(PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7826, 19 August 1887, Page 2

(PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON', Thursday. Captain Payne, of the Auckland Artillery (A battery), is. gazetted major in the New Zealand Regiment ot Artillery, and to the command of the First (North Island Brigade). James Pnrnell, late Captain Wauganui City Rifles is gazetted honorary major in the Xew Zealand Volunteer forces.

The demonstration and art union arranged by the friendly societies dining the Jubilee week resulted in a prolit of £21S. '

In the Divorce Court this afternoon the case of Erickson v. Erickson was heard. It was the wife's petition for divorce on the grounds of the husband's adultery and cruelty. The respondent did not appear and a decree urn, was granted, and also an interim order 'or the wife to have the custody of the children.

At the R.M. Court to-day the Justices of the Peace who were presiding further remanded Waters, as they preferred that the Resident Magistrate should deal with a case which is likely to develop several nice law points.

Margaret Martin, a domestic servant, who had taken a dose of beladonna in a fit of passion, was to-day charged with attempted suicide, but was released on entering into sureties for her future good behaviour.

The date, on which the writs will be issued is definitely fixed' as the 20th inst. The polling day is not yet fixed. The Manaia mail coach from Opunake met witli an accident whereby a lady passenger had an arm and an ankle biokeu, and the driver sustained rather serious injury. The horses, which were standing at the Oeo Hotel, started oft" and capsized the coach.

Chkistchurch, Thursday. About half-past 5 o'clock this morning an epileptic patient of the Sunnyside Asylum was found lying ilead on the lloor of one of the wards. An inquest was held this afternoon. The evidence proved that the patient had received all due attention. It appeared that Dr. Levinge, the present medical superintendent, does not pive medicine except under special circumstances to prevent epileptic fits, considering that such treatment only aggravates the fits. Dr. Hacon, the former superintendent, habitually treated epileptics with bromide of potassium. Two attendants stated that the resnlt of the new treatment was that the epileptics in the asylum had fits more frequently now than formerly. One of these attendants, however, is under notice to leave, and had been several times reported for not being sufficiently careful. It also appeared that since June Ist three epileptics have died, while in the previous six months no death of an epileptic patient was reported. The attendants had noticed a slight increase in Matthews' fits, but had not verbally reported it to the doctor, all fits being entered in a book which he saw every morning. Matthews' death was reported to the doctor shortly after 6" o'clock, but he (lid not see the body till 9.30, as he considered lie could do nothing by going at once. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased die'J from suffocation caused by an epileptic fit. Mr Henry Thompson, the Opposition candidate for Ghristchnrch South, spoke to-ni;rht, and received a vote of thanks. He said he could not support the StoutVogel Government because they were not agreed among themselves, but he would not support Major Atkinson. Tim.vku, Thursday. Mr Kerr spoke to-night at the theatre, the building beiug crowded to excess. He said be was in favor of doing away with the Legislative Council, and advocated retrenchment all round. He was in favor of the present tariff. He would not touch primary education, but would do av/ay with the present endowments to the Higli Schools, expending the income on scholarships. He received a vote of thanks. Dunedix, Thursday. At a meeting of the Education Board to-day it was resolved to represent to the Government that the Board's funds for school buildings were exhausted, and as more was urgently needed the Government be requested to grant authority to incur a moderate expenditure on buildings! A resolution was also carried expressing regret that the head of the department should attach so little attention to the opinion of the Board that had been sent to the department respecting the syliabus, and which was the opinion of the most valuable educational experts in the colony. One of the prisoners in the gaol laid a charge against a warder of striking .Jiim in the mouth, but it was entirely unsupported and was dismissed, and the prisoner was sentenced to seven days' extra imprisonment. Writs have been issued against the past and present members of the Lake County Council for the recovery of about £1200 illegally paid out of the county funds as shown by a speciiil audit by Mr Ratkin. Two of the members who were in office at the time have since died.