NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1087, 22 December 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Census. —The 4th of March next, it will be seen, is fixed as the date upon which the periodical census throughout the colony is to be taken. Collection of Wharfage Dues. —The Lyttelton Harbor Board has decided on taking a stand against paying the Government more than 2i per cent for the collection of wharfage dues at Lyttelton by the Railway Depai iment. The Board passed a firm resolution to this effect at its yesterday’s meeting. Electoral ßowen, M.H.R., has announced his intention of meeting the electors of the Kaiapoi district at Kaiapoi on Thursday, 27th, and at Rangiora on Friday, 28th instant. It is understood that Mr Montgomery, member for Akaroa, purposes addressing his constituents early in January.

Lyttelton Harbor Board, —The first meeting of this Board held since the prorogation of Parliament, took place yesterday afternoon, and was remarkably well attended. The Hon. E, Richardson and the Hon. John Hall resumed their old places at the Board, and Mr C. W. Turner, and Mr A Uwright, the lately elected Mayor of Lyttelton, took their seats for the fii’st time.

Resignation. —Mr John Anderson yesterday tendered his resignation as a member of the Lyttelton Harbor Board, on account of membership being incompatible with his business. Mr Anderson spoke with pleasure of his past connection with the Board, and his resignation was accepted with regret by his fellow members. Municipal Elections. —The nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy in the City Council, caused by the election of Mr H. Thomson as Mayor, will take place on Monday, 31st instant, at noon. The election will be held on Thursday, the 3rd January. The nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy in the Lyttelton Borough Council will take place at noon on Saturday, 29th instant, and the election on Tuesday, Bth January, MystbeiouS. —An Adelaide telegram reports that at an inquest held on the bodies of two men, who were drowned at Port Wakefield, the jury blamed Captain McGowan, of the steamer Wakefield. Captain McGowan afterwards left Port Wakefield in a ship’s boat, taking a chart, two life buoys, fishing tackle, and a month’s provisions. He has not since been heard of.

Accidents —On Thursday evening, as a laden pair-horse waggon of 'Mr Knight’s, carrier, Kaiapoi, was passing over the Peraki street railway crossing, which had been altered by the change of gauge, the pole bolt of the waggon came away, and the spirited animals bolted through the town. In crossing the bridge they nearly came in contact with some children, but fortunately the horses were secured before any injury was done. —During the operations in changing the gauge on the Ashley bridge on Friday, a carpenter named Sinclair fell and broke some of his ribs. He was conveyed to the Christchurch hospital. Dr. Campbell—Commission oe Inquiry. —The members of the Royal Commission, which has been sitting for some time past inquiring into charges made by the members of the late staff of the Christchurch Hospital against Dr. Campbell in reference to the case brought by him in the Supreme Court against Mackay’s executors, completed their inquiry yesterday, having received and recorded very voluminous evidence. The commissioners were then addressed at considerable length on behalf of the two parties concerned in the matter of inquiry. Subsequently the commissioners stated that they had received instruction from the Government to include in their inquiry any charges which might be brought forward by Dr. Nedwill against Dr. Campbell respecting his conduct at the Addington Gaol. They then asked Dr. Nedwill whether he had any such complaint to make, and he replied that he had none to make.

Cricket —U.C.C. v. M.O.C.C. —The return match between the first elevens of the above clubs will be played on the Association’s ground on Wednesday' next. Play to commence punctually at 10 a.m. The teams will be as follows : —U.C.O.C. : Alington, Corfe, Dickinson, Hartland, Leach, Lee, Mathias, Ollivier, Peter, Skelton, and Stevens ; emergency, W. Ootterill. M.C.0.C,: Allen, Alpe, Beaumont, J. Fowler, Puller, Morice, Macdonell, Palmer, Reeder, Sweet, and Watson ; emergencies, J. Horner and G. Turner. A match was played at Sunnyside between an eleven of the Sunnyside and Harewood road Cricket Club, which resulted in a victory for the visitors by 65 runs. The play on both sides was, with a few exceptions, very good. Paige bowled well for the Sunnyside, and Horner and Young for the Harewood road Club.

Deficient Postage. —As an instance of the evil consequences which follow from inattention on the part of the senders of packets to small matters of detail, the “Argus ” mentions that a notice was received in Melbourne by the English mail, which stated that a packet of photographs was detained at the London Post-office for deficient postage—one halfpenny. To the halfpenny a fine of fourpence was added; and the person to whom the packet was addressed was told that it would be sent on the receipt of British stamps or a money order. As British stamps are not on sale in Melbourne an order would have to to be obtained, at a cost of 6d., and 6d. moi’e would have to be spent in stamps to send it home, so that the accumulated penalties which have arisen from the deficient halfpenny will amount in all to Is 4d. The packet meantime will be detained about five months in the London Post-office.

MASONIC. —In chronicling the return of Mr John Lazar, from Auckland, the “ West Coast Times” says: —He was invited there in order to instal the lately elected Right Worshipful District Grand Masters Graham and Whitaker, the former of the English, and the latter of the Scotch Constitution. The celebration was the greatest that has ever taken place in the annals of Masonry in this colony, no fewer than 650 of the brethren being present, including some from all parts of the colony. At the Thames a special steamer was chartered to bring 180. The whole arrangements were of the most gorgeous and complete character, and the ceremonies, to use the words of the “ Weekly News,” were “ most striking and impressive.” The same paper adds, “ but perhaps the most impressive sight of all was the veteran Mason, Brother Lazar, R.W. District Grand Master of Westland, who, notwithstanding his advanced age, consented to leave his home on the West Coast (o preside on this occasion, and the impressive manner in which he performed the ceremonies, could not fail to please the large body of Masons prssent.”— The recent installation of Mr Williams as District Grand Master, English Constitution, was witnessed at Sydney by 600 Freemasons Xt was a grand affair.

Litbeaey. —The Thames “ Star ” mentions as a rumor current that the hero of Mr Rees ’a novel, “ Sir Gilbert Leigh,” is no less a personage than Sir George Grey, and that this story is devoted to depicting the main incidents of the life of the great pro-Consul.

Appointment. —Mr W. H. Clarke has been elected engineer and surveyor for the County of Westland, at a salary of £450 per annum. There were five other applications. Mr Clarke is an ofilcer in the Public Works Department at present engaged in the survey of the Bowen and Okarito road.

A Thick Skull. —A charge against Thompson, the mate of the barque Sarco, for shooting a negro sailor named Smith, has been instituted at the Sydney Police Court. The bullet, flattened by contact with the prosecutor’s skull, was exhibited in Court.

Peopeety in Wellington.—A mistake in a telegram recently received rather misrepresented the value of certain property sold in Wellington. The correct particulars are thus given in the “New Zealand Times”:— Messrs Bethuuo and Hunter’s premises on Custom House Quay were sold on the 12th instant for some £BCC9. It is not more than six years since this same property was bought for less than £2COO. This shows unmistakeably the rapid rise which has taken place lately in city properties. Commons foe Cattle. —A resolution has been carried in the Westland County Council, on the motion of Mr Seddon : —“ That the Westland Waste Lands Board be respectfully requested to make (under clause 22, subsection 8, of the Waste Lands Act), resting places and commons for cattle, at the following localities in the county:—No. 1, Otira Gorge; No. 2, River bed, Kelly’s Creek; No. 3, Blake’s Camp; No. 4, near Bruce’s paddock, or Heavy Dews Flat; No. 5, north bank, Taipo ; No. 6, between the south bank of the Taipo river and the Rough Wainihinini; No. 7, Rangiriri; No. 8, Kawhaka. The reserves to be 100 acres each.”

The Late Osman Pasha. —A correspon dent of the “ Whitehall Review,” supplies the following succinct description of Osman Pasha:—“Osman Pasha is no ‘dark horse.’ Ho is not, as you have known all along, Bazaine. He only speaks eight words of very indifferent French, Turkish and Arabic fluently. A most simple-hearted but clearheaded soldier, and a great general; moreover, a capital engineer and artillerist. His age, about 48 ; his stature, medium ; he is stoutly built.” The same correspondent, referring to Dr. Charles Ryan, son of a resident of Melbourne, says: —“Among the most energetic fighters at Plevna is a young IrishAustralian surgeon, in the pay of the Turks, who invariably goes into the trenches with the men, and gives any Turk he catches straggling a beating with a heavy stick which he carries. ‘ That is my best doctor,’ said Osman Pasha the other day— ‘ he cures the men before they are wounded: ’ and he patted Ryan on the back and bade him go on and prosper.” Robeet Buens Masonic Lodge. —The installation of officers of the Robert Bums Lodge, No. 604, S.C., was held last evening in the St. Augustine’s Masonic Hall. There was a large attendance of brethren belonging to the lodge, and of visitors from sister lodges. Bro. P.M. the Rev. James Hill, Lyttelton, officiated as installing master, assisted by P.M.’s Tombs and Rentoul, of the Canterbury Lodge, and Bro. Earle, Dunedin. The following brethren were installed as officers of the lodge for the ensuing year —R.W.M., Bro. J. L. Fleming ; W.S.M., Bro. M. Smith; W.D.M., Bro. W. Ferguson; W.S.W., Bro. J. Johnstone ; W.J.W., Bro. G. Simpson ; W.T., Bro. J. Fulton; S.D., Bro. W. McLean; J.D., Bro. J. S. Jamieson; I.Q-., Bro. A. Frazer; Tyler, Bro. L. McLean. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, and on the adjournment of the lodge, there was the usual social assemblage to celebrate the occasion, and, with appropriate toasts, songs, and recitations in rapid succession, the evening was passed most pleasantly and fraternally. This lodge, which has only been in existence some ten months, now numbers over eighty members, and is rapidly increasing. Seaech eob an Illicit Still.— An unsuccessful hunt after an illicit still took place in the neighbourhood of the Bealey last week. It appears that news reached the police that a still had been manufactured in Oamaru, and was packed up and forwarded to the West Coast. The parties supposed to have the article in their possession were known and traced to the West Coast road. Sergeant Burtenshaw joined the coach at Sheffield and proceeded as far as the Bealey, where he was accompanied by Constable Hadwell on horseback. As the incident is told in the “ West Coast Times,” they came quietly on for ten or twelve miles beyond the Bealey, when they spotted the hut where the supposed prize was said to be concealed. The “ information received” tallied correctly as far as the descriptiod of the parties and the box was concerned, but the box happened to have been emptied of its contents, at all events of that portion of its contents which was most desired. The bush was very thick all round the neighbourhood, and it would have been no difficult matter to have planted the apparatus close by with small likelihood of discovery. Whether the still ever did exist or not we unot say, but certain it is the suspected trave. ers took the matter of search very coolly, as they neither questioned the possession of a search warrant nor volunteered any information whatever on the subject.