LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 2 November 1899, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On the front page our readers will find "Our Wellington Letter," and an article on "Our Hospital" by Benjamin Waugh ; also Postal and Shipping intelligence. Lord Kitchener, who has been arranging an expedition against the Khalifa, is shortly expected To arrive at Cairo. The Wellington Wool-brokers' Association notify a series of wool sales during the present season. Particulars will bo found in our advertising columns. In connection with the "invitation" fiance at the Aramoho lea, Gardens this evening, a 'bus will leave the Post Office at 7.30. It appears almost certain now, says a Wellington telegram, that the man .Mcß:io was drowned. A rudder, apparently bslonging to his boat, has baen picked up. Probably the boat filled y'nd sank right away, being ballasted with iron. The annual meeting of the St. George s Water Polo and Swimming Club is to f.e held at Messrs F. It. Jackson's rooms this evening at 8 o'clock Beuides 'tup usual business, the election of officers; iind other important business will be dealt with. All the wars of Napolean Bonapare cost his country £555,000,000, whib Ibo wars of Louis Napoleon cost Fran :o £442,000,000. The former made tha enemy pay most of the expenses; tjia es.pense of the wars waged by the latter w us borne by France. The field day of the West Coast, Battalion is sanctioned by the Defence Office, and will take place in Wanganui on the Princo of Wales' Birthday. The corps I taking part are the two lotal corps, the Marlon, Feilding, Palmerston, and Taraliaki Rifles. Not only is the entertainment at the Oddfellows' Kail to-morrow evening in aid of a most* worthy object (the Transvaal Relief Fund), but the programme to be submitted is a. most attractive one, anl will, wo feel sure, attract a large audience. The following is the statement of pension claims received in Wanganui and their position up to 31st October, 1899: — Pensions granted, 159 (93 males, 66 females), including 39 Maoris ; withdrawn, 7 ; awaiting investigation, 22; partly investigated, 18; rejected, 12. The busses leave the Fountain to-day at 10.15 and 1.15 for the sale at Mr Ohugg's residence, Tayforth. Tue cows, horses, etc, will be sold at 22.15, the furniture sale commencing at 11 o'clock. Those who are not acquainted with the locality will remember to keep to the right, passing Mr Hole's residence. The auctioneer's flag will mark the house. The prospects for the meeting for women only, which is to be held at the Army Barracks this evening, are very bright, both ■ in respect to programme and attendance. I It is pleasing to note that, with the exception of Mrs Snow, of Bunnythorpe, the speakers are local residents, and the subjects undertaken are such as promise a treat to every wofcnan who is interested in the highest welfare of her sex. All girls over 15 or 16 yeiixs of age are coidially invited to attend the meeting, The Victoria Insurance Company, \y advertisement in another column, announce that they have appointed Messrs Sclanders and Co. as their agents for tin Fire and Fidelity Guarantee Departments, in succession to the late Mr George Beaven, and that Mr Fred. G. Beaven will act as Town Sub-agent, Mr W. Rodwe'.l retaining the Marine Agency. In such capaDle hands we feel sure that this wellknown Company w/11l make rapid progress in this district. The offence of wilfully making falsfc statements before Registrars touching the particulars of births and deaths, required by law to be registered, has of late been on the increase. On the 17th October, James Shannon was tried at the District Court, Greymouth, and sentenced to a flno of £5, or in default two months' imprisonment with hard labour. He has been sent to gaol, where he is> serving the sentence The above case may act as a. warning, if made known, especially to persons who are not fully aware of the serious consequences of the offence alluded to. The Marquis of Bute, prior to the ill - ness with which he has just been strioker, was engaged in the work of preparing a new edition of his English translation of the Roman Breviary. He has the lines; collection of breviaries and missals of n!l ages that has ever been brought tog-slhw under one roof. His conversion to the Catholic Church was the sensation of a quarter of n century ago, and it supijlic' Lord Benconsfteld with the materiui for - "Lothair." Monsignor Capel, who <ffec;- --{ ed the conversion, was a handsome anl [ eloquent priest in Kensington, who emigrated to California, where he is new living in retirement.— Exchange. Aft.er the Wanganui Garrison Corps had been inspected on Tuesday night, Colonel Watt presented Sergeajit-Majpr McMillan with Hie Imperial long-service medal, referring 'to his long service of 42 years in the Imperial and Volunteer forces. It being the last occasion on which SergeantMajor McMillan would bo present with the battalion, Colonel Watt then, on behalf of the Volunteers, wished him "oo lbye. In doing so, he drew attention to the many obligations the officers and men were under to the Sergeant-major during the ten years he had been in the district. Captain Seagcr also referred to the obliging and painstaking manner in which he had at all times been met by SergeanoMajor McMillan. Sergeant-Major McMillan, who seemed much affected, v'hen withdrew, and the evening's drill was proceeded with, ,

I The German grim duties, it is expect- I ed, will be largely increased in 1903 to defray tho naval expenditure. A meeting of ladies favourable to the upturn of Mr G. Carson, M.H.R., to the I House of Representatives wi'V. be held this . afternoon at 3.30 in the Museum Hall. At the New Plymouth Magistrate's | Court yesterday, ueorge Payne was con- | mittcd for trial on a charge of setting fire I to the Tarnnaki Herald Office. The same j accused was remanded on a. further charge of setting fire to J. G. George's building. A meeting of Mr Carson's supporters will bo held at Fordel! this evening for the purpose of forming a committee. As it is contrary to law to use public schoolhouses for the purposes of candidates' committee meetings, the piace of meeting will be notified in the township. j The Post referring to a lecture g : ven in Wellington by Mr Villiers, the w:\r correspondent, s-ays the lecturer .mac!< only passing reference to the present trouble with the Boers. But for (he biu.i "ering of Gladstone in regard to the hist w, he said, there would have been no w-ir now — an expression of opinion that we>» received with cheers. A man like Bullet, he said, would have wiped orat Mijubn Hill within a month. However, 3uller was now in supreme command in South. Africa, and, with Joseph Chamberlain at his elbow, they need have no fear if the result. One" of the most interesting portions of his lecture was the splendidly illustrated description of ,the building of the Soudan railway. In three miuutss Mr Villiers gave his audience a bc-tter idea of the manner in which this marvellous work was performed than they coul:l have gained by hours of book-reading. The most effective picture in Mr Villiers ,« collection was, however, a photograpn of the dead on one part of the battlefield (,'. Omdurman. Here, within a space of threequarters of a mile, were two thousand slain — a striking testimonial of the efficacy of the modern machine-gun, for, incrediblo as it may seem, these two thousand were laid low by the fire of one Maxim gun in ten minutes !