SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Southland Times, Issue 711, 19 August 1867, Page 5

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

. Mr 0. R. Marten met the electors of the Waihopai at the Theatre Royal last Thursday, evening, 15th inst. The attendance was large. Mr Marten gave a fall statement of. his views on the Railway and other questions , and was" listened to with attention. Several questions having been put and answered, apparently satisfactory, it was moved, seconded, and carried, " that in the pinion of this meeting Mr 0. R. . Marten is a fit and proper person to represent the. district of Waihopai in the Provincial Council." t - There was a numerous meeting of the electors of; the Waihopai district held at the Theatre Royal on last Tuesday evening. Mr Clerke, the late member, entered into an explanation of his political conduct whilst in the Provincial Council. As usual, there was a quantity of " chaff" indulged in, but the utmost good humor prevailed throughout. A resolution was passed that Mr T. M. Clerke is a fit and proper person to represent the electors of the Waihopai. We understand that a communication has been received by Mr James Harvey from the General Government, stating that His Excellency the Governor has intimated his acceptance of the services- of the newly formed Invercargill Rifle Volunteers. It is also stated that as soon as the officers are duly elected, the arms, &c, with 11,000 cartridges, will be forwarded from Wellington to the charge of the officer appointed. A general meeting for the consideration of this communication is advertised to be. held at the Provincial Council Hall, on Thursday, 22nd of August. . ■' Between 3 and 4 o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 7th August, the doleful sound of the fire bell was heard. It appears that about half past 3 o'clock, Constable Tuohy, who was then on duty observed a house on fire in the direction of Yarrow-street. Upon reaching the scene of the fire it was found that it was the premises of Mr Aspray, candlemaker. The fire burnt with great fury for a time, and the whole of the premises, which fortunately were isolated, were entirely destroyed. The origin of the fire is unknown. The Captain and several members of the Fire Brigade were speedily on the gronnd, but they could dp little to- 6tay the progress of "the fire. The fearful state of the streets prevented the engines and other appliances reaching the spot. We understand that ~)tLv Aspray is a great loser, and is not insure^. Independent of the building, his loss by the de&toVKrtiQtt oi $stf» Bte,Qfc tai wiU be, eve* gi.BQ t . .

I ""It- is- with regret that we' : have" to '"- record ' th£~ death of Mr Robert Auld, who for a considerable! period was accountant in this office. . . He was a faithful servant,' and only ceased" his connexion with this papier 'when the state of Ms health; necessitated" his giving tip the'laborious wbr£ of a newspaper. ' . ' . . ';._" .'!,' ' ' ' ■ ' r .' A ; meeting of the Waste Land, Board took place i on Friday, the 9th August, ; when; the fbl.lowing_jblocks of land were allotted, viz :— Hokanui district, 6731 acres, Mr Gk Bell ; Aparima, 160. acres, Mr J. Hodgkinson ; 40 acres, .MrD. M,'Kercher. Total— 693l acres. , We have to acknowledge the receipt :of a r.work. intended for use in schools. The author is MrT. Halliwell, Head* Master of tKe~Dunedin Central School. It is entitled "English Grammar ' and - Composition." It is a remarkably well printed book of over tyro hundred pages. ,Mr HaUiwell's chief aim appears to have. been, to combine simplicity r with comprehensiveness, and he has well succeeded. . It is an improvement upon any other 1 Bchoolbook of a similar kind, and, will no doubt, ebon' become generally adopted by public and private educators. In describing the condition of trade at Westport, a correspondent of the " Grey River Aj.p-.= "— s «T_ TTT J L 1 • ' __ . ■ very quiet, except when a shower of steam-boats arrive, then you would fancy the place was doing a 'ripping' trade. In the hotel business they seem quiet, with the exception of a few— viz., the Empire, kept by Tonks and Hughes, which is doing a roaring trade ; T. Morey, Gk White, and Blair's. As there are some forty-seven hotels in full working order, we have them of every kind ; three dance-rooms, and a theatre, which is being fitted up at apparently a large expense, by Mr /ones, well known in Greymouth and Hokitika. Several large hotels are in course, of erection; Mr Gilmer, of Sweeney's Hotel, Greymouth, and Mr Trimble, of. Nelson, having the two largest, which, when completed, will vie witb any on the coast." - - >■ The " Argus," of the 27th ult. says :— " In anticipation of the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Adelaide, Deputy Commissary-General Ross, on behalf of the South Australian Government telegraphed a few days ago to Deputy Commis-sary-General Home, to purchase for them the most elegant carriage to be found in Melbourne for the use of His Royal Highness during his stay in Adelaide. Commissary Home visited the establishment of Messrs Stevenson and Elliot, King-street, and after examining their stock, . selected the C-spring barouche, carriage, which received so much admiration when .. shown in the. late Intercolonial Exhibition.— We may mention that the carriage took a first-class prize medal, and the special . award made on behalf of the commissioners, for excellence of design and ■workmanship, and elegance of finish." The red deer is now known to thrive admirably in 1 Victoria. The " Eynton Observer" states j that, under the fostering care of Mr T. Chirnside, Werribee, Wyndham, the few that he procured a few years back have increased "to twenty-four. They are enclosed within a fence of about fourteen feet in height, and wander undisturbed in a large paddock devoted to their sole -use. -They live chiefly on; the native grasses, and are a present in the healthiest condition possible. A strip of .plantation, consisting of blue gums, wattles, and light wood, runs through the paddock and affords them shelter from the severity of the weather, as well as an agreeable shade from the summer's heat. A sunken tank, bo situated that the surface water flows into it, supplies them with water. There, will probably be an increase of about- fifteen-this -season j and should, they^con--_ tinue to multiply at this rate,; the herd of red deer, at; Werribee will in a few years be one of." the sights" of the Colony. -- . We have to acknowledge the receipt of a new "Colonial Serial, 'to be issued weekly, from the office of Mr J. M. Baird, Sydney. It is intitled the "Pirate, or" Black Mail levied upon aT British, Continental, and American Magazines." It is a remarkably well got up work, and certainly carries out the spirit of its name to the fullest extent. It is intended as a magazine of light literature. The number before us embraceß portions of the following works, viz. : — " Birds of Prey," by Mits Braddon; the tragedy of "Pelarro Bordello," by Amelia B. Edwards j "Griffith G-aunt," by Charles Readej "The Deathbed Marriage," by Mrs O. F. Gervy. The present number consists of sixteen pages of closely printed matter. The price fixed is extremely small, being four shillings a quarter. It is a new feature in colonial literature, and we hope the "Pirate" will have a successful cruise. Mr K. Rose, Bookseller, &0., Tay and Dee streets, is the agent for Southland. The "Southern Cross" (Anckland) 17th July, says'. — Mr Peacock, philosophical-instrument- . maker, has now in his shop in Shorfland street one of those simple instruments which have come bo extensively into use latelyat home by the great extension df telegraphy. The majority of our readers must be fully aware of the large' use made of the .electric-wire -now by mercantile houses at home. The manufacturer, in his counting-roonv in the] city, communicates with his" workshop" in the suburbs by electricity ; and, in the large towns, the district police-offices send at once to the chief offices reports of robberies, fires, &c. The instrument imported by Mr. Peacock is one of the most used, as it is exceedingly simple, not iable to get out of order, and can be used by any one who knowß the alphabet. The electricity is developed by turning a handle, and the words are spelled by touching keys' which correspond to letters. The system is, of course,, not so rapid as Morse's and other systems used at home in news despatches, but it is iar better adapted than these for private telegraphy, or for sending messages short distances. The cost of this instrument is about £50, The question of privileges arising out of the i JProvincial Council of Otago, having fined "" and" "imprisoned two Gold Piolda officials, who obeyod the instructions of the General Government, in preference to those of the Provincial Government., is now being argued in the Supreme Court of Otago. The case is Robinson against W. H. Reynolds, Speaker of the Provincial Council. During the dispute between the General and Provincial Government, as to the delegation, the plaintiff refused to acknowledge the Provincial authorities, and held possession of certain documents on behalf ot the General, Government that were claimed as Pro vincial property. This resulted on his being summoned to the bar of the house, and nob appearing, he was brought up by warrant. He still re fused to answer any questions, maintaining his position tone that of a G-eneral Government servant, and was; fined for " contempt" in the sum of or to be imprisoned during the pleasure of the House. After remaining a short time in durance vile, the fine was paid, and Mr Robinson commenced an action for false imprisonment, laying damages at £5000 , against the Speaker of the Otago Provincial Council, Jfrota the Dunedin papers we learn that the argument pro and, M» already KWwiQOdt: h£*9^QQtjp&a, $# qaurfe feu* pP)

~~* A whalej^measuring "forty-five i feeTin length, ii-"" reported by the " Waikouaiti;seralii".(otago) to have been washed ashore on the Goodwood beach, at a place called the SEoney Greek. The whale was first discovered by S. ; Keniiard and -'iAtM'Laren, _\, who. -were ' .eye-witnesses . . of , • the • i monster's . landing on- the, sea-beach,', and who ; afc, ; once proceeded to capture it. On- reaching the spot where the whale was lyingit was 'found dead. It is not stated to what particular species' it belongs. . : : . ' .:■:■ :;. jsw ■ . ■-.:■; ■,\ /The following picture,as drawn \byr the- "2Jel- ; son Examiner," of the .financial condition* and .' prospects of a sister Province is not very cheer-" ing ••— " The financial condition of the neighboring " Provinceof Canterbury is anything but satisfac* JJ tory. On gomginto committee, on the Estimates, ■■•■ the Provincial Secretary, stated to the Council that: the estimated expenditure for the current year . of". . £434,279 was £127,000 in excess of the estimated revenue, and that. to this deficit there was to. be. ',,-' added an overdraft at the bank of £92,000, and "■"•■'. liabilities amounting to £21,000, making alto-..^ gether a total liability of £548,000, against "an, Z estimated revenue of £307,122. Bad as this stata ':■ of affairs is, it does not, according to the opinion * of several members of the Council, represent J.L A recent issue of the " Wellington Inde ! ; : pendent" contains the following paragraph :— - : ' [ ' : " A Happy Man — When that notorious but very pretty young lady, Miss Madeline Smith, had !J been acquitted on the charge of poisoning her lover !: ' Bhe received some excellent offers of marriage ;•; and such a thing does not appear to be uncommon - • •■> in the case of other ladies who have achieved^ _ ' certain kind of reputation. An instance' of this is- 7 ' afforded in the recent marriage of Mrs Maria f:> Ellen Kinder to a Mr Stanley Williams, at Qreyv •« mouth. Mrs Binder, it will be remembered, was ; r the heroine of the Sydney tragedy, in which her C;i husband is supposed to have been killed by- her 5 ; lover, Her trand, Mr Stanley Williams is a bold ; l and highly favored man." - ■ •; ,'?' A new development of Colonial industry .is. .- thus noticed in the Melbourne " ArgU3 "of June :^ , 17th:— "An important addition to.our native „..-- industries has lately been made in the establish-. .; . ment of a flax manufactory at East CpUing- . ; - :- wood, by Mr J. Kidd, a successful grower of the i)} plant. Operations are now being carried on in a f; : large shed-like building in Regentrstreet,- a. loca^;-,,, lity which was selected chiefly because it afforded\,'j an opportunity of utilising the adjacent drain^ by . c , :i which the water wheel employed to drive .the • ; -. machinery is turned. A stock of raw .material,, . consisting of from fifteen to twenty, tons of flax, ;■, grown at Port Arlington, hear Q-eelongjhas.beear. .. accumulated, . wiuch will keep .the machinery .-, £ going for some months. Up to the prese,nt;, : v time, Mr Kidd has grown his own flax, and has,/ / received a premium from the State for his suo- , ,. cessful cultivation, of the plant j but he intends .^ in future to direct his energies solely to the manu-./-facturing process, relying upon : other growers.tp. ,; furnish him with a supply of the raw material. L .j The conversion of the stalks of the /plant into i , , y \ the flax of commerce is effected .at these: works r ;;i by the ordinctry method. .The first .process .is ..-,. that of steeping, which occupieß. . from,/ ten., to 0; { ■ twelve days, and has t^e effect of partly sepax&l^fm ing the outer covering from, the woody fibre. ': expbsTire to the air at the bleaching ground,; for & t ,Q period varying from' three to seven .days, conv» a > pletes the process of decomposition j ; and, after; .-,■ being well crushed between powerful rollers, the, \ whole mass is, subjected to the, operation, of-.,.; ' scutching,' which is done by, a number! -of, j; wooden beaters. These break up of the plant, and. separatesjtfrqm-jthe. true flwc^j-jYi which, having undergone the dressing., proce'M . : known as ' hackling,' is ready to be.handed orer^i;. to the manufacturer, who can turn it into ;;twin9,..- - or convert it into - the finest linen, just as it suits. "-- him.". ■ '■ ; ■'„,' ' ':/■■■.-.;,,.- „,■!;" ::< ,->:» The adjourned meeting of the newly formed ; ' ; Invercargill. Volunteer Eule Corps- was heldat ' the Council Hall, on Wednesday, the 16th Julyl ! Mr Dalgleish was called to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been '".. confirmed, the the chairman called upon Mr ;il James Blacklock to read the report of the committee appointed at the last meeting, to . receive the names of parties willing to join the company, and to make the preliminary arrangements for im« J mediate operations. The report stated that 71 gentlemen had signed as members of the; : corps — that Mr Paxton, Sergeant-Major of the ' Eiverton Volunteers and Militia, had been com-'' municated with as to the obtainance of arms, &0. . , A reply from Mr Paxton had been re'eeirea^'in 51 '" which he stated that the arms and accoutrements- , of the previous Inveroargill Rifle Company nad ;I been forwarded to Wellington, but thai itfwat v most probable that on applying to head-quarfers -' they would be sent by the first opportunity. '; He should be most happy (with the pou- '^ sent of : Captain Ihstone), to 'drill ''the ' J , Corps, and suggested that application for enrollment should be sent to His Excellency, the Or 6» vernor with the least possible ' delay, and that in ' : the tneantime, as the members would /require to ;_ : be well drilled previous to receiving armi, that, it ;: ' should be at once commenced, fie also for-' warded a copy of the Volunteer Act Regulations, ; and Bye-laws for the guidance of the Committee in the formation of the Corps, expressing at the ■same time his willingness to supply any informa- ; tiod in his power calculated to render the under-' taking a success. The Committee recommended ' t to the meeting the appointment of a new com.-'.'.';;; mittee, to arrange for a drill-shed, that squad drill ~' might be at once commenced. , It also stated: that ' a number of gentlemen resident at the Bluff had expressed a desire to form themselves into a contingent company, also that proposals had been made for the formation of a Cadet Company, and recommended the subject to the favorable con- 'V sideration of the meeting. A letter from Mr A. , Macdonald upon this oubjooc was read. It ; was further Btated that the Committee' bad',, received two offers of premises for drilling viz. V', from Mr H. Law, and Mr G-eisow. The report' wat adopted, and a motion requesting the Committee. ' previously elected to continue their labors, Mr' Scandrett being added to the number. It was J resolved that the' offer of Mr Law, Of the use of his commodious shed, be accepted, ' and the same be intimated with thanks .to that gentlemairi:' Drill was fixed for Monday and ifriday nights 9.% r eight o'clock. Mr Harvey was solicited for tato" charge of "the company, "and Mr Geisoiir^to ofiiciate as drill sergeant. Both /.gentlemen responded to the call. The attention J of tble oommittee was drawn to the desirability of forward- . ing to I. N. Watt, Esq., R.M., Cainpbelltowa the document intended for transmission to HU - Excellency with the signatures of intending,.' members, and also to co-operate with Mr Mac* " donald in the organisation of a Cadet Company, , The meeting was most numerous i ; ' the busirieas. transacted gave evidence of intereßt in^ tha". movement. A number of new members joined, . and at tho termination of .the meeting tixe 3f^\ ber'i roll <^n.teiAa4 QTW tygkty »offlb«^ ; ''%V®!&\ _ : '■"'■ .. ■"