LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2648, 14 March 1868, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Maii. fob England via Suez. — It is_ -well to recolieot that the next mail for Europe, India, and China, •will not this month ho deBpatched on the 17th, but on Friday next, the 20th inst, when it will he conveyed to Melbourne vid the South in the steamship Tararua. His Excellency the Govebnob. — We understand it is probable that the N.Z S.N. Company's steamer Wellington will be taken up to convey his Excellency the Governor, Lady Bo wen, family and suite to Auckland. The Sr/pEniNTENDENT.— His Honor Dr Feathereton on Thursday proceeded to Otaki. Reception Committee. — A meeting of the Wellington Reception Committee has been convened to be held in the Town Board Office at aoon to-day. Resident Magistbate's Court. — In the Residert. Magistrate's Court yesterday tho only case investigated was one of drunkenness, in winch the offender, Mary Lazary, was mulcted in tho usual sum. The Man or Wab. — H.M.S. Falcon, -which has now been so long in this harbor, will sail either to-day or to-morrow for Auckland, from whence she will proceed to Sydney to refit prior to taking her final departure for England, to be paid off. During tho time this fine vessel has been on the station her officers have become universal favorites, and the crew have by their conduct earned tho credit of being a most orderly and well behaved body of men. There are many in Wellington who will regret the departure of Captain Percival, his officers and men, and who heartily join in wishing the Falcon a pleasant and prosperous voyage. The late case of Deowning. — The energetic efforts of tho police to recover the body of the unfortunate man William Clifford who was drowned near Pyle's wharf on Tuesday afternoon, have been up to the present ineffectual, and it is thought that until the body rises it will not be found.Pat your Fines. — Wo understand that several members of one of the Volunteer Corps in town having fallen very much in arrears in tho payment of fines, levied for non-attendance, the Commandhig Officer has taken out summonses against them in order to recover the amounts by legal process. The Ahmed Constabulary. — Although when the Armed Constabulary was started there was a general rush for appointments, it would seem that the service is not so popular as was anticipated, several of tho men being " wanted," they having absented themselves without leave, otherwise deserted. Mysterious Disappearance. — Some anxiety is felt regarding the safety of Mr. Weaver, the recently appointed inspector of telegraphs, who has not been seen since the early part of the week. It will be in the recollection of our readers that the missing gentleman was a witness for the plaintiffs in the late case Kennard v. Featherston, and that on his non-appeanuico his subpoena was called on. Tiie Wanganui Perjury Case. — The charge of perjury against Farrel O'Riley will not be tried before the end of Juno or ourly in July, •whm his Honor the Judge will proceed to Wanganii. Taibarapa RACES.-r-Theso races commence on Wednesday next. Visitors from town will hay an opportunity of being present, as a fourhon ooach is to leave the Booking Office oppoBiteho Odd Fellows' Hall, at four o'clock on Wetesday morning, arriving at Greytown in timfor the first event. Tj Champion Billiard Player of AusTBAI. — By tho West Coast papers recently receid, wo learn that the Champion of the board of gm cloth in Australia, Hitchin, haß found in one fcheel Keenan, a pupil of Roberts, an antagon to put him on his mettle, and that tho Chanron has to do all ho knows to win a game of lOCap with 300 given. Mr Hitchins, lovers of bill'ds will be glad to hear, is positively going to retit to Wellington before taking his final departs from tho colony.

St. Paul's Cathedral. — A meeting of ladies of the congregation was held on Thursday afternoon, in the School-houße,_Sydney street, at which Lady Bowen presided. The object of the meeting was to organise a concert to be given by amateurs, assisted by the Choral Society, during the approaching visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The concert will bo under the patronage of his Excellency the Governor and Lady Bowen, and it is hoped also of his Royal Highness- The proceeds will be devoted to the purchase of the organ lately imported from England by Mr C. Russell, at a cost of £300. Some forty ladies were present at the meeting, and the following wero ohoson to act as a Committee of i Management -.—Lady Bowen, Mrs D. Anderson (jun), Mrs Bannatyne, Mrs Barron, Miss Bartley, Mrs Boor, Mrs Bovlase, Mrs Brandon, Miss Buchanan, Mrs J. Coutts Crawford, Mrs Fay Maxwell, Mrs Holt, Mrs A. J. Johnston, Mrs Levin, Mrs Mcßamet, Mrs Nicholas, Mrs C. J. Pharazyn, Miss Poole, Mrs B. Smith, Mrs E. W. Stafford. Mr Mowbray submitted a programme of the concert, which was approved, and several of the ladies present volunteered their services for the instrumental and vocal parts. Some discussion ensued as to the price of the tickets ; it was at length put to the vote, when it appeared that those in favor of reserved seats at (7s 6d and unreserved seats at 5s were in the majority. Thanks were given to Lady Bowen for her interest in the object of the mooting and her courtesy in presiding. The meeting then separated, having fixed Monday evening at 7.30 for a general practice. Glass Bottles. — Several complaints have recently been made of the habit some of the community possess of disposing of their " marines' by throwing them over their fences on to the road, greatly to the danger of the passers-by. Such a practice is most reprehensible and ought to be peremptorily checked, as the danger, alike to pedestrians and equestrians, is excessive. Hops. — Messrs Hooper and Dodson, the eminent Nelson brewers, on the 2nd of this month commenced hop-picking, when unfortunately it was discovered that the bad weather experienced in the early part of the year had done consider able damage to the crop. A High Rifle Score.— The highest score made by any competitor for participation in the firing for the Colonial Prizes has been that made by Private Macfarlane, of the Dunedin Artillery, who scored 27 at 400 yards, 24 at 500, and 21 at 600, making a total of 71. Royal Equipage. — A very handsome phaeton, built expressly to the order of the Queen of Tahiti, by Messrs Quick & Co, of Auckland, has been shipped on board the French Government transport Chevert and despatched. The Overland Mails via Suez. — The Melbourne public complain of the serious inconvenience which the recent arrangements between the English Government and the P. & O. Company are likely to entail upon her Majesty's lieges in these colonies. The dates of the arrivals and departures of the mails are naturally very satisfactory to India and China, but have evidently been made without reference to the convenience of Australian and New Zealand colonists The Australasian says : — " It is true that we get j one mail a year more under the new system, but then all our mails will take a longer time before we receive an answer to them. By the present arrangement the mail from Australia will cross that from England at about Paris, and our letters will have to remain a month ab homo before our correspondents will have a chance of replying. Ifc is plain that under the new regime we have advanced backwards. Until now the mercantile community were in a position to receive replies from England in three and a half months from date , henceforth it will take over four months. It is plain that our mercantile community is not greatly considered in the neighborhood of St. Marlin's or the new contract would not have been entered upon without important modification." Good Beer. — Many people in the colonies who " like a drop o' good beer," prefer an ale light in body, and slightly bitter in flavor, owing to the hops used in it. Colonial brewers therefore have ueually made a beverage which fulfils those conditions ; but perhaps if any fault can be found with their ales, it is that they have scarcely enough body. Mr Edmeades, of the Albion Brewery, has at present in preparation a new ale, of similar qunlifcy to the woll-known " sevenpuinea ale," brewed by Messrs Younger & Co, of Edinburgh, which is universally used all over Scotland. The characteristics of this ale are, strength of body and a moderate degree of sweetness. We trust Mr Edmeades will bo successful in his attempt to produce such a beverage fo r which wo anticipate he will havo a largo demand. Foundering"oi? a Troop Ship.- -The Bangalore Herald, a journal printed in the Madras Presidency, rpports the foundering of the Abyssinian transport ship Star of India, with a detachment of sappers and engineers on board. No date or place is mentioned, and no details are given beyond the bare announcement that the vessel has gone down, and that among the officers said to be lost are Lieutenant Cunningham, Col. Walker, Captains Mainwaring, Darra, and Pennycuick. The Times of India expresses doubt of the authenticity of tho report, and objects that there has been no corroboration of the rumor, and that it should not be entertained. We, therefore, confidently hope that tho next telegrams from Guile will contradict a rumor so painful, not only I to the friends of the passengers and crew, but to the public generally. Second-Hand Arms. — The Invercargill Rifle Volunteers have not scored a sufficient, number of points to qualify them to send a member to compete at tho Colonial Prize Firiiig. The Weekly Nevos attributes the bad firing to tho condition of the arms served out by tho Government and says : — " Great complaints are made about tho rifleß in use being second-hand, every one showing signs of active service ; in facfc, a piece of bono has boen discovered embedded in the stock of one, supposed to be from the gkull of some unfortunate Maori !" The Bunyip Again. — This mysterious monster, tho bete noir of Australian children, has been scon in a largo and deep water hole in tho vicinity of Yass river, where he made himself known by devouring sheep dogs corairg to the brink of tho holo to quench their thirst. The Trapezian Vertelli.— This Australian disciple of Blondin is performing in Southland, which province ho will shortly leave for tho West Coast, Nolaon, and Wellington.

The Menagebie. — Our Wairarapa friends will shortly have an opportunity of seeing Fernandez' Wild Boasb Show, which will be takon up to astonish the natives. The troupe will arrive in Greytown early next week. Mosquitoes. — To those who wish not to bo bitten by mosquitoes when travelling, we would recommend carrying with them a phial of oil of lavender and washing slightly the hands, wrists, and face therewith on going to bed. As a general rule, no mosquitoes will then bite the person bo protected. Rotten Row. — Those among us who have fond recollections of " the Park," ay.d who that have enjoyed a brisk gallop down " the Ladies' Mile" in the height of the season, can have other than pleasing remembrances of the pleasnntesfc spot in London, will be delighted to pay a visit to Barraud's shop on Lambton Quay, where there is ] now on view engravings of Mr Henry Barraud's large painting of Rotten How. The engravings are accompanied by a key showing the different characters, for the gallants gay and ladies fair who are depicted belong to the creme de la creme of society, and all the figures are faithful likenesses of celebrities who within the last few yeara have frequented that popular resort of the beauty and fashion of England. The painting itself has been favorably commented on, and the engravings are exact fnc-similes. The Descendants of Captain Cook's Pigs. — The native (Maori) saying is, " As the white man's rat has driven away the native rat, as the European fly drives away our own, and the clover kills our fern, so will theMaories disappear before the white man himself." Dr Haast says : — It is wonderful to behold the botanical and zoological changes which have taken place since Captain Cook set his foot in New Zealand. Somo pigs which he left with the natives have increased and run wild in such a way that it is impossible to destroy them. There are large tracts of country where they reign supreme. The soil looks aB if it were ploughed by their burrowing. Some station holders of 100,000 acres have had to make contracts for killing them at 6d per tail, and a 9 many a 9 22,000 on a single run have been killed by adventurous parties without any diminution being discernible. Not only are they obnoxious by occupying the ground which the sheep farmer needs for his flocks, but they assiduously follow the owes when lambing and devour the poor lambs as soon as they make their appearance. They do not exist on the western side of the Alps, and only on the lower grounds of the eastern side where the Bnow seldom falls, so that the explorer has not the advantage of profiting by their existence where food is the scarcest. The boars are sometimes very large, covered with long black bristles, and have enormous tusks, resembling closely the wild boars of the Ardennes, and they are equally savage and courageous. Sebiotjs Accident fbom the Fall op a Tbee.— The West Coast Times of Feb. 29th sayß : — "A fatal and very sad accident happened on I Wednesday about half a mile from the big dam ion the right hand branch of the Waimea Creek, Westland, three miners, named Thomas Kirely, Clarkßon Sandilands, and Alexander Brandt, were living in a hut about half a mile upon the left-hand branch cf the right-hand branoh of the Waimea. Near the hut a huge tree bearing in an opposite direction, and partially cut through wa3 standing. The squally weather of Tuesday night proved too strong fo\* the tree, and the wind coming towards the hut between three and four o'clock on Wednesday morning the tree gave way, falling right across the hut. Apparently Kirley must have been aroused by the noise of the tree cracking, for when found his knee wop seen to be forced into his chest as if he had been in the act of getting out of bed at the time of the accident. The body was very much crushed, not a bone in it being whole. Sandilands, who slept, at the opposite side of the hut, in a bunk running parallel with Kirley's, had his left thigh terribly fractured, besides receiving other injuries. The third man, Alexander Brandt, sleeping across the hut at the end, escaped with a scratch only, caused by the falling of the ridge pole." The Dobson Memorial. — The erection of the Dobeon memorial is being proceeded with atHokitika. The site chosen is the centre of the intersection of Weld and Sewell streots. The monument will take the form of an obelisk quadrilaterial, and slightly pyramidal, with an inscription on each side of the basement portion. The base on which it will rest will be of three tiers, each one foot deep, the lowest tier will be eight, the next six, and the topmost one four feet square the height of the column itself is eighteen feet six inches. The whole of the material employed is Sydney freestone, which is of a very durable nature, and best calculated to withstand the effect of the weather. The monument will bear inscription to the memory of those early explorers, George Dobson, {Henry Whitcombe, Charles Townsend, and Charlton Howett. The Gtmpie Ckeek Goldfield. — " There is no doubt" remarks the Queenslander, " that the Gympio Creek Gold Diggings are causing a radical change in the aspect of the affairs of the colony. What with the largo influx of people that has already taken place, and the numbers that are on their way up or about to start, the population of Queensland will very soon bo much larger than it -was a few months ago. The constant arrival of these people muafc brighten up trade, just as the immigration from the mother country some short time ago did. Then, again, these persons are coming here with the express intention of developing the auriferous resources of the colony, which are admitted by all competent authorities to bo extraordinarily rich. The news from the Gympie Creek Diggings continues to be very satisfactory ; considering, in fact, the immense number of diggers there, it is astonishing that, bo iew complaints are heard. Even if this field will not give profitable employment to tho numbers that will shortly be upon it, there is a large extent of country in the vicinity which has every appearance of being at least equally auriferous, and tho prospecting of which cannot but prove of benefit to the colony. It is very desirable, if only for postal and police purposes, that a road available for light traffic should bo made from the metropolis to this locality as speedily as possible, and it seems likely that the Government will shortly take the steps to accomplish this. If the number of diggers goes on increasing as it has done lately, good roads both to .Brisbane and Maryborough will, in fact, become absolutely necessary. Can a Wipe give Evidence against heb Husband ? — A point of considerable interest and importance recently arose in the Auckland Police Court, in a caso in which an information under tho Destitute Persons Relief Ordinance had been laid by a woman against her husband. It wns contended by Mr Wynn who appeared for the defence, the case being in the nature of criminal proceedings, the Ordinance being in tho nature of a conviction, and it being a well known principle of English law that a wife's ovidenco was iriadmißsablc in a case were a conviction involved, therefore in the present case the wifo's evidence was not admissablo. Tho learned counsel referrod to a remark made by one of tho Judges during tho trial of Rush for murder, to the effect that had the prisoner married the principal witness ho would certainly have escaped the gallows, because a wife's evidence could not be received in cases involving a conviction againsk hex* husband. In reply, ifc wub contended by Mr Russell on behalf of tho informant, that cnaes under the Destitute Persons Relief Ordinance did not come within the scope of the principle explained by Mr Wynn, inasmuch as the duty of the Bench was not simply t,he infliction of punishment, but tho ordering a certain weekly sum to be paid. The Bonch, however, admitted the wife's evidence, and ordered tho prisoner to pay for the maintenance- of his wife and children a weekly sum of £1, from tho date of the order. Mr Wynn thereupon gave notice of appeal, calling upon tho Bench to state a case for the Supremo Court.