NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1006, 15 September 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Lectttke. —The Rev. C. Fraser will lecture in St. Paul's Church on Monday evening. Wesleyan Church, Lyttelton. For some time past this church has been inconveniently crowded, and numerous applications for sittings have had to be refused. It has therefore been determined to make an addition which will give eighty more sittings. Mr Mutton is the contractor, and the work is already being proceeded with. Services To-morrow.—Services will be conducted to-morrow in the United Methodist Free Church, St. Asaph street, morning and evening; in the Congregational Church, the Rev. W. Slayter will conduct the service morning and evening; in the Oddfellows' Hall, the Rev. T. H. Bates will preach in the evening; in the G-aiety Theatre, the Young Men's Christian Association will hold evangelistic services, at eight o'clock. Fumner. —The usual monthly entertainment is advertised to take place on Thursday next. The committee have arranged a good evening's amusement, the chief attraction being the exhibition of a series of dissolving views of different parts of the world. Inci dental music will be provided. There will be a short dance after the entertainment is over. The Lambing Season. The Timaru " Herald " reports that on the runs and farms near the coast in that district, the lambing season is now well advanced, and promises to be a very satisfactory one. The percentage of lambs is above the average, while at the same time they are remarkably strong and healthy. This is no doubt principally due to spring weather having set in a fortnight earlier than usual, and the feed being very plentiful in consequence. Sydenham Literary and Debating Club —The usual weekly meeting of this club was held last evening in the Colombo road school; the President in the chair The subject of discussion was the Local Option Bill, introduced by Mr Prowse. A lengthy conversation followed, the general opinion being in favor of the principles of the Bill. The President (Uev. J. S. Smalley) supplied s ! me interesting facts regarding the operation of the Liquor Laws in the United. States, which Mr Fox had gathered from his recent observations in thatjeountry' Next week the final meeting of the session will be held, due notice ofwhich will be given by advertisenu nt. Narrow Escape.—A narrow escape from drowning was witnessed from the Queen street wharf, Auckland, the other morning. Wm. Donaldson, engaged in re-drawing a defective pile, losing his balance, toppled into the water He was unable to swim, but aB a life buoy and rope were thrown to him at once, no danger was apprehended. The man, however, totally lost his head, and splashed about without making any effort to save himself by the means within his reach. When it became apparent that he was really in peril, one of his fellow-workmen named Smith jumped in to his assistance. Smith could swim well, but he went about his work unskillfully. The drowning man catching hold of him, they both disappeared beneath the water. The excitement on the wharf now became intense. At this moment an active fellow named Jas. Somerville jumped in, and it was at once evident that he was as much at home in the water as out of it. He dived below the surface and in a second or two returned with both the others. Smith was now able to detach himself from Donaldson's grip, and Somerville was not long in assisting him to a boat, which had hfcen. roVed to the' spot.

"Want op Accommodation.—Numerous but well-founded are the complaints which have been made regarding the inadequacy of accommodation for the transaction of magisterial and municipal business in Christchurch. At the declaration of the poll for the election of town councillors Mr Eadcliffe said that if strenuous efforts on his part as a councillor would have any effect, the citizens would ere long have offices amply adequate for general purposes and for the requirements of election times. Mr G. L. Lee, the Returning Officer remarked that if he was to continue in the office he hoped that more suitable accommodation would be provided ere the time of another election. Success to Mr Radcliffe's " efforts" is a consummation most devoutly to be wished—nay, it is an imperative necessity.

Kaiapoi Fabmers' Club.—A meeting of the members of this club, at which there was a large attendance, was held at Wearing's Kaikainui Hotel, on Thursday evening. Mr Parnham presided. Mr E. Revell read a paper, giving ioiue information on the cultivation of kohl rabbi as a winter feed for sheep and cattle. After giving the botanical description of the plant, and stating that its native habitat was Northern France and Belgium, he alluded to the experience and experiments of several gentlemen in producing it. As a food for dairy cows it did not impart any taste to milk or butter, as in the case of turnips. As a fattening food, it was equal to turnips, and owing to its hardy nature would remain longer in the frost than turnips before decay set in. The leaves, resembling rape, were as greedily eaten by sheep as the bulbs. One acre of kohl rabbi had been known to carry forty sheep well during two months. A discussion followed in reference to the growing of this plant in Canterbury, in the course of which it was incidentally stated that a southern gentleman was intending to sow a tract of country with about 3cwt. of seed. The proper time for sowing was decided to be in November. It was reported to be free from attacks of blight, and several of the members stated their intention to give the growing of the plant a trial this season. A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Revell. The adjourned annual meeting of the club was subsequently held, when several members were proposed. On the motion of Mr H. Revell, seconded by Mr J. Beharrell, it was resolved, " That all members proposed and elected be considered to be members of the club till they signify their intention to withdraw." On the motion of Mr J. Lowthian Wilson, seconded by Mr Beharrell, Mr E. Parnham was unanimously re-elected chairman for the ensuing year. On the motion of Mr Beharrell, seconded by Mr J. Burnie, Mr W. M. Ross was unanimously re-elected hon. secretary and treasurer. It was resolved—- " That Professor Bickerton be invited to lecture on behalf of the funds of the club, and that Mr R. Coup be asked to introduce the next subject for discussion at next ordinary meeting. It was resolved that the receipt of a circular and copy of railway tariff from the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association be acknowledged with thanks. The meeting then adjourned.

" Without a Single Unparliamentary Word." —Describing Mr Wakefield's speech during the recent debate on the Hawke's Bay land transactions the Wellington " Post " says: —Mr Wakefield last night dubbed the hon. member for Napier (Captain Russell) with a patronymic, which will stick to him as long as he sits in the House. Referring to the fact that Captain Russell's voice was never heard, save when the Opposition attacked and exposed the Hawke's Bay land transactions, he said the action of the hon and gallant member put him irresistibly in mind of a certain class of shooting galleries. You might bang, and bang, and bang again, but unless you struck the little black mark in the centre, there was no result. But when you did hit the bull'seye, a little wooden soldier jumped out and presented his mimic gun at you. So, when the bull's-eye of the Hawke's Bay land transactions was hit, the hon member for Napier immediately jumped up, and presented hia mimic gun. When Mr Wakefield went on to speak of Captain Russell as "the hon. and gallant little wooden soldier," the hit did not tend to allay the laughter of the House. Another good joke was made by the hon member for Q-eraldine. "In politics as in business," quoth he, " the same rule holds good, and how can the Ministry insure their lives without a policy?" He knocked Mr Ormond about in a most astonishing manner, describing him as " a cold-blooded animal," and, without a single unparliamentary word, implied in the most clear manner that he, Mr Ormond, was of all men in the colony the most accomplished in putting forward the reverse of what was the actual state of factsMr Wakefield put it even more strongly than this, his meaning being conveyed chiefly by the emphasis, gesture, and manner used in delivery. Referring to the ambiguoui manner in which the Hon. the Attorney-G-eneral can say anything, he said it was almost hopeless to divine his meaning. He meant something, but everyone of the eighty-six members in the House had a different interpretation to put upon his words. A very strong tale concluded Mr Wakefield's speech. One man complained to another that he had been called a thief by a third party. " Never mind that," said his friend. " Ah, but it's true," replied the aggrieved man. Mr Ormond was in the position of the thief in the story, and that was why he was so stung by the charges relative to the Hawke's Bay land transactions.