LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3157, 25 March 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

•> Rifle Match. — We aro instructed to otato, in reference to the match which is to be fired on Easter Monday for the silver cup presented by Captain Pearce, that the distances put down in^tho " Evening Post " are slightly incorrect. The ranges are as follow : — 200 yards, standing ; 400 yards, kneeling ; 500 and 600 yards, any position. We may men- i tion that in order to give second and third or more prizes, the cominittoo will have entirely to depend upon voluntary contributions, and will bo glad to receive anything in money or kind to carry out that object. Ottr Volunteers, we think, -would show a proper attention to their brother volunteers, who are expected by the Luna on Monday, to invite them to a friendly entertainment. Such a gathering would be as profitable as it would be pleasant, and would largely increaso a feeling of esprit de corps. If some of our leading citizens would follow the example set them by Otago, and countenance the meeting by their presence, the popularity of the volunteer movement amongst us would be greatly promoted. R. M. Covut. — Business at this Court yosterday wbb unimportant. J. Brown, for being drunk, was fined ss. P. Moran, for allowing three cows to wander, was fined 3s and costs. In a civil case, Wallace v. Te Puni, £3 2s 6d, tho amount wns paid into Court. Ckickex. — The announcement that the Artillery and Veteran Volunteers would engage in a cricket match this afternoon was rather premature. It appears that they had been forestalled in their application for the ground by the Crofton and High School boys, who would not waive their prior right. Tho boys will therefore occupy the ground this aiternoon. Inquest.- -An inquest was held yesterday on the body of To Huaki, the prisoner who died the day previous. The evidence showed that deceased had diarrhoea, and those about him were confident that Te Huaki had been in a dying condition. Wellington Gymnasium. — There was a large attendance at the meeting held in the Pier Hotel yesterday evening, for the purpose of re-forming the above. W. J. Salmon occupied the chair. After the Secretary had read the minutes and balance sheet (which were adopted), the following resolution was carried: — "That this meeting is of opinion that it is desirable the Wellington Gymnasium be still carried on, and that a committee be appointed for the purpose of providing suitable accommodation. The following committee were then elected to carry the above into effect : — Messrs F. OUivier, E. Daniel, A. Baker, W. J. Salmon, Harcourt, and Nation. Mr A. Baker was appointed Secretary pro tent, tho former Secretary (Mr Levy) being obliged for private reasons to decline the office. A vote of thanks was given to the late officers of the club, and the meeting separated. We hear that, in the event of the above committee not being able to obtain a suitable building in town, they will make a determined effort to get one built. Wo heartily wish them buccesa. Colonial Phize FrniNQ-. — The " Cross" say o :— On reckoning up tho respective totals of the ton highest scores of the North and South in the champion 6ets of prize?, it will bo found that the average of the Southern ton ie about 348 poiuts, and that of the Northern men about 307, leaving a difference of 41 points per man. Tho following are the names of the men who will fire, with their aggregate scores -.—South Island— Wales, 363 ; Taylor, 356 ; Goldie, 355 ; Wilson, 355 ; Reid, 354 : Christie, 353 ; Craiggie, 348 ; Buohanan, 344 ; Chamberlain, 335, and M'Kenzie, 319. North Island— Greer, 342 ; Kououf, 331 ; Wood, 311 ; Morrow, 311 ; Gray, 311 ; Milne, 310 ; Mellsop, 294 j Chicken, 289; Allen, 287; and Barnett, 286. A correspondent supplies the following : — lt must be considered aB some- ' what singular that Captain Wales, the champ-

ion shot, should not have taken a Erst prize in any of the Beto fired for so far. He has won a fourth and a second prize ; whilst his score, taken altogether, entitles him to the championship. Out of the eight sets of prizes fired for, Otago takes £363 105, the champion belt and gold medal, and two silver medate ; Wellington takes £66 10s ; Southland, £55 10s ; Marlborough, £55 and medal ; Auckland and Thames, £14 ; and Westland, £10. Bayswater Jewish Schools. — At a recent examination of the children at these schools, one special feature (says tho " Jewish Chronicle") deserves notice. Among tho samples of work done by the children, exhibited in tho rooms, were several specimens of practical needlework — such as tho darning of stockings &c. This is a very proper branch of education in a girls' school ; and one of tho visitors aptly said : " History and grammar are very good ; but give me a girl that can darn a etocking and 3ew on a button." The children, of these schools presented tho usual happy, intelligent, and tidy appearance, so particularly noticeable in all Jewish schools. The examination fully bore out our expectations of the aptitude of the children. The answers were given in a manner that fully convinced the audience that they bad not been crammed for the occasion. What is Insanity ? — At a murder trial in Memphis, wherein an attempt to establish insanity is made on the part of tho defence, Dr. J. R. Allen was called as an expert und testified as follows : — I have been a practising physician for nearly thirty years. I have had some experience in ca9es of insanity, having been for ten years medical superintendent ol the Kentucky Lunatic Asylum, and during that time had over 2,000 crazy people under my charge. I huve heard the hypothetical case read by Mr Phelan. I am here as an expert, and, before answering this question, would like to say that the mote I studied the question of insanity the less I understood it ; and if you ask mo where it begins and where it ends, neither I nor any physician in the world could tell you. In fact, on occasions like this, lawyers make fools of thomselves in trying to make asses of doctors. Poor G. F. T. ! — Writing in reference to the incarceration of George Francis Train in the Lyons Bastille, the " New Yorfc Tribune" says : — c< If the French authorities suppose that they are doing him any harm by locking him up, they labor under a lamentable mistake. Ho grows great upon impriaonmont. Ho dotes upon persecution. Ho emerged from the Irish Bastille a much biggor man than he went in. To be let severely alone would cuuse him intolerable anguish. George will now probably appeal to tho Araorican Minister, and claim to be a citizen of the United States ; for when he finds it convenient he is apt to sink his cosmopolitan character. Sometimes ho is Chinese, anon Irish, now French, and then American. Indeed, if our memory serves us, he has even figured as a full-blooded Ame-rican-Indian. If the Washington Government is bound to get him out of all his scrapes, there should be a department expressly for the purpose ; but we don't think it is." Life Assurance. — The "Argus" of the 11th says : — The Lifo and Mortgage Assurance Company of Australia may now be considered as fairly launched, all the first thousand shares having been taken up. The directors, we learn, have already received many proposals for life assurance under the various tables of the company, .some of which have been accepted. Tho prospectus of this company contains several novel and original features of practical utility. All of One Mind. — Tho chief rabbi of Dantzic Jews had taken a new house, and his flock determined to stock his wine butt for him. An evening was set apart for the affair, and one after another tho Jews went down into the cellar and emptied each his bottle into the big vat. When the rabbi came next, day to draw off his dinner wine ho found there was nothing in tho cask but water. Each and every Jew had said to himself that one bottle of water could never be noticed in so great a quantity of wine, and all acting up to this, the rabbi had not got a drop of wine in his butt. Govekment Assurance. — The " O. D. Times" of the 10th says : — From a correspondent we learn that Tokomairiro has been recently much interested in the question of Lifo Assurance. During the short visit of Captain Baldwin, the sub-commissioner of the Government Assurance and Annuities Scheme, a great many people have entered into contracts of assurance for various sums. The enptain has been indofatigiblo in pressing upon the attention of the population the advantages of the scheme, and he has been eminently successful. We believe the applications he has received number upwards of thirty.