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Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 843, 9 June 1885, Page 2

Mr M'Dougall got a resolution passed by the Lake County Council that the Matukituki river track, towards Minaret Station, be cleared of fern trees, etc., which had blocked it up. The Defence authorities have accepted the services of the Queenstown Main School Rifle Cadets, and approved of the appointment of Mr J. Mchaffey as actiug Captain of the corps, as from Bth May. Attention is directed to Robin Hood's attractive programme in another column. This consultationist has secured full public confidence, as is evidenced by the wonderful success that has attended his previous efforts. The sittings of the Licensing Benches for Hawea and Kawarau districts are adjourned till 26th and 27th instants, respectively. We understand this has been rendered necessary to allow of the Committees being gazetted. Mr Warden Hickson, by instruction of the Mines Minister, notifies that in future the labor clauses embodied in goldmining leases will be strictly enforced. This is a step in the right direction, as hitherto the employment stipulations have been more honored iu the breach than in the observance,

At a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society held last week, notice of motion was given " That if possible chamois be introduced into Otago, and that Dv Haast be asked to use his influence in obtaining them during his visit to Europe." Mr V. Pyke, M.H.R., receiver] a unanimous vote of confidence from a meeting of his constituents at Tapanui on Thursday evening. There was a slightly disorderly element represented at the commencement of the address, but. the speaker plainly had the meeting with him before he concluded. Mr Nicholas, the photographer, has taken some very fine views of the town and surroundings. That of Cromwell is certainly the most clear and comprehensive we have yjt seen, and would be valued by old residents, to whom one of the pictures would be a nice and acceptable gift. The New Zealand million and a-hnlf loan was a great success, nearly seven millions being tendered for. Tenderers at £IOO 3s (id will only receive 32 per cent., and above thit in full. A cablegram received at Wellingtoi from the Agent-general states that about 7 tenders were received for the loan, am >unti ig to nearly £7,000,000. An attempt was made last Thursd >y eveningtowreckthes.lsp.m train from Dune lin to Mosgiel. It appears that some person put a raft way sleeper across the rails, and the trail coming along in the dark ran against it. Fortunately the engine kept the metals, and in damage was done. The perpetrator of the act has not yet been discovered, but the police arc making enquiries throughout the district. Thechairmanof the householders meeting at Cardrona wrote the Southland Education Board explaining the proceedings at the last election of the school committee, a protest against it having been received from a resident. The Board resolved that there was no reason to disturb the election. A vote of £l2 was passed for furniture and repairs to Cardrona school. The weather throughout last week was very mild and more like spring than the beginning of winter. Unusual too for this season were the high winds that prevailed at times. Saturday it blew a perfect gale all day, making things very disagreeable with dust-showers. Towards midnight heavy rain set in, which with the raging wind made up a storm that forbade sleep in most households. Sunday opened and continued a glorious day, and the weather now seems settled fine. The Southland Education Board at a meeting on Friday approved of the boundaries of the school district of Gibbston as recommended by the committee, and has resolved to have plans and specifications prepared for a school to accommodate 50 pupils. The establishment of a school at Gibbston will prove a great boon to residents in that locality, where the want of an educational institution has long been felt. We hear that an entertainment (the funds accruing from which are to be wholly devoted to the Benevolent Institution) is being organised by a local committee. It will ta'ce the form of a dramatic and musical performance, and will probably be held on or about the end of the month. We understand that promise of assistance has been received from all our leading amateurs, and we trust their efforts in so good a cause will meet with a generous support at the hands of the public. After some remarks on the disadvantages under which the Lake County Council labored owing to the absence of the member for the district, that body last week passed a resolution, " That Mr Fergus be respectfully requested to visit this district before the meeting of Parliament, for the purpose of receiving a knowdedge of our wants in connection With the passage of the Local Government Bill through the House."

The Star understands that a warrant at the instance of the Official Assignee in bankruptcy has been forwarded to Melbourne for the arrest of Mr S. S. Hutchison. Some interesting disclosures of a startling nature in connection with the Caversham Gasworks and the floating of the Company at Home are promised. Constable Cruickshank proceeded to Melbourne on Thursday to bring Hutchison over.

At the annual meeting of the Balclutha branch of the Educational Institute the following subject was forwarded for consideration at the annual conference of the Institute :—" That the Education Board be requested to confine a fair proportion of the Junior Scholarships to candidates from the smaller schools." It was considered unfair that they should be required to compete against candidates from the High Schools, and other large schools, where the facilities for thorough training were so much greater. We regret to hear of the sudden death of Mr G. F. C. Browne, of Lawrence, which occurred on Friday morning, from heart disease, it is believed. Deceased represented Waitahuna in the Provincial Council, and at the last general election he contested the Tuapeka seat in the House with Mr J. C. Brown. He always took the liveliest interest in public and municipal matters. The deceased was a native of Devonshire, England, and 55 years of age. He arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and left that Colony iu 1862 for Dunedin, arriving in the early part of that year. At the meeting of the Land Board last week, the question of the Bonmore run came up for consideration. Mr Haggitt submitted an opinion that the Board had no power to enter into an enquiry owing to the run being a University endowment, and even if they had the power, and they found the Land Acts were being evaded, they could do nothing by way of forfeiture. Mr M'Kenzie moved to have an opinion from Juilge Johnston on the powers of the Board, seeing that Mr Haggitt was solicitor for R. Campbell and Co. as well as the Board, but his motion found no support. The Mail of Friday reports an outrage believed to have been the act of an incendiary. On Tuesday night 260 bags of barley were burnt on Mr Francis M'Bride's farm near the School-house, Lower Shotover, and on the following evening two stacks of grain at Thurlby Domain would have been also destroyed but for one of the hands looking out of the shed soon after supper and observing the flames. The men immediately ran out, and with much difficulty extinguished the fire and removed a threshing machine with which it was intended to thresh out the grain the following day. Mr M'Bride offers a reward of £IOO for conviction of the miscreant. The Wellington correspondent of the Daily Tivi-s says:—" I hear that the speech from the throne will be unusually lengthy, and very full in its outline of the Ministerial policy. Ministers evidently consider that a bold policy is their safest card, and intend at once to challenge the Opposition to join issue by flinging down their whole policy and inviting the House to take or reject it as a whole, somewhat as they did with their policy bills of last year. It is clear they believe themselves to be irresistibly strong, and deem it the wisest tactics to display their confidence by an early and perhaps slightly ostentatious parade of strength so as toencourage the allegiance of supporters, especially of possible waverers, and to discourage any rising hopes on the part of the Opposition." The night alarm to test the celerity with which the Volunteers in the Dunedin District under Lieut.-Col. Stavely would turnout in a sudden emergency came off at 10.30 on Wednesdaynight. Thesignal was the firing of two guns, and the ringing of the city and suburban nrebells. Within a very few minutes there was a very large muster at the Garrison Hall. The Port Chalmers corps were brought to town in a special train, and there was an immense turnout of people, The parade lists handed in showed that 804 Volunteers paraded ; not very far short of the full strength. In the country districts 219 Volunteers turned out at their respective railway stations. The new Volunteer Commandant, Sir G. Whitmore, was present at the muster in the Garrison Hall, and addressed the officers and men in highly complimentary terms.

The services of the Naseby Pufles have been accepted as an honorary corps.

The San Francisco news published in another column gives some particulars regarding the St Louis murder, for which n'Augnier, alias Maxwell, was arrested at Auckland a few weeks ago.

A little boy, son of Mr Brooker, of Christuhurch, has died from the effects of a dog-bite received some 17 days previously. While visiting his uncle he was bitten by a dog chained in the yard, and though treated by a medical man, lock-jaw set in on the tenth day.

Mr Clapcott had a large and attentive audience at Bannockburn on Thursday evening, when he entered at some length into the advantages of the Government Life Insurance scheme, and strongly urged upon his hearers the necessity of making provision for those dependent upon them.

Messrs Dowse, Plulps, and Grourlay, the handieappers, have forwarded to the Dunedin Jockey Club their resignations. One of the reasons for this course is the abuse to which they were subjected at the last racemeeting by one of the stewards ia th-j presence of and without the interference of other stewards.

The newly-elected Mayor of ttiverton, Mr Geo. Robertson, has decline:l the honor of being created a Justice of the Peace on the ground that as there is no other J.P. in the borough he considers the duties would prove too great a tax upon his private time. He has agreed to accept the office upon condition that one or two other gentlemen be appointed. The Colonial Treasurer has proposed to the Government Insurance Association Board that the hitter's investments shall be limited to four classes, viz.,—(l) Loans on policies ; (2) Government securities ; (3) Authorised debentures of local bodies ; (4) Freehold mortgages ; also that the Boards shall be bound to invest two-fifths of their entire assets in Government securities.

There has recently been on view in a fish-shop at Invercargill a veritable green turtle, which was caught alive at Masou's Beach, on the western side of Stewart Island. The reptile measures three feet head to tail, and three feet six inches across the flippers. It was brought to Invercargill by Mr S. E. Denniston, who intends sending it to the Wellington Museum. This is quite a novelty, as the animal naturally belongs to the tropics.

The Minister of Public Works has ap,pointed a railway appeal board for Otago, and the following are members: Mr Care w, R. M. ; Mr W, H. Pearson (late Commissioner of Crown Lands, Southland), and Mr Jas. Robin. The functions of the Board are to enquire into and report on differences and disputes between the employes and officers of the railway department. A similar Board of unpaid Commissioners has been for some months in operation in Canterbury, and is said to have worked satisfactorily. John Atkinson, the keeper of the Dunedin Corporation manure depot, was found dead on the Tomahawk beach on Friday afternoon. He leaves wife and four childrenAtkinson had been a resident ia Dunedin for some time past, and was counecbed with the city Fire Brigade for about ten or twelve years, and held the position of captain during the time of the Fire Brigade dem mstrati >n in Dunedin, in commemoration of which event he received a. gold medal from the Djnioußtration Committee.

The following clip from an Australian contemporary may prove usetul to sons of Vulcan on the Goldtields :—" A common trouble in country blacksmith's shops is the going out of the fire while the smith is doiug work away from it. The annoy in oe can be prevented by keeping at hand a box containing sawdust. When the fire seems to be out, throw a handful of sawdust on the coals, and a good blaze will quickly follow. This may seem a small matter, but there are many who will find the suggestion a useful one."

The Empire City appears to be in thriving condition. The demuul for house property in Wellington at the present time, Says the Post is rapidly becoming greater than the supply. The night before last an advertisement notifying that two houses, the one with four rooms and one with five rooms, were to let, was inserted, with the result that during one day no fewer than forty-five applications for them were received. Before eveniug both houses were let to tenants who had secured priority of claim by each paying a year's rent in advance.

Who would not be a successful sculler? Charles Reade makes one of his characters in " Hard Cash " say—" Them as has the orchard gets the apple given 'em." William Beach lias just covered himself with honor and won a big stake, with no doubt a large sum tagged on to it, and so our friends in New South Wales consider it necessary to make him a man of independent means, and to shower gold into his pockets. According to the Sydney Press the subscriptions to Beach's fund have almost reached £3OOO, and Haulan, who has amassed a good fortune by his former deeds, also cams in for a handsome douceur in the shape of £SOO.

The total number of entries for the Melbourne Cup this year is 161. For the Caulfield Cup there are 142 nominations, and 94 for the Guineas. For the Champion Race, 64 ; and for the Maribyrnong Plate, 124. New Zealand promises to be well represented in the Melbourne Cup. In addition to the Hon. W. Robinson's quartette,—Vanguard, Liverpool, Oudeis, and Winchester, —we find Mr D. O'Brien's Trenton and Tastnan entered, aud also July and Thunderbolt; while Welcome Jack is supposed to have been nominated, though his name is not telegraphed. Then the Hon. J. White has some Auckland bred youngsters in it; while Mr D. Proudfoot and Mr E. Pritchard. have also representatives in the big event. Elsewhere in this issue will be found a short article showing the advantages of La Montc's new process of gold - saving, which appears to be the most eifective yet brought into operation. The system is meeting with great favor in the Auckland and Thames district, and we hope soon to see it introduced into Otago, where it would certainly work a revolution in quartz-mining if the merits claimed for the invention are as set forth. At Auckland the other day a deputation consisting of Messrs Hurst, Fraser, Peacock, Moss, and Mitchelsou, M's.H.R., waited on the Minister of Mines relative to the La Monte apparatus. Mr Larnach agreed to give a bonus of £IOOO, after the machinery was put up and tested for twelve months, and produced the results represented. It is therefore probable we shall soon have indisputable evidence as to the utility of the system, and the results mil be looked forward to with special interest.

We find the following in the Canterbury Press of 6th instant: —" A lunatic, named William Casey, escaped from Sunnyside on Sunday, and all that has since been seen of him was his jacket, which, with some other articles of his raiment, was found on Monday on a road near Hallswell. Before he departed from the Asylum, however, he left a letter extending over eight sheets of foolscap, and addressed to the Medical Superintendent, in which he was at great pains to defend himself from any suspicion of having been concerned in the disappearance of a miner, who was last heard of in his company on the road between the Merritop (? Mototapu) diggings and the township of Arrow, in Central Otago. Casey is uncertain as to the number of years that have elapsed since he made the jouruey between those two places, but thinks they may be reckoned up by ascertaining the date on a tombstone over some human remains which were afterwards found in the district mentioned. He desires that the matter may be referred to the police at Cromwell, and complains that he has been taunted at Ashburton with having murdered the miner he mentions, though on reflection he is not sure whether the word • murder' was first used by the men speaking to him, or by himself. He concludes the story with the pertinent and clue-giving remark that at the time of the occurrence he was not called William Casey, but ' Tim Flaherty, which was my mother's name.' Enquiries will be made in Cromwell about the matter he mentions."

Only one gentleman put in an appearance at the opening of the Military School of Instruction at Wellington. The Dunedin City Licensing Committee has refused all applications for midnight licenses. The principal hotels got eleven o'clock licenses, and the others ten. On Thursday, a farmer named Godfrey LeachfieM, residing at Papanui, Canterbury, committed suicide by cutting his throat; and Frank Nicholson, architect, committed suicide in the Terminus Hotel, Christchurch, by shooting himself in the head. At a meeting of the members of the Government Insurance Association Board held at Wellington last week, it was unanimously resolved that the opinion of the policy-holders be obtained as to the desirability of establishing local boards at a meeting of policy-holders, to be held on the 27th instant. Policy-holders will be allowed the privilege of voting by proxy, and arrangements are being made to supply them with the necessary papers. Mr Grigg has resigned his seat as membar for Wakanni, Ashburton district. According to the Oamnru Mad, .Mr Grigg is a model farmer, ami possesses a model farm. He is said to have J 400 pigs in one paddock, the whole of which are fed by one man, and has lately received a cheque for £5900 in payment of pigs which he sold. He has a total of 15,000 acres of land, a large proportion of which was in crops of various kind this year, and his last crops of wheat and oats averaged 46 and 51 bushels respectively per acre. At the Lyttelton R. M. Court on Wednesday, Joseph Spencer and Wm. Collins, two seamen on board the ship Soukar, were convicted of broaching cargo, and sentenced to six months' hard labor each. It appears that owing to their nefarious practices on "the voyage out the ship had a narrow escape from being burnt. They explored the hold with naked lights, and once left a caudle burning on a case of candles, which was one of nearly 300 such cases placed just above a large quantity of spirits. The lighted candle burnt down and charred tbe case on which it stood, but fortunately the fire did not spread. In case of the outbreak of war, the protection to be accorded the British merchant ships will be quite different from the old convoy system. Instead of the merchant ships proceeding on their voyages under escort of ships of war, the plan will be that of sending swift armed cruisers to hunt down the same class of vessels engaged in the enemy's service. This will enhance the value of the great ocean liners, with their high speed and large coal-carrying capacity. Should they be menaced by an ironclad, they could seek safety in flight. Their function would be to attack those ship 3 which resembled themselves, and which would be the class designed to harass the merchant fleet. The San Francisco Post thus refers to an act of heroism by Thomas Tonkin, a Cornishman, who hailsfromSt. Just:—"Sometime since attention was drawn to the wonderful heroism of a locomotive engineer,, who, after an accident to his engine on the Columbia river bank, although horribly burned, swam out to the rescue of a comrade, who was drowning. Tom Tonkin is another hero of the sinu stamp. He is an engineer at New Almaden mine. On Tuesday morning the boiler exploded, but, although 'being scalded by the escapiug steam, he stood at his post until the sigaal was received. Had he not done so, the cagj—containing 12 men—would have fallen 1,800 feet. It is such men as these who make this world worth living in. Superintendent Randol, of the New Almaden Silver Mining Company, lias presented Tonkin with a handsome watch and chain." The Presbyterian has just concluded the sixth year of its existence, but the editor doubts whether it will live much longer. Beginning witli a monthly circulation of 2,200 the publication has gone downhill steadily tid it is now about "the point of financial submersion." It could manage to pall along if people would only pay up, but too many allow their subscription to get in arrear, and no real support comes from the Church itself. Unless 500 new subscribers are obtained the publication of the Presbyterian may be suspended at any time during the current year. The editorial concludes thus: "The situation is to be viewed in its broad public aspect, and in the light of the shameful and humiliating fact that the largest, wealthiest and most influential Church in the south of New Zealand could not, through mere apathy and supiaeness, support a monthly periodical."

At the Police Court, Wellington, on Friday, Allendale, arrested at Christchurch for the jewellery robbery it Wellington was brought up, and confessed "that he committed the burglary at 1 a.m. ou the 27th ult. He cut through the door, and, finding the course clear, took everything he could conveniently carry away, and, placing them in an old whisky keg, buried them in the back premises attached to the Te Aro Hotel, at which place he had been employed as waiter. It was his intention to proceed to Syduey, E.nd dispose of the articles, but not being possessed of sufficient ready cash he decided to go to Christchurch to raise the wind by pawning or selling a few gold watches. Allendale says he left for Lytteltou the same day as ths robbery was committed; and in Christchurch he disposed of four gold watches and three gold alberts. He was about to return to Wellington and then remove the remainder of the "swag " to Sydney, when he wasarrested. The detective made a search of the locality, and found the jewellery where accused had stated. A remand was asked for, and prisoner replied that the case might as well proceed, as he intended to plead guilty. Davis, the mullatto, who was arrested ou suspicion of being concerned in the burglary, was discharged from custody, the Magistrate remarking without a stain on his character. Allendale was further remanded till Wednesday.

The Wellington Post gives the following account of the recent disorderly conduct of Volunteers in Wellington, and which was briefly referred to by telegraph :—" We regret to learn that a number of Volunteers behaved in a very disgracsful manner while returning from the Hutt review. By some means they had provided themselves with blank ammunition, and they kept firing their rifles out of the carriage windows as they came along. In some instances they were observed to aim at ladies and gentlemen on horseback on the Hutt road, which proceeding naturally caused considerable alarm. The efforts of the officers were powerless to prevent these disorderly proceedings, but the names of six offenders were taken down, and they will be proceeded against under the 271st clause, of the Volunteer Regulations, which provides ' chat any Volunteer who shall discharge any fire-arm when in any public vehicle or on any public thoroughfare without due authority, shall pay a tine not exceeding £s.' They will also propably be dismissed from the Volunteer force. It is absolutely necessary that a severe example should be made to put down disorderly and dangerous practices of the kind. At the last review at the Hutt a couple of years ago precisely the same thing occurred. One Volunteer, whilst in Courtenay place, on his road home actually loaded his rifle near the Gasworks aud discharged it in the street."

The death of poor old Lord Cairns (writes the Dunedin Star's London correspondent), though sudden was not unexpected by those who knew him best. He put a good face publicly on the follies of his silly son, but in reality they half broke his heart. A self-made man himself, proud, ambitious, clever, and as " hard as nails," the asinine capacity of Garmoyle simply drove Lord Cairns frantic. Had his son been a clever scamp the old lawyer might have borne it better, but to have begotten a downright fool was bitter, indeed. Lord Garmoyle, with his sloping forehead, shifty eyes, irresolute mouth, and self-satisfied smirk, takes after his mother, a watery evangelical old lady, who can talk nothing but tracts. He was brought up in an atmosphere of religious cant, and seldom allowed to mix with other lads. When at last he obtained his freedom he, as you know, made the most of it. The sudden decease of the late Lord Chancellor was announced to the public in a somewhat odd manner. A pedestrian passing Lindisfarne (the Cairns' place at Bournemouth) on Thursday morning observed a half sheet of notepaper attached to the gate-post. The memo was in the handwriting of the newly-made widow, and briefly notified that Lord Cairns had " entered into rest at 6.45."