidate many of the features of the interesting science, of which the lecturer is so apt an expositor. On Sunday evening the Dr gives a free lecture on the subject of " Modern Materialism and the Human Soul. '> Theee iB at last an indirect assurance that the Government intend to complete the water works before handing them over to anybody. It is tben, we believe, intended to offer them to the County Council, together with the extra liabilities incurred over and above the sums originally voted. If the Council do not care to take the works upon those conditions the Government propose to retain the management and revenues in their own hands. It is a wonderful relief to us to aseertain that the Government has a mind at all, or a vehicle, however round about, by which to announce its decisions to the world.

It is reported with all the solemnity of semi-official announcements that the Police Conference now sitting in Wellington will recommend the amalgamation of the Police and Armed Constabulary Forces. The new force will be divided into six divisions, of which four will be employed on police duty, and two reserve divisions on constabulary duty in Native districts. The various settled portions of the Colony will be divided into four police districts, each of which will be under the control of a superintendent. The four superintendents will be Messrs. Weldon (Otago), Shearman (Canterbury), Aitchison (Wellington), and Broham (Auckland). Inspector Thomson, of Auckland, will be superintendent of the detective branch, and Colonel Moule will command the whole as Chief Commissioner.

Vigobot/3 efforts are being made to constitute new Counties in the districts of Kawarau and Tapanui. The Kawarau partisans, incensed by the action of the Vincent County Council, are going into their work in earnest. The course to be followed is simple, and the County Conncils of Vincent and Tuapeka, it appears, have no direct say in the matter. All that is requisite is that three fifths of the County electors in the district proposing to secede should agree to petition the Governor. If this is done, and Parliament during its next session does not interfere, the severenee is complete. The course does not commend itself as being a wise one ; yet, if the party persist, it is undoubtedly easy of accomplishment. The area of any new County must be at least 200,000 acres in extent, and contain 100 electors. The Tapanui agitation is remarkable, as it is headed by the Chairman of the Tuapeka County Council himself, .and appears to be more of the nature of an amicable arrangement.

Thk report in our issue of Saturday last o* the fire at the farm of Messrs. Turnbull Bros.i of Blackstqne Hill, proves only too true. The fire is supposed to have been caused by a spark from the fire, or from some hot ashes. Fire was first seen in a clear place near the stacks, but it was impossible .to check it. All efforts were fruitless. The stacks caught in a moment. So speedy was the flame that it; was with the greatest difficulty a horse in a .loaded cart was cut out and saved from being roasted alive. In the effort to do this one of the men was severely burnt. The barn was burnt, with a quantity of thrashed oats, harness, and farming utensils, and thirteen stacks, containing 250 to 300 bushels apiece. The loss is estimated at from £7OO to £BOO. There was no insurance. Messrs. Turnbull Bros, are quite satisfied the loss was caused by accident, and, with characteristic energy,, at once set to work to get in the rest of the, crop, waßting no time in lamentations. The veteran Australasian cosmopolitan, Mr. W. Jackson Barry, delivered a lecture, at the Town Hall, Naseby, on Saturday evening last. Mr. Barry's lecture was a glimpse behind the scences into his work; about to be issued in London, of which great things are expected. Contrary to most autobiographies, this forthcoming one by Mr Barry is evidently of the most racy and startling characterr In the few outlines sketched briefly at Naseby there was a flood of adventure, sufficient to immortalise a dozen ordinary men. But Mr Barry is no ordinary man, as he proved by the facility and ease with which his lecture was delivered. The work, when published, will go far to counteract an idea springing up that Colonial life is rather tame and unattractive as a field to those who love a life of adventure. We do not know if Mr. Barry ever was employed as an, Immigration Agent, but we have no doubt he would prove most successful. The performance at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening last in aid of the Cricket Club funds proved most successful. The Hall was not as crowded as we have seen it, but there was a very good house. The. only unsuccessful piece was an amateur drama, the characteißjof which appeared to be without

the dramatic instinct, and felt to the fall the difficulty experienced by nervous people of not knowing when to leave off. The audience vigorously applauded the good intentions displayed. The songs by Mr. Stevens, accompanied by himself on the Anglo-concer-tina, -were, artistic and perhaps the most worthy of highest commendation. Mr. H. Ham and J Spedding also sang in capital style, while Mr J Sandow brought down the house with his comic songs and sand dance, being continuously encored. The versatility of this gentleman appears to be beyond definition, and we never quite know what it is he cannot do in the way of amusement. Dr Whitton exhibited a magic serpent, in imitation, as he said of the Egyptian magicians in the Count of King Pharoah. The members oi the Brass Band who so spiritedly identified themselves with the cricketers at Palmerston, played two overtures in good style. Mr: Grumitt gave an excellently chosen reading, and Messrs Collett and Vickery and other old friends as vsual did their share towards the general amusement. At the conclusion of the entertainment dancing took place, being kept up with apirit until a late hour.

The Naseby Presbyterian Soiree in connection with the departure of the Rev. J. M'Cosh Smith to Scotland,is fixed for "Wednesday, the 7th. Dr. Carr gives seances throughout the district on Saturday and every day next week. See advertisement. Mr. E. Hall notifies a Quadrille Party for Thursday next, which will take place periodically if sufficient support is given. The English mail via San Francisco closes at the district offices on Monday, the sth inst. The stock tobe sold on the 10th at the Commercial th° = f advertised as on vie ' w ' a few days previous to Messrs. Isder and George sell by public auction on Saturday, the 3rd inst., at 4 p.m., several very superior horses, the property ef Mr. Thomas Grose. Ch^ 1 } is for registration upon the electoral roll for the Colony must be made before the 31st March Forms can be obtained from Mr. L. "W Busch • the Court House, Naseby; or at the office of this paper. The County Council of Maniototo meets on the Bth inst Objections to the Municipal valuation have to be lodged with the Clerk of the Court before 4 p.m. the 14th inst.