Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 1884. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 255, 24 September 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 1884. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr D. M. George notifies, before the leader, the arrival of lurge consignments of Kaiapoi clothing for summer wear. Also,in the wauted colurat],the same advertiser calls attention to choice assortments''of fancy goods newly imported, and which he is offering at surprisingly low figures. A Leap Year Dance was held at Wanganni I lie other evening when the novelty was introduced of the ladies seeking partners from the gentlemen present for the various dances. A lady acted as M.O. and a most -enjoyable evening was spent. Most of the crow of the ill-fated ship Lnstingham have been provided for. All were fully provided for before leaving. Six meu, including the chief officer are still m Wellington. A steamer has left for the wreck of the Lastingham for the purpose of making preparations for the recovery of the cargo. Members of Parliament contemplate paying a visit to Kawhia m the Hinemoa. uext week. The North/Island Trunk Railway Committee has examined a large number of witnesses and this report may be expected to be laid before Parliament at no distant date. We hear that the project of erecting an Opera House m Pahnerton is likely assume a definite shape.' The promoters have bean disciissingithe: matter aud are looking round for a suitable sire to build on. Tfie great progress which Palmerston fs making towards becoming a large centre of population necessitates something being done m this direction to keep pace with the 'tunes. . The value of the arms destroyed at the Foochow arsenal, by the French, is valued at 140,000,000 f raucs, and the arsenal, which cost 40,000,000 francs, is m ruins. >: A French paper asserts that France will take all the territory m China she finds useful to her. " Why dou't you send home a team of rifle-men ? (says the London correspondent of an Australian paper). Canada leads the way at Wimbledon continually. Surely Australia could follow the American example. 1 ' The town of Aries, m France, which has a population of 25,000 was reduced to 5000 iv 24 hours m consequence of the cholera epidemic. The total number of sheep m the colony on May 31st last was estimated at 13,900,080! If. to these numbers be added those exported as frosson sheep to '< the same date— namely, 192,401— we have 14,092.,45 i as the number of sheep that were iv the colony, being an increase of 735,551 qu the previous year. Over 100,000 sheep have been exported aince these returns were made. Subscription lists are circulated among the Chinese on the gold fields (says the Southland Times) to raise fnnds for assisting their countrymen m repelliug the I French raid. ; The Queen (Truth says) is about to make a new will m consequence of the changes m her testamentary arrangements which have been brought about by the death of the Duke of Albany and the birth of an heir to His titles. . It will be seen- (says the Post) that among the passengers for Sydney by the mail steamer are Mr and Mrs. Howard Vincent. The gentleman was until quite receutly Superintendent of the English detective office at Scotland Yard. He resigned on his marriage with a very rich lady a few months, and is now taking a trip through the Australian colonies, with the, avowed object of making himself acquainted wjtj} colonial affairs before seeking a seat m the Imperial Parliament. ; The Timavu He?ald quotes the following extraordinary paragraph from a Sussex papir received. by last mail :— "lf the colonists' of Australia persist m their demand for the annexation of New Guinea, it will be followed by that ofNew Zealand. But the King of the latter island is now m Eugland to protest against his subjects being made slaves by ihe Queensland planters, and his country confiscated by what are called ' landsharks,' men who trade amongst the island of the South Seas and buy the the innocent inhabitants for a few beads or a' stick of tobacco, and then seize their lands." The cricketers in»Halcotnbe, Foxton, and other places have made a stirt for the approaching season. Are our Palmerston cricketers going to follow suit ? The finances of Marseilles and Toulon have been strained to the utmost m clearing streets and tenements, caring for the sick and burrying the dead m consequence of the cholera epidemic. It is said the presence of impending financial ruin weighs heavily upon the business community. . A shocking story comes from. New York by the mail steamer that the survivors of the Greely Arctic expedition sustained life by cannibalising their dead companions, and that the graves found by Lieutenant Schley contained only cleanly picked bones. It is contemplated by the Marton Borough Council to raise a further loan of £1500, or a total of £5000, to enable them to carry, out Mr Marchants water- j works scheme, tenders for which have . been opened and that of D. Sinclair, of Wellington,' being the lowest. The Rev. Theophilus Le Menant. des Chesnais has delivered a second lecture m Wellington on spiritualism and was listened to by a large and attentive' audience.. " : A lively description js given by the Post of a fight between Messrs Perry and Rice, with gloves, under the Marquis ofQueenberry's niUjs for £20. The fight lasted for two hours m which they had 29 rounds, both combatants were Very much exhausted and bruised. Perry was declared the wiuner. The fi fteenth : c6fftract now advertised by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (Limited) wfjl, says the Post, bring the line down to Otaki, and complete a distance of 36$ miles from the Mnnawatu terminus and junction with the West Coast linos. From the Wellington, end there are 26 J miles now under contract, and m an advanced stage of construction. Tho gap remaining to be let is only 20 miles, and is the easiest part of the whole line. It has been conjectured (says the Foxton paper) by some that the skeleton found on the beach may be that of the late Mr Betram, who it will be remembered was drowned off the Huia between the Manawatu and Wanganui rivers lasi; year. ' ■''

"Alpha" notifies a deba.e on titM.R.C. Summer Meeting. Full particulars will be faund m the advertisement elsewhere. A specially summoned meeting of thr • members of tho Horowhenua Licensiirg Committee has been called for the 3rd October, (says tho Foxton paper) to rehear the application for a license for the Mrtiiawatu Hotel. Tho issue of this at£air will bo awaited with, some interest, but its generally expected that the license will be granted without auy fur-, the'r opposition.