News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 14

News of the Week.

. Miss Ritchie has rec'elvedthe appointment of ' assistant schoolmistress .at . the, Milton Grammar School. s The Normal School aad playground , are now being enclosed 'by a brick'-wali' about five feet in height. , r;, j "> . '** aw On the application of Mr Lewis, a pawnbroker's license was granted to Aaron "Moss at the Dunedin Resident Magistrate's Court on the 10th. With sincere regret we have to announce that Captain Griffiths succumbed on the 15th. to the malady with which ho was assailed bo short a time ago. The Solderie Opera Bouffe Troupe have arrived at Auckland by the Australia. : .This Company, which has jaeen of late perform* ing in the States, will open at Auckland. . There was a crowded congregation- at- ithe Queen's Theatre last Sunday. .TheJßevt Mr Dbllamdre discoursed on the question, "How shall we escape if' we neglect so greaVaalvaturn?'.'' " • -"'J'i ... -it ... •: /..At the Danedin Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, a witness stated that horse* flesh (draught) had- advanced 100, par cent", in the Dunedin market during the past thiea months. ' Two men residing at the Big Bush, in the Tokomairiro district,"' shot, during the season just closed, no less than 191 cock pheasants, which they readily, disposed of at'satisf»ctory prices.- r ... , The Tablet understands . that the,, bull? appointing the Very Rev. Dr. Chareyre Bishop' cf Auckland have reached' .'the Colony, but it is by no means certain that he will accept the preferred see. - " ' ■ i The case of Gibbs and Clayton v. Frank Le Bmne, in which the plaintiffs claim £100 damages for interference with their rights as patentees for the New Zealand cabbage-tree broom, was closed on the 10th, Judgment was reserved.- ' ' *

The Mosgiel-Outram branch line will be opened for traffic in about a month's time. It would have been ready ere this, but the floods of February last retarded the work. A few, sidings remain to be finished, and some other unimportant work ia still in hand.

A meeting of the Clutha Couniy Council was held on Tuesday, at which resolutions were passed urging upon the Government to form the first six miles of the railway from Balclntha to Catling River ; also, a railway from the main Southern Trunk line to Tapanni.

A dinner in celebration of the inauguration of the Bruce Coursing Club, was held in the White Horse Hotel on Wednesday evening, when abont 20 gentlemen were present. Although the Clnb has been bat a very short time in existence, it has already a member* ■hip of 40.

At the Canterbury land sales on Monday and Tuesday, 15,870 acres were disposed of, situated as follows :■— Ashby, 362 acres ; Selwyn, 1G52 acres ; Akaroa, 72 acres ; Ashbarton, 2635 acres ; Geraldine, 9347 acres ; Wafmate, 1802 acres 2 roods 20 perches, realising £31,741 ss.

The weather was exceptionally favourable for football on Satarday afternoon. A scratch match was played at the Caledonian Society's Grounds by about 24 members of the Dunedin Clnb, J. C. Thomson and It. Park having selected the sides. At the North Recreation Ground the Union Club played an interesting match.

The Bluff Wharf extension of 390 ft will be out of hand in about two months' time. All the piles are of totara, a very durable timber, but rather difficult to get The contractors have been very unfortunate, as their work has been partially destroyed on three separate occasions by steamers running into it and knocking away the piles.

The damage done to Messrs Royse, Stead, and Co.'c premises by the fire on Saturday morning was of a very trifling character. The fire is believed to have originated through, some cinders having been carelessly placed in a wooden box on the floor of Mr G. B. Barton's office, which is situate over th© firm's right-of-way in Rattray street.

His Honour Justice Williams on Wednesday delivered judgment in the appeal case of Duffy y. Istodaon. The case caused a great deal of interest when tried in the Police Court, as it involved questions of considerable importance to hotelkeepers. Hi* Honour held tbat the appellant had been wrongly convicted, and decided tbat he fthould have bis coats as against the respondent.

Mr Robert Patterson was .the only candidate.nominated for the office of Councillor for Park Ward in Sb. Kilda on Monday, and he was therefore declared duly elected. In thanking the ratepayers Mr Patterson said ifrwsw bis detenninat on to give as much satis faction in the Council as he possibly could. The first improvements to be made in the Municipality, he thought, were drainage and road making.

The Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade held their annual ball on the 10th in the Temperance Hall, which was beautifully decorated with * large number oj handsome flags. The cup .won by the .Brigade at the Dunedin Demonstration and the certificate they brought from Ballarat were exhibited on the. platform. About 60 couples were present Mr ConnelT- band supplied an excellent programme.

There was a very good muster at the inipestlon ol the City Guards last Monday, were being present : — 1 Bub-lieutenant, 5 sergeants, 1 bugler, and 56 rank and file. Thu number included 16 from Anderson's Bay. Of the Cadets, there were present : — The captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 sub-lieutenant, 4 sergeants, and 25 rank and file. Lieut Jacobs, of the Dunedin Naval Brigade, was the inspecting officer.

.Persons visiting Lawrence will find in the Athenaeum there a collection of facsimiles of famous Victorian nuggets, which is well worthy of inspection. The largest of them are the Viscount Canterbury, which weighed llOSoz. of solid gold ; the Viscountess of Canterbury, 8840z., and Knm Lo* f 718oz scwt.- The nuggets whose gilded counterparts are shown at L&wreace were all found at Berlin, aear Inglewood.

,The New Zealand Times state 3 that the ball 'given by the Hon. George M'Lean, M.H.R., at the Provincial Hall, wen* off witK" great eclat. About 200 persons were present, amongst whom were many of the members cf the Upper and Lower Houses, and leading private citizens of Wellington and country visitors, combining to make it one of the moat successful social gatherings that has ever taken place in Wellington.

In the annual report of tha Dunedin Young Men's Christian Association, reference wm mads to the want of increased room accommodation required for holding lectures, das*e», and meetings. We learn that new premises have now been secured— the Board having taken the suite of rooms recently occupied by the Otago Clnb, near the Qoeen'e Theatre. The Board will take possession on the Ist of October. The annual social meeting, of the Association will be held on September the sth.

A very successful and well attended entertainment was given in the University Hall on the 10th in aid of the Fun.la of the University Cricket Club. H. S. Chapman, Esq., was in the chair. The first part of the programme consisted of a concert, and M the various items which it contained were rendered by well known musical amateurs, it passed off very sucessfully. In two or three instances encores were demanded, but in consequence of the leDgfch of the entertainment were not complied with.

The^ Commissioner of Police received the following telegram dated Oamaru, 12th August :-rThis afternoon the body of a woman named Louisa Tracey was found in thewaterhole at the foot of tho steep embankmenfc in Itchen street. From markß on the clay of the embankment it appears she slipped down a height of aoout 30ft. She was seen the worse of liquor at 11 o'clock lart night, and from where she was so seen to where she was to sleep she had to pass the watwbole. There are no m*rk» of violence oath© body."

A special meeting of the Milton Town Council was held on Monday evening, for the purpose of receiving the report of the member who had been appointed to ascertain the conditions under which the Waihola and Kaitangata municipal reserves were granted. It was found that thesa lands were set aside as Municipal Reserves in 1857 for the benefit of the Dunedin Corporation, consequently all the Milton Town Council's hopes of obtaining a share of the rents accruing from those lands have vanished into the thinnest air.

A good number of those who were conveyed by Government to Balclutha for the purpose of receiving employment on the Balclutha and Clinton section of the Southern Trunk Line have tramped back again to Dunedin, while others are loitering about Balclutha doing nothing, as they were not at all satisfied with the wages they would be able to make. Some, indeed, did not want any employment, and, after receiving food and tents from Mr M'Millan, refused to set to work, on which he gave them two hours' notice to clear out.

A somewhat dangerous accident occurred at Blueßkin yesterday to a man named Edward Washington, who has lately ar rived from Liverpool. About 12 o'clock, Mr Downs was driving some bullocks to his slaughter-yard, when lie perceived Washington sitting at the side of the road. He called out to him to get out of the way, but as the unfortunate man was about to get through a fence, one of the bullocks rushed at him, and, catching him under the right arm with its horns, carried him for about a chain and then left him. Mr Downs drove him to the Hospital, where he was attended io by Dr Tighe.

A summons, arising out of the case of Chalmers v. Clarke, was dealt with by His Honour Mr Justice Williams in Chambers last week. Among other matters disclosed in the affidavits wai a statement made by Mr Larnach, that from inquiries instituted by him that a telegram forwarded to the Australian newapacers, had, he believed, been forwarded by plaintiffs' solicitors, or by some one acting on behalf of plaintiffs, and that the statement made in the telegram that he had left New Zealand in order to escape examination was untrue. The summons, which called upon Mr Larnach to show cause why he should not be examined, was dismissed, with costs. Mr Larnach proceeded to Wellington on Saturday.

Charles Lo France, a frequent offender against the laws of sobriety, was all but sacrificed to his darling vica on Saturday night. Soon after midnight Captiin Condy, of the barque Bobycrto, lying at the N«w Pier, Port Chalmers, was aroused from his slumbers by the cries of a irowning man. He rushed on deck, manned his boat, rescued the unfortunate fellow, who was apparently sinking for the last tune, and conveying him on board the barque used all means for his recovery. The man soon came to, and then it was ascertained that notwithstanding the effects of a severe ducking he was still very drunk. The Police were then communicated with, and Constable Livingston, who was on duty, recognised the man as Le France, an old acquaintance, and convoyed him to the lock-up.

■ At the last meeting of the City Council, the Mayor alluded to the extreme unsuitableness of the Council Chamber for public purpoaeß, and intimated his intention of applying to the General Government for the use of a room. He accordingly telegraphed to the Hon. George M'Lean, and received s reply yesterday stating that the use of the late Provincial Council Chamber had been promised to Mr Beeves, and that would be at the disposal of the City Council uiitii required by the Government. The Council probably will not hold their next sitting tliere, but at the following one the ancient walls which so often rang with the eloquence that fell from the lips of the members of the now defunct Provincial Council, will resound with the oratory for which our civic dignatdries are so famous.

On Wednesday evening Captain Storry, of tho Lawrence Fire Brigade, invited His officers and men to a sappsr at the Comxnercial Hotel, to mark hia having been reelected captain for the second time. About 20 sat down to supper, amongst the gutsts being Inspector Thompson and the Mayor, Messrs Towsey and Monsghan representing the hon. members, and Mr W. Hayes the Insurance Companies. During the evening Mr Qain, treasurer, presented Captain Storry with a very handsome silver ornament and chain, inscribed "Presented to Captain J. N. Storry by the members of the L.V.F.R." The Lawrence Fire- Brigade ia now in a most satisfactory position, has done good service, and with a captain that takes so great an interest ia its welfare it cannot but prove a success and a great benefit to the town.

His Honour Mr Justice Williams held a sitting in Bankruptcy on Monday. Three cases were set down for hearing, two of which wera quickly disposed of, and which contained matters of no general interest. The remainder of the day, up to 5 o'clock, was taken up in examining witnesses in re Joseph Mackay. At the conclusion of the evidence, Mr Haggitfc addressed the Court, stroagly contending that the case aavoured of fraud, aud the applicant's discharge should be suspended for the full period allowed by the Act. Mr Stewart, on behalf of the bankrupt, referred in strong terms to the action of the opposing creditor, which was the !National Bank, in seeking to deprive Ylr Mackay of the means cf supporting himself and his family for one or two years. The bankrupt's discharge wa3 suspended for six months.

The performance at the Princess Theatre on Satarday evening consisted cf the favourite drama of " The Octoroon." The piece on the whole was very well cast — Mrs Hall taking the part of Zoe. fler representation of the Octoroon girl was a very good one, but would suffer by comparison with the delineation of the same character by some of her predeceß3ors iv Dutudin. Mr Hall was a capital Salem Scudder. Mia* Lizzie Morgan, as Dora Sunuyside, played in a spirited manner, but she considerably marred the effect in the scene where Zoe was being tiold by bidding 20 instead of 20,000d01. The other characters ia the piece were fairly sustained, especially that

cf Pete. The gentleman who acted the part of auctioneer should not be intrusted with it again, unless he feels disposed to act bolter, aud dress more appropriately thau he did on Saturday night.

Some good specimens of workmanship are being turned out by the Port steam hammer. The large forging of railway rails has been resolved into a large stare of solid iron 12ft. long, circular for the greater part of its length and square at the small end. The circular part itj in three sizss, to wit. 9 Jin., 7£in., and G4iu. diameters, whilst the square is 4§in. It is a pretty piece of work, solid, and tru« as posbible, -with excellent finish. This stive is the first step in the construction of a steamer's shaft, and is to be kept on hand ready for utilising in the event o£ an order for a shaft being given. Several good slabs of iron — solid metal — were forged, yesterday from the small furnace, and the forgeman :s also engaged in preparing tools for heavy -work. The hammer operates with marvellous lightness as well as power, bars of Btesl and iron as small as a quarter of an inch in diameter being- worked up by it.

The Queenstown lawyrra are evidently anything but a happy family. Prom the last number of the Wakatip Mail we take the following : — Yesterday, the only business of inten sfc in the K.M. Court was a case in which W. Johnston was charged with wilful and corrupt perjury on 14th May last, in an affidavit before VV. Turfcou, solicitor, verifying the due execution of a deed of agreement or bill of sale from Miller and Ludeman to ona Craigie, whereas he swore that the said bill of silo was executed on the 10th day of May, 1877. 'well knowing that it was signed on the 11th day of May, 1577. Several witnesses were called for the prosecution, which was conducted by Mr Finn. Accused (who appeared in person) produced no evidence except what was elicited in cross-examination. At the conclusion of the case, Mr Stratford, after deliberation, said the question for him to consider was — Whether, if accused were committed for trial for wilful and corrupt perjury, he would be convicted? In hia (the magistrate's) opinion, he would not. Accused was, therefore, discharged. Mr Johnston requested that the evidence and all documents in coanection with the case might be carefully preserved, as he intended to bring an action for malicious prosecution — damages, £ 1003. Mr Stratford : Of course the documents will be preserved ; but it is nothing to do with the Court at the present time what you intend to do.