LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3205, 22 May 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Revising Coubt. — The Revising Officer, J. Gr. Allan, Esq, held his court on Saturday, in the Supreme Court Chambers. The Wellington roll was finished and the Hutt roll taken in hand. Only three persons appeared to sustain their claims — Mr Tandy, Mr M'Mannaway, and Mr Eevans— which were allowed after some little rectification. The Court will meet this morning at ten o'clock, and is is expected that tho town sittings will bo completed to-day. On the 26th, Mv Allan will hold nis court at Wairarapa, afterwards proceeding to Manawatu, Rangitikei, and Wanganui. Militaby Funeral. — Yesterday the remains of William Taylor, the steward of the Virago, who was drowned the day before the Virago left, were interred in the English cemetery. A very numerous concourse of people accompanied the funeral cortege. About fifty members of each of the Volunteer companies were in attendance, the Veterans supplying a firing party of twelve. Both the Garrison and the Artillery Bands were in attendance, the former playing a beautiful march of Beethoven's, arranged by Kuchner, and also one of the marches played in " Samson," the Artillery Bawd adding the " Sicilian Mariner's Hymn " and the " Adesde Fidelia." Tho coffin, which was borne on a gun-carriage belonging to the battery, was covered with the Union Jack. As a mark of respect, the ships in harbor hoisted their flags half-mast high. New Education Bill. — Our evening contemporary is in error in stating that the Provincial Government intend to continue " a capitation tax ot twenty shillings to be levied yearly upon every householder in each district constituted under tho Act," and no such clause will be found in tho new bill. Doubtless the mistake has been made inadvertently ; but as it is likely to endanger the acceptance of the bill by the public we hasten to correct it upon the best authority. Gazette.— By a General Government Gazette published on Saturday the following appointments arc notified : — Edward Fawconer Tizard, Esq., tG be a Warden of all Wardens Courts in the County of Westlaud ; Benjamin Smith, Esq., to be the official agent for the mining district of the province of Wellington under the Mining Companies Amendment Act of 1869 ; Joseph Crocorne, Esq., to be Deputy Registrar of Births, &0., at Waikouaiti; Thoa. Stanistreos Harvoy, Esq., to bo Registrar of Births, &c, at Arrow ; Benjamin Smith, Esq., to bo Provisional Trustee in Bankruptcy ; Charles H. Lloyd, Esq., of Coroinandel, to survey lands under the Native Lands Act, 1865 ; Heteraka Nero, of Raglan, and Hakope te Kotuku, of Raglan, to bo Assessors under The Outlying Districts Sale of Spirits Act, 1870 ; and W. R. Nesbit, Esq., to be a Licensing office* under The Avms Act, 1860. Rifle Match. — The Veteran Corps fired for their prizes at the Adelaide Butts on Saturday. The weather was rather unfavorable. The ranges were 300, 4QO, and 500 yards ; kneeling position at 300; any position the remainder. The first prize, a pistol of peculiar mechanism ; the second, a small silver cup ; the third and fourth, money prizes nindo from tho entrance fees, with sums added. The following are the names of the winners, with their scores : — lst prize, Private J. White, 44 points; 2nd, Private J. Bowater, 39 ; 3rd, Private J. Holmes, 35 j 4th, Ensign Bowater, 34. Parade. — A district order, published elsewhere, announces that the whole of the Wellington Volunteers are to parade on the Reclaimed Land on Wednesday next, the Queen's Birthday, at 8 a.m. The Artillery will be furnished with twenty-one rounds of ammunition, and the Rifles with three. The Garrison Band will also attend. City Lamps.— The corporation lamps were lit with gas for the first time on Saturday night. Tho burners throw out a fine broad glare, which iB a great aid to after-dark peregrinations. Not at all a bad exemplification of throwing a light on tho subject was witnessed in one of our principal thoroughfares. Three young Maori boys, imbued with a laudable desire for lesearch, gazed contemplatively for a long time at one of the lamps, evidently perplexed as to " how it got there," just as George the Third was about the apples insido the dumplings. As a dernier resort, one suggested that they should climb the post and have the thing demonstrated there and then, and up they went accordingly. At this interosting stage of the proceedings, the beneficial uses of tho gas served a very practical purpose, by tho young darkies being able to descry a sergeant of police at a distance of about twenty yards. Of course they wero down before ono could say " knife," and got away in time to save thu sergeant the trouble of trying what virtue there was in a belting. Football. — Tho crickot season being over football has now set in for tho winter months. A number of gentlemen met in Clapham's paddock on Saturday for a preliminary practice and tho formation of another club was talked ofT; so that before long we miy expect to hear of a match between these gentlemen and the club recently formed at tho Branch Hotel. A Whaue Accident. — It would appear that tho brilliancy of the gas-lit wharf is not Buflicient to prevent accidents, at least with those who first take tho liberty of putting themselves in that unenviable state commonly known as " seeing double." Last night about half-past eleven a seaman of tho Taranaki who, as hifl nautical friends would say, " got halfseaß over," thinking he was stopping on board the Tarauaki, stopped into the water instead, falling between the wharf and tho steamer. A watchman of tho Phoobe, named Ryan, hearing tho splash, 'got down to the lower stringers caught hold of the struggling man, and shouted ; for assistance. Some pas3ers-by answered to tho call and the poor fellow was soon hauled up on the wharf, apparently in a very bad stato. A glnsß of brandy hot, however, had a wonderfully rapid effect in restoring him. The Fiub at Wanganui. — Wo learn from a gentleman who has just arrived from Wanganui that the firo originatod in a baker's bhop, and that Mr Owen succeeded in saving all his goods, which were finally deposited for safety in Mr Finnimore's store. Suddkn Death at Wanganui. — The " Herald" of the 19th says .—Another case of almost sudden death occurre'! yesterday. Miss Northover, daughter of Mr J. Northover, of this town, was taken ill on Wednesday evening and died at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The deceased was in the service of Mrs Rankin, and it is supposed that the exoitement caused by tho death of Mr Rankin, brought on tho nttnek which ended ,'so fatully. What makes the case if possible more painful is, that tho deceased was to have been married on the first of uoxt month. The Wanganui Bridge.— lt has _ been stated in some quarters that it was the intention of tho Government to let the pontage of tho Bridge by tender, giving it to the party , who mado tho highest offer with adequato

security. We understand that this is not the case. The Government very properly wish to know what the revenue is likely to he before leasing it to any one, and consequently they will appoint a toll-collector. Mr George Boss, who has had the misfortune to lose his leg through an accident that many of our readers will remember, is likely to have the appoint* ment,— " Chronicle," May 18. Wanganui, it appears has developed the " larrikin" nuisance, or " Bedouians" as a local print dubs them, A Coming Event.— The " Wairarapa Mercury" states that Mr Fitzherbert will resign six months hence the Superiatendency of Wellington, when Mr Bunny, the present Provincial Secretary, will offer himself as a candidate. The " Mercury" believes Mr Bunny would be almost unanimously elected. Fruit Empoeium. — A United States, Now Zealand, and Australian fruit depot has been opened by Mr Messenger in Lower Queen street, Auokland, opposite the Bank of New Zealand. Spubgeon. — Mr Spurgeon says : " It is a remarkable fact that ministers of Gospel are not able to live on much less than any other people. They cannot make a shilling go so far as other people make a sovereign. Some of them try very hard, but they don't succeed. A member onco said to a minister who wanted a little more salary as his family increased : ' I did not know that you preached for money. 1 'No I don't, 1 said the minister. ' I thought you preaobed for souls.' 'So I do ; but 1 could not live on souls— and if I conld it would take a good many the size of yours to make a meal.' " Heroism op Diseaeli's Wife. —Mr Frizwell in his book entitled " Modern Men of Letters Honestly Criticised" gives the follow* ing anecdote of Lady Beaconsfield :— -" Driving down to the House to hear a great speech, from her husband on an important occasion, he, full of his subject, and preoccupied as he jumped from the brougham, shut one of her fingers in the door. Agonising as was the pain she uttered no cry till he was out of sight and then called her footman to open the door. 'My dear,' she is reported to have said, to one whom she told the story, ' I would not have cried out for the world ; in thinking of my pain he would have been so agitated that he would have forgotten all the chief points in his speech.' Such a wife was ■worthy to have the coronet of a viscountess laid at her feet by her husband." Collapsed.— The last crushing at ihe Culliford battery resulted in not one particle of gold being obtained from twenty tons of quartz. In Nelson there was a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping,and great mourning. — « Mail." Accident.— The " Wesfcland Independent" gives the following particulars of the tramway accident near Stafford on Thursday, and which was reported by telegraph in our issue of yesterday '• — A frightful acoident, by a miracle almost, unattended with fatal or even very se« rious consequences, occurred yesterday on the Stafford tramway through one of the viaducts over Piper's Flat giving way, and precipitating the carriage and its occupants into the gully, where its downward course was luckily arrested by a stick that prevented it rolling to the bottom, which is more than a hundred feet. As it happened, there was only one passenger, Dr. Smith, of Greymouth, and the driver, and, strange to say, neither of them had any boneß broken, or sustained any injury more than some severe bruises. The horse, fortunately became detached, otherwise, we hear, it must have fallen on tho driver, and almost certainly have killed him. . There are various causes alleged for the accident, one being that the late heavy rains had injured the work, whilst it is also said by some that a great deal of the timber is rotten, and that the line requires extensive repair. Whatever was the actual cause, however, it is well that loss of life did not result, for a narrower escape from death has rarely been recorded.