Provincial and General.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 17, 9 March 1870, Page 3

Provincial and General.

According to tho Now Zealand Gazette, there are 189 medical practitioners in the Colony. The first appearance of Lystor's now opera company in Melbourne has chawn forth favourable criticisms. A large specimen of quartz from Wangiipeka has been tested by Dr Tatton. It yielded gold at the rate of soz. 9dwt. and 17gr. to the ton. Sparrows are now quite acclimatised in Canterbury, and are very commonly seen, not only in the streets of.Christchurch, but also on the Riccarton, Lincoln, and Great South roads. A. medical man in Melbourne has been committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter of a female patient. The evidence went to show that the doctor was intoxicated during the accouchement of the unfortunate woman. The Provincial Government of Canterbury have accepted a tender at £57 for keeping the Avon clear of water-cress during the next twelve months. If that stream were near I oudon, what would not acontractcr pay for the privilege? The establishment of a new industry in a Colony is a thing most worthy of record and encouragement. Our readers generally will be glad to learn that there is a probability of a glass manufactury being established in or near the city of Auckland in a short time. Pheasants are becoming a complete pest in the Lower Waikato country, Auckland. The birds are so numerous and commit such depredations amongst the cultivations, that the natives have petitioned the Government for compensation for the damage done by them. Mr Henry Anderson, who was for some time editor of the Wellington Independent, is, it is reported, about to resume the editorial chair in connection with the Wanijanui Times, which is to be resuscitated as a daily paper, and placed under his management. A monster meeting, at which 1,200 miners were present, has beeu held at the Thames. They petitioned the Government to find them employment, or to grant them passages to the other colonies. The Superintendent replied that the Government would certainly not grant them passages elsewhere, and that plenty of employment could be had at wages of ss. a day. Prospecting for gold in the Province of Hawke's Bay is still continued, but as yet without satisfactory results. Mr Tit Ten reports to the local paper that his party have worked down Ngauroro river, finding the " colour" in uiauy instances, and that they are now continuing their researches in the Kereru country. A very serious accident occurred at Wellington on Monday last to John Hanley, a seaman on board the Lord Ashley, by a case slipping out of the slings, and falling on his head, stripping nearly the whole of the scalp off. The poor fellow was at once conveyed to the hospital, but his recovery is deemed hardly possible.— Nelson Evening Mail. The challenge of Harris, the champion of Australia, to run the world for £IOO at each of the following distances, viz., 100 yards, 150 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards, and 400 yards—or £SOO in all, has been accepted by Frank Hewitt, the champion runner of England. The races were to take place on the Melbourne cricket ground, on Saturday and Monday, the sth and 7th inst. We have received a copy of the Westland Gazette of the 18th inst., which gives a return of all sudden and accidental deaths reported to the Westland police duritig the year ending 31st December, 1869. The deaths from drowning were 18 males ; and from mining accidents, 21 males. From other causes there are reported 25 males and 11 females. Total, GO males, and 11 females.— W. G. Times. A barman at Wagga Wagga endeavored to do a sharp thing and failed. A man had " chalked up" 16s 6d, and after the lapse of some time, came to the house again. He called for two drinks, and gave £1 in payment. The barman impounded the IGs 6d from the change ; but an action was brought against him, and he was compelled to return the 16s 6d, along with 10s costs. A curious circumstance occurred in Grahamstown yesterday, which might be interesting to some.of our medical men. A child of two or three years of age, whose 'parent resides in Grahamstown, had been ailing for some days. The child went to sleep yesterday afternoon, during which sleep a worm came down its nostrils, and the little sufferer has since experienced considerable relief.— litanies Times. The sugar producing interest of Queensland seems to be largely increasing. The returns made by the Government Inspector for the first three quarters of the last year, lead to the conclusion that the 619 tons of 1808 will be found to have been at least trebled in 1869 ; anil the 35,999 gallons of rum will have increased to between fifty and sixty thousand gallons. In 1869 seventeen sugar mills and two distilleries were added to those of the previous year an?l not a week elapses but others are con templated, or in construction.

The yield of the Long Drive for the fortnight ending Saturday, 12th hist., wus no less than 1830 ouncos of retorted gold ; that of tho Golden Crown, for the same period, was 408 ounces from 85 tons of stone. Specimens from the Excelsior have turned out 22 ouncos of gold from 851bs. of atone. Mr St. John Branigan is meeting with determined opposition from some of the Northern journals. Tho following epecimen of editorial sarcasm is from the Wellington Pout: —"We are aide to state authoritatively that there is no truth in the report which was in circulation after the publication of tho telegrams alluding to the disturbed stuto of Ireland, that Mr Branigan is about to go home to take charge, of the Irish Constabularly. An application to that effect is rumoured to have been made by the Imperial Government, but our ministry determined, by way of retaliating on Earl Granville his scurvy treatment of us, to refuse it point blank."