General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 51, 17 March 1894, Page 8

General News

Elsewhere we publish a letter on the licensing election. We have received several others on the same subject, and also a poem, but the space at our command will not permit of-their insertion. Competition is brisk at the London wool sales, and prices are unchanged. Her Majesty the Queen has gone to Florence. Forty applications were received for the position of stoker at the Invercargill gasworks. Geo. Colvin was the successful applicant. Owing to the recent accident on the Estuary, the Star Sailing Club have postponed their regatta to the 4th of April. The Irish Nationalists and some of the Liberal members are dissatisfied with Lord Rosebery’s attitude re Home Rule, and the Times regards an early dissolution of Parliament as inevitable. The sermon preached in the Bluff Presbyterian church by the Rev. ,T. Anderson Gardiner, in connection with the recent boating accident at the port will be published in our next issue. The body of the late Mr W. Wilson, one of the victims of the bluff boating accident was recovered on Sunday last. The funeral took place on Monday, and was very largely attended. At the Christchurch ram and ewe fair shearlings bred by Mr F. Sutton, Thornbury, brought up to 40 guineas each. Herr Francik, the violinist, who lately left, Invercargill after a stay of several months, gives a concert under vice-regal patronage at Auckland on Monday night. Meetings under the auspices of the Invercargill branch of the N.Z. Alliance are being held throughout the district in view of the elections on Wednesday. They conclude with a final gathering on Tuesday night. A man named W. Palmer had his leg broken on Thursday through an accident at Cruickshank’s gravel pit, North Invercargill. It is expected that Invercargill’s town clock and chimes will be in position in about a fortnight. The promenade concert fixed by the City Guards Band for Tuesday night has been postponed for a week owing to the monster meeting to be held in the Theatre Royal on Tuesday night in connection with the licensing elections. The Riverton Racing Club are to be congratulated on the excellent entries received for their Easter Monday meeting, the weights for which appear in another column. Horseowners are reminded that acceptances close on Monday evening next with Mr T. R. Winton, when entries for Maiden Plate and Maiden Steeplechase also close. The trial of Richard Dobson and Eberhart Kufner, charged with the murder of William Mudge at South Dunedin on Christmas Eve, was concluded on Wednesday. The Jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, and the prisoners were sentenced to seven years penal servitude. Many expressions of sympathy, both from public bodies and private individuals, have been forwarded to the families whose households suffered by the accident on Monday last, the following telegram being amongst the first:—“Wellington, March 13. J. W. Bain, Esq., Invercargill. Will you and all concerned in the sad boating accident accept my sympathy. — Helen Ballance.” Lord Rosebery, in addressing a meeting of Liberals in the Foreign Office, eulogised the public services of Mr Gladstone, and depfored the absence in future of that “ sublime and pathetic presence ” which had done so much to enrich and ennoble the House of Commons. Lord Rosebery added that the policy of th« party would remain unchanged. On Wednesday Mr Labouchere moved an amendment to the Address-in-reply to the effect that the Queen use her prerogative to prevent the House of Lords rejecting bills sent up from the House of Commons. This was carried by 147 to 145 votes. The Government have since (proposed a new Address.

The Eev. J. Ferguson, the genial pastor of ' the First Church, Invercargill, went to Dunedin on Monday last en route to Sydney. He will be away six weeks or two months. His visit is partly a health-recruiting one and partly in connection with a call he has re-, eeived from St. Stephen’s Church, Sydney.

Forsytii, the old man from the Lakes district, who was sentt Hied to fifteen years penal servitude at the last sittings of the Supreme - Court at Invercargill, has been transferred to ■ Lyttelton gaol. Detective Maddern has received a reward of L 5 for the part he took iu effecting his arrest. The Conference of the Church of Christ, to be held in the Disciple’s meeting house in Bowmont street, on Good Friday, and the following Saturday and Monday, will be represented by delegates from about fourteen churches in the Middle Island. The Conference has been held annually for the past seven or eight years, at different centres ; two years ago in Dunedin, and last year inChristchurch. This year Invercargill has been chosen for the rendezvous. The principal business will be the discussion and con*sideration of evangelistic work and the best means of carrying out the great commissionof the Lord Jesus Christ—“ Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” This conference will be no secret meeting. There will be an open door to all who may wish lo be present. On the evening of Easter Monday a public and tea meet- ■ ing will be held in Hanan’s in connectionwith the conference.