NEWS AND NOTES

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 84, 18 October 1879, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

The Outward Suez -Mail. — Home correspondents had better note tliat the English mail, via Suez, will close at the Piilmerston office, this evening at a quarter to eight o'clock. The Ministerial Statement,— ln order t(fc publish at some length the debates upon the Ministerial and Financial Statement, we are com pulled to seriously "curtail our locul intelligence. Tenders Wanted.— We direct the attention of. contractors to a notification which appears elsewhere, calling foi tenders for a bridge and culvert at Kai-iwi Station. Indecency. —An elderly man, named M'Shane, was brought up yesterday morning before Mr. Dalrymple, charged wilhthe above offence. The evidence was pretty conclusive, but, nevertheless, be was remanded until this morning. t The Benefit for Mrs Vettr, — The Workingmen's Dramatic Club had a mostsuccessful rehearsal on Tuesday evening, and efforts are being put forward to muke the coming entertainment the most successful yet given by them. The performance will tnke place at an early date, and will consist of a capital programme. . A Graceful Act. — We have been given to understand that the proprietors of the Foresters' Hall refused to take any payment for the use of the building at the recent entertainment m, aid of the Cemetery. Such conduct is most praiseworthy, and we have been asked to return thanks tor the generous concession, a tnsk we are only too well pleased to perform. More Lords. — It is currently reported that before their expulsion from office the Still born Ministry will call their exiled supporter Sir William Fox to the Upper House If there be truth m the rumor, there i* one consolation, and that is m his elevated posi--1 fcion the worthy Knight will have hia wings clipped considerably and Mb power- for evil materially lessened. A Correction.— Our attention has been called to an error which appeared m our report of the marriago m last issue. In chronicling the dresses of the ladies, we statedthat one of them- had red bows m. front. This, we find, is -not strictly correct, as the tiny decorations were pink. As the inaccuracy has been a source of regret to those, interested, we hasten to make the correction. * The Octaoon iFire. — W iters, the owner of the cafe, Dunedin, who Had been committed for trial upon the charges of murder and arson, has been tried nnl acquitted. Of course, now that the accused has been declared innocent by a jury of his countrymen, it would be highly i»n proper toassu.ae bis guilt; at the same time It. must be admitted that the evidence svas even more t han strong against him. The Eabbit Nuisance Act. — Some few weeks since, Mr. Dalrymple notified to the Government his desire to he relieved o,f the position of Returning Officer under the above Act, and yesterday he received a telegram intimating that his resignation had been accepted, and that Mr. Keeling h?d been appointed m his stend. As the elections take place on the 11th' of next .^rnonth, it is about time that some action was taken m the mutter. Tottnq Grey-hounds. — Mr. Beid, the member for Hokitika, scored a decided point on Wednesday night, at the conclusion of the debate. He said the young men of the party t© whjph he belonged, had been stigmatised as young G-rey-houn<ls. He did not knjw why the title had been bestowed upon them, unless it was from the fact that they had hunled an ol:l Fox from his lair; or that the young Greyrhounds were chasing the " old rats " which infested the House. Important Auction Sale.. — The literati, or those having a love for fiction, will have a grand opportunity of supplying their wants on/ next Wednesday, by attending Messrs. Thynne, Linton and Go's sale at FoxLon. One hundred volumes; splendidly bound m half roan and half morrocco, are to be offered without reserve. The novels comprise the works of Scott, Dickens, Disraeli, Trollope, Tlmckery, Mnrr/att, Cooper, Grant, Mrs. Woods, and other popular authors. There is also to be offered a splendid assortment of cutlery and other articles, being gooJi received directly frotn Messrs. Mappin and Webb. Advertising versus Har.d Times.—t We hear a great deul about the scarcity of sp.ecie, the hardness of the times, and the duliiess of trade, but wo were informed by one of our local storekeepers that last month was the best for business that he has had for some years. Astonished at such a story at such" a time, we asked if he could possibly give a reason for so unusual a slate ot things at the present time, when he replied, "No I cannot — unless it be that I am selling my goods at a low rate, and I have a column advertisement m announcing that fact." That was quite sufficient ; wo requiveu no further explanation, as it accounted for the nn'lk m the ooooa-nut. All is not Lost — Those who have been suffering from the scarcity cf potatoes will be pleased to leirn that m the course of a fe.w days Messrs. Thynno, Lint on and Co. will be able to supply their wants, having ten (ons on their way hither From Canterbury. The famine m "spuds" which has been so much felt m Fe.ilding has extended itself to Palmer^ton, as we know of one family, who deprived of that nutritious esculent, .hay« been forced for. the lust month to supply its pUce with rice. We should imsi-ine when t.ia consignment arrived there will be r.n'w competition for their possession. We understand that potatoes are being sol 1 at Feilding ut six pounds per, s'lilliu^, or 19-*. per c V»" t. „ AiAjL'EB a Storm Comes a Calm\ — A few weeks since the. air was he.ivy with libel, and their record took the place, of t lie proverbial big gooseberry. Now, however, a re octiou bus set iv, wad apologies &r<t ibe j

order of t lie day. The Witnganui Chronicle art the exainp c by apologising to the Hon. Mr. Bullanee ; its namei:ike m Wellington followed suit, and retracted the utterances with regard "to Mr. Clark ; and now a quarter-column apology is published m the Wellington papers by the proprietors of the Haioke's Bay Herald for their accusations against Major Mair and Mr. Searancke* "Three down, who makes four?" for the list will not be complete until at least a half-dozen have "eaten the leek." Sheep Sheading. — Already the harvest for the shearers has commenced, and their services are m much demand. We are given to understand that the Oroua Downs Station will commence operations on Monday. A Proper Challenge. — We notice tlie Mr. J. L. Wiltshire, of Marton, has challenged William Delaney, to walk him from the Wanganui Bridge ,to Palmerston, vid Mart on, back to Wanganui the same route, and finish at Baker's Hotel, Marton, the road to be travelled to be the Highway road, stakes to be from £50 to £100. This is certainly affair challenge, and one m which there could be no dispute as to distance. We have seen Mr. Wiltshire perform several of bis pedestrian feats m the past, and we must say that a more plucky or more fair " heal and tue walker" we have never seen.. It is to be hoped Dulaney will accept the challenge, as the match would be one of the greatest interest not only to athletes, but to the public generally. The Old Sqldieis. — The Hon. John Hall is a skilful fisherman, and knows how to properly bait his hook, with a view to a good haul. At the outset of his so-otilled political Statement on Tuesday night, he started off with the announcement, made for the especial benefit of the Fourth Estate, that while his Government was m power, the advertising patronage should be bestowed alike to friend and foe, without fear or favor. This was a master-stroke of policy, and if he can only make those very shrewd gentlemen believe him, the move will not be a bad' one. Judging, however, of the conduct of the Tories m the past, we imajjine there ai'e few of the journalistic fraternity but will see through Ibe shallowness of the ruse. Eeling a Wound.— Smith and Jons had a act-to at «ye manly art "< the iptber day at Feildine, and while Smith had a. shanty raised over his eye, Jones's left optic is suffering ah eclipse. Smith waa afraid that tht disfigurement to his beauty would be permanent, so he sent an intelligent friend for some leeches to take away the "bad blood" which had, arisen... Unfortunately no leeches were to be obtained, but after a delay of aboufthree hours, the friend turned up with a, Mao,?! eel about two yards long, which was to supply the place of the missing leeches. There was not another «fight, buC that is entirely owing to the fact the messenger made tracks m a manner which would leave people to suppose there was some boivieojqq'ri between liis " healing " and " toeing." -