MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 35

MISCELLANEOUS.

In theCohon-Gorton libel caso at Wanganui, writes our correspondent, tho Chief Justice made some very sensible and interesting remarks anent libel actions against newspapers which have been misled into erroneous statements, and have as soon as possible after the discovery of their error acknowledged it, and offered an apology for the mistako. In such oases Sir James Prendorgast is of opinion, and so aro most people, tkat there should be no further legal proceedings. A t a meeting of creditors and contributories of the Longburn Slaughtering and Freezing Company, the following motions were carried That tho liquidator bo instructed to secure tho services of some competent person to value the whole of tho land, machinery and working plant of tho Company. That tho question of considering the proof of debt lodged by tho National Mortgage and Agency Company, tho value plaooil upon tho securities, and tho terms and conditions on which the property shall be offered for sale, bo left in the hands of the District Judge and the Official Liquidator to decide. A Sydney paper, in referring to the longevity of an inmate of a Victorian charitable institution who had attained his 100th birthday, makes the ambiguous remark “How long the indignant poor live ! ’’ It seems that the cartridge of tho old Snider weapon will lit the breech of the now MartiniHenry, while the bullet is several sizes too largo for tho bore of tho rillo. It is not difficult to seo, remarks the Oamaru Mail, that if anyone prompted by curiosity or oconoiny tries to put Snide- cartridges through the Martini rifle the brooch ot tho latter must inevitably he bio** 1 !! out, and tho Coroner will take a hand in tho subsequent proceedings. Tho New Zealand Mail lias a wide circulation. Its report of the first annual dinner of tho Wellington Yorkshire Soeiety was republished in the Yorkshire Weekly Post. Some more hush-felling work is about to ho put in hand along the route of the Alain Trunk Railway beyond Mangaweka. A minor namod Joseph Webb, whilo fossicking at Dry Creek, Western Australia, was bitten by a snake, and died in a fosv hours.

Mrs Down, who was murdered near Sydney last week by her husband, tho lattor afterwards leaping over a cliff into tho sea, was Ids sooond wifo, and they had been married loss than 12 months, but latterly had lived unhappily. Down was addicted to drink. Rocently ho was receiving remittances from England, and there is said to be a sum of £OOOO from his sister now on its way to Austswlia.

Tho Wanganui Hospital fete took place on Thursday at Victoria Park, and was a great success. About 2000 people wore present. Bishop Wallis was a visitor to tho scene during tho day. The goldfields of all Maslionaland liavo a united area of 5250 square miles. The number of children attending the public schools of tho Colony on tho 31st Docembcr lastwas 120,850, an increase of 2550 over tho number for the previous year, while the averago attendance was 100,022, as compared witli 103,490 in 1894. The pupils on the roll included 1894 Maoris, independent of the number attending Nativo schools. The number of children who passod some standard during tho year was 70,287. Tho trustees of . tho late Mr Hyman Marks have intimated to the Christchurch Hospital Board that they intend to make a gilt to the Board of £SOO, contingent on tho Government subsidising tho amount, for the purpose of completing a ward in the named after the deceased.

Now books to tho value of £IOO are to be purchased during the year for tho Palmerston North Fire Brigade library. The annual meeting of tho Brigade was held on Friday evening, and an enjoyable “ social ” followed, at which several toasts wero honoured. The total receipts of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade for tho past year were £3BB 15.3 ■id, including a balance irom the previous year of £2l 3s fid, and the expenditure £37710s 3d. Lord Glasgow believes in the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, and said so at a meeting in Auckland last week. It was all very well, he said, to talk of the equality of the sexes, but the necessity for such a society showed that it was utter nonsense. He agreed with a suggestion that the polico force should he increased to prevent children from walking the streets, and said there was not sufficient police protection at night. A phenomenal sight was witnessed by the passengers of the steamer Wakatipu on tho trip from Sydney. When about 120 miles east of Capo Farewell _ very heavy black clouds wore observed drifting to the S.W., and water-spouts commenccdjorming in close proximity to tho steamer. Eight distinct water-spouts wero soon within tho hour. The directors of the Wanganui Gas Company have decided to recommend a reduction in the price of gas of 2d per 1000 ft for lighting, and Is for heating, making the prices ‘Js, 10s and 0s Gd per 1000 ft. The Union Steam Ship Company have decided to dispatch steamers from Calcutta to Now Zealand between the months of July and November for the convenience of importers. H.AI.S. Ringdove, now in Auckland, is expected to arrive in Wellington on May 24th. She leaves Auckland on May 3rd, and will come down via the West Coast, calling at New Plymouth on route. The plans for the alterations to the Bank of Now Zoaland at Hawera show that the building will bo quite transformed in appearance, and will bo one of tho sights of tho town.

The Auckland newsboys wero treated to an excursion to Pukekolio, somo distance along the Waikato lino, last week, and

enjoyed themselves immensely, while there. On the way up, lloWevcr, they had to listen to a speech from Captain Russell. The idea that intoxicants are not sold to the inhabitants of the New Hebrides is a mistaken one-that is, if we are to believe a correspondent writing to a friend in Sydney. lie states that the sale of spirits to natives in the absence of the warships is carried on to a disgraceful extonh, and significantly asks, “ Whence does the liquor come ? Somo say New Caledonia; others, Sydney.” In any case, ho attributes some of tho recent murders not to tho sale of firearms, but to tho sale of “ firewater.”

A Alarlborougli i-anger made a distinct seoro tho other day when he found the polico horse straying and walked it off to tho pound. A telegram in an Auckland paper states that several of the AVailii battery hands have left the employ of that Company owing to tho dust evil.

As representatives of the Alauchester Cooperative Wholesale Society are shortly expected in the colonics to purchase goods, the following particulars of the business done last year will be of interest: —Tho Soeiety employs G 400 men, and its sales for 1895 wero nearly £10,000,000. Butter was sold to the value of £2,070,000; sugar, £1,119,200; choeso, £272,500; bacon and ham, £586,300 ; dried fruit, £157,900; tea, £595,000; coffee and chocolate, £204.500. Direct importations of goods to tho value of £2,574,090 were made from 14 different countries, by far the largest amount going to Denmark, which received £1,352,350 chiefly for the purchase ef butter.