NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 308, 8 June 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Peovincial Solicitorship.—We understand that Mr P. J. Garrick has been appointed Provincial Solicitor.

The Sumner Eoad. The Lyttelton Borough Council notify that the Lyttelton side of the Sumner road is unsafe for dray or horse traffic.

R. M. Court. —The following inebriates were dealt with:—James Esdell was fined ss; John Pope, who was also charged with creating a disturbance in the White Swan Hotel was fined 10s; James Sandhaven was fined ss.

Vote for the City.—His Worship the Mayor and Cr Bishop were appointed a deputation last night from the City Council to wait upon the Government with reference to the proposed vote for the city. Public Buildings.—As will be seen by our report of the special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, held yesterday afternoon, the Chamber has resolved to forward a memorial to the General Government, asking them to proceed with the public buildings. Sudden Death.—Robert Protheroe, who was formerly mate of the Elizabeth Carle, schooner, and who was lodging at the Saxon Hotel, Lyttelton, died very suddenly last night. He had been drinking hard, and is supposed to have died from taking an overdose of some preparation of opium to produce sleep.

•Kaiapoi Episcopalian Church.—On Sunday last, at morning service, the Rev H. E. Carlyon, 8.A., was instituted cura f eof the parish'of Kaiapoi, by the Most Rev the Primate, Bishop of the diocese of Christchurch, and duly received the key of the church from the churchwardens, in presence of the parishioners. Owing to the unfavorable weather the attendance at church was somewhat limited. The Primate preached from I. Cor., chap iii., verse 9—" For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's buikTng." He alluded to the duties of a clergyman and the assistance which he ought to receive from his parishioners. The Holy Communion was administered at the close of the service. At evening service the Rev H. E. Carlyon preached a sermon having reference to his institution into the charge of the parish. Mins Parnham kindly presided at the harmonium on both occasions. In conneciiou with Church matters, it may be said ihe curate is anxious to bring together a choir, and iu that respect effect an improvement in the musical service of the church. Choir practices are arranged to be held on Wednesday evenings. It is also purposed to establish a communicants' class, to meet for the first time on Friday evening. The new Sunday-school having been finished and opened, it is intended to hold morning and afternoon classes in it on Sundays, with oc casional children's services. The Primate on Sunday afternoon conducted divine service, assisted by Mr Wilson, lay-reader, at the Island Chapel-of-ease, in the parish of Kaiapoi. There was an attendance of over seventy persons, a fair number considering the inclement weather,

Victoria Bridge.—The side walksontaide this bridge have been completed, and the carriage-way is now asphalted the full width, and is a great convenience for the traffic, which is largely increasing over the bridge. Ashburton Race Meeting.—A public meeting will be held in the Court House, Ashburton, on Tuesday, 15th instant, at 8 p.m, to consider the advisability of forming a permanent committee to make arrangements for fencing in the racecourse reserve.

Narrow Escape.—A man named Charles Joyce had a very narrow escape yesterday from being killed. He was riding out of Page's stables, and at the intersection of High and Cashel streets the horse commenced to rear, and fell over on him. Joyce was picked up and conveyed to his lodgings, whin it was found that two of his ribs were broken and the lower portion of his body much bruised. The Waimakariri High Tide —On Saturday evening the tide, driven in by the S.W. gale, was higher than witnessed for some time past. The water entered a house occupied by Mr W. Wright and his family, near the mouth of the river, so seriously as to necessitate their removal by boat to Kaiapoi, and on Monday it was found the sand had drifted in considerable quantities into the house. Backing up the Saltwater Creek, a small confluent of the Waimakariri, the tide caused an overflow on to a paddock belonging to Mr Isaac Saunders, in which were 200 superior bred sheep. The animals, unable to escape, to the number of about 170 were drowned. The overflow from the same cause also passed along the south side of the beach road, inundating land occupied by Messrs Heeney, Burridge, Hicks, Hurse, and others, also finding its way to a depth of six inches into Mr Hicks' house. The water fell as rapidly as it rose, except in places from which its escape was not permitted by the nature of the ground.

The Frenchman Rescued from the BLACKS.—The following particulars concerning the rescue of the Frenchmen from the blacks at Rossall Island are contained in a telegram from Brisbane, dated May 22nd, published in the Sydney Evening JVetvs : Narcisse Pierre Pallatier is the son of a shoemaker of Bordeaux, aud was employed in 1858 as a cabin boy on board the ship St. Paul, bound from China to Australia, with 350 Chinese on board. The ship struck on a reef in the Louisida Group, and became a total wreck All hands got ashore on an uninhabited island, but fears being felt by the European portion of the crew that the Chinese would eat them, the former left for a neighboring island. They were there attacked by blacks, and the second officer, a sailor, and an apprentice were killed. . The remainder of the party sailed back in a boat which had been saved from the ship to the island where the Chinese had been left. The Europeans did not remain there long. They comprised the captain, seven sailors, and cabin boy, and they sailed away again from the island, at night time, hoping to reach Australia. Being in an open boat, and not being well supplied with provisions and water, their sufferings were frightful. After traversing 600 miles of ocean they landed at Red Rocky Point, south of Cape Direction, and there the shipwrecked crew found a small waterhole with sufficient water in it for all, but the men drank to excess, aud consumed all the water, leaving none for the cabin boy, and they afterwards left the place without him. A tribe of blacks, coming across the tracks of the party from the boat to the waterhole, followed them and discovered the boy, and have treated him kindly ever since. Meanwhile, the cannibals on the Louisida Island ate the greater part of the Chinese, two by two, in a most methodical manner, until only seventeen were left. These escaped to sea. When the boy Pallatier was discovered by the captain and crew of the ship John Bell he was stark naked, his body was scarified, and his ear ornamented with a piece of wood. He did not want to leave the tribe of blacks he had been with, and after his arrival at Somerset in the John Bell he was restless and uneasy, and tried to escape. He is now reconciled. Extraordinary to relate, he retains a knowledge of reading and writing French, and he is rapidly regaining speech. He makes clever sketches of Australian animals. He was brought to Brisbane to-day, and a subscription has been started for him. The money will be given to the French consul to send the boy to France, where his mother and brothers are.

Floods on Banks' Peninsula.—This district has been, again visited by a terrific gale and by heavy floods. On Friday evening last the wind veered round to the south-east, and blew with great violence, at the same time accompanied by very heavy rain. This continued without intermission during the night and the whole of the following day, causing a flood heavier than had been known on the Peninsula for many years. The quantity of water which flowed down the hillsides was incalculable, far greater than any of the drains and culverts could carry off, and consequently inundating the roads and paddocks, and making the lower parts of the bays have much the appearance of an extension of the rivers. The damage which has been done is very considerable. In Okain's Bay, beside the injury done to the roads by landslips and such a volume of water rushing down them, and to all the neighboring paddocks and gardens, three bridges on the main valley road have been swept away and smashed up, and two others rendered unsafe and useless. The bridge leading to the schoolmaster's residence was cairied away bodily, and deposited a short distance below on the bank. The paddocks in the vicinity of the upper part of the river are strewn with driftwood and debris of bridges. At the prese at time the river is so blocked up with timber, that a considerable quantity of water is still making its way down the Main road. Mr Thacker, sawmill proprietor, will suffer heavily in loss of bridges and tramway. Two substantially-built bridges—one of which was only completed on Friday, were swept away entirely and broken to pieces—and the greater part of his tramway has been washed away, covered, or unballasted. This is much to be regretted, as the damage of the last flood is only just repaired, and the mill will Mgain be prevented from working for six or eight weeks longer. On Saturday last, the Akaroa coach did not succeed in getting any further than Geo. Franks', the Beach Arms Hotel. The pole of the coach gave way just after leaving Shakespeare's; this, together with frightful weather, caused the delay. No blame whatever can be attached to the driver (Mr Macfarlane), who did all he could possibly do to get through. The Wild Wave schooner lies stranded on the beach, about one and a half miles from the Beach Arms. No lives lost,

The Caeandinis.—The admirers of this talented family in Canterbury, and they are many, will be glad to learn that they are now giving concerts up-country in New South Wales, with very great success. Madame, and the Misses Faunie and Lizzie, accompanied by Messrs Sherwin and Amrey, recently gave a concert at Hay, which, despite the unfavorable weather, was crowded to excess, and the numerous encores they received fully testified to the enjoyment of those present. Their season in the town has been a very brilliant one, crowded houses being the rule, and the local paper speaks in the highest terms of the rendering by this talented company of the various items on a long programme. Mr and Mrs Cotterill have gone on a tour to Western Australia, where they have been delighting large audiences, and they are shortly iutending to take a tour through India and the East,

St Michael and All Angels.—A meeting of the parishioners was held last evening at the schoolroom, for the purpcse of electing a parishioners' churchwarden in the place of Mr W. Brittan, jun,, resigned in consequence of his having been elected church steward. The chair was taken by the Rev H. J. Edwards, incumbent, who opened the proceedings with prayer. Mr Lock wood proposed, and Mr W. H. Smith seconded, Mr F. de c Malet to the vacancy, which was carried unanimously. Mr Brittan was then proposed and duly elected as a member of the vestry in the room of Mr Malet. A cordial vote of thanks to Mr Brittan for his past services as churchwarden was proposed by Mr J. Palmer, and heartily responded to by those present. The meeting was closed by the rev chairman pronouncing the Benediction.

Torres Straits Mails.—Writing about the Torres Straits mail steamers, the Sydney Evening News remarks : which has attended the new line of steamers of the E. and A. M. Company has induced them to procure larger and faster steamers than was at first contemplated. The Bowen, of 1700 tons burden, and 260 horse power nominal, and 1300 horse effective, has recently bean launched on the Clyde, and left there on the 16th inst. for Singapore, and will bring the July mails to Australia. The Bowen is a sister ship to the Singapore and Brisbane, and will run the mails in conjunction with these steamers till the Queensland, a still larger vessel, viz, 2500 tons burthen, now building on the Clyde, is placed on the line. The Norman by and Somerset will be kept as spare steamers."

The West Coast Road.—Mr Cassidy, contractor for the West Coast mails, arrived in Chribtchurch last evening at 7 p.m., by the South train. He left the Cass on Sunday morning, with the coach, at nine o'clock, but in consequence of a heavy fall of snow having blocked up the road, he was only able to make Castle Hill at nightfall. Having shifted the mails on to pack-horses, he yesterday morning proceeded to Porter's Pass, where he arrived at 2 p.m. He then took a buggy and drove with the mails to the Malvern railway station, whence they were conveyed by train to Christchurch. The rainstorm which prevailed in Christchurch and the plains on Friday night and Saturday was a heavy snowstorm on the mountains, accompanied by a furious gale, which drifted the snow into the gullies and road, rendering it temporarily impassable. Men are however at work clearing the snow from the road, which has sustained no injury, so it is probable that the mails which leave Christchurch this morning will be delivered in Hokitika on Wednesday evening. ■ The telegraph line has been damaged at the lower crossing of the Kowai river, the wires being broken and lying in the water, and between Willis's and the Kowai several of the posts have been bent and some broken by the force of the gale. The line is, however, being repaired as quickly as possible.

Foreign Loans.— " Some curious facts," the Pall Mall Gazette states, "have been elicited by the House of Commons committee which is now investigating the subject of the negotiation of foreign loans. It has been stated, for instance, that although the annual revenue of the State of Honduras does not amount to more than £IOO,OOO, it has been able to obtain loans to the amount of £5,000,000 sterling. The same state was unable for some years to pay a debt of £4OOO, as security for which it had hypothecated its entire revenue ; and the interest on the debt of £5,000,000 is now in arrear to the amount of £1,150,000. It was also stated that a loan of £15,000,000, which was withdrawn because the public declined to take it up, was nevertheless stated in some of the daily papers, between the issue of the prospectus and the withdrawal, to have been 'dealt in largely 'at If to 1J premium. A witness from the Stock Exchange stated that Sir J. Barnard's Act, which declares bargains before allotment void, and Mr Leeman's Act, which renders all bargains in bank shares illegal, unless the numbers of the shares are supplied on sale, are both inoperative—and that, in fact, 'it would be impossible to do business ' if they were regarded."

Popular Concerts.—The first of a series of popular conceits under the conductorshipof'Mr J. T. M. Smith, was given last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, and we were glad tosee such a large attendance, the Hall being filled. The opening piece by the choir, Stevens' glee—" Blow, blow, thou winter wind,"' went well, though the voices wanted keeping a little more in hand, some of the parts being rather too prominent. Miss Kissel sang Kucken's song, "Bird, fly from hence" fairly, but it is hardly suited to her voice, which is excellent in the lower no'.es ; a piece set lower |than the one under notice would have been far more successful. Mr Cliff's song, " Thinking of home," was very nicely rendered, and the same may be said of the chorus from " Maritana," which shewed evident signs of practice. Mr Johnson sang "The four jolly smiths'' very well indeed, and was encored. Miss Winter, though to our mind pitching the key somewhat Mgb, was successful in Reichardt's well-krown song " Love's request," and in response to an encore gave " Jessie, the flower of Dumblaue " capitally. In the part song " We've stacked the load," for male voices, there was a. slight want of harmony in some of the parts, but generally it went well. An apology was tendered for Mr R. Parker not appearing, and Mr Searell played a brilliant pjano solo excellently. In the second part the two German songs and Miss Winter's rendering of " Kate O'Shane," were the principal items, the chorus and part songs being also good, Altogether the concert was a success, and we hope Mr Smith will see his way to give them weekly instead of fort» nightly ai announced,

The Late Stobm.—ln the northern dis trict the violence of Saturday's storm was more or less severely felt, but the flocd ; ng of the country was less than anticipated, and confined to isolated localities. The snow on the ranges on Monday gave additional evidence of the severity of the weather. It was probably satisfactory to see the mountains in a white mantle, for had the rains been continuous there, floods would have been the certain result. The damage done so far as can be ascertained is not worthy of mention. The Flaxton, Ohoka, and Eyre districts came in for slight floods. The Ashley on Monday had decreased to nearly its usual volume. The Oxford railway works recently made were not injured, as the culverts were sufficient to carry off the water freely.

Cable to New Caledonia.—Referring to the proposed cable from Queensland to New Caledonia, the Brisbane correspondent of the Sydney Evening News writes :—" I have been favored with a perusal of the correspondence between Mr Audley Coote (on behalf of a large firm he is connected with) and the Government of Queensland, relative to the construction of a cable between Noumea, New Caledonia, and Moreton Island, Queensland. In the first communication Mr Coote simply asks that the Government would give him reasonable assistance. He candidly states that he is agent for a large firm, who are in communication with the French Government for the laying of a cable between New Caledonia and Queensland, and that the French Government had offered a subsidy of £BOOO per annum for the laying of the cable and keeping it in repair. He explained that this sum would only yield 3J per cent interest, and that negotiations were being made to have a guarantee of 5 per cent, probably £11,500 or £12,000 on the cost and working expenses. The Postmaster General, Hon George Thorn, on behalf of the Queensland Government, replied that a lease of land would be given at Moreton Island, at a nominal rental, for the purpose of landing the cable, and the erection of necessary buildings. The length of the cable from Noumea to Moreton Island would be about 700 miles. From our telegrams it would appear that the work will be proceeded'with shortly."

Little River. —Wreck of the Wild Wave. —A correspondent of the Press writes: —The storm on Saturday did considerable damage to the road through the Little River Bush. There are some heavy slips, which entail some loss upon the contractors on the Little River side of the Barry's Bay saddle. On the Barry's Bay Bide there are Blips which will stop the coach for a day or two. There is the usual amount of fallen timber on the Little River side, which can be easily removed in a few hours*. With reference to the storm, the rush of water from the hills is rapidly rilling up Lake Forsyth, and it is already beginning to encroach on the main Christchurch and Akaroa road, and it. is evident that in the course of a week or so all traffic will have to be suspended for perhaps several months. This is much to be deplored, as the constantly increasing traffic and requirements of the Little River necessitate a constantly available good mad. This is constantly recurring year after year, and it is a great pity that our rulers cannot see their way to prevent it. There have been hundreds of pounds given to surveyors for levels and what not, with no practical result. The schooner Wild Wave was diiven on the beach on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning. It appearsjthat she was anchored, in company with several others, in Timaru roadstead, and when the storm burst she cut and run. At daybreak on Sunday, Mr Franks, of the Beach Hotel, observed the masts of a schooner on the beach about a mile and a half from the house. He promptly saddled his horse and started at once for the wreck. He found the vessel thrown high and dry on the beach. The crew, consisting of the master and two men, were quietly walking on the beach, and it may be supposed were overjoyed to see a fellow mortal making towards them with a very acceptable allowance of grog in his possession. The men describe the storm as being something fear'ful. They' lost all command of the schooner, and were driven where the wind listed. It was pitchy dark, and they had no idea where 'they were. Had they been a mile and a half further north there would would have been • nothing b#t -«f>Unters left to tell the tale. The principal owner of the vessel is Mr JLattee, of Barry's Bay. She is laden with ttimber. It is possible that she may be got off \next springtides if the weather is favorable.

Heavy Suit in South Australia.—The South Australian Register, of the 24th ult, Bayß :—The trial of the issues of fact in the important action against the Government, Dalwood v Blackmore, is to be commenced in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. May 25tb, before his Honor the Chief Justice, Sir K. D. Hanson, and a jury. The case arises out of the construction of the overland telegraph line. Messrs Darwent and Dalwood contracted to construct between the sth November, 1870, and the Ist January, 1872, sections A and B of the line, each section being 250 miles in length, at a cost of £6O a mile for section A, and £B9 a mile for section B. The contractors were to find all materials excepting wire, which was to be supplied by the Government —50 tons at the time the time the men were sent to the work, and the balance to be forwarded immediately on the arrival of a ship from England in December, 1870. Early in May, 1871, the contractors had poled the first section, and wired 156 miles of it. They then had only from three Vto eight miles of wire left, and with that tfchey did not think it worth while to shift itheir camp, as they were expecting the remaining wire to arrive every day. On the Bth May, 1871, Mr M'Minn, representing the Government, annulled the contract five days before the wire arrived. This the contractors say he did wrongfully and mala fide, and they also allege that he wrongfully seized the stock and plant, &c. The plaintiff, therefore, claims £50,000 for breach of contract, £35,700 for work and labour done, and £34.280 for interest on the two preceding amounts for four years at 10 per cent. The total claim consequently reaches the startling sum of £119,980. The Government plead that the contractors were not ready and willing to complete the contracts, that the works were not progressing in a satisfactory manner, and that therefore Mr M'Minn was justified in the course he pursued. On these pleas issue has been joined. Mr Ingleby, Mr J. W. Downer, and Mr Sheridan will appear for Mr Dalwood ; and Mr Way, Q.C, Mr Symon, and Mr Barlow for the Government. The brief (?) to counsel extends over 300 pages, and there is quite an army of witnesses to be examined. If the trial proceeds in the ordinary way it must last for at least the time estimated by his Honor the Chief Juitice, viz, three weeks.