NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 862, 29 March 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Accident. —A man named George Lancaster was unloading heavy timber from a truck at the Gladstone Pier this morning, when the end of one piece jammed his leg against a large stack of timber, and severely crushed that part of the leg below the knee. He was carried home and quickly attended to by Dr McDonald. Narrow Gauge Lines—The narrow gauge lines are being laid down on the wharves at Lyttelton. Already there is connection with the No 3 Wharf and along the Breastwork, and yesterday operations were commenced at the Screw Pile Jetty. This will be an immediate advantage to all shippers, as hitherto goods from narrow gauge waggons could only be discharged at the Gladstone Pier. Cricket.—A match will take place on Saturday next, on the Asylum ground, between the United Printers and the Sunnyside Club. A close match is expected, as we hear that the Sunnysiie Club will have the assistance of two or three gentlemen from Christchurch. The following will represent the United Printers :—Messrs Atack, Gray, Ellis, French, Francis, Gohns, Asquith, Meadows, Buckland, Frith, and Ashbolt. Town Halls—As in Christchurch, the question of erecting a town hall is exercisiug the minds of Councillors and ratepayers in Wellington and Dunedin. In the City Council of the latter, Mr Fish has given notice of the following motion :—" That in view of the financial position of the Corporation, the idea of presently building a town hall in the Octagon be abandoned, and in lieu thereof, the present offices be sufficiently enlarged to meet the reqairements of the Council." No SAVEE.—In the hearing of the libel action brought by " the betting Chinaman," Ley Fum, againßt the proprietors of the Australasian, one of the witnesses explained that the expression "no savee" is only used by the lower class of Chinamen ; it is a vulgarism and means " I don't know anything, and don't want to know anything about it." He added that there was only one betting Chinaman in Victoria, and that was the plaintiff He was not askf d as to the probable number of gambling Celestials. Bazaar. —A bazaar of fancy and useful articles of needlework, &c, in connection with the St Asaph street United Methodist Free Church was opened yesterday at the Oddfellows' Hall. There was a fair attend ance, and the stall keepers did a very good business during the evening. It will be resumed to-day, when no doubt the attendance will be improved. There are a number of articles yet to be sold, and the bazaar is, as a whole, well worth a fisit,

Christcrurch City Guards.—The members of this company will parade this evening, at the drill-shed, at 7.30 p.m, for inspection by the commanding officer.

Conscience Money—The Commissioner of Cuatoms in Victoria acknowledges the receipt of eight guineas as conscience money " for duties unpaid," from some unknown person. Only these three words were written in the note.

Poll op Burgesses—His Worship the Mayor gives notice that a poll of the burgesses will be taken at the City Council Chambers on Saturday next, between 9 am. and 6 p.m., to decide the question of acquiring the town section known as Morten's block.

Penitentiary Congress.—lt is understood to brt the intention of the Colonial Government to ask Mr H. B. Gresson, exjudge of the Bupreme Court, Canterbury district, who is at present on a visit to Ireland, to represent New Zealand at the Penitentiary Congress to be held at Stockholm.

The Mataura Paper Mill. The Mataura Paper Mill, which was closed for a few days—the late manager and staff having been paid off—resumed work on the 20th instant with a new lot of hands under fresh superintendence. The Southland papers say that good progress is now being made, and that a very excellent article is being turned out. Neglected Children—The Industrial School at Dunedin is so crowded that the Government have issued instructions that no more children are to be sent there, and when two children who had been wandering about the streets were brought before Mr Watt, R.M , on Tuesday, he was compelled to dismiss the charge under which they were brought up, there being no accommodation available.

Dunedin Bace Course —The Wellington Jockey Club, since new life has been infused into it, has succeeded in initia'ing several improvements in the arrangements connected with their race meetings, one being the construction of a line of telegraph to the course. The Dunedin Club, it is said, is to follow the example by having a line provided previous to the next meeting. Another intended improvement is to have a notice board for scratchings posted in a conspicuous part of the open, where it can be seen by the general public.

Akaroa —Two important events have happened in Akaroi. A local factory of aerated water is "contemplated," and the town-crier has disappeared. The social fSects of the latter circumstance are thus described ly the Mail —"An unwonted quietude pervaded the streets of Akaroa during the latter part of week. A something seemed wanting or rather was missing from amongst us ; what that fo nething was puzzled us for a time. Meeting with an acquaintance the puzzle was polved by his enquiring if we had not missed the musical voice of ihe powerful lunged hawker and crii-r."

St Mary's, MEBIVALE. This being Hoiy Wetk, special seivices are being held ia this chuich every evening except Saturday. To-morrow being Good Friday, there will be a service in the mornicg, as well as iu the evening. Ihe sermon at the latter will be preached by the Most Rev the Primate. The services on Easter day will be as follows :—Early celebration (choral) at 8 a.m., Matins, with second celebration, at 11 a.ra ; and Evensong at 630 p.m. The incumbent (Rev T. Flavell) will officiate both morning and evening. The anthem will be Sir G. J. Elvey's " Christ being raised from the dead." The offertories, as usual on this day, will be regarded as an Easter offering to the incumbent. Dirty Trucks —Several Lyttelton people state that they were specially glad t-j hear of the arrival of the William Cobb, in the hope that a case or two of American brooms might be procured for the use of the railway employees, so that they might clear at least the thick of the dirt out of the railway waggons before loading other goods. We know one instance where some cheese was placed in a truck that had been used previously for coal. Acting on the principle, we suppose, of its being more blessed to give than to receive, the weight of cheese delivered was much greater than that loaded, for a verv respectable heap of fuel was scraped off after an hour or two's labor by the owner's assistants. Constant complaints are being made about this matter, and it should beat once remedied.

Supreme Court —The Court, yesterday, was engaged the whole day in trying a case under the Lunatics Act, the first we believe in the colony, It was in the nature of an enquiry into the sanity and capability to manage hie affairs of W. A. Gray, now an inmate of Sunnyeide. The case was heard before His Honor the Judge and a special jury of fifteen. Mr Garrick appeared for the relatives of the alleged lunatic on petition, and Mr Williams for Mr W. A. Gray; After heariDg a great deal of evidence and the private examination of Mr W. A. Gray before His Honor and the jury, a verdict waa returned that he was insane and incapable of managing his affairs. The jury also added a rider to the verdict that it was necessary that steps should be taken to remove the lunatic from the Asylum and from the scene of his delusion. St. Michael and All Angels.—On Good Friday a solemn service of song and meditation will be held in this church, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The music will consist of a selection from Sebastian Bach's sublime setting of the Passion, according to St Matthew. This great work has been performed many times during the last few years in St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and other churches, where it has bed the advantage of orchestral accompaniments with the organ, and no musical woTk has ever produced a more profound impression than this masterpiece of the grand old Leipzig compoEer. It is to be hoped that iis partial presentation at St Michael's (for tho first time, we believe, in the colony) will form the prelude to a future performance of the entire oratorio. Soft Goods ' Profits —With all the croaking about loss of papulation and paralysis of trade, this paragraph from the Melbourne Telegraph is significant :—'' One of the leading softgoods firms of the city has set an example which tho others would do well to follow. It is generally known that the last half-year bus been a profitable one for tho trade. Bad debts have beeu scarce, prices have been good, and sales have increased. The resident partner of the firm referred to determined not to keep all the fruits of this prosperous state of things to himself, and one day last week he gave his salesmen and other hands a splendid picnic, after which be distributed £IOOO amongst them as bemuses,"

A Second Hercules—Should Mr 0, Moody ba elected for Te Aro Ward in Wcl lington City, history is about to repeat itself by a modern illustration of an ancient sanitary experiment with which the nam* of Hercules is associated. In his address to the ratepayers of the Aug rem war.i of the city, Mr Moody says :■—" Having plenty of time on my hands, I should do my best to make Wellington what it ought to be—the cleanest and healthiest city in the world. The West Coast Boad.—At the last meeting of the Westland County Council, which has now adopted the Act in full, and is ambitious of superseding the Boad Boards in some of their functions, Mr M'Whirter moved—" That the chairman communicate with the General Government for the purpoEe of trying to get them, if possible, to assist this Council in the maintenance of the Obrißtchurch road." Mr Hirter seconded the motion, which was agreed to. MAORI Belics.—At the last meeting of the Naturalists' Field Club, Dunediu, Mr P. Thomson,an indefatigablecollector, exhibited a number of rare plants gathered by bim dvring a late visit to Orepuki and vicinity ; as also a curious stone hammer, found about three years ago under an old pine tree—a matai—near the Maori Kaik at Riverton. It formed one of a large number of stone implements found at the same time, and from the age of the tree growing over them, they must have lain in the ground for five hundred years. Breaches of Bailway Regulations.— At the Timarußesident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, William Voyce pleaded guilty to unlawfully jumping into a train whilst in motion, between Timaru aud Makikihi. Inspector Pender said the offence was a most glaring one, as accused had got into the train in defiance of the officials, who tried to prevent him. Offences of this kind were becoming very numerous. His Worship fined accused £5. John Brown pleaded guilty to a similar offence. Constable JSpooner gave evidence to show that the accused in this case had jumped into the train when it had got somedistar.ee from the Timaru Station. He had been nearly struck by it. In consideration of the accused having bpen brought from Oamaru, and having incurred loss of time, his Worship fined him £2 instead of the £5, which he would otherwise. A third persjn was fined 20s for a similar offence.