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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1017, 22 April 1869, Page 2

Lecture at Marton. — Mr W. Fox will deliver a lecture on Strong Drinks, at the School-house, Marton, on Tuesday evening, 27th inst. Napier. — During the past week when Napier was threatened from Mohaka, business in that town was entirely suspended for the time being, and every available man, with the exception of the Government officials, went to the Front. Rutland Hotel. — The renewed license for this hotel, which comes into force on the 1st of July, will probably be inaugurated in the splendid new erection that Mr Chavannes purposes rearing on the site of the old hotel. The new structure will assuredly be an ornment to the town, the plans promising that more extensive and quite as substantial a range of buildings will adorn the corner of Ridgeway street and Victoria Avenue.

District Prize Firing. — Out of the number of local competitors, on Tuesday, Mr D. Hurley made what was then, and is likely to continue to be, the highest score ever made at the regulation ranges in this district, — the respectable score of 48 points out of a possible 60. The firing, besides, on that morning was generally good. Yesterday morning another batch fired off when the most successful competitor was Drill-Instructor Mr J. F. Kells who made 45 points. Thus the two highest scores have been made during the past two days. The Rev. J. U. Taylor. — After a ministry of three years, during which a fine church has been built and several Presbyterian congregations organised at central points in the Waikato, Mr Taylor has been necessitated, owing to the unsettled state of the country, to resign his charge in that district. His determination has been the cause of general regret, and previous to his departure, he was waited upon by a number of gentlemen, with Mr Searancke, R.M., at their head, who presented him with an address, expressive of the feelings of respect and esteem in which he is universally held. The address was accompanied by a purse of sovereigns. Mr Taylor thanked the depution and expressed his regret at leaving the district.

Taranaki. — From private sources we learn that Titoko Waru, reinforced from various quarters, but principally it is supposed from the Ngatimaniapotos, has assumed a threatening attitude in the Upper Waitara. In another column we give the latest published news. The town of Taranaki is turned into something like a military camp, for what between volunteers, militiamen, and armed bodies of outsettlers driven in, the whole male population is under arms. Of the Armed Constabulary only 150 remain to aid the local forces against the enemy who is stated to be 500 strong. Major Tuke, from the East Coast, is reported to be in command of the Constabulary. A battle was supposed to be imminent.

Accident at Rangitikei. — On Tuesday night, the 13th inst., a man named Hill, in the employ of Messrs Stevens & Fraser, Lower Rangitikei, fell from the road down a precipitious descent of at least 60 feet, falling on the stones beneath. The poor fellow lay there some hours, and although severely injured struggled on till he reached Campion’s station next morning. The injuries the man received were very great, the scalp been torn away and the face and cheek bones broken. He is now lying in a dangerous condition. It appears that the Rangitikei river recently changed its course carrying away part of the road, and the unfortunate man being short sighted mistook the glimmer of the river for the road and so fell over. The Movements of the Prince. — His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh took his departure from Wellington on Saturday morning, and was to arrive at Nelson on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. He was to have left Nelson on Tuesday evening, and arrived at Lyttelton on Thursday, the 22nd instant ; leaving Lyttelton on Sunday, the 25th instant, he will arrive at Port Chalmers on the 26th ; and will leave that port on the 30th for Wellington. On Monday, the 3rd of May, His Royal Highness will again leave Wellington, and arrive at Kawau on the 7th may, where after a stay of 24 hours he will proceed to Auckland. — On Thursday last he planted four trees in the grounds of the Government House to commemorate his visit to Wellington. The Movements of the Field Force. — The Government p.s. Sturt arrived in the Manukau on Monday, 15th April, from Taranaki. She arrived at Waitara from Patea on the 7th, with Armed Constabulary and left the same day for New Plymouth. Thence the Sturt went to Opunaki and took on board other men of the Armed Constabulary and some camp equipage, and went into Waitara again on the 9th. Sailing from thence, she arrived in the Manukau as above. She took 150 of Colonel Mould’s Constabulary men, who at once marched over to Auckland and embarked on board the Lord Ashley for the East Coast. On the 16th the steamers Lord Ashley and Star of the South took down from Auckland to Tauranga a large force of Armed Constabulary and some of the Arawas.

LICENSING MEETING. The annual meeting was held at the Court House on Tuesday last. The Bench was occupied by the following Justices of the Peace :— Major Durie, Capt R. W. Smith, Major Turner, and G. Y. Lethbridge, Esq. The following licenses were renewed on the applicants and their surties acknowledging their recognizances :— At Turakina : J. K. Price, Benevis Hotel ; Farrel O’Riley, Shamrock Hotel ; Esteve Belve, Family Hotel ; John McDonald, Caledonian Hotel, Wangaehu. At Wanganui: David Atkinson, Wanganui Hotel ; Alex. Bennett, Exchange Hotel ; James Cathro, St John’s Hotel ; P. A. Chevannes, Rutland Hotel ; William Coombe, Red Lion Hotel ; Maria Davidson, Steam Packet Hotel ; R. and J. Day, Jockey Club Hotel ; Edward Hackett, Victoria Hotel ; Hugh Morrow, Criterion Hotel ; Daniel McGregor, Phoenix Hotel ; James Rapley, Prince of Wales Hotel ; C. P. O’Hanlon, Empire Hotel ; Charles Thomas, Albion Hotel ; John Walker, Aramoho Hotel ; and R. S. Low, Commercial Hotel. The application of John Loscombe, for a license, was withdrawn. The application of Edward Samuel Broughton, for a house, in Ridgeway street, to be called by the sign of the Provincial Hotel, was granted. A transfer to W. Robinson for the unexpired portion of the license of the Masonic Hotel, to the end of June, was granted. The other application filed was withdrawn.

The consideration of an application for a bush license at Wairoa, by G. Dickey, which had been referred to the Bench by the Superintendent, was postponed for a week to allow further representation on the subject to be made by the residents of the district and the commanding officer. The general impression seemed to be that the granting of a license in that disturbed district was premature.