NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 907, 22 May 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Local Board of Health. —Owing to th lengthened silting of the Drainage Board yesterday, the sitting of the Local Board of Health was adjourned.

Christchurch Artillery.— lt is announced that there will be no drill to-night, but to-morrow evening full-dress inspection will take place. The parade at Rangiora is postponed.

The New Public Buildings. The foundation stone of the new public buildings will be laid on Thursday next by the Hon. E. Richardson. This gentleman has always taken a very warm interest in the pushing forward of the new buildings, and the Government could hardly have made a better or more popular selection to fulfil the duty of laying the first stone. Asphalting Footpaths. —The Council yesterday approved the recommendation of the finance committee, that owners of property should pay one shilling per yard—or, at the rate of 6d per foot frontage —towards the cost of asphalting the footpaths of the city. A similar sum towards this work will bo paid out of the general borough funds. Rangiora Police. Mounted-sergeant Morice, who has been stationed at Rangiora, will, it is understood, bo transferred to be sergeant in charge of the Christchurch depot, and sergeant Pratt, of the depot, will bo stationed at Rangiora, which will cert ainly be a relief to this worthy oilicer, after his close attention to the depot for a lengthened period. Appointments. —lt is gazetted that Mr G. F. Hewlings has been appointed Registration Officer for the electoral districts of Ashley and Xaiapoi, in place of Mr Whitefoord, resigned ; that Mr E. J. Lee, J.P., of Southbridge, lias been appointed a coroner; and that Mr AT. Donald has been appointed a Resident Magistrate for the district of Christchurch, with jurisdiction to £I(J0.

Tun Gai i:t y. —There was a, capital house last night at the Gaiety Theatre. The performance commenced with an olio, in which the Misses Wiseman, Alice Johns, and Vivian sang some ballads very well. Messrs Kccley and Love contributed two songs, and Mr Wilkinson danced a step dance very well indeed. The burlesque followed and went capitally throughout. To-night a change of programme will be given.

New Water Taxes.—A recommendation from the fire brigade committee that an underground tank, capable of holding 30,000 gallons of water, should be constructed at the junction of Lichfield and Colombo streets at a cost of £330, and another to hold 20,000 gallons, in the vicinity of Latimer square to cost £220, was approved yesterday by the Council, provided the subscriptions promised for these works are paid. Rates. —ln a Magistrate’s Court the oilier day, a man who was summoned for a few shillings for rates, due to a Borough Council, pleaded as an excuse for nonpayment that he had rented houses during a period of twelve years and had never paid rates, therefore he was not liable in this instance. The Magistrate took another view, and considered if he had not paid rates before it was not too late for him to begin, and as his name appeared on the valuation list, there was no alternative but to order him to pay his rates and the costs of the plaint. Ivitokted Greyhound.—By the Tararua on Saturday last there arrived a fine white and blue greyhound puppy, about eighteen months old, consigned to MrG. A.Macquarie, from the kennel of Dr E. M. James, of Melbourne. The dog, Blue Cap, lale Spring, is beautifully bred, being by Inverniven, imported from England, by Cauld Kail—Dewy Morn, out of Mr Bagot’s Fly, also imported from the old country. For the last two or three seasons Inverniven’s stock have run well in Victoria, and in April last Wayward Lassie, own sister to Blue Cap, ran in the last four for the Trial Stakes of the Australian Coursing Club. Arrivals at Home.—Rapid Sailing.— The superiority of the class of sailing ships now employed in the trade between England and New Zealand is sufficiently illustrated by the rapid passages which some of them have made this season, when homeward-bound. On Saturday, Messrs Dalgety, Nichols and Co. received information by London telegram, dated May 19th, that the Crusader, which had left Lyttelton on the 10th of March, had arrived. This was an extraordinary passage, but it seems to have been excelled in, at least, one instance. Yesterday (Monday) the New Zealand Shipping Company received from their London office the information that four of their vessels had arrived —the White Eagle, Border Chief, Wairoa, and Otaki. The last-mentioned is said to have made the passage in sixty-six days, the fastest trip ever made by any vessel from New Zealand.