LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 843, 24 July 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The whole of the furniture and stock m the estate of Mr. R. M. Steggall, having been disposed of privately by Messrs Ferris and Pitt, the sale advertised to take place at their mart on Friday, the 25 iust., has been withdrawn. Our Wairoa contemporary says :—A practical joke was played, the other night on the proprietor of the " Monstrosities and Curiosities " — a joke, however, of which the perpetrator might have to repent. It appears that some time during Wednesday night or Thursday morniug, somebody managed to obtain an entrance into the marquee containing exhibits, and abstracted the sea-lion and two-headed calf, which were discovered next morning m the local butqhers shop, the calf being, we understand hung up among the bona fide carcasses. The enraged butcher, we believe, deposited the sea-lion on the wharf, where he was discovered by the proprietors, evidently making his way with all possible speed to his native element. Mr. Henry E. Brabazon, certificated teacher, of whose professional abilities we have heard an high opinion, has lately arrived m Gisborue, with the view of establishing a school for the superior education of aduit pupils, and has already been successful m establishing an evening class for young ladies, which is conducted at his residence, Childers-street, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, classes for youths are also held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays ; the terras being very moderate. We have been shewn a number of certificates received by Mr. Brabazon, and they all concur m speaking of him as a capable teacher, painstaking m imparting instruction, and a gentleman of high moral worth. Mr. George M'Lean made a funny attempt at a quotation m the House last week. He wanted to score a point against the Ministry, and to that end resorted to the old sarcasm : ihe devil was sick— the devil a monk would be; The devil was well— the devil a monk was he; but he brought it out Ihis-wise, according to the Chronicle : — " The devil waa aiok — The monk, a devil was he. Tne moult got well — the devil a monk was he." Tins curious mixture " brought down the House," and with- a dim consciousness that he had wandered wrong somehow, the. member for Waikuuaici joined m tuts laugh. A ewe, the property of Mr. George Jones, ot the Vineaend if arm, JNewcaatie, New South Wales, died tne otuer day, and the body was found to contain six well-formed lambs, live m wnicu were well-wooied and appeared to be wicnin tea or twelve days ol uirth. Several landowners on the east side of the Ruainauuiiga threaten to bl-iug acuious for damages against the Acclimatisation Society for the introduction ot nares into thenlititrict. The hares prove even more destructive than rabbits, and promise to become m a Bnort tune quite as numerous. Several children residing m the neighborhood of Walker street, JDuuediu, having shown symptoms ol sutfcrmg from congestion ot the lungs, the cause has been traced to the smoking of cigarettes bought by the youngsters from (Jmuese shops. The cigarettes, on analysis, were discovered to ue a compound ot uad tobacco, snutf, and opium. .fareuts suould be careful to see tuat if tue youngsters smoke at all, they should not buy tueir tobacco and cigars at tne Chinese snops. The New Zealand Herald states that the Minuter for Public Works has accepted a series of tenders lor railway and otner contracts m the South to the extent of nearly a third of a million sterling. Ul these contracts £^2,910 are m Canterbury, £9921 -m .Nelson, while m Otago the Minister for Public Works has just pledged the Government to an expeuuiture ot no less than £134, 7b0 for railway purposes. New Zealand bids fair to be one of the largest grain-growing countries m the world. In tne year 1877-78 no less than 1^,205,000 busheis of wheat and oats were grown ; whilst the yield during the year 1878-79 hadmcreased to 14, 427, UOU busnela. Victoria, with more man double the poplation, produced only B,Ubz,UUO buaneis. The yield during the past year was 20 bushels of wheat, and 31 0 bushels of oats per acre ; whilst the respective yields m Victoria were only 12*4 and i'J'S bushels per acre; These tew figures will show the wonderful capacity of our soil, as compared with the grain-growihg capacity of the Australian colonies. Referring to the settlement of the long pending claim of Mrs Meurant against the colony, the Government haviug recently forwarded to Auckland the £2000 for that purpose, voted by Parliament last session, the Auckland Herald remarks: — "The Meurant claim figures very early m the history of constitutional government, and the wrong inflicted on her was one of the scandals that disgraced an administration which was only possible when New Zealand was '& Crown colony of a severe type.' The unjust judge at last yielded to the widow's importunity, and redress has been accorded after a lapse of a quarter of a century. Mr. Hugh Carleton fought the widow's battles m the House of Assembly and out of it, amidst much obloquy and ridicule. It will be gratifying to him to hear that 'the wrong that needs resistance.' is a thing of the past ; and there is little doubt that the tidings will give him a new lease of his life." One very curious result has already followed the residence of the Princeßs Louise m Canada. Already all the vacant houses m Ottawa are occupied, not by Canadians, but Americans, who have come across the border to settle close to the Princess. Upwards of a hundred Yankee favorites have arrived for this purpose, and rents are rising daily. Some of the American ladies have actually come from San Francisco, and brought all their jewels with them. They are very anxious to show the Princess how much they possess. The Fiji Times of June 11th Btates :— "News reaches us from Windward of a sad accident which has resulted m the death of upwards of 20 people. It appears that a canoe left Loma Loma with 25 natives on board bound for Totoya. .They were going about when a sudden squall sent the sail against the mast, capsizing the canoe. Th» unfortunate passengers clung to the canoe, and might have escaped with consequences no worse than those which would have attended discomfort and exposure, but for the horrible fact that the accident occurred m a locality infested with sharks. These ravenous monsters seized their victims one by one, devouring 23 <>ut of the 25 unfortunates whose lives were thus placed at their mercy. Of the two who escaped oue is a woman ; but her situation is very critical, the whole of the flesh having been taken oft one leg." In this colony there are 53,737 bachelors, aged 20 years and upwards, and 28,071 spinsters, aged 15 years and upwards, leaving an excass of 25,666 bachelors over spinsters. There are 63,424 husbands and 62,609 wives, the excess of husbands over wives being 515. At least the census says so.