LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 9

LOCAL & GENERAL.

A decision of some importance was given by Mr Justice Williams, in Chambers, on Tuesday, as to the effect of the registration of a charging order under the Land Transfer Act. Mr Beattie bought, at auction, in, December last, from Mr Brennan, a section in the' town of Gore, paid the purchase money, and got a transfer executed by Mr Brennan, who was the registered 'proprietor of the land. ' By, some oversight, however, the transfer remained- for some months unregistered, and in the meantime a judgment was recorded against Brennan hi the Supreme Court, Invercargiil ; a charging order was registered against the section sold to Beattie, which still stood on the register in the name of Brennan, and the sheriff was about to sell the land, which Beattie had bought and paid for, when' these proceedings were ■ taken to stop the sale.' The matter came before bis Honor upon a summons calling upon Messrs Simpson and Hart, brewers, Wetherstones,the judgmentcreditors, to show cause why the registration of their oharging order should not be cancelled, and after argument, judgment was given granting the order applied for.

It is stated that the Government will probably abandon the idea of insuring the,principal buildings, as the insurance companies' demands are considered too high, and they will only take the best risks. The Government had estimated the present values of asylums, railway stores, offices, and similar edifices, and asked for insurances of £5000 less than this in each case. A scheme for insuring the buildings by the Government themselves is now under consideration.

The question of railway tariffs, freights, and other charges necessarily occupies much attention at present, because the cost of carriage of productions to market is felt more severely in times of depression than when high values are obtainable. It is commonly assumed that in countries favourably circumstanced in regard to soil and climate, where the average production is high, and the cost therefore proportionately lower than in less fertile lands, producers are in a position to successfully meet competition in the markets of the old world. The fact, however, is apparently ignored that at ' the present time the cost of carriage of agricultural produce to marketis.quite as formidable a factor as the cost of production. It may be therefore interesting to submit a statement of the rates charged last year on an important; railway line in the United States, premising that it is an extract from the Government statistician's report: — The New York Central conveys from Chicago to New York, a distance of 900 miles, grain in large bulk of over 24,0001b at 25 cents per 1001b ; in bulk of over 15,0001b at 30 cents per 1001b ; flour in barrels (over 125 in number), 25 cents eaoh; fertilisers in barrel, per car load at same rate ; beef dressed is transported in refrigerating cars at 65 cents, but in barrels or tierces at 30 cents per 1001b ; butter and cheese (in boxes or casks) at 60 to TO cents per 1001b; agricultural implements, 45 cents per 1001b; cattle, 35 cents; sheep, 45; hogs, 30; horses and mules, 60 cents— all per 1001b. Charges from New York to Chicago are generally Ihigher than those from Chicago ta New York. The Pennsylvania and other through lines quote nearly the same charges as the New York Central. Short distance rates and charges in localities where therQ is nob much competition are higher. The ocewi steamship freights for transportation from New York to London and Liverpool at date of report were— 7 cents per bushel fcur grain: flour in sacks (per 22401b), 2.40d0l to 3dol : bacon (per 22401b), 4.30d01; butter and cheese, 6dol to 7.2odolper 22401b oilcake (22401b), 2.40d0l ta 3dol.

The Mataura Ensign Jearn3 that extensive deposits of lime have been found in the Croydon HUls, and that there is a probability of them being worked largely. The boon to farmers of a supply of lime would be an invaluable one.

The promised " additional estimate " for civil services under the head of "Celebration of the jubilee of her Majesty's reign " (says Truth of May Hth) has been issued. The sum asked from the House of Commons is £17,000. The, only detail as to, the " head under which thfe vote will he accounted for by the Office of Works" is the following :— " Preparatioa o£' Westminster Abbey, &0., £17,000." It remainsto be elicited what is included in the " 3®,' f MeLabouchere, however, has expressed tos intention of moving the rejection of the vote for Westminster Abbey if it exceeds £2000

The polling of the memoes, of the Australian Mutual Provident Soofcty on the proposal to fej^A 6 nsk of *«? we *' fe t0 £5 W> instead of £10,000, as ?.Rsge«ted: by the directors, has resulted, xa favour of the higher limit

The London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus stafc?s that an amusing story has arisen ou.t of the controversy as to. the genuineness of Mr Pamell's signature to the letter in The Times. \u order to prove it a forgery the Pall Mall Gazette collected a number of genuine ParneU, letters and had them facsimiled— sending down the pj;oof to the House of Commpns for the ParneUites to see. One of the letters was to this effect *— "Dear Madam.— M#et nj£ in Chelsea Park, behind the soldiers" monument, at half-paat 9." When the ParneUites saw what was on the proof, their consternation knew no bounds. "Is the man mad ?"■ exclaimed Mi 1 Healy, « Why, the British public would swallow a dozen Phcenix Park murders • but if once John Bull heard of the lady behind the soldiers' monument, we'd have coercioa nvetted on our necks for Sft years." They wesejust in time to save the page coming out* and avert a far graver injury from a friend than their enemies eoatd da tiiem. The letter was, I believe, 0$ a. perf ectly innocent nature, but Mr ParneJ\ha.s & reputation for gallantly > and thelettei? would undoubtedly have sunk deep into, the mind ol John Bull and Mrs Clcundy.

What was. at first supposed to.be a ease of suicide, but is now suspected to have been murder, occurred x at tfce Cfreafc Australian CoffeePalace m Sydney, where Mra Borsboomi'thewife of the proprietor, was foand dead. Hechusband, atjtfedjthaf; she wa&of a jealous disposifaoPjk and had lfved apart; from, him fo* sometun.B. He bought ;a revolver- recently .antS tpieaiened to shqpfc himself if shd left lux^ again. According f& hj«, versionj on. returning'to his

room after calling the servants in the morning, his wife raised herself in the bed, and exclaiming " You need not shoot yourself," pointed a revolver at her head and fired. The bullet entered one of her temples and pierced the brain. At the inquest the medical evidence was opposed to the supposition that the wound from which Mrs Boraboom had died had been self-inflicted and the husband is now in custody on suspicion of murder.

The owing applications for patents appear in the Gazette : —An invention for an improved dropper for wire-fences, to be known as " Begg's Dropper," by Thomas Begg, of Anderson's Bay, Otago ; an invention for a fire escape, by Elijah Aldis, of Auckland ; an invention for an improved method of deoxidising the New Zealand ironsand, by Ashley \John Hunter and Henry Joseph Carson, both of Auckland ; an invention for the deoxidation of magnetic ironsand, by John Chambers and David Ranken Shirreff Galbraith, both of Auckland ; an invention for Galbraith's hydrogen ore-roasting process, by David Ranken Shirreff Galbraith, of Auckland; an invention for an ointment, by Elizabeth Vialou, of Auckland; an invention for a combined ashpan and riddle, by Frank B. Britton and Robert Charles Belgrave, jun., both of Christchurch ; an invention for an improved wool-drying machine, by William Nelson and Eugene Bowen, both of Hawke's Bay.

Within the last fortnight (says the London correspondent, of the Argus) a mysterious visitor has appeared in St. Petersburg and Moscow. " Patrick Casey " turns out to be the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh. The descendant of Runjeet Singh of the Punjanb has, as you know, a grievance with the British Government. Some years ago we bought him an estate in Norfolk at a cost of £80,000, and gave him £25,000 a year to maintain it. This was to keep him out of India. The Maharajah ran through his money " like a prince." He was repeatedly assisted to re-establish himself, and when the British Government buttoned up its pockets he threatened to return to India to "make ifc hot for us." He set out, but at Aden he was turned back. Reaching Paris he began to receive the extremists of the .Irish party who reside in that city, and finding it impossible to realise his hopes by their help, he started for Russia. His friend, "Patrick Casey," the Irish revolutionary, had been sent in advance to ascertain what sort of reception awaited the Hindoo, and on his return to Paris the Maharajah set out. He took with him the passport of Casey, and travelled under that name. At Berlin the passport was stolen, with the Maharajah's jewellery and effects. " Patrick" appeared first at St. Petersburg and afterwards at Moscow. In both places he spent freely, and the story goes that to keep up the mystery he often changed places with his valet, who is suspected of being the real " Patrick " pure. However this may be, the Maharajah was received by many great personages, including M. Katkoff. It is said that he seeks permission to enter Afghanistan by the central Asian route, in order, of course, "to make it warm for England." The risks to the Maharajah are great, since he is not known in Afghanistan, and admitting that he may reach the Punjaub, he would be at once put under arrest. The younger Sikhs are satisfied with English rule, and the older, men, who knew Runjeet Singh, look upon the Maharajah as a renegade, religious and otherwise. As a matter of fact, Dhuleep Singh is a harmless madman.

Ellen Thompson and her paramour, John Harrison, were executed at Brisbane gaol on the 13th inst. for the murder of the former's husband. In both cases death was instantaneous, but the jugular veins of each were severed in the fall, and their clothes were saturated with blood, which flowed on to the floor in a sickening stream. The woman declared her innocence, but Harrison admitted that both he and the woman were concerned in the death of Thompson, but that they only acted in self-defence.

Six youths under 20 years of age had a carouse at Ballarat which was marked by a desperate addiction to gin, and resulted in the death of one of them. Two of them, named William Gilroy, aged 18 years, and Thomas Buxton, aged 16, went to see a footballer off by train. They celebrated the occasion by procuring some gin, which they drank. One bottle not proving enough, they got another, and, after that, some more, and the result of their drinking was that three of the party went staggering home, and the two named became incapable of moving, and lay down near the railway station. _ Gilroy was picked up insensible and taken to his home and thence to the hospital, where it was found he was suffering from alcoholic poisoning. He died the following day. It appears four bottles of gin were consumed. •

The Lake District Volunteers have subscribed Is for each private and 2s for officers towards the Imperial Institute Fund.

There was a large attendance of members at the half-yearly meeting of the Lodge Otago last week, and also a number of visitors, including D.P. Bro. Morrison and P.D.P. Bro.T. Hutchison. A motion to the effect that the Otago Lodge, being satisfied with the management of the affairs of the order by the Grand Lodge of Australia as at present, resolve to remain under that management for two years, and decline to join any grand lodge in New Zealand for that period, was carried by 48 to 18, after a keen discussion.

In the course of a sermon at Wellington recently Archdeacon Stock related a circumstance which occurred in the early days of the settlement, from- which it appears that it was due to the influence of Bishop Hadfield with the Maoris that the Europeans were not massacred. Te Rauparaha, with 3000 warriors, was prepared to make a descent on the young settlement, when the bishop used his " mana "to prevent it. The bishop was regarded as being under special Divine protection, one very remarkable incident having occurred during his'missionary experience : A Native chief and a priest had formally cursed him by their gods, and both died on the instant. ■This filled the Maoris with awe, and the impression was never lost.

We understand that Mr Dargaville, M.H.R., *vhtle on a visit to Dunedin, succeeded through one of our banking institutions in floating the Kaihu Valley Railway Company's debentures for between £40,000 and £50,000. It will be remembered that under the District Railways Purchasing Act of 1885 the Government •were empowered to guarantee the company's debentures to the amount of £50,000 on the company giving such security for their repayment as the Government considered sufficient ; the money to be applied to the continuation and completion of the railway. Presumably, therefore, the Government have given the necessary guarantee.

William Hunter was charged at the Balclutha Police Court on Thursday before Messrs Fleming and Shore, J.P.s, with shooting with intent to do grievous bodily harm at James Young. Inspector Moore prosecuted, and Mr D. Reid appeared for Hunter. From the evidence for the prosecution it appeared that shortly After

midnight of Tuesday, at Kaitangata, Hunter followed Young and challenged him to take off his coat and fight. Young replied that if Hunter laid down the' musical instrument he was carrying he would button his coat, whereupon Hunter struck Young. On the latter calling out for his son,' Hunter ran off 'towards his home. As the prosecutor was washing his hands at home a few minutes afterwards, he heard footsteps coming from the direction of Hunter's through the scrub. On looking round, a gun was discharged about 30yds from him, and by the Sash he Raw that it was Hunter who discharged it. He pursued Hunter, who went in the direction of his own house. ■ Constable Hobson was apprised of what had occurred, and immediately went to Hunter's and arrested him. He was then in possession of a double-barrelled gun, one barrel of which was loaded with duokuhot and capped, the other was unloaded. The accused was committed to take his .trial at' the next session of the Supreme Court at Dunedin, commencing on the 4th inst.

The breach of promise case Alice Anderson v. David Watson (of Lawrence), which was to have come before Mr Justice Williams on Friday, was settled out of court. The only matter to be decided by the court was the. question of damages, and on this the parties agreed before the case was called on. Mr M'Coy was counsel {or the plaintiff, and Mr J. MacGregor for the defendant.

Replying to an address presented to him on His visit to New Plymouth, Archbishop Redwood said Ireland was entitled to justice, and all his sympathies were with that afflicted country., He had spent 10 years in Ireland, where he was ordained priest, and his sojourn there gave him a knowledge of the Irish people. He said that he took every opportunity to publicly avow his opinion on the Irish question, and gladly availed himself of that opportunity of reiterating his previously expressed opinion publicly, and assuring the Irish people that he would continue his advocacy of their cause.

The Mataura Ensign states that Mr Archibald Chisholm, farmer, of Hedgehope, claims to be heir to the extensive estates bearing his family name in the north of Scotland, and which are said to be worth £40,000 or £50,000 a year. " The Chisholm," as the proprietor is always called, has just died at the age of 24, after being in possession only a short time.

The South Australian police have laid an information against a family named Handorf, under the Police Act, for attempting to impose upon Mounted Constable Shegog and other persons by pretending to hold conversations with the spirit of a deceased person by means of mysterious knockings upon their leasehold premises in the Hundred of Moockra in order to depreciate the value of the land, which, being held under lease from the Crown, will become liable to forfeiture.

Official accounts - have reached Washington detailing a great cave-in in the Panama Oanal works. The slip was caused by underground currents of water which had been disturbed and diverted by the canal excavation. The work, it is alleged, now stands about where it did before a spadeful of material was removed. The out is filled in solidly for a long distance with earth and rock; the latter in great masses. The engineers are preparing to begin work on the Culebra cut, which it is calculated cannot be accomplished in less than six years. Mr Nelson Boyd, an English engineer, concludes an article on the oanal as follows : — " The impression made upon ,my mind by a visit to the canal is a sad one. It seems as if De Lesseps' success was to be tarnished by a failure at Panama, and a brilliant reputation, earned in the East, lost in the W69t. The Suez Canal has been followed too closely, for this work should have been constructed under very different circumstances. The difficulties were underrated by the early surveyors, and the rate of wages miscalculated. Now there is uncertainty and hesitation about the plans to be adopted, and a tardy striving after economy."

Mr John Ferguson, who has acted as accountant at Palmerston to the Colonial Bank, has beea promoted to the managership of one of the West Coast branches.

The snow which fell on Sunday night and Monday morning made the lower portion of the city very slushy on Monday for pedestrians. In the upper portions the snow did not melt, and in the evening, when a hard frost set in and it became converted into ice, locomotion was attended with a- good deal of risk in some of the streets. Later in the evening the frost changed that the snowfall has not been local. Our Lawand rain set in. The snow was not local. Our Lawrence correspondent informs us that the snow in that district lay on the ground to a depth of two inches or so. Press Association telegrams inform us that snow fell at Ashburton, Christchurcb, and also at Greymoutb, where it has not fallen for years.

Our Auckland correspondent telegraphs that the Minuter for Lands has forwarded a letter to Mr Jotm Lundon, whose name figured so prominently in the village settlements debate, terminating'his engagement in connection with the special 'settlements at the end of' the present month. The letter concludes as follows : — " For your personal efforts I beg in the name of the Government, and I would venture also in the name of the colony, to thank you for the public zeal and energy you have displayed in the discharge of so difficult and delicate a task."

Pending the development of some new postal enterprise, Mr Goschen thought it might amusethe underworked and overpaid country postmasters (says the World) to collect the despised and rejected foreign bronze coins in circulation in this country and send them up to London, and it was accordingly arranged that this collection, at thirteen ten-centime pieces to a' shilling, should be made between April 18 and May 31. The daily remittance of a few handf uls of these " foreigners " was expected at the head office, requiring no special provision for their accommodation. Imagine, then, the* astonishment of the St. Martin's-le-Grand authorities receiving on the first day, by post, nearly "two tons" of bronze coins! The remittances since then have varied from one and a-half to three tons per diem, a ton and a-half being worth £500. The coins, on their receipt' in London, are carefully packed in bags and sent to the Mint, to be melted down and recast* into "Britishers."

The annual meeting of the National Temperance League was held at Exeter Hall on May 2, under the presidency of the Bishop of London. The report stated that there were from 10,000 to 11,000 teetotal seamen and marines; in addition to more than 200 officers ; and in the army it was computed that there were at least 25,000 abstainers. The gross receipts from all sources for the year had been £11,230 19s 6d.. The Bishop of London said they should pursue their work until they, bad made men understand, that what they had taken up was, not merely' the fad or fancy of a few excited brains, but

that the cause was one which had' laid hold of the hearts of religious men, and would,: as, time went on, penetrate still deeper into their consciousness and strengthen their convictions as to the duty they owed to their fellow beings. ; 1 Edmund Wicks, one of the earliest agitators for the East and West Coast railway, sent: a memento of the turning of the first' sod of tne Midland railway to Mr Thomas Salt, M.P. for Stafford, and chairman of tne Midland, Railway Company., By last mail he received a very appreciative reply. Amongst other things Mr Salt Bays :— " We must all work together in generojus and friendly spirit, so as to ensure the speedy completion of bur great- undertaking. I, Hope that our New Zealand friends will not be dscouraged if doubts, delays, and troubles should arise. Every large enterprise has been driven through almost endless difficulties' by good sense and quiet courage. We intend to make the railway as a great national work with as little delay as possible, and we rely confidently oh the continuous support of every 'sensible, man in New Zealand." In a footnote the writer says :r- , " It is essential that the land concessions should be placed in a tangible form if you want to attract English money." ' Remarkably gopd progress is being made with Brown's Nelson creek section. . ■

The remains of the late Constable Porter, who was drowned by stepping over the Port Chalmers wharf last week, were .interred in the .new cemetery' at Fort Chalmers on Saturday afternoon. Over 100 persohs were in the cortege, including his .Worship the Mayor, < several councillors,. Captain W. Thomson, and other prominent residents. Four members of the Poh'ce Force under Sergeantmajor Bevin were* also present. The services of the Church of England were rendered by the Rev. W. Ronaldson. ! Our readers will have noticed that 'according to a London cablegram a young lady, Miss Ramsay, has been placed' at' the head of the classical Tripos at Cambridge. It is difficult io understand the precise meaning of the expression, as the last examination for the classical Tripos, according to the result of which the names of successful candidates were arranged in order of merit, was held in 1882. Professor Tucker, late of Auckland and now of Melbourne, was the last " senior classic," as the head of the honours list was called under the old system. In 1882 a division of the subjects of examination was made, one part of the examination being held in the third week of May of those students who have completed nob more than three years' residence at the university, while the other examination in special branches of classical learning is held in the last week of May and the first week of June of students who have completed not more than four years' residence. After each of these examinations the names of successful candidates are placed in classes, the names in each class being in alphabetical order, SO that except in the improbable contingency of the same student being placed alone in the first class at each examination, it would be impossible to say who was the head of the list as the result of the two examinations. It will be seen from the date at which tn"e news arrived here that the examination in which Miss Ramsay was successful may have been either the first or the second part ; though as only a fortnight could have elapsed since the second part was completed, it was most probably the first part of the classical Tripos. This is not the first occasion on which ladies have taken 1 high classical honours, as in 1883 three ladies were placed in the first class of the second or more advanced part of the examination. ;

The master of the steamer Chelydra, from Hongkong, was recently fined £1000 and costs in Sydney for carrying more than 10 Chinese passengers in excess of the number allowed by law, which is fixed at one Chinese passenger for every hundred tons of registered tonnage. >

A correspondent writes: — At Clyde, Alexandra, Blacks, and other places in Viucent county the Queen's jubilee was kept with loyal heartiness, and there were large and enthusiastic gatherings. Most of the fetes took the form of sports, games, dances, and treats for the children, hundreds of whom were amply supplied by the ladies of the district with a substantial feast. The National Anthem was sung, and three ringing cheers were given for the Queen. At Alexandra there was a good display of fireworks and general illumination, and all the bells rang out a welcome peal. Bonfire? blazed on the hills above Clyde and on the rooks at Alexandra, and withal the great gatherings of people there was hardly any intemperance or rowdyism, and all passed off as merry as a marriage bell ; and the people seemed united by a common thought in wishing to do honour to our gracious and good Queen Victoria. A special meeting of the Taieri County Council held on Friday was attended by Messrs, J. Roberts (chairman), Grant, Snow, ■ Graham, Gow, and Thomson. A resolution was passed m'ergingtheSurburbanandKaikorai ßoad Boards into the county ; the former having £16 0s lid to its credit, and the latter. £sl 15a 2d. Tije engineer reported that the Greytown bridge had been damaged by the late flood. He proposed removing seven of the piers undermined and replacing them with five others with longer piles, doing away with the railway part of the bridge. Tenders were received for repairing the bridge, and that of Watson Rhodes for £322 Is' lOd accepted. The other tenders were-7-Sutherland and Nelson, £337 4s sd ; Henry , Daulby, £376 10s ; E. C. Stevens, £399 3s 9d. The inspector reported that the roads and creek crossings in Whare Flat district had been damaged, some 32 chains of the lower road having been washed away, and now forming part of the creek bed. A petition for the removal of the Silverstream bridge was received from Messrs J. Sutherland, D. T. Shand, and others, and it was ordered to be considered at the next meeting. At a meeting of the ratepayers of Winton on Thursday a statement was submitted showing that the defalcations of the town clerk amounted in the aggregate to £1200. The mayor, in reply to questions, stated that the books were audited up to 1885, but not since then. # The town clerk was, paid £50 and the auditors were paid nothing. ' The state of the Dunedin* Hospital at the end of last week was as follows : — Remaining from, previous week ... ... 194 Admitted during the week ... ... 13 Discharged during the week ... ... 10 Deaths (Edward Marryatt, Alfred Trevena, and Elizabeth Oaldwell) ... ... ... 3 Total remaining s ... ... ... 124 There was a fair attendance at the Lyceum on Sunday evening, when Professor George Chainey delivered a lecture entitled" A search for truth through the worlds of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy." The lecture wa9 delivered with considerable elocutionary effect.

Dieehari

, During the debate in Parliament on the village settlement . scheme the one at Pahiatua, •Wellington, was frequently, instanced .as a most undoubted success. ,i A visitor to Maatertonfrom the district informs, the Wakarapa Daily that the

condition of the village settlers is simply pitiable, and before winter is over they will require assistance. • They have exhausted their Government grants. No work* is available, and some of them try to keep body and soul together by going oat pig-hunting. Single men may pull through*, but married men most succumb. ■ This tale does, not at all agree with what was stated in Wellington by persons presumably with a knowledge of the settlement.

of repairs, are minimised. , Undisturbed j the "Watsbbuky," like Tennyson's !• BrookV* l - ""Goes' on forever." But should accident, or' an invincible onrioßity to " see the inside of it " lead you to tamper with it, or throw ib out of 'gear, it can be at once repaired and returned to you hi going order for a sum not exceeding, in, any. oase, half-a*crown ; whilst broken hands or glasses are renewed for 6d by Mr A. W. Macabthub, watchmaker and jeweller, Princes street, Dunedin, who has now I a stock of duplicate parts. , Thus it is cot only the cheapest to buy but the cheapest to repair ; and the sum usually paid for ."overhauling" a continental or " cheap" English watch is nearly sufficient to .purchase a " WATBBBUEy,^ which will always give you the correct tone,' and save yon the discomfort and annoyance inseparable from a tricky, faithless time mutilator. <". ''■ In order to prevent deception and consequent disappointment, orders > from <the trade should I be forwarded to the New. Zealand Hardware j Company. Do not be deceived by imitations, however clever, offered at a, few shillings des*. The "Watebbuey" is worth thirteeen and sixpence, and the fact that over two millions have been sent' out from the factory is sufficient guarantee of its fidelity.: Large /shipments have been sent to Europe to compete with Continental productions in their own strongholds, and its superior time-keeping record, ensures it a certain victory. We wonder what other watch' manufacturer, can claim such, an out-