The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1831. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 405, 25 June 1881, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1831. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Acknow ■,& ->c:\'ent. —We have to acknowledge, irom the (Government Printer, a batch oi: Parlh'tnen'.ary papers. British VolinteerForcs.—Fifty thousand Volunteer,; will assemble at a grand Review before the Queen at Windsor next month. Rab3'T P-.eskrving.—The Woodlands Meat Preserving Factory aie now receiving "vom 500 to 3000 rabbits a d"y for preserving, tinning, and exporting - . What Might re Saved.—Daring the y~ar 1579, this Colo y paid the ing colonies £220,039 for potatoes, onions, jams, frtn'fc, butter aod coal. Spurious T'lA.—A l;>rge quantity of spurious tea \ie"> Ji'.eu imported into Melbourne in the Glr.niis Crsile, which lvs since been ordered to be destroyed.

The Financial Statement. —lt is Said that the Chlouial Tvea'iii.-er will siib .it his financial statement to f'e Hoi'Se of Representatives diiring i'-e first week in July next. The Mammoth Gift Show. —The e r >- (erUinmeno announced to be given by the members of the above company did not Lveaturie. The inclemency of the weather, with a consequent poor'aUen. 1 .- ance, was the cause. Almost Frozen to Death. The Manager of the Orange Slaughtering Company got ve - y nearly frozeu to death the oilier day by being locked up by mistake in the refrigerating room, from which position he wp.s eventua'ly released.

t'.M.l.A.—o"i account of ihe unsuit ablenfsao.? the weather for JEatly Rising, the E3s; - y which was to have been read on Thursday rr-'it on t'ds subject had to be po.s.po'ied iill a more favorable season, only the L'ssayist and caretaker riai?ig to tiie occas'oa.

T z K iA. —On a station in the Lake district of Ottigo, lyi.ihiu the past few months, men employed for the puvpo-.e, have destroyed 500 I.e. ihe native bird wl-ic'» is st> destructive to sVeep. The who'erut'e destruction of thete pesis is said to vep.rer.onfc a saving in one season, of hundveds of sheep, without mentioniiig the va'ue of the wool Laesi s"i3ep w : U p-od"ce. Hungarian chemist has lavely shown some s '.'.;■, I'Vng expeviroents in P;U'is with r.new liglit-giving subsiance witich burns with so HtJe heat that its flames will not set fire io a handkerchief, carpet, or other fj brie with which it may cowe m contact. A person may hold the burning liquid in Irs hand without anyjinjnry. This new illuminal ng fluid is sail to be a preparation of pelvoleum.

A Novel Race.—" Tho Noah's Ark Race " is the latest in India. At the Madras Fair the competitors buffaloes, elephints, a go.it, a ram, emit, elk, and other animals, besides horses ami ponies. The elephant went at ft quick walk. The ram and go it, ridden by l.'tile boys, ran well, and the buffaloes went at a goo.l ga'lop ; but the emu woa'd not stiv, neither would the elk until the end of the race, when it took fright and chrted down the course at great speed, Fin-illy a ram was the winner, a iiorue coming - in second, and a buffalo third.

Public Meeting at Peel Forest.—A public meeting was held in the Road Board office, at Peel Forest, on the 17th inst., to consider the advisability of forming a Rabbit District. A considerable number of ratepayers of both Mount Peel and Geraldine Districts were in attendance. The Hon. J. B. A. Acland v/as voted to the chair, and read the advertisement calling the meeting, briefly stating the object for which it was called. After considerable discussion for an.l against a district being constituted under the Rabbit Nuisance Act, it was proposed by Mr Tripp, and seconded by Mr R. Mackay (pro forma)—"That this meeting is of opinion that it is expedient to bring the Rabbits Act into force in this dis.'rict." The resolution on being put to the meeting was declared lost. Proposed by Mr G, J. Dennistoun, seconded by Mr A. Macdonald, and carried—" That tho Morn-it Peel Road Board be requested to publish] from time to time the 85th section <>£ the Rabbit Nuisance Act 1830 in the newspapers." Mr Dennistonn, in nioving the resolution, said few persons were aware of the penalty they incurred by turning out rabbits. The following is a copy of the section referred to: — c, 35. If any person shall knowingly and wilfully liberate in any part of the <'o'ony any rabbit, the person so offending shall be liable to be committed to gaol, with or without hard labor, for any term not exceeding sis. months, or to forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds." The meeting then terminated.

Wesleyan Church,—The list of services in connection with the Wesleyan Church in the district appears in o«r advertisit g columns. •

Paraffin.—Mr W. Clarke, the imnaging director of the Southern Cross .Petroleum Company has reported iurther finds of • uraffin. CANTEr.sjRY Twink.—lt is stated that £3OO worth of Canterbury made twine is annually used in the Government Printing Dep t vtment in Wellington. S a J./.ids VoGEL—The rumor is gaining currency that S'rJuli'js Vogel actur.lly iu-'encls returning to %"ew Zealand in order to re-eater the pol'tioal arena.

Wa-srloo Ooubsino Meeting. ~ For the Clip there were but two candidates yesterday, viz., Mr A. Thomson's Don Carlos, p.nd Mr McLrtn's Briton cjtill. Masosic—Yesterday being the Festival of St. John, the brethren met at Winchester la3t evening and celebrated the same by a banquet, in the Masonic Hall. Local Governments—The day after Major Atkinson has delivered his Financial Sutement, will explain t<» Parliament the views of government on local government.

Wesleyan Entertainment.—We have been informed that on Monday next an entertainment will be given by the members of the Wesleyan Church and friends in aid of the funds of the e'reuit.

Auction Sale. —Owing to the unfavorable state of the weather on Friday last, the sale advertised to take place on the farm of Mr W. A, Allen, Waitohi downs, by Mr K. F. Gray was postponed till Monday next.

A Profitable Investment.—A member o'ihe Ijondon Stock Exchange, writing to the Times on March 21st stai.es : In 1875 the British'Government purchased of the late K'-edive of Egypt 176,002 Suez Canal shares at £2O. At the pre. sent time (he price of these shaves is about £7B, shewing .the handsome profit o" £19,252,916.

For the Ladies.- The Auckland Observer s; ys that an amusing story has been told them apropos of the avticle "An Auc'daniler's Love Letters," which appeared in last issue. It is averred that not long ajo a genOeman who shall 1* nameless really did procure a book of the nature of the "Lovers Correspondent," and forwarded hi" inamorata a letter copied therefrom. Unfortunately for the swain his beloved possessed t,he :;ame volume, and immediately recognising the p'agiarism,implied as follows: "Deadest Tom,—For my answer Fee page 60 of ' The Lovers' Letter Writer ;' it is the epistle next to yours.—Yours, etc., Angelina." When the lover turned up the letter he found it was an awfully " rough " rejection. A Legal Poser.—The bothering prolixity of legal documents was amusingly illustrated in a case before the Supreme Court (says a Southland contemporary). One of the bills of indictments presented contained no fewer than four counts, or three alternative charges arising on.r of the main one—that cf forging and uttering a cheque. The accused,, aa intelligent Jooking fellow, listened attentively a look of surprise overspread his fate, and on beiDg called on to plead, he repl:ed, " VVhy, I. forged only one cheque." The learned Jndge explained to him that he was not charged with .' nythiog more, and so the prisoner pled guilty, though he seemed only hal" s/iisfied with the position, evi lentiy not understanding how four charges could arise ont of one offence.

St. Joseph's Church Bells.—The three bells ordered from the Menee'ay Foundry, New York, for the Roman Catholic Church, Temuka, have safely arrived, and »re now in the porch of the Chnrch awaiting the neeessary erection of the staging prior to being placed in the belfry. The large bell weighs 11 cwt., and bears the following inscription:—"A.D 1881, Pontificate of Leo XIII, Right Reverend Francis Redwood, Bishop, Rev. L. Fauvel, Pastor. I praise God, rejoice, believing, and relieve the dead." The second bell wighs 5J cwt. and the third cwt. They both bear the same inscription as the first The wheel for the large bell measures 6ft in "diameter, and those for the smaller ones sft. No time will be lost in placing them in their proper positions, and we learn that the 'first instalment of stained glass windows for the Church may now be shortly expected.

Railway Construction by Private Companies,—The Wellington correspondent of the Press telegraphs :—I understand that the Government Bill for facilitating the construction of railways by private companies will probably" provide for grants of land to the extent of one fourth of the cost of construction, the lines to be approved aade-iraWe in the public interest, and if possible under the plan set forth by the promoters.. The land so granted is to. be for bona fide settlement by a population to be given. Provision is to be made that the public convenience shall be properly served by the railways thus aided, and for the lines to be acquired by the colony on equitable teitns, if desirable. Ido not say ihat this is finally decided on, but I have reason to believe chat this is the general outline of the scheme in its present shape, and I j hear it is likely to meet with hearty support," ]