NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 74, 25 September 1880, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Explanation. — In order to work up an accumulation of standing matter we have been obliged tocurlail our local intelligence. Illicit Distillation.— An individual . rejbicing'in filio name" of Charles Eeardori, has been.arrested by Sub-Inspector Goodall for having the apparfcus for illicit distillation m)b is possession. The man, who is a bullock driver, lived m a hut close to M'Betli's Mill, on-the..River Manavatu, and a few miles from Foxton. Ho was to be brought up at the Feilding Court yesterday before Mr Ward, but" we have not heard the result. / ■ "r- ' .- The Electoral 3Rqll, —We understand that Mr. Intieß,?vrho, as ws announced a few days ago, has been appointed Subelectoral Registrar, has now received the list of toI evs for Manavatu which aye open for inspection at the Post Office. Those wt o have not- already registered can do so by applying to '-Hie Postmaster, ' and vv« would also advisa persons who have given m their names since last yeai^ to call and inspect the lisfcj to see -that they are duly entered thereon. The Daily Itfail to Foxton.— We are pleased to see that the determined nction token with regard .> to the, abolition of the daily mail from Wellington to Foxton has had some effect, and the Government have intimated that they are open to r«eeive tendera for its service. They intimate that ittf acceptance is contingent upon the reasonableness of the estimate,, but we consider this as nothing more tbana clever rvse to enab,le them to retrace their steps, with no apparent loss of dignity. Healthy Exercise.— Mr William Deards has been always indefatigable m catering for the public am uspment;, but from an announcement made elsewhere he appears to have at last hit the right mark, and m his latest provision b,as combined amusement with good healthy exerciso. Were the young men— aye, a.nd .the old men, too — of the pVesent day to 3evote their leisure hours to such, manly sports as bowls, skittles or cricket, instead of being stewed up m 'the vitiated air of billiard rooms, they would find themselves gainers m more ways than one. The Wrong Man' — Some nine months ago Mr. Carpenter, of the Bank of Australasia, Feilding, bought t» Horse from a Maori who said/ he hailed .from Olaki. The animal was afterwards claimed by My. Robert Stevens, of Bulls, as one which bad been stolen fi'omjhim about that time, and Mr. Carpenter generously but we think foolishly gave up possession. A Native bearing the name signed to the receipt, and said to hava a resemblance to the delinquent -was arrested and yesterday brought up at the Feilding Court charged with the offence. Upon being confronted, however, with the prosecutor, he turned out to be the wrong man, and of course was set at liberty It appeared that he bore such a resemblance to the real delinquent it was difficult to tell [ « t'qtb&i; from yhisk.?-

Medal of Merit.— As no doubt our Toaders are aware, Mi. Haleouibe received a medal and certificate fr jm thp Sydney 3i)xhihition for his specimens of New Ze>i land timber. The medal is of tlie ordinary kind, but tho certificate is certainly a magnificent work ofjfina arf., executed by the American Bank Note Company, Now York. At the sides are figures emblematical of the finer arts, agriculture, mining, tnunufactmre, &c, entwined with the vine on one side, and tho Waraiah and other Ntitivu flowers on the other. At the bottom is a fine group represßntirig Britannia, on the globe witli the shield and inrinoible "British Lion." Iv her left hand she hokb J:he stan.lu.rd, and puts forward Now South Wales with the right, who holds a laurel wreath and above whose head is the cousLellation of the Southern Cross. Six beautiful female figures represent the sisler Colonies, while Europe Asia, Africa, and America are represented bringing their exhibits At the foot is a neat and faithful picture of the Exhibition with scenes of Sydney m the dictance. Sneaking Thieves.--- Perhaps the theft which Uus hitherto i-anked ns the most mean and contemptible m the colonies, is ; that euphoniously flubbed " Snow-dropping," i.e., relieving the public of the necessity of stripping their clothes-lines. However, a new industry has been lately initiated m Palmer«ton, arid one of such a nature as leads t.o the supposition that the "snowdropper" has only varied his industrial proceedings. A well-known resident on Monday procured a new rope and tethered ot}t his horse ; on Tuesday morning the beast was at large, but tlis rope was not to bri found. Wednesday the tether was renewed, but the experience was the same — the animal was at large, and the rope was gone. Our informant intends to invest another two shillings m hemp, and should the thieving sneak be caught at his contemptible tricks, he may rest assured if he iocs uot test the length of the curd, ho will not escape Ihe rope's end which has been nicely knotted for the operation. Too much of one thing is goo'l for nothing, and the midnight prowler may find that m taking the howe's head out of the noose, he may thrust his own into it, and secure a piece of rope which he did not bargain for. Malicious ScriblerS.-^ln the Wellington Post of Wednesday an anonymous letter appeared making a most unjustifiable attack upon the Constable stationed at Palmerston. Tht> writer, who tried to shelter his anonymity by dating his letter from Karere, accused Constable Gillespie of being over^ officious m impounding cattle off the highway roads. The very fact of a person sending a communication out of the district, where it might be seen by those m authority, and, not. by. those who could contradict it, proves not only its, wbrthlessnsss.J •xhibits contemptible animus. That, the attaching of the place " Karere " to the letter is a mean device to throw suspicion from the scent is proved by the fact that Constable GKllcpie has never, since he came to the district, impounded a solitary hoof from that place, or within miles of it. Open charges against Government officials — whose tongues are tied against reply — is j bad enough ; but malicious and unfounded accusations under the cover of anonymity are the quintessence of meanness, and rleI serving of the utmost contempt. [Since the above was m type we have been interviewed by Mr. George Richardson, who, on the part of the Karere settlers, gives the letter m the Post a flat' contradiction, stating that if impounding were carried out m his district the settlers would be pleased rather than complain of iti]