NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1046, 3 November 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Sudden Death. —Captain W. H. Wilson, late of the Royal Irish, was found dead in his room at the Clarendon Hotel this morning. The Metropolitan Show.— Mr Alport sold to-day the right of rending 2000 catalogues of the Metropolitan Show. After a little competition Mr Hobbs was declared the purchaser at £62 10s. The Metropolitan. —The C.J.C. have determined that no vehicles of any description shall be allowed to draw up to the rails in front of the Grand Stand, or any part of the course inside the running ground. Supreme Court. —His Honor yesterday intimated that he would sit in Chambers at 10 a.m. on Tuesday next, in order to allow any of the “ sportive ” members of the profession to attend the first day’s races. MrJoynt, on behalf of the bar, made a point by observing that the only “ sporting ” member of the profession was Mr Garrick, who, no doubt, would be grateful for His Honor’s arrangement of the Chamber sittings. Board of Governors.— At yesterday’s meeting the question of establishing a Professorial Board was considered, and resolutions on the question submitted. These were considered, and after discussion it was resolved to submit them at the next monthly meeting for adoption. It is proposed that the Board shall consist of the professors, and one lecturer elected annually by the lecturers. Mr Hamilton gave notice that at next meeting he would move that two members of the Board of Governors be members of the Professorial Board. The reports of the Geological Survey, and the Departmental Committee, were read and adopted. The reports of the Library Committe and Agricultural Committee, to which we refer elsewhere, were also adopted. The Race Course Railway.—A great public convenience has been provided by the construction of an extension of the ra Iway line from the old race-course svation to the immediate proximity of the Grand Stand. This work was proposed by the Canterbury Jockey Club, promoted by the officers of the Railway Department, and expeditiously and effectually carried out by the contractor, Mr Stocks. To-day the line wag onened with what, without undue antithesis, nay be described as a free and easy formalit r. A special train left the Christchurch station for the race-course, containing Mr Conyers, Mr Lawson, Mr Smith, Mr Williams, and ether railway officials, with members of the Jockey Club, its Secretary, and a number of citizens. The train was driven to the new which is situated immediately beh nd the Grand Stand, of fronting the public entrances to the course. Mr John Ollivier was among the party, and in a happy manner he proposed a number of toasts associated with the occasion and the small company assembled. The facilities afforded by this branch line will, no doubt, be an inducement to a great majority of t hose who visit the races doing so by railway, in preference tc scy other mode oi cm* veyaßM,

Columbaeian Society.—The following birds are entered to take part in the third race under the auspices of the above society, to be flown on November 9th, from Ashburton to Christchurch :—H. Potten’s Savanaka and Panic, C. Harris’s Lurline, E. D. Rees’s Traitor and Bismarck, Mr Deacon’s Eileen Aaron and The Knave, H. Harrison’s Selim, Spark, and Hawkshaw, Mr Porter’s Blair Athol and Jenny. Mr Merson has been appointed judge. Sudden Death.—Mr Charles James Hodge, who had been for a number of years senior landing waiter in H.M. Customs in this city, died rather suddenly yesterday. He had not been in strong health for some time, but the immediate cause of death was bronchitis, following a neglected cold, Mr Hodge waa well-known to the mercantile community of Christchurch, and had many friends in social circles. He had good musical taste, and only as late as Sunday last officiated as accompanyist in the musical portion of the service at the opening of St. Paul’s Church, Mr Hodge was a son of the Rev. Mr Hodge, a minister of the Church of England some years ago in this city, and whose name is associated with the wreck of the Royal Charter, in which he was drowned. The deceased leaves a widow and three children. His funeral takes place on Sunday. Wesleyan Chuech, Lyttelton.—On Sunday last the Rev. J. S. Smalley preached in this church the usual anniversary sermons in aid of the Home Mission Fund. The collection amounted to £l2 7s lOd. The annual meeting took place on Thursday evening last, tea being laid in the schoolroom. There was a fair attendance, find the tables were crowded with good things. After tea had been enjoyed an adjournment took place to the church, where suitable addresses, interspersed with some sweet music from the choir, made the evening pass away rapidly. The speeches were by the Revs. A. R. Fitchett, Worker, and Smalley, the Rev. Mr Lee occupying the chair. The meeting was brought to a close by votes of thanks to the Radies and choir. A collection was made which realised £8 2s Id. The proceeds of the tea were £B.

A White Elephant. The municipal authorities in Wellington are anxious to accommodate the inhabitants by enabling them to keep their chronometers correctly. They have obtained a cannon, which was to serve the purpose of a time-gun, to be discharged at noon daily on the summit of Mount Victoria, a prominent landmark of the neighbourhood, and the site of a signal station, but they have found the article to be equivalent to the proverbial white elephant. As told by the “Times,” it was a small matter bringing this comparatively ancient weapon of warfare from Fort Britomart, Auckland, to Wellington, but how it is to reach its destined place on Mount Victoria is a problem with our City Council. Less than a mile has now to be traversed to place the gun in position on Mount Victoria, but though short is the distance rough and steep is the way. The corporation, notwithstanding its numerous staff of employes, was unable to undertake the task, and tenders were called for. They were opened at a meeting of the City Council last night, and on the first being made known a groan escaped the lips of councillors. The tender was the modest sum of £IOO. The second offer was £l2O, and there was another groan. The third tender was £6O, but even this comparatively modest amount seemed enormous in their eyes, and in the words of the advertisement, they declined to “ accept the lowest or any tender.” Monument to Sir Donald McLean.— Notice was recently made of a meeting of Scottish Highlanders in Hawke’s Bay, called with the object of erecting a monument to the memory of Sir Donald McLean. ' The “Herald” says that something of an air of romance was imparted to the gathering. A Highland piper was sent over the hills, playing national airs, wakening up the echoes with the stirring strains of the bag-pipe. The fact that those that were being thus assembled were all Highlanders, seemed to have considerable influence on several of those who took an active part in the proceedings, taking them back in fancy to their mountain homes. This was evidenced characteristically by one of them when the piper was being sent round to summon the gathering: he insisted that the piper should go “ over the hills ” —no roads or highways for him! The same warmhearted Celtic feeling showed itself at the meeting, when they came to the question of subscriptions. Mr Allan McLean started the list with subscribing £IOO, which was capped by Mr Hugh McLean with a subscription of £l3O. The amount raised at the meeting was over £SOO. Even among Highlandmen alone a very large amount will be raised. But the raising of the fund will not be confined to Highlandmen alone. It will be a matter of colonial concern, all nationalities joining in it to do honor to the memory of a statesman to whose exertions the colony is so much indebted.—Amongst the passengers to England by the Rotorua was Mr Douglas McLean, only eon of the late Sir Donald McLean, who proceeds home for the purpose of completing his legal studies, and of being called to the Bar. Mr McLean will be absent from the colony for about three years. European and Maori Christians.— The equality and fraternity which it has been sought to cultivate between Europeans and Maoris in the matter of political representation have, strangely enough, not been extended to both races in church management. But it is now, and none too early, proposed to be done in Nelson. A lay member of the Synod, Mr A. S. Collins, at its last meeting, moved—- “ That in the opinion of this Synod it is desirable that the Maoris resident in the diocese should bo represented specially in this Synod.” He thought that the influence of the church would be much strengthened, and a bond of sympathy established between the European and native Christians, by giving the latter this proof that in the opinion of the colonists both races were equal in the sight of God. The objection had been raised in the House of Representatives when the question of Maori representation was introduced there, that they would waste much time in empty talk, but the groundlessness of this had been fully proved, and it had been shown that the Maoris, when they did speak, spoke quite as much, if not more, to the point than many of the Europeans, Several clerical members of the Synod coincided with Mr Collins, but Mr Barnicoat saw a technical difficulty in the way in the fact that they had no legislative power to deal with the question of representation. It was, however, finally agreed to request the Bishop to facilitate the representation of Maoris by forming parochial districts of the localities in wmch they reside, and it was suggested that Wakapuaka should be onp of these. Shoujd the Bishop see fit to do sp, Wakspuaka will be doubly distinguished, by communication with the world by electric telegraph as 4

St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church. —In the report of the soiree held to commemorate the opening of St. Paul’s Church the expenditure on the new church up to the present date was inadvertently given as the total cost, and as the items quoted did not clearly state the cost of the land and building, we give the figures more fully. The sum paid for the half-acre on which the new church stands was £IOOO, and the amount of the contract £7999, to which has been added architect’s commission, clerk of works’ salary, fencing, cost of new organ, and extras —in all £1749, making a total of £10,748. The sums paid up to date to the contractor, architect, organ, clerk of works, &c., amount to £BB4B, and the amount received from all sources has been £8552. The liabilities outstanding are £I3OO duo on contract, £6OO estimated for contingencies, against which there are subscriptions to come in amounting to £SOO, leaving an estimated debt of £1696. We are informed that many of the congregation have not yet been called upon for subscriptions, and from the hearty manner in which the committee have been supported by those who have already been called upon, they have no fear but that this outstanding debt will shortly be wiped off. Movements of the Maoris.—The ancient nomadic habits of the Maoris are in some situations being revived in these modern days. At present two native movements are attracting attention. A few months ago several settlements at Waiuku, Auckland, were abandoned, and now the Thames and Piako natives are on the move, throwing their lot in with Tawhiao, who is said to encourage' their Eresence in his precincts. It is believed, owever, that they have not any hostile designs. The gradual movement is attributed to the circumstance that they cannot shift away to any place all around as they used to do, and the proximity of the Europeans makes them feel uneasy. They have not so many friends around them, and they get tired of the restricted society of their own settlement. The other movement has been at Waitaki, in this island, and appears to be made with a more definite object. Some months ago a large number of them proceeded up the Waitaki and encamped themselves upon Benmore Run. It was at first supposed that they had gone thither to hunt wekas, or hold a tribal meeting, but it soon appeared that they had far other intentions —meaning no less than to take possession of the land for themselves. A correspondent of the “ North Otago Times,” in September last spoke of them as being then “ busily engaged in ploughing the ground at Benmore,” and in an official report in June last, the Rev. Mr Stack, of Kaiapoi, thus referred to the circumstances —“ A few weeks ago a number of Natives, under the leadership of Tamaiharoa, their prophet, left Arowhenua for the Upper Waitaki, carrying with them their families and all their moveable property. It is their intention to * squat ’ on any suitable piece of land they can find, and so to compel the Government to grant them more land. This course of action is due to the failure of Mr Taiaroa’s efforts to induce the General Assembly to grant further compensation for the lands taken possession of by the Crown in the South Island. The Natives in other places are watching this movement with great interest, and if successful it will probably find many imitators.” The facts were subsequently brought under the notice of the Government, and enquiry was promised, but the Oamaru journal complains that beyond that promise the matter has not proceeded.