NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2214, 22 April 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The polling for the election of a member to the scat rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Hayburst on the Terauka Hoad Board, takes place on Tuesday next; the result will be declared on the following day. A Committee meeting of the South Canterbury Coursing Club was held at the Crown Hotel, Tcmuka, on Thursday evening. Captain Kamersley occupied the chair, and some five or six other members were present. It was resolved—“ That the AllAged Stake benm off with the Puppy Stakes on May 2(1; the draw to take place the same night as the Puppy Stake.” The election of Stewards then took place, and a Committee was also appointed to arrange a programme for the season. A special meeting of the 'Timaru Public School Committee was held last night, Mill. P>. Walcot in the chair. A letter was read from the Board of Education, stating that the Board had decided to distribute a sum of money for planting pm poses, and that all claims for paiticipation in this grant would be considered at the next monthly meeting of the Hoard. Tire School Committee was further notified that if they desired a share in the grant they must send in a requisition to the Board, keeping in view certain suggestions enclosed. The Eeport of the Special Committee, appointed to consider what alterations were necessary to the School and outbuildings was then read, and it was resolved “ That the report and plans be adopted and forwarded to tire Board of Education, with a request that the sum estimated bo placed to the credit of the Committee.” The conference of chairmen of South Canterbury School Committees, to bo held on Saturday, then came under discussion, and the Committee considered what amendments in the present Education Act, the chairman should suggest at the Conference. The principal resolutions arrived at were as follows—• (1) That the Committee considered the abolition of the present Hoards of Education desirable, and that one central Board should be appointed in Wellington, and extended powers given to School Committees. In case this is not agreed to, (2) That cumulative voting as regards the election of School Committees should be abolished. (3) That satisfactory provision should bo made in the Act for [he election of a new School Committee, in the c;i*o of the one elected at the annual meeting of householders resigning. (-1) That in the case of any member’ of a School Committee failing to attend three eoiiiviciitivc mootings, his soajt shpuld b p dcdaied vacant, and the committee or householders have power to till if on, (5) That a household tax of i'l per unmm should be imposed as a contribution towards the cost of State Education, (ft) That the members of the various Boards should be elected according to clearly defined districts, and not on the present system.

'firs Jc%e p/the Swansea County Court, the Cardiff •' Times*'' ssy*', ERggntly gave an important decision in a case iriud io[q,x him involving the much-vexed fpicstion as to the liability of husbands for debts eontraci«4 I}}' their wives. Robert Jones sued John Thomas for tlr,c •>y.'d,c f}[ goods supplied to Thomas’ wife, but the defeg.cj.vm repudiated his liability on the ground that iits vifc !;emg “advertised” as he described, he was not respopjapk for her debts should tradesmen persist in giving her eg,edit ty'ifU. opt his permission being obtained. His Honor's drieisiop was entirely in favor of this views hi giving judgment fof the defendant, the learned Judge oh. served that although ft man's wife “ might buy everything necessary for her household, the husband was master pf Iris own purse, and could revoke his vvifcg apfhority at any time.” This, it also appears can be done by _q. mere verbal communication to the wife of tiro iuisbMfdV ip.solution, without an}- advertising at all, the husband having “ only to take tire trouble to ttiyf.-kfi (lis wife’s authority to pledge his credit." by simply n psing I;is tongue.” This is somewhat important information for men alllictcd, as some unhappily are, with reckless, expensive, or intemperate wives, and it may bo taken as a much needed caution to not a few dealers who tempt wives to incur heavy responsibilities without the knowledge of their husbands.

At the Police Court this morning, a first offender, charged with drunkenness, was fined 5s or 24 hours’ imprisonment. A second inebriate was discharged with a caution, John Fleming was charged with the larceny of a fried fish, valued at Gd, from the shop of Mr Hurcombe, fishmonger, Church street. Sergeant Haldane deposed to witnessing the theft and arresting the accused. The prosecutor stated that he had lost fish in this way very frequently lately. The Bench sentenced the accused, who appeared to be a stranger, and pleaded drunkenness, to II days’ imprisonment with hard labor, reminding him that he had rendered himself liable to imprisonment for 6 months.

At the Tcmuka Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before F. Guinness, Esq., R.M., J. Morrison was charged with assaulting G. Gallagher. The accused did not appear and the case proceeded without him The men it seemed were both working on Mr McCallum’s station, and on March L), the accused threw some turnips at the complainant, afterwards striking him in the face. Ti is Worship committed the accused to the Invercargill Gaol for one month, and ordered him to pay 3Gs costs. Three boys wer e then charged with breaking windows, and were fined os each, ordered to pay for the damage done (£1), and the parents wore bound over in the sum of £lO for their children’s good behaviour. Several unimportant civil cases were also disposed of. The adjourned sitting of the District Court which was to have been held to-mor-row, has been further adjourned to Monday next, in consequence of His Honor Judge Ward’s unavoidable absence at Christchurch There arc only three cases (civil) set down for hearing. The “ Rrucc Herald ” hears that notice has been received from head quarters to the effect that an amount of oh od will be dcdcductcd from the capitation allowance of all volunteer companies who last year went to take part in the Invercargill review, for damage done to railway carriage windows during the trip, Mr M'Canghan, M.H.R., is evidently not satisfied with the result of the coroner's inquiry as to the death of the prisoner Wilson in Invercargill Goal. He has written a long letter to the “Southland Times,” contending that the inquest was not a legal one, inasmuch as six prisoners were allowed to ait upon the jury, contrary to the provisions of a colonial statute. He considers that the prisoner did not receive fair treatment, and that the coroner (Mr M'Culloch) showed indecent haste in the matter. He therefore urges that the body be exhumed and a fresh inquest held thereon. Mr M'Canghan has also communicated with the Government on the subject, and has been informed that they wore already instituting inquiries on the subject.

The small-pox case in Dunedin seems to have got slightly mixed. The parent of “ the ease ” writes thus Having “ Medians ” to attend on my wife, and the boy leaving some pimples come on him on the (ith, I asked his opinion about it, When he firmly declared it a case of small-pox, and ordered the party attending on the wife away, as it was a dangerous case. In live days time (the 11th) he declared it as chicken-pox. On the 12th a paragraph appeared in the Morning “Herald” stating a case of small-pox had occurred in the I’orbury road, and on the hlth the doctor in attendance refutes the statement. Then on the following Thursday (the 1-lth) ho again states, in the presence of my wife and a witness, that it is a case of small-pox of one kind or the other, or a mixture of chicken-pox and small-pox. So much |for “ Medians, ” when in reality it is a familiar thing known as Maori pox. In conclusion, to show the inconsistency of “ Medians,” when he declared it a case of small-pox I asked him if it was safe for me to go to work among thirty other men with families like myself. His reply was: “Oh, keep your own counsel and say nothing about it.”