NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 230, 5 March 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Christchurch Harmonic Society.— Costa's "Naaman" will be put in rehearsal by the above society on Friday, 12th iust.

Gas Cooking Stoves.—The Hokitika Gas Company has imported a large number of gas cooking stoves. The company supplies gas for use in them by a separate meter at much less than for lighting purposes.

Interprofessional Boat Pace.—The entries for this race must be made with the lion secretary, Mi\N. G. Gla ; sford, not later than to-morrow.

Theatre Royal.—" The Wandering Heir" was played last night for the last time here, by Miss Howard's company. The wellknown comedy of '' Caste" will be produced to-night, with Miss Howard as Esther Eccles. Liability op Ppovisional Directors.— A case, Lyttelton Times against J. Macfarlane, heard yesterday in the Resident Magistrate's Court, decided an important point regarding the liability of provisional directors when forming a compauy. The report will be found in another column.

Strange Footprints.—At the meeting of the Philosophical Institute held last evening, Dr Powell read a letter he had received from Mr Woodfield, of Oxford, stating that the footprints of what supposed to be a large bird had been found on Mr Wm. Cooper's farm near Oxford forest. Casts of the prints were taken by Mr Woodfield in wax, and brought into 'town by him yesterday. On closely examining them, Dr Powell at once came to the conclusion that the footprints were those of a wallaby.

Westland Provincial Council. —It was stated the other day that the Provincial Government of Westland had entered into an arrangement with the West Coast Times to furnish a report of the proceedings for a stipulated sum, but it appears that the agreement has not been long acted upon. Only one authorised report appeared. Our contemporary states that he cannot stand the assistance of fifteen extra editors, and has, therefore, declined to cairy out the agreement any longer. Fatal Accident. —Last evening a man named Edmond Hayton, living at Addington. met with an accident which terminated fatally. He is supposed to have gone to the well situated on the premises for the purpose of drawing water, and to have acoidentally overbalanced himself and fallen in. His wife heard a splash, and on ascertaining that her husband was in the well, obtained the assistance of two men who happened to be near at hand. After getting him out, Dr Patrick was immediately sent for, but the man was dead when he arrived. Gaol Returns. —The following was the state of her Majesty's gaols in Canterbury during the month of February. Lyttelton —For trial at the Supreme Court, 7; undergoing hard labor, 90; imprisonment, 12; lunatics, 6; debtors, 1; total. 106. Discharges Tried before magistrates, 23 ; lunatics, 6 ; total, 20. Addington Undergoing hard labor, 79; imprisonment, 9; lunatics, 2 ; total, 90. Discharges—Tried before the magistrates, 55 ; lunatics, 3. Timaru —For trial at the Supreme Court. 5; for trial at the District Court, 2 ; undergoing hard labor, 25 ; imprisonment, 2 ; total, 34. Discharges—Tried before the magistrates, 15. Of these last one prisoner is awaiting trial at the District Court, and admitted to bail. Tramway Compensation in Westland. —ln the Westland Provincial Council the other day the following resolution was proposed by the Provincial Secretary:—"That this Council resolve itself into committee of the whole to consider the following resolulutions:—" 1. That in the case of tramways where traffic was completely destroyed and the lines ceased running, a sum of £4OO per mile be awarded, subject to the protection at once ceasing, and any right in the land occupied by virtue of such proclamation revesting in the Government. 2. That in the case of tramways still in operation, a reduction of ,£IOO per mile be made in the rate of compensation, in consideration of the protection not being interfered with for the unexpired portion of the term." After some discussion the following amendment was carried: " That a select committee, consisting of the Speaker, the Provincial Secretary, Messrs Seddon, Cuming, White, O'Donovan, and the mover be appointed to consider and recommend to this Council the amount of compensation to be awarded to each tramway company, such committee to have power to take evidence, and to call for persons and papers." The Ram Fair.—The following are the auctioneers respective lots at the Ram Fair now going on :—Messrs B. Mitchell and Co, 100 Leues'er rams. Messrs J. and R. H. Campbell, Lincoln and Leicester rams, 30 ; merino, 25 ; improved Lincolns, 2. Mr R. Wilkin, Leicesters, 90; Romney Marsh, 10; Lincolns, 9; merinos, 28; not specified, 52. Messrs Matson and Co, Leicesters, 687; Lincoln-Leices-ters, 18; Lincolns, 157; Norfolk Downs, 1; Romney Marsh, 99; not specified, 199. Messrs J. T. Ford and Co, Leicesters, 29; Lincolns, 148; Lincoln-Leicesters, 17; Southdowns, 6; merinos, 35; Romney Marsh, 7: not specified, 44. Ewes, to be sold on Saturday—Mr R. Wilkin, Leicesters, 15; Lincolns, 89; Lincoln-Leicesters,79; Murray-Leicesters, 15; Romney Marsh, 75; Norfolk Downs, 25; improved Lincolns, 12; not specified, 46 Messrs Matson and Co, Lincolns, 93; Leicesters, 273; Lincoln-Leicesters, 115; not specified, 185. J. and R. H. Campbell, Lincolns, 15; Lincoln-Leicesters, 5; Romney Marsh, 180.

New Works tor the Public Library. —Some very valuable consignments of books have lately been received at the Public Library, the latest being two cases to hand by the ship Waimate, containing 322 vcls., invoiced at £lB7 8s 4d. They consist of historical, literary, geological, and chemical works, in English, French, Spanish, and Italian, their authors comprising Bacon, Baxter, Corneille, Hobbs, La Fontaine, La Montaigne, Dryden, DeFoe, Chalmers, Sir Thomas Browne, Smolle*t, Sismonrli, Racine. Pritchard (" History of Man"), Jew* ti (" Plato"), Pascal, Tyndal (" Fragments of Scipnce"), Owen (" Anatomy"), Niebuhr (•'History of Rome"), Neal ("Puritans") Dryden, Flugel ("German Dictionary"). Rousseau, Saint Simon, Clark and Glovei (" Shakespeare"), Newman and Baretti (" Spanish Dictionary"), Spon (" Dictionary of Engineering"), Tytler ( i( Scotland"), Watt (" Dictionary of Chemistry"), Wesley. Th< books are in excellent condition, and web bound and printed ; the gem, however, in this respect being Owen Jones' " Grammar of Ornament," which is not only richly bound, but is also a magnificent specimen of lithography,

Mr J. Grigg's Annual Ram Letting. —The annual letting of rams on account of Mr J. Grigg, of Longbeach, was held yesterday in Messrs H. Matson and Co.'s new wool stores. There was a good attendance, but biddings were extremely slack and low compared with last year. About 170 rams were submitted by Mr J. T. Matson, the prices obtained for the season ranging from £2 10s to £5.

Harvest Festival.—A harvest festua 1 service was held at St John the Baptist's last evening, when there was a large congregation, the church being crowded to excess. The church was prettily and appropriately decorated with evergreens, flowers, corn, and fruit, The choir stalls had wreaths of flowers interspersed with fruit, grain, and flowers ; the pulpit, lectern, and seats in the church being similarly decorated, whilst the beams and buttresses were also wreathed with evergreens, &c. The communion rails were most tastefully decorated, the spaces being rilled with devices formed with ears of wheat on scarletand blue grounds, alternated. In the east window was a handsome device, consisting of the words " Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness," most artistically worked with ears of wheat, and embossed with flowers on a scarlet and blue shield, which had a very pretty effect. The clergy taking part in the service were the Revs H. C. M. Watson (incumbent), R. S. Jackson, Hovell, and Glasson. The Rev Mr Jackson read prayers, the Revs Hovell and Glasson read the first and second lesson respectively and the Rev H. C. M. Watson preached, taking his text from John xii. v. 24, and 1 Cor. v 35-37. The music sung during the service was as follows: —Processional hymn, " Come be thankful people," also used as recessional ; Psalms lxv., cxlv., and cl.; Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis to Tr Garrett iu F ; the anthem was from " The Creation," commencing witb the recitative, " And God said Let theearth bring forth grass," and the solo, " With verdure clad," sung by Miss Rosina Carandini : chorus, " How manifold are Thy works," Barnby's setting ) hymns 224 and 238, with organ accompaniment, as in Mendelssohn's " Hymn of Praise." Mr Neville Barnet presided at the organ. The decorations, which will remain up over Sunday, were simple, appropriate, and beautiful. The material for the decorations, corn, fruit, flowers, &c, were contributed by Messrs W. Wilson, Packer, J. Fisher, and other parishioners, who gave most willingly. Now that contagious diseases are abroad, every housewife should use carbolic soap for household purposes, as it is a thorough disinfectant, and recommended by the faculty,— [Advt.]

A Michiganger has patented a self-rocking cradle, the motor being mercury in a porcelain line pipe corresponding in curve with the rocker and fastened to the cradle crosswise. He claims that this is as near to perpetual motion as anything that will ever be discovered.

European Languages.—A recent calculation relative to the European languages shows that English is spoken by 90,000,000 of persons, German by 45,000,000, Spanish by 55,000,000, and French by 45,000,000.