NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 94, 18 September 1874, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colombo Street Bridge.—This bridge being under repair, has been closed for dray traffic by the City Council. Madame Winter's Concert.—The concert intended to be given by Madame Winter's class, at the Colouists' Hall last evening, was postponed until Friday nest, owing to the inclemency of the weather. Mr Chapman.—This gentleman, assisted by Miss Ida Bonnifon, will give a performance comprising magical illusions, •second sight, &c, at the Colonists' Hall, Lyttelton, this evening. Representation op Seadown. The Timaru Herald says :—Mr A. Perry has announced his intention of offering himself for election as member for Seadown in the Provincial Council, in place of MrKennaway, who resigned. Professor Bickerton's JLectures The last of the series of lectures delivered by Professor Bickerton, was given last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, which was well filled. The lecture was illustrated throughout by numerous experiments. Entertainment. —The entertainment got up by the amalgamated parishes of St Luke's and Avonside will take place this evening in the Oddfellows' Hall, and a capital programme has been issued. The first part will consist of instrumental and vocal music, the second being the celebrated trial of Bardell versus Pickwick, which was so provocative of merriment on the last occasion.

Draught Entire. The fine draught entire Taicri, three years, and a three-year-old colt by Quicksilver, were sent to Picton, to stand for the Amuri district, by the Tarauaki. We wish their spirited purchaser, Mr Paul, all good luck, but at the same time we are sorry that such a horse as Taieri was allowed to leave the province. Sale op Land in Christchurch.—Mr C. C. Aikman sold to-day, at his rooms in Cashel street, various properties in the estate of J. L. Wilson. The price realised for the land and premises in Mr Wilson's occupation was £4325, the purchaser being Mr C. W. Turner. The property in question has a frontage of 78 feet on Cashel street, and 128 feet on Oxford terrace. The property at St Albans comprising 4 acres 2 roods 28 perches of lind, with a nine-roomed house thereon, was knocked down to Captain Milton for £BBO. Licensed Victuallers' Association.— The annual meeting of this association, which had been postponed in consequence of the illness of the secretary, was held last night at Morton's Hotel, and was largely attended. The annual report and balance sheet was presented and passed, the latter showing a good balance at the bank to the credit of the association. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year :—President, Mr D. McGuiness ; treasurer, Mr W. Schmidt ; secretary,'Mr J. C. Tribe; standing committee, Messrs Preston, Morton, Wagner, Beattie, and Blyth. Lyttelton Lumpers' Society. A meeting of this associatisn was held on Wednesday evening last, in the Foresters' Hall, Lyttelton. There were more than fifty present. The meeting then proceeded to elect officers for the ensuing six months, and the following were chosen:—President, Mr Thos. Ookford; vice-president, Mr Michael Plawkins ; treasurer, Mr K. Wetherall; secretary. Mr T. V. Whitmore; committee of management, Messrs W. Childs, James Kelly, H. Wilson, J. Allen, T. .lamieson, S. Wright, and W. L. Lawrence. After discussion, it was unanimously resolved that £SO be invested in the Government Post Office Savings Bank. A vote of thanks to the retiring officers brought the meeting to a close. Theatre Eoyal.—The sensational play of " Under the Gaslight " was produced last evening at the Theatre, and went very fairly. Mrs Hill played Laura Courtlaud carefully, and Miss Willis did as much as could be done with Pearl Courtland. Mr Musgrave, by some strange mutation of casting the piece, had the part of Byke entrusted to him, and did his very best to appear villanous, but with only partial effect. One has got so accustomed to see Mr Musgrave as the genial cheery country gentleman, that he is not at all recognisable in the role of the reprobate Byke. The representative of the part of Snorkey seemed to find especial favor with the audience, his speech at the cud of one of tho nets evoking the enthusiasm of the dress circle to the extent of a floral olfering, which lie gallantly presented to Mrs Hill. Mr Steele looked well as RayTrafford ; as to acting there is none in the part, so that it was impossible for him to give it. Miss Lilly May played Peach-blossom fairly, but she had scarcely formed a right conception of the part. Miss Vivian played Bermudas, the peripatetic stationer, but there wai scarcely enough "go" in it to realize the character of a New York gamin. The farce of the " Swiss Cottage," concluded the performance.

Timaru-Pareora Water Eace. — According to the Herald, Mr Eraser's contract for the Parcora water race is fast approaching completion. It is anticipated that the water from the race will be running along the gully leading towards the Bank of New Zealand and along other town gullies, in a week or ten days' time.

Licensing Laws in the Old Time The publican was bound to sell a full quart of the best ale for one penny. If he gave short measure he was fined twenty shillings ; and if he allowed tippling in his house he was fined ten shillings ; and such fines the constable was authorised to levy by distress. Again, any person found tippling in his house was fined three-and-fourpence, and any person drunk five shillings ; and if the tippler could not pay his fine the constable was to put him in the stocks for four liouts, and if the drunkard could not pay his fine he was compelled to undergo six hours of that contemplative and sobering confinement. But there is still worse behind : If any publican sold ale without a proper licence, he was to forfeit twenty shillings, and if he could not pay, or had no goods of his'own to be distrained, he was to be openly whipped by the constable; and ,- f the constable refused to whip him, he (the constable) was to be sent to gaol, there to remain until he had paid forty shillings to the use of the poor of the parish. Lastly, if a publican refused to entertain a traveller proffering payment for his enteifcainracnt, the constable was to indict him for the same at the quarter sessions, and get him fined or imprisoned. Imagiue, if you can, how such relations would be relished by the boniface of the present day.

As we (Athenccum) hinted last December would be the case, Mr Browning's forthcoming work will, it is said, consist of a translation of the Hercules Furens of Euripides, in an original setting, somewhat like that which " Balaustion's Adventure" forms for the Alcestis.

The French Geographical Society has expressed a favorable opinion of a project which lacks neither grandeur nor plausibility. It is nothing less than the formation of an inland sea to the south of the French colony of Algeria. There are [in Northern Africa lakes known by the name of chotts, which run dry at certain periods of the year. A chain of these chotts, the first of which is only separated from the Mediterranean by sandy downs, extends as far as Biskra to the south of Constautine. The last of the chain being 27 metres below the level of the sea, it is thought feasible, by cutting through the sand above the first chott, to admit the waterß of the Mediterranean to this series of lakes, and thus form a salt-water lake at the southern extremity of the chain, important enough to admit of the creation of seaports. " From these advanced posts," says the author of the report on this scheme, " we should watch the nomadic tribes of the south. The numerous and rich oases of the Souf and the Oued, now only nominally subject to us, would fall completely into our power. Our colonization would extend to the south of Constantino as surely as it is established on the Mediterranean coast." A beneficicnt change of climate is also not the least of the advantages promised by this bold scheme, the first step to the realization of which has already been taken, the Bey of Tunis having been requested by the society to allow a survey of the country to be made.