NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 168, 22 October 1881, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Towards "The Front "-The Hon. Mr Biyce, the new Native and Defence Minister, passed through Palmerßton on Thursday evening, en route for the seat of Special Train. — A- special train went down to Carnarvon yesterday afternoon' having Messrs M'Lennan's and b- rfcworthy'i prize stock on board, just returniw? from the Wansranui Show. Tn our daily supplement we pave the particulars as to th exhibits and the prize takers. Another Shake.— Our old friend, fie earthquake, paid us a visit again on Thursday H^t abniu ten minntps to cig K t. aud m a very palpable manner gave evidence of its presence. Summer Go*>ds.— The manager of the P*!m<?rßton ReaHy More? Store an- j r.ouncs th^t he ha 3 jnst rewive<;, and is i openins rip. a m^st exfeupive and wvll j assorted stock of drapery, millinery, and nthor goods, and invites inspection of the ; same. Our Weekly Supplement.— Our weekly supplement of today contains: — Poftrt — A Sone before Grief; A Pi'"vinci»l Idyl ; Savin? Mother. The Novpust — Partners ; A Mid-night Meeting. Natukat. History — lly 803 hood's Pets and Rambles ; besides Household, Science, Agriculture, Miscellaneous, &c, A Disastrous Fire,— We learn with deep regret that Mr Prendergart has met with a most serious loss, through a bush fire, which has been raging on his land at Pitzherbert. for the past few days. The fire, which will result m a loss of close upon £1000, was lit by some of his hands, and immediately spread to the e' inding bush, which it is almost needle=s to aay will be the cause of incalculable damage. The Proclamation. ■— When our daily supplement was delivered early on Thursday evening, there was a regular- rush for copies, it being particularly wanted by a well known journalist. The proclamation with regard to the West Coast difficulty, which had been telegraphed m its entirety was eagerly devoured, and the determined acti'n of the Government highly approved of. The Foresters' Anniversary.— The Manawatn Lodge of Foresters hold their anniversary dinner this evening, m the Foresters' Hall, and it nn d^ubt wi'l prove as enjoyable a gathering as its predecessors. Tt is a matter for regret that that most pron_inent member of the body, Mr. S. Coif man. will be precluded on account of hia health from heine present, a* he has always taken a leading part m such demonstrations, and his geninl facs will be much missed upon the present occasion. Festivities. — Evidently the season for fnn an>l feasting must be at hand. A fei? weeks ago the Oddfellows gave their first annual dinner, to-mVht the Foresters have their anniiO prafhering ; the Masonic h-'dy will have a jubilation m a short while and the Palmerstnn Rifles are also to have lh«ir festival m the shape of a ball, We supno^e the Gio \ Templars will not follow suit until tl>e rainy season, when there will be a plentiful supply of aquapura. Palm rston North School Committee. — The usnal monthly meetiv.fr of the Palmerston Nor h School Com-, orittee took place m the Schoolhoiw on Wednes'ay, -Mr Lirtnn (Chairman) pre^idi- g. A letter was rec iv^d from Mr A. A R'-owne secretary tn the Wanpanni Education Board, .eratin^ that", the r-pplicatio t for a snhnol for Tormre Ktvl wns r fused. It wan resolved th"t tlip Ohairman Rbonld obtain the number of children 'esident at that end of the t»wu and other stnti'tics, m order to strengthen the,hati'ls of Mr Snelson the representative of the Board, for a further ai'plicatinn. Th* tender of ■ Mrs M'Ewen, for cleaning the school was accepted. The Foxton Constituency.— We have been favored with the perusal of a letter from a Foxton geritlemar, to a friend m town, m which reference is made to Mr. G. W. Biwer'fl flfMre^R +0 thn eVctors m P> xtnn on Thursday niirlit. The writer sneaks m th« most g'owins te v ms of itH •e'oquence. and states that (he meeting wts quite carried away wifh enthusiasm, and at its conclusion a mostinfln^ntial committee to secure Mr. Rnsseli's retuvn was fornted. We may state that what makes the commendation more reliable is, that we know the writer hitherto has bren no admirer of the candidate, and therefore not likely to be prejudiced m his favor. A "Professional" Laborer.— Con siderable amusement was created du-ing ♦he h 'annf? of a case m the Resident Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Mr Ward, when pssesaintfthe coots, held the following dialogue with a witness. Magistrate — "What is your business?" Witness — "A labourer, your Worship." Magistrate — "What loss have you sustained by your presence at the Court this day — how much do you earn a day ?"' Witness^ — (Quit* cavalierly) Oh, sometimes a pound, and anmeHmefl two ?'* Magistrate, — " What as a laborer ? " Witness,—' Yep, 'your Worship.}". Magistrate,—-" Thon I willallow you five shilling*) for this day." Mr. Ward m th« very essence of courteonsness, and the manner m which he told the witness by implication, <' You're another I "|was|h.igWy ehahedjby all in'court^

Treasure Trove.— A gentleman has handed to us a purse which was picked up on th» Foxton Road, containing a sum of money. The pnrse is evidently an " Old j Identity "and belongs to a bye-gone ace, and if the contents be indicative of the wealth of the owner, he could not be said to be overburdened withthi "root of evil." Tbe lo s er can have both purse and mone.y, by applying at this office. The finder s .,g. gpgt«d that we should offer a reward for the discovery of the owner. On the Stomp.— We have heard that a telegram h?a been received i» Palmorston from Mr. Walter Johnstone, m whi"h that gentleman intimates that it is his intention to pay the electors ft visit wi'hin a few days We are very pleased to hear it, and althoujrh the notice was a private one, we think it our duty to make such an important fact known. It is now three years sir.cc Mr. Johnstone favorpd Minawata with his presence, and we fed convinced that there are hundreds of his now constituents who have never yet looked upon his face, let alone heard his voice. Criminal Assault.— The charge of crixninal assault preferred against James M'Loughlin was heard before the Resident Magistrate on Thursday, with closed doois, and resulted m the acquittal of the accused, as the Bf nch was of opinion the evidence did not FU'.tain the charge. The Magistrate, however, was of oidnion that although no attempt had been proved, the surrounding circumstances were (mfficiently suspicious as to establish the intent, and Constable Gillespie consequently laid a charge against prisoner, under the Vagrant Act, 1866, with being m public place with intent to commit a felony. Mr. Ward considered that the evidence was quite sufficient for a conviction, and sentenced prisner to four months' imprisonment with hard labor. The Manawatu Bridge.— l* will be seen by oar report of the proceedings of the Manawatu Highways Board that, as we expected, and stated m our leading article, the m p n;berß of that body - c cc the ad» visability of having the Fitzherbert Bridge vested m the Pal mere* on Borough Council, and at its last meeting on Wednesiay passed a unanimous resolution that the sitting member be asked to use hia influence m placing the control of the bridge m the hands of the borough. We fail to see how the Government can do ofcherwipe than tyrant the application of two bodies so vital 'y interested. A Curiosity. — A curious fossil has been discovered, by a settler cutting lines m the Pohangani Block, recently, m the «hape of a portion or the spine of a lnrge wfcale. The fos«il was found fully titty mil-.'S, as the bird flies, from the sea, and is •Imist entirely changed into stcne. The I finder intends conveying the curio into I'almerston, and hope 9to make something of it, for his trouble, The quey is, how did it get there ? It is evident, that so large a whalebone was not carried such a distance. How then, came it there ? It would appear as though the whol* country must at some time, have been nothing but the bed of the ocean, or it mu*t have been lifted up by volcanic eruption. The question, however, is one for scientists to solve. A Monstrous Injustice,—Occasionally very great hardships are inflicted m the name of the law, but we never heard of a more grevioug one than that whir-h came nnd«r our notice on Thursday. The well-known Thomas Pearce swore an information against a man, uam^d Gibbon *, foi horee stealing Tha accused wa? arrested m Norman by, brought down to Palraerston, kept m. the lock-up for nearly a week anrl at th« hearing, counsel for the prosscu tion stated thutthe prisoner might be discharged, as lie had not his witnesses ready. We have be«n informed that there was no evidence whatever m proof of the crime — m fact, tlie police refused to pr. secute — still the information was sworn, and as we say, the accused subjected to the indignity of arrest and confinement as a criminal The worst of it is, as the law stands, it is quite competent for Pearce to swear another information, having the man again arrested, and then abandon the second charge as he did the firsi. Of course w here the pn s'.cutor is a man of substance there is a civil remedy ; but whon he is not.'the victim has to grin and bear it.