General Intelligence.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 87, 9 March 1876, Page 6

General Intelligence.

A fireman named James Williamson, was stabbed at Auckland on Wednesday, and lies m a dying condition. The* Gazette' notifies the appointment of Sir Julius Vugel as President of the Executive Council in the absence of the Governor.

. The Christchurch Gas Company have resolved to reduce the price ol gas to 12s 6d per 1000 ft. The profits for the last year were L 4300. The result of the railway inquiry at Christchurch was that one official in ! 'the engineer's department has been discharged, and two suspended, and one -in the traffic department suspended for a months

A telegram from Auckland says the directors of the Steam Packet Company have determined to communicate with the various governments interested, relative to the establishment of steam communication between Auckland and -JJew Caledonia. The Superintendent 'proposed to give a subsidy of LSOO for "the steamer to call at Norfolk Island.

The Government have received a talegram from the Agent- General, stating that the following vessels have ?been despatched with immigrants during the month of January ; — Poona, with 164 for the Bluff; Fernglen, with with 180 for Nelson ; Countess of Kintore, with 184 for Lyttelton. During February the Bebbington left with 300 souls for Auckland.

The 'Nelson Evening Mail' thus reports the proceedings in the Police Court taken against Mr John Millar, late Provincial Engineer : — "John Millar, late Provincial Engineer, was -charged by William Kiely, Inspector of Police, that he did on about the 7th day of October last past unlawfully and -knowingly by a certain false pretence obtain of and from Oswald Curtis, Superintendent of the Province of -Nelson, the sum of L 4-9 15s in money, the "property of the said Oswald Curtis as such Superintendent, with intent to -cheat and defraud him of the same -against the statute in such case made and provided. Mr Pitt, who appeared for the prosecution, asked for a remand on the ground that the Provincial -Auditor, at whose instigation the prosecution had been undertaken, was at present in Dunedin, as well as some of the principal witnesses. Mr Acton Adams thought that the case for the prosecution should be stated, His client had been taken from his bed late at night and arrested under circumstances of unusual severity, and it was but fair that he should know wherein the false pretence with which he waseharged consisted. Mr Pitt had no objection to state the case, but thought it would be better for all parties that a remand 'should be granted. The accused was then remanded until Friday, the 25th February. Bail was allowed, the defendant "in L3OO, and two sureties in Ll5O each. Messrs Thornton and -Liffktfoot wp.rp. aßP.fipted as sureties,*' — A telegram from Nelson, dated 4th inst., says Mr Millar has been committed for trial. He was admitted to The obelisk to be erected at the Philadelphia Exhibition, which is to represent the bulk of the gold exported from Queensland from 1868 — the Gymyie year — until the present time, is thus described bythe { Brisbane Telegraph : — The obelisk, which will be of pine, gilt, will be 20ft. 2in. high by 3ft. square at the base above the pedestal, ■tapering to 18in. square on the top. This will be the " counterfeit presentment " of no less then $5 tons, or over £6,000,000 worth of gold. Around the oblisk will be arranged cubes, also of pine, gilt, each of which will represent the gold exported in each year from 18(38 to the present year. Altogether the oblisk and its appurtenances is likely to prove the most telling of the Queensland exhibits, as appealing more directly to the minds of all classes. Mr Stanley, the colonial architect, has designed the oblisk -from calculations furnished by Staiger, the curator of the museum.

That sainted individual (says a writer in the ' Sydney Mail') " the poor man," appears as hard to catch as a will-o'-the-wisp. It was thought that a real specimen was to be seen a few a days ago at the Town Hall. A man with the dolefullest visage, and his pocket full of recommendations, paid the Mayor a visit, andmssured him that he --and his family J?fere starving. The tale was listened" -to, and the utmost commiseration with the fellow's unfortunate condition was awakened. On being questioned a little more closely, the starving man stated that he iiad two daughters, one of whom was earning five shillings a week at a sew-ing-machine ; the other was learning the accomplishment of a lazy life at home. The advantages of grown up girls entering domestic service were pointed out ; but such suggestions sorely ruffled the poor man's temper. His daughters would never go to service. "" Very well," said the Mayor. " You say you ore starving ?" " I am, indeed," was the response. " Then here's an order for so many pounds of meat and so much bread from the Benevolent Asylum-." That finished the visitor up. Offering aSvice was bad enough, but to offer food from an asylum was adding insult to injury, and touched the " poor manY dignity to such a degree that he &ade his would-be benefactor adieu in terms more expressive then polite.

Scarlet fever has broken out at the Immigration Barracks, Auckland. Scarlet fever still prevails in Victoria.

Several sentences of flogging foT offences against the person were ordered by the Judges during the late circuit sitting, in Victoria. Victoria has suffered another disgraceful defeat in the cricket field, the match in Sydney having resulted in favor of New South Wales by no less than 195 runs.

Two or three fires have occurred in Victoria. At Majorca, half the township wad .destroyed, including tiie : borough buildings. At Malmsbury several buildings have been burned down. In both places partly covered by insurance. The Rev. Dr Cairns was accorded a genuine demonstration, at Melbourne, previous to his departure by the mail. The town hall contained a crowd of about 3000 persons, and the veteran doctor was loudly cheered. A Victorian Government proclamation has been issued containing the. prohibition against the importation of stock from places other than the Australian Colonies. This also refers to New Zealand.

It is stated (saj's the f Post ') that a young gentleman in the civil service at Auckland, who was at one time connected with the Press in Dunedin, has recently come into a very respectable fortune of £18,000.

The members of the New South Wales Assembly seem to be following the example of the Victorians, in their choice of parliamentary language. The other night the Minister of Lands called another member a blackguard. The latter accused the Minister of beingbeastly drunk in the House.

The foundation stone of the Second Presbyterian Church was laid on Friday last, by the Rev. Mr Stobo, in Dee street, Invercargill. The materials to be employed are concrete, stone, and brick for the walls. The style of architecture will be Gothic.

The Hon. Mathew Holmes, of Awamoa Station, near Oamaru, has decided to hold a second annual sale of pure-bred stock on the 31st inst. Among the bulls will be Prince Killerby, sire Prince Regent ; Don Carlos, sire Royal Butterfly ; and Reynolds, sire .Father Christmas. Twelve shorthorn cows and over 200 Lincoln and Leicester sheep will also be disposed of. The following is given as the number of Good Templar lodges and members in this colony : — New Zealand North jurisdiction, 76 lodges, 3219 members ; New Zealand South do., 102 lodges,6soo members; total, 178 lodges, 9719 members.

" Autolycus" in the Nelson Times has the following sensible remarks on the recent murderous assault at the Hutt. He says : — lf ever a dish of horrors was properly dressed to suit a sensational, loving public, it was when that tragedy was handled by the literary cooks of Wellington. Thanks to the Press Agency, the public received murder au naturel for breakfast and fricasseci for supper. Minute details were dwelt upon with sickening fidelity. I don't care to repeat particulars, but that facts must have been grossly exaggerated seems certain, by the fact that the men are now in a fair way of recovery, I am sincerely glad of this, but deplor and condemn this wretched practice of distorting truth to pander to a depraved public taste.

The Melbourne correspondent of the ' Daily Times ' says : — The whole of the Government budget proposals have been agreed to in Committee of Ways and Means, but they will yet have to undergo revision before they can be finally passed into law, and there is no saying what may be the result. There is no doubt that the Income Tax is very unpopular with all classes, although it will not in any way affect the masses. However, the Assembly passed it by a majority of 37 to 28. A proposal had been submitted which will render the tax still more unpopular, but rather with the few than with the many. It has been proposed to tax incomes derived from sources outside the colony but yet received by persons residing within the colony; and in this way squatters residing in Melbourne and drawing* an income from stations situated in Riverina would be compelled to pay on the whole income so derived. This policy would be simply suicidal, and would drive away from the country in sheer,, disgust numbers of capitalists and men of means who spend their money in Victoria. But the great cry is how to make the rich men pay ; and yet the laboring classes, and it may, perhaps, be added that the loafing classes, are those who are making the most noise about the proposed taxation. The proceedings in . Parliament are being conducted with a little more dignity, and at any rate some work is being done. The Ministry will as soon as possible prorogue, as- the Parliament must meet again before June, when a financial year commences. The Opposition are still stumping the country, and the great object of the Berry party is to get back to place and pay ; but they will have to wait a little longer, as Sir James does not intend to give up the reins until he is obliged to ; and as the Parliament expires by effluxion of time at the close of the year, he "will be at the head of affairs when the next appeal to i the country is made. i

Tbe Lightning Calculator is doing an open air show at Wellington. He announces ;— Poors open at both, ends of the street, performance to commence soon afte>. Admission — nothing, children halfprice. Carriages may be ordered at ten — better have them at nine; you may get diFgusted with the show by that time and • want to go home. Children in arms not admitted; • N.B. — Any person not satisfied v. ith the show can come again next night for nothing. The advocates of Good Templarism will be gratified to hear that a temperance colony, or settlement has recently been started in Parry Sound district, Ontario. Late accounts go to prove that the venture gives every promise of sueoess. The land is given free to settlers on the usual free grant terms,, but only to those who will agree to discountenance the U3e and prohibit the sale of intoxicants in the township. A number of lota have already been taken up and settled upon, and a village plot has been surveyed and laid out Mr, Alexander Begg, of Wick, Scotland, tbe originator of the idea, is on his way home and intends taking out another party of settlers in the spring. Mi Waterhouse says of Wellington : — " From the scents that assailed one's nostrils in all parts of the town, it seemed to him that either the inspecter of nuisances had no sense of smell, or if he had, it was absolutely necessary to take him by the scruff of the neck and push his nose into a nuisance in order to show him where it was. The i Wanganui Herald ' refers to a new importation of sheep to that district as follows : — " A few mornings ago there landed six sheep of a breed which will be new. to most breeders in New Zealand- At a first glance they would be taken for Lin coins, but a close examination shows that their wool is a deal finer and softer than that of either Lincoln or Leicester. A slight dash of the merino given to the former would produce wool not unlike that borne by these sheep. They are called long woolled Devons, and have of late made a rapid rise in the favor of English breeders. It is claimed for them that they have wool much softer and finer than the Lincoln, while at the same time therd is no difference in the weight of the fleece."

Mr M. H. Andrew, the Head Master of Wesley College, Melbourne has been fined *£5 by a bench of magistrates for undue severity in punishing* one of his pupils named Piley. The youngster had been guilty of telling an untruth, and otherwise acted like a sneak. The punishment was not inflicted without •the consideration and with the consent of the reverend Principal, Mr Waugh. The decision has been challenged on all sides. The flogging was not nearly so severe as what any puplic school boy in England might have received for a much less offence, and public opinion has been so strongly in favour of Mr Andrew that he has received various tokens of sympathy, while his expenses have been met by public subscription. News was brought into Newcastle on Feb.l,, from Catherine Hill Bay, or New Wallsend, that the daughter of Mr Boyd (a resident there, and late of Lake Macquarie), had lost her life on Saturday last by being drowned in the | sea. The Pilot learns that Miss Boyd, Miss Taif, and several other young girls were bathing near the be : tch, when one of them, for a freak, dressed in male attire, and came amongst the others. As soon as Miss Boyd saw the young girl approach, and now doubt thinking it was a man, she dived into the water and was not seen to rise again, her little dog a poodle, jnmped in after her. A man engaged at the colliery observing something wrong, at once went down to the beach, and on learning the catastrophe at once dived down, but observing several sharks about, he beat a heasty retreat to shore. Drags have been used, but the body has not been recovered, and was no doubt devoured by the sharks. Strange to say, the little dog was drowned, and its body was brought up by the drags. Miss Boyd was but seventeen years of age, was well known, but much respected by meny of this city. "Visitors to the Lake may know her as being the niece of Captain Boyd, the pilot of Lake Macquarie, and the leader of many a fishing party.

A London letter says :— " The musical profession must indeed be lucrative when Madame Patti, as a letter from Paris informs me, is able to give £2,500 for a fur cloak ! As if fur was not expensive enough itself, it seems that the last fashion in Paris is to have fur cloaks with jewelled button. The Princess Dolgorouki made a sensation in the Bois lately by appearing in an ermine cloak with turquoise and diamond buttons. The Princess Wittgenstein-^-also a Russian—goes in for 'large, sapphire buttons. Humbler people have to be. content with curiously enamelled buttons. This year the Parisiennes have given in to the Enghish fashion of wearing fur outside ; hitherto they have always worn itmearly as a lining to cloaks of silk cloth or satin."

In Switzerland, says the ' Coromandel Mail,' a lake has been discovered which is said to be of the purest brandy. Tt is half a mile across and seventy feet deep. Strange to say, along side this lake there springs from out a rock a fountain of crystal watex*, cold as snow, but highly impregnated with gas, so so that those - who have visited this strange spot are able to obtain their brandy and soda by mixing it for themselves. The Good Templars in England are aghast at the discovery, and have petitioned the Swiss Government to have the brandy lake pumped into the sea. They have offered to supply the pumping machinery free of costv