The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 17.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 191, 17 May 1878, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 17.

A tea meeting and entertainment, to celebrate the anniversary of the Second to None Lodge, 1.0. G.T., Pigeon Bay, took place in the schoolroom of that place on Tuesday evening last, and proved a great success. Over 120 persons sat down to tea, including a good sprinkling of visitors from Akaroa, and the other bays around the Peninsula. After ample justice had been done to the good things provided ) and the tables cleared the entertainment commenced. Bro. M'Kay occupied the chair, and the programme, which proved to be a good one, was gone through as follows :—Opening address, Bro. Harlock ' song, " Scotland the brave," Bro. Nixon' song, " Arab steed," Mr Thompson ; who being encored, gave " Old England," reading, " Ickleton fair," Bro, Smith ; song, " Belle Mahone," Miss E. Pitcaithley ; reading, " Ask Mama," Bro. Bruce ; trio and chorus, " The owl," Messrs Scott, Innes, Barclay, Hay, and Thompson; recitation! "What is noble," Bro. Newton ; song, " When the swallows homeward fly," Miss C. Pettigrew; reading from Charles Dickens, Bro. H. Watkins; song, " The way my father raised me," Bro. Lyons ; recitation, " Magna Charta," Bro. Morgan ; song, " Barrin' o' the door," Bro. Barclay ; reading, " The old story," Bro. Harlock ; song, "Thy voice is near," Miss M'Kay ; reading, " The college poiter," Bro* Kearney ; glee." See our oars," the choir . reading, " Loss of a frigate," Bro. G. Armstrong; recitation, Bro. Fyfe ; song, "The bonnie wee window," in capital style. and eliciting thunders of appluse, Bro. Nixon; an encore being vociferously demanded, he next gave the song " Beloved eye;" song, " The cradle of the deep," Mr Thompson; "National Anthem," Miss Paterson presided at the harmonium. At the conclusion of the entertainment, at the instance of the Chairman, votes of thanks were unanimously accorded to the ladies who had provided the tables; to Miss, Paterson, who had so ably presided at the harmonium ; to the visiting brethren and friends for their attendance ; and also to the brethren and friends who had assisted in any capacity. Of the entertainment itself, it may be said that the programme was very successfully carried through, special mention being made of the contributions by tlie Misses M'Kay, Pitcaithley, and Pettigrew, likewise those of Mr Thompson and Bro. J. Nixon, who seems to have brought down the house by his serio-comic song "The bonnie wee window." Too much credit cannot be accorded to the good folks at Pigeon Bay for the reception given to the visitors, as they all aver that they have not spent a more enjoyable evening for a long time past. After the close of the proceedings, an impromptu dance was arranged. A fresh committee was formed, and a most enjoyable night's amusement was the result, the company separating about three o'clock in the morning. ' Of course the dance was not part of the entertainment as provided by the Lodge, but given an assemblage of young people of both sexes, with music available and a dance is not an unlikely outcome.

The new Oddfellows' Hall had a narrow escape from destruction on Wednesday night or Thursday morning last. Owing to the absence of the necessary timber, the contractor has been unable to close in tbe front of tbe building, while the weatherboarding of the side has been completed. The consequence has been that, when subjected to the severe strain caused by the violent south-west gale which commenced blowing on Wednesday night, the building, in the absence of the bracing which the front would have supplied, was very nearly blown over. As it is, it was blown about nine inches out of the perpendicular, and some of the weatherboarding' injured. The damage done, however, can be easily rectified though it will entail rather a serious loss on the contractor. A case of some interest as touching upon the duties and privileges of police constables-, has come before the Resident Magistrate's Court in Christchurch. A man named Badham was brought up on Tuesday last, charged with cutting and woundeirig Sergeant Hughes. For the defence it was contended that the Sergeant, having forced his way into the house of the accused without a warrant, must be regarded as a common trespasser, and that under the circumstances the resistance offered to him was perfectly justifiable, Mr Thomas, who.appeared for tbe defence, cited recent English cases, bearing out his

contention,- and the Magistrate remanded the accused till Friday.

The nomination for the vacant seat in the Borough Council took place on Wednesday last at the Council.Offices. There being no other candidate, Mr C. W. Bridge was declared duly elected, and was accordingly sworn in before His Worship the Mayor. No excitement of any kind marked the proceedings, the Returning Officer's mellifluous voice alone breaking tbe stillness of the atmosphere.

We have received two periodical publications devoted to information connected with agricultural, pastoral, and horticultural pursuits, entitled respectively " Castner's Monthly and Rural Australian," and "The New Zealand Country Journal." The first is a monthly, published in Sydney, while the latter has its local habitation in Christchurch, and is published every second month. Besides elaborate instructions relating to the farm and garden, the Sydney magazine contains some very readable and entertaining articles, and a continued story, apparently of a melodramatic type, entitled "The Hidden Chamber.' The "Town and Country Journal" contains less light reading, but has some most valuable articles, including besides what we may call technical information, articles on " Botany by the Wayside " " Reclamation of lands," "A Holiday Tour," a very interesting paper on the white heron, Ardea alba, known by many as the white crane, &c, &c. Altogether we think the Journal in question well worthy the attention of the numerous and important class to whose interests it is d.voted.

We observe that the Borough Council have instructed Mr Nalder to appear on behalf of the men wdio have been summoned by Mr Aylmer, as harbormaster, for removing shingle from the beach. Is is stated that the men were acting under instructions from the Works Committee. The cases will be heard next Tuesday. Unusual interest was displayed in the proceedings of the Borough Council on Wednesday evening. A large number of burgesses attended the meeting of that body, chairs were at a premium, and every available inch of standing room was occupied. The piece de resistance was expected to have been the now celebrated " want ot confidence " motion, with Cr Meech in the title role, and characters by the company. As will be seen by our report, however, the performance did not come off as expected, and an olla podrida entertainment was substituted. The crowded state of the room, together with the warmth of language indulged in, rendered the temperature somewhat tropical, and one impression produced on the visitors was that times had greatly changed since Solomon wrote "In the multitude of Counsellors there is wisdom.'' This journal has been accused of misrepresenting the proceedings of the Council unfavorably for them. If anything were wanting to refute such an accusation iii the eyes of the public, the presence of some of the ratepayers at Wednesday evening's meeting must have had the effect of doing so.

It is reported that a dismasted vessel is lying at anchor just inside the Heads, so close in shore as to be among the breakers, and that when first seen this morning the seas were breaking clean over her. As yet nothing reliable has been ascertained as to her identity, but it is feared that she must be the XXX which left Lyttelton on the 14th inst. for this port.

We are informed that during the gale on Wednesday night Mr T. S. Baker had a chimney blown down at his residenceFrench Farm, the same fate also happened to one of the chimnies belonging to the school in the same bay. Altogether the gale seems to have been generally severe on the Peninsula.

By the Registration of Electors Act 1875, the Clerks to Road Boards and Municipalities have the duty imposed on them of furnishing lists of ratepayers to the Registration Officers, for inscription on the Electoral Roll for the General Assembly. By an advertisement which appears elsewhere, it would appear that this duty has been very imperfectly performed on the Peninsula, The only listfurnished, which appears to have been satisfactory, is that from the Borough of. Akaroa. Those received from the Clerks of the various Road Boards are all objected to by the Registration Officer. We are afraid that this will result in the disfranchisement of many who h.ive been under the impression that, having paid rates, they were ipso facto electors.

From the Gazette of May Bth we learn that Mr J. OHivier has been appointed Auditor of the accounts of the Counties of Akaroa and Ashburton. The Rev. W. Habens and Mr J. Hislop have been appointed members of the Civil Service Examination Board. The Hon. W. H. Reynolds is summoned to the Legislative Council, and the appointment of Major Heaph}*, V. C. as Government Insurance Commissioner is notified.