Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 159, 17 February 1869, Page 2

Local and General News.

There were no cases for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday last. Oor Kaikoura contemporary, in a series of articles, severely condemns the conduct of Mr, Eyes and the Provincial Government.

A Fine Arts Exhibition was opened at Dunedin on Friday, 12th instant, by the Superintendent. Over 1400 pictures are included. We publish an extra number of the Express, to-day, on account of its being appointed the Gazette for the Province of Marlborough.

We are informed that the Storm Bird has been laid on to run regularly between Wellington, Nelson, and Wanganui, calling at Picton, once every week. This will be a decided improvement.

Mails will leave Picton for Nelson and the North by the Airedale on Sunday next. For Wellington and the South, by the Wellington, on the following day, 22nd February

We hear on good authority that the General Assembly will meet in March next, for the purpose of passing a Money Bill, and that then a dissolution, followed, of course, by a general election, will take place. —Auckland Herald. At the Conference of the Wesleyan Ministers held in Sydney last month, the Rev. W. Lee was appointed to Richmond, Nelson ; and the Rev. Robert C. Vickers to Blenheim, Marlborough.

Hr.s Excellency the Governor is to visit the Wairarapa district on Tuesday, and will be accompanied by Commodore Lambert, and Captain Montgomery of the Blanche. The visit is to extend over some days, levees are to be held at Grey town, Masterton, and Featherstone. A vigorous search by numerous friends in the Wairau, on Saturday last, resulted about 2 p.m. in finding the body of Denis Fitzgerald, in the line of the Ferry. The body was brought to Blenheim, and an inquest held the same afternoon, at the Royal Oak Hotel, by H. Williams, Esq., Coroner, when the jury returned a verdict of accidently drowned. The interment took place yesterday, and was attended by numerous persons.

We are happy to record that, notwithstanding the very heavy rains of the last few days, there has not been the slightest flood in Blenheim, although the Opawa river rose on Sunday some inches higher than it has ever been known to do before. This desirable result has been caused by the erection of a bank of earth extending from Messrs. Dodson and Ball’s brewery to Sinclair’s bridge—a distance of about 20 chains. The work has been executed by public subscription, under the personal superintendance of Mr. B. Bomford.

One of the periodical bubbles blown up by men who make haste to be rich has just burst. Last year a very large quantity of hops were grown in Wisconsin. This year the whole State went wild over the profits to be derived from this crop. Not far from fifteen thousand acres in the State were devoted to hop raising. The result is summed up as follows : —One-half the crop is destroyed by mould and lice ; one-fourth more is damaged ; prices for the best qualities have fallen from sixty cents to seventeen, at which rates growers refuse to sell, and buyers will not purchase damaged hops at any price.

Mr. Eyes’ Meeting. —The Kaikonra Herald. has the following respecting the late meeting":— “We are informed by one of the most influential residents of Blenheim, who takes a leading part in politics, that the show of hands taken at the meeting of Mr. Eyes, M.H.R., with his constituents, does not represent in any way the general feeling entertained toward that gentleman. Although the show of hands was declared by the chairman to be in Mr. Eyes’ favor, the general impression is, that there were at least two hands held against him for every one lifted in his favor. The room, we are further informed, was skillfully ‘packed,’and the tumult, confusion,,and noise, most deafening. The ‘Brass Band,’ engaged for the occasion by the Superintendent, owing to an overflow of spirits on their part, subsided at an early hour, and turned out a complete ‘fiasco.’ The ‘champagne supper,” given immediately afterwards by his Honor, revived however the energies of those who had so vociferously and well carried the object of the meeting (?), and prevented, by the noise and confusion they created, all decent people from taking part in the proceedings. Things have indeed reached their climax in Marlborough, when provincial institutions require to be rived in their moribund state by ‘brass bands,’ champagne suppers, and general stimulents ad libitum.