LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 263, 1 June 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the silting of the Waste Lands Board on Thursday the following amounts wore sold, realising L 44 13s 3d, subject to a refund of L7so : —Ashley, 156 acres ; Akaroa, 50 acres ; Geraldine, 28 acres 3 roods; Waimato, 4 acres 2 roods 13 pm dies ; total, 238 acres 3 roods 13 perches.

'I he approach to the Opihi river, near Spilhine’s Hotel, has been wasln d away, aud as Dr Haves and Mr Lane were entering ii,e river about 10'30 p.m on Thursday, ilie Gap in which they were driving went down the steep bank. Fortunately the t»ap was not upret, but directly they had ascended the opposite bank, whieii is also very dangerous, the swingle-tree of tt e trap broke from the heavy strain. H d it taken place while ascending the bank a serious accident must have ensued. It would be as well for the Levels Koad Board, when the river is in [Rod, to place lamps to guide travellers, u work which could lie done at a smaU cost.

His Worship the Mayor has received subscriptions amounting to nearly £9O towards the establishment of a soup kitchen iu Christchurch, with a view to alleviating the distress known to exist in (he city.

A special sitting of tho Resident Magistrate’s Court at Temuka was held on Saturday to enquire into a charge of rape. The delinquent is a Malay, named Frank Fowler, who has been living for some hue with the Maoris down the Temuka river. A strong case was made out against him, and he was committed for trial at the next session of the Supreme Court at Timaru.

A serious disturbance took place on Friday near the Duke of C nnobridge Hotel, Cambridge, which, but for the timely arrival of Constable Brennan, and the Constabulary, might have resulted in a general riot. It occurred from a pakeha’s interference at a Maori tungi.

The Lyttelton Times says that Royal Commissioners are like rabbits, becoming in this island,.at least, a public nuisance. Wherever we turn we see tbe ears and the snout of a Royal Commission.

An Cam am resident, whom the Mai 1 says is an auihority oo the mat ter, computes ihat by the late rise in the price of wool tbe growers of the colony wifi led'se at least L 1,000,000 more for (he produce of their stations than they did the previous year.

It is said Ihat the police have surrounded the Kellys in an inaccessible position near King River, but that a hundred armed men could not get at tuem The only way is to starve them oat.

Lieut-Col Flatters is to command the caravan eNpedilion for the purpose of inVGslnValing the proposed French trans-Sa-hara railway route, and he is to be in possession of a force so strong that there will be no danger of obstmclion.

At Ramsgate, Oswald Puckeridge, a reined publican of Mmster, was sentenced to six weeks’ hard labor for causingthe death of a valuable dog. The prisoner painted (he dog all over with the Liberal and Conservative colors, and the animal was poisoned thmugh licking the paint off The prisoner gave notice ot appeal.

The Marlborough Express says On the principle that ‘ union is strength,’ the matrons of PJ ton held a meeting - lately to form a society, the objecl of which was to administer corporeal punishment to Wifebeaters Several of the ladies present pi offered ihoir services as flagelkuors. _lf such a society is actually 1 coned, a prooa* biliiv we are inclined to doubt, wc shall waich for tbe narrative of tbe first aggressive expedition with some euriosily. kvimlar associations bare ei.'slsd for a short time in other parts of (be world, only to end in a Police Court scene.

Triß Uov. J C. An fir w Ims totted up the value of fl'f' present ha* vest, ami Ends ilmt. if mu! imprest on i'oo public debt were p;>i 1 in kind instead of money, it would idisceO ell the wheat in Canterbury, reckoned at 4-. a lmshe ! , nI * the oaU a I Is 3d, and a good deal o! the Ea’dey besides 1 hoc vos non nob's , Lais is unquestionably a s v-king way of potting it, and may well make people pause and ponder.

Jt is reposed teat two mccbanh s a Sydney, named Cashin and Crookiord have discovered a new and inexpensive system of making gas equal to coal gas from gasoline, a combusiible liquid extracted from kerosene shale,

Pal rick Flynn, a bool umber at Invercargill. has been committed for trial for fraudu'ent txmkriip oy. It is said he kept back some money to send to Ins parents who we;e threatened with eviction in Ireland.

The skill of the Celestials in legerdemain is even exercised in their cookery, and at a recent Chinese banquet to Americans in San F* aoc.sco, some very curious dishes were produced. Each guest,, the San Franciscan “ Nows Letter” tells ns. received an craoge winch appeared to he in >ts pristine condition, but on being opened, eon lamed five different; kinds of jefiv. No (race was visible of anv cot in the orange to exlract the pulo. Colou'cr) eggs'.'ere also filled with jelly, nuts, meai, and swells, in a s : milar manner. The inteipretet, when astced for an explanation, declared MeU e n man heap smart, why he not fiudee out T’

The usual monthly meeting of the Geraldine County Council will be held today, 11*30 a.m. It is io be hoped it will again late up the case of the OpM Bridge. Severnl nan'O'v escapes liave resulted io the recent freshes shifting the ford. Any one who may have to cross in the datk Tor a doctor or other urgent business will do so at the risk of their lives ; even in daylight mishaps have occurred. We understand the Teiuuka Road Board hare the money, and a e ready to carry out the wort; on a guarantee being given that the Council will reimburse it. Sunday after Sunday crowds of Catholics have to cross this river to get to church, inane of whom a'e pedestrians, and each have to wait in the cold till a deliver some other con veyauce comes in sight io give ihem a lift. These people are very patient, hnt it is a wonder they do not get up a peiiduo, urging tho Council to take the necessary steps to have the work done at once.

It will be observed that Mr Uprichard is appointed collector of debts owing to Doctois Hayes and Camming. The advertisement is an urgent one It is is not simpiv hunt the slipper now-a-days, but hunt the foot that wears it. Money is so s nrce. every one is on tho hunt for it. Which dog will turn the hare is not the qnes'ion, hut which dog will catch her.

Information has boon received of a rupture between Fiance and Madagascar, in consequence of a misunderstanding between the trench Consul and the Government of the island. The Consul has hauled down Ins flag aud appealed to his Government for .support.

The N.Z. Presbyterian finds the following paragraph perplexing: —“The five Cardinals appointed by the Pope to examine the question of annulling the marriage of the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Lady Mary Hamilton, have pronounced the marriage to be invalid, but affirmed the legitimacy of the son.” How is that for high ?

Sarah Boslock, who was sentenced at Auckland to six mouths’ imprisonment for a breach of the Cusioms regulations, has been pardoned by the Governor and released.

The Oamaru Mail calls Dunedin a clerical city of municipal slanders, freethought and reclamations —upon whose soil freethought flourishes rankly, and where the impecunious scums of tho noble families of the Old Worid finish their education in the mysteries of human nature.

The Waikato Times denies on authority the New Zealand Herald’s statement that Rewi has made a speech saying he had withdrawn his lands from the control of tho King ; also the Herald’s statement that Rewi will not take possession of the house built for him by the Government at Kiliikihi until tho Crown grant is ban led to him.