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Marlborough Express, Volume V, Issue 268, 31 December 1870, Page 4

Parliament has been again prorogued until the 9th February.

His Excellency has been pleased to grant Letters of Naturalisation to Pietra Martella, of Picton.

Subscribers to the Express may have a neat card Almanac for 1871, on application at our office on Thursday next.

We learn than the usual practice of the Blenheim Fire Brigade has been postponed in consequence of the New Year’s festivities.

Excellent glue is manufactured in Dunedin by Messrs Scanlan Brothers. It is said to be superior to the glue imported.

Bankrupts. —The Gazette contains a notice of assignment by Messrs Rutter and Biddell, ironmongers, Nelson.

The Eirth of Clyde is intended to sail from Port Underwood on the 7th January, instead of the 20th, as previously advertised.

The Governor has appointed J. B. Werayss, Esq., Census Enumerator under the Census Acts, and Superintendent Collector under the Census Act Amendment Act, 1870,

' Our Cadets.— Hiram Harris is gazetted Honorary Lieutenant in the Picton Subdivision Blenheim Rifle Volunteer Cadet Corps. Date of commission, Jth November.

Some very fine ears of wheat, quite ripe, were left at our office a day or two ago by Mr George Graham, showing that the crops on the Woodbonrne estate are in a forward state, and that harvest time is at hand.

The legal representatives of the late Richard Curry, a private in Wairoa Rifle Volunteers, are wanted by the Colonial Treasurer, who is about to make a payment of a sum of money to a claimant. The “ surrendered "Hauhaus at Wairoa are causing considerable anxiety to the settlers at,W a i roa - They number from 100 to 150, and have been allowed to retain their arms.

In stating the amount of tenders for erection of the Presbyterian Church at Awatere, the amounts were not correctly given. The tenders were, Mr Gorrie, £66, and Mr Wemyss, £77.

We have the best authority for stating that it is highly probable that ■ writs for the approaching general election of members for the House of Representatives, will be issued during the ensuing week. Yearly Statistics. —We have been favored by Dr Bennett, the Registrar-General with a copy of his annual work giving the statistics of the Colony. Cricket. —We understand that an invitation forwarded by the Blenheim to the Nelson Club to play an Interprovincial game has been accepted, and, at the present stage of the negotiations, will probably take place in about a fortnight. The game will be played in or near Blenheim. There is some pluck in Blenheim evidently after this.

Electoral.— A meeting of Mr Eyes' Committee is called for Wednesday evening next, and as the Regulation of Elections Act, 1860, prohibits such meetings being held at hotels, the Literary Institute has been engaged for the purpose. We learn that there is a daily accession of gentlemen willing to act on the Committee.

We learn that the Anniversary Dinner of Court Blenheim, A. 0. F. will be held on Tuesday next, when the Chair will be taken at 7 p.m. by W. H. Eyes, Esq., who has accepted tha invitation of the Committee to preside.

We are requested to state that there is to be a Ball and Supper at the Woolpack, Renwick, on Monday evening next, and not on Sunday, nor is the Brass Band engaged, as stated in the News of Wednesday. The Stewart Island Maori Reserve survey party report finding two skeletons near Port Adventure. The natives suppose them to be the remains of men who deserted from a whaler at Pegasus nine years’ ago, when one man, exhausted with 40 days travelling, reached the settlement. Photograghs and coins were found near the skeletons, but no writing.— Post. The War.—At the close of the Philarmonic Concert on Monday evening, the Conductor announced that the members had determined to give a Concert in aid of the fund for the relief of the sick and wounded in the war now raging in Europe. We do not doubt but that this praiseworthy object will meet with a large measure of success. We learn that Monday, January 19th, has been fixed for that purpose.

Our readers will find that the Sports Committee have revised their programme today. Every arrangement has been made for giving the best day’s sport ever known here. The Brass Band have re-considered their former resolution, and having accepted the terms offered by the Committee, will be present on the occasion.

Mr "Warden Scbaw has Tieen fined £lO by Judge Ward, for non-attendance at the District Court, Greymouth, where he was supoenaed as a witness. Mr. Guinness, counsel for the respondents in the appeal case before the Court, applied, for his client’s expenses. The judge granted the application, stating , that no doubt the appellants had their remedy to recover these costs against Mr. Schaw, and that he was clearly liable for them. The Warden has been compelled, to pay something approaching£Bo.”

With respect to agricultural matters in the Merton district, our correspondent writes : “ I am glad to be able to say that, owing to the fecent continuous rain, the harvest anticipations are encouraging. The crops sown early in the season, and which got the start of the dry weather, are, beyond comparison, looking best. In some few cases harvest will be late, sowing not having been done until the late moistening showers prepared the soil anew. Wairau Club.—Our readers will be glad to learn that the arrangements for Monday evening are in a forward state, and will be completed satisfactorily in time. A dress rehearsal was held last evening, when the members generally showed considerable proficiency for amateur performers. Advertisements elsewhere notify that only a sufficient number of tickets will be sold as will suit the capacity of the hall, which may be obtained at the Express Office till 6 p.m., after which they may be purchased at Ewart’s and Masonic Hotels. Registered seats will not be reserved after the curtain rises.

A Strange Story. —The city of Lawr rence, Massachusetts, has been' thrown into a state of great excitement, and not without just cause. It seems from the account given in the New York Herald, that an elderly lady lately died in a house on Broadway in that place. On the 20 th ult., the day after the funeral, a lady who happened to be visiting one of the tenants of the same house, accidentally saw, the figure of the deceased lady at the attic window. In great consternation shecommunicatedthe circumstance to the other occupants of the building, and in a short time the entire neighbourhood were made acquainted with the interesting fact, and with their own eyes witnessed the phenomenon* Various means were tried to expunge the photo graph of the ghost from the glass, but all in vain: and at last owing to the crowds that assembled, it was found necessary to remove the sash.' / Dr. Wiliam D. Lamb ? . ap, ejninent physician, subsequently obtained pormission.-.to remo.ve the sash to his office in JSssex-street, where it has been examined by “ intelligent and scieh-r tific men,” some of whom are of opinion that the departed must have been photographed upon the window-pane by the action of lightning when sitting in the room before her death. It is a most uncomfortable story, and. it is to be hoped that the “intelligent and scientific men” will not leave the window sash alone until they have thoroughly sifted the mystery.

Electoral. — We learn that Pollingplaces for the Electoral district of Wairau at the approaching general election have been fixed at the School-houses at Renwick and Wairau Valley, in addition to Blenheim, which will be the principal. We are not yet in a position to state where the Awatere polling-place will be situate. We learn that Captain Allan, late of the Ballarat, has taken command of a new iron screw steamer, the Selina, intended to trade between London and Calcutta. The Selina was to proceed through the Suez canal to Calcutta, where she is expected in the early part of January, and would be due in London about the end of March.

On Monday last, being Boxing Day, a close holiday was kept in town, Sports at the Bush, picnics, and excursions, being the order of the day, and the Philharmonic Concert occupied the evening. The Lyttelton took some 70 persons to Port Underwoood, where they visited the iron clipper Firth of Clyde now loading wool and flax ; also the hull of the Hera. The Blenheim Brass Band accompanied the trip, and discoursed sweet music at intervals during the day.

The Capitation Account, under the Payments to Provinces Act, 1870, is as follows, in respect of Marlborough, for the quarter ending September 30th -.—Dr. : To capitation (2-12ths of annual grant), £1,566 13s 4d. Or. : By interest and Sinking-fund on account of loans charged against the Province in July and August, nil ; Payments on account of services Provincially charged from July Ist to August 31st, £4ll 17s sd; Balance payable to Province for appropriation, £1,154 15s lid; Paid to Province from July Ist to September 30th, £l3 5s 4d. The Appropriation Act not being passed until ■September 13th, the payments were not made till October.

Inquest,—An inquest was held at the Top House, on Friday last, by the Coroner <Dr Williams) on the body of a man named John Wakefield whose body was discovered lying on the bank of the Wairau River, between Manuka Island and the Top House, by two travellers From the evidence it appears that deceased left Weisenhavern’s after staying there two days and one night on the 17th instant. He seemed to have been drinking before he arrived, and his manner was very strange, consequently Mr Weisenhavern refused to give him any drink during the time of his stay at the Accommodation Honse. There was no evidence to show howdeceased got intc the Wairau, and he had evidently wandered from the track, as he was seven miles from the proper crossing. The jury returned a verdict of “Found Drowned.”— News. Our new Reporter.—The Boston Advertiser says:—“ We took a new reporter on trial yesterday. He went out to hunt items, and after being away all day, returned with the following, which he said was the best he could do:- ‘ Yesterday we saw a sight that froze our muscles with horror. A hackman, driving down College-street at a rapid pace, came very near runing over a nurse and two children. There would’ have been one of the most heartrending catastrophes ever recorded had not the nurse with wonderful forethought, left the children at home before she went out, and providentially •stepped into a drug store just before the hack passed. Then, too, the hackman, just before reaching the crossing, thought of something he hid forgotten, and turning about drove in an opposite” direction. Had it not been for this wonderful occurrenceoffavourablecircumstances, -i doting father, a loving mother, and affectionate brothers and sisters, would have been plunged into the deepest woe and most unutterable funeral expenses.’ The new reporter will be re--tained.'“

The customary Midnight Mass on ■Christmas Eve took place at St. Mary’s Church under circumstances of unusual solemnity, and demands more than a cursory notice, the decorations of the sacred edifice having been of a very elaborate and tasteful nature, and the music of more pretentious character than has hitherto been the case. The doors of the Church were opened at eleven o’clock, and a large concourse of persons, both Catholics and Protestants, desirous fof being present on the occasion, immediately filled the building, which was crowded to excess, numbers being unable to obtain admittance. The coup (Tail on entering the building was very striking, a large number of Gothic crosses, together With shields, bearing religious emblems, emblazoned in gold and silver and colours, being displayed in various parts of the Church, whilst scrolls in blue and gold, bearing the appropriate legend, “ Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in ter a pax homlnibus,” (Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men), hung on either side of the Chancel arch, which was wreathed most effectively with large roses and foliage, the life-size statues of the Blessed Virgin and of St. Joseph being enslyined under Gothic canopies of tasteful design, similarly wreathed with roses.. The altar was very richly decorated, the tabernacle being surmounted by a glittering crown of mediaeval character, and a very handsome antependium, the work of ladies of the Brookby and Hawkesbury families, displaying a magnificent embroidered cross, &c., surrounded by a rich and appropriate border, being used for the first time on this occasion. All the windows, arches, &c., were marked out by wreaths of foliage, interspersed with flowers, and the general effect was most pleasing and striking. The music | was, as we have already said, of higher pretensions than has previously been the case, the Kyrie and Gloria being taken from Mozart’s celebrated 12th Mass, and the remaining musical portions of the service from Mazzinghi’s Mass, with the exception of Novello’s fine arrangement of the Christmas Hymn, “ Adestc fideles/’ and an exquisite Offertory piece by the same composer, “ Sancta Maria,” — a tenor solo with chorus—and a pleasing duett by Webbe, “ 0 Jesu,” sung during the Communion, the whole being of a very impressive character, and the solos especially being rendered with much devotional feeling and effect. The Kev, Father Sauzeau, who celebrated Mass, preached a short and appropriate sermon on the Gospel of the Festival, and the service was brought to a conclusion about half-past one, a.m. We have received from Mr, Collie a very pleasing and well-executed photographic view of the interior of the Church, showing the principal decorations, which will form a welcome souvenir of the occasion. |

The Moss Guardian is again threatened with action for libel by a Mr. Muir, Postmaster in that town. We should recommend the proprietor to keep a lawyer on his staff in consequence of the many threats received. — Charleston Herald.

English Land League. —The people of England are at last beginning to see that land tenure has everything to do ■with a nation’s prosperity. Prussia saw this fifty years ago, and has to thank Stein and his followers for its proud position to-day. The English Land League desire —l. The abolition of primogeniture; 2. Tqe abolition of the law of entail; and. 3. Cheap transfer of land and simplification of titles. The Leaguewill not end here; this is merely the step-ping-stone to higher things. —Echo Strange, if True. —The following remarkable but characteristic letter is with its heading clipped from a recent Otago paper. As a curiosity it merits republication, since only three years ago, the expression of the opinion that the clergy in that Province had less influenbe than in Scotland, raised an outcry that was not quieted for at least six months:—“The march of Infidelity. Sir—l entirely agree with your correspondent ‘Veritas’ that religious matters are assuming a very serious aspect at present. The fundamental portion of our religion is being fast undermined and exposed to ridicule without opposition.' One man states, with the greatest effrontery, that this world took millions of years in coming into existence, when it is explicitly stated in the Bible that it was made in six days of twenty-four hours each, succeeded by a morning and evening. Man who was made after the image and likeness of the Creator, and women from the man’s rib, are now made to have sprung from male and female monkeys, and more remotely from mushrooms spontaneous creations. Nor is this all. Lot is compared to Mears, visited by angels ; Samson by Ira Davenport; and Jesus Christ to the notorious Daniel Home, who fleeced a too credulous old woman out of her money. Infidelity stalks forth unblushiugly in our churches, infidel publications lie in our reading rooms, and in private houses, even on the Lord’s day people hold seances instead of going to public worship—and yet, for all that, no pastor’s voice is heard denouncing these proceedings. One man has even had the effrontery to state that within ten years the First Church will be converted into a lyceum where the Spiritual philosophy will be expounded. At present people are getting perfectly careless about religion, hundreds spend the Lord’s day in frivolous amusements, or walk out in the fields. There is also a lamentable failing in the payment of the sustentation fund, the greatest difficulty being experienced in collecting it; and if matters go on the same as they have done during the last six months, sufficient will not be collected to pay our ministers. How this infidel agitation may end no one can conjecture ; but this much is known, that it is full time ministers girt up their loins to do battle with the enemy.—l am, &c., A Scotch Presbyterian.”—Colonist.