GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 873, 12 October 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

A prisoner named John itunter, undergoing a sentence in Wellington Gaol for horse stealing) made a bold attempt the other day to escape from custody. While walking with, the labour gang to the scene of their work, near Mount Victoria, Hunter suddenly dashed away at full speed, and made towards a boat which lay a few yards from shore. Reardon, one of tbe warders, pursued him hotly, discharging three shots from his revolver as he ran, and just as Hunter reached the water ho secured him. Thus secured after a smart chase, he was removed to the gaol. On the 80th ult., a youth named John Bryan t* of the Grove, Queen Charlotte Sound, was drowned in a creek near hi 3 residence, tfrotn the evidence taken at the inquest, it pears that the youth, who was of unsound mind, and subject to frequent fits, left home on Saturday morning about seveh o'clock, and was seen no more until about half-past eight, when the body was found by two lads, lying on its face in the creek-, and in about twelve inches of water. The body was warm, but all efforts to restore animation were unavailing. It is supposed that deceased had a fit whilst crossing the creek.

The following is a Hat of petitions, and number of signatures, presented to the House of Representatives in favour of a Permissive Bill. The number of signatures is fully double that which has ever been attached to any other series of petitions on any one subject in this colony : —Froin 1658 residents of the electoral of Hokitika, presented by Mr White ;1 3 inhabitants of Auckland, by Mr Creighton ; 79 settlers at Waiapu, by Mr Munro : 518 adult males, Wanganui, by Mr Bryce; 432 adult females, Wanganui, by Mr Bryce ; Presbytery of Wellington, held at Wanganui, by the Hon. Mr Fox ; 175 residents at the Hutt, by the Hon. Mr Fitz herbert ; 302 females in Christchurch, by Mr Reeves; 617 inhabitants, Christchurch and neighborhood, by Mr E. Richardson; 39 residents, Drury and neighborhood, by Mr Clark; 87 residents, Papatura and neighborhood, by Mr Ciark; 380 residents, Wairarapa Valley, by Hon. Mr Fox, 1,603 residents, City of Wellington, by Mr Hunter; 54 persons, Turakma and Rangitikei, by Hon. Mr Fox ; 200 residents, Rangitikei and Turakina, by Hon. Mr Fox ; 32 female inhabitants, Port Albert, by Mr Clark; 62 electors and others, of Port Albert, by Mr Clark ; 458 residents Auckland, by Mr Williamson; 1,118 male and 77b female residents of Dunedin. by Mr M'Glashan ; 661, Taieri, and other places in Otago, by Mr Reid ; 31, Vernon, in Hawke's Bay, by Mr Ormond; 1, from the Presbytery of Wellington, by Hon. Mr Fox ; tolal, 9,328. A Bill was to have been introduced by Mr Creighton, on Wednesday last, to regulate the sale of alcoholic liquors, which it was stated in the House by Mr Fox would be an question with the ministers, but to which he would give his cordial support. An Auckland paper states that Colonel M'Donnell has commenced business at the Thames as a native interpreter and land agent. During Captain Mair's recent expedition in pursuit of To Kooti his force were obliged for fifteen days to march through snow knee-deep, and on one occasion they were without food for three days. Notwithstanding these hardships, the health of the men is reported to have been excellent. In reference to the Tichborne case, the " Ballarat Courier" has the following : —" A gentleman called upon us yesterday, and placed some information at our disposal with regard to the Tichborne case that is likely to be attended with very important results. We have instituted the necessary enquiries to prove the bona fides or otherwise of this information, and so soon as all the materials are before us, they will be published in our columns. Presuming our correspondent's information to be genuine, which at present we have no reason to doubt, we shall be able to show that the claimant is undoubtedly the butcher Orton, of whom such frequent mention has been made at the trial. We expect to have all the information necessary to this end in our possession before the next mail leaves for Europe." At a general meeting of shareholders of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company, held in Wellington on the 5 th instant, it was shown that the residue after meeting liabilities was £63, Mr Allen attributed the nonsuccess of the company to the attacks of newspapers, which had caused a falling-off of shareholders. From Wellington we learn that Mr Locke has proceeded to the Hutt to negotiate the purchase from the Natives of 160,000 acres in the Manawatu district. He recently purchased 230,000 acres in the same block, 200,000 acres in Hawke's Bav, and 30,000 acres in Wellington.' The whole block is important iu connection with tho proposed railway from Wellington to the East Coast. A correspondent makes a suggestion to the Colonial Treasurer. He says that if a tax of £1 each wa3 imposed on all guns and fowling-pieces in the Colony, the deficiency referred to as having stood for some years past would at once be provided for, without entailing any hardship on the community generally. The annual report of the Acting Commissioner of Armed Constabulary, Lieut.-Colonel Moule, states that dur-

ing the year 23d men, have been em ! rolled) and 2902 have died) or been dismissed, the present strength of the Force being 723. The forcd has been supplied with ' clothing of a uniform pattern, and new accoutre- i mentß, the old breech-loading carbines having been replaced by long and ] medium Snider rifles. The total number of miles Of railway J open in New South Wales is 405£, the 1 cost of construction of Which was about ] £6,330,000. Excluding the line from Sydney to Paramatta, fourteen miles in length, and which cOst about £35,500 a mile, the cost of tion per mile was £14,447. The average cost per mile Of maintenance is £127, as compared with £334 lis 2d in England. During the hearing Of a bankruptcy I case at Wellington, the baukrupt, a publican named O'Reilly, said, in reply to his Honour-, that his reason for not keeping books was that no mOttey coUld be recovered fOr a grOg score The woollen factory at Mossiel, East Taieri, is now in working order. Th'e first wool was carded on the 21st inst., and the machinery is working smoothly and doing its Work in first-rate style. Great care has bean exercised in the various machines) and cmsequeutly when the Wool was put through them, not a single hitch occurred. It is mosfc satisfactory to the proprietors to find every part working 80 harmoUioußlyj and quite suprising to a stranger visiting the factory* to witness the rapid progress that has been made in getting everything in working order. The Helertslee with the machinery on board arrived on the 28th May, bUt it Was the early part of July before all the plant was landed at the factory. Thus little over two months was occupied in erecting some 180 tons of inachinerj. In a Very short time the' Mosgiel tweeds will be in the rdarkot, and m hope this new industry will duceed and handsdmely reWar'd the promoters for their ea terprine. Though only in the bud at present there are indications in various parts of the Cdlony that the evil know as " larrikinism " in Victoria bids fair to be acclimatised in New Zealand} Unless some strong and effective measures by special legislation are taken for its suppression. We regret to say that in Wellington there are svmptoms of its presence, only a day Or two ago some boys being brought up and punished at the Police Court for systematicallv annoying and insulting a re; spectacle householder by throwing stones and other acts of mischief. In Victoria the pest attained gigantic di; mensions, and the most effectual cure; has been found to be the use of tie] lash, in proportion to the ageS anil strength of the various offenders. We f do not know whethef any New Zea-1 land Act permits the same curative] treatment to-be ordered by magistrates)] but if, as we think, there is now no such power existent, the sooner it is given the better, and a very little amendment in measures at present in force would confer it. If one or two such examples are made, they will effectually and speedily put a stop td the spread of this moral disease.

The Norwegian and Swedish immi; gration, says the " Evening Post," has proved a failure, and though the Government do not care to openly acknowledge it, they are quietly shipping away their unprofitable proteget to other places. Some have been seat to Sdyney, some to Napier, some to Wanganui, but so quietly is it done! that the whole flock will have been melted away from their locations; before the Government choose to say] anything on the subject. By an annual Parliamentary return, we find that there are no less than 92 road boards in the Province of Auckland, 21 in Taranaki, 31 in "Wellington, 11 in Hawke's Bay, 9in Nelson, 5 in Marlborough, 35 in Canterbury, 5 in Westlaud, and no fewer than 97 in Otago. The total disbursements by all the boards for the year ended 30th June last were £38,701 18s 7<L Out of this the various districts have contributed £11.194 16s lOd by rates raised in them, £18,744 17s 5d in the shape of subsidy by Provincial Govern' ments. On new roads £14,672.14s 1i has been expended; on the mainteni ance of existing roads, £12.697 5s 6d and on other works, £1,994 lis sd.