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Wanganui Herald, Volume V, Issue 1524, 17 July 1872, Page 2

Benevolent Society.—This Society is assuming a tangible form, having appointed the office-bearers, and portioned the town into six districts. Mr W". H. Watt occupies the position of President, Mrs A. Webb Hon. Treasurer, and Mrs J. Wilcox Hon. Secretary. Two ladies have been appointed to each district as visitors, to more immediately attend to any cases of distress or sickness arrising in their Wards. Any important case will, we presume, be brought under the consideration of the whole of the members. We commend the society to our readers as a deserving object for charitable gifts, and trust the ladies who have nobly undertaken the task of attending to, and alleviating the wants of our sick poor, will receive that generous support their Christian labors so justly entitle them to receive.

Palmerston—" Our Own " at Palmorston informs us that a commencement has been made to the road between Palmeraton and the Oroa, through that portion of the country generally known as the Seven Mile Bush. This being the most direct road between Palmerston and Rangitikei, the progress of the works will be watched with a great amount of interest by the inhabitants of both places. Messrs Ames and party are the contractors, under Mr McEwen the Superintendent of Works.

Firing on the Race Course.—A correspondent writes to us as follows :— " Coming across the race course yesterday evening about seven o'clock, and when about opening'the gate on the town side, I was startled by a flash, and hearing the report of a gun, I challenged the person, but received no answer." The writer concludes his letter by expressing his opinion that such a dangerous practice should be put a stop to. At the R. M. Court this morning, one drunkard was mulcted in a fine of os., or 24 hours' imprisonment. Special Advisers.—At a meeting of natives at Pakowhai, it was resolved to send fiVe Maoris to consult and advise the native member of the House of Representatives for the ensuing session. " Mac."—lt is noted to be a curious fact that the newly constituted Victorian Ministry does not contain a single " Mac." The Age says it is the first time that it has occurred for years that no member of the Ministry has been in possession of this '•' aristocratic prefix."

Uses of Flax.—A fine sample of twilled sheeting, woven ..by Mr Forbes, Hilton mills, Arbroath, Scotland, from pure New Zealand fibre, is being exhibited at tbe rooms of the 'Canterbury Flax Association.

Swedish Immigration Virtually f Stopped.—Scandinavians (says the N. Z. jj Herald of the 9th) are not to be limed like I birds —at least that highly important sec-1 tion of the old Norse race inhabiting the \ country known as Sweden. It appears that! a Mr Friberg, who managed a boiling-down \ establishment in Hawke's Bay without sue-' ce33, was commissioned by the Government to proceed to Sweden and recruit for immigrants. The appointment, at the time, was severely commented on by the colonial Press; but as we happened to know nothing whatever of Mr Friberg or his qualification for the responsible post to which his friends in the Ministry appointed him, we refrained from expressing any opinion of our own. It appears, however, that on his arrival in Sweden, he was encountered by a law requiring all emigration agents to " deposit £5,000, to be forfeited should the " hopes held out to the emigrants not be " realised." This was a surprise to Mr Friberg. He went to Sweden, no doubt, with a very pretty story in his mouth, calculated to excite the Swedish imagination by " hopes" of constant employment, at high rates of pay, in a region of perpetual summer ; but the Swedish Government, setting great value on the peace of mind of it.9 subjects, had taken the precaution of insisting on a material guarantee from gentlemen of Mr Friberg's class, that should any Swede be tempted to emigrate, their hopes should not be trifled with. Mr Friberg was not prepared with his cash deposit; so we learn that he took his departure, without further loss of time, and is now on his way to this country. ' i

The Small Pox Panic in Wellington. —The Independent thus deals with the great unwashed of the Empire City:

— <l The meeting and its resolutions savor very much of a foolish panic. If the couple of hundred people who wasted two hours on Saturday evening had set to work to remove some of the nuisances which invite disease, they would have spent their time to a better purpose. If the public feel so strongly upon the subject of small pox why don't they exert a little pressure upon each other in the matter of cleanliness, drainage, and water supply. That there is ample need of it, almost* every street and back yard in the city can bear witness."

Reported Small-pox among thk Maoiues.—lt had been reported that smallpox had found its way to Maketu among, the Arawas. Dr. Armitage sends the following telegram:—Rotorua, 15th July, 10.30 a.m. G. S. Cooper, Wellington No evidence of any new disease here. Two deaths occurred last month—Mekai Rawiri, an old man, of apoplexy, after indisposition of about a week with constipation; and Piarehi Whakarrato, a young woman, after three days' acute illness (apparently) erysipelas dyspnoea first attacking ear spreading over neck and throat and shoulder with increasing dyspnoea on deathRawiri's body swelled very quickly. Visited Tuhourangi yesterday: two old people— man and woman —died last month. Could ascertain nothing about their ailments. Several natives suffering from slight bronchial catarrh, and some from chronic glandular swelling, but no symptoms of variola or other acute infectious diseases whatever. F. W. Armitage.

Cure fob Smalt. Pox.—Dr A. Liffier, Stockenau, states in the Wiener Med. Wochenschrift of February the 10th that he has treated more than forty cases of small-pox by the external copious application, by means of cottonwool, of a solution of one part of carbolic acid in twelve of oil ; the result in all cases was, that the cutaneous swelling soon diminished; and that when the application was made early the course of the disease, in relation to tiie number of pustules, was milder. He believes also that by this the danger of infection was greatly diminished. Uuvaccinated children, inhabiting- the same rooms with small-pox patients, either remained free from the disease or had it in a very mild form. Carbolic acid was also diffused through the atmosphere of the sick rooms.

Ti-ik Stamp Act —An Important Decision.— The Lyttelton Times reports an important case on stamps, decided by Mr Bowen, Resident Magistrate at Christchurch. The plaintiff, Mr Mem, sued Mr Maimeduke Dixon under a sold note, signed by the latter only, and not by the plaintiff. The note, as produced in Court by Dr. Foster was stamped with a shilling agreement stamp, which on tbe face of it purported to have been affixed just before coming into Court. Mr Cowlishaw, for the defendant, objected to the agreement being received as evidence until payment of the £10 penalty, citing, the ninth section of the "Stamp Act Amendment Act, 1867," Dr. Foster, in reply, contended that this section onty applied when an agreement was signed by both parties, and that the present case must be governed by the original Act of 1866, which, he con"

tended, allowed the agreement to bo stamped at any time before coming into Court. Mr Bowen decided that as the agreement was signed by one only of the parties, the Act of 1867 could not apply to tho^ present case, and that according to the Act of 186G it was properly stamped, and must be received as evidence.

The Htjntbe Monument.—We have received a letter from Mr John Kirkpatrick, who is at present residing in Tyldesley, England, in which he explains the circumstances of Major Hunter's monument, He says : " The money subscribed was £10 10, and of this I paid Noble, of your town. £8 or £9 for painting, erecting,"and lettering. The balance I proffered to Mr '■ St., John Brannigan, who kindly undertook to look after the affair, and this sum I will hand over to you in trust, or to any duly qualified person on receipt of advice to that effect."

Great Sale of Plants.—We have to call attention to the sale of plants, shrubs, &c,, by Mr W. Finnimore, at his store tomorrow. The trees are from the well-known nursery of Mr James Laird in Glasgow St., and are thoroughly acclimatized and healthy. There is always some amount of uncertainty m buying flowers or shrubs as to whether they will survive the transplanting, but we are informed that not a single instance has occurred of complaint being made of trees purchase d at Mr Laird's sale not growing. This fact should act as an incentive to purchasers to-morrow.

Oodntkb Pktitiox.—A counter petition against tho Assembly granting the prayer contained in the petition forwarded by the Oeuncil, has been prepared, and will be taken round for signature to morrow.

Town Council.—A special meeting of the Council, was held Ibis afternoon, at* the Court House. Present—The Mayor, Crs Nathan, Ward, Eobinson, Brown and Beaven. A telegram from Messrs Hart and Buckley was received to the following :-— "No harm in words; the Assembly°will settle question " city" or " borough." Bunny will present Bill as pub^e Act. You have not complied with anyone of the standing orders on private bills, and it is just possible that nothing may be done this session, however no pains will be spared to urge the bill. You can get some sort of seal made." Cr Brown moved, "That the petition referred to be adopted by the Council." Seconded by Cr Nathan and carried. Cr Ward moved, " That telegram from Messrs Hart and Buckley being satisfactory, the seal of Corporation be attached to the petition and that it be forwarded to the Provincial Secretary." Seconded by Or Robinson and carried. The Mayor and Cr Beaven were appointed to attest the fixin°- of the seal. Perjuby.—We are informed that an information was sworn before Major Edwards to-day, by Mr. H. 0. Mandy, charging a well known solicitor with wilful and corrupt perjury, and that the summons is made returnable for Wednesday next. The s.s. St. Kilda underwent a thorough overhaul on the slip at Wellington, and°a fresh certificate granted for six months.