LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 109, 10 March 1870, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The 4-lb. loaf is selling at 9d. in Hokitika. Flying Dutchman \a the favourite for the Geelong Handicap. General Tom Thumb and troupe are drawing crowded houses in Melbourne.

Owing to the stormy weather, the Great American Circus performance did not take place at Tuapeka. The New Zealand Meat Preserving Company at Kalcanui purpose commencing boiling-down operations in a few days.

The Switzers' Hospital, a very commodious and handsome building, is now finished, and reflects credit upon the contractor.

A fire took place in Invercargill on the morning of the 4th inst., which resulted in the destruction of a large quantity of valuable property.

The Wesleyan Church Bazaar now being held in Dunedin is proving a great succes. Nearly £GSO had been taken up to Saturday evening last.

By intelligence received from TFaipori last evening, we learn that a boy named Slater was drowned in a water race behind Lewis's store in the afternoon. Ab about four o'clock the child was missing, when a search was at once made, which resulted in the painful discovery above mentioned.

The electors of the Bruce district will now have the opportunity of electing another man to look after their interests m the House of Representatives in the place of Mr. John Cargill, who has, we are glad to say, resigned the post he has held with so little credit to himself or to his constituents. Mr. Arthur Bu,rns has also lesigned his seat.

Tho following statement of accounts of the TFesleyan Church, Evans' Flat, has been forwarded tp us for insertion :-Keceipts.— Anniversary Collections, £1 $s ; Proceeds oj Tea, £9 2s 6d ; Kemaining Debt, £3 9s 3d. Total, £14 0s 9d. Expenditure.— Debt from last year, L 3 19s 3J ; cost of Tea, L 7 3s Cd ; Printing, &c, LI 4s; Miners' Eight, LI; Sundries, 14s. Total, Ll4 0s 9d.

A Clutha correspondent informs us that one of the. principal farmers of Inch Clutha offered to diive his harvest" men to the Tokomairiro races provided they agreed to return with him immediately after, the, last race on the second day. We suppose he rnadft this proposition knowing full well that his men would go to the laces, and perhaps, not return. It is a pity for the province that such strong inducements require to be offered to retain highly remunerated labour.

An application that the Agricultural lease granted to Mr. Buchan some years ago might be cancelled was made before Mr. Warden Simpson yesterday by Mr. D. M'lntosh and Mr. Arbuckle. They made the application on the ground that J/r. Buchan had not improved the land nor occupied it, and also that he had failed tojpny the rent at last date of payment. As chis was the first case of the description under the Act which haa come before the ' Warden, he adjourned the case ; notice meanwhile to be given to all parties concerned. The following advertisement appears in the " London Journal " of December Ist:— "Gold Dust " is desirous of marrying a Protestant lady from twenty-two to thirty years of age, in appearance similar to the figure that came out in' our Jniy number, 1858, and one that thoroughly undent mds music and singing. He is of tyie middle *ige and stature, in health and consfcitutiou equal to a man of twenty-five, havin" an increasing income of at present £15000 a-year, with a fine landed property, large flocks of sheep, and mobs of cattle and horses, having been an early settler in Canterbuiy, New Zealand.

On Wednesday, the 23rd ult., a match, between Mr. H. Siicson, of the Son's of Freedom Hotel, asid Mr. Allah Macdonald, of Waikia Station, Switzers, took place at Switsers, The match consisted of six events for the sum, of £30. Ist Hoi-serace. " 2nd. Game of quoits — Macdonald, 41 ; Siinsou, 19. 3rd. Puttie the stove, 221 bs — Macdonald, 3Jft. 4dn... ' 4th. Standing high jump— Macdonald, 4ft. lOiu. ; Simson, 4ft. din. sth. .Running high jump— Macdonald, Sffc. 3in. ; Simson, sft. lin. (ith. Foot race, 150 yards— Macdonald won by about three yards. There was gj-enj; excitement created by the above match, and, as might be expected, a large concourse of spectators, turned out to witness it. " We have had the pleasure of inspecting Mr Salomon's stock of jewellery. &c, now on "sale at the Commercial Hotel. It consists of one of the choices.t assortments of jewellery ever' exhibited in the district. We are. informed tint the stock is valued at upwards of LCJIOO, It is composed of a variety of rings, bracelets, earrings, pins, brooches, &c, nearly all of which are set with diamonds and other gems. A finer selection of gold and silver watches could not be found out of Duuedin. Mr. Salomon informs us that he leaves, by coach to-morrow morning, and purposes celling up to 10 o'clock this even-, ing, so that those who wish, really good articles at the most moderate prices had better avail themselves of this opportunity. An inquest was held on the body of Alexander Stuart Ailcen, at; hi 3 late residence, Petaue, Hawke's Bay. on tho ICJJi February. It appears that deceased had been suffering from a severe liver complaint for some days, and was very melancholy. He was found lying back in his chair, with a rifle between his legs, the butt •on the ground, and' the barrel resting on his chest, with a string attached to the trigger. Part of his skull was lying on the floor, °and> there was a hole in the ceiling through which' the bullet had passed. The following verdict was returned by the jury :— " We find that the deceased, Alexander Stuart Aiken, came to his death by a gunshot wound in the head, inflicted by himself while in a state of temporary insanity." A private letter from Auckland, dated February 22nd, says :—" Everything is yery dull here"; the. share market is absolutely- in a state of collapse. Long Drive shares, which formerly fetched £200, now hang fire at £27, and will probably, gp lower. Shares ip. Hunt's (Shotever) claim, which ranked at £224^000 when formed, are now selling at 11s., equal to 12,500. The reefs are in many cases very promising, and no doubt a, great deal of money can be made by those who are buying at low prices, when confidence is regained. I do not think that that will be for some time yet, as almost everyone here has been bitten, and is ready to go into.fits of disgust at the bare mention of quartz now." - -We also learn from the same source that a circular is about. to be sent by the Ministry to the vaiious members of the General Assembly, for the purpose of taking their opinion as to the removal of the seajb of Government to Auckland,. — "Daily Times."

At the Warden's Court yesterday a very important case was heard. Thirty-three miners applied for a tailrace in Munro's Gully, two miles long and three chains wide. It appeared that the chief object of the application was to prevent miners in Munro's Gully from claiming compensation in the event of their claims being flooded out by the- tailings from the Spur. Objections to the gi-anting of the. application were lodged by twenty-nine miners in Munros, and some eighteen on Evans' Flat. The Warden would not admit the latter, as he considered they were beyond, the boundary affected by the application. He considered the matter in a very fair manner, and explained what he understood to be the bona fide, wish, of the Blue Spur miners. From recent decisions in h jgher Courts, he considered the applicants were, only doing what was right to protect their own interests. The objectors seemed under tha impression that if the application was zi anted they (the applicants) would claim the ground included in the three chains for the two miles, and probably deprive the Munros miners of the water now available. This, however, the Warden stated they could not do. He would not grant them a certificate for any such thing. He could not and would not interfere with existing rights, and all existing holdings would be protected according to the Regulations. It apperred from rules the applicants had drawn up, they had no wish to deprive the miners in the gully either of the water or of their claims. To allow the objectois an opportunity of revising these rules, and adding any others they thought advisable, tho Warden adjourned the case till Wednesday next, when his dicision will be given.