Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 6849, 26 March 1897, Page 3

Items.

The perjury for which Thomas Seaward was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment at Bler.beim was that he had sworn in a case in which he was defendant as licensee of the George Hotel. Picton, that he had not sold a bottle of liquor to R. Sullivan. A witness on Seaward's side named H. Langlands also received twelve months.

An extraordinary story is told by the Masterton Standard. More than 30 years ago the father of Mr A. Brook Lee, of Masterton, was believed to have been killed in the Maori war, and was mourned by his family as dead. But he recovered from his wounds only to learn that his family had perished in a heavy flood at the Hutt. Instead of going to Wellington to see if it were a fact, he decided to go to California, where he resided for many years. He eventually settled in British Columbia, where he prospered and became a wealthy ranch owner. A short time ago he heard that his eldest son was a!i?e in New Zealand, and immediately sent for him. Mr Brook Lee, jun., left by the last outgoing Sin Francisco mail boat, and expects to be absent abuut a year. In the meantime Mrs Lee and famiiy continue to reside in Masterton.

The other day it was reported that a Maori woman had been attacked by a hawk up Auckland way. Now the Tuapeka Times states that Mr Couston, who has lately been camped out surveying the water-race was fiercely and vigorously attacked by a hawk. It rushed at him repeatedly brushing him with its wings, and knocking his hat off. He drove it away with some trouble, when it attacked one of the chain-men in the some manner.

The widow of the late Mr Carson, of Belfast, who spent most of her time travelling between England and America on board the Lucania, has just died in New York. She bequeathed her entire fortune to the officers of that vessel, including LIO,OOO to her captain; her daughter, who opposed her mother's seagoing mania, receiving only L2OO. The London Times reports that in 33 civil cases which it investigated, in all of which the plaintiff won, the average amount recovered was L4l and the average costs were L9O. And the law is built just like that in the colonies.

' The contractor, the sub-contractor, and the lowest tenderer are survivors of an industrial epoch that is rapidly changing for the better, and no one need deplore their sudden, complete, and, we hope, painless extinction. I ' —Lyttelton Times.

A Home paper has this complimentary to New Zealand's Prime Minister Our colonies set us interesting examples now and then in things both great and small.

This is suggested by the arrival here of copies of an official Christmas card issued by Mr Seddon, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. The idea is singularly happy, the card is artistic and eloquent of good wishes, and altogether the New Zealand Premier is to be congratulated on his innovation.

At the present moment, re the Turkish question, it is stated that all the Powers are agreed as to the reforms necessary, but it is feared that they may not agree as to the reprisals upon the Porte if not assented to and carried out.