NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1038, 23 October 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Public Meeting. —A meeting of citizens will be called by the Mayor during the week lo discuss the new Health Bill now before the Assembly. Railway Servants’ Benefit Society.— A special summoned meeting of the Railway Servants’ Mutual Benefit Society will beheld in the Oddfellows’ Hall at eight o’clock on Thursday evening.

Prison Hard Labor. — A circular has been issued by the Minister of Justice at Wellington (saysthe “ New Zealand Herald”) altering the working hours of prisoners on Saturdays. In future all hard labor prisoners will have to perform the same amount of work on Sat urdays as during other days of the week.

Driving Round Corners. A report from the Bye-law Committee, recommending that horses should be driven and ridden at a walking pace at the junction of Hereford and Colombo streets, was adopted. Further action will be taken in the matter at a special meeting of the Council to be held on the sth November. Uncommon Ignorance. —A witness in one of the cases heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday naively told Mr Thomas, the examining counsel, that if he took witness into Wagner’s Hotel and “shouted” both whisky and brandy for him, he would not be able to tell the one from the other. Not many of “ colonial experience ” can be taxed with ignorance of this kind. A Defaulting Juror. —A juror who did not appear when called at the adjourned inquest held yesterday at the Hospital was afterwards sent for by the coroner, and told that his name would be returned to his Honor the Judge, and that he must be prepared to show cause why the amount of his recognisances which he entered into to appear on that date should not be estreated.

Accident. —Last evening a woman of the town named Tilly Livingston, while under the influence of liquor, overturned and fell out of a buggy while driving down Colombo street near Cathedral square. The woman was picked up in an unconscious state, and carried into the Commercial Hotel, where she was seen by Dr. Doyle. No hones were broken, and in a little while the woman recovered.

A Plucky Action. —On Saturday morning a little son of Mr Smithson, Timaru, about three years of age, fell into a hole with about ten feet, of water in it, in Mr Fisher’s paddock, Yorktown. The accident was observed by a boy about twelve years old, a son of Mr Partridge, who lives near the place, and the plucky youngster at onct jumped into the wafer and brought him out.

The Synod. —The matter of most interest at the afternoon sitting of the Synod yesterday was the discussion which took place on the question of secular education. The greater part of the evening sitting was passed in committee on certain Bills. A report of the proceedings will be found in another column. The question of the establishment of a Pension Board will be the first business taken at to-day’s sitting of the Synod, and as it has an important bearing, members are requested to meet punctually at 1 p.m. College Examinations. — The following students have passed the Canterbury College examination ; —First year —Miss A. J. Bolton, Messrs J. Lines and E. Watkins. Second year—Miss H. Connon, Messrs F. Fitchett, J. Hay, J. E. Thornton, and J. E. Wilkinson. "The “Honors” list stands thus;— Latin —Third class; F. Fitchett, J. Hay. English—Second class : F. Fitchett, J. Hay. Third class: Miss Connon. First examination, English—Third class : J. Innes, E. Watkins, J. E. Wilkinson.

Post Offices in Canterbury. —One of the first official acts of the Honorable James Temple Fisher, as Postmaster-General, has been to append his name to a notification that certain post-offices have been opened and certain others closed. The following offices have been opened in Canterbury:—Healey’s road, Chertsey, Ellesmere, Methven. The office at Albury has been re-opcned. The following appointments have been made in the postal service of the district: —Mr J. 0. Reveil to be postmaster at Albury, W. J. Harrington at Amberley, J. D. McCalman at Healey’s Road, Charles Lloyd at Chertsey, Henry Smith at Ellesmere, R. H. Rogers at Leithfield, Martin Sheard at Little Akaloa, Edward Heer at Methven, H. D. Wilcox at Oxford, W. J. Mills at Riccarton, David Owers at Sandie Town, D. St. George at Waimate, John Lane at Waiuui. Gillon v Macdonald. —ln the Supreme Court, Wellington, there is at present being tried a civil action by Edward Gillon v Kennedy Macdonald and others. On Thursday last Mr Buckley opened the case for the plaintiff. He said it was an action brought by the plaintiff to be allowed to enter upon his rights as an alleged partner in the proprietary of a paper called the “Evening Argus,” in order that the partnership be wound up. Plaintiff also claimed compensation for the depreciat ion in the value of the property since he was denied his rights as a partner, through the paper being edited by Mr William Hutchison, Mayor [of Wellington, and advocating that gentleman’s views and opinions, which were opposed to those previously advocated in the “Argus.” The report of the evidence in the case is not concluded in the latest files to hand. Freaks of Nature. Two remarkable freaks of nature in the animal kingdom are noticed in the Auckland papers. A chicken, about a month old, is now running with oilier fowls at Mr Polwath’s farm, Rangiriri, which has four legs, but only the usual complement of wings. It appears to be quite healthy, and likely to live. Recently, Mr Perkins purchased a lamb at Mr Buekland’s sale which has six legs. Only four of those reach the ground, the other two being short, but the y are fully formed with hoofs, etc. In fact,(ln whole of the hind portion of Ihe animal, a healthy young ewe lamb, is in duplicate. It has been for some time running with the Hock, and docs not appear to bo greatly incommoded by its extraordinary shape and unusual-number of legs. Tho animal will, we here do doujjt, he esbfyit«4 is a few days.

Loan Macaulay’s New Zealandeb.— Mr G. Yescy Stewart is taking a Maori homo with him. A Tyrone paper says regarding this event: —Mr Geo. Vesey Stewart is bringing with him to England from Katikali a New Zealand chief —Lord Macaulay’s probably. This is what the Americans call “rushing” things. Should the courageous foreigner have brougl t with him his sketchbook, paints, and brushes, ho will be disappointed on beholding the entirety and unpicturcsqueness of St. Paul’s, and will probably intimate to Mr Stewart, “You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again.” Anotheb Stbeet Scene. —Napier was lately the scene of a personal struggle in the streets, which is thus described by one of the local papers : —A commission agent here (Mr Luckie) was given by MrMabin,the travelling agent for the Phoenix Insurance Company, the local agency. He got from him the security required, and introduced him as the agent to firms. For some unassigned reason, the Phoenix agent afterwards gave the local agency to another commission agent. Thereupon the first person got considerably angry. He met the travelling agent in the street on Thursday, and struck him. The agent laid an information in the police office on Saturday for assault, but afterwards withdrew it. Both parties again met on Saturday evening, when the supposed injured individual “went for him.” The fight occurred in Hastings street, in broad daylight. After a struggle they were separated. The Phoenix agent then scampered to the railway station, and hurried up country.