LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 20

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The cases of R. Brooks and Co. v. the Colonial Bulk and John Connell and Co. v. tha Co'onial Biuk wera concluded iv the Supreme Court en the 21st. Me J. R. Chapman, replying on behalf of lhe"plain'iff-« on the legal aspects of thecas?, spake for two hours, and Mr Justice William* reserved his judgment.

A sittiug of the Supreme Court in Chambers was held on the 21st inst., but only uncontesicd business was taken, and consequently the bu'yi 'ions on behalf of shareholders iv tho J. 6. W v I FAcmero' Association to instruct tlio efficial liquidator ta institute a ctiruiual pros- tution against , Messr3 J. G. Ward and John I'ish'e ■, together with a suram mis ia ' respect of Cue. costs'' of the examination some months back of the directors and officers of- the association, were not taken, and stand ovec until after the c.outt vacation.

The Bench at the City Police Court on the 21st mat. commented on more than ouc oceasioa on the practiced tradespeople giving blank "ch'a<Ju(sS to those wbo were strangers to* them, and also to people cashing fchera after they had been filled in. Many do not appareutly stop to think th*t they are' in a manner Facilitating crime by their obliging disposition iv thus handing blank cheques over.

No trace has yet been.diseavered of the young nv*u Alexander Macdonald, who ha.'i been missing since Thursday night, 16th, and there is now reason to fear the worst. A letter contained in an uaaddressed envelope and signed "A.M." was found last Saturday afternoon by two men uanaed William Rowley and Roberb Wihou under a atone ab Lawyer's Head, and handed over to Cumtable Breanan, of Caversham. It commenced "Dear mother," but parts of it are almost undecipherable. It sesnas to be full of charges agiiius!; a certain person, aud one sentence reids : "As God h my witness, before I le%va this world I charge " This letter has been practically identified by Maedonald's parents. Ib is written in blue pencil, and there is now missing from their residence a blue pencil which was kepi there in a certain place up to the time when tho missing man last left his home.

.An extraordinary scene took place at Aberdeen University on the 27th October. Some time previously the University Court decided to retire Dr Johnston, the Professor of Bib'.ical^ Criticism, on the ground of unmethodical treatment of his fubjecb, and a lecturer was. appointed in his place. Dr Jobn&ton, however, announced tb.it he wo*uld open his c'asses with an introductjry kc v .ure. The classroom was crowded with undergraduates, aud so coastant and uproarious was the disturbance that the professor gathered up his papers and left the room, having appealed in. vain for order on the part of the scents. In a few minute* he relurne 3, the students having by this time left the room, aud proceeded to deliver hi* lecture to a few membars of the general public who remained. Orders were given by two university professora to clear the room, bub although there was practically no audience Dr Johnston went on with his address. >He claimed his right as a professor in the university to occupy the classroom, and refused to desist from delivering his lecture. Finally, his MS. was seized by a professor, and the proceedings, which had been marked by great disorder, were thus summarily ended.

On Christmas Day the number of trains to be rua were reduced to a minimum, bub for the New Year holidays the Railway department, as will be seen by au announcement elsewhere, is making every ifforb to cater for the public. The number of sports gatherings in the country districts and other attractions is unusually l»rge. Oa New Year's Day thera ia a show at Liwrenco, sports at O&maru, Clinton, and Inveroargill, and races at Waikouaiti. On Monday, 3rd January, the 'Palmerston races, sports at Middlemarch, and the Bluff regatta are catered for by the Railway department.

The Oetobsr recordi of the Royal Humane Society include tbo names of several lad 4 e«, one of whom obtained the society highest award, the pilver medal. Mies Fullerlon, the lady in question, belongs to Dundee, and sho is awarded the medal.for an act of daring in the sea at Carnoustie, on the Forfarsbira coast. Miss Fullerton, who was on a visit to C*rnousbie, saw Mr Turner, a- manufacturer, of Dumloskia, Ailoa, ia great distress in the sea, having been seized with cramp. He was 300 yds off, and there was a heavy ssa, bub the young lady swam out to the drowuiugrnan, and exhorting him to remain culm, kept him up

and supported him to the shore. Midway they were met by a boat's crew, which picked them up. Miss Fullertou's case was warmly recommended by the Lord Provoit of Dundee, and equally warmly taken up by Dundee and other districts. A bronz} med*l is given on the' recommendation of Lord Dufferin to Miss Joan Harris, of Belfast. A third medal goes to Mus Louisa Bright, a young lady of 18, of Reading, and Mrs J. Hardie, of Cedar street, Southporb, Lancashire, also obtains a Humane Society's award.

A point was raised by Mr Brodrick (says the Spectator) which is a most serious one. Are we not going too fast with our acquisitions of territory ? We say nothing of islands, because the- navy can look after them; but we have added 2,600,000 square miles to our territory, as Mr Brodrick admit*, in 12 years ; we are going, ib is said, to keep the Mahdi's wide domiuiou, including in the end Darfur ; we have jusj added 500,000 square miles to our African possessions — Nupe, tbe region is called — and we are now engaged in operations on the Niger, which mean, if they succeed, thab wo are to be predominant ia Sokoto and Bornu, two empires as big »b Germany. AU this iv addition to a proposed annexation of 120,000 squire miles upon the Indian frontier. If we are cot Greater England ers there are none, and' we moreover contend that we are bound to do our chare in giving Africa a chance of good government ; but .there are'limits to everything. Ib is not only that we are overtaxed by the nece'sity of holding ,dbwn such masses of territory, but tbat we canaot and do not discharga our first obligations to thiir inhabitants. There are at least 1,000,000 square" miles of the Queen's' dominions within which, if a man is murd-rad, or a woman ravished, or a child starved, we can give no redress. Is that right?

The annual examination of candidates for junior and senior, scholarships, pupil teachers, and candidates for employment as pupil teachers was commenced yesterday. The candidates number : • -Junior, scnolarship, 120; senior scholarship, 39 ; pupil tsachers, 50 ; and candidates for employment as pupil teachers, 143. Iv accordance with the new regulation?, only the first class pupil teachers are being examined this year. -The examinations are being held at DunediD, Oanin.ru, Palmers ton, Tokomiiriro, Balolutha, Lawrence, and Naseby. The number of candidates is much about the aame as lnsb year. There is a slight falling eff ia the number presauted for the senior scholarship, while an iuorease is noticeable in the number received for employment as pupil teachers. Parliament has baen formally prorogued to February 17. The income tax is payable on the 28 ih January. « I The Hons. W. 11. Reyuo'ds, R, Oliver, D. Fmkerbon, aud Messrs J. W. ThomsoD, W. Gilfodder, and A. Morrison, M.H R's., arrived : iv town from the north on Thursday evening.

The following tenders have been accepted by tbe Houss Committee fo/the annual supplies and services to the DunediiixHospibal for 6he ensuing years— Meat, W. Patrick; braad, W. R. Ij%lharn ; fi<b, W. Stewart ; milk, T. Lewis ; pobatoep, F. Meen&n ; groceries,- A. ] aud J< M'Farlane 5 wive, ' B: Meenarj ; drugs, ko., B. Bajgley and Sou ; ooal, John Swad ; cleaning chimrrevs, J. Davi3 ; cleaning cloiets and dustbins, T» W._ Moekford ; 'funerals, •J. H; Gourley.

Tlie monthly meeting of tha Chamber of Commerca Committee was held oa Thursday,, and attended by Meiers G. L. Dennisfca/r (president^* John. Molouey, W. B. Reynolds, J. M. GUHaway, D. E. Tbeomin, P. R. Sargood, and T. R_ J?i§hei\ After dealing with routine cjrregpondenca regarding previous resolutions of the chamber, it was resolved, at the instance of the Canterbury Chamber, to urge upon the Post-masbsr-general bbab the time has arrived for a further reduction in the cable rates, and that Euch further reduction would, in the opinion of the committee result ia a ttiJl greater exteusion cf the uee of the cabla and telegraph services. A letter wag received from the Harbour Board intimating that, as the result of the past year's dredging operations, the ruling depth in the V ctoria chaunel is now 16ft at low water. The information was noted witli satiafact'on. Mr C. R Smith was elected a member of the chamber.

There was a cro *rded attendance at the Gore Town Hall on Wednesday evening, 22nd, the ocsasion being a "welcome home" social tendered to Me Robert M'Nab, ex-M.H.R.,for Mat&ura. Mr M'Nab has jusb returned from an eleven months' tour of the world, and his political friends decided to- offer him thi* tribute of respecS. Mr John MacGribbon occupied the chair, and delivered aa address of welcome.^ Mr John Gray, on behalf of Mataura . fiieuds, also delivered a briaf address. Songs | wera sung during the evening by Mesdames | M'Kay and ' H«stie (Blataura), and Messrs Sbevrarb, Blaekwood, and Matheson (G're). Aa orchestra coasisbing of four instruments aho contributed items: Mr M'Nab was wall received, and delivered an amusing- address on men and things he had seen during his travels. The-" catering^was entrusted to Mr"D.*M'F*rlane, who gave every satisfaction.

Commenting on the result of the election of Mayor of Greater New York, the correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes: "It seems a sad pity that all tha good things which the reformers have done during the last three years and the yet better things they promised to do during the next four should be pat out of sight because as public officials they have leaned a little further towards Puritanism than they should. Bub are the people entirely in the wrong ? The laws that have been so sternly enforced stand, it is frue, upon the Statute Bjok, but they were put there only in order to give repressive powers in caseß of flagrant abuse. Unless a halt were called, where would reformers stop ? Tammany Redivivus will no doubt cost the city scores of millions of dollars, but it can be held in check if necessary by the Legislaturp, which, of course, has the power at any time to repeal the charter which ib has given and replace it wibh a new one. Although, therefore, the democracy would have used Croker to pub down what is often called ' Sunday school ' administration of public affairs, even though his power for mischief for fuU four ye%rs would be utterly unlimited, yob no doubt it acted with more prompbness and freedom because ib knew bhat in the last resort there was a court of appeal againsb him. The great lesson of the election is that a democraoy, like a Cromwell or a Napoleoß, is quite capable of choosing an agent simply becansj of bis fitness for a particular service and with utter disregard of anything else. In this ca3e it looks upon Croker as a tool and servant, nob as a master ; and it will throw him aw.iy ag*in when he ceases to bs useful."

The West Coast Times reports, in connection with the fire at Hokitika on the morning of the 18th iusb., that a small stone, about the siza of a gosse's egg, prevented the saving of thousands of pound*' worth of property. The miserably insufficient

supply t>f water coming from the steam ' lira engine convinced the officers that something ,:1 was wrong, and Mr Braddon set v to work to" ascertain the cause, eventually finding it' in «, - stone of the sizo we have named, Which hadL' got into the valva. The loss of time— about: 15 minutes — that resulted before this was dis* covered and removed enabled the fire to gain such a hold that; 20 times the capacity was ' required afterwards. Had the steamer been working properly at first the destruction of tha Golden Age aud the gutting of Schroder's and the Guardian would have been the extent of. the damage. How the stone got into -the valve is a mystery.

Ab the Magistrate's Court at Waikouaiti on Thursday Peter and Bscnard Kane (father and god) were charged before Messrs R. Ewing and D. Grant, J.P's., with stealing two head oE cattle, on the 9bh mat., the property of Margaret Clyma. Chief Detective O'Brien conducted the prosecation and Mr J. F. M. Fraser appeared for the defendants, who pleaded not; guilty. The case lasted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,. evidence being given for the prosecution by Margaret and John Clyma, Annie Pullen, Edward M'Leau, John Richardson, Wm. Wise* Thomas Brown, and Constabla Warring. After Mr Fraser had addressed the court on behalf of the accused, tha Banch decided that there* was a case to answer. Counsel then called both the accused, who gave evidence. The Bench subsequently the information/ remarking t,hat the evidence was conflicting, but: in their opinion the information had been too precipitately laid, and the case was probably one of mistaken identity. They, ordered each) „ party to pay their own costs. ' •' < When counsel for. a bankrupt applying foe his discharge in the District Cvjurbat Hawer» mentioned ,asa fact that rhould be taken into consideration in favour of his client that the bankrupt had treated his creditors very well, and they had recommended his immediate discharge, his Honor Judge Kettle remarked that creditors are the very worst judges in these cases, and tin law was framed to protocb them againsb themselves. It was not for creditors to make such recommendat : ons, for these gentleBasn were an a rule the /most negligent 1 and ' were without doubt the worst for upholding commercial morality.' There was no excuse whatever for not keeping a cash book/ \ There was nothing against the applicant's v honour or integrity, bub he had been guilty of. misconduct in not keeping proper books. The' act plainly stated that the court shall not grunt any immediate order for discharge if a bankrupt has been guilty of any breach of tha act ; and the question of fifaud does nob come in in that respect ab all. As it had not been at first pointed out to the court that the man had been already bankrapb 12 months, cpntinued his Honor, he would suspend the order for discharge for six months.

Tbe New Zealaud Natives' Association advertise particulars of their arb union in this iisue. We are informed tbat lvrge entries are now assured for the sports to be held in Wellington on January 22 (next y«*r). The association expect to have the two first motor cars in New Zealand running on the grounds on tho day oi the sports, A WelliagtQn syndicabe'is importing* two cars, which filioula arrive in Wellington ou the 11th January. We ; understand the., tickets for J the ar6 union^are'selliog 'freelJT " throughout the colony, arid the success of the^ whole affair ia certain. Tb,2* roll of member* of the Wellingfcoh'branch is bow. over 475. . ' Bjtc,." H. D. Bell it the president o2 the branch.. -/A branch of bue assooiation has now beea formed in Christcbuvch'. ' ' -c. . -r* The Christmas Eve crowd -in the -streets oE Dnnedin was -as great thin-year as on any pre- ' vioui occasion — a procession through the principal thoroughfares of a throng of wall-dressed men aud> women, mostly youDg, who oveiflowed from the footpaths into the roadway, the greater portion of which they occupied, with the result bhat exceptional care on the part o£ those engaged in the direction of the vehicular traffij through the streets was necessitated. Tho children had their outings in the morning and afternoon, when the streets literally swarmed with them', aud the blare of the inexpensive trumpet and the penetrating note oE the squeaking balloon competed in a somewhat unequal contest with the rattle of the tramcac and other vehicles. In tho evening, parents who were not under the necessity., of taking their children out with them letb them at horn», bub the shops that they visited aud the paresis thab they took away afforded evidence that the little ones were fi'liog a large place in their ' thoughts. Th 9 tradespeople generally seemed to be driving a good business and to be having no cause of complaint, and on all sides there was an air of contentment manifested. There was, moreover, no sisjn of intemperance in the • principal streets, the conduct of the crowd being most exemplary. ' .

The Salvation Army Brass Band p'aradedia a'drag on Qbristmas Eve, and, played a number of .Christmas carols iv various part&oMhe city. The Hanover'jßtree't' Baptist Church Band abo played a number of -carols in the principal sbieeba. ' ' ' / A Wellington ■ tel« gram slates tha!; - the pa«seßgera by tb'ejTaluue, which Jeft for. Sidney _ on Friday" afternoon, include- Captain Ruisell ' (leader of the Opposition), who, with bis daughter, will join the Orient Company's steamer Orotava, which leaves Melbourne on New Year's D^y, for London. Captain Ras8211 intends to leave the steamer at Marseilles and continue the journey overland. Mr A. Waddell, who has been exploring the 'cjuntry in the vicinity of Preservation Inlet, has returned .to Christchurch (says the Preis) with the view of taking over an expedition to explore the country be'.weeu the inlet and Lake Manapoari. The expedition, which will consist of four experienced bushmen and himself, will leave Christchurch by the Rotorua on the 28th insb. During his explorations Mr Waddell states that he discovered two reefs at the eastern end of Wilf oo's River, which he intends! to open out on behalf of a Christchurch syndicate. Mr Waddell has two depots of provisions at Preservation Inlet for the use of the party.

_ Many persons in Germany view with something akin to alarm the apparent advent' of » highly-educated proletarianism, due to the increasing exes S3 of the supply over the demand for scholar* 1 .-* Indeed, the extent to which, university education" is availed of is giviDg rise to serious anxiety. At the Prussian universities alone the number of students has increased as follows :— ln 1870-71 there were 666* ; in 187879, 9506 ; in 1888-89, 13,946 ;in 1895-96, 14,742. In 25 5 eara, therefore, there^haj been" ah increase of 100 per bent. The town of DainzJg'has for some time beeu desirous of mainUining ' m university of its own, but has., desisted frota carrying out ; its project on reference' to those so-called disquieting figures. " *'

General Meiklejobn's despatch giving an account of tbe Swati .attack on the Malakand on the Indian frontier contains the following' account of a surgeon's .devotion :-*-Surgeon.x lieutenant J. Hugo, attached to the 31st Pun< jab Infantry, rendered valuable service ojn_ tho nigfe&of Ootobftr 2R ia saving LisviveQanis H. B,

.Ford from bleeding to death. Lieutenant Ford ' was wounded, and a branch of an artery was cut. There was no means of securing the' .artery, and Surgeon-lieutenant Hugo for two !faouTS stopped the bleeding by compressing the artery with his fingers. Had he not had the strength to do so Lieutenant Ford must have 'died. Early in the morning, thinking that the ■tonemy bad effected an entrance into camp, .burgeon-lieutenant J. Hugo picked up Lieutenant Ford with one arm, and, still holding - the artery with the fingers of the other hand, carried him to a place of safety.

Another count has been added to the long indictment preferred against the "bike" on sanitary and physiological grounds, says the World. Having been sucoeaeively assured that It shatters the nerves, deforms tbe figure, strains the eyesight, and fills the lungs' with grit, we are now called upon to sympathise with the unfortunate slaves of the wheel who discover, when they attempt to trans r er their activities from the road to tbe ballroom, that cycling has destroyed their "elasticity" for tbe of -the mazy dance, that their valseateps have become awkward and ridiculous, and that, in short, they canuct serve Huaaber ' and Terpsichore. Wheeling and whirling m ould thus appear to be irreconcilable pssbimes, and ' • reversing" and " back-pedalling " ' incom- ' j>atiWe accomplishments. But even if the c*se ■Jje made but;, and the " cycling leg " be proved •* a sufficient reality to establish the impossibility of enjoying both forms of recreation, it is more than doubtful whether, in the majority of - cases, it will be the wheel that goes to the wall.

, The members of the firm of Messrs R. WilEon and Co and their employees met on Friday evening to bid farewell to Mr TbomasHyndman, vsho is leaving their employ for an extended tour in the Old Country. Mr lloberb W>l*on in the course of hi* remarks stated that Mr Hyndman had been connected with the business for 20 years, and that during that time six of the firm's employees had died, whoso accumulative service was 150 years. He went on to say that Mr Hyndman had already enjoyed their fullest — quite as much as if 'he had been a partner, — and that had he had an interest in tbe . business he could not have displayed more zeal and energy than he had shown. Mr Hyndman, whose health was toatted in champagne, suitably replied, aud thanked the firm and employees for the enthusiastic manner in which his health had been drunk, and referred to the cordial relations which had always existed . between the employers end staff. Other speeches Appropriate to the occasion followed, and a pleasant couple of hours were spent.

The traffic on the railway liees has been very heavy during the holidays. The night train to -Cihrittchutch on Ftiday conveyed 200 excursionists and the one to Invercargill 150. On ' Saturday 300 persons travelled by the south express and about the same number by the north express, while 250 journeyed south by the 8 o'clock train' and 150 by the special to • Oamaru. •• On. Monday 550 -passengers travelled by the south trains and 900 oy the northern .train;, while 1800 were carried to Port Chaluea.

Mr E. G. Allen, the member for Waikouaiti, returned to his home at Port Chalmers by the Monowaiou Christmas Day. Mr Allen is etill suffering from the ' effects of a severe attack of - influenza contracted in Wellington three weeks

The annual meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Educational Institute will this year bs held in Dunedin, and the Town Hall •lias been granted as a meeting place for the delegates, several of whom have already arrived •in town. Tfce~opening meeting, to which a number of leading educationists have been invited, takes place on Tuesday, January 4, .when the mayor will welcome the delegates to the city, and Mr William Davidson will deliver the. presidential address. Previous to tbe conference no doubt a number of teachers will avail themselves of the opportunity of visiting the Sounds in the Rotorua, which leaves Dunediu to-day and returns on January 3. By way of entertaining tbe visiting delegates, the local institute has arranged a drive to Waitati, and teachers wishing to join tbe party should make early application to the president of the local institute, Mr J. Garrow.

Mr Robert Hume, commercial traveller for Messrs M'Leod Bros. (Limited) and a vicepreßident of the Commercial Travellers aud Warehousemen's Club, died somewhat suddenly on Saturday morning. He bad been in bad health for some time past, but his condition was not considered serious. Mr Hume had been traveller with Messrs M'Leod Bro». for about 13 years. Ho had previously been traveller for Messrs R. Wilson and Co. and the late firm of Messrs Proctors, Jonee, and Co. He was well known and much esteemed throughout Otago.

. Messrs Kenipthorn.e, Pxosser, ond Co. (Limited) •tave sent us a espy of their "It. P." Farmers' Handy Note Book and Diaiy for 1898. This is a neatly got-up production aud is replete with much useful information, .which .will be founcl very ha,ndy for reference by favmerp. The book is also ■^provided with pages for memoranda and cash, and has the virtue of being small enough to be carried in the vest pocket. i We have to acknowltdge receipt of a beautiful card conveying the season's greetings from the Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington.