GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 882, 2 November 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

William Potham, at present carrying on business as a dairyman in the Grey Valley, has been committed for trial, charged with stealing a bullock, the property of James M'Naught of Ahaura. It appears that the bullock was found in the bush by the prisoner, who, while driving it, was cautioned that it was the property of M'Naught. The bullock was disposed of by him to Samuel Haisty, a butcher at No Town. The case was tried at the Ahaura before Mr Whiteford. A second charge against the accused was witbdrawu. George Wells, a commission agent, late of Victoria, poisoned himself on

the at Dunedin, with a dose of sulphate of zinc. The cause is said to be depression of spirits, caused by inability to obtain employment. At the inquest a verdict of temporary insanity was returned. The quarter's revenue of New South Wales shows an increase of £52,000, •chiefly in Customs and railways. The produetion of gold for the same period shows an increase of nearly 90 per cent, over the corresponding quarter of 1870, Early on the morning of Friday, October 20, while the steamer Claud Hamilton was in Cook's Strait, a passenger, named Paye, jumped overboard and was drowned. He had been drinking, and was suffering, as is alleged, from delirimn tremens. The unfortunate man, who was from Dunedin, and bound to Melbourne, has left a wife alid five small children on board the steamer utterly destitute, whatever money he may have had being on his person when he went overboard. The machinery for a second set of stampers for the Perseverance battery was brought from Melbourne on Tuesday 24th ult., in the Gothenburg. This, when got to work, will, we hope, improve the the prospects of shareholders. The battery for the Decimal Company—the claim adjoining the Perseverance 'Company's ground, was received en the 15th ult., having been brought from Melbourne in the Tararua. Mr Motitray, mechanical engiueer, Bridge st., Nelson, has lately erected a trompe, or water-blowing engine, of a simple and economic character, for •the purpose of supplying the necessary blast to his 'forge-hearths, and ultimately his smelting furnace. A cask, which "acta as a receiver, is placed on end, into the upper part of which a two-inch pipe, six feet high, with a ■funnel top, inserted. From the ■bung-hole another pipe of the same 'diameter,'-With-an-iron nose-pipe, com'inunicates with the tuyere of one of, the forges. In the bottom there is 'fixed a waste-pipe of small diameter 'to carry off the water. The necessary power is supplied from the waterworks by means of & half-inch pipe, 'leading to the funnel-top of the "vertical pipe, into which, through a 'nozzle •one-eighth of an inch in diameter, is injected a stream of water at high pressure carrying with it a quantity of atmospheric air, which being subjected on the one band to compression by the resistance of the body of water lying in the bottom of the cask below the bung-bole, and on the other by high-pressure Water rushing in at the top —the space between the latter and the water-line below the bung hole acting as a chamber or receiver—a sufficient supply is thus ■created for maintaining through the nose-pipe a powerful and continuous blast to the forges or furnace. Although new to this part of the world, this simple and labour-saving machine is by no means novel, as the principle has been in use for many years in mechanical smelting works at home and ■on the Continent of Europe.

The body of Mr Webber, drowned by the capsizing -of a boat in crossing the Boulder Bank about three weeks ago, was discovered by Mr Kidson, Lighthouse-keeper, on the 19th ult, lying on the beach about 300 yards above the Lighthouse. Mr Kidson obtained assistance from the shore and conveyed the body to an hctol at the Port, where an inquest was held upon it the same day. The deceased had evidently attempted, on finding himself in the water, to get off his coat, but bis arm became entangled in the sleeve, which was probably the reason why he had dissappeared so suddenly. The body was identified by the dress, and also by a knife contained in one of the pockets, and the jury returned a verdict* of accidentally drowned by the capsizing of a boat. The body of Miss .Reynolds yet remains undiscovered.

The Otago Dock Trust has agreed +o Mr Carrutbers's recommendation to •offer the contractors £7l4i, the Trust foregoing the claim for damages arising out of the leakage, if the offer be accepted. The -Juries Bill has been so altered in the Legislative Council as to bave been almost completely metamorphosed. The bill when it passed the House of Representatives provided that the verdict of two-thirds of a jury Xvas to be accepted as a verdict. This has been altered, and tbe verdict of not fewer than five-sixths may be taken after a jury bas been locked up for six notirs. The alterations have yet to receive the assent of the Honse of Representatives. The Southern Provinces are all excited over tbe Brogden contracts, and public meetings have been held in Wellington, Christehurcb, Dunedin, and several of the lesser towns, to protest against their acceptance by the Government. The complaint is that the contracts are one-sided as far as the settlement of prices is concerned ; that the principle of giving a mouopolyofthe construction ef railways, and that too without inviting competition, is highly objectionable. Other objections are enforced—that plant and rolling stock, to a great extent, could be manufactured in the colony, instead of being all brought from England; that it wonld be more for the interests of the colony to pay for the construction of the railways in money than in land ; and that the works should be let in short contracts by public tender. Petitions, numerously signed in support of the objects, have been before Parliament.