LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10939, 19 December 1898, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

There are unmistakable indications of growing friendliness bet/ween Russia and England. The Assistant-Finance Mmistei of Russia has declared that his country appreciates England's open door policy, that Russia will reciprocate when the com mercial treaty with German exp res w ItJUL; if British merchants will indicate the* re quirements. The British tovernm nt Dsecured concessions of Chinese terr iy the neighbourhood of N'n-ch n f 'further the French have been refused any furJ* concessions near Shanghai. A coi - ton settlement litis, however been a eed . With regard to the recent French < invade China, the French Ministeri 1 al has now informed the Chinese bo vera that pending further efforts to J e^ r , lease ot the missionary " re( ' by the bzu chuan rebels a respite will be grantoi It has been stated without contradiction to the Italian Chamber, that a treaty exu,U I* tween Italy and England to maintam A status quo regarding the Bed boa • ... j. Mediterranean, and the hinterlands of in poll and Raheita. A Russian fina " c ® r 1 1 " to poses to construct a railway from lnpt ,h ' {.he Persian Gulf, which will c' J journey between Bombay and R™f isl .' eight days. Sir William Harcourt re*g nation is still being discussed on all sides in England. Mr. Asquith ridicules the idea that there are a number of ambitious gont emen trembling in competitive eagerness to occupy the vacancy. The Union Company's new steamer Mokoia arrived from Sydney yesterday afternoon, and berthed at the Queen-street Whait, her arrival being witnessed by a large crowd of sightseers. The steamer replaces he Mararoa in the New Zealand-Sydney trad , and will run in conjunction with the \uiliora. On her initial trip the steamer had ft large number of passengers, there being M in all classes, included in which were .25 Austrians. The Mokoia is magmficiently fitted up, both in the saloon and the steerage, and will, no doubt, become very popuI lar with the travelling public.

All English mail which left London on November 11, arrived by the s s. Mokoia from Sydney yesterday. Anglo-Colonial Notes, Personal Items, Latest Mining News, and other items of interest, from our London correspondent appear in another part of this issue.

The topographical and mining map pre* pared by the Crown Lands and Survey Department has been placed in the mining department of the Exhibition. It is the most complete map of its kind that has yet been prepared, and has been made up from the annual goldfields' report, and the report of the goldfields' wardens up to date, llio places -where gold has been won is indicated by patches of gold leaf.

The rains of the last few days have been very acceptable, and have freshened up the gardens and the suburban farms. The country is looking remarkably well; emerald pastures are to be seen everywhere.

Tho sworn statement in bankruptcy of Oliver James Veale, journeyman baker, showed debts to the amount of £64 Is 2d, while the assets were : Stock-in-trade, £20; household furiture, £25. The debtor stated that he commenced business on his own account some time back, with a capital of £10, and hat! since been compelled to borrow various sums. There were also two insurance policies in the debtor's name, of £300 and £100, which would mature in about two years' time.

A painful accident occurred to a little girl named Attfiold, a daughter of Mrs. Meredith, of East-street, at St. Sepulchre's picnic at St. Heliers Bay on Saturday. It appears that in the earlier part of the day, the landlord of the hotel, for fear an accident might occur, removed the trolly from the track on which it runs on the wharf, and turned it. upside down; but when the children were returning to the boat in the evening, some boys replaced the trolly. The girl Attfiold got struck with it, receiving a compound fracture of the leg, a nail entering I lie bone and splitting it. Fortunately Mr. Tunks a.nd Mrs. Williams, who are connected with tho ambulance corps, had ambulance appliances with them, and rendered first aid, making the child as comfortable as possible. On arriving in Auckland Mr. Uarratt, who lives next door to Mrs. Meredith, was communicated with by telephone. He informed the child's mother of Hie accident, and Drs Piirchas and Gordon were at once sent for. The little sufferer is doing as well as can he expected.

At tlio Police Court, Rawenc, Hokianga, on the 15th mst.', a number of persons (some of them storekeepers) were charged by the police authorities, before Mr. Clendon, S.M., with breaches of the Arms Act, 1880, namely, with selling arms to natives before the late Rawene disturbances. The following were committed for trial: Reginald Sommerville Aickin, on two charges; Albert Haines, four charges; Alfred W. Edward, one charge; Geo. Hedges, one charge; Jas. David Martin, two charges: Charles Ryes, one charge. All the accused were bailed out.

Three men, whose names are given as Henley, Topliss, and Conway, had a narrow escape of being drowned yesterday at the North Shore. It appears that they went over from Auckland in the morning in an open boat, and were returning from Devonport to Auckland about eleven .o'clock in the forenoon. Constable McCarthy seeing the way they were handling the boat advised them to come ashore, but they refused to do so. As he was apprehensive that they vriild capsize the way they were going on, he took a boat from the beach, and went aftei them single-handed. Before he reached them the boat had capsized, but lie was enabled to rescue and bring them ashore. On getting them ashore he arrested Healey on a charge of drunkenness, and brought him over to the Auckland lockup. The constable is said to have acted very pluckily, as Healey stood a very fair chance of boing drowned. The monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Prince Albert College was held at the office of the secretary, when the Rov. H. R. Dewsbury, chairman of the Board, presided. Arrangements wero made for the annual presentation of prizes to take place in St. James' Hall, Welling-ton-street, on Wednesday evening next, 21st inst. It was resolved that the Mayorelect be asked to preside, that Mrs. Goldie, tho Lady Mayoress, be invited to present the prizes, and the Rev. Hugh Kelly, M.A., and the Rev. S. A. Goldstein be asked to give addresses on the occasion.

Consequent upon the opening of the new section of railway at the Thames to-day a number of transfers in the various local grades of officers in the Auckland district, have been authorised,whilst an increase is being made in cleaners, porters, etc., to provide for the increase of passenger and goods traffic, which have to be provided for during the next few weks. 'a a

Amongst the passengers in the s.s. Rotoiti which arrived at Onehungn last Saturday' were eight gunners of the Garrison Artillery under transfer from the Wellington depot to augment the strength of the local forces at the North Shore forts. Each man measures over 6ft in his socks, whilst one gunner Thomas Hastie, is exactly 6ft sin, and weighs about 18 stone. Seven out of the eight brought up their own bikes. A novel sight was witnessed when they landed at the North Shore, as they mounted their chargers and marched en route to Port McKenzie to report their arriVal to Captain McKenzie. r The annual picnic of the teachers and pupils of Remuera public school was held on Saturday and proved a great success in spile of the unpleasant weather The Wnkatcre, with about 1500 excursionists on board, mainly school children and their friends, left Auckland about half-past nine a.m., and proceeded to Waiheke, where an enjoyable day was spent. Sports were held at various places, for both children and adults, and the Newton Band, which was present, enlivened the proceedings. Early in the afternoon rain came on, and the party returned to town about six p.m. A meeting of the Grey Statute J&eenftVft Committee, will be held this evening at fjie City Council Chambers, at eight o'clock.' '

I^— nection with St. P school children, place on Saturday, ir parents, teachers, and in company '^ d P by tlie „ _ Eagle to friends! were conveyed J . ment of , 0 Stl Hollers Day. ™ J nt by the Sl£"s".^ wlek,ms,t ' hted with the trip. Brabant , SiM . His Worship, Mr. a. po[ice Court on presided at the A uC U«n liza Lertrange Saturday momin_, , ss for the , luh was convicted of dru . aI1( ] 0 r the 12 I st time within six mo . tQ gao j for a time in her life. She # sitmlar offence month. Eric Ire- • W seven days hard was fined 20s, i. .. an( j Christian Peterlabour. ] S j IC iff to charges of drunken; sen pleaded guilty o default 48 hours ness, and a fine 5 . 'i, rq < e Three f?rst gaol, was iiilicted cautioned and ftoffending inebriate r M kson, found by night charged. Joseph J tie premises of without lawful ex _ j, l Department, was the New Zealand Haiimjl _ The hoy, also discharged w « 0 f stealing two James Bassett, co committed to pigeons, some dftjs ago. wit |, the s » Auckland lijdnrtr .alSch o,Ss "^«-d.«p«t' telltl,eri " s " p " port of his soil. . . . • „r Cf Alan's Parish The annual picnic oi >-- j 3av Wai . vicar, tne ■ u comfort of the the teachcrs, looked to «»^ mber of Sunday-school scholar , an semen t. races were arranged fo their The picnickers returned to town evening, after a pleasant outing. There were five persons in the lockup , It nT. I-irE of drunkenness, and a'woman named Kate Hinch on a charge of