Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 115, 2 May 1868, Page 3

Local and General News.

The Colonial Secretary, Mr. E. W. Stafford, habited Nelson this week. f We notice that a movement is on foot at Kai- ? koura for the formation of a Cricket Club. '""The Wellington Town Board have approved of Mr. Marchant’s proposed scheme for supplyingthat city with water. Mr. Purkiss, of the Rainbow Hotel, has just imported a collection of singing birds, including canaries, magpies, and a laughing jackass. The telegraph is now in working order between Wellington and Grey town —the first message having been transmitted on the 15th inst. Mr. Bessemere, the proprietor of the Otago Evening News has been committed for trial in the Fenian libel case.

The Japanese Jugglers, whose performances have created so great a sensation in various parts of the world, will appear in Wellington next week.

Acknowledgment.— By the courtesy of the hon. the Colonial Secretary we have received the “Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives for 1867.”

Barnum’s Museum in New York was destroyed by fire recently, together with all the curiosities and the larger part of the live animals. Loss, half a million, insurance only £150,000. # ’I We hear that our respected Magistrate, John Poynter, Esq., who has held the office for a great number of years has tendered his resignation to the Government. — Examine t*."

The Charles Edward will leave Nelson for tile Ferry this (Saturday) evening.

Nelson Markets. —On the 25th instant, fine flour was quoted at £24 per ton; wheat, Ss to' 9s per bushel; barley, 5s Gd to Gs ; oats, 3s 6d to 3s 9d ; potatoes, £5 to £5 10s per ton. The Loyal United Brethren of Oddfellows at Kaikoura will hold their anniversary dinner on Wednesday next, at the Kaikoura Hotel. A ball is to wind up the evening.

The usual meeting of the Blenheim Mutual Improvement Society will be held on evening, when Mr. T. Dickens will give ah essay on the “Dignity of Usefulness.” The ketch Falcon arrived in the river yester-. day evening, as far as Mr. Harding’s farm. By her we received Wellington files to Wednesday last, extracts from which will be found elsewhere Wellington Races. —These races came oil on Thursday and Friday, last week. On the first day, the Jockey Club Plate was won by Fly i the Hutt Park Stakes and Victuallers’ Purse, by Numa ; and the Ladies’ Purse, by Corsair. A graxd dinner was give to the representatives of the various provinces at Osgood’s on Wednesday evening last, to which a large number of invitations were issued by the General Government.

We notice that a subscription list in aid of the erection of a Jewish Synagogue in Nelson is being promoted by Mr. M. Sklaark, and some =£l2, mainly in small sums, has been contributed in Blenheim.

Gold Prospecting — Two residents of Picton have, we believe, gone on a prospecting tour, : somewhere between Picton and Blenheim. They have taken a fortnight’s “tucker” with them. We wish them every success.— Press.

Bread. —We notice that the price of the 4-lb. has been raised to Is. 2d. It is strange that while at one end of the town we have to pay Is. 2d. for the 4-lb. loaf, we can obtain the same at the other end for lOd. — Press. From Hokitika we learn that Messrs J. F. Byrne and Co., of the Corinthian Hall, clothiers, have filed a declaration of their insolvency. Their liabilities are stated at .£‘32,000, and one of the banks figures amongst the creditors to the amount of upwards of £12,000. — Mail. His Lordship Bishop Suter is expected in Blenheim on Tuesday next, when the long-pro-jected tea meeting in aid of the enlargement fund will be held in the Council Chamber. On Sunday the 10th inst., a confirmation service will be held at the Church.

A Gazette published on Monday contains a despatch from the Duke of Buckingham, dated. January 25th, stating that it is impossible for him to advise her Majesty to assent to the Act. passed last session to alter the salary of the Governor of this colony. _ J . f The friends of Sergt. Go.odall, late of Havelock, will be glad to hear that he left on Monday last for the Buller, where he has been appointed Senior-sergeant of the district, by Mr. Commissioner' Kyuneedey, with a salary of 13s. a-day, besides other allowances.

1 Westland North has the reputation of being represented in the General Assembly by a person holding Fenian sympathies at least. A Mr. Gallagher was returned by the large majority of 327. Mr. George Donne was his opponent, but he only got eight votes in all, of which seven were at Charleston, and one in' his own town, Brighton !

We hear that the on clit which the Otayo\ Daily Times announced relative to the proba- I bility of Mr. Dudley Ward succeeding tempora- I rily to a judgeship of the Supreme Court, is I correct. We quoted the rumour from that jour- S nal the other day, and we now learn that Mr. 1 Ward has accepted the offer, and will proceed shortly- to Dunedin, Judge Chapman having already left that district on leave of absence. — Post, J

Train Oil —ln a recent speech at Boston, United States, Mr. G. F. Train said:—“Mr. Bowers is on the stage, one of the rescuers of Kelly, who has just arrived from Manchester. I ask him, are there more men ready to take his place (meaning the places of O’Brien, Larkin and Allen) ? Yes, 300 as ready to die. Look at ClerkenWell; what if twenty innocent people were died ? We killed a million for the negro. (Cries of ‘ That’s so. ’) Let them die man by man so that Ireland is free,” (Cheers.)

Impending Election. —An election for a member of the General Assembly for the district of Picton is pending, Mr. W. Adams, of Nelson, who was elected about nine months since, hav-' ing, we are informed, resigned. If such is the case, Mr. Adams is certainly open to censure for not having tendered his resignation at an earlier period, as the Assembly meets next month and the election notice not having yet been' advertised, little time will remain for the purpose of obtaining from candidates their real views on questions of vital importance to the’ province particularly and the colony generally. Three gentlemen are already talked of as likely to come forward, namely, Captain Kenny, Mr. John Godfrey, and Dr. Sickler.— Press.

The Pi, IST. Z., & A. E. M. Co.—We find the following ominous paragraph in the New Zealand Examiner to hand by last mail ; — At a meeting of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian, and Royal Mail Company, Limited, held on 20th inst., it was‘resolved' to issue 4000 £B' per cent, guaranteed preference shares of £2O each. At' present only 2000 are to be issued. The following are the resolutions passed : “That the capital .of the company be increased by the creation of 4000 £8 per cent. guaranteed preference shares of £2O each, to be issued to. such person or persons, and at such time of times, and to be payable in such manner and by such instalments as the directors may think expedient.” “ That it be also a special term and' advantage attached .to the new shares, to be issued as aforesaid, that the capital represented thereby shall have priority and preference irf payment and distribution over the ordinary capital of the company.” As no dividend has' hitherto been declared’ since the formation of the. Company, the prospect'is a lively one. We * hope ere long to_ be,, able to, announce that this’ colony is' freed' from the „ intolerable burdeh' cfeatefTby duf nmiTcontract*with 1 this'ccmpahV/

The Independent of Tuesday says that notorious individual, Mrs. Kinder, has been for some time past residing in Wellington, and sailed for Callao in the FranE Schartan, on Saturday. Excursion Trip. —The Taranaki will call at Picton on Monday next, on her way to Nelson, returning on the 6th or 11th May. Pares, there and back, 255. and 425. It having been determined in December last that a place of warship for the Hebrew persuasion should bo erected in Wellington, a committee Was appointed, and no less than £693 has been already promised for the purpose. : The report of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) presented on February 7th, shows an available total of £11,409, and recommends a dividend of 10 per cent, for the year, and the appropriation of .£5,000 to the reserve, leaving .£1,022 to be carried forward.

Accident. —On Saturday week, one of Mr. Clemett’s little boys received a kick from a horse, which broke his arm near the wrist. We have since made inquiries, and are happy to state the child is recovering from the effects of the wound.— Kaikoura Herald. aooß old Kaikoura is dead ! This Maori chief mged to Mongamonga, and met his death by ill from a horse whilst proceeding to the ufi pah. His age is unknown, but some of oldest Maoris in the district state that he it have been over 100 years.— Kaikoura •aid. he newly-appointed Bishop of Lichfield, Dr. Selwyu, intends leaving England for New Zealand as shortly as possible after the visitation in which he is at present engaged is concluded. It is stated that in all probability his diocese will be administered during his absence by the Right Rev. Dr. Hobhouse, formerly Bishop of Nelson, for many years one of Dr. Selwyn’s suffragan bishops in New Zealand. — N.Z. Examiner. We have two fellmongers resident and busily employed in our midst, and yet have to import glue, for the purpose of making size. The consequence is a high price, which all but prohibits its use, except for the very best paid work, and the result is seen in loose paper hangings on the walls of dwellings, &c. The process of glue manufacture from the offal of the butchers and fellmongers is so simple, that we wonder no one has attempted it in this district. The Ficton Garrick- Club gave a performance on Wednesday evening last, being the first for the season. The pieces were “ Time Tries All,” and “ A Day after the Fair.” The performers appear from the programme to be Miss Flora Anstead, Miss Snowdon, and Messrs. A. C. C. Liardet, Arthur Beauchamp, T. Phillpotts, Wm. Pickering, junr., S. Harris, and J. H. Brewer. A duet between Messrs. Beauchamp and Philpotts, and a dance by Miss Anstead, took place between the pieces. The Maryborough Diggings —By favor we extract the following news from a letter written Mr. Corcoran, of the Hibernia Hotel, who left Westport a few weeks ago for the Maryborough diggings. He says—The diggings are bo good whatsoever, as there is very little gold getting. There are hundreds from the West Coast who would only be too glad to come back if they had means to 1 do so. And those who have money are clearing out as fast as they can get away. You will yet see more diggers this season on the West Coast than ever has been. The diggers have been forced by starvation to rush the store for rations, and the greatest distress prevails.— Westport Evening Star. The Convict Swales. —The Canterbury murderer was executed on the 16th instant The following was his confession:—“l confess, O Lord, before Thee and before man, that, without thought or care for what I was doing, I set fire to my house, thereby causing the death of a poor man, and endangering the lives of ray kind neighbours. I sincerely ask Thy forgiveness, O God, and also-that of my neighbours. I trust in Thee, O God, and sincerely pray from my heart that it may be extended to me. O my God, forgive me ;• forgive me for the sake of blessed Jesus,—who died on the cross to save poor sinners like myself.—J. D. Swales.” This is the first execution which has occurred in Canterbury. Shameful Hoax. —The Wanganui Evening Herald, in an extra published on Sunday, April 19, thus exposes and denounces the contemp ible perpetrators of the recent hoax—the supposed discovery of a goldfield at Waitotara : —“The party that left this morning for the supposed gold diggings have returned to town. A large number of practical diggers are amongst them. They Rave been shown the exact spot where the original Sample is said to have come from, They have washed considerable quantities of the dirt; there is not even the color of gold in it. The person who salted the original sample deserves the execration of the whole community. We deviate from our usual custom in publishing on Sunday, but taking into consideration the disastrous results that would arise from a large influx of population, for whom there would be no employment, we feel it incumbent upon us to do so.” Kaikoura.,.Herald . —We have received the -^rxv^lnunßeHYiTTliis journal, whose advent we noticed a short time ago. It consists of four pages, the same size as our own. The opening article is excellent in stylo and doctrine, expatiating upon the power and influence exercised by the;. press. Its line of policy is given thus : V We shall always, as far as we are able, do all we can to forward the interests of the place. We shall take no- decided side in politics, but will praise or censure as occasion may demand. Local matters will- meet with attention at our hands commensurate with their importance, and we shallrbe happy art - all’times to hear suggestions from correspondents touching any matter likely to conduce to the well-being of the place or people. - Thus far we shail be guided by the wish of our subscribers, or by- our own opinion, of the requirements of the district; but there is one matter in which we intend to maintain a strict i : Independence. We will allow no private feelings to influence us, and no consideration of personal friendship or regard shall stay us from censuring or commending. We shall strive to gain the % good, opinion of - all, but no fear of the consequences, will induce- us to hold our pen, and throw the protecting aegis of silence over a public offender.” We trust our adventurous brother Rwili.be thoroughly successful.

A Cheap Flock. — A correspondent at Wairoa informs us that on the 7th inst. a flock of 470 mixed sheep were sold by auction to Mr Carroll at Is. 3d. per head !— H.B. Times. Queen’s Birthday. —A loyal demonstration is, we learn, to take place on Monday, the 25th inst. A meeting was held on Monday evening last in the Institute, but owing to its not being advertised the attendance was very small. However, a committee was nominated, and a subscription list opened with the object of giving a display of fireworks, and to prepare a huge bonfire on the occasion. The list has been handed round daring the week, and we are glad to notice that the call has been very universally responded to ; with one or two exceptions everyone who has been asked has put their names down for a little. A ball, under the joint patronage of the Oddfellows and Volunteers, is also to be held on the same evening. 4 The p.s. Charles Edward arrived here on Sun"clay last from Nelson. She is a splendid boat beyond doubt, but too long to navigate the Opawa river. Her length is 129 ft. by 19ft. beam, and her registered tonnage 894 tons, or 140 tons burthen, and her engines made by Rankin and Blackmore, Greenock, are 60-horse power. She was built by Denny at Dumbarton in 1804, and did him groat credit. Her accommodation is superior to anything ever seen in these waters before. A very commodious saloon gives room for 20 adults, and the fittings are tasteful and conducive to comfort. The ladies’ cabin occupies one side of the poop deck, while on the other are cabins for the officers. Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to visit her until evening, so that we could not go over the whole of the vessel, but we learn that she lias comfortable accommodation for 40 in the steerage. She left for Nelson on Tuesday morning, arriving about 10 the same evening. She will leave Nelson again for the Ferry this evening.

Consolidation of Loans. Mr. Robert Pharazyn has sent us for publication a very important letter from Mr. Henry Sewell. Mr. Sewell emphatically condemns the scheme consented toby the present Ministry for the consolidation of the colonial liabilities. He thinks, with us, that Mr. Fitzherbert’s original proposal was right, and condemns the weakness of Mr. Stafford in allowing it to be tinkered by a Select Committee. Finally, be points out that a voluntary consolidation of the colonial securities is impossible, and must be set aside as hopeless. It appears to us that Mr. Fitherbert’s mission to England has been entirely useless. We don’t want to send a man home to involve us in further debt; and that is precisely what Mr. Fitzherbert would require to do, if the object of his mission is to be accomplished. “ The only way,” says Mr. Sewell, “in which yon can effect a voluntary consolidation, if at all, is by the offer of an adequate bonus, by way of increased interest, or addition to the capital debt ; but this would be a gratuitous loss to the colony.” We hope while Mr. Fitzhcrbert is travelling at the colony’s expense, that he will be content to do nothing for his money, rather than to add to the colony’s liabilities.—lndependent. Singular Case. —Oh'the 20th instant the following case was heard at Nelson before Mr. Ppynter : — S. Nicholson v. A. Wiesenhavcm. Action to recover £IOO, the- value of four cows and their increase, and one bull, detained by the plaintiff, and for damages sustained by such detention. Mr. Kingdoh appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Pitt for the defendant. It appeared from the evidence that in May, 1862, Mrs. Nicholson had delivered to the defendant 14 head of cattle to be depastured by him on the Tophouse run, at the rate of Is per month per head ; that in December, 1863, she received back part of the said stock, consisting- of ten head of cattle with their increase, the defendant detaining and holding, as it was alleged, four cows and their increase and one bull. Fertile defence it was pleaded that one of the steers left at the Tophouse had been found dead on the run, that the bull had been got in and delivered to a man named Cole for Mrs. Nicholson, bat had died on the road down, and that the rest of the cattle were still on the run, but could not be mustered. The defendant also pleaded that when he took the cattle, he did not agree to muster them for delivery, though he had tried to do so, and that he never considered that he had incurred any responsibility. The plaintiff was nonsuited.— Mail. The President of a-Friendly Society Convicted of Fraud. —At the Sheffield Police Court, on Wednesday, Samuel Rodgers, the President of the Poor Man’s Guardian Lodge,* of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, was charged with defrauding the society of several sums of money, amounting to £4 ss. Mr. Sugg appeared to prosecute, and said that the proceedings were taken under the 24th section of the Friendly Societies Act. John Urton, a member of the lodge, was shown to have been in receipt of 10s. per week, sick pay, from July 15th until August 17th, and Joshua Spencer, another member, had received the same weekly sum from August sth until September 7th, excepting the first payment, which was only Bs. 4d. for five days. Evidence was then called which proved that the defendant in his capacity as president of the society, had charged the funds with a week’s sick pay to Urton, on August 24; and the same amount to Spencer, on September 14,- neither of which amounts had been actually paid to the members named; and, in the second case, the defendant had filled up a blank sick member’s card with the amounts he alleged he had paid, the Bs. 4d. being altered to 10s., keeping back the original one which contained the true amounts. There were four or five other’ cases against the defendant, who was fined £s* and costs; and ordered to pay £4 65,, the amount of the fraud, or in default, to he imprisoned for three months;

I wish I was a printer, I really do indeed; It seems to me that printers Have everything they need—(Except 1 money.) They get the largest and the best .Of everything that grows, And get frbe into all the concerts And other kinds of shows—(By giving an equivalent.) —Public Opinion.

Wreak Notice.—The following is a copy of a notice found on Wednesday, enclosed in a bottle, outside the Boulder Bank. Fart of the writing is illegible.’ The publication of this notice will probably clear up the mystery regarding some lost vessel. :—“ July 2, 188,7. We are in very.....circumstances ; our smp went down yesterday. We left in the captain’s gig and we have no provisions. We... there is five of us, including captain, who is severely injured by a spar falling on him. Our names are as follows : —James Mar — (captain), William Chris , 2 mate—, I —gay (the cook), F. Ra (passenger), and a native of New Zealand, named Neimeikieramea—, —from the S .S. Korong or white star. We intend to get to one of the Auckland Islands, called Waka .”— Examiner , 25th. E.volish Came Laws.— Our infamous game law has furnished us this week with yet another horrible story. For picking up a dead pheasant belonging to Lord Derby, a poor countryman has been sent by the Chorley “bench” to gaol for one month. This man was no poacher ;it was not even pretended that he was. A policeman met him, after he had picked up the bird on the highway near liainsford, accused him of poaching, dragged him before the Chorley “bench,” and though there was no tittle of evidence that the man was a poacher, the “ bench” did what we have said. How long will these outrages on the sacred name of justice last ?—Yet another story, if possible of a deeper infamy. On a recent market day, the ecclesiastical city of Exeter was humbly approached by a poor woman who ventured to expose threepenny worth of greens for sale in the market place. On the proceeds of that sale depended a breakfast, such as it might be, of this unfortunate soul and her three children. But she was first of all pounced upon by a toll collector, who demanded threehalfpence for standing room. The woman offered a penny—an enormous rent, considering how scant her merchandise was' —but the official, who was more stupid than unkind, dragged her before the local “bench,” and she was committed to gaol for three days, her three children meanwhile being sent to the workhouse. Was ever such a disgraceful stir made about a halfpenny ? We do not set up the abstract right of the woman to pay only a penny while other persons pay three-half-pence, but out of bedlam could a more cruelly blundering course have been devised to set right that which the toll-collector found wrong ? When will the reign of justices’ justice come to an end in this country.— Manchester Times.

Surgical Application op Carbolic Acid. Oa Friday, 28th ultimo, (says the Wagga Wagga Express), a shocking accident happened to an unfortunate fellow named James Maginnerty, while engaged in drawing wood near the farm of Mr. Jacobs, about two miles from town, on the Albury-road Maginnerty at the time of the accident had a mare in his wagon, and the animal being separated from its foal became restless, and at last suddenly • swerved round with the apparent intention of making for home. Maginnerty made a spring at her head, but unfortunately missed the reins and fell, and the wheel of the wagon, which then contained about two tons of wood, passed over his right leg, causing a compound comminuted fracture, and crushing up the flesh in a frightful manner. The sufferer was at once conveyed to the hospital, and placed under ihe care of Dr. Robinson, who set the injured limb, and dressed the wound with the (in this country), but little known, and less used, medical agent, carbolic acid, in conjunction with linseed oil. The result of the application was most successful. No pus formed and the injured limb is now healing rapidly. A few days earlier. Dr. Robinson applied carbolic acid to the arm of a man, which had sustained a compound fracture of the most serious description, and in this case also'with the most satisfactory results. The dis-infectant, antiseptic, and preservative properties of carbolic acid, are, as wo learn from the report of a lecture, delivered by Mr. Calvert, and which appeared in the Argus of the 2nd instant, of the most remarkable description, and its value in medical science can hardly he over-estimated. Putrefaction and fermentation has been shown to be due to the presence of microscopical animals or vegetables, and upon these primitive sources of life carbolic acid acts with most destructive effect. The five-thousandth part of a grain of this acid will preserve urine, bloody and' other substances from putrefaction for months, slid its mere vapour will preserve meat for days, and prevent it being flyblown. As a curative agent for scab, and foot rot in sheep, this wonderful substance is also said to be invaluable, while for curing and preserving the hides of animals, it is found to be both cheaper and better than any other preparation that has yet been employed. Until very recently the hides imported into England from South America,,were either dried in the sun or cured with salt, both operations involving expense and delay. They are now simply immersed for twenty in a solution containing but two per cent, of carbolic acid and then shipped, and arrive in a state of perfect preservation. In’ surgery its value has been acknowledged by the first medical men of the day, and we are glad to perceive that it has now been so successfully introduced into this district by Dr. Robinson.”