LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

j Mr' J.M 4 K^rw)W, ! tlhief Oommissifltfer of Rail- < . w iy¥,'^a's in^ryii>W f id 'at r kTi(^lana ftymMo^attk^ %: lp^on ! beiiaif.^f jy/aripus " W^^'^rnp^me^J ,%fejd that itheifreight, or coal JrQoi WaUc^to to, ,A|icWahd be reduced. They pointed "out that ;iaf a great many instances it wfcSs possible to a'tira MucK cheaper rate' "thafrlfwas^osslWd^'get local 'coal. The proseat freight for 'Hoal is Is' 6d 'per' ton frori»' !kbrrtTy; r Uiid the' ; d.e'put;atidh' 'asked WISLvq this" riehu^'t^J^fotit/.^s '^^tfeti' ftfe^yeWstire j W&ejOuS-pu^ wmjild' Jbje ddijb'ie^.i.feie^ mg'ge>te\a|r'e^h%o||dpejrJ;pn p^inge from the «m :mf».tp l iUeraeii and^p^tpn per, m#e, from »M Jweriq Anpk%d. TM co%wp^p 4 of coal lejr,y^reat/1 ejr,y^reat // v-Mr h M'^e!cr,ow c , w%t "tfhb -matter .^9uld, i rec^. ey§ry croMdtePation.,, *A deputation of members of tpe, Afl^kj^nd.gair^r for> reducttpnoi.^mjEor r w«r^< BJQmjs^dj tha^ thecopaniissjone^^wonl^ As a sigftflf tne progrew '6'f feeMenientfifc was,aiw^tt,fib^t.durmjf I ,the las| > i2^uihslSpersdris,Jiavepurc^ased J prop ) er)^ "in tyarakji disbriqt,.- the ,. total amounijOf ipaoney . 'raus.chjspgjngjl'fi*^^ 8 - P 6 *' I '^. ffinP ns j ( % l^y ,ffa °^6 3&. ' Qneproperty wasjpl^a f or tnigb^ ago | $ ■ 1 50y/ $& M'Kerrbw jwm als^ inter viewed by a inumberJiniieifested in the. dairying .industry, who 'reiiqeated that a cool truck be prQvided fo^ thq, ca3riage of butter by .iail. , ( Mr, /,M^Kerrojf thought it would be quite an easy matter, to a ( od6l, Wu'ek constructed. Ifoe". >ma<ter ■ wcrald be considered by the commissioners for other places as well as Auckland; as the dairy •ipdustry was going to be' , 6fle of 'th 6 mqst important in New Zealand, and he had' 'been giving considerable attention to iit'oh that account." The deputation also explained that they wished to take advantage of the export rate on butter which they could not now do as though nine-tenths of their butter was exported they had at first to bring it to towfl to properly soft and pack it; and on 'this 1 account had to pay local rates. The Commissioner saia this matter, also would receive attention. 1 The Commissioner toas^om'e to the conclusion that many improvements can be made on ' Auckland railways. His attention has been called to several awkward grades which can be eased aud some difficult curves which can be reobstructed.

'At ihe City Police Court -on William Gardener, a , young man^, about ,?l years of. age, was charged,,, with breaking into -.the', store of James Steven on or about the 4th, inst., and stealing therejxom 12}b of bacon, 'bf,,"fcbV value ,pf 6s.— Constable,, Ward stated that about a quarter to,4,p'cldck, on the morning of 'the 7th ingt.ne saw the accused .coming' along, King, street. , When he got to, the store of 'Gibson Eirpttiers he stopped .and qom: menced to handle the door. He then went along to,Meenan's shop and also handled the door. He afterward^ went to a plupbeVs shop at the corner of King and St. David' streets, and tried to open the ,door with some keys. Witness ■went, up to him, and accused put the keys (produced) into his pocket. Witness questioned him about breaking into some shops on previous nights, and accused said that on .Saturday might l»sr. he and a boy named Buipside broke^into Mr Steven's shop and took half a roll of, bacon from it. Accusedalsostatedthathe'andßarrisidebroke^ into Hermann Doring'sehopaboat a fortnight ago^ , ,

and took four sixpenuy pieces and 10s worth of coppers. Oil Monday last accused said some other boys, named Siayth, Macdonald, Burnside, and himself, broke into Bethime's shop and took some stamps. Accused said the, bacon which had been stolen was in the bush at the top of Queen street, where, the boys camped that night. He took wir-ness up to the place, and witness searched about for some considerable time, hat could not, find any bacon. Accused then tried to get away. Witness put the handcuffs on him and took him, to the police station, he resisting, all the way. Accused had been a lamplighter at the North-east Valley.-eAf ter , evidence had been given by James Steven, ham and bacon curer, of King street, I^r Thomson intimated that all the bench could do in this case vr&s to commit, the for trial; — Mr Phillips, probation officer, asked that the case' might he remanded before the ..bench gave their decision. He had reason to believe from the conversation he had with ,the accused on the jjjreviotjs day, that he was not, really responsible for' his action?. - Jt iifould perhaps be as well to have him remanded., for medical examination.-— Mr Weldon;!who conducted the prosecution, said that it wss the, duty of the bench to deal with .the case then, and accused could afterwards be by, a medical man.— The probation^ officer^ Subsequently' observed that, ho h>d learnt that there' were other charges againßt the "accused.. , He, therefore, had nothing more to do with" the case.— The accused was^, then 'committed for trial on this charge,, and after* wards on obarges.of stealing from Messrs EJpring J and B'efchune's shop*.— lnspector .Weldon staged that ' B^rnside. , ' Smy th| and. i Macdonald • were, most /respectable youths. They were> present in (tourfe, an^there was not a. particle of, truth in whai acpnsed, hadßaiid with regard to them. „ , A weil-plaohed and extensive jewellery robbery was committed some time on the night of the: 30th 'nlt.i.wbefa !sE3OOO worth of goods was 'cli^tedo&iromxC. .Simmats? jeweller's shop, at 'the entrance to the Royal Arcade,< Sydney. The ~k irg}ars : ejected an,. entrance i^to,the shop by .c i^ting a hole m^he^ floor of tne room above, -ai ld'iorea^uig away me ceiling,pf ,the shop. v This , toooi} had. been' unoccupied fo ( r some time past, and the 1 burglars "had evidently obtained access, %0 it'.'dtfring the'r day aiid ; wait^ for a 'favourable opportunity if> comiqe'pce ( oper'^|pns without at-., < trfio'trng notice 1 ; burglars* tools «id.,an P 1110^! 18 * •wWclrhaS I ;evide f ntly' beeh used' tio, catch ,the,&ll- - Jnß^l'as^7rp'mth> l l|T|nJ y wej^ found in this upper >bom..,T?iie shop r^ guite cleared of all, tteWosfe vala&hje'irticlej?, consisting of gold and giver watches^ braceletsi^scarfTPins »n^, pendaritit, chains' :an'd 'rings.''' "»Tho larger, and , less valuable goodsj suca jw 'clocks^ aM plated ware, 'wpre' left/unllisf^Ded, l 'ahliiV l collb^ diampncV nngß ( reinwne'4' fwottte,^p^j iflterjetence id tfie^Ba'fe. ; . ; ,' ' J il '. ' -"-r'"" :' i > ! At, a banquet given in his honour at Greswick, Mf/D^CHlUesjithe.Yifltorjan Erendjßr,;said there' was no stronger feeUng expressed throughput; Victoria dnrine «^he, last ej^ctionthaijf that beyond all things jshfey should /cultivate goodwUl amongst t^eir';ie i igh tbourß,ht bourB,hy s pending, the hand bf fellowship to^Sfie people nies, because no'miitter. wnat'was.Baict o i>tmc. Jot lay together 1 , and in 'ihe' f UTOije it .would be ; to ,^e aovantage 'of every 'colony ,'for, every^ one, to endeavour to foster thbse 1 feelings of .unity so as ,to' briii'g' about that 'time, when all th,e, colonies ,oobW 7 jpin 'togetKer'with 1 greater r JEfeedom,ai)d heartiness of purpose, instead of fighting, with eapK. other to ihe. eleventh .hopr,, great .Benfclm^nfc' 1 expressed at 'im last; election was pi . Atistralian unity, and the sooner that was acfloiriplidhedjth^ beti^r ft would be for the colonieis'g^nerally.'n'Aastiralian unityj would ttbt'be brought abouiia iday, s but it would be a work of [time. Victoria should be the last to raise any j»j?rierm the- wajt .because ahe had stood in the frM ra.nK, "of ,^ho|e' who had urged thepnifica.r, tkjn'pj, the colonies. His remark^ were well re- ( cenrs4.;,',,. 'M j, '.<, „,, , , ■ i. A |«id ,wa^ pade ,by, the - t Sfelbourne i police on ia! louse in Richmond, where they found coining implements, dies^ moulds, crucibles, fya.. for turn--in^ put all silyer cbinfl from half-arpwn pieces, downwards, a^d a Jarge number^ pf .hoosebreakinj implement. In the 1 , house was found a man named John yfallace,a?ta* George Davis, alias .Chinaman Jack, a most 'notorious criminal, and a y Sd 16 years of J age, both of whom were anjested.., Wallace has a most remarkable record that can hardly be equalled. , He is 59 years' of ag4, axid of this he has spent. 40 years in gaol. ,He was transported to, Van piemen's Land in 1848, and fofy'ears since that time he has 'served various' sentences for ,all manners of' crimes. 6u't of 42 y^eus in the colonies he has spent 39| ingaoL '

The London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes :— "The London edition of the New, York Herald is not; setting the Thames on fire.' It is a smaller sheet than any of : the London papers, and its ..big. sensational headings, sometimes not in the least justified by the matter under them, do not. appeal , to the taste of the London public. Mr Bennett hoped the Herald would do great things with its financial news, tint Londoners do not relish . the flippant waj£ in which the money market is treated by American journalists. If you ate to be serious about anything m the world you must beserionsin the way of presenting your monetary news and opinions. At least, that is the London view of speculationand investment." Archdeacon Dawes, who has just been consecrated Coadjutorßishop of Brisbane, is charged wjfch being a Ritualist, and at a large meeting of clergy and laity in Sydney, before the consecration, a resolution was. passed almost unanimously asking the primate to defer the consecration until the general synod „had met and given its approval., A leaflet distributed in the hall charged Archdeacon Dawes r with beißg an ex-member of the secret Society .of the Holy Grpss, and of having, with' nearly half the members, resigned when the connection of the 'sooiety with a grossly indecent confessional book was notfde manifest throngh its exposure in the House of Lorda nine years ago, Jfc w*s

further stated that Mr Dawes was for 10 years' a member of an outrageously Romaniatic and Secret society, "The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament." There is also troubleovei the Ritualistic .tendencies of the Rev. . O. v. Turner, inontnbent of Kempeey f who has offended his congregation by introducing oandles, orosses, and other ornaments. 1 Mr Turner recently locked the churchwardens out of the church, but they forced tbe doors and broke down the barricades. The churchwardens have decided to dispense with the services of the verger Ana the organist, stop all subscriptions to the tftopena fund, and petition the bishop to set madeira tight.

One of the oldest . residents of Ofcago hatf passed away in the person, of Mr John Washburn Hunter, whose funeral took, place on the. 9bh inst. at the new cemetery, Port Chalmers. The late Mr Hunter arrived at this port in a German barque whaling vessel in 1842; and meeting with an accident by a gun explosion* he was left behind, and remained at Otago Heads until 1862, during which time he acted a» pilot, in conjunction with Richssd Driver > and James Fowled and in the Bame yew he married his late wife, then a Mrs Colemari, of Murderipg Beach, , where he had resided to within a fortnight of his death, which took place to I>u»* ddin on the 7th inst. Deceased, who v»as » native of and was in his 84th year, was very hospitable, and will be missed by a large number who frequently Trent on a day «r outing to the Heads. The Rev, W. M. Grant qfficiated at the grave. ! Now that these is some talk in England of the resuscitation. of canal traffic to what it was before railways .took- the carrying trade, in a great measure, front it, various methods hi traction are being put < forward. A promising one is that which has been elaborated, and triedwith success j in. France by Mr Maurice Levy, The system comes under the head of cable traction, and' is worked on precisely the same principle as the cable tramway lines. That is to say, a stationary steam engine keeps au endless cable in continual motion, and the vehicle's or boats have, the pqwer of hitching on to that cable when they want to be put m motion. In- the oasd of the tramway the cabl« runs below ground, bnt for canal work it is sup ported upon standards bearing' grooved wb.ee . some 12ft above the towing path. The to win,, line can be readily attached to or detached f rox the moving cable by suitable loops and catches ,- ahdall jerk in star ting, is prevented by the mtm in charge of the towed boat paying oat 'the tow line from a windlass, or winding it round » cleat,,, The rate of travelling attained by this method is about; double, that possible by horse tractjpn. _ " ' . , _ , „ I A Home paper states that at Kilmainham Gaol, on the 16th March, a prisoner named John Bradley vehemently resisted the order to 'prepare for the bath, and with tears in " her " eyes protested that " she " was a woman. The warders called in the aid of a female warder, and her statement proved to be correct. She was forthwith sent to Grangegomran Prison. She is 24 years of age, and says her mother, a laundress, brought her up as a boy. She does not remember ever to have been dressed as a girl, or to have borne any other -name than John •Rradley. The reason for the deception, she belieyef, was that some person was paying the mother a periodical sum, whjch he would rather psy for a boy than for a girl. .She. had a good address and pleasing voice, but seemed awkward in the clothes in which she was dressed at Gormanstown. . . ' ; I Walker, the husband of the young lady who scj miraculously escaped drowning in Hobson's ißay recently when she fell or jumped from the Cuzco and was picked up by, the Parramatta, was arrested some days afterwards for intended wife desertion, but the case was settled out of court. Though only married six weeks Walker snowed most unnatural conduct while his wife was musing, and was arrested in attempting to leave the colony.

JThe Chicago Journal supplies the following information concerning what the new United States Ministers take to drink: — "No member ofj president, Harrison's Cabinet is a total abstainer, though Wanamaker publicly frowns upon intoxicants. Mr Harrison likes a swallow of: Irish whisky now and then. Blame is a connoisseur of French wines, )Yindom enjoys a dinner at which each course has its appropriate stimulant. Tracy is fond of a putt of champagne atslunch. Noble likes malt drinks and indulge evpi?y day in a bottle of imported <^c. Miller seldom takes anything but rye aitt seltzer, while Rusk swallows his corn juice , plum. Elijah Halford has never tasted whisky,' but has sipped champagne now and then on convivial occasions." "Scotland will prosper while she singa by turns the Psalms of David, and the songs ot Burns." . Sojaang the late Lord. Houghfon. But some Manx elders (says the Daily Telegraph) who endeavoured to. act uptath^^couplet have, bad a fierce fight with' jtheir. pastor because they not only loved ihe native bard, but actually sat down to supper to drink his memory. The festive gathering was on a Friday, and on the ensuing Sabbath they partook ofvthe Lord's Supper. This amazed the stralt-lac^d ' minister of St. Andrew's Church, Doriglas, who said that Christians generally were "hqrrif&d" at this conduct of bis office-bearers. Did not Burns write "Willie brew'd'ft'peoko* inaut'*? "No'oup poisoned and destroyed men like that; which Burns had blessed." The Presbytery of Liverpool inquired into the case, and a could not find that a sin which the New Testament had not so made." Thus the elders scored, an c! the minister stands rebuked. / ' A commercial venture which will , possibly open up quite a new field for one of New Zealand's staples of export lias been inaugurateby' the Kauri Timber Company (Aucklar,; , < despatching from the Eaipara the barque Bel; l f with a shipment of kauri direqt to the ' iQ< " i Home port oil Glasgow. Insuffipjeat knp'^^fi^

25 «« i requirements of so distant a market hai wmerto caased the trade in kauri to be of smaft •extent and minor importance. The Kawri O«afpany la sending Home the present Shipment iflave wisely decided to forward their timber in flitches of 8m tbflin gauge with, width .varying <fc<»m 20m to 60m, so that the buyers in Englanl <«an have a wide range of choice as regards the size and strength arid length of plank or board, Zhe i timber has been carefully selected, and is a good specimen of New Zealand's best timber, and the enterprising company only await a satisfactory issue to %hw initial venture to forward extensive and.. periodical supplies. The ejection of President Cleveland signified the idwplacement at Republican functionaries by HtsX a H&l (! 8?V :~2OGO: ~ 2OGO P° B^asters oat of a total of 2350,32 foreign Ministers out or 33, il BeC /^» n^, of le^ fcion oatof2l,WdcoMfcoß out oi 219, 84 revenue collectors out of #5, «5 law officers out of 70, 40,000 poataaatets of the fourth cJ.ass out of 52,609, &c. President Harrison Vi understood to contemplate the reversal °* w.4 this and more., ( An old Waterloo vetetan named Grant, who would have attained the venerable age of 107 htd he lived till the 25th June next, died at i Plattsburg, New South Wales, on April. 10. He joined the Duke oi Argyll's Militia when a ' joung man, and after serving iv Ireland he. with -athers,, volunteered when the Peninsular w«* ■broke out, serving tor some time iv Spam On , toig return to England ho smedin one of the feast companies of voluuteers formed. Ho again a*w active service at 'che batMe of Waterloo receiviog a medal. He arrived iv Victoria about 40 years, .ago .He wag twice married, and was the father of 18 children-seven by hia Srat wife and 11 by the second. XTK T D c ii fo il O T'l g hovtl c «kttfefcions have (Says *h© PaU Mall Gazette) been made by Mr John Cook dwtrioe secretary of the West CumberWD 18 tetL% 8 { Good Templars, for the purpose of anabiiog the public to gaiu a better conception of thfe l arge amount expended each Cm l l Laßt year?s drink bill v as taken Mom fati, mm6ntMy re t uraß) WM £124,611,439. AfSmtT^ ant would give £S Ts P er faeftd «> *«ttmrtted population of the nation,' aud £16 15s «'f' each average family. Its weight in sovewould be 976 tons, while it would cover a space of 628 acres with sovereigns laid .edge to < edge, if the coins were placed face to face they would reach 115J miles, or maks a golden nord reaching from Carlisle to Liverpool or Mflnchester. Placed edge to edge they would extend a distance of 1720 miles. To count these coma at one sovereign, per second would fake four years less a fortnight. Par each letttfr i» the Bible, the amomjfc last year eipended In liquor is set down at £34 18s ,9d. According 'to a Home -pape* a new ' gunpowoer.the invention 'of Mt Hengst,' has' recutty been tested, and the' results point ft it «* p promwing substitute for black powder- for i-iditecy nnd sporting purposes. The>'new< nyder is prepared, from stra*, which is pui. v^ .sed, , chemically treated, and - finished in '"" " l ? £?!*• tOJC use ' Jt is cl * iai( d *<" thw » Arder that it is smokeless, flameless, .practiiv non.»touliag, and non-heating, and that • n «fre; recoil and the report are- leu than « «*a of black powder, with auperior punetra* • ..c,ve power. . T 'The Hon 'f. Fergus Is -etpgoted W leave 'n gt ?^ fot ? bB SoQth in h * ox * » *«ek>hen v will address his constituents. ' ?here have been, no sales pf rural lands at the < r-iwn Lands Office during the, past, week, bat, ' n •"■ ruas open foe application iov some time • -"i bare bojto ;t«ken up on lease. Run 137b, £ ;' m^h^ Sm aore9 » was '^^ Mr; , 7. D. -v DooaUl foe a term : of 9 even years at £25,168 - f ! 'I" v?« m ' and BmBJI «wzing xun section 6,, Mack XIV, JBenger, 1207n 3r, to Mr John iJvuA.>daox^ for 21 years afc,jg3o4s par annum. _ A four^oomed bouse" at Tarihgatura; South* i»iuK btOonging to^fidr W;' LangfoVdyaDd ininr^d (or £125 in the New Zealand offica !fl was' u-.ftroyed by.fireron tfie 7th. ' -i • ' ' At a meeting of the Ipvercargill Protection Lrngne reHolutions were passed in favour of eMnblJshiug distilleries 'and abolishing the pro*>"rty tax »o far as relates to machinery vied m lijc manufactories of the colony, ' ' The Bruce Herald undersfcanas that the of ,the Qtago, Meat Freezing, Company taT«n(| to spend about £2000 immediately in an < ideavour to obtain water by boriag at; Burn-.-to. The plant used at the Gisborne oil-works ti'th been secured for the purpose. _ „ , The opening meeting of the K&ikorai Church Fuit'-raryranA Oebatiog Society defib" rated '<" ifco Good Templar's Hall on Friday aighf'by a vM'«?e. At about 7 o'clock tea was served to nftout 130 persons. Subsequently the Rev. Ei. a SufcheriaQd g*ve an address, arid referred t'\ -he advantages to be gained by. becoming a member of the society. , In the first .place, he anyone who joined the society wonld hare the conceit of knowledge taken oat of him. Then af he has any « grit" in him be would set about pannng knowledge. A mmnber of the society would fllflo learn to talk while standing before' an. audience; and would, ia. "addition to this, f.-\^ manliness, Mr Sutherland then asked the question, What constituted manliness ? and observed that many youDg men thought .when rhey learnt to smoke or drink ' or gamble that t*oy had attained to manhood. He, however pointed out that em\ manhood did not consist in imi^tmg the vices of men, but jn imitating and ™W,ng tte virtues of the wise and great. At*«r the conclusion of Mr Sutherland's address, a number of vocal and instrumental selections ajuUecJtations were given by ladies and gentleThe Inaaganua Times states that a carpenter bj Ueefton recently saw in aehop window a neat mechanical device for making cigarettes, o'jftijr a smoker he purchased the little pocket Article, which consisted of a small band of cloth on a spindle. Drawing this out and placing upon ifc the paper and tobacco, a spiral spring «r unds the cloth on the spindle, the cigarette ! made in the process. From this simple contrivance the man conceived the idea of a fire ♦■scape, which he Subsequently patented, and ofws has been received that the patentee has sold his Australian rights in the invention to a ! Melbourne 'firm for £2000, and has left for j America and London to reap the harvest of his i patflufc there. Thus does accident wait upon genius. . The New Zealand Herald reports that Jtidge Mair has been on a visit to the newly discovered ' otves, about two hours' ride from Otorohanga. He entered them in a canoe, a subterranean r<ver flowing aioDg their base. The judge is enraptured with them, and considers they will . nrove a great source of attraction to tourists when fully known. They form a miniature Onve of Kentucky, being a series of chambers, rr-me of themsoFt high, adorned with stalactites from the roof, and also rising from v the floor, vhtlf'thß glowworms far overhead giv« the idea of ft firmament above. There are chambers on ao upper level, and the visitor fioia'ay comes out *m\a into the light of day, on -the face .of the cljff, throngh a cleffc in the rocks, 40ft above the river entrance. , The judge spent an heir and a-half in exploring thei r weird and i msMteriow beauties, and has poßte< I aeti.ces a,n4

i gfaen stridfc irijuriceidris'td 'the Natives to protect I tlie cave* from injtfry. This has been found ■ nectary through vandaJs scribbling their, 1 f^i? 6B^ * he wall 8« Mr .Mitehelson intends J taking fep a photograph** to havV, the interior '- j* *° ««*esphotographed, as there is Ifirely to K£ la^ 66 v tootist traffic, owing to tile' access*.* wicy of the caves by rail, being Only abodfc six miles from Kaiti atation* or two hoars' tide from Utorohanga.. The Maori others afre n6w fully alive to the value «f the flwcover* te-tfaem, as I bringuig toasts to the district. '„ ,| .fa jßtec'trre.lighfcmg the city. of London will shortly outstrip tvery city in Europe .Acontract 1s to Vuh for $t jean providing for the' ligbfongo* cne streets in the business heart of LendM! from Fleet street oa the weft to AWgßte ia the east, and from the' northern boundary to the rivec. Under tbts arranged meat the profits are: to accrue fco the oom^' in reduction of the charges, and at the expiration of the contract; the Commissioners of feewera hare the option to purchase the under, taxing. death of the Rev. 'Fafch'ef 'Dimfeh, a Roman Catholic priest, wh6 baa Tor the past 16 years Aken ap his qufcrteWthe leper colony in tide' Hawaiian group; lathee Dainien voluntarily undertook <Mfc< Work, and for 10 years he has Ss«s?*?iL .?' « ravedl 'g«er, aad spiritual , advise* to the unfortunate people on the island. ?ome three, years ago he became aware that he bad contracted the disease bimself.'and at latest advrc«s his condition was vecy bad. Recently rattier Damieu tuia been joined by another pnest, the Rev. Father Conradi, and in March last a Miss Flavin, a native of Liverpool, joined' the small band who had become outcasts to (Jevote their lives to the' lepers, of whom there are at present about 100 at Molokai. The Gazette extraordinary published last week contains a notification of the resignation by Sir Julius Vogel of his seat for Ghtistchurch North* ; , . The Chief Surveyor (Mr C. W. Ad&ms), under whbm'the unemployed at Catlin's river have been engaged; visited the work last; week and found it in a fair state of progress. Some half dozen of those who went to the work have given, it up, but the others are 1 keeping at it; and some of them are making fair wages, Those who have given, in were men not used to bush felling, and 'consequently they 1 obuld not,make wages at it, and ought instead to have gone to' the earthworks on the Otago Central. Some earthwork is, however, to be starfced'at once at Gatlin's", and 'this will give employment to anyone Who can handle* shovel or wheel 'a barrow. This work will be let. in piecework, and there is room for about half a dozen more of the unemployed;' A small contract is also tobefot, and tnts will give employment, to some. The contract will be for the formation' of about half a mile of 'theroad across a swamp—^hAt "portion of the work being de*emed unsuitable to let in tlny'othet way. The road on which the works are being made, is one that goes from Catlin's rivetvto the Taukupu road, and is one' that- Will beor great value in rendering that part of the country accessible. " ;.-,■,< •> , „ , According- to the, Wellington Post, a circular pas recently been isshed by the Commissioner of Polrce* which has caused considerable dissatisfac'. tion amongst the members of the force throughr out the colony. Its purport is,,to,^r«rn^bem against belonging to an£ politioal or religious sodiefcjr. • The opmnaissionei: refuses to supplT* °gPI» » nd , dismissfl is the penajty \t any member lof the force sfapplies; aidy fiifprniadon. Some of ;th© men' are iri doubt whetHer the, oirbniar refers to ohnrches,' as every church and congregation .» a religwna'society. Maiiy 61 tne police are alsb members of th« Masonic body, or of one or other of the.foehdlysooieties. „The commissioner Stateß;that;the|eßtriction is not'in'tended to apply^to putely Jkps&% society, but he declines to 'saythafrit 1 knot Intended' to wiply to ST 1110 ,l oo de? cs * Pwbably the Premier or the jy^tive, Midisfcer could " enlighten him as 'to whether a lodge isi a -political or religious society. ' .-.. • ...» • „• , ■B „ The 'W©llßigW'Poi,fe, says that 'tf"'ta not known tha^ the notorions Agnews, who have fpr several, seflsio^ haunted. the Parliamentary. Builds, and "made, themselves obnoxious to; MWifiJe.r's and , other members of the House, aJre.'stilJ coritfned in the' Terwce Uabl, 1 having failed to find sureties up'on'the charge preferred against them of having behaved « 01 ?ftF ( ? h r M^ Premier in a manner calculated to provoke a breach b! the peace. They were committed on 23rd November for a period of six months, and will consequently be discharged 1 in a few days. ' . "' . »-?i^ M ** m found in Wellington that out of 115. lanterns hnng on i posts in readiness for the 'eleqtrie light, no less than 47 had been smashed by juvenile stone throwers. ; . . . The Gazette notifies that Constable Andrew Christie has beetfappointed clerk to the licensing committee; for the district of Wairuna,' vice •W.J Conradi, resigned. Dr H. Donaldson" V appointed honorary surgeon to the Arrow 1 ' Rifles. ' '. ' -i , 'A'confewflc'fof delegates from' 1 Jibe school committees 'of Kensington, , Forbu'r'y, and MacandreW road was held in the Forbury achoblhduße on Monday evening. There were presentsMessrs Ross, Wardrop, pole, Nicholls, Hogg, and Dodds. Ie was resolved that the following be holidays .during the year .'—Anniversary Dayi Good Friday. Easter Monday, Queen's Birthday, Prince of Wales' Birthday, St. Andrew's Day, and afcy other day .wnich the Mayor of Dunedin may proclaim as a holiday. It was also resolved that the schools close for the, midsummer holidays in the third week of December 1889, and reopen on the third Tuesday of January 1890, and "that there be no midwinter holidays this year. These resolutions have now to be forwarded to the various committees for adoption. Some discussion also took place regarding the advisability of giving certificates instead of books for prizes, but nothing definite was decided upon. ' For some time past larrikmism has been very prevalent in South Dunedin, but there now seems some likelihood of its being considerably, checked,' if not altogether stamped out. The police on Saturday .arrested one of the ringleaders—a young map,nained Hugh Hunterr-and brought him before the Police Court on Mon-: day on a charge of disorderly behaviour. The accused and a n.ambe,r, of his, companions went .into the Ocean View Hotel on Saturday night, and challenged two men' who weire there to fighVthe result being that one of the men so challenged was badly hurt, and had to be taken home in a cab. This affair was only one of many disgraceful scenes in which the aeensed was implicated, and the Bench in giving him three months' imprisonment, with hard labour, without the option of a fine, only punished him as he justly deserved. Some idea iof , the, vast importance of the natural gas interests of Indiana may be gained, from a study of the repor.t recently made by the State, geologist. He has been collecting all fcfye, information be conld possibly get con- - z-i. „„;! fr.ntn reStlltS Of

his investigations we learn that thfe feasaVeaot' Indiana is 165 mites m length by $ mi'lels In width { altogether there are 381 baying wells «,tte distttofc. Mb. .'entire Jo* of gas is tolafcedi to miOtiOmtti of * which,' it; is cafcuKkel,bOO,OOOftj go to waste. TKe ay^rage Bow of gas' from' each well is Btated; as being about 150,000 ft. The report lutther mentions the fact that during the past two years 79 manufactories have Jocated in Indiana, simply and solely betfause p£ the fact that they- could obtain I '- this. fuel, their, combined^ capital is stated) iv Fke and Watejf> as reaching 4#oo,OOOdols, and it fe said that they will employ $800 : The Dresden ligeblalfc reports that a rich' man from fiaiofi^ whose #ife was dangerously jH>, protnified to give the doctor half his' fortune uhe ,wo&d only cure the lady, ' The .patient re IcoVeted,. under, the doctor's treatment^ and the husband sent a large- sam . of -money as the fee. . The dc/ctor';hdWeVeri refuged tbic'cept the' snm offered, and claimed half the manufacturer's fortune. Ihe latter showed no inclination to pa'rb with the moiety of his fortune of 2,000,000 marks or more, and th,e pbysioian is now seeking satisfaction in a court of law. ' ' l '■' ■ A varied collection of animals— comprising a leopard, a tiger, monkeys, snakea, and a profusion of birds of plumages-arrived- recently at Melbourne in the British ■• India Company's steamship Gulna, from Calcutta, via' Singapore, The collection (says the Argus) is in private hands, and will be exhibited as a. > .menagerie. There is also on the, steamer a dwarf specimen of Indian humanity, 42 years of age, and Standing 3ft 6in in his stocking spies. He measures £Bin round the waist, and the circumference oi his head iaS^in. His appearance is not what would be considered winsome or engaging, ' ' Mr .Hector M'Lean, of Hawea station, passed through Queenstown (says>tho Mail)' with a beautiful stag's head, which he was' taking with him for the purpose of getting it mounted in ' Dunedin. Although not a "Koyal" head, it ' was notwithstanding a model one, and had eight j points. From what we^can learn, deer are plentiful in that quarter, the ground between Morven Bills station and the Hawea lake being now well stocked with hundredi— probably : thousands—of deer. They are now working ! their way to the Hunter river, head of Hawea ! lake, and going still further towards the head ! of Wanaka lake, and in the near future will j make their way towards the West Cqasfc. Stags j are also numerous ' between Morven Hills and the head of the Wanaka, the beautiful' hills and valleys being a veritable breeding ground for deer, and it is aloss to this district that animals ajre not put in the Bees Valley and up the Dart : river, as in the near future the Hawea district vjill be one of the finest deer-stalking places in the world, and so might the Mount Earnslaw valleys be if deer were placed in that quarter. Perhaps ,the simplest way would be to procure, say, 10 or 12 kids, besides two stags, and place j them at the. Head of the Lake, ; , j Dr Pallinger (says Public Opinion) has proved by his long and patient examination of some of the minutest living creatures, that "spontaneous generation," or, the origination of life from not-life is absolutely fallacious; and therefore the presumption,, on. purely coientific grounds, is that all life must have originated in a:caufle ( ni»t' operating in nature now. He has shown thai the minutest and lowliest living things— the least known to us at present on earths-can only come, y like the largest and 1 most complex, from preceding living things. Henoe the inference is inevitable that there was a point in the creative progress or genesis of the earth when a power, operated as no power now operates, endowing matter doad and inorganic with the unique and wonderful properties and powers of life. We may not' even oonoeive of how this was done, but must in its primal, nature have been the act of the Creator. Ajsbientifio man hungelf, and one who has made profound and. original scientific researches, he .dee's not 'find anything' in physical soienoe to cdnflict wikh'the great foundation <on which Christianity; rests. ■ • , , • „„ ■ . jMajor James B. Hannah has been offered, and has.acccepted, the position ;of officer commanding the Bputh Volunteer district;. The following patents have been, applied for :— Mephan .Ferguson, Victoria, for an improved pipe-coupling; 0. H. Byre« and W. S. Sargeanti BaUarat, for , an improved fastener for cupping together the ends of belts, bands, or' straps (being a communication from the inyentotfj i Austin Doherty, Hawke's Bay, for an improved machine for raising water; John Hickes, Auckland, for an improvement in crosscut 'and pit 'saws, to ta called " Patent Double Sswb'";, Robert' CookereU, Invercargill, for " The; ReghiaCeable Inclined Lock-planes for wdrking Fdrcerpumpi"; John A. MllleiyArrowtown, for the saving of gold, silver, copper, tin, pyritet. or any other metallic ore, to be called "The Witness Gold and Ore-saving Apparatus"; William Webster Dalby, Auckland, for " Soapene,"' a scouring, cleansing, and disinfeqting o medium; Walter Greenahields, Auckland, for Hygienic boots and shoes; to be called " Ventilated- Soots of Shoes "; B. J. Martin, Chriatchuroh, for improvements in apparatus for sinking artesian wells, or for pile-driring, to be-called X Martin's Ball Apparatus for Bink» ing 4*^?» an Wells, or for Pile-driving." ' An Oainaru man, with a Dunedin companion, has been visiting the Duntroon earthquakes. From a description of them given in the North Otago Times we make the following extracts ; — Winding oar way down the side of the ridge we came upon a string of beautiful lakes—deep and j abounding with eels. The water seemed very refreshing after the drag up and down the, ridges,, and being of opinion that these lakes we're very deep we sounded various parts, and j found the deepest soundings to be, about 60ft. This we did by tying a large stone to a ball of string and paying it out as the stone sank to the bottom. These lagoons or lakes are on an average from 40ft to 60ft deep in the centre, gradually getting shallower near the edge. On the banks grew long grass and rashes, giving the Whole a ve/y picturesque appearance. Having , thoroughly surveyed this part we had lunch and then ascended the hill to the east of the; lakes ; but before we travelled far we found it was very needful to be cautious as io where we put our, feet, as' some of the renta-in the ground seemed almost bottomless. Bat this was nothing to. what we had yet to behold. Higher and higher w,e climbed until we saw »b immense face of freestone some 100 ft or more in height, and as we gob nearer we knew by the rests in the ground that we must be close to the socalled "earthquakes." Here and there, by means of two large balls of string, we sounded various holes and rents, some of which we found to be 20ft, 30ft, 70ft, and one even 120 ft deep. In some of these rents or cr&vices grew small ferns, maidenhair, and many other species. Here the whole spectacle so charmed my companion that I sat down upon a rock and took a sketch, which he afterwards carried with him to Dunedin. I also took a sketch of the lakes and the grand old mountains in the' background; Mount Domett with its snowy tips and" blue line of haze, below which the glow of the. evening Shu shone on the bilK giving them that remarkable tint peculiar only to the grand old mountain

aceaery of New Zealand. Sbru&s grow w owue of the crevices of this extraordinary landslipi and pigeons abound in large numbers. Strangers wishing to pay, them a visib.could not do better than hire a horee »b Dunte oon and ride to the lakes. •" / , t . The medical, luperinfcendenfc of Seaoliff Auyluiiacknowledges with thaaka th« receipt of a croquet Bet tot the use ol female patient* from Mrs Sinclair. ofßx&Mude.