LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1115, 7 June 1883, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mus Hajipson. Mis Hampson, the female evangelist, is conducting a mission in Melbourne ut the present time. Sale of Trees.— Messrs R. Wilkin and Co. announce that they will hold an extensive sale of trees, shrubs, etc, etc, at their rooms, Timaru, to-morrow. Sunday Houses.-—Out of twenty one public houses in Dunedin South the police reported that only one, the Provincial Hotel, was kept closed on Sundays. The Suez Canal. —The executive of the Suez Company are raising £20,000 to defray the cost of the preliminary expenses in connection with the construction of a second Suez Canal. Petty Theft. —Mr Thus. Park, of Milford, offers a reward of £2 for such information as will lead to the conviction of the person or persons who removed portions of a plough belonging to him.

Mount Peel Road District. The annual meet ing of the ratepayers of this district takes place next Thursday, the 14th. Th® election of five members will be held on the 21st, and nominations of candidates must be made on Thursday the 14th. Pugilistic.—A glove encounter between Miller, of Victoria, and Foley, of Sydney, came off in the Academy of Music on Monday afternoon, 28th May, in the presence of many prominent citizens and keen sportsmen. The men fought for two hours, and at the end of that time Foley’s partisans, seeing their man would bo worsted, rushed the ring, and a free fight ensued, necessitating the interference of the police. Miller will not meet him again.

An Independent School Committee. — The Westland Education Hoard have re. solved to take proceedings against the members of the Hokitika School Committee for assaulting Inspector Smith, whilst acting on instructions from the Board, by forcibly ejecting him from the school. As Mr Smith held the keys of the school, the Committee removed the old locks and replaced them with new ones, and then closel the school. The dispute between the Committee and the Board arises out of a question of allowance for caretaking, fuel, etc. Dunedin Liquor.—Professor Black reports as follows on the samples of spirits and beer supplied to him from the Dunedin hotels by the police for analysis : —All the samples of whiskey and brandy, with one exceptionj have been reduced after distillation, some to a very large extent. All brandies are ' adulterated with sugar and colored by vegetable coloring matter; indeed, the brandies are probably not brandies at all They are chiefly cheap w'hiskeys sugared and rendered astringent by the addition of tamini and other foreign vegetable substances.

Brownell's Beauty. A new potato, known as “ Brownell’s Beauty,” is likely to become a favourite in New Zealand. It is an American importation, and has already been grown in small quantities in the neighborhood of Wanganui with considerable success. It is said to be an enormous cropper, and is early, medium and late, according to the time of planting. It lias a thin skin, a few shallow eyes, firm and snowy white flesh, and produces very little top. From two pounds one grower has received 345 potatoes, 320 of which were fit for the table and the rest for iced.

Suicide.—A woman, who is not yet identified was found dead on the Boulder Bank, near Wakapnka Bluff, Nelson, on Saturday afternoon. She had been staying at a suburban North hotel for ten days, and on Friday she went for a walk. The following day she was found below high-water mark with a bruise on the top of her head and her face was bruised, there being blood on the boulders beneath her face. Her jacket and hat, were found beneath a tree 300 yards distant, and the pockets of her dress inside out. Her purse, however, was found at the hotel. It is thought to be a case of suicide.

Dishonest Farmers.—Much excitement was caused at Carterton, Wellington, on Mondav. tl.iwnol. fl- 1311 Joseph Strawbridge, farmers at Waitahaki, on suspicion of being connected with the recent robberies of drapery and boots. It was found that some of the articles in their possession had been identified. There is property in their hands believed to have been stolen, the ownership of which has not been ascertained. Some of it has been identified as having been stolen. The prisoners were remanded till Wednesday, Bail was allowed to the amount of £6OO. A Lively Borough Council.—There hare been a, series of rowdy meeting of the South Dunedin Borough Council abeut gas contracts. On Monday when the Mayor wished to strike out the minutes of a special meeting which had been held, there was almost a free fight for the possession of the book. The table was upset. The ratepayers present then interfered, and the things for a time were lively. Two constables, however, were in waiting, and quelled the disturbance. After the row a majority of the Councillors and ratepayers held an indignation meeting, when a resolution calling on the Mayor and the whole Council to resign was cut' resolution was proposed that in the f of the Mayor taking the chair at any future Council meeting, the ratepayers should take steps to prevent him, and in the temper of the meeting it would have been carried, but Councillors urged them not to resort to force There is great excitement m the Borough, The Bible in Schools.—At a meeting of of the Timaru School Committee on Monday evening last letters were read from Yen Archdeacon Harper, applying to give religious instructions either before or after school hours to the Church of England children ; and from the Revs Win. Gillies, W. H Beck, J. Sharp, and 3-. W. Sharp, applying to give Bible instructions in schools, and objecting to denominationalism. The Committee, which was elected on the Bible in schools ticket, passed the following resolutions: —"That in answer to Archdeacon Harper’s request to give religious instruction in the public school to Church of England children, he be informed (hat the Committee are entirely opposed to the introduction of denominational education, and therefore must decline his request.”—“ That in answer to the letter from the Rev Wm. Gillies and the other ministers requesting permission to give religious instructions in public schools, they be informed that the Committee is of opinion that the energies of the pupils are sufficiently taxed by the school syllabus, and any additional work would be most unfair to b ith pupils and teachers; and the Committee are further of opinion that religious and secular education should be kept quite distinct, and therefore, respectfully decline their request.” About two months ago the same Commit ee granted the Archdeacon’s application but because he did not take immediate advantage of the concession, rescinded the resolution. How their views must have changed i* evidenced by their latest rosolu lions. ’ „ ,

Cutting Up The Land.— The Auckland Agricultural Company are cutting up their Horahora, Tekau, Okoroiro, and other blocks (some 40,000 acres) into suitably sized section for intending settlers. Mr Thomas Eussell has undertaken to float them in the market at Hme on his return,

Sib Geob e Obey.— Sir George Grey de

livered an address on libraries, in Auckland last Tuesday evening. The library he had presented to Auckland contained works in 140 languages. Bishop Cowie moved a rote of 'thanks, which was carried by acclama-

Ebeatum.— ln our report of Mr Postlethwaite’s speech at Geraldine a mistake occurred, In speaking of the indebtedness of of the colony, Mr Postlethwaite was reported to have said that the interest amounted to £5,350,000. What Mr Postlethwaite really sa’d was that it amounted to £2,350,000. The mistake was obviously a printer’s error. The Customs.— The Customs duties collected throughout the colony for the last month amounted to £118,630 ss, the beer duty for the same period being £4470 15s Id. For the corresponding month of 1883 the Customs revenue was £136,596 15s 6d ; beer duty, £4981 18s Bd. The decrease in last month as against that collected in May, 1883, was owing to the receipts for the latter period being exceptionally large. The amounts collected at the principal centres last month were:—Auckland, £29,19110s sd;

Wellington, £15,968 2s 4d; Lyttleton and Christchurch, £19,068 7« lOd; Dunedin, £31,45413s 3d.

False Teeth. —“ How long should it take a young lady to have false teeth set ?” says the Auckland Evening Star, was one ef the subjects discussed at length at the meeting of the City Schools Committee last evening. A certain school teacher, it appeared, had to undergo a dental operation of this nature, and had been allowed a month’s leave from school duties in consequence. The month proved insufficient, and another four weeks were applied for. One member considered ten or fourteen days was quite ample to have a new set fixed, but another knew of a case where it took three months, and then they were not perfect. All circumstances considered, the committee decided to grant the application

Geraldine Good Templars’ Lodge.— The Welcome Retreat Lodge, No. 44, held an open meeting in the school room an Tuesday evening last at which there waa a large attendance of members and friends, between 60 and 70 persons being present. The chair was taken by Brother W. S, Maslin, •upported by various officers of the lodge. During the evening two new members joined and were duly initiated. The remainder of the evening was very pleasantly passed in appropriate readings interpersed with some excellent songs. Refreshments were handed round during the intervals, and the meeting was brought to a close by singing the National Anthem. These monthly re-unions of members and friends are gaining in popularity, and are looked forward to by the many friends of the temperance cause with pleasure and arc doubtless., a source of strength t o the lodge.

Milford School.— The usual monthly meeting of the above School Committee was held on Monday last. Present —Messrs "Waveing (Chairman), Maze, Brown, Park and were Cain, The minutes of the last meeting read and confirmed. A letter containing £4los was received from the Board of Education for incidentals for the second quarter. The report of the Master was read showing the average attendance for the month to be 42,and also referring to the absence of several children. It was proposed by Mr Park, seconded by Mr Maze, and carried—" That parents should be summoned according to the Compulsory Clauses.” Proposed by Mr Cain, seconded by Mr Maze, and carried —“ That no midwinter holidays be granted.’ l Resolved—" That a concert and ball be held to raise funds for the school.” Sundry accounts were passed for payment. The meeting then adjourned.

Q-braldinb Coursing Club.— A meeting was neld last Saturday evening in the Bush Hofei, at which Mr Farrell presided. The following resolutions were carried unanimously That Mr W. U. Slack bo elected President.” “That Messrs Swinton and Wheelband hi elected Vice-Presidents.” *• That the annual subscription be one pouu 1 one shilling.” “Thatthe following gentletueii bo elected stewards of the Club : Messrs Lawson, Farrell, Digby Andrews, Henry Foster and John Cunningham.” The following gentlemen was elected members of the Club t —Messrs T Farrell, D Me El wraith, T Swinton, Henry Foster, R Connolly, F Worner, W Lawson, JBoughton, J Cunningham, E Speechly, and R Houle. Mr Mcllwraith proposed, and Mr D Andrews seconded —“ That the next meeting be held at the Bush Hotel on 6th Juno.” It was also resolved—" That the South Canterbury rules be adopted by the Club."

Political Addbbss.—Mr Montgomery addressed the pe >ple of Christchurch last Tuesday evenmg. He said he was quite right in saying Major Atkinson had been fishing for a policy. In 1877 he a copied Mr Woolcock’s policy re incidence of taxation and a few weeks later declsred nothing of the kind was required. He accepted Mr Balance's motion re the Whitaker Jones libel case, he Accepted triennial Parliaments and manhood suffrage representation according to population—in fact be had been always fishing for a policy. Since last session there was nothing new, and the Government had never conceived or brought forth a policy of its own. He spoke at some length of the West Coast Railway, and said that the Grey Government had placed a sum on the estimates to carry it on. When Mr Rolleston found the Cabinet neglecting Canterbury he ought to resign as Sir M. O’Rorko did. Can erbury was short £1,200,000 of what should have been spent in it He w.s in favor of taxing land in proportion to the benefit it had re calved from works, and deprecated taxing nidustns*. A rota of thanks was carried. ,

The Deceased Wife’s Sisteb Question The following singular extract is published in a London weekly :—“A learned writer on tha subject of marriage with a deceased wife’s sister says that, although he has come to the strong conclusion that it is forbidden by Lcvitical law to marry a deceased wife’s tister, there is, ho must admit, no prohibition against marrying the sister of a wife whilst the wife is alive. This will put a little sparkle in the discussion, and form a new and quite interest* ing point of departure. It is stated on good authority that several prelates of the Church of England have caused intimation to be made

to the clergy in their various dioceses that it would not be an undesirable thing if the Marriage with a Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill were studiously preached against. ' The natural result of this step has of course followed. The friends of the measure are strongly re. commending the Nonconformist ministers of the country to preach in favour of the Bill. What will be the effect of such a pulpit war remains to be seen; but the situation certainly has a comie aspect. It is not often that a legislative proposal has the honour of being both preached up and preached down at the same time.”

Peeseyeeance Eewaeded.— The late Lord Beaconsfield in his last novel “ Endy* mion ” asserted that nothing was impossible to a man if he set himself down to succeed, and worked for his object determinedly. Mr F. Storey, of Temuka, has to some extent veiified the truth of this assertion. Any other man would have given it up as a bad job when he was refused a license for the Wallingford Hotel last year, but Mr Storey determined not to be beaten, and success has crowned his efforts. Ha opened it as a temperance hotel, and very soon those who have to live in boarding houses about ths town found that he kept a table, and pro. vided accommodation unequalled in the town, and they availed themselves of it. The commercial travellers too, were not long in finding out the advantages offered them by stopping at Mr Storey’s house, and with few exceptions they put up there. The result was that very frequently Mr Storey had to turn boarders away from inability to acccom* date them, while others were satisfied with a “shake-down.” All these, as well as the general public, testified to the excellence of the accommodation, and to the manner in which Mr Storey kept the house, and the strong recommendation succeeding in persuading the Committee to grant him a license. We congratulate Mr Storey oh his success, and we have no doubt but that his hotel will increase in popularity as he will be better able to attend to his patrons now that he has got his license. On Saturday next Mr K, F. Gray announces that he will sell a quantity of household effects, pigs, el c. Messrs Maclean and Stewart will attend Winchester Fair to day. They will offer a lot of spayed heifers, etc. Messrs J. Mundell and Co., auctioneers, Geraldine, have a purebred greyhound, ‘ Sally/ and pup, for sale privately. Messrs Eobert Wilkin and Co. will attend Winchester Fair to day. They have entries of 500 prime fat merino weathers, fat and et-oi-a oatlio, ot«.