NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 979, 15 August 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

respondent of a contemporary, oppose this Bill as making a present to large and wealthy land owners.

San Francisco Mail.—The Hawea, with the San Francisco mail, arrived in Lyttelton to-day at 12.:30 p.m. Thn Suez Mail. —The Arawata with the Suez mail on board, left Melbourne last night. Meeting of Artisans. —His Worship the Mayor has convened a public meeting, in response to a requisition, which will be held at the Oddfellows' Hall to-morrow evening. The object of the meeting is to urge on the Government the necessity of encouraging the local industries. Selwyn Home.—We have been requested to state that the master of the Selwyn Home will be glad to receive any left off articles of clothing for the use of the inmates. Any parcel may be left at the Armagh street Depot. Obtaining- Money by False Pretences. —By the steamer Taupo Matthew Hayes is being brought from Port Chalmers to Christchurch, charged with having by false pretences obtained money from Mr Joseph Shepherd, of this city. Errata, —Two errata occurred in Dr. Foster's opinion, relative to the retirement of City Councillors, as printed in our columns. '■Nominal number " of Councillors should be "normal number :" "inexplicable language" should be "inexplicit language." Legal.—His Honor, Mr Justice Johnston, sat in chambers at 11 a.m. yesterday. In re W. E. Burns, deceased, an order was made granting- probate to Mary Burns as executrix. In re Malvern Eoad Board, which was an application for a rule nisi, the matter stood over till the sitting in banco on the 21st inst. Rumors Regarding the Ministry We (Press) have good authority for stating that the reports to which currency has been given in Christchurch, to the effect that the Hon. Mr Hall is to succeed the Hon. Dr. Pollen, and is "lobbying" for the Government, arc entirely without foundation. The Unemployed.—lt is understood that some dissatisfaction exists amongst the single men who arc unemployed that they cannot obtain work, which is given to the married men. A meeting is to be held this evening in the Temperance Hall. No. 2 Loyal Orange Lodge.—This lodge held their usual monthly meeting yesterday evening in the Orange Hall. There was a good attendance of members, also many visiting brethren from sister lodges. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows :—Bro. J. L. Fleming, W.M.; Bro. T. J. Beresford, D.M.; Bro. W. C. Fleming, Secretary ; Bro. J. Hogg, _ Treasurer ; committee —Bros. J. G-. Hewitt, Gr. Hodge, A. Walker, Gr. Simpson, H. Curlett. After an adjournment for refreshment the brethren separated, having spent a very pleasant evening. Runaway at Amberley.—On Monday a horse belonging to Mr R. Foster bolted with the buggy to which it was harnessed. The vehicle was brought into sharp contact with a telegraph pole, which snapped in two. The horse went on for a distance of over a mile, and in its course cleared a six-wire fence. On being stopped it was found that neither the animal, the vehicle, nor the harness, was any the worse of the exciting spin. Akaroa Railway.—A meeting of the Lakes Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust was held last evening at, Mr Clarke's rooms, all the members present. The chairman slated that in reply to an advertisement for an engineer re the drainage of the takes and the construct ion of a line of railway to connect the Southbridge branch with Akaroa, twenty-one applications had been received. They were all considered, and without any decision having been arrived at, the meeting adjourned, at a late hour.

Harmonic Society.—The annual general meeting of this society was held last evening, at Eadcliffe's Commercial Hotel, the Eev. H. 0. M. Watson in the chair. The repoi t and balance-sheet were read, the latter showing a deficiency of about £l2, including subscriptions yet unpaid. A resolution was carried to the effect that Mr Alport be requested to audit the accounts, and that the report and balance-sheet be accepted subject to his approval. On the motion of Mr Eowley, seconded by Mr Clark, it was proposed —■ " That Messrs Bowron, Hamilton, and Davis be appointed trustees of the property of the society, to hold it in trust for the use of the Harmonic ; or, in the event of its dissolution, for the use of any other public musical association which shall be properly constituted/' Carried. It was proposed by Mr J. W. Davis, seconded by Mr Clark, and carried—- " That in view of the present financial position of the society, notice be given to the conductor, according to the terms of a resolutiou of January 11th, 1877, that the society is unable to guarantee him any salary for his services for the ensuing six months." The president (Mr Hamilton) and vice-presidents (Mr Loughnan and the Eev. Mr "Watson) were unanimously re-elected. A resolution was carried to the effect that the committee be elected till the end of the present year. Mr J. W. Davis was elected to till the posts of secretary, treasurer, and librarian. The following five gentlemen were then unanimously elected as a committee —Messrs Eowley, J. W. Davis, Bonnington, Jameson, and Knox. This concluded the business of the evening, and the meeting adjourned. Ashburton—lnquest.—An inquest was held at Mr Wallace's New Inn, Ashburton, before Dr. Trevor, coroner for the district, and a jury, of whom Mr Mill was chosen foreman, on the body of Daniel Fowler, who died suddenly in his whare on Mr G-edding's farm, near Ashburton. The evidence produced, went to show that the deceased had gone to bed on Sunday night, the 12th inst., apparently in his usual health, and on being called next morning did not answer. When his mates went to him they found he was dead. Dr. Stewart was examined, and stated that he had made a post mortem examination of the body. Found no marks of violence, and the body seemed well nourished. Found the heart large and fatty, and the cavities distended with fluid blood. The lungs also showed signs of recent congestion. He considered the cause of death was the fatty degeneration of the heart. Dr. Stewart complained of the want of a morgue, or some suitable place in the township for the reception of dead bodies, and also in which to mortem examinations, as at present it was most inconvenient for medical men to do so in stables or other oixthouses. The jury returned a verdict of "Died from natural causes," and added a rider that a morgue should be built in Ashburton. The Tasmania:* Cable. The traffic receipts for the Tasmanian submarine cable amounted to £3460 17s 2d in 1876. The expenditure in working the line was £2576 19s 7d. Amateur Blonmn. —A European hemp rope two hundred and seventy-five feet long, from six and a half inches to seven inches in circumference, and weighing between five and six hundred weight, is now being manufacfactured in Melbourne by Messrs James Miller and Co., Collins street, together with large blocks and other requisites, for the youth Henry Morris, of Oxford, who performs many feats on the rope seldom or never attempted by other acrobats. Dean Bromby.—We read in the Hobart Town papers that the Very Eev. Dean Bromby was heartily welcomed there on his return from his visit to Canterbury. On his reappearance in the pulpit of St. David's Church on Sunday, July 22nd, he made the gratifying announcement that a cross which surmounted the communion table, and had caused a deal of bitterness among the congregation, had been removed in deference to the wishes of many of the parishioners. Local Statistics. —During the month of July there were 55 births in the city of Christchurch, as compared with 58 during the same month last year. In the district there were 116 births, compared with 87 in the same month last year. In the city the boys were 34, the girls 21; in the district the hoys were 56, the girls 60. The marriages iu the city were 29, an increase of 4 on last year; in the district the number was 9, or 4 less than last year. The deaths in the city were 18, or one less than in July last year. In the district the number was 22, against 2d las! tear. The Fatal Fibe at Hokitika. It las been reported by telegram that a third of the family overtaken by the rc-ccnt tire in Hokitika, namely the mother, Mrs Andrews, has succumbed to the injuries received. The following particulars of the melancholy affair arc given by the "West Coast Times":—The family consisted of Mr Andrews and five children, the eldest a girl ten years old, and the youngest a, baby. The whole family slept ' in one room, the parents and the baby in one j bed, another bed being occupied by the four I children, two sleeping at the head and two at i the foot. The eldest girl appears to have j been first awaksned by the blaze. She screamed and Avoke Mr Andrews, who found that the side of the room was in flames. He became confused, and for some time was unable to open the bedroom door, the knob being off. When he did manage to get egress he found that the knob of the back door was also off. Finally he got outside, followed by Mrs Andrews with her baby. Immediately afterwards the eldest girl, who seems to have acted with great presence of mind, crawled along the passage with her little sister, aged about three years. Neither of these children were seriously burned. All this time the two boys, George, seven years old, and Harry, five years, were in the burning cottage. Mr Andrews, at the solicitation of his wife, wrapped a wet sheet round his body and went back twice into the bedroom bringing out first the younger and then the elder boy, both badly burned, the younger boy having scarcely a piece of skin left on his body. From the first there was not the slightest hope of saving the life of the younger boy, who was in a frightful state of suffering. His screams and cries were heartrending, and it must have been a happy relief when death put an end to liis agony. G-eorge, the eldest boy, was also dreadfully burned, and though everything possible was done to alleviate his pain, and save his life, also died, after suffering great torture. Mr Andrews is scorched about the hands and knees, while Mrs Andrews, in addition to being severely burned, is delirious from the shock she has undergone. Not a particle of clothing was saved by any one of the family. The fumes sprung up with such rapidity that it was with the greatest difficulty that life was saved, Mr Andrews is a blacksmith in the employ of Mr Jollie, and has not been long a resident in Hokitika, having recently arrived from the Ahama.

Thk Geoegia Minstrels.—The G-eorgias appear to have taken the Hobart Town folks by storm. The theatre has been crowded nightly during their performances, and the Hobart Town press is ecstatic in its praises. Inspection of Asylums.—The Auckland " Herald" understand that the inspectors of lunatic asylums have been informed by circular that local inspection is to be dispensed with. The lunatic asylums throughout the colony are to be placed under the sole control of Dr. Skae. GEEYMOUTIL MINING COMPANY.— The 'Argus" states that from the seam opened in this company's mine, some magnificent blocks of coal have been got, many of them being too large for the bucket. It will, however, take some weeks yet before the mine will be in complete working order. Me J. K. Emmet. —According to an Adelaide telegram this gentleman latelv indulged in some extraordinary conduct. He threw himself into the sea i'rom the' G-lcnelg Jetty, and was dragged out by a fisherman. When he reached dry land he gave vent to a hearty peal of laughter. Entering the Hellespont.—A. few days ago we published a cablegram which was worded as follows :—" The Russian Press alleges that, if the British squadron enters the Hellespont, Russia will encounter it as an alien squadron." We observe that in the "Sydney Morning Herald" the same telegram was printed as follows : —" There are vague rumors about an alliance between Russia and Italy. The Russian Press alleges that if a British squadron enters the Hellespont it will encounter an Italian squadron." Melbourne Eish Maeket. Lately a cargo of live fish was brought to Melbourne from Hobart Town by the Rachel Thompson, a little craft belonging to L. Jones, a fisherman, who last year made several trips between that port and Tasmania in the Matilda. She brought trumpeter, rockcod, perch, and crayfish. Jones believes that he will be able to make a trip every fortnight or three weeks. Richmond Hill Silvee Mine. The Auckland "Herald" mentions that Mr Alexander Saunders, the agent for the Richmond Hill Silver Mining Company, whose property is located in the district of Nelson, has received a splendid sample of the silver ore similar to what the company are operating upon. The Government assay gives the yield at 5070z5. lOdwts. per ton —a somewhat extraordinary average, but which has been confirmed by several other professional gentlemen. Fire in Dunedin. —On Saturday morning a fire broke out in Messrs Royse, Stead, and Co.'s premises, Rattray street, Dunedin. Constable Lyons, when passing the building at a quarter-past three, saw the floor over the archway in flames. The brigade was at the spot with promptitude, the fire plug was ready by the time the hose reel arrived, and water was turned on with commendable despatch. The damage done was not heavy, unless it v as by damage from water. Eoeest Planting.—There has been introduced in Parliament a Bill for encouraging the planting of forest trees which gives power to Land Boards to grant licenses to persons to occupy 320 acres, provided they plant land with forest trees. On doing so they are to receive a free grant of the land. A person with freehold who plants ten acres with forest trees is to receive in respect for every acre so planted a land order not exceeding the value of £4i. Many people, says the cor-