NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1411, 23 August 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Municipal. —His Worship the Mayor left for Wellington yesterday on business connected with the ciiy. Railway Band. —This newly-organised band mot for practice last night. They now number some twenty members, and under the able tuition of Mr B. Button are making rapid progress. Charitable Aid Boaed. To-day the inmates of the Selwyn Homo for Old Men will be removed to their new quarters at Ashburton, leaving by the mid-day train. The members of the Board, represented by the Mayor of Sydenham, will pay an official visit of inspection to'seeall the arrangements for the reception of the inmates carried out. The Australian Squadron. H.M.S, Cormorant, six guns, which is appointed to the Australian station, is a composite sloop of 1124 tons and 900 h.p. She has been commissioned at Chatham, and is officered by Commander J. A. Bruce, Lieutenants O. M. Luckntft, Q-. Hodgkinson, and V. F. Hughes; surgeon, F. H. Lewis ; J. Ilorroeks, staff; paymaster, H. B. Robinson; assis 'ant, H. E. Bourchier. The Circus. —The programme of the preceding evening was given at the Circus last night, and went very well throughout. Messrs Benhamo and Walhalla, in their comic act with the hats were very amusing, and Mdlle de Granville, in her clever and astonishing performance with the chair, was excellent. The other items were gone through very well. To-night a capital programme is announced, and to-morrow the second matinee will take place. Christchurch Drill-shed. —Afurthcr reference was made to this subject in the House on August 9th, when Mr Murray-Aynslcy asked the Minister for Public Works, If the Government are aware that, by neglecting to give immediate attention to the repairs necessary lo the building erected by the Government, and used for the purpose of a drillshed, in Christchurch, they will subject the colony to a very large pecuniary loss ? Mr Macandrew replied that the Government were not aware that any loss would result to the colony in connection with the repairs of this building. As he was informed, the rule was that the Volunteers themselves should keep their drill-shed in repair. Mr MurrayAynsley : No, the Provincial Government. Mr Macandrew said the Government had offered to subsidise the Volunteers to a certain extent, and in future anything in the way of repairs would have to be paid for out of the subsidy. The K. 0.8. Minstrels. Despite the bitterly cold weather last evening, there was a large attendance at the Theatre Royal to witness the performance of the minstrels. The various items on the programme were rendered excellently throughout. The singing of Messrs Drayton, T. Campbell, Vernon Reid, and Roper in the first part, and the funniments of Messrs Bent and Oheevers were loudly applauded. In the second part the wonderfully clever change act introduced by Messrs Kennedy and Oheevers was redemanded, as also was the quaint and pretty melody “Take me Home.” The solos in this part by Messrs Vernon Reid and T. Campbell were rendered with great taste and expression, and in the farces Messrs Bent and Oheevers created a large amount of fun. Tonight a special treat will bo afforded to the lovers of music in the shape of a violin solo by Mr Martin Simonson. Those who remember the really exquisite playing of this gentleman on his former visit will not lose this opportunity of once more hearing him. City Improvements. During the past few weeks Mr J. E. Bashford has carried out a number of improvements at his luncheon rooms in the Triangle. The luncheon room proper on the ground floor has been enlarged by throwing the adjoining shop into it, and the room is now able to accommodate about eighty personb comfortably. It is 40lr, xSOl't, very nicely decorated and fitted, the furniture, &c , being exceedingly good. A private entrance has been made to the luncheon room off Colombo street, and the room will he divided from the confectionery department by a half-glass partition with green baize doors. Behind a screen in the luncheon room is a eliding window communicating with the kitchen and bakehouse. In the former is a large range fitted with an Bft. plate, grill apparatus, and every convenience, whilst in the latter is an oven 8 x 10, and all the necessary appurtenances. In the kitchen also is a speaking tube winch communicates with the ladies’ room upstairs, and in the luncheon room is a lift by means of which the orders can be conveyed to the room without the trouble of running up and down stairs. The ladies’ room upstairs, which is 30ft. x 16ft, has been prettily decorated and furnished. At tlip tar end is a gaa etovo, upon which are placed the urns for tea and coffee, and a show case for the reception of cakes, &c. The room is fitted to accommodate about twenty ladies, and there is a very good piano, also a wellt'urnished dressing-room. Mr Bashford’s improvements will add very greatly to the comfort of visitors.

Concert. —An entertainment of a miscellaneous character was given iu the Oddfellows’ Hall last night in aid of the funds of the E- stern Football and Cricket Club. The object for which the entertainment was got up attracted a large audience, and the programme gave general satisfaction. The first part consisted of a concert of vocal and instrumental music. Auber's overture to “ Masaniello” was the first item, and was excellently played by Mr Spensley’s band. Altogether there were thirteen songs and readings in the first half of the programme, the most noticeable of which wore the songs of Mr J. Carder and Mr S. O. Johnson, and the readings by Messrs Yule and Keith Wilson. Mr Carder sang the new nautical EO 'g, “ Nancy Lee,” in capital stylo. Ho was in good voice, and was heartily applauded and encored. Mr Johnson sang “ The Four Jolly, Jolly Smiths,” and later on “ Wrecked and'Saved,” each song being thoroughly appreciated. Mr O, H. Woledge contributed one of his comic ditties, " Not piO had for me/’ and fully sustained his reputation as tbs pi'emior comique of Christchurch. The concert terminated with a local version of “ The Bold Gendarmes,” in character, by Messrs Morris and Wilson, which provoked much laughter. The interval was filled up by the overture, “Les Deux Margots,” executed by the band in superior style, previous to which Mr Thomas Tankard played two solos on the cornet, “The Blue Bells of Scotland”' and “ The Last Rose of Summer,” both of which were rendered with delicacy and feeling. The entertainment terminated with a farce, entitled “The Biter Bit,” all the parts being fairly represent.