Local and General News.

Marlborough Express, Volume V, Issue 267, 24 December 1870, Page 4

Local and General News.

The Lyttelton arrived here from Nelson last evening. The Falcon from Wellington -was in the river, yesterday afternoon. Suez Mail.—The telegrams by the incoming Suez Mail, are expected on Monday next. Mr. Hathaway has abandoned his intention of having Sports at the Ferry on Jan. 2. Mr Chaytor was elected a member of the Awatere County Board, for the district of Flaxbourne, on Monday last. A most unusual show of Christmas beef, &c., decorated for the season, was to be seen last evening at Mr. Hudson's and Mr Riching’s shops. We have not seen such a fine display before, since leaving England. •Some of our readers will be interested to learn that the lawyers of Blenheim have agreed to close their offices, and keep high holiday from to-day until Tuesday, the 3rd January. The Independent asks, in the event of the dissolutiin of the Provinces —“Is Nelson, that has been economical of its land, to be put on the same level as Marlborough that has given it away We understand that our old friend, the Lyttelton, is expected down from Nelson, and that there will be an excursion by her to Port Underwood on Boxing Day, there and back for five shillings. The Blenheim Brass Band will attend on the occasion. Mr. Johnson wishes to impress upon those persons who still intend to take up shares in the Art Union of London, that he has only nine shares left, and the account for those committed to Ids charge must leave by the next outgoing English mail. Freemasonry—The Brethren resident in New Zealand, and especially in Blenheim, will be interested to learn that the London Freemaxon of October Ist, contains the full account of the famous Ball held here on St. John’s Day, in June last, taken from the Express. The other day, some Justices at Hobart Town sent a girl to prison for six weeks for stealing from her mistress a penny she had expended in the purchase of a loaf of bread. The girl had been ten years in the service of the woman who prosecuted her. Awatere County.— The Awatere Board have met and apppointed P. R. M‘Rae, Esq., chairman. They have issued a notice calling upon the severa: ratepayers to forward, before the 31st January, a return of the annual value of the several properties, for the purpose of forming an assessment.

Wairau County.— A meeting of the Board was held on Thursday last, when Joseph Ward. Esq., was appointed chairman. Tenders are elsewhere called for the office of Valuer to lie in not later than January 3rd. A meeting of ratepayers was fixed to he held on January 4th, at the Council Chamber, Blenheim, for the election of Auditors.

Tenders for lining the Presbyterian Church, Blenheim, were received as under D. VVemvas, £23 10a ; J. Gnrrie. £23 IGa ; Nixon aid Bright. £33 12s 6d. Mr Wemyss’s tender was accepted. The contract for the erection of a Presbyterian Church at Awatere, (labor only) has also been let, J. Gorrie £6i>, and I). Wemyss, £55. Mr Currie’s tender was accepted. We learn that Colonel Haul tain, as Flax Commissioner, inspected the mills at and near the Ferry on Monday week. We regret that we are unable to state any particulars, except that in the course of some remarks at another place he stated that Messrs Howland a id Co.’s mill and site was the best he hail yet seen. It is our intention Jo give a description of the mill on a future occasion.

Cricket. —A meeting of the Blenheim Club was held on Monday night, when arrangements were completed for playing a match with the Spring Creek and Bush Club, on Tuesday next. Mr Flannagan was elected Captain, and Messrs Morley and Flannagan as bowlers. It is understood that the wickets are to be pitched at 9 o’clock sharp, and withdrawn at 4 30 p. m., if the game is not finished.

The Freemasons. —The Paris Opinion Nationale of the 29th contains a summons addressed to King William and Prince Frederick Charles, to appear personally or by proxy before the tribunal of Freemasons in Paris to answer to a charge of perjury. Their case to be adjudged by default should they not appear. The document is duly signed by the officers of the Grand Lodge of Paris. The latest American telegrams say that “ the Rappel, now Victor Hugo’s organ at Paris, makes an absurd statement that. King William, having been expelled from the Grand Lodge of Freemasons, all brothers are empowered to kill him. Soap and Railway.—Perhaps the most extraordinary argument in favour of railways was used by Captain Frazer. In discussing Mr. Seymour’s motion in favour of the Government establishing a woollen and rope manufactory, Captain Frazer stated, “If they had a railway from Pifcton. to Dunedin, the hon. gentleman [Mr. Seymour] would be able to wash every morning with soap which was manufactured in Dunedin. ” However heceesafy'it maji be that bit. Seymour should u wash'every morning,” we think the' Colony cannot afford to have a railway from Dunedin to Picton for such a purpose.— Echo. ' ‘

: LpCAL ;jNpusTHY. T -'W;e have Been. shpwn specimens of various articles nianufactured from New,Zealand flax by the Richmond Flax Company, in the Nelson Province. These consist of mats, matting for floors, rope, bags, and woolpacks, all excellent of their kind, and quite equal to any imported articles of a similar class. The matting is much superior to the ordinary coir matting in common use, and the bags and wool-packs are, to say the least of them, quite as good. It is really a pity that we should go on sending money out of the country for articles which we can manufacture ourselves, and of t e raw material of which we possess a superabundance. —Post.

The ruling passion.— The late Bishop of Exeter made special provision in his will for carrying on the Tregony case, which to the uninitated laity seemed to involve no point worthy of posthumous litigation. The lat" Bishop of Manchester (whose connection with his diocese was marked hy many unhappy quarrels) publishes and perpetuates a family feud which one might have thought would have been healed hy the lapse of time. Many years ago his eldest daughter married one of his lordship’s chaplains—a man of exemplary character —without the bishop’s consent. She is by will excluded from all interest in her father’s property, who explains his act in these terms “ This L do not in anger, hut because I hold it a duty not to let such conduct as hers and the person to whom she is married to prove successful.” Elsewhere in our colums will be found an account of a public dinner given to Mr S. Macailister, who for four years has filled the offices of Telegraphist and Postmaster, and during the discharge of these duties he has gained the esteem of every Resident in the district hy his uniform courtesy'. A numerous circle of friends and acquaintances a assembled lo wish him success in his new sphere, which i.i common with every man in the district we cordially echo, a;ui feel assured that through his departure from the district the public has sustained a loss 1 which will not be easily repaired.— Kaikoura Herald.

Wesleyan Ministerial Appointments, The following in a plan of ministerial appointments for 1871. to be recommended to the Wesleyan Conference from the Middle Island District Meeting: Wellington—Thomas Buddie, G. S. Harper, Heteraki Worahi, native assistant. Grey town—James A. Cawclell. Wanganui— William Olliver, G. Stannard. Rangitikei— Warton S. Harper. Nelson—William J. Watkin, J. Watkin, J. A. Tailor. Motueka—One from England. Blenheim—J. B. Richardson. Napier —G. W. Thomas. Westport—One wanted. Rev. W. Morley has accepted an invitation from the Church at Lyttelton. Mr. W. S. Harper, 1 ,te of Auckland, has been recommended for the list of probationers.

We understand that the usual Midnight Mass at St. Mary’s Church on Christmas Eve, wdl commence this evening at about twenty m nutes to twelve. The decorations are said to be of more than ordinarily tasteful and elaborate character. The music will consist of selections from Mozart’s Twelfth Mass, and from Mazzinghi’s Mass, with Novello’s arrangement of the Christmas Hymn “Adeste Fideles,” and an Offertory piece, “Satc'a Maria,” by the same cmos r. S ;veral of the younger members of the congrega ien will also receive their £r_t a m nunion on this occasion. Not csv as given on Sunday last that, except to those persons go nj to confession, the doors of the Church would not be open unt 1 eleven o’clcck. A Reproach.— A letter in the Kaikcura Herald of Dec. 10th says —“ The lirst promoters of the Lyttelton Relief Fund in Blenheim have published thiir balance sheet, which considering all things, was tolerably good. The rival entertainment [by the Antipodeans] also came off. but the results are still in the worn!) of the future.” This cause of reproach, which has been frequent, ly alluded to in private circles, still continues, and although we have mule enquiries of various persons likely to know, the only particulars which have reached us are that the sum realised was small, and has been sent away. It is due to tlie pu’ilic who subscribed the monev, that an account should be published, which we offered to do free of cost.

Cheap Excursion. — Mr Martin thinks the people of New Zealand should become better acquainted with each otter, and seems dete' - mined to remove all pecui i iry bars to that desirable result, his cheap excursion trips during tie summer; but in the trips to Pictou and back for five shillings announced for Boxing Day he outdoes himself. Refreshments can be had on hoard at moderate rates, a first class band will be in attendance, and nothing that will tend to make the day a pleasant one will be neglected. A long day’s steaming, in the course of which Cook’s S rait will be crossed and re-crossed, the beautiful scenery of Queen Charlotte £onnd, viewed in daylight and dusk, with a look in at Port Underwood if time should permit—for ss. Verily, this is cheap and pleasant travelling ! Po-^t.

The Pulpit and the Press. The Pulpit and the Press are at variance in Melbourne, with regard to the best means to be adopted for suppressing vice. Reviewing a recent report made by the Bishop, the Lea tier contains the following truthful remarks : —“The reason of the comparative failure of the Pulpit is.to be found in the fact that ministers have given their teaching a direction too exclusively looking to the next world. They should apply themselves more than they do to make this world better and purer. What we wish to point out to the clergy is simply this : that their efforts are less productive than they might be, in consequence of being in a great measure misdirected. Casting their eyes aloft to the world beyond tie skies, and omitting to take within their view what concerns the daily life of this world, as though it had no reference to spiritual life at all, they have committed an oversight that is chargeable with much of the active evil which we have now to deplore in the conduct of society.” The Preston Herald relates the following incident:—A lady lately interred her husband in the cemetery at Blackburn. During the ceremony she wept bitterly, at the same time holding her right hand under her loft breast, as if for suppressing those heartfelt emotions that are sometimes evidenced in paroxysms of uncci • trollable grief. She lingered - by hei husband s grave-side until the officiating minister and mott of the mourners had retired from the spot Suddenly she drew something from underneath her left breast, which proved to be her late bus* band’s clogs, ironed at the sides. These she threw into the open grave, exclaiming, “ Beer, tay thees wi tha, fur tha’s punshed me w uffl oft enough.” The clogs, which would weigh from six to eight pounds, fell with a heavy thud upon the coffin, the joiner’s work of whichi» was very likely they would injure. Mw* leaving this token in the grave of her husband, the bereaved widow momentarily dried up ht tears, and.soon after regained the mourners.

K. Z. Flax.—During the state, of the market In the above article, when prices generally are ruling so low as to completely stop its preparation in many instances, it is very gratifying to learn that Messrs. Levin and Co., of this city, have received a valuation of some samples of thix submitted to their agents in London, which places it beyond doubt that a properly prepared fibre will always command a good price. The samples in question were obtained from Mr. llikys, who has recmtly started a mill in Masterton, and were prepared by the process recently patented by that gentleman, and are estimated to be worth £32 per ton. The agents aid, that they could sell a hundred tons per month. We have had a sample of the flax left at our office, which although very roughly dressed by horse power, and unscutched, seems to fultil all the home manufacturer’s requirements, as expressed to the lions, the Commissioners Dr. Featlierson and Mr. Bell, as it breaks with a “ feathery end,” and easily splits into its ultimate fibre, thus proving its adaptability to spinning purposes,— lndependent.

The underground miners of the Annabella Claim, Lower Huntly, says the Bendigo Adve-tUer. have on several occasions during the last ten days, been rather startled at an unusual and very peculiar appearance of a body of light sh >wing itself in a drive. Many have seen it when the place has been lit up with tbeircaudles, an I also in the dark. It has been followed, but a'ways retreats before the miners when they have advanced towards it. It is said to have an unearthly appearance, and does not cause the locality it appears in to be illuminated, as no light radiates from it. The sizn is on all occasions i: lias been seen, about 3ft by caused a consternation among the miners in the claim and the adjoining ones. Many are the conjectures ns to the nature of the nocturnal visitor, for it makes its appearance at night. Oidy. One miner declared his intention of tiring a p stol at it, but did not. Spiritualists assert in a most positive manner that it is one of the many modes ip which disembodied spirits have so often of late years manifested themselves on earth, and that a medium might, by the usual recognised course, learn the object of its visit. Scientific people may give a difl'erent explanation.

“Wk have had another Ministerial crisis,” telegraphed our Christchurch correspoude it yesterday, meaning thereby to convey the information that there had heen a row in the Canterbury Provincial Council. A Provincial Ministerial crisis ! A hurricane in a washing tnli ! Can there be anything more supremely ridiculous? A sq nibble, first about the appropriation of a small sum of money, and afterwards about what was considered a breach of courtesy on the part, of the Superintendent, indices the Provincial Executive to put, on grand airs, and conduct themselves after the manner which they imagine would be that of Gladstone, were he defeated on a fundamental portion of his policy. It almost seems as if the Provincia Executive of Canterbury were endeavouring t<* bring the whole system of Provincialism into disrepute, and show the Colony what a farce it really is. Much larger and more important interests are dealt with by Municipal Councils in various parts of the world without the occurrence of either a “crisis” or a “dead-lock,” and such farcical proceedings a id proofs to those already so numerous of the necessity for a sweeping reform in the whole svstem under which the Col my is governed. —Post. English News. —Such a scene of excitement as occurred on Monday evening, while onr Extra of English News was preparing, was never Ir>fore equalled in Blenheim. To allav the publ c anxiety a portion of a proof-sheet, was handed out.and the recipient was compelled to read it a' m l by the light of the Kxprpits Office window As he proceeded, shouts arose at. the hems relating the re-capture of Orleans by the French, and. again at, the sentence intimating that England was beginning to svmpathi.se with France. When the floor was opened the people crowded so upon the press as to impede its progress, and for some ti ne it. could not. produce them fast enough to suit, some impatient spirits. Of tinwhole crowd, onlv one person presented bimsel f who was not a subscriber, so that, the «1 ire -t, eash proceeds were rather small We mention thbbecause severa l persons have since k'nd'v offered to contribute ton at- Is the cost, of the telegrams anil others to pay for Extras, which we have h.-d to declioe. We now beg most respectfully to state thus publicly once more that feeling onr efF >rts so universally supported, we shall not a l, ow subscribers to pay anything for Extras, which we shall cent ime to issue as we mav deem requisite. Non-subscribers will be charged sixpence each.

Floating Islands.—As one of the Oipps Land Steam Navigation Company's steamers was crossing Lake Wellington, the man at the wheel suddenly observed land right in the track of the steamer, apparently ordv a short distance from the straits, separating Lakes Wellington and Victoria. He called the captain’s attention to the strange audit, and on coming up close, the land was discovered to he a small island, about thirty yards in length by twenty broad. It was covered with a rich coating of luxuriant grass ; and small trees, tea tree, and hush shrubs apppeared to he growing in profusion. The only occupants of this remarkaide selection were a few pigs, feeding a wav contentedly, apparently enjoying their novel journey! by water. A second island of .the same description,but smaller, was noticed a little,further oh, hnt this had evidently detached itself from the larger piece of land, or most probably had been separated by the rooting depredations of the porkers From what portion of the mainland this floating island came is of course matter of conjecture, hut it is known that a portion of the. soil at Marley Point, on the southern shore of Lake Wellington, became detached recently, and floated miles across the lake with some twenty or thirty head of pigs .aboard. As long as the wind drove it in that direction! the island drifted towards M‘Lonnan’s Straits, but a three days’trip. within a mile of the spot from which it had broken away. We believe it is the opinion of Mr District Surveyor Dawson that the area of the Roseneath run, west of Lake Wellington, has been increased by some twenty or thir.tr acres, by the addition of drift island's ~~Oippa Land Times,

Patea.' — This township,'Whicli was. kept back a short"time since ..by the exploits of Titokowaru, is now rapidly progressing... Ther.e-are four very good hotels in Patea, ' five general stores, two tailors, two shoemakers, a cabinetmaker, a butcher, two bakers, a blacksmith, three painters, and a very good brewery; besides several carpenters, carriers, &c., &c. .Cobb’s coach runs regularly twice a week from and to Wanganui. A regular weekly mail runs to New Plymouth, and about three small vessels ..are generally trading there with sawn timber and general merchandise. — Taranaki Herald.

What will be the result of this cruel w<y ! Does King Frederick VVillliarn, and his blond thirsty accomplice Bismarck ever take into their consideration the probability of future retribution. A few brief months, we might say weeks, have onlv elapsed since they declared that it was with Napoleon they waged war, and not with France. Since the captivity of the Emperor, Bismarck and his king have proved themselves the perjured murderers of their fellow men. No, it is not with France, that these grim tyrants in the name of Prussia are waging war : it is with the principles of democratic freedom, and the liberty and progress of the human race. •• ii.lor a «tiip in rvoty t'OiiP't hainl. To )t-ii ,-ucli ii.ikcii tii O'l.Oi tin* wo* 1 I —Kaikanra llern'd. The Fire on t the Wosga Won t g.v.— The following letter appeared in the Wellington Post in reference to the report which appeared in our columns over a month ago: —‘‘To the Editor of the Even inf/ lost. Sir—ln a letter written by a passenger by the Wonga Wonga to one of your contemporaries, and reprinted in vour columns, I observed a statement that a portion of the Wellington October mail caught tire on board that vessel a day or two after leaving Auckland, and was destroyed. Can you inform me whether there has been any inquiry ms to the extent of the damage? If there has been no such enquiry, would it not he advisable that there should be one. and that its result should he made public? otherwise many may wait and womb r long enough for answers to perhaps important letters, which, owing to this acpident, never reached their destination. —lain, &c., Inquikkr.” 'fo the present time no information lias been published in reference to the matter which we quite agree demands an inquiry. Our cooi-empurary added the following foot-note to tin let t-r i i q icstion : “We can afford our correspondent no information on the subject. A’l we know about it is contained in the letter which we published, but we understand that naming spars, fittings, loose timber, and other irticles were so extremely common on hoard those boats when they ran short of fuel- which happened every voyage—that possibly the m ssing mails (if there arc any such) were used to assist in keeping up steam. Mr. Vogel, or his friend, Mr. H. Hezckiau Hall, would ho the nroper parties to apply to for the information “Inquirer” wishes.—Ed” Resident Magistrate’s Court. —On Monday last, before S. L. Muller, Esq., E.M., three man named D mment, James and Michael O'L nnjlTan, were charged, the first with assaulting the police, and the two latter with resisting the nolice in tho execution of their duty. The re ult was that Doument was fined £5 and 61 5s costs, and was committed to prison for two months in default of payment. The others were fined Is. each, and £1 10s. costs.—The civ 1 cases were Grigg v. Burlingson, for £l4. Judgment for plaintiff, with £J costs.—M'lvor v. Simms, a fraud summons. Judgment for t.e plaintiff.—Lawrence v. Dempsey, for £l4, postponed for a fortnight.—Nixon v. A. J. Hoskins, 1 1 recover £5, the amount of an order which fell due on June llth. Plaintiff stated that he had been compelled to take proceedings, in consequence of the failure of defendant to pay after numerous and repeated promises. Defendant, for whom Mr Nelson appeared, alleged that plaintiff .had not completed the contract, but it was shown that the work had been comp’eted over six months, and settled for, the order being considered in the settling, but having been transferred to Mr Dodson, he had returned it as being unable to get the money. The indgmsnt was for plaintiff in full, with £2 18s costs. Messrs Gorrie and Davies, who had been subpoenaed by defendant as witnesses, were not called.—During the hearing of one case a slight interruption was caused by an altercation between Mr Lawrence and Constable O’Sullivan, which resulted in the Magistrate ordering Mr Lawrence into custody until the business was disposed of, when he was offered the alternative of an apology or a fine. Prefering the latter, he was fined £l. The case, however, will not, we understand, end here, as Mr Lawrsnce tells us that he has summoned the c instable for next Court day, alleging that he was impudent, and caused the disturbance by telling him he would “ kick him out like a dog.” The constable, on the other hand, states the words used were that he would turn him and his dogs out of Court.