The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 2, 9 May 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Earl Northbrook, First Lord of the Admiralty, has decided to organise a great cruiser service of swift vessels as part of the British squadron m Chinese waters, which has been ordered to rendezvous at Port Hamilton, an island m the Corean Archipelago recently taken possession of by England. As Point Hamilton commands the entrance to the Sea of Japan, and largely commands the way to Russian ports on the Pacific, this order has been issued, it is believed, with a view to attack Vladivostgock if war with Russia be declared. General Stewart m auticipatioh of instructions to advance his entire Indian command, has ordered an advance by way of Quettah of the artillery corps now stationed at Peshawur and Haisar and districts. " A Working Man " writes from Marton to the Wanganui Herald warning any working men from going to Marton iin search of work. He says " the contractor who has this section of railway is simply making! 'fools of honest hardworking 1 men, He has been calling for tenders for bush-felling and earthworks this last fortnight, but accepting none. Some men have taken a little bush at a price that can. never pay ; but they are hard up, and cannot pay their way any longer m an hotel. The opinion that is freely expressed by all hands is that the Government should {compel him to go on with the work. He is making- no preparations for starting the job. He is trying to sub-let all his work. I have been waiting here for the last three weeks, thinking he might make a start, but there is no sign, as yet." Reone Moungaroa, late native policeman, and now mail carrier to Jerusalem, informs the Herald that on Monday, an albatross, measuring 1 ten feet across the wings, was caught near Jerusalem by a native named Beretine. Jerusalem is a long way up the Wangariui river where albatross are rarely seen. It is stated that the Russian Government which two years ago transformed its cavalry regiments, with the exception of the Cossacks, into mounted infantry, is returning the to old system, and is forming four regiments of hussars and four of lancers. . : How accounts are allowed to accumulate m Napier may be inferred from the fact that m a claim before that Court a few days ago the accounts extended over eight years, and included seventy-seven sheets of foolscap. In Meraoriam. — In affectionate remembrance of John Bull (the British lion), who was Killed by a bear at Penjdeh, April 14, 1885. the Deceased for many years held the position of dictator to Europe. Deeply regretted. Messrs Komaroff and Co., undertakers. Notice. — The businees of the" deceased will m future be carried on by Prince Bismarck, under the style of Bismarck and Co., assisted by Emperor Alexander. Some time ago "Vulcan" offered a prize of a ladies watch, value two guineas, to the first person who placed the first three horses for the Autumn Handicap m the order of coming m. Strange to say, no one hit on the " correct tip." " Vulcan " has since forwarded a cheque for the amount of the unclaimed prize to the editor of the Evening Post, to be disposed of for a charitable purpose. It was sent to the Secretary of the Benevolent Institution, ' An extraordinnry matter! is under investigation by the Nottingham police. No less than seven ladies have been stabbed recently m the .public streets, at nightfall by some miscreant, who overtakes his victims, and then turns rond and suddenly stabs them with a sharp instrument and disappears. Five of the victims have been only slightly wounded, but two have sustained injuries of a serious nature. One lady was able to describe her assailant, but he is still at large. There are often spitiful scenes m the Wellington Magistrate's Court, writes a local paper. On Wednesday a little girl nine years old, and rather small for her age, was called by her mother to substantiate a charge of assault. The poor little thing cried piteously as she was shown into the witness-box by .Constable Milton, and appeared very much frightened. Mr Wardell, R.M., took her up m a fatherly manner beside him and heard her story, with one of her tiny bands m his. The matter m dispute was whether the mother bad given her sixpence or a shilling 1 to purc-lmae so|jjg bacon, the' alleged assault arising out of the dispute. Mr Wardell showed the little girl some coins, and she was quite able to distin- ' g-uish a sixpence from a shilling. " What <Ud I do with the sixpence ?" asked the defendant. " Yon took the shilling and put it m the box," replied the child quite artlessly. She told M.r Wardell that lior mother had given her a shilling, but the man refused to give her change. Her mother then went for a " bobby," and flic ; 'l)obbv " told her to go back for the change. The child appeared very much relieved as she descended from the Bench,

Mr AY. iJyck \v;is tlie only candidate iioiiiinuicd on Tlinr-s-hiy for the vacant scat m tin; Doroii^h Council. He was proposed lty Messrs 11. Wollermau and J. C. Nathan, lie will occupy ex-Cr D. M. George's seat, at the Council table. Letters of natnrali.sation have been issued to Wilhelm Christian Pus.-sel, of Beaconslield, Feilding. It is stated that there were about 1000 cases of! meat m the Pa tun Meat Preserving Works when the fire occurred. The insurances were : National, £500 ; Union JJoOO; Northern, .£6OO. The lire will throw a good many men out of work, and the loss to the farmers of the district through the stoppage of the works, will be considerable. Prendergast, who murdered his wife at Pokeno, m the Auckland district, and whip, was sentenced to death, has-been I reprieved. He is to be imprisoned for | life - The appointment of Sir J. S. Wlritmore as Commander of the Colonial Forces is gazetted. The Gazettee contains an Order m Council with regulations for the examination of teachers. Mr A. D. Thomson has been appointed clerk of the Resident Magistrate's Court at Halcombe. The Government defines the purpose of a certain reserve at Foxton to be for a site for a town hall. Ths Post deeply regrets to learn, by a private telegram from Auckland, that Mr Thomas Macfarlane is not likely to recover fram the effects of the recent railway accident which he met with. Mr Macffarlane was a partner, many years ago m the firm of Henderson and Macft'arlane, was for several sessions one of the Auckland members m the House of Representatives, and has since been tbe representative m Auckland of the Court of Bankruptcy. An old settler, with a most useful and honourable record, Mr Macffarlane will be greatly regretted should the fears at present entertained be realised. The London correspondent of a Southern paper } writes : — '• The Emigration Office lias just lost one of the most valuable officers m the service of the Government of New Zealand. Mr Thomas Short, Avhose death from consumption took place on the 28th of February, had been connected with the New Zealand Government service for nearly 20 years. A good story is told of an Irishman who had a contract for sinking a well but did his work so bad that the sides fell m. Pat was, however, equal to the occasion. He took off his coat and hat, placed them on top, and then climbed up a tree. Some passers-by, believing him to have been buried beneath the debris, took off their coats and worked vigorously for Iris recovery. When the well was cleaned out Pat leisurely descended from his high eminence, and m his blandest tones said, " Bedad, I'm very much obliged to yon, gentlemen." The Rev. Mr Isitt, at a meeting of the Wellington Young Men's Christian Association, said when he was a candidate for the Ministry m Auckland, one of his coadjutors was asked — " Is a man always supposed to rejoice m the consciousness of the love of God ?" The student rather startled the clerical audience by repaying, *' Yes — provided his liver is m order." The Rev. Mr Isitt said there was a good deal m the remark, and he strongly advised young men to take a sufficient quantity of exercise, so as to keep their liver and bodies m a healthy state. Truth says that at Abuklea and other engagements the Martini-Henrys were rendered useless to the men by the cartridges jamming after the second or third shots. During the years 1883-84 Maori landowners m the colony paid rates amounting to £12,G26. . A Russian merchantman during Af>ril took on board at Newcastle 1500 tons of co^J. The inhabitants of that coal-be-grimmed seaport were glad when she sailed, for while she was m the stream she lay next to the powder hulk. The quarterly general meeting of the Manawatu Club will be held m the Club room on Tuesday, 12th inst., at 8 p.m. Business, election of members and general. A committee meeting will be held at 4.30 p.m. on the same day. The Ohariu (Wellington) local public school is now closed through the prevalence of diphtheria m the district. One child has died with it, and others of the same family are suffering from the same disorder. Prince Albert Victor was initiated as a Freemason at Willis' Rooms on the 17th March, m the Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16, of which the Prince of Wales is the Master. The Prince of Wales presided at and performed the ceremony.