NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2854, 18 May 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The master and mistress of the Lyttelton Orphanage; Mr and Mrs. Sopp, have resigned. There is telephonic communication between Auckland and the North Shore.

The Arawata has taken to Sydney for the Bank of New Zealand, 5423 ounces gold coming from Picton, Coromandel and Thames.

The Government will grant £ for £ towards the formation of a home, for friendless women in Wellington.

Mr G. M, Barr is appointed engineer to the Dunedin Harbor Board, rice Mr Simpson, who retires.

Poharema, the native who stabbed his wife and another native, and burned his house, committed the crime in drier ium tremens. The wife received a dangerous stab, and the other native several stabs. The recovery of the latter is doubtful.

A man named James Coade, who is reported to have been drinking heavily for some weeks past at Burke’s Pass, died suddenly at the Boss Perry Hotel, Upper Waitaki, yesterday morning. He was found at seven o’clock lying insensible on the stairs, and died at nine o’clock. An inquest will be held to-morrow before Mr J. Beswick, coroner,

Stinchen Peter Harges, the levanler, was yesterday adjudged a bankrupt by the Supreme Court, Auckland. The National Bank, the petitioning creditors, lose £BOB. A similar order was made respecting Chartin, who took away from £3OOO to £4OOO.

At the inquest on the body of li. J. Hunter, shipping clerk to H. P' Barber, an open verdict was returned. It is believed to be a case of suicide, as the deceased had been detected by Barber’s manager in pilfering cigars on Tuesday night week, and had feared the consequences of a prosecution. He was last seen alive that night in a state of intoxication, near the wharf. He belonged to Yorkshire, and was aged 27. Three children named Cummings, whose father is in Dunedin, were yesterday committed to the Industrial Home in Auckland, to be brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. They nresented a pitiable spectacle. The mother appeared in Court with a baby in her arms. The detective said she was leading a disreputable life, and consorting with bad characters. She declared her inability to do anything towards the support of the children. To Whiti and Tohu have inspected the Kaiapoi Woollen factory- 'They have a pretty fair idea of the resources cf the pakeha now.

King Tawhaio was lying helplessly drunk at the meeting yesterday. It will be seen that his speech has a strong flavour of grog.

The' Mosgiel Woollen Company have leased the Kaikorai woollen mills, to meet increased demands for their goods. It is disgusting to observe that the City of Perth still lies untouched, Why have not a couple of tugs been got down and the ship taken out / She floats at high water and wants only a little help. A deputation from the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce yesterday waited upon Mr Hannay and brought under his notice the inconvenience and loss arising from the scarcity of tracks on the. local railways. Mr Hannay, in reply, said the present time was the busiest of the year, and so there might be an insufficiency for a short time. He said the Government had tried to relieve the pressure by running specials, but if a chronic deliciency existed, it would have to be seen to.

The enquiry into the Lady bird-Wakatu collision was concluded last evening. The Court held that the captain of the Ladybird was responsible for the accident for not stopping the engines sooner, and ordered him to pay the costs, £lO. The engineer was held blamcle-s.

In the case of the child who died in. Dunedin while under chloroform the jury found a verdict of death by misadventure attaching no blame to Dr Burns. This appears' a rather peculiar verdict; which, it is to ,be hoped, will not form a precedent.

The Mastodon Minstrels have sued Beatty, the owner of the Christchurch theatre, for £IOO, because on their opening night the stage was not ready, and they could not play. Beatty threw the blame on Williamson for leaving the stage in such a condition, and said the Minstrels ought to have arranged with him. The case was adjourned to June 7th for the production of Williamson’s evidence, which will be taken at Auckland.