LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1415, 24 November 1904, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Court of Sessions Ims granted the Fieu Church of Scotland its first interdict against, the United tree Church using Dornoch church. It is authoritatively stated in Edinbiugli that Mr Balfour is appointing a Royal Commission to deal with the who'e dispute, to report at the eurli-'st dale with a v'o\ to the introduction <.l a Govern.noil bill. The ehil.l named Jones, missing at Eltham from Saturday, was found on Monday. It made its way throiijh the bush to the main rou.l. T!ie child has been examined by two doitors, with the result that informations aro likely to be laid against the parents for alleged ill-treatment. An unprincipled scoundrel .lamed Dacro induced a Melbourne music teacher to marry him and realise her property. They took ship lor England, and he deserted her at Plymouth, taking with him several hundred pounds, her money. Apprehended and charged with the theft it was found that he could not be loiivictfd under the present condition o f the English laws, and the haple-s woman was left penniless. Mr Higgiiis, in the Federal House of Parliament, Melbourne, called attention to this Miscarriage of justice and asked Premier Reid to have copies of the State Acts sent to. say, six leading libraries in Britain, also to suggest to the Imperial Government that they should pass a bill .to enable the British courts to take judicial notice of Australian laTvs. Mr Reid considered it an anomalous state of affairs th.it laws passed under the Crown in different parts of the Empire only stood on the same footing as foreign laws. This ought to be. remedied without delay, and he promised to give the matter special consideration. General Kitchener's reorganisation scheme for the Indian army provides for three army corps, General Blood commanding the Northern, General Hunter the Western and General Gaselee the Eastern, with divisional commanders at Peshawar, Rawulpimli, Lahore, Quetta. Mhow, Poona, Meerut, Lucknow, Scciiudcrabad. and Rangoon. When mobilisation is ordered it will be possible to concentrate in a few hours eight field forces, fifteen to twenty thousand strong, along the frontier. The scheme will cost five millions.

Mr Gilruth met the Stock Departmen officials of Wanganui, West Coast' and Taranaki at Stratford on the 21st in conference regarding the inoculation of calves for the prevention of blackleg al>d gave an address to farmers. A deputation afterwards waited on Mr Gilruth, requesting that he should recommend the Department to station an officer at Stratford as district agricultural lecturer. Mr Gilruth favored the proposal, and promised the bring the matter More the Department. Systematic inoculation of calves will, probably commence on December Ist. . The annual meeting of the N /. Shipping Co. was held at Christchurch on the 22nd. The London directors, in their annual report, submitted accounts to 30th June, and recommended a dividend of five per cent for the year irce of income tax. ofwhich "-A per cent, was paid on April 0; carrying forward £IO,BBO. Col. B. M. Dawes, Mr Maelvcr, and Mr Westray were the directors retiring by rotation, and they were eligible for reelection. The following is the profit and loss accouut at. 30th June :—To balance of interest account, £2O,3SG ; amount of proposed dividend. £23,692; balance carried forward, £10,880: total. .£51,901. Bv balance brought forward from 30th June, 1903. £lO,570 ; profit, after deducting depreciation to 30th June, 1901, insurance in London and the colony, charges, directors' fees and £15,000 added to the reserves, £11,394 ;—total, £51,90-1. The Hon. C. C. Bouen and Messrs A. E. G. Uhodes and P. J. Fryer (the retiring directors), and Mr G. Gould were nominate'd and, on a show of hands, Messrs Bhodes, Gould, and Bowen were declared elected, the last-named on the casting vote of the chairman. Mr Fryer demanded a poll, and the chairman announced that it would be taken on Suturday; also a poll for the election of two auditors, four having been nominated.