NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 660, 1 August 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press Agency.—This Agency has apparently undertaken a new branch of business lately, that of advertising agenta. We received a telegram this morning announcing that the August number of a Wellington publication had appeared. We do not know what remuneration the Agency receives from its spirited proprietors, but not only has no money order accompanied the advertisement sent to us, but we have been called on to pay the cost of the telegram as well. We have long borne with patience the eccentricities of the Agency, but this is beyond a joke. St Michael and All Angels.—At a largely attended meeting of parishioners held last evening in St Michael's schoolroom, Mr R.J. S. Harman, who had resigned the position of parishioners'churchwarden, and the vestry who had also resigned, were unanimously re-elected. A report of the proceedings appears elsewhere. The Dunlop Concert.—We feel sure we need do no more than remind our readers that the concert in aid of the widow and family of the late Mr D. N. Dunlop takes place this evening. The programme is an exceptionally good one, and this coupled with the fact that the case is one in which the charitable feelings of the residents have been worthily invoked, will we are sure result in a crowded house. The Townend Case.—We are informed that Mr J. M. Thompson has received petitions bearing over 3000 signatures, to his Excellency the Governor, praying for a remission of sentence in the case of W. P. Townend, convicted at last session of the Supreme Court. A number of lists have yet to come in before sending the complete document to Wellington. The Artesian Wells.—lt was stated at the meeting of the Drainage Board yesterr day, by the engineer, that the discharge of water from the city during twenty-four hours reaches the large quantity of 240 gallons per head of the population, the greater part of which was artesian water. The Board have decided to add a clause to the proposed amendments in the Act, giving power to the Board to control the artesian wells throughout the city. The Bridges throughout the City/. The city surveyor, in his report yesterday, detailed the mode of supervision exercised on the various bridges throughout the city. In referring to Manchester street bridge, he said he hoped it would be again open for traffic in a few days ; the unavoidable delay in connection with this bridge had occurred through the difficulty experienced in procuring the required timber. Fires.—la Mr Superintendent Harris's r:poit submitted yesterday to the Oounc 1, ; is shown the number of occasions on which the brigade have had io turn out durirg the past year—viz, buildings on fire, 20; unnecessary alarms, 2; falsa alarm, 1; gorge fence on fire, 1; chimneys on fire, 2; total, 26. Cr Bird expressed a hope that measures would be taken to prevent a repetition of the ringing of the bells which occurred on the occasion of the late false alarm. Prime Meat.—There was a splendid show at Messrs Garforth and Lee's, at Lyttelton, on Saturday. A three-year-old steer, bred by Mr Parkinson, at Kaituna, and a heifer from the same run, took the honors as far as beef is concerned, the Bteer weighing over 1000 and the heifer nearly 9001 b. In mutton there were some prime twotooth Southdowns bred by Mr Maskrey, of Prebbletou, weigh1151bs each, and some very heavy half-bred Lincoln?, bred by Mr Lee, of Southbridge. Altogether it was such a show as is seldom seen in midwinter in Port. This Streets and Footpaths.—At yest(rJay's meeting of the City Council, the Mayor referred at length to the present state of the streets aud footpaths. The remarks of his Worship will be found in our report of the proceedings. The works committee promised to give instructions for the hand scrapers to be more generally used on the footpathß,while the present weather continues. The surveyor in his report gives a statement of what has been done during the last six months " to render the roads and footpaths of city in as good a condition as possible during the winter months." Aquatics.—Though scarcely the season for aquatics, a race took place on the Avon on Saturday last, between two contestants well known in sporting circles. The race was rowed in the Cygnet and Swan, and the conditions were a mile, the lighter weight receiving fifty yards start. Considerable inteiest was evinced, and there was a goodly number of lookers on from the bank. Both men got well away, the pace being pretty warm, On reaching Stanmore bridge the heavy weight began to draw up, and had succeeded in retrieving some ten yards of the start given. Up the reach to the Willows, the winning post, both men spurted gallantly, but the heavier rower gradually overhauled his antagonist, and ultimately on reaching what he took to be the winning post, managed to get his boat about a foot ahead. Overjoyed at his victory he rose in his boat to cheer, and immediately collapsed. Those on the bank apprised him of his mistake, and gatheriug himself up he again went to work, and ultimately succeeded in winning a well-rowed race by about a yard, The match was for £lO aside.

Sporting. We understand that Mr Nosworthy has purchased the Ada colt for £450. Resident Magistrate's Court. The only criminal case brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning was an inebriate, who was discharged with a caution. Gas in Lyttelton.—At a meeting of the directors of the Lyttelton Gas Company it was resolved to reduce the price of gas from 18s to 15s per 1000 ft. The Shooting Season. —The season for shooting native game closed yesterday; though some good bags have been made during its continuance, taken throughout the shooting has not been good. New Cabstand.—On the motion of Cr Gapes the Council decided yesterday to form the triangular piece of roadway on the west side of the Market place for the convenience of omnibuses and cabs. Ecclesiastical Matters in Scotland. —The following information supplied by the Edinburgh correspondent of the Daily Times may be interesting to the members of the Presbyterian Church in Canterbury. The letter is dated June Bth :—" The great feature of the past month, so far as Scotland is concerned, has been the holding of the annual sessions of the great Church Courts, Established, Free, and U.P. Much that is of interest to Scotchmen transpired at their sittings, but I must of course confine myself to a few leading points only. The Earl of Galloway was Lord High Commissioner this year, and in consequence of the change the crowds at the opening procession were more than usually great, I have sought in vain to find in the reports data for a comparative statement of the strength of the respective churches, but I subjoin such figures as I have been able to obtain with this end :—l. The Established Church now possesses 1164 parishes, 39 Parliamentary parishes, 152 unendowed churches, and 118 preaching and mission stations—total, 1473. This is an increase of 235 since the Disruption. Returns received from 1212 of these parishes, &c, show that last year they raised £350,621, as compared with £282,834 in the preceding year. 2. The Free Church at the beginning of the session had 947 charges, but now (as is explained below) has 984. The total funds raised by the Church last year amounted to £534,450, being an increase for the year of £9OOO. The sustentation fund amounted to £166,837. There are now 836 charges on the equal dividend platform. Of these, 553 get £193 each, 125 get £175 each, and 128 get £157 each. 3. The United Presbyterian Church has on its roll 620 congregations, with 190,242 members in full communion. The total income of the Church in 1875 76 amounted to £419,965, being, by £55,912, the largest annual income in the annals of the U.P. body. The average stipend of the ministers is £247 Is 3d. In the Established Church Assembly the Ormiston clerical scandal, mentioned in my last, occupied a great deal of time, the assembly sitting till five in the morning, and eventually acquitting the accused. A curious incident happened in the course of the debate. One of the charges against the accused minister was that on one occasion he manifested his inebriety by knocking over a glass of water. While the debate was proceeding, the Sheriff of Rosa and Cromarty accidentally did this very thing, and the accused's counsel promptly turned the incident to account, amid the laughter of the Assembly. The great event of the clerical sessions, however, was the union of the Reformed Presbyterian, or Cameronian Church, with the Free Church, after a separate existence of 200 This interesting event took place on May 25th, wheu the members of the Reformed Presbyterian Synod sixty-nine strong, marched ia procession from the Martyrs' Church, George IV Bridge, to the Free Assembly Hall, where they were received with greatenthusiasmby the densely crowded house. The evening sitting was given up to congratulatory addresses on the event, when Dr Begg quite excelled himself, Next morning a breakfast with the same object of rejoicing took place in the Music Hall, when about 500 ladies and gentlemen were present. By thia union, 36 out of the 37 ministers of the Reformed Presbyterian Church havj become incorporated with the Free Church, one only not adhering to the union. Trouble hab arisen in the R, P. congregation at Whithorn over the union, tbe manager of the church strenuously opposing ifc. Last Sunday they fastened the door of the church with a bolt, locked the vestry door, mid filled the keyhole with gravel. The minister (Rev Mr Paton), broke open both doors with a crowbar, and held service as usual, It is likely, however, that the matter will give more trouble yet. Dr M'Lauchlan, Edinburgh, in his closiDg address as moderator of the Free Church Assembly, said:—' It is cause of serious pain to some of us who know the case, that there is so much difficulty in meeting the demands of the colonies. Applied to as I often am for a Gaelic minister, I feel much grieved when I find it imposible to procure one for the field.' Dr M'Lauchlan, I may add, is Convener of the Highlands and Islands Committee of the Free Church."