LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11188, 7 May 1886, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

«. . The Tuliua shareholders are to air then grievances in tlie Borough Council Chambers to-night. We learn that the Bail way Hotel is abou* to change hands. Mr Eobert Bruce, M.TT.'R.for Rangitikei, was in town yesterday. Mr' Bruce leaves for the scene of his Parliamentary duties bj steamer from this port oh Monday next. The following item of news appears in the Manawatu Standard :— Mr Eawler, as^ Bistant clerk- at the Wanganui B.W. Court has been transferred to Christchurcb . Hie successor will be & son of Mr Ward, E.M. The Wellington Preos says that anxious inquiries are being tnade for a gentleman who is alleged to haye forged the name of a Christchurch wool merchant to a cheque fox £50, whereby the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company in this citj (Wellington) were -victimised. The Feilding Star actually devotes a lead* ing article to proving the impossibility oi the letter T having been the cause of the disasters that have befallen bo many of the Union Company's steamers. The Wanganui ArtiUery Cadets, whos( eervioes have just been accepted by His Excellency the Governor, paraded at the Drill ■ Hall last night, when 66 members W6re pre« , sent. After having been put through some drill by Sergeant-major Henry and Major - KeilL copies of the rules were handed round . to the members, and the eleotion of the committee was then proceeded with, with the following result : 1 -Walker, H.Roddy, 1. Bertram, D, Anderson, and W. Hall,, the officers being members ex officio. The cadets parade again next Thursday night. The first lecture for the ambulance squad of the City Rifles will be delivered by their surgeon, br Sorley, on Thursday next. The special general meeting of the City Rifles will' be held on Tuesday next to consider the annual balance-sheet. , At the initial sale of fresh fish from the > Thames at the Auckland Fi9h Arcade, there was a good attendance of boardinghousekeepers, &c, traders, and hawkers. 218 , dozen fish were disposed of, including eohnapper, gurnet, flounders, kawhai, eels, &c. Schnappers brought 2s 4d per dozen j flounder?, Is 3d 5 gurnets, 2s 4d ; eels, 2s ; kawhai, 2s. ' . • '.= ;'; ' The Post, in a leading article, etig« matisea the Dunedin Herald, a* "a mad journal." Three Wellington Civil Servants entered the marriage state on the same day at the beginning of this week : — Mr T. S. Ronaldson, of the Public Trust Office, to Miss Luckie ; Mr Gt. Wright, of the Survey -Department', to Miss Barraud ; and Mr W. Scott, of the Postal Department, to Mies Astill. The St. Kilda, after crossing the bar inwards on Wednesday night, Btuck on the sandbank at the end of the South Spit, immediately opposite the Pilot Station, about the same place as that where the Stormbird Btuck a short time ago. She remained there until yesterday momiDg at high water, when she got off, and stood out to sea, it being then too late for the tide. She got m last night shortly after midnight. ! Whether or not there will be an inquiry we do not know. It will probalby depend upon whether the captain asks for it. A series of tests of the Auckland ammunition has been undertaken by Captain Cole^ man, by instructions received from the De> fence Department, with a view to ascertaining tha merits or demerits of the colonial cartridges. It will be remembered that the trial at Wanganui during the recent encampment was anything but favourable, therefore considerable intereat attaches to the present experiment?. Captain Coleman states that he has two kinds of cartridges supplied to him from Auckland, one being precisely similar to those used at Wanganui, the other being strengthened by a band at the base to prevent the escape of gas and the blowing off of the caps. Of 480 rounds of the kind used at Wanganui, only one showed a bad result, the gas in this instance forcing its way through the cap. Hie trial of the improved cartridge made with a strengthening baud was more successful. The rifle (a tJnider) was loaded alternately with Woolwich and colonial ammunition, the person firing of course being in ignorance of the particular cartridge used, as the rifle was loaded and handed to him. The results obtained are considered very satisfactory by Capbain Coleman, and he has reported accordingly to the Defence Department. .Further tests will bo made when the weather becomes mor« settled, — N.Z. Times. Tho South Australian Register says : — " The cry of the hungry is heard in our streets, and, despite the works which have been started from time to time, unemployed are still: far too numerous. The labouring classes are suffering most severely, and this notwithstanding that thousands have left us during the past few months for the other colonies, the exodus by sea alone for the prosent year being some 3000 in excess of the arrivals. Deeply as we regret the necessity which has driven bo many of the best of our colonists away from the colony, we can but congratulate those who have gone on having the means to seek for work I where work \vas to be found." The Advocate, in an article describing the progress made in the Porewa Railway contract, says:— During the seven months Mr Howe has had the contract in hand, work lias been carried out most energetically, aud rapid advancement made with the construction of the line. It ia admitted on all eidea that Mr Howe has spared neither pains nor expense in the carrying out of the work, and tho utmost credit is due to that gentleman for the vigorous manner in which he set upon his undertaking at the shortest notice, and under gu.h a heavy handicap. Mr Howe expects to finish his contract about the end ot July. The contract time expires this month, and an application haa therefore been made for a two months' extension of time. Tho Kiwitea School Committee, after earnest consideration, have decided that tho Education Board vote of £120 shall be applied to building a schoolhouse rather than v teacher's residonce. She was hurriedly filling about twenty small articles of crockery — cups, jugs' basins, baths, etc. — at the river side. Pol» wattle said, " What aro you filling that for?" She replied, "I have just read in the papers that in 9 OOG.OCO jeai'3 water will have sunk a vcMq, and in 15,000,000 year 3 it will havo disappeared altogether. Sec how awful it would bo not to havo a df p iv the houfe if anybody should pop iv to tea." i'ohvaUb turned away a t adder, but a wiser man. — Fun. 'ihc -Bulls public school viil i:oh tore* opened till Tuesday, May 25'h. The Ad* vocftle suys that in consequence of this long and unexpected vacatiou, through the prevalence of diphtheria in tho town: hip, thero will bo ng midwinter holidays this year.

The Bryce banquet and address com» mifctee for Wo'lington, in addition to gentlemen specifically named, includes the Mayor and Oity Council, raernbera of the Harbour Board, membera for the city, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, the president of the Wellington Club, wi b power to add. The Advocate underetanda that a Wanganni larritin is to be proceeded against under the Polico Offences Act", for having U9ed obs scene language at the Marton railway Btation on Tuesday night. Referring to the success of the Collegiate School boys at the recent Civil Service examinations, the Advocate remarks : — "Thie, wo venture to say, ia one of the very best records that any school in the colony can show." , It is reported in Auckland that the Hon. MrSwanaon was requested by the Q-ovorn-ment to move or second the Address in Beply in the Legislative Council, but that he has politely decliaed. UuderMrßallance's fostering care, Wanga* nui is making a desperate effort to become the outport of the interior of the North Island. The river has been snagged so as to enable the etern-wheeled steamer, tho Tuhua, to ascend the stream seventy miles ; bnyond that point a road is in course of formation through a dense bushj which will emerge at the Murimotu Plains. We hear that there • are only Borne twelve miles to complete, when i iei7,GOo will have been expended. — ISTapier Telegraph. The New Zealand Moral referring to the Wakefield divorce case, sajs that " tho co-respondent Withers v?as a son of tho late | Major Withers, and at one time accountant , of the Colonial Bank of Nesv Zealand in . Auckland, and more recently manager of a branch of the same bank atTimaru. The 1 parties were married several joara sinco at 1 St. Michael's Church, Christchnrch, the re» • spondent being the only daughter of Mr Or. 1 . W. Hall, of Christchurch, one of the early Canterbury squatters, and a brother of Sir . John Hall. $ oon after the marriage they . went to reside at Timaru, whore Mr Wake- , field became editor of the Timaru Herald, : and afterwards member of the House of I Hepresentatives for Q-eraldine. A little - more than a year ago,Wr Wakefield resigned his position in Tisnaru, and went to Wel- , liDgton, where he became editor and part U proprietor of the Evening Press m that city. He left his wife, and two or three children by the marriage, in their home at Timaru, and it is alleged that during his rather long absence the adultery was committed, and that the respondent made s confession to a noar relative as to her misconduct. If the confession has really been made in the manner indicated, it may be held to be evidence against the lady, but, by a strange anomaly of law, not against the co-respon-dent, unleß9 there is other evidence of a co» .roborative character. Thi3 was held to be , the case in the unsavoury Dilke case, Bad ia a still more recent case heard in Adelaide the other day, of Watson v. Watson and Kingston. In the present case a great d :"1 of sorrow and pain will be brought upon several welUknown and greatly respected Canterbury families." The Melbourne Argus of April 15 said :— " We have received the following letter with reference to certain announcements in the Melbourne press : " I understand that varii ous rumours have been published in Melbourne to the effect that Lord Normanby is engaged to be married to Miss Macintyre. These reports are entirely without foundation, and have been reiterated in a scanda« lous manner. As the lady's brother, I bog to request the favour of a contradiction in a paragraph in your next issue. Miss Mac« intji'e does not wish her name to appear again in the matter. Trusting to your kindness, I am, yours truly, Donald MacINTYBE. Kayuga, N.8.W., 12th April." The Hawke's Bay Herald says that the Wellington Evening Post has descended for once to the level of the meanest " Liberal " rag in the colonies, by publishing a per* sonal attack upon Mr Fisher, a Wellington M.H.R. Captain Pownall, of tho Collegiate Cadets, has offered a temporary loan of 30 carbines to the Artillery Cadets. _ The Hawke's Bay Herald, which has considerably lengthened its columns, claims to be the largest penny newspaper in New Zealand. Br Gilbert, the physiognomist, who has been doing the Hawke's Bay district during the last month returned, to Wanganui by last night's train. A meeting of the council of the Parliamentary Union was held last night at Mr Babbago's p*Kce. There were present— Messrs Carson (ohairman) .Babbage,Mc-Leen, Wilson, Wilkmeon, Brockrnan, and tbree members of the Ministry — Messrs Bruce, Wriphtson, and GK Roes. It was decided that Parliament be opened on Monday, the 17th instant, and that in the meantime Mr Watt (the Governor), and Mr Greenwood (the Premier), be communicated with, with the view to the preparation of the Governor's Speech and the Ministerial policy of the session. Ifc is thought that it will be poasiblo to take the Address ia Eeply, and the debate thereon, on the opening night. Bpecial seats will be reserved, and tickets issued for the admission of ladies, as heretofore. It was decided to ask Mr 0. Wibon or M.t Lifliton to accept the post of leader of the Opposition. Reference was made to the removal of Mr George Grant to Turakina, but the hope was expressed that that gentleman would still be able to tako an active intei'ost in the work of the Union. It was agreed that the nominations of new members should be received by Mr McLean at the National Bank, or at either of the newspaper offices. Mr Wilkinson was authorised to have 14 forms, with back?, made for the use of the Union. Another meeting of the . council will be called, if necessary, next week. We (Advocate) are informed by telegram that the (government have just expended £700 in providing new carpets for Government House, and that Mr Bpeight, formerly member for the Thames, has been appointed Auckland agent for the Government Life Insurance Ansooiation. Thesa are said lo bo hard times, and yet the Ministry can find abundance of money for luxuries, though they cannot Had the cash for roads or railways. Touching on the other item, we would like to know what are Speight's qualifications for tho position in which he has been placed. What experience has he j hid in iosurance business ? We believe that he ia by trade an engine-driver, w something of the kind. Whilst he was in Parliament ho was one of its champion wind-bag?. Is this another political appointment like that of Air Driver ? Tho following is an extract from a lady's letter on tho Crawford v. Dilko divorce casnl— "Tho scmdalof the week is truly a msuruful event. Tho eyila of having any eorfc of law cases tried in private are obvious enough, especially after this week's display, if those things are done in tho gre:n tree, what shall be done in the dry ? But when odo thinks of the demoralisation ot the public mind that must ie3ulb from the rowing broadcast of such a story, one is tempted to wish it were possible to keep it from the eyes of men. It is horrible to hear that a respectable married lady could fall ao low ; moro horrible that a man should wish her to do bo. It it terrible to hear s. daughter maXin such accusations against her mother. Yeb the most sboching and terrible thing of all is the travesty of justice nnd the outrage on cotnnion^euao that the trial presented. To see a party of men, all political allifs, and most, if not all, personal friends o£ the man accuaed, banding themselves together, and taking the sacred name of a court of justice, to drive a woman into tho outer darkuess in disgraco, and to whitewash and to declare fne from all euil'i a iran against whom there was the very oaroe evidence ub there was against the woman, neither more nor loss, is to my thinking, a spectacle that should muke evcrj person subject to the laws of England alarmed, and every man j-oaponsible, a3 a Parliamentary voter, for tho inr.klnr; and wdminist'ation of that law not bsa ssh:aned than indignant.