SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Southland Times, Issue 1190, 9 July 1869, Page 5

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

An attempt at " shop-lifting," as it is usually termed, took place on Monday last. It appears an elderly woman — whose husband is now, we are ' informed, in full employment on the West Coast, and who also was previously constantly employed jn this district, so that poverty was not the cause —walked into an establishment in town and inquired for some article. Whilst the proprietor was in the front of the shop looking over some goods, she dexterously, as she imagined, slipped a parcel under her shawl , fortunately the action was observed by the owner, who politely requested her to replace it on the counter and march, a proposition the woman silently complied with; The anniversary of American Independence fell this year on Sunday, and of course could not be demonstratively celebrated. On Monday, however, our transatlantic friends exhibited their national colours. One patriotic American, we have heard, being foiled in the attempt to hoist his, through some defect in his halyards proudly wrapped them round his sturdy frame, and slept in them all night. By the s.s. Airedale, which left the Bluff on Monday last, sth inst,, the whole of the inmates of our Lunatic Asylum six men and two women, were forwarded to Dunedin, an arrangement with the authorities there having been made for thensafe keeping. The transfer must certainly be favorable to the unfortunates themselves, and, we believe, the terms agreed upon are likewise favorable to the interests of the Province. A telegram from Wellington in the Oamaru Times aay» : — " Pox offers the removal of the seat of Government to Auckland, as a bid for Auckland support."

The cheap meat movement has reached its climax in Hokitika. A butcher in that town announces that " those who have not got money can have a feed gratis." During the late Uriwera campaign, provisions were so scarce that the Natives of Colonel Whit moro'd force are stated to have driven a flourishing trade by selling biscuits to the Europeans at the rate of three /or half a crown. Several black swans are reported to have been seen in the Taieri River. The annual meeting of the members of the Southland Club, was held on Wednesday afternoon, Mr W. H. Calder in the chair. After some preliminary discussion, it was discovered that there was no balance sheet prepared for the past year, consequently no business could be transacted. It was agreed to communicate with the late Secretary, Mr J. F. Jones, Dunedin, asking him to furnish the necessary particulars by next meet ing. The subject of telegrams was then gone into, when it was resolved to discontinue receiving • any more until the state of the funds had been ascertained. The meeting then adjourned. ' Soriie short time agd the police pounced upon four young gentlemen in tHe very act of perpetrating a rather practical joke — pulling down the Church of England fence. Two of the 11 larkers " were captured and mulcted in £5 each next day at the Resident Magistrates' Court. Since then we regret to learn that further wanton injury has been done to the same fence. It is to be hoped that bad feelings have not instigated the second offence. If so, and the depredators are again caught, they will scarcely get off so easily. The men engaged in prospecting for gold at Otorong near Wellington, are reported to have sunk to a depth of 18 feet. They are said to be well provided with tools, and to be very hopefnl of success. Specimens of gold varying in weight from a grain to a pennyweight, Have been found. The foundation stone of an Episcopal church has been laid at Westport. Mr James Stevenson, of Riverside Farm West Taieri, informs the Bruce Herald that he sowed in the past spring an acre of the Sugar Beet seed, supplied by the Provincial Government, with the following results : On land not previously manured, 39 tons, and on manured land, 46£ tons, to the acre. This same land was firßt broken up three years ago, and yielded 60 tons mangolds to the acre, fora first crop, and from 14 to 15 tons potatoes the second year. Mr Stevenson calculated that he couid grow 1 | Sugar Beet at £12 an acre, so that the above i returns should leave a large margin for the profit of the farmer and manufacturer. Rumor has been busy during the past week, says the ' Waikouaiti Herald,' respecting the rasult of a proselytising visit of a number of the Northern Maoris to their brethren resident at the Kaik here. Though it is believed that these I visitors were chiefly from the Moeraki and Timaru ! districts, we have good reasons for stating that several were from the North Island, and that from the Province of Wellington. We regret to say that there can now be no doubt that the pernicious doctrine of Hauhauism has taken considerable hold of ttie minds of the hitherto peaceable and remarkably well-disposed Maoris at this Kaik j and that instead of devoting themselves to tilling the soil as heretotore, they have absolutely done nothing this season towards securing crops — neither planting nor sowing— and it is positively asserted that they do not intend doing either. To give an instance of the rapidity with which the aboriginal mind can relapse into its old barbarianisms, we are informed that a well known and highly respected aged Maori, whose wife recently died, under the influence of the teachings of those inculcating the doctrines of Hauhauism, as well as iv accordance with ancient Maori customs, burned down during the past week the house in which she had died, containing every thing in the shape of furniture and cooking ! utensils, which his habit of associating with the Europeans had given him a taste for. On Friday last a number of Maoris went awaj, but we understand in about two months there is to be a large gathering, from all the Kaiks, in Southern Canterbury. There is no doubt that regular correspondence is kept up by disaffected North Island Maoris with all the Southern tribes, and though not in the least alarmists, we think that storekeepers should be very careful whom they supply with ammunition. We may mention that we hear the name of Horomona Pohio (who is a Maori magistrate) mixed up with the doings of Southern Island Hauhau prophets, in a way that should at least cause an investigation to be made. The • Daily Times ' says : — " The abolition of Bellamy's was moved by Mr Carleton in the House of Representatives on the 16th inst. The motion is stated to have been received with great cheering and laughter. He said that he did not hope to carry his motion this session, but if he remained in the House for one or two sessions longer, he hoped to be more successful at a future time. He should not enter into the Bubject in detail, and would only give one, bat what he considered a sufficient reason for his motion. A very general opinion prevailed in the country that the members of. the House were more solicitous for their comfort than for the welfare of the country j and that impression would be somewhat shaken by the discussion of this motion. By the abolishing of Bellamy's the sessions would be shortened, as a large portion of time was now taken up for sessional purposes. If hon. members, instead of having a pleasant refuge to fly to from the long speeches and small The ' Lyttelton Times' says that private letters received at Wellington from Sydney via Auckland state that the manager of the A.S.N. Company is about to visit New Zealand, to make arrangements or a line of steamers calling at the principal ports. When the case of Mr Hugh Glass, says the Argus of 28ult, was called on in the Supreme Court on Saturday, the counsel instructed for Sir Francis Murphy had not a word to say in support of their application to rescind the order of the Chief Justice, discharging Mr Glass from custody on the Speaker's warrant. The counsel for Glass raised an objection, that the Court had no jurisdiction to inquire into the validity of the Chief Justice's order j that his deeisoh was final, so far as the Supreme Court (and perhaps even Privy Council) was concerned, for a man once discharged on a writ of " habeas corpus could not afterwards be.re-arrested on the same warrant. On this point neither Mr. Michie nor Mr. Billing had a word to say, but simply left the matter to the Court. Finding this to be the state of matters, the Court was equally brief in giving ita judgment, and discharged the rule without giving any reasons.