The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 366, 22 March 1881, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Geraldine County Council. —A special meeting of the Council will be held in Timaru to-day, when matters of importance will be discussed. Grain Delivery. —At Lyttelton, owing to the non-arrival-of English vessels to load with grain for London, all the sheds are full, and on Saturday Inst no less than some 700 trucks were asvaiting in the yards to bj discharged, Tjie Property Tax. —Up to Friday night last, the sum of £124,449 had been received on account of the Property Tax. Of this, Canterbury contributed £33.811. The Census. —We understand tllat the census papers will be delivered in the district during the present month, and collected on 4th April next. Timaru Harbor Board. —To-day there will be an adjourned meeting of the Board for the purpose of taking iuto consideration the action of the Government in re* fere nee to the reclaimed land, working of the wharf, and other important business. The Australian Eleven.— lnformation received from Sydney states that from the play of the Australian Eleven in that city it is clear they are quite pumped out and need rest. Ram and Ewe Fair.— The entries for the ram and ewe fair at Christchurch closed on Saturday last. Over 1600 entries have been received, and the affair promises to be a great success. The Kaitangata Belief Fund.—During the year the trustees of this fund paid £l4lO to sufferers, and carry forward £4OO. Auction Sale.— Messrs Maclean and Stewart will hold a sale by auction, at the Timaru Horse Bazaar, of long-woolled and merino rams to-day. Cricket. — A match was played between Winchester aud Gel aldine teams, on the Geraldine ground, on Saturday last. The Geraldine men, having won the toss, went to the wickets, scoring 11?. Winchester followed) obtaining for tiieir first innings 87, and the second 35, Geraldine thus winnirig by one innings and 45 runs. The Auditor-General.— Mr J Ollivier, Audiior-General, arrived in Timaru today for the purpose of auditing the accounts of the Levels Road Board, consequent upon the clerk having suddenly left his appointment. Lecture. —To-morrow evening a lecture will be delivered by the Rev J. Duller, entitled “ My Visit to the Old Country.” The rev. gentleman is well-known throughout the length and breadth of this Colony as one of the best lecturers of the day, and the fact of his only having just returned from a visit to England fresh from the scenes which he will pourtray before his audience, should be a great incentive for n large gathering to listen to so interesthg a subject. The chair Will be taken by the Rev. Chaffers-Welsh. Assessment Courts.— The Judge of the Assessment Courts for Temuka. Mount Peel, and Mount Cook Road Districts intimates in our advertising columns the dates on which courts will be held for hearing and determining all objections to the valuation lists of the said districts. The Illustrated N.Z. Herald. —We ate in receipt of this well conducted illustrated periodical for the current month. There are several representations

of the interior of the Melboui’ne Exhibition, a view of the Intercolonial Yacht Race in Hobson’s Bay, Railway Accident at Beaufort, Victoria ; and scenes at the Dunedin Races, with Sir Modred, winner of the Dunedin Cun, in the centre. The number contains the usual amount of interesting reading for its Home readers.

The Adelaide Wheat Harvest. —The Advertiser says the present is the worst wheat harvest for 10 years. The toca yield is estimated at nine million bushels, leaving five millions available for export. Public Meeting. A public meeting was held in the schoolroom, Milford, on Thursday evening last, for the purpose of discussing the desirability of forming a club for. the suppression of small birds of destructive habits. In the absence of A. Cox, Esq., the chaii was taken by Mr Mossman. Discussion having been invited, some useful information was gathered from those present respecting the working of similar institutions in Other places,- and it was ultimately resolved to solicit the co-operation of neighboring districts by petitioning the Chairmen of Road Boards to call a public meeting for tiiat purpose. Everyone present Was of the opinion that something must bo done, but it .was agreed that to be effective, the effort must be general. The meeting then terminated.

Exportation of Meat.— ln an article upon the subject of exporting meat under the freezing system the Queenslander publishes extracts from a letter recently received from a gentleman of considerable influence in London. In these it ia stated that a Chicago house seriously contemplates establishing a branch in Australia, wiih a view of extensively exporting meat, the project being to ship the more valuable portions of the carcases of beef in a frozen state, and to tin the coarse parts under the compressed system.

Another South Sea Murder, The schooner Leslie arrived at Sydney from the South Seas, reports another murder by the natives. Captain Schwartz landed on the Solomon Grotip to trade, and while speaking to the natives at a trader’s village was surrounded by natives and then suddenly tomahawked. The savages then rushed for the boat, but the crew regained it first, and pushed off. They followed a short distance, and then made off with the captain’s body in an opposite direction. A report has also been received that the Captain of the Black Hawk, of Melbourne, was also murdered by the natives, but the report is u nconfirlned Aquatic. —A telegram from Auckland states that White is doing daily scullmg exercise for the match against Hearn for the championship of the colony. White's friends are favorable to Hearn’s proposal to make a match between White, Dtncan, and Hearn for £SO each, and row at Wellington.

A narrow Escape. —At Adelaide recently a man named Inkst, while working at the Kingston jetty, was attacked by an enormous octopus, which dragged him twenty yaTds. With the assistance of another workman he managed to escape with difficulty.

Interesting Discovery, A find of Roman relics, consisting chiefly of fragments of goblets, vases, and pottery, lias been made at Schleltheim, in Schaffhansen, about 30 centimetres below the surface of the ground, near a saline spring. Some of the fragments are ornamented with figures in relief, and the vases of which they formed part must have been of considerable size. The pottery is principally grey, yellow, and Ted, and much of it is covered with a coating of glass. The place where the find was made is said to be strewn with similar fragments. Legal Wit. —“Thesiger’s last” has always been a quotable joke amongst lawyers. Here is his very last. When asked what title he would choose on being made Lord Chancellor, be is reported to have said—“ Well, 1 have so often missed the peerage by an ace that I think they ought to call me Baron Luck-now.” One of his very best jokes was made after a judicial dinner at Mr Justice Talfourd’s, when, as the guests were scrollin' for their hats, some one asked him, “Thesiger, is this your castor?” and he replied, “ No, it’s Pollock’s (Pollux).” Erskine of Dun— Mr Erskine, of Dun, a Scottish gentleman in a past age, had an old man-servant who took great liberties in virtue of his long and faithful service. He had grown quite grey in the family, and no one thought of taking amiss anything he said, though he often spoke very bitter things. At length, getting iftto an altercation one day with his master, he so far forgot himself as to call Mr Erskine a leear. “Well, Gabriel, this cannot be put up with any longer. We must part at last.” Hoot, toot, laird ; where wad yer honor be bettei than in yonr ain house ? ”

Panic Among the Parnelmtes. A correspondent, writing to the Dublin Express from County Leitrim, says “it is generally believed by the peasantry hero that numerous spies in Government pay have joined the Land League, and are reporting all their proceedings. Everyone suspects his neighbor, and the names of many of their most active leaders are given as*traitors to the cause and in daily communication with the Buthorities. Several persons who were compelled against their will to subscribe to the Land League, just as one would pay black-mail to brigands, now denounce the

whole thiiig as a sham. In one part of this county suspicion had fallen on a president and secretary of a parochial league/ and, they were removed from their office in a very summary manner.