Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 306, 7 May 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Magisterial. — There was no public business transacted at the Christchurcli Magistrate's Court this morning. , Jockey Club. — A special meeting of the Jockey Club was held at Tattersall's, yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of coasidering the details of next year's meeting. There was a good attendance, and sonic discussion toot place, tout' it was eventually resolved to defer the whole matter until Friday next, fn another meeting' will be held. xyoBCE Act. — We' were in error in statthat no "rules under this act had been framed by the' Judges, as we find that general rules of procedure were laid down before the departure of the Judges from Wellington last October. "Under clause 29, parties who have been divorced are at liberty to marry again after the lapse of the time allowed for appealing against the decision of the Court. Philosophical Institute. — The remarks made by Dr Haast on Wednesday evening concerning the deep-sen, dredging under the auspices of the Royal Society should have been supplemented by tli'e following words:— " Thus it appears, that whilst the temperature of the surface of the sea is about 52 ° , at the bottom of the sea there are different currents of hot and cold water, by which, as it were, in one locality, life of the glacial: period, and not far from it, in another, life of the cretaceous period are living side by side. The latter very curious fact has been concluded from the cretaceous shells still living in this tropical' current." Temperance. — A meeting of the Christchurch Band of Hope was held in the Manchester street hall yesterday evening, Mr Pearce in the chair. A large number of members were present, and the chairman, after a" few introductory remarks, gave a reading suitable to the occasion. Some melodies by members of the Association followed, after which Mr Delamere delivered an address upon temperance. At a later period of the evening ' a public meetiug in connec- | tiou with the Total Abstinence Society was also held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lichfield street. The Rev. — .' ' Powell occupied the chair, but the attendance was small. Messrs Bennetts and Caygill also delivered addresses. Inquest. — An inquest was held at the Hospital, yesterday afternoon, on the body of Daniel Wylde, who died on Wednesday evening from injuries received whilst working at a threshing machiue. J. W. S. j Coward, Fsq., District Coroner, presided, i and Mr George" Oram was chosen foreman of the jury. From the evidence of John Aitken and Jacob Wade, two fellow-work-men, it appeared that deceased was at work i on the upper platform of the machine cutting sheaf bauds, when stepping forward, his foot was caught by the druinj and the leg being drawn in was smashed in a frightful manner. Dr Dudley was' at once sent for from Kuiapoi, and arrived about three hours after the accident. By his instructions, the leg was bandaged, and deceased at once conveyed to the Christchurch Hospital, where Y 2 arrived at about six o'clock in the evening. Mr W. R. Cook, house surgeon of the Hospital, said deceased was in a state of collapse when admitted, and although every means were used, in the presence of Dr Turnbull and Mr Prins, he never rallied, but died in about two hours. A verdict of " accidental death" was returned. VsThe MonAKA Natives. — We {Hawkers T3ay Herald) are informed that the General Government have authorised a liberal supply of blankets, trousers, serge shirts, calico and j prints, with some food, to the Mohaka natives who so ably defended their pah, and who suffered so much in the late attack by the i Hau-haus. '" ' ■ "' ' Takanaki. — The following is an extract from a letter from the Governor, in reply to a memorial of the settlers of Taranaki : — " Sir G. Bowen feels much sympathy for the present condition of Taranaki, and of the other districts exposed to danger; and, as you are already aw ire, he' has done all in his power for you b./ declining to concur in the removal of the detachment of the 18th Regiment, though frequently • pressed ' to consent to its removal," at first o far task as June last."

Chiefs at Auckland. — The Southern Cross says that the chiefs Tamihana te Rauparaha and Hohepa Tamahengia arrived in Auckland from Wellington on April 28. Their mission is a somewhat important one, as they intend, if possible to visit the King, ia order to endeavour to establish the basis of a permanent peace between the Europeans and the Natives. aThe Waitgtara Natives. — From Wanganui we learn that the Waitotara natives — who have for the last three yeara been openly fighting against ua under Titokowaru; who have taken part in all the spoliation and destruction that lias been going on during that period on the West Coast; who assisted at every murder that lias taken place from Trooper Smith's to the affair of the peach grove; who manned the rata trees at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, beneath whose sombre shadow Von Tempsky, Buck, Hastings, and so many gallant men laid down their lives; these very blood-stained cannibals who helped to torture Russell — have had the audacity to return to the centre of the settled country, and sit down as calmly as if they had been out hunting pigs. And more— we are told that they are protected by the Government. New Caledonia — How to Serve Rebels. — On the 20th of February, the Governor of New Caledonia published a decree by which the • tribe of the Tendianous, or Ouebias, was formally dissolved, and declared to be expelled from its territory. All the tribes in the northern part of the colony were specially forbidden to give them shelter under pain of being treated as rebels. This extreme measure has been taken in consequence of the murders and hostile acts committed by these Tendianous on the respective dates of the 7th, 19th, and 29th October, 1868. A detailed account of the military operations for the punishment of these criminal acts appears in the Moniteur de la New Caledonia of the 21st and 28th February. An order of the day, signed by Governor Guillaim, speaks in the highest ternia of the heroic defence of the post of Bonde made by Adjutant Malezieux and sixteen men- against more than 1200 savages. , Boiling-Down Establishments. — Boiling down sheep, eays the Mercury, will shortly become the order of the day in the Wairarapa. Mr McMastera having sent for one for his station at Tepurupuru, and Mr Waterhouse one for that at Huangaroa. We have also ! heard it reported that G. H. Luxford, Esq., the enterprising proprietor of the Boilingt down Establishment at Burhampore, near Wellington, intends putting one up on the Taratahi, and we understand a Company will shortly be formed to establish one at Masterton. At Warehama also, it is probable that one will be erected, and we anticipate that the ultimate result will be that every large sheepowner will have a small one of his own on his station. )!>>We hear in one instance of old ewes and ram stags that have been culled from the flocks, being sent? to the boiling-down establishment, a»d realising, four and five shillings per head. This is anything but a bad price, and affords a glimpse of great prosperity to the sheep farmer^ Fire at Okarita.— The West Coast Times of May 1 gives ' the following particulars : — intelligence was brought to town last night by Mr Bell, of Waitaha; that a fire had broken out at Okarita on Tuesday last. The fire was first discovered ' about three o'clock on the above day, at .Mra ' Deans Sweeny's Hotel, by Mr Mace and Mr Thomas M'Fettriclc. The flames by this time had taken a great hold of the building, and although the whole of the townspeople made every effort to subdue them, their exertions were unavailing. The flames quickly spread to the adjoining buildings, and in a very short space of time three hotels, a butcher's shop, and . a bank were on fire. These continued to burn furiously, notwithstanding the efforts of the people, and at last, to save the rest of the buildings near, a cottage was pulled down, which stopped the further progress of destruction. Had this bu'lding not been removed nothing could have saved the remainder of the houses in the street. A large store, full of goods, stood next to the cottage. The Hotels burned were the Victorian, Prince Alfred (unoccupied), and Sweeny's. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been the woodwork about the chimney in Sweeney's Hotel having caught fire during the day and smouldered until night, when it bur3t into flames. Messrs M'Goldrich and Friend are reported to be the heaviest losers. Departure of I'rince Alfred from Wellington. — The Wellington Post, of the 3rd insti, says : — H.M.S. Blanche, Captain Montgomerie, having on board 11.1t.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in harbour early i yesterday morning. The Duke landed privately in the afternoon, and went to Government House, from whence hn afterwards rode out on horseback, accompanied by his Excellency the Governor. . In the evening II JR. 11. entertained a select number of guests at dinner at Government House, and went on board the Galatea about half-past 11. He did not return on shore to-day^£The volunteers were warned by district proer to fall in on the Reclaimed Land this morning at half-past 10 to form a guard of .honouWand the Artillery to fire a salute at 11 — theTnour fixed for the Prince's departure. Volunteers who mustered for the guard were dismissed at once, but the Artillery had to remain in patient expectation till 20 minutes to 3, at which time the Galatea tripped her anchor, and the first gun of the twenty-one was flrecQ The salute" was not returned, and the frigate steamed majestically away. Hie Excellency will follow Ju the Challenger, which sails tomorrow. Hjjie Artillery consider, and not without reason, that they have been rather badly treated, standing the whole day on the Reclaimed Land, without the slightest occasion. This is, however, only another instance of the utter disregard which his Excellency has shown to the convenience of every one except himself, in all arrangements jnade during the Prince's visit. ~~ „ mrwmr 2g§g§l

Mr Fitzhebbert. — The Independent, of the ; Ist inst., regrets to learn that since Mr Fitzberbert's return, he has sustained an attack of gout, from the effects of which he has been confined to his room. Gambling in New Yore. — There is in New York an association for the prevention of gambling. The society employs detectiveß to visit the gambling saloons and procure evidence for the suppression 1 of these establishments. It is the business of these agents also to ascertain the names and occupations of those who frequent the gambling rooms, and a list of the persons thus detected is sent periodically to the subscribers to the society, that they may know who are the persons wasting their money, or perhaps the money of their employers, in gambling. Many large houses of business subscribe. In the month of August the society's agents detected among the gamblers sixty-eight clerks of mercantile houses, and in the previous six months reported 623 cases. It is stated that there are in New York and Brooklyn 1017 policy and lottery offices, and 163 faro banks, and' that their net annual gains are not less than 36,000,000 dollars. Leichardt. — The following is from the Australasian of April 24 : — Newscomes from Western Austra'ia that another effort is about to be made to penetrate the mystery enveloping the fate of the distinguished explorer, Leichardt. In a recent expedition iu the north-eastern portion of the colony, undertaken by Mr Monger, of the York district, for pastoral purposes, intelligence was communicated by the natives that fifteen day's journey beyond Mr Monger's exploraI tion were the remains of throe dead Europeans. As the last route taken by Leichardt might have carried him to this spot, it is regarded as imperative that steps should be adopted to discover whether there are such j remains as are reported, and if so, whether they have any connection with the lostexplorj ing party of 1848. If this search is to be made, would it not be well, once for all, to make it a thorough one, by letting it extend to the Coburg peninsula ? Nothiug is more probable than that Leichardt, failing in his attempt to cross direct from Sydney to Perth, made for his former terminus of Port Essington. When he left Sydney it was not known that this northern settlement, to which he had penetrated a couple of years before, was about to be abandoned by the British Government. It was, however, given up soon afterwards, and since that time the Cuburg peninsula has remained, untraversed by white feet. Stewart's northern terminus and the Adam Bay territory lie well to the west of it ; the existing Queensland settlements are far away east. The country around Port Essington, which, j when Leichardt first visited it, bade fair to be opened up, has remained a sealed book for nearly twenty years. So has the fate of Leichardt. Is it not possible that the reopening of the one may lead to some trace of the other ? And if there is to be another expedition from Western Australia, might it not push across to the site of Port Essington, where a vessel could be despatched to await its arrival ? Anecdote of Presidrnt Lincoln.— -A correspondent of The Commercial Advertiser furnishes the following anecdote of Lincoln : —On the day that intelligence reached Washington '.-"oi the taking of Mason and Slidell from the English steamer Trent, the writer called at the White House to iutro--1 doce two English friends, who had been with him on a short trip through the Western and South- Western States, and who were desirous of an introduction to the chief magistrate of , the nation before their return, by way of , Washington, to New York, whence they de- , signed to ship for England. It was on a Saturday, about half-paßt 3 p.m.', when, after waiting for a short time in consequence of the President being engaged, we succeeded in obtaining an interview. Upon my apologising for . trespassing after the usual hours for receptions, he replied, " Not at all, my good sir, I am very happy to see you and your friends," accompanied by his usual warm grasp of the hand. After a few observations in reference to Western country — hoping my friends had derived much gratification from their tour, &c, the President said, " I presume, gentlemen, you have heard of our taking Mason and Slidell from the English steamer Trent (the intelligence of which had reached him only a few hours before). Your friends on the other side of the water will not like this." After a pause : " Well, I suppose we shall have to give them up," adding, with evident glee, " but in the meantime we will take good care of them." Thus, with a high sense of honour and of international law, he determined hia course of conduct the moment the occurrence took place, and when we consider the outcry of the Press generally as to what was to be done in the premises, accompanied by such exclamations a*s " Give them up?— Never .'" his action, reflects another instance of his absolute honesty of purpose and high sense of honour. Subsidies. — The Philadelphia correspondent of The Times gives the following : — Mr Washburue, of Illinois, the leader of what may be called the " party of economy " in Congress, made a speech in opposition to a railroad subsidy bill in the House on the 19th of January, which shows how public property in America has been devoted to the uses of private corporations, and that the desire to stop the waste has not come too soon. Mr Washbourne said that nearly one-third of the public domain had been given away to railroad corporations "; the quantity was estimated at 185,000,000 acres, which at the minimum price of the public lands would have brought 231,000,000 dols into the Treasury. It was not an over-estimate to say that the value of the public lands voted away by Congress in the last 18 years has not been less than five hundred millions of dollars. The Commissioner of the General Land office had estimated it as exceeding in the aggregate, by more than five millions of acres, the entire areas of the six New England Sfcatef, and New York, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The grants to the Pacific Railway lines alone were, according to the | same authority, within about one-fourth of being twice the united area of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, and all the islands of the British seas, and within lesß than a tenth of being equal to the French Empire. This extraordinary statement, he said, must startle the American people, if it did not arouse their indignation, and it was in addition to the untold millions of money subsidies. The report of the Government director of the Union Pacific Railway Company showed that the entire length of the road would be 1110 miles, and that the Government subsidies in bonds amounted to 29,500,000 dols. The company's first mortgage bonds would yield over 27,000.000 doli, so that the fund realized from these two sources amounted to over 56,000,000, being an average of 51,034d01s per mile, and exceeding by 16,000 dols the actual cost of construction and equipment. This yielded a profit to the company of nearly $18,000,000. The subsidies in bouds granted to all the Pacific railways were shewn by the report to the Treasury to be $44,337,000 thu9 far, for 1794 miles of completed road, while there was no means of determining the amount yet to be issued. The particular railroad company whose merits were then being discussed asked for a subsidy in bonds and land, amounting to $35,846,000. It was the Peni ver Pacific Railroad and.Telegraph Company, and was to receive this for building a road 400 miles in length, one of the easiest and most cheaply-constructed in America. It was equal to $89,615 a mile, and putting the actual cost at the higheßt possible estimate, 30,000 dols a mile, it would leave a net profit to the company 6f $23,846,000. The road was badly located and poorly built, and all this was enough to secure the rejection of the Bill. Mr Washburne said he opposed this measure because .he understood that it was the " pioneer Bill." of the Session, and that if passed it would be the entering wedge for other bills involving 200,000,000 dols of subsidies for the construction of 10,000 miles of railroad; two hundred millions drawn from the Treasury for the benefit of corporations, speculators, lobbyists, and adventurers ! The House adjourned without taking any vote on the BUI. It will not be stretching the truth to say that the country is astounded at the revelations made of the vast amounts of land and money already appropriated to these enterprises, and the extensive demands of a similar character that are yet in contemplation. Over 200 Bills granting subsidies are now pending in Congress.