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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 154, 1 September 1866, Page 2

We regret to have to record a paiaful accident which happened yesterday afternoon, to a boy in Toi-Toi Valley. The child who is about 8 years old, had been turning the chaff cutting machine of Mr. Lock, Waimeastreet. Not being aware of the danger he incurred, he got the fingers of the left hand between the knives, which cut off one of the fingers close to the Tinuckle joint, and severely cut two others. One finger and not three, as has been stated, is cut off. Three others are much injured ; but Dr. Squires who is in attendance on the sufferer, hopes to save them. Mr. Weld, the President of the Canterbury Rifle Association, has presented a haudsome silver cup to be shot for at the next Hillsborough encampment. The distance is 200, 300, 500, and 600 yards ; seven rounds at each range. The value of the cup is £20. The Nelson- Building Land and Investment Society, hold their monthly subscription, meeting on Monday next. Five members of committee are to be elected. The Hpkitika and Kanieri Tramway Company are gettiug on famously with their project. The first mile is nearly completed, and

tfc|e second mile has been, prepared for the laying down, of the . rails 7 . \ The whole length of the ) tram will be ' two miles and three-quarters, and the company are endeavoring to -push the works on .so as to throw the line open for traffic in about two months' time. I Applications have been made to the Government for protection for similar undertakings in various parts of the district. One, for. instance, is proposed to Eoss, another to the .^Vaimea. Several parties have applied for .permission to lay down a tram from Greymouth to the new rush at Saltwater Creek. We are indebted to Mr. Naylor, purser of the Ivaikoura, for a copy of the Panama , Star and Herald. ; We learn from the New York papers received by the Kaikoura, that the weather was so frightfully hot in the United States that cases of. sunstroke were very frequent, lu New York alone there were fifteen cases reported in one day. We understand that Mr. Darke, chief officer of the s.s.. Kaikoura, has been appointed to the command of the s.s. Eaugitoto. It is a singularly pleasant .fact that the mails and cargo, by the Kaikoura are nearly treble in amount those brought by the Eakaia last month: There are 115 light packages of goods, a great part being for Melbourne, which is a highly satisfactory fact, Among the packages for New Zealand' is a bran new mace for the Speaker of the House of Rpprosentatives, a present, it is said, from Sir Charles Clifford. It appears from the Wellington papers that Mr. Atcheson, Inspector o.f.P.olice, has been successful in bringing a:series of thefts home to John M'Kenziej steward of the s.s. YVanganui, for which he has been committed to take his trial at the next Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Court, at Wanganui. M'Keuzie was recently . seutenced to two months' imprisonment for stealing a cheese. The London correspondent of the Wellington Independent says : — I am told that Sir Charles Clifford, having some business to transact in your colony, is likely to leave here in September next for New Zealand, where he will remain for a short period, and then return so as to be back in England by May uext or thereabouts. Julia Mathews has made her debut at Hokitika; the theatre was crowded. No one was disappointed, although her superior talents have been the subject of every day chat for some days, and expectation had on that account been raised high. The Wellington Independent contains the following paragraph with 'reference to the movements of Mr. Fox: — Our former Colonial Minister, Mr. Fox, started last week for Switzerland, where he will remain for a few months; after which he will return to London previous to entering upon his tour in Syria and the Holy Land, all of which he will accomplish before his return to the colony. Napier, says the Herald, is about to be left with a sergeant and sergeant's, guard, to take care of the barracks ! The small detachment of the 12th regiment stationed here is under orders to march for Waipawa to relieve the company of the 14th, stationed there — a sergeant and guard only, remaining behind. The company of the 14th, upon arrival at Napier, will be embarked for Auckland, where the regiment is about to be concentrated, preparatory to its departure for the Australia , colonies. The Chatham Islands seem to.be attracting public attention just now. A township , is to be laid out on the principal island of the group. As the Canterbury money mine appears to be thoroughly worked out, it is high time to look out "for fresh fields and pastures new," as outlets for. energy and enterprise. The correspondent of the Independent, writing from the East Coast/says the natives are in a condition approaching to starvation, their food being, chiefly berries. The Canterbury Press says : — The caterpillar has again made its': appeai'ance in the • neighborhood of Kaiapoi. Several of the farming community .have ...suffered _. severely from the depredations . made on the yoking crops. Apparently as yet ■no - successful method has been adopted to destroy them.

A ; decision of great importance to hotelkeepers, say? the Wellington -Advertiser of the 29fch; was given by the Resident Magistrate yestei'day in the case pf Hamilton v. Osgood.' By it our readers will see that any one who loses money in a hotel at which he may be stopping, unless it be a larger sum than is supposed to be necessary for ordinary travelling and living purposes, can recover the amount from the proprietor of the hotel. A notice of. appeal has been given in this case, so?; that it can scarcely be said to be fully decided yet, and we hope that when it is something moi'e definite may be said as to the amount that may be left about in a sleeping apartment, seeing that travellers who put up at hotels may have very different ideas as to the amount they may require for their daily expenses. For instance a person may be going to stop at a hotel in Wellington during the session of Parliament, and being of an eccentric disposition may think it necessary to keep all the money he requires for his expenses, which would certainly make a great hole in £100; would the landlord of the hotel be responsible for that amount if it was not deposited in his safe ? The following circumstances of a somewhat amusing, yet unfortunate business transaction are related by the Wellington Advertiser : — An emineut bookseller of this town, an ex-M.P.C, who resides not a hundred miles from the Government Buildiugs,the other day invested in some cheap portmonnaies, purses, etc. One of these he appropriated to his own especial use, and put therein several sovereigns. A lady customer coming into the shop, he politely introduced his portmonnaies' to her notice. Previous to doing so, however, he had laid on the counter his "own" one, containing the sovereigns aforesaid. The lady observed one which she said was secoud-hand, and asked the aforesaid bookseller what he wanted "for that one." He replied that it was only a little scratched, and she might have it for 25., which amount she paid, took up the article she had purchased, and went away. To his unbounded surprise, the bookseller shortly afterwards discovered that he had sold his own private purse, with his money in it, and what is sad to relate, up to this time he has been unable to discover his lucky lady customer. Private advices from Sydney are to the effect that although the commercial news by the last mail has been of a most, satisfactory nature, the banks have in no way relaxed the screw they have been putting upon their customers, but continue to throw out a deal of unquestionably good paper. The fact is, they are short of money themselves. For" several weeks there has been a quiet run upon them, deposits have been withdrawn, and. notes brought for exchange for gold. In this way immense sums of money have been taken from them, which is now lying idle, while trade languishes in consequence of the refusal of the usual accommodation. This shows how much the trade of the present day is supported by confidence in our monetary institutions. The owners of the City of Launceston have commenced an action against Messrs. G-rice, Serivner, and Co., for the value of the steamer which was cut down iii collision with the Penola last November. Recently a largely attended public meeting was held in the Scots Church, Sydney, in consequence of misconception as to the conduct of the missionaries in reference to the visit of H.M.S. Curacoa to the New Hebrides, and to " hear the report of a deputation to Commodore Sir William Wiseman on the subject." The Rev. Dr. Lang and the Rev. Dr. Steell- detailed the substance of their interview with the commodore, the effect of which was that he had acted in accordance with his instructions from the Admiralty, and he was not influenced by the requests or suggestions of the missionaries; and Sir William believed that the demonstrations of. force which he iiad given would have a good effect on the natives,' and tend stongly to repress their barbarities in future. ' Professor Smith moved a resolution to the effect, that the, part taken by the i Presbyterian mission in these prqeeedding's is not deserving of censure, and the results have shown that the interposition was

judicious, and served the part gf justice and humanity. Mr Adams secohdedihe resolution. The Rev. "W.. Ridley moved an amendmant in effect quite opposite, to thetenor of ' the resolution. Mr. Hanson, amid much his- ; sing, .seconded the amendment. The amendment was lost, and the original resolution was carried by a large majority. The N. S. W. Government have taken all the steps necessary for-joining Victoria and New Zealand in the exhibition tb be held in. Melbourne, in October, and also in that to take place in Paris, next year. A valuable discovery of a coal seam at Port Lincoln, South Australia has been made. The coal is reported to be of superior quality/