Local and General.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 11356, 18 January 1889, Page 2

Local and General.

Tbe local schools re-open after the holidays on January 23rd instead of 21st. Mr G. C. Russell hit town yesterday for Wellington, where his marriage is to take place next Thursday. At the forthcoming'" old identity " concert the members of the Harmonic Society will assist in the choruses. To»day the Wanganui Cricket Club play Danevirke, and to-morrow the Blaokheatbians do battle against the same team. John Moore wai yesterday fined 5s for for being drunk <v a publio place. W, B. Keith was fined 10s and 7s costs for not regfcteriog two dogs. The Government, it is stated, do not intend to fill up the appointment of Assistant Survuyor-Geuoral, but will abolish that office and save tbe salary. A Woimea farmer, who will have from 1000 to 1200 bushels of barley to sell tbis coming seaeon, has been offered four shillings per bushel for it. The matron of tho Hospital ia in want of somo liven for use in the institution, and will be glad to receive donations nf this kindi The whole of the unencumbered portion of the late Mr Churton's estate is to be sold. The land to be offered includes that under lease to Messrs Davy and Nicholaon, W. Potts, and H. M. Brewer. Captain Cummins desires to acknowledge the receipt of a cheque for £2 2a from Mr William Reid, together with good wishes for the now year. This amount is an anpual donation from Mr Reid to the fund 3 of the Fire Brigade.

Mr J. U. Breohin cilia for tonders for , the lease of Smithfield Farm, near Wan- ' panui, which will be received up to Saturday the 19th. The following ladies and gentlemen wero elected members ef the Harmoniu Society last Bight: — Mesdames Borlasa and Coucbman, and Messrs Coachman, J. Russell, HerriDgahaw, W, P»wson, and Oudaille. The small attendance of members of the School Committee at the last few meetings ! has been commented upon. As the meet" ' inga only occur onoa a month, we think ' the several membera ought to make it con- ' venient to attend. The balance-sheet of the local echool fund acoounta for the past year Bhows that the total receipts for the year were £142 5a Bd, and the expenditure £135 15s lid, which left a balance of £6 9a 9d to the credit of the Committee. The aotual number attending the Infant School daring the month of December was 181 boys and 181 girla ; total, 362, Average daily attendance, 15353 boys, 15267 girls; total, 306 "20. Highest attendance, 367 ; times open, 28, The Tuhua will make an excursion trip up to Rarokia on Tuesday (22nd), ciroumetancea permitting. The boat will start from Bstta' wharf, and as the return fare is only 2a tliero ought to be a large number of passengers. In the future and until further notice, in order to suit the convenience of country visitors, the Heads Kailwa'y Company will run a train on Wednesdays and Saturdays, leaving town at 11,30 a.m. and the Headu at 3.15 p.m., returning at 3 30 d m. to the Heads. The Caledonian running track presents a very lively appearance just now, especially in the evenings, when there is a large gathering of competitors preparing for the forthcoming sports. Judging from the number of •' peds " in training tho handicap events will be largely contested. Our " tips " will appear on Tuesday morning. At the Police Court yesterday, Isaac Chapman was charged with breaking and entariug the residence of Mr James Harlow, and stealing therefrom 133 and s watch valued at 30s. He was committed for trial at the Supremo Court sittings to be held in April. Messrs Tennant and Barns were the presiding J.P.'s. We understand that the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have appointed Mr John Stevenson to the management of the Wanganui branch of its business, which haa been dissolved from that of the Bank of New Zealand, whose offioera will no longer continue to act as formerly on behalf of the Loan Company. At the School Committee meeting yo?---tO'day, Mr Austin mentioned that the large window of the' St. John's Infant School had been broken by boys, who had evidently considered the window panea a* good targets for atone throwing. It was decided that the Secretary inform the police authorities with a view of catching the delinquents and giving them a caution. At the United Methodist Free Church Diatrieb meeting (Auckland), the following were elected a District Committee for 1889, to meet in Christohuroh ;— Revs. H. Bi Redstone, Edwards, and Peters, Meaers Leedly, Bowron, Callen, and Glanvillo. The Rev. J. Wrigley passed to hia third year of probation, and the Rev. J. Parker was mude a supernumerary on account of ill-health. Fraternal greetings were sent to the Primitive Methodist ana We3leyan Conference in Australia. The following are the liabilities in the insolvent estate of William Charles Simons, labourer:— W. 3: Little (Woodville) £59 Is 4d ; J. Troup (Woodville) £35 4s ; J. Muir (Waverley) £4 2b; Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (New Plymouth) £5 Is ; T. F, Twialetou (Maxwolltowa) £2 4s 5d ; A. and D. Brown (Maxwelltown) £1 103 8d ; J. M. Wnllaoe.( Waverley) £2 10*. Total, £108 13a sd. The only asset io this estate is a saddle and bridle wort!) about 30a. The first meeting takes place on Monday, at the D.O.A.'s office. Mr L. Batkiu, of the telegraph staff, bad a very narrow escape last evening. He was riding along the River Baak^itoad, when his horse ahied at a reaper and binder, and partly fell over the River Bank. The horse went almost bodily over the edge of the bank, but managed to stye himself with his hind feet, and eventually regii'uod a footing on the roadway. It was a. moat narrow escape for both man and and horse who would have been dashed to pieces had the animal lost its footing, as tin busk aa the place where the ocourrenca took place is very high, A meeting of the Wanganui and West Coast Rifle Association was held last night at the Steam Packet Hotel, at which about; 20 members attended. Major Neil I wai voted to the chair. Colonel Stapp was elect-id President, Major Nail Und Captain I Sommetville vice-Piesidents, and Mr C. M. j King Secretary and Treasurer, It wna de- 1 oided that the next meeting would be held on the 21st and 22nd February, and a committee was appointed to eeleot a suitable site for the range. A programmo oommittee waa also appointed, who will report at the next meeting, to bo held on Thursday, 24th instant: At the annual general mooting of the Harmonio Society last night the following officers for the current year were elected : Secretary, Mr John Stevenson ; Treasurer, Mr Thomas Culpan ; Conductor, Mr W. Holden ; Librarian, Mrs Gower ; Committee, Messrs Lennard, MoLcan, A. D. Willie, James Stevenson, Pinches, Mrs Cordoza, and Miss E. Gerse. The balancesheet was read and adopted, and a statement of asseta and liabilities showed a balance of asseta to the extent of £66 5s 8d over liabilities. The report was held over till the next meeting (January 29th), when it io to be hope} there will be a larger meeting. . . Mr David Blair, Art Examiner under the Education Department, Wellington, intends holding classes in Wanganui of iustmction in drawing to teachers and pupil teachers under the Wanganui Board. The classes will be held, for thu convenience of country teachers, on Saturdays, and the course will extend over twenty weeks, at the end of which Mr Blair will hold examinations by authority of the Education Department, and issue Government certificates to successful candidates. These certificates, obtained by Biiccesßful teachers and pupil teachers, are Accepter) by tho Education Department na fulfilling the requirements as regards drawing for classification certificates. Mr Samuel a letter to the Minister of Justice relative to the charges against the Resident Magistrate, ia published in the Taranaki Herald, in which Mr Samuel says great indignation is felt by all riphtminded aud respectable persons at the attack made. He goea on to say that there are, in. the community, some two or three persons of the vilest' character, who are utterly unscrupulous, and po3seas ouaning ' and audacity, who have for several years ' past tried to influence the decisions of the ' Courta here in their favour against tho ' respectable portion of the community. ' The object of these people is to get Mr ' Rawaon removed, with a nope of getting ' a more able and timid judge in his plaoe, ' who, with the fate of his predecessors • before him, may bo subject to their in- ' fluence in future. The letter is a, long one, 1 and iv conclusion hu asks that the natnua ' of the "burgesses" wliojwaitod on the ' late Mayor be obtaiued and'published. Celina Doiiolet is the name of the little monster who has ju t appeared before the ' Aasmo Court of the Aube, in France, on ' the charge of deliberately killing 'two ' children. She herself is but a child not ' yet thirteen years of age ; but she was B placod in service by lior parents, hor duties t being those of a nursemaid. She had two little boys to tako oharge of, aged respectively three years, and six months, and it I seems from the evidonce given that this q youthful criminal, being of a lazy disposition, did not like having to take care of 8 them. So, as a means of relieving herself of her little charges, she killed them both r ' —the elder one, Paul, by twistiDg a pillow & ase about hia head and eittittg upon him until he ceased to breath, tjj'e younger one 01 by stuffing a handkerchief fyto' his mouth " and kneeling on his chest. Both the children were thus got rid of on the same day, " ai