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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1076, 19 April 1882, Page 2

I We are glad to say that Mr Bowman will very shortly be .amongst us again,, greatly the better for his trip. A telegram was received by a friend of his in Reefton *on Saturday last as follows : — " Leave for my mountain home on Monday. Health greatly improved. Recovered use of right hand." " The successful tenderer for the erection pf poppet heads, paddock, &c, for the Imperial Company, was Mr Cochrane, and the contract was for £212. In accordance with a resolution passed at the meeting held on Monday last, Messrs Wise, Hankin, arid JToice, yesterday interviewed the County ; Chairman with respect to providing funds for Exhibition purposes and Railway Committee. The latter promised to bring the matter before the County Council at their meeting on the 24th instant, and to support jthe request, but in the interval he also undertook to see the members individually and, if he gained their consent, make the requisite advances. It seems that SergeankNeville has been appointed Inspector. 'of . Weights , and Measures for this district for two years past, but has never had any standard weights to work with till recently. Now, lie is fully armed, and will no doubt ;make up for lost time in the execution of jliis duty. i The river was very "high yesterday, and [the recent heavy rains completely cut off allcoaching communication on Monday, and yesterday from Greymouth and Westport. The protection works are standing well, and very little damage is reported, though we are sorry to say Mr David has been a sufferer to the extent of about £40. The rain has been heavier than 4ny that has fallen in Reefton for a long time past. A storm, which had been threatening ominously for the preceding twelve hours, broke over Reefton on Sunday evening last, and raged with extraordinary vehemence until yesterday at noon. Throughout Sunday night the rain descended in a perfect deluge, the patter of the heavy drops on the iron roofs resounding for some hours like the roar of a cataract. At an early hour on Monday Morning ar. extraordinary noise, like the discharge of a heavy cannon, was heard, and almost immediately after the soundest of slumberers were aroused by the clatter of dolf-ware, and violent £ n ,^ n g j° f &%&, houses, the movement -lasting for 'about^ two seconds. Whether the phenomenon was the resnlt of an earthquake or atmospheric disturbance was a matter of conjecture, but on inquiring at the telegraph office yesterday morning we were informed by Mr Sampson that the state of the wires indicated the occurrence of an electrical storm of unusual violence ; all the. line&; between Christchurch, Blenheim, ancl in fact throughout the Colony, were "sick," and refused to do thenwork. Messages had accumulated at nearly all the stations, and the business of some of the offices had been brought to a complete standstill in consequence. The electrometer at the Reefton office throughout yesterday was perfectly demoralised, the indicator dancing up and down with extraordinary unsteadiness. These facts would go to show that the storm has been one of peculiar severity, and extended over a large area of the Colony. It is intended as soon as the exhibits about to be forwarded from here to Christchurch have fulfilled their mission there, to send them home to Mr Acton Adams, who will deposit them with the Agent-General, and they will afford a good proof of the value of the country through and to which the railway will pass, and for which the aid- of London capitalists will be invokod, The Municipal war still rages but, we understand, that sufficient signatures in favor of a Municipality have now been obtained, and the petition wiil bo sent away by an early mail. In order, however, to make assurance doubly sure, signatures will still be received, and it is to be hoped that these will come freely forward, so that the majority may be over* whejmning.

The Nelson Mail of the Sth inst says:— '; There : -was';,a rather>. curious question Cropped^iip the Jury,; i Covirt this moving, -|The Act it appears, pr«- : vides that tMs^CourVshall: meet on the; the first Friday in April, i but day .having this j'ear clianced io hiappen on Good Friday, 'the Jury officer had summoned the Court for the following Saturday instead. of Friday. Messrs Broad and Curtis took their seats this' morning but the question^arose: whether: it Aya&.a.legal; sitting, this' not being the' day appointed by the , Act wluchgives no -option of appointing another, although it provides that the Court may ad(ourn from day to day. The magistrates decided to adjourn until next Saturday, - but it is an open question whether. .they had the.. power ; to_, do as they were hoi a legally" consti|u|ed 5 Bench under the Act to-day." The Telegraph says :— "The following gentlemen are to be asked to act as judges at the musical competitions which are to be held at the Exhibition : — His Honor Judge Fenton (Auckland) Messrs Kelsey (Dunedin) Kiesler (Timaru), Fendall, Wells, ;Sims,:Barnett, and.. Walton. N^o better "selection could'' have been' made. The rules of the (competition are as follows. — Bands and. choral societies competing to number not less than ten performers in each, and the order of playing shall be decided by the judges, five of whom shall form a quorum. Payments of all awards to be settled before the closing of the Exhibition,' at a time to be fixed by the committee. All performers to provide their own accompanyists."