NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1061, 21 November 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Magisterial. —There were no criminal brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning.

The Mayoralty. —The time for nominating candidates for the mayoralty of Christchurch for the ensuing year closed yesterday at d p.m. The only candidates are Messrs J. Gapes and H. Thomson. The election takes place on the 28th inst.

Union Rowing Club. —The senior pairoared race for prizes presented by Mr H’ennah will take place to-morrow afternoon at half-past five sharp. The course will be from Pratt’s corner to the willows opposite the sheds. The following crews have entered and have been drawn as follows —First heat, Walters and Gapes (Una) against P. Jacobsen and T. B. Jacobsen (Syren.) Second heal. —Kesteven and Duncan (Una), against Harding and Grossman (Syren.) Third heat to be rowed by the winning crew of first two heats. Fourth heat—Campbell and Petrie against the winners of fche third heat.

Accident. —A man named Charles Clarkson, who resides at Smith’s boarding house, met with a serious accident in High-street on Monday night. About half-past eleven, when walking up that street, and being somewhat the worst for liquor, he staggered against three men who were going in the same direction. One of these pushed him in return, and he fell over the kerbing into the gutter. Shortly afterwards Clarkson was seen by Constable Kenny trying to raise himself up. Blood was observed to be issuing from the man’s foot, and closer examination showed that his ankle was badly fractured. Ho was at once conveyed in a cab to the Hospital.

Kaiapoi Mayoral Election.— The only candidate nominated on Tuesday for election as Mayor, at the election to be held on 28th, was Mr J. W. Ellen, who will therefore be then declared elected. In the event of Mr Ellen haying declined to accept the office, Cr. L. Wilson was to hare been nominated, but on receiving the former gentleman’s consent he withheld his nomination. During Mr Ellen’s term of office during last year he certainly proved himself to be one of the most energetic of those who have held the position of Mayor. As it was the wish of the burgesses that he should be re-elected, on the representations of the councillors and many of the public almost at the last moment he was induced to consent to re-election.

Anniversary Sports. —A meeting of the Sports Committee was held yesterday afternoon, Mr J. Ollivier in the chair. There was a good attendance. It was decided to hold the sports on December 16th as usual, A long conversation took place as to the advisablenees of holding them this year in Hagley Park. The chairman thought that a public meeting should be called, to ascertain the feelings of the public as subscribers regarding the proposed change. Ultimately, it was decided to adjourn the question until the next meeting, to be held on Friday, the committee to inspect the ground in the interval. As the Government might not now recognise Anniversary Day as a holiday, it was resolved to obtain the signatures of the inhabitants of Christchurch and suburbs, to a document agreeing to close their places of business on that day, and also to respectfully request the General Government to proclaim the day a holiday for the provincial district of Canterbury, where it has hitherto been recognised as such, as being tire anniversary of the settlement of the province. It was decided to adhere to last year’s programme generally. The committee then adjourned.

A Dear “ Little Wanzee.” —ln a case Turner v. Anderson heard yesterday at the Resident' Magistrate’s Court, it was shown that the hiring out ot‘ “Little Wanzer” seeing machine is a somewhat profitable business. The plaintiff had rendered an account for £lO, hire for one of these machines for the space of ten months, deducting £1 cash received for one month’s hire, claimed the balance £9, and informed the Court in his evidence that his usual charge was 5s per week for the loan of a machine, the selling price of which he stated was £5. Defendant denied the liability, and stated that when, accompanied by him, his wife went to plaintiff’s shop to procure a machine, he (plaintiff) said he had some of a superior kind to arrive in a few weeks, and would lend her the “ Little Wanzer” until that time, and in the meantime would take the pound tendered to him as a first instalment on the superior machine. Hot one word was said about any charge for hire. In reply to Mr Joynt, defendant’s counsel —who hinted that the small charge was at the rate of 240 per cent, per annum on the valne of the machine —plaintiff said that was his charge ; ho did not sell the machine, and would have liked the luring to go on as long as the other parties lived. It also transpired in evidence that the defendant’s daughter, who was with her parents at the time, had signed a paper which she understood to be merely a receipt for the “ Wanzer,” but which turned out to bo an agreement to hire the machine at Mr Turner’s terms. After commenting on the case, his W orship gave judgment for the defendants.

riti-KON Match. —A pigeon match of some interest took place at Mr Wild’s, I’apanui, yesterday afternoon. The conditions of the match were as follows : —Mr ft. Day backed himself for £3O to kill forty pigeons out of fifty, at twenty-five yards rise, from three traps, the shot allowed being limited to one and a. quarter ounces, and tho shooter restricted to the use of one barrel. Unfortunately, the fall of the birds was not specified in the articles, and in consequence several disputes took place, and the referee had by no means a pleasant time of it, as continual appeals were made to outsiders, whose opinion was not required by the terms of the match. Mr F. Hewitt, of pedestrian renown, backed the birds, and those he provided, though not first-class, were too much for the holder o£ the gun. At a considerably later hour than the appointed time Mr Day started with a brilliant kill, which however was discounted by a miss in bis next effort. Four kills in succession followed, and then the shooter fell off. At the end of the first ten birds seven kills hud been recorded to three misses. In the next ten the holder of tho gun only succeeded in bringing four to book, and the mat ch became a certainty. In starting the next ten he opened with a miss, and though he followed suit with a fair kill, he failed altogether in stopping number twenty-three, and consequently lost the match before half the allowed number of birds had been shot at. The following is tho a core of the match;— Mr R. Day to kill forty out of fifty pigeons, twenty-five yards rise, three traps, one barrel, Uot. shot-, ‘ Mr R. D0v—1,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,1,1, 0,1,0,0,1,0,1,0,1,0,0,1,0—t0ta1, 12 out ot S 3,

New View of Peotection. —Sir George Bowen was a guest at a dinner recently given by the Mayor of Melbourne, and, as usual, expressed himself in a gallant and flattering speech. Referring to the presence of the Governor of Tasmania, he said —If our early settlers were, in a great measure, Tasmanians, we know that they, like the patriarchs of old, went back to their former country, and look unto themselves wives—[laughter]—and to so late a time have these patriarchal customs extended, that I heard recently a young Victorian lady exclaim, “Talk of protection, indeed; the only protection that Victoria requires is protection against Tasmanian brides.” [Much laughter.] And she went on to say, “ What is the use of Mr Berry taking the duty off dried fruits, imported from Tasmania in musty pots and casks ? He should put a. duty on the fresh roses and lilies imported into Melbourne on the fair cheeks of Tasmanian beauties.” —Governor Weld took up the happy allusion, and added— Sir George Bowen has pointed out the obligations under which Tasmanian young ladies have laid the people of Victoria [laughter], and I might say—as the question of protection and free trade has been raised—l should think but little of the feelings and sentiments or the judgment of the gentlemen of Victoria, if, notwithstanding any tax that were placed on Tasmanian young ladies, they were not still ready to receive them with open arms. Madly in Love. —A strange scene occurred a few days ago in a Baptist chapel at Hull, in England. A man named William Leary, GO years of age, was the object of attraction ( o a Miss Walker, the step-daughter of the Rev. L, B. Brown, who until the last month was the pastor of the chapel. Not approving of his step-daughter’s infatuation, Mr Brown gave up his church, and took her with him to New Zealand. Leary was driven mad by this compulsory separation, and waited upon the Rev. Mr Hobling, Mr Brown’s successor, to inquire if the people of the chapel were likely to send to New Zealand for Miss Walker. Mr Hobling, to humor the man recommended him to follow her to the antipodes, but instead of doing this he went to the chapel on the following Sunday, and on the benediction being pronounced, rose up and said— I charge all the members of this congregation with the blood of Miss Walker.” Attempts were made to quiet the man, who had at length to be taken to the watchhouse. He was brought before the police magistrate, when it appeared that Leary was under the impression—which nothing could disabuse him of—that Miss Walker had gone down in the Avalanche. The unfortunate man has been sene to a lunatic asylum. Shipping Intelligence.—ln accordance with the Harbour-master’s recommendations the Dunedin Harbour Board is going to make the public room in their new offices of considerable practical benefit, by the publication there of the following information : The daily arrivals and departures at the principal ports of New Zealand of foreign, intercolonial, and coasting vessels ; also, the arrival at and departure from Austi’alian and Tasmanian ports of all New Zealand trading vessels ; the storm warnings sent from the central weather office, Wellington, to Port Chalmers; a monthly record from the marine department of all ship’s officers who have been successful in obtaining a New Zealand certificate of competency for the particular grade for which they have been examined; a monthly record from the New Zealand Underwriters’ Association of all vessels cleared by them, and the character attaching to each; the arrival of all vessels at Otago Heads ; the direction and force of the wind at 10 a.m., and the state of the bar daily. The “Nautical Magazine,” or the “ Mercantile Marine Magazine,” both monthly publications in London, the Imperial Merchant Shipping Acts, and the New Zealand and Australian Marine and Steam Navigation Acts, are also to be furnished for use in the public room. Law Reioem. —Mr Justice Fellows, of Victoria, in replying to the toast of the Bench and Bar, on a recent festive occasion in Melbourne, remarked: —This might perhaps be the last occasion on which he would address them under the present system of jurisprudence, for the Minister of Justice had now charge of a measure following in the wake of a very large measure of reform, which recently was introduced in England, and which it was proposed to introduce here. When that change was introduced, and its full effect appreciated, there would be an end to those remarks which might with some fairness be made against the present system. He had read recently of an observation made by one of the present judges of the Court of Appeal in relation to the great change that had taken place, that now no longer could be used with justice the language of Jacob, an eminent Chancery barrister, who was accustomed to tell his clients that in instituting a suit in Chancery there were three things to be considered, first the pleadings, second the cost, and last, but at a long distance, the merits.

Dunedin High School.— The report of the Royal Commission re the Dunedin High School is a very voluminous one, comprising no fewer than thirty-nine closely written pages of foolscap. The report recapitulates all the circumstances that led to the appointment of the commission, and gives details of the proceedings taken by the commissioners. The report censures the governing body, and a great many recommendations arc made, amongst others the following : —“ That the head master should alone be responsible for the internal management of the school; that the institution and those working in connection with it should be entirely free from political bias and influence; that the girls’ and boys’ school should be separated, and maintained out of separate revenue; that the examination for entrance to the upper school should be more severe than at present; that as the master has resigned, and the office would be vacant in about six months, a thoroughly qualified man should bo appointed at home by a Board specially appointed to make the selection; that the person appointed should be a man of superior tastes, the graduate of a University, with some knowledge of the working of a public school, and able to adapt his home experiences to the altered circumstances in which he would find himself placed in this colony. ASHLEY AND LOB URN SCHOOL. Home time past a generally expressed wish has been circulated in the districts surrounding the Ashley and Loburn schools that this year the two schools should amalgamate and have an annual treat together. To this end subcommittees have been appointed from each district to moke all necessary inquiries and arrangements. The desire has been that the children, teachers, parents, old scholars, and friends should all go by rail to Christchurch and thence by coach to Sumner,apla "o which rerv few in (he district have as yet visitcd. A meeting was held at Loburn ou Monday night lasi to hear the report of the sub-corn-

mittee and to fix the day. Messrs J. Alex. Cunningham, Banks, and Hodgson reported that they had gone specially to Christchurch to interview the railway authorities, but as (ho Department was now governed from Wellington, and the officers here were all bound by printed rules and regulations, they could get no satisfaction. A special train could not bo tliought of, and none but houa tide teachers could be allowed to travel, except at the cost of a fare and a half. In former years no difficulty had ever been experienced, and the present regulations they considered rendered excursion trips by rail prohibitory from their exorbitant rates. Nearly 300 children would have to travel by rail under the sole care of live teachers. Several suggestions were offered and other schemes wore proposed, but the idea of a railway trip had to be abandoned, and ultimately it was pi’oposed and carried nem. con. that —“ Taking into consideration the very unfavorable terms offered by the Government for a trip anywhere by railway, we give up the idea of a railway trip altogether, and hold a school picnic at the sea beach.” Mr Hodgson thought that a tea meeting in Ashley or Loburn would do, but it was decided that the picnic be held on Thursday, November 29th, at Woodend, all parties to start from Ashley Bank at halfpast eight o’clock. Subscriptions were then started in the room towards providing prizes for sports, &c., and the meeting then closed.