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Southland Times, Issue 679, 5 June 1867, Page 2

Tbe new Executive were yesterday gazetted. The following aro the names •• — Mr Clerke, Treasurer and Secretary ; Messrs Ross, Lumsden, and Wood, unofficial-members. f In accordance with the provisions of the newEducation Ordinance, a public meeting was held on Monday evening, . at the school-room, Taystreet, for the purpose .of electing an education committee for the town. Mr John Kingsland was elected to the chair. The' following gentlemen were duly proposed and elected, viz., Messrs E. D. ; Butts, .J. Stock, W. B, Scandrett, J. Kingsland, and F. H. Geisow, convener. The Superintendent will nominate the sixth member. Those present expressed an opinion that it would be unnecessary for the committee to levy a rate for the purposes of education, but confine itself to the other powers given by the Ordinance. A singular case of alleged larceny was heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. The facts of the case as stated in evidence, were as follows: — Mrs Thomson, the wife of a carpenter residing in Leet-street, lost. from. her pocket while passing .along Dee-street — between the Melbourne Hotel and Esk-street — two one-pound notes, described by her as. old and worn. On discovering her loss- she went at .once to inform her husband, from whom she had received the money. Meantime, a little girl, a pupil at the Ragged Cchool, found two one-pound notes in Dee- street, and it would appear ;told the .: other children. By some means the news found its' way to the Melbourne Hotel, where a. man giving tho name of James Brier, a German, stated, that he had lost a sum of money. Accompanied by the lauaiudj-. of 'tu. Uotoi •(ku<> named Mrs Thomson), the man proceeded to the Ragged School. The schoolmaster, Mr Barns, at his request, called the little" girl (Agnes Donnegan), and caused her to.. place in his (Mr Burns) hands the two notes. On Mr Burns holding them ; up loosely to examine them; the man Brier remarked- " two notes, yes, there was some silver, too " at the same time taking "the notes from Mr Burnsji Brier then left, after saying he would give the little girl three shillings as a reward, which he did. The circumstances shortly afterwards came to the knowledge of the police through Mrs Thomson (the loser of the money) and Constable Caldwell went in search of Brier. The latter, for some reason best' known to himself, had started off out of town by the North Road/ but was overtaken by the constable (who had managed to obtain a horse,, to go in; pursuit) near the Waihopai Bridge. When Brier saw •. the constable coming, he .tried hard to escape, leaving the high road, and running across, -a ploughed .field. He also resisted arrest. When searched at th'a station no money was found on his' person'; but in reply to the constablehe said he ought to have nearly two pounds; but ; " he'd be to have thrown it away or lQst'it." '^Tothe Court — he made no explaha- ' tionj'bii^tdutly denied that he ran away, when "hp saw- the constable, Tke little girl Donnegan, apparently -4 or 5 years of. age, a most intelligent ajuk self rpossesßed looking child, fVeas . in Court accompanied by her mother who desired to have her statement taken, but^the Court considered it would not further the ends of justice. The evidence "above noted having been taken, Mr Weldon asked for a remand to the next 'day, for the production of farther evidence. - Queensland advices are to the' iith'tft. His. Excellency the Governor opened parliament on the i 7th instant.- A local journal reports that "His Excellency's departure (from :the sParliament Houses was greeted iitfa variety !bf ways. Some faint cheers ;were heard,; and^groans also proceeded from isolated. parts of Jflie. large crowd that were gathered tpgether-r-:be)tween two and three thousand being present. , But these manifestations, of popular feeling to be uttered in a very good humored manner, and no conculusion could be arrived at as to their havin g any particular or decided signification." His Excellency's Bpeech referred "with pleasure" to the result of the Postal Conference ; promised a bill to amend the law relating to the leasing of Crown lands ; a bill to encourage immigration, not, as heretofore, on borrowed capital; a bill to authorise the taking of a census, as a preliminary to electoral reform. It also re commended the appointment of a select committee to consider the monetary position of the colony. The session is likely to be a stormy one. The Government have offered a reward of £1000

for the discovery of a bed of kerosene shale. ; The Vcn. Archdeacon Grlennie has been pros- i trated by illness at Warwick, consequent upon over-exertion during the absence of the Bishop. The heavy rains and consequent floods have occasioned much damage here and there, but pastoral prospects have seldom looked brighter. A. nugget weighing lW*eeentty^.een. found at the" Calliope goldfields by a Chinaman in an aTj'an-"' doned claim. ; . .