GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 955, 28 March 1872, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

A rumour lias gained ground to the effect that Ministers intend to advise bis Excellency to dissolve Parliament, in order that the opinion of the people may be fully expressed on more than one important topic of the day. We merely give tbe rumour as such, and as a contingent event that is the subject of conversation in well-informed circles. The " Leader" fears that horseracing in Victoria is fated to become abandoned, like pugalism, to the lowest order. The Scandinavians are said to have been very badly selected, and to have been chosen, or rather " picked ttp " from the lowest grades of the population. The investigation by Dr Bulmer has clearly proved that there was smallpox as well as measles on board during the voyage, although the ship's doctor asserted throughout that it was the measles, and inserted entries in the official log to that effect. Two warders of the Melbourne Hospital, named Marks and Feeny, went into the Fitzroy Gardens with the intention of committing suicide together. Marks was found shot dead, apparently by Feeny, the pistol having burst and his hand being injured. It is believed that Feeny intended to shoot himself as soon as Marks was dead. He was smoking a cigar when he was found. A man was convicted iu Auckland, lately, of no less than eight petty larcenies of dresses, shirts, axes, buckets, and other small household utensils. He was sent to prison for two months for each offence—one sentence to commence at the expiration of the other. The body of H. Kelly, hotel-keeper, has been found (March 22) in the lagoon fronting the town of Hokitika seaward. He is supposed to have committed suicide, owing to domestic and pecuniary troubles. The deceased had been missing for twO dajs The " Oamaru Times," of the 19th instant, reports a terrible and fatal accident, which occurred on the previous Friday evening, on the Papakaio Plain, to a man named James Grafton, in the employ of Mr Donald Borne, farmer. Grafton was working as ploughman on some land about half a mile from the house of the latter, and at about 6 p.m. one of the horses galloped up to the Rtables, dragging

the body of Grafton, one of whose legs was entangled in the trace chain. Being unable to enter the stable, the horse galloped on along the fence, liicking the body as it went. AMr .Ferguson Went in pursuit of the horse and arre»ted it. The body was terribly'mutilated, and all the clothing torn'ofl' except the boots and drawers.

Mr H. H. Manning one of the Auckland representatives at the recent Christchureb sports, has had la wrestling match with a mgn named Bray for £2O. Bray threw his antagonist within ten minutes from the time of starting, but it was not until two hours aud twenty-seven minutes had elapsed says the Times, that another fall was recorded, Manning throwing his adversary very cleanly on his back. The play was then continued for an hour and a half without either of the men gaining the one fall required to win the match, and it was then so dark that the match was deferred until the next day, when, after three hours' play, Manning managed to throw his opponent, thus "winning the collar-and-elbow'match.

There is a good opening for our coals at San Francisco, if we could only provide shipping with a down freight ; but our protective policy tends to kilfour foreign trade. For the year 1871, less seventeen days, the totalimports of coal at San Francisco amounted to 293,33S tons, of which 36.992 tons were from Newcastle, New South Wal es ; -53,572 tons from England ; 13J951 tons from Vancouver Fsland ; and 2(304 tons from 'Chile. Unless we are able to take "some of the produce of the Pacific "Coast States in exchange for our coal, it is clear we cannot avail ourselves of this market ■; and the -protective policy ef the colony, which shuts Auckland against the California!) grain, has the further eifect of keeping the Auckland coal out of the San Francisco market, t6 which it would find its way as return freight, to say nothing of the local demand for dairy and farm produce, occasioned by an increase in the number of this frequenting our port.— " Auckland Herald "