NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1601, 7 April 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

An Accident.—A child named Joseph Chamberlain met with an accident on Saturday afternoon, being thrown out of a milk cart at St. Albans. He was taken to the Hospital, where his injuries, two important wounds in the head, were dressed, and the lad was well enough to return home in tho •rening.

Cbiminai, Sittings of thb Supbeme Coubt.—The Quarterly Criminal Sessions opened this morning, at 10 a.m. A full report of the proceedings up to the time of our going to press appears elsewhere. A Taste of Wintkb.—The people at Kowai experienced a sensation of approaching winter on Saturday. The weather had been very disagreeable all day, a cold wind sweeping across the plains, accompanied by sleet, and about noon a heavy snow storm paid them a visit. An idea of the strength of the fall may be gathered from the fact that the hills at the back were in a few minutes covered with a mantle of snow. Towards the afternoon the weather cleared up.

Templaey Enteetainment. —An entertainment will be given to-morrow evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, under the auspices of Eainbow Lodge, I.O.GhT. Particulars aro given in an advertisement elsewhere.

Committee Meeting.—The public works committee of the City Council met this morning. Very little business called for much consideration, the matter which came before the committee being chielly of a routine character. An exception was the report of the engineer on the cost of a road round the river, on the low-lying pioce of ground extending from Avon street to the Eastern Belt. The engineer estimates that to farm and shingle the road and put in the culvert would cost £532. The report will be submitted to the Council at its meeting to-night. Nothing wbb done at the meeting of the finance committee, which simply mot and adjourned.

Resident Magistbate's Coubt.—There were a large number of cases before the Bench to-day, but none of special interest.

Museum Closed. —The museum is closed from to-day (Monday) till Sunday, the 13th April. Happy Mb Bbackkn.—Says the " Gk-oy River Argus " —We have to acknowledge the receipt of the '"National Anthem of New Zealand," the words by T. Bracken, of the " Saturday Advertiser," Dunedin, and the music by John J. Woods, formerly of Lawrence, Otago. The composition is now published by the well-known London firm of Hopwood and Carew, and may be had of all music sellers in the colony. The frontispiece of the work contains an excellent portrait of Mr Bracken, and is got up in first-class style, and as both words and musio have now been adopted as the "National Anthem of New Zealand," it should find a place in the portfolio of every musician in the colony." Happy Mr Bracken—not only is his anthem said by the " Q-rey River Argus" to have been adopted by the united suffrages of the people, but his portrait has been adopted as a suitable and metaphoric frontispiece.

Fibh in High Steeet.—An alarm of fire was given on Suturday evening about seven o'clock, and it turned out that the premises of Mulligan and Co., near the White Hurt Hotel had caught fire, originating in the windows. The brigade was soon on the spot, but fortunately the assistance of the engine was not required, as the fire had been nearly extinguished at the time by hand labor. Nevertheless a good deal of the stock was damaged, principally by the hurried removal of it from the window. It is supposed that the fire was caused by some of the goods getting ignited by the gas in the window. The building and stock were well insured. A circumstance in connection with the fire was an accident that occurred in the apartments of Miss T. Andrews, in the White Hart Hotel. It appears that Miss Andrews, on hearing the alarm went out to discover where the fire was, and in doing so a lighted candle she held in her hand caught tlw curtains, which were directly in flames. Thus, there were two fires instead of one. The latter was soon quelled; not, however, before Miss Andrews had lost a portion of her valuablo wardrobe, her loss being estimated at something like £4O.

City Council.—The usual weekly meeting of the City Council takes phce this evening at seven o'cio ;k. NOBTH OaHTEBBOby Races.—The acceptances lor these races close on Tuesday at Robeiis' Club Hotel, Rangioia, when tho genoii'l entiles wiU aho be male. Thkatkical—Mr J. P. Hyden arrived from the Noi„h on Saturday. It ; i uncer' ijn a* present whether the company w'U open in Chi ißtchvroh. Tim Mobgue.—The site for tho deadhouse has been mark( 1 out, and tho ground (•;.-,■!■(•'! in tin ixUco barrack yard, mi Herefofd st.rt 11, ■J';»i' Iho now dead-house. The Btruetcro i* t > be placid in tho Bouth-we3t ancle of the --""'•• and in close proximity to tho tingle men's dormitories.

SuTBEMiI Coui:!'. —Tho ciimrnal session 0 the Supremo Cou-fc v.i l ' commence this morning at tm o'clock. In addition t > the cases, of which a ! ; ?t haß alrea ly been published, there are now to be add< i those of Isidor Schwartz for nraon, and John Johnson fraudii'ont bankruptcy.

PimitAM Strebt Wtcsleyan Onrmcr. — Tho Rev. W. M >rley, superintendent of the Christehurcii circuit, who under tho rules of the Weeloyan Conference is about t > remove from Chris! chwh, preached his farewe 1 ! sermon at tho Durham street church hist everrng. Mr Morley will bo ded hero by the Rev. Mr. Uoid, of Auckland. Voluntkeu Pabadb. —Tho inspection by the officer comrjianding the district of the headquarters cores of volunteers will take place ut the Drill-shed to-morrow evening, when the no ..ly unrolled battalion band will also be present. Those who intend * iking paii; in the Easter demonstration at Invercarg'U must notify the same through the commanding odiners of their respective corps this day. A considciable number have already dono so, and it is probable that the Canterbury Volunteers will be well represented.

Tub Isiand OF Mata con o. -This island, which is referred to in this morning's cable news as having been occupied by the French, is a small island on the W est coaßt of Africa, miles north-west of Sierra Leone, and one mile from the mainland. It is only three m ;l es in circumferenco, and its population a few years ago numbered only 300 free negroes, and one European who is the proprietor, and a merchant.

MiTNicirAL Buildings.—The first mooting of tho newly constituted Town Hall committee, with the Mayor in the chair, took placo at the City Council Chamber on Friday A considerable amount of of a conversational character took placo relative to the details of the projected Town Hall. The main point was relative to the basis of competition in tho matter of the plans, and the result of the committee's deliberations will be submitted tj the Council at an early meeting. The Autumn Meeting. Tho general entries for the Autumn Meeting of the C. J.C., which appear elsewhere, maybe considered sat ; ifa3toiy as a whole. For the Champagne there are eight acceptors, the Australian colt St. Greorge being among the absentees. ReBDecting the other events, there are five for tna Epsom Stakes, eight for the Flying, five for the Steeplechase, nineteen for the Easter Handicap, and eleven for the Selling Race. Should tho weather prove favorable there will, no doubt, bo a large attendance, and judging from the fields ] ; kely to face the starter, the racing should be good.

The Hon. W. Fox.—A preliminary meeting of thoso interested in the temporance movement was held at St. John's parsonage on Saturday evening to consider the arrangements to be made with reference to the approaching vint of Mr Fox in connection with the New Zealand Temperance Alliance. After some little discussion, it was resolved that a meeting should be held shortly, when Mr Fox would lay before those present the scheme of the proposed alliance. Mr Fox, as already announced, will deliver a lecture on Temperance in connection with the St. Andrew's Temperance League on Wednesday evening. New Railway Line.—The ceremony of turning the first sod of the Malvern Branch Extension line took place on Saturday last at Kowai. A report of the proceedings appears elsewhere. Mr Benham is the contractor. The distance to be constructed is about six miles and a quarter. It is hoped that the extension of the railway will have the effect of developing the resources of tho district in many respects, especially as regards the coal mines of Springfield, which have been kept back by the absence of a cheap mode of transit for the coal, there being no method of taking it from the mine except by ordinary carts.

Accident. —An accident of a peculiar character happened to a person named Marshall in Colombo street on Saturday. He was walking across the street, when a cart coming up at a good round speed knocked him down, and apparently ran over him. It appeared to the bystanders that he must have been seriously hurt, particularly as he did not attempt to rise for some little time after he was knocked down. Fortunately however the man sustained no serious injury. His leg was cut in one place, and other parts of hiß body were badly bruised, but beyond that he sustained no injury, and was able to walk home.

Kaiapoi Eeoatta.—A meeting of the oommittee was held at the Kaiapoi Borough Council Chamber on Friday evening. Prosent—Dr. Dudley, commodore, in the chair, Messrs Fraier, Balch, Dudley, Smith, Pearce, and Wilson, hon. sec. The treasurer reported that he had received from balance last year £7 fij 6d, subscriptions £SB 14s 6d, entries £l7 12s 6d, total £B3 13s 6d, and bad paid in prizes £72, and sundry expenses £ls 10s 9d, total £B7 10s 9d, leaving the regatta fund indebted to him for amount advanced of £3 17s 3d. It was decided to pass the accounts. Votes of thanks were passed to the commodore, secretary, and treasurer, the starter, judge, and other officials connected with the regatta ; also to the Mayor and Council, for the use of the chamber for meetings.

Cobn Exchange Committee. —A meeting was held at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday, sth April. Present—The chairman (Mr T. Bruce), Messrs Henderson, Attwood, Patterson, Amyes, Bailey, Leadley, Woodman, and Willis. Mr Henderson proposed, and it was seconded by Mr Leadley—" That as no reply had been received from the general manager of railways to letters of the 27th ultimo and 2nd April, after considerable discussion it was resolved—" That the Minister of Public Works be written to, enclosing copies of the letters referred to, and asking for a reply." The matter of considering the desirableness of reinstating an import duty on grain and timber waß fully gone into. The letter from Mr J. E. Brown, M.H.R., was submitted ; also the letter from Mr Brown's correspondent in Auckland, asking for the co-operation of influential people in Canterbury in re-establishing the bei'oro mentioned duties. It was proposed by Mr Henderson, seconded by Mr Patterson —" That the directors of the Corn Exchange being of opinion that the source of a country's greatness lies in its productive industry, do not consider this result can be achieved unless free trade principles are carried out, and therefore Btrongly deprecate any action having for its object the levying of an import duty on grain and timber; also to express their opinion that reciprocity in trade should provail throughout the Australasian colonies." Curried unanimously. Proposed by Mr Amyes, seconded by Mr Woodman—" That Mr Attwood, as a director of the Corn Exchange, bo authorised to sign cheques in conjunction with the chairman." Carried. Jt was resolved —"That the following newspapers be discontinued : —The ' Sun,' ' Public Opinion,' 'Rangiora Standard,' and 'Weekly Canterbury News,' and that the " Australasian' be subscribed for, The subject of the difficulty of weighing grain and produce considered. It was resolved—' That at present no uclion could bo taken.' The business of the meeting then terminated.

The Telkghapii Depahtmbnt. The " Timaru Herald" of Saturday makes the following serious announcement:—" For a long time past it has been known that a feeling of tho most intense dissatisfaction existed in the minds of the majority of the Telegraph Department officials, owing to one causo or another, and wo now know that a strike is imminent. The preliminaries for it have been arranged, and tho final step Maybe looked for at any moment.