NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1031, 15 October 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Inquest.—An inquest was to hare been held to-day on the body of the man found in the river on Saturday, but, after the jurymen had been sworn in, it was adjourned till Monday next. A witness, however, stated that he believed the name of the deceased was Smvth or Smith, a quarryman, who had been working at the Upper Hoon Hay Quarries. Annexation. —Petitions have been sent by the last mail from Melbourne to the British Q-overnment praying for the annexation of the New Hebrides Islands. The Late Conspiracy Case. —Michael Murphy, one of the men committed for trial on the charge of conspiring to defraud the creditors of Greorge Hamill, was released on bail on Saturday last. Eaely Peas.—Mr Webb, of Lyttelton, has succeeded well with his early peas this year, and on Saturday had a remarkably good lot for sale. They are of the kind known as McLean's Little Gems, and are really well filled pods. They were sown in April last. Masonic Ball. —The ball to be given by the officers and brethren of the Canterbury Lodge on the 25th instant promises to be a great success. An impression appears to prevail that the dancing area of the hall is but small. The rever?e, however, is the fact, as it is larger than the Oddfellows' Hall. Sulieman Pasha.—Those who have been puzzled to discover the true nationality of Suleiman Pasha may rest content with the assertion of the London " Times's" correspondent with the Turkish army in Roumelia, that Sulieman's proper name is Seal, and that he is a Frenchman by birth but a Mussulman by adoption. He has been a colonel in the French army. The Planet Maes.—The G-overament astronomer in Victoria has received a telegram from Sir G-eorge Airy, the Astronomer Royal, asking him to watch Mars closely for two suspected satellites. Mars has been observed very assiduously at the Observatory since July, for the pm-poses of determination of the sun's distance, but no signs of any satellites have been noted. A systematic search with the great telescope and the larger refractors will now be made for the supposed companions of the planet. Lyttelton Land Sports.—A meeting of the committee appointed to cany on these sports was held at Mr Anderson's Hotel, Lyttelton, on Friday evening. The hon. sec, Mr Fletcher, read letters from the Borough Council, stating that the committee might use London street for the sports on their own responsibility, and from the regatta committee, to the effect that they wished the sports committee success, and only refused to take a more active part in the matter because they thought their whole energies were required to carry out the regatta successfully. A rough draft of the programme having been drawn out, and some other routine business transacted, the committee adjourned for a month. Railway Travellers' Refreshment. — Hungry travellers on some of the Home railways are now able to refresh the inner man without the painful necessity of disposing of a meal in the very brief time allowed at the railway stations. Arrangements have been made by which a breakfast, luncheon, or hot dinner can be supplied at any station, and when the repast is over the guard of the train will take charge of the basket which contained the provisions and return it. The discomforts of travelling are numerous enough without the addition of semi-starvation, and this hint may perhaps be taken advantage of, say at Ashburton or Timaru particularly, where through passengers, especially ladies and children, would appreciate the benefits of such a system. Indtan Famine. The committee appointed to collect subscriptions for the relief of the sullVrers by the famine in India have set to work most energetically. They met on Saturday morning and resolved that tables should be placed in the leading thoroughfares for the purpose of receiving contributions. This was done with excellent results, as will he seen below. It was also j resolved to have a band performance in the | evening for the same object, and Messrs I Toomcr's band gave their services. Messrs | Hoskir.s, Baylee, and Beattv have offered the j Theatre for a performance in aid of the fund, and Mr Hoskins has also proffered to give | half the gross receipts of the performance I and a donation to the fund. Up to Saturday ! night the following sums had been received: — j Collected Oddfellows' Hall at meeting, £4OO ; collected during Saturday by J. Ollivier, £2OO ; collected at table, Colombo street, by |W. Pratt, £55; collected at table, High street, by W. R. Mitchell, £23 ; collected at band performance, by W. Pratt, £2 9s ; col- : lected at band performance, by "W. R. j Mitchell, £l2 Is 6d; collected by the Mayor, Mr Gapes, £7 10s; collected at Toomer, sen.'s box, about £5.