NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6819, 25 September 1883, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The air yesterday was full of political rumours. . Dr. Anna Potts is lecturing at Christ-, church. Several till robberies have taken place; lately in Wellington. A pantomime is to be produced in Wellington at Christmas time. General Booth is expected to arrive iri; New Zealand in January. The Juvenile Opera Company are doing fair business in the South. Australian hops are being sold for £9 per cwt. in the London market. The torpedo boat for Auckland is expected to arrive in about two months. Dog-poisoning has been a common offence lately at Papanui, near Christchurch. His Excellency the Governor visited two; of the Wellington city schools a few days ago. ;. When the Alford diamonds were subjected to the cutting test at home "they flew to powder." Mr. Moss, M.H.R., is of opinion that the colonies have been a source of military difficulty and weakness to England. According to a recent decision by Mr. : Justice Johnston, games at cards, whether.: for money or not, are not debarred in licensed houses under the present Licensing, Act. ?

The St. Leonards, which foundered in the' English Channel a short time ago, was with refrigerating machinery before leaving London.

The printed instructions for using the alarms require renewing in several instances,: portions having been torn and others renderedillegible by the action of the weather. One of the claimants at the Native Land Court at Kaiapoi, was recommended by the Chief Judge to petition Parliament. The recommendation was received with a burst of laughter. The Ofcago policeman who went to gaolrather than pay a fine for neglecting to supply; official returns has been released by the Minister of Justice and reinstated. Is this as it ought to be ? The inevitable result of the proposed plan of parcelling out the Surrey Hills estate would be overcrowding with all its concomi-, tant evils in the shape of wretchedness, squalor, filth, and disease. ' The Hon. Mr. Bryce, who is a strong chess player, was to have been one of the Wellington representatives in the match with Christchurch, but he couM not spare the time for more than one evening'* play.

Sixty thousand rabbit-skina were collected during the month of August on one station in the Dunstan rabbit district. And yet it is generally admitted that bunny is nothing like so plentiful this year as last. Concerning "King Lear," it is a noteworthy fact that only once previous to Mr. Sheridan's arrival has it been played in this colony. The occasion referred to occurred during the visit of Creswick to Dunedin.