LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 932, 23 October 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It will bo seen by our telegrams that the thirty-sixth half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand was held this day at Auckland ; and that after declaring a dividend and bonus equal to 15 per cent., the enormous sum of £555,000 stood to the credit of the reserve fund, being just a trifle uuder one half of the whole of the subscribed capital of the Bank. In respect of its tinaucial operations the Bank of New Zealand is, beyond all doubt, the very best on this side the Southern Hemisphere. Our Ormond readers will please take notice that the Rev. J. McAra will conduct Divine Service m the Schoolroom there, on Sunday next, at 11 a.m.

Information was received to-day that one of Mr. Kees interpreters, a repentant servant who had turned from his late master's ways, after having faithfully and ably served Mr. Rees for a lengthened period ; applied to Mr. Eees for that recompense which ho so richly deserved for his services. Mr. Rees promptly repudiated the contract. Then followed subsequent proceedings by his interpreter, a gentleman well-kuown m this district for his ability m his profession, who finding there was no chance of getting his wages out ! of the leader of the so-called Repudiation Party, had taken out execution and was about to impound books, wig, gown, and all the paraphernalia of a New Zealand leading counsel's chattels and effects being m and about that gentleman's offices, &c. But to the great benefit of the community at large, some sympathetic and disinterested and sucking young limb of the law, an admirer and follower of the legal counsel's opinions, and aping at his eloquence, stepped forward, and much to the joy of the creditor, agreed to pay principal, interets, costs, and bum - bailiffs fees, charges, and other incidental expenses. It is refreshing to find such disinterested conduct m a member of the legal profession. We have been shown several of the prizes which will be given to the winners at the drawing of the Catholic Art Union, which will take place on Tuesday night, at the Masonio Hall. Some of them are very costly, elaborate, and beautiful, each of its kind. The price set against each prize as its value is the actual selling price of the firms at which the prizes have been purchased. There are a number of tickets now for disposal at the places advertised m our columns. Mita, a Native, charged with violating the person of a girl, ten years of ace, has been reinauded until Saturday. The girl is lying m a dangerous state from injuries received. Recently onr telegraghic columns have contained several references to the remarkable success of the " rhodium " receipt m destroying rabbits. The composition of the poison is stated to be as follows : — Nine gallons water, 1001 b. wheat crushed, lib. phosphorus, lib. sugar, 1 fluid oz. of oil of rhodium. When the water is hot, put m the sugar and rhodium, stirring well, then add the wheat ; just before boiling pour m the phosphorus, previously dissolved m a. "billy" or saucepan of boiling water ; stir- well, and as soon as the mixture boils, draw fire, cover up closely with wet sacks for thirty hours ! it is then fit for use. About a tablespoonful is sufficient for each bait laid. Rabbits eat this wheat greedily, but sheep do not touch it — whence there is no danger to stock. The Pas de Calais publishes the following particulars about the proposed submarine tunnel between England and Frauce. The engineers who have been engaged, m the work have not yet commenced the tunnel itself ; all that they have done at present being to sink a shaft near Sangatte m order to ascertain the depth and current of the water. When these prelminary experiments are concluded the work of making the tunnel itBelf will begin. The shaft now being sunk has a diameter of about 9 feet, and is to go to the depth of 260 feet. Work m the shaft has been suspended forth© last three months, as the water comes m so rapidly that it has been necessary to construct a machine which will extract 600 gallons per minute, or double what the machine at first used could remove. The shaft has already been sunk to half the proposed depth, and work will be resumed before the end of the year. The walls of the shaft are being lined with small oak planks with a backing of concrete. The earth which has been excavated is of a white, chalky nature, and very hard. We take the following from the Christ, church Press :— During the hearing of the case of Baker v. the Lyttelton Times yesterday m the Supreme Court, His Honour Judge Johnston made some remarks on the amount of license possessed by the Press to comment on the proceedings which take place m Courts of Justice. The plaintiff m the libel case had stated m the witness box that the case of the Queen v. Greenwood had been m some respects incorrectly reported m the Lyttelton Times. His Honour said it did occasionally happen that m correct reports furnished the ground- work for subsequent articles m the public papers. He remembered a case where he himself had, during the progress of a case made us of the expression cvi bono, and he was reported to have said " kye-bosh," instead, whereupon, an article had been written on his (Judge Johnstone's) us of improper language on the Bench. The anecdote created considerable amusement m the Court, which was revived when Mr George Harper, after putting! the plaintiff through a searching cross-examination, pointedly alluded to the time he had been m the witness box as "the bad quarter of an hour," which formed the last paragraph iv the article m the Lyttelton Times which contained the alleged libel. A Benalla paper says, m referring to the Kelly gang, that there "is no longer the marching and the counter-marching of armed men, which at one time gave the town the appearance of a garrison settlement m war a country, and matters have settled down into a very humdrum condition, the Rellys being all but forgotten. The murders of the police took place on the 29th October of last year, so that close upon 12 months have elapsed. During that time it is not pretended that the gang have ever been seen by the police, and now that pursuit has slackeced it does not appear that they will ever be. Many are ! of opinion that they have got out of the Colony altogether. One 'of the common i beliefs of the public mind, also, is that the Kellys have made away with Hart and Byrne, and have managed to get away." The Wellington Chronicle says .• — " The Hall Government have given serious offence to their colleague. Mr. Tomoana, by dismissing his interpreter without even consulting him, and appointed instead of Mr. Gannon a protege of their own, Mr. Hadfield (son of Bishop Hadfield), who had previously been a bank clerk. Problem Beyond "Handling" — An adulterating milk vendor writes to ask if there are any pumps on the Milky Way.