NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1201, 9 January 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Lyttelton Eorougji Council Election. —The election of candidal cs to till the vacant seat in this Council took place yesterday, when Mr liichard Wood was declared duly elected. The result of the polling was—Mr It. Wood, 107 ; Mr W. Holmes, 78. San Francisco Mail.— The outward mail for San Francisco was to be despatched last evening from Auckland by the s.». Australia, which had arrived in the afternoon from Sydney, Simultaneously the e.e Rotorua was Iq jretura to the latter f#ft,

Noble Visitor. —The Earl of Lewes has been spending Christmas with Sir Hercules Robinson at Sydney. The Ballarat “ Star ” says he intends to visit New Zealand before returning to England. The Wakatipu.- -The steamer Wakatipu had not been advised from Sydney, and similar anxiety was felt with regard to her as was with regard to the Rotorua, but she is now reported as having sailed yesterday for Auckland, Mr Marshall Wood,The celebrated sculptor, being a passenger. Doubtless she had had a protracted passage up, prolonged by the heavy gale of which the Rotorua had experience.

Billiards.— Mr Roberts gave the second exhibition of his skill at billiards at Radcliffe’s Hotel, when there was a very good attendance. The game played was with the cue, the champion giving a gentleman amateur 200 out of 500. Some excellent breaks were made, and ultimately the champion won by 40 points. After a short interval, Mr Roberts gave an exhibition of his remarkable fancy shots, which elicited loud and continued applause. He will play again this evening. Sudden Death. —James Wheatley, an old settler, and member of the Kakanui riding in the Waitaki County Council, died suddenly on the night of the 4th inst., at his residence, Kakanui, from apoplexy. He attended a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society at Oamaru in the afternoon, and rode home. When the housekeeper went into the sittingroom at tea lime she found him lying forward in his chair, dead. He was a great enthusiast in field sports, and took an active interest in acclimatisation, coursing, and racing. He was universally liked in the district. Horticultural Society. —A meeting of the Committee of the Christchurch Horticultural Society was held at Radcliffe’s Hotel last evening. Present, the president, E. C. J. Stevens, in the chair, Messrs F. Harvey, J. Guntrip, T. Turner, R. W. Fercday, Q-. A. Read, and the Secretary. The minutes were read and confirmed, several accounts were passed for payment, and it was resolved that an art union should be held in connection with the autumn show, and that a thousand tickets bo printed for distribution, A fine collection of seedling carnations was exhibited by Mr J. Greenaway. Canoe Club. —A meeting of the Pilgrim Canoe Club was held at Radcliffe’s Hotel last evening, Mr Bull in the chair. It was resolved that the Canoe Regatta having been twice postponed in consequence of bad weather, it be now postponed nine die. The captain and purser having tendered their resignations on account of their projected departure from Christchurch, their resignations were accepted with regret. Mr Boddington was elected captain and Mr O. B. Bain purser. After a vote of thanks to the retiring officers and the chairman, the meeting adjourned. Butchers’ Picnic. —A general meeting of butchers was held last evening at the Britannia Hotel, for the purpose of arranging preliminaries for the annual picnic. Mr Hankins in the chair. A great deal of discussion ensued relative to a place in which to hold the picnic. It was ultimately resolved (pending Mr Monck’s consent) to hold it at his residence, near Sumner. The following gentlemen were elected to make the necessary arrangements : —Messrs Holland, Williams, Grey, McGachie, and Noedl. It was agreed to hold another meeting next Tuesday evening, at the same time and place, when the committee will bring up a report of their exertions during the week. Labkikinism. — For some little time past numerous complaints have been made to Inspector Hickson of the conduct of some lads in the suburbs who have spent portions of their evenings in removing gates, tearing down palings, and breaking windows. Among others the windows of a house in the Lincoln road belonging to Mr Ruddenklau were all broken on the evening of the 3rd instant, and on the same night a few of the railway gates were lifted off their hinges, requiring an amount of strength not to be found in very small boys. The police since then have not been idle, and it is not unlikely that in the course of a few days some informations for offences of this nature may be heard at the Resident Magistrate’s Court. Rev. R. S. Jackson. The Primate’s secretary, who had taken duty at the Kaiapoi parish church on Sunday last, and was staying with Mr J. C. Porter, on Monday morning ruptured a blood vessel, the effect of which at one time threatened to prove serious. He was attended by Dr. Ovenden, and yesterday, we are glad to say, was so far recovered that he intended to return home. The accident might have been caused by the excitement brought on by an alarm of fire. Although, the rev. gentleman was present at the fire, he felt no ill effects till his return to the house. Fatal Accident at Gust. —Yesterday forenoon a sad accident occurred in a gravel pit near the railway line in front of Mr Ruddenklau’s homestead. It appears that while some men were working there a largo fall of earth unexpectedly took place, and a young man named Edward Green, of Woodend, employed by Mr E. Murfit, contractor, was struck down and killed on the spot, another only just escaping the same fate through having noticed the fall in time to leap aside, though not sufficiently far as to avoid being thrown down. The body was conveyed to the Oust Hotel to await an inquest, which will be held at 10 o’clock on Thursday.

Pedestrian Courtesy. —A youth named Fraser made a surprising figure as a pedestrian at the New Year sports in Wellington last year. He appeared this year at Nelson, and was again a winner under circumstances which are thus described by the “ Mail ” :■ —Walking Match, two miles —Fraser, 1; Arnold, 2. Akersten, Skellie, and Williams also started. This was beyond all question the event of the day. Williams, a burly digger from the Coast, went off at a tremendous pace, leaving the others a long way in the rear, but his career was cut short by the judges deciding that his pace was not a fair walk. He therefore retired. A. Fraser, a slim but wiry young fellow, who had arrived from Wellington in the morning, was soon left behind, and as in the second lap something went wrong with his shoes, and he hud to slop and put them right, it was thought that he was out of the race, but as lap after lap was completed he gradually drew nearer to Arnold, the leading man, who at the last lap but two was also compelled to halt for a second or two to adjust his foot gear, which had got out of order. With a politeness that was most exemplary, but under the circumstances decidedly exceptional, Fraser waited top until his opponent had made himself comfortable, when ho seemed to think that any further consideration for him was not called for, and he then walked past him with about as much ease as a steam-engine would pass a bullock dray, coming iu a wiujiei l loud cheew frejj} flWlfWVWtt’" _ *•* ■'

The Premies’3 Auckland Meeting.— From the full report of the meeting of reception to Sir George Grey at Auckland, the Wellington "Argus” thus quotes the following itemsln the first place, we find that Dr. Wallis is reported as follows: —" He would say nothing now about rogues and trimmers in any Legislature in general. Following the example of an old Scotch story, he would not utter his sentiments, but would whistle them. [The doctor here struck up the first stave of ‘ O, was na’ he a roguey —the piper of Dundee,’ amidst great laughter.]” Next we find the fascinating and accomplished Mr Tole speaking, and reported thus: —‘‘He might say that the ladies had exercised some influence over the proceedings of Parliament; but he had been such a well known party man that it was impossible to bring him within the influence of their fascinations. [ I .aughter.] ” The Expansion op Dunedin.— The rapid expansion uf Dunedin by the erection ot suburban towns, and the effect upon the value of centrally situated property, are thus referred to by a correspondent of the "North Otago Times'” The suburbs arc increasing greatly, and partly at the expense of the city, as in some places there are now numerous houses to let within the city boundary. There are constant sales of new townships on the "deferred payment ” principle, and there are still numerous purchasers. The opening of the tramways is likely to take place within twelve months, and the extreme north and south of Dunedin will then be connected by an easy ride at the cost of threepence. This will still further tend to take population out ol the city into the northern and southern suburbs. Anderson’s Bay is also now linked up by rail. Raveusbourne, the first station beyond Pelichet Bay on the Port Chalmers line, is now' quite a considerable township. The tendency seems to be towards a reduction of rentals for small tenements within the town boundary. Largo sums have been made of late by persons who have secured land, and then cut it up into townships and re-sold it. One of the new townships rejoices in the name of Plevna, and has its Shipka street, Shumla street, Ac. Cricket—Australia a-, Otago. The Australian team consists of the following players: —From New South Wales: C. Eannerraan, A. Banner man, F. Spofforth, W. Murdoch, T. Garrett, and Gregory; from Victoria: H. Boyle, T. Kendall, J. Blackham, F. Allan, and T. Horan; and from Tasmania, G. Baily. The Otago match committee have selected the following twenty two to play against the Australians: —Millington and Nieholls (Oamaru), Everest and Spencer (Palmerston), Moore (Balclutha), Downes (Lawrence), Crawshaw (Albion), Austin, Cargill, Dixon, Fulton, M'Neil, and Rose (Carisbrook), Clark, Glen, Haskell, Macfarlane, Morrison, Paramor, Rhodes, Spring, and Sutcliff (Dunedin), Emergency men : Douglas (Albion), Fawcett (Dunedin), Niven (Carisbrook), Jones and Shelton (Albion). Since their departure from Melbourne early in November, the Australians have played remarkably well. At Brisbane they beat a local team of twenty-two ;at Toowomba they were successful against a similar number ; at Sydney they beat fifteen players, including Evans, the great bowler. They then went on to Maitland, and beat a team of twenty-two there, and at Newcastle, New South Wales, they were victorious in a similar match. The Adelaide twenty-two also had to succumb, and the match with the combined team of NewSouth Wales and Victoria resulted in a tie.