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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 57, 5 May 1877, Page 2

One or two communications reached our office yesterday too late for publication m the present issue. A supplement to the New Zealand " Gazette," issued on Monday last, contains rules and regulations for the conduct of New Zealand railways. The Resident Magistrate's Court at Foxton was adjourned on Wednesday last until the date of its next sitting, the 16th inst., the R. M. being m Wanganui, attending as a witness m a case before the Supreme Court there. Mr Passmore was at Foxton on Wednesday and Thursday last, and we understand is now on his way to Napier. We have not heard whether any changes as regards railway matters are likely to result from his visit. The Chief Surveyor of the Wellington District, Henry Jackson, Esq., invites tenders for the survey of about 8,600 acres of bush land, situated m the township of Palmerston, Manawatu District. Plans, specifications, and forms of tender can be seen on application at the Provincial District Survey Office, Wellington.; and tenders will be received up to the 14th inst. The steamer Napier left Foxton early yesterday morning sometime after the arrival of the late train from Palmerstou, taking with her seventeen passengers. The coach also had a load of eight. During this cold weather travellers seem to prefer the steamer with a comfortable night's rest to having to rise .early m the morning and go a most tedious and cold ride along the beach. The Bridge near the eleventh mile-post from Palmerston on the Main North Road requiring repair, the contractors notify m our present issue that the portion of the said road between the Lower Ferry and the Gorge will be closed against traffic from this morning till Monday morning next, the 7th inst., to enable the contractors to make the necessary repairs. The measles and chicken-pox, both of which were lately very prevalent among the

juvenile community at Foxton, are rapidly disappearing, and the school which -was closed when the symptoms of these diseases first manifested themselves is to be opened again on Monday next. Mr Purcell's children, who have been down for some time past with scarlet, fever, have taken a turn for the better, and are now fast recovering. The following important notice of motion tabled by Mr Snelsort m the Manawatu County Council at its last Bitting was accidentally omitted from our report of the proceedings of the Council on that occasion : — " That it is desirable for the advance of settlement that certain waste lands adjacent to Palmerston North be acquired from the Waste Lands Board by the County Council m order that after draining them, and clearing roads they can be sold under deferred payment." We understand that some inconvenience was occasioned by the holding of a Court m Palmerston on Thursday last. Several had been informed — from what source we cannot say — that m consequence of the absence of the Resident Magistrate from the district no Court would be held ; and one gentleman of the legal profession was busily engaged superintending building operations when the news was conveyed to him that the Court was open, and he had to make hurried preparation to present himself before the Bench m the interests of his clients. We are sorry to learn that two children were nearly poisoned at Foxton last week. The facts as related to us are these : — Two little girls, one belonging to Mr Liddell, and the other to Mr Membrey, having been out together m the afternoon had eaten of some tute and nightshade berries. On their return home symptoms of poisoning began to manifest themselves, which but for the prompt attendance of Dr Rockstrow might have terminated fatally. We are pleased to say that both children have now quite recovered. Such cases show that parents cannot be too careful m warning their children against plucking and eating berries which they may find during their rambles. By late telegrams we learn that Walker, the trance medium, gave a lecture recently at Auckland. The medium professed to be controlled by the spirit of the Rev J. Stewart, who died m 1805. The whole affair is a rank imposture, the lecture being evidently written and committed to memory. The audience asked numerous questions. Captain Casey suggested that a policeman should be called m. A woman named Mrs Heffernan was arrested yesterday afternoon on a charge of attempting to murder a girl named Alice Parker by stabbing her with a knife. She will be brought up at "the Resident Magistrate's Court and charged with the offence. — " Times." From the Wanganui " Chronicle " we learn that Mr Amos Burr, lately of Foxton, has been the recipient of small donations of sheep and money to assist him m stocking a station leased by him at Patea. The " N. Z. Times " of the 3rd inst. makes the following interesting statement : — This day thirty-six years ago New Zealand was declared independent of New South Wales. Old colonists who recollect the day can scarcely realise the great changes that have taken place since that time, and new arrivals find it quite as difficult to imagine that such progress could have been made. For the information of these latter we may mention that the first Government Agentjresident m New Zealand while she was a part of New South Wales' territory is still alive, and is m the Auckland province. Mr Passmore, superintending engineer, (says the "Advocate,") has been m the district for the past few days appointing his staff of ticket clerks. We are given to understand that the line will be opened as far as Turakina m about three weeks, and that the line as far as Marton is to be completed as speedily as possible. It is confidently expected that before the close of the year we shall have communication by rail with the port of Wanganui. Speaking of the late Christchurch assault case, another contemporary will have it that it is not the first time that Pooley has been called upon to answer a charge of assault, but that m England he was rather notorious for pugilistic eccentricities. — " Chronicle." We are informed of a disgraceful piece of blackguardism perpetrated at the theatre service on Sunday night, says the Auckland " Star." A young lady, after attending St. Matthew's Church, went to the theatre. Upon leaving, she found that her silk dress had been slit and cut about the waist m several places. The mischief was apparently done with a penknife, and it is suspected that the perpetrator availed himself of the opportunity afforded by the large audience standing to sing. The libel case, Ballance v. Carson, was heard m the Supreme Court, Wanganui, on Tuesday. The action was instituted to recover damages from defendant, Gilbert Carson, for printing and publishing m the " Chronicle" alleged malicious matter with intent, as alleged, to damage the character of plaintiff, editor of the " Herald," and member of the House of Representatives, m his latter capacity. The damages were laid at £200. The plaintiff's counsel explained why such a small amount had been asked, and the jury after two hours' deliberation, gave him £15. — " Advocate." At an early hour yesterday morning, between 2 and 3 o'clock, the residents m the Paikakarika Hotel were aroused by the alarm of fire. The kitchen was discovered m flames, which almost immediately burst through into the rest of the house, and immediately enwrapped it. Mr F. Bills, the landlord, and the other people m the house, had to escape just as they were, a chest of drawers, a case of brandy, and another of gin, being the only things saved. Neither the building nor stock were insured, and nothing is known of the origin of fire beyond a suspicion that it must have arisen from some defect m the kitchen chimney. — Exchange Ist inst.

The unfortunate man Arthur Petersen, who shot himself m Wellington, says the " Post," was the son of a distinguished Norweigian gentleman, who had held many of the highest offices m the Kingdom of Norway, and who had received the highest marks of favour his royal master could bestow upon him. The late Authur Petersen arrived here about three years ago, after having been informed by the then AgentGeneral that he would obtain suitable employment m this colony. He came out, and took a situation as schoolmaster at the Scandinavian Settlement, Seventy Mile Bush, but m consequence of a disagreement between him and the English schoolmaster stationed at the place, he gave up his situation and came to Wellington, where, he resided up to the time of his death, earning a livelihood by working as a common labourer. Latterly he became despondent and took 'to drinking, with the awful result already known. He was a Master of Arts of the University of Christiana, and was distantly related to a late Danish Monarch. He also held a commission m the German Legion during the Crimean war, m which he fought. It may be stated that his family are m very distressed circumstances, and that their friends are endeavouring to raise a little money for them. Mrs Petersen is also well connected m Norway, but some months must elapse before her friends could possibly assist her, and unless something is done for her and her family m the meantime they may starve. A humerous writer m the "Auckland Star" has the following :— The financial Millennium.— lt must be nigh. The end of all things is approaching. For is not John Mason m the field for City West? His grammar is somewhat mixed here and there, but there's no mistake about his sentiments. He says : " I am, and have been, and shall oppose, the re-institution of Provincialism." Bravo, John! Of course, when he is returned tbe financial difficulties of the colony will vanish as the mists of the morning. John's intimate' knowledge of political economy will shine as the noonday sun, and the finances of the colony will at last be placed on a satisfactory basis. When he is elected, John will give Over the ordinary hop business, and go m for Parliamentary " hops," m the halls of dazzling light. An aged and infirm Danish woman named Marianne Lund, says the " Post," who came out to New Zealand as a Government immigrant, has been collecting subscriptions for some time past to enable her to return to her friends m Denmark. She has succeeded m raising altogether a sum of £24 15s, and the local immigration officer, Mr Red ward, has taken her passage to London by the Adamant, and at the same time communicating with the Agent- General, who will make arrangements for forwarding the poor old lady to her mother country. A dentist at Dundee, who has just retired from a busy practice of 50 years' duration, has erected a singular record of his past labors. It consists of a summer-house, on the walls of which are arranged, m various devices, all the teeth he has extracted during his half century of work. In this pet ghastly retreat, worthy of a Dyak skull-hunter, the retired wielder of the forceps proposes smoking many a meditative pipe during the pleasant summer hours. — "Wairarapa Standard." ..,;.. The " Inangahua Herald " is responsible for the following : — A vote of want of confidence m the Mayor of Akaroa having lately been put to votes of the members of the Mayoralty Court they were found even. "As the numbei-3 are equal," exclaimed that re-doubtable functionary, " I shall vote for myself like a man !" and he declared the motion lost. The Hon. Mrs. Norton, the poetess, was married at London on March Ist, to General William Sterling Maxwell, Baronet. Tbe bride's age is seventy, and the groom is fifty nine. According to tbe Melbourne "Argus," the right of persons to send impertinent messages through the post by means of postal cards will soon be decided by the metropolitan County Court Judge. One of that undefined class, named " Commission agents," has brought an action for £50 damages against the landlord of the house m which he at one time resided. His complaint is that he received several of these cards, which contained highly offensive applications for a debt which he states he never' incurred, and for which he was not liable. At present the question possesses some public interest, as these cards are gradually growiug into use. The land tax question is thus humourously dealt with by " Atticus " m the Melbourne Leader : — " The Governor-in-Council has given one of the most unanswerable arguments that can be brought forward m support of a progressive land tax. Sharks m the Bay are nuisances that must be abated. The larger they are, the more they require to be kept down ; and so a scale of payments is advertised for their capture increasing gradually with the size of the fish, till a prohibitory limit is reached, beyond which a monster of the deep cannot live m anything like peace. The public simply desire- to see the same rule applied to land sharks that the Governor-in-Council has thought fit at this particular juncture to apply to sea sharks. Tax the small land shark gently — he cannot do much harm. Put a good round sum on him when he is big enough to swallow up the farms and selections m his neighborhood — he is then getting dangerous. But when he becomes an overgrown monster that will suffer nothing to live within miles of him — burst him up I" A provincial chemist has recently been applying to Mrs Bravo for the payment of £500 reward which she offered to anyone who would prove the sale of the antimony by which her husband was poisoned. The chemist m question positively states that he supplied Mr Bravo with the exact poison, and on that ground claims the money. Mrs Bravo's solicitor has recommended her not to pay it, as the chemist cannot show any entry m his book of any such sale. How to Meet the Winter. After the debilitating heat of summer, the constitution is illfittecL to encounter the sudden climatic changes of winter. The interval between the two seasons is the time to brace up the system to encounter the variations of temperature to which it will be subjected. Taken three or four times a day during the autumn and at the beginning of the winter, Udolpho Wolfe's Schiedam Abojlatic Schnapps fortifies the system against coughs, colds, rheumatism, and other complaints incident to the latter season.— Adyt.