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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1090, 22 May 1882, Page 2

Mails for the Australian Colonies per s.s. Alhambra, close at Hokitika on Saturday, 20th May, at 5 p.m. Inspector Emerson paid his uaua

ironthly visit of inspection last week to ' the local police office, and we are glad to t say found everything in most satisfactory order. He left on Friday with his Honor Judge Broad, for Greymouth. At the last sittings of the District Court, Mr Lynch applied for costs in a bankruptcy case, which was refused on the ground that, costs could not be given under the Debtors and Creditors Act under the oirainwtancw that they were applied for. In the Magistrate's Court on Saturday last, before Messrs G. Wise and W. J. Potto, an information was heard against Sarah Rumble charging her with the wrongful detention of a goose, alleged to be the property of Archibald M'Kinly. Both the parties had lost a goose, but defendant had subsequently found one of these interesting birds, which she fondly imagined to be hers. Informant, however, shortly appeared upon the scene and claimed the feathered wanderer as his. Indignant protests were exchanged and eventually the case was brought before the Court on an information charging defendant with larceny. A number of witnesses were called to identify the goose, the weight of evidence supporting the informant's claim. The Bench held that there was no sufficient proof of larcenous intent, and therefore dismissed the information, ordering the disputed goose to be restored to the informant. A " drunk " was fined 205., or in default twenty-four hours' imprisonment, and on a further charge of using filthy and disgusting language in the public street, he pleaded guilty, and was fined 405., or 48 hours' imprisonment. The same defend- ; ant was further charged with violently assaulting and resisting the police in the execution of their duty. Constable Bamford stated that defendant was very noisy in Broadway, on Friday evening last, and witness advised him to go home, but when witness was turning to leave, defendant struck him violently on the back of the neck with his fist. Witness then arrested him, but he resisted so violently that two constables and the sergeant were unable to convey him to the oamp without the assistance of bystanders. On the way to the lock-up defendant kicked witness in the side with such violence as to incapacitate him and cause him to vomit I lood. Sergeant Neville corroboratsd the previous witness' evidence as to the violence of the defendant, and said that he had also received a severe kick in the stomach from defendant, while endeavoring to get him to gaol, and others assisting were also kicked. Mr W. Cochrane was called as to character, and said that defendant was right enough until he drank, and then he was rather noisy. In reply to the Bench, defendant said that he was in liquor at the time, and knew nothing of what occurred. The Bench said that the offe|ce charged was a serious one, and the evil fit its example in a Community such a&this was dangerous to public order and tip, security of 'the police force. Defendant was sentenced to a months' imprisonment in Reefton gaol. Mr Love, advance agent for Burton's famous Circus reached here on Saturday evening, and has since fixed upou the vacant piece of ground, on the Strand adi joining Williams' Hotel, as the site for the circus, which camped at Squaretown last night, and will reach here this morning, and open to-night. It will be noticed by advertisement t at an alteration is to be made from Wednesday next in the hour of the departure of the down Grey mail. The mail will in future leave here at 730 a.m M thus enabling passengers to reach Greymouth at 230 p.m. This will be a great convenience to business men. A man named James Paul is reported to be missing from Black's Point, and is supposed to have fallen into the river and been drowned. In the District Court, at its recent sitting, when an applicant applied for a rectification of the share register, in a case where he appeared to have a perfect right to make the demand, it seemed that as the colonial law stood he had no locus standi, and that although equity is sup- , posed to prevail in the mining Courts of the Colony, it does not apply to cases of this kind. His Honor Judge Broad in giving his decision markedly expressed his dissatisfaction thereat, and hoped that during the current session the law on the subject would be so amended, as to eimble Judges to deal with similar cases on their merits. An attempt was made to get up some races for the Queen's Birthday, on the. 24th instant, Wednesday next, but it resulted in failure, and so, beyond tlie very small rejoicings on the occasion usual amongst loyal subjects, the event will pass unobserved. It does seem strange, however, that a holiday of the kind should go altogether without celebration, and, even at the eleventh hour, possibly some sports or something, may yet be inaugurated. Hig Excellency the Governor has received a despatch from Lord Kimberley covering one from the Foreign Office, enclosing a letter from Mr Lowell of the United States Legation in London, expressing the " sad satisfaction which the kind and touching message of condolence despatched by the Speaker of the New Zea and House of Representatives on the death of President Garfield, has afforded to the President and the American people." An important sale of sheep was held at Rissington, near Napier, last week, when 40,000 sheep were soil in little more than two hours, realising £20,847. There was a large attendance of buyers, and it is stated that double the number of sheep offered could have been sold. The prices ranged from 14s for two-tooth ewes to Gs 6d for hogget wethers. A Southern contemporary thus describes the chief drawbacks of the Christchurch Exhibition:— "t>stly, the im- :

' portunities of the holders of the inferior t stalls, where Yankee notions and catchpenny trifles are sold. These people are simply an intolerable nuisance, and ought to be suppressed immediately. They fairly drive any sort of sensitive visitor away, and destroy the whole pleasure of the Exhibition. Secondly, the want of resting places. There is nowhere to sit down or get a spell from wandering about, The retiring rooms are wretched — quite unworthy of the enterprise — and no adequate provision is made for the comfort of either sex. All this part of the thing is barbarous. Thirdly, the want of refreshment rooms. The only accommodation of this kiad is a small, gloomy place, where there are some rough tables and seats, very similar to the temporary refreshment booths at races." The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says : — There has been a crisis in the domestic affairs of Tawhiao, although the matter has been discreetly passed over in silence by the local Press. On the return of Tawhiao's wife Pare]|auraki from her mission to the Native Minister (Mr Bryce), it become bruited among the Kingites that she had fallen a victim to the seductive pleasures of the provincial caffm^ The- " green-eyed monster " becamF <sev:elop^Sl "in Tawhiao, and she was called to account. Further investigation proved that the calumny was an invention of the enemy — wife No. 2, who is a deadly rival of Parihauraki (wife No. 4,) the youug and reigning favorite of the royal quartette. Tawhiao, who is a man of peace, has had a lively time of it among his wivesw one of them having eloped recently^with one of his chiefs. He is inclined now to believe that polygamy has its peculiar trials as well as its peculiar blessings. The Maoris, who have a proverb that the root of all trouble is " women and land," point triumphantly to the episode above referred to as a further convincing proof of the old adage. Bishop Moorhouse thus concludes his last letter to the Melbourne Argus on the "prayer for rain" subject :—" Sir, I have linished. I have done my best to explain that the spiritual verities of the Bible can be brought into harmony with the demonstrated verities of physical science. Let men admit what science has proved. Let them take wliat has been discovered as the best indication of what is probable in the case of those physical phenomena which are not yet so well understood. Let them believe that the uniformity of succession in the lower physical sphere was divinely and beneficently appointed to enable man to calculate his future and imitate the providence of his Maker. And then, so far from finding that either miracle, or communion with God, or answer to spiritual prayer is more incredible, they will be able to hold firmly and teach clearly that a man can be a Christian and a scientist at the same time ; and so, by God's mercy, deliver our young men from the doubts and misgivings which in so many cases are blighting and drying up fnifch. " * - -—*- The Christchurch Press of the 6th inst has the following : — Yesterday was witnessed a novel ceremony at the Addington cemetery. Zaccheus Mercer, a member of the Freethought Association of this city was buried, the secular service provided for such an occasion being read by the president of the society, prefaced by the following remarks personal to the deceased : " Friends — We are met here today to pay the last sad offices to a departed brother, He suffered long and patiently from an incurable malady, •to which he at last succumbed. While suffering acutely, his mind being free from the distnrbing doubts and fears woven by superstition, death for him had no terrors, his opinions enabling him to contemplate his approaching end with calmness and resignation. In confirmation of this, I may say that I hold in my hand a little book inscribed with his name, which about six months ago he presented to the Freethought Association, he having been one of its first members, accompanied with the request that the secular burial service therein contained might be read at his funeral, which he then foresaw could not be very long deiayed, also ex- ■ pressing the hope that as many of his friends, holding the same views as himself upon the problems of- life and death, as could make it convenient to attend would assist in paying this last tribute of respect to his memory." Then followed the burial service from the "Secularists' Manual" (referred to) impressively read by Mr W. Pratt, the president of the Association. There was a fairly numerous attendance. Capt. Mills, harbor-master at Timaru, died from his long immersion in the water while rendering assistance at the time the City of Perth and Benvenue were driven ashore. Reuben Bason, who so cruelly stabbed his wife at Wanganui, escaped with the lenient sentence of two years' imprisonment with hard labor. The Rev. Dr Hughes, the Freethought lecturer, who now occupies the boards of the Sydney Theatre Royal on Sunday evenings was formerly a priest of the Church of England at Maryborough, Queensland. He had quarrelled with his Bishop, and, 'fairly starved out of Maryborough, was starting by steamer to Rockhampton, when a big butcher came aboard and loudly demanded settlement of that account.' The little Dr. remonstrated. He represented his unfortunate circumstances and situation. He would pay as soon as he had means. The big butcher was implacable, ' Come ashore, you little beggar, ' he said, ' and by blood and bones I'll take it out of your hide.' The small ecclesiastic meekly submitted, permitted himself to be hustled along the' gang-way and on to the wharf, and when arrived there humbly took off his coat and— gave that butcher the most scientific display of plain and fancy boxing ever seen in the WMe Bay district. The rev. gentleman had stuliod something besides theology at

Cambridge, and the name of his professor was Nat. Langbam. When the bystanders finally picked up that big butcher he looked like half-a. side of his own beef. '