LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2128, 7 May 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Parliament is to be summoned for despatoh of business on June 20th.

Volunteers are reminded thai; the Government Inspection Parade of the Ashburton Bifles, Guards, and Cadets takes place this evening at Boven o'olook.

Diphtheria has made its appearanoe at Wallaoetown, Southland. Mr and Mra Btraohan lost two boys m one day by the (Mniunf

It is announced that Friday next will be observed as a Bpeoial Bank holiday both at Ashburton and Bakaia.

&Dr Charoot, of Paris, an authority on nervous diseases, is soon to be summoned to St Petersburg to see the Emperor aod Empreßs of Russia, who are both m bad health.

The following gentlemen were elected to represent the Mount Hutt Boad Board yesterday : — Messrs Jackson, MoMillan, D. Cameron and Johnston. An extraordinary eleotion for tho fifth member will take place shortly.

■ We call the attention of farmers to the faot that his Worship the Mayor requests the burgesses of Ashburton to observe half holidays noxt Thursday and Friday — race days — dosing their plaoes of business at noon eaoh day.

A famous fighting ship of the American oivil war has just disappeared. The notorious [Confederate ram, Merrimac, which did so much damage among the Federal fleet, and fought the memorable conflict with the Monitor, haß been broken up, and her remains 3old for old iron.

They grow some monster potatoes down about Waimute, There are now on view m a local stationer's window sampleß of Kidneys and Derwents, the largest of the former weighing 4lb lljjfozs, and of the latter 3Jlbs. They were grown on the Waimate estate, at Willowbridge.

Aooording to the " Baugitikei Advooate " the Premier has stated that another seotion of the Northern Main Trunk Bailway (by the central route) will be gone on with after next session, and that the reoent surveys have proved the Taranaki route to be utterly impraotioable.

The " Wanganui Chroniole " has been shown a potato grown by Mr Benefield, of Aramobo, weighing 3£lbs. This potato is one of six from one plant, the other five being about l^lb each m weight. They are all well-shaped and show, a perfeotly healthy growth, and do not appear to suffer iv quality owing to their abnormal size.

Four small nuggets and some grains of gold have been found m the gizzard of a duok fed on the farm of East Kirkton, near Arbroath, and some pieces of auriferous quartz have been found m the Heroules Glen burn m the same neighborhood. The discoveries have awakened a good deal of interest iv the district.

The zodiaoal light is now visible before daylight on dear mornings. It is visible m most seasons of the yoar iv low latitudes, but m ours only for two or three months m the mornings, and m the opposite half of the year m the evenings. The latest oonolusions concerning it are that it is an attachment of the sun, but of what nature is still a matter of oonjeoture.

A somewhat remarkable case, arising out of a marriage at GreCua Green as far baok as 1846, oooupied the attention of Mr Justice Butt iv ihe Probate and Divoroe Division on Maroh 2. The eldest son of the marriage Bought to establish its validity under the Legitimacy Declaration Aot, and bis lordship, after hearing evidenoe, found m favour of the petitioner.

A Christohuroh paper Bays that instructions have been reoeived from the Midland Bailway Company at Home to press on the opening of the portion of the line already oonstruoted as speedily »b possible. Mr Alan Scott and Mr Napier Bell are now engaged m making the Ueoeesary arrangements for the early opening fer traffio of the length of line belonging to the Company already completed.

Of the Bey A. Ghodowßki, who euooeeds the Bey Mr Zaohariah as minister of the Hebrew congregation at Ohrigtoburoh, the "Press" says that he is about twenty-seven years of age, and is very highly spoken of. He reoeived hiß education at the Jewish College m London, and Dt Adler, m a letter sent out here, speaks very highly of the newly-appointed minister.

A general meeting of ratepayers of the Ooldstream Diatirot was held yesterday at Longlauds, Hinds. The balance-sheet was read and approved.— On tho motion of Mr J. Studholme, seconded by Mr R. Luaoombe, a vote of thanks was accorded to the members of the retiring Board. — A vote of thankß to Mr J. Studholme for the use of oottage as offioe for the Board wbb proposed by Mr Dobsou and carried unanimously. The meeting then terminated,

Joseph Roberts, a brother of the notorious Jonathan Koberts, was oharged before Oapt Proeoe, R.M., at Napier, on the 29th ultimo, wi;h having on the 14th Maroh last, at Wintotara, feloniously stolen one five-pound note, and five one-pound notes, some silver, one pooket-book, and one oheque.book, the property of Jonn M'Vioar. The prisoner was remanded for the produotion of evidence.

Aristocratio but vinegar-f aoed oaller : "He's a obarming little fellow, Mrs Grindstone. Only five yeara old, you say ? •• You'll give mft a kiee, won't you, Willie ? " Willie • " Yes'm," (Kißses her). Oaller ; — " That'B a good boy, Willie. But what are you holding m your hand so tightly ? " Willie : "Its half a dollar mamma gave me. She said she 'speoted you'd want to kiBS, and I told her I wouldn't do it for less."

Those who were abroad at about 8-30 last evening had the opportunity of witnessing a meteorological phenomenon of great beauty m the form of a meteor of remarkable size and brillianoy. It had the appearance of a globe of pale green fire, m the shape of an enlogated sphere, of a diameter fully equal to the apparent diameter of the moon when at the zenith, end fell m a westerly direction, its disappearance behind the mountains being aocompanied by a oorusoation of pinkish light. The brijlianoy of the meteor may be measured by the faot that for the moment it outshone and obliterated the light of the moon. The meteor was also observed from Temuka, where it was notioed that the heavenß were lit up for Boma little time after its disappearance.

Wfl have received the prospeotus of the new colonial nionthly magazine " " to be published m Dunedin m July. The opening number ie to oontaio the fleet ohaptera of a serial tale " The Mark of Gain," by Owon Graham ; the first of a series of desoriptive articles intituled '• Wanderings iv Lake-land ;" an original tale by Mr W. P. Beeves, M.H.R,, intituled " A Helpleßß Speotator ; " an essay by the Bey Rutherford Waddell on " Soipe Sooial Eesponßibilitiep of a young Community : " •? Two Heroines Ma poem by Braoken) j Notes on Natural History, by Mr (J. M. Thomson, F,Jj,Ej.j Fashion ftoteu, Girls' PaS?: &>!*' Pftgo, Beviowß, etc.. etc. Altogether a vetf ftttraotive bill of faro M promised, and the new' magazine will be heartily welcomed: The subsoiip!? oll U?°Bt free) 7s, brings it within the reaoh of all.

••Lynx," m the ''Taflmanfan Mail,' writes : — " The tremendouß run on widows m the Taamaniau Matrimonial Market, has completely upset all oaloulations, and iB driving all the girls wild with jealousy. In faot the demand has been bo great, and Bales bo sharp and prompt, that stocks are protty well exhausted,' A few remain on hand, but, as these are still m the weeds, stage speoulators are Bhy. A fow dashing importations from abroad would probably realise high prioea and find immediate inveßtots. Encouraged by the existing state of thinga a recently-established commission agent is about to open a Matrimonial Agency m oonneotiou with his other business. The idea is a good one, and if oonduoted on the prinoiple of "small profits and quiok re* turns," will probably work with tremendous satisfaction to the agent.

The Judgment of Solomon was recently nearly enacted by a Transatlantic justioe m Georgia. Two parents claimed the same negro baby, and the ( ovidence was so even that the puzzled judge suddenly thought of the Wise King's expedient. He seized the baby, pulled out a bowie-knife from his belt, and proposed to halve the ohild. But both olaimants ru3hed forward simultaneously, crying, "Bobb don't kill him. "You may have him I" So the judge— aa the "Graphio" puts it— was as far from a decision as before.

Last night a fire ooourred at Charing Cross on a farmstead belonging Mr Laddy, of Wakanui, by which an eight-stalled stable, with 5 sets of harness, and two staoks of oats (one containing 75 and the other 15 tons) were totally destroyed. The value of the property consumed was about £400, and there was no insurance; There is no dwelling on the plaoe other than a moveable hut, and there was no one about at the time exoept one man who discovered the fire, but was unable to save anything. There are strong BUBpioions of incendiarism, and the polioe are on the look-out for the guilty party.

The following is the full official title of our new Governor, His Exoellenoy the Bight Honourable William Hillier, Earl of Onslow, of Onslow, m the County of Salop ; Visoount Cranley, of Oranley, m the County of Surrey; Baron Onslow, of Onslow, m the County of Salop, and of West Olandon, m the County of Surrey; Baron Oranley, of Imberoourt; Baronet; a Member of Her Majeßty's Most Honourable Privy Oounoil; Knight Grand Orosß of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Miohael and Saint Oreorge; Governor and Oommander-in-Ohief m and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Viae-Admiral of the same.

From information gained at several of the grain merchants' afficoa the "Lyttelton Times " finds that a considerable proportion of the grain sent m from the oountry has been damaged, through the staoks from which it has been threshed not having been thatched, or if so treated, it having been done m a perfuuotory manner. In one line alone 460 sacks of wheat were rejeoted by the merohant. The farmer thereby loses about 4d per bushel on this quantity, or a prioe whioh would have far more "than paid the coat of thatohing the whole of his crop. In the oase of barley being damaged the loss is heavier, as this grain, if damaged by wet, Bprouts m the Baok,

The Bey F. A. Gaoe, vicar of Great Barling, Essex, who reoently published a oateohism iv which he denounced it as a sin, equal to lying and theft, to attend a dissenting place of worship, has been oensured by the Bishop of St. Albans for bis publication. The Bishop says that the vioar's assertions are most unrighteous. In South Wales the offensive wordß had been printed on election placards, and had done a great deal of mischief. His Lordship adds that he fears he can do nothing to restrain Mr Gaoe. He hoped that suoh publications — which he had to notice twenty years ago — had now gone out of date. Their revivaf had caused a great scandal.

A movement has been started m Norway for the despatoh m the summer of 1890 of an expedition to the North Pole, and it iB proposed that the leadership shall be offered to Dr Dansen. Those who are arranging the plans maintain that no other country oould furnißD auob a orew of experienced and hardy ioemen and Arotio travellers as Norway, and that a winter or two m the Arotio regions would efifeot these men very little. The intention ia that an attempt shall bo made to reaoh the pole by way of Franz Joßef's Land, a route advooated by the most experienced Norwegian Arotio travellers as well as by many who have studied the problem. The news of Prinoe Alexander of Bitten, berg's morganatio marriage has been a great shook to his family, and his mother, the Princess of Battenberg, who has been depressed and out of health since the death of her husband, Prince Alexander of Hesße, haß, says the " World," been made seriously ill by this woeful collapse of all the plans for the advancement of her favorite son. The Queen and the Empreßß Frederick are profoundly annoyed and mortified for many reasons, and Prince Alexander has displayed an extraordinary and very reprehensible laok of consideration for these personages, who have worked so zealously on his behalf, and still more for the Princess Viotoria of PrU3eia, for his engagement with her had never been formally broken off.