Local and General.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 506, 20 May 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

Garraud, the ngitator, has broken out again in Auckland, and is lecturing on tho influx of Chinese, and other labor questions. The Premier announces bis intention; to address his constituents at Leeston on Thursday, May 26. Mr E. G. Wright, member for Coleridge, will address the electors of Asbburton on Monday. A Wellington contemporary thus decribes the winding up of a bankrupt estate in the Empire City : -A first and final dividend of 2£d in the £ has been declared in the estate of N. J. Isaacs, formerly an auctioneer, of this city. One creditor, to whom an account of £25 16s G.\ was owing by the debtor, was to-day the fortunate recipient of 5s 4d in liquidation of his account. The inquiry into the loss of the Tararua was resumed on Tuesday at Dtinedin, when a largo amount of evidence was taken. Considerable discussion ensued between Mr Smith, counsel for tho mates, and Mr Simpson, R.M., as to whether tho mates were charged with the loss of the Tararua by any wrongful act or defau/t on their part. The Court eventually undertook the responsibility of so charging them, though not in a formal manner, and, on the application of Mr Smith, the Court adjourned till Thursday, to afford him time to work up his defence.

Says the '' Orphan " in the Telegraph :— A tremendous swell, said to belong to the Customs at Lyttelton, went into the Telegraph office for a copy of the paper containing a sensational account of the recent Customs seizure. He obtained a paper, dived into his pocket and produced a threepenny bit in payment. On second thonghts, however, and being averse to soiling his hands with twopence change, ho put the threepenny bit back in bis pocket, saying—" Oh !ah ! this is the only change, you know, I have. I will call and bring the penny another time. Good evening." The poor fellow was thirsty, and he wanted half a pint at the Mitre. I saw him go and get it, but he stuck it.up, and he has got that threepenny bit still. Lucky man!

Our Pigeon Bay correspondent writes : —Owing to the inclemency of the weather on the evening of Friday last, 13th inst., the annual soiree of the Good Templars' Lodge of Pigeon Bay was postponed till Monday, when it was held in a large building, kindly granted by the Messrs Hay Bros., of Annandale, for the occasion. The night being fine there was a good gatheiing. The room was decorated with flowers, banners, and mottoes. The five well furnished tables wer-j presided over by ten young ladies, possessed of all the charms and graces so well fitted to set off such enteicainments, and of engendering thoughts of the Benedictine's blies. After the singing of grace by the audience, the eatables had ample justice done to them. When the tables were cleared and removed, the intellectual part of'the'programme opened and consisted, of roadings,, recitations, songs, etc., to the extent of over tsventy. The list is too long for remarks on the individual pieces, and it would be invidious to single out somo and more especially when all seemed to be generally appreciated. 1 trust the company enjoyed themselves, which I believe they did, and they may have many returns of such social reunions. After votes of thanks to Mr Hay, the ladies presiding at the tables, and the Chairman, the audience sung the National Anthem. This terminated the soireeUnder the management of another committee, a ball was held at its close. " When youth and pleasure meet to chase the hours with glowing feet." Old Father Time himself appears to get " mettle into his heels," to cause "tick, took," to go unheeded. I cannot say for certain how long the fun continued, but I believe the greater part were homo in time for breakfast.

A CASii of considerable interest was heard at the Christchurch Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday last. Mr C. Pharazyu sued Mr Binney, the proprietor or! Cobb's couch running from Springfield to Hokitika, for the sum of £20, as damages for not having had the use of box seats on Ihe coach when he had specially engaged them. It appeared that Mr C. Phfirazyn wished to take a pleasure trip to tho West Coast and back. When booking at the Christchurch office, he received two 'eturn tickets marked "box seats." On arriving at Springfield he found that an invalid lady had already obtained one of the seats oil the box, and he accordingly elected to travel inside the coach to Hokitika, on the undorstaniing that he was to have the box seals on his return. When coming back, however, he found that tho bos seals had boen already secured by someone else, and ho was compelled to again travel in tho inside. The Bench were of opinion that Mr Pharazyn could not claim any damages on account o£ his journey to Hokitika, as lie had voluntarily resigned his claim to the box seats. As, however, ho had been compelled to travel inside the coach on his return, and did not on that occasion relinquish his right to the box scats, he was entitled to some compansiation. Judgment was accordingly given for the plain till; for Sli> and cost* and • solicitor's fees.

The member for the district, Mr W. Montgomery, announces his intention to address the electors on Monday, the 30th inst., at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa. After this, Mr Montgomery will hold meetings in various parts of the Peninsula.

As far as can be ascertained from the returns that have come to hand from time to time, the total population of the' Province is now about llljOOO. This is an increase of some 19,000. The total population of the Colony is given at 489.561, an increase of 75,000.

PIGS appear to flourish in Wellington, to judge by'the following paragraph which appears in the Evening Post: —"Mr. E« Rose, of the Lower Hurt, has delivered to Mr M'Keever, of Manners street, four pigs representing in tho aggregate over a ton of pork. ,

On Monday evening nest the Rev. Mr Williams, of Chiistchurch, will deliver a lecture at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaroa, on the suggestive theme of " Westminster Abbey." We understand that the-Rev. gentleman has delivered the same lecture with great satisfaction to large audiences in Christchurch and elsewhere.

A special statutory meeting of the Akaroa Borough Council is convened by the Mayor for the evening of Wednesday next at 7 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to hear and determine claims and objections to the Burgess lisjof the Borough ; afterwards the ordinary meeting will,be held, at which the lamp question will again come up for discussion.

An amateur performance will be given on Tuesday evening next, at the Oddfellows' Hall, Akaron. The entertainment will consist of vocal and instrumental music, solos and duets, and will conclude with an extremely farcical farce. The object is to raise funds for the sports to be held in. Akaroa in honor of the Queen's Birthday. Considering the object for which the entertainment is got up, the fact that it is to take place on a holiday, and tbe known excellence of many of those who will assist, we hope to see a bumper house. Wo may mention that, in addition to several old-established favorites, some ladies and gentlemen will make their first bow to any audience on the occasion referred to.

The Sydney correspondent of the N.Z t Timas writes :—We are threatened with an alarming influx of Chinese. the last week 1200 havo. landed here, and 700 more are expected in a day or two. A considerable number of these are destined for New Zso'and and Victoria, but if the influx continues at this rate it is qnii'e clear that something will have <o be done. In connection with the Chinese immigration a very amusing incident occurred in ono of our suburbs a few months ago. About the time I speak there was a great agitation on the Chinese sca'-e, and a worthy liishman, the Mayor of one of our suburbs, was a prominent opponent <o the introduction of Chinese. Owing to his official position, he was asked to take the chair at a conceit in his borough, and in that position anonnced to the audience eacli item on the programme. One item was the song " Alas those Chimes," and when this had been reached, the worth}' Mayor, under the disadvantages of a somewhat dim light and not a less dim education, struggled with the title a few seconds, and then announced that the next song was " Blast those Chinese."

Concerning the latter days of the great Victorian Exhibition, a Melbourne corrop. pondent writes as follows:—There is no disputing the fact that Victoria's temple of science and art has degenerated into an

auction mart—a mock auction room we may almost call it—a bazaar, a public house, a cheap restaurant, a huge store for notions. You can there obtain almost anything you want, from a steam engine, a valuable oil t painting, a suite of drawingroom urniture, a rock-borer, or a real Turkey carpet, to a box of pills, a pair of slip pers, a knifa oleaner, a crying doll, or a corkt screw. Instead of that decorum which hahitherto characterised the genteel classes, they too seem to be affected by the vulgar surroundings. The stately walk has almost disappeared, and chairs opposite the piano stands are no longer in constant request. A spirit of unrest appears to have settled on all, such as comes over mosr people who are going to move to another honso. I have hinted what might be the result should one of the extravagant amusements of our ancestors be revived. 1 think there is very little danger of that however. The Jews and Philistines seized on our Exhibition for a spoil and a prey ; and they have stuck to it ever since. Depend upon it they ,vill stick to it so long as there are any pickings left. One thing can be said for them. They never allow the grass to grow under their feet. Before they have finished with one carcase they are after another. The Exhibition has been fur them such a grand stove house of plunder that they arc setting their wits to work to gut up another show To their credit be it said they are not very particular what, and the only question at issue with them is—"Which can we turn to the best account for ourselves." Now, as Carl ton Gardens are the property o£ the people, a gift from the Crown for a resorve and a recreation ground, these onsidioUg attempts of the Israelites and the Philistines to spoil us Egyptians, should be put down with a strong - hand at once and for ever.

We have to thank Captain Kennedy, of the Havvea, for files of Northern papers.

Elsewhere appears a notification fixing time an,d place f the.annual election of Auditors' , ' for the Borough of Akaroa. Nominations will be received up to noon of Monday next, at the Council Office.

The programme of spoits to be held in Akaroa on Tuesday nest, the Queen's Birthday," appears in another column. The list comprises twenty-two events, and the prizes should prove sufficiently liberal to bring" large fields, together,

It may be interesting to our readers to know that a train arrived last Saturday' from the Lincoln Station to Wascoe's with a quantity of goods for Mr Coop of Little River. The time occupied in the run was 25 minutes, and Mr Coop had the goods landed at Itis 231ac0 of business four hours afterwards, in his case saving two and a half days of a sis horse team. Mr Joblin and other settlers are accumulating" firewood and timber for the purposo of sending to Chiistchurch as soon as the line is open for general traffic. Seven miles of tho formation are still unballasted between Lincoln and Birdling's flat. The contractor has made on offer to the Government to complete this and finish the whole work to the end ot the formation for the sum af £2000, before removing his plant. In the event of the Government not accepting his offer b} , Saturday, lie will remove his men, and the finishing of the work will again be delayed.