Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 380, 2 August 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Provincial Investment and Loan Association. — A compulsory ballot of a sum not exceeding x £8500^ will be balloted amongst the holders of unrealised shares, at Cookham House Chambers, at 12.15 p.m. to-day. Flax. — A Wanganui contemporary of July 29 states: — A contract has been taken in the Rangitikei district to deliver 2000 tons of flax at a mill, at 15s per ton, 15 tons to be delivered a week. . It has been ascertained that an acre of natural grown flax produced 1.5. tons. . ... ... A Defaulter. — A Hokitika contemporary of July 30 says: — E. W.- Jones, who was arrested iu Wellington on chai;ges,of embezzlement, was brought by ihe Onieo to Greymouth, and landed there. Yesterday he was brought overland by Detective Brown, and lodged, in the- lock-up. A Dead Body Found. — Sergt. Hdrniman of the mounted police discovered a dead body in the river Rakaia, near the gorge, j yesterday. No official enquiry , had been held when our inf orrdant left, but it is be- ; lieved that the body is that of a man named Dobey, who was drowned in the Rakaia'some six months- ago. Tne Alii.uibra's Mail. — The Post-office authorities inform ns 'that the Alhambra, which arrived at Hokitika on Thursday last, was unable to land her mails. Our Hokitika contemporaries appear have received their files, and we notice that tlie Alhambra was tendered, by the steamer r Persevere< It would: ap'peaj*. from this, that there has been some negle'ct witii : regars to tlie Canterbury mails. Children's Entertainment. — The fifth of the series took place in the High School, Lyttelton, on Friday evening, and was Yery successful. Mr H. R. Webb gave a lecture on Electricity ; reading.^ were also given by Messrs Ward,, Fyfe, rThomspq, And D. Day. The evening's enteriaHnrneht ' tras' agreeably enlivened; by soine- Christy songs and choruses by Mr Carder and;the, children. , The next of the scries vill ta^e place ; in the Wesleyan Schools. ' ; ;•.■;!■: ; . ' Espape from Fj^h.— - A narrow escape from fire occurred •in rear of the Crystal, Pfl^co buildings : pn Saturday, morning last. Constable [I^horeau,, who was ou duty in that locality, . ;^lptecte^l a smell of fire at a few minutes to four o'clock, and on examining.thq. premises pf . Mir Mills, bacon curer, found a qnantitybf ! oacon,- under process of smoking, on fire. He .immediately procured assistance, and by the aid of a plentiful supply of water, brought, in buckets from the river, extinguished the flames without any serious damage being done. . . Gaol Returns. — The following is the rejturn for the month of July :— Lyttelton Gaol — Male side : For trial -at • Supreme Court, 7 ; hard labour, 57; imprisonment, 7; debtors, 13; total, 84. Female side — nil. Discharges —Tried , gsi • Supreme Court, 5 , ; tried before Magistrates, 7; debtors, 4; total, 16. Christchurch Gaol — Male side : Hard labour, '14-, imprisonment,' 2.'; lunatics, 3; total, 1 9. Female side— For trial at Suprpme Court, 3 ; hard labour, 11;' imprisonment I•" total, 15. Discharges — Tried before Magistrates, 12; lunatics,' 3;"" totalj-r 15 — 9 inalfes • and 6 females. '•* ' ' na ."A::LVi ■*.jj£ .'.■•..;

New Temperance Hall. — The opening of the above hall is to he celebrated this evening by a tea and public meeting. Addresses are to be delivered by several well-known temperance advocates, with songs and otber niusical performances. On Weduesday evening a Washingtonian meeting will be held; and on Thursday there will be a Band of Hope demonstration, including songs, recitations, aud readings by the members. We wish our temperance friends every success in their self-denying enterprise. Peninsula Quartz-min-ixg Compant. — A meeting of gentlemen interested in the discovery of a goldfield in "the province was held at Mr Deßourbel's office at three o'clock to-day, for the purpose of proposing the formation of a compauy with the above title, under the Mining Companies Limited Liability Act, 1565. The object of the company is to thoroughly prospect the quartz reefs of the Peninsula, situated on land in McQueen's valley, and recently purchased by Messrs Cowlishaw and H. B. Johnstone. We understand that all the shares in the company were applied for in a few hours on Saturday. Magisterial. — At the Cbristchurch Magistrate's Court on Saturday Edmund Bennett appeared, on remand, before C. C. Bowen, Esq., R.M., for having assaulted his wife, and subsequently deserted both her and children. The evidence showed that the two were equally addicted to drink, which was the primary cause of their disagreements. His Worship, seeing this, dismissed the case on an understanding that both would sign the pledge for twelve months, and make another attempt to live amicably together. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Lyttelton, before W. Donald, Esq., R.M., Christian Detford was brought up on a charge of drunkeuness, and fined 10 shillings. Lincoln. — The Lincoln people, following the example set them by other places, and being in want of a stove for tlieir schoolroom, determined to get up au entertainment in order to raise the necessary funds. The entertainment came off on Friday evening in the schoolroom, Mr Richard Wright occupying the chair. Readings were given by the Rev. J. Campbell, Rev. F. Pember, Messrs Jacobson, Elwin, Digby, aud Cotton, and a recitation by Mr James Roberts. Mr Digby 's reading of Artemus Ward's letter to the Prince of Wales was very well received, as also the Rev. J. Campbell's " Too many irons in the fire." Mr Pember read portions of "As you like it" very effectively, and Mr Roberts' recitation showed him a careful student of his subject. The singing of the Lincoln Choir was very good, especially a quartette by Mesdames White and Duun and the Misses Blair. Mr Digby greatly assisted by singing some very amusing comic songs, which were twice encored. There were about eighty people present, and before the meeting broke up cordial votes of thanks were tendered to the several performers and to the chairman. Gold in Taranaki. — The Wanganui Evening Herald of July 29, says : — The mailman who arrived from Patea and Taranaki yesterday, reports that " nui nui "had been found in the Kaitake ranges. No particulars of the discovery have been received, but if a payable goldfield has been discovered, we shall soon enough know of the good news. Law Reform. — The Victorian Government is about to take into consideration the question of law reform, in the spirit of the suggestions recently made by the English Commission. The Crown law officers, say the Argus, are prepared to take the initiative, and should they succeed in securing the co-opera-tion of the Bench and the liar, there is no doubt that in a short time the public will e»joy tbe benefit of a sensible reduction of law expenses, without any unfair interference with the legitimate emoluments of the profession. The Fijis. — Mr H. D. Gundry, who arrived in Dunedin yesterday from tbe Fijis, via Auckland, has furnished us with the following information regarding the present state of those islands : — The Polynesian Company have been put in possession of their land by King Tlnikombau, and Mr Cook, the manager, expresses himself hopefully regarding the- prospects of the .Company. The cotton plantations are looking exceedingly well; As an illustration of the capabilities of the islands with respect to ihe growth of cotton, it may be mentioned thnt it is estimated that Mr Packham's plantai tion at Taviuna will yield about forty tons of Sea Island cotton, all of which has been recently planted.' This cotton will fetch in the- seed unginned, about i£1000; or ginned at the rate of Is per lb. All the planters in the Windward Islands anticipate heavy crops. A meeting was lately held at 'Lomo Lomo of the residents in the territory of Mafu^an influential Tongue chief, for'the^iurpone of framing laws f r the future government of the Windward Islands. Tui Cakau, a powerful Fijian chief, attended this meeting, and several laws were framed. Among other things, it was resolved that roads should be formed in Taviuna, where Tui Cakau resides, and that the whole of the island should be properly surveyed before any more land waa sold to the whites. The settlers from Otago are taking up land chiefly in.the neighbourhood of Havu Savu Bay, and appear to ,be perfectly satisfied with their investment. In TLevuka, the commercial capital of the Fijis, the Duke of Edinburgh had been expected for sometime, aud great preparations had been made to receive him. ; As, however, he had not put, in an appearance, "a number of the planters whp had comes into Levuka for the purpose of receiving him, and had waited there fpr three, weeks,, returned disgusted. Any ; ope. with a capital of from £400 to .£SOO, could, with steady perseverance, make a fortune, in a few yeara by c;;tton growing alon«, , The climate pf the Islands is not more trying than that of Melbourne or Sydney. • .'The 7'Trade ' .-"winds blow constantly, more especially over the Windward Islands. The difficulties witn the native's had always been caused by the conduct of the Europeans, who have,*! hi rJome instances, been guilty of great cruiHies. ,:'.i"flj] ■'. .:''i;.-.