LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1215, 31 August 1869, Page 2

LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS.

The Gazette notifies the appointment of Q-eorge William Pauling, Esq., as Deputy-Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, for the District of Nelson.

Nelson Board of Works.—Meeting- of Ratepayers.—The adjourned meeting of ratepayers was held in the Provincial Hall on Tuesday evening, August 3rd, to receive the Auditors' Report on the Accounts of the Board, and also to consider the propriety of obtaining a municipality for the city, and also of dividing it into wards. The meeting was well attended, and Mr. H. Adams, the Provincial Solicitor, was appointed Chairman. The following resolution was put to the meeting and unanimously adopted : —" That, in the opinion of the ratepayers ot the town of Nelson, it is inexpedient, at present, to bring the town within (he operation of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867."

Inquest at Motueka.—On Aug. 3rd, an inquest was held by F. E. Horneman, Esq., J.P., at Motuekaa, on the body of a young girl named Amy Gertrude Boyce, who was unfortunately drowned by falling into a large tub of water. A verdict of " accidental death" was returned.

A sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Nelson about 220 a.m. on Wednesday, August sth. There was at first a slight heave, followed by vibrations, which lasted about ten seconds. The movement seemed to be north and-eouth.

A Suspicious Character.—On Aug. sth, before Mr. Sharp, Resident Magistrate, aman named William Simpson was charged by Mr. Watkins, Manager of the Bank of New Zealand, with being ou the premises of the bank at eleven o'clock the previous night, prowling about there without any lawful excuse. It was proved that Simpson was an idle character, and had been found behind Mr. Everett's bar a few days ago. Prisoner was unable to give any satisfactory account of himself, and the Magistrate sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. — William Macintosh was sentenced to two months', imprisonment for assaulting John Burn.

Inquest.—An inquest was held on August.6th, on the body of Mary Ann Bradcoek, a married womant whose corpse was found floating, out to sea tha, morning by some persons in a boat. It was shown that this woman, who was addicted to drink, and her sister, were seen together that evening in a state of intoxication, and it appeared probable that she had fallen over the unprotected sea-wall, on the Havenroad, about half-past nine o'clock, at which time cries of distress from a woman's voice were heard. The night, however, was pitchyddartk t and the rain fell in torrents at intervals, and it was impossible to trace anything or discover the cause of the screams, which were doubtless the wretched woman's drowning cries. The police watched the locality, but nothing was observed until the chance boat, returning from the Boulder Bank next morning, "found the body borne seaward by the receding tide. The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally Drowned."

Narrow Escape.—On August 6th, John Wilson, whilst in a state of intoxication, fell off the wharf. Constable Levy threw a rope to him, by which he was kept afloat until rescued by a boat.

Serious Accident. —On August 16, Mr. Wastney, M.P.C., was working in a saw mill at Wakapuaka, when, by some means, his left arm came in contact with a circular saw, which cut through the bone of the fore-finger and severely injured two of the other fingers. It was found necessary afterwards to amputhe fore-finger.

Serious Accident.—On Aug. 23, a painful accident occurred on board the Murray. One of the seamen, whose name we have not heard, was on the plank tending the coal-basket, (the steamer was discharging Grey coal on the Commercial Wharf), when from some cause, —it is said the winch chain caught it— the plank, upon which the man stood, was thrown down and the man fell a distance of some ten feet down upon the steam winch, smashiug the bone of one of bis legs, just below the knee, into fragments. Mr. Kirby, agent for the vessel, promptly conveyed the sufferer to the Hospital, where amputation of the limb was found necessay.

Prospecting- tor Gold.—We regret to learn that, as we feared at the time would occur, the Prospecting Committee has collapsed for want of funds, people being slow to subscribe. This regret, however, is removed by the liberal conduct of Mr. Field, who, having originated the idea of forming a prospecting party, is determined not to be thwarted, and has resolved, at his own expense, to equip, and send out, a party to test fully the locality where the quartz reefs are said to exist. Mr. Field is prepared at once to deposit £160 in the bank for the purpose of supplying the wants of the party, which we believe will start so soon as the weather promises to set fair. Mr. Field merits the thanks of the public, and we trust his generous efforts will be crowned with success.

The Foresters' Ball. —On August 24th, this ball was hold in the Provincial Hall, and a very pleasant company assembled on the occasion. Every satisfaction was evinced at the perfect arrangements, noticeable in all departments, and the dancing was maintained with much spirit and enjoyment. In a monetary point of view, the meeting was not so successful, the number of persons attending not having been equal to expectation, or the ample preparations which had been made.

The gold escort from Charleston and Brighton, took to Westport, oh August IStli, 6248 ounces; the ]Sew South Wales Bank reserving their parcel of gold for the next escort.

Lapse of the Nelson and Marlborough Union Bill.—On Thursday last, Mr. Vogel allowed the Nelson and Marlborough Union Bill to lapse, stating that the Government, finding the union distasteful to both Provinces, intended to give Marlborough another chance, by returning to it, monthly, the colonial half of its Customs' revenue for the current year.

The body of a man, name unknown, (but supposed to be a brickmaker, who formerly lived in Nelson) has been found on the north beach at Westport. At the inquest the jury brought in the following verdict:—" That the deceased was found on the beach dead, but there was not sufficient evidence to show the cause of death."

The Westport Bigamy Case.—We learn that Thomas Braithwaite has been committed at Olirisfcchtfrch, (where he had been taken owing to the severe illness of a witness) to take his trial on the charge of bigamy at the next sittings of the Supreme Court at Kelson. This was first heard at Westport, and reported at the time in our columns. Me. Button has given notice of the following motion in the Westland County Council: —•' That this Council is of opinion that it is desirable that the Westland District of the Supreme Court be oxtendtd, so as to include that portion of the Nelson District south of the Mokihinui."

Bobbery at Westport.—At Westport Disfcricb Court, a woman named Alice M'Farlane, has been sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment for stealing £60 or £80 from Mnrtagli Collins, packer.

A Bridge peom England to France.—The frequently talked of scheme of bridging the English Channel has found another claimant for the honor in Mr. J. S. M. Jacobsen, of Nelson, who submitted his drawings to us on Aug. sth, just prior to their being dispatched, by the mail, to the French Government. The bridge, in this specification, is calculated ot 19 miles in length, with a width of 64 feet; tho height to the crown of the bridge from tho sea level being 330 feot. This length is to be attained by 52 arches and 51 piers, the construction of which is fully shown in the drawings above referred to. The bottom floor of this bridge is designed for 5 lijea of rails, and 48 feet above this is a second roadway ior vehicles (md foot-passengers. Tho piers are composed of iron tubes, fitted in with cement and solid granite, tho foundations being secured by piles driven 30 feet into the shifting sand, which, for tho most part forms tho sea-bod of the Channel. Mr. Jacobson says nothing of the modus operandi, that being a spocial of the invention which he, very proporly, reserves to himself; but he writes very distinctly as to the certain success which ho fools will attend its construction, and offow to erect soino trial portions at Cherbourg, vhiclx will bo servicablo for another purposo if the groats schemo should not bo undertaken. Tho plans have been very minutely and carofully drawn, and testify to tho painstaking way in which Mr. Jacobsen has pursued tho subject. Tho timo that would bo required for its construction is calculated at about four years, and tho cose ub about thirty millions.