LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 15

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Three highly important bills affecting the Ba ak of New Zealand, and through it the colony, were passed by the House of Representatives on l<nday evening. The Council, after referring the measures to a select committee, also passed them, and they are now the law o, the land.

At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on the 27th it was resolved to recommend that power be given to the Harbour Board to increase the harbour improvement rate to a maximum amount of 6j, and that the proposed ad valorem rate be nob approved. It was also decided to recommend the Harbour Board to take into consideration th 9 advisability of seekii>g power to levy a rate oa a district to be arranged, with the object of eventually extinguishing the export rates. Me Justice Williams on Uw 27th ult Granted, on the application of Mr Solomon, a decree absoluts in the divorce case oE George Nicol (petitioner) v. Kate Bruce Nicol (respondent) and Walter MacNeil (co respondent). In the Suprtma Curt on Thursday the attention of Mr Justice Wil.iams was engaged with a case in which Mary Ann Wilson sued Benjamin Bray for the recovery of the sum of £50 Mr Sim appeared on behalf of the plaintiff, and Dr Findlaj- for the defendant. 1% anpe ared that the defendant is the executor of the will of William Witham, deceased, of Waikouait, who by his will directed his executor to sell his stock of cattle, and out of the pioseeds to pay £50 to the plaintiff. Atter making this will the testator sold his stock and received part ot the proceeds during his lifetime, but a balance of £59 9s 6d was left in the hands of the purchaser. The facts of the case were admitted, and the argument turned on the question whether, the stock having been sold by the testator duriDg his lifetime, the legacy had not addeemed. His Honor reserved his judgment.

The Licensing Committee for the Chalmers district have received a petition from the mayor and councillors of Port Chalmers asking them to reconsider their refusal to grant a publican a license to J. A. Ainge for the Railway Hotel at Port Chalmers. The reasons advanced in the petition for a reconsideration are that it is the unanimous wish of the residents to have the license retained to the house in consequence ot its situation, and also of its being the only house dependent on residential requirements ; further, on account of the admirable manner iv which it had been conducted by Mr Aingo.

The Tablet 6tates ttaab the recent dhurbar in aiS of the Dominican Convent building fund realised something over £1300.

At the Fire Brigade station on Thursday Dr Barnett commenced a series of first aid lectures to men, under the auspices of the St. John Ambulance Association. There was a largo attendance, over 50 being present. The lecture was an interesting one, and included a general description of tho construction, &<.'. of the human body, and was well illustrated by diagrams, &c. At the Y.W.C.A. rooms last evening Dr Will delivered the second of a course of first aid lectures to women, the attendance again being numerous. The subject was •• Hemorrhage," and included a general description of the circulation of the blood, the heart's action, and the steps to be taken to arrest different cases of bleeding. A good deal of practical work was gone through. At Hillside workshops Dr Smith will next Wednesday commence a class on first aid.

When questioned by the manager of the National Bank at Christchurch about the loss of the 500 sovereigns, Rich, tho teller who has been committed for trial, told a simple story. He said ho went outside the counter to weigh, the gold, there being no customers in the bank then ; that he pushed the "bag across the counter to the other side, and in going round himself stopped to talk to another officer and forget all about the bag of gold— never thought about it till.he missed it next day. A fortnight later he confessed that ho took tho money, but could not tell what had become of it ; ho had »ot got it. He said tbat he had no accomplice, but that innocent people might suffer if ho told what had btcome of tho money, aud pleaded for mercy, for hi 3 mother's sake. He said his relatives would iiud the money. la tb<s interval ho gave tho manager a list of bis debts, amouuting to aboui £140.

John Buchaud.il, an ex-police conftable, formerly fatdtioned at Duncdiu and luvercargilJ, was arrested on board the Wairarapv at Melbourne ytt.ti.Tc! ay on a warrant issu<_d by tha stipendiary magistra*e at Inverc&rgill charging him with child desertion. A constables was despatched by FiiCay's steamer for Melbourne to bring him back. The Press, referiiug to the report of the house eurgcou of the Christchurch Hospital, says: — "Perhaps tho most interesting portion is a return showing the respective numbers of the principal dit eases admitted in 1&93 and 1894. In fevers, meabl-JB appears as a r.ew disease in 1894, this is compensated for by the greatj dimiuution in c ifes of diphtheria and typhoid, which show 6 thai efforts have been rnaie to prevent the recurrence of those diseases. Unhappily there has been a great increase iv cancer, consumption (phthisis), this, perhapp, together wi'h the increase in lung complaint*, may partly bo attributed to the after effects of influeDZi and measles."

The match for the draughts championship in Scotland and £100 has resulted in the defeat of the "Herd Laddie," the final score being — Ferric, 13 wins ; Wyllie, 6 wins ; and 69 draws, six of tho stipulated 94 games not requiring to be played.

The following (says the Manchester Guardian) is taken frum the annual report of the Yokohama Chamber of C-mtnerce, just issued. Under the heading " Exchange," it is remarked :—: — "la view of its controlling influence in all foreign trade this subject should have, perhaps, been the first to be mentioned. R%tes remained fairly steady until the end of June, but thenceforward fell continuously to the close of the year. The rej cticn of silver as a legal tender by Europe and th« United States has opened a chasm between silver and gold-übing countries which it is each year more difficult to bridge. That countries on a gold -basis are suffering and will suffer more in the loes of Borne of their best markets can hardly be doubted, as there must be a limit beyond which reductions in prices and wages iv gold cannot be made. In the raejintiroe ws see i\ great impetus given to industrial enterprises in China and Japan, fostc-red by a protection which evtn the tariff in the Uaited States does not afford. With India upon the horns cf a dilsrema between the gold aud silver standards, China has invaded her raw cotton markets in Euglaud and on the Continent, aud Japan is eag^r to displace her yarns iv China, as her mills ha c already done here." Io is noteworthy that the Yokohama chamber tacitly assumes, as a matter beyond dilute, that gold prices must fall with every fall in exchange, and not silver prices rise.

The Anglicr.n Bishop of Jerubalem in a letter to The Times gives some facts which show that; the Jewß are pouring into Palestine. About 100,000 Jews have entered the Holy Land

during the last few years, and "the arrival of a vaster host is imminent." "No one," he goes od, " can possibly forecast the next seven years of Jewish immigration." If the bishop's view of what is going ou is correct, we are face to face with a facfc that may revolutionise the politics ef Mediterranean Asia. Already the railways are. opening up the country betweeu tho coasb aud Jerusalem and Damascus, and if a Jewish immigration on a large scalo is added to this, Syria may become once more one of the most important places in the East. The idea of the Jews again possessing a country is a very peculiar one.

A mutiny, which threatens to spread over the metropolis at least, has broken out in Iho ranks of the Salvation Army. For somo time past (aays a Home paper) thero has been considerable dissatisfaction on the part of the various local corps and their officers about the. peculiar financial arrangements which headquarters make. Matters came to a head through the action of the Cimberwell corps. The officers of that corps considered that headquarters were charging too much rent, sending th«m too many cadets, and putting them altogether to excessive expense. The corps found itself £150 in debt, but by a vigorous effort they pucceeded in paying that off. Again the rackrenting began, and agaiu an attempt was mado to burden them with cadets. The Camberwell Barracks arc insured for £25,000 at 2* 6d per £100. The local corps has to pay this, and they insist that were they allowed to make their own insurance they could do it at Is G<\ per £100 at the most. Matters developed, and the local officers protested. The au tec-rats of the Army, without asking for any explanation, promptly dismissed all the officers. The Nunhead Corps have now mutinied by refusing to pay any money to the funds at headquarters until some explanation has been given. A meeting of the dismissed officers was held, and the methods of headquarters were roundly denounced. In addition, a strongly-worded circular has been sent to every corps in London, and the emeute promises to become very serious.

The twenty- fifth anniversary of the invention of postcards was celebrated recently in Vienna. The id card was not used until 1870, the year which also saw (he reduction of the Id postage on newspapers to But in tho jear before that an Austrian, named Dr Emanuel Herman, who is still alive, invented the postcard, and it was introduced in Austria-Hungary. In 1873 it spread to Germany, and was adopted in 1880 by the International Postal Union. In Austria alone 100,000,000 cards are now used annually, the British post offices pass upwards of 250,000,C00, and tae total for the whole world is no less than a milliard (1,000,000,000).

The Rev. A. Skene, M.A., of the Cairns Memorial Church, Melbourne, will occupy the pulpit of Kuox Caurch during July. The Rev. W. Heritson, who has offi.3ib.ted during the past month, left on Thursday for Melbourne.

Some 15,557 acres of rural and village homestead allotments were thrown open for selection at the Lands Office on Friday. Of this 5282 acres were applied for, and as that urea represents only 35 allotments it was distributed by means of a ballot. The land taken up is principally .in the districts of Glenomaru, Tautuku, Ilimu, Cabling, Clarendon, Lower Wanaka, and Lower Hawea, the majority of the applications being for land iv the Rimu district, in which direction the proposed Catlins extension railway will ruu.

In our poetry column will be found " TheToitoi in Church," an exquis'te little poem by the Hon. W. P. Reeves. The verses are, we think, by far the best that we have seen from Mr Reeve&'s pen, and will, wo imagine, b3 so considered by all lovers of New Zealand's native flora, •

The substitution of cardboard tickets for the ordinary marbles formerly in use at land ballots hag not apparently been a very desirable chango. According to those whose business necessitates them beiDg present at the distribution of land by ballot, the new system, which came into force by virtue of an Order-in-Council issued about a year ago, involves not only a serious loss of time, but it also possesses a more objt ctiouable feature, for iuasmuch as it is a matter of impossibility to prevent the cards from sticking together the numbers are not thoroughly mixed, and thus there is an element ot unfairness about it which could not possibly occur under the old method of balloting with marbles. At a ballot for land, which took place at the Lands Oliice on Friday, Mr W. L. Siinpaon, ou behalf of himself and others, took occasion to point out the defects of tho present system and the necessity which existed of reverting to the old method.

Our Palmerston correspondent reports that Messrs 11. E*iug and J. Arkle, J.P's., on Friday sentenced J. Hurndell to three mouths' impiisonment with hard labour for wilfully breaking borne panes of glass iv the hou^e of his father. On a further charge of resisting the police a similar sentence wa3 imposed, the sentences to be cumulative.

The Southland Times says: — "An information has been laid against Mr F. W. Wade, solicitor, for b.aviDg used insultLg language to the Invercargill Licensing Committee on the 18th June, in commenting upon tho action of the committee iv refusing to grant renewals of seven licenses, 'i'ha caEe will be heard on Thursday next, tho sth Juiy, and will probably prove lively and interesting." A Johannesburg correspondent of tho Standard writes : — "A discovery of great interest to antiquarians, and especially to numismatists, is reported from MatabeleUnd. Eight coins, all in a fair state of preservation, were discovered a few months ago by a Matabele native in the neighbourhood of the famous ruins of Zimbabye. A local collector has now come into possession of the coius, which are undoubtedly Roman. On the obverse of two of them is the head of a woman, with the words ' Helena Augusta,' and on the reverse tho figure of a woman can also be made out. Four of the coins bear on the obverse the figure of a man, with the wordi • Constantius Cies.' Ono bears on tha reverse figures which appear to represent Kumulus and Remus being suckled by the wolf. The coius will probably be sent to England for fuller examination."

It is currently reported in legal circles that a new legal firm will open shortly in Wellingtou under tho otyle of titoufc, MonUy, Sim, and FindUy, aud that Dr Findlay will bo the resident partner in Wellington.

At tho Magistrate's Court on tie 270h the plaintiff in a case who sought to recover a sum all.-ged to bo clue for wauhing, iic. brought her own Bible to court, and was swor-i ou ib. After henrii.g her evidence, his Worship gave a verdict for defendant, whereupon the plaintiff inquired if she would be permitted to ask a question. The permission being grauted, she said, "I want to know if I got the- case, or has she" (pointing to the defendant) ? Ilia Worship informed her that iho ca^e Lad goiio aijf.iuft her. " Can I bring it up agaiu ?" was the noxu quostio:i, and ou buii'g answered iv the negative she esclaiiacd (mudingly), "Wei), that's funny" ; but, her features brightening up, she remarked, "I'll try ifc," and, profoundly

bowing to the magistrate an d press represent* tives, she picked up her "billy can" and a number of parcels and swept out of court.

The following sections were disposed of at the Crown Lands Office during the past week in addition to those published in Saturday's issue :— Section 27, block XVI, 19 acres, Maniototo, to John Meade, as & village homestead allotment, at an annual rental of lti Id per acre ; section 57, block I, 25 acres, to Frederick Bradfield, for cash, price per acre 10s ; section 4, block XIII, 214 acres, Rimu, to D.vvid Neil, under occupation with right of purshasc, cash price per acre 22s 6d ; section 3, block XIII, 226 acres, Rimu, to Napier W. Ayson, on lease in perpetuity, cash price per acre' 22s 6d. For this lot a ballot was taken at the office on Saturday morning between Daniel Martin and Napier W. Ayson, with the result that Ayson was the successful applicant:

The question as to the payment of cosls iv connection with the recent licensing election in tho Clutha district is to be referred to the Supreme Court for decision, the Clutha County Council and the other local bodies interested having agreed to this course. Messrs Stout, Mjndy, and Sim are acting on behalf of the county council, and the Hon. W. Downio Stewart for the different local bodies. Whatever decision may bo arrived at as to tho power of the county council to recover from the local bodies interested, there is no doubt that the former is primarily liable for the costs of the election, and their action in holding the vouchers over till it has been decided whether they can recover from the other local bodies appears somewhat unreasonable.

The Department of Agriculture has obtained, through the liberality of the Secretary for Mines and Agriculture, Forest branch, Sydney, a small quantity of the seed of coast she-oak, salt-water swamp-oak, and shingle-oak, which grow in Australia on coast sand aud barren places right down to the water's edge and attain a height of 60ft. The seed is now ready for distribution, but, as the supply is very limited, it is requested tbat only those settlers who have land on the coast will apply.

By a fire, which occurred at Wargaloa on Friday, a six-roomed house and contents were totally destroyed. The property was owned by Thomas Lawrence, and was valued at £330. It was insured in the National Insurance Office for £200. The fire is supposed to have been caused by a defective chimney.

So far as the retail licenses aro concerned (writes our Clutha correspondent) prohibition now reigns in the Clutha electorate, and will probably do so for three years at least. Most of the hotels will probably be conducted as temperance hotels ; in the meantime one or two, it is said, will be turned into general stores. Tho vital statistics for tho month of June far the district of Dunedin were :— Births, 115 ; deaths, 55 ; 'marriage*, 35. The figures for the same month lasts yeac were :— Births, 110 ; deaths, 75 ; marriages, 28. The Railway department notifies tho issue of cheap excursion tickets to Duuedin and Port Chalmers. The fares have been fixed on the same low scale as those for the late winter show, while the tickets will admit holders on board to inypeot tha R.M.S. Gothic afc Port Chalmers on Thursday, and as a still further inducement and to give the public an opportunity of hearing the lectures of the eminent Dc Talmage, which commence at Dunedin on Thursday, sth July, the tickets have been made available for return up to Monday, 9th July. We understand that a portion of the excursion fare of each ticket will be devoted to a local chariby, and that a late train will be run to Balclutha on Saturday, 7ch July. We commend the excursion to all, and hope to sec the efforts of the department rewarded by full trains.

A railway accident, which might have resulted more seriously, occurred at Clarkesville ou Monday evening through the goods train leaving Balclutha about 5 p.m. colliding with the afternoon train from Duuedin. It appears that thesa trains have for somo year 3 passed each other at this station, aud tho railway authorities are consequently unable to account satisfactorily for &uch au accident happening unless through the driver of tho. train from Dunedin mistaking a signal and pursuing -his journey, whilo at the same time the goods train was ruuning in the opposite direction iv order to bo put iato tho siding to allow the train from Dimodin to pass in the customary manner. Tois seems to bo the solution of tli i cause which resulted in both trains meeting, although it id, of course, merely surnii=e. Tho engine of tho goods train was derailed, and both engines damaged. Two trucky were smashed and several more or less damiged. Fortunately no ono was hurt. A special traia, sent from Balclutha, took on tha south-bound passengers, who all escaped unhurt, and this train reached Clinton before midnight. The Lawrence branch passengers were, however, detained at Milton, and proceed to their destination this morning.

The general manager of the National Bank of New Ztaland has received cable advice announcing that the board of directors in Loudon propose to pay a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, and carry forward £15,000. Tho annual meeting is to be held on 10th July.

Mr Pauliu informs us that tho rainfall during the last month (June) amounted to 3'Boin at Opoho, and to 390 in on Signal Hill. Rain fell on 15 days.

■ Tho tender of Mr G. Scott, of Christchurch (£8867), has been accepted for the Mangatainoko railway bridge; that of Mr A. Grandison, of Auc^anrl (£2823), for station buildings at Rotoruft ; and taat of Mr M. Fallon, of Auckland (£6232), for laying the permanent way to Rotorua.

Arrangements have been made for the working by a company of Messrs l'Vazer's coal miue at Lakeside. The property is held on lease from Messrs Frazer at a moderate royalty, and the prospects of the company are said to be exceedingly promising. At pre-eut the work of constructing a Irani live ex .ending to the maiu road is being carried out by Messrs Neill atd Dawson, while tho survey of the railway from Lovell's Plat station to the mino is proceeding. The name of the company is the Tuakitoto Railway and Coal Company.

On S'.turdiy evening a young man named IVchard Palmer went to tho house of Mr 3 Ciarke, his sister, who Lyes in Walker street, and, taking a revolver i"iit of his pocket, ordered Jlra Clarko and her daughter to leave the house, saving that he would shoot anyone who cama into the placp, and adding that ho would do the eanae to himself. After leaving the home Mrs Clarke heard two shots fired. Constables Gleeson aud Rlanchett immediately afterwards came upou the scene, and tried to enter the Louse, but f uud the doors locked and the windows fastened. They could hear Palmer WAlkriut; aboiij inside, and talking to hinjafif. Constable UU'frscn proceeded to Btna^h in ona of the back windows, and was in the act of lifting the sash when he saw Palmer run

along the passage in the direction of the front door. The constable immediately intercepted Palmer as he was coming out of the premises. The man had uo revolver upon him at that time, and as ho was suffering from the effects of drink he was taken to the lock-up, and charged yesterday morning at the Police Court with drunkenness, the justices convicting and discharging him. The revolver was found in the house with four of its chambers loaded, whilo a fifth contained an empty cartridge. Another empty case was found upon the floor. It is said that the young man had been drinking heavily of late, and it is thought that it was his intention to do away with himself.

At the Trinity Wesleyan Church on Sunday evening the Rev. J. J. Lewis delivered hia lecture to young men. The church was crowded, a large number being young men. In dealing with the third stage of the prodigal's history, Mr Lewis contrasted the proud selfsufficiency with which he had turned his back upon bis father, his home, and the religious associations of his youth with his present brok*n-down condition. Tha song of tho sirens had lured him on to the rocks. His former companions, having drained him of all he possessed, abandoned him as tho vultures forsake the bleached bones of the carcase they have consumed. Thero is now a famine in tho land, for the prodigal has no Diviue support, and the world emptied of God has been compared to a most ghastly object-^a human head having a socket without an eye. Mr Lewis here spoke of the broken hearts and blighted fortunes with which ho had had to do as the results of drink, and said that ministers of the Gospel should battle fearlessly with the traffic even if they should come out of the struggle scarred and reviled. The preacher laid stress upon the truth that a ruined spendthrift, forsaken by all the world, has only to look heavenward to find succour iv the God of love. To many a man the failure of every temporal hope means coming down to the bed rock from which a truly noble character may be built. All Heaven rejoices at the rescue of such a man. The closing lecture was announced for Sunday evening next under the title, " Homeward Bound with a Broken Heart."

The number of cases admitted to the industrial schools of the colony in 1893 was 209, a falling off as compared with 225 for 1892, but larger than the number for any other year since 1887. The number of discharges during the year was 148, which was below the average, and the number of names on the books rose from 1489 to 1550. The 209 admitted last year may be classified as to cause as follows : — Destitution, 75; immoral surroundings, 61 ; crime, 38 ; vagrancy, 32 ; want of control, 10 ; parents' convenience, 2. The net cost of the Government indusbiial schools of the colony for the year was £6794 8s 4d, an increase of £40 as compared with 1892. The average net cost of maintenance per head of the inmates of the schools was £6 Is Id, the gross cost being £13 2a 6d. The net cost of the Caversham school was £1474 17s 3d. The cost of boarding out was £3003 5s 6d. Tho recoveries totalled £4420 16s 6d.

The New Zealand Times says : — " The Education department has now complete control of the science examinations throughout the colony. The Rsv. W. J. Habons has received by the last mail the papers in connection with the annual examinations of the science and art department of South Kensington. The examinations will commence on Friday, the 13th, at Wellington, Wanganui, and Dunedin head centres, and will be continued until the 21st inst. There are about 28 subjects Jin science and art to be examined."

Henry Louis Bertrand, the author of the sensational murder which convulsed Sydney in the early sixties, has arrived in Melbourne. The Standard states that he looks a living wreck after his 28 years' imprisonment. He had given up all hope of being released, and when informed by the gaoler that he was a free man he did not at first believe the news. When the news was confirmed he fainted, and on recovering became delirious with joy. Mrs Bertrand is still alive, and lives with her son, aged 32, and her daughter, aged 30, in one of the suburbs of Sydney. They refused to see Bertrand during his imprisonment, or at his release. His only friends appear to be some relatives in Melbourne, wkh whom he will probably live.

The Waipawa correspondent of the Hawko's Bay Herald writes as follows: — "A gruesome story is current in the Forty-mile Bush, and for obvious reasons I shall not mention names or places, as relations of one of the chief actors are still resident in the particular locality. Some 18 years ago some Natives came from the West Coast, and, with their cattle, settled with the Maoris at, say A . In those days there were only about two runholders and their servants anywhere near, but at a settlement some dozen miles distant, called say, B , were a number of Scandinavians who had been brought out free by Brogden to aid in railway construction. These men got their meat supply by going out to shoot wild pigs, or anything else that came to hand in lieu. On one such occasion a party of two raided the Natives' cattle, and had shot one, which they were proceeding to cut up into portable shape, when they discovered that they were being watched. This was not, of course, the first animal the Natives had missed, and three of them were hidden observers of what was going on. One was in a tree and the others hid behind trees. As soon as the men C and D saw they were discovered they shot the three Natives, cut their bodies in pieces and made a huge fire aud burnt them, after which they actually pounded the calcined bones so that no traces should remain. Then they bound each other to preserve the secret, which has remained inviolate till recently, when D lay dying, when he told the story. C went away to America or elsewhere long years agone, and has never been heard of since. An old settler, on hearing tho story, remembered that about 18 years sgo it was reported that somo West Coast Natives were missing from A , and it was surmised that they had returned to their own country, aad so no inquiry resulted."

The body of Percy Clement Olton, who died at Lyttelton on Saturday, was buried at sea on Monday morning. Deceased, who was 25 years of age, was a nephew of Mr H. Williams, builder, of Lyttelton, and came to New Zealand from the Barbadoes seven months ago, hoping to shake off an attack of malarial fever, which had been clinging to him for thiee years, but medical skill was unavailing. He had expressed a wish to be buried at sea, so en Monday morning at about 5 o'clock the si earner John Auderson, with the body on board, left the wharf for the open roadstead, went out about five miles, and, while yet dark, the body was dropped overboard. The coffin, which had been previously weighted, sank immediately.

A visitor to Hampden wtite3 :— " In connection with the impending parish meetings of the different Anglican churches in the diocese of Dunedin, a rather novel expedient has been had recourse to in the Hampdfeu-c«»t-iyiAh>:'no parish in order to promote a more general and greater interest in its financial and other affairs. The clergyman, the Rev. Wynter Blathwayt,

1 ' ■ ■ .W has indited a circular letter to each of those persons who have previously enrolled their names as being desirous of having the church's ordinances for baptism, marriage, sickness, death, &c. After notifying tho dato of the meeting and tho business to be transacted, the letter concludes with tho following warm invitation:— 'l shall personally consider it a favour if you will make it convenient to be present, as I wish to infuse more life and interest in church werk in the parish. The vestrymen's wives and the officers of tho Ladies' Working Guild have kindly arranged to provide refreshments during the evening ; others have promised to contribute a programme of mußicil items, &c, for your entertainment.'"

Regarding tho insubordination in an Indian regiment which wag the subject of recent cablegrams, it appears that the caste system has been trenched upon by a batch of tho 13th Bengal Infantry being drafted into the 17fch Regiment, and promotion being given to the new comers. This the men of tho 17th resented, and two companies paraded of their own accord, as a protest against what they regarded as their unfair treatment. The ringleaders were arrested and warned, but the next day the insubordinate companies again assembled, and demanded the release of their comrades. The colonel argued with the men, but without avail, aud eventually fch^y were all ordered to the guard room.

Captain Nogre, in command of the Messageries Maritimes Eridau, writing to Noumea, gives a vivid description of the total loss of the splendid 3000-ton British steamer Glengarry. Captain Nogre says:— "On the 22nd May, after leaving Madras for Calcutta, the weather became frightful. Next morning the barometer fell to 28.30, indicating the approach of a cyclone. On the morning of the 25th the Eridau lay hove-to. At daylight on the 26th we sighted a large steamer dismasted, only her main lowermast standing. All her crew were huddled together on the poop. The sea was washing clean over the vessel in furious volumes. The distressed men were seen to be clinging for life to skylights, taffrail,* &c. Signals were made from the Eridau offering to save tho live*, but the Glengarry replied that they must be taken in tow. This couldn't be done, but the Frenchman stood by, and at daylight next day all that could be seen rising now and then above the fearful sea was the stern of the Glengarry. An hour later she was level with the water, and direotly afterwards she disappeared without, as far as could be seen, leaving any surface disturbance whatever. Directly Captain Negro saw this he cried to his men for volunteers, and a crew manned a boat lowered over the stern, 10 men sprang in ; and anxiously was their fate watched from the Eridau. Eventually 11 of the men were picked up, and just four hours had elapsed in the operation. The boat returned, and the second time she secured the remainder of the foundered ship's company, comprising 16 men, inclusive of the captain. Captain N6gre has been decorated with the Legion of Honour as a reward for his bravery. The Queen also forwarded her thanks and appreciation." ,

At a full meeting of the Executive Committee of the Dr Stuart memorial fund, held on Monday afternoon, the secretary, inter alia, intimated that he had sent a circular to all the collectors in the city, suburbs, and throughout the whole province advising that the result of the meeting of subscribers held in the Town Hall on the evening of Wednesday, the 27th June, was in favour of a statue by a large majority. The secretary further intimated that he had called the Executive Committee together for the purpose of ascertaining their views as to whether it was necessary, now that the object of the memorial fund was fixed, to make a fresh appeal to the people or leave the matter over till the result of the present canvass was completed. It was resolved — "That no fresh appeal bo made in the meantime, but that the "secretary be ' instructed to intimate to the collectors to complete the canvass of their respective districts, and return their lists as early as possible, not later than July 31." The secretary also read letters from the following subscribers to the fund :— Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewcn, Messrs Bing, Harriet, Jand Co , Dr Colquhoun, and Mr Mark Cohen. Those correspondents, while not asking a return of their subscriptions (with the exception of Mr Mark Cohen), urged on tho committee a reconsideration of the decision arrived at on Wednesday evening hist, and after full discussion the committee cam® unanimoußly to the following d<eciiiioii ! — " That in view of the fact that the subscribers were largely represented at the meeting held in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening last, that said meeting was fully advertised, aud that the

vote was strongly in favour of a statue, the executive do not think it would serve any good purpose to reopen the question of the form of the memorial." The secretary further reported that up to the present only one subscriber had, since the meeting on Wednesday, asked for repayment of his subscription.

Some time since the larger part of the churches in Bradford, in Yorkshire, banded together for aggressive Christian work. It was known that large numbers of tbe people attended no. place of worship, and that a considerable number of the children were outside the Sunday schools, and it was resolved that a systematic endeavour should be made to reach these, and that through personal contact and invitation they should b->, as far as possible, induced to attend. The whole town was divided into as many districts as there were churches prepared to co-operate in the movement, and each church undertook the visitation of every house in the district allotted to it. The scheme was carried out with such a large measure of success that other of the large towns were induced to follow the lead of Bradford, notably Leeds acd Glasgow, the result iv this last city proving great and gratifying beyond all expectation. As will have been observed from our columns, ib has been resolved to carry out the same plan here, and during this week and next visitors will be calling at all the homes in fche city anil its suburbs seeking information concerning the church relations of the people, and endeavouring to awaken interest in the negligent, and to secure the attendance of those children, who, untaught in home and Sunday school, are growing up amongst us without instruction in the things of God. We are assured that the visitors will carry out their work as Christian men and women, without tincture of sectarianism, respecting the convictions of those on whom they call, and seeking simply to promote piety in the community. We shall watch tbe experiment with sympathetic interest, and meantime bespeak a courteous reception for those who have undertaken this by no means easy task.

The New Zealand Times states that the member of the Legislature who had a thrilling and somewhat damp experience on Sunday morning is a burly member of the House of Representatives who hails from the western portion of the South Island. He had evidently fallen over the wharf, when his cries attracted the night watchman, who, with the assistance of one of the crew of the Thuoo, rescued him. He refused to give his name, but the fact that he was wearing tbe gold railway pass supplied to members of the House of Representatives was •sufficient proof of his convection with the Legislature.

The disappearance of P. J Henley, auctioneer, of Leeston, who was recontly made a bankrupt, has raised a nice point in- counection witn the Bankiuplcy Acb. Ib was slated at the meeting of creditors (says the Chriatchurch Press (that tbe bankrupt had gone away with a large sum of money in his possession which belonged to the creditors. The official assignee said that no power was given in the act to lay an information against the bankrupt in order that the police aid might be sought to find and bring him back, as there was nothing to show that he had left or intended to leave the colony. It therefore appears that if a bankrupt goes off ■with money belonging to his creditors and hides within the colony an information cannot be laid against him. It is probable, however, in Henley's case that informations of another nature will bo laid against the bankrupt.

Our Seacliff correspondent writes :—": — " Mr De Clifford, proprietor of the Seacliff Hotel, died on Saturday morning, after a long and painful illness. He was well-known all round Ofcago, being, I believe, one of the first railway guards on the Port line. He leaves a large family, moat of whom are grown up."