NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 74, 26 August 1874, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Musical Festiyal at Kaiapoi.—The concert in aid of the new American organ at the Wesleyan Chapel will take place to-morrow evening. It is reported that a large number of tickets have been sold. •, St John's Entertainment.—The usual weekly entertainment in connection with St. John's, was held last night in the schoolroom, when there was a good attendance. The programme submitted was one of a more than ordinarily attractive character, and was gone through successfully.

California Minsrels.—There was a fair attendance at the Theatre Royal last night, when a new programme was submitted. The farces which formed the staple portion of the second part went well throughout, the merriments of Messrs Kelly, Sutton, and Rockefeller, being apparantly highly appreciated by the audjence. The company perform' angain this evening, when a good programme will be submitted. Transit of Venus.—Tbe Rev W. J. Habens, 8.A., has announced that he will deliver a lecture on the Transit of Venus, in the Oddfellows' Hall, on Friday evening, at eight o'clock. The lecture will no doubt be highly interesting and instructive, especially as the subject will be elucidated by frequent use of diagrams and moving illustrations. The chair will be taken by Mr C. C. Bowen. Smith's Combination Troupe. This Troupe performed at Lyttelton on Monday and Tuesday, and were as excellent, and as much appreciated, as ever. The Colonists' Hall was full both on Monday and Tuesday, and we hope to see it crammed again tonight, when they give their last performance. Val Vose, by his references to two wellknown residents in Lyttelton, fairly carried away his audience ; and the other members of the Troupe gained the heartiest applause. They will leave Port with the good wishes of all.

Kaiapoi Volunteer Fire Brigade.— The monthly practice of this brigade with the steam and hand engine, took place on Monday evening. There was a full muster of members, under Mr Superintendent Eckersley. The steam engine was placed at the reservoir, near the brigade station, and a hose laid to the corner of Cass street, at which the tank of the hand engine was supplied, and the water thus conveyed some distance past Mr Beswick's property on the North road. The steamer, managed by Mr Linklater, worked well, and in every way answers expectations. Accident at Ohoka. On Tuesday morning a serious accident befel a young man named Edward Lynskey, on the road to Ohoka from Kaiapoi. He was driving a horse and dray, and three other men were with him. By some means not explained the head gear came off the horse, causing it to bolt. Those on the dray got off behind, but Lynskey, anxious to secure the horse, jumped down at the shafts, and falling in front of the wheel, it came in contact with his head. The others coming up, seeing him insensible, took him for dead, thinking the wheel had passed over his neck. He, however, in a short time regained consciousness, and was able to walk with assistance nearly a mile to his brother's house at the Ohoka. After some time Dr Fletcher arrived, when it was ascertained that a great part of the back of the young man's scalp had been cut, and was hanging, as if drawn oif by the wheel of the dray as it grazed his head. Altogether his escape from instant death must have be-m m'uaculous. The doctor does not anticipate that he will be quite out of danger for a day or two.

Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association. —A general meeting of the committee is announced to be held at Eangiora to-morrow to finish compiling the prizes, elect a working committee, arrange about yards and hurdles for the show, and other important business. Kaiapoi Bokough Schools.—An examination of these schools by the Government inspector was held on the sth and 10th inst. The reports have been placed at our disposal by the chairman of the committee. No. 1 School—Class I, 26 present, Joseph Grossman, 1 ; Carl G. Vogeler, 2 ; Julia Pashby, 3 ; John Yeysey, 4, . Class 11, 31 present, Jessie Clothier, 1 ; Arthur Bean, 2; Eliza M. Stanton and P. Funston, equal. Class 111, 35 present. Upper division, Leah Smith, 1 ; Harriett Venables, 2 ; W. Powell, 3; F. Young, 4. Lower division, Jane Burnett, 1 ; Sidney HewsQn, 2 ; Martha Keetley, 3 ; Sidney Wright, 4. General remarks : —School is being conducted, in the old building, and, owing to -the .crowded state of the room and want of desk accommodation, at a disadvantage. The work in all the classes, is however, most satisfactory. In the first class there is not a bad paper, all show a sound knowledge in the subjects taken. The papers of. Joseph Grossman, Carl, Vogeler. Julia Pashby, and Elizabeth Monk, deserve to be classed excellent, i while that of Grossman (age 10), as the composition of a boy in an elementary school oould scarcely be improved upon; The order is good, and a cheerful and agreeable tone pervades the school. No. 2 School—Class I, 20 present, Jessie Alexander 1 ; Georgina Laine, 2 ; F. Hills, 3 ; Edvyard Funstop, 4. Class 11, 34 present—Ernest Wright, 1; Mary Alexander, 2; James Laine and Walter Parnham, equal. Class 111, 28 present—Walter Hills, 1; James Stuart, 2; Thomas Curran, 3; John Stuart, 4. Class IV, 27 present—Agnes Alexander, 1; Emily Phipps, 2; James Marsden, 3; David . McGifford, 4. Bible knowledge and tables are rather backward, and this class should be using' copy books, but this would be almost impossible at present as there is so little desk accommodation. The other subjects are very satisfactory. Class V, 21 present—Elementary work. Class VI, 32 present—Elementary work. Class VII, 11 present—Alphabet. All the work of the lower classes is satisfactory except tables. General remarks—The school is so crowded that if it were not for the very good order [maintained, it would be difficult to conduct school at all. The want of proper accommodation, however, has ■. not to , any perceptible extent affected the work of the school, which is very satisfactory throughout, jo ■■•••■ r orli

Another instance of the heartless of steamers', crews when in collision has occurred under the following circumstances ' — " On Tuesday 2nd, about half-past 11, the brigantine ; Ffancis, of Dover, from Sunderland to Yarmouth, with coal, was lying becalmed about 10 miles S.S.Ei,- off Flamborough Head, ■ when an unknown steamer dashed into her, cutting her starboard quarter clean away, and without slackening speed lfor a moment, bore, off, leaving the sailing vessel's crew to their fate. Fortunately they had just time to launch a boat and save themselves ere the vessel* sank, and after a long pull landed at Bridlington the next morning. , ';••;■•. :i The Times is said to have done a spirited thing. It has established a wire for itself from Paris to its own office, and publishes its correspondent's letters, frequently occupying columns, as received by telegraph. That is worthy of the old days of journalism, but we should not wonder if Prince Bismarck inter* fered. Why should Englishmen take all that interesb in French politics, when Germany is at the head of the world ? The wire ought to have gone to Berlin. Quite true, only there would have been nothing to report. One does not want a wire to report what the German Chancellor thinks, and the interesting points in the politics of Germany are the thoughts in his bosom. In France, even under the Septennat, there is an Assembly, and there are Ministers; in Germany, there are only a Reictisrath and' the Chancellor's clerks. '"■'

Another of the three foreigners who, during the earlier years of the Queen's reign, helped to govern England has passed away. The Prince Consort and Baron Stockmar are gone, and on Saturday morning. M, Sylvian Van de Weyer died in Arlington street. The son of an obscure civilian at Amsterdam. M. Van de Weyer rose as a journalist anddiarrister to a position in which he was able to take a leading part in the disastrous separation of Belgium from Holland —a separation which has made both kingdoms nearly powerless, and reduced..the former into a sort of outlying .estate, of. the Papacy. M. Van de Weyer was, however, a patriot; he served a sceptical king with fidelity, and as the representative, of • that king his advice was for , years of serious weight in English politics. His marriage with Miss Bates gave him wealth, and his long residence made him ultimately-an. Englishman, with jusi that kind of detachment of mind which Englishmen so sadly lack. A scholar, and even a bibliophile, he was also an acute man of the world, who knew Europe thoroughly, and could give to' English royalties and statesmen the non-insular information they find it so difficult' to acquire. He is a loss to the whole west.