ROXBURGH. {From our own Correspondent.)

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 426, 16 January 1875, Page 2

ROXBURGH. {From our own Correspondent.)

The School Committee held the usual annual meeting on Monday, lltli inst., when, the old committee with one or two additions, were re-elected. There was a rather thin attendance. The committee hold a meeting this evening for the pu pose of selecting a Schoolmaster, the school being at present without one, Mr. Sircombe, the late master, having resigned. There are several applications for the post, and it is to be hope. l that the choice of the committee may be the means of putting the right man in the right place. Tuesday last was Court day here, and a great many were in attendance, owing no doubt in a great measure to their having nothing better to do. The floods of last ■week rendered the river too high for the claimhoklers to work. The case of Mrs. Cairns v. Lamont for £6 value of a heifer said to belong to the plaintiff, and sold by the defendant to Mr James Beightonand resold by him to Mr. J. Burton and killed was brought on. John M'Kay swore to the best of his belief that the beast was the property of the plaintiff, but from the time he saw it in her possession it had been branded twice. Lamont proved having bought the right of Mr. Alex. M % Pherson to several head of rattle, and thi3 beast was claimed to be one of them, and had been branded with an A upside down by Mr.- Archibald M'Pherson, who professed to know all Alex. M'Pherson's cattle, and who branded for Lamont. The other brand J.B. was put on at the time of purchase by Mr. James Beighton. The case was left an open one- to give, the plaintiff a chance to produce any further evidence. Fretros v. Wilson for £12, value of a horse left with the defendant at grass at 2s 6d per week, which had since died, and it was sought to be proved that it had died through defendant's neglect and hard usage. J. Cosgrove, a boy in defendant's employ, about 13 years of age, and who gave his evidence in a very straightforward manuer, after being asked by the Magistrate if he" knew what it | was to tell a lie — proved having seen the defendant riding the horse about on several occasions, on one of wbicli he left the horse behind on the road to Campbell'?, and when she came down to the paddock - the defendant would not admit her, on the ground as he said that she was dereased. Wilson tried to prove that he made every attempt to hand the mare over to Fretros who was working over the ranges, but could not dv so on account of the snow, and the mare being weak he had to leave her behind. I His evidence went to prove the mare to be almost worthless, and Fretros admitted that he only gave six pounds for her. Judgment for £5. Several applications were granted subject to survey on the block of land to the north of Coal Creek, which was cancelled a short time back. The Government made a promise to the Municipal Council that this block and also the one on Captain Henderson's run should not be open before the same was scctionised, but through neglect in not sending instructions to Mr. Simpson, he had no . alternative but to accept the applications. The block remains at present closed against any further applications.

Several residence areas were granted on the east side of the river.

The Chinese Emperor's Amusements.—The " China Mail " gives an account of the horrible tortures now practised upon the subjects of the Peking puppet. During the past month a young woman was sentenced to undergo the ling chili, or death by cutting to -pieces. The agony is prolonged through such operations as flaying the face, cutting off the breasts, excising the muscles, nipping off the fingers and toe.s, and finally disembowelling the wretched victim, who even then has been known to manifest signs of life! The "every- day" punishments are said to be — compressing the- ankles and squeezing the fingers, until crushed, between boards ; twisting the ears, kneeling on chains, striking the lips until jellied ; putting the hands in stocks behind the back, or tying the hands to a bar under the knees, and chaining- the neck to a stone. Cases are officially recorded of nailing prisoners hands between boards; using beds of iron, scalding with boiling water, inserting red-hot spikes, cutting the tendon Achilles, and burying the body up to the neck in lime while the prisoner is forced to swallow large draughts of water. Finally a lighter punishment is to make the criminal knee} on a mixture of pounded glass, sand, and, salt till the knees are excoriated, .