NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 159, 8 December 1874, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Woodend Church, —On Sunday evening last the new chancel of this church was opened, when the Primate preached an impressive sermon. Interprofessional Boat Race. A meeting of the committee of the above will be held at the Foresters’ Arms Hotel this evening, at 8.50 p.m., ®n important business. Transit of Venus.- We learn that Major Palmer has kindly consented to give the time by telegraph to Messrs Coates and Co on Tuesday and Thursday, at twelve o’clock on each day. By this means those amateurs who may desire to observe the transit will have an opportunity of obtaining the correct time at Messrs Coates and Co.’s. The Opera. —Owing to Miss May not having recovered from her indisposition sufficiently to perform the part of Martha, the opera of that name was withdrawn from representation, and the “Grand Duchess” substituted. Miss Lambert sustained the part usually entrusted to Miss May most excellently, and, in fact, she gave the greatest satisfaction throughout the opera. Miss Howe, too, came in for her full share of applause for her acting and singing in the rote of Wanda, while Messrs Templeton and Vernon sustained their characters in their usual effective manner. The bill for tonight presents several items, and the public will have the chance of seeing ‘ ‘ Box and Cox ” once more, this time in a musical garb. Two small pieces by Offenbach will also be performed, and altogether the programme looks attractive enough to ensure a full house, Timaru Board of Works’ Election.— The Herald says :—The following are the votes polled on Thursday last by the respective candidates to represent the Temuka, Geraldine, and Mount Peel districts in the Board of Works :—Mr Mendelson, Temuka, 101 ; Geraldine, 58 ; total, 139 ; Mr Tancred, Temnka G 5, Geraldine 65, total, 128 ; Dr Raynor, Temnka 72, Geraldine 50, total 102. Tha poll for the election of members of the Board for the Waimate district took place on Friday with the following result : —Mr Manchester, 100; Mr Teschera deer, 83; Mr Bruce, 66 ;Mr Lovcgrove, 15, Messrs Manchester and Tcschcmakcr were declared duly elected. It is now known that Messrs P Hnss, 11 and W. Raine have been elected members of the Board for the Mount Cook district. The following is the complete list of names of the new Board ;—Cain, Cliff, Luxraore, Hall, Mendelson, Tancred, Russell, Raine, Manchester, and Teschcmaker. The Music Hall Company Meeting.— A meeting of the direcsors of the Music Hall Company (Theatre Royal), was held yesterday, J. Ollivier, Esq., occupied the chair. I t was agreed at the meeting that the Music Aall Company (Theatre Royal), should meet the promoters of the Academy of Music in order that the Christchurch people should have the advantage of a good and suitable theatre. It was also resolved at the meeting that in the event of an understanding not being arrived at between the directors of the present Music Hyll Company and the promoters of the proposed company, that another meeting he called at an early date for the purpose of taking such steps as will ensure the erection of a new building on the present site of the Theatre Royal. It was also agreed at the meeting that an adjournment should take place, in order that the views of the promoters of the new company might be ascertained in respect to amalgamation, or in the event of this not being practicable, that steps should be taken to erect an excellent theatre on the Gloucester street site. Canterbury Sale Yards Company (Limited), —The first annual meeting of slurehoklers was held at the company’s office yesterday afternoon. There was but a small attendance, in consequence of its not having been generally known that the meeting would '.ie held on that day. Mr Robert Wilkin was voted to the chair, who explained the objects of the meeting, and that their first business was the election of directors for the ensuing year. By the deed of association three members retired by ballot, but were eligible lor re-election. On a ballot being takrn, Messrs J. T. Ford, J.T. Matson, and 8. Garforth retired; but on the motion of Mr S. Manning, seconded by Mr Tick: or, were re-elected. The chairman stated that the directors had found great difficulties to contend with in the construction of the yards, which had been delayed beyond their expectations, but that now the yards were opened for business he had no doubt that it would be a paying concern to the shareholders. An interim report was brought up and read, but as it was explained that the accounts had not yet been formally audited, it was resolved that the meeting adjourn to December 21st to allow of a full report and balance-sheet being laid before the shareholders.

Alarm op Fire. —Shortly after eleven o’clock last night the Richfield street fire bell rang out the alarm, which was followed l y the Market Place bell. The alarm arose from the shop of Mr Elliot, chemist, corner of Oxford terrace and Montreal street, in which some chemicals had become ignited and caused a blaze. The Fire Brigade and Fire Police were speedily on the spot, but fortunately the flames were extinguished without the necessity of using the engines. The Tahiti Trade— The Governor's yacht Blanche (writes the Auckland co:respondent of thej Otago Daily Times), has been bought by the firm of Owen and Graham, of this city, for, I hear, £2OOO, and is to be put into the trade with Tahiti and the Eastward Islands, with which trade Messrs Owen and Graham have been long connected. These gentlemen were, and are still, I presume, shareholders in the great cotton planting company of Tahiti, so long managed by the late Mr Stewart, and so well known for the large scale ou which fits operations were conducted. Nearly 2000 men, chiefly Chinese, were employed, and a very largesumof money invested in the undertaking. Stewart .was monarch within certain bounds, had his own constable to keep order, his own gaol, and large judicial powers as a magistrate. The late Emperor Napoleon was also a shareholder —by proxy of course—in the company, in which he took great interest as tending to develop French commerce and strength in the Pacific, Just before the Franco-Prussian war he was in negotiation with the company to buy up their rights, and to put the affair entirely under French management. The price to be given was either £21)0,000 or £250,000, but the war put an abrupt termination to the proposals, and the fall in cotton which followed the war has seriously depreciated the value of the estate, which has, with its immense store of machinery, houses, and plant, been offered in Auckland for less than £20,000 —about onetenth the money that it cost. This will explain to your readers the connection of Auckland with Tahiti for so many years, and the reason why the supplies for the plantation have gone from Auckland and its cotton been sent here for shipment home.

The best definition of scandal ever given was that of the little girl who described it thus; —“Nobody does nothing, and everybody goes on telling it everywhere.” That is better than a dictionary’s meaning. A young fop of twenty-six having been called an old bachelor by a lady at a party, objected to the appellation, and offered to leave the question to an elderly gentleman present, This being assented to, he said to the old man, “Should I be called old, as I am but twenty-six?” “Well,” was the reply, “that depends on how you take it. For a man,, twenty-six is young; but for a goose, it is rather old.”