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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 950, 9 June 1868, Page 3

What perils ladies will encounter to be in fashion ! They are generally supposed to show timidity in the presence of wild cattle, but they would rather face a mad bull than not have their dresses gored. The Dueanta Plttmebi, a handsome thorny evergreen shrub, may now be said to have settled the question as to the possibility of establishing live fences in Queensland. The live fence formed of this shrub at Xinellan, noticed by the Courier twelve months ago, is now a perfect hedge in the third year from planting, and notwithstanding the fact that it was neither kept clean nor sheared while the plants were young, it is about four feet high, from two to three feet broad at the top, and as level as a wall. A Sensible Fence. — "We take the following from the report of the Farming Club in the New York Tribime : — " A hedged fence drawing the life from a strip of ground 8 or 10 feet wide is a poor concern. It is possible to have a profitable fence. This problem has been solved by Mr. Lincoln Fay, a nurseryman and fruitgrower of this town. His plan is simply a row of fruit trees for posts, with a fence hooked on. It is cheap and durable, and if generally adopted would be worth millions of dollars to the country. A ride along the highway of his fruit farm, is a treat. Strangers want to drive slowly and look lively. Even Pat declared he had'nt seen the like since he left the old country. Illegal Expenditttee by Me. MacAndeew, Stjpeeintendent of Otago. — The Wellington Posisays :— " Superintendents who are in the habit of paying moneys without appropriation by the Provincial Council may learn a useful lesson from the latest proceeding in connection with the libel case of Cameron v. the Otago Times, which was heard at the last sitting of the Court of Appeal in this city. The action was brought by a schoolmaster for an alleged libel contained in a speech made by a member of the General Education Board, and faithfully reported by the Times. "No malice was imputed, and the question at issue was whether the report of the proceedings of a public board constituted by Ordinance of the Provincial Council was privileged. This question the Court of Appeal answered in the negative. From recent disclosures it appears that the Times Company was urged by the Provincial Government to defend the action, and that the expenses of doing so, amounting to £160 16s. 2d., have since been paid by the Government to the defendants' solicitors, without waiting for appropriation by the Council. On the Council being asked to vote the unauthorised expenditure, of the year, Mr. Mouatt took exception to the item we have named, and moved that it be struck out. Mr. Main and some members of the Executive pointed out that the effect of such a resolution would be to render the Superintendent personally liable for the sum in question, as well as for a heavy penalty tinder the Audit Act. Several members declared that had they been asked to vote in the regular way they would gladly have done so, but that they could not sanction the payment of such a sum without the previous sanction of the House having been sought. One member went the length of declaring that if the penalty for what had been clone was even £500, he would vote for its infliction, and Mr. Mouatt's motion was adopted on a division of 20 to 10. The result of this vote is, that Mr. James Macandrew is personally liable for the sum of £160 16s. 2d. illegally paid, and that it is now the duty of the Provincial Auditor to proceed against him for the recovery of the penalty provided in such a case by the Audit Act, £100 and the cost of the suit. It will be remembered that the Provincial Secretary and Treasurer of Otago, Mr. Julius Yogel, is editor of tho Daily Times, and a large shareholder in this company. During the . debate the question was raised, as to whether the fact of his being a shares holder in the Times did not preclude his voting on the question before the House, but thechairmau ruled that it did not." :