NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1235, 18 February 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Communication with Europe. —The Port Darwin line is interrupted north of Tennant’ Creek.

I ! Partial Eclipse.— A partial eclipse of the moon was visible last night shortly" after ten o’clock.

The Eastern Question.—A special telegram, received hy us on Saturday evening, states that the opinion in London on the 14th, was that war was inevitable.

North Canterbury Jockey Club.—The meeting of the managing committee of this club to decide on the course and details for the Easter meeting, will take place on Tuesday evening, at Roberts’s Club Hotel, Ran-

giora. Post-Sessional Speeches. —Major Atkinson is announced to address his constituents in the course of a day or two at New Plymouth, and Mr Fox his, at Wanganui, in about a fortnight.

Sudden Death. —A woman named Honors Screech, residing nt Waltham, died somewhat suddenly on Saturday last. Deceased was 76 years of age, and had been suffering from paralysis for a long while. She had not been attended by a medical man for about three months.

Sydenham Police Station. — A police station was established in Fourth street, Sydenham, on Saturday last. Constable Brooks, who has been acting as Court orderly at the Resident Magistrate’s Court for some time past, has been appointed to the station.

Water Supply.— To-morrow is the date upon which competitors for the premium offered by the City Council for the best scheme for supplying Christchurch with water, must send in their proposals. It is understood that there will be several competitors. Unstamped Receipts. —At the Magistrate’s Court, Waimate, on Thursday, Mr Guilford was fined £4 10s for giving an unstamped receipt. Defendant was under the impression that a stamp was not required, because the payment to which the receipt related was made by cheque. Asylum Journal.—We have received the fifth number of the “Asylum Journal,” printed and published at Sunnyside. This experiment of Mr Seager’s appears to prosper, as each number of the journal shows considerable improvement, both in matter and manner. Ashley Coounxy |ouncil. —A requisition to the chairman of tho Ashley County Council, asking him to convene a meeting of the Council to discuss the question of adopting tho whole Act, was received tco late for the meeting to be held prior to his visit to Dunedin. It is intended to hold the meeting early in March. City Licenses. — A number of camer§ r hawkers’, and kerosene licenses have not be en renewed for the present year. Instructions have been issued to the Council’s officers to proceed against all those persons whose licenses are not taken out during this week. New Zealand Shipping Company.—An adjourned extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders in the above company will be held at the offices, Hereford street, at noon to-morrow, to confirm a resolution passed at a meeting held on January 15th, with reference to borrowing on debentures. The Interprovincial Match. Tho Canterbury Eleven left for Otago thh morning, by the 7.30 train. The names have been already published. We learn that G. H. Lee will not be able to play ; his place will therefore he taken by J. Hartland, twelfth man. The match will be played on the three last days of the present week. Hospital Medical Staff.— lt will be remembered that the late medical staff of the Christchurch Hospital tendered their resignations in a body some little while since. We now learn that, having, at the request of the Government, re-considered their determination, these gentlemen have consented to resume their connection with the institution, and c their duties this morning. Picnic. —This event took place to-day, tho spot selected being Governor’s Bay.

City Assessment.— The time for receiving objections against the assessment for the current year closed on Friday, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court. Up to the hour of closing about one thousand objections had been sent in, of which number nearly six hundred were lodged by the town clerk, under instructions from the City Council, objecting to the low assessment of certain properties. The date on which the Assessment Court will sit will be duly notified.

Chess. —We understand that arrangements for tlio chess match by telegraph between the Christchurch and the Dunedin Clubs, arc nearly completed, the Government having allowed the uso of the wires at Press rates between the hours of eight and twelve |on Saturday evening. The match will probably be played on the first Saturday in April. The following players have been chosen to represent the Christchurch Club :—Messrs Kookham, Hunter, W. 1). Wood, Jacobsen, Ycel, Day, E. Bray, J. Wood, Newman; reserve men, Messrs McWilliam, Paul, Peez, and Lane,

Coursing Season. —A proclamation under the Protection of Animals Act, 1873, declares * that hares shall be open to be coursed within the provincial district of Canterbury between May Ist and July 31st, inclusive. Rifle Association.—A meeting of the Council of the O.R.A. will be held this evening at Radcliffo’s Hotel. Following this a general meeting of members will take place, when some important business will be brought forward. Medical Practitioner for Amuri A meeting is to bo held at Amuri on the sth March, for the purpose of taking steps for obtaining a medical practitioner for the district.

Beattmqnt Combination, —This company, which includes Miss Beaumont, Miss Pattie Rosa (female clog dancer), Messrs Scott, Davenport, Gibbons, &c., will open at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday evening, for a short season.

TJ.S. Minstrels. —This company arrived yesterday by the Taranaki from Wellington, and will appear this evening at the Colonists’ Hall, Lyttelton, and make their first apfearanco in Christchurch to-morrow night, n addition to possessing all the essentials for rendering in good stylo what is known as essentially “ burnt cork ” business, they are all good musicians. The quartette party, comprising Messrs Rockefeller, Campbell, Braham and Axnery, established themselves as great favourites here on their former visit by the admirable manner in which the various part songs, which form so enjoyable an item on their programmes, were given. The comic business wijl be in’the hands of Messrs Holly and Hudson, and no more efficient representatives could be found.

Gaol Economy. —According to a correspondent of one of the Hokitika papers economy, if studied at all, is studied to be neglected so far as the management of the local gaol is • concerned. A Minister being about to visit Hokitika, it is suggested that he should investigate the matter, when ho will find that to look after about a dozen prisoners there is a gaoler receiving £350 per year, with extras, such as house rent, fuel, milk, butter, and vegetables, and a full staff of warders. He will also see that no less a sum than £3OO per year is paid to a medical practitioner for attendance upon those dozen prisoners, and that the aggregate cost to the Government of those prisoners amounts to upwards of £4OOO per annum. The Speech of Mr Service. Some extracts from the speech recently delivered by Mr Service at Maldon will be found in another column. Of the speech as a whole the “ Australasian ” says Mr Service considers that the Berry Government are wholly to blame for the present state of affairs. Ho holds their conduct towards the Council to be wantonly aggressive, and their action towards the public service to be little short of treason against the most essential interests of the country. The condemnation passed on the Berry policy by Mr Service is severe and unqualified, and it must weigh the more with the judgment of the people from the fact that it comes from a man who has shown great political friendship to Mr Berry, and who acted and stood by him as long as he could, till a time came when he found himself compelled to choose between abandoning and opposing Mr Berry and betraying the interests and the good fame of Victoria.

The Late Bishop Williams.—The Eight Reverend William Williams, says the “N.Z. Times,” who lately resigned the Bishopric of Waiapu, in consequence of failing health, and was succeeded by Bishop Stuart, died at Napier on Saturday night last, in the 79th year of his age. The deceased prelate was a man of a most amiable character, devoted to the duties of his sacred calling, and was deservedly held in high esteem by both the Native and European population of his diocese. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he graduated in 1824. He came out early to this colony as a missionary, and in 1842 became Archdeacon of Waiapu, and in 1859 Bishop of that See. He was a"good classical and Maori scholar, and was the author of a “Dictionary of the Maori Language,” published in 1839, and a second edition in 1852; of “Christianity among the New Zealanders,” published in 1867, and of other works. Salsbxtex's Tboitbadoitbs. —Mr Charles J. Crouse, agent in advance of this company, has been in Christchurch for some few days past making arrangements for the appearance at the Theatre Royal of this clever company. Their entertainment has been a great success in Australia, and is described as having the merit of much novelty. Their performance in the sketches of “The Brook ” and “ Patchwork ” introduces, besides good comic acting, some of the best known operatic pieces. They opened on Saturday in Dunedin to a capital house, and at the close of their engagement there will come on to Christchurch, opening at the Theatre Royal on the Ist March. Judging from what has been said of them in Melbourne, where they played a successful season of ten weeks, they cannot fail to obtain the approval of Christchurch playgoers, Soldenb Comic Opeka.—At the Theatre Royal on Saturday there was a double bill, consisting of “Trial by Jury” and “ Genevieve de Brabant,” both of which had been already performed in Christchurch by the Soldeno Company. The former was entrusted to the same artistes as before, and though perhaps not given with quite so much effect, was very satisfactorily performed. The latter had one material alteration in the caste — namely, the substitution of Miss Liddell for Miss Mattie Daniel. The result was such a rendering of the part as made it a matter for regret that the substitution had not been previously made. This regret was felt on account not only of the opera, but also of the artist. The opera was much improved, but the lady succeeded in winning the good opinion of many who have been slow to recognise her merits as a vocalist on account of her want of animation as an actress. Her Genevieve was by no means devoid of vivacity, whilst the support she gave to the prima donna , notably in the balcony duet, and her singing of the appeal to the gensdarmes, and of the kiss song, were excellent. The opera on the whole went admirably, the applause being frequent and enthusiastic. Miss Soldene and the principals of the company were IKonoured with the customary recall, and the local allusions of Messrs Wallace and Marshall were fully appreciated. To-night’s will be the last performance of the company in Christchurch, and the opera will bo “ Chiljperic.”