Local Intelligence.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 619, 16 June 1866, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

Several Articles are postponed. Song Birds.— The Wanganui brought up to-day two larks and a thrush (the Scottish niavis), for Ibo Wanganui Acclimatization Society. The birds seem quite sprightly, and we hope they will thrive in their new home. She also brings two pair of pheasants for the same Society. Bacon. —Mr. Walker of Aramaho exhibited a splendid flitch or side of bacon in Mr. Finnimore’s sale room on Thursday, as a sample of the.stuff produced by his imported stock of swine. It showed fully three inches of outer fat, and was altogether a sight to gladden the heart of the veriest English chaw-bacon.

The Makirikiri Road Board. A Provincial Government Gazette of the Bth inst. defines the boundaries of this district. It will also be seen by advertisement in another column that it is proposed to hold a meeting of the ratepayers on the 2nd of next month for the purpose of levying a supplementary rate for the river hank road.

Wharf at Market Place. —The soone r Mr. Bryce gets the £2OO he seeks for building a wharf at the-Market Place the better" There is now a large timber traffic at place, and all parties are put to great expense and inconvenience for want of some suitable means of shipping and unshipping. The s.s. Rangatira took cattle on board there on Wednesday and the distress of the dumb driven beasts, not to mention the labour in getting them on the ship, was something one would like to see avoided if at all possible. Economy. —A correspondent takes us to task, in a good-lmmoured way, about our views on economy in the public service, and wishes to know our meaning. We will tell him in a single sentence what we mean and what we do not mean, for nothing can well be plainer. We mean by economy in the expenditure, the saving of all moneys not required by the public service, and all salaries for which no work or useful work is done for the State. We do not mean by it the pinching and screwing of hard-worked and responsible officials, who are already inadequately paid. To pay liberally for work done and to pay nothing at all for jobs, perquisites, and sinecures is the only true economy.

Wanganui Fire Brigade. —-A meeting of this Company was held in the Rutland, on Tuesday evening, when it was announced that sufficient members had enrolled themselves to form an efficient brigade. The election of officers was then proceeded with, when the following gentlemen were appointed—Mr. J. W. Rabinson, Captain; Mb, J. W. Liddell, Lieutenant; Mr. J. Chadwick, treasurer, and Mr. A. C. Leslie, manager of the hook and ladder department. It was decided before the meeting separated that the inhabitants and insurance agencies should be canvassed for funds. It will be observed that another meeting of the Brigade is to be held on the evening of Tuesday next, to which we direct attention. The Manawatu Deed. —We learn (says the ‘ Wellington Independent ’) that upwards of four hundred signatures have already been affixed to the Manawatu Deed of Cession. The deed is being executed uuder Mr. Buller’s immediate superintendence. When complete it will be a valuable parchment to the province, and for the number of signatures, will probably be one of tlie largest title deeds in existence. We understand that his Honor has promised to proceed to Rangitikei with the purchase money immediately on the completion of the deed. [But four hundred signatures are hut a poor complement of the number required, aud if they are not got more rapidly, his Honor will grow old in waiting for the completed deed.]

Provincial Government Rifle Prizes. —A return published in a Provincial Government Gazette, of date the Bth inst., gives the prizes awarded to the competitors in the last prize firing at the 200, 300, and 400 yards range—five shots each. The silver cup is awarded to Private John Cundy, of the Featherston R.V., Wairarapa district, who scored 43 points. Five prizes of various value sare won by privates in the Wellington district. There are three to Wanganui ; the first prize (£l2), Private W. T. Owen, of the Wanganui Militia, who scored 39 points and hits ; the second (£8), Private Joseph Somerville, of the Alexandra Cavalry Volunteers—3s points and hits ; and the third (£5), to Capt. John Old, of the same troop—29 points and hits. Rangitikei has also three prizes awarded to competitors in the district. First, to Private John Milne, of the Union R. V. —42 points and hits ; the secend (£8) to Private Henry Henderson, Royal Volunteers—37 points and hits ; and the third (£5) to Corporal C. E. Gibson, of the Union R.V. —35 points and hits. It is officially intimated that the amounts respec tively due to the successful candidates are now ready for payment at the Provincial Treasury. •

.The Wellington papers state that the Governor is lik&ly to visit Wanganui in a few days. - Journalism. —lt will be seen that Mr. A. D. Willis, at present publisher of this journal, proposes starting a small newspaper in Turakina, to be devoted specially to the interests of that and the Rangitikei districts ; and with this object in view be wishes to have a meeting with as many of the settlers as may feel interested in the proposal at Turakina on Thursday next. At this meeting Mr. Willis.will explain his views and give any information that may be wished for.

The Garrick Club. —The second ap' pearance of the members of this amateur club came off in the Princess Theatre on Thursday evening. The hall was quite full on the occasion, and, barring Borne slight slips here and there of no material consequence, all went off in capital style. The performance commenced with the “ Man-of-War’s-man and the Privateer,” a piece of very slender literary merit, and with little or no plot, but containing some fair enough dialogue, and sufficiently sensational to exhibit the talents of a corps dramatique. Ben Trannent, a man-of-war’s-man (J. Pawson) is in love with Rose Linden (Miss Ansted) the orphan neice of Mark Linden, a retired naval officer (T. Waters) —a crusty kindhearted old bachelor, who is opposed to the love match, more especially as Ben has been at sea and unheard of for a number of years. The uncle rather favours, although in no very demonstrative way, the addresses of Ned Martin, mate of a privateer (J. W. Robinson) who is, as a matter of course, a notorious villain, and hated proportionately by Rose. Martin is aided and abetted in his bad ways by Jan, Dousterswyvel, a drunken Dutch'seaman (G. F. Sherwood), and there is some bye-play in which Nicholas Nibble, a pawnbroker and auctioneer (J. Stewart) and Timothy Trim, a gardener (W. Pawson) make a considerable figure, both of these worthies, like the more famous pair at Brentwood, smelling at one rose, in the shape of courtship for a young lady, euphoniously styled. Sally Popple (nom de guerre,Mlsnll. Wallace) who flirts admirably with both and ultimately chooses the gardener. Ben Trannent turns up just as his rival is about to secure Rose Linden for himself, but is again inveigled on board Ned Martin’s ship and carried off to sea, where it is supposed he is drowned. But no- 1 . as Martin is once more in the act of carrying off the young lady, Trannent again appears, and as in duty bound the course of true love runs smooth, and villany is duly punished. The acting in the Underplot by Mr. W. Pawson and Mr. Stewarc was exceedingly good. The former amused the audience vastly with his ready and graphic caricature, and Miss H. Wallace (?) simpered and sweethearted with the two, as if to the manner born. Mr. Robinson looked the melodramatic villain to perfection, and Mr. J. Pawson was a fair impersonation of the British tar. The after-piece was entitled the “ Spitalfields Weaver ”—a touch-and-go representation of the evils of a man attempting thfe airs and courses of high life, 'and of the further evils of ill-mated marriages. The whole of the acting in this giece was very good, that of Simmins (Mr. hervrood) especially so. At the close of the performance the plaudits were loud and long, and every one appeared delighted with the evening’s entertainment. The proceeds, we understand go to the wardrobe fund.

PANAMA MATL SERVICE. Letters and newspapers for Britain, wa Panama (posted the previous evening), wil 1 leave Wanganui 6n Thursday morning next* for transmission per s.s. Kaikoura from Wellington on the 23rd instant. This is the first mail by this route, and it is ex • pected, if no unforeseen delays occur, that it will arrive at Southampton on or about the 14th of August next, probably a week before the arrival of the Suez mail, which was despatched from Wellington on the 14th. Our readers will notice one drawback. Whereas newspapers to the home countries by way of Suez are posted free in New Zealand ; by way of Panama one penny postage is charged.

SHAKSPEARE CLIFF ROAD. There have been a number of grants of various kinds and for various purposes agreed to by the Provincial Council (whether they shall ever pass into the more useful stage of paying for work actually done j 3 another question, on which we do not now enter), but amid tlie whole of them we look in vain for any mention of the above road, the improvement of which we aver is as urgently required as any piece of work in the whole province. Mr. Hogg, we understand, has frequently brought the necessity of something being done in this case under the notice of the Executive, but neither from one quarter nor another has a remark been made regarding tlie matter at the Council. Yet any one has only to take a look at the place to see that already there is great neglect attributable to some public body or another. The road is almost impassable, and tlie action of the water will speedily make it altogether so. It will be already an expensive process to put it into a state of repair ; we observe that Mr. Hogg speaks of £250 as being now necessary. He knows greatly better than we do, but we should have supposed that double that sum would have been nearer the mark } and every day will make it more costly, for every day makes its condition worse. There is even more than this to be said, and it is as well to say it at once. The present state of the road is positively dangerous to life and limb, and some dark night we fear for the consequences. Sydney Smith, in his facetious way, used to say that there would be no end of railway accidents until a few of the directors were blown up. Perhaps there will be .no repair of this road until some serious accident wakes us up from our lethargy ; yet of all modes of being driven to the performance of a public duty, the last and the worst seems to U 3 to be the recommendation of a coroner’s jury. Forfend the omen !