LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXI, Issue 4109, 7 August 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wangantti Small Farm Associa ' tion. — tt will be seen by an advertisement which appears in another column that a meeting of the above Association is to be held to-night at § o'clock at the Wanganui Institute, when important bnsiness will be discussed. Maoui Prisoners. -In answor to a question by Mr Stewart — Whether the Government have entered into any agreement with Dr Buller in reference to the defence of the Maori prisoners, and if so, the nature of it ? — Mr Sheehan replied that no agreement of the kind had been entered into. Meeting of Creditors. — A second meeting of the creditors of Messrs Pollock and Young, butchers, convened by circular, took place yesterday, when there was a good attendance of those interested. The bankrupts were allowed three days to consider whether they were in a position to offer a composition of 10s in the pound. 3y Hail. -Mr Kotheram, the general manager of. the railway, yesterday invited a few of our townsmen to witness a trial of the new Fairlie engine. The trip was as far as Halcombe, and the engine, with one carriage attached, averaged a speed of 25 miles. On the level a speed of 40 miles was attained. The engine behaved splendidly, and the trial was pronounced satis- I factory in all respects. Ten Millions. — The Evening Post says it is stated that the Agent-General, Sir Julius Yogel, in a letter to a gen tieman in this city, which arrived by the last mail, strongly urges the advisableness of going in for a Ten Million lioan, instead of any smaller sum, on the ground that the present period is the moat favourable which has occurred or is likely to occur for some years to float a loan for Public Works, there being so large an amount of capital lying idle for lack of eligible investments. Odd Fellows' Hall,— The ChaplinOsborne company appeared last night in BulwerLytton's well known and favourite drama, The Lady of Lyons. Mr Chaplin as Claude Melnotte, and Miss Osborne as Pauline, so won upon the audience that they had to appear before the curtain several times in acknowledgment of prolonged and hearty applause. Mr St. Laurence made a very good Beausant, and Mr McGowan, as Dumas, the bluff and choleric, but really good-hearted old soldier, was in his element. To-night Hamlet will be performed. Hamlet is said to be Mr Chaplin's greatest impersonation, and the Press speaks of Miss Osborne's Ophelia in terms of the highest praise, so that this evening playgoers will have an opportunity of seeing Shakes-* peare's masterpiece properly performed ; such an one as may not occur again in Wanganui for some time. Public Account.— According to the Parliamentary paper of the general balance sheet and summary of transactions oi' the public account for the 6nancial year ending 30th June, 1879, the Sank of New Zealand in the colony at the commencement of the year had a debit against the Government of £788,641, partly covered by a credit in London of £683,242. The bank transactions in .New Zealand during the year wpre — Dr, £4,208,880; Cr, £4,901,895 * the debit balance being thus reduced to £95,626, which was more than counterbalanced by a London credit of £102,323. The summary of net balances is as follows : — Dr, Public accounts and bills receivable, £311,134: advance accounts, £433,157; total, £744,292. (Jr, Consolidated fund, £506,205 ; suspense account, £1143 ; total, £744,292. Money. —The following is a paragraph from the New Zealand letter of the Insurance and Banking iiecord for July : — "On the soundest authority I am in a position to say that very large sums are on the way to the loan companies, and are, of course, anxiously looked for. One company gets £80,000 by the July mail, and another £70,000. Most of this is i engaged 'to arrive,' and all the ingenuity of borrowers is exerted to make sure of money still on the way, and to arrive in Awgust. The truth is that the banks were far too liberal in their fashion of lending last year, and are now as extreme in their desire to get their money in. It is impossible to conceal that the commercial position is one of peril, and though I think I am justified iv saying that things have already got a little better, and are likely still to improve, the next two \ months will be trying ones for a)l. Any courageous individual on your side, who would bring some money for investment with him, might easily get 10 per cent, on first-class freehold security, for the nexfe seven years."

Wellington - Foxton Railway. — On Monday last Mr Brandon aske.l the Minister for Public Works when the Government propose to betjin the railway from Wellington to Foxton or Palmerston, by way of Porirua. The Hon Mr Macandrevp replied that this was one of the most difficult lines the Government had to deal with. A good deal of time had been lost in surveying A good deal of land had novr, however, been got from the natives, which would go far towards making the line. (The hon gentleman read the report of the surveyor.) It whs expected that the first section would be ready for teuder during- the present month ; but as to the exact time when the work would be commenced, he was not at present in a position to state. The Opposition would probably have something to say to that. (Laughter.) There was no objection to jjlace the plane and specifications before the House.

Teout. — The following extract from the Timaru Herald may be of interest to many of our country readers : — We were shown last Saturday by Mr John Macintosh, of Kinesborougb, some splendid specimens of ti out ova obtained by him from a trout out of an artificial pond on his property. It has always been held that trout could not lire except in a stream of running water, and that it was useless to put them in an artificial pond, as they would die there ; but the experiment tried by Mr Macintosh places that matter "beyond dispute, and the discovery is, therefore, rendered the more interesting by the fact that it dispels the fallacy which has hitherto existed. About two years ago Mr Macintosh brought some young ' trout from Christchurch and placed them in this pond. He was not then yery sanguine of success, but he thought the ex- ' periment worth trying. The growth of the fish was watched with anxious care, and it was not without feelings of pleasure that Mr Macintosh saw Dr Macintyre fish some splendid trout outof the pond last season. Afew days ago some boys caught a trout which, as it was full of ova, must have got out into the little stream which rises out of the pond to spawn. The discovery was regarded as a very important one, as it proved that not alone can the fish live in a pool of stagnant water, but also that it can prosper and multiply in such a place. This settles the qaestion in dispute, and shows farmers that they can grow trout in ponds on their own farms. We have no doubt we shall hear of many following the example of Mr Macintosh, to whom the credit of the discovery is due. Chupch Milhxnt. — Some time ago the Aborigines' Protection Society ! brought before Sir Michael Brown HicksReacb the conduct of the Key. George B.iown, of Duke of York Island, in making war upon the natives of New Britian, who h<d been guilty of the muJtier of four Wesleyan catechists. Attention was called to Mr. Brown's estimate that, in avenging this massacre, between 50 and 80 of the cannibals were killed by the under his command ; and it was urged that it was Mr. Brown's duty, inatead of taking the law into his own hands, to communicate on the subjret with he* Majesty's High Commissoner in the Pacific The society therefore expressed a hope that the High Commisaoner would be dieected to make judicial inquiry into the proceedings of My. Brown and the other British subjects who were engaged In the hostilities in question. The following reply haa now been received : — " Dowiug-street, May 27. — Sir, — With reference to your letter of December 26th last, and to the reply from this departemenfc of January 3rd, 1 am directed the Sectary of State ior the Colonies request that you will inform the Committee of the Aboriginesa' Protection Society that, after consultation with the Bigh oommißßoner for the Wester n Pacific, it has been decided by her Majesty's Gvoernment to instruct him on his return te the Pacific to hold aB full and complete an investigation as circumstances wlil permit into the proceedings of the Rev. George Brown in New Britian on tlie occaaion to which attention has been drawn. lam to add that Sir A. Gordon's inquiry is not likely to take place before the autumn of the present year. — I am, &c, Edward Wingfield. — To the Secretary of the Aborigines' Protection Society." Visit of the Pkince or Wales. — Apropos of the visit of the Prince of Wales to these colonies, the London correspondent of the South Australian Eegister writes : — " The Australian tour of the Prince of Wales, if it takes place, is to be even more distinguished than his visit to India. ft is now reported that the Princess will accompany him, and that his suite will include several persons of political eminence. What would you say to Lord Beaconsfield as chaperone? The Iladicalism of the antipodes would be put in a dilemma. The Duke of Sutherland may be relied upon as one of the party ,_*He and the Prince are inseparables. Lord Lonsdale might be quite willing to skip another London season. One of the fineat vessels in the fleet will be placed by the Admiralty at the Prince's service, and a convoy of several meh*of-war will accompany it. The Australian squadron will be appointed to meet His .Royal Highness at the Sound. It is not decided whether the call at Adelaide should be made in going round to Sydney or on returning to Melbourne. The Torres Straits route has been thought of for the outward voyage, but it is not in favor on account of the more difficult navigation. The tour, if carried out, will occupy the greater part of the year, and politicians will infer from its taking place now, that a general election is not likely to occur till the autumn of 1880. Some of those who accompany the Prince will wish to be Home again before the Armageddon of j modern politics has to be fought. Lest, however, your expectations should be unduly excited, I may say that nothing is yet positively settled about the Hoyal visit. His JRoyal Highness is anxious to go, and the Prime Minister is warmly on his side ; but on the Queen's part there are some scruples about the prolonged absence it would involve if both the Intercolonial Exhibitions were to be visited. It is out of the question that he should visit one and not another ; still more that he should go to Sydney this year and return to Melbourne the next. It is probable that inquiries are being made at both places as to bringing the two exhibitions near enough together to do both in one round. "Lord Augustus Loftus, who goes oat to Sydney by the present mail, , has the prince instructions to see what can be done."

British Defences — An exchange says that the Portsmouth fortifications, sea and land, including the defences of the Needles passage and the Isle of Wight coast defences, have cost £2,600,000, of which £?, 243,000 has been swallowed up by the " outer line " of defences — Horse Sand Fort, Spit Bank Fort, No Man's Land Fort, and Puckpool and St Helen's Batteries. At Plymouth the defences coat £1,189,000 ; at Pembroke, £270,000 ; at Portland, £415.000 ; the MedwHy and Sbeermss, £392,956 ; Thames. £334,246 ; Dover, £292.500 ; and Cork, £157,000.

Crrr of Glasgow Bank. — We clip this from the Financier: — "It would seem that the ruin of the unfortunate shareholders of the City of Glasgow Bank is to be even more complete and universal than has yet been imagined. We understand that the recent call of £2,500 per share made upon them by the liquidators has yielded anything but favourable re~ sultSj and that the next dividend, to be declared at an early date, will nofc amount to more than 3s 4d in the pound, making, with the former dividend, 10s in the £. It is consequently believed that another and a far heavier call than that last levied will have to be made upon the shareholders before the full sum can be got together for completely discharging the claims of the creditors. We hardly like to print the sum per share we have heard named. What would the shareholders think of a call of £10,000 or £15,000 a share ?