Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 189, 14 August 1869, Page 3

Local and General News.

/We are informed that the Hera has been spoken in lat. 40°, 15 days out from London, on her way to Nelson. jT Alluvial Diggings.—One day last week Mr Wright’s party brought in another beautiful sample of gold, of over three ounces, procured from the head of the Wairaki Valley, Terawiti district. The party consists of four, but thegold is the result of two men’s work for ten days ; the other two being away prospecting. The appliances for obtaining the gold were anything but perfect. The party are still working ; they are in high spirits, and feel almost certain of a lasting and payable goldfield being found in tlie neighborhood.

Mr. George Cotteroll will give an entertainment at Renwicktown on Tuesday evening next. It is rumoured that that the hall now being A built in connection with Mr. H. Mears’ newhotel J for the Masonic body, will be formally opened I when completed, by the brethren of the district^ Quartz Reef. —We learn that Messrs. Hart Brothers have found a reef in Deep Greek, upon chipping which some specks of gold were plainly visible. The finders have got protection for three weeks in order to enable them to develop the reef further. Upon crushing a portion with a hammer, they got about -jjdwt. Our informant assures us of the truth of the story, and expresses his belief that reefs extend all through the back country, both from the Wairau to the Pelorus Valley, and especially towards the Devil’s Arm Chair. We expect to be in possession of fuller information by next week’s issue, and in the meantime would caution persons from a distance not to come here in pursuit of gold. Mr. Fox ox tub New Zealand Press.— Mr. Pox, in his speech in reply in the late want-of-conlidcnce debate, paid a high tribute to the press of the colony. He said ; —“ lam not connected with the press myself, but 1 may say of the eighty newspapers now published in New Zealand, that 1 think a large portion of them are a credit to this country, to the intelligence of the country, to the outspoken manliness of the people, and to the editors who conduct them. 1 believe they improve from year to year, and if we fall into the habit of running them down we shall he made enemies of those who are the great supporters of our institutions, and without whom we cannot work those institutions.” Latest From Auckland.—By the arrival of thes.s. Lord Ashley, on Tuesday evening we are in possession of Auckland papers to the 7th, and of Hawke’s Bay to the 6th. The Thames papers say Te Kooti is reported to be still in Waikato, while the Crons says be leaves for Taupo, and that the Waikatos and Ngatimaniapotos maintain a firm attitude in discountenancing him, and had ordered him to retrace his steps. A man (European) residing and carrying on business at Parnell, has been arrested for selling arms and ammunition to the Maoris. A dinner has been given at the Auckland Club to the Captain and officers of the French corvette Duchayla. A dividend of £3 per scrip, in the Long Drive Claim, was paid on the 6th, the fourth dividend within two months, being £ls in all. Not an item of news from Hawke’s Bay,— lndependent, Aug. 10. We have to confess to another disappointment with respect to Mr Vogel’s financial scheme. The aunoun cement is made that on and after September Ist, an uniform rate of telegraphic charges will bo adopted to all parts of the Colony For ordinary messages, first 10 words, 2s. Od. ; and every additional 5 words, 6d.; Press telegrams, first 10 words, Is. Od. ; and every additional 10 words, Od. Thus, a message to Picton, which, under the old scale, cost Is. 6d., will now cost 3s. Od., and as the principal business from this station will be with Picton, Nelson, and Wellington, it follows that we have to pay for the longer messages to Dunedin, Canterbury, .and elsewhere. The cost for Press telegrams is also increased. These will cease between Picton and Blenheim, whilst they will be reduced between here and Wellington. We were in hopes that, while making the tariff uniform, a reasonable rate would be adopted ; so far from increasing the revenue, we feel satisfied the reverse will be°the effect. One impi-ovement will be carried out with respect to Auckland, telegrams for which place may he sent via Napier and Nelson, on payment of postage in addition to the telegraphic charges. In common with the rest of the public of this district, we should like to know why and by whose caprice we were deprived of the opportunity of sending northwards by the mad on Wednesday last. According to the authorised time-table, by advertisement in the Independent of Tuesday even, the Airedale should have left Wellington ysfferday (Friday), instead of which she was despatched on Weduesday. So well was this intention known in Picton, that the Press of that day contains the intimation, whilst in Blenheim, the chief office by the way, notliing was known of it until 5 p.ra., thus rendering it perfectly useless for the larger part of the Province, although we have to pay our share of the expense. If the° information cost the Government one farthing even, there would be an excuse of some kind, but when it is remembered that the addition of the word “Blenheim” to the telegram is all that is needed, it is perfectly inexcusable, especially as the next opportunity of sending to the North will not be until the 20th inst ! Talk of annexation to Nelson, while the communication is only monthly—they might as well talk of annexation to the most distant corner of the Colony at once. Quartz Reef at Wellington. —Two or three weeks ago, a couple of men who were out in the bush, cattle hunting, discovered a quartz reef, and spread the intelligence. As the reef in question is now being tried by some forty or fifty men, we paid a visit to it. Three miles beyond Blackie’s we turned off to the left into a muddy bush track, which after three quarters of an hour’s toilsome travelling, brought us to the scene of operations, the ridge off a mountain, from whence we could see the sea and the island of Maua on the one side, and the Pahautanui, Horokiwi, and Paikakariki districts on the other. The first company which prospected this new ground have built a substantial log house, and are now hard at work, having pegged of the usual ground. The shareholders have given it the name of “Mount Welcome,” and are now vindicating their adopted name by threatening with a rather warm welcome a second company, which has pitched its tent on their ground Till proper regulations are in force to establish claims, differences of opinion will arise respecting them, and tNs case there is considerable probability of the matter being settled by pugilistic encounter, a less expensive and more handy plan than a suit at law. There is plenty of room on the reef for any number of companies, as large blocks of quartz cropping up above the surface of the ground readily enables one to trace its course ffir several miles. As soon as it becomes more known it will he well thronged with prospectors. At present the four companies who have claims on it are principally composed of local settlers. Some old -Melbourne and Otago miners, who are engaged in it, are very sanguine of success, and speak in high terms of the very promising appearance of the reef .—lndependent, August 10.

The Hokitika Borough Council have made and levied a social rate of Is. in the pound, payable half-yearly, in April and October, upon the whole of the rateable property in the Borough. The annual meeting of the Marlborough Building Society is we observe, fixed for Wednesday next. We learn that the B series has matured this month, a circumstance which will be gratifying to many of our readers. Letters were received on Thursday last from Mr. George Henderson, of Blenheim. From these we are glad to learn that the John .Bunyan arrived safely in London on June 15, after a very pleasant but rather lengthy passage of 115 days. She rounded the Horn in very fine weather, but sighted no ice. We give the following specimen of an intelligible telegram received a .few days ago by a gentleman in town. It is to us, as to him, quite incomprehensible, and is as follows : —“ Chatham islands sighted off timaru Bound for Oamaru as breakwater Please reply.”—Oamaru Times. The Committee of the Literary Institute met on Wednesday, and made arrangements for a further supply of books for the library. They have also added a valuable Encyclopaedia. Some improvements in the building are also contemplated, with the view of making it more suitable for meetings, readings, &c. The late Dramatic Society has this week been affiliated with the Institute as an Elocution Class. Accident to the Carandints. —The Maryborough Chronicle states that an accident happened to the Carandinis, at a place twenty-two miles from Maryborough (New South Wales). The coach was going at the rate of about ten miles an hour on a smooth road, when it came in contact with a tree. Miss llosina Carandina, who was riding outside for the benefit of the fresh air, was thrown among the horses, but marvellously escaped with only a few bruises. Miss Fanny Carandini was thrown forward against one of the bars that support the roof of the coach, and had her cheek badly cut. Unique Mode oe Tendering— The butchers of Westport are characterised by a “ free and easy ” method of doing business between themselves, only now and then “ breaking ” into violent competition, when “up goes the donkey,” and down goes the price of meat. This week, the three butchers tendered for supplying meat to the gaol. The three tenders, when opened, were all alike, so they “tossed for it” at the counter of the public offices, and Mr. Suisted won by “ a woman.” It might be well if, for the convenience of contractors, M. Harris were to keep on the premises the appliances for that short and easy method of settling disputes—- “ Yankee grab.”—Westport Times. Popular Readings.— The third Reading for the season came off very successfully on Monday evening last, H. Dodson, Esq., in the chair. The programme was as follows :—Robert of Sicily, by Longfellow (Mr. Litchfield) ; The Bloomsbury Christening, by Boz (Dr. Muller) ; The oration of Mark Antony over the dead body of Caesar, (Mr. Dickens) ; Rory O’More’s present to the Priest, (Mr. Shannon) ; An extract from Nicholas Nickleby, (Mr. Dickens); and a humorour Yankee story (Mr. Litchfield). Mr. George Cotterell also favored the audience with a foretaste of his capital polygraphic powers in the shape of a lecture from the Professor, and a dialogue between two chums in the village alehouse, in one of which characters he sung the Jolly Waggoner. The chairman proposed a vote of thanks to the readers in very glowing terms, inviting volunteers to assist on future occasions, a desire which we fully endorse. Dr. Muller acknowledged the vote very cordially, and moved thanks to the chairman, who had filled the chair so creditably. The attendance was so good that wc are induced to believe these readings meet with the general approbation of the public. We understand it is intended to continue them for about three nights longer, when the season will be closed by an effort of greater magnitude. The next reading is fixed for Monday evening next, when the readers will comprise Mr. Johnson, who will give an account of the Eatanswill Election ; Mr. G. Carter will recite the story of a bashful man ; Mr. Morley, Lays of Ancient Rome; and Mr. M. Alexander will give his original translation of Schiller’s poem—“ The Combat with the Dragon.” The Rev. Mr. Lee, who not long ago left this [ district for Oamaru, attended a soiree, held at I the Presbyterian Church there, on the 28th ult. ! We take the following extract from his speech from the Oamaru Times: —“He commenced by expressing the pleasure it gave him to be present on that occasion, not because he had any special aptitude for making tea-meeting speeches, but because it afforded him and members of other churches an opportunity of showing their sympathy with a sister church. Some of his dearest and best friends had been Presbyterians, and he therefore bad a warm feeling of regard for the Presbyterian Church. In his last sphere of labor he had the privilege of being associated with one who was a most devout and able servant of Christ, whose praise was in all the churches —but who had now ceased to labor, and his works followed him. He alluded to the Rev. Archibald Russell. He had exchanged pulpits wiih Mr. Russell about a week before his death, and had been present at a soiree in connection with his church, and when he heard Mr. Russell speak on that occasion, he little thought he was listening to his voice for the last time. Struck down suddenly by a mysterious Providence, he had rested from his labors and had passed to his reward. The friendship which existed between himself and Mr. Russell would always form a bond of union between himself and the Presbyterian Church (applause). He was himself a Methodist, and supposed that he should live and die a Methodist ; but he was always ready to extend the right hand of fellowship to any who loved Christ.”

Mr. Broughton’s Murderer.— The Wanganui Evening Herald says :—The man who is generally supposed, and reputes himself, to be the murderer of Mr. Charles Broughton, has been recaptured, and is now a prisoner in Patea. We gave an account, a few days ago, of this man’s escape from the custody of Captain Hawes, when he ran away, and, from the mother side of the Whenuakura river, made sport of and laughed at the captain. The manner of his second capture was as follows : —On Tuesday njght, Thomas Adamson, who was seriously wounded on the East Coast while scouting,

übout two months ago, was staying at the house of Mr. Southby, on this side of the Patea river. At this house the native, who carries the mail between Wanganui and Patea, was accustomed to put up, and it appears that the prisoner came here to see the mailman. He remained there during the night, and the next morning Adamson placed a revolver to his head, and marched him a prisoner to Patea. He had on his person a gold watch and about 80 sovereigns. During the night he was very communicative and confident, and disclosed several things of importance. He stated that 5 men ambuscaded and killed a settler named “Sandy” M'Culloch, who was missed in the month of October last, and described how it was done. M'Culloch was riding over a bridge on the other side of Patea near Kakaramea, and when he had got on to the bridge a volley was fired, and he fell. His horse galloped off, but a dog which was with him, was shot. His body was thrown into the creek. In order to test the truth of his story, Adamson went to the place described, and there found the skeleton, and brought the skull into Patea. What is to be done with the murderer ?