GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 938, 7 March 1872, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The Mayor of Dunedin dismissed the information against waggoners for Sunday traffic, on the ground that the Ordinance was inapplicable, and holds the Act of Charles 11. as being in force in the Colony. It has been resolved to form a library in connection with the Otago University, and subscriptions to the amount of £2OOO have been promised. The schooner Frederica has been wrecked and pillaged at Manukau. Mr S;unuel Mackley has been appointed Sheriff and Crown Prosecutor for Westland.

Patrick M'Laughlin shot himself on the moruing of March 5 with a revolver at Wanganui. He was formerly a clerk in the Militia Office at Marton. An inquest will be held this afternoon.

Caledonians, £1.5; Alburnias, 70s ; Tokatea. 46s : Thames, £5 7s 6d. The mail steamer .Nevada did not leave Port Chalmers until Monday forenoon, March 4. There was such a large quantity of coal to put on board, as well as sundry repairs to execute to her machinery, that though working day and night, the workmen employed could not get things done in time. The vessel also took on board a large quantity of wool for America. Some samples of preserved fish, by a local firm, were dispatched by her to San Francisco.

The Hon. Mr Stafford is at present on a visit to Auckland—some say on a political mission of some kind or other.

An inquest was held at Hokitika Feb. 28, before Dr Q-arland, coroner, on the body of Guiseppi Pedrotti, who died in the hospital on Tuesday morning. It appeared that deceased, who was a packer, was proceeding on horseback last Monday evening from Goldsborough to Italian Gully, and when he got to the Waimea Creek the horse fell and rolled over him. The horse immediately rose up, and Pedrotti's foot being entangled in the stirrup, he was dragged over the stones for about forty yards. His foot then got disengaged and he was carried to the Mountain Hotel, and next morning to the Hokitika Hospital, but died forty minutes after admission. Dr Maunsell stated that he made a post mortem examination of the body, and that the cause of death was internal hemorrhage, the result of the fracture of five ribs, and of rupture of the liver and spine! Deceased could not have lived another day, under any circumstances. The jury returned a verdict that deceased came by his death in consequence of a fall from his horse on the 26th instant. The *• Lyttelton Times," speaking of the police of Canterbury, says : Supposing the proposed reductions were carried out, the lowest salary paid to a policeman—of the probationary class—would be £9l 5s per annum; the next class would get £IOO 7s 6d, and the first-class £lO9 10s ; in each case with barrack allowances. The three classes of sergeants would be paid respectively £146, £136 17s 6d, and £127 15a being' allowed house, coal, and candles; and the sergeankmajor

would receive between an employe? and an employed £2OO 15s, with the same allowances. At the Magistrate's Court lately, at the Ahaufa a charge of £25 for drink* was disallowed, the Magistrate remark, in? that it was monstrous that em. plojerß should allow servimtsto fritter a.vaj their earnings in drink in their, houses, pointing out the absurdity of expecting men to work properly under such circumstances. An old Taranaki settler writes that " now we have some faith in the permanence of peace in this place and that New Plymouth may again hope to become the happy and prosperous little settlement it was before ISCO, Whilst Wiremu Kiugi kept sulkinv and refusing to see or visit the Euro, peans, we all felt that the old sore was still open, but now every one is rejoiced, and we all feel that some one indescribable misgiviug has been lifted from our minds. Everyone gives un. bounded praise to Mr M'Lean, and it is doubtful whether the settlers of the natives themselves arc most re. joiced at his late visit. Eye'rythin* here betokens a revival. A thorough good feeling is established between | and the natives, public works are being revived, settlers are renewini their energies, trade is improving, ani we are all in high spirits." One Who was, in two senses, an oj resident of Hokitika—Mr. Archibald Bonar, died March 1. Many resident! of Invercargill, of Hokitika, and o other places in the colonies will re member the good, homely, hearty ol gentleman whose days have thus ended Mr Bonar was a type of that class c homely old people who are, as yel seldom met with in the colonies, "on whose presence among us is like green spot in Nature's waste. Man will remember him, and, with his soi will regret the d«ath of one who wa deservedly esteemed by his family an by the general community. The order for the plant for tl Wellington water-works was sen home by the la*t mail. Includin freight, it will probably cost £7O0( while £13,000 will be spent in labe and material in the colony, makingi the total £20,000 as estimated. Iti fully anticipated (says the " Post' that the works will be complete within twelve months from the press date. A recent " G-azette " notifies If E. W. Bunny, Esq., has been mai Deputy-Commissioner of Stamp duti for the Province of Nelson, in tl place of John Sharp, E«q., resigned. By the Aborigine, 1000 ft of vei strong linen hose has arrived fro Melbourne at Hokitika, for Ross F Protection Committee.