The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 356, 16 December 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16.

A meeting of the Akaroa Regatta Committee web held at Bruce's Hotel last evening. Present—G. H. Wright- (chairman), Messrs Armstrong,. BJack, Kissel, Beecher, Sadler, Scott, and Tosswill. Mr W. B. Tosswill accepted the commodoreship; Mr Fenton was appointed starter; Mr J. Aylmer, judge, and Mr G. La Coste jdihekeepeiC J The foljbwirig efttries were/ received fW the* several events:—Model Yacht Race, 10; Boys' Sailing do, 4 ; Boys' Piilliug do, 5 ;'" Dingey Sailing do, 4; Wbaleboat do, 2 ; Men's Pair Oared do, 3; Single Sculling do, 2. It is to be hoped that the weather will improve, when we may expect a large number of -visitors. It has been decided to postpone the shore sports to January 1, owing to the recent rains.

The Akaroa Borough Council held a meeting last evening. A report of the proceedings will appear in our next.

On Friday evening, in the House of Representatives, the Premier read the following cablegram just received from London :

"Premier, New Zealand.—Loan subscribed more than twice over. List closed. We congratulate you. Until we found it imperatively necessary, we delayed giving a guarantee not to bring any loans on the market for three years.—Loan Agents, London, Dec; 11."

On Friday evening last Miss Connell invited her friends to a piano recital, the performers being her pupils, and her friends proved to be numerous enough to fill the Town Hall. The. result must have been equally satisfactory to Miss Connell and to those who have placed their children under her instruction. As the audience attended by invitation, and as all the performers were pupils, and therefore in different stages of proficiency, it would be ungracious to single out any particular names for approval; indeed all showed marks of careful training, and deserved praise. But it may.be said that two or three promise to develop into really good players. They not only have a good taste and good execution, but also show an appreciation for music which is somewhat rare. This is in a measure the result of a natural gift, still, the teacher's power is shown in the cultivation of that gift. We have to thank Miss Connell for a very pleasant evening, and to congratulate her on the proficiency shown by her pupils.

• The Supreme Court has been holding criminal sittings at Timaru during last week. There were the usual cases of forgery and uttering valueless cheques, which form such a staple feature at these performances. Besides these, however, the charge of forging a conveyance of certain land was gone into. This case has already been referred to in these columns. Edward James was charged with forging the name of a certain other Edward James to a deed for the conveyance of 100 acres of land in the Timaru district. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labor. Harry David Manning and Albert Godfrey Saunders were charged with aiding and abetting the commission of the above forgery. A technical objection raised by their counsel was sustained by His Honor, and they were acquitted. .

The new Tariff Bill passed the house on Friday night, when the following changes were made in duties fixed by the resolution of the 18th ult.:—Fruits (fresh)—To be free. Salt—Free.; Patent and Proprietary Medicines (Drugs)—ls per cent. Australian Wine—4s per gal. Candles, other than tallow, l£d per lb. The duties take effect on and after the 13th. Refunds are not to be made until Tariff Bill becomes law.

We are indebted to the courtesy of the local agents for a copy of the " Southern Provinces Almanac " for 1880. The title page states the present to be its twentyseventh year of publication. It certainly does not fall off in interest or value, as we consider the present issue to be superior in many respects to any that have preceded it. In addition to the information strictly belonging to an almanac or calendar, the little volume contains a vast mass of handy items arranged in such a manner as to be easily available when required. The directory, both official and local, is singularly complete, there being complete lists of all public bodies throughout Canterbury, with the names of their officers. Besides this, we have, full instructions as to rates of every description, from Probate and succession duties to cab and railway fares. A special feature in this department is that the new tariff as altered by resolution of the House on Nov. 18, is given in full. We had almost forgotten to mention that each copy is accompanied by a curiosity in the shape of a facsimile of the first issue of the Lyttelton Times, dated January 11, 1851, or very shortly after the arrival of the " first four ships." This highly interesting souvenir, is alone worth the price charged for the whole publication. Space' will not permit us to give some description of it at present, but on a future occasion we hope to be able to devote a few lines to a notice of this infant member of the fourth estate, which has since assumed such large proportions. The almanac is published at the office of the Lyttelton Times, and may be ebtained of their local agents, Messrs Garwood and Co.

The following team of Cricketers has I been chosen to play against the Christ-] church team of " Wanderers," at French Farm, on Thursday, the ISth inst:-/* Messrs T. S. Baker, C. Barker, C. 11. A. Knight, ! '\ j S.'Latter, \J, Reynolds,! F. SnoW, and W. B. Tosswill. Emergency —E. Knigbt.' Players to'be on the ground at 10 a.m. sharp. ■ j The Raphael Star Troupe*- of and acrobats announce their intention of giving a performance this evening at the. Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa.

By adyertiement e|sewa*re^;i|willjbeseen.' that the Union S. S. Company 6'ffer especial inducements to tourists at this season. From now till the end of January return tickets will be procurable at' 4 reduction of; thirty per cent off the double fare.. The return fares to and from Lyttelton Dunedin are quoted in the advertisment.