Local and General News.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume I, Issue 44, 2 March 1881, Page 4

Local and General News.

j Tlie re-ignations of Councillors Cameron ; and Iliggs having caused two vacancies in the : Borough Council of Roxburgh, the returning j officer intimates that nomination to fill' the j vacant oltices will be receivel by him at the 1 Town Clerk's office up to noon on Tuesday next, and a poll (if necessary) will be taken i on the following Tuesday, the 14th day of | March. We hope the Burgesses will not fail . to have at least two candidates in readiness, on Tuesday next so that the important municipal business now in haad may at on.e be proceeded with, j The first meeting of the newly formed Runstan j Presbytery will take place at Alexandra on i Thursday the 24th instant, at noon. Rev. Mr Telford (Roxburgh), will have the honor of ! being the first Moderator. —In connection with this important event in the local history of the Presbyterian Clrarch we understand a soiree is to be held on that day at Alexandra and that amongst those expected to take part ! in the proceedings are Rev. Dr Stuart, and Revs. Blackie, Smi.h, and Telford. The Rev. Mr Byr.g (St. Mathews, Dunedin), delivered a lecture at Tapanui on Monday the ; 21 st February, the subject being " Personal j Reminiscences of India." At the conclusion j of the address, the rev. gentleman mentioned ' his intention to visit Tapanui shortly duringI a tour on behalf of his own Sunday School, rWe believe there is some probability of his | paying a visit to this district, and if he does ■he will be sure of a favorable reception. Mr Byng is a general favorite in Dunedin, with ' all the churches, and h a very effective public | speaker. "White Hazard" in the "Tapanui ! Courier" notices that at Oamaru the Rev. Mr Barley (Primitive Methodist)) is to be [ superseded by the Rev, Mr Clover, and considers the names highly appropriate for the pastoral charge of such a large agricultural district. The same writer comments uporv the announcement that Messrs More and Beer are to open a Sunday School in the Temperance Hall at Riverion, and thinks ike wrong place has been selected.

We understand the occupants of the cab which was rim into by the Railway engine at Kensington last Wednesday evening, were •returning from the race-course after making the necessary arrangements for thi booths at the race meeting next day.

A Northern contemporary illustrates the difficulty ol obtaining correct rsports of the proceedings of a certain County Council, and the remarks might be applied to other bjdies besides County Councils: —" It is almost impossible for any reporter to catch the flying shots of business which are carried on for some hours in a conversational tone, .not unmixed with jokes, tobacco, anil a little conviviality. Motions, amendments, and counter amendments pour in by the score; members jump up and down many times, interjecting remarks on the same question, until such a Babel of sounds takes place as to render it difficult to state at the conclusion how matters stand. As this is the almost invariable practice, we suppose the Council is always in Committee, hence the confusion and inaccuracies of newspaper reports."

A. meeting of the Roxburgh Jockey Club is called for Saturday evening next, at Ormotid'a Hotel, to take steps for obtaining the reserve.

"We would call attention to the tea and service of song, in connection with the Wes'.eyan Church, advertised to take place on the evening of 17th March (St. Patrick's day). Tba service we believe is an excellent one, and there will no doubt be a large attendance. Mr Cooper announces by advertisement that Church of England service will be conducted at Moa Fht Schoolhouse every second Sunday in the month. Tenders will be received up to Tuesday, Bi.h March, by the Education Board, for the erection of echool buildings at Bald Hill Flat. A Provisional Committee has been formed in Duuedm to proumte the exportation of Colonial produce to London. Mr Anderson and Anderson) and Mr James Smith ((ife.enlbld) are members uf the Committee. London telegrams to the 26th ulto. repott that the wool market is not improving ; the sales to data were 87,800 —fleece and scoured wools being fully lid lower than last salts. —Negotiations lor complete cessation of hostilities at the Cape have fai ed.—The Irish Coercion Kill has passed the House of Commons. A meeting wi'l be held at tlia Robert Burns llotel, Moa Flat, on Saturday toveuiug next, to Uke steps to get up tho usual races for St. Patiickfs day, and the members of the Jockey Club are also invited to attend, it is to be h >ped tho people of the district will muster on the wccas;on. We have no doubt the races if got up would pro»'e a groat success*speeialiy as there are not likely to be any other counter-attractions elsewhere during the day, A meeting of the St. Jamoa' Church Sunday ychool was held o:i Thursday, -4th February, to consider the tenders lor the erection of the Sunday School. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and continued, the tenders were opened as follows : VV. Quayle, 1*197; W.Smith, £7B 5s 61 (carpduter'a work only); 11, Rees, £7B (masonry only); T. Feathcrslon, £190; T. Staddon, £I9 ( J 3j6i; H. lices, £228 ; Mackenzie and Constantine, £230; R. Orr, *'l79 loi lOd. The separate tenders of 11. Kees and W. Smith being considerably the lowest, it was unanimously resolved that their tenders be accepted, and the Secretary was directed to communicate the decision to the tenderers. The Secretary was further directed to ascertain the lowest price for which iron railings could be procured for fencing front of church section. The cricket season was duly inaugurated in Roxburgh by a meeting of tho local Club, for electing ollisers, &c.. and by making the necessary a' d usual arrangements for practice meeting?, and discusuing future matches. One or two musters for practice followed, and a scratch match was played on the Prince of Wales' birthday. Since that time, however, the knights of tho willow have given no sign of vitality. Wiiy is this tliU3 ? The season is quickly passing away, but there U yet opportunity fur some useful work being accomplished, and we hope the Club will rouse themselves from their lethargy and take advautage of the present favorable weather for practice, with a view to a friendly competition with some outside Clubs. Messrs Bathgaic and Reeves reported to the Land Board re run 106, recom« mendiug that it should not be re-leased, but waa "admirably adapted for agricultural settlement upon deferred pay meuts." But the Board have resolved;to opeu the land for sale upon immediate payment. The effect Of this would be to throw the whole into the hands of one man, and thereby frustrate the legitimate hopes of twenty bom. fide settlers. The parties interested have resolved to make another effort to secure the opening of the land on deferred payment.

Mr J. Year Tack, a Chinaman, is a candidate for the Wesleyan Ministry in Victoria, Newspapers are printed in ten different foreigh languages, including the Chinese, in San Francisco. Moody and Sankey are reported to have seriously shaken the Salt Lake polygamists. Tlij revolver mania hitherto considered a peculiarity of America, is fast spreading in Victoria. A man-eating tiger which had killed 50 persous during the last throe years } was recently shot atChakiata. The Baroness Burdett-Coutts, in ame- : liorating the condition of the poor and I deserving fishermen of the United Kingdom, has expended over LIOO.OOO. At Liverpool recently a young lady was ; fined 5i for refusing to keep to the right | when descending cne of the approaches I to the landing stage. Mrs Bowen, *idow of the brave Con- ! stable Bowen, who fell in the encounter | with the Moonlite gang, has takeu the ! Bay View Hotel, Double Bay, Victoria, i The Rev. William Jenner, lately ! appointed successor to Rev. Johu ; Menzies, the respected Congregational 1 minister at Lawrence, is what the German | would term a many—sided man. Besides | being an energetic and eloquent preacher ' and public speaker, he is a regular con- ! tributor to the press in regard to wool- ! growing and agriculture in general, ' treated from a scientific standpoint. Amongst many contributions to the '• Otago Witness," he supplies that widlyread journal with an interesting account iof a visit to the Waimea Plains; and, | apart from his ministerial duties, he must ; be looked upon as a great acquisition to I the rising agriculture of Otago. I A meeting attended by about 30 | clergymen representing the various Pro- | testant bodies took place last week in | Dimedin, to consider the question of j religious instruction in the public schools. | A resolution wss adopted ou the motion i of Proftssor Salmond, approving of the j New South Wales Act, so far as it giveß ! faci'ities to the representatives of the : Church to afford religious instruction to ! children duriDg school hours, and comI mending the Act to the Legislature of | this Colony, with a view to its adopiion, aud draw up a petition, in terms of tlu t:j be .signed by those present , aud afterwards piesented to Parliament. The ivev. Mr Best assured the meeting, I from personal kuowledge, that the books used in the Irish Schools, containing j extracts from the New aud Old Testaments were amicably worked, and gave ; general satisfuc ion. I Mr Spurgeon is a ready man. On one occasion, it is said, he was much annoyed j by three you.ig men persisting in weari ing their huts. He appeared for the | time not to notice tbem, but proceeded to tell his audience of a visit he had paid to a Jewish synagogue. " When I entered," ho said, " i took off my hat, but j was informed that the great mark of ' respect was to keep it ou. I did so, though I can assure you I f jit very strange wearing my hat iu a place of worship. | And now, as I paid this mark of respect to the synagogue, may I ask those three Jews in tho gallery to conform equally to our rules, aud kindly uncover their heads?" The VOUn<r man " eollansed."