NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2486, 9 March 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

Samuel Gibson was charged before the Temuka Bench on Monday with maiming two dogs, the property of Temuka residents. The accused pleaded not guilty. It was shewn that the dogs had been maimed with a knife and that one had its tail cut off. After hearing a good deal of evidence, the Bench told the accused that he had had a narrow squeeze of being committed for trial, but that as the evidence was not quite conclusive ho would be discharged.

A confer cel, live feot long, and about as thick round as a fashionable young lady’s waist was captured of! the Breakwater this morning. According to certain statistics read at the annual meeting of the Grand Orange Lodge of New [South Wales, there are 26 members of the order in the Legislative Assembly of that colony and a number of other members owe their return to the support of the Orange body.

The following is a portion of a telegram which we received from Russell early this morning. Perhaps some of our readers will endeavor to elucidate it:—" Government Reform Bill half yearly meeting voted his favor son crushed language Company’s mine yields- fifty ounces per ton.”

A new rule with regard to railway passengers has just been introduced by the authorities which is already causing a good deal of grumbling. If a passenger neglects to secure a ticket before taking his seat he now renders himself liable to pay double fare on alighting.

In a test case tried at Dunedin it has been decided that owners of cultivated land have a perfect right to destroy poultry trespassing on their property. An action brought by a farmer to recover the value of poultry destroyed by a neighbor was dismissed and in a cross action damages were awarded for injuries to crop.

Considerable excitement has been occasioned by the news of important gold disco veiies in Australia, a full account of which appears in another column. Hundreds arc pouring from the harvest fields into town, and of these great numbers have been seized with the gold fever. The Annie Bow, which left for New South Wales the other day, had seventeen passengers, and fully double that number travelled by the George Noble to-day. Last evening the s.s. Taiarca was crowded in every part by working men for Dunedin cn rovtr for the Australian diggings. Theory eveiy where, at the corners of out streets, is “ Rush oh I” and the exodus will probably continue as long as hopeful news from Tcmora and its neighborhood continues to arrive. It is hardly necessary to say that the loss of so many of the laboring classes is viewed with considerable alarm and regret by not a few of our tradesmen.

It is the misfortune of the Pleasant Point and Fairlie Creek district to be in South Canterbury instead of the Thames Valley. While the farmers and graziers of Fairlie Creek, Burke’s Pass, and the Mackenzie Country are famishing for railway communication, the Government are making active preparations for a continuation of the Thames Valley railway as far as Monisville, within 1-1 miles of the Thames river at Te Aroha.

Detective Kirby, it will be learnt with satisfaction, has been promoted, and everyone who knows him wilt agree that the promotion has been well earned. The qualities that go to make a successful detective are by no means common. Courage, determination, and peculiar tact must all be possessed by the detective who wishes to “ make his mark,” and these qualities Detective Kirby has abundantly proved that he possesses. We understand that he is the first officer who has received promotion since those very unpopular reductions which are associated with “ ten percent” took place, and indeed it was solely on account of these same reductions that his promotions has been for so long delayed.

Thirl y-six swaggers passed along the Main South Road yesterday to St, Andrews in search of employment. Some of these men had tramped from the Bluff and Invercargill. They complain bitterly of the way in which they are treated at the up-country stations. Everywhere they are informed that there is no work, and are given plainly to understand that their room will be preferred to their company. In consequence of this a number of them yesterday resolved to make direct for head centres rather than remain on the roads, in order to induce the different Mayors to find them employment at which they can earn bread and cheese. It is too frequently objected that swaggers as a class are worthless fellows who will net work if they can get it, but they are not all black sheep, and many of those who met at St. Andrew’s yesterdaj were respectable and hard working men, really anxious fora job. Many of them expressed a wish to ship lor Australia, and deplored the want of means which alone restrained them from doing so.