NEWS OF THE DAY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 11284, 28 June 1888, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Wanganui County Council held a special meeting yesterday, and passed the balance-sheet, duly audited. At the Police Court yesterday, James Millard was fined ss, with costs 7s, for allowing a chimney to take fire. Tenders are invited by Mr Purcell for clearing 300 acres of land, and applications are requested immediately. The single wire cable, which was broken on Saturday, was repaired yesterday afternoon. There will be a meet of the Eangitikei hounds at Fordell to-day. The hunt will be attended by a number of gentlemen from town. The Hon. Mr Ballance is coming up from Wellington to-day to attend the meeting of the Pemberton Small Ferm Association tonight. The demand for tickets for the Bryco banquet has necessitated an alteration in the committee's arrangements, resulting in the engaging of the Princess Theatre for the accommodation of the expected guests. It is rumoured that several of our local gentlemen in blue intend to compete at the skating rink next week, one finely trained young member being engaged in active work nightly. Mr Fulton is going to ask the Colonial Secretary if the resolution passed on Thursday, 21st June, as to tlie immediate canceiling of the charters of clubs who hold their meetings in hotels has been given effect to ; and, if not, how soon it will be. Although the Premier was very emphatic in his declaration that no appointment to the present judicial vacancy will be made until after the session, it is generally understood that the appointment will ultimately be conferred — as it ought to be — upon Mr Ward. A meeting of the Pemberton Small Farm Association is convened for to-night, when it will be definitely known what steps, it any, will bo taken relative to Byre, the absconder. We understand the mombers of the local force are anxious to have a trip after him. During the hearing of the Eastown cases a rather diminutive witness was in the box, which caused Constable Browne to remark : "Shall I swear him, your Worship?" to which the B.M. facetiously rejoined, "Oh yes, I think he knows enough," and so it proved, the cross-examination of counsel failing to shake him in the least. ' - As Mr Vaile's system has been tried for a time on the Wliangarei railway, it is desirable that the public should know how it has worked, and with this view notice has been given by Mr B. Beeves to ask the Minister for Public Works if he has any information as to the success or- otherwise of Mr Vaile's system in the working of the WhangareiKamo railway line. Mr Bruce must either take the Premier' to be a fool, or h* desires to pose as one himself. What other deduotion can be ; drawn from the question he is going to put to the Government : "Is it their intention to put a poll tax of £1 on all baohelors between the ages of 21 and 50 years, and to increase the Property Tax to which they may be liable by a halfpenny in the pound?" — Napier Telegraph. The announcement that there was to be a stone and basket race' at the rink last night, attracted a large attendance both of onlookers and rinkists. Ten entries had been received, and five competitors started, Pawson finishing first and Poole second. As Pawson had a wrong number in his basket, the prize— a pair of clamp skates— waß awarded to Poole, Pawson taking second place. The Garrison Band considerably enlivened the proceedings with some choice selections. A return showing in detail the expenditure of the amount set apart for contingencies in the estimates for the year ending the 31st June, 1888, is to be moved for by Mr Goldie. There is apparently some mistake here, as (1) the financial year does not end with June, but with March; (2) the Estimates are for the year ending 31st March, 1889 ; and (3) — but this is a minor, detail — tlio month of June seldom, if ever, has 31 days. A social gathering of mombers of the Baptist Church and congregation will be held at Mr Carson's residence, Guytonstreeti, on Friday evening. The meeting is to be held in recognition of the valuable services rendered to the cause by Mr George Grant, who is now about to leave the district, having been promoted to an improvod position under the Education Board. The tea will be held at 0.30 o'clock, and the promoters will have pleasure in welcoming any friends of the cause and of Mr Grant. The effects of Mr Dudley Eyre, the levanter, were submitted to auction by Mr Liffiton yesterday, at the Post Office Chambers. Attracted evidently by curiosity, quite a little crowd collected for a time at the offices, and reflected upon the instability and uncertainty of all human affairs as they watched the various items being knocked down. One of the Pemberton sufferers consoled himself by securing, for a trifle, a sample of the scripture texts with which the levanter's office mantle were adorned. The fielding and batting powers of the Australians were amply shown in their match against the Players of England, since which their victories over the All England Eleven and their subsequent success against theMarylebonoClub clearly show the colonies were wise in their choice of a team. They are now playing against Yorkshire, tho first innings of the Australians closing for 367, of which Bonnor, the Herculean member of the team, scored 115, including 25 fours, precisely the same total that he made against the Players. When it iB remembered that the above mentioned teams contain the best cricketers England can place in the field, the Australians may reasonably be excused on this occasion from the failing attributed to them by the late Anthony Trollope, viz., " too much blow." The Mangawhero Boad Board held their monthly meeting yesterday, when there wora present — Messrs Haselden (Chairman), Anderson, Parker, and Lees. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and con- ' firmed. The annual balance-sheet was laid on the table, and the Clerk explained the position of the acccunts with the County Council, which showed that though tho Board owed the Council £17, the subsidies were now due from the Council. The Clork was instructed to apply to the Council for tho balanco of the 1886-87 subsidy. Cr Parker not having reported on the No. 2 Line Extension, it was decided to hold the matter over. Somo discussion took place regarding Brogan's contract, and it was eventually decided to give him £88 to square it. Tho own correspondent in Wanganui of the New Zealand Times forwards the following item to that journal : — The chief topic of conversation just now in Wanganui relates to Mr Eyre, the missing commission agent. From information received by the members of the Pemberton Special Settlement Association from Wellington I learn that £1057 of the moneys received huve not been accounted for to the Lands Department. As the majority of the members of the Association are poonnon, who have put all their available cash into their sections, this loss will prove very serious to them. There is a general concensus of opinion that the Government should assist in taking titeps to bring Eyre back. Several of those who have lost by him are trying to raise money to havo him extradited, if in America. *

The police received information yesterday from Marton that a little girl named Maud Carroll, 11 j'ears of age, had been burned to death at Bonuy Glen. It appears that she was engaged toasting some bread for her mother, who was sick, and her clothes caught fire. Medical aid was at once summoned, but the little sufferer only lived a few hours. According to the London Standard, the principal New Zealand contributors to the Imperial Institute arc— Sir William Joryois, £1000; Mr J. Lean (of Morvon Hills), £1000; Mr A. McLean, £1000; Hon. B. Campbell, £100; Hon. G. M. Watorhousc, £100; Hon. W. W. Johnston, £50; Hon. M. Holmes, £50 ; Mr W. H. Lewis, £50 ; Hon. R. Oliver, £20. Besides these, there are a large number of other donations, ranging from 1 to 10 guineas. On Tuesday evening a meeting was held in the Matarawa Church to celebrate the purchase by the congregation of a now church organ, which was opened froo of debt. The mooting was presided over by the Rev. P. L. Cameron, and tho programme included sacred selections by the choir, a report on the organ fund, a reading by Mr Me William, and an address on Psalmody by the Chairman. The new instrument is a Loring and Blake palace organ, and cost £20 Ms. The Chinese who came to Sydney by the Chang- Shu seem to have been a nico (miet desirable lot of colonists. When they learnt that it was riot the intention of tho Now South Walos authorities to pormit them to land they made a desperate effort to defeat those authorities. They wero beaten back, and that was just as well, for if they had landed they must haVe proved quite a nuisance to those who tell us that John Chinaman is a more law-abiding citizen than John Bull. Two Spanairds, both Protestants, lately met in the streets of Madrid, a Catholic priest carrying the viaticum, to a dying parishioner. The priest, perceiving that tho Protestants did not kneel or take off their hats, stonily upraided thorn and gave them into custody. Tho municipal judgo actually condemned them to six days' imprisonrhont, and to pay a fine of twenty-five pesetas and the costs. In vain they pleaded that they did not belong to the State religion and invoked Article 11 of the Constitution, which guarantees liberty of conscience. They have appealed from tho decision. The Libera papers are, of course, up in arms. Thoy say the case shows plainly enough how little religious toleration is understood even now in Spain. The attention of the Resident Magistrate was engaged yesterday for some three or four hours in ventilating complaints arising from neighbours' quarrels at Eastown. Two charges preferred against Mary Lambert by John Pedwell of using insulting language on two occasions, and an application that defendant be bound over to keep the peace, were first heard, and his Worship ordered defendant to keep the peace for six months, in a bond of £10 and a surety of £5, and to pay the costs of Court (225), witness's expenses Bs, and counsel's fee 21s. James Guildford was charged by Mary Lambert with using insulting language, and complainant asked that defendant bo bound over to keep the peace. Defendant was bound over to keep the peace for six months, in a bond of £5 and ono surety, and to pay the costs of the ease (13s), and solicitor's fee 21s. In a further charge brought, by Mary Lambert against Ernest Guildford, a small boy. of throwing stones, the defendant was fined 10s, with oosts 7s. John Pedwell, junr, was, on the information of Mary Lambort, fined a like amount, with costs, for throwing stones. Injudicious praise and puffing (says the Napier Telegraph) has spoiled more than one second-elass show. Not long ago tho Greenwood Family in this • colony wore led by the newspapers to believe that the world would be at their feet. In Sydney their opening "cohoert was given on the 11th ihst.,' and next-day the Daily Telegraph, in criticising the performance, finds fault all round, and makes some very strong reflections upon the injudicious praise which the family . received in New Zealand, which praise, it says, has been the " greatest misfortune that ever befell Madame Greenwood and her pretty daughters." _. It sponlcs of Miss Maribel thus: — " She is aclever young lady, and doubtless capable of far more perfect work than she gave us last night, when the pieces chosen" were utterly beyond her. Had the young artist fairly faced the difficulties of the various pieces, instead of slurring over them, she would herself have admitted the futility of playing them .in public." It haß a kind word for Agathaand little Buby, but sacrifices Mrs Greenwood in the following terms :—" It is, of course, upon Madame Greenwood, and not upon the youthful performers, that the responsibility of so disheartening an entertainment must fall. A lady who could furnish so faulty an accompaniment as that she played to ' Ernani,' or who, as in the second De Beriot piece, could complacently begin a i movement a second time after a false start, i must have a strange idea of what the public . expect of the artists who appear before them."