LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1251, 3 December 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND G ENERAL NEWS.

The liev. F. T. Opie will conduct service in St. Peter’s Church, Havelock, on Sunday next, Dec. sth. The stbataief Wanaka was detained at Wei lington yesterday, and will reach Picton to-day, Tiie Northern and English mails close at Picton at 5 p.m. to-day. • Jurors, witnesses, and other persons having business at the Supreme Court, Blenheim, will not have to attend, until Tuesday, the 14th inst., the‘commencement of having been postponed until lOa.m. that day.

A meeting is called at the Pier Hotel, for Wednesday next, for ;the purpose of taking steps to curry out the Annual Regatta. All interested are requested to attend, and as tlietimeis getting short prompt action is necessary to ensure success. illrtliu-. : ■'

A telegram from our Havelock correspondent yesterday says Henry Chant left Havelock in a punt on Tuesday night for Brownlee’s Mill, Kahuna. The pole of the punt and the man are missing, and as it is feared an Accident hns happened, a search party left on Wednesday, but no trace of Chant Ims been found

A painful and rutiier severe accident was sustained on Tuesday by Mr Rabone, sen., by which, besides causing him severe pain, he will be rendered unable to work for some little time, He was engaged in loading hay, and when tho dray was being: moved', from one place to another, the jolt brought about by crossing a concealed ditch caused Mr Rabone to lie thrown, off, and in his fall he was impaled on the sharp points of a paling fence! He did not remain long in this perilous and uncomfortable position, but only escaped at the expense of an extensive, flesli. wound on the outer side of the upper part of the left leg. He was conveyed without delay to the Hospital, where the injuries were attended to, and he is now in a fair way of recovery.

The Elizabeth Curl, Captain Grubb, left Picton on Saturday, *2oth November, at 11 p.m.. and arrived at Lyttelton after ti run of 41 hours, Left Lyttelton on the return journey on Sunday, 28th] at 9 p.m., and arrived in the Sound on Monday at 4 p.m. Squally weather and adverse winds retarded her reaching Picton, but shearrived at the wharf on Thursday, after an absence of twelve days. On Sunday last the earth closed over the remains of one who could claim to have witnessed the early settlement of Picton, and who could also trace its progress to the present time. The name of this old settler was Mr Wm. Taylor, and he was known through his relationship to several of our best known and respected citizens. .For several years Mr Taylor was incapacitated for work, but suffering only from the complaint of old age, he enjoyed the time as‘it passed until cm the 25th ult, lie yielded'“Up his breath, having readied the age of 86 years. The funeral was largely attended by friends in Picton and many places in the district. Our Havelock correspondent writes on the Ist December us follows After a period of sixteen months’ resi fence here. Constable D. Glacken has taken his departure for Blenheim. I believe he-has-been assiduous in the performance of . his duties, without being officious, and he has improved upon acquaintance.—There is to -be an inquiry held to-day into Sergeant Hogap’s con- v duct respecting the action he took some three weeks since in arresting Mr King lam jn.Qt_.aq-_ qnaintsd with particulars. Inspector Atcheson and Constable Levy, are here from Nel on, and Sergeant Gnodull and Constable Glacken from Blenheim.—Vital"statistics for month ending November 30—Births 4, Marriages l. Deaths 1. There was only a fair attendance at Mr Proctor’s lecture on Tuesday, and this may be ac counted for by several reasons. It was not widely known that a lecture would be delivered in Picton, and many persons had attended the course in Blenheim ; the night was a very unpleasant one for pedestrians to venture abroad, and this doubtless had something to with the comparatively scanty attendance that welcomed Mr Proctor. Those present had a treat of no ordinary kind, of which it would be impossible to convey a correct idea, unless the lecture were given as delivered, and even then there would be something wanting that in the room was supplied by the views of celestial scenery. Mr Proctor satisfied the expectations formed of him. and the subject of his lecture will give food for irqfleo-. tion for a long time to come. Cricket is looking up in Picton, and as an enfo ( r proficiency, the club has determined to] present, to the highest i aggregate scorer during the season a prize bat, and a reward for the bowler who shows the best bowling average. A match has been arranged for next Thursday, when the Pictonians meet the Spring Creekers on the ground of the latter team. A. challenge has been sent to the Havelock cricketers, and there is little doubt but that this will be readily accepted. The Club has re-' ceived a challenge from the Nelson College Team to play a match on the 17th inst., but at this has not been before the members nothing could be done in it. It will he 6een from the above record that there is more vitality in the game than has 'been' shown here of late years, and there is possibility of the place regaining its old cricketing prestige. Some visitors to a sequestered nook on the shore of Picton harbor discovered on Wednesday last a nest of the Californian Quail containing fifteen eggs, which the birds were hatching. A short time after it was found that ten of the eggs bad been takeu from the nest, and the sitting bird disturbed. Parents may not be aware that in permitting children to do an act of this description they are running the risk of being compelled to pay a heavy fine, or if the culprits are old enough, to see them sent to prison. The Acclimatisation Society would give a reward for information that would lead to the conviction of any puronn destroying Californian Quail or their eggs, or any other protected birds or their eggs. Having to pay £1 each egg for the pleasure of taking or breaking them will perhaps cause parents or guardians to see that children restrain their inisehevious propensities in this direction.

There has been published in Nelson, under the appropriate title of “ Quotations,” a series of small pamphlets. The little book contains reference to many varied subjects selected front the speeches or works of the most noted literary and public men, and shows the industry and discrimination of Mr E. Tucker, the compiler. “ Quotations ” are on sale by Mr Card, at the nominal price of 6d, and that they are worth more than the sum they cost, the following reference to the feontents-will show. The subjects treated, relate to Free-trade, illustrated by the extracts from Magna’ Charta, where the principles of the freedom of commerce are oo plainly and env phatically insisted upon ; the antiquity and importance of Municipal Institutions; the basis of civil and political liberty ; land tenure ; compulsory attendance of members of Parliament on all measures discussed and voted upon; and the folly of carrying measures by a bare majority, which can always be secured by purchase of votes by Ministers ; and numerous other subjects relating to Government, religion, commercial interchange, and other things of great interest.

For the first time within eighteen years an accident h«B happened to the boat carrying the Havelock mail' between Pietoii and the Grove. On Wednesday the boat left Pieton and delivered the outward mail all right, and had returned safe until the Picton side of Mabel Island, when a whirliwaw struck thaOjoati, and) this was Tin* mediately followed by a heavy gust of wiud, which healed her gently over, causing her to capsize ; but so gently was it done',that the occupants, Mr J. Phillips and Wm. Fitch, were able to climb on to , the-keel , without becoming wholely immersed • in tho water, . The -sjeamer for Wellington passing at .the time ,saw that the occupiers of the boat were all right, and then pursued her journey. In the mean. .time a boat was hastily manned from the wharf,.and went out to render assistance After a brief interval both boats came in, ;wh'en it was found that the mail boat when cupslsed had four mail bags on board, two public and the others private bags The former were picked up, but this latter being weighted with heavy locks probably sank, as they were not recovered from the water, A few loose things belonging to the owners were lost, but beyond this there is no misfortune to report. The accident was entirely an unprerentible One, as the sails of the boats were found quite free when she was righted nnd the mere force of wind on the hull caused the capsise. The Nelsoji Mail of Monday last contains the following paragraph Very genuine and widespread will be the feeling of regret throughout the whole of this district, and also in many other parts of the colony, on the news being made known that the genial, kindly hearted Hugh Stafford has passed away from our midst. For several months he has been suffering from that most dreadful of all diseases —cancer, but the treatment he has been receiving was apparently reducing the disease, nnd hopes were from time to time entertained of hi* eventual recovery. On Saturday afternoon, however, he experienced repea'ed attacks of the most violent pain which weakened him very much, and left him completly prostrate, even after the agonies he suffered had yielded to the remedies administered, but he ralied again, and on going to bed he was. unusually cheerful During the night, however, it was observed that his breathing w«b unusually heavy, and those around him became alarmed .an3fWntTfor..Dr'Moiicktpn, but he arrived too late to boof any service, and the patient breathed his last about seven o’clock yesterday morning. Mr Stafford, who arrived in Nelson,from Aus-| tralia in 1853, was an universal favorite, and, go

where he would, he was always a welcome guest. Great as will be the sorrow for his loss it will be equalled by the sympathy felt for his widow and children in their Scarcely; twelve months have elapsed since Mr Stafford' and Mr Richmond contested the election for the Suburbs, and now, within a fortnight of each other, both have passed a Way. to their long home.