LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1234, 2 September 1884, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Town Board. —A meeting of tbe Temuka Town Board will take place tomorrow evening, when tenders for several works will be considered. Temuka Road Boaed. The monthly meeting of the Temuka Road Board takes place to-day. Tenders for works close at 10 a.m. A Cheap “Tuen Out.” —On Saturday last a Timaru auctioneer disposed of a buggy, horse, and harness, at the extremely satisfactory price (to tbe purchaser) of £3 10s. Football. —The football match between Canterbury and Otago came off on Saturday last, the former winning by one goal to one try. The play was excellent. The day was fine, and about 7000 spectators were present. Monthly Stock Sake,— Messrs J. Mundelland Co. hold their monthly sale of stock at their Geraldine yards to-morrow. Entries received up to date are published elsewhere, and more will be received till hour of sale. Gkbaldine Town Boabd.— An adjourned meeting of the Geraldine Town Board takes place to-morrow evening, at which the proposed by-laws will be brought forward for adoption. Tenders for several work* will also be considered. Cbickbt. —The Australians played a match with a South of England eleven on Friday last, and won it in one innings, with 107 runs to spare. The score* were :—Australians ; first innings, 358. South of England ; first innings, 178; second do, 73. Stanmobk’s Representative. — One of bisStanmore constituents ha* sent Mr Daniel Reese a live ferret, another a rat-trap and a third a packet of Rough on Rats. The member for Stanmoro (says the Post) does not appreciate these dalicate attentions, especially as the senders forgot to pay the carriage. N.Z. Copper. The result of testing twenty tons of copper from the United Company’s mine at Aniseed Yalley has been received at Nelson from Newcastle. It gave thirteen per cent, of copper, which is considered highly satisfactory, the ore having not undergone any dressing previous to being sent for testing. Liverpool, London and Globb Insueancb Company. —The Geraldine agency of this Company, rendered vacant through the removal of Mr Jesse Davis from the township, has been conferred on Mr A. Fisher, who is empowered to transact all business in connection with the district on j beha’f of the said Company. Illegally Yoting.— James Ames, Returning Officer for Foxton, on Saturday laid an information charging the Hon. Charles Johnston Pharazyn with having been guilty of an illegal practice in having recorded his vote at the recent Foxton election whilst legally disqualified from doing so, owing to a former conviction under the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act. The Cbickbting Sbason. —With the return of spring we hail the opening of the cricketing season. The annual meeting of tbe Geraldine Cricket Club is announced to be held in the Geraldine Hotel on Saturday evening next, at 7.30 p.m. sharp, the business of the evening being the election of officers for the ensuing season, etc. All cricketer* axe invited to attend the meeting.

Geraldine Flobal and Hoeticdltdkad Socibty. —On Saturday erening lait a general meeting of members of this newlyformed Society was held in the Good Templars’ Hall, Geraldine. There was a good attendance. Mr G. Ward was voted to the chair. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and confirmed, the By-law Committee submitted the draft by-laws to the meeting, which were adopted with a few slight alterations. The list of persons who had signified their intention of becoming members of the Society was laid before the meeting. The officers for the ensuing year were then appointed as follows ; —Patrons: Messrs W. Rolleston, M.H.R., C. G. Tripp, W. Postlethwaite, Angus Macdonald, L. Walker and W. B. Barker; President: Mr R. H. Pearpoint j Yico-Pre sident : Mr G. Ward j Treasurer and Secretary : Mr A. Fisher ; Committee : The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Messrs J. Pye, Chapman, Combs, Spence, J. W. Pye and Ramble. The Secretary was instructed to ascertain cost of printing 200 copies of the by-laws, and it was decided that the Committee should meet on Wednesday evening next to decide on printing same. Ths meeting then terminated.

Blasphemy Layts. The office bearers in the local Fresthought Association (says the Wanganui Herald) hare drafted a petition to the House of Eepresentatires against the introduction of blasphemy laws into the criminal code. The wording of the petition is as follows : —To the honorable the Speaker and members of the House of Eepresentatires. The humble petition of the undersigned, being the office bearers of the Wanganui Fresthought Association, showeth; (1) that your petitioners hare hoard with extreme regret that it is proposed to enaet for the first time in New Zealand blasphemy laws; (2) that the existence of such laws necessarily implies the existence of a State religion ; (3) that hitherto it has not been deemed necessary for the good gorornment of New Zealand that there should be any special religion supported by the laws of the colony ; (4) that if anything is said or published that tends to create a broach cf the peace, or is libellous of any person, the exis'ing laws are sufficient to punish the offender ; (5) that as many of the ablest and best people of England hare formed themselves into an association to agitate for the repeal of all blasphemy laws, it seems anomalous that the Legislature of New Zealand should be'askod to create offences against religion when there is no State religion. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honorable House will take the foregoing into consideration, and refuse to enact any blasphemy laws. And your petitioners as in duty bound, etc.

Vital Statistics.— The following are t* l6 vital statistics registered in the Geraldine district for the month ended August 31st 1884 :—Births, 7 ; marriages 0, and deaths, 0.

B.M. Court, Temuka. —At the above Court, yesterday, before S. D. Barker, Esq., J.P., a man named James Johnstone was brought up charged with issuing valueless cheques, and remanded till to-morrow.

The Franco - Chinese Difficulty. Another light is thrown upon the outbreak of war between France and China by the account given in the Morning Post of the Langson affair. According to this, “ instead of the encounter having been either unprovoked by the French or ‘of the nature of an ambush ’ on the part of the Chinese troops, there are strong reasons for believing that the affair was literally forced upon the Chinese garrison by the aggressive and provocative attitude of the commander of the French detachment.”

Ball at Woodbury. —On Friday evening last a bull, in aid of the prize fund for the local school, was held in the schoolroom, there being about 120 persons present. Dancing was most spiritedly kept up till 5 a.m. on Saturday. Mr P. Georgeson, of Geraldine, supplied the refreshments, which were of a first-class character and served in his usual good style. Thera was some good singing during the interval, more especially Mrs Harmer’s song, ”1 dream of thee, sweet Madeline,” which was received with great applause and responded to. The success attending the ball will considerably augmeut the children’s prize and treat fund. The performance of the band was a real treat, and the residents of Woodbury will be sorry to lose their services. Training of Animals.— -Sir John Lubbock baa taught his dog to read, a French savant is trying the same experiment with bis cockatoo, an American reptile collector has a number of lizards whom he instructs in music, a German professor taught a crane to do everything but talk, a Boston lady is giving a higher education to a number of •piders caught and tamed by herself, and physiologists and vivisectionists purpose the training of two or three generations of dogs in order to make their descendants produce articulate sounds. What will the next thing be ? Presumably this. The educated animals will adopt the manners of the human race and its manifold requirements, and new branches of industry will spring up, a blesung both to man and beasts. It might not be amiss in anticipation of the wants of lizard musicians and dog readers to compose a few “ lizard airs,” and to write contribution* to the future “ literature for educated dogs and parrots.”—Exchange. A mskican Legislature. —Mr Shubridge of New Norfolk, Tasmania, the great hopgrower, now travelling in the United States, writes as follows to the Tasmanian Mail: — I have now seen a great deal of America, and am satisfied that the form of Government and plan of carrying on public works, trade, and commerce of all kinds, is, on the whole, what is best adapted for so great a country and such a vast mixed population. There is no • clamouring here at the Government doors for work for the unemployed. They have to go to the legitimate employers of labour the manufacturers, railway contractors, farmers &c., the heads and leading men of the community. No bills are brought before Parliament to borrow large sums of money to carry on public works, principally to give employment to political supporters, as in Australia. The Government say : let the people do most of the great works, but not borrow money in a foreign market, and then drain the country for interest. As a whole this trustful dependance on the country’s own resource* appears to work well. Now aad then, of course, there is a great crash and panic, but the works accomplished remain and what are the results ? Cheap travelling, and reasonable freights, and all the means abundant to carry on the operations of extensive trade, commerce, and advancing settlement.

Fkbnoh Convict System.—The Noumea correspondent of the Sydney Evening News writes :—“ A somewhat remarkable trial has just taken place here. Several months ago some ticket-of-leave men stole a fine bo it belonging to an English subject, Mr Fred. Stilling, and made for Queensland. Upon their trial they were defended by the notorious deporte editor of the Progress. He made no attempt to deny the theft, but the whole of his long speech was an incessant tirade of abuse and threats against Australia for daring to interfere with New Caledonia. The men were at once acquitted, and it is an open secret that the verdict was given in revenge for Australian threats against France. The last official publication of the late Governor Pallu de la Barriere has been a very foolish •one. His lax treatment of the convicts brought on its natural result, insubordination, and the warders used their revolvers rather freely. The last number of the “Official Moniteur” contains a list of the convicts shot, under the following headings : —‘Name of Yictira,’ ‘Date of Crime,' and ‘Locality of Crime.’ This has naturally made the warders furious, and the local Press has taken up the matter, characterising it as an ‘infamy.’ News has just arrived in Noumea of the appointment of Monsieur Leboucher Colonial Secretary, as Governor. He is the first civilian Governor of the colony, and many favorable changes are expected under his regime. It is rumoured that his treatment, of the convicts will be very different from that of his predecessor, and discipline will be strictly enforced.”

A ton of rye straw is wanted by Mr fl. Lansdowne, Geraldine. Tenders are required by Mr J. Gregg, Oakley farm. Orari, for clearing about 12 acres rushes. The Geraldine Road Board invito tender* for contracts. We refer our readers to our advertising columns. A boy is required, about 17 years of age, by Mr H. Lansdowne, Geraldine, to learn the saddle and collar making. A reward is offered for the recovery of an open-faced silver watch and gold chain, lost on Sunday last between Temuka and the beach.

The finder of a plaid shawl, lost on Sunday last between Temuka and the Wa*dyke, will be rewarded by returning the »amo to the office of this paper. Mr A. O. Gilmore, of Waitohi, notifies that, at the next Licensing meeting at Temuka he will apply for a transfer of the license of the Spur Hotel to Mr Thos. E. Gleeson.

Wells’ “Bough ok Corns.’’— Aik for Wells’ “Bough on Corns.” Quick relief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, wart*, bunions, Kemplhorne, Prosier and do., Agents, Christchurch. 1