NEWS OF THE BAY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1266, 9 April 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE BAY.

♦ Kaiapoi Native School. —The children attending this school, in charge of their teachers, visited Cooper and Bailey's Circus on Saturday afternoon last, the expenses connected therewith being kindly defrayed by a few gentlemen residing in Christchurch and Eaiapoi. Cattle on Railway Lines. —The trains on the north line have been repeatedly compelled to slacken speed between Chainey's and the Waimakariri bridge to allow horses, sheep, and cattle to leave the metals. The advisability of putting an end to this nuisance has often been urged. But at the present season, when night trains are frequently run on the lines, such trespassers are not only a nuisance, but a serious danger. City Council. —The City Council held a special meeting last night for the purpose of confirming the proposed building by ■ law. After going through the by-law, they adjourned the meeting till to-morrow (Wednesday) at 8 o'clock. The Council then hold an ordinary meeting, but were unable to get through the ■whole of the business on the order paper. This meeting was adjourned till to-morrow at half-past six. A report appears in another column. Oddfellows'Fete. —The fete which takes place on Easter Monday under the auspices of the united lodges of Oddfellows in the district, promises to be a great success. In connection therewith an art union on a large scale has been arranged. A capital programme of races, &c, numbering some fourteen items, has been drawn up, and no doubt, if the weather proves at all favorable, there will be a large gathering. A ball will be held in the evening. The Education Reserves.—ln accordance with' the Act of last session the Government have appointed three commissioners to administer the education reserves of the Canterbury district, the appointees being Messrs Marehmau, Mellish, and Lance. To complete the Board of Commissioners, one more member has to be appointed by each of the Education Boards in the district. Under the Act three-fourths of the not proceeds of the reserves will be handed to the Boardof Education, and applied to the support of primary schools, and the remaining fourth will be "paid over" towards the support of secondary schools. The school sites are excepted from the o mtrol of the Bourd of Commissioners, and are vested in the Boards of Education. The Late G-aekoting Case. From the description given by O'Leary, who was parroted on Sunday morning last, members of the police force have been quietly scouring tho | country within a radius of fcen miles from town, for a notorious character named Gorman Charley, whom it was known had left Dunedin among the circus laborers, and hnd been discharged from that employ at Timaru. A little before ten o'clock last night Detective Benjamin observed a man answering the description standing in tho dark near the Central Hotel, and a closer view showed him that he had got his mm. He immediately arrested him on suspicion, and German Charley seeing he was thoroughly known, and finding that resistance was useless, quietly walked to the depot. Fiue AT Swannanoa. —A five occurred on Monday night about 'seven o'clock sit Mr Dailey's farm, by which a granary, with about 500 or GOO bags of wheat, a stable' with about fifteen or sixteen sets of harness, and all the threshing machine utensils were totally c(es troyed. Tho dwelling-house ought on lire three or four times by the pieces of burning material blowing on to t;;c shingles. Fortunately there were a good many helping hn;ds about, ani three or four men got on the t>p with wot blankets. If it had-not hive been for the assistance rendered, the house would have bean burued to ihe ground. Fortunately the wind was blowing from tho 3 W. at the time, or had it been blowing N.W. everything would have been destroyed. The buildings ai,d wheat were partially insured in the New Zealand Insurance Corjj' | spy, !Iw wjgia el tU 8« is wfowiWi

Tug Public Works Account. An answer given by the Minister of Public Works to Sir W. Fitzherbert on Thursday contains some indication of ♦he'*present, state of the Public Works account. The New Z, aland "Tiiins" says :—Yesterday morning Sir W. Fitzherbert, M.H.R. for the Hutt, and Mr Mason, chairman of the County Coun il, waif od upon the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, to urge the desirability of the money which was voted by Parliament last session for making the county roads being expended as soon as possible in that direction. Mr Macandrew said that as soon a* the money was available it would be handed over to the Council.

Canterbury Dog Show. —A meeting of the general committee was held on Monday evening at Morton's Hotel. Present—Messrs Disher (in the chair), Egan, Judge, Dundas, Bennett, Porter, ai;d Dumergue (hon. sec.) A number of letters were read from gentlemen agreeing to act as judges at the forthcoming show. On the motion of Mr Egan, seconded by Mr Porter, it was decided that a programme of the various classes should be issued and advertised, the committee of management to be as follows :—Colonel Packe, Messrs Mellish, Wvnn Williams, J. T. Matson, Maxwell, Whitefoord, Millett, Newton, Disher, Walker, Neilson, Egan, Judge, Bennett, Prankish, King, Hurse, Duncan, Selfe, Hammersley, Porter, Todd, Lovegrove, Bristol, and Dumergue. It was resolved that posters, containing all particulars of the show, should be printed, and that entries would positively close on Wednesday, 17th instant, at Tattersall's. A meeting of the committee will be held on Thursday, 18th instant.

An Un fortunate Shooting Party.—A correspondent of the "Press" says:—On April Ist two young men went to Le Bon's Bay pigeon shooting. Leaving their horses tethered at the outskirts of the bush, and planting their saddles and bridles, they proceeded into the thick bush, where the pigeons are to be found. While they were there a nor'-wester sprang up, re-kindling some smouldering embers. The fire soon spread to the bush, and in a short time the sportsmen found themselves surrounded with fire, from which they had the greatest difficulty in saving their lives. As it was they lost one gun, and on returning to the place where they left their horses, they found only the remains of a tether rope, and some frizzled up leather. After searching for some time they found one horse with nearly all the hair singed off. On resuming the search the next day they found the remains of the other horse, which had been suffocated. They intend getting the" single pigeon which they killed on the occasion stuffed and put in a glass case, to remind them of All Fool's Day, 1878. Acknowledgment.—lt will be recollected that, a few days back, Mr Bailey invited a number of the convalescent patients of Sunnyside, together with the warders, to witness the performance of the circus. The inmates were highly delighted with all they saw, so much so that they requested Mr Seager, the Superintendent, to convey to Mr Bailey their high appreciation of the kindness which had prompted his invitation. The form which this expression of their feelings took was the following address which, no doubt, will be preserved by Messrs Cooper and Bailey as an interesting memento of their visit to this distant colony:—"To Messrs Cooper and Bailey, proprietors of the Mammoth Circus. Gentlemen, —We, the undersigned, inmates of the Sunnyside Lunatic Asylum, beg to express our united thanks to you for the extreme liberality extended to us enabling us to visit —with so much pleasure —your gigantic and interesting show ; a liberality so emblematical of the citizens of Arneiica, a sympathy towards the afflicted so honorable to the glorious stars and stripes. It were but praise to say that one and all were pleased with the visit, affording as it did to us an opportunity and gratification of witnessing so grand a sight through your liberality, equalled only by the unbounded gratitude of our hearts." Here the compiler, like Silas Wegg, drops into poetry to the extent of four lines, eulogistic of the United States. The address is signed by thirty-eight inmates of the Asylum, and countersigned by Mr Seager. It may be noted that during the stay of Messrs Cooper and Bailey's Circus here they have extended a free admission to the children of the Orphanage and Burnhun Reformatory. Under existing arrangements it is difficult to tell who the authorities are in charge of these institutions, but certainly Messrs Cooper and Bailey should not be allowed to leave Christchurch without some recognition, official or otherwise, of the unsolicited kindliness which prompted their invitation to the children of the institutions named. Coovkr and Bailey's Circus.—Yesterday aM.rnoon was again a children's day at the Circus, some 1500 being present. The Colombo road and other schools were included in this number, and by invitation of Messrs Cooper and Bailey the children of the Burnham Reformatory were present. An excellent programme was most successfully given, all the ait'stes engaged receiving the appluuse of the children. Considerable exclement was ciused by the appearance in the ring of Mr Ay mar disguised as a countryman after gizing upon the wine when it was red. The children took it for granted that the interruption was perfectly genuine, and not. of the performano?, and one worthy lady from the oountry expressed herself aloud to the effect that it was a shame to allow a man to get on a hor.-e who did not. know how to ride, and who would most certainly be killed. It took all Mr Gardener's persuasive powers to re-assure her. In the evening the large tent was filled to overflowing, and the side show was also crowded, *nd the attractions of the variety theatre w< re we 1 patronised. Til-* company appear for the last time in Christchurch t is evening, and at the close of the performance the wok of dismantling the immense canvas structure will commence. They proceed to Wellington in their chartered steamer on Wednesday, and thence to Auckland. At the latter port, after a short season, the majority of the company will b.ke ship per Gad ien Sea, which has been chartered expressly for the trip to Call i<\ §ome proceed per mail steamer to San Francisco, en route fop their homes in the Eastern Sta<es. Tramway Company.—The share list of the Cat.terb.ury Tramway Company closed yesierday according to notifitdion. A large number of shares have been taken up, and (he company will start with every prospect of BUCCI SB. Representation of Timahu.—The nomination of candidates for the representation of Timaru was to take pi ice at noon yesterday. As Mr Richard Turnbull was the only candidate announced, it is probable that ho was duly nominated and electel. As with tie Parnell election so with that for Timaru, the Agency apparently regarded the matter as too unimportant to bestow any intelligence concerning it upon the colony at large. The Dry Weather.—The autumn drought, having been protracted to an unusual length, graziers are beginning to deph re the lack of grass and decline in condition and price of cattle. Yesterday a slight ruiu fell in some parts of the country, and if the weather should now break an improvement in pasturage may be brought about. The aftermaths this ye.vr have hardly been worth anything, and at this time the growth and quality of herbage is in danger of being spoiled by frosts. 'Tuc 'Moa. in the KOBTH —An Auckland contemporary says :—Mr William Taylor, of the Sodawater Springs, Kaurihohori. has made another important discovery. While digging on his property, Mr Taylor unearthed a number of Moa bones, which, we believe, are the first ever found north of the Waitemsta. Two of the bones are evidently thigh boiies. They mensuro thirty inches in length, and trom their siae must have belonged to the species Dinornis Blephantopes. Destructive Fire. —A destructive fire, pays the "Timaru Herald," occurred at Acton » at ion on Thus day, by which the woolshed, containing about £3OUO worth of grass seed, and about £2OOO of grain, consisting of wheat, and oats, was destroyed, besides a quantity of tobacco, sheepskins, stores, wool pre-s, and a large portion of the sheep yards. The total los* is. estimated by the manager, Mr Maclean, at £7of)o. It was partly eovtyed by insurance, but nothing near the value. There is at nreswit no ejus fcQ UiQ.or'gia of the fire

Presentation.—On Miss G-ordon resigning her situation at the Side School, Doyleston, a number of the ladies of the district, among whom were Mesdames McLachlan, Rennie, and Doyle, met to bid her farewell. After a few remarks to the children, Mrs McLachkn handi'd them a beautiful gold watch and writing desk for presentation to Miss G-ordon, who thanked them for the presents and for the interest and kindness they had always shown her. The school was then dismissed.

Fire at Mofnt Harding.—The Ashburton "Mail" of Tuesday gives an account of a serious loss by fire in the vicinity of Mount Harding Mr David Adams, a farmer in that district, had 2COO bushels of oats in sacks piled up and covered with straw. When lie went home from an adjoining farm at 2 o'clock in the morninr ihere were no signs of lire, but at 4.40 he awoke and found the whole yard in flames. From the frequency of these grain fires there is every reason to fear that they are the work of*an incendiary. Exciting Chase. —An event took place in the menagerie tent yesterday which would have furnished our sporting writers with matter for a most interesting description of a wolf chase. It appears that by some means the coyote got loose, and with the cunning characteristic of the animal, waited until Profesor Johnston had gone to some other part of the circus. He then slunk out and commenced to make a general tour round on a voyage of discovery. Some of the gentlemen unattached to the animal tending staff are reputed to have made the quickest time on record in getting outside the tent into the street. However, after a little dodging and chasing around by the staff of officials, whose gorgeous livery has been so much admired, the coyote was safely lassoed and so fastened in his dwelling place as to prevent the possibility of any repetition of his wandering abroad. The New Colonial Secretary— Sir Michael Hicks-Beach (says the "Spectator ") has accepted the Colonial Secretaryship, in the place of Lord Carnarvon, and it is, we should imagine, not unlikely that. Mr Plunket may be offered the Irish Secretaryship, vacant by Sir Michael Beach's transfer to the Colonial Office—for Mr Plunket's seat (for the University of Dublin) is safe, and his oratory very useful to the Government. Sir Michael Beach is even now the leastknown member of the Cabinet, but he has shown himself both firm and temperate as Irish Secretary, and we sincerely hope he may be able to fill respectably—after the ablest Colonial Secretary whom the country has had for many years —the difficult and at present very responsible office which he has undertaken. If he can so fill it, he will certainly have before him a considerable political future. Cheese Manufacture in Waikato.— The " Waikato Times " regrets that some of the principal cheese producers in Waikato are discontinuing the business, as they find prices unsatisfactory. This is a pity, as according to the journal cited excellent cheese is produced. Indeed so pleasantly was the Governor's palate affected by it at the recent banquet "that he took away with him, as something he could not procure in Auckland, the remaining half uncut." This proceeding is certainly an innovation upon established etiquette. Fancy the consternation which an ordinary guest would produce who, being pleased with his host's Stilton, hinted that he would like to take away half of it under his arm ! Of course the entertainers were pleased to give it, but the example set may be a disn-fr.ras one for entertainers generally in the colony. Metropolitan Amenities. —It would be very unjust to say that Councillor Macdonald is a fair specimen of Wellington Municipal Councillors, or that that Councillor does not occasionally, in the heat f debate, contrast unfavourably with his calmer self. The following extract will show, however, that there is still some room for improvement in the civic debates of the metropolis :—Councillor Fisher contended that he was perfectly justified in bringing his motion forward, as Mr Turnbull had sent no written reply to the Town Clerk's letter of the 4th January; besides, he was not going to allude to a certain gentleman who went round for votes amongst Councillors in order to get his plans adopted.—Councillor Macdonald : It's a lie, sir.—The Mayor objected to the observations which were being indulged in, and threatened if they were continued to leave the chair.—Councillor Fisher went on to obierve that it had behoved him to write professionally upon one of the grossest jobs that was, in his opinion, ever perpetrated; hut that was no reason why he should be prevented alluding to the matter with the view getting public information.

Sheffield has been chosen for the meeting of the British Association in 1879. The Spanish journalists have decided to establish a Tribunal of Honour, to adjudicate on personal differences among them. The Cambridge Mathematical Tripos list was published on January 23rd. Mr E. W. Ilobson, of Christ's College, is Senior Wrangler, and Mr J. E. Steggall, of Trinity, comes next. Advices from Cape Town to Jauuary 29th, by way of Madeira, say there had been numerous encounters between the volunteers and insurgent Kaffirs during the previous week, in which the Kaffirs were defeated, many of them being killed and wounded. It is stated that the Khedive has granted to a Dutch company the right of draining Lake Mareotis, and utilising the land reclaimed. Its area is about 75,000 acres, and the company has bound itself to hand over to the Viceroy a certain proportion of the crops raised. When Osman Pasha arrived at Bucharest as a prisoner on December 20th, as he was enteiing his hotel, a little Roumanian girl stepped forward, and presented him with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The tiny donor was lifted up by the physician of the Marshal, and the defender of Plevna bestowed a hearty kiss upon the lips of the little lady. Osman appeared greatly touched by this, in ideal. Miss Byi.and, who has already presented Birmingham with two public parks, one at Canon-hill and the other at Smallbeath, r- presenting together over 100 acres. of wooded land, has contributed £'looo towards the laying out of the last-named park, in addition to 1;10,000 which she has already expended upon the embellishment of the former. It is stated that the value of Miss Ry land's h nefactions to the town now amounts to about £IOO,OOO.