NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 925, 12 June 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Gaiety Theatre.— Mr Clifford’s views of various parts of the world ivero exhibited last evening very successfully. The Mirror will be exhibited again this evening. The Governor. His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. C. C. Bowen, and Captain Mating will he the guests of the Canterbury Club tins evening. Post-Sessional. Mr Murray-Aynsley will address the electors of Lyttelton at the Colonists’ Hall this evening at half-past seven.

Agricultural and Rastoral Association —We direct the attention of subscribers to this Association to an advertisement, which appears elsewhere Australian News. —Per Wakatipu, which lias arrived in Wellington, we learn that for the Melbourne Cup there were 114 horses from Melbourne entered, and twenty-six from Svdney. There were seventy-eight nominations for the Victoria Derby and Oaks, and for the Metropolitan Stakes forty-nine entries.

Local Option Bill. —It is announced elsewhere that a public meeting will be lield in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Thursday evening, at eight o’clock, to consider the Local Option Bill. The chair will bo taken by his Worship the Mayor, and the meeting will be addressed by his Lordship the Primate, Mr Stout, MALE., Revs. H. C. M. Watson, and S. Mac* farlane, and others. Found Dead. —Yesterday morning, Constable Walker, while on duty at the Railway station, was informed that the body of a man was lying in the drain near the Gasworks. He at once proceeded to the spot, and, with assistance, lifted the body out of tire drain, at the bottom of which there was about twelve inches of water. The body was quite cold, and was shortly afterwards removed to the Morgue. Subsequently, it was learnt that deceased’s name was James Brittan ; that he had been lodging at Waltham with some friends named Bedford; and that he had been seen the previous evening somewhat the worse for liquor. At the inquest held this afternoon a verdict in accordance with the above facts was returned.

Football. —The opening match of the Teachers’ Football Club took place on Saturday. The number of players who put in an appearance was but small, but this may be easily accounted for, as a number of teachers were present at drill, and the Art Exhibition was also a great attraction. Sides were picked by Messrs Biunie and Brock. Throughout the game, those who played showed that it was not their first acquaintance with the leather; and when time was called Brock’s side proved victors by two goals. This is an opportunity which teachers should not fail to take advantage of, as they will thus become acquainted with the noble game of football, and be able to make many a luncheon hour enjoyable both to their scholars and themselves. The teachers will play every Saturday, and for the convenience of those who attend drill play will commence at 2 o’clock. —The return match between the Normal School and Earnly Academy will be played at Rangiora on Saturday, June 16th. Play to commence at 1.30 p.m. Farmers and Millers. —In the district Court at Oamaru, during the hearing of the case Millar v Hay and Barr, in which plaintiff sought to recover £l6O los 2d for wheat delivered, the question arose of getting farmers to sign an agreement when t hey sold their grain and his Honor, reports the Times, remarked that if this course were followed on all occasions it would put an end to all disputes. Mr Hislop said ho had frequently recommended that course, but if his Honor knew the difficulty which grain buyers experienced in getting farmers to sign anything, he would not be surprised that the course he recommended was not followed. His Honor then said that he believed the largest grain buyers in Thnaru almost invariably followed that course, in order to prevent the probability of such cases arising as the one then being heard.

Civil Service Testimonials —The silver inkstands ordered from England by t he officers of the Wellington provincial service, for presentation to Sir William Fitzberbert and Mr Bunny arrived by (he Ringarooma, having been 'sent by the overland mail. They are described as being superb specimens of the silversmith’s art, of chaste Grecian design, and massive appearance. Each bears the crest of the gentleman for whom it is intended, and the respective inscriptions arc as follows : —Presented to the Hon. William Fitzhrrbert, C.M.G., late Superintendent of-the Province of Wellington, New Zealand, by the officers of the Provincial Government Service, in token of their esteem. Nov. Ist, 1876.” “ Presented to Henry Bunny, Esq., M.H.R., late Provincial Secretary and Treasurer and Deputy-Superintendent of the Province of Wellington, New Zealand, by the officers of the Provincial Government Service, in token of their esteem. Ist Nov., 1876.” Cannot Live on Their Wages. —Mr Fox, alluding to the complaint of the Halcombc immigrants that they arc barely able to live on their wages, writes: —“ When I was lately in their village, I observed that the largest building in it was a brand new drinking shop, in the most prominent position of the place. Nun, it is certain that such a shop cannot be kept going, pay rent and interest, and make a living profit on its trade, under a turn-over of at least £2OOO to .£3OOO a year. We arc told on good authority that the drink bill at Marton is at least £IO,OOO a year, and that at Bulls, 1 have heard put by‘one who knows, 5 at a still higher figure. Now’if cur friends at Haleombe are really suffering under the shortness of means which they assert, who keeps this drink-shop going? It cannot be the bona fide traveller; bo is far too scarce an art icle in that neighbourhood, and it is not, as Marton and Bulls are, a centre of attraction for popular entertainments, volunteer bulls, horse races, and other gatherings wludi bring grist to the publican’s mill.”

Moa Bones. —Some miners working in the ranges at the back of the Inangahua Junction discovered some moa bones. They were found in one of the numerous limestone caves which abound in that neighbourhood. The bones are in a tolerably good state of preservation, and are in Frank Courtney’s possession. This is said to be the first discovery of the sort made in the district. Peovincial Executive Officers. W are informed by the West Coast Times that now that the new order of things is so far in working order by the recently created public bodies, and arrangements between them and the General Government have been completed in accordance with the measures of last session of Parliament, the Executive officers who have been administering the Government in the various provincial districts throughout the colony, are not to hold office after the 21st of this month.

Items. —Mr Charles Grey, confectioner, Wellington, has filedjhis schedule in bankruptcy.—Mr Stout, M.H.R., is expected to lecture on the Local Option Bill this evening in Timaru. —Mr’ Samuel Harris, of the Cafb do Paris Hotel, Hokitika, successor to Mr Ben. Osborne, announces a grand sweep on the ’ensuing Melbourne Cup for £2OOO. — Barrett’s Hotel, Hokitika, has been sold at auction for £270. The billiard-table brought £75. Mr J. Maher was the purchaser. — Under the striking heading, “Advance Ivumara,” the local paper records that a Mr W. Berry has imported from Melbourne a “ first - class chimney - sweeping machine.” Orders to be left at Gilbert Stewart’s Hotel. The Feathebston Memorial Bust.— The following letter has been addressed to Signoi’i Del Yescovo and Sani, the sculptors of the Featherston memorial bust“ Wellington, 4th June, 1877. —Dear Sirs,—On the part of the committee who have had the charge of erecting a memorial to the late Dr Featherston, I beg to express the very high sense that the committee entertain of the manner in which you have executed the bust of that gentleman. As a likeness it is marvellous, and as a work of art it is all that could be desired. It has more than fulfilled all the expectations that had been formed respecting it. I can only regret that this colony is not likely to be favored with more of such beautiful works.—Yours faithfully, J. Woodward, Chairman of the Committee, Messrs Yescovo and Sani, Wellington.” These talented artists leave finally in about a month for Melbourne, to undertake the execution of the'O’Connell statue and other important public works of art. The Intelligent Compositor. The editor of the Grey River Argus thus gave vent to his feelings a few days ago : —“That very ‘ intelligent compositor ’ again! In a leading article upon the Eastern question in yesterday’s issue we wrote— ‘ Had wain the first flush of indignation been required, &c.’ How the compositor, who evidently cannot distinguish between mental and corporeal suffering, printed the word ‘ indignation ’ as ‘ indigestion,’ and thus next morning gave rise to feelings in the editorial mind more easily to be imagined than described. We can only express the fervent hope that that compositor may suffer the pangs of 1 indigestion ’ for the remainder of his natural life.” Buggy Accident. —A painful accident occurred on Sunday to Mr P. H. Blakesley, of Oarnaru. At about three o’clock in the afternoon, in company with Mr Macdonald, of the Bank of He w Zealand, lie was driving up the Horth road, and when opposite Mr Connell’s they met a horse and buggy, belonging to Mr Stewart Richmond, coming down the road without a driver, the horse having bolted from the Boundary Creek. At Mr Blakesley’s suggestion Mr Macdonald got down, and holding up his coat, attempted to stop the runaway horse, which swerved past him, bringing the two vehicles into collision, smashing the wheel of that driven by Mr Blakesley, and of course throwing him out. His right leg was broken in two places between the ankle and the knee.

Th b L yd i A Howabde Tkoupe. — This troupe opened at the Yolunteer Hall, Grreymouth, under circumstances the reverse of favorable. The weather was unpropitious, being excessively cold, and the short notice given of the intended visit of the company militated against such an attendance as the performance deserved. It was intended that the operabout'fc of “ Chilperie ” should be performed, but, says the Argus, owing to circumstances over winch the management had no control, it was decided at the last moment that an (Jl a Fodrhla entertainment should [be substituted. The announcement that a change had been found necessary was received with the utmost good humor by the audience, and their confidence in the ability of the company to entertain their patrons, notwithstanding the unavoidable departure from the advertised programme, was fully justified by what followed.

The Hauhatt Religion. —The special correspondent of the Auckland Star in the Tuhua country writes Although no places of worship are to be found in the upper Wanganui district, yet the natives, being Hauhaus, use the Rai Marin prayers, praying for the welfare and protection of their King, Tawhiao. They have prayers daily the first tiling in the morning before breakfast, and again in the evening after their supper. Their supplicacations commence with these words, ‘ nga te ngaria,’ and end with the word ‘paimariri.’ 1 took the trouble to count how many times the word paimariri was used in the prayers, and found that it was repeated thirty-two times. The priest commences the prayers, and the natives all join in, chanting them, the wife of the priest also says one of the short prayers alone. The Hauhaus do not reckon their time as do the Europeans—they make each month thirty days long, calling every tenth day ‘ Ratapu’ (Sunday.) On the sixth day of each month they chant their prayers six times during the day instead of twice, but for what reason I could not learn.” I’Aixm Accidents. —On Sunday morning, a little boy, son of Mr Mahan, the schoolmaster at Waitohi, went to a neighbour’s house on an errand, and began playing with some other boys in a shed close to the dwelling. Ho put his hand on a chaffeulling machine, when by some means the wheels wore set in mot ion, and the whole of his four fingers wore taken off close to the lower Joint. The boy, who i; only live years old, w as at once brought down to Temuka, and was attended to by Hr. Gumming, who, having put the little sufferer under the influence of cholroform, dressed the wounds. The little fellow, says the Timarn ih-rnUJ, bore the pain before the operation most manfully, lie being only wishful to know what had become of his lingers which he had left behind in the machine. —A son of Mr Ellis, at the Arahura, met with an accident on Sunday last, by which some injury was inflicted on Ids left hand, between the thumb and forefinger. He was out shooting at the time, and while holding the gun by the muzzle, one of the barrels suddenly discharged, blowing away a portion of the flesh.

Contumacious. —The following “scene in court ” is stated to have occurred on Friday at Hokitika, in the case of Regina v. Mulligan. After the verdict had been returned, the question—“ What is your age?” was put to the prisoner. To which lie replied, “Write home and find out.” He then turned to the jury and said, shaking his fist at them, “ There is not a man among you.” Turning to the Bench, ho continued, “There’s neither law nor justice in tin’s court.” A Sure Cube bob Colds. —A correspondent in | Vanity Fair writes: —“I will begin my letter this week by singing the praises of a medicine which has the valuable property of curing what all the world is suffering from at this season, more or less —namely, a cold in the head. Surely that complaint is one of the lesser evils that ilesh is heir to, and I think the man who has discovered a sure remedy for this plague ought to be ranked among the benefactors of the human race. The other morning I woke with that most uncomfortable of feelings, a general oppression, which is the certain precursor of a catarrh. At first black despair seized me, but luckily I remembered that, if taken in time, the mystic contents of a little green glass bottle might save me from the prospect of many days’.'discomfort both to myself and others. 1 sped to the nearest chemist’s, and found the longed-for remedy, and before night was cured. It is called ‘ G-lykaline,’ a colorless, tasteless fluid, three drops of which taken at intervals of an hour will infallibly do away with the most obstinate of all colds. All this sounds rather like an advertisement, so I beg you to understand that I have no personal or pecuniary interest in the sale of glykaline, and only sing its praises from a wish to spread its healing properties around, and, by recommending it, confer a boon on the suffering human race.” Jurisdiction oe Magistrates. Judgment has been given by the Chief Justice, in the Supreme Court, Wellington, in the case of Pitt v Carver. In this ease 1). Bullcr lias applied for a mandamus to compel the Resident Magistrate to commit the defendant to prison for non-payment of instalments due for the support of his illegitimate child, under the Destitute Persons Act. Mr Stafford has opposed, on the ground that the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act did not apply to such a case. His Honor the Chief Justice now said that the affidavits before him were not sufficient to enable him to grant any order against the magistrate, but he understood it was desired that he should give his opinion on the question of the jurisdiction of the magistrate to grant the order. He thought that on proper steps being taken the magistrate had jurisdiction to grant the order for committal. The right and proper course would bo, after the rV’endant had been brought before the magistrate under a warrant and adjudication had been made against him, and the amount payable by him ascertained, then complaint should be laid so as to have the law put in force by the use of a distress warrant, which would be issued forthwith. If the distress should not be satisfied, then the justices would have power, under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act, to commit to prison, on proper proceedings being taken under that Act.

The “Reformer” Newspaper— ln a summary account of a case lately heard in the Wellington K.M. Court, the fo.it says:— “ Mr W. Hooper, the ex-Editor of the Now Zealand Reformer , has been ‘ non-suited ’ in his action against the directors of the company owning that somewhat remarkable journal, and”of course is liable to pay all the costs of the proceedings. Briefly put, the case amounts to this. Mr Hooper was appointed Editor of the Reformer by the provisional directors of the company, such appointment being subject to the approval of the permanent directors. The permanent directors and Mr Hooper, however, didn’t hit it off well together. They somehow didn’t like Mr Hooper, why it would be difficult to say, unless on 1 the Hr. Fell principle.’ It appears from the evidence that they ‘ sacked ’ the unhappy Hooper ‘ because of bis infirmity of temper,’ and for other reasons not minutely specified. They did this, too, in a summary manner, giving him a week’s wages, and telling him to clear out. Mr Hooper did clear out, but raised an action for £7o, being three months’ salary, in lieu of three mouths’ notice, which he thought he had a right to. The case went against him simply on the ground that, as his appointment had not been formally confirmed by the permanent directory, they had a right to determine his engagement at once. The question as to the length of the period of notice of discharge in the case of editors was not touched upon by the Magistrate. One expert had sworn that in New Zealand the period of the notice was usually three months. Another said that in the absence of a specific agreement, editors in New Zealand, paid weekly, usually either gave or received a fortnight’s notice. The latter view is accurate as to the actual practice in many cases in the colony, but of course in all journals of any standing, there is usually an agreement between editors and proprietors as to a reasonable period of notice being given on cither side. Mr Travers held that legally three months was the proper period of notice. W c take it that everything depends on the terms of the engagement entered into.”