NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 405, 29 September 1875, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Athletic Club, —A meeting of the members of the Tradesmen’s Amateur Athletic Club will be held at the Garrick Hotel tomorrow evening to arrange the date of the sports, &c. Canterbury College.— A meeting of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College will be held on Friday next at 10 a.m, to receive and consider the report of the College committee. &.vonside Church.— The opening of the new transept at Avonside Church will be celebrated on Friday next by a full choral service at 7.30 p.m., the Right Rev the Primate preaching the sermon. At 6.30 a tea meeting will take place in the school room.

Kailway Rates.—As will bo seen from our report elsewhere, the committee of the Chamber of Commerce have determined on sending la deputation to the Government to urge a reduction in the rates of wharfage and carriage on the railway.

Curator to the Acclimatisation Society. —Twenty applications have been received by the secretary for this vacancy, and were remitted yesterday to the garden committee of the council for their selection aud recommendation.

Supplementary Suez Mail. The Hawea sailed South at 3.10 p.m. yesterday, taking with her a supplementary Suez Mail. As ;the Albion s.s is not expected to leave Port Chalmers till this afternoon, the Hawea will, no doubt, be in plenty of time to catch her.

Salmon Ova from California, —Action is to be taken at once, under the vote of the Provincial Council, by the council of the Acclimatisation Society, with the Dunedin Society and others, for the introduction of salmon ova from California. Mr Young, of Palmerston, a very successful pisciculturist, is to superintend the arrangements for the shipment. Telegraphic. —The steamer Ringirooma is expected to leave Hokitika on Friday, the Ist October. Telegrams for the Australian Colonies or Europe, via Java Cable, will be received at the Christchurch Telegraph office for transmission to Hokitika up till 10 a.m. of the Ist October. The steamer Albion is expected to leave the Blufi at 11 a.m. on Thursday, the 30th inst. Telegrams for the Australian Colonies or Europe via Java Cable, will be received at the Christchurch Telegraph office, for transmission to Bluff up till 10 a.m. of the 30th inst.

Trout Fishing. —At a meeting of the council of the Acclimatisation Society held yesterday, it was resolved to request bis Honor the Superintendent to proclaim the river Avon open for fishing with rod and line, from Ist November, 1875, until the 31st March, 1876, both days inclusive, to those persons who have taken out a license. The license fee was fixed at £l, It was also resolved to request his Honor to take steps to have Hagley Park opened for fishing to holders of licenses.

Ice Company,—An adjourned general meeting of the promoters of the proposed ice company was held yesterday afternoon at the Clarendon Hotel. There was a large attendance, Mr J, Beattie occupying the chair. After some conversation it was agreed that the proprietors of the machine and the provisional directors should erect the plant for the purpose of showing its' working, and that an arrangement should be entered into with an engineering firm to set it up, the proprietors guaranteeing the cost. For the present it will most probably be erected in Gloucester street, opposite the telegraph office.

Presentation, —A number of the friends of Mr West Chamberlain, driver of Sansom and Lee’s Northern coach from Leithfield to Hurunui, recently decided to make him a presentation which has taken the form of an address, beautifully illuminated by Mr Suckling, and a gold watch and gold Albert guard, the latter valued at £35, purchased on behalf of the subscribers, Mr Chamberlain is widely known and respected in the Northern district for his uniform kindness and attention to the wants of travellers. He spares no trouble in the discharge of his duties, and always exerts himself to the utmost, especially at times when the rivers are in flood, to forward the mails and newspapers. Inside the watch case is the inscription—“ To Mr West Chamberlain, the Northern Whip, from his friends and well wishers at Leithfield and Hurunui.” The presentation will be formally made over a glass of champagne at the Royal Hotel, Leithfield.

Meeting at Knightstown. —A largely attended meeting of the ratepayers of the Avon district was held last night in the new lecture room, Knightstown, to consider the last assessments made, and a special rate about to be levied in the district. Mr J. Hislop occupied the chair, and called on those who had inserted the advertisement calling the meeting to address those present. Mr Hawkins, as one of those who had called the meeting, came forward, and addressed it at some length, referring to the increased assessment compared with last year, and the special rate of two shillings just levied, Mr Price moved—“ That the meeting considers the assessment made for the general rate excessive in the highest degree.” Mr Hawkins seconded the resolution. After several speakers had addressed the meeting, the resolution was put and carried unanimously. Mr Butterfield moved—“ That we, the ratepayers bordering on the Caledonian road and Bdgware road, object to be rated for making any road for the church section, on the ground that it is unjust in the extreme, seeing that we have already had to pay our portion of those roads, and the making of them, for so many years.” Mr Toon seconded the resolution. After some of the former speakers had again addressed the meeting, the resolution was put and carried unanimously. It was resolved—- “ That all those present pledge themselves to attend at the Appeal Court the day it sits, and appeal against the assessments made.” It was also received—“ That the resolutions be placed before the Road Board by |a committee, to consist of Messrs Hawkins, Goodey, Cowper senior, and Heslop.” A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.

Inquest, South Rakaia. —An inquest was held on the body of John Anderson, reported in our issue of Monday last to have been killed by an accident* The inquest took place on Monday before Dr J. E. Trevor, coroner for the district, at the Rakaia hotel, Mr S. E. Poyntz being foreman of the jury. James Newland Sharp said that the deceased was at my house at the Rakaia on September 24th, at about 3 p.m, and was in company with James Ramsey ; he remained about an hour and a half, during which time he had tea and two glasses of beer; he then left with his dray ; this is the last time I saw him alive. He appeared to be perfectly sober and quite able to take charge of his team. He is a native of Aberdeenshire, in Scotland. John Thompson gave evidence corroborating the above witness. James Ramsey, a laborer, being sworn, said—l am employed by Mr Deardon, of Rakaia. On Friday last, September 24th, I was at the Rakaia with the deceased. We had tea together at Mr Sharp’s ; we left together with our teams. He was then quite sober. He only had a little beer at Sharp’s; we left for our home at Mr Deardon’s ; he was behind me only a few chains ; it was nearly dark ; the last time I saw jhim

was at Mr McLean’s house, about half-a-mile from the township ; he was then in the dray. I saw nothing more until I arrived at the station, about two and a half miles from the house ; the dray then passed me ; the horses were trotting; I did not see the deceased then, neither did Ihear him; it was toodark to see; I called out to the horses, no answer was given. I arrived at Mr Bearden’s, about six miles from the station, but did not again see the dray ; I found the deceased had not arrived, neither the dray, aud I informed my master. It was very dark, consequently I lost my way, and did not arrive at Mr Deardon’s till one o’clock on Saturday morning. There was about 15cwt on the dray ; one horse was yoked behind the dray. The deceased sat on the body of the dray, with his legs hanging over. Charles Brockelbank, a labourer living on Eakaia Island, said—On Saturday last at about 8.15 a.m., I was going to my work, and saw deceased lying on the track about a mile this side of Acton station. He was quite dead ; some other men came along ; they tried to lift him up, but he was quite dead and stiff. He was lying on his face. It was a sandy place where I found him ; the sand was not much disturbed—about enough to obliterate the wheel marks—but not so much as if there had been any severe struggle. There was a little sand on his clothes. The lower part of the legs of the trousers looked as if they had been slightly torn, otherwise his clothes were not much disturbed. I left the body, and gave information to the police. The body was clear of the wheel tracks. Peregrine Robert Deardon was next examined, and corroborated last witness as to finding the body of the deceased. Henry Hugh Chapman being sworn, said—l am a duly qualified medical practitioner residing at Leeston. I have this day made a post mortem examination of the deceased. There was an abrasion of the skin over the left hip, and a smaller one on the inner side of the right knee joint. I think they occurred at the time of the accident. No other external injury. There was a fractured ilium, from the crest downwards, considerable extravasion in the left iliac fossa; rupture of several mesenteric vessels in the bowels, and bruising of most of the contents of the pelvis. I think death would result from these injuries causing collapse, and that death would not be immediate ; that he might struggle about and thus have disturbed the ground. These injuries would be likely to result from the wheel of a dray passing over him, but could not have been the result of personal injury inflicted by another person. This concluded the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict that the deceased’s death resulted from an accident by a dray passing over his body. It has been arranged to combine pleasnre with business in the monster sale of boots and shoes at Spensley’s, Cashel street. A brass band, consisting of first-class musicians, has been engaged, and will perform on Saturday evening. Spensley must be very well satisfied with the patronage he has received to provide music free to the public. The sale is on for this month.— [Advt.] Many people do not know the reason why some descriptions of soap, when being used, cause the hands to smart and feel sore. It is simply owing to the imperfect knowledge of some soap boilers, who not being thoroughly acquainted with the ingredients they are using, do not compound them in a scientific manner, or as is more commonly the case, that manufacturers either try to pass off a spurious adulterated article, or else by using an undue quantity of the cheapest commodities, make one of inferior quality. We are aware that the Star Brand Soap is made on the strictest principles of chemical affinity, and that every care is taken by the manufacturers to produce an article possessing the strongest abstergent properties. All persons, whether old colonists or new arrivals, should use the Star Brand Soap, as it is the best in this market. [Advt.]

A stage coach for the Mikado of Japan is being constructed in San Francisco, at a cost of SCOOdol. The plated harness to match will cost lOOOdol more, and the makers have purchased two pairs of black horses, to fill the bill, at an additional expense of SOOOdol. It is stated that Madame Bres, the first lady to obtain a medical degree at the Sorbonne, has declined an offer of £40,000 a year as physician to the Sultan’s harem on condition of never going outside the building. She will attend the harem, but will practice in Constantinople like other doctors. The Japanese are shipping bricks to California, and sell them cheaper than those made in that State, notwithstanding that there is an ad valorem duty of 20 per cent on them. The Japanese brick is B£in long, wide, and thick. Public Opinion says—“ William Hone, the political pamphleteer of the early part of this century, though almost forgotten, won for himself a good place in the republic of letters by his judicious compilation— 1 Hone’s Every-day Book,’ ‘ Table Book,' ‘Year Book,’ &.c, This interesting series of entertaining works are to be issued in a uniform edition, under the title of * Hone’s Scrap Books.’ ”

Some serious disturbances have broken out in the School of Arts-et-Metiers at Chalons-sur-Marne. Certain punishments had been inflicted on some of the pupils for acts of insubordination, and a revolt broke out as a sequel. The mutineers barricaded themselves in the dormitories, smashed the 'furniture, and rejected Jthe remonstrances of the authorities. The Prefect of the Marne, the Procureur of the Republic, General Ragon, and the director of the school, made every effort to induce jthem to surrender, but unavailingly. The assistance of the troops had at last to be obtained. A marvel of mediaeval caligraphy and writing has been recently sent to Paris by an English bookseller, who bought it for 36,000 f, and is on the lookout for a purchaser at 42,0t)0f. It is a psalter from the monastery of St. Hubert, in Ardennes (Luxembourg), and is known as the psalter of Louis the Good. It is written in gold unicals, and contains verses in honor of the King to whom it was presented. The binding is on one side of ivory admirably chiselled, on the other of .wrought silver, representing the King who owned the manuscript. This psalter was described by Mabillon in the seventeenth century, and since the end of last century has been considered as lost. The skipper of an American schooner, a man named Brown, arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, recently, having in his possession the iron safe of the United States man of-war Cumberland, which was run into and sunk in Hampton Roads by the confederate ram Virginia, 1862. Divers had been at work on the wreck 10 years, having in view the recovery of this safe. The lucky man, Brown, had only been at the wreck 48 houn when he

found the safe buried in three or four feet of mud. The water at that place is 78ffc deep. By the explosion of a torpedo the safe was cracked, and'as it was hoisted on deck, a few pieces of gold coin dropped out. It is gene, rally believed that the safe contains between 60,000d01, and 100,000dol in gold.