LOCAL NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 170, 3 August 1869, Page 2

LOCAL NEWS.

Meeting op Ratepayers.-— We would ci.ll, the attention of our Town readers to the ' adjourned meeting of the ratepayers -ojp. Nelson to be held at theProyincial Hall ifiisleyeiiing a seven.; ;, ,

Dramatic Readings. — Mr. Neill's entertainment at the Odd Fellows' Hall last night was given with much spirit, and we were sorry to find so poor an audience. Those, however, who were present testified their approbation in tho most unmistakeable manner, and really the applause was well merited, the. manner in which Mr. ! Neill rendered some of his parts showing that ho was no mean elocutionist. We trust that he will be more largely patronised at his next entertain raent which is to take place this evening. Grey River Coal Company. — Our I Greymouth contemporary of July 26 states : — We are reliably informed that the capital already subscribed in Christchurch for forming a now company to work the Grey coal mine, and constructing a railway to the Arnold amounts to over £16,000. Shares representing an additional £2000, have been taken up in Greymouth. Should the terms of the new lease to be granted by the County Council prove satisfactory there is every probability of the company being successfully floated.

Blenheim Borough Council. — Judging from the reports published in the Marlborough papers, we should imagine that the business of this Council is not conducted in the most orderly manner. For instance, we find the account of a meeting held on 15th July, interspersed with the following paragraphs; "Councillor Sinclair continued to state that the minutes were false, whereupon a scene occurred which we may not attempt to report." — "Another sceue occurred, amidst which the minutes were signed."— 1 -" Upon this another scene ensued similar to the former." — The ultimate result of this succession of " scenes " was the levying of a rate of one shilling in the pound. The Wealth of Wellington. — A correspondent of the Independent relates the following : — A friend of mine was standing at his front door on a rainy night lately, and a policeman had taken shelter in the next doorway. A man-of-war's man, evidently absent without leave went rolling up the street. Says the policeman, preparing to follow him, " I must look after that chap." My friend remarked that he supposed the police did look pretty sharp after such characters. The policeman simply replied, "My word we do ; we get £2 for every man. we take aboard, and it is all we have to depend upon for a living, for !we have had no pay for the last four months." Mr. Broughton's Murderer. — The Wangauui Evening Herald says : — The man who is generally suppsed, and reputes himself, to-be the murderer of Mr.lCharles Broughton, has been recaptured, and is now a prisoner in Patea. We gave an account, a few days ago, of this man's escape from the custody of Captain Hawes, when he ran away, and, from the other side of the Whenuafeura river, made sport of and laughed at the captain. The manner of his second capture was as follows : — On Tuesday night, Thomas Adamsoc, who was seriously wounded on the East Coast while scouting, about two months ago, was staying at the house of Mr. Southby, on this side of the Patea river. At this house the native, who carries the mail between Wanganui and Patea, was accustomed to put up, and it appears that the prisoner came here to see_ the mailman. - He remained there during the night, and the next morning Adamsou placed a revolver to his head, and marched him a prisoner to Patea. He had on ..his person a gold watch and about 80 sovereigns. During the night he was | very communicative and confident, and disclosed several things of importance. He stated that 5 men ambuscaded and killed a settler named " Sandy " M'Cullochi who was missed in the month of October last, and described how it was done. M'Cnlloch was riding over a bridge on the other side of Patea, near Kakaramea, and when he had got on to the bridge a volley was.! fired, and he fell. His horse galloped off but a dog, which was with him, was shot. His body was thrown into the ; creek. In order to test the truth of his story* Adamson went to the place described, and there found the skeletony and brought the skull toto Patea. What is to be done with he-murderer ?■■ J : -''v : !' ■ "' ■ : " / ■'