ANNIVERSARY DAY IN CANTERBURY.

Evening Star, Issue 3998, 17 December 1875, Page 3

ANNIVERSARY DAY IN CANTERBURY.

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Province i was celebrated in Christchurch yesterday with thorough success. The holiday was general, the weather glorious and everything passed off with eclat. In the forenoon a special service was held within the Cathedral walls. The service commenced with a celebration of ( the Holy Communion at St. Michael’s Church. At 10 30 a.m. the clergy of the diocese and the members cf the Diocesan Choral Assoclat : on met in a large marquee erected within the Cathedral precincts, and when all 1 were robed, the presentation of the pastoral i staff and crozier, to which a large number of the clergy and laity of the diocese subscribed to 1 present to the Primate, took place. The pastoral staff was presented by Mr A. B, Gressons and the crozier by the Very Kev Dean Jacobs. The service within the walls of the Cathedral is mainly to be regarded as a solemn servict of praise and thanks .iving on the attainment of the Province toThe age of a qmrtei of a century and also, in a subsidiary 1 way, as a service for the opening of the Wes- ' tern doorway of the Cathedral, which has 1 been by the Cathedral Guild, Over I*,ooo were present at the services. Eight hundred excursionists went to the Akaroa Kegatta. The anniversary sports at Christchurch were attended bj 10,000 persons. The sports were unusually good. The champion two mile walking match was won by O. Bowley, beating Jacobsen easily in 13min and 40sec The one mile and two-mile running matches were won by H. Black, beating Penticost. It was easy .time for the mde, viz., 4min 56|s£c, and for the two miles llmin 2Gsec. While the members of the Christchurch Eire Brigade were preparing fireworks in the afternoon for their torchlight procession the materials accidentally ignited, and a great portion of the fireworks and two rooms of the building were destroyed before the fire could bo extinguished. The torchlight procession was a grand success. Visiting Brigades were afterwards entertained at dinner by the Christchurch Brigade.