Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 107, 14 March 1868, Page 3

Local and General News.

The meeting of the General Assembly is again prorogued to the 2Sth of May. The inhabitants of Lyttelton have petitioned the Governor to incorporate that town as a borough under the Municipal Corporations Act. The Wellington Jockey Club have postponed the Hutt Races until the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh. At the Nelson Sittings in Bankruptcy on the 28th ultimo, Mr. J. O. Denham applied for and obtained his discharge. Mr. Bonar has been appointed Chairman of the Westland County Council, in room of Mr. Hall, who vacates the position. By a proclamation in the Gazette, the districts of Tauranga, Maketu, and Opitiki, are excepted from the provisions of the Protections of Animals Act, so far as relates to native game. It is suggested that the Volunteers, in con junction with the Oddfellows, should hold a ball on the Queen’s Birthday (May 24). Perhaps the hint will be sufficient to set the matter going. The p.s. Lyttelton left Blenheim on Thursday morning for Nelson, calling at Port Underwood going out, with the last instalment for the Dona Anita, which vessel is expected to sail this day. The barque Caesarea, the third and last woolship of the season, is expected to leave Port Underwood at the end of the present month. An important notice in our advertising columns announces an advance in freights to gths on greasy wool and Id. for washed wool until the 25th instant, after which date it will be advanced sdAmore.

/ Drunk enness. Joseph Chuck and Robert . 'Thompson were brought before S. L. Muller, Esq., 11. M., on Thursday last, charged with this offence. Chuck was lined Is. and 4s. 6d. costs, while Thompson was lineal £1 and 4s. Gd. costs, or 48 hours imprisonment ! In both cases the fines were paid. / A meeting of the Blenheim Mutual Improvement Society was held on Thursday evening last, when rules were adopted and officers chosen for the ensuing quarter. Meetings are to be held fortnightly in future, when essays, &c., will be given by members, who are allowed to introduce their friends on such occasions. The first will be given on Thursday evening, the 2Gth instant, by Mr. C. Rae. Subject The Civilisation of the Working Classes.” SW e are happy to find that all obstacles have /been removed regarding the cricket match, Blenheim v. Picton, and that, should weather permit, a match will be played at Seymour Square, on Thursday next. The match if not concluded in one day will be played out on Friday. The dinner usually given on such occasions will take place on Thursday night, when we trust to meet and pass a happy evening, be the issue of thm* match what it may. Auction Sale. —Mr. Dodson held a sale on Wednesday last, at the Plough Inn ; the attendance was very good, and prices satisfactory. The same gentleman also sold at his Sale Yards on Thursday, a small flock of sheep, the prices ranging from 4s. to 75., being an improvement on the previous sale of sheep of the same class. It wil be seen from our advertising columns that a lot of 800 are to be brought to the hammer on Monday, the 30th instant. /THE public has been under an obligation to *llr. Downes, the Acting Chief-Postmaster, on three 'sWefaY occasions this week for attending in unofficial hours, when interprovincial mails arrived, and giving out letters, in each case at least half-a-day earlier than we should get them under ordinary circumstances. The extreme rarity of the arrival of these mails make it very desirable that they should be placed in possession of their owners at the earliest possible moment. We are informed that the funeral demonstration got up in Charleston in memory of the Fenians who were hanged at Manchester a few months ago passed off with great eclat. About ten o’clock the procession, consisting of about a thousand persons, formed under the leadership of the local head-centre and with banners flying, paraded the streets, the band playing the “Dead March in Saul.*’ On arriving in front of the Catholic Church the procession halted, and formed up, when a mass for the repose of the souls of the departed was celebrated. After mass a number of very patriotic speeches were delivered, which had the effect of calling forth an expression of feeling anything but favorable to the British Crown. The procession once more paraded the town, each person wearing a green rosette and necktie ; and in the afternoon separated in an orderly manner. The principal banner bore the following device :—“God save Ireland : ’tis treason to love her; ’tis death to defend her. ” Westport Star.

The Wellington Reception Committee oilers two hundred guineas for a champion race at the Hutt, when the Duke of Edinburgh comes-. Pelorus Election. —Great excitement prevails in Havelock with respect to this election, owing we believe, to a large extent, to the discovery of a peculiar letter which will be found in our correspondence column, said to be written by one of the candidates. The nomination took place on Thursday, when the show of hands was declared to be in favour of Mr. Levien. A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr. Houghton, which will take place at Deep Ci'eek and Havelock, today (Saturday).

A treat was given to tha children attending the Wairaa Valley School on Monday evening last, when a number of parents and friends were invited. After a plentiful tea, comprising many luxuries, plum cake, ham sandwiches, &c., the assembly was enlivened at intervals by a selection of miscellaneous music and songs. The vocalists included Mr. W. and Miss White and Master Watson, and they wera accompanied on the harmonium by Miss White. Dancing and amusements continued until an early hour, when the company retired, universally expressing the pleasure they had felt in the meeting. The Duke of Edinburgh.— His Excellency the Governor yesterday afternoon received by the Ruahine official intelligence from Sydney to the effect that the Duke of Edinburgh will not leave there for Auckland until April 3rd, but that this unavoidable delay will not be allowed to affect the length of H.R.H.’s stay in Hew Zealand as he will not now sail from this colony till the middle of May. The cause of this change in H.R.H.’s plans is that the Galatea, which was put into the dry-dock at Sydney, could not be undocked till the next spring tides, and after that operation she would have to undergo extensive repairs occupying at least three weeks. It will be seen by the tenor of his Excellency’s despatches that the Prince cannot now reach Auckland before April 9th or Wellington before April 20th at the earliest. A letter has just been received by a gentleman in Adelaide from one of the officers of the Galatea, stating “that his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh is to go from New Zealand to Tahiti, Honolulu, Callao, Valparaiso, Falkland Islands, Monte Video, Rio, Demerara, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, and Barbadoes, and thence home to Portsmouth, where he is to arrive in January, 1869. This is no yachting voyage, considering the Galatea must round Cape Horn in September.” —lndependents

Tpa Marina .Election. —The nomination of a gentleman for the honor of representing this district, in the Provincial Council, is to be held at Mount Pleasant on Saturday next, the 21st instant, and the polling (if required) 17111 taka place on the following Tuesday, the polling places being Mount Pleasant, and at the Wool Store at the Ferry. The Press says : —We trust, however, that a poll will not in this instance be necessary ; for if rumour be correct, a better fitted person than the gentleman coming forward could not be found—namely, J. O Western, Esq. This gentleman has been for many years a resident in the province, and has had ample opportunities of judging of the requirements of the district.” We trust in like manner that a poll will not be necessary, and for the remainder of the sentence wc request our readers to insert the name of Henry Redwood, Esq., in lieu of Mr. Western; We are assured that Mr. Redwood will stand for the district, and we are sure much more can be said in his favour than our contemporary says for his candidate. Mr. Redwood has long been a resident in the district, and being the largest proprietor therein, has more at stake than any other person, consequently, if he consults but his own interests, he will be serving his fellow electors. Besides which he is an enterprising and practical business man, and we have reason to believe that he will bring an accession of shrewd common-sense to bear upon the business of the Council, “ having had ” still more “ample [means of judging of the requirements of his district ” than Mr. Western, residing as he does at sPicton. We have no knowledge of his capabilities, they may be of a first-class order, but we contend that while a gentleman on the spot is willing to assume the duties, as well as the rights of property, he has a prior claim for support to a stranger. We believe that Mr. Redwood will not only be largely supported, but returned as the member for Tua Marina. Mr. C. Redwood has been solicited, but declined to stand. t Provincial Council.— The Eighteenth Session of the Council will open on Tuesday next; \ when Estimates for the year 1868-9, on a much reduced scale, and in accordance with the altered circumstances of the Province, will be submitted. The following is, we are informed, a summary of the proposed amounts:—Superintendent £4OO, Provincial Secretary, nil ; Clerk, £l2O ; Executive Council, nil-. Officer of Public Works, nil ; Treasurer, £100; Legal advice, .£SO; Auditor, £SO ; Deputy do. £lO ; Commissioner of Crown Lands, £320; Clerk, £lG0; Chief-Surveyor £280; Speaker, £100; Expenses of Supreme and District Courts, £IOO ; passages of prisoners and constables, £2O; Native Interpreter, £25; do. Pelorus, £10; Gaoler, (Picton,) £160; Turnkey, .£l2O ; Warder, £100; Prisoners’ clothing and rations* £200; Fuel and lights, £3O; contingencies, £10; Lockup-keeper, (Blenheim) nil ; rations, £10; contingencies £10; Hav ? Police—Sen. Sergeant STUs. £164 ; 3 Sergeants at 8s 6d. £465; 2 constables at 7s 6d. £273; forage, £100; contingencies, £IOO. CharitableProvincial Surgeon and medicine, £100; Hospital Warder, £6O ; Nurse, £4O; assistance, £lO ; rations, £200; fuel and lights, £3O ; clothing, £3O; contingencies, £2O; medical attendance, including vaccination, £SO ; lunatics and paupers, £250. Harbour department, no change. Gold Fields—Warden, nil; contingencies, £2O Immigration, nil; Education, nil. Total Departmental £4,513. Miscellaneous—Messenger, at 6s fid. £118; Returning officers, £2O ; books and static onery, £2O; fuel and lights, £3O ; newspapers, £3; printing and advertising, postage and telegrams, £ls; general contingencies, £400; surveys, £600; alteration of roads, £300; Nelson interest, £603 ; Insurance, £SO ; Half-million loan, £400; Interest on overdrafts Bank of New 1 Zealand, £500; purposes of Drainage Act, nil j Pounds, £SO. Total, £3,390. It will be noticed that in nearly every case, a minimum reduction of 20 per cent, is proposed, while in several in ; stances the offices or the salary is proposed to bO abolished entirely;

I The ship Wild Duck has nearly completed her : loading, and will leave Wellington for London j on the 20th instant. } A Prisoner Stabbed to Death. —On the morning of the 3rd instant, a prisoner named Burnside tried to escape from custody in Lyttelton, but being pursued by a warder, was overtaken and stabbed repeatedly until nearly dead. The warder then went in search of assistance, but on his return found the man dead. An inquest was held, and a verdict of justifiable homicide was returned.

An editor retiring from the cares and tribula- 1 tions of journalism took leave of his readers in the following manner “The undersigned retires from the editorial chair with the complete conviction that all is vanity. Prom the hour he started his paper until the present time he has been solicited to lie upon every given subject, and cannot remember ever having told a wholesome truth without diminishing his subscription list or making an enemy. Under these circumstances of trial, and having a thorough contempt for himself, he retires, in order that he may recruit his moral constitution.”

Registration of Electors.— We beg to remind all those who are qualified to vote in the election of candidates for the Assembly or Council, and whose names are not yet placed upon the roll, that in order to exercise their privilege they much register themselves before the end of March, and that they must obtain the signature of some elector for the district in which they claim to vote, to their voting-paper. With the colony in its present condition, and with questions of such immense importance as those now pending, to deal with, it is not only desirable, but it is a positive duty of every qualified person to take the steps necessary to allow of his exercising the franchise. We look upon it as by no means improbable that a dissolution of the Assembly will take place during the present year, and if this should be so it is most necessary that in the ensuing elections all the constituences should let it be clearly known what their opinions are, and how widely they are held, in order that the members may know to what point they are supported by the feeling of the country. — Examiner.

Auckland Provincial Affairs. —It appears that Mr. Stafford has invited the Superintendent and Council of Auckland to express an opinion as to whether in the present financial position of the province, any reductions ought to be made in the salaries of the General Government officers provincially charged. In accordance with this request, the Superintendent sent down a message to the Provincial Council, in which the following proposals are submitted for consideration :—That, having carefully considered the above proposal, the Superintendent and Provincial Council are of opinion that a saving might be effected to the amount of seven thousand nine hundred pounds (£7,900), as shown under the following heads :—“ 1. £2,500, by a reduction of salaries at and over £2OO, according to scale, and by combining some offices and abolishing others. 2. £2,800, by a reduction (by one-fourth) of the staff of officers receiving a lower rate of salary than £2OO. 3. £2,400, by doing away with the Resident Magistrate and District Judge at Auckland. 4. £2OO, by a reduction of salaries of country postmasters. Westland County Council. —From recent West Coast papers, we find that the Westland Council think no small beer of themselves. A Mr. Keary moved that each member should have a salary at the rate of £l5O a-year, under the impression that the people would like to see them paid. Mr. Whall seconded the motion, because it would have the effect of putting working men in the same position, politically, with those in a higher station. Mr. Shaw could find many public uses for the money, and so would take it. The motion was carried with but one dissentient voice, Mr. Bonar; who, on a later day, moved the recommital of the Estimates, with the view of rescinding the motion, when live voted for and three against. An amendment was afterwards put that country members should receive 21s. a-day in addition to their travelling expenses, which was carried on the voices. This in the model council of the model county, which experiences the paternal care of the General Government, and of which the Postmaster-Gen-eral is the Superintendent. Protection op Animals Act. —As a paragraph relative to this Act, which appeared in our last, has been freely canvassed and pronounced incorrect by a number of persons here and in other parts of the province, we may reiterate what we then stated. The terms of the Act are moat positive; clause 9 defines what shall be considered “game,” and what “native game clause 11 states that “no game shall be hunted, shot, or taken in any part of the colony until the same shall have been proclaimed as open for that purpose by Order in Council in that behalf, and no game shall be shot, taken, or killed, except during the months of May, June, or July in any year. No native game shall be hunted, shot, taken, or killed in any part of the colony except during the months of April, May, June, and July in any year clause 12 says “it shall be lawful for the Governor from time to time, by publication in the New Zealand Gazette, to declare that all or any of the provisions of this Act, relating to native game, shall not be in force in such parts of the colony as he shall in and by such proclamation defineclause 24 provides that “no , person shall sell, or offer for sale, or buy, or offer to buy any game or native game, and any person offending against the provisions of this section, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £2O, and in default to be imprisoned for a period not exceeding three months.” A considerable portion of the Act institute a species of game laws similar to those at home, AU penalties created by it may be recovered before any Resident Magistrate or Justice of the Peace, and one half of any fine recovered ■hall be paid to any person who may be instrumental in proving a conviction. Game is defined to include pheasants, partridges, grouse, black game, quails, snipe, plover, swans, hares, antelope, deer, and imported wild duck of any species. Native game includes wild duck of any species, bittern, pied stilt plover, wild geese, teal, wood pigeon, black stilt plover, curlew, and quail, licenses to kill or sell game are requisite, and may be demanded by any magistrate, constable, or the proprietor of land on which parties are found trespassing.

GOLD DISCOVERED AT KAITUNA. We are reliably informed that a quartz reef has been discovered in the Kaituna Valley, where three men have been engaged in prospecting for the last few weeks. The precious metal is visible with the naked eye in the specimens already found, but the site is at present kept a secret, the discoverers wishing to verify the fact of its being a payable reef before claiming the bonus. We shall be enabled to lay further particulars before our readers next week. .v