LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 148, 8 December 1870, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Our Alexandra Correspondent's letter, we regret, must be held over till next week. The anniversary of Court Star of Tuapeka A.O.F. takes place on Thursday next. We hear that the brothers from Court Havelock are likely to muster in strong force. The tickets are going off rapidly, and a successful anniversary is anticipated. The French Consul at Sydney received intelligence from London, dated the afternoon of the 2nd of November, which speaks of a fearful bombardment of Paris. Half of the city is in luins, but the surrounding forts are still holding out. The attention of "slaughtermen is called to, the fact that they should have applied for their license for 1871 at the sitting of the Justice on last Tuesday, as it was the last; sitting during the year. They should look to this matter without fail, as they will be liable to a penalty not having licenses. The Drybread mystery case was heard before his Honour Mr Justice Chapman, on Tuesday. His Honour, in alluding to the case in his charge to the Grand Jury, said "he did not recollect anything at all like it." There were, no, new facts elicited in the evidence laid before his Honour -no clue to the motive which induced the woman to feign thab she had been delivered of a child. Mr Barton set up a defence^Sftemporary insanity, but the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Prisoner was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, but the mystery remains as much a sealed book as ever.

The lion. Julius Yogel, Colonial Treasurer, arrived in Dunedin on Monday last. We are glad to learn that there is the fteyspect ,of/a post-office and mail service to "Waikaka being established. THE settlers in the Tuapeka, Beaumont, and Teviot districts wiil be glad to learn that Messrs D. Brown and Co. have arranged to travel these districts with their steam portable thrashing machine. As will be seen by an advertisement, Messrs. Burton Brothers, phothographers, announce that their stay in Lawrence will not be prolonged beyond the 21st inst. We would echo the request they make that all who intend jfrvouring them with a sitting will do so at once. Among the arrivals by the Beautiful Star last week was three racehorses, which are intendad -to go the racing circuit of the season in this province. They are Misfortune, a chusnut mare, byTowton, out of Regalia ; Thornham, by Scud ; and the hurdle racehorse Stackpoole. The horses are in charge of Messrs Rae and Richards. It will be observed from advertisement that the Rev. Mr. Menzies will deliver a lecture on "John Bunyan'" with magic lantern illustrations, in the Tuapeka Athenaeum on the evening of Wednesday next. We understand that the instrument and views are equal to anything of the kind in the colony, and we trust the subject of the lecture will be sufficiently attractive to induce a large attendance. At the Waste Lands Board meeting held last week applications to purchase the following lands held under agricultural leases by the applicants were granted. W. Sheath, sections 3S, 39, 40, and 41, block 1., Tuapeka East ; E. N. Legge, section 19, block IV., Table Hill ; James Taborn, section 177, block 11., and 17, block V., Tuapeka East. It was resolved that the unsurveyed portions of blocks 1., 11., 111., IV., V., VI., VII., and VIII., Tapanui, should be surveyed at the first opportunity and offered for sale. In the Provincial Council on Tuesday, nothing of importance transpired. A discussion on the reply to the Superintendent's Message No. 3 was adjourned till yesterday. Mr. Haughton moved that the report of the Select Committee upon the Tuapeka Railway Petition be referred to the Government. He also read a letter from Mr H. Bastingswith refeience to certain false reports concerning the getting up of the petition and its presentation, which had been circulated. The Committee's report on the Petition, and Mr. Bastings' letter, will be found in anothei column.

A PtTITION from the inhabitants of Alexandra prayiug that the Government would not curry out the recommendation of the report of the Retrenchment Commission that the goldfields officer at Alexandra should be removed, was presented to the Superintendent on Wednesday forenoon. His Honour fully .concurred with the views of the memorialists. As long as he was in office he would advocate the necessity of retaining the officer in question. He thought that if any change were uiude, the Gold Receiver at Alexandra should be appointed a SubWarden, to remain at Alexandra and visit the Blacks district when necessary. The deputation then thanked his Honour and withdrew.

We had the pleasure of seeing a requisition in course of signature at the Teviot, inviting Mr. Bradshaw, M.H.R., to stand for the TFaikaia district at the next election for the General Assembly. If the TFaikaia district obtains the services of that gentleman, the ■electors may consider themselves lucky. Mr. Frederick Dean, of Switzers, has intimated his intention of offering himself as a candidate for the same district. Mr Dean may be a good man, but he is as yet untried. Mr. Bradshaw, on the other hand, is a true and tried man, .and has taken the lead in every matter affecting the interests of the miners and the opening of the land for settlement.

The followeng appeared in the " Daily Times ' of the sth instant : —Auckland, December Ist. via Wanganui, December 3rd. The following telegrams, dated London, November 2nd, have been received here : -The Parisians are desponding. Paris has been nearly destroyed by an immense petroleum fire. The losses are enormous. Great distress prevails in Paris. Fresh armies have marched from the south of France to attack the Prussians m the rear. There are discussions among the garrisons in Paris. •Some of them clamour for a capitulation before the bombardment commences. Ardent entreaties are made to bring up fresh armies to attack the Prussians in the rear. The Prussians have 100 siege guns in position, and it is the opinion of good judges that the city will not hold out two days after the general bombardment opens.

This week's Provincial Governient Gazette contains the following notifications : — The lease of Messrs Cargill and Anderson to depasture stock on 2500 acres of land in Run No, 199,

Teviot district, has been cancelled ; as also the lease of Mr AY. J. Clarke to depasture stock on 5000 acres in Run No. 215, in the Benger Survey District. — Regulation No. 4, relating to agricultural leases in the Otago Goldfield, is cancelled, and the following regulations are substituted for it . — "4a The "Warden shall cause every application for an Agriculturtal Leas>e to be recorded in a book for that purpose, and shall appoint a day being not less than fourteen nor more than thirty days from the date of the receipt of such application for hearing and deciding the same and any objections that may be made thereto. 4b. If the Warden on such enquiry as aforesaid shall find that more than /one application has been made for a lease of the same land on the same day and shall find that no valid objection exists to the issuing of a lease of such land or of some portion thereof he shall cause the lease of such land or of such part thereof as he shall decide to grant to be put up f or sale by auction by the Receiver of Gold Revenue on the day following that on which the decision of the Warden shall be arrived at the said applicants alone being allowed to bid for the same and the highest bidder at such sale shall be entitled to the lease of the land so peered,"

The December Criminal Sessions of the Sessions opened on Monday last. His Honour's charge to the grand, jury is of little public interest, being restricted to comments on the cases for trial. The jury found true bills against the whole of the prisoners except William Dunsford, accused of horse-stealing at Kakanui, who was accordingly released from custody. James Muir pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape at Pembroke, but was convicted of the minor offence of indecent assault, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, with hard labour. A similar punishment was inflicted upon a Chinaman named Ah Sing for assaulting another Chinaman with an axe. John Burke, charged with manslaughter at Doolie's Creek, Kawaru, was tried and acquitted. George Grey M'Ewcn pleaded guilty of larceny, and James M 'Donald of uttering a forged cheque. Both were remanded for sentence.

A Switzeks Correspondent writing under date 29th November, says :— A miner, John Morrison, in the hospital here who has been lying for some time with a broken leg had it amputated to-day just below the knee. The operation was successfully performed by Dr. Lake, Switzers Hospital surgeon, and the patient is yet doing well. Chloroform was administered.— The four Chinamen, Ah Moon, Ah Man, Ah Ho, and Ah Cow were to-day brought up on the adjourned hearing, charged with assaulting three Europeans with shovels. The evidence against two of the prisoners fell through ; the other two were fined Is. each and costs (about Ll3 altogether). Mr. Blewitt, Chinese Interpreter, attended from Lawrence, and Mr. G. Baily conducted the defence. The assault arose from a dispute about water. — Another share in the Independent "Water Race Company changed hands on the 29th ult. for the sum of L 27, -Mr. F. Dean being the purchaser. This gentleman now owns three shaies, equal to one-third of this valuable property.

The Masons held their second anniversary invitation ball at the Clyde Town Hall, on Wednesday night. The hall was tastefully decorated, and the brethren, attended in great force, dressed in f nil regalia. About 60 couple occupied the floor— some few from each of the various townships of the district, beside the elite lof Clyde, and a more enjoyable ball cor.ld not be possible ; every one expressed their satisfaction at the committee's arransrements. Mr Sykes, the. well known pianist, presided afc his favorite instrument, and Mr Whetter, of Cromwell celebrity, assisted with the cornopean. The company did not break up until a late hour in the morning. The cuisine department was very ably managed and got up by Mr Thomas Webb, who displayed great ability in setting before the guests so excelleut a lepast; the supper room was well arranged, beautifully decorated, well attended, bountifully supplied, and nothing was wanted to make the guests delighted with their entertainment.