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Otago Daily Times, Issue 11943, 17 January 1901, Page 4

The Telegraph department notify us that Berne advises the restoration of communication with all places on the other side- of Santa Elena, South America, for all messages marked via Galveston. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, Minister of Public Works, brought his Otago tour (o a close last evening, when he returned from the Otago Central Ivy the evening train. Mr Hall-Jones will.visit the. works in progress at the new Law Courts this morning before proceeding north by the express. He mil then go on to < Tirnaru, where ho will stay over night, proceeding to Ghristcliurch and Wellington tomorrow. Mr W. H. Hales, chief engineer to the Public Works department, who accompanied him on his southern (rip, will also go north to-day. The census of New Zealand will be taken on the night of Sunday, March 31. The ordinary meeting of the Otago Board of Education was held yesterday afternoon, when a large number of applications .were considered and dealt with. As usual on- the first sitting day, the business was of minor consequence, the principal matters being reserved for the following day, but one question of considerable interest—the circular from tiie Education department regarding the distribution of: the parliamentary grant to the district high schools—came up, and was referred for consideration to a committee of the whole board at the next monthly meeting. Wo have received 2s for the Mre Edwards fund froH A. I-. 2. H-, Palrn»j»toi>,

From the 7th to the 13th inst. inclusive— that is, since the introduction of the penny postal rate—there were posted at the Dunedin Post Office 79,475 letters! During the corresponding week of last year the number posted was 67,584, which shows that between the dates mentioned there has been an increase- this year oi 12,091 letters. The increase last year on the year before, when there was no decrease in the postal rates, was a(W 3000, as against 12,000 for this year, bo that the assumption is tW the last increase is duo to {wo cause*—the reduction in the postal rate and an increase of business in and about the town. There ia a alight falling off in newspapers, book packets, etc. The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Inititution Trustees was held yesterday afternoon, there ■ being present—Messrs Haynes (chairman), Clark, Wilson, Trescder, Burnett, and Hazletr. The accounts passed for payment amounted to £235 lps. On the motion of. Mudlark, seconded by Mr Wilson, Mr C. Haynes was re-elected to the position of chairman for the ensuing 12 months. Mr Haynes returned thanks, and intimated that it was necessary to also appoint a treasurer. ' Mr William' Swan was re-elected to the position,, Mr Treseder preferring to stand aside, though'. ■ during Mr Swan's illness he had been acting-treasurer. Messrs Clark, Trese- . der, and the treasurer were elected a Finance Committee for the ensuing 12 months. Forty relief cases were dealt with. A man in a. state of nudity was arrested in* Stuart street about half-past 4 o'clock yesterday morning by the constable on duty in that quarter. It appears the man had been advised by his medical adviser at Invercargill to go north for the benefit of his health, and by some means he found his way out to Abbotsford on Tuesday night. At the abattoirs he divested himself of his clothing, , and then started to walk to "town by way of Rpslyn. As 1 stated already, he was met in a nude condition in Stuart street, whore the police took charge of him. Later in the day he was.committed to Seacliff Asylum.

Sir Westby Perceval, Lady Perceval, and Miss. Perceval are among the New Zealand passengers by the China, which arrived at Fremantle yesterday. Lieutenant-colonel Francis, of the 1 fourth contingent, invalided homo from South' Africa, is also a passenger by the China. ' A meeting was to have been held at tho Town Hall last evening for the purpose of fixing a day to be observed as the halfholiday for the ensuing year, but lapsed for want of a quorum. His Worship the Mayor (Mr R. Chisbolm), Mr T. K. Sidey (Mayor of Caversham), Mr Do Mans (Mayor of Port Chalmers), and Crs Denniston and Park being the only persons to put in an appearance. The meeting was therefore adjourned until Wednesday evening next, The Southland Pipe Band reached Dunedin last night on their return journey to Invercargill from the Commonwealth celebrations. 'The bandsmen speak in the highest term 3 of the treatment they received on the other side? and of the many stirring and historic scenes of which they were witnesses. A few weeks ago reference was made in the Christchurch papers to the case of a young irian in that city who woke up one morning to learii that he had been married tho day previously. Something further on the matter now comes from Wellington, Says the Post:—" ' I was duped into the marriage,' was the plea set up to-day by a young man named Charles 15. Withers, who was charged with wife-desertion. Mr Gray, counsel for defendant, said his client was a sufferer from epileptic fits, and he suddenly woke up one day to find himself a married man. Defendant stated in the witness-box that he was willing to keep his wife, but as for marriage, ' it was a thing he would never again go in for as long as he lived.' The magistrate said he was afraid there had been grievous faults on both sides; but tho defondant, having entered into marriage, would have to stand by his contract to a certain extent—ho must pay 5s a week towards his wife's support." The Rcv.'W. Blade, of the Wesleyan .Mission in Fiji, writes at length in the Fiji Times on tho subject of " Federation and thq Natives." He says that the Fiji Government has committed itself to the maintenance of the communal system amongst the natives, and be contends that that has been a great mistake. Ho says that the policy oi tho Wesleyan Mission, in its synods and church courts, has been to promote individualism amongst the natives. The policy of the Government has been, and is now more than ever, the direct opposite of this. The Councils are a mere matter of form, ;md are dominated by officials, and the will of the people gives place always to the personal will of the Governor, Mr Slade condemns the poll tax as unjust. His conclusion is that the natives have found the present form of government anything but a blessing, and that tho Government itself has been a huge and ghastly failure. Mr Slade contrasts this with the native policy in Now Zealand. Tho Vatican authorities have decided (says the Melbourne Argus) to destroy their magazine of arms. Ever since the Pope was deprived of lm temporal ■ power the arms of the Papal soldiers have been stored away, to be in readiness for future use whenever the head of the church is reinvested with sovereign authority. As that event seems to grow further off than ever, and as his Holiness's lethal weapons are gettir.g out of date, a council of cardinals has decided that the whole armoury of slaughter should bo disposed of. It was found later on that they were so useless no one would purchase them, and it has therefore been decided to burn the wooden part 3 and to sell the motal for old iron, out of which may some day be evolved the Scriptural ploughshares and pruninghooks. Last.night the hall of First Church was densely packed with Sunday school fcliolan. These young people wero assembled to practise the hymns to be sung at the Otago Sunday School Union's twentieth century demonstration in the Agricultural Hall on the 30th inst,, and, under the conductorship of Mr T. Holgato, with Miss E. M. Logie as organist, thoy sang very well indeed. The accent was good, and there was an entire absence of flattening. They should do even better' at' noxt Wednesday's practice.

The Railway department will issue excursion tickets from the country districts to Dunedin in connection with the reception of the returning troopers. The representative of the Polypathic Medical Institute, Christchurch, will deliver a lecture to men only in tlio Alhambra Theatre on Sunday cvoning. Messrs. Wright, Stephenson, and Co. will hold a sale of stack at Balclutha to-moirow. Messrs Park, Reynolds, and Co. will sell household furniture, tandem bicycle, etc., at their rooms this afternoon. Messrs Sievwright Bros, and Co. will sell at their rooms on Monday, 28th inat., a parcel of hnd situated at St. John's Wood, North-East Valley. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company will hold a sale of horses, implements, etc., at Hillend, near Balclutha, on Tuesday, February 12. On Tuesday, February 26, they will hold a clearing sale of sheep at Taieri Lake station. The National Mortgage and Agency Company, Oamarn, mil sell on Saturday, 26i!i inst,, " a freehold farm in the Ngapara district, The Bluff Harbour Board invite tenders lot the purchase of their iron coal hulk Titan. Tenders are: invited for the stock-in-trs.de, plant, and goodwill of tho sailmaking business of the late Mr Oloi Christian. The Railway dep.-rtment announce that goods traffic will now be accepted on the Ota<;o Central line. We Java to acknowledge receipt or" a calendar and also a pocket almanac and diary from the local district manager of tho Phoenix Assurance Company of London: a calendar from the London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company, for which Mr H. D. Stronach is agent and attorney; and also a neat calendar from tie American Tobacco Company of -Vcw ZealaruJ; Auckland. Special Purchases of Drapery and Clothing.— Carter and Co,, Dunedin and Invercargil!, are now oßoring a large quantity of useful goods at half the usual price. Bead their advertisement.—A.dvt. . G. and T. Young, jewellers, Princes street, having enlarged their premises are this year making'a specially laige display of goods suitable for Christmas and New Year presents, They guarantee excellent quality and good value.—Advt. Wso is Peter. Dick?— The most reliable Watchmaker and Jeweller, opposite i Coffee ?<dace, Moray place, Dunedin. Charges strictly

Moeraki.—Superior seaside accommodation far summer and winter visitors.—Mrs W. G. Stronach, Moeraki House, Hillgrovc.—Advt. • Massage, Electricity, and Tallerman's hot dry air. For rheumatism, paralysis, nerve and joint troubles, etc.—Mr and Mrs Edwin Booth, Stuart street, Vunedin. Telephone 60O.~Advt.