LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 343, 22 January 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

149 Maori prisoners were removed from Ripa Island to Lytteßoq gaol on Wednesday morning. Messrs Maclean and Stewart hold their usual weekly sale of horses, &c., at the Horse Bazaar, Timaru, to day.

A heavy south-east gale was experienced in North Canterbury on Wednesday. A house was partially blown down, fences destroyed, and crops injured. Mr Watt, R.M., decided in Dunedin recently, in a case of selling liquor on a Sunday, not withstanding that the offence was admitted by the acting-barman, that to secure a conviction the police must witness the sale of drink. How is that for high !

The Presbyterian Synod, Dunedin, has agreed that as the Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill had not yet received the Royal assent, it would merely record its regret at the passing of the Act, but it did not deem it necessary to take any further action.

Our readers will be glad to learn that a Debating Club, in connection with the Good Hope Lodge, 1.0.G.T., will be instituted on Monday, 31st January. The Rev. D. Gordon lias promised to open the ball on time date, and if one may judge from the names we have before us, their ultimate success seems assured. The want of a Debating Club inTemuka, as a means of educating our young men on all the le uliug questions of the day, is a long felt one ; and moreover as the Club—whilst meeti.’.’g in tire Templar Hall—is not confined to abstainers, we shall expect to see it take a foremost place in our institutions.

The distribution of prizes took place in the Tomuka Public School yesterday afternoou. The school was well attended, and several parents of the children were present. Mr Wilson, Chairman of the School Committee, addressed the children in a short but appropriate speech, and, assisted by Mr K. F. Gray, distributed the prizes. Mr Gray addressed a few words to the prize takers, and Mr Wilson to the nonprize takers. Mr Mclntosh, head-master, also said a few words of encouragement to the children, and remarked that he was pleased to be able to say he had no cases of flagrant had conduct to complain of during the past year. Three cheers were given for the teachers, and three more to the Chairman and^Committee terminated a most happy meeting.

We would remind parents and householders of the annual election of School Committee, which takes place on Monday next in the School-room, at 7 p.m. It is to be hoped that all parents and others will be present, and that greater interest will be taken in this matter than hitherto as many grave subjects will have to be dealt with during the year now entered upon.

The Waimato Plains' correspondent of the Auckland Star, referring to the murder of Miss Dobie, says “ Wharengaro, father of the miscreant, is said to be a man of a vile temper, and bad disposition altogether, but be certainly will not be allowed to make a national matter of 8 treacherous murder. Such a proceeding is diametrically opposed to the teachings of Te Whiti, and it is probable that the comings and goings of Wharengaro are not unwatched. The day before the murder, father and son were working with a bullock team, when, through some inadvertence on the former, the wheel of the dray passed over Tuhi’s foot. He complained very much of the pain, and his father got off the dray and stooped to examine the wounded member, and whilst in this position the son exhibited his filial affection by springing on his father, throwing him on the ground, and attempting to throttle him, an attempt which would probably have proved successful but for the interposition of other Natives. Subsequently himself and his father had a very violent quarrel, and is is thought by many Natives in the neighbourhood that the murderous spirit then aroused fyad not subsided when he met the lady, and that this spirit, only dormant not extinguished, prompted the sudden impulse, was consummated by murder.