Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 178, 1 August 1867, Page 2

At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday, William Jones was brought up on two charges, one with stealing a pair of boots, a telescope, and other articles from M'Farlane's accommodation-house, Mo-tueka-valley, where he had slept on the

previous Friday nigbt on his way from the Buller; and the other with stealing a pipe, the property of a German named Floriau Adank, : who had slept at M'Farlane's on the same night as the prisoner. Both charges were fully substantiated, for on the next day M'Farlane traced the prisouer to Richmond, and found that he had sold the telescope at the White Hart, and the other articles were fouud in his swag and pocket. Jones was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for the two offences. — On Tuesday last Daniel O'Shea was fined 10s and costs for being drunk and incapable on the previous evening. — The following debt case was also heard : King v. Drain. The plaintiff, who had been cook on board the steamer Murray, brought this action to recover £6 for wa^es due to him in that capacity, at the rate of £10 per month, from the defendant, who is providore of the steamer. It appeared thnt the plaintiff had left the vessel just before she started, after half promising to go down with her to the Buller, aud the captain was obliged to go to sea without a cook, with 17 passengers on board. Judgmeut for plaintiff in £3 10s aud costs. — Yesterday morning Timothy Harrington, charged with being drunk and disorderly, and Patrick Healey, charged with the same offence, were severally fined £1 and costs; and Mary Jane Smith, charged with drunkenness, was fined 10s and costs. — The following debt cases were also heard: J. P. Cooke v. Jacob Small. This was an action to recover £2 10s, balance of account due for painting the defendant's house. Judgment for plaintifi £2 10s and costs. — Charles Harley & Sons v. D. O'Driscoll. An action to recover amount of dishonored promissory note given by defendant, who did not appear. Judgment for plaintiffs £14 12s with costs and interest till paid. — N. T. Lockhart v. Fr. Hepburn. Action to recover £21 15s 6d, the amount of a dishonored acceptance given by the defendant, who failed to appear. Judgment for plaintiff £21 1 5s 6d, and costs.— Hale v. W. H. Harrison. This was an action to recover £2 55., value of trees supplied to defendant at Greymouth, who had sent an order for the amount, which was dishonored, and afterwards, at the request of the defendant, the plaintifl had drawn a bill on him for the amount through the Bank of New South Wales, which had also been dishonored. Judgment for plaintiff for the amount with costs. We regret to learn that a fatal accident occurred last night at Motueka. It appears that the dingy of the ketch Harrieit, then lying off the bar, had left the wharf for the vessel, having on board Capt. Johnson and a man geuerally known as ' William,' but whose surname we have been unable to ascertain. In crossing the bar however she was capsised in the surf, and both were thrown into the waves. Captain Johnson swam for the vessel, which he succeeded in reaching, but the other man made for the land and was never seen again. The night was very dark, and the accident was not known until this morniug, when the captain went on shore and reported it. We have been requested to state that the pigeon-shooting which was to have taken place on Saturday next at the Star and Garter, Eichmond, has been unavoidably postponed until next week, when due notice will be given of the precise date. We understand that Mr Benfield has collected a large number of birds, and capital sport may be anticipated. Complaints are again rife with reference to the many book and sample parcels conveyed by the last mails which have reached this place either in a damaged or utterly irrecoghisable state. In several instances parcels have been entirely denuded of their envelopes, and their delivery at their proper destinations has thus been

reudered impracticable. We trust that the Government has already taken steps, to prevent the recurrence of this grievance, ■which, we need hardly remark,, is calculated to entail considerable injury and disappointment upon the community. We are also informed that in consequence of the use of sealing-wax for fastening letters from England, the addresses of several letters received by the last mail were reudered perfectly illegible. The Charleston Argus has the following remarks upon Mr Stevens's Railway Scheme : — We have before described the Nelson railway idea, that is to say the connection of this coast with' kelson, as a species of harmless- lunacy, but it seem3 that there is some method in the madness. The Provincial Council have endorsed the Superintendents f illusion, and a gentleman named -SJiftYCjUSj, whose moral character is testified to ■by Bishop Selwyn, and whose general business capacity has a host of endorsers, is to be sent home in order to raise the necessary capital to complete the undertaking. We can only presume that Mr Stevens is a man of exceedingly sanguine temperament, or that the money bags of the old world are getting plethoric, and their owners are becoming visionaries. If the latter is the case, there may be hope for the scheme, but all past experience teaches us very differently. We really believe that if Mt Stevens and his friends were, in sober earnest, to propose a balloon company for excursions to the moon, they would have an equal chance of raising the wind as they have for this scheme. If there are wealthy idiots enough in Great Britain no one will be more delighted to share in their superfluities than the people of the West Coast, and, without having the slightest scintilla of hope of such a result, we cordially wish Mr Stevens all the success in his mission that he could possibly desire. One Sunday night the slumbers of Mr Cairucross, draper, of Okarita,were rudely ,-' disturbed by a most unaccountable noise, which appeared to proceed from a detached kitchen in the rear of his premises. In a cool and easy deshabille the gentleman sallied forth to discover the whereabouts of the disturbance, and on going into the kitchen and striking a light, he was as much astonished as you or me, gentle reader, on seeing his torn cat struggling with a fine teal duck, which it had captured and was endeavoring to kill. " Sage and onions," exclaimed our friend, "here's a fine dinner for me ! " and with that he quickly took possession of the bird, greatly to the disappointment of poor puss, who signified his disgust of such tyrannical and arbitrary treatment by a series of most discordant mews. At this juncture a strange cat hove in sight, and puss, with that unreasoning instinct which we sometimes observe in bipeds, resolved to wreak his vengeance by "taking it out" of somebody, and forthwith made a furious attack on the new comer. During the second conflict the duck was duly taken inside, deposited in the cupboard, and with an expression of complacent satisfaction depicted on his countenance our friend again retired to the warm precincts of the cheerful blanket. — Westland Observer. A man named George Campbell was sentenced at Wellington to four years' penal servitude for larceny and housebreaking, combined with stealing £245 and other property worth £10. Some excitement has been caused in Dunedin by the arrival of some convict expirees from Western Australia. Seven conditionally pardoned men arrived in the brig Jessie Kellp from Mauritius via Freeman tie, and they state that the authorities at Freemantle said they might go to Otago. A telegram from Wellington says that the Australian Governments are to be communicated with in reference to their having permitted convicts to find their way over to this colony. The Canterbury Press, in reviewing the past session of the Council, thus comments on the conduct of the Executive :-^— To the Government the pas few weeks must have been a period of deep humiliation — a long succession of defeats, or of defeats avoided only by the most abject submission. la one thing alone they can boast of complete success. They have thoroughly disgusted the West Coast, alienated the miuds of the people, and convinced their representatives in the Council, who were not long ago the advocates of union, of the necessity of separation. Whatever satisfaction can be gained from having

accomplished this crowning feat of government, the present administration of the province is entitled to enjoy it. The amount of distress in Wellington, says the Evening Post of the 20th ult., is now very considerable, and rapidly on the increase. During the current month the number, of applicants for relief at the Resident Magistrate's office is much greater than that of last mouth. Already 1,144 rations have been issued at a cost of £28 12s. 3d., chargeable to the Provincial Government. This fact shows a different state of things to what existed some time ago, for it is stated than in 1861 only 30 rations were applied for to the Government. As an instance of the scarcity of unemployed men in and around Okarita, says the Westland Observer, our attention has been called to the fact that the contractors for the Government tracks who have lately arrived from Hokitika cannot meet with sufficient labor. There are neither sufficient men to lake the sub-contracts nor to go on weekly wages, and the contractors consequently are compelled to send to Hokitika to have the same provided. Our population is certainly small, but there need be no complaint of want of employment by those remaining. The Statistical Committee of Lloyd's have issued an elaborate analysis of wrecks and casualties reported in Lloyd's List during the year 1866. The total number of casualties was 11,711, resulting in the total loss of 2234 ships and steamers, the constructive loss of 270, and to the great damage of 1295. The number of lives lost are put down at 2644 ; but the committee believe the returns are inaccurate, and that the loss must be greatly in excess of that stated. By an authorisation received recently from headquarters, all commissioned officers are now empowered to administer the oaths of allegiance to recruits. Mr H. Chaplin, owner of Hermit, the ■winner of the Derby, has generously given the, sum of £12,000 to the fund now being raised to restore Lincoln Cathedral, and 250 guineas to the almshouses of Epsom, ■which shelter 12 poor widows; besides other sums to charitable institutions. It is stated that the young Marquis of Bute, next to the Marquis of Westminster, the wealthiest member of the peerage, and Mr George Brudenell Bruce, eldest son of Lord Ernest Bruce, M.P. for Marlborough, and heir presumptive to the Marquisate of Ailesbury and the Earldom of Cardigan, have both been received into the Roman Catholic Church. Soulouque, the ex-emperor of Hayti, has been invited to return by his late subjects, and has consented to reassume power with the title of President instead of that of Emperor. Madame Jezebel offers silly women who are not contented with their natural features " recipes for Youth, Beauty, Grace, and Elegance, which give golden tresses, sparkling eyes, ruby lips, and soft peachlike complexions to ladies wrinkled, freckled, scarred, or aged, which have gained for her the patronage of the crowned heads of Europe and her worldrenowned name;" These prescriptions for facial paint and plaster, Madame Jezebel adds, " can be forwarded on the receipt of 11 Is." Her advertisement concludes with — " Caution : Beware of spurious imitations." But rather beware of noxious originals. — Punch. A butcher let a sailor have a shoulder of mutton on trust, but finding a day or two after that he had gone to a foreign land, said, "My word ! had I but known that he had never intended paying, I would have charged him a penny a pound more for it."