LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10074, 9 March 1896, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A !'KKi> Association telegram from Sydney dated yesterday states: —At) Coolgardie tvphoii continues to claim its victims am mg-t lie erold seekers. This week thero have been chronicled the death? of two young Maorilanders—Fred. Browning (30) j-i i Herald Dawson (20).

Our correspondent in Tonga writes Ki".<; George remains here, and his government carries on quietly, and there is no sp(M?arance of discontent with their actions. The e-i\l health is fairly pood, but we h;iv- lii I one or two bad cases of what seen'.? t-'i be influenza, and we look for a : era. vsitatiou. After a long period of drv r:itoer we have just enjoyed a wet [oriineii:. It is no doubt the beginning of '.newel season ; and as usual at this time jf he yea- trade begins to get very quiet, in i the tricier begins to complain. There s I:tie opra making, and the article is Eotr.inaily worth about £8 10s f.o.b. Besides the calls of the Union Company's rejular earners, the only shipping news c: i:!. ; mrt.nce is the arrival of the schooner Isabel, with labour from the Gilbert Group 011 lie 5h iii-tun', and her departure on lhe 7th fir Niue Island and Taheiti. Alio the arrivd on the 15th of the Norwegian barque limerald from Port Adelaide to load copra. "he Emerald made a record passage of seveneen days. The schooner Fleetwing is ii port.

The Very Rev. Wm. Watt, Moderator of the General Assembly, and missionary for 2" yean in Tanna, New Hebrides, is at present on a visit to Auckland. His stay «i.l be limited to three weeks, during which lime he will bring the claims of the >ew Hebrides Mission under the notice of t.i« various Presbyterian Churches; after *ihich he will return to the islands. Since his* nparture from the New Hebrides Group, a fresh effort has been made in Frame by a deputation to the President (M. Faure), urging the annexation of the Eroip. The missionaries are unitedly oppjsed to such a step, as the probable resilt would be official obstruction to the PrnesUnt missionaries, if not the stoppage of their work among the natives. The ives are also opposed to coming under Fr;nch rule, and would prefer an English pntectorate.

Dn Saturday evening, about half-past seven o'clock, the lirebella rang out an alarm o: fire. The outbreak proved to be ir the extensive premises of Messrs. Milno and Clioyce, milliners and drapers. It appeared that one of the employees was lighting the gas jets in one of the show findows when, a/cer lighting two, the a per went. out. He went back to get another, and 011 his return found the goods in the window on fire, it is supposed through the gas issuing from the uniighted jet« and communicating with the lighted ones. In a short time the Fire Brigade and the Salvage Corps were on the scene. Meanwhile the employee, aided by some passers-by, was endeavouring to beat out the lire. The Fire Brigade got a "baby" engine to work and soon extinguished the fire in the smouldering debris. Before the fire could be suppressed everything in the window had been considerably damaged, as wed as the gov!" in the next window having been damaged by water. Inspector Hirkfon and a sergeant and anumber of the police were speedily on the ground, and rendered excellent assistance in keeping the pavement clear of the crowd, so as to enable the fireman and Salvago Corps to do their duty quite unimpeded. It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that Messrs Milne and Clioyce commence a sale of salvage foods at one o'clock to-day, and it will continue for the balance of the week, when it is expected there will be plenty of bargains.

A bicycle accident occurred at about nine o dock on Saturday night, at the corner of cllesley and Queen-streets. A gentleman who was riding a bicycle round the corner came into collision with a man who had just stepped off the footpath. A crowd collect-..-l quickly, and Inspector Hickson, who was present- when the collision took place, inquired into the matter. The man knocked down was at first some what dazed, but he did not appear to be seriously injured, and only complained of pain in his arm.

The lunatic whose escape from the Avondale Asylum has caused great uneasiness to his friend*, was re-captured a u the Wade &nd brought into town on Saturday last, and returned to the institution. There is little doubt that hud the fact of the escape of the man been communicated to the press, with a personal description of him, he would have been recaptured bv the settlers within 24 hours. As it was, >;lie unfortunate man's friends were kept in a state of prolonge I anxiety owing to the reticence enforced upon the local police authorities by the celebrated Circular No. 1 from Wellington, and the police themselves put to a great 'leal of unnecessary trouble, from which they would have been relieved had due publicity been -given through the press to the incident of the lunatic's escape from the institution.

On .Saturday afternoon, at one o'clock, a nan twined Cousins had a narrow escape of using drowned at the Queen-street Wharf. About that time he was discovered by a bo . v . Claries Porter, of Mount Eden, who w '<s fishing clinging to a pile under the whriri. Sergeant Kelly, assisted by Con--6 f.uiso McDonnell and Charles Pol®r' • dourer, succeeded in getting him iescue.l and hoisted on the wharf in an unconscious condition. He was taken to no water police station and rubbed and other restorative measures adopted until e was (.in round. Dr. Dawson was ca ed m, an i on his arrival he directed Cousins to be removed to the Hospital, to w ich institution he was taken in a cab bv Nonstable Mulvaney. . have to acknowledge receipt of the iv yr fi"m °' 16 Monthly record ' • ... ' 16 leading article is devoted T) l. p foment as to the position of the X™ l " ct,Q . !l Fu,ld - S °™ information yf, en , as t0 16 Progress of the Rev. G. H. ;: r,Vr 810 " in S >' d,ie y' A number of Th« b " lr 6 been " <lrled t0 th « library. Sis ll;r

The esleyan Conference was in Miniserial Session on Saturday forenoon. The eoond reading of stations was passed, in vhieh a number of alterations were made in Lackland, Wanganui, Wellington, Cantorjury, Nelson, and Otago districts, and the ;hird reading of stations was fixed for Wednesday next*. The Home Mission Comnittee of the Wesleyan Conference will neet at ten o'clock this morning, to conjider the Home Mission grants for the ?olony, in order to bring up a report. The Representative Conference will resume at two a clock. The Conference picnic takes place at Lake Takapuna, on Wednesday next. Arrangements have been made for holding \"k° nf weiice breakfast" during tho visit of the We'leyan Conference to this city. The breakfast meeting will bo held in the ™ , ey Hall, adjoining the Pitt-stroet \> esleyan Church, to-morrow (Tuesday) morning, at eight o'clock, and after discussing the good things provided, addresses will be given by members of the Conference. A sitting in bankruptcy jurisdiction of the Supreme Court will be held this forenoon before Mr. Justice Conolly to deal with any applications which may be made, and it will bo the last sitting for some weeks, for the criminal sittings will open to-morrow at eleven o'clock. It is necessary that all jurors suinoned and parties concerned in the cases should bo in attendance promptly at that hour. There are twentyeight charges, the most serious of which is a charge of rape. The greater number of the charges consist of forgery and of theft in various forms. Ab the Police Court on Saturday morning Joseph Cant and William Searle, on remand or deserting from H. M.s. Rapid and Goldlinch respectively, were further remanded for a week as no man-of-war was in porb on which they might be placed. Under the Destitute Persons -Act Edward Boyle, in irrears with the maintenance of his three children, was ordered to pay the whole 'mount within a fortnight or in default *o to Mount Eden gaol. A prohibition irder was granted against Henry England, » liuve c'lfcrt in the Auckland, Eden, and Parnell districts. An application was made or the admission of Julia Winifred McHugh 'ilotfige to an industrial school, but Mr. Sirathern, on behalf of the Charitable Aid 3oard, objected. The application was lismissed. Mr. H. W. Northcroft, S.M., «t on the Bench. At the ordinary monthly meeting of he managing committee of the New Zeaand Educational Institute, Auckland >ranch, held on Saturday last, the followng reflation we 3 agreed to " That this nstitute deprecates any undue prominence >eing given to the presentation of scholarhip certificates in the public schools, it) )eing much akin to the pernicious cußtom of wading high percentages of passes." Eleven new members were elected, and notice of a motion as follows was given : — " That the present regulations of the Board with regard to teachers being compelled to use a certain series of copy books are not in the best interests of the teaching of the subject of writing, and that" the freedom given by previous regulations was much more satisfactory." Mr. R. D. Stewart presided,

The attention of the police on Saturday at midnight was attracted to the antics of a man named Joseph Minor, who jumped off the Qneen street wharf and was swimming about in the harbour with his clothes on. Some of his mates called to him to come ashore, and ho did so, apparently nothing the worse for his nocturnal sea bathing. The man was apparently sober enough to take care of himself. The police did not feel justified in effecting his arrest, An engraving of the celebrated picture, by Herbert Schmalr, "The Return from Calvary," is on exhibition in the Australian Art Photograph Company's window, Short-land-street. The ordinary meeting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council was held in the Foresters' Hall, Newton, on Saturday evening last. Mr. J. Fawcus, president, occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of delegates. The minutes of the previous ordinary meeting, also the special meeting, were read and confirmed. A letter was received from the ellington Trades and Labour Council asking the Council to send the names of its delegates to conference as soon as possible, also promising to I forward copies of Labour Bills likely to be introduced next session as soon as they come to hand. It was decided that Mr. Mr. W. C. Fraser, vice-president-, and Mr. J. Fa wens, president, and a delegate from the Oumdiggers' Union, be sentas delegates to the Labour Conference at Invercargill; failing the gumdiggers' delegate, the Council will send one in hie place, if funds will allow it. The subjects for the conference order paper were then discussed, and the secretary was instructed to forward to

Wellington the following items Undesirable emigrant?, master and apprentices, gumdiggers' grievances, tailors'grievances, Juries Act Amendment (the amendment which this Council proposes in the Juries Act is that each common juror shall receive 8s per day for his services clear of expenses). Another item proposed was that the Government be recommended by the conference not to advertise in any nonsociety nowspaper published in the four provincial centres. The chairman gave his report of the successful foimation of the Journeymen Painters' Uuion, which was received with applause.

A concert was given at the Y.M.C.A. Hall on Saturday night, as a benefit to Master Herbert James, the South Ana tralian boy soprano ; but, although there was a fair attendance, the performance was worthy of a larger audience, although Jaines was not by any means at his bust. Mr. Bolt apologised for the boy, and said that for the last ten days he had not been able to sing at all, ns he was suffering from throat trouble, which he contracted at

I Rotorua, and it was only through the care and attention of Dr. Challoner Purchas that he got his voice back at half-past five o'clock that evening. Tho concert opened with piano duet, andante and allegro "Jupiter" symphony (Mozart), brilliantly played by Mr. Arthur Towsey and Mr. Cyril fowsey; after which a number of vocal selections followed, in which several iocal amateurs took part. Miss May White, who has a good flexiblecon tralto voice, created a favourable impession in her selections," Wheer'er You Go' (Somerset), and "Bid Me to Love" (Barnard), and was warmly applauded. Mr. Pollock was also well received in "An Evening Song" (Blumonthal), for which he had to reepond to an encore, And " I Arise from Dreams of Thee" (Salaman's). Mr. Reginald Birch also sung selected airs, and joined in the duet with Mrs. Kilgour, and Mr. Boult sang " The Mighty Deep" (Jude) and "The flight of Ages"(Bevan), in both of which ho showed great power in the lower register. Herr Zimmerinann, whose first appearance this was Binco his marriage was received with very hearty and warm applause, and with all his accustomed finish and expressive technique ho played tho violin solo, "Ave Maria" (Schubert Wilhelmj), which he had to repeat as an encore. He subsequently played "Fantasie Caprice" (Weuxtemps) with equal success, besides which he played a violin obligate for Master James. The latter was evidently not over confident, and those who had previously heard him admitted that he was far from being at his best, but he undoubtedly possesses a very ! pure soprano voice, capable of great ex- ' pression and sweetness, although it did not manifest much power, owing tc the reason already referred to, but he had to respond to an encore for his first selection, "The Dance Song'' (Handel). In the second part' ho sang "Beauty's Eyes" (Tout!) very ! sweetly, Herr Zimmermann playing a | yiolin obligate with exquisite effect. The i accompaniments, except for Master James' selections (which were played by Mr. Boult) were played by Mr. Arthur Towsey, and he contributed largely to the success of the concert.

Some pure bred fowls havo come to hand by the s.s. Rakaia for local importers. They comprise a pair of dark Brahmiw for Messrs, Keid Brothers, of Motutapu, and a pair of golden pencil Hamburgs for Mr. Haywood, of Ponsonby. It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that the lecture in connection with the Auckland University College recommence. Thoso on Elemontuy Physics, to-morrowevening; on Chemistry, on Thursday evening; and on Experimental Physics, on Friday, at noon. The Salvation Army expected Brigadier McPhee up from the South yesterday. He did not arrive, but will be here to day. The Maori contingent, Lieuts. Tamatea Aterea, Wini Grey, Captain Nicholls, and others, Who have just returned from touring Australia, will be welcomed to-night at the Albert-street) Salvation Army Barracks,'

| A temperance meeting in connection i j with the Wesleyan Conference was held on 1 Saturday evening in the Pitt-street Wes- | leyan Church. The Rev. W, Gitfcoa presided. He referred to the Maoris in ft : hopeful way and the temperance work being dope among them, large numbers of them were abstainers. The practice of sly grog soiling in the King oountry was a matter for regret, but the police authorities did not show the same 'rigour in dealing with this evil as in other matters. Sly grog selling was being carried on, and drink sold both by natives and Europeans, almost without let or hindrance. The objeot of some paople apparently, was to aggravate the evil of sly grog selling, so as to induce the Government to legaliie the drink traffic in the King Country. Sly grog selling was bad enough, but lie would oppose to the last any attempt in the King Country to legalise the traffic, as being inimical to the best interests of both races. The Rev. J. N. Buttle, of Dunedin, urged the necessity for Band of Hope work, the power of the Gospel, and sustained zeal in the cause, and gave some illustrations of evils arising out of the traffic. Mr. J. T. Smith, of Christchurch, referred to the celebrated saying of Gladstone, that the drink traffic slew more victims than famine, war, and pestilence combined ; and gave an address based 011 the saying of the British stateman. Mr. H. Field, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, in a graphic address, showed the present position of the Prohibition question, and quoted the resolutions passed by the Anglican Synod at Waiapu and the N esleyan Conference as proofs that these two Churches wore coming into line upon the erroat social problem of the times. The proceedings were brought to a close by the benediction by the chairman. A popular lecture will bo given in the Pittstreet Wesleyan Church on Wednesday evening by the Kev. W. Ready entitled," Prom London Streets to the Pulpit, or the Story of my Life," The Rev. \\. Ready, who as a lad has bad a remarkable history 011 the streets of London, was sent to Dunedin some six years ago in the interests of the Bible Christian Church, That Church had nt that time no building or sooiety there. Mr. Ready, however, threw himself earnestly into the work and with excellent results. The Lyceum Hall was filled to overflowing, Afterwards the large Garrison Hall was taken and filled. By the present United Wesleyan Conference Mr. Ready has been re-appointed to Dunedin in charge of the Central Mission in that city.

a great curiosity is now in the possession of Mr. A. H. Grainger, and is on view at Hurst; and Co.'s store, Queen-strtet. It is the upper jaw bona of a pig recently caught by Mr. Cussen, surveyor, in the King (Country. The tusks have grown in a curved form, forming half a circle of about three inches in diameter, and they have grown in, piercing the teeth and jaw bone, extending into the roof of the mouth in ono case to a length of about three-quarters of an inch, while in the other the point has only just got through. In one instance the tusk has split one of the large molar teeth, and in the other it has grown through the root of the tooth leaving the surface intaob. The agonies of toothache which the unfortunate pig must have suffered can with difficulty be imagined. lb was of moderate growth, and was apparently about 6 years old, and quite wild. The fourth of the series of Spiritualistio lectures was delivod at the Opera House, last night, by Mrs. Harris (Miss Jenny Wren), before a large audience, which filled the lower portion of the house. The subject of the lecture was "The Evolution of the Soul," and it was dealt with from the Spiritualists point of view, in an able and impressive manner, which held the attention of the audience throughout, A sacred solo was sung by Miss Birdie Butler, during an interval. According to the annual reporb of the trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales the number of country libraries applying for the loan of boxes of books has increased from 84 in 1894 to 91 last year; and 164 boxes, containing 12,893 volumes, have been sent out, as against 155 boxes, with 12,380 volumes. The trustees have expended over £4200 already in connection with the supply of books to such libraries.