LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Western Star, Issue 281, 25 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Works intends to make a personal ; inspection of Bun 122 before a block is taken out of it for settlement.

At Auckland on Sunday there died an old pensioner named Hill, who claimed to have been born in 1773, and who was with his regiment, the 51st, at Corunna and Waterloo. The hearing of the breach of promise case of Cayford v. Carruthers has been fixed for Monday, 27th January, for which date a common jury will be summoned. .

Mr John Whittakers tender for the Waimea plains railway (L 36,625) has been accepted. The. work is to be completed within twelve months from date.

A private letter received from England states that. the, Prince of Wales intends to send his eldest son to the Australian Naval Station ; also that the Prince himself would be glad to visit Australia, if asked by the colonists to do so.

Larrikinism has reached a pretty pass in Melbourne. It was reported that three of the tribe assaulted and attempted to rob a bussman in Russell street late one night. He deliberately turned and fired three shots at them from a revolver, upon which they ran away.

The ‘ Timaru Herald ’ states that some local speculators who anticipate a favorable report by Sir John Goode as to its capabilities for a harbor, hare offered the Government a very large sum for the Milford lagoon, but it is almost needless to say that the offer was declined.

The estimated value of rateable property in Dunedin for the year 1879 is L 275,000. As showing the increased value of property the following figures may be interestingIn 1874 the value was L 158.531 ; in 1875, L 187,089; in 1876, L 209.649 ; in 1877, L 227.034; and in 1878, L 249.695. The following is the correct reading of a recent cablegram:—“The Pope in an encyclical has appealed to the German bishops to inculcate upon Roman Catholics obedience to the laws of the empire, and especially to the law recently promulgated against Socialism, and he prays at the same time for leniency at the hands of the secular power for those who Save offended.”

The City of Sydney made the run from San Francisco to Honolulu in 7 days 21 hours, which is the fastest ever done. Up to the time of the accident to her machinery, when about a day and a-half from Auckland, her engines had worked splendidly, the ship having averaged 301 miles a-day for seventeen consecutive days from San Francisco—an almost unparalleled run. The Marquis of Normanby leaves Wellington by the Arawata on February 11, and journeys overland from Christchurch to the Bluff, reaching Melbourre on the 22nd. It is intended that he shall there receive a suitable welcome, and it is expected that members of all political parties will join in the demonstrations with which the new Governor is to be received.

A boy named Dyson was shot at Kiambo, N.S.W., on Sunday, January 6, by a companion named Worthy, who was about to fire at some ducks, when Dyson stepped from behind a tree in front and received the charge in the back of the neck. At the inquest a verdict of manslaughter was returned, as Worthy was illegally shooting on the Sabbath.

The ‘North Otago Times’ is responsible for the following “ There must still be something good left in the gift of the Government. . It is rumored (but we will not vouchj for its accuracy) that the gentlema'n who is at the head of the literary department of’an influential Christchurch paper is about to receiveasubstantial indication of Governmental pleasure in the shape of a ‘ billet.’ Whether it is as immigration agent er ‘ head of a department’ rumor does not say.” The ‘Tablet’ says the speech of the Attorney-General can have only one effect on Cathodes, and that is to confirm them in the conviction that nothing but determined and persevering agitation can win for them what justice and equity demand in the matter of education, that there is only one argument for such men a. 3 the Hon. Mr Stout, and that this argument should be plied vigorously. As the best way of reaching a Scotchman’s heart is through his breeches pocket, so the best way of reaching the intellect of politicians is through the polling booths.

A racy and most original piece of criticism on the Chinese comes to the ‘ N. 0. Times’ through a gentleman who was a passenger to Oamaru by the express yesterday morning. He was standing on the platform at Palmerston in' close proximity to an intelligentlooking Maori, when a dozen rather ill-look-ing Celestials came up, jabbering and gesticulating energetically. The Maori looked them up and down with disgust for a few moments, and, turning round, his face breaking into a smile, remarked in a loud whisper, “Maori bad enough, but them fellows ten times worser still. Time they stopped them coming here,” A man named Albert Slocum was found

dead on the Allandale road, about five miles from Fairlie Creek, near Timaru, a few days ago. The deceased was found stretched flat on his back, with his face uncovered, and fearfully scorched from the sun. He held a bottle of gin very firmly in his hand, and it is supposed that while under the influence of drink he went to sleep in the position above described and was killed by sunstroke.

Several offers have been received by the Victorian Government from private persons to start on expeditions in search of the Kelly gang at a small remuneration. The latest offer has been received through the Minister of Education from nine State school teachers at Ballarat, a number of them being members of the Prince of Wales Light Horse, who desire to spend their three weeks’ holiday in pursuit of the gang, only asking, in return, to be supplied with arms and provisions, ,

Information baa been received by the police that a man named Harry Richardson has been missing from the Cromwell district since Christmas day last. From what we (‘ Dunstan Times’) can glean it appears that Richardson had been engaged at Ardgour Station shearing, and on Christmas morning left for Cromwell, from whence he and others were to proceed to the Kawarau Station on similar work. Nothing having been seen of him since the time he left, inquiries were made and a search instituted without avail. It is supposed that Richardson has been drowned while crossing the Clutha.

Some grand specimens of short-horned cattle, for Wellington, have arrived here by the Ringarooma. They are in charge of thenowner, Mr C. Simpson, of Foxton, Manawatu, and were purchased at the annual sales of Messrs S. Gardiner and Robertson Brothers, Colac, Victoria. The animals comprise the celebrated prize bull Double Brunswick, bred by Mr S. Gardiner, and for which, at the Agricultural Show in 1878, 800 guineas was refused. Another prize bull is the Earl of Alvie, for which its late owners, Messrs Robertson Brothers, paid 1,650 guineas. A red cow, with calf at foot, and a young heifer five months old by Oxford Cherry Duke, which was bought by the same gentlemen for 2,500 guineas, is among the lot, and there are three five-year-old heifers by the Marquis of Lome, full brother to the Duke of Alvie, the champion bull of the Australian Colonies,

The sum of L 1,200 was taken as gate money at the Australian v. Gentlemen match, on the East Melbourne ground, on January 2 and succeeding days. By an extra payment of 2s urgent telegraphic money-orders can now be sent. They take precedence of all ordinary work, and are dealt with in precisely the same manner as ordinary “urgents.” The dramatic article in the * Australasian is no longer signed by the well-known “ Tahite.” It is understood that this is in consequence of the singular state of things disclosed by a quarrel between the critic and Mr Morton Tavares.

A new monthly journal, called * The Queen,’ is about to be published in Sydney, under the control of Miss Ida Williams, of the Sydney University. Should it be a success it is the intention of the promoter or promoters to publish it weekly. The 4 Daily News ’ has outstripped all its English contemporaries in English war news, notwithstanding that each message costs it over L3OO. Its account of the capture of Ali Musjid was the first by many hours published in London, and was as succint, glowing, and interesting as if it had been written by Mr Forbes at his ease, instead of having been scribbled amidst the din of the battle field.

Mr Lyster’s new opera company, which is due in Melbourne in March, comprises Rose Hersee (Madame Perkins), Miss Alma Pelma, Charles Graznor, G. Verdi, Signor Anglera, and the Coys, with a Mr Howell as stage director. They are engaged for Australia, New Zealand, and th« United States, and are to leave London on January 27. Signor Cagli is bringing a company from India to Melbourne.

Some sensation has been created in the religious world at Home by the of Mr Orby Shipley, the well-known high ritualistic clergyman, to the Church of Rome. He explains in a letter to the ‘ Times ’ his reasons for taking this step. For several years, as a preacher and writer for the Church of England, he volunteers a confession, he has been inculcating the doctrines of the Catholic Church. He would, in fact, have gone over to Rome long ago, were it not that he had held by the right of private judgment. He now finds that private judgment is a mischievous delusion, therefore he subjects himself in all things to the Church of Rome; and he has no doubt that many of his Ritualistic brethren will feel bound to do the same thing. The 4 Home News ’ adds that his letter in the ‘Times’ has evoked a good deal more correspondence from Ritualistic clergymen 5 and it is satisfactory, if rather startling, to know what is the real difference between the Anglican Ritualists and the Roman Catholics—nothing more, it seems, than this, that the Ritualists absolutely reject the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, whence it would follow that the Ritualists are in identically the same position as the Old Catholics, whose Goryplueus is Dr Dollinger. The Colonial Treasurer is a strong opponent of Chinese immigration. The following letter by him was read at a recent public meeting at Wellington on the subject : —“ As I shall not be able to attend the meeting, I take this opportunity of expressing my warm sympathy with its object. It has appeared to me that the care that is rightly exercised with regard to the selection of immigrants from Europe should not be relaxed when the voluntary immigration of an inferior race threatens to derange all the just relations of cafetal and labor, and to produce social result! likely to degrade the position of the European laborer. The advocacy of Chinese same kind as that of slavery, respect, that it is folded upon the desire to increase the wealtp of the capitalist class by the subjection of the laborer. To those, therefore, who view the diffusion of prosperity and happiness amongst all classes —if not equally at least wdth equal opportunity—as the highest game of Government, it must appear that the unrestricted immigration of such a people as the Chinese might become a national calamity of the greatest magnitude. In the attainment of the object you have in view a difficulty may be found in the treaty obligations of the mother country; but it would be unfortunate if these should intervene to prevent a colony from regulating the introduction of Chinese in accordance with its own interests. If we may legislate for the introduction of such immigrants as we desire, it seems equally right that the Chinese, whom we do not desire, should be kept Out by an embargo on vessels, in the form of a capitation tax, that would act prohibitively. Ido not doubt that means will be found within our powers to give effect to the will of the people of this Colony, and I trust the meeting in Wellington will be so unanimous as to give an impetus to the movement in other places.”