GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 304, 15 November 1873, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

The " Timaru Herald " is a self-contradic-tory journal, it is an anti-Vogelite, and yet, in its issue of the 10th instant, it favours the premiers public works policy. It writes : —"It is our belief that in a few years we will find that every public work will be made not only recuperative as regards the principal, l.ut reproductive as a safe and paying investment, yielding a sure an 1 guaranteed interest. On the last southward trip of the s.s. Taranaki, a valuable entire] was shipped at ( tomaru in n somewhat unusual fashio-i. The steamer was lying in the offing about two miles from shore, and the horse was swum off, towing behind a surf boat, to the steamer. Messrs Allan and Stumbles are said to be making good progress with the OamaruWaitaki line. They are carrying out the work in a very system «tic fashion, and are usiug all labor-saving appliances— as, fur instance, a scoop drawu by horses, which does the work of ten or twelve men. In his report to the Board of Health on f the quarantine arrangements, the surgeon in charge said :— " There is not a dissatisfied person throughout the island. Terms of the highest commendation are used in speaking of the hospital accommodation, the food, and the management generally." At a meeting of the Board of Health, it was resolved to allow the immigrants by the l*ady Jocelyn, on Quarantine Island, who are pronounced by the sturgeon in charge capable of bein" removed, to be permitted to leave the island, provided that due care is taken that their clothing is properly fumigated, and that they have freely use I tlie bah. Jojwpli Arch, the President of the British Agricultural Labourers' Union, speaking at a great meeting heli in a meadow at Newbury, Berkshire, on July 18, said that, in August, he intended to visit the United States. If he found there a home for the agricultural laborers of England, he xhould tell them so, but if hi- fouikl that farmers in America were men who wanted both sides of the bargaiu, an i that tho crows were as black there as here, he should advise them to stay in England. In a letter to the "Star" the Rev. Mr. Stanford saj-s : — MV answer to " Abstainer's " challenge id simply this, which I hare never hesitated to express, iv preaching, writing, and speaking: — At Cana of Galilee our Lord created a quantity of strong intoxicating wine (12(5 gallons), sufficient, had it all been drank, to havo inebriated the whole company. From this, I gather, that he who fc -mpted no man intended to teach that moderation, and not abstinence, was according to his will. In a case, recently heard, iv Dunedin, the Magistrate ruled that the plaintiff, being under 21 years of age, could not legally bring the action. A number of miners in the Arrow district have taken shares in the Sons of Fortune gold mining company. There was a rush tor household servants at the Immigration Barracks on the 12th instant — all the single females being engaged in the course of an hour .at good wages. Applications were also made for expected arrivals. The Under-Sceretary for Immigration intimates that in special cases immigrant* may be nominated by trade or calling through the fritmdti or agents in England of the nominators. A serious accident happened to oue of Messrs Brogden's navvies at the cutting on the Moi-raki railway, near Awamon. A tru<:k laden with earth ran over his leg. He was terribly bruised, aud token to the Hcxpital. A. sailor belonging to the Jnuct KaniFiiv was received in the Hospital ou Mouday night, having sustained a fracture of the right leg at Catlin's River by a log of timber falling on him. The Rev. Dr. Bogg, we learn, will leave Otago on Thursday next. A Canterbury contractor advertises for navvies. Wages, one shilling per hour, constant work, and huts provided. But few arc accepting engagement. As a hint for impecunious committees, the followiug clipping may be of interest : During the past session there has been a series of extraordinary shows at the North Woolwich Garden* — a baby show, a bar-maid show, a fruit show, a ilower show, a beer show, and now a beard and moustache show has just concluded. Liberal prizes were offered for the best beard and moustache presented fo.* competition, and a jury composed of marric I and single ladies wore chosen as arbiters. The Victorian Government has accepted tenders for building 99frailway waggons at a cost of £14,000. It is Baid that when oue of the judges at the Thuaru Agricultural Show was asked why they awarded the first prize to a icrtaiu gentleman's short-horn, his answer was " because | they kffew her mother." A letter writer in the Dunedin " Star " (ou the subject of Chiuese laborers) writes as i follows : — We hayc # plenty Chinamen in the \ country now, aud by offering the slightest inducement, can multiply their number an j hundred-fold. All experience haa proved them to be excellent citizens — frugal, industrious, aud sober. They are content with the inoit moderate wages and the cheapest food ; and I know from personal experience they are very little inferior to the average European laborer as regards their power of work. Tho Chinese Companies of San Francisco have Kent despatches to China advising against any further immigration to California, ou account of the late demonstrations against those already thero. In the Mother Couu'ry, in addition lo the national and other schools organised under the school boarda for the education of the young, reformatory schools for the neglec'ed and vicious class of children, the street Arata of the towns and cities, are now established tin-ought every shire and county of the kingdom. 'J he " luanghua Herald" contains the following items of mining news :— The Wealth of Nations is yielding at the rate of loz to the ton. The reef struck on the Golden I-rfsdge gives a fair show of gold. Thirty tons ol Inglewood stone has yie'.ded 22 oza of clear retorted gold When people arc moat earnest they are frequently most liable to blunder. Tho

j "Dunstan Times" concludes an article as follows : — " We really soe no venture that would hold out so many inducements," or prove bo lastingly beneficial to the iuteresta of - the Province, as a joint-stock- company to operate on this field of ascertained but unknown wealth." We would ljke to know how wealth can be " ascertained " and yet " unknown " ! One of the local papers states that new buildings arc going up in the town of Napier by dozen*, ancf now shops oro being opened almost daily.'' „ . ~" • The revision of th*> New Testament, now in progress in England, will occupy seven years, and that of the Old Testament twelve years. It apparently remains for Castlemaine to show now economically mining claims can be worked, for instead of expenses in the shape | of "preliminaries^ 1 (no shareholder, of course, j knowing whatjthat means,) fees for board of directors, managers' salary. &c, a promising ; company has been started in tha district— [ namely, Glengower— iv which the whole of the directory and management is yolun-ary, and no expense is incurred beyond the actual amount paid lor der sloping the resourcuß of the mine. i At the South Cornet Co , Castlemaine two crushiugs have been taken out, with a nett result of !Bozs sdwts 15grs of cold, yielding £70 9s 9d. Pkrsoss who have friends in California are informed that the Barque '• Woodville'* lately arrived at Port Chalmers from San Francisco. The assessment on pastoral runs within the bouudary of Otago province proper is very considerable this year, the sum of £59,050 14s. lOd. having been paid iuto the Provincial Treasury. This is exclusive of the pas' oral rents, payable in May, under the Southland land regulation?. It will be seen by an advertisement elsewhere, that the >hoarcrs at Kuruw have struck for LI per H)0. The land soldi n the North Island since 1850 comprised two million acres, and the sum realized was only 1524,000. Mr W.C. Smith gave the following noteworthy piece of intelligence to the Vicona Assembly a few weeks ago :—": — " There was in his district a family of two or three brothers who had purchased within the hist two years upwards of a million's worth of property, , aud they held amongst them 200,000 or 300,000 acres of land ; they were pnschasing estate after estate, aud their last purchase represented a quarter of a million of money ; and what did they pay to the state ?— not more than an ordinary laborer." The " Cromwell Argus " hears it has been affirmed, but it cannot vouch for the fact, that it is the intention of shearers in the Cromwell district to stand out for payment of Ll per hundred, as agreed to at a meeting of shearers in ( >amaru. A new milking machine is noticed by the Oamaru paper. It is exceediugly simple, consisting of four small gutta-percha tubes, conjoined at one end, and having at the other perforate, silver points. It is claimed that a cow can be stripped in five or six minutes without pain or inconvenience. The Government expedition to the Endeavor river has discovered a rich aud exicnaive diggings. Tho news has caused a rush thero, and the Queensland Government have chartered the steamer James Patterson to couvoy au official staff, with stores and horses. The Alexandra correspondent of the "Southern Gro«s " states that the new prophet of the Hauhaus is trying to introduce Good Tomplarism among them. To this, however, Tnwhiao strongly objects, saying he cannot do without his " nobbier." The "Auckland Star" employs carrier pigeon? for the conveyance of news. In commenting on the result of the llospitil Sunday collections, the Melltourne "Telegraph" says :— Chalmers Church, it will be seen, takes the lead of the Melbourne congregations iv its contributions, and it is a significant fact that the Presbyterians also occupied the pride of the place at Sandhurst. The Presbyterians number 15 per ceut of the population, hut they manage to do 20 per cent, of the work. Gold is reported to have been found at tho head of Lake Hochstetter, West Coast, hy a party of men who were for three weeks exploring the country in that direction. Portions of the lake are said to be teeming wi>h wild fowl of every description. As an instance of this, one of the party recently killed fifteen wild ducks in one shot. Eel* aro also abundant in the lake ; and these, with a succulent plant known as " Maori cabbage," which grows luxuriantly near the i water's edge, formed the chief diet of tbe men. It is rumoured that Mr. Vogol's selfappointment to the office of Immigration Minister is merely a stopping stone to tbe ultimate appointment t > tbe office of Agent [ General. At the Thames there was lately an i investigation very similar to the inquiry now i taking place at Tukomairiro . Mr Seward, teacher of the Waiotahi school, was in attendance to answer the compUinU ! preferred against him at tho last meeting of ! the committee relative to the reference made by him to the massacre of Protestants hy , Catholics in France. The complaint was that he added "these Protestants wero not Orangemen either." The letter of Mr Me I nt y re, a plain statement, was read to Mr Seward who stated that part of the statement was true but part was totally void of truth. They were reading history, and he explained the meaning of the word " massacre," and in doing so instanced the massacre of St. Bartholomew, where the Catholics massacred tbe Protestauts. lie mode no ref.-rence to Orangemen. Thinkiug that something might have been said which would lead the children to suppose he bad made some such allusion, he had inquired from the children in tho class if he said anything about Orangemen, and they said he had not. Tbe girl Mclutyre was not in the history class at all. He could not think how they twisted it in this way. lie was simply anxious thit the children should understand the meaning of the word. —In answer to Mr O'lfaire, Mr Sewanl saiil be did not think making reference to such a fact was prejudicial to the way of thinking ol Catholic children.— Mr Sewanl then retired, and the question was discussed by tbe committee. The explanation made by Mr Seward was accepted by Mr O'Haire and tbe committee. He moved that the complaint and tbe defence be sent to the Board, " to deal with as they thought fit, so as to obtain an impression of opinion from 'them." — MrTylersuggestedtha' the circumstances of the c*ae viwu be met by directing the- chairman to write to Mr .Seward that in teaching history he wa« not to give uu;lue prominence to facts of this kind. After considerable discussion it was agreed I th.it the Chairman should draft a letter to j Mr Sewanl falling his attention to the necessity for extra care on such subjects, to be submitted to the next meeting. Shearers in H&wke's Pay are asking 20* to 22s Gd par 100. The settlers on tbe Waitaki Plains aro iode .te<l lo a sqnattor for tho urovistou of religions ordinance* in connection with the Church of Knglaiul. The ilou. Koburt Campbell has generally offered £100 per annum and the use of a house as bia contribution towards tbe maintenance of a clergyman in this'duirict, the need, of which are increasing. Tbe inhabitants of Invercargill applied to his Honor the Superintendent for » proportion of immigrants by the Lady Jcvelyn to be nent down for engagement in Southland. They wit-hed to have 100 adults of both sexes. Ou inquiry as to their willingness to go, fort/-one adults consented, and the Provincial Government have accordingly arranged for thoir passage to-day. Good, roofing slate is reported to oxisfc in tlrie Colony, and wt should like to tee it utilised.

.'* A Cajxf ronacorreapundent of tbe u Ci ooiwill Argus stales that the Cantroha botchers have' United ,in raising the price of beef \Mtid mut' on ; an<i now they have commenced, we hardly know were they wSI stop. What is worse si ill, we hear* that our commonage is likely to >*: sold otf into small runs. An exchange says that hare* and black swans, are n«»w very numerous at W«ih<4». Any day a Hock of swans, numbering from twenty to forty may be ie<n. Ai for the hares, an idea of their Lumbers may be formed when we raetion that a correspondent informs us that in one small paddock be started twelve. On the 11th instant Mir. T. F. M'Donogh, t lie' traveller lecturer on I>if o Aaanrano* bj the State, delivered a lecture in the Masonic Hall Dunedin. I The Governor's yacht Blanche arrived at Wellington on the 12th inst. 185 days out from England, and 33 front King George's ** Sound. Besides a couple of passengers^ sbe~ brings several valuable dogn. the property of the Crovernor, and a quantify, of furniture. She U 101 tons register, slut*. belongs toy, the Royal Yacht Squadron, of which"" hit Excellency is a member.' k - r . •"-'•> '•'•,xi ti * The"" Geelong Advertiser" rtskY:^-" How many more real Sir Arthur Tichboiws in wo to hear of? A small fanner residing within a mile or two of Geelong is positive that be knows where thc.veritivble baronet is, and can produce him iv six hours. But he scornt wealth, as the man, who U to produce him when ocearion offers, says ; htt nhruga his shoulders when adviacd to go home before th* Claimant ha* been finally settled iv a gaol or in a palace, as the case may be. lie dors not care how the trial terminates; he can beidrt»* tified as the real Sir Roger whenever Ist <-hoo3cs to go home. Jlc ppeaka French, possesses the necessary tattoo marks, even remembers the very room in which he was born, and knows all about the Claimant, who, be says, is Tom Castro, a former mate of his at W*gg» Wagga. The "Auckland Star" it responsible for the following :— " Mr. Vogri lias floated the Otngo "Guardian" Company at Dnnedia*. he has floated the " Southern Cross " Com* pany at Auckland. Xow ho has flouted Urn New Zealand "Times" Company at Wellington, and again we oWrve that another company for a morniug paper ha* just been flbatod —we presume by Mr. Vogal— at Christchurch. The longest speech on record is that of Dr. Keneally, counsel for the Tichborne claimant. lie began July 22nd and finished August 21st. The "Pall Mall Gaz »tte" exclaims " Women throughout the civilised world will hear with indignation and surprise that Dr. Mary Walker, of Washington, who is on a viiit to Baltimore, wan arrested in Gay-street, in that city, on the 22nd July, by a police officer for appearing out of doors in men's clothing. She was taken before a Justice, and of course immediately discharged. The culture of madder is practically unlimited. The value of the import into 'Great Britain exceeds £1,000,000 annually. It affords the groundwork of a great varlrtv of dye-n, from a bright Turkey red to a pale Iflai*; scarcely a calico print v indced, is mode without the use of it in some form* The suitability of soil and climate for the growth of it is *un« exceptionable in the North Island. On Wednesday last at the Port Chabnnra Police Court Thomas Brown, a seaman belonging to the ship Bokeby Hall, was arraigned for 'wilfully disobeying the lawful command* of the captain, and also for absouting- himself from the ship without leave. Tho former charge was dismissed, but the latter was considered proven, and the delinquent was sentenced to one month's impririonment and hard labor. The Interprovincial Match Committco have selected fo"ir*x*en gentlemen to practice for the Auckland Match. The fourteen are expected to practice every evening until the 20th, when the final selection of the eleven will be made. Mr. Boucant, formerly tho Attorney-Gene-ral of the colony of South Australia, thusnaively expressed hi« reason* for dccliuiug a iudgeship: — "He had himself been asked if lie would take the judgeship (i.e., that at the Northern Territory), but he hai refuel. Why should he accept such a position an that? ile could make as much at his profession ai tho Chief Justice, and liavc his say when he pleased. He could express hi* opinions when he liked and how be liked in reference to men and manners — could wear a cabbage-tree hat, as had at one time been telegraphed to Mel* bourne — and smoke bin pip*\ if he did such a thing, which he did not. Why should he give up the jolly independent position he ha-1 maintained all his life, and shelve himself upon the Bench ? " Mdle. Claus is the first female and finest violinist that has ever been in the colonies. Mdle. Rekel is said to be the m >st polished concert singer since the dayg of Catherine Hayes ; M. Rekel in a talented composer and brilliant pianist. Theso three artists are now in Melbourne Tbe last wsthiiu; at Blacks was four hundred and twenty ounces, the principal shareholder netting as much as £1, 100 as his proportion of tbe find. From Wentport we learn that (he first crushing of "tone from the Just in Time claim has yielded 1240 oza from 1 10 tons of stone, and a portion- of the tailings afterwards treated in the Auderson Company's claim yielded another ounce to the tou. In 1849 there was not a single Bible in circulation in the iUlian tongunfin Italy, with the exception of a few in I'ka nont. Within the last twelve years hilf a million copies bad been sold. This was wonderful, especially considering that the census taken two voars ago, out of twenty-six millions of Italian*, there were seventeen milliom who could no' read n«r write. We a<re glad to hrar that 9l;ssrs Hayes and Williams, (Cromwell toilpit.) struck a bed of coal at the liottom of their ib:»ft, about 14 feet in thickuossi. If ia said to ta of excellent quality. They will be in a }n>sition to supply co&la about tbe end of this week. . . | A letdrr in the "iluardjan" commenting ' upon certain discussions in tbe Duuediu Din- | ccsan Synod, concludes with the following I pithy sentence :— " Clergymen of all denora- } iuations. should be something m>re than inori al finger-posts ; they should join in the jour* | ney as well as point out tbe way. I On tbe 7th -instant, the Lo/al Cromwell Lodge of Oddfellow* ei-lcbratcl their third ' ! anniversary by a ball, hell in Mr Kidd's assembly room. ■ f We understand that it hr.a been decided by the Government to place tbe mm of £100 at Che dißpoal of the tfonlrona Progress Committae. Sonic startling opinion « cninaatc-l from a , few of the clergy at the late Church of Eng. land Diocesan Syn«> I. Hear the Key. Mr. Coffey : " The Provincial Coimcil compelled the *Bible to be read iv th* Government schools without n<»t« or comment, »ud this is what is callel ra'igiom 'instruction : it wm a mistake, a perfect ph>nrb-.u." The Rev. Mr. Jones siid thvt " bis experience proved to him that tha r ;vlin^ of the Bible ■was little or uo goo 1." The Uov. Mr. Stanford said that * 4 the ]>reas-*>fc wvr* being trained up aa per'ect h'affwn* aa>l The " Dunstan Times v Uin e.»3ta,*ijo because tbe Arrow paper was the sole work lately of one ip»n. The di-n<s(i.»io:ts of the niw Arrow Romm Catholic Church are aa follows :- l^xvjtk, 46ft ;h :i^ht of side wall* from b%%e. liitt. ; height of g%ble, Siifc. ; height of oaiopani'e, 45ft. Mr F. W. finrwcU, of Quoea towu; is the architect ; and Mr Polji- Walker of Queenafowii, the buil 1««\ From ft lin ;ui tic a.d typographical poh.t of view we agrje with tue '• Gurvr lian " when it lavs that th i " N«w Z "aland Tablet " ii an exceedingly a">le and skilfully cjadustcd journal.