LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Mr J. T. Mackerras was on Thursday elected president of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce for the ensuing year, and Mr G. L. Dennistoii vice-president. 8 gNews has been received that Baimer, the late Oamarii borough solicitor who disappeared some time since, is in Honolulu. At the meeting of the borough council 6n the 3rd was mentioned that Balmer was indebted to the council to the extent of between £400 and £500 for money advanced to him to settle outstanding land claims, Against this tho borough is indebted to his estate to the extent of £150.

At the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr J. M. Ritchie brought forward a motion to the effect that in order to strengthen the hands of Parliament in resisting expenditure upon the East and West Coast railway and further borrowing, it was desirable to forego this year's expenditure upon the Otago Central line. He considered that only if'accompanied by some such act of self-sacrifice as this could the chamber expect its opposition to carry real weight. At the suggestion of Mr Donald Reid, the resolution was modified and made to read : — " That any vote proposed for the initiation of the East and West Coast railway should be opposed irrespective of the effect of such opposition upon the votes on the Public Works Estimates." In this form the motion was carried unanimously.

The occupants of the boat which was seen adrift by the lighthouse-keeper at the Nuggets were Walter Summerell and Frank Wildernott. They had recently bought the boat and were going in her from the lighthouse to Port Molyneux. Mr Owens, postmaster at Kaitangata, informed Mr Hackworth on the 3rd that Sum•merell was about 25 years of age, and is supposed to have come from Auckland. He had been working on the Catlin River railway. Wildernott was about 28 years of age, and had been gold prospecting on the beach at Kaitangata, but had worked of late on the Catlin River railway. Summerell's body has been found on the beach, but there is no sign of Wildernott or the boat.

From the evidence at the inquest touching the death of the four-year-old daughter of Mr G. Jones, of Lakeside (not Jolies, as telegraphed), it appeared that while the mother had gone out of the house for a few minutes the little girl got a box of matches, and while trying to light the fire set fire to her clothes. The flames spread very rapidly, burning the victim so terribly that death speedily followed. The mother was alarmed at her daughter's cries, but was unable to arrive in time to prevent her being terribly burned.

According to a statement made in the Legislative Council by the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, the Dunedin Savings Bank have handed over to the Benevolent Institution a sum of £12,000 since the passing of the measure which authorised the devotion of its funds to that purpose.

We (Tablet) have had an opportunity of reading the revelations of the Pall Mall Gazette. We have found in them nothing to justify the charges of obscenity brought against that paper — nothing which could excite in any mind but the most foul and debased feelings other than those of horror, indignation, and alarm. Nothing is told that, the circumstances being what they are, it is not necessary that every discreet person should know, so that all may be upon their guard against an evil that is certainly not confined to London alone, but universal. We say, again, it is to be desired that whatever steps are taken by the Imperial Parliament should also be adopted by our own Legislature-. And even although the abominable practices revealed may be in their infancy among ourselves, the old proverb holds good that prevention is better than cure.

Last March (says the Southland News) a buoy released itself from its anchorage in Bluff Harbour, and reaching the straits became, it was thought, lost, but the Bluff Harbour Board today received information that it had been recovered in Poverty Bay, North Island. If it had drifted the shortest course possible to reach that place it must have covered a distance of 800 miles,, but the probabilities are that it Kas been tossed about for as many thousand miles. A distinctive feature of the buoy, which enables it to be recognised as belonging to Bluff Harbour, was the fact that it had a large fin, or keel, attached to it, none similar being in use in any other part of the Colony. Had a vessel encountered this heavy object in the ocean, it is probable she would have fared badly, and it may be possible that it was this the s.s. lonic struck when voyaging from the North to Wellington about five weeks ago.

A curious story is told by a Victorian paper, which states that same time ago a Melbourne firm indented a new and costly tiara for Archbishop Goold, set with precious stones. The tiara reached Melbourne last week, but a difficulty arose at the customs as to how it should be classified. The officials proposed to regard it as belonging to "hats and caps," and a clerk who went to clear it put it on his head so that he might be enabled to make a declaration that it had been worn. That would not do, however, andfinally, after the discussion of various plans, it was resolved to pass it as " samples." As there is only one Archbishop in the Colony this decision seems to be peculiarly nonsensical. Does the customs department anticipate a whole shipment of tiaras, of which this is the forerunner, or how ?

In the Supreme Court, Invercargill, on the 3rd, the case of Elliott v. Morrison, an action to compel defendant to implement an agreement to purchase land was heard. The defence was that the land was represented as being free from liability to flooding by the Mataura River, which it was not. After hearing evidence his Honor reserved his decision for a week.

According to the Auckland Star, the King of Samoa is likely to visit this Colony by the Janet Nicoll, and will probably arrive by her on her return trip.

Once more the oft-repeated rumour is revived in Queensland (says a contemporary) that the ill-fated Dr Leichardt, who left Macpherson's Station on the Cogoon River on April 4, 1848, bound for Western Australia, and whose subsequent fate has never since been unveiled, is still living, a prisoner amongst the natives. The story is being now circulated from the Macarthur River that a short tune ago Mr Lynett, who is managing the cattle station of Messrs Amos Bros and Broads, on the Macarthur River, whilst out on a trip, accompanied by a party of six Europeans, suddenly came upon a party of blacks on the range up the Macarthur River, and with them the whole of the party distinctly saw a very old white man, who on the party calling out made a movement as if to come towards them, but was immediately blocked by severa. lubras, who caught hold of him and dragged him out of sight amongst the rocks in the ranges. The party had been out some time, and were not in a fit condition to prosecute a search, butou returning to the station inquiries

were made of a lubra who had been stolen from a neighbouring tribe by the Macarthur blacks, who had kept her long enough to acquire their language, and to be thoroughly conversant with their haunts. She asserts that a white fellow, very old and partially blind, has been living with the Macarthur niggers for a long time. This affair has set people wondering if this unfortunate man can in any way be connected with Leichardt's party.

After visiting the Hot Springs district at Auckland, Mr Briusmead, the piano manufacturer, comes on to Dunedin.

A monster meeting was held at Nelson on the Ist inst. to form a branch of the Railway League. The Bishop of Nelson was among the speakers. One of the resolutions passed was — " That, inasmuch as this railway was one of the trunk lines first authorised, it is the opinion of this meeting that the Nelson, West Coast, and Canterbury members are justified in opposing all railway works expenditure throughout the Colony until the proposed vote for the East and West Coast and Nelson railway is passed."

An old man who is claimed to have been the originator of the eight-hours' movement has just died at Wellington. His name was William Taylor, and he was 80 years of age. 'For some time past he had been on the books of tbe Benevolent Society at Wellington. At the meeting of that body Mr Danks, in very feeling .terms, alluded to the deceased, who had first initiated the eight -hours' movement in Wellington, whence it spread to other parts of the Colony, Australia, England, and the United States. He was sorry that it could not be made known to the trades in Australia that the originator of the eight-hours' movement was living on charity in Wellington. The secretary stated that the deceased arrived there in the year 1840, and he, with a few others, initiated the eighthours' movement at Petone,

Ari entertainment of a thoroughly social and friendly character took place on the 4th in the Rattray street Hall, which had been carefully and tastefully laid out for the occasion. The meeting was intended as the first of a series of social reunions for the natives of the upper and middle wards of Lanarkshire, Scotland, and the real object of inaugurating such reunions was very tersely and clearly shown by the gentleman who presided — viz., Mr Robert Gilmour, of the Southland Times, Invercargill. In opening the proceedings, Mr Gilmour dwelt upon the real good which such meetings had upon those reared in one particular place in the Old Country, but who, after emigrating here, were scattered far and wide over New Zealand, and thus they lost the associations which surrounded their native place. By meeting regularly they would foster a spirit of brotherhood, and those who had done well out here could extend to the mote recent arrival a hearty welcome, and, if need be, assist them to make their way in the Colony. In this way they would be a power for good, while these regular meetings would help to keep fresh in their memories the romances and traditions of their birthplace, and the scenery, the people, and the industries they had all left behind them. At the conclusion of the chairman's address a number of songs were given in capital style by a number of ladies and gentlemen, Scottish melodies being the most prominent. The chairman gave a characteristic Scotch song, Mrs Gilmour accompanying on the piano. Several other songs were given in capital style, and the dance which followed brought an enjoyable evening to a close.

A very melancholy affair took place at Timam on Friday night. A Miss Louisa Cameron, a very highly-respected lady, and formerly a teacher in the Timaru public school, who of laic has been in a very depressed state of mind, wett away from her parents' house about 8 o'clock on Friday evening. Search was at once instituted for her, as her friends had great reason to fear she might have met with some accident. Search was made all night, and at about 5 o'clock on Saturday morning her body was found on the sea beach just south of Whales Creek. From her appearance there is little doubt she had been drowned and washed up again by the flood tide. An inquest was held, and a verdict returned to the effect that she had been found drowned, but there was nothing to show how she came to get into the water.

Diphtheria is rather prevalent in Auckland, the sanitary inspector having received notice of no less than eight cases. The inspector expresses the opinion that it would be a good thing if the City Council would close compulsorily some of the impure wells in the city, and compel the householders concerned to get the city water supply laid on to their tenements. He mentions one case where a man is using a dirty well, whose child is so seriously ill as not to be expected to live. #

The following regulation under the Sale of Poisons Act is to come into force on November 1 •. — Every seller of poison or of any poisonous admixture shall, before delivering the same to the purchaser, firmly affix to the box, bottle, vessel, wrapper, or cover containing the same a lable with the word " Poison " in white letters on a red ground appearing thereon. Such letters to be in block type of not less than a quarter of an in length and one-eighth chinof an inch in breadth.

A case somewhat similar to those now under consideration at Wanganui of a breach of the Municipal Corporations Act was decided at Palmerston North last week. The case was that of Graff v. Park, a claim of £100 for illegally acting as councillor after supplying stationery to the Borough Council. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £50. The goods were supplied in the ordinary way of trade, and the Bench held that this constituted a contract within the meaning of the act. Defendant gave notice of appeal.

Mr P. G. Pryde, secretary to the Education Board, has addressed the , following circular letter to the various branches of the Otago Educational Institute : — " Sir, — I have to inform you that a letter has been received by the Board from the Department at Wellington intimating that it is the intention of the Minister of Education to revise the list of school books authorised for use in public schools, and requesting suggestions from the board in the matter. The board at its last meeting appointed a committee to consider the question, and I am directed by that committee to invite any suggestions which your branch of the ' Educational Institute may desire to offer. Will you be good enough to lay the matter before your branch at as early a date at possible, and let me have your reply on or before Monday, the 14th instant. — P. G. Pbyde, Secre* tary. September 3, 1885."

The following patents have been applied for:— D. Thomas, C. .Baddell, and C. Ray, of Ashburton, for invention for street watering and fire extinguishing ; J. H. Dalton, of Auckland, for invention for "Nurse's Friend"; C. Walkden, of Christchurch, for a sub-aqueous excavator ; A. J. Williamson, of Dillmanstown, for patent medicine called " Coughkiller " ; W. Fawkes, of Auckland, for an invention for building purposes called "Patent VolcaaiQ Trass."

The following are the returns of the Dunedin Hospital for the past week :— Remaining from previous | Weelc ... ... 130 Admitted during the week — ••• Discharged during the week ••• - 19 Deaths (Henry Balmer, W. Murphy, and James Mayne) ... .»• - - 3 Total remaining •-• — ••• In the midst of the atmosphere of greed and chicane with which New Zealand politics seem lately to have become enveloped (remarks the Timaru Herald), it is refreshing to see the patriotic and disinterested stand taken by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber care nothing for the threats regarding the Otago Central Railway. This is a high-minded way of looking at things, and we are sure that the resolution will be applauded in all parts of the Colony not affected by the East and Went Coast Railway mania. It would lie a bad day for New Zealand when her politicians had sunk so low as to be coerced by purely selfish motive* into wasting money 011 a work which iii their consciences they could not approve. We aye thankful to say that that day has not ye.fc arrived. 'Many of our readers will be interested to learn that the notorious Garrett, the bushranger, died in the Wellington Gaol last week. An inquest was held on the body on the 4th inst., and a verdict of " Death from acute bronchitis " was returned. The funeral took place during the afternoon, and was attended by the governor of the gaol, the chief warder, and six convicts. A singular fact in connection with the inquest was that the foreman of the jury was one of the victims " stuck up'" by Garrett at Maungatua. Complaint has been made to the Southland Education Board of the conduct of the teacher of the school at Orepuki, who, on the occasion of Mr F. Fulton's lecture, is said to have locked the audience inside and caused intense excitement, for the reason that on previous temperance meetings the people had been nearly suffocated _by the burning of pepper and some chemical substance in the ventilators of the school. The t jacher was caught red-handed on the last occasion, and compelled to unlock the door. He offered to apologise to Mr Fulton privately, and has done so to the School Committee, but the Good Templars resolved to cany the matter to the board. The members generally spoke against this sort of larrikinism, and the Good Templars have been requested to formulate charges against the teacher with a view to investigation. The schoolmaster is a young man of retiring disposition, and the conduct is considered peculiar under these circumstances. Regarding the boat accident at Port Molyneux, the Clutha Leader says that Walter Summerell and Frederick Wildermoth had been at work upon Watson's contract of the Catlin's railway, and went to the Nuggets on Monday, where they purchased a boat. They left there with the boat, intending to come to Port Molyneux; but when crossing the bar, absut 6 o'clock in the evening, against an ebb-tide, the boat gqt swamped, but must have righted again, as it was seen to float away towards the Nuggets, there beiug only one man aboard. About half-past 9 o'clock the. same evening the lighthouse-keeper at the Nuggets heard someqab calling for help from the direction of the ocean, but ou looking out he could see no one, and heard no more calls. Summerell's body was found upon the beach near the scene of the accident. Both were unmarried. Summerell belongs to Oamaru, where his brother resides* He has a sister residing in Hampclen. Wildermoth belongs to Kaiapoi or neighbourhood. Saturday's Southland Times states that a cabman named Hugh Duddy has mysteriously disappeared from town, and the police are now engaged searching for him. He called at an hotel on the morning of the 30th ult., and left his cab there, going away in the company of two other men towards South Invercargill. Since then he has not been heard of, but probably some information will soon be forthcoming as to his whereabouts. At the Gospel Temperance meeting, held in the V.M.C.A. Hall on Saturday evening, Mr Brunton referred to the possible conclusion of an arrangement with Mr Glover and the friends of ' temperance throughout the Colony for a lecturing tour. Extracts from Mr Glover's letter were read, and received with enthusiasm. So heartily have the temperance workers endorsed the invitation, which emanated from the societies in Auckland, that there is now a certainty of Mr Glover's coming to New Zealand under a three years' engagement. Mrs 1 Dixon addressed the meeting, appealing to the young men aud women present, aud urging them by example and effort to do all in their power to disseminate temperance principles. Mr Andrew Thomson, of Port Chalmers, also addressed the meeting, urging that no uncertain voice shoulnl be heard in the impending struggle. T.he campaign contemplated by Mr Glover was to be a political one, and constituencies should see to it that those seeking their favour would aid legislation to the suppression of the drinking customs and traffic. Mr D. R. Eunson presided at the meeting, and Mr Brunton's choir, as usual, contributed largely to the enjoyment of a -pleasant meeting. During Marshal Booth's mission, at Auckland, 300 penitents are stated to have come forward. The marshal has left for the South. A cable despatch to the American papers, dated July '30, states that the committee selected to inquire into the recent statements of the Pall Mall Gazette regarding London vice has made the following report :— " Having been requested to inquire as to the truth of the statements printed in the Ball Mall Gazette from July 6 to 10, w;e decided from the first to exclude inquiry as to the charges against particular men, glasses of men, qr aga.insy the police. We pr&i,ictly confined ourselves to an inquiry into the" system of criminal vice described. After carefully sifting the evidence of witnesses and material before us, without guaranteeing the accuracy of every particular, we are satisfied that on the whole the statements of the Pall Mall Gazette are substantially true. The report is signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, Cardinal Manning, Jand Messrs Morley and Reid. The Salvation Army marched on the 30th with much parade to the Parliament Buildings to present to the House of Qommons the monster petition urging the immediate' passing 6f the' Criminal Aot amendment raising the age of consent from 13 to 18 years. The petition, which contains 500,000 signatures, and is one mile and a-half long, was borne in a special carriage. The p*-o-cession was very large, aud halted on the Thames Embankment, whence the deputation proceeded to the House of Commons to present the monster appeal." During the hearing of the case Hunter v. City Council at the Compensation Court (says the New Zealand Times), his Honor Judge Richmond referred to the changes proposed by tho Land Transfer Act introduced during the proSent session, which his Honor said amounted to

a complete revolution. Tho occupancy of land would no longer give a title to it. Mr Martin remarked that it would do away with an interesting branch of legal study. His Honor replied that there were many branches the public could well afford to do without ; but the wisdom of the change proposed might be open to question, although he was aware the bill followed the lines adopted in South Australia some years ago. The Attorney-general was in court, but he did not give his Honor the benefit of his views on this question.

At a meeting of delegates from temperance bodies in Wellington, it was stated that the terms of Mr Glover, the English temperance lecturer, to visit the Colony on a three years engagement, were £300 for the first year, and £400 for the next two yearn. Mr Glover has expressed his willingness to leaves England in December if his passage is paid. Sir William Fox has intimated his willingness to contribute £50 if the Colonial fund is short.

The stout, innocent-looking old lady, well dressed, plausible in speech, and bearing the name of Margaret Mary Belinda Todd, well known on the West Coast, in Dunedin, Tima.ru, Christchurch, Ashburtou, Rakaia, and other places, where on many occasions she has succeeded in introducing herself to strangers, living at their houses, and deluding them by pretending to treat for the purchase of land and other devices, has again fallen into the hands of the police, and, according to the Christchurch Press, was to make her appearance at tho Ashbui'ton Resident Magistrate's Court 011 a charge of obtaining goods by false pretences. It will be remembered this clever old lady recently lived for some time in a house in Christchurch, where she succeeded in arranging a match between her hostess and an imaginary nephew on the West Coast, carrying the matter so far that a marriage settlement was drawn up by a Christchurch solicitor, and invitations to the marriage ceremony issued to a number of well-known inhabitants.

A horrible discovery has been made at Noumea in an uninhabited house in the Faubourg Blanchot. The remains of a newly-born infant, which had been cut up into pieces and cooked, were found in an advanced stage of putrefaction. As a cab was conveying the relics to the hospital, it ran over a little girl five years old, and killed her on the spot.

The commencement of the Jewish New Year 5646 was celebrated on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The Tasmanian Ministry propose to repeal the Immigration Act giving the right to laud to immigrants from Europe.

German chartographers have issued a new map of the Western Pacific, constructed to show the region included in the administration of the New Guinea Company. The total area of New Guinea is estimated by them at 305,000 square miles, of which the German protectorate embraces 68,785 square miles, the English protectorate 86,360 square miles, and Dutch New Guinea 150,755 square miles. The German New Guinea Company has sent orders by cable to its officers to break up the factory established by Dr Finsch at Bentley Bay, near East Cape, as that territory has been assigned by treaty to England.

Further particulars of the recent massacre by natives on board the schooner Lalla Rookh show that not only Captain Frier, but John Watkins, the carpenter, and four natives were killed. The massacre took place at Moresby Island. Mr Hughes, the water police magistrate at Townsville, commenced an inquiry into the affair, but little further light was thrown on the tragedy. The evidence of Ah Sam, one -of the crew who escaped, was to the effect that after the fight he saw the natives bring into the house in which he was a captive, Captain Frier's head, and put it in a saucepan with some yams. He 'could not see them eat it, as other "natives obscured his view.

Messrs Hordern, Brayshaw, and White have just completed the building of a hansom cab to the order of Mr M'Ewen, of this city, and are entitled to great credit for the neat, wellfinished vehicle they have turned out. As a rule hansoms are little suited to such a city a.s Dunedin, owing to the number and steepness of the hills, but this objection has been overcome by building an extraordinary light vehicle, weighing as its stands not more than six hundredweight. Notwithstanding its lightness the good workmanship will ensure strength and durability. The upholstery is in red morocco, and the panels ornamented with small medallion paintings, giving the vehicle a far more handsome appearance than is customary in public conveyances. The same firm have throe oilier hansoms in course of construction of, a similar pattern.

An active search is still being maintained for the man Duddy (says the Southland Times), who so mysteriously disappeared a week ago. On Monday a party were busily engaged dragging the river, but their labours were fruitless. Various rumours have been afloat in regard to the circumstances connected with the disappearance. It has been said that Duddy had a large sum of money upon his person, and, again, that the individual who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for attempting to murder him some nine years ago was recently set at liberty. Both stories anpear to be absolutely incorrect. Duddy had" little or no money in his possession when he disappeared, and his would-be murderer is either dead or in, the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum.

Our Reefton correspondent telegraphed on Tuesday that Mr Alexander Leavy, formerly mine manager of the Golden Treasure Company, and latterly oiie of the directors, was found dead during the afterno.on in the bed of the Murray Oreok. It is supposed he fell off a bridge when returning home up the creek, and being stunned by the fall, was washed down and drowned.

Intelligence was received at Port Chalmers on Tuesday afternoon that one of the hard-labour prisoners at the reclamation works at Otago Heads named Rowe had been injured by a stone crushing him at the quarries. Dr De Lautour at once left on horseback for the pu.rpps.e- of attending to the man's injuries, a,nd while riding along the Deborah Bay 103 d the horse threw him and fractured his ooilarbone ; he was brought h,ac'lv to. Port Chalmers in a cart that was passing at the time, and a telegram was sent to Dr Fergusson, of Dunedin, requesting him to attend without delay. The prisoner, who sustain Q 1 severe injuries, was brought up to the Dunedin Hospital,

On arrival of the Tarawera at the Bluff a passenger from Melbourne, named George' Hedley, was arrested on a warrant from Melbourne, charged with fraudulently obtaining from O, O. M'Culloch, of Colac, a number of skins.

At the meeting of tho Otago Institute on Tuesday evening, Professor Parker showed two extraordinary specimens 'of Lake Wakatipu t rout, which he has had stuffed with the intention

of forwarding them to the Indian aud Colonial Exhibition. The female fish weighed when caught some 201b, and the male about 151b, so that the former it, quite equal to a fair-sized salmon. The fish were obtained from Ranger Burt, who caught them, and took considerable trouble in bringing them down to Dunedin.

Our Oamaru correspondent wrote on the Bth as follows : — The inquest held last night on the body of the infant found in a closet yesterday lasted until after midnight, and resulted in the following verdict :— " That Mary Moron was the mother of the child, that the child had been born alive, that it had met its death through suffocation, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show by what means the child had been put where it had been found dead." The half-yearly sitting of the Supreme Court at Oainaru was opened yesterday before Mr Justice Williams. The Judge's address to the Grand Jury made only the briefest reference to {.lie two cases on the calendar. The Court was occupied during the whole of the day with the hearing of the Kartigi rape case, in which Alfred Lovegrove, a married man, was charged with a criminal assault upon Margaret Kathleen Canton, the wife of his partner. The jury retired at. halfpast G o'clock, and after an absence of an hour they returned and said thai they found the prisoner not guilty of rape, but that he was guilty of an assault. His Honor expressed some doubt as to whether he should accept this as a verdict, and the jury again retired to reconsider their verdict, and after a short retirement returned a verdict of attempted rape. Sentence was deferred.

There was so small an attendance at the meeting of the Otago Institute on Tuesday night, owing probably to the very bad weather, that it was decided to postpone the delivery oi' Dr Hocken's fourth lecture on the "Early History of is'ew Zealand" until next meeting, to be he.ld on the 22nd inst.

Another of the landmarks of Otago has just boun removed in the person of Mr Charles Robertson, father of Mr James Robertson, grocer, Princes street, 1 who died at his residence, Melrose, on the <Sth inst., at the advanced age of 86 years. The deceased arrived in Otago by the ship Larkins in June 1849, f rom Airdrie, Scotland, although originally a native of Bo'ness, Stirlingshire. In Airdrie'he occupied a leading position for many years, carrying on the business of a draper for 31 years^ out of which period he occupied the. position of a bailie for seven years consecutively, and that of an elder in one of the largest churches for 15 years. On leaving for Otago he received from tho Town Council an illuminated address, which was presented to him at a public dinner on that occasion. On his arrival in Dunedin he entered into business in Princes street, and took an active interest also in public matters, until failing health compelled him to retire. He was elected a member of tho first Town Board of Dunedin, and was one of the first elders chosen, along with others, under Dr Burns, in connection with the First Church of Otago, being for yoars the treasurer of the Deacons' Court of this church. He had been in all 51 years an elder of the Church, and was at the time of his death the oldest elder in- connection with the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland.

Intelligence was received by last mnilthat, in the Edinburgh University examinations Mr W. J. Cattan, of Dnnedin, came out lir.->t in his class (chemistry, botany, and zoology) ; Mr Louis Barnett, of Wellington, third; and Mr Burns, of Dunedin, fifth. As the class contained several hundred students, the positions of the New Zealand men are exceptionally good.

On Tuesday night Messrs R. E. Fletcher & Co., electrical engineers and contractors of this city, exhibited from the roof of Mr Dom well's new shop in George street an electric arc lamp, the invention of Mr E. A. Ashcroft, late electrical engineer to the Lyttolton Harbour Board. Unsteadiness has so long been regarded as a natural concomitant of arc lamps that it may bethought an exaggeration to state that the lamp in question burned without a flicker, giving a light of about 3000 candles, notwithstanding the extremely squally and unfavourable night chosen for the trial, and the imperfections of the engine, which was working without governors. This is the more gratifying as the lamp is a. purely Colonial invention, and the inventor a self-taught electrician. The: mechanism of the lamp is exceedingly simple, and in consequence it can bo mado in the Colony at half the cost of imported lamps. Mr Ashcroft has sold a portion of his pitents outside of Now Zealand for a considerable sum, and goes Home in the Doric for the purpose of bringing out his lamp in the English market. The Now Zealand patents are worked under arrangement s with the patentee, by Messrs Fletcher aud Co., who arc manufacturing the lamps, and under whose absolute <\aim-o*l the business in connection thorc\»liJi will be conduele'l. The light tb,ivwn by the lamp last night was distinctly visiblo fvoin a long distance, and small print could be read in George street at a distance of about 100 yards from the lamp.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Tuapeka branch of the Educational Institute of Otago, in reply to a circular f rom ishe Education Board re school-books, it was resolved to recommend the following school-books : — Nelson's Royal Readers, Pctre's Geographies, Gardiner's and Nelson's Junior Histories, Smith's, Hall's, and Douglas' Grammars. A complimentary minute was entered referring to the departure of Mr Patrick from the district, and wishing him God-speed in his now sphere of labour. The fund for iho relief of the widow mul family of the late Mr Adams, teacher, Beaumont, was reported to have now reached the sum of £100.

A shocking fatality is reported from Grassmere (Victoria), the child of a farmer named Mewha having died from injuries received through burning. Mowha and his wife left homo, the house being in charge of the deceased, a girl 13 j cars of ago^ wloh her- younger sister. lhe latter thrust a broom into the firo, and withdrawing it caught her sister's clothing. The ohTld was quickly enveloped in flames, and rushing out of the house threw herself on the grass, rolling about and screaming for help. Ali efforts to extinguish the fire wore unavailing, and her clothing being consumed, she returned to the house naked and fearfully burned, when she got into, bod, taking her young sister to keep her out of harm's way. She was found by a neighbour, who happened to call at the house Medical aid was sent for, but was of no avail, and after fearful suffering the ch^d died.

Good Hmolutioxs.— At Hio commencement of every now year huiyli-w, and Ihousanus of our young men— arm old !i«s well— form rosoliiiiom for their £>uic,uie<* for tlic coming year. JTimv iwp them, while others break tliem, 'To such wo wish to gUn a won lof advice. In oriler to Mistain your ilererlninalion of Wiling ;i ht>Ui>v life in'thfa mruiv you should uso Hop ThTTiats. Th<* judicious imp ol Hop Bcttkhs strong! horn, cleanses, mid pin-iiiesi he fcromnpli, howelh, Uood. lii'iu\ nerves, and kidneys, and is just, what you waul, to build up andjnvigoiiitp yourself.— Greinhvih. U.S.A.. Dam, T}e;ul. n