LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 98, 28 March 1885, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. ••;, ?,,,.: • ••-,;• • _•'. « •. '-;i m >■ •.- ;•;■ ■■■•-- --1 A large "octopus, measuring about ten feet m diameter, was' killed.' on the beach' at; Pelichet T3ay , Duneclin; 1 a few days ago. One tenacle measured 4ffc 3J-in. ( Among the list of main roads just proclaimed is that" of' the Managahoe line, Eangitikei, being the middle part of the road from "Wanganui to Hunterville. ''-'■%. \ ">■ i" • , ' . Amongst other . measures to be sub,'mitted by the Government to the Legislature during the ensuing session of Parliament will be an amended Stamp i Act. ■ •'"-. ■:: -. - : . •'••"'. Several Natives were an Auckland on '. Tuesday profusely decorated with beads and crosses. They are, it seems, . the ! members of; a Bomau Catholic' mission ; party. They come from Holrianga, ; where there is a Roman. Catholic mission;,' i and, T>y' direction of their ecclesiastical : superiors, they v haye started on a religious mission 'to their fellow-country-ijuen. They have been at Waikato, and are now going by Taui ; anga into them:- -: terior. • ] The Iron Company's 'Works at 'Onehunga are beginning to attract numbers of visitors : ae they approach completion. 1 Sir Edmund Buckley, Bart., who knows something ot ■ , Welsh ■ i mines, and . who, . 'gome time ago, represented ' one of the ; iron •districts of England jn ; the House ot ' CommonsV was lately shown through the i whole of the works, and made a very i careful examination of the buildings and i machinery, taking great interest m the ; process 'by'wnich the ironsand is to be smelted. The furnaces are expected to be at work m about six week's time. A correspondent of an Auckland paper says that some two or three years ago a party of the Armoil Constabulary, under non-commissioned officers, were sent round the "Waikato district to put m order the several ceruetries (many ot them m a disgraceful condition) m winch were buried the remains of men and officers of the imperial and colonial forces, who fell m the several engagements m the Waikato war. The officer m command of this party was also instructed, to send m a report. He did so, and to the effect that, as from the disordered state pf the decayed and fallen headboards, it waa impossible to ascertain the particular site of many of the graves, and: that it would bo better to erect a substantial monument m oa«h ' ccmotery, recording the names. of fill ' those BoUlicrK \vho bad j been Imriod tlioro. Tho rojinvt was fid- ' opted, and the mouoy ior the purpose ! voted, but from that day to tins, nothing j " ■' ' ' "-■ --i^ mii I

Tho latest thing m pugilism is the fight for the Chinese heavy-weight championship now being arranged m Ban __ Francisco. The Celestials are being' trained by white men. ■..-.; An engavcr's mistake lately caused the bride's parents to say on the caal : " Mr and Mrs. respectfully request your presents at the marriage of their .daughter," etc. ... A 'Now Hampshire shoemaker makers squeaky shoes to order, and has all the work he can do. They are ordered by men who have pews near the pulpit, and play to come m late. A lady m a Denver, theatre, the other higlit, wore m her hair six tiny hummingbirds, which formed a half-wreath about her head, and which she had trained to sing between acts for the edification of the audience. " "A few (lays sinco a cable message was sent from Melbourne, "Australia, to London"and, delivered m twenty-throe ■■minutes. The distance by land and sea is 13,398 miles, and the message was 1' repeated " eleven times.' Slade, the spiritualistic medium, has bobbed up again m Chicago m Ins'slate.writing trick, making the " spirits / answer all sorts of foolish - questions ; but whan a reporter asked who would compose Cleveland's Cabinet they could only say, "We do not feel sure about >it." . .-. ■-." ' ' The substitution of glass flooring for boarcls "continues to. increase m Paris, \this being especially the case m those business structures m which the cellars are used as offices. A girl m Knoxville, Term-, was struck m the face by her lather. The blow was light, but it was the first ever received from him, arid, worse still, her sweetheart was present. She fell ill that same day, sank steadily during a year, and is now dead. *In the City of New York, m the districts bounded by Honston-street, the Bowery, Chatham-street, and Broadway there are 70,000 people, of whom at least 30,000 are Protestants. For this vast throng there is not one Protestant . Church. „ • , : It has been found that the emeralds m the* diadem of the Empress Eugenic, recently sold, were bogus. An English nobleman bought them for $200,000. The money has been refunded. Paris Figaro asserts thai the Empress knew that part of the stones m the diadem ■were falsd. ; . ; .» Sara Bernhardt will sell her present residence and furniture m Paris at auction and go into a smaller- house. She has settled part of her income on her creditors. /Bernhardt has entered into a contract to write Paris correspondence for several foreign newspapers. .M,.r s De Longv the widow, of the Arctic explorer/ has finally, been granted a pension by the Government of 80 dols. a month." Mrs De. Long is ,a ..brave, little woman, who is as much of an enthusiast on Arctic exploration as her husband was. When he started, to find the North Pole* she was very anxious to accompany him, and used every possible device that woman's ingenuity could suggest to induce him to let her share his fate, whatever it might be.^ She had studied everything she could find about the Arctic regions, and had formed her own theories about the best way to proceed to find the much-spught : after end of the globe. These she impressed upon her husband, and he went, carrying her blessing. The Oaina.ru correspondent of the Otajjo Daily Times states that Messrs Falkner and Pratt, Otekaike, have obtained 105 bushels of oats per acre from their crop.; ; ; ; .• ; . • . Amongst other measures to be.introduced during the coming session- (says the Post) will probably be an amended Stamp Act. Experience has shown that the present Acts afford a .variety of loopholes by which ingenious persons manage to escape paying the Stamp duties wliich the Legislature intended 'should attach to their transactions. v This is especially the case m regard to the duties on native land leases, m which the law is systematically evaded, to the great injury of the revenue. The Stamp duties are almost 'the only branch of ordinary revenue which this year will not exceed the estimates, and the deficiency is m a considerable degree, if not altogether, attributable to successful evasions of the intentions of the law. ' Mrs Barbara Thompson, of the Clydequay Hotel, Wellington, on Wednesday last was convicted by Mr Wardell, E.M., of Shridav tradinV, and was- fined ±'5. An imp'oriianc proposal has been made before the German Medical Diet that the duty be imposed on midwives ot notifying the public authorities . of , the presence of eye inflammation (conjunct^, vitis) m infants under their care. It appears that a large proportion' : of blind people become so through the ignorance or carelessness of, these nurses,. • It addition to the consolidation of the ordinary land laws of the. colony, Mr Ballance has m preparation a Bill con-, solidating amending the laws' relating tie native lands, and it will be ready for introduction at 'amearly period, of <i next session. The Minister of Lands has determined on setting aside a block ot 5000 acres of land at the base of Mount Esmont as a semi-military settlement. The land will be given on deferred .payments to membets of the Armed Constabulary discharged after three years' service. Another similar settlement wiil shortly be laid off along the line of the North Island central' railway; In addition to ithese special settlements, Mr Ballance jntends to have laid off m different parts jof the. colony and m each island, several blocks of 2000 or 3000 acres each, which jmen over 45 years of age and who have served not less than ten years m the ordinary .police force will be allowed-, to take* up Vri the perpetual lease system. These blocks will be "as near as possible,;to . centres of ... population already settled. A correspondent writes to the Tele'graph ,:— -As Napier seems for the last fortnight to have gone mad on the puzzle' question, principally catchy arithmetical ones, here is a good one for the exercise of the ingenious mind. An old lady going to. the market with a basket of eggs had them upset and smashed by the carelessness of a gentleman, who at once offered to pay for the eggs, and enquired liow many there were. The old lady replied when she counted them by twos there was one over, when she counted them .by threes there was , one over, when she counted they by fours Jthere was one over,; when she counted ■them by fives there was one over, when she counted them by sixes there wfts.one over, and when she counted them by sevens there was none over. How ma»y eggs were there ? ■ A further investigation of Mrs Dudley's antecedents m England shows that when she learned she had been deceived by a mock marriage to a person m the South of England she became mad, but declined to prosecute her betrayer; Persons intimately acquainted with her, say that her love for her children was intense, and that fbi? a long time after their death she daily visited their graves. A bookmaker m the street witnesses the accidental, death .of his Acquaintance. He sets off -tolurjik the news to the widow. Hois charged not to (oil her too abruptly. At tho house he asics fin* "Mme. [iVvfow X-." " I am Mine; X." said the' ady, " but I am- not a widow.' ■ " Would, jrou like to bet on tit ?" responds the book-

■.-..•. i Lord Wolseley's offer of a £100 prize as an incentive to valor has • soon found" its level.; I hear (says a writer m Truth, ■ that the proprietors of : a wcll-kno^vh* pateiit pill -have sent the General several • thousand v • handbills, ■ to he distributed-! among v the soldier's, together with ' a cheque for £150 as a guerdon for the man who is first m placing one of the said handbills ..upon,, the - front door of * Gordon's palace at. Khartoum, Probably on the 'inside of the doors he will find an advertisement of Hop Bitters or St. JacobfT'Oil. •'.-"■• """•" '- ; •"■" England and America. Mr Gladstone, speaking a short time ago to an American citizen of the necessity of preserving' the existing goodwill between John Bull. and. his Translaritic cousins, ex- ; pressed himself thus : — " Ah, there," j exclaimed Mr, Gladstone, " I am hearti;ly with you. The future of the world • belongs to us .vho arc of the same blood land language if we are true to omselves " and opportunities, not of conquest or 1 aggression, but commercial development s and beneficent influence." , An extraordinary incident (says the 1 Sydney Morning > \Heraldy which has hitherto escaped notice came under the ■ ken of. the water .police recently. , A j constable while ouduty on Friday night discovered a young man of-war m .unir ; form 'creating a great disturbance m the [.Domain, and at once arrested the culprit, I who was- lodged m the lock-up . with ! several ■$ other male prisoners'. The ■arrival of the now coiner appeared to bo ! the signal for an extraordinary uproar : m the cell, and the sergeant m charge of (the wstchhouse upon entering it to disi cover tlio' cause of th« disturbance was [astonished to find that the supposed •"tar" was m reality a young woman, {who had been masquerading through the : Ejoinain, dressed as -a; man-o'-war's-inan. iShe was n't once removed to another ] cell, and on the following morning was ; dealt with simply as an inebriate. Her i borrowed plumeß were hidden beneath ! the Voluminous' folds of a large cloak ! which covered her ■ f rbiii head to foot. I In reply to the deputation which , waited upon him at Oamani, Sir Julius iVogel said it. was not likely that any j enemy Would shell a small town,' and j there were many small towns on the 'Baltic that Gfreat Baitaitfcoujd shell if such a proceeding were resorted to. "Even if they had- the money to spend :upon defensive works, he asked if it t would not be, better to spend it m other \va\s f in prompting the development of 'industrial enterprise. ' He .did not think 'there 'was any risk, and a premium of. 1 iper cent;, would insure the. town agaiust any possible, attack. War-vessel's might, 'go to Sydiiey, Melbourne, or other large, (towns aittf 1 ' levy - contributions, but it was altogether improbable that they iwojuld shell, afstuall town, more especially 'when they <had ia fleet of war-ships iq these waters. ; The question of defence is still* under jthe serious consideration of the Governjment. T : he Defence Minister will take, (an early opportunity of conferring with jthe Governor on the Question after the Jatter's arrival here, and Mr Ballarice will bf» ledi .stvoriglyiiby his Excellency's opinion, Tne necessary surveys in.conjnection with the; defence, and r| the instruction of the Armed Constabulary m big gun practice, is being enrried ..on ■witli ■vigour.' 1 The,. war material* ordered ' f i^oin England Will--: be constructed ' 11 n'- 1 der the supervision -of the Imperial Wnr .Departmeut, and it.is not expected that. ;the .-first shipment -pCi material, will be ■mademuch ( under a twelvemonth.,., ; The ; Government . are now making \ arrangements; for setting, aside certain blocks of laud throughout the colony averaging, between t>vo and /three i thousand acres, which may be taken m about 100 acre Sections, under the 1 perpetual leasing system, by members of : the' police The' conditions arej i that any member of the force who exceedß-the-age'of 45 and has been ten ■ years m the service may take up any of the sections. , It ( is, however, not; at all compulsory that He should leave the I force at that age, but it is entirely optional with himself whether he retires or not. The 'land to be reserved will be some of the best m the colony, and m : each case the reserves will be in-close '. proxiipi_ty?to the. markets, and jeasy of • access either by road or rail. A" second ; block under the same military settle- ' ment scheme Will probably l be selected along the route of the North Island ! MaiiuTrunk pilwav. The i m. connection \yithi Doth*; these will be . gazetted shortly. It^ is "not intended to make further, reductions;, m the A.C. : Force at present. " ' ' ' • ■ A. 'Representative of tjie,; • Weekly News recently interviewed Mr iJ. A. Froudo, the celnbrated historian ! an'd author, and, 'among other things, elicited frfitn him his' viewport the qu>Rtioh;6f! ; 'Hbme' Rde for L IrVlafodi Mi Froude said :-r'i'hpy are a braveygehqrous and military , race, >!. They make tlie bestspldiers^and policemen m the world, They are devotfid and loyal to t thpir i chiefs, but I do think they are fitted foi representative institutions. . Tho fact is to ; lie deplored, no doubt, bat that is my opinion." : ' ' ■ ' ' ' : "Mr Stout 'in one'of his speeches said : —''What! would 'like to see m New ■ Zlsafand •is ' the system adopted' 'Cn America : that there shall be -a homestead to the family, so thrit'BO qr^ditor can seize ; it ap.d . it " phalt ■ be, theirs forever,; I believe ypu will not have boria-fide settlement until the" law steps m and says : '] There is one place the' law~ shall recognise 'as' sacred to 1 " a man and his family; which -'no creditot : can >tonch ji and that piece of laud • shall be:hishomejVf.:,r.-.. .;;• ; ,i: •.' v: • i Last November a paragraph appeared t in onr column (says the Mnrron papor) ! relative to a bullock tliat was on its way ;from ,the .Oroua . Downs Estate to. Mi ; Campbell, > of. 'Park, ! England. No i pf our will '.reati \Vith irite'rest the fotlWfiiis: eitradt ifrom a letter received last mail from Mr, • Campbell :—» The Orotia Downs bullock arrived m splendid order and was much appreciated. It was. equal to any English beef m flavour, but 'was/ dark m ■ colour. Thequpstion is now solved as ;to the possibility of refrigerating beef, Many said it could not be done on account '-of the veins^eing so lai'ge and the substance of the beef thicker than mutton, but this is -proved not to be the case." ; "VV^ien. JRernenyi was he,re .many persons' m his audiences noticed the silver bracelet onhis right' wrist, and wondered i why it was there. ' In an ihterx'iew with an Auckland Star reporter, Eemenyi m answer to 9- question said : — Ah ! well, the, bracelet has i^s story,, af ypry siniple one,, it is true, and not old either. When I was last m America Madame Elmbald the great pianistc, was conteimpiating a iwofessional -visit to Europe— -in fabt, she started last November — and' : she wani^rl to ascertain ,niy'' 'opinion of her playing, as well as to know if 1 thought it were wtorth her while to 'go. She sat down to the. piano to playv and while she was. iplaying I amused myself with tho jewellery which she had taken off and laid aside. Listening all the time to tier performance,, I idly clasped this bracelet ujjibii my wrist as you, s*?o it now, When -the; ladj' 1 had' finished hef first piece, she turned to me with an evident knowledge of my action, and, pointing to the bracelet, said, " Never take if off any !ihH-a,V!flj}d I.nevor.have. That is .why it is here. ■< -. i; • - . :