Local Intelligence.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1806, 20 December 1862, Page 3

Local Intelligence.

Choral Society. — The first concert of this season was held at the Odd Fellows' Hall on Thursday evening last aud was attended by a full and fashionable audience. The concert was in every way a success — the choruses were excellently sane;, and the part pieces efficiently rendered ; while the solo " I know that my Redeemer liveth," the duet " O lovely peace" and "The young May Moon" were perfect triumphs. We must not forget to mention the piano forte solo " Where the bee sucks," in the second part, which was charmingly executed by a lady member. The Amateur Band also contributed much to the amusement ot' the evening. His Honor the Judge, who takes a great interest in this society, was, we are sorry to say, unable to attend through ill-health. Anniversary Regatta. — We have been requested to call attention to a meeting in connec> tion with this object, which is to be held ia the New Zealander Hotel on Monday evening at 8 o'clock. Mysterious Robbery. —On Thursday a robbery of a cash-box, took place from the bookseller's and fancy goods shop occupied by Mrs Wrigglesworth on Lambton Quay. The cash box which we believe contained notes and money to the amount of £25, was kept under the counter in a place which could only be known by some one familiar with the premises, was discovered yesterday to be missing. Two theories are put forward to account for the theft, one being that the shop had been entered during the temporary absence in the back room of the person iv attendance, and the other, that the robbery was committed by a regular caller. Meantime not the slightest cine has been found of the guilty person. Deserter Captured. — For some months past our worthy Resident Magistrate has bad a handy man in his employ, who yesterday was pounced upon by one of the 57th and marched off as a deserter. Our readers may fancy the surpiise of Mr St. Hill, on being informed of the occurrence, the deserter having no doubt been ready enough to believe that the safest concealment was under the wings of Justice. Our Family Column. — We commenced in to-day's issue the publication of a tale from the Cornhitl, entitled" Horace Saltoun." Its style and matter will remind the reader of Warren's " Diary of a late Physician," and probably leave the impression that that well known author wonld only be adding to his early fame, if his. generally imputed paternity, relative to the tale now uuder notice, were to turn out correct. Its intensely harrowing details and intimate knowledge of London Medical life, certainly make "Horace Saltoun" one of the most readable of the minor tales which the Cornhitl has yet published. Windy Wellington. — This description is fast becoming inapplicable. Very recently the Wesleyan Church at Otago, was seriously injured by the wind, and on the Lachlan in Australia, we read that duriug a recent terrible thunderstorm, the Wesleyan and Catholic Churches were blown down. The Wesleyan Church was occupied by a teacher and a number of children. A great number were more or less hurt, but no bones fractured, and all are now convalescent. The Standard Theatre and many houses were unroofed. The Claud Hamilton. — This steamer is advertised to leave Sydney on the 15th inst.» with the Auckland portiou of the English mail. The English Mail.— The Airedale left Sydney on the 9th, at which date the English mail ought to have been telegraphed from' Adelaide. The Queen is due from Otago anytime after to-night. Our readers will be glad to learn that the City of Hobart, with the November mails, arrived in admirable time for delivering them into the trunk steamer at Melbourne. Land Sale,— At the Government auction sale yesterday, the land in the Pahauand Warehamablocks realised £1964 12s 6d, Australian Rush to Otago. — The City of Hobart sailed from Melbourne on the 6th with 180 passengers. A new rush had set in. A hint to our M.P.C.'s. — We not unfrequently hear some of our legislators declaring what they will or will not do while they remain "on the floor of the House." It is to be hoped our Wellington public do not put the same interpretation on the expression as a Sydney hotel-keeper, who had formerly been a merchant and was still a large importer, appears to have done. It appears from the Herald that during the trial of the case of Watt v. Flett, an hotel-keeper was examined and cross-examined as to a visit which he made to the Legislative Assembly for the purpose of identifying the plaintiff — at that time iv the Speaker's gallery. Upon being asked " Whether he saw any one upon the floor of the house?" the witness at once replied, "No ; they were all sober." It was clear therefore that he regarded the question with a professional eye, as having reference to the then state of hon. members as to sobriety. In fact, that the supposition that some member or members of the augustbody alluded to might, perchance, be found "on the floor of the House" in a sense more literal than Parliamentary, was not so violent a supposition as might atlfirst sight appear. This question and answer elicited a burst of laughter. The Last Hours op Mrs Dr Livingstone. — A mail or two ago, when the telegraph from Adelaide reporting the death of Dr Livingstone was posted outside ouroffice,it was with surprise that we found how deep a hold tbatj name bad acquired on the community. The Doctor, happily, is still living ; but the following particulars of his wife's death, which circumstance gave rise to the report first mentioned, will be read with scarcely less pain than would those of his own. They are extracted from a letter to a -London-paper — " There is one item of information brought by the Bombay mail, which will sadly interest the friends of Dr Livingstone. His wife has died of fever. She bad joined him on the Zambesi just as he reached the coast from his adventurous journey up the Shire to the Lake Nyassa. Her arrival was a very welcome one to him, a comfort and an assistance. For three months lie had her society. Of course she was attacked by fever — none ever escape in that region— but, as she observes in an un* finished letter to ray wife, bad ' got nicely over it,' giving hope that her constitution and the usual remedies, with the blessing of God, would bear her up until her her husband could put his new iron steamer together, and leave the" inhospitable coast for the higher and more healthy regions of the Shire and Lake. Providence had decreed otherwise. She was soon seized again; quinine failed in her cast; for some days she lingered, then became unconscious, and died |peacfuily un Sunday, April the 27th. Her husband attended her night and day. He has had many troubles but this is his heaviest. He writes in the fullness of his heart, crushed for the time. The strong man is bowed down ; yet he tries to comfort bis children, telling them 'she is not lost, but gone before,' and urging them to follow her as she followed Christ, that they may join her in heaven, ' A grave was dug the next day,' writes his brother, * under the large Baobab, mentioned by the officers of Captain Owen's expedition, and about 150 yards fiona Shupangu House, and there we buried her. It was a sad day for us all, and of course more particularly for the bereaved doctor. He feels his loss most keenly. His faithful wife, the mother o£ h|s children^ taken so soon alter joining him once more." ■-- - : ? '.. : ■./ ;■: >■■ „.-:, .;_,.;

Royat. Lyceum Theatre.— Wb , have to remind the lovers of the drama that the second night of the season, during which this favorite place of amusement will be open, is on Monday first, when a very select and choice bill of fare, including the exciting drama of the " Sergeant's Wife," and the laughable farce " A kiss in the Dark," will be presented for the gatification of the audience, which we trust will be a numerous one. Colonial Wab Stbamees. — It was easy for the Duke of Newcastle to write that if New Zealand wanted a steamer for the service -of ••- the Governor's he must provide one foi thepurpose; but how difficult it would be for lis to carry that suggestion into practice, may be in ferred from the fact of the Melbourne Legislature having only voted the Victoria's expenses for six months longer, when she is to be laid up on account of her cost. What wealthy Victoria caunot afford aiust be utterly out of our reach. Visit of Prince Alpbed. — This event appears to be fully determined on. Governor. Barkly has recently stated that it will, probably, be only delayed for a few months. Governor Barely. — The present Governor of Victoria it is said^is to bejshortly appointed to that of the Presidency of Madras, EarlMulgrave assuming the Governorship of Victoria. ! Sir Malcolm M'Greoor. — We notice the name of this officer (late Captain of H. M. :S. Harrier) among the passengers by the last overland mail to Europe Obtaining Goods on False Pretences: — The following, from Melbourne appears iv the Sydney Herald of the Bth inst :—« J. T. Valentine, who absconded from Sydney, charged with ' ' : obtaining two gold watches by means' of a ; valueless cheque from Mr Cook, watchmaker, in George Street, was arrested on the arrival of : the Wonga Wonga steamer. He is remanded till Thursday, to give time for the receipt of the ; necessary warrant for his apprehension. One of the many Evils of Horse-steal* ing. — The Braidwood Despatch thus narrates • (he difficulties which beset the Australian pur. chaser of horse flesh — "It seems almost dangerous now-a-days to purchase a horse except from a person who is already know to have bred the animal, or unless it shall have been impounded and sold by the poundkeeper in dae course, for it is not the pleasantest thing in the ' world for any one who has purchased a hoise bona fide, to receive notice some months after it has been in his possession that the said horse has been stolen ; but such things are by no gmeans uncommon, particularly in districts where horse - .' stealing has been carried on to such an extent as in Braidwood, The consequence is, that the purchaser has to fall back upon the! vendor, - and he in like manner upon the previous vendor, and so on until the labyrinth shall have been traced to the end, when probably so much time ; has elapsed since the horse was stolen, that the thief has left the district, or has met with his deserts at the hands of the law for another offence of a similar description. An instance of this nature has just cotne to light here ; at least : it is supposed to be. a case of the kind, although no investigation has yet taken place into the circumstances. £>ome time before his death, the late Mi ti-urney, in his capacity of agent' for the "".' Curator of Intestate Estates, duly advertised and sold a grey horse, s dd to belong to one of these estates. At the sale, the animal was pur chased by Mr James Malone, mail contractor, who re-sold it the same day to Mr Hogg, then chief constable of Braidwood, who had it in his possession for some time and afterwards sold it to Mr H. P. Wilson, Agent to the Oriental Bank, who sold it to Mr Rowland Hassall, J.P. of Durham Hall, in whose possession the horse ' is at the present time. A few days ago M* . Hassall received notice from a party at Bong ' ' Bong, that this horse bad been stolen, and so the matter rests until a due investigation shall take place. This appears to be a very extraordinary case, and one wnich may lead to a considerable amount of litigation before it is j settled. It likewise shows the necessity of some : I provision being made by law to guard persons who purchase horses in a hona fide manner, Iromthe hardships entailed upon them by the horse being takeu away, and then having to refund to the person to whom it may have been resold, the amount of the purchase money. The " Cumberland Disease." — A new -- disease, thus named, has broken out in Australia amongst the cattle. It appears to be confined fur the present to Queensland. The following , alarming statement appeared in the North Australian of 25th ultimo, from a correspondent, under the signature of " Pastoral," who dates his communication from Goondiwindi : — "I've been thinking that nothing but false . economy could have induced a squatter so worldly wise as our Colonial Treasurer to move for th© repeal of the Pleuro-pueumonia Act. The enemy so wisely feared by Mr Herbert, and scouted by the Opposition, has made its appearance, certainly not in the shape of pleuro pneumonia, but a disease equally as direful in its ravages. The so-called Cumberland disease has, within the last few weeks, to my knowledge, carried off hundreds of horned stock, hundreds of sheep, and a great number of horses likewise. Many dogs, both native and domesticated, have died in consequence of having eaten the diseased flesh. Mr Gregory; the. Commissioner, and his subordinates, have' been fully occupied this last three weeks in visiting the diseased stations. The stations infected are— Wha» land, Messrs Doyle ; Kenopia, Messrs Whiteman ; Baronga, Mr M 'Donald; Boga Billa, Mr. Brown, Mr Brown has lost 600 or 700 sheep out of a^ flock less than 2000. 1 believe they are still dying 1 The Commissioner has inspected all these stations, and I believe has placed them, or some of them, in quarantine. 1 presume ere this you'll be ia possession of his report to the Government. Messrs Myles and Watts have both made some post mortem examinations, and report both spleen and lungs to be infected. Mr Watts brought some diseased lung for the commissioner to examine. I do not know his opinion as to whether he considers the disease contagious or not. The general opinion is that it is so." The Darling Downs Gazette of Thursday the 27th, has the following on the same subject:-- --" We have received information that the Government inspectors have been busy investigating symptoms of this terrible disease upon several stations on the New South Wales side of Goondiwindi, and all within the territory of New South Wales. One station has been placed in quarantine. Our informant states his conviction that the disease- ia not pleuro-pneumonia, but what is called ' Gum* berland disease.' Our own opinion is that the cattle are dying as they were doing* here some time ago from sheer starvation. As the inspectors, however, have stated the disease to be pleuropneumonia, and as the Act referring to. this . disease, expires with the current year, it: becomes, a matter of serious consideration, and one which invites the immediate attention of Governments"