Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 684, 2 August 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

— — ♦ : — REPRESENTATION OF CHRISTCHUBCH. The writ for the election of a new member, in the room of Mr Travers, will come down by the Rangitoto, to-morrow. Bankruptcy. — His Honor Mr Justice Gresson will return from Wellington to-mor-row, and a Bitting of the Bankruptcy Court will be held on Thursday. Ltttelton Borough Council. — Owing to the want of a quorum on Monday evening, the meeting of Councillors lapsed. Those present were his Worship the Mayor and Councillors Young and Cummins. Fatal Accident.— A boy about two years old, the son of Mr Wright, farmer, Drain Road, Rangiora, was accidentally drowned yesterday whilst playing near his house, by falling into a waterhole about 1 8 inches deep. Life was extinct before medical aid arrived. Violent Assault. — It was reported to the police last evening that a violent assault had been committed on the landlord of the Miners' Arms, Coal Track, and that he was in a somewhat dangerous condition from the effects of some blows he received on the head. Kaiapoi Wesleyan Chuhch. — We understand that the foundation stone of the new Church about to be erected, will be laid on Friday next with the usuil ceremony. Contractors are reminded that the time for receiving tenders for this work has been extended to August 10. Poultry Association - . — The committee met last evening at White's Hotel, Mr Gilchrist in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Several important matters of detail connected with the ensuing show were arranged, and it was agreed to extend the time for closing of entries to 5 p.m. to-day. Representation of Christchurch. — We learn by telegram from Wellington that Mr Travers has placnd his resignation in the hands of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A writ for the election of a new member cannot be issued till the Speaker has called attention to the vacancy in the House, to/day. It is possible the writ may come down by the Taranaki. ' ' Rangiora. — The new Roman Catholic Chapel, recently built at tbis place, was opened for Divine Service on Sunday last. At the conclusion of mass, a very impressive sermon was preached by the Rev Father Chervier. The attendance was very large, including visitors from Christchurch,- Kaiapoi, and surrounding districts, also several members of the Christchurch choir. At the conclusion of the sermon, over £25 was collected by voluntary contributions. Chbistchubch Total Abstinence Society: — The usual fortnightly meeting in connexion: with this society took place in the Temperance Hall last night. Mr Lawry presided, and Messrs Morrison, Rogers, and Bennett delivered: interesting addresses on the temperance question. Miss Cutler sang a melody, and Dr Allen and Master Thompson gave recitations. The secretary announced that on Tuesday next there would be a social tea in the hall in commemoration of the dbeniag. IvGaol Returns. — During the month of Tuly there were 85 prisoners in the gaol at Lyttelton, classified as follows : — 7 for trial, 69 at hard labour, 2 for imprisonment only, and 7 debtors. 14 prisoners were discharged during the month. In the Christchurch gaol, the prisoners numbered 57 — 28 males and 29 females. Of the former, 24 were at hard labour, and 4 for imprisonment only ; of the latter, 1 is for trial, 27 are at hard I labour, and I for imprisonment only. 20 | males and 1 2 females were liberated during the month. Postal. — It will be seen by a Post-offlce notice in this issue that the -Inter-Provincial rate of postage has been abolished, and that i letters of half-an-ounce and under can be forwarded to any part of the colony for twopence. This will be generally recognised as a step in the right direction, for all that tends to do away with different rates, and otherwise simplify Post-office arrangements, leads to an extended use of the department by the public, and eventually is most remunerative to the Government. Theatre Royal — Mr C. F. Searle took his benefit at the Theatre last evening, and all parts of the house were well patronised. The curtain rose to " The Rivals," a favourite comedy with Chiistchurch playgoers. Mr Searle took the part of Sir Anthony, and played it with great credit. Mrs Malaprop is one of those characters, for the pourtrayal of which Miss Cassy Mathews is specially adapted, and her acting last night was quite a success. Mr and Mrs Steele volunteered their services, and sustained the parts of Lucius and Lydia. Mr Wolfe appeared as Captain Absolute, and Miss Nye as Lucy. Between the pieces, a duet was sung by Miss Forde and Miss Nye, the performances concluding with the farce ' of "Twenty Minutes with a Tiger." The Perils ov Bber Drinking. — Publio attention has recently been drawn by a lelter in the Lancet to a number of accidental lead poisonings in the neighbourhood of Guildford, supposed to have been occasioned by the beer supplied from a particular brewery. At the date when the letter was written none of the cases had terminated fatally, bnt a man named Henry Wapshott, a labourer, 70 years of age, res ding in the vicioity of Hipley, has since died, and yesterday Mr G. H. Hull, coroner for the Western Division of Surrey, held an adjourned inquest at the Talbot Hotel, Ripley Green, to investigate the circumstances of his decease. From the evidence it appeared that the man had on several occasions partaken of beer at two public houses supplied by the same brewer, and shortly afterwards was seized with such symptoms as indicated lead-poi-soning, and the blue line on the gums, refer- 1 red to in the " Lancet - ' as proof of this kind of poisoning, was very distinctly marked. Despite medical attention, the man died in greit agony, and although a cost mortem examination showed infl-irmnation of ths

lungs, Dr Tayior.of Guildford, was of opinion that death had undoubtedly been accelerated i by lead poison. An application was accor- ! dingly made to the Secretary of State to i allow Dr Taylor, of London, to analyse the stomach: but it appearing that red lead had been fouud at the brewery in question in a tank used for cleansing barrels, the Secretary , of State thought an analysis unnecessary. Mr Hooker, analytical chemist, stated that he had analysed two samples of beer obtained , from a public house at Hipley, and found traces of red lead in each ; but the quantity was exceedingly small. The brewer, who was in attendance, explained to the jury that, by some accident some red lead had fallen into a galvanised iron tank used for cask cleaning, and that on having the cask cleaned out a quantity of sediment was found, which proved that was the source of the mischief. He added that the firm called in a>l their beer from the differenthouses as soon they ascertained the above fact. The coroner wished the brewer to state publicly if he intended to destroy the beer which had been poisoned, but the witness replied that he did not believe that more than twenty casks had been poisoned, and the beer would be dealt with in such a way as not to injuriously affect the public. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died of inflammation of the lungs, accelerated by the poison of red lead, casually and accidentally communicated in some beer of which he had partaken. The Fijis.— The following items are from the Fiji Times of June 14:— The Prussians are about to .take Samoa, and may not be unwilling to add Fiji to their dominions. The native war in Samoa is raging as furiously as ever. We hear from a private source that th e United States ship Jamestown was seventyseven days from Fiji to San Francisco, whence Captain Truxton telegraphed the wish of white settlers in Fiji for the annexation of these islands to America, and forwarded the memorial to Washington. A curious incident took place on Messrs Strang and Findley's plantation some time back. One of their Line people died and was buried; a short time afterwards Mr Findley, 'vpn entering the Line men's house, was electrified by observing the skull of his late servitor hanging up in a basket. The survivors had dug up the defunct one, and screwed off the head, to be kept in memory of the past. It is proposed by the London Missionary Society to opan _ a boarding school at Apia, Samoa, for the children of foreign residents. The school will be under the management of Mr and Mrs Shaw, who hive been sent out from England for the express purpose of educating the children of settlers. All the comforts of a home and a good education may be secured for the children of foreign residents in the three Groups of Samoa; Fiji, and the Friendly Islands. The arrival of several vessels during the last fortnight from the colonies, with over 100 intending settlers, has added considerably to the bustle of Levuka, and the number of vessels in harbour impart a cheerfulness to the scene which promises well for Fiji. All the hotels are crowded, and shakedowns are resorted to to meet the wants of the new. comers. Many and anxious : are the enquiries concerning land, where it is to be purchased, and the best districts to settle in ; while others are waiting, impatiently to go and look for themselves, but the weather, which has been very un propitious the. last few days, keeps every-: one in Levuka. From time to time it becomes our duty, to warn people at a distance, whote means are limited, not to . come to Fiji, or they will assuredly be disappointed; the only emigrants who .can possibly prosper here are those who are possessed of any sum over £300, which will enable them to start cotton planting, when they will stand a good chance of making, with industry, a competency in a few years. The only demand for white labour in Fiji is for carpenters, of whom we already possess a. .sufficient quantity for our wants. .Clerks, storemen, and others, who may come here expecting to find employment, will regret having done so, especially if they do not possess the wherewith to pay their return passage.