NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2439, 12 January 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr Rolleston assumes temporary charge of the Native and Defence Departments.

The sentence of death passed on Te Wharepa, the Chatham Island murderer, has been commuted to imprisonment for life.

The Golden Fleece Extended Company, Eeefton, cleaned up on Monday, with a result of 10790zs of melted gold from 1140 tons of quartz. Messrs Paterson, Empson, and Ensor, were elected to the Temuka Road Board yesterday. The result of the poll was— Paterson, 363; Empson, 301; Ensor, 264 Wareing, 151: and Dickenson 95.

The Dunedin City Council have voted £4OO to the present Mayor, but the annual allowance to the late Mayor is still due and owing.

During a street row in Wellington yesterday, a man named Westrupp was stabbed, but not seriously, by a man named Morton, who was arrested after receiving severe punishment from the by-standers.

At a meeting of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland yesterday, a notice of motion was given that Parliament be petitioned to reintroduce Bible reading in schools.

It if stated that Dunedin contains more pawnbroking establishments than any other city in the Australasian Colonics. By a singular coincidence the Corporation besides having floated debentures to the tune of many hundreds of thousands,have secured an overdraft at the Bank of New Zealand of over £IO,OOO.

In commenting on the financial success of the Australian Cricketers’ tour in England, the “ World,” while expressing a hope that we should soon see them again, suggests that their expenses should be guaranteed beforehand, and no suspicion of “ professionalism” or “money-grubbing” might attend their proceedings. E. B. King, a foreman at Austin’s boot factory Auckland, has been lined 40s with G7s costs, and bound to keep the peace for chastising an apprentice. The defence was that King had been authorised by the proprietor of the establishment to thrash the apprentices when necessary, but the Bench held that Austin could not delegate any power of the kind. An apprentice awaits his trial for stabbing King during a flogging exhibition.

A difficulty recently arose on board the Union steamship Wakatipu, through the firemen objecting to sign the ship’s articles unless the Melbourne Union rules were introduced. The Union Company refused, and advertised for men, when over 100 able-bodied men offered. Should any further resistance be attempted the company state that they will discharge all Union men throughout the service, and take on unskilled men from the ranks of the unemployed.

The practice of buying and selling wives continues in some parts of England. In a recent assault case heard at Barnsley (Yorkshire) one witness swore to having bought his wife for ninepence. Another witness, a woman, swore that her husband had sold her to another man for half a crown. To corroborate her testimony she handed to the Bench a lengthy document, signed by three witnesses on a penny receipt stamp, which stated that Charles Clarke, her husband, agreed to sell her to Peter Scott, of Sheffield, for 2s 6d, from the first day of February, 1878, from which time until death he would not annoy her.

It is understood that the following delegates will attend the Intercolonial Conference which opens at Sydney this week : New Zealand—Mr Thos, Dick ; Victoria — Messrs berry and Yale ; Adelaide —Messrs Morgan .and Mann ; Tasmania —Messrs Gibliu and Moore ; Queensland —Messrs Moll vraith and Moorhead ; Western Australia—Members of the Executive Council; New South Wales—Messrs Parkes and Watson.

According to the “ Mail” the wife of Mr Ker of Oamaru, was on Monday last thrown from a buggy through her dress catching, and but for the careful handling of the horses on the part of her husband, the ac cident might have been attended with fatal results, her head being imprisoned between the fore and hind wheels for two or three minutes. Happily, beyond a few bruises and a severe shaking, no evil effects are likely to ensue.

Mr Bateman lectured on the advantages of co-operation to a meeting of farmers at Papakaio, in the Oamarn district on Monday night. Towards the close of the proceedings the chairman, Mr P. Aitchison, said—“ I am not unaware of the advantages of co-operation. When in Victoria, many years ago, I was connected with the Co-operative Carrying Company, and the proprietors, some of which are now in New Zealand, are, in consequence of the profits they made out of the concern, now occupying good positions.

Tbe convictions for drunkenness, in the colony in tbe year 1878 reached the formidable total of 5353, or one conviction to every 81 of tbe population. There is no record of the cases in which the same offenders were more than once conyictcd within tbe year, and of course a large allowance ought to be made .accordingly : though for tbe purpose of our comparison it does not materially matter. In 187!) the number of convictions was 4888—showing a large falling off. This gives a proportion to the estimated population at the end of the year one conviction to 90. Stated in a different way there is a decrease of convictions on the former year of 8.0 per cent. The decline of drunkenness as shown by these figures is greater than the decrease of crime. In 1878 the number of persons charged with criminal offences was 22,237 or one person to every 1!) of the population. In 187!) the number charged was 22,492 or one person to twenty of the population. The decline of drunkenness has been more or less marked for several years.

From Australian papers we cull the following particulars relative to the Hon Mr Beor, who committed suicide on board the s.s. Rotorua, on the voyage from Sydney to Auckland. Mr Beor was a man of more than ordinary parts. He took high honors at Oxford, and was called to the bar in England about 10 years ago. Being himself moderately v\ ealthy,and having married an heiress, Mr Beor emigrated to Queensland for the sake of his wife’s and his own health. Mrs Beor survived only a few months after landing in Brisbane, leaving no issue, and thereafter a gloom seemed to be cast over the life of the widower. Yet he strove to enter into the active affairs of life, and so much were his abilities regarded, that Mr M'llwraith invited him to join his Ministry as Attorney-General, In the capacity he assumed Mr Beor earned the respect—as he had already the regard —of even those who were opposed to him, Mr Beor was member for Bowen, and was returned for that constituency for the third time, when he accepted office some time back. Why he should have committed the dreadful act of self-destruction will doubtless remain a mystery.

The Melbourne “ Telegraph ” of the 24th ult., has the following : —“ It will be remembered that a week or so since a Mrs Collins obtained an order from the City Court Bench for maintenance from her husband, whom she had followed over heje from New Zealand, under the impression that he was about to proceed to the Mother Country, and leave her without the means of subsistence. Mr Collins, who is asserted to be possessed of considerable means, was ordered to find a substantial surety that he would pay bis wife a certain sum per week, and was locked up until be found the surety. It appears that he has not paid any of the maintenance, and according to the account of Mrs Collins, when she went to the house of his surety yesterday, where he happened to be, to get an explanation, he struck her a violent b'ow in the mouth, and then drove off in a cab. Mrs Collins then attended at the police magistrate’s cilice to report, this occurence, hut was so overcome on arrival there that she was seized with a fit on the landing, and it took several constables to hold her while it lasted. The case, as has been before remarked, is rendered noticeable by the facts that the parties have been thirtyone years married, and have a grown-up family in New Zealand.”

Mr M. S. Collins has been elected to the seat for Nelson suburbs rendered vacant by the death of Mr A. J. Richmond. The result of the poll was as follows; Collins, 189; Harley, 159 ; majority for Collins 80. The election created but little excitement. Mr Harley based his claims on the fact that he was a deadly opponent of the beer tax. Addressing the electors he said Now, here’s another point which is a sore one to many. I have no connection of any kind with any brewery, but I do feel the beer tax very much indeed : I like my beer as well as any of you. (A Voice : So you do Mr Harley ; so you do.) In the good old days, before they went in for tea and such like, Queen Elizabeth used to have her tankard of beer brought in at every meal. And wellbrewed beer is a good honest stuff to drink. There’s not a bit of harm in it. Fox talks about it being poison, but I have known men of 70 and SO years of age who had drunk plenty of beer every day of their lives, and sometimes rather too much, and yet were as hale and hearty as younger men. Beer is the only luxury a working man has, and it’s a shame ti deny it to him —(cheers)—and if I get into the House I’ll go dead against the beer tax. The brewers spend a lot of money in fhe place, and cause a lot to be spent, and they should’t bo made to pay this tax. In fact, they don’t pay it, but it is the working man who docs.

A writer in “ Truth ” tells a story he heard the other clay about Mr Grierson, the manager of the Great Western Railway. He was travelling in the same compartment as a fiicml of the writer’s. The train drew up at Acton station, when an energetic porter loully voci tented, “ Hacton I Hacton ! ” A little later the train stopped at Hanwell, when a porter of even greater energy than his roiifrcir at Acton scrcamel out, “ ’ Anwell ! ’Anwell 1 ’ Upon which Mr Grierson turned round to a gentleman he was with, and said, “You see how difficult it is always to get the right man in the right place. I must have that Acton porter brought here, and send that fellow to Acton, out of respect both for our passengers and the Queen’s English.”

The “ Wellington Post” reports that a strange occurrence took place on Friday night in Courtenay place. Shortly after nine o’clock that evening a man informed Constable Laurie, who was on duty in ihat ncighboihood, that Mrs Lovell, the wife of a hairdresser, carrying on business in Courtenay place, had swallowed a dose of laudanum. On hastening to Mrs Lovell's residence, the constable found hersuifering acutely from the effects of poison. She was attended by Drs Collins and Harding, under whose care she was soon placed out of 'danger. Mr Lovell states that lately his wife had been in the habit of taking laudanum to relieve tooth-ache, to which malady she was a long suffering victim, On Friday night she hid been drinking spirits, and during the day several quarrels occurred regarding domestic matters, and he befievod that in her excitement she accidentally took a modicum of laudanum, though, as has been already mentioned, not sufficient to kill her.

The R. M. Court was engaged in hearing civil case* up to 7 o'clock last evening, and then several cases had to be adjourned until next week, owing to the lateness of the hour. The case of Waugh v. Smith, claim £2O 15s, Mr White .appeared for plaintiff and Mr A. Perry for defendant, and some other cases, were heard after our reporter left. In this case the plaintiff sought to recover the above sum from the defendant, the Treasurer of the Regatta Committee, being the amount paid for the privilege of erecting a refreshment booth at the Breakwater on last Anniversary Day, the day fixed for the Regatta, which, however, had to be postponed on account of the state of the weather. For the defence it was urged that the postponement of the Regatta was unavoidable, and that the Committee had given the purchasers of privileges due notice and offered to return them one-half of their money without prejsdice, which offer had been refused. In another case heard, Brown and Fried lander sued the same defendant for the sura of £25 11s, representing money paid by them for other privileges connected with the Regatta. 'They had been offered £2O 17s since the Regatta. Saving heard counsel, who raised several legal points, His Worship said he would reserve his decision for a future sitting of the Court.

The following from the “ Grey River Argus,” will afford a solution of a rather enigmatical telegram which appeared last week, stating that the “ Government had struck at Oreymouth, inasmuch as they had refused to load the Companies’ coal without an increase in the price per ton.” Our contemporary says : —“ On Christmas Eve the various Coal Companies received notice that fourteen days from date the companies would either have to load their own vessels or be charged extra for doing so, and under the Railway regulations this has been construed by Mr Maxwell to mean that the railway authorities can charge one shilling per ton for emptying the contents of a coal truck into a vessel’s hold. Hitherto, under Mr Maxwell’s predecessors, the coals have been delivered from the mines on board the vessels in the case of the Brunner and Coal Pit Heath Companies for two shillings per ton. and the Wallsend Company for two shillings and sixpence per ton. This is surely sufficient, and the result has been shown in the receipts for this traffic. It is now proposed to make a tax upon this industry, so as to handicap it against foreign coal. The unloading of a truck of coals is only the work of a few moments, and under the system at present adopted, nothing can be found fault with.”

The hillside plough, (says the “Dunedin Herald”), recently perfected, by Messrs Held and Gray, is calculated to give every satisfaction to both farmer and ploughman. It is very light and handy and simple in construction, and will therefore not be liable to get out of order. Its special advantage is that one lever shifts the coulter, mouldboard, and share, from right to left. Being very low and not top heavy, the plough can be used either on hilsidc or flat land where no water furrow is required. The Arm are turning out two new sets of harrows, of new design and shape. The first is a flexible tripod harrow, with chilled hard points. The harrows are coupled by steel links, which, are much stronger than those used by English makers, and they consequently have the advantage of not being able to open out owing to the shape of the links. These harrows can be made to any width required. The second set is a new design of zig-zag iron harrows which are coupled with clips ’and wedges, and there are no holes to weaken the iron used in the construction of the harrows. They are also free from nuts and screws, which frequently get shaken loose in ordinary harrows. Messrs Reid and Gray have obtained a patent for their new moulding machine, and can now make much better and cheaper casts then they could formerly. The firm arc turning out reaping machines in large quantities.

Trout have increased largely in the Winchester river, and some very good sport is now obtainable there. On Saturday evening last. Mr Shikletou and Mr Nicholas caught between them sixteen fish in about two hours’ lime. The largest fish was caught with a hare’s ear flv, and weighed (Ulbs. The remainder were taken with the minnow. Several very large fish, supposed to be Californian salmon, .have been seen in the Temuka river, (says the “ Press ”) but as jet local anglers have been unsuccessful in landing them, as they refuse to take the most tempting baits.

Drs Gunst, Teague, and Beaney, recently gave evidence before the Vaccination Committee of the Victorian Legislature. They were all of opinion that vaccine lymph should be obtained direct from young cows kept specially for the purpose by the State. The i eason assigned for this opinion was that the danger of communicating such diseases as scrofula and syphilis made common by the arm to arm process would be reduced to a minimum. Evidence was also given that no children under twelve months of age should be vaccinated, and that in no case should the operation be pet formed during the hot summer mouths.

The Hurdle Race at the Waerenga-a Hika fGisborne) meeting resulted in a remarkable Hrntco, Only one horse Lizard, started to canter round, but came to grief at the last hurdle, the rider, who had declared (libs overweight, being severely hurt. Another jockey ran down to the scene of the accident, donned the injured man’s colors, caught the horse, and rode to the winning post. On weighing in, the second jockey was found to be very much under weight. Another jockey then took the horse down to the spot where the first rider was spilled and rode into the weighing paddock. The stewards, however, decided that a second weighing in was against racing rules, and the race was 1 1eelared void.

Alluding to the much-talked-of prosperity of American farmers, the “ Home News ” says ;—“ Colonists in Australia and New Zealand, like Englishmen at Home, hear a good deal about the success of farming in the United States, but the real condition of agriculturists iu America is not very widely known. Illinois has often been quoted as one of the wealthiest and most progressive agricultural States in the Union ; yet it is but faintly describing the situation to assert that, as a rule, the farmers of Illinois arc over head and cars in debt to shopkeepers,and mortgaged up to the hilt. The complaint is as common in Illinois— and, indeed, in all the great agricultural States, as in England, that large farms and great capitalists are making it impossible for middle class and small farmers to pay their debts like honest men. This fact came out prominently in an investigation instituted a few years back by a leading newspaper, and has been verified within the past few years by inquiries made of lawyers and bankers, who are thoroughly acquainted, as agents of mortgagees, with the condition of the farmers’ pockets. The moral of it is that all is not gold that glitters, even iu American farming.”