Local and Gemeral.

Clutha Leader, 20 September 1878, Page 4

Local and Gemeral.

.:::, »Vr- 5 .:... " * — & Sailers' Home is about tobeestab-. . ;3£Jshed in Wellington. 1 : Two moa skeletons have been discovered ' "stm the Port Lytfcelton hill 3. . !A. very -successful trial of the phono- ] {graph took place recently at a meeting of ' r< fche Royal-Society of Sydney. . «"r A telegram from Adelaide says an abnn- , *datit harvest is expected. Judge Stow : -*aged 50 is dead. : ; IMr J. M. Dargaville will be a candidate ■ffor : 'the Mayoralty of Parnell Borough 4&t the next election. -. A smart shock of earthquake was felt -sas Lyttelton, Westport, Kaikoura, and t-Giher places on Saturday morning. Tenders were accepted by the Tuapeka bounty Council at its last meeting for fworks to the value of L 4946 8s 7d. James Smith has been committed for "•trial on a charge of attempting to set fire :to.two cottages-in Christchurch, the proJperty of Dr Symes, Christchurch. - A young girl named Doran, aged 18, •i;he daughter of a respectable storekeeper, lias been missing from Christchurch since •Saturday. Very welcome rains have fallen in Vic"toria and the neighbouring colonies, doing "?much good. The weather has since been "Wery sultry. It is rumoured that the Victorian Government intend to obtain a dissolution, <if possible, before Sir George Bowen leaves. On Satui'day a house belonging to Mr -John Kerr, Waimea West, Nelson, with all its contents, was destroyed by fire. -The house and furniture were insured in the Liverpool and London for LIOOO. The Tuapeka County Council have in--structed their Chairmon to write to the manager of the Otago Railways asking to the mid-day train again put on the -^Lawrence line. A farmer named Goodwin, residing at Pigeon Bay, Canterbury, hanged himself in an outhouse on Wednesday. He had .been suffering from illness for some time, *and "was very despondent. The police are making a raid on the 'Sydenham brothels. Some time ago they •'cleared out all the recognised haunts of prostitutes in Christchurch, and from one * den in tho sister borough five of the most •'-degraded class were recently rooted out. At a meeting of the New South Wales i Agricultural Society on Monday, the Governor presiding, it was decided to hold an International Exhibition. Public subascriptions will be solicited, and the Government will be asked to apply to Parliament for proportionate aid. The total number of bales of wool ex"'ported from the port of Wellington for <the season 1877-8 was 37,842 bales, weight 3.2,060,559^., value, L 689,416. For -1876-7 the figures were 42,503 bales, weighing 13,120,094 1b5., and valued at L 689,830. (The story which appeared in the Wellington Post that the Governor and party had a narrow escape from, a collision in the Lyttelton tunnel is officially denied by the authorities, who state that there ■was no possibility of an accident. - The official opening of the Wairarapa "irailway is fixed for Saturday, October 12. The engine power available is only suffi•cient to convey 250 passengers, and only that number of invitations will be issued. The distance is only 47 miles, but the journey will occupy four hours, owing to •the steep grades. The ordinary time-table "will give even more than five hours. . A telegram from Ashburton (Canterbury) says : — A man named Thomas Quin, :of Claymore, King's County, Ireland, was . killed at Gould and Carveron's Springfield through the horses he was driving -fcolting, and the dray striking him on the "•head. Death was instantaneous. Quin was a stranger in the district. His age 'was about 26. It is only about two and -a half years since he came to the colony. - The Working Men's Club, Invercargill, promises to be a success. At the general •meeting on Monday night, a statement was read showing L 133 collected and 400 '•subscribers on the list. Mr Hatch, late Mayor, was elected first President for six ■months. The Club has leased the Temple of Science, Dee-street, for three years, at L 174. The rules of the Dunedin Club are to be adopted. Bishop Selwyn (says the Fiji Times) evidently takes a peculiar mode of converting the heathen under his charge. His last effort is commissioning a chief at the Solomon Islands to construct a gigantic model idol for him", which he intends to send Home as a specimen of their cannibal deities. The contractor evidently appreciates the joke, and flatters himself "that he his has made a convert of the "reverend Bishop, and that this graven image is for the purpose of giving effect to his own private devotions. . On Tuesday, the 10th inst., a fatal -accident occurred at Pnkeuri to John Smith, a well-known resident at Green Island, and generally known over the Taieri Plain. On Tuesday the unfortunate man was driving a team of three ■horses with a load of crushed wheat from g Oaniaru to his master's residence, some -miles beyond Boundary Creek, when by some means or another the reins got 'entangled with his legs, and the wheel went over him, causing death before any •assistance could be rendered. The inquest took place on Thursday before Mr Parker, the Coroner, when a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. The deceased *man has left a large family. The Auckland Herald devotes an article to Mr Curtis' Education Act Amendment Act, in which it says :— " It might be far snore appropriately called an Act to sap and undermine the national education system •of the country, to destroy it and to substitute denominational schools. It requires no great amount of foresight to see where the clause will end. The Roman Catholic Church being in considerable numbers, especially at large centres of population, and having by far the best organisation, would soon have a. considerable number of schools receiving public money. The throughout the Colony would be into Roman Catholic schools and secular schools. There is a p|||ptch .proverb which says, ' They would spoon that would sup wi' the s%d^a^£aid..thpse who would like to feed same dish as the Church of S|^nie 4 wo;iild:-;be pretty snre to have only ?S^hj|i^^|.",^The Secularists in Auckland petition to Parliament in Act as ; fcMr ; Curtis'-. Amendment Act.

Christchurch museum Avas visited by 5,000 persons on Sunday.

Mr Moorhouse, M.H.R. , has presented the Borough of Sydenham. Avith a section of land worth L4OO for.'borough purposes.

Mr H. S. Fish has announced his intention of standing for the office of Mayor of Dunedin at the approaching election.

Mr W. J. Potts, proprietor of the Inangahua Times, lias been committed for trial on a charge of criminal libel against one Louis Davies.

A land furore is raging at Invercargill. Speculators from Dunedin and Christchurch are buying it up at fancy prices. A great deal of land, both Crown and private, has changed hands during the week, and it is said that the Waste Lands Board will be deluged with applications this week. As a rule, buyers are agreeably surprised Avith the quality of the land.

In an article on the New Zealand budget, the Australasian says : — " Taking it all round, Mr Ballance's scheme of taxation appears to have been framed upon sound principles, and to have for its object the fair and reasonable distribution of the public burdens among all classes of society, in proportion to the means they enjoy, and the protection afforded to them by the State." The Hokitikia Board of Education, which has been in a very straightened financial position for some months past, has resolved upon reducing the salaries of teachers and o tfi cers. The staff is generally dissatisfied, and the best teachers are' likely to resign. The Board is also threatened by creditors. Its account at the bank is overdrawn several thousand pounds already, and unless early assistance is afforded the whole educational system of the district will be seriously jeopardised. An extraordinary gun accident occurred near Wanganui the other day. A young man employed on a survey party, having occasion to clean a gun, was advised by one of his comrades to put a sin^ll charge of powder into the barrel, and to breathe down the muzzle while applying a lighted firestick to the nipple. Incredible as it may appear, he actually tried the experiment, when of course an explosion took place, and the inside of his mouth and throat were very severely scorched. A few days ago (says a Northern contemporary) a man appeared before Mr Mansford, at the R.M. Court, Wellington, and informed him that he had been summoned to appear the next day to answer a charge of rapidly driving round a corner. He said he was probably guilty, and asked couldn't the magistrate oblige him by fining him at once, to save him the trouble of coming down again. Mr Mansford declined to do as requested, and stated that on one occasion a man came to him in the morning and asked to be fined, as he intended to get drunk in the afternoon. A good story comes from America. A spiritualistic seance was being held, at which it was announced that the spirit of William Shakespeare would pass through the room. A sceptic took a handful of tin tacks to the meeting place and quietly sprinkled them over the floor. The solemn moment came, a ghostly form entered, and took a noiseless stride forward. There Avas a slight shiver in the white object, and a muttered noise was heard ; a second step followed, not quite so stately, and another muffled ejaculation ; but at a third stride Shakespeare's disembodied form sat plump down upon the floor and swore like the British army in .Flanders. Tableau.

At Wairarapa a little boy named Burling, aged seven, indulged in the very dangerous play of standing on a coil of rope attached to a horse while he pelted the animal Avith stones. The Standard reports that his elder brothers avlio Avere close at hand called to him to come away, but before he could do so the startled horse moved away, and the rope became coiled round the little felloAv's leg. The animal becoming still more alarmed, galloped off, dragging the boy after him nearly a mile. He Avas found Avith some little difficulty, as the rope had brokei , and Avas alive when discovered ; but hau an hour later he expired. The deceased was not kicked apparently by the horse in any Avay.

The Hon. Dr Menzies said, in tho Leoislativo Council last week, that he had been tAvitted with being the cause of the rabbit nuisance. The facts that led to the accusation Avere that several years ago he h»d bought four or five rabbits from a new arrival, and, from his European experience, thinking they would do no harm, had set them free. Mention was made of settlers who had throAvn up their pastoral leases, they being rendered valueless by the number of rabbits. The Hon. Mr Miller said he knew a man avlio had killed 300,000 rabbits on his run in a short time; and the Hon. Captain Fraser mentioned a pJace Avhere several hundred thousands of skins were stored," Avaiting till a dishonest Governu c it would pay the bonus on them. Colonel Whitmore (says the New Zealander) pleased all parties by promising to pay up all arrears of bonus, and by trying to get it continued until the nuisance was reduced.

The election of candidates to represent three of the Wards of the City in the Municipal Council of Dunedin took place on Monday. The Daily Times says : — There Avas no excitement over the contest. None of the candidates appeared, either personally or by agents, to canvass actively and but comparatively feAv votes were recorded. The candidates for South Ward Avere Messrs H. S. Pish, J. T. Roberts, J. Gore, and W. E. Couzens, and the three first-named gentlemen Avere returned. For High Ward there were four candidates — Messrs H. J. Walter, A. M'Xinnon, J. S. Webb, and William Barron, and Mr Barron was the unsuccessful candidate. There were five gentlemen nominated for Leith Ward, and Messrs G. M. Aldrich, B. Isaac, and J. Doughty were elected, and Messrs James Russell and J. .Grant were defeated. Only three can* iiates were nominated for Bell Ward — Messrs W. Woodland, J. B. Thomson, and J. Carroll, and were returned without a contest. All the members of the former Council who have offered themselves for re-election have been returned, with the exception of Mr J. Grant. The new Council will consist of the following gentlemen : Messrs H. S. "Fish, J. Gore, J. T. Roberts, A. M'Kinnon, H. J. Walter, J. S. Webb, G. M. Aldrich, B. Isaac, J. Doughty, W. Woodland, J. B. Thomson, and J. Carroll. -