THE Marlboraugh Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1884. LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

« Havelock School Examinations. Mr Hodgson will examine the soholars at the Havelock Schools on Saturday the 23rd instant. Tbnders.— My, M. O'Neill's tender of £65 tor painting the Bank of New Zealand ha 3 been accepted. Ojiaka Road Board. — The usual monthly meeting of this Board will be held at the Government Baildings tomorrow. Licensing.— A meeting of the Spring Creek Licensing. Committee is called for Monday next, the 18th, for the purpose of electing a chairman. Rbnwick,— We understand that the JRonwick School Committee have very kindly placed the school-house at the dispoßal of the ladies and gentlemen who are organising the concert m aid of the building iund of the now ohuroh to be erected at Ronwick,

The Hacks. — Miss Finn has been scratched for all engagements at the coming race meeting. ■ Mr. Jones' Schoolboy has arrived from Nelson. Mr Hathorne's Comet, will, m all probability roach Picton to-nigbi. Inspection. — The Blenheim Rifle Volunteers will parade for inspection of arms and diill to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, on Seymour Square at 7 o'clock. Literary Institute.— The of the above Institution will meet at the ; Literary Institute, to-night,, for the despatch of general b'usiieaa. . ' ' ■/("'•r School Picnic — We again remind our readers "of the Sunday School picnic tobe held m Mr Hodson's "paddock, to-morrow.! afternoon. ... ■ Races at-Waihopat.— lt will be seen by. advertisement that a Race Meeting will be held at the Wainopai on Easter Monday, the 14th April. The Rev W. Morley.— This gentleman, who has just been ebcted President of the New Zealand Wesleyan Conference, will arrive m Blenheim , to-morrow, and deliver a lecture on Vt ednesday evening,' on Church matters of importance. Open Are Services.— At the concla sion of Mr Brewer's address at the. open, air service, held on Market Square last evening,; the Rev P. M'Nicoll took the opportunity of stating that the meetings'] were now. concluded, and thanked! his hearers for the patient and attentive hearing that bad been accorded during the aeries,' 'which had: been of- a~ most orderly character, :' „ |:'V The Zealandia's Mails.-tMt Gray, Secretary of the Posjt -Office, reports that .the Zealandia,' alihongh' late, brings only part of the usual mail. The Germanic, with the bulk of London'mails .broke down shortly after leaving, and wascohipelled to return, bufshe had not reached' Liverpool rip 1 to the time the Zealandia Sailed. The Zealandia's mails consist of only 194 bags for this colouy instead of between 300 and 400. Last'month's. steamer brought 362 bags. The |Trains.— Special trains will be run on Wednesday and Thursday' 'next (the race days). Trains wi'l leave Picton atS'lfi n.ta. .and 6 p.W, and will leave Blenheim at 1015 a.m. and 8 p.m. U.A.O. Druids.— The meeting held on Saturday night at the Masonic Hotel was well.attendedv.lt was. decided to call lodge the 'Blenheim- Mistletoe,'- and to hqld fortnightly meetings m the Literary Institute, the night being fixed for Monday. Dr Porter was elected lodge surgeon. . The meeting adjourned to Friday spight. ' ■ -- ; : ? ' ; -.-;••« . ;.. .-, InoNMONQEBY.— Mr F. C. Litchfield otifies that he has on sale a large and varied assortment of first-class ironmongery, and considerable additions' will be' made to hi 3 already. largaand..well-seloctcd.sto(ik.. . ... The 'Frisco Mail,— The s.s. Zealandia, with the incoming San Francisco mail, arrived at Auckland at 7 - 40 this morning. ; It is expected the mail will reach Wellington on Tuesday evening. If such is ! the case, and there happens to be one of the riyer steamers leaving the same night, we may ;expect.the Marlborough portion to reach here on Wednesday morning. ; Tobacco.— We direot attention to sn interesting article, published m another column of this iasne, on the culture of this important plant. There ere strong opinions m the colony that parts of the North Island are speoially suitable for the ..growth of a tobacco of high commercial value, ond that with care : and attention m the processes of growth and prepara-i lion; we may not only be able to produce all the tobacco required for- home consumption, but m time we might also be able to establish an export trade) which will' prove not leas important than wool ot grain. We sincerely trust that auoh may prove to be the oaee. ; Chuch op the Nativity.— His Lordship_ the Bishop of Nelson; conducted Divine services m this church, at both services . yesterday, on wtyich occasiona : there were large and attentive audiences, more particularly at night, \ Ewart's Hall. — The extension lof Ewart's Hall is being rapidly pushed rtn, and - when completed, the Hall will undoubtedly be a great convenienCe : bdth to the public and pei formers. The stage has been raised considerably, and. three rooms of soid size built at the back, which can re used for various purposes, and- to -which there is'an entrance on the western side. Other improvements! are effected, which will tend to rpake the Hall a popular one, We learn that tie. Fisher Combination Company will use the new portions to-morrow night for the first time. ; Picton. —A correpondent writes :— T,he Fisher Combination Troupe played jto rather a [.oor house on Saturday night, : considering that this combination is ope of the best shows that have ever beeniin Picton. It was no doubt owing to tbe Amateur entertainment taking place the night before,; which was .welfatteuded. The Fisher Combirntion kindly took part m that also, and rendered their services gratis. Mr Fisher had to take the " corner " m the chair busiuess for the Picton Minstrels at an hour's notice, and he went through their programme a8 if he had rehearsed with them, for a week.. The Fisher Combination open here again tonight, when a crowded house is expected. Their programme will be a new one, and entirely different frrm Saturday's, performance. A party' of Picton- -residents, accbiripahie'd by the Fisher Combination troupe, chartered tha s.s. Piaton for an outing yesterday. The day was occupied m fishing, &c. , They were very successful m their fishing, catching about 600 rock cod, a king fish, 3 barracouta,an hapuka, several sharks^ and a conger eel. Upon returning to Ficton wharf the whole of the fish were turned out upon it, and the public were invited to take what they required, the rest remaining on the wharf." Racing m the Colonies.— The London Daily Telegraph, a paper not usually given to lavish praise of the Colonies, winds up an interest'ng article on American racing with the following well-merited eulogy upon thesame sport m Australia and New Zealand : — "lt ia to be hoped," says the writer,' "that our shrewd Traos- j atlantio kinsmen will profit not only by ( European, but a.so by Australian experience. ' In no country is racing carried i on under more wisely-framed laws than I m Australia and New Zealand. Their racecourses, their grand stands, and the discipline and order enforced npqn them might be atudferl with advantagenot only m the United Statr-t, hut also m the United Kingdom. Some of the finest judges of horsa flesh m the world pronounce the. Australian thoroughbreds to be already superior to the European. It is, moreover, worthy of remark that nowhere are racing official 1 ), jcekeys, trainers and bookmakers more vigilantly watched and kept m order by-the «uthorities than at Sydney, Melbourne, Dunedin andChristchuroh, ; A Stamlinq Circumstance. — The family of Mr E, C. Brewer, of the Buik of New South Wales, residing at Bondi (N.S.W.), were considerably startled one morning recently; when ithe infant son, aged 15 months, toddled into the house with 'a .young whipsnake, 16h long, md alive, m bs hands. The little fellow had hold of the snake ii the mid<?'e, and was shaking it about to his great enjoyment, but to ■ the horror of the father, who at once seized the rept ! 'o and I ''ed it. It was thought the boy had been bitten, as there was a small spot on his head. Mr Brewer opened the Rpot pnd sucked the wound, and afterwnrds took the child to IDr Creek, but no symptoms, of a poisonI snake-bite could bo noticed.,, Mi . Mirt _ sci!a

TuE Late Firu.— Messrs Raskin aild • Ackboyd have removed to temporary premises, Grove Road, (thp Hall of Commerce, latels occupied by W. B. Girling and. Co.) where they will be pleased to meet their' old friends and the public generally. They will offer for sale the salvage stock saved from the late fire, at a very low figure.—^Advt. Men's Tweed Suits, 20s ; Men's Serge Suits, 21s ; Boys' Suits m great variety ; .Tapestry Carpets 2a 3d to 23 6d ; Fnr- - msning 'and General Drap2ry, all of "good" genuine quality ; Blaok Cashmeres froa*! Is Cd;' Black Silk Broche, Dolinany, : Pompadour Robes and Costumes, Hats, Millinery, arid Trimmings, all very cheap. Agent for Singer's Sewing Machines.— R. H. SMALE, London House, Market-' street South.— Advt.