LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2374, 31 August 1899, Page 25

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Latest news from the East received at Sydney is to the effect that at Wei-hai-Wei recently, Admiral Seymour caused the emergency call to be hoisted ashorei Notice was given to the fleet, which consisted of the Victorious, Barfleur, Centurion, Iphigenia, Rattler, Aurora, Bonaventure, Brisk, Alacrity, Linnet, and Whiting, at 9.30 a.m. The signal was hoisted an hour afterwards, and by 11 o'clock those available — namely, 1700 men, ! composed of 1300 seamen and 400 marines, all ! fully armed, carrying 250 rounds of ammunition, and equipped with two days' provisions — were_ landed with their field guns and ambulance corps by their own boats. It is reported I the Iphigenia ir.ade the best time in the brilliant manoeuvre. A sitting of tho Pensions Court was held on the 22nd, when Mi Carew granted six full pensions to applicants. In one case an old lady, when supplying proof of her age, handed in a marriage certificate dated 1833. The work on khe Simplon Tunnel, the longest in the world — it will surpass Mont Cenis aud St. Gothard, — proceeds with such speed that it is expected that the railway passing through this new opening in the Alps and uniting Italy with the centre of Europe will be inaugurated in 1904. For this event, the influence of which will be felt far beyond the borders of Italy, Milan, which will benefit more than any other town, is preparing great festivities, the principal attractions of which will be furnished by the international exhibition. The friends of Dr I. W. W. Hunter, M.A., B.Sc, of Otago University, and M.R.C.S., of London, will be pleased to learn that he has been appointed house surgeon to St. Peter's Hospital, Covent Garden, London, W.C. Dr Hunter hopes to be in Dunedin early in the new year. The following appears in the paper published by Messrs Sharland and Co. : — "Within a few months there have been 'five deaths in Pittsburg, Pa., from headache powders composed mainly of acetanilid. In connection with the last instance, that of a woman who died within 20 minutes after taking a single powder, the coroner's jury recommended that some State law be enacted to compel caution notices to be printed on all such powders, and meanwhile that pharmacists warn their customers of the danger which lies in their indiscriminate use. In response to the latter recommendation, the Pittsburg pharmacists met, and decided to paste caution labels on all such powders." The interesting and successful test °f Grinnell's sprinkler and May's annunciator made at Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen's warehouse on the 23rd, besides proving the value of the former for fire prevention purposes and of May's annunciator for giving immediate warniag of danger, also showed in a marked manner the smartness with which the Dunedin Fire Brigade can turn out. Methylated spirits were thrown on some live embers in a brazier at tho warehouse, and within three seconds the alarm was sounded by May's annunciator, while in 31 seconds the sprinkler was automatically at work in suppressing the fire, the alarm gong of the sprinkler sounding within 56£ seconds, .me members of the Fire Brigade were at the station in their working clothes, while the horses were in their stalls. Within 35 seconds of receiving the alarm given by May's annunciator the members of the brigade had donned their uniforms and were leaving the station with the gear. In 2 minutes 37£ seconds from tho time of tho alarm the firemen were at the scene of tho supposed conflagration, and within 3 minutes 14- seconds the hose was connected with the water main and everything was in reaoiness to suppress a fire. The Registrar-general's returns show that 1028 persons arrived in the colony last month, and 1239 left, as against 985 and 1208 respectively for the corresponding month of last year. ' A well-attended meeting of tho Workers' Political Committee was held on the 23rd, Mr Belcher presiding. The ballot was talcon for ] the final selection of parliamentary candidates for the city constituency, which resulted in Messrs J. A. Millar, M.H.R., and J. F. Arnold securing tho largest number of votes. The following resolution was unanimously endorsed: — "That -Messrs J. A. Millar and J. F. Arnold, having secured the highest number of votes, are hereby accepted by this committee as the parliamentary Labour candidates for the City of Dunedin at the next general election ; and that Mr Morrison is this commitleo's selected candidate for the Caversham constituency." It is understood the third candjdato for the City to constitute the ticket will be the gentleman selected by the branch of the Liberal-Labour League, which was formed here recently by Mr Edwards, the organi&er. The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees, held on the 23rd met., was attended by Messrs Haynes (in the chair), Wilson, Treseder, and Hazlett. The accounts passed for payment amounted to £61 17s. It was reported that the cost of the institution for the month of July was £299 4s 4d, the number of inmates 257, and the cost per head per week 5s 3d. Thirty-one relief cases were considered. The Rev. L. M. Isitt gave a stirring address on prohibition at Tapanui on Friday evening, 18th, there being a good attendance. The Courier reports that Mr Isitt resumed his seat amidst loud applause, and an invitation by the chairman for questions failed to reveal anyone in the audience with sufficient curiosity to cross-examine tho lecturer. Preaching in Scots Church, Melbourne, tho Rev. James Gillioa said L — " Like many whom

I see before me, I oome from "a country whose people are proverbial for their prudence and thrift. A Scotchman has been wittily defined as ' a man Vvho keeps the Sabbath and everything else he can lay his hands on.' There is wisdom as well as wit In the description. For amongst the foundations of our prosperity as a nation, amongst the influences that have helped to make Scotchmen successful in every quarter of the globe, must be reckoned the fact that we are on the whole a thrifty people, that we generally take thought for the evil contingencies of the morrow, that it has been the rule and not the exception in the home of the humbler Scottish peasant to provide (while he has the power) for giving his family a decent start in life, and for saving himself and them from anything like dependence on others. Long may such a spirit reign amongst our people ! It will be a sure sign of national degeneracy when we lose our reputation for thrift, when we have less respect than we now possess for the proud position of honourable independence." The call to the Rev George Miller, of Waikaka, from the Milton Presbyterian congregation was presented to mm by commissioners from Milton at a meeting of the Mataura Presbytery at Gore on the 22nd, The call was accepted by Mr Miller, and the induction services will take place at Milton on Wednesday, September 6. A remarkable incident took place at the railway station, Colac, Victoria, on the evening of the 11th inst. The engine of the 6.50 p.m. Melbourne train had, with a truck attached, been used for shunting. The operation over, truck and engine were backed on to the prepared carriages at the platform, and preparations were made for a start. The guard gave the signal, and the engine moved off. The porter, however, had omitted to couple the carriages to the engine. In vain the guard brandished his red lamp, as the engine gained in speed. The driver had his eye ahead, and the signal was unnoticed. Well on to time, and with an excellent dash, ho ran into Irrewarra station, three miles away. There he discovered that he had forgotten his train, and promptly made his way back to Colac to repair the important omission. Douglas Grier, aged 17, a blacksmith's apprentice, diea in Sydney on the 11th inst. under singular circumstances. He strolled into the billiard room of Ro'wley's Hotel at Bombala, smoking a cigarette, and began to amuse himself with an elderly man named Cootes, who made an attempt to strike him, but did not succeed. A few mihute3 after Grier commenced to vomit. He told his mates (Scanes) that he had swallowed half a cigarette, and then went into a fit, turning b!ack and swelling quickly. Drs Eddie and Merrifield were summoned, and restoratives were applied; but Grier died in 10 minutes. At the inquest several witnesses stated that Grier received a severe blow in the chest at a football match three weeks ago, causing him to spit blood. The stomach has been forwarded to the Government analyst, and the inquest adjourned. A meeting of the Conciliation Board was held on Thursday to consider areferenc* filed by the Otago Coal Miners' Union. Some considerable time was occupied in discussing the question as to whether all the" preliminaries required by the act had been gone through by the Miners' Union, and the Chairman ruled that at least one clause in the reference could not be considered by the board, as due notice of it had not been given to the members when they were summoned to attend the meeting called fot the purpose of discussing the reference. The secretary of the union declared that rather than leave this clause out of the reference he would proceed no further, but would issue a new reference,, in which all the formalities required by the act would be striotly complied with. That being so, the proceedings were brought to a close. The case of Monaghan v. Perry — an appeal from the decision of the magistrate at Gore, in which Mr Hosking and Mr Inder appeared for the appeljant, and Mr Solomon for the respondent — was resumed at a sitting of the Supreme Court in Banco yesterday. Patrick Monaghan, the appellant, was re-called by Mr Hoaking, and evidence for the appellant was also given by John Andrew Simtton and Alfred Gibson. Mr Ho3king then addressed tho court at fomo length, after which tho further hearing of the caac was adjourned to a lime to bo fixed. Intimation has been received by Mr 11. G. Moore, of Dunedin, that hi 3 son (MiGeorge Moore), who went to England to study music, has succeeded in winning Sir Walter Macfarren's gold medal for pianoforte playing. The total revenue from the 2104 miles of railway open in the colony for the four weeks ended on July 22 was £109,034, while the expendituro was £78,530. The 824 miles open in the North Island contributed £38,650 to tho revenue, for an expenditure of £31,028; while the revenue from the 1280 miles in the South Inland totalled £70.383, for an expenditure of £47,501. Tho Hurunui-Bluff line and branches, comprising in all 1173 miles, yielded a revenue of £61,249, for an expenditure of £42,224. Tho Greymouth-Brunner line contributed £2140 to the revenue, while the expenditure was £931." The We&tport line, 31 miles in length, had the beat record, the revenue being £4628 and the expenditure £1510. An adjourned meeting of creditors in the estate of Archibald Espie, labourer, Balclutha, was held at the office of the official assignee, and three creditors attended. Mr Graham examined bankrupt in regard to a number of dishonoured cheques issued by him in settlement of claims against him, and then the meeting was adjourned sine die, to enable bankrupt to produce his bank pass book and Ihb cheque- books. • Tho ordinary meeting of the Dunedin Photographio Society wa3 held in their rooms on. Wednesday, 23rtl, when, consfderin.q; the stato of the weather, there was an excellent attendance of m«mb»ri. Mr C. W. Kerr

> (president) occupied the ohair. At the con. I elusion of the ordinary business, Mr W rf • Livingston, by special request, gave a denion- '. stralion on the " Carbon Process," the beauties j of which were co favourably commented on |at the late exhibition. The demonstration I was very successful throughout, and was ; keenly walched by all those present, the re- . Bull being, likely to prove that our local society j will nbfc be much behind -its neighbours in j this class of work at future exhibitions. Mr I Livingston has kindly consented to assist any ; members wishing to make a start iv this ; branch of picioiial photography. At the conclusion of the demonstration he was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for the great amount of trouble he had taken over the . matter. It was decided to support the New ' South Wales Photographic Society with a good exhibit for the exhibition, which opens in Sydney next month. ■' We learn from the Queensland press that Mr H. Wise, of Dunedin. and Mr G. Wise, j of Melbourne, of AVise's Directories, have, in I connection with their Queensland work, been | visiting the chief towns of that colony, reach- , ing as far north as Cairns, in- North Queensl land. , They report -that a general, improve- - ■ ment has taken place throughout Queensland, and that the question of federation is the allj absorbing topic, to T)e settled by vote on Sep- , tember 2. Queensland is much divided on the point, and in this 'respect differs widely from the other chief Australian colonies. During the hearing of a charge of larceny at the Wellington Magistrate's Court, it appeared (says tho New Zealand Times) *vhofc before the accused was arrested a constable had visited him and asked him some particulars as to the facts, and at first the answers said to be given by the accused appeared to tell against him, but on cross-examination an explanation was giv6n which removed this j impression. Mr Haselden, S.M., said that the , police must be particularly careful as to conversations with suspected or accused persons; the principles upon which they should pro1 ceed were laid down in text books, and to some extent in the " New Zealand Justice of the Pence,'' to which the police had access. As there were a number of probationers present in court, he would say that a general guiding principle might be this:— That the police can ask any questions from any person when, they want information as to facts, but they were not to ask questions merely for the purpose 6t making evidence of the answers. Sub-inspec- ; tor Macdonell said that often the police wen forced, in the absence of other testimony, tc ! rely on such evidence; but the Mngistrata replied that, in. his opinion, that was no reason for adopting the procedure objected to. An • objectionable procedure did not becoma | proper because there was no other method of j obtaining the end in view. A remarkable incident connected with the boating fatality in Rothesay Bay on Sunday, July 8, came to light, on the following Tuesday, which explained the fact that while the three adult occupants lost their lives, the four children were saved. When the boat heeled over and tho water rushed in a man named White, who hold tho tiller, shouted for all to jump into the water. This he did, and in attempting to save two young women all three ' perished. The fate of tho four children waa as fortunate as it was remarkable. The boy, Harry Shearer, for a month had been attem?- | ing the corporation b^ths at Cranatonhill for swimming lessons, nnd only on the previous Saturday his tencher had instructed him in case of emergency to spread himself out on. his back. This the lad did on Sunday, with the result that each of the girls held on, by his legs, while, by a providential circumstance, , the head of the boy Oliphant, aged eight, rested on Shearer's breast. Thus the lad Shearer acted as a buoy to all three until rescued by a boat from a steam yacht half a mile off. According to ,the Morning Post's Vienna correspondent, a blackmailing case with a humorous aspect occupied the attention of t&i criminal courts" at Gratz. An elderly lady of great wealth one day received a letter 68.yinK that if she did not send the sum of 10,000ft 1 in small bank notes to a given addrees the writer would work a fearful revenge by opening in her room a bottle containing the bacil'i of various infectious diseases, which would certainly cause her death. The lady appealed to the police, who discovered the would-ba blackmailer. A bottle found in his possession really contained bacilli, which the culprit, who is a medical student, had stolen from hii professor's lecture room. A sentence of 18months' hard labour will doubtless prevent this promising youth from further blackmailing enterprises. As a result of the high tides and the heavy southerly weather of last week, ai extensive lagoon has been formed along tli* Ocean Beach at tho base of the Sandhills. In some parts the water is several feet deep, and were it not that the Domain Board had placed rcrub fences at the openings in the Sandhills, and thus caused the shifting sanda to form a natural barrier, there certainly would have been a repetition of the damaging flood which occurred at St. Kilda a short time back. However, the precautions which were taken proved quite adequate, but by way of obviating all prospective danger, Mr Hancock, of the Ocean Beach Domain Board, • with commendable energy, caused a channel to be cut from the lagoon to the ocean. Through this the water is now steadily flowing, and the lagoon is being sensibly diminished in quantity. The lesson to be der'ved from the affair seems to be that there is a simple, cheap, and effectual means at coping with the danger which periodically threatens St. Kilda through the gradual disappearance of the Sandhills, and that is by the erection of scrub fences, which speedily cause sand hillocks to spring iip. The proceedings which were taken under the Stamp Act at the Police Court on Friday hay« created no little comment in mining circles* It was freely admitted that the persons wha I transferred tho shares had no intention of defrauding the revenue, and were doubtless even, j ignorant of any law compelling them to ace. ( i that the name of the ' "chasw o£ the ehajW

is written in ink before the transfer was signed. The act, however, is very explicit in the matter, and as the court has no power to inflict any penalty under £20, those against whom convictions are secured are liable to suffer no little monetary loss as a result of their negligence or -default. As the Crown prosecutor pointed out, it is to be hoped that ihe result of the present prosecutions will be to induce the public to observe a law by which they have everything to gain and nothing to' lose. ■ ' The Department of Agriculture has issued » circular stating that it has secured the services of ' Messrs J. A. Kinsella and D. J. M'Gowan, who will act as travelling instructors during the coming r season. Both have had a wide experience in practical dairy work, and have been eminently successful in the various positions which they have held in ihe past. They will give special attention to ithe butter-making branch, but Mr Kinsella ;will be available to visit cheese factories as Occasion may arise. Mr James Sawers will continue to act as cheeae instructor. We understand that Mr John Smellie, of Ihe Otago Roller Iron Works, Burnside, has purchased the plant of the Onehunga Ironworks, Auckland. In. the Magistrate's Court on Friday Mr Payne, counsel for plaintiff in the civil action j 'Jarvis v. Couston, elected to take a nonsuit under rather unusual conditions. His WorBhip was reading the judgment, and had 'about got to the end of the fourth page of foolscap, when Mr Payne, noticing that although his Worship found for the plaintiff on the facts, he held, as a matter of law, that as plaintiff had given a discharge to a third person jointly liable for the accident, defendant ;was thereby released, he jumped up and asked for a nonsuit, just as his Worship was about to pronounoe judgment for the defendant. j^lr Sim, counsel for defendant, very naturally objected that plaintiff could not wait until he saw which way judgment was going and then ask for a nonsuit, but his Worship, after referring to flection 103 of the Magistrate's Court Act, which states that "the plaintiff may at any time before judgment is pronounced elect to be nonsuited," upheld Mr .Payne's contention, and nonsuited plaintiff. The advantage in obtaining the nonsuit is this : Had judgment been pronounced for the -defendant, lengthy proceedings in the Supremo Court would have been necessary to ,'try and upset the judgment, but plaintiff being nonsuited may now take his action directly to the Supreme Court against defendant, and anyone else who may happen to be liable with him. The executive of the Liberal and Labour Xieague met on Friday evening to consider the question of selecting a candidate to contest the 'city at the general election on a ticket with ■'Messrs J. A. Millar and J. F. Arnold, who (Shave already been chosen by the Workers' Committee. The name 3of Messrs [■k. R. Barclay, A. C. Hanlon, and W. Swan (mayor of tho city) have been mentioned for 'the position, but it is understood Messrs Hanlon and Swan have retired. The executive are reported to have arranged a number of preliminaries last evening, but it is understood tho final selection of a candidate cannot be " Jnade for some three weeks yet. The Bruce Herald reports that at a meetIng of the farmers held at Milton on Monday Jtlst, to consider the question of the pollution pi the Tokomairiro .ruver by dredging, it was decided to claim damages and apply for an injunction to stop all dredge-owners from further polluting the river. The Wellington correspondent of the Oamaru Mail learns that tho Government have completed the purchase of the Three Springs Estate, near Fairlie, comprising 8000 acres. A man named Gunn, who states that he is the deceased Lord Charles Hamilton, and claims the dukedom and estates of Hamilton, *rrived in Brodick, Arran, Scotland, recently, with a companion named Sander 3. Gunn affirms that the coffin of Lord Charles in the ( Mausoleum at Hamilton Palaoe contains only Hones and written declarations proving that ho (Gunn) is Lord Charles and heir "to the dukeflom. He inter . swed many old Arran people, but they scouted his claim. They say that Lord Charles was very dark, whereas Gunn is fair, and that his Lordship had a mbro highbred bearing than Gunn. Gunn has a considerable knowledge of the ducal family. Ho says ho has placed his claims with legal gentlemen, and they will soon be made in court. Caricaturists will do well in the future to avoid the State of California. The Legislature has just passed an Anti-Cartoon Bill as a retaliation on the newspapers for printing cartoons in which the elect of the people were held up to public ridicule. The law is -of the most stringent character. It provides that no portrait of any living resident of the State Bhall be publishod without consent, unless the person ia a publio official, and that no caricature of any person living in the State shall bo publishod if it reflects upon the honour, integrity, or reputation of the person caricatured. There is a chance that the law may be declared unconstitutional, for it is argued that it violates the federal statutes, giving all ' persons equal rights. Under the Anti-Cartoon Law the residents of California will enjoy a 'special privilege denied to their fellowcountrymen. The attention of tho German Emperor should be directed to this innovation. He would find it a more efficacious means of suppressing caricatures than the somewhat tedious process of prosecution for lese majeste. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court commenced on- Monday morning before his Honor Mr Justice Williams. Tho calendar contained charges against thirteen persons, who wero brought before the court for various offences, including larceny, robbery from the person, false pretences, indecent iSbault, horse-stealing, and sheep-stealing. The Grand Jury brought in true bills in the charges a f .;ain=t all the accused with the exception of John Chaj)iua.n, who wai oLargcd

with theft. In his case no bill was found. Three cases were dealt with during the day. William M'Dougall, who pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing jewellery, was admitted to probation for twelve months, .conditionally upon abstaining from all intoxicating liquors during that period, and on condition of paying the costs of the prosecution, and £1 to the pawnbroker with whom the goods had been pawned. Tueuhu Pomare, alias Hohepa Wirema, was oonvicted of obtaining goods by means of false pretences, his Honor deferring passing sentence until next morning. David Morris, May Herbert, and Sarah Hewitt were charged with robbery with violence, the jury bringing in a verdict of guilty 1 against the male accused and acquitting the two women. In the case of Morris, sentence was also deferred until next day. At Monday's criminal sittings of the Supreme Court Thomas Driscoll, a storekeeper, asked to be excused from serving as a juror, on the ground that he had no other assistance I than his wife, who could not attend to his I business or go out with orders. His Honor said that the jury panel being short he could not see his way to excuse him from service. Francis Porter, hotelkeeper, of Caversham, did not appear, but sent a medical certificate stating that he was unable to attend; and a police constable having stated that he saw Mr Porter on Saturday, and that he was not well enough to be present, he was excused. It should, however, be stated that the court never accepts a medical certificate alone as a sufficient excuse for non-attendance. Some person is usually required to attend and answer for a juror or to make an affidavit of the facts ; otherwise an absent juror iB liable to be fined. The Rev. L. M. Isitt, at his Wyndham meeting, in reply to a questioner, is reported by the Wyndham Herald to have said that he would be satisfied with the experiment of prohibition in Clutha. if the country had a decent Government in power. The law was ! weakly administered, and there was virtually encouragement to sly grog-selling. Despite the unfavourable circumstances, the conditions of life were infinitely better than under license, and drinking in the family" had diminished. He had always been a Liberal, but was disgusted with the way the name was dragged through the mire in the colony. An inventor has discovered an artful means by which an approaching torpedo boat may avoid detection from a warship's searchlight. His innovation, consists of a huge light mirror, to be set up in a frame at the bow of the torpedo boat when an enemy is to be attacked under cover of darkness. The mirror is tilted forward at its upper extremity. . What is the result? When the rays of the inquiring searchlight flash across the mirror they are not reflected, and the. look-out man on board the vessel threatened sees but the waves in front of the torpedo boat pictured in the inclined looking-glass. By this means, it is anticipated (says the Cassell's Saturday Journal) the torpedo boat will be able to get near enough to use its twlaes before it is discovered. Only when very clsse would the outline of the mirror be revealed. The steamer Duke of Portland arrived at Brisbane on August 15 with immigrants from London. Over 500 people assembled on the wharf when the vessel was moored fast, but the immigrants were transferred to another boat without being allowed to communicate with the people on the wharf, and were taken across the river to the immigration depot. The steamer brought 422 adults, some of whom landed at other ports coming down the coast ; 153 landed at Townsville, 92 at Rockhampton, 166, at Brisbane, and 11 at Thursday Island. While* passing through the Red Sea three young girls died from sunstroke within ten hours of each other. Dr Stockwell slated that the condition of the immigrants when going through the Rod Sea was pitiful. They lay about the deck gasping for breath. The three who died were all buried together, the scene being a very touching one. Tho Stanmore Band (Christchurch) has declined to enter under present conditions for the contest at Timaru. The secretary of the Contest Committee informs the Timaru Herald that the conditions laid down have been rather misrepresented. It is not the case that unless eight bands enter the prize moneys jnay be reduced. The conditions are that unless eight bands enter the contest will not be held at all ; and that unless eight bands compete the prizes may have to be reduced. The bands may think these conditions obnoxious," but the Contest Committee cannot afford to guarantee full payment if there is not attraction enough to raise the money; and they preferred to tell the bands beforehand that the prizes may bo reduced, rather than tell them after the contest that they must bo reduced. Tho Cromarty correspondent of tho Southland Times reports that about three weeks ago a party of men found tho remains of two human beings in a cave on Coal Island. The skeletons were not complete, and tho bones must have been there many years. One was lying at the mouth of tho cave and the other on a ledge at tho back. The hospital returns for the past week are : Remaining from previous week, 97 ; admitted during the week, 23 : discharged, 25 ; deaths (Charles Ashman), I;— total remaining in the institution, 94-. Every visitor to Paris has observed the ragged individuals who perambulate the boulevard and peer in among the tables and chairs in front of tho cafes in search of cigar and cigarette ende, which they deftly harpoon by means of bent pins on the end of a stick. The megottiers, as they are called, are now trying to form a mutual protection syndicate. Their reason is that ihe police interfere with them too much. This singular trade occupies three classes of persons — the picker, the cleaner, and the palesman. The purchasers i insi c t el.iefly of ma;on&, who all come from tLe eouuti-y districts of I^Gj.ev.siu and Creube,

and are delighted to get a large packet of tobacco for 2d. There exist, moreover, real tobacco shopkeepers, who purchase the vile stuff and mix it with good tobacco, the profits derived therefrom being "naturally considerable. The Municipal Franchise Reform Extension Act, which was pushed tlirough Parliament as a matter of urgency", has received the assent of the Governor, and is now in operation. Those who neglected to enrol their names when they had an opportunity recently can repair the omission before Thursday if they so desire. The original act conferred the franchise on any person who was the beneficial owner of a freehold qualification within a borough of the capital value of not less than £25, notwitlistanding that any other person might be enrolled or is entitled to be enrolled as a ratepayer in respect thereof. But the main object of the act was to confer the franchise on a " residential occupant." According to section 2, " a residential occupant means any person who is in occupation as tenant or sub-tenant, whether joint or several, of any house, warehouse, office, shop, or other building : provided that the tenancy shall be at the rate of not less than £10 per year, for each residential occupant thereunder." " A Btart has been made with the treeplanting on the Anderson's Bay road. As only one witness could be in attendance at the O.R.F.U. inquiry on Saturday night, it was decided to resume the inquiry on some other night. Our Auckland correspondent writes: — "At a recent meeting of the electors of Parnell it was decided, in the interests of the electorate, that an association should be formed, with the object of securing for it a truer representation than it has obtained during recent years in the Legislature of tho colony ; to select and to promote the election of men of character and ability as representatives, and to assist in returning to Parliament at the coming election a representative who will oppose the present trend of legislation." An Invercargill telegram says: — "It is understood that the amount involved in the payment of Mr J. G. Ward's English creditors is between £5000 and £8000." A great sensation has been caused at Montreal by the reported discovery that the expulsion from Canada of Lieutenant Carranza and Senor Dubosc was brought about by a forged document. It will be remembered that these two gentlemen were attached to the Spanish Legation at Washington, and as soon as war broke out between Spain and the United States they made their way into Canada. The statement is that a letter stolen from the Spanish quarters in Montreal, harmless in itself, was so distorted that, on its being submitted to Sir Julian Pauncefote, the authorities felt bound to issue the order of expulsion. The North-East Valley Band has decided not to enter for the forthcoming band contest at Timaru unless regulations providing for a reduction of the prize-money in accordance with the number of entries received are rescinded. The Bishop of Waiapu is to represent the Bishops of New Zealand at the jubilee of the Australian Board of Anglican Missions, to be celebrated in Sydney next year. The I Archbishop of Capetown is also expected to be present, while the Bishop of Melanesia (Dr Wilson) and Bishop Stone-Wigg, of i New Guinea, will represent their respective missions. The Nelson Savings Bank, which has been in existence since 1858, has gone into liquidation owing to declining deposits in later limes through competition with the Post Office Savings Bank. The Colonist statos that its information is that, at, worst, tho assets will very nearly provide for all engagements, but it will take some little time to realise the assets, and, though a little inconvenience may be suffered by some investors, it is not apprehended that they will suffer any material loss. V'The fore-part of the Elginshire (says the Timaru Herald) has broken off and fallen to the north side. The hinder-part still remaina as erect as ever. For the last day or two som©. heavy pieces of wreckage have been seen floating off Caroline Bay. The Elginshire w-is stranded on March 9, 1892, so that she has lasted remarkably well. Few persons have any idea that Bruce County is one of the largest, if not the largest, egg-producing district in the colony. As a result of the most careful inquiries, it has been ascertained (says the Bruce Herald) that £3000 worth of eggs are annually sent away to the Dunedin markets. Roughly, at 6d a dozen, 130,000 dozen eggs, or 1,4-40,000 eggs, are every year exported to Dunedin. Tho majority of these eggs come from the Tokomairiro district. Captain Yates, whose wife was a few years ago Mayor of Onehunga, was a few days ago fined £1, with £3 £7 costs, for failing to comply with the borough of Onehunga's by-law No. 10, by not employing the nighlsoil contractor. Mr Hutchison, S.M., in a lengthy judgment, said he could only see in this case " a Bingle contumacious householder setting up his individual judgment against tho judgment of the council, as expressed in the by-law on sanitary matters." On asking for leave to appeal, Mr Yates was told he could not do so without tho magistrate's permission. Mr Yates then wanted the magistrate to deal with the Auckland Herald for incorrectly reporting his Worship. Mr Hutchison said he had no power to deal with the newspapers, and asked what was wrong with the report. Mr Yates ; '' You are credited, your worship, with saying- to Mr Reed, our solicitor, these words : 'If your clients cannot conduct themselves properly I shall have to order them out of court.' Now, your Worship, I never heard you Fay that, and I ask you if it is corrsct, because I know it is not?" His Worship : " Certainly, it is correct. The town clerk complained that Mrs Yates spoke disparagingly to him when he was leaving tho witness box, and although I do not remember tho ex%pt nature of bis cosyil&int, I

remember telling Mr Reed* that if you and Mrs Yates did not behave yourselves, I*should ! order you out of the court." Mr Yates : "Well, I never!" Mrs Yates: "Come on home, Michael ; we need never expect to get justice in this court while Mr Hutchison is on the bench." His Worship smiled, and said to the clerk of the court: " Call the next case." There are 800,000 children on the roll of the elementary schools of London, and of these some 30,000 of the most ailing have been provisionally selected by the Children's County Holiday fun for a fortnight in pure air among green fields. When the last mail left it waa stated that the funds in hand would only permit of one-third the number being sent, and £7000 was needed if 10JO00 children were not to be disappointed. The very poorest and sickliest are sent, and the parents are this year paying the high average of one-third of the expense— £7ooo. The Salvation Army Federal "Band arrived in Dunedin on Saturday night. They were met at the station by the North-East Valley Band, and on Sunday evening gave a musical meeting in the Salvation Army Barracks. The attendance was large, and the excellent playing of th.i band was keenly enjoyed by those present. The Rev. W. H. Browne, vicar o£ Dunstan Anglican parish, is suffering from a throat affection, and has been ordered«by his medical adviser to cease work for two years. At a ' meeting of the vestry, a motion sympathising with Mr Browne was carried, and he was requested to take the necessary steps to have the Rev. C. C. Oldham. appointed as curate in charge. An exceptional academical distinction, states the London Telegraph, has been conferred on Mrs Agnes Smith Lewis, of Cambridge, by the University of Halle. This learned lady has been made a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of the Liberal Arts honoris causa by the Philosophical Faculty of the abovenamed university "in consideration of her being eminent amongst all women, not only in her own country, but in the whole world, for her learning." A Swabian journal writes of her: "There is no other woman who has devoted her money and knowledge in the service of theological and Oriental science to such an extent as Mrs Lewis. Women, it is said in the German pfess, have become doctors of philosophy, law, and medicine, but this is the first time, at all events in Germany, that the degree of doctor honoris' causa has been conferred on a woman." Claims to another Scotch earldom are likely soon to be heard of in the law courts. The earldom threatened in this instance (says the St. James's Gazette) is that of Buchan. There are two claimants — one a solicitor in London, Milton. _Brad ford by name, and tho other a railway official in Chili. The late earl on his deathbed is said to have made a statement to tfie effect that he was married secretly before he married Miss Smith, of Craigend, Stirlingshire, the mother of Lord Cardross, now tho present earl. Both claimants claim to be the sons of the first marriage, which took place in 1843. Peculiar interest is lent to the claim of Mr Bradford by the fact that for years before he put it forward he acted in various financial matters for the Hon. Albany Stewart Erskine, another son of the late earl. Mr Bradford has been the first to take any practical steps towards the substantiation of his claim, and he has lodged a caveat with the Lyon King of Arms at Edinburgh against the quartering of the arms of the Earl of Buchan, which have been allowed to lapse. Mr Bradford has also, it is stated, given intimation of his claim, and tho next step will probably be to attend at the ensuing meeting of Peers of Holyrood Palaco, and to demand to be allowed to vote as a peer, when ho will be called upon to prove his claim. The agent of the Chili claimant in Edinburgh is also in constant correspondence with his client, with the view of commencing the necessary proceedings. J. R. Kemp, writing in Monday's Daily Times, challenges the statement of Mr R. Henry that Bourke and Wills were good bushmen. Had they been, their expedition would not have met the fate it did. He (our correspondent) was one of an exploring party sent out by the South Australian Government some 12 months prior to Bourke and Wilh's ill-fated expedition. The expedition consisted of civilians, several of whom had been thorough bushmon from childhood, and it was under the command of Mr Babbage, who was a cautious and painstaking leader, and treated hifi men as men. Mr Babbago was succeeded by Major Warburton, who did not hit it with the men. When the expedition was recalled and the party disbanded some of them joined Bourke and Wills. One who did so was a man named Bowman, who was equal in the bush to most of tho blacks, but lie only stayed with Bourke two or three weeks. That was an indication" that tlicre was something wrong with the leadership, and tho subsequent news of Bourke's failure was not surprising, for events proved that, whatever hits qualifications might have been as a soldier or a policeman, he was not fitted for bush work or to command good men and thorough bushmen. "Grannaile " writes an amusing letter with respect to the suggested candidature of Mr A. C. Hanlon for the City of Dunedin. The fact that he is a man of bright intellect and ready wit, she says, makes him a fit subject for such an exalted position. It is young men of his stamp, with energy and tact, who are needed to represerft us. Wo have had enough in the past of the old fogey ignorance and contemptible aspirations. We want new machinery with modern improvements, which we will find in our young instruments. "Grannaile" relates a conversation on the subject of the Premier's and Mr John M'Kenssie's expenses on their visits Home, which she Bays she overheard in the waiting room at the railway station, and returning to her original text, says that Mr Hanlon has ability second only to that of the Great Liberator, whose eloquence lives in history — in fact, she questions whether Mr. Hanlon's gift could be any greater if he had climbed over the big hills of Tara and kissed that little -magic stone. The first time she heard of him was in Invercargill, about nine years ago, when 6ome caso in the court occupied public attention, and it was suggested that

iMr Hanlon should be* engaged. In reply tt# her inquiry who Hanlon was, she- was told, ! l> Oh, the devil's darling," from which she concluded him to be an old Irishman, and not a brisk young colonial. She hopes to seei a good many big" guns let off in favour of Mr Hanlon, and to see him returned at tho top of the poll, when they would all shouti, There goes Mr Hanlon — . The man we all admire. There goes Mr Hanlon — • ■ Of him we never tire. "Working ' Ma n" protests very strongly against the assumptions of the Workers* Political Committee, and against the action of the Liberal Labour Committee, who ".tell the thousands of us "interested in this town that they have had a meeting, and piolted the candidates for Dunedin at the next election. If that is not the height of impertinence for this 10 or a dozen men, I do not know what is." Our correspondent says tliat r£ one o£ those who have been chosen gets a seat at the next election he will be very much mistaken. A concert in aid of the funds of the Palmerston Cricket Club' was held (writes our Palmerston correspondent} on "Wednesday evening ia the 4Town Hall, the Mayor (Mr J. C. Gow, president of the club) occupying the cfyair. There was a large attendance, .and owing to the length of the programme no encores were, allowed. Mr J. H. Appleby cornet solo, anA Mr G. Kerr clarionet solo, opened each part of the programme respectively, and were yrelh received. Miss Gwynne sang " Maid ofi Athens" sweetly, Mrs Miller " Killarney " an<§ " Barney O'Hay" very effectively, Misses Rosa and Samson a duet " The cousins " with dra-' matio ability, and Miss Poison "Twickenham, Ferry " and " Cam' ye by Athol " in her' wellknown excellent manner. Miss Raymond sang. " Two's company" and recited "The babyactor," both item 3 being well received, and! Mr R. Young in his songs "The skipper" an* Out on the deep " excelled himself. Mr W. A. Russell recited "" Dunedin from the bay," and was loudly applauded. Mr E. H. Clark'' contributed a comic song and a sailor's hornpipe, both, items being very good. An item .oß special interest was a short description by Mr a. M. Findlay, solicitor, of his summer trip, to Mount Cook. The lecture was amusing; and entertaining, and Mr Findlay may be congratulated on his maiden effort in this direction. A farce -by Messrs E. Lefevre, E. H. Clark, and others was the last item, ana 18 proved screamingly funny. The accompaniments were played by Mrs D. M. Findlay i» her usual fine style. A short dance followed. " The Star of Light," a cantata commemorative of the birth of Christ, by George F. Root, was rendered by the Fairfield choir in the Walton Schooihouse on "Wednesday evening. Notwithstanding the boisterous state of the .weather, a fairly good audience assembled, and! they showed, by their hearty applause, that the various solos and choruses were highly appreciated. The chorale " Led by the Stius Divine " and the final chorus " Alleluja, worship Jesus," may be specially singled out, the choir deserving every credit for their interpretation of these two items. Praise is due to Mr C. Westfield and Miss Jessie London for their services as conductor and organist re* spectively, and for their efforts to make th» cantata a success.