LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1112, 31 May 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

♦ ■ ' Pedesteianism. A Sydney telegram states that Edwards is anxious for another match with O’Leary, and has made a deposit. Meeting at Geraldine.— Mr Wm, Poeticthwaite, M.H.R., will address his con slituonts in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Geraldine, to morrow evening at 7 o’clock. The Massey Frauds. —The City Council of Dunedin has agreed to pay the parties in Melbourne the amount >f the duplicate bonds they purchased from Massey. Couldn’t Do It —The Dunedin School Committees now find they have no power whatever to compel the attendance at a public fchool of the children now playing in the Pinafore Company, FoeGkrt.— George Hart, a young man respectably connected, has been arrested in Auckland on a charge of uttering a forged cheque on Colonel Thomas, H, Duller has been arrested for a similar offence. Female Doctor. —Miss Annie Potts, M.D. of the Female Medical College, Pennsylvania, who arrived by mail steamer, intends delivering a course of medical lectures at the Opera House, Auckland. Arson.— At the Magistrate’s Court, Christchureh, last Tuesday, Charles Fleming was charged with having set fire to the premises of his father, Thomas Fleming, on May 241 h. Prisoner was remanded till Friday. Geraldine Road Board Election.— Nominations of candidates to servo on the Geraldine Road Board must bo made with the Returning Officer, Mr C. 1. Sberratt not later than noon to morrow. The election i 8 dated for the 6th June.

Newspapers.— Ten thousand six hundred and ninety-fire tons of newspapers and periodicals were sent during last year through the New York Post Office to news-agencies and regular subscribers. There is an average of thirty-five tons of newspapers and periodicals mailed every day at the New York Post Office

Ratepayers’ Meeting.—The annual meeting of ratepayers of the Temuka district will be held in the Road Board office, at noon to morrow, for the purpose of receiving the report and accounts of the present Board, who retire in conformity with Clause 31 of the Road Boards Act 1882. Nominations, of candidates to serve on the new Board must be mado before noon to-morrow. The election will take place on the 7th June. Sad Aocidbnt.—At Nelson on Monday afternoon a fatal accident occurred at the timber yards of Mr Bartlct, in Hardy street. A lad named David Burns, who was in charge of a horse and dray, removed the blinkers from the horse and was about to feed it, when it started. Burns held on to its neck fora few yards, when he fell, and the wheel of the dray passed over his chest. He was removed to the workshop and spoke once or twice, saying ‘ What will my poor mother say ?’ He died directly after the arrival of the doctor, and about ten minutes after the accident. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. Narrow Escape.—A thunderstorm passed over Auckland last Monday afternoon. The lightning struck the coachbuilding establishment of Yennoll and Co., Newton, but three men working at the forge escaped uninjured, though somewhat unnerved by the shock. The Ponsonby public school, in which were 500 children, was also struck at the same time. The woodwork of the turret was displaced and some fell down, and the zinc sheeting was torn. off. When the flash of lightning came, followed instantaneously by a deafening peal of thunder, the children were in a great state of commotion, numbers running out of the school. The Governor an Irishman.—A new fact has come to light respecting His Excelthe Governor. At Gisborne, replying to the toast of his health, he observed that his name had been pronounced by the Major as if he were a Frenchman. He said he would tell them a secret. He was not a Frenchman, or even an Englishman, but an Irishman. We have all along suspected him of having kissed the blarney s'one. Almost all our Governors, and certainly the best and most popular Governors we have had in this colony have been Irishmen. In fact, the majority of the Governors of British colonies, and certainly the most successful ones have been Irishmen —yet it is asserted Irishmen cannot govern themselves. His Excellency has been received with great enthusiasm in the North Island. At Gisborne a luncheon was given in his honor, and after great rejoicings he was entertained at dinner at Napier.

Bribebt— Avery ugly bribery case baa just been exposed in Yicloiii. The affair arose out of the appointment of a Secretary to the Shire Council of a place rejoicing in the name of Yarrawonga, end the receiver of the bribe was the President of the Council, a person possessing the peculiar name of Sioss. The particulars of the affair were disclosed in the following letter from one Salas to the successful candidate :—“ Dear West, —Allow me to congratulate you op your success. T*m and I worked Slosi properly, and ho went straight. As soon as be promised to go for you, I g'vehim £2 to clinch the bargain We of course, had <o promise him his expenses, because he never intended to go to the meeting. I got a letter from him yesterday, ashing for the balance, and after consulting Tom, I sent him a cheque for £3, making in all £5. You ran forward this amount to me any lime you are troubled with surplus cash.” This fell into the hands of a third party, who let daylight in upon the transaction, which came before tbe Council. Sloss then made a very lame explanation, and the Council at once called upon the President end Secretary to resign,!rtt the same time di ciding to send the letter to the law officers of the Crown. The waiter hns n't been disposed of, for Bios* declines to resign the Pre idency of the Counri', and West, the Peer, tary, although suspended, not only ret'ioes to resign, but has swor" an information »g ! i>n?t the Acting Secretary for opening and retaining letters addressee to him by Salas.

Expensive Agricultural Land,— Potato land at Warrnambool has realised as high as £76 an acre.

Priestly Again in Print— Priestly; who was tried for murder, writes to the Auckland Herald denying the statement made in the Northern Wairoa Gazette that he stated he believed Mrs Hamilton knew all about Hamilton’s death.

The Dunedin Qacl.— lt has been decided to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into the past management of the Dunedin Gaol, and the following gentlemen will be proposed by the Government to form the Commission:—Messrs Oswald Curtis, Nelson, and Caleb Whitefoord, R.M., of Kaiapoi. It is understood that the enquiry will be a most searching one.

Sly Grog.— A. glaring case case of sly grog selling has been brought to light through the activity of Sergeant Rist. The offender is a Maori, described as a Wesleyon local preacher, living at Kennedy Bay, Auckland. He has bean in the habit of selling spirit, to Maoris and bushtnen. The Magistrate considered the offence thoroughly proved, and lined the prisoner £2O, and costs £B.

The Late Mb Mooehousb.— At a meeting of the promoters of the Moorbouse memorial, held last Tuesday in Christchurch, it was stated that £725 had been promised. It was decided to request Messrs Miles Bros., of London, to confer with a Committee consisting of Sir Julius Vogel, Sir Edward Stafford, and Mr Walter Kennaway, to ascertain to what artist the erection of the statue had better be entrusted, and the probable cost of the work. It is not intended to expend more than £IOOO. Rabbit Extermination.— AtJDunedin, on Monday Mr Forsyth, patentee of a rabbit exterminator, sued Albert Dornwell for money due for haying cleared of rabbits a farm of 550 acres. Evidence was given by several witnesses that no rabbits suryived ihe poisonous fumes administered in the burrows by plaintiff, and although rabbits were to be seen a few days after the land was said to be completely cleared, they must have come in from neighbouring farms. The Magistrate was of opinion that Forsyth bad carried out his contract to clear the land, and gave judgment accordingly.

The Oamaeu Woolen Factory.—The North Otago Times supplies the following information with reference to the Oamaru Woolen Factory ' The Factory buildings have arrived at an advanced state of progress, and some six or eight weeks should see them complete. A considerable portion of the roofing has been completed, and a good deal of Ihe flooring laid down- The main shafting for the machinery are being fixed in potition and several parts of the machinery are set up. There now remains to be built the engine house and chimney, and by the time they are completed probably the whole of the machinery wjll bo in position.’ Terrible. —The Waipawa correspondent of the Hawkes Bay Herald relates an amusing incident which occurred in that district. A member of the Church choir bought a handsome musical album on Lis way to the weekly practice and took it to church with him, placing it on the harmonium. On leaving he forgot to take it with. him, and it was left till Sunday. During the service the organist espied the book and casually took it down to see what it was. He opened it> when to bis horror it immediately commenced to give forth the well-known tune, < Yankee Doodle.’ In despair, he placed it on his chair and sat upon it, but all to no purpose ; the sound was smothered a little, but still ‘ Yankee Doodle ’ was repeated again and again until the spring had run down. The effect upon the congregation may be imagined. After the service, explanations followed, but the church officers could not be calmed down.

Queen Victoria as a Goddess.—The Athenceum mentions casually a striking incident which is stated to have recently occurred in Orissa; and which would have broken Lord Beaconsfield’s heart. Sergeant Atkinson, persumably an inspector of roadSj or, it may be, police officer, reports to the Indian Spectator, a Native paper published in English, that a tribe in Orissa has adopted Queen Victoria as its deity. We have no details either as to worship or creed, though they will, no doubt, be speedily obtained]; but the story is prima facie probable. A sergeant would never have invented such an incident, so entirely outside his experiences, and such an elevation fir the Queen is in entire accordance with all that is known of the operation of religious feeling among the lower castes and wilder tribes of the Indian Provinces. The Education Question.—The following is the substance of a petition to Parliament which is about to be circulated in Wellington for signature by Roman Catholic resident in the district :—“ That your petitioners are conscientiously opposed to the system of public education established in this colony. That they hare in consequence established Roman Cotholic schools, and maintain them at their sole expense. That under these circumstances they find themselves aggrieved at being compelled to maintain a system of education from which they derive no advantage. which puts them at great disadvantage, and which is practically the cause of their being subjected to double taxation. That they are persuaded one of two things should be done (if they are to bo treated according to equity and justice), viz., their schools, should be put on an equality with public schools, or they should be exempted from taxation for public school purposes. That they respectfully pray your Honorable House to take into consideration and devise such measures as will secure to the Roman Catholics of New Zealand justice and equitable treatment.” A similar pe'ition is being signed in the Temuka district.

Mr E. Lee, Temuka, notifies that nf’er the Ist June the price of Hie 41b loaf will be 7d.

Messrs Maclean and Stewar 1 , and Eobt. Wilkin and Co , auctioneers of Timarn, announces .that in future the Washdyke sales will commence at half past eleven am.