NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1604, 10 April 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Bible Cheistians.—This church will hold their annual tea to-morrow in the Templar Hall, Worcester street, at 6 o'clock. Tickets will bo obtainable at the door. A public meeting will follow, when a report of the year's work will be submitted. Sankey's hymns will be sung at intervals. Bible Christians from the country are heartily invited. East Chbistchubch Schools.—To-day the chairman of the committee of the Eist Christchurch school committee distributed the prizes won at the recent swimming matches connected with the school. The prize-takers were as follows : —Open to whole school—A. Hobbs, 1 ; E. Wagner, 2. The other prizes were given to A. Childs, A.Wagner, R. Hodder, and E. Childs. Diving prizes— E. Wagner, E. Bates, A. Hobbs, and E. Childs. The prizes comprised very handsome silver medals and pencil cases. The medals bore the name of tho recipient, and the race for which it was given. The Stewakts.—Mr R. Stewart, with liis daughters, tho Misses Nellie, Maggie, and Doey Stewart, will re-open in their entertainment at tho Oddfollowa' Hall, on Saturday evening.

The Volunteer REVIEW. The approaching review fj bo held in Invcrcrrgill on Easier Monday—the day on which the great annual English review is held, generally at Brighton—promises to lie a success. Men are going from all parti of the South Island to take part in it. From Canterbury alone there will bo over SCO men. Christchurch contributes a contingent of 120, mado up as I'oJlovvs : Oily Guards, 00, Lieutant Wolfe; Arlj'lcry, two detachments 30 men, Captain Craig in charge, with Lieutenant Strange ; Engineers, '.',o men. This contingent will be under command of Major Lean, officer in command of the district. The Engiuira will be under the command of no coiniuiasioi ed officer, as neither the captain or lieutenant can spar:) the necessary time. Tomuka -will contribute 152 men to the review, and Timaui more than twice that number, while oUier amaiier places will also send down their quota. It is expected that there will bo a gathering of some 15C3 men in all. The Christchurch volunteers bound for Invercargill mustered at the drill-shed this morning at half-past 7 o'clock, and were inspected by Colonel Packe. They then marched to the Railway Station, and left by the express train.

"Coiifokt Ye." —It is a rule, and a very good rule, no doubt, at temperance lectures, to tell little stories which possess pointed morals. The lecture delivered by Mr Fox at St. Andrew's Church last evening was no exception to the rule. So to speak, he revelled in little anecdotoß of this kind. One was of a peculiarly touching character, being no loss than the detc.iption of a gentleman who, having addicted to the use of potent spirits, was on a certain occasion discovered lying prone upon a section of tho Canterbury Plains. Not dead, it should bo understood — and here comes the thiilling point of the narrative but " Fly-blown aJive ! " Tho effect of this touching appeal to the feelings was apparent, in one case at leait. It " fetched " a gentleman on the second back seat, who was seen to bend his head as if in meek submission, and slowly ruising it again, take a deep pull at a bottle, which may have contained a cooling draught, but which bore unto Bisquit de Bouche a striking family likeness. And thereafter he appeared exceedingly refreshed. Admitted to Bail. —After the criminal business at tho Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday had been disposed of, a Mr Page, of Lyttelton, made application to tho Bench (through the Inspector of Police) to have John 8011, his stepson, admitted to bail. Bell was a few days ago remanded to Ashburton on a charge of neglecting to closo tho points on the main line of railway at Ashburton, he at tho time having been an assistant shuntor. Inspector Hickson stated that he had no objection to bail being allowed, substantial security being obtained. Tho Bench decided to allow bail, the prisoner in £ICD, and two sureties of £SO each. Sweep on the Autumn Handicap.— The winning numbers in McDonald's sweep on this event are advertised elsewhere. Tho drawing took place last night, at Lyttelton. Fjeing Gobse Fences. —At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning a person was charged with malicious injury to property, or as worded more specifically, with setting fire to a gorse fence, the properly of a Mr Hoimos. The law recognises this as a most serious offence, particularly as the ignition of a small portion of gorse, where the plant is used abundantly for hedges, has been known to lay waste a village. A disaster of this kind, though not quite so destructive, happened some time ago in the village of Karori, Wellington, when a great deal of damage was done, and public attention was called to the danger of permitting the luxurious growth of gorse. In the case heard at the Resident Magistrates' Court this morning, the position of the defendant was happily changed from that of a criminal to the victim of an accident. His solicitor explained that it was a purely accidental circumstance, and his client was willing t 5 pay the expenses. No objection being raised by the Inspector, the Bench agreed to dismiss the case on payment of expenses, amounting to about £4, and the case was thus settled.