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Western Star, Issue 295, 3 May 1879, Page 5

-It is reported that tenders for the first section of the Q(autau-Nightcap Railway wid be invited iu a few nays. : Our Orepuki friends are notified elsewhere that the Rev. J. Cameron, of Riverton, will hold services there on Sunday, ,11th id ay. Morning ser» ice to commence at II o'clock. . The meeting of County Council convened for Thursday last lapsed, n quorum not pulling in an appearance. The ..members'present were the Chairman and Captain Habkinson, This is the second consecutive meeting that has lapsed, an 1 as. business has ■accumulated considerably it is to be,hoped that at least the requisite number will put- in ail 'appearance' cn -Thursday next, Btii instant—the date fixed for the adjourned meeting. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was.held oh Thursday afternoon, when Messrs Daniel (chair), ‘ Reid, Fetched, Port, Hirst, Ct.ssels (Secretary and: Treasurer); and Dr Feltlmm (Surgeon-Superintendeni), were present, —The .Secretary was instructed to- inform Dr Denshatn that the Committee were not in a position to vote to the hon ; assistant medical officer, but at some future time his claim to a salary would be considered. —Two cartes de visile ft he late Surgedh-Suporiht’eudenl, Dr Monckton, were laid upon the tuple, with a view to the Committee choosing one from winch' an enlargement coul i he made, for the purpose, as was explained at lasi meeting of the Committee, of placing a copy in the - Cdminittee-room ol the bui.ding, and also of making .a gif t to Dr Monckton of another copy, in consideration of his exertions in founding ihe institution. , A copy having been unanimously chosen, the Secretary was instructed to get estimates of 'cost 1 of enlargement in oil colors .fronvDunedin firms, the prices quoted by an Invercargill photographer being considered excessive.—Some discussion ensued on Mr Hirst draw-

.' ing attention to the method adopted to eradicat e the couch grass with wliiclrthe hospital grounds are ov'er-ruh p ultimately,dt was agreed to leave ; the matter in Mr Port’s, hands to ilo the best he could >n the matter. —-Mr Reid, on behalf of the Works, Committee, reporte 1 that the work of . fencing the cottages was proceeding satisfactorily. A's there had been no response to the a Ivertisement calling for tenders-for painting the buiicldbg, he had got an offer privately from a trades:«ian to do the work which, if the Committee ap-

* proved of, he.,would, accept. , Mr Reid was ae- , cordingly authorised to accept the offer.—ln conJ ' aideratioh Of fencitig and otherwise improving the dii cottages, it was resolved'that on and after the Ist >: : July the rent for each be 7a 6d per week.- An invoice of/drugs fr.om a home manufacturer, amounting to £SB 19s 2d, was received.—A letter was received from the Colonial’Secretary, re- • ■ 'questing the Committee to “be good enough to i thank Dr Monckfon for his suggestion as to the ; form of, returns of patients, treated,” and also 1 f stating that'the fotm had been altered as sug-gested-by liimt *lt wyis-explained that the form suggested by Dr Monckton had been adopted by the Government' for: the i whole,* colony.—The 0 Secretary.was.instructed to acknowledge receipt. of £24. from -toe Chairman of the Orrpuki 0 Medical Relief Fund, in consideration as was.

agreed upon, that the Chairman, on behalf of the 0 residents of that district, should be provide.! ' with two impatient orders for ten .years. —The 0 following’accounts were passed :for; payment: — ** Lyttelton Times,” 8a; *• New Zealande-,” 2s fid; 0 J;7W. Collins, £2 14s; Moffet & do., £1 11s; I D. -M‘lntosh, £1 ; Daniel & Crockett, 4s 9d; I Q Kempthorne, Prosser & Co., £5 8s; Thompson & Howell, £8 Is 9d; B. Boivine, £8 8s sd, , ~ Afc tbe j weekly meeting of the Waste Lands y Boafd on Thursday, D. Hainlyn was, on the - strength’of a favourable report sent in by the u Rafager, granted a lease of section 47, New River Hundred:—E. Sutton’s application to lease section. 156,’Oreti Hundred; which was before th-?' - Sdafd on a recent occasion, Was now, on the report of the Ranger, wno visited the ground, J: mused?-—Frederick Augustus Price’s application ■' to purchase section T2; Aparinia Hundred, for ■• ' grazing purposes, was granted on such .terms and ' conditions as the Board might prescribe.—The ChieLSurveyor-sent in a report as to re-leasing of runs 397 and 415. It was resolved to postpone consideration of the report for one week. . The teport was as follows: —‘‘In reference to ■ «:._propo9ed subdivision Of runs 397 and 415, nw Takatimo District, I would report as fol--01 lows:—I- would have liked to have seen • o ;-my way to hare .recommended to the Board i' ; the subdivision of the runs, but the nature sv< nf>o and . the circumstances connected with, * country are such that I would recommend being re-leased in their present shape. I Veinind the Board that the country con- . Mats 1 almost entirely of one unbroken mass of mountain peaks, the greater number of which, : / as will be seen from the map, stand‘4ooo or 5000 ' ‘feet above the sea level. In a pastoral point of ‘ ~‘Vibw it is exclusively summer country, and the ’ ’ r ; rubholder, large or small, who has no lower Country 1a withdraw his sheep-to when winter comes on runs the almost certain risk of losing alibis; stock. It is quite clear to me that the ,; fr ,’country can only bo utilised,-and that a somei; imperfect way, by bold the lowcountry adjoining. To cut up tho. country . _fqr small settlers would in my opinion be to invite jtbeio. to their ruin. Should, however, the Board, in.tlip face of my opinion, consider it desirable to ; tlie runs, a plan of. sub division can ,^.;^afl^ : a be obtained.” The ease of ;Mussen ,v. . Mackintosh, in which li.iii.tlio. plaintiff represents tho Waste Lands Board, . ri'.and applies for a writ of ejectment against the | ‘.i.id^Jjdant,, jvas called..at-the Resident Magis.;;r; trate’s Court, Invercargill, on Thursday, Mr' vFinli, who appeared for the defence, applied for .«u adjouraine.iit on the ground that he ha I not U> ; procure cei lam documents bearing for the; .other,, side, not objecting, Uig Worship adjourned tbe case till 2 p.m. yesterday.

A Magisterial Inquiry,’following in usual course 'he inquest up"tt the fire that oecurre I at M abel on the 32nd ulr., whereby .the entire horse. Young I jnf'v, was destroyed, was hell at the. gaol on Wednesday. It will be retnmibere.i that the coroner’s jury brougnt in a ver ici of incendiarism against Patrick M‘.\lenamin, with intent to .lefraud the insurance company which had insured the horse. He was, in consequence, committed to prison, an I on We dues lay was brought before the Resident Magistrate, to heformally committed for trial at the • upremc Court. ‘ H. M'Cillloeh, Esq., R M., presided ; Mr T. M. M'DonaU, solicitor, conducted the prosecution, Inspector Fox assisting. The prisoner was tin lefen el. Inspector Fox said ho had a new witness to produce,and after consulting with Mr M‘Donal I, calle I James Lyons, who deposoc to the effect that he was in the service of the brotheis, James and Patrick M'Menamin, who. were at the time engaged in road works at Makurewa. His tent was close to theirs, and one night l.c overhear I them concoct a scheme for destroying the horse. James M‘Mena min bid his brother that-if he woul 1 make ready at the stable by laving brush about it, he would do the rest of the business. A .layer two.afterwards, on the night of tie 22n.l March, Lions heard James MSVteua nio get up and go out of the tent. He watched him, an I seeing him walk in the direction of the s able, which was si uate.,l some three miles, away his suspicions w.-re excite I and he followed him up. .VPMenamin went direct.to the stable, and Lyons manage Ito approach wit bin thirty yards of him unobserved, and saw him first set fire to the brush on and about the stable, and then seize a crow bar, which had been borrowed from a settler named Hanning, and knocked the horse on the hea l with it, the animal falling under the blow. At this stage’. Mr M‘Donald said that, the enquire had taken a most unexpected turn, and he should have to ask lea e of the Court to wit hdraw the charge against Patrick M'Menamin midday an information against the two brothers co-jointly for having wilfull an.t maliciously caused the death of the horse, thereby defrauding the insurance companies. His Worship granted Rave, and a warrant was issued against James M'Menamin, He .was arrested within half an hour afterwards, and b il bring,.offered, he was aliiiitlel to it, himself in £3OO. and two sureties in £looea h. Tlie case is to be gotie into at,the R..VI. Court on Monday next. Southland Times.” <• l< ir . , ’■* I ~

A clerical friend says that one evening he was called upon, during his pastorate in California, by an evidently Irish couple, Who desired him to marry them. Ho inquired rather suspi- iously whv they had not gone to the prost, juiging rightly that they were Roman Catholics: and suspecting, as they were pretty. well advanced in years, that it might be a case of a divorced man or woman—for he was not satisfied with their explanation that the priest would not tie! the knot because it was Passion-weeii —be put the question abruptly to the man: “No sir,” was the ready, answer.—“ Have you,” he,appealed to the woman.—She, replied, with perfect hunißj: v s “ I never had the chance, sir.” It was irresistible, and he married them immediately. The recent siivage attack in the “■ Wellington Chronicle ” on Sir George Grey is attribute i by the “Timaru Herald” to Mr Idallance. It states; that—“ Some good-natured friend” sent this article to Sir Geo-ge Grey, ana he was a little annoyed at. it. He came, strange to say, at once to the conclusion (hat Mr idallance had written it, ."ana lie set out for;Wellington-in anything but, a Christ.iimlike frame of min’d. When he arriva l ne found the delinquent had tied, au l was making a show of “enquiring into the requirements” of a district where it is understood he intends to seek election when the time conies; The Premier soon had him back, though, and then he gave,him a mauuais quart d'heurm Ino nnistake. We are as.-m-eJ tuat ,tlie gallant, old knight,warmed, to his work most healthily; and said 1 hasty,’ stinging, cutting, galling thing he could think of, conclu ling with a plain announcement, of his determination not to .retain Mr Ballan.e in the Cabinet a minute lo iger tban was necessary.” Further on the article from winch we have made this /extract remarks —“ The Premier, however, bad ma le up Ins mind to get rid of him, and we believe that the pleasant ereuturesdiave never; spoken to one anot her since. They have spoken about one another a good deal, though : and the most splendid stories are told ‘of the Premier’* sarcastic dissection of ‘that low fedow, ddallance.’ The scheming for the expulsion of (lie Treasurer- from the Cabinet was going on briskly up to .the thin;()f the Premier’s departure for the .North, but we have not ■heard whether any final decision was come to before be left.” . ' V ' '■*. r ,

His Excellency the Governor lias intimated ilia wish to become a patron of the Dunedin Jockey Club, and the Jockey, Club on Tuesday unaniT mously agreed: to place His Excellency’s name on tueir programme,. While His Excellency cannot say whether he will attend'the meeting at the Porbury on Queen’s Birthday, we believe there is no doubt that the erand annual meeting of the D J.C. will be honored with his presence. If His Excellency should secure a string of a few good horses (says the Dunedin Morning Herald), mid run to win, as he lias done on the other side, h» would more than in any other way upset the calculations of those gentleman who too frequently manage to arrange events entirely to theirowli satisfaction, .if not to ttie. satisfaction .of. ..the sporting public.—Dunedin“ Morning Herald.” f An exertion, we understand will be made to have the Rivertou-Inv-rcargill. railway 1 formally opened by Queen’s Birthday. The buildings (a week o • ten days only being necessary to complete the per uanent way) are now sufficiently advanced that with the exercise of even a mode rate amount of energy this coui 1 be done so that unless red-tapeism interferes with the arrangement, there seems ho reason to suppose that this long wished for event will be postponed beyond the date named.

Messrs Reid and Sons hare made good progress' daring the past two weeks with the new schoo; buildings. .Tlie frame work —a perfect forest ot timoer—is completed, uni an idea of the proportions of the building may now be obtained^ l ' An expression used in our report of the cas direr to u Harbour Board v Wliitiingham BiVi and Instone heard at' the R. M..- Court last week uhhougn in a sense correct, might; possibly b. misleading.. Tlie following sentence occurs “ Defendant pointed out several clerical errorin the accounts to show that tlie books of tic Board were not accurately kept.’' A moit accurate impression would bo conveyed by tn eubstituiiou of the' words, too.,collector o baroor dues books ” for ** the' books of tfi'.Board. *

A meeting of the members of the Western Di-trict Formers Association will be held at. the Great Western Hotel oa Friday, the 23rd May, at 7 p.m., to arrange foi ,the forthcoming grain show, ploughing match &c. Members in arreais requested to pay their subscriptions before that (ate. ' '

We have before us the thirteenth annual report. of the Australian Mutual Provident. Society (die local agents of which are Messrs Daniel and Crockett.) A glance at the report will show the magnitude to wiiieh the business connected with this Society has reached. During twelve months ending 31st December, 1878, there have been received 8,864 Proposals, for sums amounting to £3,273,087, of which 2,655 were declined, withdrawn, or not completed, amounting to £1.097,145. Leaving 6,209 Proposals accepted and completed, assuring £2,175,942. Claims have arisen under 239 Life Policies by the death of 209 Members, amounting to £118.933 9s. 7d. including £13,278 9*. 7d. for Bonus additions. Sixteen Endowment Assurances have also matured? amounting to £7,807 18s.,inelu ling £1 757185. tor Bonus ad dtious. The Accumulated Fund now stands at £2,619,187 17s. 9d., showing an increase of £349, 295 15s. 9d., the balance of Receipts over Disbursements during the year. Can this be true ? Letters and newspapers received from Europe from well-informed quarters, point out that the great “ New Zeulthl Agricultural Company” started by the Hon Mr Larnacli and Sir Julius Vogel, at the instigation of a few land proprietors of Southland, is likely lo “ frizzle.” Some influential English journals exposed the flimsiuess of the whole thing by turning the tables on Mr Larnacli when quoting a certain speech that he made in the Assembly not so very long ago, in which the exColonial Treasurer drew a most graphic picture of the lamentable state the land in question was owing to its being overrun with rabbits. We shall await wii h Merest further particulars of t \w finale of the scheme. The canard, so assiduously circulate I by certain journals under toe influence of Atkinson-Onuon.l party to the effect that two members of the present.. Ministry were “in the swim,” lias, as ,a matter of course, flown and vanished out of -sight.. With many people, indeed, the wish is lather of the thought, Olliers would fain believe that their neighbours' are constitu eI as they are themselves.—' N. Z, Sun.’ The news from “thefront,,” is that the Natives arc organising, a troop of cavalry, and alre.i ly have mustered a vary respectable corps._ We (f‘ angitikoi Advocate) are informed by one of tile most influential settlers in the Wailii, who has a very large interest in that district, that his opinion is—and his opinion has considerable weight—that the present, unsettled state of!the Native mind will calm down, bub only temporarily. He says that from the preparation* they are making there is no doubt they mean to fight if anv ; provocation is given., This organising of a cavalry corps is a sure indication that they will oppose force by force. The troop, we hear, is well mounted, ivell armed, and very well disciplined and drilled.

It is said that, the purchasers of the wreck .if the Ann (iambias have al refid j lost £3OOO by the speculation. ; .c j , ■ I A singular discovery was rdide bn Wednes- ’ day at the Invercargill railway station (reports tile .Times.) Some of the then were coal'ng one of the engine-, when one of them'struck a large lump of coal to reduce its 'size, ami as it separated out ie'l a live frdg. At first the creature was very sluggish, , ami its legs and. feet were nearly white, bu*- presently as it respired it gained animation, the white color of the limbs assume a greenish brown, the. color of (he back, and the frog became very ltyoiy ; hopping away with - much vigor. When captured it uttered a distiict croak, and was then placed in a bottle for safe-keeping. Progs and toads have so, often been found embedded in rooks anJ-other queer places, that the fact of one having mi ie the interior of a lump of coaU his. residence-for Jail indefinite. period is not surprising. The appearance of yesterday’s frog was certainty anything but, sug■gesiiye pf a.lpntt pSriqd pf confinement/ It was plump.and vigorous and , apparently belonged-to the species most common to Australia. We may observe that the . coar in' which the' f rog was: found came from NewcMile. 1 1 ;oi -i. rj ,..