GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 848, 10 August 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The annual report furnished by the Governor of Dunedin Gaol proves the establishment to be self-supporting. He says:—"Out of the vote* of £5,985 10s, £5,254 9s 4d had been expended on the European, and £2,801 3s on the Maori prisoners, making the total expenditure £8,055 12* 4d, or £929 17s 8d less than the estimated expenditure. The value of the labour performed by the prisoners, together with the payment of the General Government on account of the Maori prisoners, and a few small miscellaneous items, amount to £9,791 15s Id, showing an excess of revenue over expenditure of £1736 2s 9d. The rate of wages at which the value of the work done by the prisoners has been calculated were submitted to the Government Inspector of Works,and considered by him to be moderate. The labour of the European prisoners is calculated at rates varying from Is per day in the case of wardswomen to 6s per day in the case of painters, carpenters, and plumbers, the average being 4s per day. The labour of the Maori prisoners is valued at a uniform rate of 2s 6d per day." John Thomas, alias John Buggy, was recently charged before the Resident Magistrate at Greymouth with stealing a shilling while playing cards. The evidence showed that one of the players had lost the coin, and Thomas had been seen to put something in his pocket, after reaching his hand towards the cribbage board. The prisoner was discharged with a caution. An action wa3 recently tried at Timaru before Mr Justice Ward, in which the the plaintiff, a Mr Sutter, sued a storekeeper, Mr Munro, for the sum of £l3l, being the value of fixtures alleged to have been illegally removed from his premises. His Honour, in giving judgment, said : "As regards fixtures erected by tho defendant there is no question but that they being erected for the purposes of trade might have been removed, if without injury to the freehold, provided no mortgage existed on the property—with a mortgage they were the property ,of tho mortgagee, and tho mortgagee was therefore entitled to the value of the fixtures removed by Munro." Judgment was given for the plaintiff for £IOO and costs. A Melbourne paper reports that the large clipper ship Mary Shepherd, which was on fire, and was scuttled and sunk in the bay, has been once more taken alongside the Railway Pier, Sandridge, to discharge the remainder of her cargo. Thus far, the ship has been more fortunate than other vessels which have been on fire in Hobson's Bay, in not only escaping utter destruction, but also in being speedily got afloat again, and in these respects she stands ■almost alone, in the local maritime disasters.

All extraordinary meteorological phenomenon was recently noticed in Auckland harbour. The concussion, apparently of a thunderbolt, was so great that the water arose on each side to the height of a cutter's mast, and a large volume of spray, or ashes, or steam, for it has been described as having the closest resemblance to the latter two substances, was borne for a long distance down the harbour.

A writer in the Timaru " describing the works in progress in connection with the Eangitata bridge, states that filling its columns with concrete is laborious and slow work, which it is thought might be lessened by using improved appliances. The concrete is composed of five parts of shingle, one part of sand, and one of cement. This is the ordinary mixturo, but for the first section of the column a double quantity of cement was used. Two men are placed in the air chamber, whflse duty it is to receive supplies from the outside, and when a certain quantity is taken in, the door is closed with a heavy iron shutter, and the air turned on." The chamber having received a given supply of air, communication is opened with the column, down which there is a man whoso care it is to spread and ram the concrete, taking particular precaution to fill up well under the fianges of the sections, in order to give an equal bearing on the concreto column, aud'to prevent tho weight of the superstructure resting on the iron work, the engineer's plan being that tho whole weight of the upper works should be on the concrete. Tho feeling in the chamber when the air is first turnedon is anything but pleasant,

the ears giving evidence that the weight of air pumped in is something' very abnormal, but this ringing, bursting sensation is only for a timo until the heavy iron trap door is lifted, communicating with the column. The air is then equalised in pressure, and we should say that by ordinary m>»n this pressure can be easily borne, although for one or two of the men employed at the bridge works, working inside the column has proved too milch, and they have been obliged to give it over, owing to the air pressure causing blooding at the nose and month." The other day a long discussion took place in the Otago Provincial Couneil on the following motion, moved by Mr Haughton, "That the estimates for education be reconsidered, in order to make provision for a subsidy to Boman Catholic Schools, in accordance with the several petitions of tho Boman Catholic inhabitants of this Province." A cotnmitteo of the Council had previously reported on this subject, as follows : " Your committee, are unable to recommend compliance with the prayer of the petitioners in the granting of separate support to Catholic denominational schools, the effect of which would be to increase the cost of the establishments, impair to some extent the efficiency of the schools, and open the door to the introduction of the denominational system ; in subversion of that which has hitherto existed to the -satisfaction and benefit of the country at large." A long discussion ensued, and ultimately Mr Haugh ton's motion was negatived by 23 to 4. It is stated in the Auckland papers that Kereopa, the murderer of the sainted Yolkner, and the introducer of Hauhauism and cannibalism into the Tauranga district, has been pardoned. To this the loyal chiefs naturally demur, feeling most acutely the fact that six of their chiefs were butchered, &c, in their presence, the heads of their victims being taken away as trophies of victory by this arch-savage, but which on Opotiki being taken by our forces, were, at the personal instigation of Sir George Grey, demanded and restored to their friends at Te Matata. The Arawa chiefs, relatives of these victims, now declare, openly and fearlessly, that whenever or wherever they come across this fiend in human shape they will most assuredly take the law into their own hands, withoilt reference to judge or jury; and who can blame them ?

The population of Edinburgh, according to the census returns, is 201,143, being 33,022 more than in 1861.

_ A Government Gazette is n.:nv published in Levuka. It is adorned with the monarchal heading of " Cakobau Bex."

News from New Caledonia, to June 21, states : The Government are causing the interior of the country to be more thoroughly examined and explored. The " Moniteur," of the 14th June, describo3.a visit to the Caves of Tchlabell, and to the auriferous slopes of Manghine. A letter fi-om the Colonial Secretary, Mr H. Trastour, dated the Sth June, complains (incidentally) that many of tho new arrivals from Australia are addicted to drink, The strength of the naval station at Noumea is to be reduced by one half—from 30,000 francs to 15,000 francs. These reductions are made " on account of the exigencies of the situation." The proposal of .the Governor to introduce municipal institutions into New Caledonia has been sanctioned by the home authorities." Further accounts of the wreck of the Queen of the Thames are thus given by the " Cape Standard " of the 4th May:—" We have late accounts from the wreck. The Bismarck left the Queen of the Thames some ten days ago. While there was a strong gale blowing there was no communication between the land and the wreck, and for thirty-eight hours the men who were employed on board taking out cargo were kept in the rigging. The sea during the gale making a clean sweep over the deck. Nothing is left standing but a part of the wheelhouse. Some idea of what the seas were like can be imagined when we state that the iron galley-house was torn from the deck and twisted to pieces as if it had been brown paper. The vessel had heeled over more, but it is thought by competent persons that she will hold together for twelve months* and that everything she has in her will be taken out. Her being floated again is very doubtful; but even if she ia not, her speculators will have made a very good thing oub of her. Tho copper ore in her alone is worth £IO,OOO. The salt water will not affect this portion of the cargo in any way*; it will all be recovered. Up to the end of last Week 1600 bales of wool had been landed, and the Bismarck, with 400 bales on board, had , left, or was just about leaving, for Port Elizabeth."

A serious accident has happened to Mr Eltnslie, the second officer of the ship Helenslee, at Lyttelton. He was employed aloft on the main-top, from which he fell, striking one of the rails of the ship, breaking three of his ribs, his collar bone, and crushing in his breast-hone. Ho was conveyed to the Christchurch hospital. On the 24th ult the barque Esk, Captain M'Kellar, put into Lyttelton harbour from Dunediu, and bound for Newcastle. She had encountered, since leaving the former port, very severe weather, and sprung a leak. She will discharge her clay: ballast and tako in stone. The speech lately delivered by the

Superintendent'of Auckland, at the Thames; in the "Morning News" in Auckland, next morning although there was no steamer to take back the speaker, the speech, or the reporter, till long after the public*. tion of tho paper next day! A now mode of relieving churched from debt has been adopted in America. We learn from our Californian files of St. John's Church in San Francisco being heavily in debt, and in order to extricate it from difficulty, .it was iug. gostod by the trustees that the congregation give their individual note for three years, in sums that each wad willing to assume; these notes to be considered stock iiotps, riot to be paid out or parted with, but to be held inviolate by the thus making individual members of the congrega. tion pay their pi-o rata of the interest. As for the principal it was declared that there were" one hundred arid twenty unsold pews, which every sub. scriber by note could take in payment for his subscription ; Or that the subscriptions hereafter to bo collected} given, or Other church income from pews sold, &c, should be applied prd rata to the payment of the botes, the belief being expressed that at the end of three years the natural growth of the church incdme would be sufficient to pay the principal To this, propo. sition the congregation responded, and the whole sum was duly subscribed for. This virtually places the church out of debt. Many thousands Of poor women throughout America are interested ia a decision that has just been rendered by a New York Judge, to the effect that a sewing-machine cannot be seized for. debt. In the case of Camp v. Siuger, in the litarine Court of thu cityj a woman sued the city marshal for a sewing-machine, seized by hiia under a judgment from one of the District Courts. The Judge held that the machine was exempt froni a seizure on two grounds—first, as being a nev Cessary article Of household furnitureand second, as being Used by the plaintiff to earn her livelihood"; and he gave judgment for the sum of eighty, eight dollars, the price of the machine) with interest from the date of seizure Furthermore, regarding the conduct of the marshal as a he gave ten dollars a week in damages for the time 1 the owner had been deprived of thd use of the machine. The sisters Bosina and Fanny Carandini are giving concerts at the hall of the Mercantile Library, Sal Franeisqo. They are growing steadily into great public favor, their singing being much admired. At the boiling down establishment at Waipukurau, 200 sheep recently 1 averaged the very unusual yield of 331b loz of tallow per sheep. " The value ot the exports from Dm edin during the quarter" ended on tk 30th June, was £398,816 16s'3d, si compared with £262,033 lis.during the corresponding period of 1870, showing an increase this year of £136,783 5s 3d, during the three months. The principal portion of this increase was in gold and preserved meats, which show an increase as compared with the corresponding period of last year, of £60,030 and £34,000 respectively. Bather a curiosity was seen at Falmouth recently—an Arab man-of-war; She came in for 400 tons of coals. The Institution of Naval being desirous to keep pace with tk times, have published a list of sub' jects on which they ask their members to write papers which may be published in their "Transactions." Further knowledge is wanted on the best construction of ships of war for; attack, defence, and the protection of commerce—the effect of the use of torpedoes on naval construction—tie best form of ship for the merchant service—the result of the best modern practice in ocean steam navigationthe best way of economising labour) and of communicating orders on board ship—the best mode of steering and many other subjects relating to navigation. From this will be seen, thai though we are the best ship-builderi in the world, we have yet much to learn, and are trying to learn it. Even when our " possible " is done, theri will be plenty left for coming genei* tious to do; a fact which may, perhaps, pacify those who fear the er haustion of the inveutive faculty in England. As an instance of what may ensi from a fluctuating tariff a Melbounf paper mentions that as the operate" engaged in the manufacture of tobacfl and cigars are petitioning that asmanj of them are married men with large families, should the alteration in tie" duty ou leaf tobacco now propose be carried into, effects they and their families will be thrown into poverty and distress from their ignorance of other mechanical trades, and fro" 1 the great scarcity of employment m Victoria at present. The Melbourne " Leader " asks:-- " Are the children of clergymen trains up in tho way they should go, ""fyM so, why do they depart from it ? *W this moment her Majesty's gaoler ham under lock and key for" fraud and eo» bczzlement three young men, UrapMfc Taylor, and Kove, sons of men who moved in the best soc;e»»| and whose social standing aC 9 u '?T« for thorn situations of trust, f*Tm they abused as ruthlessly as Bill Syft would pick a padlock, or a gentleman l^ Mr Baxter and the Chancellor «■ the Exchequer have introduced a !■ to abolish the 'Mays of grace' on Wjm of exchange and promissory notes pi ■ able at sight. H