LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 13, 6 May 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There sire some people who tin not appear to tie well ac juaiiitcd with tiie class of literature suited to the Good Templar mind. A eas« came under our notice this morning. A tall blaek-eoateddook-down-yonr-no:e-sort-of-yard-of-pttmp-water-mnn entered a book* seller's shop and enquired for a really firstclass standard work on Good Templary. The bookseller eyed his customer, and then remarked : '* Yon want a first-class work giving all particulars of the Order and the henefits derived from total abstinence ?" "That's the l»ook, exactly," replied the customer. T!i2 stationer handed him "150.\ ? s Practical Hydraulics." The six feet of oxygen and hydrogen mixed didn't spend a red cent in the shop. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the ".Illustrated New Zealand Herald." The Polynesian Sketches, and " Vaccinating the Native Crew on .Hoard the Mail Steamer Sumatra," are excellent. The " City Fete at Collingwood, Victoria," is al.:o a humourous bit of jxttictiimg. The letter-press is <mite up t«> former issues, and does credit to the publisher, Mr. K. T. Wheeler, of Utme.li.i.

We are informed that the Bishop of the Diocese will officiate at the Harvest Thanksgiving Services- appointed to he heM at St. l.nkes l.'hnnh to-morrmv, morning and evening. His Lordship will also hold a Continuation S'cniw at 3.30 in the afternoon, previous to which the rite of Holy Baptism will he administered; ami all parents desirous of bringing their children to thi* service arc requested to he at the Church punctually at half-part threcr. Hie usual meeting of the Sunday School for the* after - itooa will he dispensed with. The morning service will commence at eleven as usual, and the evening at seven, instead cf half-past six, as heretofore.

We are requested to state that the Gospel Meeting, customarily held in Tees-street Hall, Mill be held to-morrow in the new hall next to Mr. Koss's shop, in the same street, at 7 p.m.

"Frank Fudge" in the "Saturday.Advertiser" writes :—" Irishmen are proverbial for their droll sayings and funny bulls, but here ami there you will drop across a Scotchman who is able to keep his own with I'nt in this line. A day or two ago Jemmy M*C and myself were taking about the death of a mutual friend. "Of course you are going to the funeral," I remarked. "Na, na, moii," lie sighed, "I dinna see the use o' ganging tac a frcen's funeral when he's dead."

Tlie annuul general meetuig of the members of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held in the Mechanics' Institute this afternoon at two o'lock. The President of the Association, Mr. Fleming, occupied the chair, and there were about twenty-four members present. A good deal of important business was transacted, but owing to the late hour at which it was held, we are reluctantly compelled to hold over a detailed report until our next issue.

The " Cromwell Argus" considers that the " Evening Star*' is now the only Dunedm paper supporting the General Government policy, but it is quite a match for its contemporaries, and sets an example of fearless and independent conduct it would bs well for them to imitate.

In the assault case partly heard at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the evidence was of such a nature that the court was cleared, ami the case heard with closed doors. -All the evidence was given in (Gaelic, and interpreted. Some of the questions put l.y Counsel were very pointed, and well worth republishing verbatim. We give one or two of them. Mr. O'Mcagher, to prosecutrix : <>' hae th' 110:1 wach focht ta nick ma tooki lacht a noon ? Prosecutrix : A' 111011 wi ane licht doon ti v/a ma sae a back. Mr. O'Mcagher: Ana dostint ae we fill ni diima tak na light a v.eel ? Prosecutrix : Ltdi a ma ane wi mo:i so tak wach sick. There were other important questions put to" witness, but onr compositors refuse to "set them up," unless at double rate. One of the young imps who run The Mail called la t evening at the shop of a highlyrespectable gentleman in this town, and offered him the " Ilevcning Mail, only a penny, with a full haccount of the 'orrible murder/" The merchant declined to purchase the paper, as he had no change. The young KMcal refused to sell on credit, and retired ; hut in a few minutes returned and, addressing the shopkeeper said, " Amt you a Coun- . cillor, Mister?" "Yes, my boy, I am.": "Weil, then, look 'ere, I'm blest if I don't j trust you a paper. It won't break me if you never pay." Business was transacted. .

The will of the late Alfred Anderson, musician, has been proved in the Supreme C.iirt. Melbourne. The document is a short ..;,.-, and V.-.W made on the 2<;th February hist, and by it ho leaves all his real or per- *:■;!:-,! property to his mother. Mr. Ander-.-ii»:t. thu father of the deceased, a:id Mr. Bentwitch, tobacconist, are appointed executors. The property is sworn at :C*2,300. (.'able communication with Australia is now completely cut oil' by tiic breaking of no less than two of the cables»f.-irniing the submarine linv, ami as the repairing steamer is at present at Pciiang, there is no vessel for the Port Darwin and Java section. It may, perhaps, be two or three weeks or more before through communication will be restored. We desire to draw the attention of the Railway Department to the necessity of having some recognised time for the departure of the train for the 'Breakwater, which is advertised to run on the days of sailing of tiie various steamers from the Port. This morning the Samson and Matau were to sail according to advertisement, at 10 o'clock. A large number of passengers by the train, representing a considerable section of the commercial community, arrived at the station a few minutes after the above hour, but it was not until ten minutes to eleven that the train Isnally started. A* considerable amount of dissatisfaction was freely expressed at this apparent unnecessary delay ; and in the interest of the public we draw the attention of the Department to the above facts, in the hope that the grounds of comj'laint will be speedily remedied.

The "Waikato Times " says :—" Mr. Nutt, of Tai Tapu, has had a most extraordinaiy yield of barley from the horse-shoe paddock on his farm, the average being ninety-one bushels to the acre. We have been favoured with an inspection of a sample of the barley crown, which is a good sound grain, i;t far malting purposes." One of those unscrupulous Sunday papers which pander to the sansculottes and feed them with falsehoods, speaks of the appointment of I.irl Charles Beresford as commander of H. M.S. Sultanas "a positive iniquity," ami describes his lordship as "a mere youth of about twenty-two years of age," possessed of " very little experience indeed iti any ships at all." This mere youth of twenty-two must wear his years well, for he is thirty by the calendar. As to his experience, he joined the Royal Navy over sixteen years ago, so that it is the fault of his aristocratic birth if he does not know an anchor from a binnacle. During his nautical career he has served on board the Marlborough, Defence, Clio, Tribune, Luchez, Research, Victoria and Albert, and Galatea;

but these, in the skilled judgment/of the demagogues, are not ships .at all: -' An extraordinary case of shooting came before the Atherstone magistrates the other day. William John Portman> nine years old, •son of a miner at Austre3 r , in his parent's absence loaded his'father's gun,and, in firing at a bird-in the garden, shot his brother, only two years old, dead. The lad then deposited the body beneath the stairs in the house, after which he cooly took up a book and sat reading by the fire. ' He at first denied having killed the boy, but ultimately confessed that he did it accidentally. Pie was discharged. There is a reptty little dispute on just now between the Dunedin Football and Cricket Clubs. The former (says the " Star ") made application for the use of the pavilion on a recent Saturday, which does not appear to have been actually refused. There was, however, some confusion on this point, and the footballers removed the lock on the pavilion door, and used the building when they played their match. The Cricket; Club authorities appear disposed to resent this action, but we "hope at the meeting that is to be called in a few days a satisfactory arrangement may be come to. It will not do for two clubs, having such a community of interest, to quarrel.