NEWS BY CABLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3478, 7 April 1890, Page 2

NEWS BY CABLE.

PBS: -'■ London, April 2, Sir Charles Dilke, in an article contributed to tho United Service Magazine advooatos that the colonies should bo represented on tho general military staff, and asserts that this alqne will solve the '■ problem of Imperial defeneg, ' ''Bit 'Charles' Hallii, the eminent pianist,', who leaves' shortly : for Australia, was accorded an' imjnerise l^eKll^ceiitipfj,'' 1 :-' "■ ■''""•• In. official' Qircles .dflubfa are expressed whether Lord Camngtoii \y;ll"r.etiirn from' New South' AVale's tjefcre lus period of service expires, ■ . MrK', ltichaf.ds'on-'fiardiierjM.P, for Windsor, having resigned; Mr a Cpnseryat'ive,, has beon ejected tij tyf t|je'vacancy by a majo'rjty o,f oyer Mr Ofejifell, flip Hpfl-gule .candidate.' ' " " . V'". ..'. ' Aprilf r ; ; Tho Marquis of Normauby died at Brighton last evening. ■'M

.tlie: Jwo'brotli'ere Davis, who were sentenced, to death for tlie brutal murder ~'of their father, will bo reprieved! Lord Deerhurst's creditors' demand twenty shillings in the pound. Stanley ia, expected to reach England ou April 20. , .FOREIGN. ...

• Zanzibar, April 2. It is roported from Mombasa that Dr Peters' expedition, which it was said had been massacred at Vitu in Decembor last, is safe. ' • , Aden, April 2. Another expedition is preparing here to proceed against the Soinalis., Si,. Petersburg, ApriH,,' ', The Czar has abandoned his proposed hunting expedition'in Poland, because he was warned the train would be derailed, ' The students' agitation has been renewed in St. Petersburg. 'At Moscow fifteen students aro being tried for political rebellion. At Charkoff further arrests, followed by expulsion, have taken place. A rising of the- peasantry /has taken place at Kidman, but it was suppressed after a "good deal of fighting and bloodshed, A rebellion of the peasantry in Finland js feared, Berlin, Aprils. : Tho Emperor William has intimated his intention of witnessing the Russian mauojuvres at Krasnaselo. Another report., .respecting,., the quarrei between the Emperor-and Prince Bisinarok isjhat it'ocoured over the bold polioy of the former foi extending the colonial possessions ol Germany, Lisbon, April 4, Dom Pedro, ex-Emperor of Brazil has refused to accept tho proceeds o. the forced sale of his property. •'

Taratahi Carterton Road BoardThe ordinary monthly' meeting of tho above Board was held on Saturday last, Present Messrs H, R. Bunny (chairman), E. W. Dorset, G. W. Deller, Jas. Stevens, N, Gvaco, E; S. fMaunsell, E, Morgan, J, Eayuer, and "SV. B, Allen, The minutes of tho previous meeting were rsadand confirmed. Tho treasurer reported sn overdraft at the hank ofis7 I9s 10(1, The Clerk laid on the table a statement of accounts relative to each Ward, also the account ol rates collected and still owing, and tho probable receipts and expenditure for the next year. Correspondence was received from Mr Moore ro the road leading to his property at Waignawa left to the Warden for No 7 Ward. From Mr Skeyre the road near his property; no action was taken. From settlers at Dalefield asking that the road leading I from Waterson's line to the school be metalled. It was resolved that they be informed that owing to the financial position of the Ward the work could not bo done unless they would consont to pay a special rate—from the ranger tendering his resignation, which was accepted, and on the motion of' the Chairman applications were invited for tho office of ransjor to close on tho next meeting day of the board. From Messrs Henderson and Shute denyiug the charge made;against them of injuring tho' road by drawing logs. The Warden for No 5 Ward 6tated that they had injured the road and moved that they he called upon to repair it. Complaint was made by settlers on the Cemetry line about horses being tethered along the road. .It was resolved that tho ranger lmvo notice to attoud to his duties more strictly. Correspondence outwards-From letter book was read and approved. A deputation waited on the Board in reference to tho motalling of Ihe swamp -road, and £3O was handed in .subscribed by the settlers, The Board promised to get the work dono without dolay, Mr. Gallon and others waited on the Board in reference to the road at Jones' at Matarawa, and pointed out it a danger there was of people falling into the river on adark night. After some considerable discussion it was resolved that Messrs Stevens, Dellmi and Morgan wait on Mr Jones with the view of making some arrangement with him to allow public traffic through his paddock, and on the motion of Mr Stevens seconded by Mr Morgan it was earned that the special rate incurred by the Government loan under the roads and bridges construction Act bo collected. Only two tomlors were received from metalling Waihakeke road that of Messrs Eayuer and Strawbridge both at 14s per chain, Rayner's tender being accepted as the other was informal. Some accounts were passed for payment and the meeting adjourned.

' MR E. WAKEitfEU).

Mr Edward Wakefield has done something more, says the Lyttolton Times, sinco he. loft the Colony, than writo a book about it, Wo note that articles from his pen havo already gained admittance to several American newspapers, That Mr Wakefield is a clever, as woll as a facile wtitcr, no ono evor doubted, and no one will be sorry to seobim succeed in the new line <vh!cn he has bad the courage and energy to try; One article of his, which has appeared in a'magazine called Outing, has furnished us with plenty ol amusement at any rate. It is a description of a morning's sport on; the sea coast of North Otago, and is entitled "Catching Frost-fish with a Shotgun," We confess that, the title made ns strain our eyes not,n little. We should abbuc as soon have thought of reading "Catching 'Whales with'a. Mousetrap " in a magazine which, like Ouling, is devoted to the serious business of sport and athletics. However, we read on, and discovered that the' writer did not quite mean the frost-fish were shot with cartridges of No. 5, but that the breech-loaders of Now Zealand fishermen have to be employed in preserving then 1 ' fish from the voracious Attacks of tho sea-birds. He describes very, pleasantly how he and a friend, a certain Major Pitt, walked along the Waikouaiti beach just as "the dawn wns glowing into j'osy red,'-' and saw a silver stroatr flash-fin the top of a wave. They rushed to the Nearest point of the beach just in time to see a frost-fish wriggle out of tho water- on to the wet sand. At the same moment" all the soagulls in the sky "seemed to congregate overhead. Tho two friends fired into the brown, and brougljt down " four or five" birds. Then they seized one ppd of their fish. At' th'o sarne' instant, " three or four' great : sea-birds screaming hideously" got hold of it at the other end.' Pitt drove theiii off with tho barrels of, his gan,'but not before they had torn the eyes out of trie fish ontjipjidesopio ,farrows in its. eddo. Truly,' voracious'sej),-bir(jß' those I However, the yarn makes good reading, and thpiifili we have never ! heard of gujis running Gshermpn guite so nurd fpr a prey, still that <}qep not prove tpat llje thing?niay .npt; have bappoDodl Perljaps' .some Bportimj IfOTPT W9J- V? ft tll*|oH

SensatmalSuicide^--| A sensltiionaf suicide mitted Rt]|ou(lv JWboiirnei o'n : ,tEe 14th McQuai) shot himself while confined in one of the colls at the local watchhouse. Ho hnd been paying his nddresses to a servant girl named J essie • Cameron,'- who" wa seinjiloyed by Mi' Evans, but ho had on three separate occasions forgotten bis manhood, and struck hor.qn the face, She forgave Jiim twice,. but refused to pardon him .the third time, and thieatened.to leave Melbourne, sHe expressed deep regret for His brutality', and tried,to persuade her to overlook theimatter 1 , but she/efused to do so. He called' on lier at'rtbout half-past 11 o'clock, and made a final appeal. As be bad previously threatened her life, she was afraid,- from his manner when he left her,' that he intended mischief, and when she heard him returning in the afternoon,she locked herself in the Bitticg-room jin; Evans' 'house: Disappointed at not finding the girl, M'Quail-made his way npito the bedroom, whore be tore to ribbons every atrip of clothing that was in iho room. Mr Evans found him wandering about the hoase in an;exoitsd stale, and ; handed him over io the senior, constable, who took him to the look-up. Prior to placing him in the cell, they searched bim in the usiial niannor, but'did not notice that ho had a revolver. Aftor he had been about half an hour in the culls a renoit.was heard, and'oiitho officials opening the door they found thrs! man dead in the cell, with a bullet wound in his head and a revolver in his right hand. It ta surmised that, lie intended to murder the girl first au'd then commit suicide.' Deceased was a man of splendid physique' and a capable tradesman, • .

A VAST SCHEME.

The proposed new American scheme of naval construction, to which Mr Gladstone alluded in his speech at Chester, involves the building and completing between the present time and the close of the year 1908 of 10 battleships, each of 8000 tons, and costing, in all £10,000,000; eight battleships, each of 8000 tons, and costing in all .£8,000,000; 12 battleships, each of 7000.tons, and posting in all £10,800,000; five battleships, each of 6000 tons, aud costing in all £8,500,000; 10 armored rirnis, each of 3500 tons, and costing in all £3,000,000:9. belted cruisers, eaoh of 6250 tons, aud costing in all £5,940,000; four, deck protected cruisers, each of 7400 tons, and costing in all £2,800,000; nine deck protected cruisers, each of 6400 tons, and costing in all £5,040,000; two deck protected cruisers, eaoh of 4000 tons, and. costing in all ,1820,000; five despatch vessels, each of 1200 ton's, and costing in all £500,000: three depot ships, each of about 4500 tons, and costing in all £1,209,000; and 15 torpedo gun vessels, eaoh of 900 tons, andcostingin a 11£1,500,000 The total number of ships is 92, the total tonnage 488,450, and the total estimated expense of construction £58,700,090, This means that the vessels are to cost, one with another, about £lO9 a ton. Examination of the cost of recent British ships of equivalent classes revsals the fact that taken all round the' outlay has boon only at the rate of £59 a tou,

Sunday Trading in Melbourne

••■';.. Melbourne,' March 25. ■'• Sunday morning presented a queer scene iu most of the suburbs. An arrangement had been arrived at by a large number of publicans to absolutely close and watch the effect their action had on the public, In Eitzroy, Collingwood, and Richmond ■very few houses were open. A few, however, opened in spite of all warning, and the result was that they did a roaring trade during the day and the night. Early on Sunday morning the usual stream of thirsty souls arrived at the doors of their favourite hocels, in the. hopes of getting their usual reviver, but all. the knocking could liot get the side door open. An adjournment would then be made to the back. Here pleading and threats wero made alternatively, but in vain. The publican was. inexorable, and" watohedwithfiendish gleethe efforts of the thirsty to obtain a drink, Some bolder than others made attempts to scale the back gate,- but failed to succeed. Three loads of larrikins..in fish carta, failing to, obtain drinks in Collingwood, started on a foraging expedition' to Fitzroy. Every public-house they passed they stopped at, and repeatodly'demanded admission, After about two hours' search they at iast found one publican who had- tho hardihood to admit them,aiidhewas'sorry for it afterwards, for the task of ejecting them was by no means an easy one. The result of tho {rial is that the pub? licans as a rale are disappointed, and many threaten that next Sunday they shall engage in their «ld tactics and defy the law,

A SNAKE STORY.

"One "foreipn," says Mr Carl Lumholtz, author of" Among Can,' nibals," a book descriptive of his experiences iu Northern Queensland, ,',' I was asked to come down to the garden to kill a snake. "As I approaohed the place I was greatly astonished to find the roptilebanging dead down a ; stono wall. At .the same time I noticed "the'head of another "snake concealed further up the wall, which' had seized the dead serpent by/the middle; so iha't'the head and tail of the latter touched the ground. -As it was difficult for the victor to swallow his prey in the above described position .'.he dropped it to the ground and crept dowiuftor it. Meanwhile I bad stepped back, and from my place of concealment I could'now'watch and see what it was going to do. They were "both of about the same size. The serpent laid itself conveniently opposite its victim, and began to swallow it. Its jaws were opened wide, wild with desire j' the head of the dead sorpent disappeared "past its' greedy teeth, and the rest pf'jt "soon' sjipped down. _ I allowed'it to swallow about one/third of the dead serpeant; tbeii I stepped forward and gave it a blow across the back. It now tried with all its .might to get rid of its prey, but the head stuck fast in its throat, and it soon had to succumb to w blows.' In this condition they were put inspirits; as they not be separated by forco'.; The,'greedy animal was a brown'shake, oneof the most Venomous. |ji Australia, Its prey was a baruileej kind, the so called' brown 'tree piiake. The venomous one measured i faet 2 inches, andthe other 4 feet finches."

"I hear your Husband, out shooting, ' pid lie bave any lijok? asked. Mrs Fitzrpy • flf : Mrs; Shiftless, 'lOlvyog; he Ijajliiok, tfyou please to oall'it bo. HsbT^twofingsreof msM* ■:■.'-,