Colonial News.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1014, 15 April 1869, Page 2

Colonial News.

A movement is making in Southland for annexation to Otago. It is a curious fact, says a New York paper, as appears from a report of the Secretary of the Interior, that while there is but one Revolutionary soldier now living (he lives in this State) and drawing a pension, there are at the present time on the rolls the names of 888 widows of Revolutionary soldiers. The mothers of the Revolution were evidently, younger than the fathers, or else they live longer. An experimental boiling down of fifty merino ewes lately took place at Mr Luxford’s establishment at Wellington. ' The ewes were small and in ordinary condition, averaging about 401bs each. According to the Wairarapa Mercury, the following were the prices realized : —IOO legs of mutton, at 2d. per lb, £5 ss. ; 16 dozen hearts, tongues, and kidneys, at 4d.- per dozen, ss. 4d. ; 6771bs tallow, at 4d. per lb, £ll ss. Bd. ; fifty sheepskins, at Is. each £2 10s. ; making the gross amount realized £l9 6s. Against this has to be set the charge for boiling down fifty ewes at Is. each, £2 10s. ; and three casks at ss. each, 155., or £3 ss. altogether ; making the net amount realized by the transaction, £l6 Is., or 6s. sd. each.

In the sitting of the General Synod, of the English Church at Dunedin, on April 9, Mr James Smith moved a resolution affirming the justness of Bishop Jenner’s claimand declaring to accept him as Bishop, provided none of the alleged charges were proved against him within three mouths. After a debate of fifteen hours the resolution was negatived, For—clergy, 4 ; laity, 10. Against —clergy, 4 ; laity, 15. A correspondent of the Southern Cross writes that, “At the supper after the ball held at Shortland on the evening of St Patrick’s Day, tho health of her Majesty the Queen was not proposed as is customary on all such public occasions, and that Mr. Grove, having drawn attention to the omission, was answered by a well-known gentleman of that place to the effect that it had been purposely omitted because under the present circumstances of the colony, neither her Majesty, her advisers, nor the British public in general, deserve any recognition of consideration from the colonists of New Zealand. Thereupon, says our correspondent, there was much dissatisfaction evinced, and some disposition shown by the loyal subjects present to make a forcible amendment, but that harmony was restored after some trouble. We can hardly believe such an omission could have taken place at a loyal place like Shortland, but certainly, on reference to the reports, we fail to find any notice of her Majesty’s health having been drunk Several correspondents call attention in the Thames papers to the oversight.” A story told by a passenger by the Flying Cloud, on her last voyage, on reaching his destination, fell in with a Jewish lady of great personal attraction, enhanced by a private fortune of 20,000 ; that the lady became enamoured of him, and after a brief courtship gave him her hand and her fortune. At the termination of the honeymoon, the happy pair took passage by steamer for New Zealand, the husband having determined to revisit the scenes of former years, and to dazzle by his wealth those who had despised him at a time when he scarcely contrived to eke out a bare subsistence. Unfortunely, some hitch appears to have occurred in the arrangements—the steamer taking her departure with the lady on board as a passenger, while the disconsolate husband remained on shore, He, however followed by the first opportunity, and reached Auckland a few days ago, where he now awaits his better half. Sueh is the story told us by a gentleman upon whose veracity every reliance may be placed ; but there is an air of utter improbability about the details of the story, which leaves it open to considerable suspicion. The Sydney Morning Herald informs us that defalcations to a considerable amount have been discovered in connection with the Sydney branch of the Panama and New Zealand Steam Company’s service. The company’s staff of officials was reduced about two months ago, and the keeping of certain of the account books changed hands. It was owing to this circumstance that the discrepancies in the accouuts were first brought to light. The discovery was made about a fortnight ago. About that time, Mr Godfrey F. Chamberlain, who had been engaged as clerk in the company’s office up to the 31st of January last, disappeared very suddenly and somewhat mysteriously from Sydney, His duties were to receive freight and passengers’ money. The supposition is that he sailed for San Francisco on hearing a rumour of the disclosures which had been made in the office of which he was lately a clerk. It is stated that a considerable sum of money has been abstracted ; but until the completion of an investigation, which is now going on, the exact amount cannot be known.

We have just lieai'd (says the Clarence Examiner) of an almost unparalled instance of the length of time in which a man lost in the bush of Australia was able to subsist, and, though picked up in a very emaciated condition, is now under the charge of Dr Croft in a fair way of recovery. The name of the unfortunate wanderer is Allen George Ansell, who had been engaged in shearing in New England, and was en route to the Clarence River, when after leaving Major Parke’s station at Guy Fawkes, on the Armidale road, he got off the track, and was lost in the bush for 28 days, during which time Ansell subsisted ou wattle gum, sarsaparilla leaves, and a jew lizard, and was ultimately picked up on the sea coast, seven miles from Mr Devlin’s station, in a very exhausted state, by Mr William Hazard, who attended to his wants, and forwarded him to South Grafton, when Mr William Cowan kindly took him in. Ansell had given himself up, and had scratched his name and place of birth on the back of a small looking-glass, requesting any one who might find his remains, to have the notice published in the newspapers. Ansell states that, owing to chelate rains, he was never a day without water, to .which cause, Dr Croft believes the preservation of life was mainly due.