Distrirt and Provincial.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1875, Page 6

Distrirt and Provincial.

Southland; — Tbe quarterly meeting of the Presbytery of Southland was held on Wed nesday, the fsth instant. Collections on behalf ofthe Aged 1 and Infirm Mihistera' Fund were reported fn m l the following congregations, viz 4 , WalUcetown, li7> liOng Bush, L 5) Wintbn,.L_ 3 16'< 6'\ ; Rtverton. L4i Mr Arnot, donation, L 3; so that in all L369"had been' remitted tb the General Treasurer to this account. Messrs- Ross and S*obo reported h'avlrg'visited Grepuki, and the Presbytery expressed their satisfaction at the encouraging state of things there. Mr W _Tiehol, applying to be received as a div nity student of the first year, it was resolved that he should attend the next meeting of the Presbytery for examination, the usual divinity studies being meanwhile prtscribed. The Orepuki congregation applied for a continuance of Ms Nich'-l's-services. It was agreed to request the Church Extension Committee to continue their present gfaut, and that Mr Nicbol, in such case, he appointed for another three months. The resignation by Mr Arnot of his appointment in connection with the fnverrargill congregation was re no > ted. A desire having been expressed for a continuance of Mr Arnot's services at the Buff, a subscription list having been •let on foot for the purpose, the Presbytery r< s.dved to rt quest the parties concerned to get the pubfcription list completed, and present* d to the Clerk- of the Presbytery as soon as possible. Theses-ion records ol Waka'ip and Switzers were examined,. and the Presbytery adjourned till the evening, when a conference with office- bearers, Sab hath- School teachers, and others, was held — A raiM painful occurrence took place in the neighborhood ot Forest Hill, on the 2nd inst: Fr<-m:wnat «c ('Ne^s') have hi en aMe to lta>n, it appears that. Mr William Young, settler, was burning off tussock on his ground. To facilitate the process, it had bt-en cut and laid in swathes or rows, an i one of hi* children, said to be a fin*tiirl, 'six years of aue, was amusing herself by running through the lanes thus made. Unfortunately, a gust of wind sent a volume of flame about leP dress, which caught fire. In a- terrified state she con tinued to run about before assistance could reach htr, and then it was too late. So ; severely had she bten burned, that' death put an end to lier sufferings in a few hours. Tuapeha. — Intelligence was brought into Lawrence lately that a man named Daniel Ua iM-b 11 had been found dead in his bed at Gretnfirld Station.. It seems- deceased had been emplo\ed for nine or ten yearson Clydes\ale Station a? carpenter, but had left there and was at Tokomairiro, at whici place he is said to have heen on the sp ec for thne weeks. Hearing- that he was in Tokomairiro, and k^owifg him io be a good tra-Jpsman, Mr Smith sent there and ensjaged him. We ('Times') are informed th;it when he was brought from Tokomairiro to the station he was drunk and incapable- About two o'clock' in the morning he fell our if hi* bed, and at five o'clock he wis foiind to be dead. An inquest «a-ht-ld by Mr Carcv, when a verdict was refirned of death from natural causes. De c ased was rather ing r.iou-, and was the nuilder of a small steamer that, plies on tbe Mohneux at Chdeavale Station.. Tapanui.— The laid de-cribed as the WaiMiiKoi Hundred, which is situated in the Grtenvale and Glenk nidi districls, waaoffi-rtd for sale by. v public auction at the D-striC Lmi Office, Lawrence, on Thursday, 7>h inst. The attendance ot purchasers wag very limited. The price, L 2 «n *er.\ as advertised, was considered too hijih, and an alteration at the- eleventh hour had 'been made on the day of ' sale, *hich, says the * Tuaotka Times,' misled a number of people who had visited. the Jamand, we a»e told, purposed ' bVing present at the sale. A yood number of people from the neighborhood of Tapanui were preset. t to make applications tor sections undtr deferred pa\ment in the Glenkemch tind Gretnvale districts. For' the 1600, ncres open on deferred payments there we-re | 24 aimlicarions, embracing an art a of 4,800 icses, being equal to three applicants fur ach of the eight sections-open. The sec'i us in this CAse were surveyed as these •icftrred payment sections » us'ht to be sur veyed, viz.. in 200 acre blocks. The land -old was all situated in block 111- of the Glenkeaich district, and v. as as follows-:--Kate ■ pc- acre • Sec. Acreage. £ s. d. & s. d.' Purchaser 1 ..49 1 18.^ 2 6.. 104 18 6— S. Harlow, Cromwell. 2.. 90 0 20. .2 0 0..180 5 0 Do.-. 3.. 79-3. 0..2-2 C..170 0 0 Do. 4.. S3 & 14. .2 4 0.. 107. 16 6— J. Anderson, Tapanui. , 5.. 71 3 34. .2 0 0..144 0 0 Do. . 13 .. 78 1 4. .2 0"0.. 140 10 0 Do. • 14 .. 91 1 30. .2 0 0..183 00- Do.. j Kingston. — A memorial, setting forth the cle>iratnli'y of opening a block of land for settlement under the deferred payment system, has been forwarded to the Wa«te Lands- Board through rbe Survey < ffic< here. The memorial refers to land on Mr Rogers' run,, near its boundry with Mr Trotter's, and states the locality is on the Otago side of the Mataura. We (* Waikaifip Mahil') are ourselves well acquainted with certain tacfs that justify us in express ing an opinion that a block of 2,500 icres set apart for settlemtm in thti locali'y would be quickly taken up. Of course, a uood deal depends upon- granting, the land hat is wanted — not' snbstifuting other ioi it in a .different part of the run. Oamarn- — The weather is reported to have been variable.- On the Ist instant a dense fog from the sea developed toward? night in a he ivy rainfall which continued throughout; the early part of Saturday, *hen the weather cleared up.. Oh Sunday there was a sharp thunderstorm wi^h htavj' veals, and frequent flashes of lightening, sucoeeded'by overcast weather, with occa sional showers — At the sale yards on tbe 2nd instant; a sale of horses took place: The demand was good, and full rates obi tamed.. Prices for good, LSo'to L 63 ;: medium, L3O to L 55 ; inferior, Ll7' to L3O ; hacks, Ll2to L2O? A- handsome threeyear old fiily. solu on account of Mr W. Lee, fetched Lssj The sale-: of _65~acre?< of growing cr< p of oats,-, on account of Robert Thompson, E».q;, to Mr W. Lee, fer the price of L 2. 15s per acre, ia also re-! ported.- ' Palmerstbni—yVe local'paper reports that for some weeks past' prospecting for 'coal' has been prosecuted at JS awk head Farm, j the property, of Mr- W'.. Thomson*, lElagi ( Swamp, by -Mr Douglas; wel,l knownsU the' priginah' prospector pf the/ G.reen- Island j coal-pits and other fields? When; 'last?' fje! isaw- Mr: Thomson he informed' u^ that na

was sanguine of success, as-the strata eiink •through gave every indication 1 of 4 * payable coal seams- underlying: ii,, from its- great similarity to othW placed where coal Ka* ebeenfbuW arid payable seams ajre now being Workedj The importance dfobtain • , ing coal wSthicMeasy access cannot'be-over-estirhated, and we wish Mr Thomson ©very success which his enterprise deserve?.Port' Chalmers.— An inquest was held here on the 7*b instant; touching the death of George Aldridge who died under cicumstances describedinthe following evidence adduced' at the inqne«t : — Ann Rhth, a widow, who had been cohabiting with deceased for the last three yea*-" ;- Remembered a quarrel on December 29, occurring between deceased and Thomas Bisset in their house.. There were only the two men and herself present; and it arose out of settling for board; Aldridge asked Bisset to pay,, when the latter- produced' a bas containing a book, whicfa>the former threw into the fire. Aldridge struck Bisset as he was trying to pave tbe bag, and a fight ensued, during which witness went on'sidr, and on her return fonnd Aldridge bleed ing from a wound on the temple. Aldridge, wh> lef the hou«e to follow Bisset, was brought back in a fainting condition by one Rose. Al Iridge bled very much, and his clothes-were covered with bh;od. When the two men were talking about accounts, there were a bottle of rum and a tumMer on the table, B >th men wee drunk, Bisset less so than the otht-r. Sh?- last saw the tumbler in Bisset's hands, whilst she was standing at the door of the hot. When nesrt saw it, .if was lying broken on the floor, and surrounded hy blood. Weapons wtireusr-d during the quarrel. Bisset afterwards said that he struck deceased with the tv» bier, and was very, sorry for if. The second day after the quarrel deceased .complained of the cold affecting his temple. Deceased seemed qni'e well on the day of his d' ath. Bisset who was present at tbe i quest in custody, hag-been committed for trial on the coroner's war* ant: