NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 849, 14 March 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Public Buildings.— The tender of Mr Daniel Reese has been accepted for the erection of public buildings in Cathedral square, at, it is said, £14,000. Criminal Sittings,— Up to the present time there are sixteen prisoners for trial at the approaching sittings of the Circuit Court.

Grain Export.— The grain season has fairly set in; besides the three large vessels Floral Star, Sea Belle, and Wave —v/hich all sailed with large cargoes of grain, the s.s. Taupo was crammed to the hatches with 170 tons of wheat, oats. &c, lor Northern ports. Sunday Trains. The Philadelphia Fuhlie Ledger says that railway trains are not to be permitted for the future to run on Sundays in Canada. The Dominion Government has issued orders that no trains are to be run on Sundays, excepting in cases of great emergency. Of this emergency the authorities are to be the judges, no Sunday train being permitted except on direct Government order.

Legal. —The first sittings in Chambers and Banco, after the long vacation, was held yesterday. A large amount of business was transacted, the Court being occupied until after four o’clock. In the case Mitchell v Mitchell, demurrer to plaintiff's declaration in an action for specific performance, judg. ment was given for plaintiff with costs. For defendant, Mr Joynt obtained leave to plead on payment of costs.

Cricket —V1,0.0.0. Second Eleven v Papanui 0.0. — fhe return match between these teams will be played on the U.0.C.0. ground on Saturday next. Play to commence punctually at 2 p.m. The following are the sides M.G.C.C,—Reeder, H. and 8. Smith, Palairet, Barringer, Hisiop, Turner, Taylor, Mclntyre, Thompson, and B. P. Moore. Papanui—G, and D. Dickinson, J. and W. Homer, Hack, Hill, Rev Brittan, Pavitt, Ritso, Marsden, and Jennings. Gaol Return. —The chief gaoler’s return for the month ending February Bth, shows that during that month there had been 124 male prisoners in Lyttelton, 72 male and 24 female prisoners at Addington, 68 male and 3 female prisoners at Timaru. The numbers discharged were—From Lyttelton 22. from Addington 53, and from Timaru 48, the bulk of those discharged being prisoners tried before the Magistrates. St Mary's, JMerivale.— The harvest festival at this church was held on Sunday last. The church presented a most pleasing appearance, the font and chancel being beautifully decorated by members of the congregation with corn, flowers, and fruit. The services, which were very largely attended, were fully choral and effectively rendered by the parish choir, assisted by a few friends who kindly gave their services for the occasion. The sermons, both morning and evening, were preached by the curate ( Rev Thos Fiavell). The anthem “ O Lord how manifold are thy works ” (by Barnty), and the hymn “ Come ye thankful people come,” were sung at both services. The offertories were devoted to the sick and needy fund of the parish.

The Trans-Atlantic Carriage of Colonial Mails —We find the following in the European Mail " Those who send letters to Australia and Sew Zealand, by way of San Francisco, will learn with regret that by some complications in the arrangements the mails in future “will be forwarded only by the slow lines of steamers which cross the Atlantic. Of late, owing to a combination between the Inman and White Star lines, the Thursday evening mail to New York has been carried with a despatch altogether unprecedented ; and letters posted in London on Thursday have been delivered in New York on the Saturday or Sunday week following. The new arrangement will, however, entirely dispense with the services of such vessels as the Britannic, Germanic, Celtic, City of Berlin, City of Richmond, and City of Chester, and substitute for these fast ships others whose average time in making the trip from Queenstown to Sandy Hook is at least two days longer.” Infected Cattle.—A case was brought at Raogiora on Tuesday, against a Kaikoura dealer, in which the police appear to have acted very promptly in detaining a mob of cattle at the north side of the Waipara, coming from a supposed infected district in Marlborough. The person in charge admitted that he was testing the question whether cattle could be brought into Rangiora sale yards from the Kaikoras. If the proclamations made by the Superintendent in 1871 are still valid, the importation of cattle from Marlborough is an infringement of the Diseased Cattle Acts and the regulations made thereon. The cattle, numbering eighteen he?.d, are in charge of two troopers in a paddock at Weka Pass It appears they tvere driven to the point at which they were stopped, via a back track across Parnassus and runs, which the owner stated would save a day and half in the journey. Had they been brought the usual road the trooper stationed at the Humnui in pursuance of the proclamation would have detained them there. The further hearing of the case will be resumed next Tuesday. It is reported that a mob from the same district about a month ago passed into the centre of this province, and was disposed of before the affair became known !o the vi*hcriticßi

Mr B. L. Farjeon.— The contributor to the columns of the European Mail of town gossip of colonial interest report that a marriage has been “arranged” between Mr B L. B'arjeon, the popular author, and Miss Jefferson, the daughter of Mr Joseph Jefferson, the eminent actor of “Rip Van Winkle ”

Uangiora District School Committee. —A meeting of the committee of these s -bools was held on Monday evening ; present, Mr A. 11. Cunningham, chairman, and Messrs Blackett, Ellis, Aherue, and Stephens. Miss Agnes Robinson, assistant teacher, tendered her resignation, on the ground that she was anxious to devote her time to study to enable her to attend the classes at the Normal School. The committee accepted the resignation, and the chairman was requested to express the regret felt by the committee at losing so efficient an assistant, and to congratulate her on her rapid and satisfactory progress. Miss F. Stephens was elected pupil teacher, subject to the approval of the Board of Education. The meeting then adjourned.

It totally unfits a man for the appreciation of the beauties and comforts of winter to start into the cellar after kindling and find out that he is swimming for his life in four feet of ice water, with the cellar steps tangled in his hair.