The Daily Times. THE OLDEST MANAWATU JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1875. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31, 1884.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1385, 31 December 1884, Page 2

The Daily Times. THE OLDEST MAN A WA TU JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1875. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31, 1884.

Befobx another issue of this journal will appear the year 1884 will he numbered with the past, Jt has been a year of depression m the colony, but latterly the cloud has Bhown signs of lifting, and there are reliable indications of a more pro > sperqus year. During the coming year a large amount of money will be expended m this district on public, works, and this alone will doubtlesi exert « beneficial influence, while it will remain with the residents themselves to take steps to render the prosperity permanent. The present year has witnessed iome remarkable changes m the political world, the ring which so long misguided the ' affairs of the colony having been completely, broken up after an appeal to the country, and a renewal of con-. , fidence seems to have already taken place. Business generally is also conducted on a sounder basis, aad m various directions the colonists are exerting- themselves to astahV > l\ah local industries. In onr own district steady progress Has been made m the work of settlement, and many new businesses have also been established, men of shrewd business talent displaying a lively faith m the { future of the place. We trust the year 1885 will prove a thoroughly prosperous one for the district, and that all our readers may enjoy A Hapet New Yeab. t To-mo»bow the chief event occurring . m the Manawatu District will be the Friendly Societies' Annual Sports whish will be held m Mr Lintou's paddock at , Terrace ttnd. The site it a most con" vement one and the ground itself could not be excelled for the purpose. Last year some slight inconvenience was exI perienced from the want of shelter from the suu, but the Committee have now ' made all possible arrangements 10 suit the comfort and convenience of the public. At 110 a,m, tostnorrow all the i Societies interested wil} assemble at the ' Foresters' HaH aad, arrayed io regalia and preceded by the Band, they will m«rch m procession to the ground where : the sports will at once commence. The programme comprises twenty-one events and from a perusal of the details m another column it will be seen that the tastes of all ijave been consulted . la > the eyening a promenade ball koA con--1 cert will be held m the Foresters' Hall, , dancing at which wil} commence at 8 p.m., and during this portion of the . festivities the special prizes will be pre tented to winners.

V* The Manawatit Dahvt Timbs will not be published tomnorrow. (New Yetr's Day.) fhe members of Court Manawatu A,O,F. are especially requested to ma«t at the Foresters' Hall at 10 a.m to-morrow. We learn that the gross receipts at tbe foresters' Hall last evening m connection with tbe ifotoao of "-ParadW wei»

The regular meeting of United Manawatu Lodge, E.C., has been postponed until Fru day, 9th January. At the meeting of shareholders m the Palmerston Soap and Caudle Company held yesterday a resolution was passed recommending that steps be taken to -place the Company m liquidation. We regret to learn that the potato Prop of the district this year will prove a failure o ffhig to the continuous wet weather. la many cases settlers have replanted seed which has also rotted m the groundJust beforfi going to press to-day a very heavy thunderstorm passed over Palmerstoti. The lightning at times was vejy vivid and the peals were deafening, It is to be hoped tbe storm will have tae effect of clearing up the weather. At the time ye write the weather appears promising for the Friendly Societies Sports. It is suggested thai" this m consequence of the CommiMoe having Lent a complimentary ticket to Captain Edwin, as has been done. It is pleasing to record the gratitude ef the gallant Captain. The Australian Blond m is announced to give an exhibition of his skill on the high wire and trapeze to-morrow evening near iliVCOflrmOTcial-lEotel. Judging from the press notices he has been very successfully performing m Auckland and elsewhere recently and has introducd a number of new and still more daring feats into his performance since his last appearance here. He will doubtless be liberally patronised by the public of Palmerston* J The Manawatu Herald records the death of the respected wife of the Rev J. Duncan, which occurred yesterday morning at Fox» ton. The deceased lad/, who had attained the great age of 81 years, was greatly esteemed and respected, and m the early days of the settlement had taken an active interest m her husband's missionary •work. The publication of our Sheet Almanac for 1885 has been unavoidably delayed,' Mr J. F. Leary, to whom the printing has been entrusted, haying been unable to compete it m time for issue tObday. It will, however, be issued with the TnriS of Friday next. The delay has been partly caused by the large" quantity of information which has been gathered together for it, and we Ten* ture to say that the Almanac will be deemed worthy of preservation by settlers m this district during the coming year. The Observer states that some gentlemen travelling by train from Masteiton to Carterton, on Christmas morning m a secondclass railway carriage, was somewhat as« tonished at sniffing flra. A ipark from one of the engines had alighted on a lady's dress, which caused it to smoulder.' The fire had hardly been extinguished before a second spark alighted on the same lady. She •was atonce warned, but the lady being rather obese it was some time beioro her fellow passengers were able to pat out the fire. The lady threatens to take an action against the Government for damage done to her dress. It is notified (says the Oamaru Mail), that the Qeen has been pleased to confer upon the members of the late Atkinson Ministry the title of " honorable. 1 ' This reminds us of a little bit of repa< tee we hare read of somewhere. A lawyer who was being somewhat bantered, burst nppn his tormentors, "Do you not know, gentlemen, that I am a barrister, and that all barristers are by Act of Parliament gentlemen ?" To. this the rejoinder of one of the party was, " Well, it tcok the House of Lords, the House of Commons, an Act of Parliament, and the Queens assent to make you a gentleman." So with the late Atkinson Minis! ry, it has taken the authority of Her Majesty the Queen to entitle them to the designation of "honorable." — Tbcgs ia aome -danger—fctniit ~ the prima donnas of the world will before long be compelled to enter into competition with a number of pigmy rivals, introduced into the musical world by an enterprising Italian, who has succeeded m training a large number of parrots as opera singers. These gay singers have the other day made their debut at Lima, Peru, the programme being a fragment from the well-known opera "JXforma," with solos, chorus, and the accompaniment of an harmonium. The success is said to have been complete tip to the cavatina, " Chaste goddess'" at which the hilarity of the public became bo boisterous that the performers lost all self" control, and ehriekingly left the Btage, not to appear again that day. The following advertisement appears m a contemporary: — { * Wanted by a young lady, aged. ninpteen, of pleating countenance, good figure, agreeable, manners, general information, and . various accomplishments, haa studied .everything from the creation to the crochet, a situation m the family of a gentleman. . She , will take the he- d of his table, manage his household, ecold his servant (if he has got any), nurse his babies (when they arrive), check his tradesmen's bills, accompany him to the opera or m walking or riding, cut the leaves of: bis new books, sew on buttons, warm his slippers, and generally make his miserable life happy. Apply m the first place to Sarah Jones, Taranaki, and after* wards to her papa, upon the premises, tf ,B. The wedding finger is size No 4 (small), No Irish need apply." - Sheekau, the alleged perpetrator of the Casljetown Roche murders is at present iv custody under the Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881, a statute which only came into force m this colony on the 81st of October last. The accused entered the Auckland dock on the 23rd instant with a quick firm step, and during the proceedings stood calm and un* moved throughout. The only emotion per« ceptible was a twitching of the fingers as he stood with his hands crossed over the dock rail. Mr W. J. Napier, who had been transacting his legal business m connection with the purchase of the farm at Waitakerei, appeared to defend the accused, and at the conclusion of Mr Thompson's address made an application that his client might be admitted to bail during the remand, but as Mr Thompson opposed, the request was refused, and the accused now stands remanded till to«day the 31st instant. Prisoner's wife was present m the court. We won't vouch for the truth pi the followiug nnecdotß7^alehbiigh_we Hifai'd it from first-class authority. But -" such as it is, this is it : — One of the present members of the Lower House is a broad gentleman with a thick beard and a peculiar mark over one eye. If we mistake not he was a Mrciss ter of the Crown at one time, and came very prominently before the public m connection with mining leases. He had been paving attention to a yquug lady for a long time, and had taken her to attend the House until she was well posted m the rules. On the last day of the session, as they came out, he bought her a bouquet of flowers, and said to her, •' May I offer you my handful of flowers ?" She replied promptly, ♦' I move to amend by omitting all the woids after the word hand, 1 ' He blushingly accepted the amendment, and they adopted it unanimously and formed a committee of two with power to increase the number. — Telegraph. Since the I.eichstag election m Germany, says a Home paper, it has been ascertained that no less than 650,000 ballots were cast for Socialist candidates. This remarkably large vote for a party which is not only m opposition, but which ha,s hitherto been supposed to number only a handful of malicious malcontents m each town, has set the Government to thinking, The Imperial Chancellery, soon after the election, ordered a close analysis of the rot©; with a. view of learning the character of the large number of electors who evidently voted with, the Socialists this year foy the first time. The resiilt of the inquiry is said by the Govern* ment officials to show that the bulk of the new recruits to Socialism are moderate men, who will be satisfied with the redress of the crying evils which hare resulted from a too Z'.-alous execution of repressive laws. The opening of the new Reichstag is eagerly awaited,, There is great curiosity and no little anxiety as to theeffectof the large leaven of Socialism m that body, which, at best, has not been always tractable. Bismarck hopes to bu able to iiullify the success of the Socialists by preventing unity of action on the part of their deputies. %t is said a split is already menaced ajmong the Socialists, and that many ar». willing to support the Government m return for some moderate concessions which the Government isjwillitig to make. Tenders are invited by Mr W. Ai.d rs.on for lease of £5 acres afc Jforanythorpe for ft

Notice is given of the adjudication as bankrupts of J. T. Davis and the firm of Poad and Brazier. • C. M. Ross & Co, of the Bon Marche, announce m another column a list of special quotations to rale m all departments during the present Holiday Season, which we commend to the careful perusal of your Readers they also avise the prnval of some choice nio nacs suitable for -'Christmas presents and new years gifts to be sold very chpap. —C. M. Sobs * Co. The Bon Mavche.