SOUTHERN NEWS. (FROM PAPERS BY THE 'KEERA.')

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4608, 31 May 1872, Page 3

SOUTHERN NEWS. (FROM PAPERS BY THE 'KEERA.')

We (Wellington Independent) are sorry to hear that Dr. Viard, the Roman Catholic Bishop, is very ill and nob expected to lire very long. Hi 9 Lordship has been and is still recommended to the prayers of tha faithful.—The following appointments have beta made in the General Post-office : — James Kemmis Warburton, Esq., to be accountant of tho Chief Money Order and Savings Bank Office, vice William Pagan, controller, deceased. William oray, jun., Esq., to bo chief clerk of tho General Post-Office, vice J. K. Warburton, promoted.— A smart shock of earthquake waa felt in Oamara on the night of tho 11th. The direction of the e.irth wave was from north to south.— The new regulations are still producing & very gratify tag effect upon the immigration to all tbc provinces in the Middle Island. The applications for passages by settlers who desire their friends to join them in Canterbury are iuci casing every month, the total number during tho past few months being a very considerable improvement upon the number of applications made during the same period last year. During the month ending the 14th March, 44 intending immigrants, equal to 42£ adults, had passages procured for them by their friends in Dunedin through tho local Immigration Office. From that date uj) to the 10th of this month applications were made to have 63 persons, equal to 58 statute adults, sent out. We cannot give aTiy particulars as to the former, but we learn that the respective numbers of the latter from tho different parts of the United Kingdom were- Scotland, 25; Ireland, 184 ; : England, Uh ; total, 58. 21 of this number ; were described as domestic servants. — A I startling case, which destroys all confidence ' iv tho safe custody of deeds placed in the Registry Office of Christen urch, has just been brought to light. We give the following information on the authority of the Press : — "In a case heard last week before Mr. Justice Gresson, a certain deed which had been deposited in tha Registry Office was proved to have been tampered with and altered while in the custody of the department. We offer no opinion as to how or by whom thia wa3 done, bat we understand that solicitors and .their clerks are habitually allowed access to the room where the deeds are kept, and are permitted to remain as long as they choose, without any supervision by the officials. This is not as it should be. Such a practice affords opportunities for fraudulent dealing which may be Yen advantage of." — The carelessness of a idethaa resulted in a serious accident at Whwdganui. Ihe carbine of a lad namud Peyman, who was walking in the rear, went off, the contents lodging in the face, hand, and side of another of the party named Rapley. This lad had half turned around, to more properly fix on his hat, an J so received the shot in the manner described. The injuries inflicted are necessarily severe, but no danger is anticipated. Peyman statea that his carbine was cocked ready for firing, and that in carrying it at tho trail it must have caught against his pocket, and so exploded.— An unusual number of accidents are chronicled in the Christchurch papers. Crossing the town belt one dark evening last week, a horseman named Heywood, in endeavouring to avoid a collision with a Mr. Zinckgraff, knocked down a deaf old lady named Lea, who sustained some severe injuries.—Captain Foster met with a serious accident at Oxford last week. He was driving through the township on his way home, when the horse took fright, and notwithstanding all Captain Foster's endeavours ran into a trap driven by Mrs. White. The collision was of such a violent character that the axle of each trap was broken, and the occupants were violently thrown to the ground. In addition to severe contusions about the face and head, Captain Foster had one of hia arms broken, which 'was set and his other injuries attended to by Dr. Burrows, of Raugiora. — On Saturday afternoon a labourer named Blatch fell from a scaffolding, and, though by great fortune no bones were fractured, he was so severely shaken that he has not yet been able to resume hia work. —The Rev. M--. Cooper had a very narrow escape when crossing the north branch of the Ashburton river. The moment the horse Mr. Cooper was riding stepped into the river it went into a hole, and was completely turned over by the force of the stream. Mr. Cooper was carried some distance down tho river, but fortunately held on to tho halter of a horse ho waa leading, and thus succeeded in getting to tbo bank. — Another accident occurred at the stores of Messrs. Bennett and Saunders, Tram- street. It appears that a grain store had been recently erected at the rear of the atone stores, and the men were engaged in storing grain on the floor. They had got in about 200 bags of grain, when the man underneath was called away into the yard. H© had been gone but a few momenta when the whole floor gave way, the walls bursting out, the baga, with the man who wa3 storing them, being precipitated to the lowest floor. Fortunately the man fell amongst the bags and was unhurt. — To these accidents has to be added a case of suicide which took place at Rangiora, a man named Pearce taking advantage of tho absence of hia wife and family, who had gone for a walk at his request, to hang himself to a rope suspended from the ceiling.