LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1506, 15 May 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Financial Statement. The financial statement is expected to bo delivered within a fortnight. Temuka Monthly Sale.—The monthly sale of slock at Temuka will take place on Tuesday next. Salk of Drapery. —Mr B. Glass having determined to leave the Geraldine district has instructed Messrs J. Mundell and Co. to sell the whole of his extensive stock of drapery (worth about £1000) without reserve on the 21st May.

Annual Parish Gathering.— The annual pariah gathering in connection with the Presbyterian Church, Geraldine, will take place on the 24th of May mix’, in the Oddfellows’ Hall, and we hope io sec it as successful ss past gatherings hare been. New Zealand at the Exhibition.—Mr F. W. Pennefather will read a series of papers upon New Zealand at the conference t.o be held in connection with the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. Dr Von llaast lias promised him a gratuity of £IOO for doing so. Coursing. —The first meeting of the Timaru Tradesmen’s Coursing Club took place at Pareora on Thursday last, The All-Aged Stakes (£4) was won by Nicholla’ Fly, and the Puppy Stakes (winner £2 10s, runner up 10s) was divided by Messrs Whelan and Kelly. Their dogs, Thunderbolt and Sorrel, did very good work. Footbadd. Members are reminded that the practice will take at Winchester to-day instead of Temuka, and all who can possibly get away are requested to attend. The team to represent Temuka against Morivale (Christchurch) will be chosen next week. —In spite of the weather a few enthusiasts had some practice on Thursday afternoon. Ashbuhton Races.-— At the Autumn meeting of the Ashburton Racing Club on Thursday last, Borderman won the Handicap Hurdles, Meteor the District Welter Handicap, Jack the Autumn Handicap, Erin-go-bragh the Foal Stakes, Spade Guinea the Flying Handicap, and Bagshot the Post Stakes. Despite the nnpropitious weather the attendance was fair. Parliamentary Union.— The second session of the Timaru Parliamentary Union commenced on Thursday evening, there being a fair attendance. The evening was taken up with the delivery and criticism of the Governor’s speech. Two Bills were introduced—The Habitual Drunkards’ Prevention Bill by the Premier, Mr A. J. H. Bower, and a Bill for the better administration of salf government throughout New Zealand, by the Minister for Lands, Mr G. Kimber. The Taiaeoa Enquiry.— The enquiry into the wreck of the Taiaroa concluded on Thursday. The Court cancelled the certificate of Captain Thomson, but, as he acted with great coolness, courage, and self-posses-sion after the wreck, they recommended that he should be granted a mate’s certificate, and at the end of two years, if he has been at sea as mate during that time, a captain’s certificate be again granted to him. The Captain has to pay half the costs of the enquiry, viz., £l6los.

Aeoha M.M. Lodge, No, 303, 8.0.—A meeting of this Lodge was held at the Masonic Hall, Geraldine, on Wednesday evening, May 12th, Bro. Jas. Findlay, W.M., occupying the chair. The business of the evening was the advancement of a brother. The W.M. conducted this interesting ceremony in an able manner, its impressiveness being greatly added to by the m.sterlj manner in which Bro. Inwood performed his duties at organist. After the conclusion of the ceremony the past, and future of the Lodge was shortly discussed and the meeting closed at 10 p.m. At the next meeting of the Lodge, which is to be held on Wednesday, June 2nd, a full muster of the members will, it is hoped, be present.

Cornet Contest.—A cornet contest look place at Dunedin on Wednesday night, the competitors being Messrs B. Stratton (at one time bandmaster at Temuka), T. M’Oonnell, and T. Chapman. Each was required to perform the “ Zerlina Polka,” accompanied by 15 instrumentalists (reed and bras-). The contest was arranged upon strictly fair terms, the performers drawing Jots for order of playing, and the judge, Mr 0. Waud, being immured in a small wooden den upon i he platform, whence ho was unable to see the contestants. M’Oonuell was awarded first, prize, Stratton second, and Chapman third. The decision occasioned much surprise, it being the general opinion of those present that Stratton gave the most perfect rendering of the piece.

Justice Giumes oh Breach ®f Promise. —A breach of promise ease, in which Agnes A. Day wasplantiff and L. L. Norris defendant, was heard at New Plymouth the other day. Mr Justice Gillies, in giving Judgment, said 1 confess that ; n nine cases out of ter, in breach of promise of marriage, in-tead of the disappointed party suffering any loss, it is a great blessing for them that the match should be broken off, for they escape being married to a man who is unworthy, and who probably would have given the other party a miserable life of it; and, clearly, so far as my opinion is concerned, I do not look upon damages as a proper remedy lor a breach of promise to marry. At the same time where, as in the present case, the plaintiff swears she was put to an actual expense in preparing, I think it reasonable that she ought to be awarded the expense that she has been put to by the breach of the agreement by the other party. The law does not allow us to punish the promise-breaker by giving damages against him ; it merely allows to be given to the person aggrieved the nmoun 1 they have really suffered. I consider that a woman does not suffer any damage except pecuniarily what she was made to lose pecuniarily. I think it makes an excellent escape from a man who cannot keep his promise. 1 give judgment for £IOO, with costs.

Patents. The annual report of the Patent Office shown that 325 letters patent were applied for dnring 1885. OiiAiN Returns. —During the week ended lust night 3439 sacks of grain were forwarded from 'he Temuka railway station, and 70 remained on hasd. Rack Privileges. —Messrs J. Mundell end Co. submit to auction to-day at their rooms the privileges at the forthcoming Geraldine Racing Olub’a meeting, viz., the booth*, gates, horse yards, right of games, cards, etc. The sale takes place at 12 o’clock.

The Railways.—The railway receipts for the year amounted to £1,047,418, and the expenditure to £690,340. The receipts for the previous year, when there wore 136 miles bes of >ailway open for traffic, were £1,045,712, and the expenditure £690,026. Ti’.e nett profit for the year is £357,078, almost the same as last year.

The Weather.— The weather during the great er part of the week has been very wet and cold, evidencing that winter has set in in real earnest. The roads are consequently in a rather sloppy state. Last night the rivers in the district were all slightly in fresh, and should the ruin continue much longer aflaod may be expected. A Precocious Couple.— A novel case of elopement from Ashford, Kent, recently occurred. A lad of thirteen years, named Fredrick Holman and Rose Law, a girl of fourteen or fifteen, both of whom had given considerable trouble to their parents, disappeared from the town, and in the evening walked into the King’s Head Hotel at Charing Cross, and ordered a room to be prepared and supper provided. The landlord, however, sent for the police, and the youthful couple ware brought home again in the small hours of the morning. Suicide. A man named Cornelius Cunningham committed suicide at Christchurch on Wednesday evening by shooting himself with <i revolver. He had just came out of the hospital after an operation for dropsy, and was rather depressed in spirits, but none of the members of his family anticipated that he would take his life, although he was seen to take the revolver into his room.—A woman named Elizabeth Clinker, who had been drinking, attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself into the Avon on Thursday afternoon. She was rescued, and taken to the police station as soon as she had partially recovered from the effects of her immersion.

The Comet. —The Melbourne Argus, of May 4th, publishes the following particulars about the celestial visitant which has lately been attracting attention :—“The comet, which appears to have heen first seen by the naked eye at several places in Australia yesterday* was, we learn from Mr Ellery, the Government astronomer, discovered on December Ist, in Paris, by M, Fabry, and is known as “The Comet Fabry. ’ It was then a very faint telescopic object. The discovery was telegraphed from Kiel to the Melbourne Observatory on the 4th December, and the comet was found on the same evening, and has been observed as a faint object, but increasing in brightness occasionally since. It was nearest to the earth on the 30th April and but for its lowness on the horizon after dark and the cloudy western skies in the evening, should hare been seen without telescopes some days ago. It will now get rapidly fainter, as it is fast recoding from the Australian sky. The comet was not visible last night. Besides this comet there is another under observation—viz,, “ Barnard’s Comet,” discovered the same time by the American astronomer of that name. This will, perhaps, also be visible to tho naked eye about the end of this month, A telegram received by Mr Ellery, from Kiel, yesterday, announced tho discovery by Brooks, in America, of another comet, which is at present very faint, and only visible to powerful telescopes.”

Geraldine Literary Institute.—The monthly meeting of the Geraldine Literary Institute was held last Thursday evening. Prosent-'Messrs J. Cunningham (in the chair), Brisco, Hughes, Mundell, 0. E. Sherratt, and J. S. Waite. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read snd confirmed, a discussion arose on the subject of subscriptions, and ultimately it was decided—“ That Messrs Cunningham and Waite draw up a scale from the several months in the year to the end of December, when the financial year ends." The question of asphalting the footpath in front of the Institute was considered, and a motion carried to the effect “That the footpath in front of the Institute be asphalted, the recesses to bo top-dressed.” An amendment was proposed, that the matter stand over until next meeting, but on a division being taken the original i motion was carried. An account having been received for rates from the Town Bn ird it was decided to let if stand over uetd next meeting, and in' the meantime the Secretary to make enquiries as to whether the Temuka Mechanics’ Institute is exempt from rates. It was proposed to m ike a charge of 2s 6d on committees or local organisations making use of the reading room of the Institute as a meeting place, but an amendment to the effect that no meetings be allowed to be held there was carried. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting. Flies and Bugs, beetles, insects, roaches, ant?, bed-buss, rats, mice, gophers, chipmunks, cleared out by ‘‘ Bough on Bats.” Kernpthorne, Prosser and Co., Agents, Christchurch. 3 SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. Thomas Small, Temuka —Invites tenders for iwj-roomod cottage. David Donoon, Rangitafca—Notice re accommodation license. Elizabeth Heap, Temuka—Notice of application re publican’s license. Presbyterian Church, Geraldine—Annual parish gathering on the 21-th May. Mrs W. H. Hargreaves, Bank of New Zealand, Temuka—Wants a good general servant. K. F, Gray—Sells cattle, sheep, and pigs at Temuka on Tuesday next; draught and hackney horses, farm implements, furniture, etc., at Winchester on the 25th May. J. W. Yelvin, Temuka—lntimates that he is selling teas, sugars, and groceries of all descriptions at extremely low prices; crockery, ironmongery, boots and shoes, etc., equally low. T. and J. Thomson, Drapers, opposite King’s Stables, Timaru— Enumerate a few of the lines to hand ex the Baupehu and Coptic. The advertisement is well worth persual. P. H. McShane, Geraldine Flat —Has 50 head prime fat cattle, and 800 prime fat sheep (with turnip feed for sheep till the middle of July) for sale privately, in lots to suit purchasers. J. Mundell and Co,—Will sell cattle, sheep, and pigs at Temuka on Tuesday next j publish entries for horse fair at Geraldine on 19th May ; sell great assortment of drapery on the premises of Mr Glass (who is leaving the district), Geraldine, on the 21st May, without reserve,