NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1566, 25 February 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Chess Congress.—Matters connected with this event, so eagerly looked forward to by all lovers of chess, are propressing satisfactory. Between £7O and £BO have already been subscribed. Much interest in the event is taken in other provinces. In Dunedin in particular ib is much talked about, and indeed seems there to create greater interest than it does in the place of its birth.

Tohac'CONisttcal. —Mr Simpson, the wellknown tobacconist of this town, has just received a consignment of 800 gross of matchboxes, with his photograph on the lid. The boxes are manufactured by Bryant and May, of London, who have now included Mr Simpson's portrait in their gallery of celebrities. Our townsman's portrait will be henceforward in general circulation, the world over, in company with those of Prince Bismarck, Lord Beaconefield, &C &c. District Court. -Yesterday's proceedings will be found in another eolumn. This day his Honor delivered judgment in the case of Bray v. Hutchinson for the plaintiff for £46. Dr. Foeter gave notice of appeal. Tub Kaitangata Catastrophe.—''hein quest on the persons killed by the recent accident at the Kaitangata colliery was continued yesterday, and the procaedings, are fully reported in this issue. The telegrams state that subscriptions have already been opened for the relief of those left unprovided for by the accident. Even the miners in Newcastle, New South Wales, are contributing. No doubt the people of Christchurch will in due course move in the same direction. Cure Boating Club. —A crew for the four-oared race at the forthcoming Kaiapoi Regatta is spoken of as likely to begin training at once. The members of the crew are Messrs J. Perrin, Gh Day, T. Mellor, and Gh Wright. Presbttbbian Assembly.—The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church opened its session last evening in St. Andrew's Church. The Eev. D. Sidey, of Napier, was appointed as Moderator for the ensuing year. The Moderator-elect delivered the inaugural address. The various business committees were appointed and the meeting hours settled. Accident at View Hill, —On Monday as Mr J. Mclntire, schoolmaster, was driving home from East Oxford, he was thrown out of his trap in Cooper's Creek cutting. Fortunately the injuries were not of a very serious character, and Mr Mclntire hopes to resume his scholastic duties during the present week. In the meantime the services of Mr E. Twose, teacher, have been eecured by the school committee.

Kaiapoi Magistrate's Cottbt. —Great inconvenience was felt at this Court on Monday, by those who were unable to have their cases disposed of, owing to the want of a quorum of Justices of the Peace to deal with the business. The Mayor attended, but Dr. Dudley was too ill to be even brought to the Court in a carriage. A police case in which the accused was brought out of Otago, a witness summoned from beyond the Rangitata, as well as two professional gentlemen from Christchurch engaged, had to be remanded to March sth at Christchurch.

Cur Council—The usual fortnightly meeting of the City Council took place last evening, when a considerable amount of business was transacted, a report of which appears in another place. In future the Council will meet once a week instead of fortnightly, this course having been rendered necessary through the increase of business brought forward at every meeting of late. Or. Clifford gave notice of motion for the next meeting that no business should be taken after ten o'clock. The resignation of Dr Foster, the city solicitor, was read and accepted. Ceickbt, —The return match was played in Hagley Park between the Victorian and Springfield CO. on Saturday, and resulted in an easy victory for the S.C.O. by 56 runs. The following are the scores : —S.O.C., first innings, 73; second innings, 73. V.C.O, first innings, 58 ; second, 32. On the same day, the Oust C.C. scored a victory on the ground of the Ashley C.C. against a local team. The prominent features of the match were hits by W. E. Leach and Joseph Thompson for 6 and 5 respectively, and the three successive balls from W. Banks which displaced the stumps of Messrs W. Leach, Blundin and W. E. Leach. The scores were: -Oust, 48 and 73 ; Ashley, 58 an i 50. Gaikty Thbateb.—Dr. Ferrari, assisted by Madame and Miss Moeller and Signora Venosta, gave his opening performance at the G-aiety Theatre last evening. Without wishing in any way to disparage the critical powers of the many distinguished personages before whom the gentleman alluded to is said to have displayed his talents, it is scarcely possible to imagine that anything like what was given us last night formed the programme on these interesting occasions. To Bpeak plainly, the performance, so far as the illusions were concerned, was of the most ordinary description, and by no means up to the mark of any of the professors of prestidigitation who have visited Christchurch. It is true that the programme contained the most high sounding names as attached to these feats, but when they came to be performed one was somewhat surprised to discover in them only the ordinary conjuring tricks, done in a very ordinary manner. Whether the Doctor has yet in his repertoire the marvel lous feats which we are told astounded the Maharajahs, Princes and other dignitarii s, it is impossible to say, but it is quite certain they were not visible last evening. Or the vocal portion of the entertainment little need be said, except to speak in high terms of commendation of the singing of Signora Venosta, who was in excellent voice. Herr Bunz played a violin solo, and the orchestra an overture. The performance will be repeated this evening.

Conobet. —A concert, comprising the cantata of " Rebekah" and miscellaneous music, will be given by the St. Michael's Choral Society this evening, at the schoolroom.

Aeaboa County Chaibman. —At the meeting of the Akaroa County Council on S tturday Mr E. C. Latter intimated that he would shortly recign the chairmanship, find n.j that his other official duties precluded him from bestowing sufficient attention upon the business of the Council.

Political.—Mr W. Montgomery will address the electors of the Akaroa district at the Town Hall, Akaroa, on thoutb. March,

The East Belt Bbidge.—lt was state! at last night's meeting of the City Council that there was at present very little prospect of a cart bridge over the Avon at the East belt being constructed. The Mayor was of opinion that the Road Boards interested wore not likely to subscribe, and as the construction of the footbridge is still proceeding, it is not thought probable that the Council -will interfere in the matter of a cart bridge, at all events until the residents have subscribed a considerable portion of the necessary funds. CantkbbfbY PboduCE. —The Wairarapa daily has an article comparing the butter, bacon, cheese, &c, of the Wairarapa with the produce of Canterbury, much to the disadvantage of the former. " Most people," says the editor, "must know the flavor of the bulk of the butter, bacon, and cheese turned out in this district, the former a little pallid and streaky, and occasionally a little gritty, with somewhat marked deficiency of flavor. The bacon is usually briny to a fault, and it is either very tat—and that fat of a soft blubbery texture—or it is very thin, and very dry, and very lean. The cheese, too, is never very firm, sometimes not very sweet, and never very fine in flavor." Our contemporary " fears that there is a want of care and thrift among the farmers' wives of the Wairarapa, and some lack of pride in their dairies, that they Bhould let their sisters down South beat them by such long chalks." Methodist Free Church.—The anni versary tea meeting of ;St. Asaph street Church takes place this evening. Rev. J. In« lis.—This gentleman will give his lecture entertainments at the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday and Monday next. Pbkbblbton School CoMMrTTBK. —A meeting of this committee was held at the schoolhouse, on the 21st February. Present — Messrs C. L. Da vies (chairman), J. W. Overton, J. W. Anderson, Gr. Thompson, J. Maskrey, and J. Haydon, Circulars were received from the Board of Education with regard to nomination of three members to fill vacancies in the Board, and regulation standards to be posted in schoolhouse for information of teachers. The chairman was requested to express the pleasure the reelection of Messrs Montgomery, Duncan, and C. C. Bo wen would give the committee; also, to state that the standards referred to had not yet arrived. A return was furnished by the schoolmaster, showing that the average attendance of the twenty-two children named therein was 44 half days out of a possible 126, from the 7th October last to February 13th. It was resolved—" That unless the daily attendance during the current quarter is more satisfactory, the committee will bring the compulsory clauses of the Act into force." It was also resolved—" That the chairman be requested to communicate with the parents of the children whose attendance was below an average of forty, ao shown in the return mentioned, and inform them of the action the committee intended taking to enforce a better attendance." It was proposed and seconded by Messrs Haydon and Thompson —"That one week's holiday be given each quarter, and three weeks at harvest." As an amendment, it was proposed and seconded by Messrs Anderson and Overton —" That consideration of this question be deferred till next meeting." The amendment was carried. Messrs Haydon and Thompson proposed and seconded—" That tenders be invited for cleaning the school for the curfefii year." Messrs Anderson and Overton proposed and seconded an amendment—" That this question be also considered at next meeting." The amendment was carried. Resolved—" That the committee meet on the second Tuesday in each month, commencing in April." Several small accounts were ordered to be paid, and that of Messrs Forward and Son to be forwarded to the Board, with a request that a voucher be passed for its payment.

When a wealthy Jap breaks up housekeeping, he ships his kitchen furniture to England, to be sold as " rare curiosities from Japan." They shoot eggs off each other's heads, in the William Tell style, out in California. It saves pomatum, says an American contemporary. There is nothing that has excited more indignation in the disclosures that have been made concerning the Glasgow Bank than the ostentatious piety of certain directors, who have been building churches with the money of the widow and orphan ; but this system of making religion subserve our own interest is not a new one._ The mountain of the Sumbeng in Java is in the heart of the country, and no more of the nature of a thoroughfare than Helvellyn or Skiddaw. Yet it has a noble road winding from the bottom to the top, where it naturally ends. The reason of this is that the holy woman of the locality dreamt that a divine personage was about to alight on its summit, and vicifc the neighbourhood. " Piety at once suggested the propriety of constructing a road for his descent " and the voluntary 'abour of the inhabitants,, assisted by certain theological threats, in a few months effected all that could be desired. It has since come to light that the good woman was paid hy the proprietor of the mountain, whose estate was much in want of facilites of communicatioL', to dream her dream according to pattern, and the indignation of the religious public in Java is in consequence considerable.