LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 905, 17 January 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

St. Saviode’s Chtjech. —We remind our readers that the annual social gathering in connection with the above church, wll be held next Wednesday evening. Every preparation is being made to render it successful, and we feel sure, that its promoters will not be disappointed in their anticipations. Accident; —An accident happened' to a man named John Woodly yesterday. He was in the employment of Mr Reece Thomas, and while clearing the grit out of a machine got his hand caught. -His hand was cut across the back and bis fingures much bruised,' but no serious injury further than being laid up for a few days is apprehended. Dr Hayes attended and dressed the wound. The Moealitv. of the Dunedin Conbtabdlaet. —Some time ago some fowls were stolen from a certain yard in Dunedin, and a constable named John. Dupree was sent to watch the thief., The fowl were -were missed next morning and traced to Dupree’s house. Now we find that an information for perjury has been laid against Constable O’Shea,, the principle witness against ex-Constable Dupree, convicted of fowl stealing. Verily Dunedin constables are highly trustworthy guardians of the lives and properties of the public. The Resident Magisteate. —Mr Joseph Beswick has been appointed Resident Magistrate for the Timaru district, in the place of Mr Beetham who has been transferad to Christchurch. On last Friday evening Mr Beetham was entertained at a dinner in Timaru, by the magistrates, the legal profes' sion, and othar gentlemen. Seldom has. a public officer met with a.? recognition of his services, which was so well deserved, as that of Mr Beatham’s. During the time he has been in the district, he gained the good will of everybody, and his leaving is a loss as people were sure of being always justly dealt with by Mr Beetbam;

Kibes. —The frequency with which fires are occurring lately is remarkable. In Dunedin, last Saturday, a six-roomed two-storey house owned and occupied by Mrs Scott, was burnt down. The adjoining house of Mr Woods, builder, was partially burnt. Mrs Scott was insured for £SS0 v in the National and Woods for £650 in the Victoria. The same day a big fire occurred at Winton, near Invercargill, when Kilpatrick’s auction room, and McLeod’s boot shop were destroyed. The flames were first observed rising from the centre of the auction room, in which it is said no lire had been: lighted for three weeks. White’s Hotel was saved with difficulty, and the pi-ogress of the fire was only stayed by a brick building. Kilpatrick’s stock was insured for £l7O in the Standard, and ; the building (which belonged to Mr Robertson, Invercargill), for - £350 in the 1 North British. McLeod’s shop was insured ( for £3OO in the Norwich Union.

Press vterian. —The Presbyterian Synod

have accepted the application of the Rev. Mr Maxwell, Congregations list, to join the church. The dividend to ministers for the year, from the Sustenation Fund is £213 13s lid.

Land Sales.—At the sitting of the Waste Lands Board on Thursday, land to the value of £38715s was sold as follows :—Ashley, 60 1 3r 20p ; Akaroa, 127 a ; Ashburton. 7a ; total, 193 a3r 20p. Refund on previous purchases was made to the value of £l3 14s 9d, as follows —Ashley, la Or 18p ; Geraldine, 5a 3r 8p ; total, 6a 3r 19p. Land was sold on deferred payment in the village settlement of Fairlie Creek, la, insta'ment paid, £1 Is 6d. Good Temblaht.—The Grand Lodge of Good Templars held a sitting on Saturday afternoon-, when, among other matters which came under consideration, was the question of founding a Temperance Scholarship in connexion with the New Zealand University. It was resolved to recommend the subject to the consideration of the various temperance organizations in the colony with a view of raising the necessary funds.

Pleasant Point. —An accident occurred last week at Pleasant Point,, to one of Mr Bradshaw’s children. The child: evidently, was playing near a, horse which kicked, it, inflicting a deep;wound underneath the eye. Dr Hayes-attended and sewed up the wound, which, extended from the eyelid to about an inch down the cheek, and so far as we can ascertain, the patient is progressing favorably, and ho danger of the eye being, permanently injured is apprehended.. The horse was a heavy draught one newly shod, and the wonder is that the child was not instantly killed. This ought to, prove a warning to mothers to take care not to allow their chilren to roam about a. yard in which there are horses.,

Mercantile Independence. — We are glad to, find that there is one merchant in Dunedin ■who is in a position to throw money away-, Decently a certain man in this town wrote to Dunedin telling a certain firm, of his financial circumstances, and 1 asking to be supplied with goods to the value of £l3. The firm replied' that they must have the cash before they supplied the goods. Now our local man did not owe a farthing to them or to anybody else, and as he had property forty times the value of the amount of his order, he thought it very, hard that he would not be trusted with. £l3 worth. He. was.-, never bankrupt, and there was nothing, known to his disadvantage. He next enclosed a marked cheque to the Dunedin firm- telling them ..to forward the goods, and intimating also that as they had treated him so illiberally he would cease to do ,business with them as soon as he could get goods elsewhere at the price at which they offered them. To his. s great astonishment his cheque was returned, with a memo telling him that in the face of. his. remarks they could not do business with him. This is mercantile highmindness with a vengeance- The.man that rules the roost there must be a sweet tempered individual, to throw away money which he had in his grasp. Thanks to our stars that we are removed by such a distance from him, or we would not consider ourselves safe while he was allowed at large.. The Dog Case;- — A case. •of r a novel character came before the Court yesterday. William Bryant was charged with having a dog stolen from Dr Maclntyre in his.pos. session, and was acquitted on it having been been proved that he had bought, the dog about a fortnight ago for £1 10s- from a farmer named John Woodhead. Anyone charged with theft, when he is proved to be innocent, whatever property he is charged with havmg. stolen, of course .becomes his, ..but in this case Dr Macintyre proved .that he was the real owner of the dog, and -. the question then arose as to who should get it > It was Dr Maclntyre’s by right of ownership, and it was Mr Bryant’s by right of purchase, but who had the legal right to claim it from the Court was the question to solve. Their Worships, we believe, left the dog in the hands of the police without making any order as to who should get it; and who to give it to now is the all-absorbing question that is puzzling the guardians of the peace. In our opinion. Mr Bryant can claim-the dog, and keep it, and Dr Macintyre must take a civil action aga inst him before he can recover possession of it. The question then arises as to whether under.the Dog Registration Act a man who picks up an unregistered dog can be said to. have, stolen it,-. On. the other hand the prosecution failed to prove the dog had been stolen at all—it only proved that Dr MacinVyre missed it. There is every probability that we shall hear more of this dog-