News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 9

News of the Week.

The result of the petition by Mr Buckland against the return of Major Harris for Frankly n North is that the Judges have declared the election void.

At a meeting of the directors of the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company, held on tne 16th, an interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum for the half-year ending February 28th was declared.

A house belonging to a, miner named Ellis, at Cornishtown, near Cromwell, was burned down, on the morning of the 16th. His child was burnt to death in the fire which occurred, during the temporary absence of the mother from the house.

In connection with the murder for which Dr Lamson has been condemned in England, the .following, describes the manner in which he administered the aconite to young John. The principal. of the establishment, young John, and Lamson partook of sherry together. While engaged an conversation Dr Lamson asked for some ground sugar, in order to, as he said, take away,, the alcoholic effect of what they were ,d.rinking,. The ground sugar having been , brought, Dr Lamson is alleged to have produced some capsules, and addressing his brother-in-law, said, "Percy, this is the way we used to take it in America to destroy the effects of the alcohol." Then he put some of the ground sugar into the empty capsule, and handed it; to Percy John, who swallowed it. Mr Bedbrook was handed one of the capsules before Mr John took his, but did not experience any unpleasant effect. '

The sheep inspectors, having also been appointed rabbit inspectors, have now received instructions, from the Government to strictly enforce in the proclaimed rabbit districts the provisions ,of "The Kabbit Nuisance Act, 1881," requiring, landowners and occupiers to destroy the rabbits on their property, subject to prosecution for neglect, and to liability for costs incurred by the inspector in the destruction of rabbits in the event of the occupier refusing to take the necessary action. ,

Mr Carew, R.M., held an Assessment Court at Mosgiel on the lGfch for various Road Board districts. Altogether there were nine objections to be considered, but only one objector appeared— namely, Mr J. Findlay, of North Taieri. His objection was not sustained.

Mosgiel having been gazetted a town district, the nomination of the first six commissioners took place on the lGfch. The following gentlemen were duly nominated :-—. Messrs Jago, Aifcken, Dickie, Dey, Dryden, Sinclair, Purvis, Styles, Knott, Webb, Brown, Pram, and Young. The returning-officer, Mr W. M'Leod, intimated that the polling would.take place on 25th inst. A good deal of interest is likely to be manifested over the election. Portions of two road board districts are included in the new district— namely, the East Taieri, in which there are about 130 ratepayers, and the' North Taieri, with a very considerably less number.

Messrs Oossens and Black, of Crawford street, have in course of manufacture a large brick-making apparatus, to the order of an Auckland company, and on the same principle as that recently turned out by them for the Walton Park Brick and Tile Companyi A few improvements have been effected, principally in the, strengthening, of the machine, whjch is capable of making, 18,000 bricks, per day of eight hours. Some time ago a description was given by- us of a' stone-hewing machine made by the firm for the Oamaru Stone Company! and ■the inventor (Mr William Murray) has! now 'ordered another on a different principle.} As showing the value of the hewer now at work in the quarry, the Company have been able to dispense' with the' services of tfverSO employes the'machine being quite capable of ' doing the 'workofi4o men. ' " J <• , The town of Alajuela, mentioned irj our' cable messages a morning ' or two ago as' Having Wen destroyed by an carfchqiialce in Costa Rica, had a population of 12,0Q0 or 13,000, '■ ' " several ■ thousands " of whom; are stated to have perished. ' Ifcis worth notingj that Alajuelii is 'situated upon the elevated iqoun- ■ tain' range which' runs along the centre of the narrow territories of ' Panama and Costa Rica, and it was -in the territory immediately to the north of Costa Rica, the Republic of Nicaragua, that one of the most remarkable earthquake ( and volcanic eruptions on record occurred, in January, 1535. At that time a darkness was caused which spread over the half of Central' America, and an area of something like 40,0 dp square miles was covered with the ashes thrown out from a volcano situated in the Bay' of Fonsena. The explosion's accompanying the eruption were heard even at Kingston, Jamaica, distant about 800 miles. On that occasion, however, no human lives appear to have been lost.

In speaking 9f the score (871) made by the Wellington Artillery, the New Zealand Times I says :— "The total score exceeds that made by I the Dunedin Battery by 135, the latter Sonly .reaching 736, while the Port Battery scored i715, -and Oamaru 629. The highest score made by any'member of the Oamaru Battery was, 74, whilst the lowest made by any mejnber of the' Wellington team was 80, the highest being 92.' The Wellington men have made a score which has rarely,, if ever, been excelled. It pnay be mentioned that, out .of 210 shots, .there-were only three misses.",/ , ■ i A meeting of Volunteer officers was held in the .Garrison Hallon.the IGtlij Colonel St&yely in the, chair, at which it was definitely decided to hold 'a Volunteer encampment at some spoti near Dunedin during Easter week. The bamp will begin probably on the day before Good Friday (April 7th), and will close on Easter Monday evening or Tuesday morning. • The arrangements will necessitate < each company providing its own commissariat, but tents, wood, ' and water will be provided. Lieut.colonel Stavely has been in communication with the country and goldfields companies relative to the matter, and ' has rt>ceiveti encouraging news with regard to the number likely to take part in the affair. The Southland Hussars are likely to be represented' by a detachment of about 80 members. The Volunteers are now being liberally treated by Government in regard to linancial provision on their behalf, and will doubtless show that they appreciate this treatment by taking advantage of such oppprtunities as the present to become acquainted with ,and to perfect, themselves in _all branches of their duties. < The Executive Council of the Ancient j)rder of Foresters, acting upon the decision of the Northampton High Court meeting, has expelledjfrom the Order 14 districts, comprising 60 courts, with 8315 members, in consequence of their having failed to register under the Friendly Societies Act as legal branches of the Order. The Executive state that this was the only course open to them, as any further delay would have brought the general law, and the High Court which passed it, into contempt. They add that already courts with nearly 2000 members have applied to, know what steps they can take to become registered, and. then be reinstated in the Order,

The accounts passed by tho Education Board on the 16th amounted to £9109' 13s 2d. The amount passed for payment for the corresponding month last year was £7098 5s 3d.

The people of Australia seem to have been more greatly affected by the 'news of the attempt upon her Majesty's life than were those of New Zealand. In a variety of ways, such as by the National Anthom being sung in the theatres, the public feeling' was shown ; and tho most enthusiastic meeting ever held in Adelaide took place with the object that the citizens might have an opportunity' , of expressing indignation at the attempted assassination of the Queen, and gratification.' at her escape. The meeting, which was convened by the Mayor, was addressed by the Chief JUstice, the Chief Secretary, the President of the Legislative Council, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, several ministers of religion, and others. A resolution was carried i expressing abhorrence of the act of M'Lean, 'and the thankfulness of the colonists at the safety of

the tiueen. A Sandhurst telegram in the. Age 'says:— " All affecting scene occurred in ' the , Royal Princess Theatre this ' evening, , on the conclasion of the first act of 'Les Cloches de Corneville'by 1 Pollard's Australian ' JuVenile Company. The juveniles were called' before the curtain, and Master C. Osmond^on tho whole of the company coming to' the , front, started the first verse of tho National.Anthem. Immediately he did so, the whole of' tho large audience, every part of the house included, rose to their feet with uncovered heads. The performers joined in the chorus, and Master Osmond then sang the second verse,' followed by the chorus as before. _ On its confession the audience burst into ringing cheers , for the safety of the Queen, hands were, waved and hats thrown into the air. The e'nth'ugiastio outburst of loyalty took some time 'to' calm down before the second act of the opera could be proceeded with."

A practical joke of an unusual naturo was perpetrated at Kelso the other clay. It appears that a return match was being played ■ there between the Tapanui and Kelso Cricket Clubs. Most of the Tapanui players made the journey on horseback, and, on arrival at their destination, turned their horses out in a small paddock near the scene of action. It was rather late before the match was concluded, and the players very naturally feeling inclined for a little refreshment, adjourned to a hotel hard by, where they proceeded to fight their battles over again under the cheerful influence of the flowing bowl. Little did they dream, while thus discussing the day's play, that"tlie; Kelso " larrikins , Wore busy with brush and paint effecting a complete change in the colour/ of the horses m the adjoining field. Imagine the surprise of the knights of the willow when, after the shades of evening had descended, they proceeded to the paddock and found .that they could not recognise their own horses, whicn were of a variety of colours very different from their natural hues. It was sometime- ere each rider was able to distinguish his own steed, but eventually the difficulty was overcome, and the party proceeded on their return journey muttering anything but blessings -oh Keiso ingenuity.

The information laid by Mr R. Quin, 'master of the Benevolent Institution, against/Mr 0. D. Hitchcock, charges the latter 'that' on or about the 4th February, 1882, he [did "unlawfully and maliciously write and publish ! a false and defamatory libel concerning the ' prosecutor. The alleged libel is in the form of 'a letter to Mr R. B. Martin (chairman of the benevolent Committee), charging Mr Quin,with being guilty of immoral practices towards female in,mates of the Institution.' " .''...■.

The man Frank M. Dighton, 1 whowas picked up insensible in Rattray, street on the night of the 6th inst.and conveyed to the Hospital by the police, died in that institution ori the" 11th, without ever having, regained consciousness. It appears that Dightbn must have fajlen down in an epileptic fit, ' from >vh'ich,' . he '," never recovered ; and as during the whole' Jihne he remained in the Hospital he was unconscious, his name could not •bo ascertained. ■' Ultimately a document was found in one of his pockets which showed his 'name to be as above, and his age 47. ' ' ' .<■• Several of the lodges of the M.U.1.0.0.F. in this city have held meetings to consider the proposal of amalgamation for the purpose of erecting a large hall in Dunedin. Most of the lodges are opposed to investing" their money in this manner, so that it is probable the proposal will not be carried out.

The Rev. W. S. Green, whose recent successful ascent of Mount Cook will perpetuate his name in this Colony, arrived in Duneditt from Christchurch on Friday, and beoame the guest of Mr Hodgkins. We have had the pleasure of seeing some exquisite water-colour sketches of points of the magnificent alpine scenery through which he passed in his dangerous, toilsome, and memorable ascent of the loftiest peak in Australasia. The views, are exceedingly picturesque, and have been capitally executed by Mr Green. One of the' most remarkable of them represents an immense icefield, over which they had to ' cut tracks with their ice-axes; and another is. a view of the place, . about 2000 feet from the • 'summit of the mountain, where Mr Green and his guides had to pass the night' standing on a narrow ledge. Mr Green, accompanied by Mr Hodgkins, left for the Lakes on Saturday. From the Gippsland Times we' learn that "the Rev. Mr Hartmarin, a' Church' of England clergyman stationed at Bairnisdale, was drowned on March 3rd while endeavouring to cross the River Mitchell near Glenaladale, a station about 15 miles from Bairrisdale. The first intimation of a probable disaste'r'was the finding of Mr Hartmann's hat in the river, and his horse, with the saddle and bridle on, on the opposite side to that on which he was last seen. A search party at once went out, and the worst suspicions were confirmed by finding the rev. gentleman's body in the river, a short distance below where the horse was seen. jTraces were found where the deceased gentleman had ridden up and down the bank of the river, evidently doubtful respecting the , crpssingplace. It was evident he was aware tliere was danger, as he had taken off his leggings and overcoat and strapped them to the saddle, so as to be prepared for any emergency. Mr Hartmann had only been married 12 months, and was greatly respected in the district, where his untimely end is much deplored."

The Commissioner of Customs in Melbourne has received information from the excise officer stationed at Ballarat that he has found in two large establishments in his district Colonial spirits offered for sale in genuine ,JDKZ bottles. Instructions have been given to proceed against the offenders, and the case will ba heard in the Supreme Court.

We understand that the sum of £50 has been subscribed by the Jewish congregation in Dunedin towards the fund which the Rev. Dr Messing is collecting for the relief of Jews in San Francisco. The Rev. Mr Messing preached at the Synagogue on Saturday last, and, delivered a very powerful sermon, in the course .of which he made some remarks in reply jto'ian, article published in our columns o»Tnurflday last.

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The benevolent concert given byMr D. A. De Maus at the. Foresters' Hall, Port Chalmers on Thursday evening was an unqualified success. JBetween four and five hundred persons were present, and testified their appreciation of the concert by constant rounds of applause. The first part of the programmo consisted of 'a number of excellently-rendered songs by the Colorado Minstrel Troupe, interapersed with some really clever local hits on the prevailing topics of the day. The afterpioce was an excellent buiietta, in which tho dialogues wero of the mest amusing character ; tho aongs wore well rendored, and the music all that could be desired. Mr De Maus conducted, and is to be congratulated on tho success which has attended his efforts., Tho same concert was to be repeated on Friday evening. At the City Police Court on Friday last, Frank Oliver, pedestrian, was charged on warrant with having on the 15th of February, at Papakaiolstolenasilver watch, gold chain, andgold ring, the property of Archibald Dalgteish, of which he ,was tho bailee— Detective Ede stated : I am stationed at Nelson, and arrested the accused on the 2nd inst. at Port Nelson on board the s.s. Kennedy. I said to him, " I believe your name is Frank Oliver— is it not ?" He replied, " No : you have made a mistake my name is Kerr. 1 ' I told him. that I had received a telegram from Wellington describing a man whom he resembled, and who was charged with larceny as a bailee of a gold ring, a gold chain, and a silver watch. < I said that I would have to detain him until further inquiries were made, and arrested him. At the police-station he said, " It is no use to deny it any longer; lam the person— my name is Frank Oliver." He also he had sold the watch and chain to a man named Woods, at Wellington, the day before ho left there. He took the ring (produced) off his finger, saying it was the ring in question, and on arriving at Wellington I received the watch and chain produced. Accused admitted ho had borrowed them from the informant. — Francis Woods, cabinetmaker, reBiding in Wellington, gave evidence as to purchasing the watch and chain from the accused on the 28th ult. Oliver said they were his own goods.— Cross-examined : Witness never promised to send back the watch ; and chain when he got £10. Accused wanted to borrow £10 y and witness refused to lend the money.— Alexander M 'Arthur, watchmaker, valued the articles before the Court at £26.— An adjournment was made till 8 p.m. on the 23rd, to enable the p'lhce to produce the owner of the articles. ■ The" sum of £18 has been collected in the locomotive department for William Blackwood, who was hurt at the same time that Joseph Woodcock was killed at Kaihiku. We understand' the doctor's bill has been sent for, and will probably be paid by the department. Blackwood has also been in receipt of half-pay since the accident. Good progress is being made with the Rewhole of the framework of the main buildings is now. completed, and a' portion of< the machinery, including the • boilers, has (been placed in position.

Tho autumn show of the TaieriHorticultural Society, held on Saturday, was an entire suc,ceßß, the number of entries exceeding what was tho case on the previous occasion. From the hour of opening till that of closing, the schoolroom was thronged with visitors, and the Committee will doubtless derive_ from Saturday's show a. handsome sum in addition to theLp pre- . sent substantial credit balaticel '- '[ '■ During Messrs ' Wright,' 'Stephenson,! and' Co.'b Weekly 'sale of horses 'at the Provincial Saleyards on Saturday, an animal which was being. Bold tookii fright,' and bolted in ampngst the. -crowd of onlookers* > A little boy was run over, but happily he received no serious injury by the mishap. •' "« .. i •!,,•■• i ' | ,

Messrs A.' 1 H. 1 Ross and John Jolly, jjun., vrer'o' h6miriated on Saturday, for the vacant seat? in'the',Cit;y Council, paused by the retirement 'of Mr Gilchr'ist from the, representation of Bell Ward. A pdll will be taken on the|3oth hurt. ' _' ,i ' ' , ' | Some decidedly impudent robberies havebeen committed in the suburbs of late j and the circumstances! ,are worth detailing,, that hpuseholde'rs may take warning. There is good rea 1 son for believing that a woman is the culprit— at least in one case, the facts of which are reported to us. Being a warm day the front; door of the house had been left open, and one of the girls' of the household happened to come into the passage just in time to sco a woman; step in. The visitor quite coolly made some query with regard to a neighbouring tenement} and being answered, turned to go out. The girl at the Bamo returned to the back of the house, and it seems that the woman must at once have stepped ir.co ene of the front rooms, and marched off with a gold watch and some jewellery, the whole amounting to about £30 worth. The police were communicated with, and one house, the woman residing in which was> believed by the girl referred to to have been the thief, was searched, but without result.. There have been a number of cases, particularly in the ' South end of Dunedhv i n which a woman (presumably the same as was so successful on i this, occasion) has made sudden entrances to houses. Possessing a bold front, she is always able to disarm suspicion by some reference to a house to let or a request to know where some person resides. The woman in question is well known to the police, but she is seldom able to be secured, as if she gets clear off with property (and there is every ground for believing she has done so on many occasions) the strictest search is unavailing to discover it. She appears to be a most expert thief.

During the year the sum of £1288 12s 8d has been distributed by the JKaitangata Relief Committee in alimony to the widows and children leftdestitute'by theexplosion. Thissumhas almost exactly been met by the interest from the £13,700 invested on account of the fund, the interest amounting to £1250 7s sd. The sum invested has thus not been touched upon, and the trustees start the inooming year with a credit balance at the Bank of £219 17s Sd. The aooident which happened to Mr Charles Lennon, of the firm of Hislop and Co., Kaitan- . gata, last week, has terminated fatally. The deceased never regained consciousness, and he died on Saturday morning. His body was removed the same day to Dunedin, and was buried on Sunday afternoon in the Southern Cemetery. He was 25 years of age, and his sudden death in the prime of life and full vigour of health is deeply deplored by the circle of friends which he made during a residence of two or three years in Dunedin previous to his going into business at Kaitangata. The deceased having been a member of the choir of St. Joseph's Church at one time, the " Dead March m Saul" was played at that place ot worship on Sunday, as an outgoing voluntary.

The Dunstan Times learns, through a private letter, of the death in Scotland of Mr Donald M'Pherson, an old Clyde resident, and at one time a member of the Provincial Council. He

went Home for his health about a year ago, 1 and news now comes that having been run over by a train he died of the injuries received.

Mr Henry Whitfoker is the succossful tenderer for platelayinjv and erection of station buildings on the' Edendale-Wyndham section of the Toi-Tois railway, the amount of his tender being £2189.

The Dunstan Times gives the following particulars of the fatal fire at Cromwell:— "A house owned by Mr Tippet, Cornish Town, and occupied by Mr T. Ellis, was burned to tho ground this morning. Mrs Ellis was with her sister a short distance from her own place, whon tho fire broke out ; before any assistance could be rendered Mrs Ellis' youngest child, aged two months, was burnt alive, while one about four years old escaped. The house was insured in tho Norwich Union for £50." The hotel occupied by Mr R. Kidd, on Manuka road, was also destroyed by fire early last week. It was insured in the National Offico.

At the City Police Court on Monday, Julia, Donald, and Annie Smith— aged 13, 11, and 9 years respectively— were committed to the Industrial School for a term of 12 months.— Rev. Dr Stuart appeared in Court and informed the Bench of the circumstances of the case— viz., that the father was dead, and the mother, who had been a hard-working woman, was in bad health, and had been removed to one of the institutions. —It was understood that she would be able to claim the children upon her recovery.

The question of the Hon. C. J. Pharazyn's right to sit as chairman of the Education Board in Wellington in view of his conviction under the Corrupt Practices Act, cropped up at a recent meeting of the Board. Mr Pharazyn's son having resigned his position as a member of the Board, it became necessary to take steps for a fresh election, which has to be done by tho chairman. Mr Bunny and others urged Mr Pharazyn not to involve the Board in difficulties, asserting that competent autho rities held that he had no right to sit as chairman. Mr Pharazyn, however, said he should do his duty to the last, and take his own course. He would advertise for an election to fill the vacancy.

The boy Alfred Nind, who was run over by Mr A. Inglis' buggy at the Ocean Beach last Christmas Day, brought an action against Mr Inglis for £100 damages in the District pourt on Monday. ' The Jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff for £50, after a brief retirement. '

Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather on Monday evening, a large crowd assembled at the Octagon to take part m the open-air services, which have been continued during the week. A strong choir mustered at the Town Hall entrance shortly beforo half-past 7, and for some time busied themselves in singing a number of well-known hymns. The Rev. Lindsay Mackie then read a portion of Scripture from the New Testament, and Dr Stuart engaged in prayer, after' which the Rev. Mr Best proceeded to address those assembled. He was, however, interrupted shortly before 8 o'clock by the rain, and an adjournment was made to the Trinity Wesleyah Church, the choir singing the favourite hymn " Hold the Fort" on the way. Arrived at the church, which was fairly well filled 1 , the Rev. Mr Best continued his address, 1 and ; was followed by the Rev. Dr Stuart, who engaged the attention of the audience for a few minutes. A hymn was then sung, after which the proceedings terminated, a good number, however, remaining behind, on the i suggestion of the Rev. Mr Mackie, to. engage in prayer and converse on spiritual matters. , A large stack of .straw belonging to Mr Thos. Millar, of .North Taieri, was destroyed by fire' onMonday,morning;alsoathreshing-mill,!with patent self-feeder and straw-elevators, vfhich was, working/ at the place at the time. ;The mill waß uninsured, and was the property of Mr John Brown,, of Mosgiel, who, loses jpout £500. , Several sacks of wheatwere destroyed, and the remainder, as also the adjoining stacks,, were only saved with considerable difficulty' by removal. ' The' fire probably origiriatecf in' a spark from the' engine. A' strong wind was'^ blowing at the time. ' " ' i , The fire on Mr Dickison's farm,' near 'tapanui, whereby a number of outbuildings were destroyed last week, originated : through, the ignition of a tin ' of phosphorus, , the 'water covering which had been accidentally spilt. Mr Justice Richmond read a Mr Bauoke a lecture in Wellington ' the other day.' This individual has a suit against the Government for £300, which has been decided against him time and again, but he persists in trying to obtain fresh hearings. His Honor told' him that ho was not bound to make the Court a laughing-stock by listening to the same arguments upon the same ground for' any number of times that, perforce, an individual might choose to bring' a matter into Court. Had the plaintiff any legal adviser iii the matter 1 ;Had any person of professional repute told him' that he had a legal ground that he persisted in in coming into Court when the Judges of the land told him that he had no ! such ground? — Mr Baucke said that he 'took his own advice. — His Honor said he had told the plaintiff that if he was not satisfied jwith the decision of the Courtis of the Colony the Privy Council was open to him. The plaintiff might believe him, that if he pursued the course he was now following it would be bad for his own mental health, and he would certainly suffer. A man must not indulge'himself m a monomania of this kind, and could not do so without he suffered. How could the plaintiff be foolish enough, or wicked enough, to think that anybody in the world— he or anyone else— wished to keep him out of £300 which was really his own ? How could he go on insisting that any gentleman connected with the Government could do so? It was a (mad phantasy. — Mr Bauoke said he would appeal to the Privy Council at once.— His Honor said Mr Baucke couldtake his plaint to the Privy Council without asking his leave. ' The first steps have been taken by M'Pherson, the man injured by the lion at Albury, in an action against Mr Wilson, the circus proprietor. Damages are laid at £1000.

The Review, a London periodical devoted to the circulation of insurance news, pays a high compliment to the National Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand. The January number of that journal says :— " It will be remembered that we have on many occasions felt it our duty to remark upon the hazy system which seems to obtain amongst fire and marine offices, and especially Colonial institutions, of preparing their accounts. It is somewhat satisfactory to observe that in those of the National Tire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand the accounts are simple, and show at a glance the exact position of the office. We should be glad if some of our Home companies would present their accounts in the same lucid and business-like form ; the report and balance-sheet are in every way satisfactory, and commend themselves to the business instincts of the pub lie."

The half-yearly law examinations commenced at the Supreme Court offices on Monday. There are 16 candidates. Eleven have presented themselves for the solicitor's general knowledge, one for barrister's general knowledge, and four for solicitor's law examination,

Most of the crops in the Tapanui district have been cut, and threshing operations are being vigorously prosecuted. A good deal of grain has been harvested this season during the night-time by the reapers and binders.

Orepuki boasts one of the most impudent of thieves. He stole a clergyman's hat at Divine service recently, leaving his own in place of it ; and a little time ago robbed the local constable of a quantity of shallots he was keeping in tho lock-up.

A foot-race (200 yards) for Chinamen was one of the features of the St. Patrick's Day sports at Lawrence, There were four competitors, and Ah Fel and Ken Chew, running a dead heat, divided first and second money.

A fire occurred at Mornington on Monday afternoon, by which the shop of Mr R. Dickison, plumber, fronting the Town Belt road, was destroyed. Happily there was a good supply of water on the premises, and the local Fire Brigade was thus enabled to save the adjoining house, which was occupied as a dwelling by Mr Dickison, although this was done with much difficulty. Mr Carmalt, of the Dunedin Salvage Corps, was also upon the scene.

Our Wellington correspondent states that Parliament will most probably be opened on Thursday, 18th May.

An inquest was held on Monday by Dr Hocken, coroner, at the Lunatic Asylum, on the body of John Ewen, a hawker, who died in the institution on the 19th inst., and a verdict of "Death from bronchitis" was returned. Deceased, who was 55 years of age, came from Queenstown to the Dunedin Hospital about three years ago, remaining there until the 9th January last, when he became insane, and was removed to the Asylum. He leaves no relatives in the Colony, and no property.

A Chinaman named Ching Choong committed suicide on Sunday night at the Chinese Camp, Lawrence, by hanging himself with a rope suspended over a clothes-pole.

Messrs Davidson and Conyers have about 40 hands employed on the Riverton-Orepuki railway, and are making good progress with the work.

Mr Newton, the contractor for the erection of St. Peter's Church, Caversham, is pushing on rapidly with the work, which will be completed in the course of about six weeks. The whole of the brickwork, including the tower, will be finished this week, and the interior woodwork and plastering will be* immediately proceeded with. The building promises to be a very handsome one and highly creditable to the district.

The picnic excursion of the Williamson Dramatic Company to M'Nab's Gardens at the Hutt yesterday (says the Wellington Times of the 17fch) will mark a red-letter day in the annals of all who were present. The entire tour of the present company has been jocularly designated among the members as Mrs Williamson's Picnic Party, and the acme of enjoyment was reached yesterday in their experience of one of the most delightful rural retreats that all New Zealand can afford. The fame of M'Nab's Gardens will be spread far and .wide by yesterday's visitors on their return to Australia. During the day a pleasing little ceremony took place, Mr Williamson presenting his stage manager, Mr H. H. Vincent, with a handsome gold chain and locket, as a testimony of friendliness and high approval of hiß> professional ability.

News from New South Wales states that near the river Murray stock are perishing by hundreds in consequence of the scarcity of water. < Only six inches of rain has fallen for the last nine months. ' , ■ ..We'tfepublißh in another column, from the Southland News, Professor Ulrich's report on the Stewart's Island goldfields, which is on the whole very' favourable. . • iThe quarterly communion service was! held on Sunday morning at Knox Church, at which there was, despite the threatening weather, a very 'large attendance. Dr Stuart officiated, ana in the evening the rev. gentleman held the fortnightly catechetioal service for the young, taking for the text of his lesson ".Moses' flight from Egypt." > The collection at both services amounted to the handsome sum of £53 12s 4d, which went in aid of the Church Extension Fund.

A carter named Christie was arrested on the 11th inst. for attempting to murder a youth named Drew at Parramatta, near Sydney. He stated to the police that a number of larrikins pelted him with stones and wounded him in several places, and that he only fired the pistol to frighten thorn, and with no intention to do them injury.

At the City Council meeting on Tuesday a report was read from the Corporation Surveyor in reference to the facilities afforded for escapo in case of fire from our theatres and other public buildings. Many recommendations were made which would materially enhance the safety of Borne, whilst in the case of others (notably the Queen's Theatre) the report was anything but reassuring. The Council intend to vigorously follow up the matter, and; have entrusted a special committee with the task of further investigation, i After the usual fortnightly meeting of the Hand-and-Heart Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., held in the Odd-Fellows' Hall on Tuesday evening, an adjourned summoned meeting was held to take into consideration the erection of the proposed new hall. It was finally agreed to delegate power to the trustees of the Lodge to proceed with the arrangements towards erecting the building, the sum of £3000 to be voted for the purpose.

An information has been taken out against another publican for withdrawing beer from a cask without previously defacing the stamp on it, the defendant being the licensee of the Canbngate Hotel.

Messrs Reid and Gray are at present preparing a quantity of machinery for the Christchurch Exhibition, and they will probably be among the largest exhibitors from Dunedin. Their exhibits include four chaffcutters of various sizes, an ordinary and a self-lifting treblefurrow plough, a double-furrow plough, a single wheel plough, a 10ft seed-drill, and a set of pulverising disc harrows. The firm have also just completed to an order from Patea a 10ft seed-sowing machine of 17 drills, and fitted with boxes for sowing grain, and grass and turnip seeds. A cable message from London in the Age says : "It is reported that the Government will shortly confer titles of distinction on a number of prominent colonists." The quarterly meeting of the Pioneer Lodge, I.O.O.i\washeldonTuesdayevening,N.G.Bro. Hall presiding. The Grand Lodge officers and delegates visited the Lodge officially, and a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded them for their attendance. Bro. G. W. Williams, of the Southern Cross, Wellington, gave an ad- ' dress on the working of the Order; and after the closing of the Lodge those present ad- , journed to a supper which was prepared in the anteroom, and after several toasts had been drunk the meeting dispersed,

At the annual 1 soireo of the South Dunedin Presbyterian congregation on Tuesday evening, Mrs Boyd, wife of the Rev. A. Q. Boyd, pastor of the congregation [who with his family is leaving for the United States), was presented with a handsome gold watch by Mr Reid, on behalf of the > congregation, as a token of the esteem in which she is held by them. A most amusing comedy of errors (verbal) wasenacted attheCity Police Court on Tuesday, the number of quaint mistakes made by witnesses, prisoners, police, and < members of the bar being almost mcrodiblo in so short a space of timo. One case which came on the tapis was a charge of brutal cruelty to a pig, and one witness was able to state accurately the condition in which the animal was, as he had it close to his inspection." This gentleman s "inspection"is evidently some mysterious organ which renders ocular service, as by its aid he was enabled to see that the pig was not only bleeding from the nose, but had an " indenture in its head. This statement was in a measure confirmed by the next witness, who deposed that the animal was trembling all over, and " presented altogether a very mutilated state. The behaviour, of the pig proprietor under these distressing circumstances produced also a singular impression upon the Court, as he did not attempt to put the poor brute out of its misery, neither did he attempt to staunch the blood, to dress its wounds, or to set its broken bones ; he simply took it home and "gave it some gruel." It is probable that this series of queer expressions produced a depressing effect upon Inspector Weldon, as he immediately afterwards, in a rather preoccupied manner, asked a witness whether his "information" had been drawn to the pig, and repeated the question without apparently perceiving the error. Several times subsequently was the question debated as to whether the animal by trespassing had offered provocation or not; and the counsel for the defence, in opening his address, finished the business by informing their Worships that there was no doubt an assa/ult — i.c. } upon the pig— had been committed. After this even the astonishing statement of a prisoner subsequently tried for another offence fell flat. The latter remarked from the dock that he had been arrested by Detective Walker and charged— he was most particular about the wording — with "burglariously assaulting a man."

The correspondent of a contemporary writes : "A genius has been revealed to certain favoured individuals in Paris. In a letter which I have just received, the following passage occurs : ' I have two wonders to tell you of. First, I have seen and heard the genius of music. He is a lively boy, nine yeare of age, with Italian gaiters, and speaking black eyes. Cesarino Galeotti is the new Mozart. He is inspired! The piano is to him what a plaything is to an ordinary child. He improvises, plays at sight, composes, and plays from memory the compositions of the greatest masters. Dupre (the old operatic tenor) noted a few bars, and the child repeated the air with variations in majorj minor, and then in a different key, making delicious music. He must be heard to be believed m. His father is a musician, and was a chapel-master. He intends to take the boy to London to make him known, and then they will return to Italy to continue Cesarino's studies as a composer. I have also heard an American girl of 12 play admirably on the violin, but this is simply precocious talent, the other is genius." '

The following paragraph from the Melbourne Argus has reference to the case in which Dr Jackson (formerly of Queenstown and South- . land) is concerned :—" Some months ago a j great deal of excitement existed in reference to the death of a young woman who bad^been adopted as a daughter by a Mr and Mrs_ Hilder, at Maryborough, and on the verdict tof , a coroner's jury Dr, George .Cecil Jackson" was committed for trial on . a charge of manslaughter. The Crown refused to prosecute, and Dr Jackson was ' discharged. \ An action was then commenced rby Mr Hilder against Dr Jackson to recover from him a sum, of £400 which he had lent to Dr Jackson in March, April, and May last year. The case came' on for trial in the Supreme Court yesterday before Mr Justice Williams and a jury of Bix. Dr Jackson, who is now in practice near Adelaide, attended and gave evidence. It was Baid for the defence that Mr Hilder had endorsed the notes to Miss Hilder, and had also by deed of gift made over all his property to Miss Hilder, and therefore that he could not sue for the amount of the notes ; but for plaintiff it was alleged that at the time when he executed the deed of gift to Miss Hilder he did not know what he was doing. The Jury, after half an hour's deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £436. They found that plaintiff was not compos mentis when he signed the deed, and that the deed was procured by fraud.

In a communication to the City Council read on Tuesday, Dr Maunsell, the health-officer, requqsted a complete list of all persona in Dunodin and suburbs carrying on trade as cowkeepers, Btating that it ,was advisable that they should be registered, and an inspector of; milk and dairies appointed.^ The, matter will receive further consideration.

At the inquest at Lawrence upon the Chinaman who hanged himself at the Chinese Camp on Sunday evening, the Jury returned a verdict of " Death by strangulation."

There was no meeting of the Education Reserves Commissioners on Tuesday,as a quorum could not be obtained. A meeting will probably be held during the week. A lad named Harvey has died from injuries he received at the Wallace County races at RiVerton. While riding in the Hack Race he was unseated through his knee catching against a post, and he was struck on the head by the next horse, a very nasty wound being inflicted. He was removed in an insensible condition to the local hospital, where he died on Saturday morning.

The first meeting of the Outram Town Board was held on Saturday, all the members being present. On the motion of Mr Snow, Mr Donald Borrie was elected chairman. Mr W. H. M'Keay was appointed solicitor to the Board. It was decided that tenders be called for the services of a qualified person as clerk and collector. A deputation was appointed to wait on the_ Outram Road Board in order to settle the liabilities under section 11, Town Districts Act. Dr M'Brearty agreed to act as secretary pro term. The sum i of £70 was collected amongst the Jewish residents in Dunedin in connection with Dr Messing's visit. The rev. gontloman proceeded to Christchurch on Tuesday. At Oamaru, before Mr Robinson, R.M., Thomas Wheeler was charged with making a fraudulent delivery of a cart, horse, and harness to one James Gibson, with intent to defraud his creditors. After hearing the evidence, his Worship said that there was a very reasonable suspicion raised, by the whole proceedings, that the intention was to defraud, and consequently the case should be subjected to a formal investigation. Accused would be committed for trial at the District Court. The acoused reserved his defence, and bail was , allowed.

Open-air religion and municipa ousiness pear not unlikely to clash. AtTuesdayevemng s service in the Octagon the principalpart of the singing was conducted upon the Town Mall steps, the consequence being that the swelling choruses were borne upwards into the Council Chamber, where our municipal fathers sat in solemn debate, with such distinctness that hw Worship despatched an emissary to close_ the lower doors. Then arose a storm. Councillor Barnes got to his feet in indignant protest. The proceedings of that body were supposed to bo conducted in the broad light of day, and here they were sitting with closed doors like a secret society. He would most certainly move that the doors be thrown open, and would wish to be informed "what those people were doing down there." Against such public-spirited fervour no opposition could be made.' The doors were once more opened, and sacred melodies mingled with the recommendations of the Water Supply Committee. The Mokoreta contract of the Edendale' Toi-Tois railway, for which tenders have recently been called, is three miles 53 chains in length, and will complete about the first eight miles of the line, the former contract having included four miles. The formation ' is of an ordinary nature, and the only heavy piece of work in the section is the bridge over the Wyndham River, which will be a wooden one, in three spans of 40 feet each, on concrete piers. The total length of the line when com pleted will be about 30 miles.

Another case of robbery from the person, with assault, occurred in Princes street on Sunday morning, a man named John Dickison having been, to use his own words, " mobbed knocked down, and left senseless," and_ having recovered consciousness to find that his watch and money were gone. The police made japo arrests in connection with the robbery,Ad on Tuesday two prisoners, named Walker aid Adams, were committed for trial. A considerable number of men were concerned in the assault upon Dickison, who was in company with two or three friends at the time; but only the two arrests have been made by the police. The half-yearly sitting of the Supreme Court for criminal business was held at Lawrence on Tuesday, before his Honor Mr Justice Williams Mr B. C. Haggitt, Crown prosecutor, was in attendance. His Honor very briefly addressed the Grand Jury on the two cases brought before them. In the first case, Regina v. J. Smith, in which prisoner was charged with stabbing, no true bill was found. In the case of Patrick Butler, charged with attempted rape on a girl four years old, a true bill was found, and prisoner went to trial before the Common Jury. Evidence having been given, after a retirement of an hour and a-half Mr Docherty (foreman) announced a .verdict of Not guilty. The prisoner thanked the Jury, who were then discharged.

The shop of Mr Dickißon, plumber, burnt down at Mornington on Monday, was, with stock, insured for £50 in the South British Office. Mr Dickison's dwelling, which had so narrow an escape, was insured in the Colonial Office.