NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1040, 25 October 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Postponement.—lt was the intention to have held on Friday evening a meeting of the stewards and others associated with the recent cricket match in aid of the Indian Famine Fund, but the same evening has been fixed for Mr J. L. Hall's benefit at the Gaiety Theatre, and very properly—since Mr Hall was the " head and front " of the sympathetic gathering on the cricket ground—the meeting has been postponed till Monday next. Harewood Road. —An entertainment will be given in the district schoolroom to-morrow evening, at eight o'clock, in aid of the school prize fund. The Synod.—The Synod was employed during the greater part of yesterday evening's sitting in discussing the question of religious instruction in day schools. Inquest.—At the inquest hold yesterday at the Halswell Hotel on the infant of Mr Richard Burke, the medical evidence showed that death had resulted from inflammation of the bowels, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly. The Ship Zealandia.—lt will be seen by our shipping telegrams that the ship Zealandia, which put into Rio Janiero to receive repairs after being in collision on her passage from London to Wellington, has been spoken off Terawiti by the steamer Wakatipu, which has arrived at Wellington from Sydney. CiißisTcnrjßcu Volunteer Artillery The opening match of (.he season was fired yesterday at the Hillsborough range. A tiring party of twelve were present, headed by Lieutenant Strange, Captain Craig being unavoidably absent at the opening of the Lyttelton water works. Good practice was shown. Lyttelton Regatta Committee. A meeting of the committee was held on Tuesday evening, Mr J. C. Boddington in the chair. Correspondence having been read, and some other routine business transacted, Messrs Willcocks and Turpin were elected members of committee. The consideration of the appointment of officers was deferred till a future notice.

The Tasmanian Cable.—The Tasmanian submarine cable is again broken at or near the same spot as the last break. Arrangements had previously been made with Messrs Deane and Co. to fit out a steamer from Melbourne for the repair of the cable in case of any break, and it is probable that the Black Eagle will bo sent.

Public Meeting.—The Mayor, in accordance with a resolution of the City Council, has called a public meeting, to be held tonight in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lichfield street. The object is the public consideration of the Town Council resuming the powers of the Local Board of Health within the city, and to oppose any rating power within the town being granted to the Drainage Board, under the Public Health Amendment Act, 1877, now before the House. Deep Sea Fishing.—lt was lately suggested in these columns that greater and more general attention should be given to the development of the industry of deep sea fishing. This, we notice, is being done in another colony. In Melbourne a deep sea fishing project will shortly be placed before the public. "Waiting for the decision of the Government on the application which was made for assistance in making preliminary trials has occasioned some delay, but it is now intended to launch the company at the earliest opportunity. The prospectus will probably be issued in a few days.

Sydenham BoROUGn Election. The polling for nine councillors for the newly created Borough of Sydenham took place yesterday at the Colombo road school. There were thirteen candidates. Mr Frederick Jones acted as returning officer, and the arrangements gave general satisfaction throughout. About half-past eight, Mr Jones declared the state of the poll to be as follows:—J. T. Brown, 276: J. Whitelaw, 248 ; J. L. Scott, 220 ; F. C. Hall, 210 ; W. Langdown, 208 ; R. Jones, 208 ; T. G. Vennall, 198; J. S. Buxton, 186 ; W. W. Charters, 135 ; F. Innes, 127 ; J. M. Fitzgerald, 125 j J. B. Daltry, 95; J. B. Nesbitt, 84. He then declared the first nine gentlemen to be duly elected as the first councillors of the Borough of Sydenham. The various candidates addressed the assembled electors who had congregated in the schoolroom. The number of votes recorded was 2320. By a " Gazette " notice the first meeting of the new Council will be held at the Colombo road schoolroom on Monday next, at noon. The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the returning officer. The Satellites of Maes. —Papers received by the San Francisco mail contained circumstantial accounts of the discovery of a satellite of the planet Mars by Professor Hall, of the Naval Observatory, Washington. It was first seen on the night of the 16th of August, and was visible again on the 17th and 18th. Professor Hall fancied that he could discern a second satellite on the 18th, but of this he was not certain. Information has also reached the Melbourne Observatory to the effect that one of the presumed satellites was observed by M. Henry at the Paris Observatory on the night of August 27th. At Melbourne an assiduous watch has been kept, with relays of observers, but not a trace of either satellite has been seen. Mr H. C. Russell, of the Sydney Observatory, has been equally unsuccessful.

Mineral Discoveries in Tasmania.— A discovery of alluvial gold has been made on the Hellyer, in the neighbourhood of Mount Bischoff. A prospecting party was fitted out at Mount Bischoff some weeks ago to examine the Hellyer, and it is believed that they have made this new discovery. Indications of auriferous reefs have also been found in the same district. The mining manager of the Leura Reefs Company has written to Mr William Ritchie, informing him of an interesting discovery made at the Australasian Slate Company's Works, Tarn o'Shanter Bay. While sinking to a considerable depth to prove the quality of slate below, the miners came upon a deposit of copper ore, and there are good indications of a rich lode in the locality, which is what is termed " congenial country" for copper.

An Old Colonist. —The death of another old colonist is recorded in the Melbourne papers, Mr John Allee, of Brighton. Mr Allee arrived in Swan River in the year 1829, at the early age of nineteen, but he only remained eleven months, when he went to Tasmania, where he resided till 1839. He then came to Melbourne, where he followed for several years the occupation of builder and contractor in conjunction with the late Mr James Webb. Ho was one of the original applicants, on behalf of the Independent body, for the land in Collins and Russell streets, on which Mr Jones's church now stands, being also the builder of the first church on that ground, as well as the first Scots church on the opposite corner allotment, Mr Allee was also one of the founders of the first Masonic lodge in "Victoria—the Lodge of Australia Felix, B.C. Springing a Plant. —A mysterious discovery of bank notes has been made at G-lenelg under circumstances which are thus described by a South Australian paper : " For some time past a number of workmen have been employed in levelling the sandhills on the Saltram Estate, fronting the esplanade at G-lenelg, and on the afternoon of the 9th inst., in the course of their excavations, they unearthed a tin box and a couple of leather mail bags, one of winch was marked Willunga. In the box was a mouldy mass of paper, which, upon examination, was found to be a bundle of what were apparently £1 notes of the Bank of South Australia. It is believed they form part of the plunder obtained by the robbery of the Glenelg Post-office, on April 26th, 1874. The property then stolen consisted of 13 registered letters and several outward bank parcels, containing altogether about £I7OO. One parcel was composed of 800 £l-notes.

San Francisco Fire Patrol.—Mr J. MeCosh Clark, of Auckland, writing to a friend, graphically describes the provision made in San Francisco for extinguishing fires. He says :—" I called at the office of a friend by appointment to go and see the ' Insurance Fire Patrol' harness up on the strike of twelve o'clock. It took about six seconds to do it, but the men were standing about ready. On an alarm of fire at night they are ready in thirteen or fourteen seconds. The alarm, which is given by electricity, opens all the doors, rings a bell, which also notes thenumber of the block, a whip strikes each of the borses, which are all harnessed and not tied up ; the men sleep half dressed, the other portion of their clothes being on the engine; they come down a slide from the sleeping room, and the horses are in position. The fastening to is simple, and, as hofore stated, they are ready to start in fourteen seconds. Tbiapatrol is generally first on the ground, und if the tire has not made much way can often put it out with their hand engine, but their principal object is to eave property."