The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 707, 8 December 1881, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1881. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■» . Theatrical. Chrisicliurcli is going in for a new public hall and theatre. A tender has been iicceptcd for the work, amounting lo £BOOO. Licensing Coukt. —The quarterly sitting of the L'c<iiMng Commissioners appointed to have been held on Tuesday List, has been adjourned till Monday next, at 0001). Royal Betrothal. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany has been betrothed to P.mcess Helen, fnurih daughter of Prince Widdei-k of Piermont. The Princess is 20 years of age. Official Declaration of t&e Poll. —Tlie Returning Officer announces tint, the official declaration of the poll for Hie Gerahline election will he made on Saturday next at half-past four o'clock p.m. Small Pox in Sydney.—The Legislative Assembly of New South Wales have before them at the present time a Bill introduced by Government for preventing the spread of small pox in that colony. Another French. Protectorate.—lt is rumored that the French intend to exercise a Protectorate over Australind, a dispersed group south of the Society Islands, and over Cook's Islands in the South PiioihV, Projected Suspension of the Jury Law. —ln consequence of Irish juries persistently refusing to convict well-estab-lished cases of outrage, the British Government, it is expected, will shortly suspend the. operation of the jury lwv in Ireland. Another Nihilist Plot.—A Nihilist plot to destroy the Russian Emperor's palace at Gatchins. has been discovered' The plan, proposed was to load a balloon with dynamite and cause it to descend on the palace. Several arrests, have been made. The Geraldine Election, —The polling in connection with the Geraldine election, will take place to-morrow, commencing at 9-o'clock in the morning and closing at 6 p.m. in the evening. We have made arrangements so that the result will, unofficially, appear in our Saturday's issue. TBiE; Earthquake. The earthquake experienced throughout New Zealand on Monday morning last,, was pietty severely felt in Christ church. The onamental stone moulding at the foot of the cross on the summit of the spire of th e Cathedral,, was, displaced and it will be a very difficult matter to repair the damage. Some of the bells were set. ringing for a few strikes. Native Affairs. detachment of the Armed Constabulary, about 50 in number, will be forwarded from Wellington to Opunake to-morrow, and they will probably be employed in forming the-new military roads through the Parihaka block, and other lineß of strategic communication, the construction of which has be-n, resolved on by Government. The natives at Alexandra have feasted the Waikatos expelled fisotn, Parihaka and sent back to Waikato. New Zealand. Flora.—We (Clutha Leader) have been shown a plant growing in Mr Thomas Mackenzie's garden in Bal. clutha, which is almost unknown in these lower and milder parts. It is known as the white mountain lily of New Zealand, its habitat being 500 feet up to 7000. The specimen-.in question was brought by Mr Mackenzie, on his return from Martin's Bay, nndfoundi yi tho alpine region of Lake Wiison, an altitude of about 50C0 feet. The plant is. how in. flower, looking exceedingly healthy, no doubt assisted by ' our present exceptionally cold spring.

Good Templaus' Picnic—Oh Mondny evening next a summoned meetiug of the members of the Pood Hope Lodge, I O.G T., No. 43, will l>e held at 8 p m., for the purpose of making final nrratigenmits for the picnic to come off in the Knkalm Bush on Anniversary Day. A Big Excursion.—L.-ist year, wh.-n the Bironess Btirde-tt-Coutts arranged for a cheap excursion for tins poor in the East End of London, aonue 8000 availed themselves of the opportunity of getting a d.iy at the seaside. This year, however, a few dr.ys after the Baroness had made known her intention to repeat the experiment, so many applications for tickets were made tha.t it \yas deemed expedient to, make two excursions, the first of which started on Monday morning from the Elowcr Mission, Qlerkenwcll. Close, for S'.Miihend, and numbered upwards of 10,000, a great proportion being children.

Road Koabd Elections.— Very short'y we shall he in the midst of another election, and although it will not be of so important a character as the one to come off to-mo'row, yet, on account of its being local, will cause no little interest in onr midst. We allude to the riniinul election of two members to serve online Temuka Road Board, which will take place toward th<" close of the- present month. Messrs Talb t and Barker retire by rotation, and Mr Empson having resigned hia seat —thus causing an extraordinary vacancy as it is termed -three new memb'is will bo required. The two.former are eligible for reflection, and it is rumored that already tome fourteen ratepayers are ready to come forward at the proper time as candidates,.so that the ratepayers themselves will be enabled to have a good pick. A Doubtful Story,—The silly season in Paris has commenced rather earlier than usual, for the papers are full of a story about a lady who was driving a phaeton and pair of horses up Champs Elysees. when a larg'i masiiff, which was being led by a servant up one of the sidewalks pulled himself away and sprang up in>o the carriages. Under the circumstances the lady was so startled that she let the reins fall, and the horses ran away, and upset the carriage. The lady had her arm broken, and the coachman was seriou ly injured, while the dog, w.hjch had been the cause of the accident, was killed < n the spot. Curiously enough, when .the lady came to her senses, she found tha ! the dog was one which hac" been stolen from her a twelvemonth before, and which had recognised her as she was driving along the Champs Elysees.—Live SScck Journal.

A Pleasing Innovation. —At a festive gathering given by John W. Macnay in Paris, it is stated that, in place of a band a chorus of voices was used to ' sing' the waltzes. The effect was said to he unique and charming. The dulcet tones of the singers blended harmoniously with the footfalls of the ' dancers darning in time.' No doubt this innovation will be introduced winter at some of our f rivate euteitainments. It would be a good, thing if it helped to increase the interest in our vocal,culture. Our girls have clear, fresh voices, and. some encouragement should be given to choral singing, a branch of musical art in which the Americans are far behind th<s French and Germans. Should a sufficient number of young people Ifearn how to sing together, they might accompany themselves dancing, and thus the blended grace of movement and melody which distinguishes the religious and festive celebrations of all young nations would be reproduced.