GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 863, 19 September 1871, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

The Motueka Election Committee

met again on Tuesday last, but little advance was made in the business. It was proved on behalf of Sir David Monro that one vote was given at 4 p.m. to the petitioner, the time provided by the Act for closing the poll, and Mr Travers argued that this vote was invalid. Mr Allan, on the other side, contended that as the poll was kept open by the duly authorised officer, the vote was good, to which Mr Travers replied that if that ruling was admitted, the Deputy Returning Officer would be equally justified in keeping open the polling booth for two hours as for two minutes, or for any indefinite time. The committee then adjourned till the 18th ; but the chairman will sit daily pro forma, in order to fulfil the requirements of the Act.

Under the head of "Hansard Reports," the "Independent" of the 9th gives the following:—Mr Wakefield drew the attention of the Speaker to certain matters connected with the printing of " Hansard." The Speaker thanked the hon. member for having brought under his notice such an important matter. He himself had even greater reason to complain than the hon. member had. Many corrections he had made in his speech had been left undone, and, moreover, important portions of the speech containing his ruling on the course to be adopted in the Motueka election case had been entirely omitted. He thought the proper course for the hon. member to adopt would be to make a complaint to the Reporting Debates Committee. A fatal accident, through which two Chinamen lost their lives, occurred at Captain M'Keuzie's Ford, Pomakaka, Otago, on the Ist inst. It appears that Captain M'Kenzie keeps a punt for the purpose of conveying foot passengers, and while one of his men, named David Wine, was taking two Chinamen across on the abovenamed day, the punt got broadside on to the current, and immediately filled and sank, breaking the wires by which it was worked. The Chinamen leaped into the water and were drowned.

The following important motion was carried in the House of Representatives on the 30th ult. Mr Collins, the member for Collingwood, moved—" That in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that miners should be allowed to take out miner's rights for- three, six, nine, or twelve months, at proportionate prices." He would say that this was a subject which had been pressed upon him by his constituents. It had also been stated to him by many practical miners that many men were working on the diggings without any miner's right. He thought it would be a great advantage to such men if the alteration were made.

Steps are being taken to form a sugar refining company in "Wellington. On the news of the commutation of sentence being communicated to the condemned convict M'Donald, Mr Read, the Governor of the Gaol, had some difficulty in convincing him that his life was really spared. Since he received his sentence, M'Donald has exhibited the utmost dread of death—to such an extent as to partially unhinge his reason; and it is supposed that the reaction may similarly affect him.

The Dunedin soft-goods warehousemen, fearing an additional duty, made extensive clearances on the 12th inst. The duty paid for bonded drapery on that date amounted to £I4OO. A sub-committee from the House of Bepresentatives visited Baker's Hill, near Wellington, to ascertain whether the protests of certain shareholders in gold mining companies against the water of the stream being appropriated for a waterworks scheme for the city, were based on tangible ground. A prospect was tried, and out of about two pounds weight of stone as much fine gold as would cover a sixpence was obtained. The visitors then went to the Morning Star claim, and from it an equally satisfactory prospect was obtained. The opinion of all those who saw the crushings and washings is that the trial has definitely settled the question whether payable gold can be found. It is believed that the committee will decide against the water being diverted.

The yield of gold for the half-year ending July 31st, from the Caledonian mine, at the Thames, has been 154,828 ounces, which has afforded the amount of £411,840 for distribution among shareholders, or at the rate of £144 per share. It is impossible to note such a return without being impressed with the prodigious capabilities of the mine; and, though the report of the directors and that of th<» mining manager have the appearance of being over-sanguine, a careful examination of those reports leads to the belief that the development of the mine is but in its infancy, and that, as stated, the mine will continue to yield good returns for years to come. Incombustible wicks for kerosene lamps are made in Vienna of asbestos, boiled in wax. They last for about a year. A large grass fire occurred recently to the south of Bakaia, in Canterbury, commencing on Messrs Gould and Cameron's run, and extending to that of Mr Wason, burning a large extent of country and destroying 500 sheep. The Canterbury brewers offer three prizes for malting barley—a first prize of £3O for the best 300 bushels; a second of £ls, and a third of £5, for the best 200 bushels. The exhibits must be of this season's growth.

The following may bo a valuable hint with regard to the driving of piles in the protective works here: —The other day (says the " Southern Cross") we were looking at the old mooring piles, which were loosened by the s s. Hero, and subsequently removed to the shore. Out of the three piles, two of them are in an advanced stage of decay, but the third is as sound as when first put down some five years ago. This one is covered with the bark of the totara, which has proved quite impervious to the wet, leaving the wood beneath perfectly sound, so that in any future case where piles are to be put down in the harbour the bark should be left on, and even hooped to prevent its coming off. This would be a great preventative to the wood decaying as proved by the piles in question.

At the last annual dinner of the Canterbury ironworkers, held at Christchurch on the Bth instant, Mr A. Duncan, in proposing the toast of the evening, " The Ironworkers of Canterbury," said: —" I think v/ith regard to Mr Vogel's scheme for the use of our waste lands, that we ought to pause before we assist Mr Vogel in carrying out a plan of giving into the hands of one contractor the making of the whole of the railways throughout the colony, because there is not the least doubt that large capitalists do not study the interest of the working man as well as small capitalists. I am quite certain that Mr Brogden will not be able to introduce sufficient capital to do the work much cheaper than it could be done here. It is a peculiar thing to say of trades that the iron trade is not a selfish institution. We only want to have a fair field and no favour to show the world that we can do that, which is done elsewhere; that if we had the raw material we should be able to turn out an article, not only creditable to ourselves, but a credit to the colony, and this particular section of it. Let us do our duty to ourselves and those around us. We should do all in our power to prevent money going out of the Province which could be dealt with here. It is a fair maxim of political economy, that if you can keep capital in the country, and make it float, by all means do it." The " Lyttelton Times " furnishes the particulars of the late suicide in Christchurch. A married couple named Grimshaw, recently arrived from England, were occupants of a house situate next Allenton House, lor some time past the husband has been unable to obtain employment, and his wife has, in consequence, been in a desponding state. On Friday afternoon the husband left the house to attend a sale in town, and did not return until about 5 p.m., when, on entering the house he was horrified at finding his wife hanging behind the door by a piece of clothes line, which had cut completely into the neck by the weight of the. body. He immediately obtained assistance, and the body was cut down, medical assistance being sent for, but life was extinct. The " Grey Argus" records the narrow escape of Mr Joseph Kilgour. It appeared that between eight and nine o'clock he was superintending the clearing of some ground near the Rifle Range, and while in the act of giving some directions, he observed a large rata tree partially felled the previous evening lean towards the place where he was standing. He immediately ran towards the tree for protection, but before he could get out of danger it fell and struck him, knocking him down into a hollow, and although the tree fell right across the place where he was lying, it fortunately did him no very serious injury. A Nelson paper states that a clear profit of £I2OO, is said to have been made last year by the Nelson Government out of the Brunner Coal-mine.

Mr Walker's challenge to all New Zealand to shoot a match for any sum up to £250 a side has been excepted by Mr Wm Kennedy, of Dunedin, on behalf of Mr Christie, of the Otago Volunteers for £l5O a side; and the match is fixed to come oft' in Dunedin on Monday, 20th November next. £IOO of the amount has been lodged with Mr J. M. Dargaville, the stakeholder, by the competitors. Mr Christie has already distinguished himself as one of the best shots in this Colony, and Mr Walker has ,the reputation of being the crack rifle shot of Victoria, so that the result of this contest will be looked forward to with the greatest interest.