LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1926, 15 January 1891, Page 30

LOCAL & GENERAL.

A four-roomed wooden dwelling-house in Brighton road, Green Island, owned by a miner named Gavin M'Leod, was burned down early on the Bth inst. Mr M'Leod has been absent at Oamaru for the last five or six months, but his family have been occupying tbe house, and four of his sons were on the night of the fire sleeping in a back room. About 1 a.m. yesterday the oldest son was aroused by ones of his brothers, who said he could not sleep because something was choking him. The former got out of bed and found the room full of smoke. He then opened the door leading into the kitchen, but was driven back by the smoke, and he got his brothers out of the house through the bedroom window, after which he called to bis sister (who w»8 sleeping in the front room) to get up. Tha only way in which the fire can be accounted for by the family is that some clothes which were drying in front of the open fireplace in the kitchen caught, and that the flameß spread from them to the house. The occupants had a very narrow escape, and saved little or no clothing. The insurances were— £l2s on the house, £10 on the washhouße, and £45 on the furniture — all in the Equitable office.

Mark Rawlings, a well-known Auckland citizen, a member of the Diocesan Synod, and hitherto highly respected, was arrested on the Bth for embezzling £226, the funds of the Parnell Orphan Home, of which he was hon. treasurer. Accused is at his residence, too ill to be removed to the police station. The audit of his accounts reveals that £1300 is unaccounted for. He is a member of the firm of Baber and Rawlings, printers' furnishers. Rawlings was charged with the offence and remanded for a week.

The annual report and balance sheet of the New Zealand Insurance Company have been issued. The former says that after providing for ascertained losses and paying an interim dividend in July last of 2s 6d per share, there remains for distribution a sum of £30,529 0s 9d, which the directors recommend to be appropriated as follows :— To payment of a dividend at the rate of 12| per cent, per annum, L 12.50 0; bonus at the rate of 6d per share, £2500; augmentation of the investment fluctuation account, £8000 ; reinsurance fund, £10,000; balance carried forward to profit arid loss, new account, £3529 03 9d. With the above appropriation the reinsurance and reserve funds will amount to £250,000. The vacancy on the board caused by the retirement of Mr M'Cosh Clarke was filled by tha appointment of Mr A. G. Horton. Dr J. L. Campbell and Mr T. Russell are the retiring directors.

The usual monthly meeting of the above society was held on the evening of the 2nd in the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street, Mr D. M'Laehland (Vice-president) being in the chair, and Mr W. Hutchison, M.H.R., occupying a seat on the platform. The Chaibman, in the course of a short address, said he hoped that the year upon which they were now entering would prove a year of happiness and prosperity to each member of the Gaelic Society, and in the language of the " Mountain and Glen " he wished them all a Happy New Year. Mr Hutchison, M.H.R., delivered a short address, in which he referred to the pleasure it gave him to come to the meetings of the society and listen to the Gaelic songs, &c. given there. He felt quite a young man to see the dancing of the Scottish reels, for the artistic dances imported from France were as nothing compared to to jigs and strathspeys of Auld Scotia. He claimed to be the chief representative of the Highlands in New Zealand, and if any Highlanders had any grievance which conld be rectified in Parliament he would endeavour to do his utmost and have the same rectified. A long programme of Gaelic songs was gone through, Mr Munro, Port Chalmers, singing, " Thug mi 'n oidhche raoir 'san airidh," Mr D. M'lnnes "Thir a bhata," Mrs Campbell "Ho ro mo chailin dorm," Mr Angus Matheson " Gur moch a rinn mi dusjudh," Mr A. M'Askill "Duan challum," Mrs Chambers, "Ealau 'n Fbraoich," Mr Neil Campbell "Air Fallirinn illirin o," Mr D. Matbeson " Cv mv slan a chi mi nu chaillin dileas doun," and Mr M'Donald, Otago Heads, "Ho gur toil learn clann nan Geiedheal." Messrs M'Kechuie (the society piper), Bruce, and M'Donald played selections on the bagpipes at intervals, and dancing was indulged in by the lovers of the light fantastic. The audience was very large, a great many country ladies and gentlemen being in town for the New Year holidays. The meeting, which was a very successful one, was brought to a close by the usual vote of thanks.

The Government have received advices from their agent at San Francisco, and from the United States Postal Department, pointing to the probable passage of the Tonnage Bill, devoting a subsidy of £60,000 per annum to a fortnightly mail service to New Zealand, or £38,000 for a monthly service. The president, in his address dwelt strongly on the necessity of Congress stirring in the matter.

A doubt has arisen as to whether the section of the Licensing Act which makes provision for tbe appointment by the Governor of licensing committees in the event of districts failing to elect them, applies to cases where the local body charged with the duty of carrying out the election has taken no action, aud a circular has consequently been issued from the Justice department stating that it will in future be imperative for tbe various local bodies to see that the proper steps are taken when tbe time for the licensing elections arrives.

The Rev. Charles Clark, whose reputation as a preacher is equal to, and preceded, his fame as a lecturer, occupied the pulpik at Knox Church oa Sunday evening. At half-past five o'clock the church was opened, and in half -an -hour was crammed, the aisles as well as the pews being fall. The service was opened by the Rev. Dr Stuart, who read the first lesson. The Rev. Mr Copland, of Sydney, read the second lesson and engaged in prayer. Afterwards, the Rev. Dr Stuart said : " I have very great pleasure in giviog this pulpit to our friend, Mr Clark. It is now some years since he last appeared here to a crowd like this, and I welcome him again, and hope to live; to ccc him here once more at all events." The Rev. Charles Clark then ascended the pulpit, and taking for his text the 43 verse of the 13 th chapter of Matthew— " Then shall tho righteous ebine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," delivered a most) eloquent discourse. Pnlpit oratory cannot well be described or condensed, and only those who were present ia Kuox Chuicli lasi evening nau form an adequate conception of Iho graceful flow of langu&ge, the wealth of the vocabulary, the poT?iT of rhetoric, and tbe masterly elocution placed und?r tribute in the exposition of tho text. The sertaon occupied fifty minutes in delivery by the clock, though, probably, judged f com. the sujsations of its hearers, it was ones of tha briefest ever preached in this city.

The latest application of electricity to the uses of daily life has been invented and perfected by a New York physician. He has coropinted telephonic connections between the wards of the city hospital aud the reception rooras, so that patients suffering from infectious maladies

may safely communicate with their visitors. A board in the reception room contains the names of the patients, and an attendant has only to put the plug into the hole beneath any name when any friend desires to speak with the occupant of a cot upstairs. This has been found to work wibh great success, and the plan is to be adopted by the other hospitals.

According to a Home paper, a gentleman is at present in London, at the instance of the Canadian Government, engaged in making inquiries as to the possibility of developing the export trade in poultry, eggs, and dairy produce from the various provinces of the Dominion. Arrangements have been satisfactorily completed with the steamship lines crossing the Atlantic for the proper storage of such produce and importers in London appear decidedly of opinion that a considerable trade can be profitably done if properly conducted. Several firms in Birmingham and other large towns are to be approached with a view to induce them to take an interest in a matter which may assume great importance in the course of a year or two.

A Sutherland Falls tourist party from Dunedin arrived in Invercargill on Monday, en route for home. One of the party, writing to the Southland Times, says: — " We have had a most enjoyable holiday, leaving Dunedin on the 22nd of December (Monday) and reaching Te Anau on Tuesday afternoon. Here we were detained three days on account of the stormy weather, but eventually got away in M'Kinnon's boat, the weather still very stormy, and reached the head of the lake ou Sunday evening. Made Fompalona Hut at 2 on Tuesday afternoon, and same day visited St. Quentin Falls, being the first who have ever done so, and found them to be beautiful indeed. Left for falls on Tuesday, returning aoross the saddle the same day. We were very much delighted with the falls, and one and all voted them magnificent, beyond our most sanguine anticipations."

A letter from the mayor of Moscow was read at the City Council meeting last week, and referred to a committee for reply. The epistle, which was written in French, was addressed to " His Excellency the Lord Mayor of Dunedin," and was a request for information regarding the cable tramways in this city, as an application had been made to the civic authorities in Moscow for permission to substitute cable for horse tramways in that city. That the existence of our modern tramway system should have become known to the leading citizens of the capital of Russia is surely some compensation for the fact that our countrymen in the mother land sometimes confound our geographical position so completely.

Mr J. Chalmers, the weH-known missionary of New Guinea, has arrived from the islands by the s.s. Richmond. He has arranged for a party of six Satnoan native teachers with their wives and six Rarotongan native teachers with^ their wives to proceed to New Guinea as a mission party. The John Williams, missionary vessel, is to call at the islands for them at the beginning of April to take them direct to New Guinea. Mr Chalmers intends visiting the various centres of population in the colony delivering lectures on New Guinea and mission work with a view of interesting people in raising a fund for the purchase of a steam launch for mission work on the Fly river. On leaving Dunedin he goes to Hobart, Melbourne, and Sydney, and then rejoins the mission party at New Guinea, which will arrive by the John Williams.

The statement of receipts, expenditure, and balance sheet of the Otago Harbour Board for the year that is just ended, as submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor-general for his certificate, was laid before the members on the Bth. The general account showed that the actual receipts for the year amounted to £54,794 15s lid ; and the expenditure, including £40,869 16a Bd, transferred to interest and sinking fund accounts totalled, £60,848 0s lid ; but there was a credit balance brought forward from 1889 of £16,453 10s 6d, and there was thus left at the close of last year a credit balance of £10,400 5s 6d. Included in the items of expenditure is the large sum of £10,593 16s 4d upon works, of which amount £6876 3s Id, or nearly two-thirds, is charged against the lower harbour. The positions of the various loan accounts are separately shown, and attached to the papers laid before the board was a return from which it appears that, as a result of the treasurer's conversion scheme, a total saving of £9062 has been effected during the past five years in interest payments, inclusive of the interest payable to sinking fund on account of drawn bonds. The total indebtedness of the board at the present time on loan debentures is £686.700, but they have the right to borrow up to £699,000 to carry oat the conversion of their 6 per cent, into 5 per cent, bonds.

Mr A. H. Ross, who is about to remove to Napier, after a residence of 31 years in Dunedin, stated at the meeting of the Harbour Board on the Btih that his resignation would probably be in the hands of the Government by the time that the next meeting was held. Several members expressed their regret at the approaching severance of the connection between Mr Ross and the Harbour Board, of which body he has been a member for 10 years, occupying the position of chairman for about half that time, and warmly eulogised the services that he has rendered, particularly in the latter capacity. A small committee was appointed to draft a minute to be submitted at the next meeting, and placed on the permanent records of the board, expressing appreciation of tho manner in which Mr Ross has discharged the duties that devolved upon-him.

A curious phenomenon (says a correspondent of the New Zealand Herald) occurred on the farm of Mr Turnbull, near Morrinsville, one day the week before last. During a heavy squall there fell a shower of small red worms of bright colour, varying in size from an inch to an inch and a-half iv length. Vessels, such as milk dishes, &c, vere filled to a depth of from one to three inche3, and the worms lay nearly an inch thick upon the yard about the house and in the grass land in the vicinity. They were, however, soon dried np by the heat of the sun, and unfortunately none were saved for transmission to the Auckland Society.

The Tablet states that a reception of postulants and profession of novices took place at the Dominican Convent, Dauedin, an the afternoon of Christmas Day. The young ladies received were the Misses M'lnfcyre, Arrowtown (ia religion Sister Mary Bonaventure) ; Qtiilter' Wiuiahuca (in religion Sister Mary Repaid); and O'Connor, Gore, a lay sister (in religion Sister Mary John Baptist). Th r >33 professed were fcr>9 M'Mes Ralph, Aucklaud (iv religion SSst-T M.'ry Ignatius) ; and O'Neiil, Ireland., a lay bister (iv religion Sister Maty Mslavhi). Tho oretnoni-s, at which his Lordship th^ Bishop officiated, ware performed privately.

The output of coal from the mines at Westport and Graymouih during t ! ie 12 inoatho ea^ed 31sfc December last w\rf as follows : - Westporb Coal Company, Weatpcrt, 160.2-10 tons ; iivey Valley Ooal Company, Grayrcoutb, 118,400 w>us.

A wooden ammunition shed, containing 250 nmr-ils of n»>nr-:uidon, tho property of the WiMitouaibi Rifle Volantee;g,ftmisisairmunitiou ciio&ts, fcfco prouwty of tU« Govcruujouc, w*3

r destroyed by fire on Thursday afternoon. The fire is believed to have been caused by sparks blown on to the shed from a tree that was burning about a chain away. The loss amounts to £14.

Mr William Daley, who has held the position of superintendent of the gasworks at Caversham, died early on Friday morning at his residence. He was born at Brantf ora, London, in 1839, and after learning the profession of a gas and water engineer he went to Russia at the age of 20, aad after several engagements be was appointed to construct gas and waterworks in connection with the palace of the late Czar, Alexander 11, for which he received a massive gold medal as a mark of special recognition. He was engaged to erect the gasworks at Invercargill in 1875, and afterwards paid a visit to Russia and England. In 1887 he was appointed manager for the Dunedin and Suburban Gas Company, and he held that position until compelled to retire through illness about two months ago. Mr Daley took a great interest in trying to secure markets ■in South America for New Zealand coal. He leaves a widow and one child.

We give the following story on the authority of Rod and Gun : — The other day Mr Herbert Spencer sauntered into the billiard room at the Senior, and invited a nice young major, who was the only person there, to take a cue. The major did so. Beginning to play with deliberation, the great philosopher gave a miss in baulk. His opponent cannoned off the red, and left off at 37 with all the balls out o! play. Mr Spencer made another miss. Then the major ran out. " Sir," the philosopher said, as he gravely put his cue into its case, " a certain dexterity in games of skill indicates a well-balanced mind ; but expertness such as you have displayed is strong presumptive evidence of an ill-spent youth. I wish you good afternoon."

A bazaar just held at Arrowtown in aid of the Roman Catholic Church has netted £200.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, London, have cabled that the report for year ending Slat December has been issued. The net profit, including £12,936 brought forward from the previous year, is £92,427. A dividend of 10 per cent, is to be paid, and £20,000 added to the reserve fund. The amount carried forward is £8667. The reserve fund will now amount to £310,000.

The petition lodged by Mr Drake against the return of Mr R. H. J. Reeves as member for Inangahua has collapsed owing to noncompliance with subsections 3 and 4 of " The Election Petitions Act 1880." Subsection 3 provides that at the time of the presentation of a petition, or within three days afterwards, security to the satisfaction of the returning officer for the payment of all costs, charges, and expenses that may become payable, as provided, shall be given on behalf of the petitioners. Subsection 4 provides that the security shall amount to £200, given by a bond to the Queen, to be entered into by any number of sureties not exceeding three, or by the deposit of money, or partly in one way and partly in the other.

One of tbe first projects to be presented to the new Italian Parliament will be the scheme of home colonisation worked out by Signor Fortis, ex-Under Secretary of State. It is calculated that there are in Italy about 11,200,000 acres of uncultivated land, of which 800,000 acres are susceptible of cultivation. The project of Signor Fortis gives much consideration to the fact that a necessary element in the colonisation is drinking water, which would reduce the danger from malaria. The assistance of land proprietors ia also necessary to the undertaking.

A serious fight occurred recently at a small village near Bistritz, in Transylvania, between the supporters of the newly-appointed pastor, who is of Roumanian nationality, and the Saxon members of his flock. The latter blocked the church door to prevent the entering of the pastor, who was about to be formally installed, and a fight of a most furious nature ensued, in which six persons were killed and 16 were seriously injured.

An Indian paper contains the folio wing advertisements:—"A Rajah of Bengal Province, having an estate valued 15,000,000r5, the yearly income of which is 99,000r5, after paying tho Government revenue, wishes to correspond with a respectable European youDg lady in the view of matrimony.— Enclose", photograph, which will be returned, ard address, &c." " A respectable native gentleman with a large estate of 13,000,000rs wishes to get married to a respectable European young lady.— Enclose address and photographs, which will be returned, to the manager, &c, for submission to advertiser. Ths utmost secrecy assured."

Lord Besconsfield used to contend, or at all events to make his heroes contend, that the representatives of England's most ancient and historic blood are now to be fonnd among the peasantry. There is a vast deal of truth in that statement (says the St. James Gazette), for there is no country in Europe where blood is more mixed than in England. Equally true is it — and of this wo are reminded by the death of Mr Lucy, of Charlecote — that many of tho really old landed families are still plain squires. The reason for this is sometimes, no doubt, to be seen in Lord Tennyson's contemptuous "partridge breeders, of a thousand years ; " but very often it is quite other. To be Lucy of Oharlecote or Giffard of Chillington is as proud a title a3 any man need wish ; ao coronet could add lustre to so long and so historic a descent. The Lucys have been at Charlecote for 700 years. There is hardly a county in England which can Dot show families as old, still in possession of their ancestral acres. Some few there are, indeed, like the Wol>?eleys of Woleeley, who have held their lands unbrokenly since Alfred first wore the crown of united England.

His Excellency the Governor and the Countess of Ooslow returned to Timaru on Monday from the Mount Cook district, and then proceeded to Rakaia. The ooach which contained Lord Oaslow was Dearly blown over by a nor'-wester on the way up to the Hermitage. The Governor's party, with Mr P. C. Huddlestone, visited the terminal face of the Mueller glacier, Kea Point, Governor's Bush (where Mr Huddlestone brought the native birds round them), and the great T«sman glacier. The weather was somewhat mixed during tha visit.

In addition to tho oar found at the Chathams bearing the name "Assaye" a quantity of wreckage was also f'mud, including Maori weapons, curiously carved bowls, and canoes (*,rdsumablv Sir W. Billpi-'hs ccllpctinn), cask of oil bran<>d~"l. C. over Napier," ship's rockets, hatches, &c. It Is reported that a larire quantity, of cas°d goods is visiMe at Horn's Rock, southeast of ths island, not approachable except in fine weather.

"Jack ashore" (writes a corrcspoudcDt) has bte-i usually associated with a paragraph ia the poHra news, a street row, or something else • o'ir.i'y obnoxious to tha law-abiding commum'y; but there U a brighter sida to f he r>i'Jfurt>, and a w'di'ly different ir.e-.::i.n^ (o tb.° vrords, as was exemplified on S-iri'isy. Vh'.n 12 seamen from H.M g». (^uracoa, at prwrut lying iv Pocb O'i"»lrn-'-r.* harbour, started on a voyage of discovery, and Untied fit the Industrial School, where, as was to bo expected, they were kindly

received by the manager, who showed them over the old craft, which, thanks to props, paint, putty, and a good deal of engineering, has withstood summer's sun and winter's storm for so many years, and still weathers the gale without necessitating the Government putting its hand in its pocket. The gallant tara expressed themselves highly pleased with everything in and around the premises, and especially with the whiteness of the upper and mam decks, and the boys on their part seemed quite taken with the frank, fearless bearing and free and easy costume of the sailors. After the manager had piped » all hands to grog " in his own cabin and had received a cordial invitation to visit the good ship Ouracoa, the visitors weighed anchor and made all sail for Dunedin.

One of the former inmates of the Industrial School at Caversham sent to the school a present of 100 rabbits at Christmas. The donation, though substantial, was most highly esteemed on account of the spirit it manifested and the evidence it afforded of good feeling. It is also a fact, oreditable alike to the young men themselves and to the institution, that many of the lads who have been brought up at the home under Mr Titchener and his staff now hold responsible positions in various parts of the colony, and are doing well for themselves and for the community.

A Dominican Convent under the charge of four nuns of the order was opened at Milton by the Most Rev. Bishop Moran on Sunday. High mass was celebrated by the Bishop in the morning at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, ana he afterwards addressed the congregation. He congratulated them heartily on the establishment of a branch of the Dunedin Convent of St Dominic. They had already provided a site and a small house, which he hoped to see added to shortly. The nuns, lie said, would give their children a real education, that would develop all their powers of mind and body, that would develop all their religious instincts and moral principles, and an education that would prepare them for their several avocations hereafter in life. He then went on to refer to the State system of education, and the injustice suffered under it by Catholics. He contended that the church had always assisted education. In conclusion, he said that tne founding of the convent was a serious undertaking; but nothing was impossible with faith, and they had faith to rely on the blessing of Almighty God. He believed that before many years had lapsed that convent would be a great success and universal blessing to Milton. After the bishop's address, the Rev. Father ONeill stated that sums from £1 to £20 had already been received for the purpose of erecting a building, and lhat a collection would then be taken up. At the conclusion of the service a procession of children marched from the chapel to the convent, which was then blessed by the bishop. Benediction of the holy sacrament was afterwards celebrated in the chapel.

Warbriok the guide and a tourist party (reports a contemporary) have accidentally made an extraordinary discovery of human remains on the shores of Lako Rotorua. It S3ems they were passing some rocky cliffs, when a heavy rain storm came on, and they were driven for shelter into a email cleft or recess overhung by a jutting piece of rock. While in this position Warbrick discovered a small openiog that evidently was the mouth of a cave, and, after a considerable amount of squeezing, he was able to force his way in, and it soon became evident that they had discovered an ancient Maori burying place, probably of the once formidable Arawa tribe. This sepulchre is apparently of great antiquity as none of the Maoris at present living in the Lake district were aware of its existence. The party were unable to properly explore the cave as they had no candles and only a limited supply of matches, and besides, the Maoris who were attending .the party had to be watched, for had they known what was in the vicinity the place would have been proclaimed tapu, and no tourist allowed anywhere near it. Warbrick intends to properly explore the cave.

The Natives at the Chatham Islands are very much exercised in consequence of the Government enforcing the dog tax upon them. Last year a detachment of police were sent down, and two of the Natives brought to Lyttelton to serve terms of imprisonment. This year, it appears (says the Lyttelton Times) that the police at the islands, who had been reinforced by bix settlers, sworn in as special constables, went to the pah on January 8, for the purpose of arresting a couple of the Natives, who had previously refused to pay the tax. It was intended to bring two or three of the offenders before the court, and sentence them to imprisonment at Lyttelton, forwarding them on per the Kahu. However, the Natives arose in a body, and refused to allow any of their number to be arrested, but shortly afterwards the whole of the men, women, and children, went to the courthouse in a body, and took charge, saying that if the authorities wanted any of them they must take the lot. The steamer left that evening, so it is impossible to say how matters ended, but doubtless we shall soon learn the result.

According to the Wellington Post, the Grand Lodge of Nebraska, U.S., at its 33rd annual communication, held in Omaha, concurred in tho report of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence recommending that recognition be extended to the newly - established Grand Lodge of New Zealand. The Grand Lodge of Nebraska has on its roll 198 lodges, with a membership of 5890 master masons. Going from home to learn 'news, we observe it stated in the Auckland Herald that a cablegram was "received in Dunedin last week by the D.G.M. of the S.C., from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, containing the first opinion obtained from Home on the question of the circular issued recently by Lord Onslow to the various Masonic lodges of the colony with a view to healing the division at present existing between the New Zealand and other constitutions. The Grand Lodge directed that a circular should be sent to the lodges publicly repudiating Lord Onslow's intrusion in the matter.

The Ranana Native Brsss Band, composed of Natives on the Upper Wanganui river, gave a performance at Wanganui last week, and considering that they are mostly youths without education, and have only been organised some sis months, their proficiency was surprising. Major Kemp, who was called on for a speech, said that he went down to Wellington to collect funds for the band because he thought that the old days had not been forgotten by the Natives, and that the influence of music migh*; tend to encourage better habits by their infcorcour.se with the pakehas, The people were of no education, and did not know how to write their own name even in their own language. Their eyes had been slfown the music, but they did not know whether it was A, B, or C. Ha expressed himself as thankful for the Applause bestowed on these blindfolded children, and later on he hoped to make tho band stronger still, even to the last shilling iv his pocket. He had introduced cricket aud football amongst these children, so that they and tho Europeans might mix together. He then asked the band toglay "God save the Queen," to show their loyalty to tbe Qaeen, also to the. people of Wan-

ganui. The national anthem was then pecformed by the band, the whole audience rising to their feet and standing during the time. The entertainment was pleasantly diversified by the introduction of a number of habas, dances, songs, &c, showing the changes that had taken place in the different styles right down to the present day.

His friends throughout New Zealand will be pleased to learn that, with renewed health, Mr Duncan Wright resumes his evangelistic travels almost at once. All next week he is expected ia Invercargill, and after that at Otama, Wairuna, Gore, and Balclutha. In Marc ahe visits Wellington and Wanganui, and probably Mailborongh, During the winter months, aided by sympathisers, he will, if possible, try special services in and around Dunedin for several months. These missions will be conducted oi the lines of what is known as " The Forward Movement" in Britain.

The Union Company informs us that applications for the Sounds excursion continue to come in treely from all agencies, and that the second excursion is bow nearly full.

A largely attended meeting was held at Bruonerton on Saturday to protest against the action of the Railway Commissioners in removing Messrs Jones and Seaton from the sites on which their hotels are built. The occupants, who possess 12 years' leases, are now asked to move without adequate compensation. A resolution was passed to petition the House, the commissioners, and the public generally to consider the injustice that is being done.

A Vienna telegram of November 9, in the London Standard, states that •• at Warsaw a woman named Madame Skibinaka, her married daughter, Madame Wauowska, the latter's sister-in-law, and another woman, besides two men, have just been tried on the charge of having murdered some 200 infants. The facts of the case were discovered owing to a fire breaking out on the night of February 5, in the honse of Madame Skibinaka, where, after the extinction of the flames, the fire brigade found the charred remains of four infants. Ah investigation was thereupon instituted, and it turned out that all the women above-mentioned were occupied in. baby farming, and that the children they took care of usually disappeared within a few weeks after their reception. Some of the bodies of the deceased iufants were exhumed and submitted to a post mortem examinamination, the result of which was to show that they had died from starvation. The dead children were never interred singly, in order nob to arouse suspicion ; but when half-a-dozen had succumbed they were put together in the coffin of an adult, and with the assistance of the coffinmaker and graved igger, both of whom are amongst the accused, were buried es one person. The women engaged in this horrible trade passed tt-e dead infants on to one another, and during the interval between the filling of one large coffin and the next tho bodies of the infants were kept concealed, sometimes in the house of one, sometimes of another of the accomplices, whence they were singly taken in baskets and conveyed to the eoffinmaker, who did the rest of the work. The accused were defended by seven advocates. The trial has ended to-day, and the chief culprit has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment, while her accomplices have been sent to prison for smaller terms. The public prosecutor has appealed against the sentences as being altogether inadequate."

An experimental electrical railway, 2784 ft long, has been erected at Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. The principle adopted is to suck the car along a tube round which a current of electricity is made to circulate, always in advance of the car. The car is carried on two wheels of the bicycle type, and weighs 3501b in all. A speed of from 25 to 30 miles an hour has, it is claimed, been reached.

The Scientific American quotes a statement in the Repertoire de Pharmacie for July 10, 1890, that Dr Babchinski was attending a case of grave diphtheria occurring in his own son, in which a rapid change for the better occurred coincidentally with the appearance of erysipelas on the face. The fever rapidly fell, the false membrane disappeared, and cure rapidly took place. Dr Babchinski also states that in several other cases he noted a great improvement coincident with the appearance of erysipelas, and in one of them the erysipelas occurred on the leg' and not on the face. These facts suggested to Dr Babchinski the idea of inoculating diphtheria cases with blood taken from patients suffering fqom erysipelas, and he states that in several cases in which he employed this procedure cure resulted. Later on he practised inoculation of other case 3of diphtheria with cultures of the microbe of erysipelas in agaragar, and likewise noticed the disappearance of the symptoms of diphtheria. He further adds that when the inoculations were made all special treatment was suspended, and in no case did the erysipelas present any sufficient gravity to cause uneasiness. He concludes by stating that, if his observations and experiences are confirmed, this treatment should rob diphtheria of all its dangers.

Post Offise officials, as a rule, manage to deliver letters to those for whom they are meant when the address is not at all clear or sufficient, but they occasionally make curious mistakes. At Wellington an official letter from the Registrar-general's office was posted to a gentleman residing in Thorndon. The address was " Hobson btreet, city," and the writing was remarkably good, except that the "y " in the word " city " had not much of a tail. The missive was posted on the 24th December, and reached Us destination a fortnight later, having in. the interval travelled over the greater part of the co'.ony. According to the postmarks with which it is spotted back snd front, on the 27 th December it was in Christchurch, on the 31st in Auckland, on the 2nd January back in Wellington, and on the 7th inst. ab Otaki. Several memos, written and printed, such as " Not found," " Try Auckland," and " Try Wellington again," supplemented the postmarks, and to make the decorations complete there is a kind of gridiron across one end, on which about a dozen initials appear one under tha other, probably those of the astute Post Office officials through whose hands the missive passed. The mystery is how there was any difficulty about the address at all.

The tourist traffic promises, from present indications, to be exceedingly brisk for the next few weeks. There was an unusually large number of visitors id Dunedinon Thursday — arrivals by the Tarawera, from Melbourne, and by the direcb steamer Doric. (/ Captain Sundstrom, of the .s.s. Jnvercargill, informs us that while passing through Thompson Sound he observed a magnificent waterfall from the centre of Resolution Island. The fall Captain Sundstrom describes as very beautiful, fully 3000 ft high, with a wiae and fan-like expanse. Captain Snndstrom considers it sunerior to the Bowen Falls, at Milford Sound.

The shifting of police officers still goes on, but no one outside tl.echkf office has tho slightest idea on what 'system 1 hey are carried ouh There is consequently a good deal of indignation in several localities when old and tried officers are removed 'to stations and positions apparently inferior to those held, The shifting of Oon.

stable Fretwell from Gore to Orepuki is a case in point, and the removal of first-class Sergeant Macdonnell from Invercargill to Queenstown is another. Sergeant M'Leod. a third-class ser-. geant, succeeds Sergeant Macdonnell at Invercargill, while Sergeant John Fleming, of Naseby, who takes Constable Fretwell's place at Gore, can scarcely be said to have received promotion.

The sentencing of Waters in September last in connection with the Walker street still case has caused attention to be turned in Queensland to some of tha cases in which he had been connected with there. Waters, it will be remembered, had been an excise inspector in Queensland. A demand is now made that in once case reparation should be made by refunding the fine inflicted and expunging the name of Mr John Brannelly, who was fined, from the records of the court. In August 1882 Mr Brannelly was charged with having in his possession for sale some adulterated spirits. Inspector Waters and another officer alleged that they had found the bottles under the counter and seized them. They gave Mr Brannelly no sample of what they contained, and it was not till some five weeks later that proceedings were commenced. When the case came before a jury they found on tho testimony of Waters and the other officer that the bottles were obtained from Mr Brannelly's hotel, but that he had no guilty knowledge of the contents. The judge construed this verdict into one of guilt, and inflicted a fine of £20. In view of Waters' tricks in New Zealand, ifc is generally surmised now that this was one of his smart dodges, hence the demand for reparation.

Captain Duncan, who came to Dunedin some 10 years ago from India, died at his residence at Caversham on Monday morniog. The deceased gentleman was born in Ireland in. 1828, and at the age of 20 found his way to India, where he joined the Bengal Horse Artillery as a guaner. He wont through the Roorkee Training College, and afterwards became connected with the Western Jumna Canal works as an overseer, General Fulton, of this city, being the superintendent of that huge undertaking. Captain Duncan carried out a number of works successfully, and was promoted to the position of executive engineer in charge of a division. He was subsequently captain of the Punjab volunteers, and magistrate over a district. He left India for New Zealand in 1880, and settled in Dunedin. He served for a short time as a member of the Harbour Board. His death was due to congestion of the lungs. He leaves a family of four — two sons and two daughters.

An Auckland settler, who recently returned from a visit to his native place (Nova Scotia), reports to the Government that, owing to the repeated failures of the crops in that province, a number of families (about 200 Bonls in all) are anxious to leave, and he asks what assistance the New Zealand Government could give them to emigrate here. The matter ia one for parliamentary consideration, but it is unlikely that any monetary assistance would be given, as Parliament in 1887 struck off the Estimates a vote for assisting farmers to New Zealand. Anotherjdifficulty presents itself, as it would be taking residents from one colony to another. The request is, however, to ba considered by the Government.

Caterpillars are ruining the oat crops in the district around Bulls (says the Advocate). Mr Taverner has had 50 acres totally destroyed by the pest, and so rapidly did they work that the destruction of the crop was consummated in about 48 Ihours from the time they first commenced. They are also playing havoc with the crops of other farmers in the neighbourhood. Their method of working is to climb the stalk and bite through the filament which holds each oat to the parent stem. They do not eat the grain, but merely scatter it upon the ground.

John Fitzroy de Courey, thirty-first Lord Eingsale, whose death is announced, enjoyed the singular privilege of wearing his hat in the royal presence. The privilege was granted by King John to De Courey, Earl of Ulster, an ancestor of Lord Eingsale. The only other English subject who is so singularly distinguished is Lord Forester, on whose ancestor the privilege was conferred by Henry VIII. The Knights of the Golden Fleece, which honour is now bestowed by the Emperor of Austria and the King of Spain, claim the right of being covered in all royal presence. Lord Kingsale was richer in nobility than in land, and transmits only his title (which is the premier barony of Ireland) to his successor, Mr Michael William de Courey, of Stoketon, Saltasb, Cornwall.

It will be remembered that Lord Dufferin, shortly before resigning his office as Viceroy of India, stated his intention of inviting those chiefs who have specially good fighting material in their armies to raise a portion of these armies to such a pitch of general efficiency as will make them fit to go into action side by side with the Imperial troops. Lord Dufferin's speech has been followed by large offers from the principal native States of all parts of India. Although it has not been found possible to accept all of these, Lord Lansdowne has announced that during the two years which have passed since the speech was delivered an excellent commencement has been made. There are at present under training in round numbers 6400 cavalry and about 7000 infantry — a body of men described as well disciplined, thoroughly equipped, and in point of military spirit and fighting qualities fully fitted to take their place in the general system of Imperial defence. „- 'The following appeared in the Illustrated London News: The will (dated January 31, 1890), with a codicil (dated April 15 following), of Mrs Emma Josephine Campbell, late of Otektvike, Otago, New Zealand, who died on April 17 la6t at Dnnedin, was proved in London on October 8 by Bry&D Cecil Haggitt and Alexander Campbell Begg, the executors, the value of the personal estate in Englaud amounting to upwards of £14,000. The testatrix bequeaths £5000 to the Olago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, upon trust, for the relief of patients in the Dunedin Hospital ; £6000 to the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board to erecb a church and parsonage bouse in the district of Waitaki for members of the Church of England ; &nd there are large legacies to her own and her late husband?s relatives and others, and a special gift of her late husband's Eton leaving books. As to the residue of her real and personal estate, she leaves one-half to her sister, Alica Humphreys, and one-half, upon trust, for her brother, Cyril Goodricke Hawdon, for life, and then for his children.

Messrs J. A. and N. Clark, of the wellknown firm of cotton manufacturers of Glasgow' arrived in Dunedin on Tuesday by the R.M S. Doric, and intend making a tour of ths colony. Dr Goodale, Professor of Botany at Harvard University, U.S., snd president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, also arrived in Dunediu yesterday by the Tarawera, accompanied by Captain Goodole, and proceeds to Chri3tchureh to take part in the t cience congress.

Mr C. Rous Marten, of Wellington, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain.

" Typo," the New Zealand pi intlng trade journal, is to band. The journal will in future be published at Wellington instead of Kapler, as hitherto,