NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1128, 21 December 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Committee of the Caledonian Society will meet at the Albion Hotel to-morrow evening at 7.30. A full attendance is desired.

A slight shock of earthquake was felt in various towns along the West Coast of the other island, shortly before 1 o'clock on Wednesday. A destructive fire occurred in upper Symonds-street, Auckland, early on Wednesday morning, which destroyed property to the value of £SOOO.

Seventeen Chinamen, recently employed as firemen on the Triumph, left Auckland by the Bingarooma on Wednesday, en route for Hong Kong, their passage money having been paid by the local agents of Shaw, Savill and Co.

The following tenders were received for the Tongahoe contract (formation and permanent Foxton-New Plymouth railway:—Accepted: W. J. Bassett, Auckland, £27,825. Declined : G. H. Dickson, Patea, £29,437 ; Gallagher and Kirkpatrick, Hawera, £29,500 ; G. Mackic, Dunedin, £34,421 ; F. McGowan, Hawera, £34,631 ; J. A. Johnston, Wanganui, £35,438. The following team has been chosen from the Gladstone Cricket Club to play a match against Manutahi on Christmas Day ; _ J F G Larking, E Mangin, J Boagey, W Harden, G W Gower, J B Bell, S Johnston, M Carey, J Hitching (captain), E Holthain, A Paterson. Emergency men, B Howe, J Larking senior, J McCarty. A feature in connection with the picnic of the Wanganui. Friendly Societies, to be held on New Year’s Day, will be a baby show. A committee are arranging all the preliminaries, and the following prizes will be given :—For the largest baby, jewel case of frosted silver ; for the prettiest baby, nickel silver breakfast cruet; for the best dresssed baby, revolving cruet ; for the smallest baby, biscuit jar with nickel silver top. The rehearing of the case Buchanan v. Laird upon the points raised by Mr Barton, viz ,the virginity of the soil and the identity of the plant which came up with the turnip seed from the defendant’s establishment came on at Hawera before Capt, Wray on Wednesday. Mr Barton called several natives who stated that previous to the war Maori cabbage ; had been grown by them on Mr Buchanan’s land. Although since then the land had become overgrown with scrub, the cabbage would remain (here all the same, and although the scrub had been burned off, it would not kill the Maori cabbage. A native named Kau said that ho worked at Mr Buchanan’s last harvest cutting oats. While reaping he particularly noticed Maori cabbage among the oats. Mr J Livingstone stated that he was positive that the plant which came up in Mr Bucban; n’s ,ti mips was rape and not Maori cabbage. The case was ultimately adjourned till tho next occasion of Capt. Wray’s sitting at Hawera.

Dr Golsborough, a very old Auckland resident is dead. .

Gospel service will be held at St James': Hall on Sunday evening.

The train arrangements for Boxing Day are advertised in this issue.

The Napier Borough Council is. going in for the electric light. The Suez mails dated London, Nov. 18 arrived at Albany yesterday.

The Borough Council are inviting tenders for constructing sumps. The handicaps for the Kakaramea sports appear in another column. The County Council invite tenders for collecting the" Dog-tax for the year 1884-', Mr Evett has been appointed handicappor for the New Plymouth Jockey Club. J '

Mr Nutsford notifies that his great cheap sale will only continue for a few days longer.

The Christchurch “unemployed "won’t accept the, 4s 6J per day offered by Government.

Sir William Fox’s West Coast Commission has been further extended until Ist July, 1884. Major Cantley, R.E., the Imperial officer charged with colonial defence, has arrived at Wellington.,, , Services will be conducted at the Wesleyan Church on Sunday by the Rev J. A. Luxford.

:■ The man Anderson, who attempted to ihurder his paramour at Carterton, has been committed for trial., - Waverley : Harmonic Society give a concert to-night at the Town Hall. The programme is a charming one. At Christchurch on Wednesday, James Geen, son of a fishmonger, was thrown from a cart, and died from the effects. The Waverley arrived from Wellington this afternoon. She will leave on an excursion to Nelson at 2 p,rn, to-morrow. Mr Cowern will hold an important sale on Saturday, by order of the trustee in the estate of W. Handley. Full particulars are given elsewhere.

Through the accidental Upsetting of a kerosene lamp JFinlayson’a accommodation house at Mplangiansri near Napier was burnt yesterday. Insurance in the National, £250.

The International, Fisheries Exhibition was formally closed on October 31 by the Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness announced that a Grand Colonial Exhibition would be held in London in 1886.

The following telegram has been received from Lord Roseberry by Mr J M Clark of Auckland: —“ Very sorry we have to abandon our visit to New Zealand, Have written. Roseberry, Government House, iMelbourne.” At ,the R.M. Court to-day, the case of Jardine v Woods was heard. Plaintiff sought to recover £2, share of loss sustained by dogs having worried his sheep. Judgement was given for plaintiff for 30s and costs. A report will appear on Monday, The New Zealand Shipping Company are advised by cable that the lonic reached Rio Janiero on the loth, and sailed on the 17th. The passage from Lyttelton was the fastest on record—only 21 days. The frozen meat is reported to be in prime condition. A meeting of creditors of Mr H. A. Arthur was held at the Court-house yesterday afternoon, but was adjourned in order to enable the trustee to investigate the claims of the family, with a view to accepting an offer for the estate. The next sitting of the Divbrce Court is fixed for the 14th proximo. At present only two cases are set down on the list, Edwards v. Edwards, in which the % application is for a decree nisi, and Ehvell v. Elwell, in which a decree absolute is asked for.

A despatch by the mail states that the Confederation and Aonexation Bill has been reserved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure. Her M’ajesty will not be finally advised to assent to this Bill until the result of the recent Conference at Sydney is received. The Rev. A. Thomson will be absent in New Plymouth next week being engaged on Mission work there. At the Presbyterian Church on Sunday 7, services morning and evening will be conducted by the Rev. W. Grant, who will also hold service at Manutahi at 3 p.m. At the Nelson Supreme Court, the only criminal case was that against Evans and Halpiue, who were indicted with stealing property in the assigned estate of Mrs Hutchison, and against David Davidson, for receiving the same. The jury found a verdict of guilty against Evans and Davidson, and acquitted Hal pine. The Judge said the case was not one of ordinary larcency, and the defendants’ evident intention was to do a good turn to Mr Hutchison. He sentenced them to one month’s imprisoment without hard labour.

The usual quarterly meeting of the Forresters was hold in the Council Chambers last night. There was a good attendance of the fraternity. The nomination of officers was proceeded with, when the following were elected and installed :—Bro G Williams, G R ; Bro H Locker, S O R ; Bro W McCarthy, S W ; Bro W Sergeant, JW; Bro J McLnrin, SB; Bro A Sergeant, JB ; Bro Kearney Secretary. A rote of thanks was accorded to the retiring officers, and the meeting closed.