LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3361, 2 December 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

<>_ The Suez Mail. — When tho Rangitoto was signalled yesterday morning, at Holcitika, it wns found that she had not the English mail on board, her telegrams showing that the English mail was two days overdue on the date of her departure. Great disappointment was felt at tho blank intelligence, but the announcement in our yesterday's issue was unavoidable, as the authorities would take it for granted, on the firing of the Bangitoto's gun in the Hokitika roadstead that she had the mail on board, the late hour at which she arrived preventing the possibility of any exchanges with the shore. The Secretary of Customs informs us that be yesterday received a report from the lighthouse-keeper at Mana that a three masted schooner, with double-top-sail yards, painted yellow, passed the island from the southward on the 28th ultimo. This description suits the Rifleman, about which vessel great anxiety has been felt for some days past, as no tidings have been beard of her since she was seen off Cape Campbell during the recent heavy gales. Wool Sale. — Mr James Smith Bold yesterday, at Hunt's auction mart, the clip of the Terawiti Station, which realised the following prices, viz : — Washed, Is 2}d ; greasy, lOj-d ; locks, 6£-d. The prices obtained wcro highly satisfactory, considering last year's wool from the same station sold at auction at 9^d per lb. There was a large attendance, and tbe biddings very animated. The Belfry. — Tho whole of the timber for the bell tower for tbe new bell has arrived in town and it is expected that the erection will be completed in a fortnight. Canterbury Regattas. — Canterbury is astir in all points. Boating is no the furore. Preparations for regattas to be held at Lyttelton, Christchurcb, and TCaiapoi are afoot, the programme for the Kaiapoi regatta, to take placo on Boxing Day, having alrendy been issued. A number of good prizes are offered, and at the conclusion of the events of the day the participants in the contests and the spectators will join each other at a ball to be given iv connection with the regatta. Interprovincial Cricket Match, — Arrangements are being made in Christchurch and Dunedin for the annual cricket match between those provinces.

City Council. — At the meeting of the City Council it was determined to strike I the water rate at the next meeting of that body which will be held for the purpose next Friday. G-eneeal Government Gazette. — A new scale of postal charges is published in a Gazette issued yesterday. R. M. Court.-— Yesterday H. M' Mali on was fined ss, or in default committed for 24 hours for being drunk and incapable. Erin-go-Bbagh. — In this case the Resident Magistrate yesterday decided that " unpaid calls should be paid up as per the schedule prepared, and that each shareholder should bo called upon for a contribution of £4 10s." The Cricket Ground Grand Stand. — A meeting of the committees of the Cricketers and Caledonians will be held on the Cricket Ground on Monday evening next at 7 o'cloclc. As tho object of the meeting is to enter into some arrangement for the erection of a permanent Grand i Stand we trust that it will be well and punctually attended. Circulars notifying the meeting have been issued so that there will not be any excuse for nonattendance of the gentlemen immediately j connected and interested in the project. The New Boat. — We yesterday paid another visit of inspection to the new boat. With the outriggers fixed, the cushions placed, and the stretchers ar- j ranged, she looks a perfect work of art ; certainly no superior boat will show in the forthcoming race. The finish displayed in the workmanship, as we remarked yesterday, draws forth from the cognoscenti unqualified and deserved admiration, for the whole of the parts are as neat in tho joints and as perfect in their adjustment as the works of a watch. Tho boat justifies the reputation of the builder, Mr J. Edwards, of Melbourne, who states in his letter of advice that his object has been, not to make a profit out of her, but to supply a boat that would give our men every chance that could bo given the putting in of the latest improvements and tho very best workmanship. There is no little advantage to be gained by obtaining boats from Edwards's building shed. Mr Edwards, familiarly known as 'Jemmy Edwards,' is himself a man of notein the aquatic world, and therefore knows what is requi site in the building of a boat to give her speed. His connection with the boating fraternity of Victoria dates from the very first of the aquatic history of that colony. On the Yarra he has taken the champion professional prize for single outriggers, and has also won the champion sculler's race at tho regattas at Lake Burrumbeet, near Ballarat, where there are a number of scullers of English reputation. As a means of creating a greater interest in our aquatic world, we would suggest that the boat should be christened in a formal and public manner. As we announced in a recent paragraph, noticing the doings of the boating world in Canterbury. Lady Bowen kindly consented to select a name for one of the new boats to be engaged in this important race, and, no doubt, the some lady might be induced to lend attraction and interest to the ceremony by dashing the nectar over the bows of our new boat. The finest boat that has ever been introduced here should not be placed in the waters of the Wellington harbor without some little ceremony of the kind. The Wellington Witaef.— The Nelson " Colonist" gives publicity in an an^ nouncement rather damaging to the accommodation and security afforded to vessels lying at the Queen's Wharf in bad weather. A late issue of that journal says that during the late gale tho ketch Collingwood, laden with wheat from Kelson, received considerable damage to her cargo whilst lying alongside the Wellington Wharf. No doubt our contemporary has discovered the error by this time ; the Collingwood, as our readers know, having touched on Barrett's Reef when entering the harbor. In contradiction of the announcement made by the " Colonist" we may state that, notwithstanding all the very severe weather to which we have been subjected in Wellington for years past, we do not remember the occurrence of a single accident of the kind mentioned having taken place. Hokitika Coal. — The "West Coast Times" notices that the Hokitika Coal Prospecting Association have now started operations. Mr Hoos, one of the committee of management, has gone up to Coal Hill with four men to commence vork. We understand that the Association had great difficulty in securing tho desired ground, whicli occasioned tho delay. The shareholders express great confidence in the undertaking, and we heartily wish them success, none the less that their good fortune would open up an industry which would materially benefit this district. Fiji. — The Fiji Government do not seem to find all hands very tractable. A scene occured lately in the Police Court, before Mr Brougham the Police Magistrate, in which a Mr Muir, tobacconist, had been refused possession of certain moneys, which had been found on the person of one Wilson, who was in prison en a charge of stealing them. Muir considered the money belonged to his firm, and demanded it, but was told that until the case was decided, the Government held the money in suspense. Muir then asked for a note to the Treasurer to be allowed to examine the moneys, and was refused. He then became very insulting, both in demeanor and words, and said he would not be robbed by Burt or his Government, but would see it d d first. He was allowed to proceed in the same strain for a length of time, the magistrate exercising the greatest forbearance. But at length the Bench intimated that he would not be allowed to insult a magistrate sitting on the Bench with impunity. Muir then said, "Bench be d d. I don't care a d d for you or your Bench." Tho magistrate then threatened to cause him to be arrested, and lie put j his hat on saying — " find me a man to arrest me, bring me a man from among your Government able to do it," accompanying the words with voilent gestures. His arrest was then ordered, on sentence for contempt of court, and on his resisting Constnble Moore, ho was handcuffed by the Sergeant Senior. From this time till he was removed, his language was moßtinsultingand violent, and after having being detained for a poriod sufficient to vindicate tho requirement of law, justice, and order ho was, on order of the Police Magistrate, liberated on his own recognisances. — A public meeting, held subsequently, sympathised with Muir. Nelson Regatta. — The Nelson Regatta Club have issued their proposed programme of the races and sports arranged to t;ike place at the usual annual meeting, on Boxing Day. Dogs and Poultry. — Tho Dog and Poultry Club of Sydney has issued an attractive prize list. The first show will bo held on the 14th December. Ltstre Opera Troupe. — This company have been playing with great success in liobart Town. Customs Revenue.— The last month's Customs revenue collected at Sydney shows an increase of £1,000.

Colonial Art. — The Council of the New South Wales Academy of Art intend holding an exhibition of works of colonial art at Sydney in February next. From the many easel-pieces from time to time exhibited in the usual repositories for such works of art in our city we hope to hear that some of our local artists will put in, amongst tho works of the master hands of the other colonies, a claim for some acknowledgment of the praise to be bestowed by authorities so high in tho ranks of art as are the gentlemen who fotm the Council of the New South Wales Academy of Art. The Death of Mv Cross.-— Captain Cross, the father of the young man whose death we announced in our yesterday's issue as having been caused by a fall from a horse, has called at our offieo to inform us that the account of his death, which we extracted from a Nelson puper, is incorrect. It appears young Mr Cross was engaged in shearing at the St Leonard's station between Canterbury and Nelson -, and one day, after their labors were concluded, the whole of the hands, numbering about forty, engaged in a game known to juveniles as " duck." Mr Cross was the duck, and while replacing his stone on its pinnacle, he was hit by a stone which was thrown before he was well away from his " duck." The stone struck him on the back of the head, about four inches from the ear. He was not thought to be seriously hurt, and was removed to a tent close by, but next morning was found dead lying some little distance from the tent. An inquest was held, at which the jury returned tho following verdict : — "Accidently killed by being hit on the head with a stone playing at a game called duck." Mr Cross was the second son of Captain Cross of Nelson, and was aged 26 years. Drinking out of the Teapot. — A reprehensible practice is sometimes indulged in by mothers of allowing their children to drink cold tea from the spouts of teapots. We say " reprehensible," because young children have not always the sense to drink cold tea only, and acci dents sometimes occur in consequence. An accident of this sort occurred two or three days ago in Dunedin, resulting in the child being so seriously scalded internally that death ensued. We believe that a fatal accident occurred in Auckland also, some time ago, from the same cause. A Deluge on a Small Scale. — The up-river diggings in the Nelson province were last week visited with a downpour of rain considered exceptional even for the West Coast, which flooded all the creeks, and temporarily suspended mining operations. Railway Speed. — About three months since a new composition, consisting of resin and sand, for use in break blocks on railways, was invented by Mr Ross, of Williamstown, and a trial was given to it on the Victorian railways, by using it in the blocks of one of the engines. Mr Meikle, superintendent of the locomotive department, has now sent in his report on the invention, from which it appears that by the old method the number of miles traversed by an engine without any alteration in the blocks was 4,000, but with the composition the engine ran (\514 miles. There has been one disadvantage, however, and that is an increased tendency to take fire in proceeding down the declines. Mr Meikle suggests that further trials should be make. The Thames Goldfields. — Some gentlemen connected with the richest gold mines in New Zealand arrived in Launceston recently on a ple&aure excursion to and through tho colony of Tasmania. One of these gentlemen is legal manager of a company which paid fifteen dividends iv six months — the aggregate of these being £430,000, besides leaving another gigantic sum as a reserve fund. Canterbury Railways. — An inquiry instituted by the Provincial Government into the management of the railways has resulted, so far, in the dismissal of two employees named Beverley and Ashton. Roman Catholic Cathedral. — The Roman Catholics in Auckland have resolved to build a new cathedral, the present one being too small. At a meeting lately held to consider the subject, it was resolved to start a subscription lisfe, which the Bishop (Dr Croke) headed by £100 down, promising to give the same amount every year until the building was completed. Over £200 was subscribed on tho spot.