Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 113, 18 April 1868, Page 3

Local and General News.

Mr. Moorhouse has resigned the Superintendency of Canterbury. The Nelson Races are to come off on the and 29th inst.

The Suez Mail.— The English mail via Suez will be due at Bluff harbor on Monday next, the 20th instant.

Bread. —The Melbourne master bakers have raised the price of bread to lOd. the Alb loaf. — Independent, 16th

Mr. John Hyde Harris, Solicitor-General, ha® resigned that office as well as the position of Mayor of Dunedin. A list of Crown Grants awaiting claimants, is published in another column for public information.

The Storm Bird will call at Picton to-morrow, (Sunday) on her way to Wellington. Lewis’s coach will leave at 4 p.m. to-day. A grand show of agricultural produce and live stock is to be held at Nelson, on the 10th May, when a number of valuable prizes will be distributed. , ~ , ;

Larkin & Co.—lt is stated im the Nelson papers that Larkin, Clarke, and the other five prisoners recently committed, will be tried at Hokitika on the I2th May. / Appointment,—H. A. Ingles, Esq., has been appointed Deputy Registrar of Marriages, and of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, for the district of Kaikoura. . ;

petition praying that the town of Timaru may be constituted a borough under the provisions of the. Municipal Corporations Act, has been received by the Governor, who will consider it on the Ist June. " ■ ’■ A sentimental editor says, “It is comforting to know that one eye watches fondly for our coming, and looks brighter when we come.’* A contemporary is grieved to learn that hia brother of the quul has 1 a wife with one eye.” The leases for fourteen years of the following properties will be offered for public competition to-day,‘ at the Survey Office i—29 acres and 394 acres;’'Kaikoura Suburban ; 300 acres, North 'blank of the Clarench River -'6OO acres, Ojiawa DistHct, near, the ; the Clarence Accommodation House and Run of 239 acres ; and the Manuka Island Accommodation House and Run of 4,402 afereS, and'the Waihopai. Accommodation House with run of 239 acres. >

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Church. Of St. Michael. —Tenders, we perceive, are called for to erect the Church _of_St._ Michael',' in'Vanguard : st'feef.’ The'Txiildmg is to be of wood, aud the architect, Mr. W. Beatson, has provided a very pleasing design in the Lombard style of architecture.— Examiner. The Lyttelton left on Sunday morning last, and arrived at Nelson on Monday morning. We understand that her staff has been transferred to the splendid new steamer the Charles Edward, which will leave for this station about the 22nd instant, returning about Saturday, in ■ time for the races.

The Late Canard. —We have been favoured with a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald, of the 2nd instant, brought by the Margaret Campbell, from Newcastle, but it makes no mention of the story said to have been brought to Wellington by the Rakaia. of the detection ofi an armed man on board the Galatea in the disguise of one of the bandsmen of the ship. V 7& hope, therefore, the story is untrue. — Examiner.

The Galatea. —The Melbourne Argus says : —“ From a letter received in Melbourne from a member of the reception Committee in Sydney, we learn that several letters have been written to officers on board the snip Galatea, threatening to set fire to the ship, and that all hands have to be on board every evening at seven o’clock.” Decisions have been given by the Waste Land Board, in favour of William Douslin, as to that portion of the land applied for by him, which was not awarded 10th June, 1867, excepting all land within the limits of the town of Havelock ; and of P. 11. and N. M‘Rae, for land in the district of Awatere. -

We learn that Messrs Griffiths and Co., invited all the elite of the neigbourhood to a grand ball in the Council Chamber on Monday evening last. However, partly because some invitations were not delivered till late in the evening, and other doubts which arose, the attendance was rather meagre.

The following application for leases have recently been made in accordance with the Waste Land Act, 1867 JA. R. Greensill and J. T. Warren, Arapawa Island, Queen Charlotte Sound; John Davis, Port Underwood ; John Guard, Port Underwood ; George Baldick, Port Underwood ; H. C. Seymour, Arapawa Island, Queen Charlotte Sound.

An inquiry into the cause of the wreck of the Cleopatra was held before Mr. Crawford atj Wellington on Thursday week, when, after some deliberation, Mr. Crawford informed Captain Palmer that the Court was unanimously of opinion that no blame attached to him or the officers of the ship, as they had acted, under very trying circumstances, to the best of their knowledge and ability. A recent Gazette gives the following return of land sold in Marlborough, during the quarter ending December :—7a. lr. 16p. (town), at an an average of £22 6s 9d per acre ; 111 a. 3r. 4p. (suburban), at £2 ; 148 a. 3r. 24p. (rural), at£l ; and 8,455 a. Or. 55p. (pastoral), at 5s sd. The cash paid was .£2,856 3s 4d. Besides these lands, 1,055 a. 3r. 17p. was granted as reserves to the Education Board.

KAlKOnßA.—Sergeant Goodall arrived in Blenen route to Picton, with a pri soner charged with horse-stealing, having been committed by the Bench at Kaikoura to the next District Court. The case is briefly this, the prisoner borrowed a horse from a for 3 days, but as it was not returned, the police set inquiries on foot, when it was discovered that it had been sold, and Sergeant Goodall went in search and arrested his man in Canterbury.

The Mutual Improvement Society held its usual meeting on Tuesday evening last, when Mr. Pickens read a paper by Robt. Chambers on “The Heart;” and Mr. Johnson read an original article entitled “A Wife’s Welcome,” and an extract from Pickwick shewing how elections were conducted at Eatonswill. Both readers sustained a well-directed fire of criticism from the hearers, to which they replied more or less effectively. Several new members joined, and a pleasant evening was spent. f We perceive that the Rev. Father Hickey, of Dublin, is-announced to preach at the Catholic Church to-morrow in aid of the Catholic University in that city. This really eloquent and accomplished orator and scholar who is perambulating the world with this object in view, arrived last evening by the Falcon. We learn that the Carandini Family has promised to assist the choir on the occasion, when Mozart’s 12th Mass will be performed. The Superintendent of Otago in opening the Council on the Bth inst. recommended a reunion of Southland with Otago, and ultimately the fusion of the Middle Island into one province. He thought that existing' circumstances rendered such a charge imperative, and that nothing could be more prejudicial to the interests of the colony than the muddling and meddling of the General Government with the affairs of the provinces. The News is responsible for the following singular paragraph which appeared in its last issue : —“ News has been received at Picton that the General Government has put the screw on this Province, stopped payment, and given instructions to Mr. Henry Adams, Solicitor, Nelson, to take proceedings for Marlborough’s share of the Half-Million Loan.” Now we knew—and the conductor of the News had the same opportunity of knowing as ourselves—that the General Government, having paid themselves all they could claim out of our revenues, actually returned a large amount as surplus by the mail which arrived here exactly a week before the publication of the local. Perhaps that gentleman will inform us of one or two other matters. As — Why should the General Government pass over the Attorney-General at Wellington and go to Nelson to employ a local Solicitor for any purpose? Also, as the Half-Million Loan is repaid by Sinking Fund, perhaps he will tell us in what form the proceedings would be taken, — who would the parties to the suit be? and, lastly, in whdt court the action could be brought ? The Half-Million Loan is guaranteed by the Imperial Government, and the interest at 4 per cent is paid yearly.’ A Sinking Fund of 2 per cent provides for its ultimate redemption.; No part of the debentures are redeemable until 1888, and the remainder in 1894. No action could therefore be brought'for the “share,” and as there is no interest accrued, for the interest either. We notice the Press quotes the absurdity, without any remark. !

The Nelson- Colonist states that an action against the Bank of New Zealand, fpr false imprisonment is pending. The plaintiff is,James Sims, formerly storekeeper at Mohikinui,-, and the sum sought to be recovered is £2,000.

The ’Commissioner- of Customs has issued a notice which recites that' certain buildings were some time since appointed as warehouses for the reception and security of goods without payment of duty upon the first entry thereof. He now revokes such privilege, in respect of a number of specified buildings, among which are the buildings occupied by Mr. Allan Houghton, at Havelock, from the 24th January last; Plimmer’s Bond, Wellington; J. Beit’s, and Hooper and Dodson’s Warehouses, Nelson.

jjfELSON College.— The election of Headmaster took place yesterday, and resulted in the Rev. F. C. Simmons, Rector of the High School, Dunedin, being chosen by an unanimous _ vote. This honourable post appears to have excited a great amount of competition, there having .been thirteen candidates from other parts of the colony, two from Queensland, eleven from New South Wales, and fifteen from Victoria, or forty in all. Mr. Simmons enters on his duties on July 1. Several of the other candidates held exceedingly high testimonials. — Examiner , 16th. Horsestealing. —A man named Oopart was brought up on Tuesday last at the Resident Magistrate’s Court upon a charge of stealing a horse in 1864, the property of Mr.,.Eyes, mid was remanded until Monday next for the production of witnesses. It appears that the prisoner, .for whose apprehension a warrant has been but for nearly four years, suddenly made a reappearance, and went to the police office to make enquiries about a horse said to be bought by him at a recent sale. Sergeant Emerson enquired his name, and his curiosity being aroused by its singularity, a few questions more, satisfied him that the man vyas the one so long wanted, whereupon the Sergeant at once seized him and introduced him to Dr. Muller without delay. Johnny Keenan. —We have to record the 'death of Johnny Keenan, one of the whaling crews, and a native of Queen Charlotte Sound. About a month ago, while returning from the Grove in his boat to fiis residence in the Sound, during a heavy gale his boat was run down and capsized. As the boat went over he was struck by a spar and stunned, and was only saved’ from a watery grave by the exertions of a young man named Thomas, who was in the boat with him. From the effects of the wetting he received, a violent cold he had at the time was made worse. He was brought up to Pictou and attended by Dr. Sickler, who pronounced his case hopeless, when he was taken back to his father’s residence, and on Tuesday last he departed this life. He was buried at Taawaite on Friday afternoon Press . Land Revenue Returns.— December. Income -Sales, £2,121 16s 7d; depasturing licenses, £2O 10s ; assessments on stock, .£‘6s 16a 3d ; rents, £4B 6s ; deposits, £7. Expenditure : --Receiver’s salary, £8 6s 8d; paid to province, 8s Id; deposits transferred to revenue, 2?40O Is ; balances available, 2,252 5s 6d; in deposit, £278 13s. January : —Sales, £2 10s; depasturing licenses, £lB 10s; assessments on stock, .£lB 2s 6d; rents, .£179 los sd. PayJ \ments, Bank of New Zealand, Blenheim, >£2lß 17s lid. February : —Sales, £219, depasturing licenses, £l7 10s ; assessments on stock, £l9 Is 8d; rents, 233 12s lid; depasturing lease, £1 10s. Payments, Bant of New Zealand, Blenheim, £491 13s 7d. ■- <'- f > A New Way of Paying Old Debts;—Mi Bartine showed the people of this city one way of paying debts, but his feat did not afford so striking an illustration of the novel methods in vogue for liquidating long standing accounts ai one recently performed in Auckland. It seemt from the local journal that a mild creditor waited upon his debtor with his little bill; when to hu astonishment the latter “ stormed at him awful," told him to go to a warm climate, and assisted him there by kicking him into the street.j Th< creditor skedaddled, and the debtor recotmaendi the course he adopted as the most effectual and cheapest mode of getting rid of a “ dun.”—lndependent, 16th. -

Napier.—A Leg of Mutton fob a Shieling. —We never could understand why when sheep are sold at from 3s. to ss. each, mutton chops should be 6d. to Bd. a pound. Lately the butchers have become alive to this inconsistency, and the other day the public were informed by two of the leading firms that the price was in future to be from 3d. to 6d. per pound, so mutton at least is tolerably cheap. Of course, if it pays the butchers to sell at the reduced price, theii profits at the previous high rates . must have been very large indeed, because, So far as we can make out, the price of sheep has- been very low for some months past. But what do our readers think of legs of mutton weighing 64-lbs, each, being sold for" one shilling each, and kidneys 9d. a dozen.— lndependent, 1 6th. ;

Prince Alfred. —Au Extra of the Southern Cross, dated April 11, says The Governor has received letters from Sydney by this mail, confirming what he had been told -by the last mail, viz., that the Duke of Edinburgh had been unanimously advised by the medical men attendant on him that his health would not permit him to encounter the fatigues of a visit to New Zealand, and that he should go straight' to. England. H.R.H. writes to the Governor that he long combated this advice, and wishes it to be known that he deeply regrets being obliged to abandon his visit to New Zealand on the present occasiou, from which he had expected to derive, the most sincere gratification. He- had looked 'forward with deep interest to visiting the Maories as wel] as the Europeans, and fully intended.*© hav< carried out the programme which had. li£»n sabmitted to him by the Governor, and which included visits to all the principal places, in bott the North and the Middle Island. BLR H.’j letter to the Governor was dated March 31, but reached Auckland only on the I,oth of.*April the Duke is very desirous that his disappoint ment at being precluded from. visiting them, and his good wishes for their future welfare, shook be made known to both , the ; and th< Maori. Subsequently to the ab.oye being grinted, his Excellency the Governor 'received letter, dated 30th March, from Mr Haig,' Equerry U H.R.H., stating that H.RH. would leave £o , England in a week. • , v . . -nv H

A* the Bendigo diggings in Victoria, gold has •dranoed 6d. per ounce. At the same place are selling at lsd. to 2d. per pound.— Wheat Threshing Extraordinary. The '/TaWdt Reader states, that wheat threshing in Australia has arrived at such a pitch of excellence that it is not uncommon to see as many as 114 bushels threshed by one machine in the incredible abort space of an hour. The Southern Cross says that seven of the natives imprisoned for offences connected with the Whakatane affair have been released by order of Governor Sir George Bowen. Most of them were on board the vessel at the time the murders were committed ; the others were convicted as accessories before the fact. On Thursday evening a testimonial from the Odd Fellows of Wellington was presented to P.P.G.M. Thomas M'Kenzie, in recognition of the valuable services rendered by him to that body during a connection of eighteen years. The testimonial consisted of an address accompanied by a handsome gold medal, bearing the following inscription :—“ Presented by the members of the Widow and Orphan’s Fund of the Wellington District, 1.0.0.P,M.U. to Thomas M'Kenzie, E.P.G.M., as a small token of esteem for his untiring exertions as the honorary secretary for a period of eighteen years. Wellington, New Zealand, 1867.” The Chairman (S. Levy) in a neat" and appropriate speech presented Mr. M'Kenzie with the address and medal, at a banquet given in honor of the occasion, when many toasts were given and duly honored, and the •ompany after spending a very pleasant evening retired.