NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1477, 9 November 1878, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Admission to Pbactice. —William Alfred Neck, Esq., was yesterday admitted to practice as a barrister in tho Supreme Court of New Zealand, Canterbury district.

Pbince of Wales’ Birthday. —lt is notified at the Customs that Monday has been proclaimed by the Governor to bo a public holiday, in honor of tho Prince of Wales’ birthday. Methodist Feee Ciiuech.— To-morrow the services at this church, St. Asaph street, by, in the morning, the Rev. J, White; in the evening by the Rev. 8. Macfarlane, whose subject will bo “The Races, Settling Day.” The Show. —To day one of the great events of the year in Canterbury, in tho shape of the annual exhibition of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association came off, and was one of the best in all departments that has yet taken place. The whole of the classes were filled excellently, and though, unfortunately, the weather was not such as might have been desired, yet the show as a whole was a really good one. Yesterday his Excellency the Governor, with Hon. Colonel Whitmore, paid a visit to the show. He was met at the gate by the committee, and conducted round tho various exhibits. The attendance of the public yesterday was exceedingly good as may be gathered from the fact that £9O was taken at the gates for admission fees. Outward San Fbancisco Mail.—The outward San Francisco mail was forwarded at 8.30 last night per s s. Rotorua. Capsize. —Two lads who were venturous enough to go sailing in Lyttelton harbour yesterday morning, during the nor’-wester, got capsized. They were rescued uninjured. Lyttelton Colonists’ Society.—The monthly meeting of the committee of this society was held on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance and much business was transacted.

Heavy Fleeces. —Mr Pashby clipped a fleece from the Sutton ram shewn by him at Rangiora weighing 21ilbs ; and from the ewe suckling lamb, shewn at the same exhibition, a fleece weighing 15lbs. Babeistee and Solicitoe. —Mr W. N. Neck was yesterday admitted by his Honor Mr Justice Johnston as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Depekeeo Pensions.—Deferred pension papers have been received by the Collector of Customs for William Lewis, Military Train, and arrears of pay for A. Cox, 14th Hussars. The Marionettes.—The Marionette performance at the Q-aiety Theatre last evening was well attended, and the programme was gone through satisfactorily. To-day there will be a matinee performance. Tempeeance Hotel Company. The shares in this company are being rapidly taken up, and it is expected the company will be able to commence operations by about the middle of next month. Several first-class sites have been offered, and are now under consideration.

Akaboa County Election. —Mr J. S. Fleming has been declared duly elected member of the Akaroa County Council for the Port Levy riding, Akaboa Tbust. — A meeting of the members preliminary to winding up the affairs of the Lakes Ellesmere and Forsyth"Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust, was held at Lake Ellesmere on Thursday. The proceedings are reported in this issue. Geological Ekplobation of Nelson. — The “New Zealand Times” states that an exploration and prospecting party was to start for Nelson on Monday. They are connected with tho Geological Survey Department. We hope that their researches may bo amply rewarded. Labobbes and Employees in Oamabu.— The “Oamaru Mail” states that the employers of labour in Oamaru have decided to institute the Saturday half-holiday system here, which will come into operation from the 9th inst. About a month ago the employes, desirous of obtaining the Saturday halfholiday, presented a petition to the employers, asking* them to grant the concession. The employers then held a meeting to consider the question, when it was carried unanimously. The arrangement is that Oamaru labourers and ariisans will now work forty-four hours per week, instead of forty-eight; and that they will now receive four hours’ less wages in consequence. Matbimony Accoeding to Pheenology. —Reviewing a recent life of George Combe, the “ Spectator” has the following : —Writing to a friend some months before his marriage to Miss Siddons, he says :-“It is quite true that I am about to change my condition, and I can scarcely tell how It came about. The lady’s head and mine bear a close resemblance in many of the most important organs, and there was a natural sympathy established between us from the first, which insensibly ripened into a more serious attachment. She is six years younger than myself, and her interests are of a moral and intellectual character, so that she is fit ted to be a companion to me, and will go along with me in my pursuits. The projected union will not take place until September. It was sent abroad by a blunder, and thus wo had no alternative but to announce it, ah hough it is too long to have such a matter hanging in the wind, and the subject of discussion. I have obeyed the natural laws, so far as my skill and knowledge went, and if evil happen, I shall learn a new chapter, for the instruction of others. in 18'8 i look Dr. Spuvzheim’s opinion on my own constitution, after telling him my previous history ; and he said I might marry with propriety, but not to select a young wife, but one whose faculties would act with my own. I examined the lady’s head, and took my brother’s advice whether her constitution was good in itself and suitable to mine, and received a favorable opinion. My niece, Miss Cox, who is a pretty good judge of women, told mo that if I did not make love to Miss Siddons, I need never expect to find another so well suited to me ; so that I did not yield blindly to inclination, or act without calling in the best guides to my own judgment I could. This is confidential, and is mentioned just to let you know that I do not preach one doctrine and practise another.” The marriage seems to have justified this cool and businesslike view of the matter, for it proved an unusually happy one • but the author of the letter was a better man than his love of his own theories allowed him to confess. All who knew George Combo must have seen that, intensely prosaic as ho was, ho bad within him no small fund of true aad natural seotiaieak

Sporting. —ln the weights for the Ash’ burton Cup Luna was accidentally omitted Her weight is 7st 71b.

Selwyn County Election. —Mr J. D, Enys has been elected a member of the S.dsvyn County Council for the Riding of tipper Waimakariri. The Circus.— There was a very large attendance at the circus last evening, when the programme was gone through excellently. Thr 'dternoon exhibition was also well atto del To-day there will be a matinee and tl e us al evening performance. Accident. —On Thursday afternoon three young men, named Roberts, Watson, and Scruby, hired a boat from Mr Reese for the purpose of paying a visit to New Brighton. On the way back, through some unexplained cause, the boat capsized, and the occupants had a narrow escape of being drowned. Fortunately, however, they escaped with a ducking. Ashley County Council. —Messrs James Alexander Cunningham and Samuel Barwell were nominated on Friday as candidates for ofilco of councillor for Mount Thomas Riding. The poll will take place on Wednesday next at the Road Board Office, Loburn. Mr Robert Coup was nominated as the councillor for the Eyreton Riding. It will be seen that fresh nominations have to be received for the Oxford riding, and it is expected that at least three candidates will bo nominated for the one vacancy. The Cricket Team fob Victoria.—' The following have been selected by the Association Match Committee to practice for the Victorian matches : —Ashby, Allen, Anderson, Baker, C. Barker, Corfe, T. Conran, E. Fowler, J. Fowler, C. Frith, W. Frith, Fuller, Godby, Hartland, Leech, W. K. Leach, W. Leo, Mitchell, Moore, Neilson, Ollivier, Rowe, Stevens, Skelton, Secretan, Watson. Practice will take place every evening, and as the team leaves in five weeks, regular attendance is requested. Australian Universities. —ln Victoria, the Government have determined to make the University of Melbourne free of fees, so as to make its advantages available to the widest possible extent. The aid granted by Government to the Sydney University amounts to £SOOO per annum, and is to be increased to £9OOO, while the revenue from college fees was only £333 18s in 1877, and the largest amount which has been received from this source during any one year of the last decade was £403, the amount being paid by students in 1876. The number of students who ma riculated in 1877 was 23, and the whole number attending lectures was 61. Of the 363 persons who went up to the public examinations, 38 seniors and 135 juniors passed. The number of graduates who passed in 1877 was 22, Lecture on Longfellow. —Last evening Bro. Adams, of the Loyal Avon Lodge of Oddfellows, A.C., gave a lecture on Longfellow at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Lichfield street. The Mayor occupied the chair. There was only a moderate attendance. This was r probably in consequence of the somewhat unfavorable time chosen. After three days’ races, with the great annual show to follow, no lecture on any subject whatever could bo expected to attract a very large audience. Should Mr Adams re-deliver the lecture on a future occasion, he will probably have a much more numerous audience. The lecture was throughout an excellent one, and the lecturer seemed imbued with admiration of the works of Longfellow. In the course of his remarks, he gave many selections from the writing of that poet, and illustrated with much force the beneficial effect of the study of poetry. At the close of the lecture a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr Adams. Prior to it Mr Coombs performed a solo on the cornet with telling effect, and the entertainment concluded with n enjoyable miscellaneous concert. The Newcastle Coal Trade, —Writing on October 26th, the “ Argus ” correspondent says : —The excitement in the coal trade has somewhat subsided, and the threatened rupture of the Association of Colliery proprietors has been averted. A meeting has been held during the week at Newcastle, and the Wallsend Colliery, which had seceded from the association, has re-entered it. The expectation, therefore, is that the price of coal will be maintained, and with it the rate of miners’ wages. The continuance of this state of things, however, is threatened by the underselling of the collieries not in.the association ; and in order to check this, the miners have been contriving a scheme by which they can limit the output of the non-associated collieries. Whether they will be able to carry it out is doubtful, but they seem resolved to try it. The principle upon which they proceed is, that unregulated competition amongst their employers reduces profits, and therefore wages; and that, as the masters seem unable to regulate the competition for themselves, it is in the interest of the men to try and do it for them.

New Guinea,— The “Argus” correspondent, telegraphing from Cooktown on October 22nd, says : —The At jeh arrived at Cooktown last night and brought seven passengers from Thursday Island, who arrived there by the Conflict from Port Moresby. All are sick, and five have gone to Cooktown hospital. The news from New Guinea is not encouraging. A party of prospectors who went up the right-hand branch of the Goldie have not returned to Port Moresby, and it is consequently thought that they are on payable gold. The Glen Camp at Loloki has been broken up, and the party there have all returned to Port Moresby, in consequence of an anticipated attack on them by natives. Fears are entertained for safety of a party now on the Goldie. No communication is possible with them in the present disturbed state of the district. One hundred and fifty warriors left Port Moresby about the Ist inst. for the interior, and general trouble is anticipated, The health of the people at Port Moresby is good, but there is much sickness up-country. The beche-de-mer boats are all doing well. Mr Ingram had not arrived when the Conflict left. One of the party, named John Hayes, died of fever at Lffoki camp. Another telegram states ; —Advices from Port Moresby to the 14th states that no news from the prospectors of the right-hand branch of the Goldie rive? is to hand, nor any intelligence of any fresh finds of gold. The natives are quiet, though their attitude is very threatening. A Cooktown party of cedar-getters lias returned from the exploration of the MTvor. It is a tidal-water river, which extends over sixty miles, and has a very difficult bar entrance. They were frequently attacked by the natives —once by a party of about 200.

Tub Longwood Eeefs, —The “Western Star ” of Saturday says : —Mr Charlton has just, completed a contract for driving 75ft. in Skaggs’ claim. There is a peculiarity about the country through which ho travelled that lias not to our knowledge been observed before in connection with the Longwood diggings, viz, the whole of that dialanco consists of a kind of blue cement similar to that obtained at the famous Blue Spur, Tunpcka. The cement is gold-bearing. No indication of a reef was found, but Mr Charlton considered the drive was too shallow, and that a shaft would test the ground better. In the John Bull a shaft is being sunk inside the drive, and the nature of tire ground is encouraging. Nothing definite has transpired with regard to the reported fresh discovery by the Hayes Bros, of a gold-bearing lode, but one report fixes the locale in the claim known as Daniels No. 3, which was abandoned by C. A. C. Daniels last week on condition that P. Hayes paid all expenses incurred in connection with the claim. The stone shown is certainly very promising. The prospector’s claim, of course, is for the present sealed, and it is very doubtful if the verdict of the District Court will end the dispute. Some good specimens wore got just as notifica ion of the injunction was served upon the prospectors. Notwithstanding the want of confidence lately felt in regard to these reefs, a considerable amount of prospecting is still going on. It is said that (he reef has been struck from the shaft in Managhan’s claim, but us instructions arc given to the miners not to allow anyone down the shaft or give information regarding the mine, it is extremely difficult to gather accurate information. Toe survey of the whole of the applications on what is known us Hayes’ line of reef the Duffer, which by som; means or other has been overlooked), has now been completed, and Mr Hayes’ parly is preparing to take in band those some two miles higher up the range, in Osborne’s country, while Mr Jsurpy hag commenced on Skgggs’,

Theatre Royal. was repeated last night to a very largo audience of holiday makers. The play went off as well as on the previous evening. Tonight Boueicault’s sporting drama, “The Flying Scud,” will bo performed for the first time in Christchurch, and a silver cup will be presented to Mr R. Ray, the owner and ridetr of the winner of the Canterbury Cup. Supreme Court.— His Honor Mr Justice Johnston eat in Chambers for a short time yesterday. Probate was granted to the executors of Chas. Meyers, deceased. On the application of Mr Garrick, re exemplification of the will of Charles P. Maxwell, Messrs R. J. S. Harman and E. C. J. Stevens were appointed attorneys and executors under the said will. His Honor will probably proceed to Wellington early next week to attend the Court of Appeal.

Mr Wilkie Collins is writing a story for an early number of the “International Review.”

The Vicomte de Saint Albin, the originator of sporting journals in Paris, is dead, aged seventy-two. Several foreign journals announce that Verdi is hard at work on his new grand liveact opcaa, the title of which is ‘ ‘ Montezuma.” It is to be brought out at La Scala, in Mih n.

Mr Emerson has failed greatly in the last few yeais. When asked to take part in a conversation lately, he spoke of the failing memory, and remarked that he did not trust himself to discuss a certain class of themes.

Mr Hill and Prima Donna Di. Mirska, at Detroit, were counting up the week’s receipts, and the rolls of greenbacks were lying on the table in front of them, and a lively dispute began over a matter of six or seven dollars which nsted quietly on the marble table. The words grew warm, and Di Murska took the roll of greenbacks from the table and threw it into the blazing grate. “ Zere, now, ve vil no more trouble have about zat,” What was the donna’s astonishment when she discovered that she had pitched the wrong roll into the fire, and that they were poorer by 800 dols.