LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 246, 5 February 1877, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Yve understand that the jman, Morrison, who was in charge of the engine Hoswal en Thursday t veiling at ill 3 tunc <>f the break - down, has since been discharged. He ha i previously been employed U[ i n the Eobma, which is used fo .- it. 11. ring down to thy Breakwater, and tl a; was his tir. t trip ujou a passenger train. It must, [however, be staled that, al:h> ugh not Laving much experience on the North Otago line, he brought with him fro n the Old Country the highest testimonials and certificates of twenty-one years' experience at Home. We hear that Morrison has left towa with a view of again interviewing Mr Conyer?. and making farther explanations as to the mishap.

We have to correct an error which crept into our columns in Saturday's issue, but the mistake occurred through the unintelligible manner in "which we received the message. It appears a Mr. Murray met with an accident in the earner portion of the week, from the effects of which he died on Saturday. The telegram stated that " Mr. Murray, M.H.E., died effects accident, M.H.B. Bruce addressed constituents, &c," and we cousbriuently were led to believe that it was the Member "who had met with the accident, anil ;. ; oine -Mr. iJruco who was the speaker. We have since discovered that the Member for liruce is alive and hearty, and held forth to his constituents at some length as stated, ths victim of the fatal accident being a gentlemau who had died in Hospital. It is a hard ease when a man acts the part cf the Good Samaritan, and feeds the hungry, that his act ol kindness should be the means of bringing him within the clutches of the law; but such is the experience of Mr Procter, of the Royal Hotel. About a fortnight :in ;e two Jiien with swags went into his bar, late in the evening, in a state of intoxication. and called for some drink, ihe landlord, seeing they had had enough, refused them ; but on their saying that they were hungry, he brought them plates of bread and meat into the bar. Having occasion to go through the house, when he returned he found both men gone, as he imagined. However, such was really not the case, as one of them had lain down in front of the counter, and so close to as to be completely hidden unless to those outside. After some time Mr. Procter's attention was directed to the man, and, having aroused him, he put him outside the door. Just then a guardian of the peace arrived on the scene, took the man into custody, and summoned Mr. Procter for allowing a drunken man to remain on the premises. The charge came up for hearing this morning, but of course as the landlord swore most distinctly that neither of the men had been served in the house, the ease .

had to he dismissed ; still it is rather hard

that he should be compelled to lose his time and be put to inconvenience through doing an act of kindness.

Tlicy must have some bright legislators in Launceston, where there has lately been an extraordinary failure of justice. The Tasmanian Parliament has evidently never heard of the good old adage which says, " Never throw out ; the dirty "water until you have secured the clean." During its last session it passed a hew' Juries Act, which does not come into force until July, and the former 'one'had been repealed. Consequently Chief Justice Smith ruled that no juries could be empannelled ; the Attorney-General had to enter a. nolle-prosequi, and six prisoners to be disharged. It is an "111 wind that blows nobody good," and the stupidity of the lawmakers has been a piece of fat to the lawbreakers.

The following paragraph, came out by the Suez mail, and has gone the rounds of every paper in the Colony without comment : "A horrible murder of a young woman has occurred in Paris, the body being found floating in the Seine. It has created great sensation. A thousand people visited the Morgue, and the police had to form the people in line. The body has not been identified." Why a body floating in the Seine s'.ould have created such a profound sensaion it is impossible to imagine, seeing that it is of more than daily occurrence. With regard to the scene at the Morgue, it is even more inexplicable, as it is never without half-a-dozen ghastly exhibitions, and the place itself is a favorite promenade for the Parisians.

Hawke's Bay is beginning to cry out against further immigration, and the Daily Tdejraph admits that there are droves of men wandering about the country vainly looking for employment. Mr. Sutton, a candidate for a seat in the Legislature vacant by the death of Sir Donald M'Lean. during the course of a political address, said :—" It was painful to him to see, day after day, strings of able-bodied men passing along the it...u looking as though it was long since they had known what a good square meal was like." Sir. Sutton's homestead is close to the r-.ad. and he has good opportunities for observing the supply of labor by the nuinbe : of men travelling in search of work. Kot-wifchst-inding this statement, however, theory of t-lie fanners is still the same as ever, thai they are not able to get hands. The truth of the matter is, that a large proportion of the men imported into the colony are of but little use as farm hands without experience, and, consequently, but few of those applying are accepted. Things must be particularly dull in that dullest of towns, New Plymouth, and the editor,of the Budget has hit upon a happy, or rather unhappy, expedient to give a deiicte hint as to the state of trade. For some time back there has been a whole column which is completely blank, except one lino as follows : " Signs of the Times." So far, however, the hint has not been taken, and none of the advertisers have come to the rescue. Better late than never, and an act of tardy justice has just been performed at Taranaki, in the presentation of the New Zealand Cross to Captain Mace and Trooper Antonio Rodriguez de Sardinha, for acts of bravery in the lield as far back as the year 1563. Certainly it does seem strange that the claims of those heroes have been studiously ignored for a period of fourteen years, during which time there was ample opportunity for either to haveshuttled off their mortal coil," with their gallant deeds unhonored and unsung.

The Southern Cross, started in Auckland in' the year 1843, and consequently thirfcyfonr years in existence, has been discontinued, o.v rather incorporated with its rival, the 2\'eio Zealand Herald. One of the reasons assigned for the change is the expressed wi.di of some of the principal advertisers in Auckland who have been crying out against the expense in that line. We must confess those worthy people have taken a completely opposite view of the matter to that held by other townsfolk. Generally speaking, advertisers use their influence, and very often their capital, in starting and maintaining a second journal, well knowing that in towns where but one journal exists they are charged double the rate ruling where there is opposition, so that their wares get cloubly advertised with no increase of expense. The Aucldanders, however, look through the small end of the telescope, and ho7d veiy different opinions from Professors Holloway, .Ayers, and other monster advertisers.

Mr J. M. Me 3k (says the ITeio Zcalawl Herald has at length completed his arduous ta,slc of compiling a chronological tree of Kew Ze&land. It is similar in all essential respects, though on a somewhat smaller scale, to the chronological tree of Australia, prepared by the same gentleman. The amount of labour and trouble involved in its compilation have been very great, and now that the work- has been brought to a successful issue it only remains for the public to mark their sense of Mr. M eek's industry in collecting and arranging in a concise form the ralieut events of New Zealand history by subscribing liberally for lithographed copies of the original, which it is understood the artist will issue if a fair promise of support can be secured. The " tree" has been placed i n the Museum Building, where it may be seen by those so inclined.