INQUEST. RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT. TEMUKA TOWN BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2237, 6 August 1891, Page 2

INQUEST.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES COURT.

TEMUKA TOWN BOARD.

3 The adjourned inquest touching the l death of the late Mr John Hayhurst was 3 held last Tuesday before Richmond 1 Beetham, Esq., Coroner, and the followi ing jury, viz., Messrs J. W. Miles (fore- . man), J. Sim, F. Archer, W. Story, C. i Storey, and P. Coira. After the jury had . answered to their names in the Grown r Hotel, to which place the inquest had r been adjourned on the previous occasion, His Worship announced that he had i decided to adjourn to the Courthouse, i and this was done accordingly. As there . was an unusually large staff of press b representatives there was some difficulty , in providing seating accomodation for i them, but the resources of the Court I proved equal to the requirements, and 3 thanks to the police, all were eventually - provided for. The Lyttelton Times was - represented by Mr Exall, the Press by , Mr Paul, the Otago Daily Times by Mr . Bastings, the Dunedin Star by Mr - Walker, and the Timaru Herald by Mr ; Hardcastle. Besides these there were

present Mr J. C. Martin, Crown , Prosecutor, Christchurch, representing the Crown, Mr Inspector Pender, Mr J. T. M. Hayhurst, Mr J. Brown, Mr Meddings Telegraph Inspector, Professor Black, Dunedin, Dr Guthrie, Christchurch, and Dr Hayes, besides a good number of people who attended as spectators. Be it said to the credit of the people of Temuka, however, that they showed no morbid curiosity with regard to,the case, and that there were no more present than may be usually seen there on Court days- While the inquest was going on the Resident Magistrate, Mr C. A. Wray, held his Court in one of the side rooms, and no doubt many of • those present were there because of this. When all were seated His Worship, the ' Coroner, addressed the jury, and said they had met to inquire into the cause of the death of the late Mr Hayhurst, certain rumors were going about, and 1 certain paragraphs appeared in the papers, but with these they had nothing to do. They would have to hear the evidence and give their verdict accordingly. Mr J. C. Martin, Crown Prosecutor, asked leave to appear on behalf of the Crown, and on it being granted proceeded to say that a post mortem examination had been made, and chemical analysis had proved that the deceased gentleman had come to his death by natural causes. A most careful examination had been made by one of the ablest, if not the ablest analysts in the colony; he had applied the most severe tests, but no poison had been found. The post mortem had only discovered that the medical gentleman who had attended the deceased in his last illness had correctly diagnosed his case, but owing to certain statements which were made it became necessaiy to hold the inquest. The evidence he would lay before them would be brief, but full opportunity would be given to every person interested to be present, and submit any evidence they desired. It was quite competent for anyone to tender any information which might throw any light on the subject. He called J. E. Beckingham: I am an under- i taker, living in Timaru. I knew the late I Mr John Hayhurst. I was the under- I

taker who conducted his funeral. I placed him in his coffin and buried him. I was present, on the 21st of July last, when the body was exhumed. It was the body of John Hayhurst. Catherine Copestake: I reside in Temuka, and knew the late Mr Hayhurst; I came out in the same ship with him. He was a hale, strong man before his death. Shortly before he became ill he complained of feeling a deadweight across his stomach: this was a month before he took ill, and he was getting thinner. He had worked very hard in his early days, and I believe lie worked, very hard im- ' mediately before his death.,. On Monday, the Ist of April, 1880, he came to my house and told me he had been taken ill at the mill and had to come home. He stayed for an hour, and went away all right. I went to his house on the following afternoon, and found him in bed, very ill. He seemed quite prostrate, and said he had been vomiting all day. He had not been ill in the night, but became sick after breakfast. He said he had porridge for breakfast. I asked Mrs Hayhurst did she use different oatmeal or sugar ? and she said " No," and that he nover took sugar. Only Mrs Hayhurst and myself were in the house at the time. Dr Hayes had been called in that morn-

ing. I asked if Mr Hayhurst had any medicine, and Mrs Hayhurst said he would not take any. The bottle of medicine was there unopened. I asked him to take some, and he said: " Let me be, I am so exhausted." I went to the doctor's house, and left word for him to ' come as soon as possible, and he came about 6 o'clock that evening. Mr Hayhurst had in the meantime been retching. He complained of pain in his head and stomach. When Dr Hayes came he was very angry because the medicine had not been given, and he got Mr Hayhurst to take it. The Bickness ceased after he had taken some of the medicine, and did not occur again. The retching continued till near morning. I was up all night with him, and;.went to Dr Hayes in the morning. He' came, and said Mr Hayhurst was better; it was a pity he did not take the medicine before. The doctor came again in the evening. I was up with him on Wednesday night. During that night he attempted to get out of bed, and appeared giddy. He attempted twice to get out of bed, by throwing the clothes off and jumping but, and he fell back. [Witness here gave some details concerning certain symptoms which need not be published.] On Thursday I was with him until midday, and I thought him better. I did not see him again alive. Mr Hayhurst did not say anything to me, but when Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst asked him what was the matter he replied : " The doctor thinks it is like poisoning." When I went on Tuesday evening there was some chicken broth ready for him, and on the Wednesday morning when Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst asked what he meant I told her what the doctor had said. Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst said she would take care the food was freshly cooked. We all took care that what he ate was freshly cooked. I know his handwriting and signature. The letter produced is in Mr Hayhurst's handwriting. The Crown Prosecutor read an extract from the latter, which was dated February, 1886, and was written from England to his relatives here, as follows : ; "I have not been well since my return from Rochdale. I have not been able to leave the house since. One of my old attacks. The weather is warmer than it has been. On Wednesday last I was seized with vomiting for an hour, and I thought it would kill me before it left me." Mr Postlethwaite asked permission to be allowed to put a question to the witness. The Coroner : On what grounds 1 Mr Postlethwaite: As representing Mrs Estelle Hayhurst, who has instigated these proceedings.. The Coroner : What is your name 1 Mr Martin : Mr Postlethwaite, your Worship, of the firm of Hay & Postlethwaite, solicitors for Mrs Estelle Hayhurst. Permission was given, and in answer to Mr Postlethwaite's questions the witness said:— I was present during nearly the whole of Mr Hayhurst's illness. I concluded that what he had taken for breakfast had produced the vomitting. On Tuesday night the doctor told me not to let him take anything except what I gave him. we arranged the cooking amongst ourselves. The doctor did not mention anyone by whom the cooking or handling of the food was not to be done. 1 understood from the order of the doctor that I was not to give him food Mrs Hayhurst had cooked. The food was principally chicken broth and beef tea. He did ,not take much liquid during his illness. He did not complain of thirst, but he had complained of thirst before he took to his bed. I saw the body after death. There was some discoloration before he was buried. I have seen other corpses, but never such discoloration. He died on Friday, the sth, and was buried on the 7th. To Mr Martin : The discoloration was dark purple, or black, in a patch on the neck. Sarah Parke : I am sister of the late Mr Hayhurst. I went to see him on Thursday morning, and stayed till he died. I took Mrs Copestake's place in the nursing room. He asked me to stay with him, and I did so. There was nothing particular* happened until 2 o'clock, when he took a drink, only he got gradually weaker. He took a drink at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Then Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst said: "Shall I get some chicken broth 1" and I said " Yes." She soon returned, saying there was none; it was all gone, although she had made such a nice lot of it. She had only a couple of tablespoonsful. I asked her whoemitied it,' and she said she did not know. A short time after that he had a spasm and took worse." He never spoke. All I saw was the twitching of the face and hands. He had only one spasm. Mrs J. T. M. Hayhurst went for the doctor, and he came immediately and gave him some medicine and went away. He came back again, and said there should

be another doctor called in, but the deceased objected, and said anything any other doctor could do Dr Hayes could do. He used to suffer sometimes. He went fco a doctor in Ohristchurch some ten years before, and he had been ailing ever since.

To Mr Postlethwaite: There was no I vomiting while I was there. John Shaw Hayes: I am a duly quantified medical practitioner, and live in Temuka. I have attended the Hayhurst family for eight or nine years. The first important illness was some eight or nine years ago, when the deceased got an apoplectic fit. He was driving home, and he became unconscious, but the horse took him home, and he was found in front of his house, sitting in the buggy. He got paralysis of the arm and leg, and he never fully recovered. In attacks of that kind certain mental qualities are impaired, such as memory, and he was afterwards more irritable and his memory was bad, otherwise he recovered. Some years ago, about four years before his death, he consulted me in connectisn with certain organs and for general illhealth. This was an indication of the kidneys being out of order. [Symptoms of a private nature described.] Shortly after he went to England, and on his return I asked how he was getting on, and he said middling. He said he had consulted Dr Beany, and taken medicine. He led me to believe he got into the hands of some of those advertising quacks. In 1888 he complained of general debility, losing muscular power, breathless on the slightest exertion, and subject to faintness. I examined his heart and from it I oon-

eluded he had a dilated and fatty degenerated heart. He said " is it a bad case," I said, "you have reached an age when you ought to take life easy." He did not follow my advice. I knew he would not. Some time after I saw him to his knees in water in the river dircting some men. On the morning of the 2nd of April I was called in to see him. He was vomiting and he said he did not know what it was. He had his breakfast of porridge. He seemed very ill and shaken, and I prescribed' sub-nitrate of bismuth, carbonate of potasium, compound spirits of chloroform, muscilla'ge, and waier to 8 oz., to be taken every one or two hours. Tablespoonful would contain' half a drachm of bismuth and ten grains, of carbonate of I returned and saw him later in the day, when Mrs Copestake was attending him, and he was still vomiting. I said "I don't like the' look of this. Do you think he could have got poison in his porridge accidently or intentionally. Do you think he would have taken; it himself." She said he would not do that. I said, what sort of utensils do you use, and I went into the kitchen and looked to Bee whether there was such a tiling as unclean copper saucepans about. Then asked Mrs Copestake was there any arsenic or vermin poison about, and she said she did not know. -" I asked Mrs Hayhurst, senr., was there any poison in the house, and she' said no, but that Mr Hayhurst kept strychnine,in the house for dogs long ago. It was all gone. What I meant was that as arsenic was like baking powder or salt it might be put in in a mistake. I took some of the vomit and tested it, with negative results. I looked upon Mrs Copestake as the nurse in charge, and told her to be particularly careful about the food.. I told her while the vomitting remained to give him soda water and milk. I told MrAspinall, young Mr Hayhurst,'and Mrs Copestake about poison. These were the only persons I told. I then diaguosed that I had to deal with a case of I told Mrs Copestake it was 0 case of poiurning, but not from anything he had taken, but on account of the kidneys not performing their functions properly. He suffered from intense dull pain over the forehead, debility, restlessI ness, quick pulse, twitchings, somnolence, finally merging into coma. These are all symptoms of ursemic poisoning. Men' who suffer from diseases of the bladder are liable to became subject to uraunio seizure. I used purgative medicines after 1 diagnosed hiß case, but they were vomitted up, and did not act. I gave him anti-pyrin, digitalin, and chloral hydrate. I gave a certificate that he died of uraemia. I was present at the post mortem, and everything I 3aw confirmed my previous diagnosis made during his lifetime., I have had experience of poisoning cases. It was no new thing for me to deal with poison cases. I asked Mr Hayhurst when I was called in to attend on him whether he was taken that way before. . He said he had been once in Napier, while at Dr Cairo's house. He was taken, ill in a similar way after tea, but it passed off. I suggested to the family that I should be very glad to meet another doctor if they liked to call him in. John Guthrie, duly-qualified medical practitioner of Christchurch: I have heard the symptoms of the deceased described by the previous witnesses, and I made a post mortem examination of the body in connection with Dr, Ogston. I have formed an opinion as to the cause of death. There was evidence of disease of the kidneys and the entire urinary apparatus, enlargement and dilatation of the heart at the expense of its walls, which were very thin. There was extensive fatty degeneration of the heart, and disease of the large blood vessels. The lungs also showed evidence of disease, especially the left, which exhibited signs of recent inflammatory action on the lining membrane of the lung pleurisy. There was also a small cavity in this lung. The right lung also showed evidence of old pleurisy, as there were adhesions binding the lung to the [chest. The kidneys were both diseased, especially the left, in which there was a small cyst. In both kidneys the outer portion substances were shrunken, contracted;-the inner portion—pyrimidal portion—was also diseased. The cap3lar lining membranes of the kidneys were ! adherent—no! stripping off easily, as they do. in health. I think it probable the ultimate cause of death was disease of the urinary organs and kidneys, accelerated by pleurisy and a weak and dilated heart. The certificate of death given by' Dr Hayes was quite correct. In my opinion Dr Hayes' treatment was undoubtedly proper treatment. The quantity of bismuth is not too large. Double that > dose is given to children in some instances in half the time. Bismuth is very impure,' and one of the chief impurities is arsenic. Bismuth is very insoluble. If Professor Black says bismuth was found in the Liver and kidneys and intestinal canal iii large quantities it is what I might expect. There was nothing to show any indication, jf poisoning. Mcst of the organs were in

a state of preservation. To Mr Postlethwaite; It, is not possible in arsenical poisoning to elimiate the poison from the body. It is not easily eliminated. I can't recollect any case where arsenic has caused death in which it was afterwards discovered to have been eliminated from a body after death. V. •i: James Gow Black : I am a doctor of 1 science of the Edingburgh University and professor of chemistry in the OtagoUniversity. I was at the p.>*t mortem i examination in the cemetery, and received direct "from the body various organs, which I subsequently analysed. From » the time the organs were taken from the I body until I analysed them no one could ' have tampered with them. I searched carefully for all metallic poisons and , alkaloid poisons. I made a special search.' for arsenic, and I found a very minute trace of it in a largo quantity of material., I I used about 2p> of material to test|for ] arsenic. These were the most likely to contain arsenic if any were present. I They included large parts of the intestinal k canal, part of the brain, spinal cord, | liver, kindeys, spleen, and duodenum. 1 I found a very minute particle of arsenic; I I could weigh the one-thousandth part of I a grain, but I' could not weigh what I 1 found. It was less than the one- !. thousandth part of a grain. I found as much bismuth as woiild make 7 J grains. ' I reduced the bismuth to the original I metal. I have no doubt the arsenic wass ! an impuricy in the bismuth, because it contains traces of arsenic. These were, i the only two things in the nature of a-\ I poison—bismuth and. araeniQ. £bQufc ; \

tvograins of arsenic would have been a dingeroua dose, so if there had been two tiousand times as much arsenic there as I found it would have been regarded as dangerous. Medical preparations of Hsrauth uaully contain as an impurity a ysiy minute trace of arsenic in quite a harmless form. There are cases in which arsenic was not found, although persona died of arsenic poisoning; but as a matter of experience I should have expected to find poison any time after death, even if the body had decayed away. This concluded the evidence, and a proclamation was read inviting anyone who had anything to say or evidence to give, to come forward, but no one doing so the Coroner then addressed the jury. He did not think that he need say very much. . The disquieting rumours with reference to the death of Mr Hayhurst assumed such proportions that it was deemed advisable to set, the matter at rest one way or other, in the only way it which it could possibly be set at rest, by an exhumation, examination, and analysis. The whole of the evidence had been placed before the jury, and it rested with them to finally decide the matter. They had not to say how or why those reports got about. It was sufficient that they were about, and that *hia investigation was deemed necessary. Probably they would agree with him that a fuller or more careful investigation could not have been made. It was considered desirable, these reports having . originated in a small district, that all L those who had anything to do with the Moatter or with the family should be .'persons who were in no way or shape . connected with the district; therefore he had summoned Dr Guthrie, of Christ- . church, and Dr Ogston, of Dunedin, to make the post mortem examination, and Professor Black, of Dunedin, the Government analyst, to make the analysis. These were the persons who had had principally to do with the examination of the body. With reference to the evidence placed before them that day, they had the careful examination of the body, and the viscera placed in charge of Professor Black, who having analysed them carefully, told them there was nothing in the shape of poison to be found. The trace of arsenic Professor Black did find was simply an impurity of Then they came to what wa4 'probably the origin of the rumours which got about. Dr Hayes told them that he had attended Mr Hayhurst for many years. With age infirmities came upon him, for which Dr Hayes treated Kim from time to time until his last illness, when new symptoms appeared which led Dr Hayes to question at the moment whether or not he could have taken poison. They had heard what the doctor said to Mrs Copestake. The evidence of both respecting that statement was identical. It , was quite clear that Dr Hayes in the first instance looked upon the symptoms as symptoms ■which would be produced ,by poisoning. He ma< i enquiries, which no doubt it was his dvtf to make, minute enquiries Hayhurst could, accidentally ■or have taken poison. So far : as he could see there was not the slightest suggestion on the part of Dr Hayes that anybody gave poison to Mr Hayhurst except accidentally. The jury had his description of how he changed his mind when the symptoms had accumulated and declared themselves more fully; how that he • then diagnosed uraemic poisoning; and now they had the confirmation of that diagnosis, after an interval of two and a-half years, by two independent medical nien, who said that from the symptoms they would have diagnosed the same thing, and said that the state of the body fully bore out that diagnosis. He, .therefore, thought there would be no doubt in the mind of the jury that Mr died of uraemic poisoning. But from that simple statement of Dr Hayes, which he took was fully within the scope of his -medical duty—that is to say, to carefully ascertain whether there was any possibility of the symptoms which attracted his attention having been caused by • poisoning—from that remark there seemed to have sprung up by a sort of mushroom growth all the rumors that had gone about the county—rumors which when they obtain in a community it seemed to be the duty of those in authority to authoritatively settle and decide., To the jury belonged the authoritative and final arbitrainent of the rumors which, rightly or wrongly, arose from that statement of Dr Hayes in reference to the possibility of there having been any poisoning—a statement which, so far as he could see, might have been made by any medical man attending such a case. Some of the symptoms of ursemia resemble those of arsenic poisoning. The effects of poisoning , could be 'easily Stamped out; the other could not be so easily stamped out.. If Dr Hayes had 1 'found that the were arsenical poisoning no doubt. Mr Hayhurst wbuld have been alive now, because the thing could have been stopped; but When He found out it was, a different matter he found it was due to something he could not stop at once. But out of the inquiries it was his duty to make had grown all the rumors which this inquiry Was fo settle. The question was whether the jury were satisfied that Mr Hayhurst died a natural death, and then whether they were satisfied from the evidence of Dr Hayes and Dr Guthrie that he died of uraemic poisoning. They had nothing to do with any rumors flying about, but simply with the question of the death—was it a natural death 'I Then could they say that the cause of death was that diagnosed and certified by Dr Hayes '( If" so, they would settle that question. The court was then cleared, and after

a - few: minutes’ delay the jury brought in | a verdict of “Death from uraemia,” as i certified to by Dr Hayes, and the farce t was ended.

\ Temuka —Tuesday, Aug. 4th, 1891. / [Before C. A. Wray, Esq., R.M.] ■' INEBRIBTBY. | R. Fenton for being drunk in the ' public street was fined 5s and costs. j JUVENILE THIEVES. William Williams, 15, and Kagu Williams, 11, were charged on four j different informations with larceny, and pleaded guilty. From the evidence of Constable Morton it appeared that the ; accused had taken from the shop of Mr : W. C, Koulston on Saturday night 10 ' pairs of nickers; they had also removed ' a cover from Mr T. Barr's horse, broken $ window in his shop, and pilfered a few

■articles and on Sunday night had broken into the public school by means of a window at the back, and taken away a number of articles, among which were cards of object lessons, books, two cases of mathematical instruments, four school bags, keys, empty pen and pencil boxes, etc. On information being given to the police they from suspicious circumstances that had previously come to their knowledge, arrested the accused. All the goods were found in an unoccupied brick house at the south end of the town, where the boys appeared to have camped from time to time. Ragu Williams, the father of the lads stated that the younger appeared to be under the influence of the older boy, who was quite beyond his control. He had a family of twelve, and having to be away at work could not control them, as he ought to do. His son William had been sent away to work, but frequent complaints were made of his conduct. His Worship lectured the boys severely and pointed out the painful position in which they were now placed. He desired to give them every chance of reformation, and would therefore sentence the elder to six strokes of the birch rod, and to be placed under the Probation Act for six months. The younger would be committed to the Industrial School until the age of 15 years, to be there brought up in the faith of the Church of England. ANOTHER INCORRIGIBLE LAD. Mrs Steele, a widow residing in Arowhenua, applied to have her son, aged 12, committed to the Industrial School. He was getting beyond her control and was gradually becoming worse. After making a few enquiries His Worship made the order, the boy to be committed until 15 years of age, and to be brought up in the faith of the Church of England. OBSTRUCTING A HIGHWAY. William Hawke was charged with obstructing a highway at Orari by keeping a dray thereon and camping horses. The case was adjourned for 14 days, defendant to pay 12s witnesses expenses. He was advised to remove the obstruction by the 6th, in which case His Worship would be inclined to deal leniently with him. CIVIL CASES. Judgment by default was given in the following cases ;—F. Oliver v. W. Bryant—Claim £1 9s; J. Brown v. Wilford—Claim 14s. The Court then rose. '

The regular monthly meeting of the above was held last night. Present— Messrs Jas. Blyth (chairman), S. Clinch, W..Storey, P. Coira, and G. J. Mason. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was dealt with:— A circular was read from the Audit Department,' impressing upon local bodies the necessity of exercising vigilance as to the collection of rates, &c., as an assistance to the Department. From Mr F. W. Stubbs, clerk to the County Council, covering statement of accounts in connection with the Licensing Committee election. From the Property Tax Department, stating that a voucher v had been forwarded to the Treasury for payment for £9 10s 2d, balance of subsidy. ' From Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, M.H.R., forwarding copy of the Small Birds' Nuisance Bill, and asking for suggestions thereon. From Mr James Duncan, quoting price for street lamps. From Mr D. Taylor, applying for permission to make a crossing over watertable at his new premises next Bank of New Zealand.—Granted, subject to usual conditions. From Mr H. Maddison, asking for information in connection with Fire Brigade matters. From the Paymaster-General, advising the payment to the Bank of New Zealand of £9 10s 2d, balance of subsidy. From Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, M.H.R., covering copies of Licensing Act Amendment Bill, and Local Authorities Acts, and Audit Bill, and inviting suggestions thereon. LAMPS. In connection with the erection of the lamp, as authorised, the chairman stated that in conjunction with Mr Coira he had selected a site. In accordance with the suggestion of the lamp lighter they had decided to have a lamp fixed in Commerce street, that used at the Wallingford Hotel not giving satisfaction. The action of the chairman and Mr Coira was approved of and the tender of Mr Duncan accepted. Mr Coira suggested that the lamp posts should be in a line with the kerbing instead of inside the same. ,;; " ~ • ASPHALTING. Mr Storey reminded the board about the question of asphalting the east side of the main street, and suggested that steps should be taken in regard to the same as the weather was getting warmer. He thought early preparations should be made, as it took time to get tenders in and the work started.—lt was thought that if the work was put in hand by October it would be sufficiently, soon. overseer's report. The overseer's report was to the followeffect. All instructions had been carried out as far as possible. Formation of water tables in Dyson Street and Main Street had been carrie'dout. Soil in the former place had been used for improvements in the street. Dr Hayes had applied for a lenthening of the wooden culvert at Vine street, and on the authority of the chairman the work had been done. Previously the place had been dangerous. Mr Angland had applied for a crossing over drain in section opposite Mr Hopkinson's. Some 12inch pipes had been procured, and the crossing laid. Only 27 feet of the drain was now all that was left open on private property, and the opinion of the board was asked as to the advisability of having this enclosed. Stone pillars at the corner of Commorce street and at the railway had been erected. Permission waß asked to procure shingle for repairs. His attention had been drawn to an offensive smell in Vine street. He had been unable to ascertain the cause unless some stoppage in the drain had taken place. The Board was reminded that it would be necessary in order to preserve the concrete kirbing that proper crossings must be put in. Loaded drays were oceasionally taken across the kirbing. As health officer he I reported that the only trouble appeared I to bo with regard to the disposal of slops

in the town. A nuisance still existed in connection with a stoppage of a drain leading from the Wallingford to the back of Mr Storey’s stables. On the motion of Mr Mason, seconded by Mr Clinch, it was resolved that the clerk obtain prices for carting about 120 yards of screened metal and fine shingle tenders to be accepted by the chairmaa. The chairman said that Dr Hayes had complained that soil was required near the lower gateway. He suggested that the surfacemen should do the work. Mr Story had seen the place and said that it would only be about a day’s work. It was resolved to have the work done. The overseer was instructed to have the pipes across Vine Street opened and cleaned. In reference to the annoyance caused by the drain from the Wallingford Hotel, it was resolved that the overseer notify the owner of the property, with the view of having the nuisance remedied. RATE. Mr Mason moved, and Mr Clinch seconded —“ That the Board, at a special meeting, strike a general rate of three farthings in the £, and a nightsoil rate of five-eighths of a penny in the £, on all the rateable property in the Temuka Town District.” RESERVES. The following tenders were received for the leasing of reserves : Sections 210, 211, 212—E. Brown, £2 11s (accepted.) Sections 179,189,190,192—W. Cooper, £4 10s (accepted), J, Davis,, £2 12s, B. Langridge £2 ss. Sections 67, and 68—E. C, Dann £2 15s, (accepted) A. Clinch £2 12s 6d, W. McLeod £2los, D. McCaskill £2 Is. Sections 44, 45, 46— -P. Coira £4 (accepted). Section 168, 7 acres —D. McCaskill £l2 Is (accepted), J. Angland £B. Sections 115 to 130 —J. Radford £4 (accepted), W. M. Storey £3 ss, W. Cooper £2 10s 6d. • ACCOUNTS Accounts to the amount of £37 17s 6d were passed for payment and the meeting terminated.