LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2386, 10 July 1866, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Recent' Change in toe Provincial Executive. — Referring to tho change that occurred in the Provincial Executive recently, his Honor, in his prorogation speech remarks: — " Though for the first time during my thirteen years' administration of the Government, a change has taken place in my Executive, you may rest assured that there exists between them and myself an earnest desire cordially to co-oporate in promoting the true interests of the province." PROROGATION OF TIIE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. — The. Session of the Provincial Council concluded on Saturday last. The Prorogation Speech of his Honor the Superintendent will be found in another column. Destructive Fihe. — On Sunday morning, a fire broke out at the Thistle Inn, Thorn don, by which that building was burnt to the ground. A full - report of the conflagration will be found in another column. Tbotting Match. — A trotting match is fixed for this day, (Tuesday), at eleven o'clock, between Mr. C. Fawn's fast trotting horse and a wellknown hack from the Wairarapa. Tho stakes are £50 a side, and the start is to tako place from Osgood's Empire Hotel. As both riders are well known, in sporting circles, a great deal of interest may be anticipated. Umpires are appointed, and everything will be carried out in true sporting style. Pkofessob Pabkeb. — Professor Parker and Miss Annie Beaumont left Wellington yesterday in tho s.s. Tarannki for the South. Tramway. — By the arrival of tho s.s. Phajb<?, on Saturday, Mr. W. Tonics, jun., has received the plant necessary for a tramway by which to convey the earth for reclaiming the land in the harbor. Theatrical Intelli&n ce. — It is rumored that Miss Juno, the well-known actress, will shortly arrive here with an efficient company. Should she do so, we may venture to predict that she will have a profitable season, as the town is pretty full just now, and something in the way of amusement, is much required. The Printing Committees. — The reportß of the Committees of both Houses, which were appointed to consider the test mode by which the proceedings of the General Assembly could be reported and printed, will bo brought up to-day. ' Distbict Coubt. — His Honor the District I Judge, C. D. R. Ward, Esq., will hold a sitting rof the District Court to-day. The only caso set < down for hearing is that in which Mr. Francis f seeks to recover the sum of £100 from Mr. Halli- . day, as alleged special damages. Mutual Investment Society. — As will be observed on perusal of tho Superintendent's Speech in the Provincial Council, on Saturday last, his Honor has succeeded in obtaining as a loan the sum of £35,000 from the Mutual Investment Society on security of tho land in progress of reclamation — " an amount which (liis Honor remarks) will enable me not merely to defray the expense of the reclamation, but also to retrieve the Provincial Revenue of a contribution of eoine £10,000 towards the cost of the wharf." Death of Mr. Sladen.— lt is with feelings of regret that we to-day record the death of Mr. W. Gt. M. Sladen, principal bookeeper of the P.N.Z. and A.R.M. Company, in Wellington. Mr. Sladeu waa held in high estimation fry his employers and associates, and his death is very much lamented by all that know him. We observe that since Saturday, the flags at the office in which the deceased was employed, and those belonging to the vessels in harbor were hoisted halfmast, as a mark of respect. Sitting in Banco. — A sitting in banco was held before Mr. Justice Johnston, on Saturday. In the case of Mills v Buck and others, the argument was resumed, on the motion of Mr. Izard for the payment to J. and R. M. Cleland, judgment creditors, of the full amount of their judgment debts and costs. Mr. Buckley opposed on the part of the plain tiff, on the ground that an administration suit had been commenced prior to the judgment. Mr. Izard, in reply, urged that . inasmuch as his clients had used great diligence to receive the amount of their claim, they were ( entitled to preference. His Honor reserved judgment. In the case of Lane v. Walden, Mr. Buckley, for defendont, applied for a rule abso- ■ lute to quash the or dor made by tho Resident : Magistrate, as being bad on two grounds. Mr. Brandon, who appeared for the plaintiff, showed . no causo why the application should not be ; granted, and the order was quashed accordingly. Discovery op Human Remains.— Tho skeleton of a woman has been found in a gully near Hyde, in Otago. An agreement from Mrs. Alpenny was found with tho remains, dated Deo. 15, 1865, from which it appears that her name was Margaret Frazer. She has been missing some time.

■ GbNBBAV ASSEMBLY SITTINGS.— A resolution will be moved in the House of Representatives today. to alfcejf the houi? of commencing the' sittings on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridaye l fr,ona 12 to 2 o'clock 1 ; in' order that more fime-.may be given, to committees to do their work in. We.presume that tho earlier hour was originally chosen, in order to avoid night sittings, but such has not been the effect of it hitherto, to judge from the records of previous Sessions. It would seem that the more time there was for talking, the more talking there" would be ; honorable members would rise and express their ideas to the House, although often there was nothing particularly novel or striking about them not because they had well considered the matter, but because they did not v.-ish to give a Bilent vote, and there was still thuo for them to pay something. We trust that the sense of the House will be Btrongly against such speeches in future, for if it were, we believe that the House might meet even at a later hour than 2 o'clock with advantage. There is no doubt more work to do in the legislature of a new country than in that of an old one in proportion to its population and interests, for while the former is fully occupied in building up its political constitution, the latter is only engaged in introducing such changes as are absolutely necessary, but we believe that the work of the New Zealand Parliament might be done in much less time, if some of the members would only refrain from taking up the time of the House with lame speeches, for which they had previously made no preparation. The Committees at present cannot get through much work before midday, especially as they do not employ shorthand reporters ; to dp any good, they should sit at least three hours at a time. It has already been arranged that they shall do business on the days on. which, the House does not sit, but that will throw a great deal of labor on them. The question, however, will probably bo fully discussed to-day. The Taranaki Natives. — Wo hear from Taranaki that the Natives in the neighborhood of tho Warea redoubt (now held by a detachment of her Mojesty's 50th Regiment), are still in the habit of amusing themselves by firing at the garrison. ' The natives who do this are the remnant of tho Tara. naki tribe, with twenty or thirty of tho Ngatimaniapoto, numbering, perhaps, altogether as many as the Warea garrison, not nearly as many as the garrisons of Warea and Opunako together. Between theso two places the natives hold the road — communication is still carried on by means of some of the friendly natives whom they allow to pass; occasionally however tho mails are taken in transitu and burnt in the King's name. Wo trust, for the credit of the colony, as well as for the sake of the unfortunate Province of Taranaki, that Major McDonnell may be allowed to extend his rambles as far North as Warea. If this were dono, tho two garrisons we have named, which are no doubt being maintained at considerable expense to the British tax-payer, might be dispensed with, and there would at last be a reasonable prospect of that part of the country being peaceably occupied. The Late Mu. Dobson. — A telegram from Hokitika, on the 4th instant, is as follows : — " A report from Greymouth says that Mr. Dobson's body has been found." Providoring op the P.N.Z. & A.R.M. Cos. Steamers. — From inquiries, wo understand that this Company will in future undertake the work of providoring their own steamers ; and Mr. A. A. Brown, late of the P. & O. and Q.S.S. Company, is at present engaged in making arrangements here for carrying out this project. Scarcity op Poultry and Farm Produce. — Numerous complaints are reaching our ears oi the almost unaccountable scarcity of poultry and other farm produce of this city, and that wlion any are brought to market, country dealers aro too apt to demand prices that are really far too exorbitant. Now, we think that such should not bo the case, when dealers bear in mind thatall the live stock required by the P.N.Z. & A.R.M. Company would be purchased in Wellington, if only reasonable facilities were afforded for obtaining it. If the Company is not reasonably dealt with, why, then, nothing remains for them to do than to get their supplies from Sydney and other markets. In connection with this matter, wo might mention that Mr. B. Ling supplied the s.s. Kaikoura with live stock at, in some cases, considerably below Sydney rates. Wo trust that dealers will take tho hint, because if a supply equal to the fast increasing domand is kept up, a most extensive trade will be established, and tho country districts will thereby obtain a revenue which otherwise would not bo circulated amongst them. Fees and Fines.— The following is the yearly Return of Fees and Fines received at the Resident Magistrate's Court' Wellington, from the Ist January, 1860, to 19th June, 1866 :— PEES. PINES. TOTAL. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ b. d. 1860 437 6 4 152 15 0 610 1 4 1861 318 2 10 97 18 0 416 0 10 1862 310 5 2 122 8 6 432 13 8 1863 528 14 7 130 16 0 659 10 7 1864 456 10 8 238 17 10 695 8 6 1865 690 511 378 4 6 1068 10 5 1866 423 8 6 258 8 0 681 16 6 The years 1864.5 were under the Extension Act. The return for 1866 only represents, six months, and jurisdiction limited to £20. If the receipts for the next six months equal those of tho past, tho annual receipts will not only equal those of 1864-5, but be largely in excess. This shows that tho business of the Court is increasing, notwithstanding tho establishment of the District Court. We understand that the cost of management is something less than it formerly was. Pablo Fanqtte. — In consequence of the inclemency of the weather on the 30th ult., the performance announced to take place was postponed until Saturday next, when a most attractive onfcertainment will be presented. An excellent band has been engaged for the occasion, and Pablo will bo assisted by his two children, one on the flying trapeze, and the other in national dances, &o. The Leotard Troupe. — It would appear that the Leotard's fared much better in Auckland than they did in Wellington, for, by the Herald oi the 80th ult., we perceive that Mr. Quick, landlord of the United Service Hotel, entertained them to a supper prior to their departure for Sydney.

'.'■'■' Sketches b* New- 'Zbaianiv ScENERtfr-^irr; ' N. Chevalier, about whose sketches of New Zealand scenery ; sb much hffs baon heard of late, .was i a passenger by the b.s. Phrobe, which arrived here from the South' on Saturday afternoon. We un- ,. ..derstand that he purposes staying, in-' Wellington for some" time, during which he will execute somepaintings of the scenery of this province. Speaking of the productions of thiß artist,- the Lytlelton Times, in a recent issue, remarks : — " By the courtesy of M. Chevalier, wo yesterday had . the pleasure of viewing that gentleman's drawings, in , number about two oi* three hundred, which have been obtained by him during a tour of eight months in -New Zealand j and, whether looked upon as a perfect landscape history of different provinces, or as works of art, the result is equally satisfactory. They embrace views of every point of interest in the Otago and Canterbury provinces j many of them are finished water-color sketches, showing wonderful freedom and boldness of pencil, management of chiaroscuro and aerial perspective, and the geological character of the country is preserved with the greatest minuteness and fidelity, without having the least approach to mannerism. Some very beautiful bits of scenery, which have struck tho artist as being -highly picturesque, aro in the., form of finished drawings, showing how some of tho more important views wonld look, 1 were they treated in the same manner. If we selected any of the drawings for preference, we should especially notice the views of Pigeon: Bay, Akaroa, and Canterbury plains, as being more familiar, to us ; but the lake and mountain scenery is magnificent beyond anything we could possibly have imagined, and to those unacquainted with New Zealand, the wonderful variety of tho subjects will at once astonish and delight them. Wo aro glad to hear that it is Mr. Chevalier's intention, previous to his departure, to publicly exhibit tho whole . of 1113 sketches in the Town Hall, or some other suitable place, so as to give those whose taste has been tutored, fresh food, and to tho iinpractised eye a series of studies which cannot fail to convey a great and lasting benefit." We understand that Mr. Chevalier intends to a fiord the public of Wellington an opportunity of viewing the sketches which he recently made of New Zealand scenery in the provinces of Otago and Canterbury. Arrangements are being made to have the sketches exhibited at the Odd Fellows' Hall, on Wednesday and Thursday, and the public will be admitted free. The " Presbyterian." — Under the foregoing title, a magazine has been published in Christchurch. We have not yet received a copy of this new publication j but if we are to accopt the statements of the Oldgo Daily Times, wo can heartily recommend it to the attention of our Presbyterian friends. That journal says :— " They will find in it a summary of all the religious intelligence of each of tho Provinces of New Zealand, tho largest place beiug given to Otago, and also some notice of the Home Churches and their missionary work. A short article on the much vexed question of the Sabbath is followed by a excellent essay on ' The Scotch Parish Schools,' in which wo aro glad to see John Knox's noble character as a patriot, as well as a divine, fully upheld, and the hand he had in founding the Scotch Parish School Systotn fully acknowledged. A condensed epitome of the proceedings of the General Assembly, held in Dunedin, occupies a few pages, and will be found useful for reference whilst a most valuable and interesting Lecture upon the New Hebrides Islands and Mission is given in full, together with a map for reference, and will bo found most instructive and entertaining to readers of every religious denomination. The Baewon Ashore. — A Hokitika telegram of the 3rd instant says : — Arrived to-day — I Gothenburg, from Melbourne, bringing dates to the 27th June. Reports Bar won ashore at Queenscliff, with little chance off getting off, and a heavy sea rolling. The Late Mr. James Fulloon. — The New Zealand Herald s&jb: — " We learn with pleasure that a movement has been initiated at Tauranga, by Captain Frazer, Mr. Warbuck, and other gentlemen, to have the ground in which tho remains (uncoffined) of this ill-fated young gentleman rest, inclosed, and a mausoleum erected to his memory." The Panama Service — A very well informed correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes ; — The intelligence from Syducy respecting the share to be taken by New South. Wales in the Panama contract is not altogether satisfactory. It is impossible that the Government of that colony should dispute tho main point of their agreement, or should even wish to do so ; but there are minor points on which differences may occur, causing the contract to bo kept open. The secret motive at the bottom oi the present difficulty is, I believe, a desire on the part of Sydney to keep the terminus of the line positively and permanently there. But Captain Benson and his family have come down hero, and he has announced his intention of bringing the large ocean stcumers no further than this port, and of employing branch steamers to Sydney as well as Melbourne. Wellington, in his view, is tho torminus of the line, and here, thoreforo, almost all the expenditure of the company will take place. Sydney suspects something of this, and is said to be now holding back her ultimate consent to the contract, with • the hope of arranging the question of terminus in her own favor. The Ministry. — Tho Nelson Examiner thus speculates about Mr. Stafford's Ministry: — 1 "We cannot understand how the Ministers themselves can agree on several question of importanes. As far as can bo gathered from statements made , a few weeks ago at tho hustings, they hold opinions diametrically opposed to each other on questions that will be certain to bo debated during the Bossion, and to which the utmost interest will be attached. Granted that the Post-master-General may prove plastic in the hands of the Premier, and forswear ultra-provincialism in order to avoid a split with the Colonial Treasurer, will the other Otago members be satisfied at oeeing Mr. Paterson's exhibition of weakness ? What will Mr. Macandrew and Mr. Yogel Bay to their colleague serving with men who oppose themselves to measures which these gentlemen regard as necessary above all others for the welfare of their province P"

I A Colonial Ahtist.— We clip; the following! from the Southland. Times :— " It is always.pleas- 1 ingtohcar of a native of any of the colonies at-| tainingto.'eminence.ini thei,hj>me country. Tasmania has the honor of having given birth- .to an. 'artist' who has taken a high position among 'therenowned, painters -of Europe. 'M,any in this pr"o- : vince will' remember Robert Dowling, who for some time had an unpretending saddler's shop in Geelong, in 1852 ; and who was remarkable' for his industry in sketching the countenances of his visitors, rather than c:a-ei:t'mg their orders. Being one of nature's genius, lie hud a soul above ] leather, and abandoned that occupation— or the occupation abandoned him— and determined to turn his attention to portrait painting. By perseverance and industry he succeeded in accumulating in a western district of Victoria, sufficient capital to enable him to visit England, with the intention of studying the best masters in Italy. Upon his arrival in London,' one of the scenes which appear to have attracted his attention was a coffeo stall, with the varied customers that surrounded it. He reproduced the scene on canvass, and obtained for it a plate in the Art Exhibition ; and, much to his surprise, it received the praise of all beholders, and he at once became a marked num. He i 3 entirely self-taught, and the Geelong 1 saddler now ranks among the renowned artists of Europe." The Grey.— The new 3 ■ from the various diggings continues satisfactory ; and according to the Grey River Argus of tho 29th, '* a continuous stream of population is setting in to the Little Grey diggings, and the number of miners passing Mitchell's Accommodation House is at the rate of nearly fifty a day, and very few are returning." The gold brought up by the Bruce, from Okarita, on Saturday, June 28, amounted to 2,600 ounces ; 'Bank of New South Wales receiving 1,600 ounces, and the Bank of Now Zealand 1,000 ounces, A Railway por . Nelson; — " Tho scherao," I says the Nelson Examiner " of paying tor the I construction of a railway from the City of Nelson, to Cobdcn, at tho mouth of the Gtrei rivar, by a grant of- the waste .lands of the proving so ably brought before tho Provincial Coun,efl| during its late session by Mr. F. KedforrgTis not, we are informed, to fail through the absenc^ of capitalists willing to undertake the -work, nor through tho opposition of the Colonial Government. We have learnt from Mr. Coe, a railway engineer of some experience, now in Nelson, that the firm of Messrs. Toung & Co., of Melbourne, representing a body of capitalists in that city, are prepared to enter into negotiations with our Government for the execution of the work. We believe Mr. Young only waits to hear that tho Colonial Government will sanction the necessary alienation of the wasto lands, to induce him to come to Nelson and negotiate with the Superintendent for the execution of the work. Wo are informed that Mr. Saunders, during his late visit to Wellington, obtained the assurance of Mr. Stafford that the scheme would have the support of his . Government, and we expect to see a bill laid before the Assembly, early in the session, to [ legalizo the proceeding. Bcrii-STaiiKiN4.— The Ly Helton Times, of Juno 19, says ;— " We have received from Mr. G. Willraer, a short account of a day's expedition to hunt and shoot wild bulls on Greta station. Mr. Willmer was accompanied by a young man named Richard Mill, and fell in with five wild bulls together. Mr. Willmer shot one, and reloading fired a long shot at another and brought him to a halt ; loaded again quickly, and, after warning Mill to get on tho high ground, fired at and struck a third. The wounded brute ran down-hill, and rushing on Mill threw him down, ploughing up the ground as he went, but fortunately, the horns were wido apart, and the only injury sustained by Mill, was a severe blow from the forehead of the animal, which bruised his back severely. It was a narrow escape. Mr. Willmer soon dispatched the third bull, and wounded a fourth out of tho mob. In ono day ho killed eight wild bulls from the back of a mare, trainod by himself to the work, and a perfect huntress." The Session. — "On the whole," says the Li/t---telton Times, " we are disposed to augur favorably for the colony from the present session. The inevitable "Maori" will not, for once, absorb the whole attention of the Assembly during an entire session, and some hope may bo indulged that matters of pressing general necessity to the colonists will receivo a fair share of attention. Especially we believe that Mr. Stafford will not dismiss members till the finance of the colony is placed before tho public in so clear a light that ordinary men may bo able to understand what are our liabilities, and when and how they are likely to be met and liquidated. Great politicians and statesmen as former ministers may have boon, they undoubtedly failed in this. Not only were they unable to explain the figures to others, • but each took a different view from the other of the result of the financial measures propounded by tue whole." Highway Robbery. — This description of crime seems not to decrease in Auckland, for we find in tho Police Court report of the 80th ult. that a man named Joseph Bryant was committed for trial to tho Supreme Court, for having robbed a Mr. Albert Klaprodo of £9 10a. in gold. Auckland Petroleum. — "We yesterday received a bottle of petroleum," says tho Neio Zealand Herald of the 27th ult., " sent to us from Poverty Bay by the schooner Jane. It appears to cxi t in that neighborhood in largo quantities. There arc about ten different outlets, two main springs and several smaller ones. The ground there seoms perfectly saturated with it, we are told. Invercargill as a Corporation. — Tho following parngraph, extracted from the Southland I Times, illustrates the advantages derivable from I municipal institutions : — #< It is stated that several J gentlemen interested in Invorcargill are organising an agitation to induce the Provincial Council to pass a Corporation Act similar to that now in operation in Dunedin. It is high time that some action was taken ; large sums have been expended in forming the streets, which, having been made, could be maintained at a very Bmall cost ; but unless something is done at once, will be in a worse condition than ever. The Town Board has ceased to act, and taxes are uacollected; the , Government have certainly done all they could in applying prison labor to improve the streets, but much cannot be accomplished. A Municipal Council is much required."

: Chim.— Thelatest telegrams received at fW- - terbury from ; Hokitika afe to. the following' effect :—" Inspector Peel J^'iyeci at' Sydiiey, fwaa.OniU^ reports T3om'b'asJme]at ; of /Valparaiso }& ■ I Spapish,. fleet;, With- greiitlo.Bß.. 2000 sfiote'Twrae • fired j .part of the=city was Writ j ! the estimirtcff. " damage is 700,000 dollars. The bonibar<fariiaßfc >yas. suspended. Steamer just" in i further bctkl'*- [ to-morrow. ' . -•'< • '."..< , ~. ; . -. -. Men Hunting. — They settle . tho native 'SSB^ : culty in a. very pvojnpfc and decided fashion Sic - Canada, as will be seen by the following extmfe from the Toronto Globe :—"■&■ town meeting' s£ Owyhu, Idaho, reliontly resolved that three aaoec - be appointed to select 25 mien to go Indian Bast---ing, and all those who fit themselves out shall receive a nominal sum for. all scalps theyiiisgr . bring; and all who cannot' fit themselves oa£ shall be fitted out by this committee ; nn<3 v&usbl .. they bring in a scalp it shall be deducted oz*. 1 - That for every buckscalp shnllbepaid 100do&>ancl for every squaw scalp 50 dols, and 25 dols, ferevery thing in the shape of an Indian wrsderttssr.^ years of age. That each scalp shall have tbecoarS of the head, and each man shall make oath thai, the scalp was taken by the company." Curious Claim fob Compensation. — TheNew Zealand Herald relates tho following : — f *"W«f - do not know whether the Commissioner for Bearing compensation, claims sis an adept nfc. etching or could turn out a good pen and ink eketcfew Some of our judges have, been pretty, smart in i&zs - way, but he had evidenlly a veiy amusing jHctrae • before his mind's eye yesterdajf, when gwing judgment in the case ofMeljennonyiih^eGKiTern^ menfc. At St. John's Redoubt 'th'eire* was a ! canteen pouring into the lap of its' owner the' grand v profits accruing from selling liquors and alek. at ■ war prices to v a famishing soldiery. • Bottle after bottle was 'emptied and thrown away, until quite an army from whfence the spirit had depart*^, strewed the grounds. Thousands were ib&i - rudely trampled undor foot after they hud tfar& served their day. Tho war . ended, : the " caiiteeS^- - ist's oedttpation gone, the successful man> sow*: - modestly requested the Q-overamerit' to take «mafr the bottles he had used in his trade, or rather So pay him. for removing. his own rubbisli ;• and i£e • beauty of it was. that he would have got it if fife. . J Grillies, or Mr. Boardman, ovM I'^'Spmebodj1 '^' Spmebodj «fe» - rC had not looked sharply affce.r him. Such wasth»picture presented to the Commissioner ; yeste»day — not a pretty one certainly, but. a funny oneths& we think will find few to resemble it." Accident. — The New Zealand JZeralS of tbftr28th ult. records the following : — " YesteiiJqr, a. man named Gorman, a servant to Col. Balnearfe^. . was knocked down by a gentlemen on horsebaeit - who w«s riding at -groat speed. Thepborinaa „ suffered a very serious, if not a dangerous, laccapated wound. The name of the gentleman is> w© - understand, Q-oodall, a surveyor and engineer. 3Bt is but justice, to him to state that he explains tSas unfortunate accident by saying that his horse raaa.: away with him, and being a powerful, as well aearestive, animal, he could not cause the brute t«e= slacken his pace. " Alleged Rape by a Native.— On Mcmcfcrjr last, at Xaipara, says the New Zealand Htraßß, of the 29th ult., a colored man, named" Pteter Antonio, appeared, to prefer a charge before Mrt . Von Stunner, R.M., against a Maori, whose- nanaar ■ we have not learned, accusing him of having- com- - nutted a rape upon his daughter, ' at - a "pJacc • called Matakohe, on the Kaipara. Tlio ense-wao.- ; one, however, which could only be tried in the Native Circuit Court, arid in tho absence of Me. Rogan, the Resident Magistrate of the district*, engaged at Tarauaki as a judge of the Compensate tion Court, the charge could not be received 1 , trod must, accordingly, stand over till that gentlem&n'srreturn. ' . - Nabrow Escape from DEbwNiNa. — "<& Thursday last," says the Otago Daily Times at the 27th ult., " while Mr. Morrison, of WaiftoSct, was attempting to cross a herd of cattle aver ■ the MolyHeux, at the Clutha, one of his mes ventured too far into the river and namrely escaped drowning. The horse got. out of las depth and into the current, and then plungwil violently ; but the rider stuck to the mane - courageously. JSoth horse and man disappeoraithree times, when fortunately, the punt boat being close at hand, they were rescued. Tb» person thus happily saved was John JFleming^.. late farmer, of North Taieri." The Escape from Cobden GUol.— A few daysago, relates the Otago Daily Times of Ju«e 27 T . a man calling himself John Smith was arrestecSafc Port Chalmers, and brought before the Resicteisfc • Magistrate, on suspicion of being one of tfce^ three prisoners who in May last broke oofc of Cobden Gaol. He was remanded _ to> Nelson; and from a telegram recefrafi last evening by the Commmissiouer of" Polioo, we learn that he has been identified sat the riugleader in the escape, and for whose- apprn?- - honsion a reward of £300 had been offered 1 . Death through taking Laudanum. — The- ' Lyttelton Times gives the following account of tne • death of a person through taking laudnnum r — " A sad misfortune occurred on Friday last to oc - man named George G-ibbs, by which he met last death. It appears that the deceased, who lircfi at Woodend with his wife and family, was var Oliri'sfccKirrelx last -week, and on We<3nes<3ajr Iss& went with a friend to My. Pinclung, chemist^, in the Papanui Rond, and purchased two onnecss of laudanum to tako up the country with MtswOn Friday night it would seem that he gat. intoxicated, and having taken tholaudanum withlanx r drank it by mistake. On the following morasugr he was seen lying outside a house iv KiinwHW street, and on being asked by the inmates -whsdt was the matter with him, said that he had sTsra?lowed some laudanum. They sent for Mr. Pmclsing, and the deceased was taken by him to *fi» Hospital, where he died, betweeu elevori araS ' twelve o'clock yesterday morning. At the incpws&r^ the jury found that the deceased died from fee. effects of laudanum."