The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 28, 1 July 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1885. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Official Assignee stated m Court on Monday that the values of all freehold properties m bankrupt estates were, as a general rule overstated. Mr Justice Richmond remarked that the was a mournful uniformity m all such cases. Le Matin, of Par,is, says that Messrs Bennett and Mackay arc at the head of a syndicate formed to purchase tho island of Cuba, for £20,000.000. For casting sawdust into a stream contrary to regulations under tho Fisheries Conservation Act, 1834, the manager of the Taranaki Sash and Door Factory Company, was fined MX and costs,-i ! " f Mr Justice Richmond . doos" n&t. ./appear to think that tho employment" of shorthand reporters m our Courts of law will provo very successful. His Honor had some littla difficulty m following jar Travers, during tlie 'examination, of D. M. George m the Bankruptcy Court, and remarked that the man who could take the notes could also take hi 6 place on tho Bench. His Honor added that the people who ought to have the most' experience was never consulted m such matters. It was a most laborious work to take these notes, and he should feel glad if he could be relieved, but lie knew it could not be done. Mr Travers remarked that it was one of the supposed improvements which came from America. — Wellington paper. It was rumoured on Monday that the B.s. lonic had struck on a rock on her trip from Napier to Wellington. It appears that when about two miles off Cape Palliser tho vessel struck some object, supposed by those on board to have been part of some wreckage. As far as can be ascertained up to tho present, the steamship has not sustained the slightest injurj'. The diver made anexaiaination of her bottom, but owing to circumstances being unfavorable then, ho will have to make another examination. An official enquiry has been held into the alfair, the proceedings of which have not yet transpired.— Wellington paper. Mr Travers made an application on Monday on behalf of the Official Assignee, for permission to sell the book debts in the estate of D. M. George, late storekeeper, Palmerston North. Mr Hawkins, who appeared for the debtor, stated that he understood that had already been done. Mr Graham explained that he found, after selling the book debts, that he had no power to do so. Mr Travers pointed out the absurdity of the Act, which allowed the Official Assignee to dispose of book debts by public auction, but not by private contract. His Honor Judge Richmond said there were many absurdities. — Wellington paper. Another big sawmill (says the Telegraph) is about to be erected at Matamau, Mr Mortenson having leased the bush on both sides of the railway line from Matamau at Piri Piri. A gentleman who had come into Wanganui from Marton brings us the particulars of a serious fire which occurred there on Monday afternoon, resulting in the total destruction of a dwellinghouse and the outbuildings adjoining. A horse which was in the stable, and a calf, were also burnt to death before they could be removed to a place of safety. The dwelling-house was occupied by Mr Dan Thurston, and was situated just at the rear of the hotel, of which his brother is landlord. It was about half past five o'clock when the fire was discovered. Although the Fire Brigade turned out with the utmost speed, their efforts to save the building were rendered unavailing, owing to the hose getting full of gravel from the bed of the stream in which it was placed. Our informant believes the building to be uninsured. The cause of the conflagration is at present unknown, but one of the many surmises is that the children accidentally set the place on fire with a candle when in pursuit of a rat, which was supposed to be hiding m the storeroom. The buildings were of the oldest in Marton, and the additions which had been made at various times gave them a very irregular and straggling appearance. — Herald. The Marton paper states that Mr James Troy, who took an active part m stopping the train on the Wangaehu Hill, has written to Mr Bruce, M.H.R. for Marton, stating all the circumstances and asking him to bring the case before the Government, with a view to his getting some pratical acknowledgement of his services. Mr Troy undoubtedly deserves some recognition of his action in taking steps to stop the train when it was in such a dangerous predicament. Under the Local Government proposals of the Government the Wanganui district embraces Rangitikei, Manawatu, Patea, and Hawera, as well as Wan ganui. The county subsidy proposed ten shillings for every pound locally raised. Mr Moody, the evangelist, and his mother recently celebrated their birthdays on the same day, he being 48 and she being 80. The mother is a sprightly little body with sparkling eyes, who being a widow brought up her nine children through a hard struggle. Instances of a terrible hereditary disease were reported during a Sheffield mission. Mr Thomas, of the local iiospital, mentioned that children of'.ejkht years were found suffering irom delifturn tremens, and babies at the breast were ..to be. met .dying from the gin: drinkers' liver. :: i.;iSt. James' Presbyterian Church ; at' Newton, Wellington, was broke into bn Sunday morning, and the contents of tlie mission box, amounting to about i>2, was stolen. It is expected that Constable Gillespie will visit Feildiiiii to-day. His wife a,nd falnily are still residents there. A man named Carey has been committed for trial at Hawera for altering a tolegram. It appeared that he had made j arrangements with a half-caste who lived at Motueka for some apples, and later on telegraphed him, asking the prices of fruit. The half-case replied by telegram that 10s a case was the price. Some two or three weeks afterwards he was m Manaia, and called for his mon< j y, when Carey stuck out that tlie apples were only to ho 5s per case. He then produced tho telegram, which the half caste took to Mr Dawson, the postmaster, for verification. Ho stated that when tho message loft the office is read 10s, arid must have been altered. Caroy.wantad tho telegram back, but the hajk cisto refused, and look proceedino-s against him. ■.■.■■■ The London memorial " to the iat c Colonol JJurnaby is to consist .of a tablet or monument m St. Paul's Cathedral, and a new v/ing at the Soldier's Daughters' Home.

Another play upon Mr Gladstone's familiar name— the G.O.M. ltavcrse if , a.Mil you hfive M.O G., which beint inter proieil means " Murderer of Gordon."

The outward English and European mail will clo^-o on Friday next, at a quarter to eight o'clock. Repeated experiment has proved that m school-rooms lijrlil'(i by windows on both sidt-s, the children suffer more or less from injured vision, and so important has tho subject been consider^! m Guiiuany that a law husbcon passed forbidding such windows m schools. Tho will of Major-General Charles Gcorgn Gordon, C.8., of 5, RocLc.stono Plnco, ixintlih.ainptoii, who died at Klmri ton. ii, Upper E:.ypr,on Jnn.26 last, was proved m London on the 23 tilt, by h'B brother, Sir Henry William Gordon, K. C. 8., the value of the personalty being under £2,300. He bequests tho wliolo of tho property to his sister Mary A. Gordon, for her life and on hor death among his nephews and nieces. The installation of the W.M. of the Rangitikei Lodge of the Masonic fraternity took place on Friday last at Bulls. Bro. John Stevenson was installed W.M., the following being subordinant officers: — S.W., Bro. George Moore; J.W., Bro. Joseph Hammond ; S.D., Bro. Thomas Flower ; J.D., Bro W. Hayward ; secretary, Bro. C. W. McLean, P.M. ; 0.G., Bro. I. Gibbs. The appointment of I.G. was held over for the present. About 40 brethren were present. After the ceremony the brethren adjourned to Bro. Broughton's where an excellent dinner was done justice to. There are no feivor than ono hundred and tortj-six boqnesta for preaching special seiTions m the city of London clinrdii-s. Tho payments range from Gs 8d to £5, and the • v<nts to be com- • >um>or>it<.il lnr-lnrlc thrt acCCSaiotl of Qiiccn Elizabeth, tho destruction of tlie Spaniuli Armada, the death of Charles 1., the restoration of Charles 11., and the deliverance of London Bridge from fire. Tho owners of the ground upon which the hattlo of Austevlilz was fought are industriously excavating the battle fluid m consequence of a rmnciir that the French commander buried there a number of military chests containing more than £50,000. It 5s authoritatively denied that there is any t r ulh whatever m the rumour that tlie Pn-micr is about to be made Chief Justice. It is further pointed' out that there are certain difficulties m Die way of Sir James Pivtider^ast's retiring just nt present, eveu if he were desiioua of doing so. The rumour, nevertheless, continues to be poj-sistently circulated. The New Zealand Shipping Company hare receivod information that tho barque Ganges lefi Calcutta mi tho 15t!i April for Wellington and Port Chalmers ..via Fiji whore she lands a inrg<; number of coolies before coming ou to Now Zualand ports. Au application was made m the Bankruptcy Court yesterday for tho discharge »f M.yssrs Peppcril! and O'M alley, whose case will be remembered m connection with the To Aro reclamation. Mr Travers remarking on the cause of so many failures, attributed it to tho fact that the lowest tenders were generally accepted by the Government and bj public bodies, irrespective of tho estimates of their own engineers. There had only been one difficulty of that kind hi connection with ihe. Wellington-Manawaiu Railway, because the Directors refused to accept lenders m that way. His Honor Judge Richmond said it was a wrachcu, rutleii syßtam, and the Government, Corpora tiori, or company which ar.cpted tenders m that way deceived to siilEej. TheSydenham Borough Council last night passed a resolution condemning the Government proposals re local Goveriiuu'iit and ciiarital»l« :iid. The Auckland Conl Companies deny having used any endeavour to g<-t a duly imposed on local coal. Tho demand already cxcei-ds tho supply. A letter from the lion. James Williamson, who left by the Zolandia for San F,ranciseo m l>*d health, reports him much better. He goes on to London. Here is a punning messago which chess-players will appreciate. When Sir Alexander Stewart wan knighted his brother, tlie Bishop of Waiapu, telegrapped his congratulations m those words :— " Bishop salutus knight and mate.". To buyers or sellerß of property, we know no belter medium for attaining; their end than the Wellington Landud Property Guide, publishud monthly by Messrs T. Kennedy Maedonnld anded., auctioneer^ Wellington. We have before lisa copy of the June number, which contains details of a large uuinber of properties for stale throughout the colony, and also m addition a mass of information well compiled and placed m readable form, giving m a concise form a fnirly accurate idea of the position of the land market through the colony. Of the three principal informers m tho Phoenix Park trials— Carey, Joe Smith, arid Kavauagh, the carman — Carey was tnnrdered ;Smith died recently after a long illness, principally induced by the 'Ciintinual fear of b«ing assassinated i nnd Kavanagh has been driven' insane by "th« same cause. • A noble London clubman recently expelltd was indebted £2000 for 11 brandies and sodas." We learn from the Napier Telegraph that Mr Tanner has, decided not to coutest the Tauranga Beat. Mr Berry, builder, was tho successful tender- r for the erection ot the new sale rooms for" Messrs iliilcoinhe and Slierwill. Tho building is to ho completed on Sept. 9th.— Star. A gentleman was at a swell ball the other evening, and not being accustomed to tbr recent introduction of decollete dresses worn by ladies of the fashion, entered a brilliantly-lighted suite of rooms, but snddeuly stepped bad: towards the door, and m horrid tones excluimed : "My stars, I've made a mistake." "My dear Mr B— ," said the hostess, hiu-rying towards him," What is the matter? You look ill." "Oh, nothing, nothing, only [ am such a dolt ; I came very nearly entering this apartment by mistake. Please pardon me and show me the way to the ball-room." "What did yon think it was?" "The la(ii<tß'dr*Bsirig-room," murmured the astonished gentleman, mopping the perspiration from his brow. Tho following remarkable statistics appeared m the i^y(]ncy News ately : — The amonnt of cash distributed amongst the members of the Australian Mutual Provident Society last year, for tlie five years ending 1883, amounted to the enormous sum of one million and thirteen thousand, two hundred and thirty three pounds, two shillings, and ninepence ; and sonin idoa of tho magnitude of this sum may he formed from the following, thus : —If a person Bet himself the task of counting it, at the rate of .£6O per minute it would take him thirty livo days 1 hour, 10 miuutea, and 25 seconds to complete his task ; or, if tliy amount were m sovereigns, nnd they were placed m .i row, they would reach II miles and 1749 yards.