NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 884, 25 April 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Ska-Gi t t/ls. —Mr Bunny, the Executive Officer in the provincial district of Wellington, proclaims sea-gulls to lie native game, to shoot which shall be unlawful within the boundaries of that district. VALrAULK IfAEXKSS.—A witness the other day in one of the Courts described the harness worn by a horse whichjwas in dispute as being of very little viduo, because the animal itself was sold for £2. A County Seal.—The Patea County Council seal has arrived. The Mail says:— '■ It is a boomer—2£in in diameter, mystically warlike in design, with charioteers, prancing steeds, mangled human corpses, and so on. On (he lop of the central design is the motto SooUitis Laboribus, at bottom Omnia, For' titpr Vincimus."

FREAKS of Fortune. —George Simpson, who was the winner of £3OO in Tonks's sweep on the Cliristchurch Autumn Handicap, had filed his schedule on the day previous to the drawing. The same man won an equal amount in a previous sweep.

Thk Gaiety.—There was a very good house lasl evening at the Gaiety, when " Paris " was again repeated. The burlesque now runs very smoothly throughout, all the parts being filled with great spirit. Mr Hall in the part of Castor is funny in the extreme ; one cannot help laughing even at his gestures, and his dancing is something to remember. The music in the burlesque is very well rendered, and generally it lias become an immense favorite with the audience.

Amusing Evidence. —A plaintiff, the other day, when asked for his accounts, created a titter in Court by gravely stating "My books are in my head." The magistrate's remark that the account was somewhat lengthy, and must occupy a large portion of his head, provoked the plaintiff to say, " and, your worship, I have a great deal more in my head than them," which fairly roused the Court into a hearty laugh at his expense.

Westland Eoads.—By order of the County Council, the chairman, Mr H. Robinson, declares the following roads to be county roads :—The Cliristchurch road, from the eastern boundary of the county to the sea beach ; the road from Eoss to the Teramakau, excepting that portion of said road lying within the borough of Hokitika; the Loopline road between the Christ-church and the Greenstone roads.

The Author of "Erewhon." —We learn from the Athenwum that the author of " Erewhon" —Mr Samuel Butler, an old Canterbury resident —is now well advanced with his new work on "Hereditary Instinct ;is bearing on Pre-existence," which he hopes to send to the printer very shortly. The central thesis of this paradox is that the automatic actions of a child are the result, not of inherited muscular faculties, but of repeated actions on the child's part in its ante-natal condition.

Death of a Sporting Writer. —By the early death of poor Fred Yen-all the turf lias lost'an ornament. By sheer hard work and enterprise lie converted Lewes races from a wretched selling meeting into one of the best of the year. As a sporting writer he was, whether under the signature of Chiron, Janus, Vates, or Pegasus, one of the few men whose work is readable to the general public. lie was followed to the grave by some of the best, men on the turf, and a strong gathering of actors, artists, and journalists.

Cause and Effect.—The fact that the Wanganui river is finding its way to the sea by a new channel would not at first sight appear to have any connection with the raising of the price of wheat in that district. Yet it has. The Wanganui Harbor Board are trying to dam up that channel with wheat bags tilled with sand, and have bought up all the bags in the district. Hence, says the Wellington Post, the settlers can't find bags in which to bring their grain to market. Scarcity and a rise in price have followed.

CIiUKCH Bazaars. —The Mayor of Wellington, who was requested by the bazaar committee to open the Primitive Methodist bazaar, said he had little sympathy with bazaars generally, for he had, as a rule, found them to be a combination of exorbitant prices, gambling, and frivolities. He was inclined, however, to modify this opinion, as he understood the goods at this bazaar were to be sold at fair prices, and bazaars so conducted were a legitimate means of promoting either ecclesiastical or charitable purposes.

Rock Paintings.—The New Zealand Herald has an article on the rock paintings recently described by Dr Haast at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute. The first part of the article discusses the question of the origin of these paintings seriously. In the second part it is suggested that they may be similar to the inscriptions familiar to readers of Scott's "Antiquary" or Dickens's " Pickwick." Our contemporary wrote, no doubt, in ignorance of the fact that the existence of these paintings has been known to the Maoris for many years, and prior to the arrival in the country of imitators of Aiken Drum or Dill Stumps. The report of Dr Haast's paper, as published in these columns, has, we notice, been extensively quoted by the Colonial Press.

The Late Lord Lyttklton. A few months ago it was resolved, at a public meeting in Worcester, to raise a subscription for a memorial to the late Lord Lyttelton. The committee appointed to carry out the resolutions of the meeting determined to place a monument in the Cathedral, and also to found an open scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge. The subscriptions amounted to £l6Bl, and the sculptors, Mr Brock and Z\lr Forsyth, were invited to send in models tor the 'proposed monument. Both gentlemen submitted their models to the committee, and the work has been entrusted to Mr Forsyth. The monument will represent a recumbent figure, the features to be a likeness of the deceased. It will be placed on the door of the nave towards the west end. It is thought the open scholarship at Cambridge will be abandoned.

Balcairx. —A. meeting oi' householders was held at the Kowai Road Board oiliec <>n Saturday evening, at which about thirty persons were present.. Mr W. C. Fcndall occupied the chair, and stated the meeting was convened to discuss the advisability of having a school established in that district ; also pointing out the inconveniences in sending children to the nearest schools, which were a considerable distance away. On the motion of Hie Eev. E. Freeman, seconded by Mr J. Barker, a committee of six gentlemen was appointed to select a site and confer with the Board of Education on the matte)'. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the meeting was adjourned to receive the report ot the committee.

County Attditoks. —The following gentlemen have been appointed auditors for comitj(.s: Benjamin McLean, Esq., for the counties of Ilokiauga, Buy of Islands, Wh.ing.irei, Hobson, Rodney, Waitcniata, Thame-, and Waikato ; George Edward Gordon Richardson, Esq., for the counties of Cook, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, and Waipauia; Clarence Rcnnell, Esq., for the counties of Taranaki and Patea ; Robert Mucalistcr, Esq., fur the counties of Wanganui, Rangitikei, M'onawatu, and Hutt; Robert Pollock. Esq., for (he counties of Bullcr, Inangahua, and Grey; Cyrus Goulter, Esq., for the county of Kaikoura ; John Tucker Robinson, Esq., for the countv of Wcstland ; John Ollivier, Esq., for the 'county of Waimate; and Henry Livingston, Esq., for the counties of Waitaki, Waikwuti, Vincent, Taieri, Lake, Tuapek.«, Bruce, Peninsula, Southland, and Wallace.

Items.— The Coalpit Heath Company, Greymouth, have fixed the price of coal_ for export at 13s per ton, f.o.b.—Mr John Kerr, u son of Mr David Kerr, Nelson, has died at Foxhill from the effects of a dray accident Mr Greenfield, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, has started for the Tadmor rush, and is expected to report thereon. I'obcc Sergeant Nash, of Nelson, 1m- hud " criminal information for libel against Air l\. V. Jones, in consequence of an advertisement bearing his name which appeared in the Mail.— Nelson hops are being disposed of at rates satisfactory to the growers, a telegram from Auckland stating that a parcel had been sold there at Is 9.Vd per lb.