LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXII, Issue 65, 19 March 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

+ To-night's Megtivg.— The obair at to-night's public meeting, re the Fairh? I .]. will be taken by Rh Worship the Mayor. Spring Creek Chorci!.— There ?s to be a Harvest Thanksgiving Service at Spring Creek Church to-night, and the Rev, T. S. Grace will preach. QUABTER Day. — Mr Stenhouae, Agent for the R,oyal, notifies that Thursday the 25th is the quarter day on which j early renewals fa 1 ! due. " A word to the wise " who insure m this excellent office. Nelson Politics. —lt is rumoured that at the next election either Mr T. TI. Harley, or Mr J. Harley, will contest the Nelson City scat against Mr Levesiam, the present member, Mr Jesse Piper will also try his luck again, Wellington v. Nelson.— This Tnterprovincial Cricket mivtoh began at Nnlson this morning. We. learn from a private telearara that tho firafc innings of Wellington'lasted only ft'i hour. All were out for 3C, Cooko and Bennett taking every wicket. Weekly Express.— This week's edition of the Ejcrfss conta ; ns full reports of tho Flower Show, li3catta, and other local ovonts. It is issued to day, price sixpence, m a foi.n convenient for sending to absent friends. SETTLTNG-NiaHT.— Thursday next at 7 p.m. has been fixed as anttling-night on the Wairau Regatta. Gazetted.— We lenrn by telegram that the proclamation wag Razotted yesterday, I taking land for the drain aorosa the Bank | section. CmcRET. — The following will play for the Marriod against the Single on the Wairnu Crickofc Club ground tomorrow afternoon : — Pocock, Trewook, Tcnnent, Dr Nairn, Shipton, T. P. Lucjis, W. Earp, Fisher, F- B. Farmar, B. S. Penney, and J. T. Robinson. Poisonous Sp.DEna.— l)r Cleghorn has brought over from We'Mng'.on a small phial conta'.n : .ng specimens of thn Katipo, or venomous spidor, wh'ch is found m considerable numbers at Evans' anil Island Bays. It is easily recognised by a red mark or streak, vory much like sealing wax, on the upper anrfaco of the liody. No Protests, — We were m error m supposing that Mr A. G. Fell entered a protest m tho Sailing Race. The Regatta passed off without protest or dispute of any kind. Hussars. — Our local cavalrymen are reminded that there will be au Adjutant's pai-ade at hcad-qua*"tcr3 to n'ght at 6 o'clock. A l ' are to attend. To-morrow's Auctions.— There will, j as usual, be several auctions to-morrow. Messrs Witson and McKenzio will offer, at noon, somo land with frontages to Auckland ami {lonltor-strcots. Mr Griffiths at 11 o'clock will bosfin a big salo of watches, jewellery, and drapery. At 2 o'clock Mr P<u>kin will wieM the hammer over the ntoek of drapsry lately m tho hands of Frank McDowell. Regatta Piuzes. — Wo understand that the Cup? aud money won by the Blenheim crews at the Regatta will go to the Blenheim llowiug Club, Tbo total amount of prize money awarded at the Regatta amounted to £S2 103. Blenheim secured £33 heaidea both cups, and Pioton £41 1(K

St Patrick's Concert.— We should have mentioned yesterday that mobj of the accompaniments at tho Con irfc were skilfully played by Mm Carning. Other pianistes were Mrs Dew, Miss Mark, Miss Murphy, and Mr .T. P. Lucas. I- I.ndi.fss1 .ndi.fss Maoris.— The Natives at the Wairau Pah haviag represented to the Govorr-inenfc that they have not been provided with sufficient land for their maintenance, Mr Ballance, carrying out I his policy of providing for all " landless Maoiis, 1 ' has deputed Mr G. S. Cooper, Uuder-Seeretary, to make enquiries on the spot. 1£ the representations of the Wairau Natives are found to be correct reserves will be act apart for them out of Crowa Laud, probably m the Kaifcuna. Mr Cooper was expected over yesterday, and Mr T. Pratt M.H.R., the Maori representative of the South Island, is also due m the Wairau m a few daya. Easter Encampment.— Afc the Batallion Parade of the Blenheim Rifles, Spring Creek Rifles, and the Borough School Cadets, held last night m Seymour Square, it was unanimously decided by the Blenheim Rifles to attend the Easter Encampment at Wanganui. Of fifteen members of the Spring Creek Rifles present on parade, nine agreed to go to Wanganui, but the officers were j not willing to do so. We understand j that Captain Rogers ia making enquiries I as to steamer accommodation. An old Cannibal.—" Old Watson," the old Maori who was drowned a few days ago m Havelock harbor, was the last survivor of the Wairau massacre of 1843, and must have been fully 80 years old at the *ime of his death. Although a quiet inoffensive old fellow during the latter yortion of his life, he was accustomed, when m his cups, to brag about his share m the Massacre, and especially about his having eaten a portion of poor Wakefield's he9*fc. When tho old man beaarae sober agru he waxed very indignant i£ anyone broached the subject m his hearing. Let us hope the Maori's boasting wa9 drunken lying t>nd not genuine truth. Lecture.— A lect are wpi given m the Town Hall Havelock by the Rev. W. A. Whyto on Wednesday evening la9t, the subject being " A journey through China, Mongolia, Siberia, and Russia." Many objects of interest were touchod upon viz. the Rock of Gibraltar, Cairo, Alexandra, tho Red Sea, Aden, the manners and customs of the Chinese, tho great Deßert of Siberia, and its intense cold, the social, aspect of the Russians, the religious ceremonial of the Greek Church, it beantiful vocal music, and magnificent; architecture. The lecture was well worth listening to, and from a political point of view of kreat value inasmuch aa Mr Whyte is conversant with the Russian feeling towards England, which is of a friendly character geuera'ly, only that war between the t\vo countries ia considered inevitable— it is Fate The proceedings commenced by suiting tho National Anthem. Musical selections were sung during tho interval, w?d at the termination. Property Tax.— A Board of Reviewers, consisting of Mossrg Cyrus Goulter, J. E. Hodson. and J. H. DrJton, sat m the Court House yesterday to hear apoeals against the Property Tax Aaase3ments m Marlborouglv Very few appeals of any importance came before them, and most of the objectors failed to attend. In nearly every case the assessment was upheld either as it originally stood or as it was amended by the Commissioner. The following cases were dealt with by the Reviewers yesterday :— Pelorus Sound : C. H. Mills, Assessor, A. P. Houghton ; £60, Keneparu, assessment confirmed. Qaeen Charlotte Sound: J. 0. Western, Assessor ; John Love, £25, Wr'kawa, assessment confirmed. Wa?rau Road District: William Douslin, Assessor; Ralph Richardson, Taylor Pass, assessment to stand as pUowed. Roman Catholic Trustees, Taylor Pass, £3200, assessment confirmed ; Phillip Dillon, Leefield, £16f ), redueei to £1000 by mutual consent. Peloras Road Board district ; C. H. Mills, assessor ; Isaac Gifford, Kaituna, £30 ) reduced to £200 by the Commissioner ; Robert Forrest, Wakamarina, name of owner altered to W. Brownlie ; Mary Ann Kaituna, £300 reduced to £250 by the Commissioner ; Richard Hart, Kaituna, £300 reduced to £250 by the Commissioner ; Ellen Litchfield, Wakamarina, £75 reduced to £60 by the Commissioner; J. A. Moore, Wakamarina, £450 reduoed to £403 by the Commissioner ; James Plunkett, Kaifcuna. £175, valuation upheld ; G. Storey, North Bank, Wairau, owner's interest reduced from £2000 to £1640, and rateable value from £1825 to £1815. The Board then adjourned till 11 o'clock the following morning. The Board sat again this morning, when the following cases came before them :— Havelock Town district; C. H. Mills, assessor ; Ellon Litohfield, sections S an 1 9, Lllo reduced to LOO as agreed to by the Commissioner ; W. C. Harlov, part section 39, L 250, valuation confirmed ; .T. M. Cleland, 6 sections, L 250 reduced to L 205 by tho Commissioner, and farther reduced by fcho Reviewers to LISS; Wairau lload district; W. Douslin, Assessor ; Dr Renwick's oxeontora (per John Sharp), Delta Run, assessed at L 11.059, 5802 acres freehold and 1631 leasehold, objected to on the ground that the valuation is excessive. The Delta Caso involved the talcing of evidence, Mr Sinclair appearing for the owners. It had not concluded when the Board adjourned for lunch. Nelson Rvces. — Great interest m the Wairau is beinf? taken m the Nelson races which come off at Richmond Park next Wednesday and Thursday. An unusually large number of people fiom Blenheim, Havelock and the country distriotH intend to be present, and the majority will donhtles3 patronise the Rai Valley Road. Marlborongh horses will take part m Severn' of the leading events, and it is not unlikely that some of the money will travel over into these parts. The Hawea laat night took away Mr Gentry's string and Borne other horans, and the following animals have p'ready been or will bn Hhippal to Nelson :— Mr Hnnry Red- j wood's Alpinn Ttonn, Lady Acnes, and Marquis ; Mr T. Owen's Pay ; Mr Gentry's Refrigerator ; Mr Sheraby's Erebus, Patriciua and Regrfit (lato Katn Kelly) ; and Mr T. Smith's Ugly Buck, whioh has remained m Blenheim tunce the annual meeting, Mr McColFs Orient and Mr Henry Redwood's White Ifcne have pono to Nelson overland. The "Sqaire of Spring Creek " himaelf leaves to-day m i his yacht the Toreft, whioh will be pioneered round to Nelson by Capt. Lara ■ bert. Bap Management.— Some days prior to the Regatta the Wnihi brought over from Wellington a Cup presented by Mr T. R. H. Taylor, tho boathuilder. The pare«l was plainly addressed, and there could be no doubt for whom or what it was intended. Yet that dip remained m the shed at Fell's wharf till after the Regatta, tho persona to whom it was sent being ignorant that it was ther<\ H.id the Regnt'a Committoo. horm aware that tho Cup had arrived, it would probably have boon given to tho Maiden or Junior Raco. A3 it ia, it will ha kopt fni\noxfc year's Regatta. Mr Taylor no doubt omitted to advise any one m Blenheim by post ; but, for all that, it shows bad management on somebody's part that jjoods should remain unclaimed at the wharf m this way, without notice being sent to the consignee. It is not the first important instance of the kind that has onourred to our knowledge at Fell's Wharf.