LOCAL, AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 2413, 23 April 1874, Page 2

LOCAL, AND GENERAL NEWS.

Licences. — The hotelkeepers and others to whom licenses were granted on Tuesday, attended with their sureties yesterday and signed the requisite recognizances.

Sale of Mr Brown’s Stud. — There was a good attendance at Mr J. Chadwick’s sale of Mr T. V. Brown’s Stud yesterday, and on the whole excellent prices were realised. ‘Lochinvar’ was knocked down to Mr J. Day, for Hunia, for £180, and ‘Flatcatcher’ for £30. ‘The Peer’ was bought in at £50.

Correction. — There was a serious printers error in the report of the Licensing Court in our issue of yesterday, By the omission of a line, it was made to appear that Mr Morrow of the Criterion Hotel had been cautioned. We may state that no exception whatever was taken to Mr Morrow’s application for a renewal of his license, and that the caution applied to another Mr Muller, whose name was omitted.

Immigrants. — The following is an approximate list of the immigrants expected to arrive by the ‘Wennington,’ now overdue. Married couples without children — 3 labourers, 1 tinsmith, 1 bricklayer, 4 farm labourers, 1 painter. Married couples without children — 13 labourers, 10 farm labourers, 2 painters, 2 shepherds, 1 blacksmith, 1 ropemaker, 1 gardener, 1 tailor, 1 butcher, 1 mason, 1 farrier, 6 carpenters, 1 gasfitter, 1 wheelwright. Single men — 13 labourers, 2 painters, 1 baker, 3 carpenters, 2 hammermen, 1 fitter, 2 bootmakers, 1 tailor, 1 blacksmith, 16 farm labourers, 1 sailmaker, 1 shipwright, 2 masons, 1 slater, 1 gardener. Single women — 11 general servants, 1 housemaid, 1 housekeeper, 1 cook, 3 young girls.

The Provincial Auditorship. — It was expected that Mr Travers, on behalf of the Provincial Government, would have moved in the Supreme Court yesterday for the dissolution of the injunction obtained by the General Government restraining the Provincial Treasurer from spending the £50,500 obtained from the Bank for public works. Such an application was not made ; but in place thereof, Mr Travers has raised a demurrer to the information on which the injunction was founded, the principal ground of demurrer being the locus standi of the Attorney General. The demurer will be argued before the Court of Appeal at its next sittings, and if sustained, will of course upset the whole case of the General Government, and render fresh proceedings necessary, if that Government think fit to institute them.

Wellington Presbytery. — This Court sat at Wellington on the 15th and 16th inst, There were present — Rev James Doull, of Rangitikei moderator ; Rev Messrs Elmslie, Paterson, Moir, Ross, Lawrie, and Mr James Smith elder. Mr Elmslie stated that the Rev Neil McCullum (whose credentials from the Presbytery of Auckland he laid on the table) is at present laboring in the Patea and Hawera districts with much encouragement and success. The Presbytery give a cordial welcome to Mr McCullum as a fellow laborer in that new and interesting field, and express the hope that ere long matters will be ripe for his induction to some clearly denned charge within that wide district ; and for their taking steps to have another minister located in that part of the field, which may still be left unoccupied. The Presbytery took up the subject of Government Education in the Province, and the proposed alterations in the Provincial Education Act. They approved of the abolition of the capitation rate, and of a small fee for children attending school being charged instead ; they are decidedly opposed to grants being given to denominational schools, or schools in the Province not established under the Act. And they approve of local or district committees to act under the General Board, but to be elected by the ratepayers ; the committee or local boards to have power, if they see fit, to sanction religious instruction being given at a stated hour in the school and under the proviso of a conscience clause ; the appointment of teacher also to be made by the local boards, but only those eligible as teachers who hold a certificate of competency from the General Board. The Presbytery appointed the Revs Messrs Ogg, Moir, and Paterson a committee to embody these views in a memorial to be presented to the Provincial Council. The Presbytery having concluded their business adjourned, to hold the next ordinary meeting at Wanganui.