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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4535, 2 October 1875, Page 2

The first meeting of the new Board of Education will take place on Monday, at 11 a.ul,

Mr. Wakefield yesterday introduce; 1 , into the Assembly a Bill having for ita object the enfranchisement of lodgers.

Two town allotments in Featherston, of one acre each, have been parted with for £IOO and £l2O respectively.

A soiree was held last # night at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, under the auspices of the Star Boating Club. Dancing commenced at eight o’clock, and was kept up .with great spirit until early this morning. An inquest was held at Carterton on Wednesday, on the body of the lad Alfred EH Gawler, who met his death while falling a tree in the bush. A verdict of accidental death was returned. . .

Henroost robberies are becoming prevalent in the city just now. A resident in Herbertstreet yesterday momiftgy found one of her fowls, with its legs tied, outside the roost. The would-be robbers were doubtless alarmed before they could get it'away. The sixth meeting under the auspices of the Wellington Rifle Association will be held at the Polhill’a Gully rifle range this morning. The firing will commence at 10 a.m. sharp. Competitors will use Snider rifles and carbines, and will find their own ammunition.

Mr. Monteith, assiatsjit-surgeon, has furnished us with the following return of patients in the Provincial Hospital during and ending the month of September, 1875 ' —Admitted— Males, 12 ; females, 4. Discharged—Males, 12 ; females, 3. Died—Males, 4. Left in Hospital—Males, 31 ; females, 7. Total in Hospital, 38. There was a very good attendance at the Theatre Royal last night on the occasion of a command night by bis Excellency the Governor, and the performance was by far the most successful given by the present company. Robertson’s comedy “ M.P.,” was produced for the first time in Wellington, and the manner in which it was performed elicited frequent marks of approbation. The burlesque “ Little Don Giovanni ” followed, and went with great smoothness. To-night “ The Bottle” and the burlesque will be played. The Colonial Bank have issued a new style of notes, of the three kinds —£10, £5, and £l. There is a device on each note representative of colonial arts and industries, and peace and plenty. The £1 notes are printed, in black ink with the word “ One ” on a green scroll on each side in front. The £5 notes are printed in carmine, with the word “ Five ” on a green scroll, and the £lO notes are printed in green with the word “ Ten ” in red letters on each side. The value of each note is shown on its back in ornamental scroll work, and the paper on which they are printed has “ Colonial Bank of New Zealand ” as a watermark.

One day last week, according to the Advocate, as Messrs. Henry Waldegrave and John Lane were out looking for some strayed cattle on the south side of the Manawatu River—having cut their way through the bush to a cliff near the river—they found on its , edge some human remains, consisting of a skull, jaw, thigh, and other bones. The skeleton was not complete, the missing portions having probably been carried away by a slip of the cliff. The top of the skull was covered with moss, indicating that it had lain there undisturbed for a very long time. The young men looked carefully all about to see if they could find any hair, buttons, clothing, or anything that might lead to its identification, but not a vestige of anything could be met with. They noticed, however, that the trees round about had been blazed. It will bo in the memory of those of our readers who have resided in the district for any considerable period, that about six years ago a European, name unknown, who had gone out in company with a native to seek cattle near where Palmerston now is, was lost. Though at the time a strong search party was formed at Foxton, who were out looking for him for several days, their efforts were unavailing, and nothing was ever heal'd of him afterwards. It is probable that the remains discovered were those of the unfortunate man, who presumably had made for this high ground in order to ascertain the lay of the country. Had the writer of that domestic sketch “ Enoch Arden,” so full of touching sentiment and pathos, been present at the Geelong Police Court one Monday lately, ho might have witnessed the other side of the picture he so delicately painted. During the prosecution of one Thomas Toole for perjury, R became necessary for the purpose of identification to have Mrs. Toole confronted by a long-lost husband. The latter, according to his story, had not seen his wife for upwards of twenty years. At the request of the police magistrate, says the Geelong Advertiser, Mrs. Toole was brought into the court, and as she moved forward past the witness-box, veiled beyond recognition, the crowded court awaited the denouement in breathless and silent expectation. Tlie wit-ness-box in which stood her former husband was but a few feet behind her, and she was desired to raise her veil. “ Take off your veil, and, if necessary, your hat, Mrs. Silk,” said Sergeant Morton with a polite smile. “Mrs. Toole, if you please,” was the prompt retort, as the person addressed made an imperious and somewhat disdainful bow to the little sergeant. “ Now," said the Bench, “ turn round and look at the witness.” The old lady complied, but instead of wincing under the withering glance of her old love, she gazed in his face in mute defiance. There was not oven the slightest symptom of emotional feeling ;

the pale features of Mrs. Toole—the former Mrs. Silk—were unmoved ; the furrows never relaxed, and as the long-severed husband emphatically exclaimed “Yes ! that’s her ! that’s my missis,” not even the shadow of a blush overspread her countenance. In a word, no vegetable marrow could have preserved its color under the trying circumstances better than did the stolid old lady ; and as for the long-lost husband, he seemed just about as indifferent. Evidently both were satisfied with their altered circumstances, and if their severance had ever occasioned any heartachings they must have been long repaired. The Hongkong Times tells the following remarkable story ;—“ We have been told of a most extraordinary domestic episode as having occurred quite recently in a Ningpo family residing in our midst. It seems that a married Chinaman was in the habit of giving his wife much cause for jealousy, which, from the circumstances recounted to us, appears to have been only too well founded. The lady bore it for a long time, but at last, wearied out by the infidelities of her spouse, attempted to commit suicide -with opium, during his absence. Word was brought to him one evening that his wife was in a dying condition, and on hastening back he found the unfortunate woman only too unmistakeably in a very precarious state. Repentant, but too late, he cast about for some means of saving her life ; when the bystanders volunteered the valuable information that the blood of a live eel would, if poured or dropped upon the tongue of the dying woman, infallibly work a cure. Whether this marvellous result would have followed or not, we cannot say ; but in the excess of his zeal the husband held the wringing slippery creature so near to his poor wife’s open mouth that it actually fell in, and slipped down into her stomach ! This horrible occurrence naturally created the utmost agony among the surrounding friends, but the case was hopeless. The frantic contortions of the eel in its new sphere caused the unfortunate woman the most heartrending torture, and it was a quarter of an hour before death mercifully put an end to her sufferings.”

The Wairarapa Standard reports that the new bell for the Masterton church is cracked.