GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 106, 19 February 1870, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Some short time ago, while a number of soldiers were making their way home to the barracks in that state which, to use the magisterial phrase, might be called " under the influence," they encounterd on their way a few members of the Industrial Brigade, when one of the latter, with his newspapers under his arm, shouted out to one of his companions — " Hallo, Billy ! there goes a spree de corps !" — " Belfast Letter."

Government is about to instftue a commission of inquiry to investigate into the late murderous assault upon the people who were retiring to Belturbet from the tenant-right meeting in Cavan.

A scene was witnessed in South Leith parish church one Sunday evening lately which has been freely commented on by the parishioners and others. Mr. Duff was the officiating clergyman, and Mr, Wilson occupied the precentor's desk. After the initiatory part of the service, the rev. clergyman read a psalm, and intimated that it would be chanted to a tune named by him, The precentor rose, but instead of adopting the tune named by the minister, commenced another. The minister, indignant, rose and asked the precentor to cease singing, but the latter would not do so, and the minister, becoming impatient, descended the pulpit stairs, confronted the precentor, and in an earnest, if not angry tone, demanded that the chanting should not be proceeded with. Not a few of the congregation laughed, while others went out. The altercation having come to an end, the minister took his pace in the pulpit and delivered an impressive sermon. Towards the close of the service, Mr Duff intimated that owing to the conduct of the precentor, there would be no more singing that evening, A New York correspondent writes : — A Scotch girl named Emily Jane Kane, a native of Glasgow, arrived here on the 12th August, en route for Salt Lake City, having been converted to Mormon faith by one of the missionary saints. In company with a number of other emigrants, she reached Salt Lake City on the 2lst August, and was soon horrified by finding that all the saints had several wives, and that she was expected to make -the tenth in the family of a partriarch who already had nine. Emily had been ignorant of this feature of her new religion ; she speedily lost her faith ; and she made her escape to the camp of the United States troops near the city. The kindhearted soldiers made up a purse for her to go to Omaha ; there she disposed of nearly all her clothing, and thus obtained momey enough to pay her fare to New York. Arriving here, she was penniless ; but she had the good luck to fall into the hands of James «, Thompson, the harbour-master to whoni she told her story. He raised money for her, to pay her passage back to> Glasgow. When she gets home again it is to be hoped she will use her^ influence to prevent other Glasgow lassies being lured away to the new Jerusalem.

There have been three condemnation* in Paris for continuing public meetingsafter those meetings had been declared dissolved by the police. The punishment in each case was a fortnight's inipinsonment and 300 francs fine-

The "Globe" says:— "A handbill, of which the following is an exact copy,, was posted in sundry places of the metropolis : — 'To all Fenians— Vive la Eepublique ! The Queen will visit the city in state on Saturday, and on that day she will be shot. She seldom gives a chance. The opportunity won't be lost ! God save Ireland !"

In the fourth week of October the number of persons in receipt of parochial relief in the metropolis was133,622. Of these 35,050 were in the workhouses, while 98,572 were in the receipt of parochial relief, The total number showed a decrease of 517 upon the figures of the corresponding period of last year.-

Dr.Blaxall, surgeon of Her Majesty T * ship Urgent, has made a report of a visit to the Island of Mauritius towards the end of the epidemic of malarious fever in 1867. In the short period from the Ist of Januaryto the 6th of July, the district of Port Louis lost 16,602 out of a population of 80,000, or one soul in every five ; the district of Pamplemousses, 4,344 out of 60,000; Eiviere dv Eempart. 1,656 out of 21,000; Black Biver, 1,960 out of 19,000; Flacq, 892 out of 46,000; Plaines Wilhems, 1,027 out of 31,000; Moka, 1,080 out of 20,000. The two remaining districts, Grand Port, with its population of 41,000, and Savanne, with 23,000, lost none, except persons who went thither from their own districts while suffering from the fever. The exemption of these districts is obviously well worthy of consideration. They form the south-eastern part of the island, and are separated from the remainder by high land and an extensive woody district.

The late election petitions and inquiries have been rather expensive affairs. The taxed cost of the petitioners and respondendents in the 14a petitions tried in England amount to £12,117 9s. 6d., and in the 12 Irish cases to £5686 17s. lid. The Treasury allowance to the election Judges, and to other parties in connection with such trials, from the Ist of March to the 30th of September, 1869, was £12,158 12s. Bd., and of this the shorthand writers received nearly £5000. "