LOCAL & GENERAL.

A few days ago the Minister of Public Works, in the course of an interview with a deputation from the Wairarapa settlers, incidentally remarked that in future white pine would probably be extensively, if not exclusively, used for railway sleepers. This (says the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) indicates the success of Messrs Campbell's creosoting works at Woodend, near Invercargill. It will be remembered that some two years ago this firm entered into a contract with the Government to erect creosoting works, and to supply a large quantity' of creosoted soft wood sleepers. One of the firm went Home to obtain machinery. This has now been at work for some time, with most satisfactory results. The works are now turning out 10,000 sleepers per mouth. These have been used on the Middle Island lines, and are found to answer admirably. Their use will probably soon be extended to all Government lines. The R.M.S. Aoraogi arrived at Port Chalmerß on Thursday after a passage of 39 days 4 hours and 50 minutes. She brings 305 passengers, and 285 packages mails, with 2509 tons of cargo. Of her passengers, 70 are for Dunedin. Mrs Newton, stepdaughter of the late Captain Cain, arrived by the Waihora from Melbourne to give evidence in the charge of murder against Thomas Hall, the hearing of which is to be resumed at-Timaru on Monday next. Mrs Newton was met at Invercargill by Mrs Hall. Numerous applications still continue to be received at the Public Workg department here from tho uuemployod. At present there are 406 men on the relief works in Otago, distributed as follows : — Stonebreaking in Dunedin, 22 ; Anderson's Bay road, 14 ; defence worka — Ocean Beach .51, St. Clair 24, Taiaroa Heads 53; Mount' Hyde, 44; Mount Allen, 27; Machine creek, 131 ; Silver Peak, 40. On the Seaward Bush railway there are 45 men who have been given employment through the department. At a meeting of the Bums Statue Fund Committee on Monday evening it was resolved by eight votes to five that the statue should be erected in the Octagon, and the City Council is tube written to requesting that the city surveyor be instructed to point out the exact spot in the Octagon where the statue is to be placed. Mr J. R. Rutherford, of block 2, section 3 of 66, Otago Peninsula, at the back of the Harbour Cone, has tried a small parcel of scheelite found on his property,' with the result of a good prospect. He informs us that there is a considerable quantity of the stone to be found in his neighbourhood. A specimen is to be seen at this office. Oiir Gore correspondent informs us that a petition was filed on Tuesday against the election of John MacGibbori as mayor, on the grounds of illegal and imperfect compilation of the burgess roll. At the City Police Court on Tuesday, Alexander and Thomas Hastie were charged with having, on the 27th ult., permitted the carcas'sos of four horses to remain unburied at North-E,tst Harbour, thereby causing a nuisance. Evidence was given by Samuel Gilmour (a settler) and Constable Brennan that the carcasses were only covered with scrub, and that tho head of one was lying in a creek. It appeared that defendants had been already fined for not burying the dead horses, and one of the defendants now explained that he had given instructions to have them buried. The bench, after stating that the offence was a serious one, deferred giving their decision until Friday, and gave the defendants to understand that if the nufcance was then remedied no fine would be inflicted. Defendants were ordered to pay the costs — 19s 6d. Messrs W. Hutchison and J. Hazlett were the presiding justices. Two new rules under " The Supreme Court Act 1882 " are published in the Gazette. The first provides for the taking of affidavits, declarations, or affirmations in causes or matters pending in court, in any place under her Majesty's I dominion, before any person lawfully entitled to do- so. The second provides that in the civil procedure, actions or issues which may be tried by a judge and jury of twelve or fonr may also, on the application of either party and at the discretion of the judge, be tried by a " special " jury of twolve or tour respectively. The friends of Mr H. Clark will be pleased to learn that he has nearly recovered from the effects of his recent accident. He was present at yesterday's meeting of the Bruce County Council, and was unanimously re-elected as chairman for the ensuing year. At a meeting of the Bruce County Council held on Tuesday, the members were unanimous in condemning the present system of obtaining contributions to charitable institutions. It was pointed out that the increased rates which had recently been levied would fall very heavily on the country. Bruce County, for instance, though receiving extremely little benefit, would have : to contribute nearly £800 per year, while the annual subsidy obtained from the Government was only some £900. The absurdity of such a taxation was commented upon, and it was suggested that each district should be made to support its own poor. It was decided to address a circular to the various county councils with the view of bringing about such a state of affairs. Mr John Gormack, of Wairuna, met with a somewhat serious acciaent on Friday. While attempting to stop a pair of horses attached to a dray he slipped and fell, and the wheel of the dray passed over him, breaking his left thighbone. He was attended to by Dr Smith, who set the bone, but it is feared he also received in- | ternal injuries. At a meeting held at Riversdale to consider the tariff on the Waimea Plains railway the following resolutions were carried: — "That this meeting view with dismay and alarm the action of the Government in maintaining the tariff originally charged by the Waimea Plains Railway Company, which is oppressive and calculated to deter further setUmr.ent in the district." " That a petition bo signed by tho seMlern and presented to <ho Miiiister of Public Works praj ing that the taritf be made the sanio as charged on the other Government linos, anil that the Waimea Plains railway be worked as a portion of the main line, thereby enabling us to participate in the rlivtancß charges." As the line is at present worked as a district railway, any reduction in the tariff would probably have to be made up by a rate on property-owners along the line. By making it n portion of the main' trunk line, the settlers would escape the rate altogether. A representative of the New York Herald interviewed, in London, Professor Judd and Mr Archibald Geikie, of the British Geologioal Society, and also Dr yon Haasfc, on the subject of earthquakes and eruptions," but the infqrmai tjon obtained was not very novel, Mr Geikie

said the more he studied earthquakes, the less he knew of them. Sir Julius yon Haast predicted that the Yellowstone National Park ip America would some day be the scene of jcusfc such another explosion as Rotumahana. This explosion, aays the doctor, is near at hand. But this statement he at once qualities by explaining that he means " near " from a geological point of view— lo,ooo years hence, perhaps. One interesting thing which fell from Dr yon Haast's lips was that Hochstetter had predicted to him the engulphmgof Lake Rotomahana and tha explosion which followed exactly as it has all happened. If this be so (says the Lytlelton Times), there may be a natural wish in New Zealand to know whether Hoohstetfcer made any more such terrible geological prophecies. A very interesting relic of ancient days Uqs (says the South Australian Register) just been brought to Adelaide by Mr Charles Birks for presentation to the Adelaide Museum. It is a piece of a wooden bridge which was built over the Rhine, near Neuwied, by Julius Caesar, 56 years before Christ. The remains of the bridge were discovered in a bed of sand and gravel in the middle of the Rhine while the river was being dredged in July last. The discovery caused great interest throughout Europe, and pieces of the old bridge have been placed in every museum of note on the continent. The specimen about which we are now writing was kindly handed to Mr Birks by the Herr President of Neuweidfor presentation to the museum in Adelaide, and it will shortly be handed to the director of that institution. It may be mentioned that a quantity of old Roman jewellery and coins have been found in a field opposite the sits of the old bridge. The member for Mataura has received intimation from the Minister of Public Works to the effect that it is intended shortly to put a contract in hand for the tunnel on the Eden-dale-Toi Tois line. With reference to the extension of the Seaward Bush railway, it will depend upon the action of the Assembly next sessiDn what further works will be undertaken. The Marlborongh Education Board has declined to adopt the report of the Blenheim School Committee that certain charges of tampering with scholars' work during the standard examinations and other irregnlarities had been proved against Mr Lucas, the head master. The majority of the board held that Inspector Hodgson's explanations and the evidence taken by the committee in an inquiry which lasted some weeks did not warrant the report or its recommendations. The charges were originally brought by Miss Harding, the assistant mistress, whose brain gave way just as the inquiry was concluded, and who is now i» the Wellington Asylum. The painful affair has produced much public agitation. The board at their January meeting will consider a proposal to place the girls under a headmistress. • The Wakatip Mail states that Mr Black Lake County engineer, who started on the 30th October with a party of three men to lay off the Martin's Bay track via Greenstone Valley, returned on Saturday last, after having completed his task. It is believed that the: money available (£750) will be sufficient to make a track such as will allow of packing, and as will bring Martin's Bay and Queenstown practically within three easy days' journey of ' each other. Mr M'Kinnon, rabbit inspector for the shire of Marong, Victoria, has forwarded a letter to the chief inspector advocating tho encourage* I meut of fox-terrier coursing clubs as follows :-— " I can bear testimony to the great help such mode of destruction is to the farming com* munity in the infested portions of the Marong; shire, as at the capture of every 100 grown-up rabbits for coursing purposes no less than 300 young rabbits are netted and killed on the instant; so that at every ordinary coursing match the vermin within the shire are reduced by 400. In the Legislative Assembly some few weeks baok one of our legislators said that the killing of rabbits by fox-terriers was cruel, and should be prevented. I say, and I feel assured you will bear rue out in the assertion, that it is the least cruel of any method hi use. When a rabbit takes arsenised chaff it will live for hours in excruciating pain. It cannot be a very agreeable death to a rabbit in a burrow iuhaling the stinking fumes of carbon, neithet is it to a rabbit's taste to be caught in a steel trap and remain there all night with broken legs, and further, often leave its legs in the trap, and escaping run off on its bare stumps. In the shooting of rabbits by sportsmen several are wounded and die a lingering death. For coursing purposes rabbits are caught and killed as follows ; — A ferret is put into a burrow, from whence the rabbit runs into a net placed in front of the burrow, and is immediately put into a well-ventilated box, and removed to the hunting ground to be let go before two foxterriers. It is but a minute's run, a sharp snap, and life is fled ; there is no pain, no lingering death such as very ofton occurs by the other modes of destruction. Should you deem it necessary, kindly explain these facts to the head of your department, and also the great benefit farmers derive from the existence of such foxterrier coursing clubs." A lance-corporal of the British Army Hospital Corps in Egypt, while attempting the exterior ascent of the Great Pyramid without the aid of guides, missed his footing, and fell the whole depth of the east tier. The unfortunate man came down the full 400 ft, without thepossibility of his fall being broken, and reached the ground a shapeless mass. In forwarding to the Right Hon. Mr Gladstone the address signed by 50 members of the House of Representatives expressing sympathy with the Home Rule proposals, Sir George Grey wrote stating that he drew up the address whioh 50 of the leading men immediately signed. The Wellington Press contradicts Sir George, and states that it originated with Mr Eugene O'Conor, the member for Buller. What is more, it states that Sir George held back and rather threw cold water on the affair, until he found that, one after another, members ' were being induced by various kinds of persuasion to sign it. Then he evinced great interest in it, and eventually it was given to him to be sent to Mr Gladstone because it was supposed his name would be more familiar to the Grand Old Man than Mr O'Conor's. A very successful school-prize entertainment, got up by Mr Bailey, one of the school committee; was held at the Evansdale school on Friday evening. Mr Rochfort was in the chair. The first part of the entertainment consisted of songs, glees, &c, and the second of a farce by the Seacliff Variety Troupe. The different amateurs de. i erve great praise for the manner in which they acquitted themselves. The glee singers were trained by Miss Bailey, who deserves much oredit. Late on the night of the Ist the inmates of a house at Musselburgh were somewhat startled by a young woman in a nude state appearing at their door;, It wo,uld appear that the young woman, who is 16 years of age, and who had be-

come^eranged in her mind owing to ill-health, was missing on the previous evening from her residence afSouth Dunedin. The police on being communicated with, had her removed to the hospital. On Thursday morning her clothes were found on a rock at Lawyer's Head, fully a mile and a-half from the house at which she called.

At the annual meeting of the Walton Park Coa. JOompany, held on Thursday, the report, recommending a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent per annum, was adopted, and the retiring directors, Messrs Quick and Mackerras, reelected. Mr E. B. Cargill, the chairman, repeated the complaint made at former meetings, that the company had not received that amount of support from the railway authorities which they might fairly expect ; in fact, he said, theysystematically refused to use the coal.

During the month ending November 30, 568 persons arrived at the port of Otago. Of these, 567 were from the United Kingdom, and one from New South Wales. The arrivals from the United Kingdom consisted of 308 males and 255 females by the s.s. Arawa, and four males by the ship Waikato.

Oar Reef ton correspondent telegraphs thai the project for supplying Reefton with the electric light has at length taken form and consistence. A company was launched on Thursday morning with a capital of £6000 to carry out the scheme, aud the shares were all subscribed for in a few hours,- and are now at a premium. The company are negotiating with Mr Prince for the supply of the required plant, -and it is expected that the light will be available for the public in the course of four or five months.

Several ladies at the Jewish Bazaar on Thursday evening were relieved of their purses by a juvenile pickpocket who, when in 'the act of thieving was caught by a stall-holder. The latter evidently looked upon the lad aa of too tender years for handing over to the police, and after recovering the booty administered chastisement in oldfashioned style. The vigorous manner in which the punishment was given showed that the stallholder in question was an adept in the art.

Majors Gudgeon and Crowe, who have been appointed by the Government to report on the land claims of volunteers enrolled between the years 1873 and 1876, and also the claims of discharged soldiers, held a sitting at the Crown Lands Office yesterday. There are some 40 claims, mostly from old soldiers, to be investigated, and that number is likely to be increased during the next day or two.

A movement is on foot to form a drainage district in South Tokomairiro. A petition in connecjbion with the matter will be presented at an eariy date to the Bruce County Council.

The Cromwell Argus states that during the past week nothing has been seen or heard of the missing man, Andrew Dalziel, and it is now accepted as beyond doubt that he met with an untimely end in the Kawarau river.

The dairy factory movement is meeting with great favour in Southland, and before long nearly every inland centre will have a factory in full awing.

Perhaps in no city in the world is travelling so cheap as in New York. All the elevated roads have reduced tickets to five cents; so that for that sum a person can travel from the •xfcreme south to the extreme north of the city — about 13 miles. Even this, however, does not satisfy some people, and one of Henry George's notions is that the locomotive facilities about a great city — including cars, omnibuses, and ferrics — should be free to all comers.

There appears to have been a very narrow escape from disastrous consequences following a subsidence which took place on the top of a hill at Brookstown, Wallsend, New South Wales, which completely wrecked the Exchange Hotel. The value of the property is estimated at £1600. Fortunately there was no loss of life, but if the mishap had occurred a few hours later a serious fatality would have been almost inevitable The surface has subsided for a considerable distance, fully 4ft or sft. Not the slightest warning was given of the subsidence, and one of the lodgers had very great difficulty in escaping from the premises. The property is on the boundary of the Wallsend Company's land and a mine which is being worked by Mr A. Sneddon, and it is not known who is to blame. Neither party had any right to undermine the road.

New Caledonian papers report that Noumea has been for some time past subject to depredations by a gang of burglars, who have hitherto evaded the vigilance of the police ; but a skilful brigadier of gendarmerie named Flourac was fortunate enough to obtain a clue, and has succeeded in discovering quite a nest of thieves, chiefly Italians and' Spaniards, who had threatened to assassinate any one of their number who should betray them. Three of the men implicated are named Cauturi, Langutto, and Balmela, and they have denounced Flourac and menaced him with summary vengeance. An artilleryman named Jude was fouud drowned on the morning of the 10th in the bay Of Aphelinat, New Caledonia. He had gone there to bathe after partaking of a full meal with his comrades.

The promoters of someof theQueenslandGoldmining companies which have attained so much prominence in London appear to have made great use of a report by a Mr Warden Samwell, and secured insertion in the London Times of a glowing report made by that gentleman to the Queensland Government. Mr Samwell's description of the Etheridge goldfield is very picturesque. He says : — " In March and April the annual rain passes away in gentle showers, leaving a .landscape unsurpassed in its beauty — cool glades with limpid sheets of water, dusky dryads gliding through the emerald green forest, and the air laden with intoxicating perfume trom the blossoms of trees, shrubs, herbs, and flowers — the scene almost realises the vision of. an Oriental paradise. In May the climate simply becomes delightful, and remains bo through the months of June, July, August, and a part of September. The region named the Etheridge goldfield, with its vast outlying districts ofgold-bearing and mineral country, will soon become of vast importance to the commercial world, and its mining industry will be one of the*greatest factors in the north in promoting the settlement of a large European population on the soil of this portion of the colony of Queensland— a colony whose many resources are inexhaustible, and whose life is still as young and fresh as a sunbeam of the morning."

One of the recent; numbers of the Moniteur dcs Inte're'ts Mate'riels contains a long and interesting review of the European harvest. In the course of its observations on the severe straiii which American and Indian competition has put upou European cereal growers, some remarkable figures are given of the indebtedness of cultivators. The mortgages upon agricultural properties, upon the cultivators and

peasant owners in most parts of the old continent, are excessive, and materially increase the difficulties which low prices have brought upon them. Thus, for instance, the dette liypotkecaire of Prussia was on an average only 65 per cent, of the value of the laud in 1860, and it is now between 80 and 90 per cent. In certain parts of the province of Brandenburg it exceeds by 50 per cent, the present value of the land. In Austria the mortgages aggregated £112,000,000 iv 1858, and they are now more than £500,000,000. Those of France "were already in 1876 at the fabulous figure of 21 milliards 111 millions of francs " or say, in round figures, £840,000,000. Half the real estate of France and two-thirds of that of Belgium are only nominally in the possession of the ostensible proprietors. Russia is no whit behind other countries in this respect, and her farmers are further handicapped by the slowness and expensivenesß of their transport.

Some of the Sydney magistrates are very severe on bakers who supply light weight bread. At Parramatta recently evidence was given in a case of this kind to the effect that between 500 and 600 loaves were seized, .and the total deficiency in weight amounted t06090z. Out of 509 21b loaves only 14 were of full weight, eight 4lb loaves were 38oz short, and 30 lib loaves were 38oz short. The bench inflicted a fine of 5s for every ounce short, making a total fine of £152 ss, together with costs of court and professional costs. Three months were allowed to pay the fine in, and it was ordered that the bread should be sold and the proceeds given to the Parramatta Hospital.

The curator of the Otago Museum acknowledges receipt of the following exhibits from Auckland per Mr G. Fenwick :— From Mr Chaa Blomfield, artist, a geyser socket tube, obtained by him during a recent tour in the neighbourhood of Rotomahana, and one of the most unique relics of the eruption ; also stones from the great rift in the Rotomahana basin, and a curious specimen of tufa with charcoal markings. From Mr Frederick Blomfield : A parcel of stones from the top of Mount Tarawera. Many of these stones were tinted with all the hues of the rainbow, but the colour partially died away after removal to Auckland. From Mr.G. T. Chapman : Piece of White Terrace, showing surface silica formation, pair volcanic mud bombs, quantity Tarawera ash, two specimens nevr terrace formation at Wakiti geyser, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, which resumed action after Tarawera eruption after 17 years' quiescence ; five specimens of petrified leaves, &o. in various stages of petrifaction. From Mr Main : A small box made out of the charred stump of the British flagstaff which was cut down by Honi Heke at Kororareka at the time of the memorable fight in which that great chief played such a prominent part. In his letter to Mr Fenwick accompanying the> box Mr Main gives the history of this interesting relic of the Kororareka fight as follows : — " After the flagstaff was cut down the natives endeavoured to burn the stump out of the ground, so as to get rid of every vestige of the detested symbol of British rule, but only partially succeeded. Some years ago a gentleman of my acquaintance was travelling in the Bay of Islands district, and among other places visited the locality where the famous flagstaff episode had taken place. The charred stump was found to be still in existence, and knowing that I took an interest in all matters relating to the early history of the colony, brought a portion of it to Auckland. I put it in the hands of a cabinetmaker to make what he could out of it, but after removing the charred portion it was only possible to get three of the sides and the top of the box made out of the piece of the old flagstaff, the front section and the veneering being new wood. The relic has a peculiar interest from its connection with the early history of the colony, and Dr Hocken's lectures will give it some degree of value just now, on that score, to Dunedinites and to the authorities of your museum."

Mr Walter Hislop, a graduate of the Otago University, has been appointed to take charge of the Geraldine school until the vacancy caused by the death of the late master (Mr G. B. Tumbull) has been filled up.

Mr E. H. Carew, district coroner, held an inquest at the North Taieri on Friday on the body of Charles Findlay, who was killed on the previous day by being thrown out of a dray. After evidence had been given by John Findlay, the brother of the deceased, and Robert Barr, the iury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

Deputations from the Oamaru Borough Council and from the Harbour Board waited on Sir Julius Vogel while he was in Oamaru. As he financial position of the borough was discussed with the members of the council no reporters were present, but the North Otago Times learns that Sir Julius proposed a plan for converting the loans, but owing .to the high figure that would have to be paid in purchasing the loans the relief was not deemed to be sufficient. Afterwards he said the borough should endeavour to persuade the holders of properties adjacent to the town to allow of the boundaries being extended. If they objected to this the Government would assist the borough in carrying out steps for the expropriation of these properties and the merging of them in the town. The Government would purchase the properties and have them cut up into small allotments. The deputation from the Harbour Board explained the position of affairs at length. Sir" Julius promised his support to a bill to extend the borrowing powers of the board if a plebiscite of ratepayers resulted in favour of additional borrowing to repair aud protect the breakwater. He could give no hope that the Government would guarantee the loan, as had been done in the case of the harbour at Westport. The North Otago Times states that a man named Henry Irving, who had been working on the Totara estate, and who since he had come to town had been drinking freely, attempted to cut his throat, inflicting a gash about two inches in length. Dr Garland bound up his wound, and he is likely to recover. Irving has all the appearance of being a sensible man, but his drinkingbout had temporarily unhinged his mind, it seems. The trial of Messrs Wright and Heaton m. connection with the railway frauds in New South Wales has resulted in the jury being discharged without returning a verdict. The jury were prepared to give one, but the judges had decided on adopting some other course, and refused to receive it. During some very severe weather encountered by the ship Melbourne on the voyage from London to Melbourne, the chief officer and two seamen were lost overboard. Public Benefactress.— Mrs S. A. Allen < ( bas Justly earned this title, ami thousands nr<» this any rejoicing over a fme-hcau ot hair produced by her unc<)tialle'l preparation for restoring, invigorating, and beautifying the hair. Her World's Hair Restorer quickly cleanses the scalp, removing dandruff, and arrests the fall; the hair it grey is clumgeri to its natural colour, git ing it the eamo vitality and luxuriant quantity bb in youth. Sold everywhere,— [Advt.]

.Out of 40 head of cattle shipped by. the Penguin at Wellington for this market 14 died before Lyttelton was reached. The carcasses were landed there and sent to the Heathcota boiling-down establishment.

, The Mataura Ensign states that the road to luvercargill will hoon assume an appearance like that of old times from the number of teams traversing it. Mr Gillanders, Waikaia _ Plains station, intends this season to take all his wool to the port of shipment by waggon instead of by rail. Considering that the distance is fully 85 miles, he must have serious grounds of complaint against the railway tariff. The first team passed through Gore ou Wednesday.

Mr John Mill, stevedore at Port Chalmers, has been extending his business during the last year to the outports, this having been rendered necessary by the loading at the ports of Oamaru and Timaru of many vessels which formerly loaded at the port of Otago for Home. Mr Mill has erected at Oamaru a very spacious building, 100 ft x 60ft, in close proximity to the Sumpter wharf, for the purpose of storing and dumping wool for shipment. The pressing machinery is of the very latest design, and was manufactured by Messrs Young and Gardiner, of Port Chalmers. The pumps are driven direct from the engine shaft, the engine being of 15-horse power. There is connected with the boiler a fuel-saving apparatus, by which at least 10 per cent, of fuel will be saved. The dumping machinery is capable of putting through from 400 to 500 bales per day, on a consumption of about 6cwt coal. The whole apparatus is most creditable to Messrs Young and Gardiner, who no doubt will reap the reward of their mechanical skill,

The question of taxing bachelors has again arisen in France. A petition to that effect has been sent to the Chamber of Deputies. It says that in Paris alone there are nearly half a million, whereas the number of married men i» not more than 379,000. We are reminded that the tax, singular as it may seem, has already existed in several countries. The French Convention adopted it. So did the old Republics. Iv Sparta the women were allowed to drag bachelors into the Temple of Hercules and give them a sound thrashing. Plato condemned them to a fine. Rome made them pay a round sum. Camillus went further, and forced them to marry the widows of citizens killed in defending the country. The petitioners hay the tax ought to be doubly welcome — first, because it will increase the declining population by inducing bachelors to marry ; and secondly, because it will' help to make up the growing deficit in the budget.

At n, sitting of the Divorce and Matrimonial Court on Friday morning, his Honor Mr Justice Williams made absolute the rule nisi iv the divorce suit Mills v. Mills and Ferrier (corespondent). Mr Allan Holmes appeared for the petitioner, aud the respondent and corespondent were unrepresented.

The Union Shipping Company have again seltcted their five steamer Tarawera to make the tenth annual excursion trip to the West tloast Sounds. The steamer will leave Port Chalmers on this occasion on the 12th of January, and is expected to return early on the morning of the 22nd.

At the City Police Court on Friday morning two children named Richard and Minnie Robinson were charger! with stealing three hand-bags, of the value of £1, from Mr Braithwaite's shop in Princes street ; and their mother was also charged with receiving the stolen property. It appeared that the children, after stealing the bags from the shop, took them home, and their mother, without making any inquiry, gave them a note so that they might go and sell the bags to a dealer. In commenting on the case, Mr Gillies (the chairman of the bench) said he thought it was one which called for more than a repri maud. He had no doubt that the mother was practically training the children to thieve. The fact of her giving a note to the children showed that she must have known that the goods were nob lawfully obtained. The .children were eventually convicted and discharged, and the mother was placed upon probation for a term of three mouths under the provisions of the First Offenders' Probation Act. The bench also expressed the opinion that the dealers who had bought the bags for Is should be brought before the court, as they must have known that they were receiving stolen property. Detective Bain, however, remarked that under the circumstances they might have been milled.

The second sitting in Dunedin of the Royal Commission to inquire into the land claims of volunteers and discharged soldiers was held in the office of the Land Board on Friday and the third on Saturday. The commissioners are Major W. E. Gudgeon (president) and Major Crowe, and they are accompanied by Mr William Mitchell (of Wellington) as official reporter. About 50 applications have been heard in Dunedin, and of these 20 are from volunteers. It is not necessary in the case of volunteers that the applicant should appear in support of his claim, but it will bo sufficient if the claim is forwarded to the Defence Office, Wellington, addressed to Major Gudgeon. The claims of volunteers who were enrolled previously to 1873 and who have not received scrip will be allowed, and all who have served as efficient volunteers for five years consecutively are entitled to apply for land scrip granted under the act. In making application by letter it is necessary that the claimants should give the name of the corps in which they served, and the date of joining and leaving the same.

The unfinished game between the two captains (Messrs H Hookham, Christchurch, and David R. Hay, Dunedin) in the recent telegraphic match has been declared a draw by Mr C. W. Benbow, of Wellington, the referee.

At a meeting of the Committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Friday, .a quantity of formal business was transacted. An apology was received from the person who tore up his prize ticket in the presence of the judgeß. The apology was accepted, and it was decided to intimate this to these gentlemen, and express regret that such an occurrence should have taken place while they were engaged in their onerous duties. A special vote of thanks was passed to Mr J. H. Kilgour for his kindness in granting the use of his premises, and the pains he has taken for some years in connection with the exhibits of ale aud porter.

Mr John Roberts has been ro-elected chairman of the Taieri County Council,

Goon Words— From Good Authority.— * » * We confesß that we are perfectly amazed at the run of your American Co.'s Hop Bitters, We never had anything like it, and never heard of the like. Ttie writer (Benton) has been selling drugs here nearly 30 years, and lias seen the riße of Hostetter's Vinegar and all other bi< ters and patent medicines, but never did ivy of them in their best days, begin to have the run that American Hop Bitters have. * * We can't get enough of them. We are out of them half the time. * * Extract from letter to Hop Bitters Co., U. 8. A., Augustas, '78, from Bbktbn, Mvbrs, and Co., Wholesalo druggists, Cleveland, O. Be sure and see— [Advt.]

A. man named Thomas .Steward, alias, M'Grigor, was arrested on board the ds. Mariapouri at Fort Chalmers on Thursday on a charge of deserting his wife and six children at Wellington. He resented very strongly interference by the police, and fought vigorously for his freedom. The police, however, eventually succeeded in taking him to the lock-up, and he was brought up at the City Police Court on Friday morning, being remanded to appear at Wellington on the 11th inst.

At a meeting of the Taieri County Council, which was held on Frdiay, a tender was received from Messrs Murray, Huberts, and Co., on behalf of a client, for the Henley district drainage loan. The conditions of the tender were mainly as follow :— Price, £95 for each £100; £2000 payable on completion of security on specia rate ; debentures to be £500 each ; any further sum required beyond the £2000 now wanted to be advanced (up to £3000) on giving six months notice; interest payable half-yearly — on 31st March and 30th September ; any repayment of loan to be in sums not less than £500, and three months' notice of repayment to be given. It was resolved that the tender be accepted, subject to the tenderers giving to the council an undertaking that in the event of the council being able, within 12 months from date, to make more favourable arrangements for finance than the tender affords, they will accept repayment of the sum advanced, together with a commission of 1 per cent. The drainage scheme to is be pushed on with all possible speed, and tenders will be called for the works very shortly, the engineer (Mr Robert Hay) having been instructed to prepare plans and call for tenders at once for a portion of the work most urgently required to be done.

The Government are now taking steps to collect all overdue rents on agricultural and mining leases, and at the Warden's Court atNaseby several leases were cancelled because the lessees had failed to comply with the conditions in respect to payment of rent.

A labourer, named Archibald Mackenzie, had the smallbone of his right leg broken above the ankle by a stone falling on it at the Deep Stream railway works on the Ist inst, He was attended.to by Dr Fletcher, and conveyed to the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday. Robe it Leslie, a labourer, working in the same locality, had both his legs severely crushed by a truck running over them on Saturday. He, too, was conveyed to the Dunpdin Hospital on the recommendation of Dr Fletcher.

It is gratifying to learn that the manufacture of telegraph insulators is to be commenced in Dunedin, Mr W. M. White having received an order for the supply of 45,000 to the Government. About four months ago the Government called tenders for the supply of 100,000, similar to samples shown, but no tenders were forwarded. Mr White, after experimenting for some time, sent a lot of insulators to Wellington for testing, requesting that they should be subjected to as severe a test as possible. As the result of this be lately received from Government a letter inquiring on what terms he would make insulators — a large order — according to the samples forwarded by him ; and he has now secured an order for the quantity stated at satisfactory prices. Hitherto large sums of money have been 'spent by the colonies in the importation of insulators from England and Germany. The ironwork will be supplied by Messrs Cossens and Black.

We understand that farm hands are becoming scarce in Southland, and that there is also a demand in that district for female general servants.

The.Tuapeka Times states that there are already quite a number of settlers prepared to go on the block of land at Rankleburn which is to be occupied under the homestead system, and which is to be visited this week by the Land Board Commissioners.

Several instances of vessels having been covered with dust at sea from Tarawera have been recorded, but the experience of the New Zealand Shipping Company's barque Waimea is undoubtedly beyond them all. This vessel (says the Lyttelton Times) left Auckland for Home several days previous to the outburst, and Captain John Sinclair, her master, has written to his friends in Cbristchurch saying that when 600 miles away "he concluded that something was wrong with New Zealand," as showers of blinding dust fell, covering the ship.

Mr W. Fraser, one of the representatives of Vincent county, has been elected chairman of the Central Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

The North Otago Times states that Mr and Mrs John Henderson, old and highly respected residents of Oamaru, celebrated their golden wedding lately. They are aged 72 and 70 respectively. They have 12 children, five sons and seven daughters, all of whom are alive, and 11 are residing in the colony. There are in all 58 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, many of the former and two of the latter being present.

A meeting of the Court of Convocation of the University of New Zealand will be held at the University Library, Dunedin, on January 12, 1887; and to enable members to attend, the Minister for Public Works has agreed to the issue of railway tickets at cheap rates at any station on the main line between Christchurch and Invercargill t Among other business of importance to be dealt with at the meeting, the following resolution (forwarded by the Senate) will be considered : — " That it is expedient that inquiry should he made whether a satisfactory scheme can be devised for allowing students to graduate both in arts and science, graduates in science to graduate in arts, and graduates in arts to graduate in science." Another matter for consideration will be a bill for the re-constitution of the University, prepared by the Royal Commission in 1880. This bill is to be considered in detail at the next meeting of the University Senate.

General Kaulbars, who has come into prominence in connection with the troubles in Bulgaria, can hardly be called a true-born Russian, for on his father's side he is a Finn, and his immediate female ancestors were German and English. He speaks English, German, and French with equal facility.

At the meeting of the Ashburton County Council on Friday, a motion was to have been discussed with a view to requesting the Government to empower local bodies to find work for any applicant who may be seeking employment. Mr Jackson obtained leave to allow the auestion to stand in abeyance. It had assumed a far more gigantic shape than he at first was aware of. He had gone thoroughly into the matter, and found that during the course of the year the farrows and station-holders of the Ashburton county had to supply 27.375 free meals to men travelling in search of work, or men who represented themselves as seekers of labour. The annual charge of. feeding the swagger in the Ashburton county alone thus amounts to £1368

18s. The data upon <wkW J tnedd : figures are based:" have Been * caret tityffißtiffiSJihafFQig* estimate is rather under tnan- over the actual state of affairs. The Press considers a similar calculation for. the whole of the colony would be interesting, if a little startling. -, ----

The Protection' Association at Christchurch has adopted as a platform : Protection to native industries, land and ncome'iax v. property tax, and a State bank of issue i and put it before the public thus :— "Protection contemplates a readjustment of the tariff in favour of New Zealand industries, and a remission of ■ duties on all articles that cannot be manufactured or produced in the colony. As a legitimate Protection may reduce the customs revenue, the association advocates the making' up of the deficiency by the imposition of a land and income tax. For the purpose of carrying on the public works of the colony, the association advocates jbne establishment of a State bank, which will prevent any further mortgaging of the public estate to foreign capitalists." The.Hon. Mr Ballanee is to be asked to deliver an address on these sub» jects. The annual meeting of Lodge Peninsula Kilwinning, S.C., for the installation of the R.W.M. and investiture of officers took place on Friday evening in the schoolhouse, Portobello. The D.G.L.S.C. was represented by P.W.D.S.C. Bro. Nees, W.D.G.S. Bro. H. Neil, and other, officers. W. Bro. W. Caldwell, G. 8.. of G.L. 0L S., then proceeded to install P.M. Bro. John Louden in the chair of K.S. .for the fifth. time. The following officers were ' invested :— D.M., Bro. J. Muir; S.W., Bro. J. Granger; 3.W., Bro. F. Taylor; secretary, Bro. C. Wadie; treasurer, Bro. J. J. M'Aulay; S.D., Bro. J. Kel&trom; J.D., Bro. W. Granger; T.G., Bro. Keratai; and tyler, Bro. Sinclair. The D G.S., Bro. Neill, acted as D. of C, and Bro. Hastings as D.G. chaplain. The customary odes and anthems were rendered by a small choir under the leadership ef Bro. Fergusson, who officiated at' the organ. Before the lodge closed the visitors congratulated the ' R.W.M., and he thanked W. Bro. Caldwell and the' Dunedin visitors for their attendance. An adjournment was afterwards made to Coney's Hotel, where about 50 ladies and gentleman 'sat down to a banquet. After the cloth was cleared the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured. The tables were then removed and the ball began, being carried on long after daylight on Saturday morning. The members of the Ashburton County Council, on going into figures, found that the protective works which are being carried on by unemployed labour had cost £90, while the work done was only worth £40. Before putting a stop to the works, the members decided to pay a visit of inspection. According to the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times,- the air is full* of rumours regarding the practical failure of a mercantile man in Wellington prominent in several ways. It is said that his defalcations and debts amount to nearly £18,000; but he has not filed,' and no prosecution has yst been initiated, although the facts have been whispered for weeks.. Meanwhile paper bearing his name is being dishonoured oa all sides, and his barikers are issuing writs all round in consequence. The Hon. W. Rolleston was present at the breaking-up of the Timaru High School on Friday, and delivered, an address in which he treated of the question " What shall we do with our boys and girls?" Of boys he said:—* " If we mean what opening is therein the colony for the generation .which is to succeed, us, I have no fear for the future. There is, as much opening in the colony for ability, industry, and good character as ever there was. It is true that in earlier days, when the first wave of settlement had not' passed over the country, pastoral pursuits, and subsequently the fitful speculative energy incidental , to the .outbreak of goldfields, led in many eases to speedy fortune, without those steady qualities which are now necessary . for success ; but the record of the failures of those da\* was proportionately sad. The old order has changed, but it is' nonsense to suppose that a country with the' population of Liver* pool, in an area greater than Great Britain, does not afford ample scope to ability and energy rightly directed , A world of usefulness, competence, and happiness is as open as ever to the youth of the colony. Its attainment involves greater labour, closer application, and more highly cultivated faculties." Mr Rolleston answers the question with regard to girls by saying: "If yon would be a woman of genuine power sad queen o'er all the earth, learn to keep house thoroughly and practically." Mr Rolleston concluded by saying ; " You will have gathered trom what I have said that I do not think we have cause for anxiety as to our boys and girls ' getting on ' in the world. The rocks ahead 'are to my mind of a different character. We have more to fear from lack of reverence followed by a want of selfrespect—in a word-, 'the; faithless coldness of the times.' We have.- more to fear. from a restless desire to ' get on ' too fast— a specula* tive seeking after gain.accompanied by extrava* gance and debt, which too often leads on to dishonour." . . At the special meeting of the Chamber' of Commerce held on Monday a resolution was adopted protesting against any attempt being made to ■ float a> loan in Great Britain for the purpose .of • constructing a new dock- at Port, Chalmers, and. setting forth the grounds on - which the loan was opposed. It was resolved to forward a cablegram to the Agent-general in London cover^^the resolution arrived at. The usual liberal concessions during the Christmas and New Tear holidays are an» nounced by the Railway department, enabling visits to bo made to. 'friends both north and south, at extremely reasonable jrates. ' A meeting of delegates from the various 1 bodies contributing to the Hospital and Bene. volent Institution was held -in, the Town Hall on Monday for the purpose; of .electing trustees to both institutions. Messrs J. Carroll, J, Green, H. Gourley, J. Barnes, R. B. Martin, and Peter Millar were elected as trustees of the Benevolent Institution ;• and "Messrs H. Clark, J. Green, M. Faganj J. White, J. Robin, and W. Wardrop were returned to the Hospital board. Some 95 candidates put in an appearance at the University on Monday for the matriculation, medical preliminary, and junior scholarship examinations, which are. being conducted here under the supervision Of Professor Salmond.

Our Mosgiel correspondent writes that the funeral on Sunday' oi the lad .Charles Findlay, who was accidentally killed on Thursday, was one of the largest, that has taken place in the Taieri. Representatives from all parts of the plain were present, about 200 being on foot, while there was no less than 54 buggies (each con* taining from two to five persons) and 67 horse* men followed. Everyone -was present that could be, out of respect to the family, who sr^

well knownas" old residents. " The Rev. William Will officiated at. the grave, and the Rev. J. M. Sutherland (North Taieri) and J. M. M'Kerrow (Mosgiel) were also present.

The loss sustained by the railway goods shed taking fire on Sunday .night has not yet been defiuifcely ascertained, although it .is very probable that it will be covered by £4000. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. are the principal losers on goods, they having had about 40 bales of wool in the shed on trucks, the estimated value of which was £400.., The loss sustained by the Government will not be so great as was at first anticipated, as only the woodwork of the trucks was destroyed, and the ironwork may be utilised again The origin of the fire still remains a mystery. It is thought I that it may have occurred .through the ac- j cidental ignition of some bags of quicklime, or of a package of matches ,which were lying on the floor. \ Another supposition is '.that one of the trucks laden with wool may have been set on fire by sparks from a passing engine previous to the trucks being placed in the shed late on Saturday night. So far as yet ascertainable the following is a list of goods in the shed at thf-time of the outbreak:— l 2 trucks, valued at £600; 150 tarpaulins, £150; wool, £400; merchandise, £200. Only the merchandise was insured. It was consigned by Messrs Mackerras and Hazlett to IVinback, and the firm have floating .policies for £1000 in the National and Equitable offices on all goods forwarded by them to their country customers. About 60 entries have -been received for the annual prize firing" competitions in connection with the Otago Rifle Association. This number, however, does not include the entries which are yet to be received from the country! It is anticipated that there will be about 80 more entries. The following applications for patents have been received :— Richard Hornsby and Sons, of Grantham, , Lincolnshire, for improvements in harvesting machines and straw trussers ; D. R. S. Galbraith, of Auckland, for a molecular chfcrodisinglprocess ; B. S. Brookes, of Whareine, Auckland, for a wire measure ; J; A. Packer, of Nelson, for invention for giving action to joints of artificial legs; R. Cockerell, of Invercargill, for improvements in centres of . disc-harrows and cultivators ; and for improvements in tree and stump extractors and other powers. The Ministers' Association _at Invercargill have passed a resolution with a view to discouraging as much as possible Sunday, funerals, and ask ministers to discontinue attendance except in oaaes of necessity. A deputation of perpetual lease settlers who are tenants of the High School board, waited upon that body on Monday in order to ask for a reduction of their rents: Mr Scobie Mackenzie, M.H.R.,introducedthedeputation. Hesaid the case was one in which the settlers, though by law entitled to get their lands at a rental equivalent to 5 per cent, on the capital value, hid from the beginning been paying 10 percent , owing to the excessive valuation which bad been put on the land. Oa previous, occasions when applying for a reduction he had been told that the High School board had no power to reduce rents. That difficulty had been removed by the passing of the Local Bodies' Leaseholds Act of last session, and he hoped the board would now take the matter in hand and deal equitably with their tenants. The board, without entering into the rights or wrongs of the ca«e, admitted that the rents were excessive, and said that it would take the case of the applicants into favourable consideration. ,An inquiry would at* once be made into the circumstances, pending which any action taken for forfeiture for non-payment of rent would be arrested. The deputation thanked the board and withdrew. ' Bishop Moran visited Oa'maru to inspect the Catholic schools last week, and has expressed himself as agreeably surprised at the high degree of efficiency. After divine! service at the Blue Spur on Sunday evening (writes our own correspondent) the Rev. Mr Griff en entered his buggy to drive home to Lawrence, when the horse, started suddenly and the rev. gentleman fell. His coat was caught in the spokes of the wheel, and getting rolled round the axle he was half drawnoutof the trap. With Mr Griffen in this plight— his body in the buggy and his head and hands hanging over the side — the horse went through the township at a mad gallop, scorning the efforts of all who tried to" stop it. With increased speed it pursued its headlong course down the steep and dangerous hill on which > the township •tands till coming to a turn in the road, when the shafts became detached from the body of the vehicle, which was precipitated over a steep embankment, with the rev.- gentleman still in it. Many willing hands were soon in attendance on the sufferer, who complaiued, when he had recovered consciousness, of a severe pain in the region of the heart. A litter was improvised, and the unfortunate gentleman was carried by relays to Lawrence, where he was immediately placed under medical care. The _ medical report is to the effect that no bones have' been broken, but it will be some time before he can resume his duties. The escape was almost miraculous, as the buggy and its occupant fell over the face of a rock and landed amongst rocks and cement at the bottom. Ernest J. Nicholls, a passenger by the ship Gainsborough, which arrived in Melbourne from New York, was taken into custody on a charge of having murdered his infant daughter. The prisoner, his wife, and their infant were the only passengers by the Gainsborough. On October 14, about half-past 10 a.m., the seaman at the ship's wheel asserts that he saw Nicholls, who had been walking about the deck with the 6hild in his arms, throw it into the sea. The infant was seen floating for a short time,, but disappeared before a boat could be launched to rescue it. Nicholls was taken before the Williamstown court, and remanded for medical examination, as he displayed symptoms of mental derangement. Later in the day Mrs Nicholls was arrested for having been an accessory to the murder," on the ground that 'she knew that her husband was of unsound mindj.and yet entrusted him with the care of their child. Some of the seamen give a different version of the occurrence from that given by the seaman at the wheel. They state that the child dropped from the arms of its father into the sea. Nicholls is declared to have shown every symptom of insanity during the voyage subsequent to the loss of his child. The following particulars are given by a Sydney paper of the singular manner in which a merchant was poisoned: — Mr Uhde, the landlord, it appears, entered the room where some guests were sitting and placed some sandwiches on a table, remarking that they were poisonous, and left the .room. ' When he returned he was horrified to see Mr Frederick Berndfc eating one. Mr Uhde again said that the sandwiches had been spread with " Rough on_ rats," and were intended to poison those animals; and he implored Mr. Berndt to take an emetic Some mustard and water was adminjitowd, tad later on, wto* Mr Berudt appeared

to be getting worse, Dr, Walker and Dr M'Laurin were sent for, but their services were of no avail. Mr Lewis Levy was called in on the following day, when a will was drawn up. Mr Berndt was too weak to sign it, but he touched the pen. He was quite ' conscious up to that time, but he died soon afterward. Mr Berndt was a German Jew, about 30 years of age, and carried on business as a merchant in Jamieson sireet. An inquest was at first deemed unnecessary, but the body was afterwards exhumed, and we have learned by cable thatan open verdict was returned. Mr Berndt exonerated everyone from blame. Mr and Mrs William Morris, of Sawyers' Bay, celebrated their golden wedding on Monday, when several friends paiu them visits and congratulated them on the event. Mr Morris was for some years engaged in missionary work in Otago, and was laid aside by an accident on the railway near Waitati some three years ago. Mr Morris is 73 years of age, while Mrs Morris, who is 10 years his senior, is for her age in robust health, and still able to read and enjoy her newspaper. It will be remembered that a short time ago we gave some particulars of a number of tests conducted in the presence of a number of contractors and others of the cement which Mr James M'Donald has commenced to manufacture. These were of a highly satisfactory nature, and it is interesting to learn that Mr- M'Donald has completed arrangements for its manufacture on an extensive scale. Within one month from now he will be in a position to turn out from 10 to 12 tons per day, while he anticipates being able in six months to supply the requirements of the whole colony, and in 12 months be in a position to export.