NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8951, 16 January 1888, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

fcms Church of England centeoninl fund In Australia hee reached £13,000. Trade is reviving in Adelaide, and the prospeot is said to be most encouraging. Prince Albert Victor will start on a tour throagh India about the middle of January. It is said that the wheat crop about Cambridge will average 40 bushels to the acre. Mora than half of the coal produced In and around Newcastle is consumed in the colonies. . The proportion of women who died in Sydney daring childbirth during November Was one to every 156 births. A poratoe disease has made its appearance in the Terara (New South Wales) diatriot, where it is making extensive ravages. The Goverumeut buildings, Hyde Park, and Wynyard Squans, Sydney, are to be illuminated during tho centennial week. Mr. Joseph Symer.. tho freethinker, was proceeded against it: Melbourne foe lecturing on the wharves, but the citse broke down. ' An American papsr has been sued for libel by an indignant widow, for speaking of her deceased husband as having gone to "a happier home." The Customs collections at Brisbane for the past year amounted to £555,447, being an increase of £23,781, as compared with the previous year. The intercolonial draughts match, played by telegraph, between Viotoria and South Australia, was won by Victoria by four games to three. The Rangitikei Advocate understands that Mr. John Stephens has recently been making extensive purchases of horses, with, a view ot exporting them to India. A Southern paper states :—•' It is common gossip in Christchurch that two of the Can* terbury papers lost between £4000 and £6000 in the year previous to this." The small bird nuisance is making itself severely felt around Taradale and surrounding districts. One paddock of rye-grass has been completely stripped of seed, and great havoo has been played amongst the oat crops. The jury list is at present in course of compilation by the police. Some amnsing stories are told of the devices practised by householders to avoid being placed on the jury list, and thus get rid of their liability to eerve as jurymen. The Taranaki Daily News eayn:—" Wβ learn that the Bank of New Zealand has given notice to the County Council to reduce its overdraft on or before the 31st of March next This will necessitate some special arrangements being made by the Council, as they will not be able, in the ordinary course, ,to comply with the request." The Wanganui Herald of January 7 says : -•'Matthews left by train this morning for Idarton with some of his friends. He intends as soon as possible proceeding to Australia to join his brother, who is there horseback wrestling. Matthews was taken on to Dr. Earle'a last night, and there sounded and examined. Hβ seeme to have been considerably shaken, but will be all right again in a few days." The Hawko's Bay Daily Telegraph is reeponsible for the following:—" Iti is quite remarkable to see a cheque nowadays dtawu in favour of his late Majesty George 11., but we hare been shown one which was payable to His Majesty. A defendant, who was fined £5 bv the Resident Magistrate, under statute of George 11., for permitting an unlawful game, namely, ' Yankee gra.D,' to be played on his lioensed premises, paid into the Court coffers a cheque wbioli was in favour of George II."