NEWS AND NOTES

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 59, 23 July 1879, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

The English Mail. — Those desirous of corresponding with the Old Country, had better make a note of the fact that tlie guez mail closes at Palmerston on Friday evening at a quarter to|eight o'clock. Aufctiom Sale To-day. — We desire to draw attention to the auction sale of trees and shrubs to lake, place to-day at the rooms of Messrs Thynne Linton and Co. Those requiring such articles had better pay the sale a visit.. . Shock ot Earthquake. — About a quarter to eleven o'clock onMonday night/a very 'sharp shock of earthquake was felt at Palmerston. The shaking lasted for fully five seconds, was most perceptible, and appeared to travel from north to south. Still Another Sbttleb. — Terrace End bids fair to eclipse the southern part of the town, for nob only are dwelling houses springing up with a rapidity rarely seen outside of a digging township., but the various trades and commercial branches are well represented. The last accession tothe list is that of a blacksmith, who has leased the premises lately erected by Mr Deards. new-comer, who hails from Wellington, i|s a, perfect master of his trade, and will be found a great convenience at that end of the town. A Slight Improvement.. — Now that the police quarters alongside the Courthouse have been finished, and possession taken by the Constable, that portion of- the Government grounds presents, an improved appearance: Constable Gillespie has, had the ground m front cut into pathways and nicely gravelled, but we regret to say that niuph of the effect has been spoiled by the unsightly side' fences erected, the pattern for whicli must have been taken from the pictures of Robinson Crusoe's patent pallisade or the ostriches' den m the Zoological Gardens. A Sign oe thb Times. — The fact that such a desirable property as Woodlawn, at Halcombe, did not find a purchaser at the lute sale, has taken many people by surprise. We imagine, however, thnt will be accounted for when we note the following state of the j money market, and the. consequent tightnnss of specie. We have been informed by a gentleman who has just returned from Wanganui, that he had been shown two bills, one drawn for £300 and the other for €150, and notwithstanding the fact that there were two excellent names attached, the acceptors received £235 for. the. first, and £1.15 for the second. Further, comment is needless. "Dead Heads."' — OP late so numerous have been the cases of Constable Gillespie, that he has been kept m a kind of oscillation between Palmerston and Wanganui, and if. he and his prisoners had to piv their fares, the revenue of the line, would be materially increased. Oh Friday he escorted Mr. Daniel Burke as far as Martun, and on Saturday p*rid a similar courtesy to Mr. Michael Burke and Captain Reams, the former, sentenced to three months for : vagrancy, and latter remnrided to Wanganui on the charge pf desertion. One would naturally, suppose he would be free for some time, but on his reaching Feilding on the return journey he had another prisoner placed m liis custody upon a charge^ of. wilfully breaking windows. The man was brought to Palmerston and on Monday morning; again brought toEeilding; when the case was henrd before Mr: Macarthiir and dismissed^ as the prosecutor would not swear the injury had been caused, wilfully and maliciously. Form,'' Form, Rielemen, Form. — The cloud hanging over the Northern horizon has even had its effect upon that most prosaic of. publications— the Government Gazette. In the last issue a considerable amount of snace has been devoted to the different Rifle Corps which, the prospsct of a brush with the " darkies" has called into existence. Strange to say, however, m the midst of this general enrolment, we notice Qiie itenj of intelligence wh^ch, gtpikog us. $s

somewhat strange. It is— " The disband ment of the Alfred Troop (Rangitikei) Cavaby.Volunteer, by their own request." The step reminds us of the career of an American Company of wliich we once read, whole birth, existence, and death-warrant was regulated by two resolutions. At the meeting at which the company was organised one enthusiastic candidate broke the silence with — "I hereby move that this company dobe called the Royalßingtown Volunteers." (Hear, hear, hear, and loud cheers). To ■which an equally enthusinstie member followed with—" and I hereby move that m time of war this company do be disbanded," (Hear, hear, hear, loud cheers, and carried unanimously). A Desirable Acquisition.— Wo learn that Mr. M'Neil has purchased from Mr. j Brownlie, of Wanganui, the boar which took first prize at the Wanganui show. Although the animal was pigged as recently as October, 1877, and consequently is little more than a year and a half old, its .fighting weight' is over 300 lbs. A Snabe. — We would call the attention of "the powers that be" to the Borough traps— by courtesy termed turn-stiles — which have been erected at the various entrances to the Square. The unwary traveller notices a nice dry path leading across, and consequently heads for the entrance, only to find a deep pool of water, through which the pedestrian is compelled to wade by side chain and other barriers. A couple of loads 'of gravel would abate the nuisance, and make the pathway available for women and children, without necessitating an involuntary pedal baptism. Sib William Fox m Opposition.— We have given elsewhere the attack of the leader of the opposition upon the administration of the Government. The report is from the New Zealand TVmes, and given m its entirety. Sir William was several times interup'ted by Mr. Joyce ; and at the conclusion was rabidly attacked by the Premier m the tv quoque style of argument. The head of the Government was followed by the member for Avon (Mr. Rollestone), who used the scalpel most unmercifully and was followed by Mr. Moss, who had possession of the Speaker's eye, when the Debate was adjourned untd yesterday. Betteb to be Bobn Lucky than Rich. —On Friday morning immediately after the departure of the first train to Feilding, Mr. Avers, the manager of the Railway Goods Shed, picked up a check for £26 odd, Ashe heard no application made for the recovery of the loss during the day, he conferred with us with 'the view of advertising the find. However, on the arrival of the afternoon train, the loser, a Mrs Perry, returned from Feilding m a frightful consternation, luckily, however, to haye the missing treasure handed over to her by the honest finder. The delight of the woman may be imagined when we say that the sum was the proceeds of her husband's lengthy and hard labor at fencing, the amount of which she had just drawn from Mr. Ppdavfy, The Rabbit Nuisance. — One of the most influential meetings which we have remembered to have seen, assembled m the Town Hall on Saturday, to discuss the question of ths alleged influx of rabbits into the Manawatu. There were representatives from all portions pf the County, and apologies were read by the Chairman for Messrs. M'Neil and Coleman. The subject was discussed at great length, and it having been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that there were really some rabbits m the district, it was unanimously resolved to ask the Governor to proclaim the Rabbit Nuisance Act of 1876. This course was taken ns a preventive, so as to nip the evil at the very outset, and a petition represented by the 'owners of 9879 acres was signed m the room. Although it was freely admitted by all that few rabbits had beep seen, they considered it far better to take the precautionary steps at once, when there was all possibility of stamping the evil out, than follow tlie example of the Wairarapa, and by culpable inactivity put it but of their reach to cope with the evils afterwards. The: Palmeeston Cemetery. — The meeting of the committee of the Palmerston Cemetery, convened for last Saturday, lapsed for want of a quorum, at tho hour of meetinfr there being only two members present—Messrs. Hayns and Mowlem. This is the more to be regretted inasmuch ns the business was important, the treasurer wishing to lay a statement before the meeting. As is well known, Mr. Linton has been most .energetic m canvassing for subscriptions, but we believe some of the committee did not approve of the step, deeming such a course Boniewhat trenching upon their duties, and it was to surrender his trust to the proper persons that Mr. Linton called the meeting. We certainly think there will be two opinions as to Mr, Linton's action, but even supposing lie was m tlie wrong, the greater reason why there, should have been a good attendance, m order to take over the, trust from him.

Takin« the Bull by. the Horns — DesperAte cases require desperate remedies, but decidedly one of the most determined processes we remember to have heard of is that adopted by the General Government of the. United States against a contumacious town which refused to contribute its quota to the public revenue. The town of Altoona, m the State, of. Pennsylvania can boast of 20,000 inhabitants, but its municipal affairs having become hopelessly involved, tho Mayor was not m a position to handover any of the fees, having appropriated them for local use. After repeated demands, which were unanswered, the Government have publicly notified that the whole town would be, sold by public auction, on a day named, unless the arrears were forth coming..,. This is turning the tables with a vengeance. At the. departure of the last mail from America, the date of sale had not arrived, but we will look with interest for the result of this bold stroke and opportunity for capitalists.