NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1083, 18 December 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Rifle Match. —The match between the Wellington City Rifles and the Christchurch City Guards has terminated in favor of the former, the scores being—Wellington City Rifles, 571; Christchurch City Guards, 522. Wesleyan Sunday School. —The annual treat of the Durham street Wesleyan Sabbath School took place yesterday in Taylor’s gardens. The children and their teachers mustered at the school early, and proceeded to the gardens, where a most enjoyable day was spent in games of various kind. Koman Catholic Mission, Rangioha On Sunday last Morning Mass was celebrated by the Right Rev. Bishop Redwood to a large number of communicants. Subsequently the sacred rite of Confirmation was administered to forty-sis candidates. During the afternoon there was a procession of about 280 members of the Temperance League, which proceeded up the main street, along Percival street, and returned to the Church by the Drain road. The Benediction seryices in thi evening concluded the services of the day, in which the jVfcber Heasiebfiry, aißHojwr, twl )p«riv

Temperance Anniversary Soiree. —The anniversary soiree of the Christchurch Total Abstinence Society, was held yesterday in St. John’s schoolroom. Afterwards a public meeting took place, the Rev. H. C. M. Watson in the chair. The meeting was addressed by the Rev. Messrs Watson, Worker, and Keast. The Hon. W. Fox, who was received with applause, addressed the meeting at some length, on the two ways of meeting the evils of intemperance—moral suasion and legislative restriction. He referred at some length to what he saw in America. The Grood Templars there numbered 2,000,000, and the Sons of Temperance even more. But the most peculiar society was the Reformed Men, numbering 60,000, and consisting of persons all of whom had been gutter drunkards. He referred to the influence of the great Woman’s Temperance League of the West, and what they had done to close drinking saloons. He maintained that the Maine Liquor Law had been a success in Maine and Vermont. He had searched for signs of drunkenness in those two states for a fortnight, and could find none. He concluded by urging the electors to make the liquor question a hustings one, and to get their representatives to pledge themselves. At the close of the meeting votes of thanks were enthusiastically accorded to Mr Fox and the other speakers. A Strange Sight.—On Thursday evening, says the “Timaru Herald,” a strange sight was to be witnessed in the railway cutting this side of the Saltwater Creek. Throughout its whole length it was covered for at least an inch in depth with small yellowish-brown beetles. The only cause which could be arrived at for such a phenomenon was that they had been travelling in a direction which brought them to the edge of the cutting, and that they had fallen down in millions.

Obitttaet. —Mr Leitch, who was a partner in the firm of Smith and Co., Te Aro House, Wellington, died somewhat suddenly on the 12th instant, from congestion of the lungs. Mr Leitch was a leading member of the Wesleyan Church, and a preacher of considerable power. He was very widely known and respected, and his loss will be much felt. —The Auckland “ Herald ” contains a notice of the death of Mrs Lawry, relict of the late Rev. Walter Lawry, who for some years was General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions in New Zealand. The deceased lady accompanied her husband to this country in the year 1844. During a long course of years Mrs Lawry was “ a pattern of good works,” zealously and successfully striving to promote the interests of that section of the Christian Church of which she was an exemplary member.

Hold at Qtjebn ChaelottbTSotjkd.—A short time ago the telegraph informed us that a discovery of a gold bearing quartz reef had been made in Queen Charlotte Sound, within a few miles of Picton. Subsequently it was reported that the development had been offered to Auckland capitalists, and that Messrs Tothill and Bennett bad proceeded to the locality to inspect the discovery. These gentlemen returned to Auckland on Saturday week, bringing with them a parcel of specimens, which were on view yesterday at Mr Saunder’s office, Stock Exchange. The exhibits, says the “ Herald,” created some excitement, not only for their richness, but for their contrast with the specimen stone of our own goldfield. The stone is of a hard white and slightly oxidised constitution, and the gold thick and wiry, resembling very much much what we have seen in the possession of diggers from the Australian goldfields. The gold is very good, worth over £4 an ounce, and the stone is altogether not only rich, but also unique, when compared with that from the Thames district.

Accidents. —On Saturday Mr G. P. Raymond, Church Bush, Kaiapoi, met with an accident, which however did not prove so severe as was anticipated. He fell from the top of a cart-load of hay, and sustained some severe bruises, but no bones were broken. On the afternoon of the same day Mr Alexander Cowie, Waikari, met with a more serious mishap. He had loaded up a two-wheel dray with posts and rails, and, while he was in front of one of the wheels, the horses started off without any warning. Mr Cowie tried to get out of the way, but was knocked over, and the wheel, passing over his right leg below the knee, crushed the bone into splinters. Dr. Morris, of Leithfield, and Dr. Ovenden, of Kaiapoi, were sent for. They reduced the fracture, hoping to save the limb without amputation. On Monday Dr. Morris found that mortification was beginning to set in, and the operation of amputating the leg at the knee will be performed to-day. On the evening of Saturday, also, Mr Edwin Rayner, head master of the Kaiapei Borough school, met with an accident by the upset of a buggy between Flaxton and the Girder Bridge. He was being driven home from a school examination by the Rev. Mr Inwood, of Ohoka. The horse, startled by a trolly running on the railway, bolted to a fence and overturned the vehicle, throwing Mr Rayner out with great violence, and Mr Inwood on to him. When picked up, the former gentleman was found to be severely bruised, and his ankle, if not dislocated, so injured that he will not be able to leave his room for some days. Mr Inwood escaped with slight injuries. The harness and buggy were damaged, but the horse was unhurt. Titoko Waeu. —We (Wellington “ Post”) learn from a reliable source that there is every prospect of the difficulty about the survey of the Waimate Plains being speedily got over. Mr Williams, of Carlyle, Patea, has had repeated interviews with Titoko Warn and other natives residing in that locality, with the object of inducing them to come to an amicable agreement that the survey should be proceeded with. Now, Mr Williams is a certain sort of power in the eyes of Titoko Waru and his followers. During the last war he acted as scout and interpreter to Colonel Whitmore’s force, and performed invaluable services in those capacities. He took part in every fight, and again and again faced what appeared to be almost certain death, in his reconnoitring expeditious, to obtain information about the enemy. The natives, therefore, respect Mr Williams for his proved courage, and consequently give weight to what he tells them. We believe that Mr Williams has succeeded in convincing Titoko Waru that, inasmuch as he (Titoko) and his followers got completely beaten in the old days, when they fought against the colonial forces, any further attempt at resistance to the same power now would bo sheer madness and folly, seeing that he is much weaker than before. Titoko Waru, we believe, admits the force or this reasoning, and will probably make no further opposition to the survey of the Plains by the Government. Of course, the Government will make liberal reserves for the natives, which, indeed, is only just. We think it probable that the survey will b© commesc©4 ©wot beginsis# of fcse year#

The Indian Famine. — The actual returns of mortality in the Madras Presidency to the end of April hare been published by the Madras Government. Out of a population of 13,750,000 in nine distressed districts and in the City of Madras, the total mortality during the six months from November to April was 373,993, of which 182,114 were due to cholera, which raged with terrible violence in the early part of the year. The monthly totals of morality were as follows: —November, 28,385 ; December, 56,725 ; January, 82,672 ; February, 76,745 ; March, 79,328 ; April, 59,136. The cholera had greatly diminished by April. These figures give the death rate at 27 per 1000 for the half-year. Taking the normal death rate for India at 28 per 1000 annually, these figures exceed the normal rate by 180,945 deaths. The deaths from cholera account for a large proportion of these, but it is impossible to say for how many the famine is really answerable. The Steath-Taieei 'Railway.— The surrey of the Strath-Taieri railway is being expeditiously carried out. It is stated by the “ Otago Times ” that about six trial lines have been run between the Taieri Plains and the valley of the Taieri River, and most satisfactory results have been obtained. The work is found to be much lighter than was expected. The tunnel at the summit of the ridge need not be more than 12 chains in length, and this is [practically the only ridge that requires to be tunnelled until the line passes the Dunstan. Other spurs may be tunnelled, in preference to cutting, but this is the only ridge through which a tunnel is absolutely necessary. It also compares very favourably with the mile and a half tunnel, which would have been necessary to pierce the Marewhenua range in order to carry out the line, as proposed, from Oamaru to Naseby. At present there is only one survey party engaged for the Strath-Taieri line, but arrangements are being made for three additional survey parties to go out early in the new year to survey the line to Clyde. It is intended to complete the survey of the line to Clyde before the sitting of Parliament, so that the construction of the line may not be delayed. A Perilous Position.— The “ Otago Daily Times ” relates that, on Thursday morning, as the steamer Shag was coming up from Port Chalmers, and when some distance from the second red beacon, Captain Wing noticed some one waving from the beacon. Thinking that a boat had capsized he steered for the spot, when ho found a man and a lad clinging to the beacon. He took them on board, and they told him how they came to be in the position in which he found them. They had gone fishing the previous evening and were out in the harbor when a heavy gale sot in. They pulled for the beacon, to which they moored their boat, and then got up on the buoy. This was about 9.30 on Wednesday night. While perched on this exposed place of refuge the boat’s painter broke and the boat drifted away, leaving the refugees helpless. Throughout the long, boisterous night the two unfortunates clung to the beacon, where they were found by Captain Wing. Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, and the somewhat terrifying position in which they were placed, the man and the lad did not seem to be much the worse for their adventure.

Political Sketches. —The Wellington special correspondent of the Auckland “ Herald” telegraphs the following : —“ It may not be generally known that amongst the members of the House of Representatives are some caricaturists of no mean order. There were ‘on view’ to-day in the lobbies some capitally photographed pen and ink sketches of some of our leading politicians. One of these clever pictures represented a very voluble member of the House lying at full length on his seat with his legs crossed in what may be described as a happy and glorious style, with his hand listlessly holding a delapidated copy of the Local Option Bill. Another, at a hasty glance, would be taken for the Albert Memorial at Edinburgh, but a close inspection revealed the fact that it was no other celebrity than William Archibald Murray, Esq., M.H.R., mounted on a fiery charger. The horse is represented on a high pedestal, on one side of which is inscribed ‘to New Zealand’s greatest orator and financier, 1877.’ On the other side is a donkey’s head surrounded by carrots. Under this are the words ‘Erected by his Parliamentary admirers.’ The member for Bruce has one arm uplifted, and is grasping a fiddle, while in his coat pocket may be detected a Financial Statement. The likeness of Mr Murray is simply perfect, and the caricature is one which, while very amusing, could not by any means be considered offensive to that gentleman it is supposed to represent. _ The member who pens these little skits in the House is undoubtedly an artist of great ability —in fact, a second John Leech.” The Parliamentary Recess. —The Wellington “Argus” gives the following graphic description of the interior appearance of the Parliamentary buildings since the close of the session :—The Parliamentary buildings have got an appearance now which plainly indicates the death of the session. The Legislative chambers and lobbies present a drowsy, frumpled spectacle, as though the inmates had left in haste about the year ’69, with_ as much papers and furniture as the hurried nature of their departure would permit. All up and down the lobbies, too, there are similar signs of faded life; even the light seems to have changed into a sort of mysterious grey hue. suitable to the ghostly nature of one’s thoughts as, treading on the silent matting, he thinks of the secrets the walls have heard, the promises made, the lies told, during session time. The waiting rooms have also the same family out-of-town aspect, and look much bigger than they used to do when bright, jovial, good fat glasses sparkled with many coloured wines under the gaslight; and when chairs, papers, inkstands, and superannuated quills were scattered round “in admired disorder.” As a distinguished Latin poet has observed, “Thim was the toimes The only sign of life about the buildings now consists of an odd clerk or two, and some of the serving men, whose special duty it is to clear away the fixings common to sessional business.