LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1875, 28 October 1887, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Another of the early settlers of Otago, bu Robert Rodger, of Blueskin, has passed away at the age of 65, and his remains were buried in the cemetery there on Saturday last. *" Rodger (who had been confined to his bed»« nearly two years, suffering through an injwj received to bis left leg a long time ago) arrive in tho colony with his brother John, his senior by a few years, over a quarter of a century back, when there were but few roads. and tb* not of tbe best sort, outside of Don* lin. .*&» the Junction Hotel on the Port Chalmers *» northwards was a dense bush, with simply a "*, through it across gullies, over fallen timber, an difficulties of various kinds which 'nttJJ^J, would deter many less hardy men. The wow made light of these, for after nettling dJJJ they thought nothing of carrying swags is provisions of over 1001b in weight for flte fltf along the track, sometimes up to their knee ■ mossy mud. The cider brother (John) d« about two months ago after a short illness, ag^ 69 He and bis brother were P°*°gj£ built men, but of quiet, retiring dnp«*o*

mixing but little in public matters excepting in road board works and ploughing matches. Robert was chairman for some time of the board merged into the county, as also of the Ploughing Match Society, which fell through when double furrows came to the fore. Neither brother ever married, and their only relatives are a widowed sister, nephew, and neice, the i as t named being married to a son of the discoverer of Wetherstones Gully, who was with his father when the discovery was made. The two old gentlemen went Home four or five years ago but finding everything there so changed, re&iirned to the old thatched house they had built as pioneers. A great many friends from different parts of Otago followed the remains of John and, on Saturday, of Robert Rodger to their graves in the Blueskin cemetery, where they rest close, to each other.

The magisterial investigation into the charge against Dr Cross, of Coachford, near Cork, of .joisoiiing his wife was concluded on the sth September, when evidence was given to the effect that the accused used violent language to his late wife when Miss Skinner, his present ff ife went into his employ as domestic servant. A labourer in accused's employ said that Dr Cross was continually abusing his wife and expressing a wish that the devil bad her. A Dublin hotelkeeper deposed to the accused and Miss gkinner living as man and wife shortly after the death of Mrs Cross, and stated that they travelled under an assumed name. Professor Pearson was recalled,! and deposed to examining the exhumed body. He found traces of strychnine in several of the organs, and adhered to his opinion that deceased died from the effects of arsenic poisoning. The accusaJ was returned for trial at the next county assizes, bail being refused. Dr Cross firmly protested his innocence of the crime.

The Derry Castle, Relief Fund which was s nl)M;ribed by Ihe public, as well as the .€l5O t'iven by the Government, was distributed at. the gailorb'.Homo, Melbourne, on the 1 hh insfc. by Mr Joba Blylh. The money was allotted in the following matinrir, via:— Owner of Awnrtia, £10Q; inahter of Aw:vrua, £o(); eight men of Awarua, £15 each — £120; seven men of Derry Castle, £10— C7O; to board, lodging, and cash advances to Derry Castle crew, £33 15s All fche recipients (says the Argus) expressed their gratitude to tho public and to the Government lor their kindness in subscribing fco the fund, but the castaways showed some signs of disapproval at tho amount, given to Captain Drew. One of tho survivors stated that they wanted ihe Awarua to take them over to Stewart Island, which is about 200 miles from Auckland Islands and within a short distance of the New Zealand ports, but Captain Drew declined to do that, and imulu the. castaways assist him in sealing, and in that way the burvivors claimed thftt they had paid tor their rescue. Captain Drew denied that statement, and said that tho Derry Castle crew had rather retarded than helped the, sealing. He admitted having visited thu Auckland Islands against the New Zealand laws, and he knew at the time that in assisting the castaways he was destroying ln\ sealing trip. It was pointed out. that Captain Young had collected £72 on the dibtinct understanding that two-thirds of that sum nhould go to the master of the Awarua, and therefore the committee of the Victorian Shipwreck Relief Society, which had disUibured the fund, could not reduce that amount. It may be. mentioned that the Awarua brought 177 sealskins to Melbourne, and that the Maori crew will participate in the profits arising out of the disposal of the skins.

From telegrams fromHobart in fche Australian papers we learn that on the 12fch inst. six smallpox patients were admitted into quarantine, on which date there were 75 persons including attendants, at the station. On the 13th Henry Chick died from the disease, and Mr Alfred Millf, of Messrs Mills Bros.' furnishing warehouse, George street, Launceston, a well-known football player, was admitted. He is supposed to have been in contact with the, undertaker, Storrer. On that day the members of the Central Board of Health resigned,as Parliament has voted no funds. All the necessary work wus to be carried on by the Chief Secretary's department, and it was resolved to take stringent precautions rgaiusfa the spread of the disease. On the 14th Mrs Wilkinson died, having only been admitted on the day previous. It was decided to take action against Dr Murphy lor no) reporting the first case, that of IVlrs Blau< hfiowers. On the. 16th a man named Larkrdi.'d, making fche eighth death. In none (if the c,is(.'s in which death occurred had tho patii-iiti mm vaccinated. Up to the 18th no iiirth'T cases had occurred, making the sixth day siut-c any development of the disease had been reported.

At a meeting of shareholders of the Waimea Plaint, Railway Company, huld on Momlay.it was decided that the company be wound up voluntarilj, and Mr R. H. Leary was appointed liquidator. The loss to (he shareholders in the whole affiir ifc is estimated will be about £1 ISs per share. Some, land which the company holds "(Mr (lore will be disposed of at auction.

An unoccupied cottage at Whare Flat was burnt to the ground on Saturday. It was a two-roomed hut, which formerly had been a store, ami was situated on corporation property. Tho building was a very old one, and was used by young men who went out rabbiting. It is surmised that they might have left some burning embers in the fireplace, the sparks from which may have caused the fire. There was no insurance.

The position of some of the Natives in HawkeY Bay (says the Post) is a most peculiar a»fl embarrassing one. They possess land, but cannot deal with it, and although their property is worth a large sum they have not the money required for their ordinary support, and cannot even afford the fees necessary to pass their land through the court. One hapu of about 30 persons owns a reserve of some 600 acres, on which is placed a railway station. This reserve has been through the court, but it has not been subdivided or the title individualised. It is fine land, and would readily find purchasers at a high price if the owners could sell, but they cannot. Adjoining this reserve the same Natives own a block of 20,000 acres not yet put through the court. J i his, too, they could readily sell at a good price » they were allowed to do so. They can give no security even, and now that they have exhausted their credit they are in considerable straits. Mr Knight, the well-known interpreter, is at present |v Wellington on their Jbehalf, and has bad an interview with the Native Minister, in which he urged the Government to buy the land itself or w pass an Order-in-Couneil enabling the Natives tosell to private persons. Mr Mitchelson promised to consider the matter, and has since replied stating that the Government does not at present see its way to become the purchaser, nothing is said, however, about letting the Natives find their own market, and Mr Kuight !""■ it is understood, press this alternative wrther upon the attention of the Native Minister.

'Ihe following new patents havp been applied frT For a rabl)it kill-trap, by Frank Oakden, ?l? l Dunediti ; for flexible zigzag axles for discj^tows, by Robert Uockerell, of Invercargill ; tor cast-iron central straining wire-fence rollers,

by George M'Farlane, of Auckland ; an improvement in sheep-shears, by Stanhope Edward Cooper, of Napier ; an improved method of fishing from the shore, entitled " Gravity Fishing," by Nicholas Price Carver, of Sydney; improvements in the destruction ot rabbits, by Charles Ilenry Wreford, of New South Wales, grazier ; improvements in siugle-rail elevated railways and vehicles therefor, by Charles Francois Marie Therese Lartigue, of Paris ; improvements in extracting gold, silver, and other metals from ores or compounds containing the same, by Alexander Parkes, of Dulwich; improvements in the application of electricity to

vehicles on trams or railways, and in the ap-

paratus for effecting the same, by Frank Wynne, of Westminster; improved apparatus for the manufacture of vinegar, by William Houlker, of Nelson ; an improved concentrator for metalli-

ferous material, by Thomas William Watson and Thomas Denny, Victoria; improvements in combined grinding, classifying, and amalgamating machines, by Thomas William Watson and Thomas Denny, Victoria; a new or improved sewing machine, by Cecil Noble and Hubert Haes and George Lenton Roff, London ; for a wire-strainer, by Henry Dnnstain Vavasour, of Flaxbourne.

The Warrego river blacks, in New South Wales, had a free fight on a recent Saturday night near Walla!, which resulted in two being killed and several severely wounded. Drink was the cause of the quarrel. Knives and tomahawks were used, and the bodies of the. dead and those who were injured presented a horrible sight, having been bhockingJy hacked and cut.

The Winton correspondent of the Southland Times telegraphs that, Mr John Murdoch's Lady Barkley sawmill had been bunn.d on Sunday morning between 5 and 6 o'clock. Thuro was no insurance on the builditig or plant.

A daring bank robbery took place, in Glasgow recently, a Mim >»f £8-% being taken from tin* (Sharing Cross branch of the. Britinh Linen Bank. Four foreigners, supposed to bij Germans, entered the bank, in which there were only the teller and a clerk, and while one asked to see the Post Om'tie Directory the other twu plied the teller with questions as to the, transmission of money abroad. In the meantime the fourth of tho parr.y slipped round the end of the counter as if going to tho room of the j'gent, who happened to bo out of town, and entering tho open door of thu teller's box, adroitly slipped away with four bundles of note*, which were, made up as follows :— £soo in £1 notes, of the British Linen Bank, £85 in £5 notes of other banks, £271 in £1 notes of other banks, and £'30 in £5 notes of the Bank of England. As soon as he had accomplished his purpose tho thief walked quietly out of the office, called a cab, and drove to the North British railway station. In the meantime the other three, who were supposed to be confederates, lefb one by one, and passing down North street, which adjoins the bank, they entered a cab and drove to the centre of the city and there dispersed.

The Right Hon. A. J. Beresford Hnpc, whose death was announced by cable on Friday, was the proprietor of the, well-known weekly the Saturday Review. He was born in 1820, and educated at Harrow, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1841. He purchased in 1844 the aucient buildings of St. Augustine'ri Abbey, Canterbury, as a college for missionary clergy, and was president of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1805 to 1867. He entered Parliament as member tor Maidstone in 1841, but retired in 1852. He was returned again in 1857 but two years later was defeated tor Cambridge University, and three years later for Stoke-upon-Trent. He was elected by the latter constituency, however, in 1865, and three years Inter he won the Cambridge University sent. Ho was sworn as a member of the Privy Council in 1880, and a year later the University of Dubliu conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. Besides being the author of some works on church affairs, pamphlets, and other papers and articles, he wrote two novels — " Strictly Tied Up " and " The Brandruths."

Frog spearing is a questionable kind of amusement which, it sippeurs, is at present indulged in by French aristocratic idlers who are trying to kill the long summer days in country seats. The latest instance of this peculiar kind of sport s-ays the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, took place in the grounds of the Chateau of Bellancourfc. After luncbnon, a party of " la'lies and gentlemen," armed with weapons resembling crossbows, the arrows being of hazelwood, with iron lance heads, and attached to the how by silken string?, so as to enable the frogs to be' hauled in, proceeded to the. b<uiks of a pond. Tho.n there was a great deal of unceremonious stooping down as the frogs appeared, and arrows were lot off in all directions, the slaughter iiiiing considerable, on the part, of those who pursued t.bc sport for the purpose of bigging •Tame. Tho impaled batrachians wore in all ca^es carefully collected and handed over to the cooks.

At a recent meeting of the Victorian Church of England Assembly it was announced that the late J. G. Morley bad bequeathed £1200 to fouud a theological scholarship in Trinity College for the encouragement of candidates for holy orders.

Some time ago the Victorian Legislative Assembly passed a resolution affirming the principle that members of Parliament who had served seven years should be entitled to free passes for life over the railways. The motion has excised so much adverse comment throughout the colony, both in the press and at meetings of local bodies, that Mr Hale, who originally introduced the matter, has now given notice of motion to rescind his former resolution.

A very largely attended social meeting was held on Friday evening in the Congregational Church, Port Chalmers, for the purpose of bidding farewell to Mr John Beprg, who has been the conductor of the choir for the past five years. After the tea the choir sang some sacred selections, and the, pastor (the Rev. W. M. Grant), on behalf of the church and congregation, presented to Mr Begg a-i illuminated address and a purse of sovereigns. In doing so he bore testimony to the hearty and earnest interest which Mr Begg had shown in the service of song, and the self-sacrifice and zeal he had manifested in training the choir. Mr Begg, in thanking the friends for the presentation, said the work had ever been to him a labour of love, and spoke of all the happy intercourse he had had with the church and the congregation. During the evening solos were sung, by Mrs White? the Misses E. M'Kinlay, M'lntyre, Ross, »nd White. A reading was given by Mr W. B-inehop, and a recitation by Master S. Sh-achan. Miss Thomson presided at the organ. The following wa3 the state of the Dunedin Hospital at ihe end of last week .— Remaining from previous week ... ... 108 Admitted during ihe week ... ■•• 2* Dischargee! during thfe week ... ... 18 Deaths (Janei- Falconer, Andrew Mercer, and Frank. Smy the) ... ... ... 3 Total remaining ... ... •■• HO The following is the text of a petition which is being signed in Dunedin for presentation to I

the House of Representatives by Dr Fitchett, M.H.R. :— "To the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled : The petition of the Dunedin resisidents who have hereto signed their names, representing all shades of political and economic opinion, showeth — Tha 1 ;, in the opinion of your' petitioners, the non -revision of the tariff this session will cripple legitimate trade, encourage illegitimate speculation, and intensify the existing depression. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will be pleased to consider and revise the tariff during the present session of Parliament." It is intended to obtain signatures to a similar petition in various other towns in the colony. As Mr James Robertson ia leaving Lawrence to commence business in Victoria, a number of the residents met him on Wednesday and presented him with a small bag of Tuapeka gold, subscribed by his friends. The presentation

was made by the mayor, Mr Taylor. Afterwards

a number of the Chinese residents of Tuapeka presented Mrs Robertson with a purse of

sovereigns as an acknowledgment of Mr Robertson's valuable services in their behalf, and for

the keen interest he had always taken in their material welfare.

The first country excursi< n this season arranged by the Railway department — namely, from Tapanui and neighbouring districts to the Bluff — was an undoubted success. The train conveyed about 500 passengers, many being ladies and children. A small proportion of th« travellers remained in Invercargill, but the majority proceeded per special train to the Bluff, where tht-y apparently put in two or three pleasant hours, notwithstanding tho extremely boisterous weather. A few took advantage of the run in the straits by the Harbour Board's tug Awanm. The excursionists left the Bluff about 5 o'clock, and Invcrcargill about 6 o'clock, ami the return journey was made without any mishap.

A blacksmith's shop at Greytovvn, rented by Mr Ch.uli's Gamble and owned by Mr Graham

was bnrniiil down on Friday morning. Mr Gamble had a policy for £-X) in the New Zealand ollicn on the tools in thu shop.

The Tu.Hpe.ka Times says that alter making inquiries it finds that runholder,-, by sending tbuir clips to port by road instead of by rail, can effect a saving of, in some ea'-cfe, over 2* per bale. The Greenfield, Clvdevalc, and Hilleud estates alone will send fully 1600 bales to port this season.

Thi: rails are now laid as far as Mount Allan on the Otago Central line, and n start will shortly bo made with the bridge to l&orected there. Messrs Anderson Bros., who have the contracts for tho bridges, expect (says the Advocate) that they will soon have between 50 and 6'o men at work iti connection with these contracts.

At the instance of Mr John Willoughby, who feared that the death of his son, aged six years, had been caused by eating tinned fish, an inquest ■was held at Cardrona on tho 12th inst. The Lake County Press states that on the 11th the boy returned from school at dinner time and complained of feeling cold, but he returned to school again and nothing unusual was noticed. On reaching home again, however, he became cramped, and died before medical aid was obt'lined. Dr Monty's evidence was to the effect that death resulted from congestion of the lungs, aud a verdict was returned m accordance with this evidence.

The late Mrs C. Falconer, of Tokomairiro, who died last week, was a residents of many years' standing. Mrs Falconer was born in Strathardle, Perthshire, Scotland, where her father owned a small estate. She left for this colony along with her husband per the Palmyra about the middle of October 1857, so that she has been in the colony for 30 years. Upon their arrival here they took up their residence in Tokomairiro, where they have resided ever aince. With industry, economy, aud perseverance, comparative independence was soon attained, and many who subsequently selected Tokomairiro for their home received from Mrs Falconer a kindly welcome, a helping hand, and a cheerful, hopeful word of counsel and encouragement.

At a special meetiug of the Otago Harbour Tloard on the 20th the. report of the Retrenchment Committee was considered and adopted. This report recommended that the services of the. collector of dues nhould be. dispensed with, and every effort made to have all dues paid over tho counter. The services of the master of the, tug and the bnat&waiii at Port Chalmers are aUo to bo dispensed with, thu salary of the mate of the Plucky to be. increased, and the pilots utilised as masters of the tugs. After the end of the year it is considered the dredges may I c laid up and the engineer's department, reducxl. An estimate of the reveuue for 1888 submitted by the treasurer showed that, after paying interest, commission, and exchange, there will bo a balance available of £7500 for the establishments of the board.

The Otago Education Board have taken a step in the direction of retrenchment by appointing a committee to bring down a report on the question. Mr J. F. M Fraser, the mover of a motion carried at the last meeting of the board, drew attention to the great increase in classification bonuses granted to teachers within the past seven or eight years. The amount, he said, had risen from £1000 in 1879 to over £6000 per annum, and the last classification had cost the board £1200. The abolition of the Model School ut the Normal School is one of the questions that are likely to come under the consideration of the committee.

A trial of Howarth's patent safety-catch was made in connection with a hydraulic lift at Messrs A. and J. M'Farlane's premises in Maclaggan street on the 20th inst., in the presence of Professor Ulricb, Messrs Boldim, Chisholm, Murray, Eggers, and a number of other gentlemen. In the first instance about 16 cwt of sugar was placed upon the lift, and when the rope attached to this was cut suddenly the safety-catch prevented the lift from falling more than 2& inches. Subsequently 22 cwt was placed upon the lift and a number of tests were made, all of which proved very successful.

After a long hearing, the Gore J.P.s dismissed the information for perjury laid against Mr C. J. Aldridge, solicitor, on the ground that he might have understood Mr M'Leod had paid the fees for his certificate although it turned out, in point of fact, that they had not been then paid.

The total entries for the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association's annual show number. >d 583, an increase of 33 on the previous year. The sheep entries numbered 219 ; cattle, 33 ; horses, 139 ; dairy produce, &c, 59 ; implements and sundries, 92.

Either intentionally or by accident, the mystic number 7 plays a great part in the Cologne Cathedral. The number appears to have been taken as the groundwork of all arrangements in which numerical quantity comes into question. Thus there are 7 niches for>the reception of statues at all the chief doors and at the side entrances. The height of the vestibule is 7 times

Bft ; 7 pediments for figures stand in the same ; 7 chapels surround ihe choir, the width of which, like that of the inner area of the church) is 7 times 23ft, while the height of the choir is f times 23ft ; the height of the aisles is 7 times 10ft, and twice 7 pillars adorn the choir. In the aisles are 7 times 8 pillars, and 4 times 7 shafts rise along the walls. The western portal is 7 times 33ft wide, the length of the vast building is 7 times 76ft, and the height to the summit of the principal towers was also fixed at 7 times 76ft. The three transverse aisles are 7 times 15ft wide. Not only does the number 7 enter so largely into the general architectural arrangements, but also into the smallest details as the parts of decorative work. In treating a negro at Leipsic for an ulcerous infection, it was found necessary to replace por* tions of the skin with pieces taken from one or two white persons. The latter pieces gradually grew darker in colour, and finally as black as the patient's owu skin. This singular fact led to an experiment being made of transferring portions of black skip to a white patient, and it was found that after a few weeks these began to grow pale. In less than 14 weeks they had, in fact, grown so white as not to be distinguishable from the patient's natural skin.

A remarkable discovery is reported from Oarrick-on-Suir. On the property of Mr Davin a cow fell into an old sunken well, and several men proceeded to extricate the animal. On reaching the bottom they discovered two perfect human skeletons, attired in fragments of some ancient military costume. They also found saddles, swords, and two pairs of long military jack boots, such as were worn by cavalry soldiers in the last century. In the same enclosure were the skeletonised forms of two horses and two powevfully-built dogs, evidently of the bloodhound species. The skeletons are believed to be. those of Hessian soldiers slain during the insurrection of 1798. Mr Davin has taken possession of the remarkable relics.

Tho newly amended scientific temperance instruction law in Michigan takes effect on September 9 It provides that instruction shall be given in physiology and hygiene, with special rcterunce to narcoiics and their effuots upon the human system. Tho instruction bhall be given by text-hooks where, the pupil is able to read, and as thoroughly as any other studios pursued in the school. The proportion of spacu that books must give to the subject is stated. The books must first be approved by the State Board of Education, and the school board are subject to line or forfeiture for failing to comply with this provisions of the act. This act applies to all schools in the State, including schools in cities and villages, whether incorporated under special charter or under the general laws.

A French scientific man, M. Vallot, has, according to all accounts, accomplished a remarkable feat. He has camped for the space of three days and three nights on the summit of Mont Blanc for the purpose of makiug meteorological, physical, and physiological observations after the manner of aeronauts in a balloon. His courageous efforts, despite his suff«riugs from cold and from rarefied air, as well as the exhaustion consequent on his climb to such lofty altitudes, have, it is averred by his countrymen, be?n successful as well as unprecedented. The result of his labours and researches has been communicated under sealed cover to the National Academy of Sciences. Among other matters of interest it may be worth while (says th« Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph) to mention that M. Jaubert, of the Trocaduro Observatory, has begun to use the interior oi hollow globes of his invention for the study of astronomy, and that during the exhibition of 1889 an immense hollow celestial globe, 108 metres in circumference, and representing with as much vividness and accuracy as possible ihe aspect of the skies, will be exhibited at the Trocadero. With this will be terrestrial and lunar globes of equally large dimensions.

Some interesting reminiscences were given at the banquet tendered to Mr Richmond Hurst.house, at Nelson, by his supporters in his recent contest with Mr Kerr. Mr Rawson mentioned that when Mr Hursthouse was first induced to enter public lifo, the deputation which waited upon him, found him hard at work in his hay field. Mr Hursthouse corroborate'! this, and said: "Our tirst political meeting was held in a paddock, my committee and myself perched on the rails, likw so many rooks, and we then deterniine-d to fight and win — and win we did — honourably, aswobave just now lost." Mr Hursthouse later on, in proposing the. health of the mayor (Mr Fell), said he. did so with somu hesitation, as he, too, was " connected with Major Atkinson " — (Laughter.) Now he would ju^t like, to say a word or two about thi-> terrible Major Atkinson, as than himself none kne.w him better. He had known him ns a bush farmer carting firewood into town at 7s 6) a load, hod borne arms under him in the Maori war, and had known him as a member of the Government ; and he would say this of him, that not. a m<m could lay a finger on a single spot in his character. A pluckier man never lived, nor one who was more thoughtful of and considerate to the men under his command. That was the sorb of man they wanted just now at the head of their affairs.

A cablegram received by the Press Association on Friday gives the names of the steerage passengers who were drowned by the wreck of the Cheviot off Port Phillip Heads. The lUt. however, is not complete. A good deal of anxiety is felt by at least three families in Dunedin in connection with the wreck, as they have reason to believe relatives were on board. One <f these employed as a fireman, war, engaged in ihn same capacity in the Tararua when that -t earner was wi'tkcd off Waipapapa Point As two of the firemen of the Cheviot are known to have been saved, his good fortune may still follow him.

Our Reefton correspondent telegraphed as follows on Friday evening :—": — " A terrible storm swept over the district, yesterday and last night. At 11.30 last night a fearful crash and roar was heard at the eastern end of the town, where the reservoir is situated at an elevation of 180 ft. An alarm was given that the reservoir had burst, and the. confusion and excitement, was very great. The report proved to be false, the noise having been occasioned by the fall of a clump of trees."

In the proof of debt forms which the official assignee in bankruptcy receives in connection with creditors' meetings there is a space left blank for the creditor to state what security he holds. One of these proofs came, zo hand on Friday from a well-known mediral man tilled in thus -.—". — " The only security held in respect to the said debt is th<> hop u . that the man's conscience will prick him sufficiently to spur him on to pay me in full." This was regarded by the assignee as something unique in the way of securities.

After an animated debate, the, Canterbury Diocesan Synod adopted the following resolution :—": — " Thdt in the opinion of this c-ynod it is desirable tb/tl the Education Act should be amended so as to contain a provision for grants in aid of maintenance of hch<K>l- set on foot by any religious denomination, provided that tbtsecular instruction given in such schools shall come up to the required standard and satisfy

the Government inspectors. That this nyned i» of opinion that the Education Act should be so amended as to permit of religious instruction being given within school hours m Government schools by ministers of religion, or persons duly authorised by them, to children belonging to> their respective communions."

The Western District Building Society" and Deposit Bank has been rather unfortunate m its experience of last year. The profits of the year amounted to £195 6s lOd, and this was carried to the suspense account, amounting to £794 ss. That would not be sufficient, however, to meet the losses sustained by depreciation oS properties. These were estimated at £1200, and to provide the extra £400 the directors reeom~ mended that all effective shares should be debited with a pertion of the loss. The auditors a»d directors gave their fee 6to aid the suspense account, and on the suggestion of the secretary his salary of £100 was reduced by one-half.

The Wellington Post calls upon the authorities to put down glove fights. Our contemporary states that while having no maudlin or sentimental prejudice against boxing, these glove fights belong to a totally different category. They are almost invariably originated for betting purposes, and managed so as to make the most money, irrespective of the merits, such as they may be, of the fellows who instead of working for their living prefer to live upon the public, and call themselves by all sorts of hfgh-falutirk titles as champions of one species or another. The surroundings of these exhibitions are almost invariably of an utterly disreputable and demoralising character, and it is high time the law stepped in and put them down.

The English Supreme Court of the Foresters having decreed that the American branches should admit negroes, the Subsidiary High Court at Chicago unanimously refuses obedience, and has adopted resolutions threatening to secede from the English jurisdiction.

The net profit to the colony of the San Francisco mail service for the year 1886 was £2496 13s 2d ; the. estimated nut profit of the service iv ISBS was £422 life 4d. The net cost to the colony of thu direct steam service in 1886 was £11,070 Us 8d; and the estimated cost of tho service for 1885 was £6552 13s od. Tho ColomboBriudisi, Victorian Packet Service cost tho colony in 1886 £698 15s Id net; and the Suez-Briudisi, New Sputh Wales P«vket Service £220 5s 2d in the same year.

A correspondent writes to • the Post as follows:— "Seeing a paragraph in to-night's ihbue of the Post concerning the. Endeavour, Captain Cook's discovery ship, in which it is stated that no one seems to know what became of her, I may porhaps interest your readers by relating the following f acts :— When a boy (homo 30 odd years ago) I was thinking of going to sea, in company with a relative who was an old sea captain. We were going down London river. ' There,' said he, as we passed the then Thames police hulk, • is the ship that Captain Cook commanded when he discovered New Zealand.' ( I may here say that I had some idea at the time that New Zealand would be the end of my first

voyage.) She was broken up very shortly afterwards. I wish I could give the exact date 'sut it was in the latter end of '55 or beginning of '56. It would be a pleasure to me to see my statement corroborated. Perhaps soeqb of your readers may know a little more about it." The danger of leaving wax vestas witbin reach of children was illustrated in Wellington last Sunday. A child about two years of age managed to secure some matches on a table by a bedside, and sucked several of them. Fortunately the mother recognised the symptoms, and at once took the child to a chemist. Dr Cole, who attended, stated that the matches consumed by the child contained phosphorus enough 4 so kill any adult, amounting to about a grain. Mr Chambers, of the Onehunga ironworks, in passing through New Plymouth the other day, was interviewed by a News reporter, and in answer to a question as to the result of the ironsand operations at Onehunga, Mr Chambers said : — " Yes, we made the bar iron of good quality, but it cost too much in the production. It cost £9 per ton, when it could be imported for less money, and you know what that means. I am quite certain that some process will be yet

found that will reduce the cost, for we have

mastered nearly all the difficulties hut one or two. At the present time, the Onehunga iron-

works are being run by a practical man from Now South Wales, who has taken a contrnct to

turn out bar iron from scrap iron and 20 per oenK ironsand. A certain amount of scrap iron

is given to him, and he has to turn out bar iron

for that amount, with 20 per cent, from ironsand added The works will be started now in abnut three, weeks. The only question is, Will they be able to work the ironsand economically ? Of course, if they can work in 20 per cent, of the

ironsand, they can ultimately work in more — pronably 50 per cent. — before long. The party at Onehunga are working on the co-operative principle. There are about 20 men in the party altogether, 10 of whom have come over from the Lithgow works, New South Wales. Of course

they have an advantage by carrying out their operations on the co-operative principle, and it is more likely to prove successful, as the expenses at first will not bo so heavy."

The Wellington Oity Council find their expenditure for the half-year is £3600 more, than

their income, and in consequence all the work that can be done by contract is to bo tendered for instead of being carried out by day labour.

The surprising announcement comes from

Washington that the special board of officers appointed by the United Sfates Government to inquire into the comparative merits of different

lifeboats for use ia the navy has reported to Secretary Whitney that it has found no lifeboat which can be recommended. Th's indicates that the lifeboats used in the merchant service must be much less safeand advantageous in time of peril than is commonly .suppo.-e.d. Perhaps, indeud, many of them are not entitled lo be called lifeboats. I'he secretary of the navy has directed a continuance of the, investigations On the. subject ; but whatever conclusion \h finally reached, enough has been already developed to show that lifeboats are capable of great improvement, and that a thoroughly satisfactory lifeboat has vet to be devised.

The United States are in the van with regard to electric lighting. But it is not so generally known to wh^t an extent electricity is at present being n'«e<l there for supplying motive power. According to an estimate made by the Electrical Review (Ne.w York), more than

3.500.000 pa<«<-o.n«ers are earrieii annually in America in framcars propelled by electric motors. In Montgomery, Alabama, electricity is used on 1L miles of road, and the cost is reported to bf; only one-half tin* cost of horsepower. Ro.'ul.s on which ok'otririty Takes the place, of borse* arc found in Baf'imote, Los Angele", Port Huron, Detroit, Scranton. Appleton (Wisco)i»m), ar.d Denver. ElccTii! tramways are rilhT in c«un>f of constrict i/.n or

iinuer ctuitracfc in 12 orhcr cities, «m!"iu 37 town* companies nave been formed oc. .other steps taken for the construction of such' roads. Upon none of the lines now in operation in thft

Uaited States, however ts force supplied by istoraga batteries attr-cfoed to the cars. In most ■cases, power is o«amunicated by an overhead tconAuctor.

Bishop Moran arrived in Dunedin on TttesAaJp' evening by the Southern express, and was atfoomipanied by three sisters of th c Dominican Convent. 'The "bishop was met at Mosgiel by a large ■number of the clergy oi the diocese, and on treatohing Duuedin he was 'welcomed by a number •of the laity. An infottttal demonstration took place outside the bishop's palace where a large number of Catholics assembled and cheered | lustily. The presentation to Bishop Moraa took t place on Wednesday evening after, devotnCKih which commenced at 7.30.

Thefrorth Otago Times stoteslfea* 150 hands "employed on the South. Island "railway lines are i said to have received notriee tbat their services not be required. sPfeis step has been taken foy the heads of •departments, and does not come withia the scope of any scheme of retrench* ment the Government may have decided updu carrying oat.

The newly-formed Presbyteriatt 'Chafrge '6? 1 Toi-Tois is to be supplied lit; orice Wtfb. a nvorkct, the Church Extension 'Comirirftee having the Southland Times} appointed flftt Robert Fairniaid, divinity -stoident, for three months. Mr Fairmairi has -already proved himself a zealous and snecessful missionary at Brunnerton and also *& Kelso. The Rev. Jas. Johnston is to foiled Mr Fairmaid. Mr Johnston proved himself un able student at the Otago University; lie also took an extra course of study in Edinburgh, and has just returned. There is a good, field for church work in ToiTois, as the bulk of the people are tresby'berians. There are churches free •of debt at Pine (Bush and Fortrose, and a commodious manse foas just been erected ao the latter township, and it is also free of debt.

The Mataura Eusign, referriug to the death of Mr J. K. Cameron, of Moa Flat, wbich took place on Monday, states that the imtnediale cause of death was pneumonia, brought on by an aggravated cold, which was at first heglected. .At 'one time — 20 years ago — Mr Cameron was manager of Five Rivers estate, and afterwards ■aouducted operations on that of the New Zealand Agricultural Company, gaining the goodwill of all the employes and of the settlers and others with whsai he had to deal. He leaves a wife and four children.

Additional particulars of the fire which destroyed Mr Murdoch's Lady Barkly sawmill, givea by the Southland Times,, are to the effect that when the fire was fir&t discovered it was at •otuie seen that the mill was doomed, and the miUb.&nds and their -wives and children directed their efforts to saving the adjoining 'bnfldings, in which they were successful. The mill had been working short-handed for Tttme time, but strange to say, the day before : it was burned Mr Murdoch had signed a 'contract for 1,200,000 ft ■af white pine for t)he Melbourne Exhibition, and the Alcestis was to have been chartered to carry it. Mr Murdoch had no insurance. Mr James Brown, the engineer who was fitting up t locomotive purchased from the Dimedfti Tramway Company, lost all his tools.

la the Otiake disferfefc a memorial is being Sargely signed asking the Minister of Lands to caupc an iramer'^tw survey of the Kurow run in •small grazing m\s, according to the instructions of thel ate ittuiater of Lands. The petition further stages that the present lease expires in March, ao-d that, if no rightful owner has the Isnd, it w jU be overrun with rabbits, to the detriment of the run and of the settlers in the locality.

The West Coast Times states that Francis Upham, formerly of Ross, Hokitika, and Kumara, and more recently an inmate of the Old Man's Home, Gaversham, where he has been bedridden for six, and a sick member of the Ancient Order of Foresters for the last 14 years, has come into a fortune left him by some relative iv the Home country. He left the colony on the 11th inst. in the s.s. lonic.

There are some "queer cards" in the world, but perhaps in Taranaki (says the Herald) we have one of the queerest. His claim to be classed among the uncommon specimens of humanity rests on the uncanny habit he has of sleeping in what he terms " his coffin," so that when he dies ho will put no one to any trouble or expense over bis funeral. He made the coffin, a most roomy arrangement, himself, and has been in the habit of sleaping in it for years. He hopes to shuffle off this mortal coil in the box.

The bushranger Hughes, who was found guilty at Perth of unlawfully wounding Constable Carrolls, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for that offence. For tho manslaughter of Constable Connell he was sentenced to penal servitude for life.

Mesßra Ponald Reid and Co.'s Farmers' Circular for 1887-88 lias just been issued. As usual it contains a large amount of interesting information for everyone connected with agricultural or pastoral pursuits. Ifc lias been gradually enlarged from year to year, until this season it is a respectable volume of between 60 and 70 pages.