Local and General.

Western Star, Issue 52, 7 November 1874, Page 4

Local and General.

We ere indebted to the kindness of one of our readers for the preceding chapter to the ape we published of ' n \Vnbster’s Experiences.””" A match is to take place on the Prince of Wales’ between a team consisting of : eight thomb&rs'of the Invercargill Rifles, four of the Artillvry, and eight of the Riverton t iflea, aUd-A tpjur. -of. twenty bf the Rangff ikbi. In the sfifne ufStoft our loc'akcorps are to fire, against.'f,ft’ Tnvercatgill Kiflonlen. foV too best total score. At a meeting or the Otago AssocMion, 'held 'ln ’ Dunbdin, the members unanimously condemned the new school regular tions as being far too advanced, and that the subjects arranged for each class were onb too' •high in every'respect.' Rrferriivg to a teacher’a certificate in Division A., Class 2, Mr Mjhur sjii'd s his presumption wa» that? a *p«psnn who?" Could pass it would ftie' fit to be a ptpfcssor in anyt University. There were few persons in Now' Zealand fit to examine for it, lot alone teachers tef paSe.'-' '. '■ . 1 -U 1 V.- • \ The committee appointed at a meeting oflandowners, held a few weeks ago to arrange as tor the amount of compensation to be charged* against ' the Gbveriiniheht for taking the railway* line through their respective propeufcip# 1 met some days ago, and received a number of claiftis; ! several of which they recommended should be reduced. The committee * urged strongly on the Government the immediate construction off' all’ water outlets, crossings, and fences. Mr Hazletfc stated that the contractors had cut down his’ boundary fence, and; left 'it open to all stray cattle to roam at pleasure. Several ‘ckims, which; the committee have since received, did not arrive • in time for deliberation at last meeting. Complaints are being constantly made to ns as to the non-receipt by subscribers of their papers," 4 We state for the information of all whom it may concern that the Westkrn Stab-'i» regularly posted to each and all who take it. The fault does not‘ lie with us, bgf with the postal authorities. We truss the Government will at once see into the matter. ' A correspondent of the Bruce Herald eavs : —>. The Taieri River has the honour to claim a pair of first-class oarawomen, who pull to the shoulder,' and sit well up to their oars. IJ’pr, a pair of rowers—on the credit of a practical judge —I have not aeeu them excelled in New Zealand. The Intelligent Vagrant, in the Bruce Herald, asks ;—•“ Who is Mooney f Waiting a reply, T may notice that he seems to be either a horribly bloodthirsty Mlow, qr adetermined vegetarian. An Auckland paper has a correspondent whot elegraphs to it that Mooney is \ taking lives ’ at' Cabbage Bay. Is this another Native difficulty, and is Mooney a Maori \vho, inspired by love forthe principle of home rule, has called himself by an Irish name ? Or are the lives which Mooney is taking merely the lives of cabbages, of which he may, food, be food? The correspondent leaves me in doubt. To be sure he calls Mooney ‘the travelling agent-for the Govern-; mei*t Assurance.” 1 Well, that is no explanation,. I know numbers Government agents, amongst the Natives, who would take lives with the ; greatest assurance, and have done so before now. You have only to go to Taranaki'or Wanganui; to enjoy the privilege of shaking hands with murderers now in receipt of Government money or goods,” . , A laughable incident tqojc place in the Supreme Court, Auckland, on the swearing m qf the special jurv who were empannelled to try the case of Ireland v. Brqdgen. One of the jurors, no doubt haying before'him the prospect of a night’s imprisonment, similar to that endured by their predecessors, had provided himself with a flask and haversack, which he did not attempt to conceal, and which no doubt contained creature comforts for the solace of hi*' contemplated confinement. The Judge spotted • These preparations, and was 'clown upon the provident juror in" a ‘twinkling. Having stated what he had seen, he said he must inform juryi men in general that they wore not allowed underpain of being fined to take refreshments into the ’ jury-room. Under any circumstance* it is notallowable that brio should be' comfortably provided and the rest'not so. Ho must insist*!! p* Q ‘‘S^ all Starting fair;. T.ho unfortunate juror - compelled reluctantly to disgorge. , ' A,

On the evening of Monday last, vrlule Mrs . Officer of Groper’s Bush, ms riding home, she fell off her horse, dislocating her wrist, and breaking the small bone ofher arm. Dr Monckton was immediately sent for and at once set the ' arm, and we are glad to. hear she is progressing 'a a, The Amrima races.came off on Saturday last. &J'he weather; was good, and the attendance large. late hour at which our report reached us, precludes us from giving anythmg_ raorethanthere suits in this issue, bub we will give full P^^ar in our next. The foliowing are the events i-Mooullght'S takes 1; Tuhp, 2 ; Starboard, 3. Aparima 1 late : Eob Boy, 1, Jane, 2 ; Eedman, 3. Trotting Eace: INelly, , Dollar, 2 ; Geordie, 3. Hurdle Eace: Jnel. Boko, 3nd. , 'Consolation Ssakes Honest iom, 1; Tulip, 2. L ' The ratepayers to the Aparima Eoad Boar are requested to attend a meeting to be helc( i.. the Court House, Eiverton, on Saturday next, the 14th instant, to take into consideration the . matter of crossings and sidings on the railways. Vi*B*ero was a good muster of volunteers at too J inspection 'parade of the Eiverton Eifles lasfc * evening, about 40 being'present. Captain Hey- - wood, the newly appointed Inspecting Officer, after putting the corps 'through company drill an 4 other movements, complimented the company on their general efficiency, and was much pleased with their 'neat serviceable uniform. Ho paid a high tribute to the company for the orderly manner in whtch Ijhey. conducted their business after drill. A son of Mr Grant, Waikiwi, died early on Thursday morning, after a three weeks’ illness. Deceased attended Mr Macdonaldschool at Waikivi, and on the 26th alt.-contained wlien, he came home of a pain in his head, ami told K father the teacher had knocked Ins and another bov’s head together. We understand Dr Houck: ton proceeds there to-day to hold an inquest. Over £2 000 has been collected in Auckland towards the erection of a new Eonmn Catholic Cathedral.

According to the AYangnnni Weekly Herald, a rumour is current that Sir Dor aid M Lean has been offered the Governorship of Fiji. 4* Mr D. Macrovie sold last week M'Donalcl and ■ 'Cassell’s sawmill at. Longwood for £l,7oo—Mr Thomas Brown, of Invercargill, being the puruhascr. T

The usual meeting of the Town Council was heU at the Court-house on Tuesday evening last. Present— His Worship the Mayor and Crs. Beer, Murchie, and Reid. The minutes of previous mooting having been read and confirmed, the Town Cleric rea l the Assessment Roll for too Waning year. whom it moved by Cr. Mnrchie. seconded hr Cr. Beer, and eavro l. Mat the Valuator’s Roll, as submitted, he disallowed. V; r Hurchio moved, and Cr. Re. 1 seconded, ~T ha. the Town Clerk he instructed to write to the railway contractors in reference to .the 'dangerous 'state of the cuttings withm the boundaries of the Municipality an 1 request that whero uttings am no* enclosed nr sloped, lights L, placed thereon.” The motion was put and L'-ruxl, and the Council then adjourned. ‘ a porions, and what is feared may prove a fll Aj nc( .;rlmt occurred on Thurs lav afternoon to K* -f «•»»• Om-lor Hotel It annears that about 3 p.m. one ot Mr Locke s Kes bolted out of the stable, on perceiving Chicb the unfortunate man succeeded in getting bold of the halter, to which he stuck, following Vbl horse for some distance; hut on getting close i'o mi. fi'.o ■horse kicked him behind the oar, fracturing his Bkuil and- seriously injuring the brnm. The bn fortunate man was conveyed to his residence without delay, and Dr Monckton was immediately in attendance, and administered all the relief possible to the sufferer under the circumstances. Wo believe Mr Locke , has continued in an unconscious'stato since the accident,and his medical fatten dent en tortai ns little hope of Ins ultima. 6 recovery. We understand that the horse which was the’cause of this catastrophe is the same animal that kicked the boy Charles Hirst, a son bf Mr Henry Hirst, of Orepuki, thereby injuring }iim so severely that he died shortly afterwards. " Newspaper criticism of theatrical performances will soon become impossible, except under conditions which make public comments in them valueless. The example of sueiug newspapers by theatrical managers for unfavourable notices was set some time' ago in Melbourne and now it has been' ‘ followed in Zealand. The Tribune, an evening journal in Wellington, passed 1 an iiiifavbumblo criticism upon the performances of the Steelc-Kcogh company. The language used was certainly somewhat strong, but it has not been denied that to a very large extent It was justified. A’ particular 1 performance was stigmatised as improper,>.d the performers were accused of jncompetency. Bor this the two manbrought fan action against the proprietor of the paper and, as bur inform ns, they have" secured damages in each ease. _The £4O damages awarded, of course, does not "represent probably a tenth ’part 6f the cost of a reyorse, but conscientious, theatrical' paragraph. For the future no doubt public performers will expect nothing ‘but fulsome adulation —of which, there is already far too much in the newspaper—fand the publie will have to depend on their own resources as to whether a particular performance is or is not. worth attending. Perhaps the wisest plan to adopt would bo to abstain from theatrical criticisms altogether, and let tin managers trumpet their own fame after the manner of the Quacks with regard to their nostrums. Ss — 1 - -