NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 91, 15 September 1874, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

o Theatre Royal.—" Azael the Prodigal" was produced last night to a fair house. The same piece will be repeated to-night. St. John's Entertainment.—The usual weekly parochial entertainment will be held in St John's schoolroom this evening at halfpast seven. Political.—lt is reported that Mr Beswick may offer himself for election for the Seadown district ia the Provincial Council, vice Mr Kennaway resigned. Lumpers' Society. The half-yearly meeting of this society for the election of officers, &c, will be held at the Foresters' Hall to-morrow eveniug, at half-past seven. Cricket. —The annual general meeting of the Christchurch Cricket Club will be held at Warner's hotel, to-morrow (Wednesday), at 8 p.m. All members, and any purposing to join, are particularly requested to attend. Interprovincial Exhibition, 1872. — Exhibitors who have not yet received the certificates of commendation awarded them can obtain the same on application at the Provincial Secretary's office. Newly-Elected Councillors.—Messrs Gapes, Ick, and Raphael, the uewly-elected Councillors, signed the necessary declaration, and took their seats at last night's sitting of the Council. Canterbury Music Hall. —There was only a very moderate attendance at the Music Hall last night. Miss Ida Bonnifon was successful in describing several articles in the second sight portion of the entertainment, and Mr Chapman's illusions were very good. H. A. C. B. Society.—An entertainment to commemorate the anniversary of the Christchurch branch of the above society, will be given this evening in St Patrick's Hall, Barbadoes street. The proceeds will be devoted to the support of Catholic schools. Philosophical Institute.—A special meeting of this institute will be held jthis evening at the Public Library at 7.30, when a paper will be read by Dr Haast on the " Results of excavations and researches in and near the Moa Bone Point Cave, Sumner road." Northern Railway.—The extension of the line is progressing rapidly towards completion to the Kowai. The Ashley bridge is expected to be finished by the end of November, by which time also, the formation of eleven miles from the Ashley to the South Kowai will be ready to receive the permanent way. The pile driving at the Kowai bridge is also progressing very satisfactorily. All the works in progress are being carried out by Mr E. G. Wright. Inquest.—An inquest was held yesterday at the hospital, before J, W. S. Coward, Esq, coroner, on the body of a young woman named Agnes Mouat, who was found drowned on Saturday morning in a pigtub at MrW. B. Andrews place, Green park. The evidence went to show that deceased, who was a recent arrival by the ship Canterbury, had been engaged at the Immigration Barracks on last Thursday by Mr Andrews. She was noticed to be in a very despondent state of mind, and must have risen out of bed early on Saturday morning with the intention of committing suicide. The jury returned a verdict of " Committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity." Board op Conservators.—The monthly meeting of the Board of Conservators was held yesterday at the Council Chamberspresent Mr R. J. S. Harman (chairman), his Worship the Mayor, the Hnn J. T. Peacock, and Messrs Fisher and J. N. Tosswill. The chairman reported that the Mayor and himself, acting on the authority given them at the previous meeting of the Board, had accepted tenders for the small shingle embankments in the neighborhood of MacLean's and Watson's, and that the map showing the position of the various works was in a forward condition, and would shortly be completed. After transacting some business of a routine nature, the Board adjourned. Lower Heathcote Library.—A committee meeting was held at Mr Smith's hall, on Saturday last at 7.30 p.m. Present Messrs Attwood, Mardon, Simmons, Richardson, Freeman, and Bamford ; Mr Bamfoid occupied the chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Attwood reported that he had waited upon Mr Packer as requested relative to a site for the library, and that Mr Packer had promised to give a piece of land fronting the Ferry road for that purpose. The subscription lists handed in shewed the large sum of It was reported to the meeting that Mr James Wood and Mr J. Ollivier had also kindly promised a donation of books. It was resolved that the subscription lists remain open for another week. A vote of thanks was passed to those who had so liberally come forward with subscriptions arid donations, and to Mr Packer for the site, and also to Mr C. Smith for the gratuitous use of his hall. The meeting adjourned to Saturday next, at the library, at 7.30 u.in.

Justices Justice. —In our magisterial columns will be observed a case which came before the Bench on Monday, in which a Resident Magistrate refused to entertain a " grog score," although the non-appearance of the defendant showed that the legality of the claim was not disputed ; indeed, the latter may have often promised to pay it. It is as well perhaps the attention of publicans should be drawn to this ; but at the same time, is it not peculiar that other justices do not take the same view of the " grog score " question 1 Probably it is not. However, the following case happened in the Northern district, which is under the charge of the same Resident Magistrate, and was reported in the Press ol May 28th : -'• Leithfield, Wednesday, May 28, (before J. S. Woodhouse and M. Morris, Eaqs).—Civil case.—Mrs Hood v W; Barr. Claim, £l7 Is. Cd. A public house score. Defendant did not appear ; judgmenc for plaiutiff for amount and costs, an immediate distress granted, and a warrant of commitment was subsequently issued. The Tippling Act allows publicans to recover for only a certain amount of a grog score ; but unless the act is pleaded with the object of reducing the debt, or any other valid defence is made, there is no reason why publicans (that much abused but nevertheless necessary class of men) ought not to be paid, and in a position to recover their debts like other people. Nothing contained in the "Resident Magistrate's Act" warrants a Bench in dismissing such a claim, also supposing the defendant had consented to j udgment( which is often done before the Court sits both in Christchurch and elsewhere), and then neglected to meet the claim, the plaintiff would have been entitled to a distress warrant, judgment, summons, or warrant of commitment, and put the defendant through the whole course of law, as any other creditor in another line of business might treat his debtor. Inquest in Lyttelton.—An inquest was held at the Canterbury Hotel on Monday, at 4 p.m., on the body of John Cain, who was found drowned in Lyttelton Harbour. Dr. Coward, coroner, presided. The jury having been duly sworn, proceeded to view the body, and the Coroner then took the following evidence, Mr Richard Bunker, jun., having been previously chosen foreman of the jury. W. N. Chapman, master of the J. G. Coleson, brigantine, stated —Deceased was cook on board my ship. I engaged deceased on the 14th August last in Picton, and proceeded to Lyttelton Harbor. We called him Jack the cook. He was not on the articles as they had expired: but I subsequently ascertained it to be John Cain. He was twenty-three days in my employ. I remember the sth of this month. I saw deceased that day in the morning before going to Christchurch, and not since. He was then on board the vessel. I did not see him again till Sunday, when he was dead. When I last saw him he was sober. There are three others ou board the vessel working. There are £2 17s wages due to deceased. Captain Calvert, of the Elizabeth Curie, was next called. He stated I remember on the 13th a body got foul of a rope that I and my men were hauling in from the John Knox. We saw it was the body of a man that was foul of it. I had it hauled on board, and then gave information to the police. He was quite dead. We were laying about fifty feet from the wharf. The J. G. Coleson occupied that berth a week ago. I hauled into the J. G. Coleson's berth. I did not know deceased. I gave up the body to the police. Albert Carr, AB on board the J. G. Coleson, being sworn, said—The deceased was my shipmate. I knew him. I saw deceased on the sth. 1 was with him that day, both on board and ashore. I was ashore with him about eleven o'clock at night. The last time 1 saw him was at Burnip's Railway Hotel about eleven p.m. I left him there and went on board. The vessel was hauled off to a buoy about fifty yards from the breastwork, and about twenty-five yards from the Feronia barque. We had a rope to get on board made fast from the J. G. Coleson to the Feronia, to haul the boat to and fro between the two vessels. I did not hear deceased that night. I missed him next morning. I was on board half an hour before I went to bed. I never heard deceased come on board. When I left him at Burnip's he was under the influence of liquor, but not intoxicated; he was in a fit state when I left him to go on board the vessel alone. I first saw deceased at Picton a short time ago. Saw him have no quarrel that night. He had only 4s 6d when he went ashore that night, but borrowed 6s 6d more. I did not know deceased's name till I saw it in the paper. John McGuire, constable of police, being sworn, said —I went on Sunday morning and took charge of the body. I examined the body. There were no marks .on the body, but a small one under the left eye. I found 7s 6d on the body, and a penknife, some buttons, and tobacco. On Saturday I and another constable draerged the same place where the body was found without success. This concluded the evidence, and after considerable discussion a verdict of " Found drowned " was returned. It is the most painful spectacle in families where the mother is the drudge, to see the daughters elegantly dressed, reclining at their ease, with their drawing, their music, their fancy work, and their reading—beguiling themselves to the lapse of hours, days, and weeks, and never dreaming of their responsibilities. It is well that we were born babies in intellect. Could we understand and reflect upon one half of what most mothers at that time say and do to us, we should draw conclusions in favor of our own importance, which would render us insupportable for years. Happy the boy whose mother is tired of talking nonsense to him before he is old enough to know the sense of it ! Many of our readers, says the Tasmanian Tribune, doubtless saw a letter in the Melbourne Evening Herald, purporting to be written by Mr W. G. Grace, the champion cricketer, and in which he was made to assail the Australians in a most objectionable manner. The publication of this effusion produced a bad effect upon the minds of the friends that Mr Grace had formed in Victoria, and a copy of the paper was forwarded to England. We have to-day been shown a private letter by a relative of Mr Grace, in which the letter is stigmatisGd as a scurrilous fabrication. It is added that lawyers in Melbourne have been written to on the subject. It is with very much pleasure that we find that the impression that was formed in our mind at the time we read the letter in the Herald has been confirmed, and that we were saved from making an unnecessary and false attack upon the greatest cricketer of the age,

The sale of salmon at Billingsgate in the year 1873 comprised 30,181 boxes of Scotch, 8995 of Irish, 1165 Dutch, 811 from Sweden and Norway, and 1471 boxes of English and Welsh salmon, making a total of 42,623 boxes. The boxes average 112 lbs in weight, so that the total may be put at 2381 tons, showing an increase]of nearly 50 per cent over the quantity sold in Billingsgate eight years previously. Of all the amusements that can possibly be imagined for a working man, after daily toils, or in the intervals, there is nothing like reading a newspaper or a book. It calls for no bodily exertion, of which already he has had enough, perhaps too much. It relieves his home of dulness and sameness. Nay, it accompanies him to his next day's work, and gives him something to think of besides the mechanical drudgery of his every day occupation ; something he can enjoy while absent, and look forward to with much pleasure. From a private source the Sydney Morning Herald learns that Admiral Kiboult had completed his inquiries at Noumea, and was to leave for Sydney on the 18th, per steamer L'Orne. It has been decided to remove all the Communist prisoners from New Caledonia and Isle of Pines to Billepe, an islans lying off the north end of the main island. The transport Alceste arrived on Sunday week from France with convicts. An order of banishment has been enforced against a lady connected with one of the Communist prisoners, and she was banished from the island at three days' notice. A case which threw some light upon the coloring of tea came before the Court of Queen's Bench lately. A grocer, carrying on business at Birkenhead, had been convicted of adulteration, his green tea having been faced with Prussian blue and gypsum. On his part it was shown that the tea as sold by him was in the same state as when it came from abroad; and it was stated that the " green " tea imported from China was invariably painted and faced in this manner. Mr Justice Blackburn said a tradesman could only be protected by putting up in his shop, ".I sell tea from China adulterated with Prussian blue and gypsum," or he Ikould tell the purchaser that he was selling such. The conviction was affirmed. Dr Neild, of Melbourne, has published a pamphlet " On the Advantage of Burning the Dead." His concluding remarks are : " The practice of necessity involves a change in the law of the land, which at present forbids the final disposal of bodies except by burial, and it also presupposes a very considerable social change as regards the sentimental aspect of the proposition. The difficulties of making the practice acceptable are, moreover, increased by the religious complications involved ; for I have been told that it is ' positively wicked to burn bodies.' These difficulties, however, are only such as time and a more intelligent consideration of the subject will remove. Ido not, as I have already said, expect to see the practice of cremation made general in my own day ; but I think it will eventually commend itself for adoption, and only waits its recognition, just as many other social reforms have had to await theirs." We do not mean to say that no servants are overworked or underpaid, but this is certainly not the condition of the majority of them. As regards the ordinary comforts of life, domestic servants are infinitely better off, not only that their relatives at home, but than women of the same class in other occupations. They have, however, less personal liberty. A shop-girl or seamstress works much harder, but when her day's work is over she is free to spend her time as she chooses ; she can go out with her young man without asking anybody's leave, and can wear a chignon and Tyrolese hat, and consult her own taste as to the fashion and color of her raiment. It is not at all surprising that many young women should find a great temptation in this direction, and should chafe at the confinement and discipline of household work. Every occupapation has its advantages, and they must be taken together. The balance of solid comfort, peace of mind, and good wages, is decidedly on the side of the maid servant, and this must be her compensation for the restraints of service.