NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 212, 12 February 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Hbathcote Regatta. —We remind those interested in the forthcoming Heathcote Regatta that the entries close at Warner’s Hotel to-morrow evening. Agricultural and Pastoral Association. — A committee meeting of the above association, will be held at Tattersall’s on Tuesday next, at 2.30 p.m., to make arrangements for the ram fair.

Judgeship.—lt was reported some time ago that a judgeship had been offered to Mr Joshua Strange Williams, the registrar of lands. We now hear that he has accepted the appointment, and that he will take his seat on the bench for the district of Otago. St. Patrick's Day Celebration.—We understand that a letter has been received from Mr J. E. Fitz Gerald regretting his inability to accept the invitation of the com mittee to propose the toast of the evening on the occasion of the celebration of Si Patrick’s Day. Dinner to Mr John Anderson.—The complimentary dinner to Mr John Anderson prior to his departure for England takes place this evening, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, at seven p.m. His Honor the Superintendent will preside on the occasion,

White Cliffs Junction.—A short time ago a memorial was addressed to the Minister of Public Works, urging on him the necessity of having a grain shed erected at this junction. A reply to the memorial has been received, stating that directions have been given to the district engineer to have a grain shed erected there.

C.Y.O.—A match for three prizes, of the value respectively of £5, £4, and £3, was fired yesterday between seventeen members of the C.Y.O. The ranges were 130, 200, and 300 yards, seven shots at each range. The prizes were taken as follows First prize, bergeant Anson, 67 points ; second do, Trooper Rentoul,6l points ; third do, Trooper Dunbar, 67 points. A tie at 57 occurred between Troopers Andrews and Dunbar. In shooting off the former missed, and the latter made an outer, thus securing third place. Cricket. Next Saturday a match will be played between Tall and Short, in which the following will take part. Messrs Alpe, Corfe, Cuff, D’Emden, Dickinson, E. Fowler, J. Fowler, Fuller, Harman, Loughnan,* Maples, Moore. Mclntyre, Monck, Ollivier, Souter, Stevens, Taylor, Turner, Watson, A. C. Wilson, and Wood, will take part. Play will begin at 2 p.m., and it is requested that members will be punctual. The match Papanui v Second Eleven of C.C.0., will be continued next Saturday, and an eleven of U.C.C.C. will meet Christ’s College on the same day. Runaway. —While a horse in a dray, belonging to Mr W. Montgomery, was standing in his owner’s yard this morning, he managed when feeding to shake off the blinkers, and at once bolted out of the yard, making towards, and up Colombo street, turning sharply into Cashel street. Here one wheel of the dray came in contact with a foot bridge opposite the shop of Mr Harrison, tailor, canting it and the horse to one side, and in his endeavor to right himself he turned quickly round and rolled on to his back, where he remained quietly until secured by some bystanders. Both horse and dray escaped without injury, Inquest. —An inquest was held yesterday at Waltham on the body of Mrs Priscilla Morse, who died very suddenly in her own house the previous day. From the evidence it appeared that deceased, who had been ailing for some time past, complained to a next-door neighbour about 10 o’clock that morning that she felt very unwell. She returned to her own house, and in about half an hour afterwards her neighbour looked into her house and found her gasping for breath, and in a few moments afterwards she expired. Dr Campbell, who made the postmortem examination, attributed the cause of death to fatty degeneration of the heart. The jury returned a verdict of died from natural causes.

Christchurch Road.— The Superintendent of Westland makes the following reference to the Christchurch road in his opening address :—Our representations with reference to the Christchurch road were however more favorably received, and provision was made under the Public Works and Immigration Act, by which the shares of Canterbury and Westland in the Mi ddle Island Railway Fund should be first applied to putting in repair the serious damage done by the floods last Easter. The share of this fund due to Canterbury and Westland comes to £24,217 of which three-fourth’s is Canterbury’s, and one-fourth Westland’s share. The contracts already let amount to £18,617, and it is likely the full sum coming to both Pro vinces will be absorbed before the works are completed. Already considerable progress has been made in removing to higher ground those parts of the road which are most liable to injury by floods and the contracts are commenced for the reconstruction of the road through the Otira Gorge in such a way as will preclude all possibility of its being affected to any great extent by future floods. The effect of the alterations when completed will be to lessen the annual cost of maintenance, and so greatly relieve the province from one heavy drag on its limited revenue. In connection with this subject I may mention that out of this fund I have been able to get effect given to the resolution of the Council passed on the 4th of March last, that the bridge over the Arahura known as Hungerford’s bridge be purchased and thrown open to the public free of tolls. This has enabled me to carry out the views expressed by me in a former address to the Council as to the desirability of getting these private works into the hands of the Government; the only other large work in the province now in private hands is the Arnold bridge. Financial Position of Westland,—ln his opening address to the Council the Superintendent of Westland thus refers to the financial position of the county :—“ On reference to the statement of assets and liabilities, I find that at the commencement of 1874, the unsatisfied liabilities of the province amounted to £52,765, which with the amount of £9125, appropriated by the Council in excess of the estimated receipts, made a total of £61,890 to be provided for over and above our ordinary revenue. To this sum must also be added the difference between the estimated and actual receipts for land revenue, the only item of receipts which shows any special reduction for the year amounting to £7OOO, thus increasing the liabilities to £68,890. To meet this large deficiency we had assets consisting of balance in bank, £4858; estimated receipts from proceeds of Westland Loan Act, 1873, £48,710; and due by Nelson for maintenance of prisoners, £750, making a total of £54,318, still leaving a balance of £14,572, for which provision had to be made. This has been met to the extent cf £2OOO by a larger sum than was anticipated being realised out of the loan, and made available for our assistance by an Act passed during the last session of the General Assembly ; further aid was afforded by the Government making a special grant of £IO,OOO in addition to the ordinary capitation allowance ; of this £3300 has been received up to the 31st December. The position of the province at the end of the financial year may be roughly stated as follows Actual receipts during the year, £83,194 ; actual expenditure, £87,609 ; outstanding account, £3919, leaving a deficiency of £8333, and allowing a margin of accounts which have not been rendered or finally closed, we may consider our liabilities on the 31st December, 1874, as not exceeding £9OOO. Against this we have available assets in the balance of the £IO,OOO special grant from Government, equal to £6700, and due from Nelson for maintenance of prisoners, £264, making in all £6964, thus leaving about £2OOO as our total liability, after providing for carrying on the business of the province during the past year.”

The New Railway Plant.—The first first of the large bogie engines for the narrow gauge was landed yesterday from the Lady Jocelyn. The engine, with tender attached, will weigh thirty-five tons, and carry enough fuel and water to last for fifty miles. Five of these large engines are in harbor, and the remaining four will shortly be landed. They are capable of drawing fully 240 tons each.

The Breakwater at Lyttelton.— The breakwater is now 381 feet beyond the wharf at Officers’ Point, and nearly 1000 from peg A. The work is progressing very favorably, and before long the point will be reached from which the curve is taken towards Battery point. The Battery Point end of the breakwater is also progressing rapidly. A blast of some importance was fired there this week.

Trout in Otago —ln reply to a letter in Land and Water from Mr Henry Howard, of Southland, upon the subject of the New Zealand trout, Mr Francis Francis makes the following statement;—“A letter from New Zealand in your last number speaks of the large size attained by the trout there, and the writer is troubled in his mind as to the species of some of them. He mentions my name, and says that he believes that the trout ova which I sent out to Australia were from the River Wey, and he is partly correct in saying so. A portion of them were, and they were the product of parents who themselves weighed 61b to 71b. They were presented to me by my old friends Messrs Spicer, of Alton, whose large mill-pond in those days often produced trout that reached 101 bin weight, and I well remember old Tom Rosewell’s amazement, when, in one sweep of the net for spawning purposes, we got five trout that weigned nearly 401 b. That the children of such parents should in turn wax large is not remarkable, but the writer of the letter referred to is very much puzzled by a species, or rather variety, which is much more silvery and morelikea bull trout, and he cannot understand its origin. He thinks it may be a Thames trout. In this he surmises wrongly. So far as I know, no Thornes trout ova were sent out either by Mr Buckland or myself, and the Thames trout is rather of the golden -or purple than the silver variety; but in all probability the trout is a Wycombe fish. The other variety of the ova I sent out came from High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, by favor of my kind friend Mr Thurlow, who owns a mill there, and in whose mill tail I have often seen trout in numbers, and running from 31b up to 81b weight, and trout of 101 b also have been caught in this stream. Now, it is a very curious fact that the fish in the Wycombe stream are of a brilliant silvery hue, almost like one of the migratory salmonoids in this respect, the flesh itself being as red or redder than that of a salmon when in high condition, and I have not the least doubt that the fish which troubles your correspondent comes from this stock. If so, I can only say that they have in New Zealand the finest breed of trout which I have met with in Great Britain, wonderfully sound, good in quality, and quick in growth.”

Education in Westland.— The present position of Education in Westland is thus alluded to by the Superintendent : —“ In reviewing the operation of the legislation last session, the only subject which I think it necessary to allude to is that of education, this having been the leading question which then engaged your attention. Under the provisions of the Ordinance then passed, both Local and Central Boards have been elected, and the rate rolls compiled for the various districts ; some difficulty, however, arose with the Central Board as to bringing the provisions of the Ordinance into active operation by the collection of the rate and the establishment of schools throughout the province, as they considered the amount set apart by the Government for that purpose insufficient. After considerable correspondence, however, the Board, on receiving the assurance that the Government would supplement the amount of rates by a voce of £3OOO for the first year, this being the minimum sum they could see their way to commence operations with, decided to carry out the wishes of the Council as far as the means at their disposal will permit. In accordance with my promise to the Board, I shall ask your approval of the appropriation of this sum, and I feel assured that you will gladly vote the amount Jfor the purpose of enabling the Board to at once introduce the system which you, after careful deliberation, approved of, and which is now waited for with anxiety throughout the whole province. Copies of the correspondence relating to this matter I have directed to be prepared and submitted for your information. It will probably be necessary to submit an Ordinance amending in some particulars that of last session, but before having this prepared I am waiting for the report of the Central Board on the alterations they may wish to suggest. New Zealand Insurance Company.— The San Francisco correspondent of the Auckland Herald, writes :—“ I note that my suggestions of June last have attracted the attention of the directors of the New Zealand Insurance Company, and that they have decided to open an agency here. No wiser step could be taken in the interests of the company, for there is a large field here, the risks are less and the premiums higher than in New Zealand. I have not the slightest doubt that the California Branch of the New Zealand Insurance Company will yield a larger net profit to the shareholders than any other branch which the company has established. The admirable fire arrangements of this city render it next to impossible that any one block can be destroyed; the system is so perfect there is not the slightest risk of any general conflagration. The directors, in their selection of an agent, have exercised as much wisdom as they have shown pluck in extending their operations to this country. Mr Hugh Craig, the agent elect, is the right man in the right place. His residence here, his knowledge of American life and business men, and his varied experience both in the colonies and here, eminently fit him for the position. It will be gratifying to those who have appointed him to know that on retiring from the respectable and responsible position which he held here, Mr Craig was made the recipient of very handsome presents from his employers, and from the subordinates who were under his control. The presents took the form of an elaborately mounted goldheaded cane and a set of diamond studs. There was a very pleasant gathering on the occasion, and the usual speeches made. Mr Craig has made hosts of friends here, and will be able, on his return from New Zealand, to secure all the business his directors may desire him to undertake, Advance New Zealand

Presbytery of Westland.— At a meeting held a few days ago of this presbytery, amongst other business done—and the chief work of the meeting—was the taking on trial for license of the Rev. James Laughton, Two years ago Mr Laughton had almost completed those trials under the Presbytery of Canterbury, but failing health compelled him to desist for a season, and to try the effects of a voyage to England, He has returned to labour among us, duly accredited by the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland, and in order to fit him for entering fully on the work of the ministry, the Presbytery yesterday completed his trials for license, which he sustained in a manner most creditable to himself, and satisfactory to the Presbytery, and after the usual questions were put, and satisfactorily answered, he was suitably addressed by the Moderator, and formally set apart and appointed to exercise the gift of probationer for the holy ministry, receiving from the Presbytery the right hand of fellowship. The Presbytery then proceeded to other business. Mail News.— The following English telegrams appear in American papers—London, 3rd January. The announcement from Paris that a series of military manoeuvres by the French army would take place in spring is the subject of considerable speculation in political circles here. It is also reported from Berlin that great manoeuvres of the German army will occur at the same time. Both reports are received with distrust, as it is contended that the spring of the year would never be chosen for military manoeuvres on account of the damage that would be done to the crops. Such a movement would be considered as preliminary to war.—Liverpool, 3rd January.—Private subscriptions are being collected here for the purpose of erecting a memorial statue to the late Mr Laird, the eminent ship-builder. Rome, 3rd January—The health of the Pope is the cause of considerable uneasipess at the Vatican. His physicians apprehend no immediate danger, but fear a return of his former malady, and state that slow and progressive decline of his vital powers is perceptible.

Jackson’s Bay Settlement. The Superintendent of Westland, in his address to the Council, makes the following reference to this new settlement;—“The project of establishing a special settlement at Jackson’s Bay, to which I alluded in my last address to the Council has now assumed a definite form, and I shall lay before you the heads of agreement entered into with the Hon the Premier, under which the scheme Ifc being carried out. Copies of the reports of the Chief Surveyor and Harbormaster, and the general conditions under which the settlers are being located have already been forwarded to you. The condition which permitted a limited number of persons resident on the Coast to hare the same privileges as immigrants has been found a very useful one, the number of applications sent in has greatly exceeded the number that could be taken, and the Government have thus been able to secure as pioneers for the settlement persons whose previous local knowledge and experience will be of material assistance to the immigrants coming direct from home. The general favor with which the settlement has been regarded by the residents on the Coast promises well for its future. There are already several parties preparing to establish saw-mills in the locality, attracted mainly by the good port, excellent timber, and easy terms afforded for acquiring land, and I look for a most prosperous and important export trade being established there before long, I am the more encouraged in expecting this from the very rapid strides which have been made of late in the export of timber from this port, the number of feet exported in 1874 being 5,360,900 ft as against in 1873 2,501,979 ft.

It is well-known fact that when Carbolic is used in Soap it is a thorough disinfectant, and strongly recommended.—[Advt.]

The dentist profession must be a lucrative one—he makes his money by achers. Our attentive correspondent at Hilo writes the Pacific Commercial Advertiser of the 9th instant sends us the following :—During the afternoon of the 28th (Monday), the weather looked gloomy enough, with thunder and lightning very high overhead, and not much rain. After dark there was a brilliant light from the volcano, brighter than has been seen for months past. At six o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, the earth began to tremble for afew seconds with starts and a jerking motion,and then in an instant it seemed as if everything was coming to pieces: This lasted for ten or fifteen seconds, when it slowed down gradually. From the first to the last it was perhaps two minutes. People here say that it was equal to the one of 1868, though not of so long duration. We expect some news from Kilauea or Mauna Loa.