The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1894.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1024, 9 March 1894, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1894.

The San Francisco mail was delivered here on Wednesday forenoon. The Rev. Mr Jolly will be inducted to the pastoral charge of the South Dunedin Presbyterian Congregation on ,2oth inst. It is reported that Parliament arill not be summoned for the despatch of business till the third week in June, and that Sir G. M. O'Roi'ke will be the Speaker of the House. The recent boisterous weather has kept buck the harvest very considerably all through the district, and it is astonishing to see how much over ripe crop is still uncut. However, every available binder is at work early and late, and a very few days should make a complete clearance. A moat unsual occurrence is reported '(in the Courier) from Waikoikoi on Monday evening. Mr Peter Cameron, in charge of a mob of sheep, the property of Mr Smith, of Greenfield, left the flock in the saleyards whilst he had tea at a neighboring house, and during his ab3encs a dog got amongst the sheep aud hustled them into a corner, with the result, that 108 of them were smothered in the space of a few minutes. We understand the owner of the dog has been found, but the loss is a serious one 1o Mr Smith. The monthly meeting of the Balclutha District High School Committee held on Monday evening was attended by Messrs P. Mason (chairman pro tem), J. Peterson, D. Wood, W. Shiels, J. W. Wilson, and D. T. Fleming. The head master wrote (1) that he was quite agreeable to Miss Anscombe having the use of tlie school for teaching drawing, and (2) reporting the attendance for the past month as follows : On roll at beginning 231 , at end 259, average 211. Messrs Mason and Paterson were appointed to attend to one or two matters at the school to which the head master directed attention.- The secretary was instructed to write to the Education Board with reference to the position of the high school in regard to the arrangement entered into two years ago. H. Rose's account for cleaning the school and A.. B. Houdersoii's 7s 6d was passed for payment. At the meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery on Wednesday the Rev. A. P. Davidson tendered the resignation of his cherge as cob league and successor of Dr Stuart, Knox Church. In his letter of resignation Mr Davidson explained that his decision had not been a hasty one, as he came to it as far back as February 1891. He says that the most elementary rights of his position as minister have been systematically infringed, and so far as he is aware no attempt his ever been made by the session as a body to put matters on a better footing. He had now come to a point where he must speak, out for conscience sake, and for the sake of the congregation. The matter, was referred to a committee to report at a meeting of Presbytery to be held on Wednesday next week. * The Editor of The Christian Outlook evidently means to make his paper a success. The first number we thought very good for a start, tke second was better still, and the third, to hand since our last issue, shows marks of very considerable improvement. Mr Waddell, as we all know wields a facile' pen, has a good style and takos a hearly interest in everything' that concerns the being and the . well being of the individual, Ihe home, and- the community. It ' takes, of course, some time to get such an under-: : taking under way, but now that exchanges have come to hand and special correspondents and contributors arranged for, we feel sure the paper jwill more and more deserve its name -* The ' Christian -Outlook, a Family Paper." As such • we once again wish it a strong and properous and \ useful life, and with a constituency embraciug «; the Presbyterian Church Forth" and Soutli this i success should be a matter a course, j - '■'% ■-<■:'*

It will be seen that the Rev. Mr Comrie, of Eelso, will deliver a lecture on temperance sod the licensing question in M'Kenzie's Hall here this evening. The Rev. Mr Kilpatrick will also lecture in Romahapa Hall on Thursday evening. In both cases admission will be free.!

The final rounds of two tournaments were played off on the local bowling green on Wednesday afternoon. The view • president's prize was won by Mr Chapman 21, Mr A. Christie, his opponent being 14. For Messrs Thomson and Ban's trophy Mr O Finn was 21, as against Mr Hogg's 17.

A tennis match will be played on the local green on Saturday afternoon. Tuo play era are : Balclutha — Mrs Bishop, Mrs Halhduy, Miss Smith, and Miss F. Smith ; Messrs Bishop, Butt, Cargill, and 2>r Hogg. Kaitang&ta — Misses Conon, M'Millan, Sinclair, and Paul ; Drs Thomson and Fitzgerald, Messrs Davis and M'Laren. Floy starts at 2.30.

The quarterly criminal sittings of the Supreme Court commenced in Dnnedin on Monday. George Coutts (44 years of age), Gilbert Thompson (15), and George Thompson (12) were charged on two indictments with house breaking at Dnnedin. The last mentioned prisoner pleaded guilty to house breaking and to stealing goods from the premises broken into, and the other two prisoners to receiving the stolen goods. Coutts, who is the stepfather of the two boys, was sentenced to three years imprisonment with bard labour, George Thompson was committed to the Industrial school, and Gilbert Thompson was placed on probation for 12 months. —Robert Lawson was found guilty of embezzlement, and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.— James Low (18) pleaded guilty to stealing Ll6, the property of Alexander Boyd, Hindon Station, and was released on probation for 12 months, he to pay L6 towards costs of prosecution, by instalments of 10s a month.— Simon Wright pleaded Not guilty to an indictment charging him with stealing, on the 11th January last, at Upper Owaka, three heifers, the property of Hugh Cameron. Mr Solomon, with him Mr Thornton, appeared for the accused. The evidence was similar to that recently given in the R.M. Court here and published in the Leader. The jury, after an absence of 20 minutes, returned a verdict of not guilty, and accused was discharged. — B. M'Cunn was charged with stealing two sheep the property of James Bennet, Sae's Junction. He pleaded not guilty, but after evidence a verdict of guilty •was returned, and a sentence of two years' imprisonment was passed. — In the case of Alexander William Stewart charged with rape a verdict of not guilty was returned.