NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6570, 7 December 1882, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Light gold costs the English Post-office £13000 a year. Bland Holt's New Zealand trip was of a highly satisfactory character. H.J. Byron, the play right, is busy with a new comedy for the London Vaudeville Theatre. The resignation of Mr. John Buchanan, as trustee of the Auckland Savings Bank, has been gazetted. It is announced that the A.S.N. Company intend to run a larger and more powerful steamer between Sydney and Fiji. The Lyttelton graving dock is to be opened by the Acting-Governor, Sir James Prendergast, ou the 14th of December. The Kennedy family of Scottish vocalists, who visited Australia some years ago, will probably sing in New Zealand at Christmas. In the agricultural districts in the northwest of Victoria, the wheat crop is not expected to give more than an average yield of seven bushels to the acre. The new volunteer regulations for the colony are published in a suppleircnt to the New Zealand Gazette of the 23rd November. They occupy nearly 15 pages. A discovery of copper has been made about twenty-two miles from Orooroo (S.A.), and is considered very valuable. A number of claims have been secured by capitalists. The crops throughout the Selwyn county, Canterbury, are looking more promising now than they have done for some seasons past, and give a prospect of a splendid harvest. Donald Diuuie, the champion Scottish athlete, who had previously been invincible in America and his native laud, was recently defeated by E. W. Johnston at New York in tossing the caber.

A correspondent, signing himself, "Found Drowned," says that Auckland is likely to obtain as unenviable a reputation for the number of persons drowned in its waters as Wanganui for its lunatics.

The proposal to establish a Home and Training School, in Sydney, for nurses for the sick, has received such warm support that the committee has felt justified in advertising for a matron, and taking immediate steps to hire a suitable house.

The " Ministry of Angels " was the subject of an inspirational lecture, delivered recently in the Unitarian Church, Sydney, by Mrs. Elizabeth Watson, a recent arrival from San Francisco. The Hon. J. Bowie Wilson was in the chair. The church was filled. Mr. Archibald Forbes is contributing to the Sydney Morning Herald a series of articles containing his impressions of the colonies. He is astonished at their rapid growth, predicts a glorious future for them, and as an earnest of his faith has invested largely in colonial securities. A large party of miners has left the Thames in route for the Lyell Goldfields, West Coast, under engagement with the United Alpine Gold-mining Company, who recently sent an agent in search of men. The chief inducement is, no doubt, the higher wages held out, —riz., £15 10s a week. An effort is being made by Mr. R. S. Lincoln and others to raise JL'jO in shilling subscriptions, from ladios only, to purchaso a piano for the hospital. Mr. Lincoln has for many years devoted much time and trouble in providing for the entertainment and comfort of the hospital patients, and should have little trouble iu raising the required amount. The travels of the Montague-Turner Company received a most unpleasant anil serious cheek by the recent railway accident at liathnrst. Nearlj all the principal members of the company have in some form or other suffered. Mr. Turner, Mons. Kotraschek (the musical director), Messrs. Balfour and Bcnhani, are all injured, whilo Siguora Veuosta seems to have come oil" the worst of all, with contusions and bruises.

New York at present possesses the largest church organ in the world, containing 115 registers. This is to be exceeded by an organ for tho cathedral at Riga. By a special arrangement, it will admit of being played not only from either the lower or the upper gallery, but also by two organists atone aud the same time, the upper pedals being worked by a gasmotor, whilst the lower pedals are worked by means of bellows. The instrument will cost 1)0,000 marks. At the Balclutha Police Court on Wednesday, William Wilson was committed for trial at Duncdin, for indecently assaulting a Mrs. Twaddell at Waitepuka. From the evidence of the prosecutrix, it appears that the accused called at her residence and asked for some food. She supplied him with some. After ho had partaken thereof he attempted to throw her down. She escaped, aud soon afterwards informed her husband of what had happened. He followed the accused and orertook him some distance on the road.