Untitled

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3667, 16 April 1883, Page 2

The ordinary meeting of the Municipal Public AVorks Conmiittee takes place this evening;

Mr E. H. Bold did not return to Napier from Taupo as Avas expected last AA'eek, but Avent through to Auckland from Tapuaeharuru.

The Manawatu County Council appears to be liberal in its engineering expenditure. It is inviting applications for two officers, each at £350 per annum.

Terribly bad weather is prevailing just now all over New Zealand. From north and south Aye hear of rain and floods. Iv Otago the weather is described as " Aile."

Professor Hugo lectured on Physiognomy at tlie iSpit sclioolliouse on Friday evening-, and Avas favored with a good attendance. Tins evening he Avill lecture in the Town Hall at Hastings.

The Masterton Borough Council has passed a resolution asking the Minister of Justice not to giA*e released prisoners free passes to the AVairarapa, as the district is too large to enable them to be watched by the existing local police staff.

The following nomination for assisted passages Avill bo forwarded by the next outgoing mail: —Married couples, AAith families, 22; single men, 11 ; single women, 7. Tlie nationalities are English *2-l, Irish 1-1, Scotch 1, and Scandinavian 1.

One of the passengers of the British King, Avho Avas arrested in Wellington for using* obscene huiguag'e, excused himself by saying lie '' ho did not think avc were so particular in this country." The Magistrate quickly undeceived him with a fine of 40s.

An advertisement:, published by authority of the secretary of the Otago Caledonian Society, declares George Robertson (Tcoti Rapitana) to be champion AVrestler of Australasia, Joseph Strong haAing failed to accept his challenge to do battle for the title.

The old Union Bank, together with an acre of ground, on the crest of the Shakespeare road, has beun purchasod by Dr Forrester MatthcAvs. As a residence for a medical practitioner no more desirable or more central position could havo been choson.

A Avoll-knoAvn character iv Patea, a laboring man unable to read or Avrite, of the name of AVilliam AVilson, and generally called "Billy," Avas recently nominated to a vacant seat in the Borough Council. Being the only candidate he Avas duly declared elected. After election his nominator sent in Billy's resignation, to which document was attached Billy's mark. This is the second time Mr AVilson has been placed in a public position. Before it became a municipality Patea was governed by a Toavu Board, and to this Billy Ava.s elected. AVhen he was entitled to his seat Billy saj-s the members promised him £25 to resign, and that AA'hen he did so they Avould not give him the money. The Tatca Mail a .ants to knoAV hoAV much it took to "square" Billy to get him out of the Council.

OAA-ing to the late arrival of tho steamer from the South on Saturday Mr Dunning's dramatic company found it impossible to get their luggage ashore in time to enable them to gi\'e a perfoi-mance at the Theatre Royal that evening, much to the disappointment of a large number of people avlio, despite the threatening appearance of the Aveather, had turned out expecting to Avitness the iirst representation in Napier of "Jo." The special train from Hastings brought up a full complement of passengers, uotAvithstaiiding that a telegram was sent to the lessee of the train informing him that the Theatre would not be opened. Everything is noav in readiness, and the company Avill make their first appearance to-night, Avhen avc hope to see a croAvded house. A special train from Hastings Avill be run in connection Avith this cA-eiiiiig's performance. The folloAving someAA'hat curious advertisement appeared in an English country journal:—-" AVanted immediately, to enable me to leave the house AA'hich I have for these

last five years inhabited in the same plight and condition in Avhieh I found it, 500 Ka-o rats, for which I Avill gladly pay the sum of .. sterling; and, as I cannot leaA*e the farm attached thereto in the same order in Avhieh I got it Avithout at least live millions of docks or dockens (Aveeds), I do hereby promise a further sum of £5 for said nunibor of dockens. N.B.—Thc rats must he full grown, and no cripples."

The death of a child from blood poisoning caused by the scratch of a cat is recorded by the NcAvcastlc Chronicle (England.)

According to an English live-stock journal, Mr Proctor (of Durham), who devotes his time to the rearing of valuable foAvls, has a number of the Cochin China I__ -___ lie values at ..000 each ! Ho recently indignantly refused one-trtifh of that an 10 in it "for some of them, yet .-€IOO seems a big price for a foAA-1.

Tlic latest inf. nation in regard to the Fau.una Canal is contained in the New York AVorld correspondence of February 25. The writer says that a despatch has arrived recently, from the company's office at Paris, fixing the Pacific month of the proposed canal someAA'hat to tlie east of the site previously selected at the mouth of tlie Rio Grande. It is said that the Franco-Ameri-can Trading Company had signed a contract for cutting sca'cu miles of the Panama side from the new outlet to Paraiso. DoLcsseps is expected on the 28th to inspect the work done. This visit, no doubt, will lead up to another call for 15,000,000f. in gold. Of . 0,000,000f. already paid it is said but little remains, and not a foot has been cutout for the canal proper. An English dredger has been dredging the canal in the Fox River.

The exact date and place of the foundation of the colony of Ncav Zealand still seems to remain a qarcstio ri-xutu. Mr J. H. AVallace, an old and Avidely-respccted colonist, AA-ho was called as a witness hi a case tried at tlie Supreme Court, AVellington, stated that he had lived iv AVellington ever since the colony Avas founded. "AVhen was it founded?" inquired the presiding Judge. Mr AA'Ydlace replied that it .vas founded in AVellington in the year 1840. Mr Justice Richmond said he Avas aAvnre that many people were under the impression that "this .vas the case, but—as lie believed— incorrectly. Russell, he said, Avas the first capital of the colony. Mr AVallace remarked that this was a disputed point, upon wliich His Honor said AA r ellington had, at all events, got tho capital now, and must be satisfied with that honour.

A correspondent writing from the European Continent to the Otago Daily Times y ; iA's: — "Coming cloaa_ to Venice from Milan, by way of Verona, I Avas an eyewitness of tho fearful devastations committed by the recent inundations of tho Adige. A tract of country 40 miles long am. a few miles wide, which Iliad seen smiling AAith fertility on the 24th and 25th of May last, is uoav a scene of destruction— the soil covered with stones, the trees and vineyards rooted up, the farmhouses in ruins, the old landmarks effaced, and hundreds of families rcdured to indigence by the destruction of their little properties. It was one of the most distressing scenes I ever had the misfortune to look upon : but it is satisfactory to add that public and private benoA-oleucc promises to alleviate very effectually the sufferings Avhieh haA'e resulted from this dire disaster.*'

Private advices from Fiji, (says the Auckland Herald,) state that there is a bad look out for business there. The Government have just succeeded in forcing on the country a law which is regarded as highly detrimental to both the native race and the Avhite colonists. Tho object of the Labor Act is to absolutely prevent the natives hiring their labor to white settlers. Iv carrying out Sir Arthur Gordon's policy of making the natives grow produce to pay the native taxation AAith, rather than allow them to Avork for Europeans and pay the annual poll tax in money, he alloAved a little relaxation at the request of the colonists. There are 100,000 who would be willing to bo employed by Europeans if permitted, and of these he alloAved 2000 to take Avith Europeans. Tlie Act AA-hich has iioav been passed is to cut off the supply of labor. The passage of the hiAV Avas opposed stage by stage throughout its whole course, and on each occasion the mx official members of the Executive voted for the Bill, and the six non-official members as regularly against it. On every occasion the "flecisiou'" was thus cast upon the Governor's casting vote. The measure is looked upon as fatal to.tho advancement of the natives, and a direct Uoav to the commerce of the colony, as tho supply of Polynesian labor is looked upon as also doomed.

Country residents requiring patent _or proprietary medicines, toilet requisites, fancy goods of any description, stationery, ke., AA-'ill best consult their oavii interests by calling at Professor Moore's establishment, AVaipaAva, Avhere there is a large and Avell assorted stock to choose from. On hand Coutts' acetic acid, the noted cure for rheumatism, neuralgia, and all nervous complaints ; an unfailing remedy requiring outward application only.—[Advt.]

There is nothing known better calculated toiin-igoratethc constitution, than AVolfe's SciiNArrs ; it braces the nerves, tones the functions, and sets the machinery of the frame iv healthy operation.—[Advt.]