LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1253, 17 December 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The trial of Tulii for the murder of Miss Dobie at Opunaki terminated at Wellington on Wednesday, when he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Owing to the usual monthly meeting of Court Clarendon, A. O. Foresters, falling on Christmas Day, the half-yearly summoned meeting of members, for election of officers, See., is advertised in another column for tomorrow, December 18. The Government steamer Kinemoa paid a special visit to l'icton yesterday, bringing as passenger His Honor the Chief Justice on his way to Blenheim to hold a sitting of the Supreme Court. Advantage was taken of the steamer coming to forward the Marlborough portion of the San Francisco Mail.

A supply of Wellington Almanacks for the year 1881 has just been received by Mr Card, from whom may also be obtained copies of The New Zealand Illustrated Annual,” written and published in the Colony, containing much interesting reading matter. The costume cricketers of Blenheim will play a cricket match in Picton on New Year’s Day for the benefit of the Picton Hospital. More than a little fun may be obtained on the occasion, and Ned Mason and liis companions will work hard for the Charity and for the amusement of patrons.

There is a prospect that the much needed improvement at the boat landing-stage will shortly be undertaken, Messrs Smith & Co., the well known contractors, having received notice that their tender for the work is accepted. The work could ,’not be entrusted to better hands, and; we may soon expect to see such improvement that the dangers now encountered may be avoided.

A match at cricket, which terminated in a peculiar manner, took place in the Auckland diotrict last week The game was played between Mangere and Onehunga, the former of which in the first innings scored 6 run , and of these 2 were extras. Only two batters scored, one man making 3 runs, and the other 1. The second innings of the same team was worse than the first, and the eleven failed to obtain a rum off the bat, and the innings closed for a total of 3, made by extras, so that the grand total of the two innings was 9 runs. The Onehunga men were much more successful, and in the one innings they played made 86 runs, of which 74 were off the bat.

A cricket match, Married v. Single, will be played on Nelson Square, on Saturday afternoon (tomorrow). Great interest appears to be taken in this match, as it is now some years since one of its kind took place in Picton. Wickets will be pitched at 1 p.m. sharp, and we hope that players will be punctual, so us to allow of the match being finished. The following are the teams Married—Messrs Ruckland (captain). E. Neal, Tiros Williams, Walker, Swanwick, Greensill, 11. C. Seymour, C. Godfrey, C. Williams, MTntosh, and Rev. F. T. Opie; emergency, W. H. Lambert. Single—Messrs A. L. Palethorpe, (captain), E. Jones, C. Dryden, C. Neal, J Blizzard, E. Blizzard, Buokrell, Gregg, H. Hawk, L. Allen, and H. Oonolly ; emergency, F. Hawk.

The cricket match that was expected to take place between the Nelson College and tbe Picton teams is declared off, so that there will be no trial of strength between them Many members of the College team are’ young gentlemen, and possibly they are susceptible ; either for this or some other cause the ruling powers have decided against them playing in Picton. Fond parents, wishing to guard their sons, could not countenance that they should come under the influence of the fascinations of the young ladies of the place, hence the edict against the playing. The College tea'ii are willing to play the Picton Club at Spring Creek, where they would be beyond the power of any subtle agency, but our men refuse to agree to these terms, and there is but little probability of a nAtch between them tljis season. Trie summer session of the Supreme Court was cc mm diced in Blenheim yesterday. The Judge offered no comments to the Grand Jury on the only esse before them, and after a short retirement they returned a ** True Bill ” in the case of A. E. Simpson, charged with stealing a horse, saddle and brid'e. The foreman of the Grand Jury made a few remarks about the in-

convenience caused to a number of persons by the frequent postponement of the sittings, wherent the Judge betrayed some irritation, and administered a positive snub to the Grand Jury through their foreman. After the Judge had directed the Registrar to discharge the Grand Jury, the ordinary; business of. the court proceeded, and following a brief adjournment, the prisoner A. E.Simpson was placed <m his trial and fouiid guilty. liis Honor the Chief Justice sentenced him to eighteen months’ imprisonment with hard labor for larceny of the horse, and six months for stealing the saddle and bridle, both sentences to rnn concurrently. This concluded the criminal business, and the Special Jurors were discharged from attendance until 10 15 on Friday morning. We shall have a few more words to say next week about the unusual episode in connection with the remarks of the foreman of the GrandJ Jury.

To show that the number of members possess a substantial reality, the officers of the Good Templar . Lodge in Picton have organised a picnic to be lieid on Boxing Day, and as it is intended to provide a most pleasant way of spending the time, the picnic should be largely patronised. The programme is, to leave Picton in the steamer Torea and proceed to Ngakutu, where sports will be encaged in, some improvised on the occasion, and some arranged previous to the start. Such inducement is likely to be attractive to a number of the members of the Order outside the town, and it is probable that the Lodges now so firmly established in Blenheim will furnish a goodly number of those wishing to pass an agreeable holiday. Should anything happen to mar the pleasures of the time, of one thin§ visitors may rest assured, and that is that there will be no annoyance from anyone having taken too much intoxicating liquor. On Wednesday the statutory meeting of the Borough Council was held at noon, when the Mayor elect, Mr A. T. Thompson, was installed into office, and the retiring Mayor, Mr T. Williams, delivered a valedictory speech. Mr Williams has served the town for many years in a public capacity, and has well earned the leisuro he may now take. Daring his period of mayoralty he spared no pains, or neglected any duty by which the interest of the Borough might De served, and he deserves the thanks of the community for hia labors on their behalf. We have occasionally differed with Mr Williams as to the advisability of several suggested measures, but in doing eo we never believed that any partial feeling induced him to follow his own ideas We can now bear testimony to his ritany valuable services, and he will take with him into his retirement, which we hope will he but temporary, a knowledge that his efforts for the advancement and improvement of the town are thoroughly appreciated. Besides our usual Supplement, we purpose presenting to our subscribers with our next issue a special Christmas Supplement, containing a variety of tales by the most noted colonial authors. Some of these tales will be illustrated in a superior manner to that usually, seen in connection with colonial journalism. The illustration to a tale entitled “A Strange Story ” ts most ably executed, and is so weird and wild that it forms a fitting pendant , to the words it illustrates. The authors engaged are Messrs Marcus Clark, the foremost novelist in Australasia. Donald Cameron, whose “In tiie Folds of the Serpent,” weekly entertains our readers, Richmond Thatcher, and others of note, and the works of their pens, together with the skill of the draughtsmen, form a fitting supplement breathing of the time we shortly shall, we hope, be enjoying. Poetry has not beeu forgotten, and some clever verses by the well known Henry Kendall, and other versifiers, afford reading to those who delight in this means of passing the time. Our Christmas Supplement consists of four large pages of enjoying reading matter, and those beyond our ordinary subscribers desiring to secure it must make early application to prevent disappointment. To give a little variety to the coming festive season, Mr A. T. Card, owing to the little room at disposal in his shop, has determined to hold bis Annual Bazaar in Mr Syms spacious Auction Room, when he will dispose of a large stock of jewelry and other’ raluable and numerous articles by means of an Art Union. The goods to be so disposed of consist of gold and silver watches, gold and silver guards, alberts, necklets, bracelets, sets, rings, pins, broaches, musical box, clocks and other articles representing value in a small compass. Eh® whole will be distribute*! on the nrfc union principie, subscriber’s tickets to cost five shillings eue’h. Another lot of goods not quite so rich in value, will be disposed of in a similar manner, and for a ticket in this art union the charge will be only two shillings and sixpence. The usual shilling art union will be held during the same time and at the same place. To show the bona tides of the distribution, the goods will be on view in Mr Syms’ auction room on Christmas Eve, when tne drawing will take place, and continue until the Monday following New Year’s Day. If persons fed no indisposition to invest, they may inspect the goods, when they will see a large variety, among which will be found some choice specimens of the jewellers art. Preparations are being made to provide various kinds of entertainments during the.next week or two. The first to bespeak the notice of the amusement loving public is a concert given by the Picton.Glee Club for the benefit of thcPictofi Hospital, and this concert will lake place on Tuesday week, at the Volunteer Hall. If the members of the club were not so able a* they are to give a first-class entertainment, the object of the concert should induce a large number of persons to attend ; but when, in addition to affording support to a deserving charitable institution, there is an opportunity of listening to some first-class music rendered in an able manner, the attraction should be sufficient to fill the Hall on the night of the concert. The next means of amusement will be given by Professor Lewis, who, on New Ytnr’s Eve, will give a Juvenile ball for his pupils and their friends. This will really be a ball and not simply a breaking up dance ; and as it is an innovation to publicly dance the Old Year out ami the New Year in, the novelty is sure to prove attractive. The Ball, although termed a Juvenile Ball, is something more than this, as after 9.30. adults may join in the amusement, and until the early hours have long proclaimed the birth of the New Year, there will be no restriction. The sole management of this affair will be undertaken by. Professor Lewis, and as lie has before now conducted the most successful gatherings of this kind ever held in Picton, and as he has on this occasion determined to keep up his reputation, the New Year’s Bail in the Volunteer Hall should be the event of the season. On the Monday following the day to be kept as New Year’s Day, there will bo another ball, and this will be an open public ball, which will also be under the management of Mr Lewis. On the same day the sports on Nelson Square, to wiiich we refered lust week, will be held. There is thus a choice of entertainments offered, and the person must be hard to please who is unable to extract seasonable amusement from some of them. Holloway’s Ointment and Pills.—As spring approaches a most favorable opportunity offers for rectifying irregularities, removing impurities, and erasing blemishes which have arisen from the presence of matters forbad by winter from being transpired through the pores. This searching Ointment, well rubbed upon th • skin, penetrates to the deeply seated organs upon which it exerts a most wholesome and beneficial influence. Well nigh all the indigestions give way to this simple treatment aided by purifying and aperitive doses of Holloway’s Pills, round each box of which plain instruct ions ” are folded. Bilious disorders, loss of appetite, fulness after eating, lassitude, gout, and rheumatism may be effectively checked in their painful progress, and the seeds of long suffering eradicated by these remedies.