Local and General intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1356, 1 June 1887, Page 2

Local and General intelligence.

By a fire in the tramway staples, New York, 1600 horses were burned alive, THE Education Board have fixed Friday, 3d June, for the election of school committees in the Wethei stones and Tuapeka Flat districts. An open-air meeting will be held in Melbourne on Saturday next, under the presidency of Sir Bryan O'Loughlin, to protect against the Irish Crimes Bill. The Evans Flat School Committee have appointed Miss Maxwell, Dunedin, to the vacant teachersbip in that school. There were several applicants for the position. It is now estimated that fully a hundred Hveß were lost by the fire at the Opera Comique, Paris. The bodies of several English ladies have been extricated from the ruins. The Ret. J. Rylet, of Port Chalmers, will deliver aj address, in connection with the Lawrence Blue Ribbon Society, in the Presbyterian school'oom, on Friday evening, when a large attendance is expected. TUAPEKA is at last about to be distinguish 3d by a breach of promise case. The aggrieved was at one time in domestic service in Lawrence, and the other party to the action is a gentleman well-known in the Waitahnna district. The writ, which is for £200, was se-ved on Friday last.

The defeat of the Government has already brought a number of candidates into the field for Tuapeka. We have heard several names mentioned, but as the gentlemen in question have not yet definitely announced themselves, we cannot undertike to lay their identity before the public. The police are determined to put a stop to the practice, very extensively followed during the winter months, of riding on the footpath between the town and the Tuapeka Hotel. There is now a splendid metal road all the way, though, perhaps, a little rough, and equestrians have no longer any excuse for cutting up the footpath and endangering the lives of footpassengers, Oue offender was brought before the court on Monday morning and fined sa ; ajd the police are now keeping a sharp look-out for others transgressing in a like manner. A GENTLEMAN called on Mr Parfitt, draper, a few days ago and favoured him with an order for some new clothes, shirts, etc., in payment of which he tendered htm a cheque for about double the value of the goods received. Mr Parfitt cashed the cheque, paid the drawer the balance (about £5) in cash, and felt happy. For some reason however, best known to themselves, the bank refined to cash the cheque wheu presented; and so the police are now making enquiries after the owner of the signature.

A SINGULAR rumour (i-ys the " Star '• correspondent) hr n obtained circulation respecting the resignation of the Avon seat by Mr Leonard Harper. It is said that he has written back to the Colony explaining that when he got to England he found that there was a compact in the English money market not to lend any more money to this Colony while the present finaucial administration existed, and having been elected as a supporter of Sir Julius Yogel he resigned his ceat rather than continue his allegiance under those circumstances.

The fact that the Government s.s. Stella should be sent to Greymouth for a couple of West Coast members at a cost of £50, whso other steamers were leaving the port daily for Wellington, is a public scandal, which should not be passed unnoticed. These two important individuals could have been taken to Wellington at the low figure of £3 a head, but their caresses were too valuable to ba entrusted to the safe conduct of ordinary craft. The Stella was sent down at the express desire of Mr Guinness, the member for Grey, who apparently thought, " han? the expense ; let the country pay for it, so long as we can travel with all the pomp and vanity necessary to our exalted position as legislators of the colony."

An Auckland political agitator (Mr Hodge) visited Wellington at the beginning of the session and pursued his investigations into matteia political from the Speaker's gallery. On his return to Auckland he enlightened the people there by giving them ths result of his observations. In doing so, he mentioned the' name of the genial member for Dunstan in a most offensive manner, and at least one of th? Auckland papers in reporting the affair allowed the name to appear in its report. Mr Pyke is naturally indignant at having his name brought up in such a manner, and unless he receives ample satisfaction, will proceed against the paper for libel, and probably take proceedings also against Mr Hodge. If other papers have repeated the libel (*ays the "Daily Times" correspondent), they also will be proceeded agaiogt,

Mb O'Bhiin, the Nationalist, fats left Canada for New York. His crusade against tha Ma qais of Landsdowne is general'y regarded as having bean a failure. A popular detnonstra* tion has taken place in favour of the Marquis, in which the Roman Catholics are said Io have taken » prominent part.

PEOPLE have been anxiously awaiting the Wellman patent dredging experiments on the Clutha river, but as yet nothing very satis* factory has been learned. The Duostan paper says that from what it can glean ths new dredge has not succeeded in getting to work, It appears the centrifugal pump which creates the suction and causes vacuum is not largt enough, and it ia understood that to get over the defect the pump will have to be replaced by a larger one or the down pipe will have to be decreased.

Bbownsovbb Hall, near Rugby, was ths other day the scene of a curious example of separating the sheep from the goats. Accord ing to "Truth," Hie Ru^by det -chmsnt of the 2nd V.B. of the Royal Warwickshire had been drilling and practising a smill minwirre in 'he grounds, and at the close the men ware marched up to the house for refreshment. Oa arriving there, the 'portion of the detachment formed by the Rugby schoolboys had she command to go to the " right" into the diningroom, whilst the town portion were wheeled to the "left •' into the stables. The officers of the latter were then invited to join the former, but they wisely determined to share the stables with their men.

SOME mischievous hoodlama hays been trying to destroy the trees planted along Harrington Place, one very nice Bhrub having been broken off close to the ground. These trees wore planted by Mr Herbert as a gift to the town, and at considerable cost and trouble, and when in full leaf show that end of the town off to great advantage. It is, therefore, desirable that the Borough Council should do everything in its power to bring the culprits to justice, and prevent a repetition of such conduct. We are pleased to notice that a reward is to be offered for the conviction of the offenders ; and hope that any one who can give evidence on the subject will not hesitate to do so, regardless of the reward.

Sous people appear to think that now that the Government are turned out, and there is no probability of their being back to office, the Treasurer will practically be thrown on the rates. Not a bit of it. Su- Juliu3 has not been mixed up with New Zealand politics all these years without making some provision for hiß declining days. We are now told by D^me Rumour that immediately on the election going against the Government, the list and crowning act of their memorable career will be to d'op Sir Julius into the office held by Mr Seed, Secretary of Customs, worth £1000 a year. People seem to think that Yogel mast be per* manently provided for somehow, so this is about the easiest way out of the difficulty. Stah&BX, the explorer, recently said : " I have been in Africa 17 yeare, and I have never met a man who would kill me if I folded my hands, What I wanted, and what I have been endeavouring to ask for tha poor Africans has been the good offices of Christians, ever since Livingstone taught me those four mouths I was with him. In 1871 I went to him as prejudiced as the biggest atheist in London. I went out there from a wordly world. I saw thi* solitary old man thare, and asked myself, 'Why on. earth does he stop hare?' For months after we met I found myself listening to him, and wondering at the old man carrying out a'l that was said in the Bible. Little by littla his sympathy for others became contagious. Mine was aroused. See* in? hia piry, his gentleness, his zeal, his earnest, ness, and bow he went quietly about his busi Qefß, l was converted by him, although ha bad not triad to doit,"

Ths reports of the Waste Lmds Commie* sione.s throughout the colony contain some valuable information respecting the rabbits. Touching Otago, Mr Maitland says that the area of country "thrown up" in Otago and Sou'.hlaml since it became infested with the rabbit amounts to 1.346,554 acres, and the loss of revenue up to March last is computed at £33,000. Of Canterbury, which hitherto has been singularly free from the pest, the Crown Lands Commissioner reports that the rabbits have crossed the Waitaki, and infers that they were carried into the country by rabbiters, "If this country," says the Commissioner, " should be overrun with rabbits when it is relet in 1890 the Government will lose at least £10,000 a year." Then comes the Wellington Commissioner, who estimates the lo3s to the Government from bunny's presence at £15,000, and this is exclusive of losses sustained by individual landowners. It seems that there is only one of two things to do— either set to work and destroy every vestige of ' ha pest, or convert the country into an immense rabbit farm, and work it as such to the veiy best advantage.

A COBKE3IONDENT at Round H U u-iplies the following : -Our new scho->i and residence (conjoined) is just about finished — in fact, the contractor is prepared to hand over the key as soon as Mr Riach (who is expected here either on Wednesday or Thursday) passes the building. Mr Beat'y has made a really first-class job, and I have no doubt the building will meet all requirements for some years to come. It is expected that the number of children in average attendance will be from 15 to 20. The Board recently appointed Mr D. Percy (of Queenstown) master of the school, An entertaiomeut will be held shortly to celebrate the opening of the building. It has not yet been definitely decided what form the celebration will take, but full particulars will be announced in due course in your advertising columns. A public meeting of householders was held a few nights ago, at which the following seven were ap. pointed as a school committee— viz.. Messrs M. Stewart, R. Crozier, W. Crozier, R. Saeddon, A. Sutherland, J, Stevenson, and D. ftlackay. Mr Stewart was appointed chairman, and Mr Sutherland secretary and treasurer.— The new school building at Table Hill is well advanced ; in fact, the contractor expects to have it out of hand in the course of a week or bo.

In his endeavour to float the Blue Spur mines on the London market. Mr J. C. Brown has had great difflculties to contend with. One of these— perhaps the greatest— is the fraud known as the Mount Morgan Goldmining Company, which had just been stripped in all its glaring dishonesty a short time before Mr Brown reached Home. In a case in which a direc'or of that company applied to have his name removed from the register of share holders on the ground that he was induced to take shares in the company on the frith of certain false representations, the presiding judge said that the statements contained in the prospectus were entirely false, and be regretted to see that such frauds were perpetrated in promoting these joint-stock companies. He had no doubt that the statements had been inserted in the prospectus with the intention of making persons believe that the fourteen acres owned by the company were of the same character as the basis of the geyser, which yielded from 3soz to 10z of gold per ton. He considered it one of the most audacious frauds he had ever seen. He did not consider that the applicant had lost his right to relief, and he, therefore, ordered his name to be removed from the register, and that all payments he had made in respect of shares should be returned with, interest at fc per cent.

Tin W»i:»hu'ia E. fle cftYps have received ao intimation from headquai t*rn to th>> effect that tin ram of £15 has been placed 10 their credib lo connecion with thr- clau-fiiiog teturns for the musketry prize?. H.&LS. DIAMOND arrived at Sydney a few days ago with intelligence of the Tongan trouble. It it openly tUted among the Natives of the island that the next attack upon Mr Baker will be made with clubs, as they will nut trust firearms. Positively encouraging for Baker ! In the course of a review of " The year book of New Zealand," the spectator remarks :- "First in grain, third in wool, and first in frozen meat, it not a bad record among the Australian Colonies. Bat in spite of its climate and Its energy, we cannot recognise the claim of New Zealand to the title of the ' England of tbe Sooth* while it puts a 15 per cent, ad valorem duty 00 every manufactured article which is not itself regarded as an implement of manufacture. Ie is clearly a protective tariff, a* ironmongery, clothes, glass and other things, which it is at all likely may be produced iv New Zealand, are charged 15 per cent;, while artificial teeth, theodolites, and lawn mowers, to take three articles selected at haphazard not likely to be produced in a new country, are admitted free."