LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 982, 25 July 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Puelio Meeting.—A public meeting, conyened by Mr John Talbot, Chairman of the Road Board, will be held in the Volunteer Hall next Saturday evening,to discuss political questions now engaging the attention of Parliament.

The Timasu Habbob Bill. —The only alterations in the Timaru Harbor Bill are in clause 3—(1) Three members for Timaru instead of six members; (2) two for the. Levels instead of one; (3) two for Waimate instead' of one as proposed in the original draft.

Eipobtatiok op Btttteb. —It is estimated that fully £20,000 worth of butter has already been exported from New Zealand to Australia this season. A parcel of superior salted, whioh was recently shipped to Melbourne, realised as much as Is 7d per lb wholesale.

The Land League.—Michael Davitt has arrived in New York. He said the objeet of his Tisit was twofold —first, to contradict the rumors of a split in the Land League movement, and, second, to explain the work done in Ireland by the Ladies Land League. His real object is the collection of additional funds for running the enterprise, and to pay the expense of agitation. He denied there was any disagreement between Mr Parnell and himself on the policy to be pursued. A Sad End; —Truth is stranger than fiction. A London paper says :—" If M r Joseph Saunders, a writer of plays, on whom an inquest has just been held, could hire eonceived many situations as dramatic as his own death, he would probably have made a mark in his profession. He was, it seems, found dead.in a miserable room in Stepney which he had occupied for the past fire years. With part of his body lying under the bedstead, in his left hand he held hi 3 pipe, his pen being close to his right hand. The room contained an old table and a bedstead j no mattress, no bedclothing was to be seen. There was no food; sevenpence-halfpenny was all the money in his possession. in unfinished drama on 'Drink' was open on the table. He had died of starvation." The State of Italy.—A letter from Italy to the London Standard affirms that it will »ot be long before a land question will arise in that kingdom quite as important and as pressing as the Irish. It says a peasant strike has already broken out in Lombardy which' threatens to extend all over the country. The people are almost ruined by landlord oppression, and their sufferings are thus described:—lt is heartrending to hear these poor people regret the downfall of their foreign masters (the Austrians). In the localities owned by rich proprietors they lire a life of hardship and misery, only to die o* pellagra or insanity. Poor helots! This pellagra is a kind of disease caused by the use of unwholesome food.and which' so acts upon the brain that those afflicted with it generally die insane. Statistics go to prove that the year before the W*r of Independence there were 17,000 pellagrossi (people suffering from pellagra) in Venetian Lombardy alone ; they number at present more than 60,000.

The North Pole Exhibition. —Engineer Melville found the bodies of De Long's party lon May 23rd. They were in two places on Lenaditta, Siberia, 400 and 1000 yards from the wreck of their boat. Melville stumbled on De Long's hand sticking out of the snow, about 30 feet from the edge of a bank. He was under four fett of snow. Melville also found the body of Dr Ambler. The two bodies were about three feet apart, ihe Chinaman, Ah Sam Ling, lying at their feet. All were partially covered with pieces of blankets. The bodies of all the others, except Alexis, were found where the tent was pitched. Lee and Knox wers close by two boxes of records. None ef the dead had boots on their feet, which were covered with rags tied on. In the pockets of all were pieces of burnt skin and clothing, of which, they had eaten. The hands of all were more or less burned, as if when dying they had crawled into the fire. Boyd lay over the fire ( his clothing being burned through, but his skin was unscorehad. Collins, the Herald's correspondent, face was covered with, cloth. All the bodies were buried in a mausoleum on top of a bill, and ft huge pyramid and cross erected, with the names of the dead inscribed on it. Melville searched for Lieutenant Chipps' party in the »econd cutter,' but found uo trace.

Ohbisty Mihstbels. —Our readers tn reminded that the Christy Minstrel entertainment will take place next Friday evening,

Divobck;—A divorce case is to com* before Judge Williams on the 31st, in which a Mre Campbell is petitioner against her husband, a surveyor. The greunds prior to separation, and adultery since with respondent's housekeeper, who is a widow. Fib«.—A stable belonging to Mrs Frew wa3discoTered to be on fire on Saturday morning by a man named Duncan MoKellar. Information was quickly grren to the police, but as the fire had taken a firm .hold before it was discovered all efforts te sare the stable proved xinavailing, and it was burned to the ground. It was valued at £80; sin<s' was insured in the Standard Insurance office for £6O. ■".-'■■'' ftVr '' {

Tbais Accidskt.—The express train leaving Long Branch, in America, on the morning of the 29th inst., rah off the bridge crossing a branch of the Shrewsbury river, and six cars dropped on their sides in about four feet of water, The cars were full of passengers, and about one hundred were more or lose injured. Arthur Sewell, ex-President Grant Eoberfc Minturn, Geo. Blanchard, J. T. Bayeuond (the comedian), and Wcoffuff are among the injured. James and Geo. W. Bemorst, of Hew York,-were killed. The cause of the disaster was a moring track for the Momcouth race* which was nob properly spiked, and spread when the wheels struck it.

Subgical Operation:—Dr Schwartabach, of Auckland, has just performed successfully a remarkable operation on an artisan from Marlborough, who, -while hammering, got a fragment of metal in the ball of his right eye and lost hit sight. He was recommended by the faculty of Wellington to try Dr Schwartzbaeh, who, ascertaining by means of the ophthalmoscope the exact location, of the foreign particle, made an incision at the side of the eye and introduced a small electro magnet into the organ. On withdrawing tht instrument the splinter was found adhering to it, and the pain almost instantaneously ceased. The patient has recovered 'his sight and is eulogistic on Schwartzback's skill.

AbbestofJ. M. Shephebd.—An Auckland telegram says:—The Water Police, from information received,boarded the mail steamer and arrested on warrant James Martin Shepherd for uttering a forged promissory note for £250 purperting to be signed by Elizabeth Melton and Anthony Christophers, on the 23rd November, at Timaru,' Shepherd went up to San. Franeiscb by steamer, but somehow when the steamer was leaving again, he was on board chatting, and was ittaken to sea. In getting into the police boat from the steamer he fell orerboard, catching hold of Constable McDonnell, who was dragged orerboard also. They were rescuedin* a few minutes.

Detebmined Suicide. One of the strangest suicides ever heard of was recently committed at Laroser, Hungary, by the steward of a certain Baron Horvat. After

killing a man of whom . he was jealous, the steward dug his own grave and> buried himself alive. He managed it in this way: —He made a grave of the right dimensions, put across it a board, placed thereon ft quantity of earth, then lay .down in the hole, and by means of a rope pulledlaway the board, on which the soil fell upon him a"d he was self-killed and self-buried. .',To t t provide for any accidental derangement o£?his plan, and make, as it were, doubly sure/lie took ft dose of arsenic immediately before descending into the tomb. ;, ; Resident Magistbatk's Coubtl—At the above Court yesterday, before S, D. Barker and J. Mendelson, Esqs., J.P.'S, Isaac G-reenaway and W. Bryan*, who ' wer * charged with neglecting to have 5 their children vaccinated, were ordered to.comply with the law within fourteen , days. W. A. Murray, who was similarly charged, wae dism ssed, as it appeared that he had complied with the law, but that 1 the : vaccinator had neglected to send in the piper!?! Siegert and Fauvel v. P. Golden—Claim £lO ?• 10*d. Judgment by default for the amount claimed and costs. The cases of T. loden T. W. A. Murray, and T. Fodenv. McLeod,'were adjourned for a fortnight, The Court then adjourned. ....,, New Roman Catholic Ckdhicb.—St Benedict's Church at Newton, near Aueklftnd erected by the Order of the Benedictines, was formally opened and con-ecrated last Sunday for worship. The chureh was crowded, 2000 being present. Bishop Redwood, of Wellington, preached,.,and in the course of his sermon made a fierce onslaught on the secular education system. He said twenty years hence the little Pagane who where the outcome of it would be our rulere, I Premiers, Cabinet Ministers, and legislators, without hope and without God in the world, blstting out every semblance of religion. He learned with sorrow that of 1550 Catholic children in Auckland only 400 attended theCatholic school. He hopsd when.they got their new Bishop they would join the Chrietian army and co-operate with the good Benedictine Fathers in getting schools established where Catholic parents.could Have the morals and faith of their children protected. The Sticking-ttp op the Mkbeindei Mail.—With respect to the, three time* reported sticking-up of the Merrindee mail, near Mudgee, an odd explanation is given. The mailboy was never stuck up at all. There was no bushranger, and no robbery, and the mailbags have been found untouched. The mailboy, who is said to be only ten years of age, had, it is -stated, an objection to getting up early in the cold winter mornings to carry the mails over the mountains, and he invented the story to relieve himself from an ungrateful occupation, and to enable himself to enjoy, another hour or two in bed. The moral seems to be (adds the Australasian) that it is not wise to select boys of ten years of age for carrying ' Her Majesty's mail through the mountain!, unless it has been ascertained that they have no capacity for inventing bushranging itoriei, and have no objection to iwlj riling." >

A Zkamtts Candidate—' If 7011 send me to the Commons House of Parliament,' said a Scotch candidate, 'l'll vote for universal suffrage, rote by ballot, annual Parliaments, electoral ' A voice: 'What do you think of the Decalogue ?' Candidate :' Of ■wha':, sir?' Voice:'The Decalogue.' Candidate (aside to his right-hand friend: 'What does he mean ?' Friend (whispering) : ' The Deceased Wife's Sister's Bill.' Candidate (re-assured) : ' I consider the Decalogue, sir, a highly immoral measure, and if I am returned I will pledge myself to oppose it on every possible occasion.' Fact.

1 Tbmtjxa axd Geraldine A. and P Association. —A Committee meeting was held last Friday night. Members present — Messrs Barker (President), Quinn (VicePresident), Talbot, Gray, Mendelson and Wills. Mr Quinn, as one of the members of the sub-Committee to arrange with Mr Cliff in reference to the rent due for the ground, reported that he and the Secretaay had interviewed Mr Cliff and arranged to take £l3 as> fair settlement of the matter, and that the amount was paid. Resolved —" That the action of the sub-Committee in re Mr Cliff be, ane 1?, hereby confirmed ; and that a receipt be given to Mr Cliff for the amount." After passing certain accounts the meeting resolved itself into an annual meeting. The same members were present. After a general conversation it was deeided, in consequence of the paucity of members present to adjourn to Friday, the 4th August, at 7.30 p.m., and that in the meantime the Secretary use every endeavor to get in all outstanding subscriptions. The meeting then terminated.

The Temuka Bead Board inrite tenders for shingling a portion of the Epworth Eoad.

Messrs K. Wilkin and Co., Timaru, will sell by auction next Saturday, abont 2 ton 4barbed wire, damaged. Messrs Maclean and Stewart will sell by auction next Friday, at Pleasant Point, fat and store cattle and sheep, horses, pigs, etc. On Saturday, sth August, they will offer the Temuka Hotel.