LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 6 November 1890, Page 29

LOCAL & GENERAL.

At Friday night's meeting of the Presbyterian Synod, the appeal from the decision of the Dunedin Presbytery in regard to Mr Gibb's case came up for consideration, and evoked a great deal of discussion, which lasted until after 1 o'clock next morning, notwithstanding tho solemn agreement made on the first day of the session to adjourn at 10.30 p.m. No small amount of interest was taken in the matter by the public, of whom there was a large attendance, a great many, including a goodly proportion of ladies, remaining until the vote was taken at 1 o'clock on Saturday morning. Frequently during the earlier part of the debate the audience manifasted their approval of the remarks of some of the speakers by loudly applauding them, and the clerk of the synod, who was supported by the acting-moderator, threatened, if the interruptions were persisted in, to have strangers ejected. The threat, however, did not have altogether tbe desired effect, for as the night wore on the audience became impatient and attempted to curtail the proceedings by shuffling their feet and applauding. Eventually, when a proposition was carried reversing the decision of the presbytery, bat declaring that the matter now end, the visitors received the result with loud applause, whioh was several times renewed. Some of the most vigorous demonstrations of satisfaction emanated from the ladies.

In reply to a communication from the Wellington Land Board on the subject of putting down dummyism, the Under-secretary of Crown Lands states that under the "Land Aofc of 1885," the Government have no power to issue regulations permitting boards to reject applications for land which are considered not to be bona fide. The board has decided to ask the Government to issue regulations under the Land Act empowering Land Boards to put all applicants on oath.

The Union Company's annual summer excursions to the West Coast Sounds, which have been so successfully carried out during the past 13 years, will be made this season as usual by their fine steamer Tarawera. The dates of departure from Port, Chalmers for the excursions (which occupy about lOdayg) are the 14th January, 25th January, and sth February. No doubt the coming trips will be as successful as those in the past.

Mr W. N. Blair is reported to be now out of dagger, and his doctor expects that he will make a complete recovery.

Chief detective Kirby, who was despatched to Te Kuiti to investigate the circumstances of the Mahuki episode, returned on the 29th ult. After visiting Te Kuiti he went to Mahuki's settlement, Te Kumi, to interview Rewi. He waa courteously received at Te Kumi, the Natives manifesting no hostility, through the arrest of Mahuki and his principal followers. Some of the Natives admitted that Mahuki and his men bad gone too far. Rewi received Detective Kirby hospitably, and said that he lived at Te Kumi with Mahuki's people because his love for them was great. On bis return to Te Kuiti, the Natives escorted the detective to the river and ferried him across. As a result of his investigations the charges against Mahuki and his men will be altered from forcible entry to riot and assault.

The following candidates have passed the solicitors' general knowledge examination: — E. W. Kane, F. E, Pefcherick, E. W. Porritt, A. F. Wiren, Wellington ; W. Lysnar, Gisborne ; C. Longuet, Invercargill ; W. E. Mills, Christ* church ; D. Poppelwell, Dunedin ; W. Airey, O. F. Hesketb, E. Rees, and A. J. Pilkington, Auckland.

The attendance at Labour Day sports, as checked by the gate returns, was 10,083 ; and the v.aßh takings are said to have been close on £390.

The vital statistics for the past month are as follow: — Births, 100; ;ddaths, 52; marriages, 31. For the corresponding month of last year the vital statistics were :— Births, 127 ; deaths, 53 ; marriages, 21.

The Riverton Star of Friday states that it is feared some fatality or case of distress has occurred afc Centre Island, as lights have been burning night and day there for the past week, and several attempts have been made by the Natives at Colac Bay to proceed by boat to the island to ascertain the cause of the signals, but the sea has been too rough to enable anyone to effect a landing there. It is known that aMr William Cameron, who was on the island, was in very delicate health.

The Ancient Order of Foresters has at length (writes the London correspondent of the Argus) had to admit a tremendous deficiency in its funds. According to the Standard, a recent valuation has shown a deficit of £2,770,000, against which there is a set-off of only £137,769. Naturally the high court of the order has set about reform. There have been no malpractices, but the order has been working on a shockingly unsound system. It was founded on the equal contribution system, by which the man of 40 or 50 paid only the fees of the man of 21. And this system being of vast advantage to the older members of the order, these latter have always been against change. At length, however, the possibility of living on the subscriptions of new members has been found impossible, and by a strong measure the high court are seeking to re-establish themselves on firmer ground. The thing will take time, but it may be done with care and prudence.

A very extraordinary story is going the rounds of the American Press. Edgar Ramsay, a farmer, who lives in the eastern part of Glinborn County, Term., according to the Chicago Herald, asserts that on a recent Sunday afternoon he saw a large, green-looking cloud coming from a westerly direction towards his house while the rain was falling in torrents. Ifc then suddenly grew very cold, and it commenced to hail, and in less than half an hour ifc became as dark as night. The wind blew very hard, and hailstones as large as eggs fell. Later in the _ afternoon Jake Warren, a neighbouring farmer, galloped to his bouse at full speed, and begged him to go at once and look at the extraordinary transformation which had taken place in his cornfield. All parties concerned were, however, too frightened to venture out till next day, when in company with several friends the cornfield was visited. Every stalk of corn was found to have been turned into stone. The field was a five-acre one, and everything upon it had been petrified, even to two pigs who had lingered upon the ground. Ifc is claimed that hundreds of people have v.sited the place since then, and there in no reason to disbelieve the story as told, remarkable as ifc is.

The council of ex-moderators of the Presbyterian Synod have nominated the Rev. John Steven, of Papakaio, as the next moderator.

Russian papers state that transportation to Siberia for criminal offences is about to be abolished, but ifc will continue to be the punishment of the worst of crimes — the holding of political opinions differing from tho«e of the Autocrat Quite recently Glyeb Uspiensky, one of tbe foremost novelists in Russia, was

dragged from his bed in the middle of the night and sent away to a secluded prison, where he was treated as a common criminal, for no other reason than because he had dared to write a letter to the Czar similar in tenor to that of Mme. Tzebrikova, and imploring the adoption of a more humane and clement policy.

At Timaru, on Monday, Edward L. Percival, arrested afc Wellington, was committed for trial on a charge of forging three cheques of tbe total value of £20 and uttering them to different tradesmen. Daniel Mann, alias Graham, a tailor, was also committed for stealing a £5 note from the bedroom of the Burkes Pass Hotel.

A lamp for miners has been invented in France which claims to be absolutely safe. Ifc is called the Stella, and when charged with electricity will burn for 15 hours. It can be used with impunity in powder magazines and in the midst of fire-damp. An electric torch has also been invented, and is being nightly used in the Grand Opera-house, in Paris, during the run of Saint Saen's " Ascanio." It is very light in weight, has an illuminating power equal to that of five candles, and will burn for 40 minutes, being formed of six accumulators, with a current of three amperes and 10 volts. It is the invention of M. Trouve, who is very happily named in this instance.

A fire broke out afc Timaru shortly after 9 o'clock on Sunday evening in a row of four small shops next the Ship Hotel, Timaru. Three shops, Murdoch's (painter), Shield's (tobacconist), and Clancy's (shoemaker), were destroyed. The four shops were insured for £300; Murdoch's and Shield's for £100 each, all in the National office. Murdoch loses £120 besides, and Clancy (who is uninsured) £25. '

Acting-constable Lacey, of the Permanent Artillery, made a clever capture of a couple of burglars at Wellington early on Tuesday morning. When passing Ralph's drapery shop in Cuba street, he suspected that all was not right, and obtaining an entrance, he discovered two men, who gave their names as Patrick M'Guire and Henry Jones, searching about the premises, apparently for the safe. Lacey closed with the men, and after a short struggle, in which he was assisted by some compositors from the New Zealand Times office, the burglars were arrested. Skeleton keys were found on each of the prisoners.

As bearing on the petition for the protection of birds in the South Sea Islands, the experience of Mr H. C. Palmer, who spent six months on the Chatham Islands making collections in natural history for transmission to England, is interesting. He informed the Auckland Herald that he obtained two rare specimens of birds ; but through the depredations of cats and other enemies the birds are being reduced wholesale. When Mr Travers was there on a collecting expedition, 20 years ago, there were numbers of birds, but of the bell bird Mr Palmer only saw two on the mainland, and a few on Mangere, a small uninhabited island. He has shipped some live Chatham Island shags to England by the 9.8. Aorangi, and had previously landed in England alive five kiwis out of 13. He brought from the Chathams, as illustrative of tbe social life of the Morioris, stone adzes, meres, a specimen of the god of fishing, who was propitiated on fishing expeditions, and another deity about which he could get no information, lance heads, and needles made of birds bones, which he found in the debris of human skeletons on Pitt Island ; also a specimen of akeake, which had been in the ground 30 years, and as good as ever, and which when cut exudes a fragrant aroma. The carving, &o. of the implement is much inferior to that of the Maoris. Mr Palmer proceeds to the Sandwich Islands in connection with his mission.

A letter which has been received in London from R. L. Stevenson, the poet and novelist, describes how he narrowly escaped a serious loss. While cruising between Auckland and Samoa, recruiting his health after his long indisposition at Sydney, his cabin caught fire. There was great excitement on board; the burning things were carried on deck or thrown into the sea. Suddenly Mrs Stevenson saw two of the crew heave up a burning box r which they were about to pitch overboard. With a scream of dismay she sprang forward aud caught the men by the arm ; they dropped the box on deck ; it was deluged with water and saved. It contained all Mr Stevenson's MSS., the work of many months, the story he is writing under contract for £4000, and much of the history of the Samoan Islands.

The Government have granted £500 to open up the Euaotunu goldfiold. The Government are declining to grant applications for new coal mining leases at Whangarei pending a full inquiry, with a view to prevent a monopoly.

Archbishop Redwood returned to Auckland on Tuesday by the Omapere, after a visit to Futuna and Fiji.

Tho Rev. Brother Hughes, of the Dunedin branch of the Order ef the Christian Brothers, who left the city on May last to represent the Australian colonies at a general chapter of the order, which was held in Ireland, returned by the Wairarapa on Tuesday. He was accorded an entbusiastio welcome by the clergy and the' pupils of the school, and hearty congratulations were tendered him by his many friends on bis safe arrival at Dunedin.

A man named John Forestal was found dead in a tent at Kangaroo Flat, Sandhurst. A post mortem examination revealed that death was due to exhaustion and want of proper care and nourishment. The deceased was of miserly habits, and on his body were found £1, and documents stating that he bad £884 deposited in the Bank of New South Wales, at Kyneton, and £928 13s in the Sandhurst branch of the same bank.

We (Olutha Leader) are informed that the Castle Hill Coal Company, Kaitangata, recently struck an excellent seam of coal in their shaft at a depth of a little over 500 ft. They have gone 7ft into the seam. Tbe company are also making preparations to start a brick factory near Mr Allan Blackie'a private residence. Mr R- Hay, of Dunedin, has been engaged laying off the route of the railway and is now finished, so that the formation of the same will be started at an early date. Of course the whole works are under the personal supervision of Mr Hayes, the manager.

A public meeting of Presbyterians was held at Fairlie Creek recently, to consider the question of erecting a manse for a minister, a want which has been long felt in the district. It was reported that £147 was in hand, and £115 more promised. Mr Donald M'Lean offeied 20 aoi'ea of ground, free of coal, above tbe sohool ground for a site, provided thero was £400 promised befora tho ground was made over to the churcb. It waa resolvsd that a manse be erected aa ?oon a.B possible ; that Mr M'Lean's generous offer be accepted fora site; that a building committee be appointed, contisUngof Mesßrs Donald M'Loan, G. Hamilton, Thomas Caskey, S. R, Dickaon, Andrew Cowan, M. M'Leod, and J. Wilson, who shall endeavour to raise the additional amount rtquirsd and report to a future meeting. Mr J. Wilson was elected general seoretary, and Mr A. H, M'Lean treasurer. A bazaar is to be held in oonneotion with the movement at Easter.

Owing to the seasons of late being so dry, and the supply of water as a motive power for the Shag Valley mills being very erratio, causing tbe stoppage of the mill for weeks at a time, and thereby inflicting a great inoon- ' venience on the farmers in the district and likewise a loss of customers to the mill, Mr Ewing deoided a short time ago (says the Palmer ston Times) to remedy this Btateof matters, and with this objeot in view purchased from ono of the mineo nhut up at Nenthorn a 25horse power horizontal high pressure engine and boiler. This was at once transferred to the mill, and the work of re-erecting it was entrusted to the N.Z Engineering and Implement Company, Castle street, Dunedin. Under the hands of the firm's workmen the engine has undergone a good many alterations to make it suitable for the purpose of grinding the golden grain instead of quartz, and has been fitted with a super-beater and circulating pump, which forces the water into the boiler at almoßt boiling heat, and is a great saving of fuel, Everything in connection with the erection and alterations has been done by the firm in a most creditable and workmanlike manner, and to the entire satisfaction of Mr Ewing and Mr Gow, the miller. Tbe engine is attaohed to the mill by an intermediate shaft, with dutch gear. By this arrangement the nill can be driven with either steam or water, or both together, using the steam as an auxiliary power. Steam was turned on on Saturday last, and everything moved off without a single hitch. To keep up with the times and the wants of the mill customers, there has bsen a great deal of new machinery placed in the mill within the last year— rolls, purifiers, and a centrifugal silk dressing maohine— making the mill well worth a visit from anyone interested in machinery.

The second crop of flax in many parts of t)<o Manawatu district (says tbe Times) is aim ' : - assuming a promising aspect, and as much sffc to 6ffc appears aB the result of a v 'i growth. In some plaoes mills are outtir i> rhx which has been growing only two years,

Tbe weather of late has been exceedingly rough — snow on the high-lands and rains on the flats, accompanied, however, by Inordinately bigh winds and the tempera tin o very low. The winds have played sad hay >a amongst the fruit treeß (says the Dunstan Tlineß), and the cold has stopped anything like growth, and done a lot of mischief amnngst lambing flocks ; bub with warmth, whioh may now be expected, everything will soon recover. The farmers' prospects of a harrest are good, whilst the miners are in great glee at the bountiful supply of water, which looks good for two or three months at leasfc^ With all the rain, the roads everywhere are in good travelling order, but for this the high winds have to be thanked.

The following, from the Southland Times, will be of interest to a largo number of those who knew Mr Harrold in the early days of Otago, he being ono of the old identities :— " Some months ago we noted that the veteran Captain Harrold, dissatisfied with the sparse opportunities provided for crossing the straits to and from Stewart's Island by steam, would build a cutter specially to run ia connection with bis salbrious boarding establishment for tourists at Half Moon Bay. The outter is not a vessel of large tonnage, for the reason that Captain Harrold desires a craft that can be easily moved at times with the aid of a pair of good sweeps, but she is of a build not common in these waters, a fact that will be evident when it is stated that although only 40ft long she will draw 9ft of water when in sailing trim. Her beam of course will not be so great as most of the outters crossing the Btraits, but the depth of the hold will give plenty of head room in the cabin, while her big grip of the water should make her as ' stiff cs a church,' Special attention has been given to providing accommodation for ladies and ohildren, so that should the passage not always be so fast as that of a steamer there will be no discomforts other than those oommon to most occasional journey era by sea, no matter how luxurious their surroundings. An advantage of having a vessel of his own will be that Captain Harrold will be able to take parties of his visitors to places of interest in the, island— Patterson's Inlet, Lord's River, Pegasus, &0., thus enhancing the pleasure of their sojourn, and, what will be a special inducement to those who cannot make a long stay, the vessel will be available for running suoh aoross to the Bluff any day. The outter is being built by a shipwright with Farlie and Larg's traditions, so that it may reasonably be expected that she will have a good turn of speed. The advantage to Captain Harrold in having suoh a vessel is illustrated by the fact that last summer several colonial families and > globe trotters, after arranging to visit the' island and put up at his house, gave up the idea when they found that the opportunities for orossing the straits in comfort were so few." We have to acknowledge receipt of Stone's ABO Guide and the Railway Time Table for November.