THE Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume XIX, Issue 115, 18 May 1883, Page 2

THE Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1883. LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Business.— People in this district who bare business to transact in Wellington cannot do better than entrust their commissions to Messrs Deacon and Bushell, of Custom House Quay. Both members of the firm are bo well and so favorably known here us business men, that wo have ao doubt they will Boon possess a large circle of Marlborough clients. Thk r.s. Kennedy. — This steamer is advertised to leave Picton for Wellington on Monday next, immediately after the arrival of the aftornoon train on that day. Messrs Earp and Young are the local agents,, _;• _ „ ■... ■ .. . . , i&RiNn Creek Volunteers. —The Spring Creek Company of Volunteers will parade to-night. On the conclusion of tho parade a general meeting of the company will be held, for the purpose of making the re'cessary arrangements for the company's prize firing, whioh it is proposed to bold on the Qaeen'a birthday. Ciiuroh of Thb NATrviTr.— Owing to the Cdnoert, the Choir, practico at the Church of The Nativity has beon postponed until to-morrow eveneng. ' • . .Bankruptcy.— William Boyle, blacksmith, of Renwick, has' filed a declaration of his insolvency. The first meeting of creditors in the estate will be held on June Ist. Philharmonic— At' the close of the contort ' rehearsal in Ewnrt's : Hall )sst evening, those present resolved themselves ioto a meeting, and decided to form themselves into a Philharmonic Society, the names thus enrolled numbering thirtyseven. 1 ' Messrs Holmes and Rogers were elected Vice-Presidents, and Messrs Lucas, Birch, Barleyman, Robinson, and Green the Committee of the new Society. Mr J. White was unanimously .appointed Treasurer and Secretary, but the election of a President was' allowed to stand over | until Tuesday week, when the first practice will be held. Enter'Mjnment.— The Egyptian War Gift Exhibition will open in Ewart's Hall to-morrow evening. According to our Nelson contemporaries, the Exhibition comprises a number of pictures in connection with the Egyptian and Zulu Ware,' which are viewed trough magnifying glasses. There is mueiq of a quaint and unusual description at intervals during the evening, an electric man, and a present for everyone who enters the room, a combination of attractions that can scarcely fail to attain the object that the proprietors have in. view. Pdblio Loan.— To-morrow is the. day fixed for the poll of the ratepayer of the Spring Creek Rivers Board, to decide whether that body shall borrow £fiOO from the Government under, the Roads and Bridges Construction Aot of last session, for the purpose of ereoting six pile and wiro dams at various parts of the Wairau and Opawa rivers. The poll will be taken at the Public Hall, Marlboronghtown, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. . Thb Railway Question.— The Christchurch Railway League people are not highly pleased; with the following letter on the subject of. the Weat Coast Railway, whioh has been received from Mr Pilliett:T-"Christohurch, May 12, 1883.. -r-Dear Sir.— l only received yesterday your letter 'of the 10th ult., requesting me to attend a meeting of the Railway. League, to be. held on the following day at the Oddfellows' Hall, East Belt, and I regret that my being absent from .the Colony prevented my being present. On this subject of the extension of our northern railway line towards north, west, or east, I may say that I would be prepared to support any line that would be of the' •widest advantage to the public and wonld prove, Jdirootly or indirectly, the most remunerative. I take it that until the reports of. the two Royal Commissions arejmade known it will be a matter of difficulty to decide whioh of the numerous routes suggested is the best, as the question must be dealt with from an engineering point of view, taking into consideration also the ptobabilitiea of a return on the expenditure. While lam of opinion that the appropriation under the last Loan Act was. not fair to Canterbury, I cannot help thinking that to secure the sympathy of Parliament towards the object held in view by the Railway League, it would be necessary- to show that the line selected wonld serve colonial as well as local interests."

Wairau Rtvbbs Board. — The Lower Wairau Rivers Board met last evening. Present : Messrs C. Redwood (chairman), Eyles, R. W. Parker, and Dr Home, Letters were read from G. Gee requesting to know the time of a lease of land in the vicinity of the Seymour embankment ; P. Adams re damage sustained by him by Foretor's Channel. It was resolved on the motion of Dr Home, seconded by Mr Eyles that Mr Gee be informed that the Board will lease him the land he requires near the Seymour embankmout at £1 per acre per annum, provided that Mr Gee procures an opinion from the. Board's solicitor favorable to the Board's power to grant suoh a lease for 7 years.— lt was resolved on the motion of Mr Parker and seconded by Mr Eyles, that all prospectivo damage to section 26, Wairau West, having been paid for by the Arbitration Board in the matter of John Fleming, the Secretary inform Mr Adams that the Board cannot accede to his request. The Chairman reported that the long bank of willows whioh were planted in the Opawa some time sinoo had been oat into by the river, and that serious damage was threatened thereby. Ha had also inspected the spot complained of by Messrs M'lver and M'Vean, and considered that thero was no immediate damage.~Mr G. Bary reported that lie could not see that any great damage could be sustained at the end of Jackson's Cross Eoad, but would advise that: a few willows should be placed there, whioh would not cost more than £10. Also that there was an erosion against the Seymour embankment. The Inßpcotor was authorised to repair these places, and he wasempowered to procure the willows to be placed along the works at Dillon's Point. The following accounts were passed for payment : — Zohrab, Newman and Co. £29, G. Barry £7 Ha, G. Bary £7 10s, Mohaka £2, Fnrness andßonndy L3 ISs, Day and Dakin £7 4s, Day and Dakin £64, D. Jones £3 13s Gd, T. Newman £7 14a 6d, Earll and M'Kenzie £5 103 4d. The Board then adjourned. :

f' Plistiso.— Attention is directed to the advertisement of Mr John Hale, of the Lark Hall Nursery, Nelson, appearing in another eolumm. Mr Hale, who has gained an excellent reputation in Marlborough for the superior quality of the trees and plants whioh he haa at various seasons supplied to residents, states that his stock of fruit [find ornamental trees is this year far superior to any of previous years. Persons about laying out orchards or planting grounds will do well to give Mr Hale their orders. ThE Awatere Cemetkry.— We are desired to state that it is not a bamr and Christmas tree which it is proposed to hold in Ewart's Hall in aid of a fund to erect a fence round the Awatero Cnmetary, bnt merely a Christmas Tree of unusual attractions. - The Concert.— We are requested' to state that persons holding front seat tickets for to-night's concert will be admitted by the side door of Ewart's Hall. The rehearsal ■ last night passed off most successfully, and we trußfc we shall have to chronicle a bumner house to-night.

The i-.a. Lytelton.— There ia little fresh to report concerning tho Lyttslton. All her cargo, with the exception of about 120 saok» of grain in the forehold has been discharged. Some portion of the grain was taken across to Wellington in the s.s. Waihi yesterday, the balance is now stacked on the bank. Nothing has yet Jbaen decided as , to what {is to be done with the steamer, but though the extent of ' the damage has not yet been ascertained, it is unlikely thab it will be found of a very serious nature. Railway Charqes.— The ways of the railway authorities, says the " Press," are bard to fathom, and it would need special tuition to enable anyone to understand nnder what Ryatem the tariff on our looal railway 'was devised. A|oarter, when employed to cart goods, usually charge? in proportion to the amount of his load,- but this is not the case with the railway here, and we find that two tons of goods may be carried at a less price than half the quantity. Here is an example—oue ton of potatoes from Spring Creek to Pioton costs for carriage 9s 6d,' while two tons from the same place coat only 7s Gd, or at the rate of 3s Od per ton. A truck of firewood, equal to five tons of potatoes, costs from Tua Marina to Pioton 11s lOd, while one ton of potatoes from the same place costs 8a Gd, and two tons 7s Gd. Whoever is responsible for these queer charges has succeeded in making a glorious. muddle, and it is time the tariff should be revised to matte the rates more nearly equal than they now are. Why a greater charge should be made for oarrying ona ton of potatoes than is charged for double the quantity none but the railway authorities can understand, but perhaps there is some occult reason not known to ordinary mortals. A Terrible Calamity.— A child has lately been born in New Jersey with two tongues, and horrible to relate, it is a girl. What a fearful time some poor fellow is destined to have of it. ...

A Ccnnino Hebrew,— The agreement between two partners, Blum and Levi, has just como to light. It was to the effect that if they were successful in business, the one that snrrived the other waa to deposit SOOdol in the coffin of the defunct member of the firm as a proof of his love Jand esteem. And it came to pass that Blum died and Levi felt very badly over it. But he was. a conscientioua Hebrew, and he fulfilled his promise to hia partuer very faithfully. The Rabbi, Who was aware of the contract, sent for Levi, and asked him if he had placed the GOOdol in tlio coffin. "Yes,'" said Levi. "Did you put it in gold or silver !" asked the Rabbi. "Neither," said Levi," I put it in; my ohec[uej payable to Blum's order. 1 ' Thankful Parents.— Unusual evidence ia to the joyousness of the occasion is contained in a marriage announcement whioh appears in the Meoklenbnrg Gazette. The notice runs thus : "We have the honour to announce the marriage of oar daughter Louise With Mr Noteman. of : Berlin-Schw«rin. January Bth, 1883.— H. Mailer and Wife,— She was the last of half a-dozon, ; the Lord be praised." Victorian Railway Fares.— A royised soale of passenger fares will come into operation on all the Victorian railways—excepting the metropolitan and suburban lines— next month. The fares will be charged on the mileage principle — 2d a mile for first-dans.

The Ship-wrecking Bosi ness. —The figures quoted to a deputation of British shipowners by Mr Chamberlain are appalling. : The losses of vessels (exoluding those lost from stranding or collision) between 1877 and 1881 were an average of 368 ships and 1,551 lives per annum. In 1882 no, fewer, than 548 ships were lost, and 2,883 lives! That many of these disasters " from foundering, casualties in the ships, defective machinery, explosions, overloading," were preventible (says Truth) is perfectly certain, . and it would be a good thing if Mr Chamberlain could see his way to. legislate at once in the direction he indit eated in his startling 'statement, i.e.. that widows or orphans of men drowned by proved default of owaers should be en* titled to sue for damages. The faot is, that a part .ownership in trading vessels has become a favorite investment with all sorts of outsiders, and shares are ofteu held in vessels by man who know nothing about them, and who care for nothing except their' annual divideuk; and so outrageously are ships habitually over insured in these days that the owners are usually in pocket by a wreck, and if the vessel founders at sea there is the more cause for congratulation, inasmuch as when ship and orew have gone to the bottom, there is no chance of any inconvenient inquiries, an Aged Warrior.— The death is announced of the father of the British Army. General ft. Macdonald, who died the other day, aged 99, entered the Army in 1805, and saw a great deal of service. At Waterloo he reoeived three severe wounds. He had fifty years service before arriving at the rank of Major-General, owing to his not having purchased his promotiou. In < these happy days of Army reform he probably would never have been General at all. She was Rich.— There is a story told in Pnhlin that Lady C —.(who when Mnyorass declared hersolf to be the "rankest" womau in the city) was requested by her frinnds, on the occasion of her husband being knighted, to get up an orchestral concert in honor of the evoat. She acceded, and sent immediately for Mr L y, with whom she consulted upon the matter. '• How will you manago it ?" she askod eagerly. « How many fiddles shall we have ?" " Woll," said I L— _ y , " I think I shall engage eight firsts and six seconds." "Stop !' said Lady C , "None of your second Mdleß for me. I have inonoy enough to do it woll. Lot them all bo firsts "

MESSBS Pt'RKISS AND NOSWORTHY will and hou.ehold furnitar 9 &c., which was pat off on Saturday last owiue to the inclemency of the weather, at their aale yards at 2 p.m. to-morrow. Mr Fraser will bring to tho hammer to-morrow afternoon, thirty head of cattle, 350 sheep, bacon, horses, a bncgv and a quantity of other items, which will be found speceSed in an advertisement. Tire old Post, Telegraph, and Customs buildings at Picton, will be sold by auction at Pioton to-morrow, by Mr W. Syniß.