NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1059, 19 November 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mayor of Lyttelton. —Mr H. Allwright being the only candidate proposed, was duly elected Mayor of Lyttelton this morning. City Council. —The usual fortnightly meeting of the City Council will take place this evening at the usual hour. Wesleyan. —The Wesleyan district meeting commences to-morrow morning at ten o’clock, in the Durham street Wesleyan Church.

The Suez Mail. —The steamship Ringarooma, with the Suez mail on board, arrived at the Bluff about midnight on Saturday, and left that port at six o’clock on Sunday morning. Caeeiees’ Picnic. —A meeting of carriers was held at the Foresters’ Hall on Saturday evening, Mr W. Ackland in the chair. It was agreed that they should hold their annual picnic on December 17th. A committee was appointed to make the necessary arrange* ments.

Ceicket Rangioea. A match was played here on Saturday, between an eleven of the members of the R.C.C. against Twentytwo. The Eleven scored 56, the Twenty-two scored 28. The second innings of both sides will be played next Saturday. Migeat'ion of Bibds.—Since the fire in the Oxford bush numbers of paroquets and other native birds have been seen flocking into the English trees near the Church bush, Kaiapoi, a distance of twenty-four miles from their former resort. Anniversary Sports. —We remind the members of the Popular Entertainment Association that a meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon at the City Council Chambers to arrange for the usual sports on the Anniversary day. As the time is now very short in which to complete all the arrangements, we hope to see a good attendance on the occasion.

Accident.— A boy named Hulbert, about seven years of age, had a very narrow escape on Friday last. He was playing below the Dampier’s Bay road, Lyttelton, when he fell on to the rocks by Messrs Loutitt and Co.’s Slip. How ho escaped with his life is a miracle, but the fracture of both bones of the left arm is the only injury he sustained. Under Dr Rouse’s care he is progressing favorably, Toxgaese Royalty. —The Tonga correspondent of the Auckland “Herald ” writes:— The Royal Family are salubrious. Queen Charlotte has discarded her hand-cart for the more comfortable Bath chair. But it is no joke to drag along twenty-six stone of animated fat on a broiling hot day. Please pity the Bath-chair man !

j The Queen Bee. —When the schooner Richard and Mary last visited the wreck of the Queen Bee at Farewell Spit, both divers j went down, and after a good fossick about | came up and reported that the wreck was completely covered with sand, nothing being seen of the cargo with the exception of a few locks. Captain Moore hove the lead over the schooner’s side and found only ten feet of water, whereas when the Waipara was at work there, sixteen feet was always got at low • water spring tides. | Lost Mails. —About eighteen months ago ; some mails were lost on the way between Christchurch and Hokitika, during a flood on the Taipo river. Strangely enough, they were found last week, but in such a condition that identification of the letters was impossible. The mail bag had apparently been covered over with river debris until a change in the course of the stream was caused by the recent floods. It was then exposed, but through long immersion was in a very decayed condition.

R unaavat. —About one o’clock on Saturday, a horse which was being driven by Mr John Dunh.in, farmer, at Hillsborough, became frightened by a dog and bolted with the trap at a furious rate down the South Belt. There were three young ladies in the trap with Mr Dunkin, and opposite Mumford’s Hotel one of the ladies was pitched out heavily and rendered unconscious for a few moments. The horse was pulled up safely near Barbadoes street, and the lady having recovered sufliciently, by the aid of some bystanders, was enabled to proceed home by the 2 p.m. train. Asphalting Footpaths. —ln a notice which appeared on Saturday as to the progress of the work of asphalting the footpaths, the terms on which the work is being done were inadvertently mis-stated. The conditions, as is generally known, are that owners of properly contribute sixpence per foot towards the total cost of forming an asphalte footpath to the breadth of a yard and a half, and that they can have the full width formed by paying for tbe whole cost of the -width beyond what is asphalted under contract with the corporation. The price paid by the corporation is 2s 3d per superficial yard. Strange Theft. —The police at Kumara lately arrested an old man, who had been seen' - to steal a Crimean shirt from a shop front, concealing the same under a large plaid, which he was in the habit of wearing. On searching him they found on him a holt from the back of which depended a bog. On )pening the bag ho was greatly astonished to and it contained gold—mostly Melbourne sovereigns—£ll6, notes BIS, silver Bs, and a leposit receipt from a Colonial Bank for 6556. He was thus actually, at the time ol his •rrest, in possession of £BOO Bs. He also had m his person a few articles of jewellery. The irisoner is an Italian but speaks English (erfectly. He says he bad been hawking brought the colonies, partly in Queensland, -Uid t&t lie to &WW flelgop.

Paea Paea Ibon Company.— The ordi nary general meeting of the shareholders i the Para Para Iron and Coal Company wa held in Nelson last week, when the report am balance-sheet for the year were read am adopted, after which an extraordinary meet ing was held to consider the propriety o winding-up the company. A suggestion b' Dr. Irvine that the company should sell al their perishable property, but retain the con trol of their leases, did not meet with support and a resolution for winding up at once was unanimously agreed to. Messrs Mabin and Seaife were appointed liquidators.

The Bullee Flood. —lt is said that the spectacle of the flood in the river from the Inangahua Junction was pitiful. Scores of cattle, horses, and sheep were swept past during several hours, together with houses, barns, pigstyes, and other farm properties. Fowls innumerable perched on the roofs of houses were swept past, and the country for miles around presents a most awful scene of wreck and desolation. Hundreds of acres of cultivation have been hopelessly ruined, and many of the small settlers have lost everything they possessed. It is reckoned that under the most favorable circumstances dray traffic between Reefton and Westport cannot be resumed for three or four months to come. The agricultural holding near the junction, known as Fletcher’s Farm, has been swept away entirely, the river running through the centre of it.

Nelson Boating Season. —The boating season in Nelson was inaugurated by an awkward accident. There was to have been a procession of boats, but, owing to the sea running, the outriggers were not launched. The gigs Richmond and Victory, however, were manned and started for a turn round the harbor, but shortly above the coal hulk the former got into a tide rip and swamped. Her crew held on to the boat and oars, and contrived to keep themselves above water until a boat from H.M.S. Sappho and another from the shore arrived to their assistance. The crew then returned to their frail craft, but once again the same thing occurred, and the Sappho’s boat had to take charge altogether, The Victory escaped more lightly, but she, too, was once or twice nearly filled with water. The names of those who got an unexpected bath were, Dr, Sealy (captain), Messrs Q-. Ashcroft, C. Bird, Boulton, and J, Pollock.

Representative Reform. —Dr. Hodgkinson has given notice of his intention to move the following resolutions : —(1.) “ That, experience having proved the present system of responsible government or government by party to be incompatible with stable and beneficial government, and to be attended with other serious evils, this House is of opinion that a change of system is desirable.” (2) “ That, so long as the Governor is nominated by the Crown, the House shall, at the meeting of every new Parliament, determine by the votes of an absolute majority of the House, the names of the required members of the Executive Council or Ministry, and shall present a respectful address to his Excellency, requesting him to appoint the same. Any Seraon on the electoral roll of any electoral istrict in the colony to be eligible for nomination.”

Me Martin Kennedy’s Explanation.— In the House of Representatives on Thursday evening Mr Kennedy made a personal explanation regarding the late question of his alleged disqualification. He stated that last year whilst in Wellington he saw an advertisement in the papers calling for tenders for the supply of coal. He was desirous of seeing the coal of New Zealand penetrate into all markets, and he induced a party to send in a tender. That tender was accepted, but he found that the party who tendered was not prepared to take up the contract, and he felt himself bound to adhere to it, and consequently he (Mr Kennedy) became the contractor. He had not gained anything by the transaction ; in fact, it had been a loss to himself, and he intended to have returns laid on the table which he thought would show the colony had been a gainer to the extent of £2OO or £3OO. The whole contract was a small one —only some 300 tons of coal—and could in no way influence his conduct in Parliament or prejudice his action to his constituents. No member of the House was more desirous than himself of securing the purity of Parliament. He concluded by stating that he was now entirely free from any contracts with the Government.

Post Office Changes. —The death of Mr PitzGribbon, Chief Postmaster at Christchurch, has led to several changes in the department throughout the colony. Some_ of these are thus referred to by contemporaries. The “ Nelson Mail ” says “It is with great regret that we announce, and that the large majority of our readers will learn, that Mr Dick, who for the last twelve years has been Chief Postmaster at Nelson, is about to be removed to Christchurch. While congratulating him upon his promotion we cannot but feel that what is his gain is to Nelson a loss that will be very widely felt.” The “West Coast Times ” states that Mr Kirton is to be transferred from Hokitika to Nelson, and the Auckland “Herald” writes: —The Thames people regret to learn that Mr Cook, Postmaster, has received notice to hold himself in readiness to depart for Hokitika, The gentleman has gained for himself the esteem of all classes by his attention to business, and the pleasant manner in which he has performed it. We hear that Mr Livingstone, of the Post Office department, has received well merited promotion, by being appointed to the chief clerkship at Christchurch. The many friends which this gentleman has made here will be glad to learn he has obtained a further step in the service. p ibb in Goldsboeough. —A disastrous fire took place lately in Groldsborough, Westland, by which the Court House Hotel, a detached building, kept by John Whelan, was totally destroyed. Though it was happily unattended with loss of life, Mrs Whelan and a child made a hair-breadth escape by their bedroom window, as the fire had entered their room and ignited the bed curtains before they were aroused by it. The Helvetia Hotel, only separated from the fire by a small byestreet, necessitated most attention, and the side nearest the fire was kept drenched with water vigorously thrown upon it, and some wet blankets were hung from a window. These exertions were fortunately attended with success, though the house was consider ably charred and all the windows cracked b> the heat. The Cafe de Paris Hotel was also injured, and several of the inmates ot the neighboring house? commerced to rein on their goods, but the fire within half an hon of the alarm had commenced to subside, am that part of the work was then abandoned The greater part of the town would probabl have been burnt if the Helvetia Hotel ha. taken fire. The Court House Hotel wa owned by Mrs M. Moynihan, of Lyttelton ws uninsured.

P oikiloq-eaphY. —Painting by light, or, in ther words, photographing in natural colors, •is often been essayed, and as often abanloned, owing to the slowness and expense of Ire process. These drawbacks (says the jondon “Standard”) have more or less oecked the rapid development of this branch >f art as a commercial speculation, and but or the perseverance of an American cousin ■ad the enterprise of Mr Lombardi (the patentee of the process) poikilography would orobably have remained for years to come in xn embryo state. The process in question is me by which paintings ancient or modern can be reproduced in facsimile and with all the softness and blending of color that made them as pleasing to the eye of the general observer (though perhaps not to the connoisseur) as would be the original paintings themselves. The copy is essentially faithful in the minutest details from the simple fact of its being a photograph, which by a mechanical contrivance can be enlarged to any given dimension. Being thus acquired, it subsequently undergoes the poikilographic process, by which it is made to resemble, and it is in fact, an oil painting that would not discredit the walls of those lovers of art whose means will not enable them to indulge in the originals themselves. The process is at present a secret.

Military Police Paeadb. —The following serio-comic account of what it calls a most imposing semi-military spectacle, is given by the “ New Zealand Times”:—For the first time since their incorporation with the Armed Constabulary, the Wellington Police were ordered to parade for inspection. The parade ground is situated at the rear of the Police Station, and in size and general appearance is not unlike the Champ de Mars on a very reduced scale. It is about 20ft. x 10ft., is bounded on the north by a corrugated iron fence, on the south by a water tank, on the west by a gorse thicket, and on the east by the Insolvent Court. At the hour appointed for the parade there were present Brigadier-Q-eneral Moule, Colonel Shearman, Major Atcheson, Captain Smith, Lieutenant Farrell, two corporals, four privates, and the cook. The band consisted of two small boys with tin whistles, who, out of compliment to the Colonel, played the “March through Q-eorgia.” The parade ground was in excellent order, owing to the exertions of two gentlemen committed for twenty-four hours for drunkenness, aided by a garden rake and a watering pot. The troops having come to attention, one of the corporals said, “ There’ll be no inspiction to-day, bekase the Supreme Ooort is settin’, and yez might disturb it.” The parade was then dismissed. The whole proceedings passed off without a hitch, if we except a couple of slight accidents. One private sat down on a bayonet, and the legs of the Major had a difficulty with his sword, which caused him to try how far he could dig his nose into the earth. The services of three eminent medical men, however, prevented any serious injury.