The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1927, 24 August 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1888. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

* The annual session of the Diocesan Synod opens on Tuesday next m Ohristohuroh. The Government of Servia imposes an import tax on bustles. There are nearly three hundred thousand Chinamen m the United States. The first notice of aurora borealiß m England was on Maroh 7th, 1716. Queen Margaret College, Glasgow, is the only woman'B college m Scotland. The oldest titled person m England is Viscount Everly, aged ninety years. Chinese nightingales are the fashionable drawing-room bird on the Continent now. Should the weather be fine to-morrow a football practice will take plaoe on the Domain. Lord and Lady Churchill who have been Bpendmg a short time m Chrißtohurch, left on Thursday for London m tho Coptic We have to acknowledge, with thanks, tho reoeipt of parts 1 and 2 of the statistioa for 1887 from the Kegiatrar-General. Honorifioabilitudinity, meaning honourableness, is given by Bailey m his dictionary as the longest word m the English language. It is used by Shakespeare. The parliamentary correspondent of the " Dunedin Evening Star " was most aoourate m bis estimate of the majority whioh would be against the 'Frisoo Mail Bervices. The division list shows he " pricked the card " to a man. The father of the Hon John Bryoe died at Palmerston North the other day, at the ripe age ol 88. Deceased m the early days of Wellington was m business as a oabinetmaker at the Hutt. The Crioket Club is now m a good finanoial position, and donations of a substantial nature have been received by the Treasurer. The pitoh m the Domain is being attended to, and there is a prospeot that it will be oon. siderably enlarged. Sootohmen, on an average, are found to have the greatest weight of brains, being credited with 50 ounceß. Germans come next with 496, and Englishmen 495, Frenohmen, Zulus, Chinese, Pawness, Hindoos, Gipsieß, Brahmen, and Esquimaux run down the soale m the order given. In the United Kingdom it is said that the sum of £10,040,000 is annually received and expended on charity. The reoeipts are by subscriptions £6,600,000, bequests £65,000, English endowments £2,520,000, Irish endowments £270,000, the expenditure on charity schools £4,200,000, asyluma and homes £2,600,000, Bible Booieties, eto £2,040,000, hospitals £1,200,000. The cxl penditure upon charity m London alone is £4,121,000. Says the Parliamentary correspondent of the " Daily Timeß ": —The question of the appointment of railway commissioners is again coming to the fore now that the session is coming to a olose. The many friends of the Hon. Edward Biohardson are doing their utmost to have that gentleman appointed, if not chief commissioner, at least one of the board. Some of the Canterbury members hold aloof from pressing the matter, but the majority of them Btrongly favour the appointment. Mr Seddon and the West Coast members are also pressing Mr Richardson's claim. The Premier has a personal friendship for Mr Biohardson, and would gladly appoint him to the board if he were sure that publio opinion would not be antagonists to the movement. Some ol the other ministers are opposed to the appointment. I believe from conversations I have had with a number of members of both Chambers, that if Mr Biohardson was given a seat on the proposed board it would be well received by a majority of the members of the Legislature, Mr Labouchere writing m '• Truth " of Sir Algernon Borthwiok'B new Libel Law Amendment Bill, whioh has since passed through the House of Commons, Bays : — " Ab the Bill now stands, it will be impossible for the pettifogging solioitor to successfully bug a soore of newspapers m respect ol the same libel, as has been done m the paßt ; and m one or two other mattera of detail the press will be able to work on a fair basis. But the Bill does not go far enough, and I can only accept it as a step m the right direotion. The thousands of pounds of wbioh I have been robbad by pennilesß Bwindlers who have proceeded against me, and who, when worsted, have proved to be men of straw, unable to pay my ooßts, show plainly enough that the press needs to be protected from the vexatiouß attaoks of rasoals ; and, until it is so, it will be absurd to call the libel law anything but grossly unfair. Thiß is not a question of justice to joumalistß, but of justioe to the public; for while the former have to write with a sword hanging over their heads, m the shape of heavy and undeserved loss, the public will suffer from roguery whioh most editors will fear to expose."

The Rev J. N. Buttle leotures this evening on the Maori race. In Napier the Wesleyan Literary Sooiety are disousaing " Man as a Husband." In conjunction with this subject that of "Woman as a Cook '' is of great importance, and should be dealt with at the same time. —" Wanganui Herald." We understand that Mr Elaton oontemplates re-opening the skating rink here, about tho beginning of next month. Mr Elaton is Bparing neither trouble nor expense m perfecting arrangements for tho oonvenienoe of his patrons. Mr W. Waterston, of the Bank of New Zealand, Rangiora, died rather Buddenly on Thursday. He leaves a wife and a family of eight ohildren. Mr Waterston was just making arrangements to leave for Sydney to take charge of a bank there. The Ashburton Guards will hold a sooial gathering m the Oddfellows' Hall this evening. A more than usually interesting progiamme has been prepared, bo that doubtless the attendance will bo quite np to the promoters' anticipations. Among other items will be exhibitions of oavalry sword exeroise, single-stick eieroiee, and a performance on the Boman rings by Roselle Bros. The s.s. Coptic left Lyttelton yesterday for London direot, oarrying 10,688 letters, 1045 books, 10,045 newspapers, and 234 registered letters, m addition to a cargo of 25,500 oaroaßes of mutton, and a general oargo of wool, tallow, eto. The Coptio is the first steamer to leave with a mail under the new arrangements with the Government, and she left drawing a larger amount of water than any vessel moored at Lyttelton, Last evening the Ashburton Musical and Literary Sooiety discussed Diokens' writings, Messrs Keir, Arthur, Steele, A. Orr, Swanson, Barrett, Reid, and others taking part. Several ladies also gave brief expression to their views. The Bey Mr Beattie, who presided, also gave his views on the subject of Diokena' works m general, and spoke on the view taken of them by Mr Christie, the essayist of the previous evening. Those who favored the essayist's views proved to be m the majority when the vote was taken, though Messrs Kair and Arthur and Miss Stewart spoke strongly against the paper. There was a good attendance at the Templar Hall last night, on the occasion of the Dissolving View Entertainment, whioh was given by Mr Price, of Mount Somera, under the auspices of the Good Templar Lodges. The subject chosen was the "Evils of the liquor traffic." The views were exoellent, and Mr Price's explanatory remarks luoid and to the point. The entertainment was of a most Buooessful character, and doubtless the local lodges will see their way to undertake others of a similar nature. Mr W. H. Warren read Charles Diokens' " Christmas Carol " to a large and appreoiative audienoe m St. Stephen's Schoolroom yesterday evening. The readings were oharaoterised by good elooution, olear enunoiation, and a thorough grasp of the writer's spirit. Mr Warren will be at Tinwald this evening, and we can promise the townspeople there a very great elocutionary treat. The proceeds of the entertainment yesterday evening were devoted to the Sunday Sohool Funds, and Mr Warren was warmly thanked for giving such an admirable reading for so good a cause. Mr D. H. Brown, m moving a vote of thanks to the reader, spoke of the pleasure it had given him to listen to the reading of the carol. It brought back to his mind an oooasion when be bad heard the great novelist himself read the same pieoe. After acknowledging the vote, Mr Warren moved the same compliment to the Chairman—the Bey E. A. Soott —and the meeting closed. A meeting of the Ashburton Fire Brigade was held last evening. There was a good attendance of members, Captain Soott presiding. The Mayor was also present by invitation. A sooial gathering m conneotion with the Brigade was fixed for September 12th, at-d a Committee was deputed to make the neoessary arrangements. The ohief object of i the meeting was, however, the presentation to Lieutenant Dolman of a silver butter-dish and bieouit-jar as a token of the esteem and respect of his fellow members and their recognition of the interest he had long displayed m Fire Brigade matters. The mayor, who made the presentation, spoke m high , terms of Lieutenant Dolman's worth as a oitizen, and as a member of the Brigade, He referred at length to the interest Lieutenant Dolman had always taken m the Brigade, and whioh had prompted him to publish a book, the merit of whioh was so great that not only had it been adopted by other brigades m this oolony, but had also found its way to Australia. Lieutenant Dolman returned thanks for the presentation m suitable terms, and the meeting dosed. The matter of attending firesl that may ooour m the Hampstead distriot was brought up at the meeting of the Fire Brigade last night. No official intimation had been received by the Brigade, members of whioh only knew of the turn affairs had taken between the Counoil and the Town Board, by what had appeared m the press. The Mayor, who was present, explained that if no notification had been forwarded it was entirely an oversight, and the Brigade determined that they would not m future go to fires at Hampstead till some satisfactory arrangements as to expenses had been oome to. It was, however, taoitly agreed that should any ol the residents guarantee the expenses of the Brigade at a fire, members would turn out. A correspondent writes: The concert and ball m aid of the Prize Fund of the Wakanui Distriot Sohoola was held on Friday, the 17th mat, m the Main Sohool. Notwithstanding the inolemency of the weather it was an immense success, financially and otherwise. The following ladies and gentlemen gave their valuable eervioes at the oonoerJ:—Mesdamea Crisp, Williams, Claridge and Miss Permain. Messrs Kneen, Williams, Stevenson, Sims, Simpson, Brooking, English, Jamieaon, Gates and Grubb. Mr and Miss Simmonds and Mr Johnstone, contributed violin solos. An instrumental seleotion by Messrs Lambie, Johnstone, Jamieson and Simmonds completed a moßk exoellent programme. The accompany. ißts were Mrß Claridge and Mr Kneen. Every item was well-rendered and equally well received by an appreciative audienoe. The room was speedily cleared for danoing, whioh was carried on with great spirit until 5 a.m., excellent music being discoursed by Mrs Claridge and Miss M. Jamieson, piano, and Messrs Lambie, Jamieson, Johnston and Soott, violins. Messrs Clark and Cox officiated as M.C.'b. Refreshments of a substantial and varied nature were liberally provided by ladies of the district. The reoeipts were £16 2s, expenses £2 11s Gd, leaving a balanoe of £13 10s 6d. [This aooount seems to have been delayed m transmission.]