LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 18, 21 July 1898, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

<, In tli<» Le!?i«:l:itive Council 3 r esterdav, the Deceased Husband's Brother Marriage liill was rejected on the second reading by the Speaker* <«i«tiug vote. The Hou. W. M. lioltV motion to set up a Committee to examine into the possibility of setting up State Farms was carried, and also a resolution to request the Government to have the supervision of estates in lunacy amended. It was private members' day in the House of Representatives, and the second readings of the Auckland Electric Lighting Bill and the Restraint of \Vag«rinjj Bill were agreed to. A similar motion respecting the Elective Executive Bill was negatived, after a lengthy debate, by 32 to 19. The greater part of the afternoon was taken up answering questious. A case of measles broke out on the steamer Aoraugi, now in port, after she had left Sydney. The disease is confined to a female member of a family who are second-class passengers to Suva, and is of a very mild type. The family has been isolated from the remainder of the passengers, and every precaution has been taken to prevent the infection spreading. Mr. It. Reakes, Government Veterinarian, has inspected the cattle of the settlers who have so far arranged for the supply of milk to the Wellington Fresh Food and Ice Company. The rush to Klondyke by means of the Vancouver mail steamers lias ceased. So far as a representative of the Post cou'.d find on visiting tue Aoraugi this morning there is not a passenger hound for Klondyke on board. This is most probably owing to the lateness of the season. A dinner party was given at Government House last night. The following were invited: — Hou. F. Arkwriglit. Mrs. Arkwright, Dr., Mrs., and Miss MacGregor, Mr. and Mrs. Herries, Captain, Mrs., aud Miss Edwin, Dr. and Mrs. Anson, Mr. and Mrs; Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. Izard, Mr. Cargill. In the collection of Mr. M'Kay, Government Geologist, are no fewer than over 75U.000 specimens of differeut rocks and minerals gathered in this colony — enough, one would imagine, as some of the specimens are of considerable size, to almost establish a small colony of his own. Of this number 1700 are from the Cape Col vi lie Peninsula, where Mr. M'Kay has for a couple of years past been making an examination of the geological formation. A sitting of the North Island Rail wayAppeal Board will be held in Wellington next Wednesday, when an appeal bj- Mr. G. J. Bryce, an engine-cleaner, against his nonselection for the position of engine-driver, will be heard. Says the Carterton Leader : — We understand that a writ has been issued by Messrs. Skerrett and Wylie on behalf of Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby against the proprietor of the Carterton Observer, for alleged libel contained in a paragraph in which it was stated that Mr. Horu&by had not paid his election expenses. Shortly before 1 o'clock this morning an alarm of a fire at Bell's match factory at Newlown was given from the Hospital. Captain Kemsley aud the Fire Brigade were quiokty on the spot, the exact locality of the outbreak being the drying-house at the rear of Messrs. Bell's buildings. The cupboards in the detached house were filled with "frames" of matches, the result of a day's " printing," or stamping, and consequently the house was a veritable match-box, which had to be flooded before the flames subsided. Mr. M'Lay, the manager, estimates the damage by fire and water at £200, as the drying-house was not insured, and he cannot account for the origin of the fire. However, though every precaution is taken by the management against combustion, the danger of fire in a match factory must necessarily be an ever-present one. The Lower Hutt Magistrate's Court held a sitting yesterday, Messrs. W. A. Filzherbert, H. Jackson, and J. Wilkins being the presiding Justices. A. Gads by and F. W. Devereux were charged by the Inspector of Slaughterhouses for the Hutt Borough with neglecting to furnish returns of stock slaughtered, as required by the Act. The Inspector stated that the offence was aggravated by continued neglect to furnish returns, and while not preying for other than a nominal penalty the Hutt Council desired that proprietors of slaughterhouses should understand their liability. Neither of the defendants appeared to answer the charge, aud they were each fined 20s, with 7s costs. For allowing horses and cattle to stray on the roads, \V. ltoutley and W. Abbott were each fined Is, with 7s costs. In a judgment summons case. B. Burnley v. J. Guilford, an order was made for payment of 10s forthwith, with the option of imprisonment. A fairly large order was contained in the following proposal, emanating from th/ 3 Queenstown Borough Council, which was submitted to the Municipal Conference to-day : — " That the Government be requested to take immediate steps to open up new markets iv and around the Pacific Ocean, AVestern Australia, the Cape, and elsewhere, for our productions as outlined by the map of suggested trade routes attached to the Tariff Commission Report of 1895." The Conference considered it was a matter outside its province, and no action was taken. A large and appreciative audience attended the free kiuematographe entertainment given on the Exhibition grounds last evening. The show will bo reueated again this evening

A short sitting of the Divorce Court was held this morning before Mr. Justice I'M wards. The only case heard was one ir. which Gt'orgina Dora Ivess prayed for £ dissolution of her marriage with Joseph Ive«s, a hotel waiter, on the grounds o f cruelty, adultery, :ind desertion. The respondent did not appear. The evidence showed that the marriage had been a mot-t unhappy one. and that the husband's conduct had been cruel in the extreme. His Honour granted a decree nisi. Dr. JBMndlay appeared for th^ petitioner. Mrs. Elizabeth Ilille, whose mysterious disappearance sit Picton while on her way from Wellington to Nelson was reported in our issue of yesterday, figured as plaintiff in the remarkable case heard in the Magistrate's Court in this city la«t Friday. Ifc will be remembered that she proceeded against a young man named Andie Augustus Arthur .Miller for £27, money lent and goods supplied. Tho defendant stated lint Mrs. Hille vwts anxious to accompany him aud his wife to America, ;i»ainst the wishes of her relatives, and had undertaken the travelling expenses of the whole party. The Magistrate refused to believe the man's story, and went so far as to say he had no doubt a very heartless and coldblooded swindle had been perpetrated on the woman. Judgment was given for the amount claimed and costs. On the following day Mrs. Hille, whose husband is in the Nelson Asylum, left on her return journey to Nelson, and she was not seen 'after she had got as far as Pietou. Amongst her effects on board the steamer was a short note, which «he had addressed to her mother. In this letter she gave instructions regarding ! what was to be done with her property, and ;,iid .something about leaving or giving a suite oi' furniture to her brother in Masterton. She expressed regret at having left Nelsui, and asked forgiveness for what she bad done. The report of the' directors of the Wellington Building and Investment Company, Limited, to be considered at the annual meeting on the 29th inst., states that the net profit for the financial year ended 30th. June, including £607 3s 7d brought forward from last year, amounts to £3336 14s Bd. All interim dividend of 4 per cent, was declared and paid in January, aud it is now proposed to pay a further dividend of 5 per cent, (making 9 per cent, for the year); this will absorb £1800, leaving a balance of £1536 14" Bd. Of this amount it is recommended that £1000 be carried to "Reserve Fund (which will then stand at £8500), and that the balance, £536 14s Bd, be carried forward to the ensuing year's profit and loss account. Messrs. It. M. Simpson and F. H. Fraser are the directors 1 who retire from the Board, iv accordance with the Articles of Association, and, beintr eligible, offer themselves for re-election. The auditors, Messrs. D. T. Stuart and John Scott, offer themselves for re-election. At yesterday's sitting of the Hutt Magistrate's Court, E. W. Collett, a Petone undertaker, was charged by Mr. J. G. Price, Registrar for the Hutt district, with having neglected to forward a certificate of death, within the period of seven da} r s from the occurrence, as prescribed by the Act. Mr. Price stated that he ,had been requested by the .Registrar-General to point out that the offence was a serious one. It was necessary before a body was interred that a medical certifiate of death should be produced. In the present case the burial took place eleven days before the Department was iv possession of particulars. Defendant said he was under the impression that he had 31 day's in which to file a certificate of death, that time being allowed for filing the certificate of burial. The Bench (Messrs. Fitzherbert, Jackson, and Wilkius, Justices) considered that accused bad been misled b} r the lack of instructions on the face of the certificate form. The Act,- however, made it clear that an offence had been committed, and under the circumstances they would inflict a nominal fine of 20s, with 7a costs, pointing out that neglecting to comply with the provisions of the Act rendered persons so offending liable to a fine of £10. The bankrupt James Gardiner, in his statement to the Official Assiguee, was, we are assured, incorrect in setting down his indebtedness to the Bank of New Zealand (Hutt) at £62. and we are requested to state that he owes the Bank absolutely' nothing. The Offichl Assignee has been similarly informed of the incorrectness in this respect of the bankrupt's statement. We are glad to learn that Mr. Edwards, of the firm of Edwards & Palmer, builders, who has been seriously ill with an internal complication, is now out of danger. It will, however, be some little time before he is able to attend to business. Mr. Charles Lambert, the well-known contractor, who is suffering from an affection of the heart, is still confined to his bed. There "was a large attendance at last night's meeting of the Wellington branch of the Association, and Mr. J. Myers presided. Messrs. H. B. Bridge and R. P. Flanagan were elected to the vacancies" on the Committee. A motion, tabled by Mr. Bridge, to the effect that any resolution passed by the Association should not be rescinded within three months, was rejected. A communication was received from the Auckland branch of tho Associatiou as to re-arranging a conference of delegates from the various branches in the colony. It was decided that the 14th August would be the most suitable date. A letter of condolence was ordered" to be setifc to Mr. H. D. Bell, President of the Associatiou, in connection with the recent death of his father. Sir Francis Dillon Bell. A special meeting of the Wellington Plumbers' Union was held last night to consider the award of the Conciliation Board, which it was decided to accept. One speaker mentioned iv this connection that he had learned that some 20 of the leading firms and master plumbers intended to sign the award. The " sly grog " raid made by the police in ttie Clutha district last week was not altogether successful. Seizures were made at Owaka and Clinton, but at Tapanui the descent was known to be pending four days before it came off, and the "hop beer," sellers were prepared. The local correspondent of a Southern country paper thus disposed of the police visit to Tapanni : — " The polico raided Munyard'sand M'Cann's this morning, but no whisky was found. I hear that the police have the sympathy of the public, as it was a very cold morning." A large party of officers and members of the SUr of Newtown, Star of Wellington, and Pioneer Good Templar Lodges paid a surprise visit to the Hope of Petone Lodge last evening, and were entertained by the suburban Templars. Bro. C. Ralph, C.T., presided over the meeting. A graphophone entertainment given in the Oddfellows' Hall last evening in counectiou with the Loyal Wellington and Antipodean Juvenile Lodges of the 1.0.0. F., M.U., was well atteuded. A record laken in the hall was reproduced for the benefit of the audience. A hearty vote of thanks to Messrs. J. A. B. and W. E. Howe for their kindness in providing so excellent an entertainment was carried on the motion of Bro. J. Kershaw, Prov. C.S., seconded by Bro. G. E. Godber, P.P.G.M. Last evening Mrs. Miiller, with a party of friends, gave an enjoyable concert of vocal and instrumental music at the Home for the Aged Needy, Adelaide-road, and also took a plentiful supply of fruit and pastry to the Home. The Superintendent and Matron desire to thank the party for their kindness. The Superintendent also desires to thank Mrs. W. It. Williams for cakes and periodicals, aud Mr. Herbert Slock for illustrated and other periodicals for the inmates*