NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1137, 11 January 1884, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr Wakefield will contest tlie Sclwyn seat. Smell pox lias broken out nt the Mauritius. A Rationalist Association lias been formed in Auckland. A kiln for drying hops is about to be erected at Normnnbj'. Canterbury won the Tntcrprovincial match with Wellington by 17 runs. There arc several people in Now Zealand who pay over £I,OOO a year in properly tax. At Auckland yesterday a man named Roffiu tccoived six months impiisoment for fradulent bankruptcy. Major Cautly is engaged on tbo examination of the Lyttelton harbour, with a view to a scheme of defence. The Ilawcra Chamber of Commerce lias passed a J vngb','/yftnilV.'f (' ssociatlion. The late Mr Montcitb was buried at Wellington yesterday with military honours. There was a large attendance. Mr Carkoek, the surveyor, was tied up for two days by the Maoris. He has bad enough of railway surveys in the Mokan. A number of black fish, measuring from 20 to 25 feet, were captured on the Te Am (Wellington) beach on Wednesday morning. According to the Nelson Mail Mr T Haycock, late of Patoa, has taken out a patent for bis “ Skin purifier and Stain Eradieator ” and intends to establish a manufactory in Nelson, A proclamation in the Gazette sets apart for leasing portions of land in blocks VI., VII., VIII., IX., and X., Kaupokonui, and XI, Opunake, about 60 sections varying from about 100 to 300 acres in extent. A member of the House of Representatives lias a Bill drafted for the restoration of quinquennial Parliaments, which bo will introduce at the beginning of next session. It expressly excepts the present Parliament from its operation. His Honour, District Judge Rawson, held asittingin Bankruptcy on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Quite a number of applications for discharge and orders for complete execution of deeds were made, and granted in each case. Mr R, B. Hamilton, of Manutahi, weighed the fleeces from three of the ewe hoggets recently shorn by him and the result was.as follow: 23£lb, 221b, and 221 b. The fleece from the champion ram at the last show weighed 251 bs. Who can beat that? Snow fell at Muriraotu on Christmas Day, an occurrence which has never before happened in the memory of the oldest Maori inhabitant. The settlers at the Knrioi station were gathering strawberries at the lime the snow fell, a combination of events which is unprecedented. The boundaries, of the native leasing district in which this part of the coast is situated and known as Upper Wanganui have been altered. The Boroughs of Hawera, and Patea, and tho Town Districts of Waverley, Nonnanby, Manain, and btralford are excluded. There is said to be a strong feeling in Wellington—although not reflected by the local newspapers—against the decision of the Governor to continue the imprisonment of the man Longhurst, whose case excited so much attention in the House of Representatives last session. The New Plymouth Harbour Engineer has tested o cargo of coal from the Mokan, and reports it good for steam purposes, but the consumption is about 25 per cent, more than Greymouth coal. This, it is anticipated, will bo counterbalanced by the lower rate at which supplies can be obtained. A meeting of creditors of-Messrs T. and A. Haywood was held yesterday-morning to receive a report from the trustees. The repent stated that Mr A. Haywood had made an offer for the estate at 6.s 8d in the £, upon certain terms which tho trustees recommended should be accepted. After a short discussion the proposal was agreed to on Mr Haywood promising to give some security asked for by the creditors. To-night, the. Harmonic-Society will discuss a matter nearly affecting its future prosperity, even its existence, namely, tho appointment of a conductor in place of Mr Tenncnt. Several candidates are mentioned, and it is sincerely to be hoped that in making their choice the members will keep the main idea,, music, steadily before them, and engage the services of the one whose abilities'in that direction are known (o be highest.

Hawern Count}' Council have instructed Mr Twigg, engineer of the Road Board, to examine and report on the approaches to the Manawapou bridge. If hia report proves satisfactory, the Council will share wilh/the Patea Council the expense of the work to be done. At ihe Police Court, Auckland,: on Wednesday, Edwards, the pedestrian, was charged with committing perjury by swearing at the R.M. Court the day before that his signature to a cheque was a forget}’, It was stated that a warrant had been issued in Wellington for his arrest. The Court decided, however, that in the absence of the warrant it could not take actionp and dismissed the case. Edwards sailed for San Francisco by the mail steamer in the afternoon. - In a letter to the Dunedin Herald its Wellington correspondent says:—One thing is certain, that over the whole country there has arisen a strong feeling of discontent with the,present holders of office, and nowhere stronger than in Hie electorate which has the honour of being represented by tho Premier. He is, however, not likely to see,k its suffrages again, having resolved at the close of this Par liament to appoint himself as successor to Sir Francis Dillon Bell, and enjoy for a season the gaieties of tho English metropolis. There is in the Chinese camp at Maryborough, in Victoria, a most extraordinary specimen -of female humanity in the person of Mrs Wi Fook, the European wife of a Chinese resident in the camp. This interesting person is about the most obese female in the colony. She turns the scale at 26 stone, or 2cwt 2qrs, and the weight is such that no chair can bo found in the camp capable of supporting her. A brickwork structure has ben creeled for Mrs Wi Fook to repose upon. Bho is a woman of medium height, but extraordinary width. An extraordinary railway accident occurred at Aidoburgh-on-Sca. A wellfilled passenger train was entering the station when the brakes, as it is supposed, failing to act, it dashed on at a high speed, and came into collision with an empty carriage standing on a siding. Beyond the carriage was the high road, where there are some dwelling-houses and a newly-erected and strongly-built arcade. The engine forced the carriage before it into tire arcade, which was wrecked, and the train only came to a stand through tho wheels of the engine becoming imbedded in the roadway, within a foot of tho houses. Fortunately there was no loss of life, but the passengers were much alarmed and shaken.