NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1634, 16 May 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Train Up a Child. —The young son of a magnate at Oxford, a city where the rigidities of life are most strongly developed, was one day getting a divinity lesson from Dean Burgon, then simply Mr Burgon. The good clergyman went through the story of John the Baptist to the child. lie narrated with great dexterity and at length the prophet’s dress, and his habits in eating and drinking. Having tried to depict a living portrait of the strangely-clad ascetic, he said cheerfully, “ And now, if you met John the Baptist in the * High, 5 would you know him?” The child thought a moment, and answered, “ No, I shouldn’t know him : I should cut him.” Resident Magistrate’s Court.—To-day Jacob Vagt, charged with forging and uttering a promissory note with intent to defraud, was committed for trial. Starting Trains.—Attention has been called to what would appear to bo a superfluity of official zeal in reference to the starting of trains from the Railway station. There is a regulation providing that a boll shall be sounded some five minutes before the trains start, which gives intending passengers ample time to take their seats, after making such preparations as they may desire, without being flurried or put to inconvenient haste at the last moment. But the guards have contracted a habit of calling upon people to “take their seats, please,” some times even ten or twelve minutes before the train starts, and mostly before the engine has been attached to the carriages. This might be all very well, supposing it to affect only the few who may understand such exceeding promptitude, but there are hundreds who do not, and these are put to considerable inconvenience by being prematurely hurried away to do a long “wait” in the carriages. The matter is worthy of attention, as it has recently formed the subject of some comment on the part of the travelling public. Larceny. A man named Thomas Ryan was arrested to-day on a charge of stealing half-a-crown from the Palace Hotel. The Case or Drowning.—Up to this morning no one has succeeded in identifying the body of the man taken out of the river on Wednesday last. There is, however, one clue, which, up to the present time, has apparently been overlooked, and which might possibly lead to the recognition of the unfortunate man. Upon his right foot he had on, when found, a plain watertight boot without eyelet holes, while on the other he wore a boot of the same description, with the exception that it was made with a perforated toecap and eyelet holes. The circumstance, insignificant in itself, might however load to t he recognition of the man, from the fact that the boots evidently were not a pair. The police having been unable to obtain any information as to the identity of the drowned man, the Coroner, at their request, has postponed the inquest till to-morrow. Chamber of Commerce. —The quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday, but little business was transacted. The report of the proceedings appears elsewhere.

A Collision. —A collision between Dr. Townend’s tilbury and a baker’s cart took place in Durham street yesterday evening. Both the doctor and the driver ot the tilbury were thrown into the road, but received no injury beyond a slight shaking. No damage was done to the other vehicle or its occupant.

Fires. —Two fires occurred List evening in the city. One of these, in close proximity to the Queen’s Hotel, might have proved very much more serious but for the fact that the building in which it originated was situate between two brick buildings. A report appears elsewhere. Colonial Wool in China. —The question of the possibility of finding a market for colonial wool and woollen manufactures in China and Japan was again before the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. After some discussion, it was resolved to request the committee to report upon what stepswere best to be taken to ascertain the possibility of the introduction of colonial wool and woollen goods into China and Japan. High School atAkaboa— At yesterday’s meeting of the Board of Education a letter was road from the school committee at Akaroa on the subject of founding a high school in that township, which is peculiarly cut off from the advantages of a high-class education, in consequence of the comparative difficulty of communication. It was resolved to ask for more information.

Grain at Stations. The following parcels of grain in bag were at the undermentioned stations on Wednesday night. _ It will bo seen that the quantities are getting very much smaller than they were a few weeks ago, and the crush of the season may now bo said to be over in Canterbury : Rakaia 65, Oust 16, Temuka 19, Duneandel, S 3, Kaiapoi 650, Pleasant Point 195, Leeston 180, Prebbleton 40, Rangiora 14, Hornby 40, Styx 260, Amberley 50, Chertsey 70, Waiho 790, Waimate 50, Wuitaki 235, Waimate Junction 60, St. Andrew 180, Otaio 211.

Coursing in South Canterbury. —Messrs Smith and Dennistoun have at last obtained permission from the Governor to course hares on their estate at Peel Forest, The first meeting of the South Canterbury Coursing Club will bo held here on tho 20th instant and following days. The Queen’s Birthday. The Chief Commissioner of Railways has notified by advertisement that return tickets at single fares will be issued from all stations to all stations on the Amberley-Bluff Railway and branches on tho 23rd and 24th instant, available for return up to and including Monday, 26th instant.

Board of Education.— At me Board of Education yesterday a good deal of business was transacted. In reply to letters from the Education Department it was decided to write to the Government and state that it was as much as the Board could do to pay salaries and incidental expenses out of its funds. A letter was received from Mr Elwin, the master of the Southbridge school, asking that his case (that known as the “ cobbing ” case) might be reconsidered, but the Board decided to adhere to its former decision. A report of the meeting appears elsewhere. Commeeoial Telegrams. —At the quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday Mr D. Caro brought under the notice of the meeting a telegram which, he stated, had appeared in the “ Morning Herald,” Dunedin, from Christchurch. This telegram, as described from memory by Mr Caro, who had no copy of it at the meeting, was to the effect that commercial matters here were in a very bad state, and that a large house was on the point of failure, which would involve several others. The information before the meeting was somewhat vague, inasmuch as Mr Caro was not sure as to the paper or the exact terms of the telegram. Mr Stead, who occupied the chair, stated that not a single firm, house, or farmer known to be strong had succumbed to the bad times. After a long dis cussion, it was thought that the publication of the statement of the chairman and the debate on the matter, would do all that the Chamber required.

Diocesan Sunday-school Association.— The monthly meeting of this association took place last evening at St. John’s schoolroom. There was a good attendance, and Mr Cox was elected to the chair. The proceedings were introduced by singing one of the Mission service hymns, followed by prayer; after which Mr Twontyman was called upon to deliver an address he had prepared for the occasion in relation to Sunday-school instruction. That gentleman took for his subject “ Distinctive Church teaching in Sunday-schools,” upon which he gave the meeting a very interesting discourse. In brief, ho pointed out that an essential element was that members of the Church, the instructors and instructed, should be in personal communion with Christ, and thus obtaining, through faith, the power of Divine grace, which was stronger than Church systems and dictinctions in Church teachings. At the same time, distinctive teaching was of the utmost importance, in order to educate their children in the true light of the Church and its doctrine. The aim should be to impart to them an intelligent understanding of the tenets of the Church of England, so that they would become true Church men and women in heart and understanding, and not only so because their forefathers had belonged to that particular Church. The Rev. Mr Mortimer, in addressing the meeting, referred to the duty of the clergy to superintend or interest themselves in the work of instructing the young. He also advocated distinctive teaching, to the absence (in a great measure) of which he attributed the ignorance, principally in the old country, of the poorer classes. Many families, he said, were so lamentably ignorant as not to appreciate the difference between baptism and registration. The Revs. Messrs Watson and Liugard and others addressed the meeting. A good deal of interest was taken in the discussion, as evidenced by the close attention paid to it. The usual vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. Temuka Magtsteate. —Mr Guinness, the new stipendiary Magistrate for the Ashburton and Temuka districts, sat for the first time on the Bench at Temuka on Wednesday, and disposed of thirty-six cases, which had accumulated since the departure of Mr Campbell. A Runaway. —A young lady, who had yesterday been driving a pony and basket carriage, stopped a few minutes on the Springfield road to make a call, and on leaving the house she found to her chagrin that the pony had trotted oil, and that both he and the basket carriage had disappeared. The police made numerous enquiries as to their whereabouts, but up to a late hour last night had not succeeded in tracing them. Feek Methodist Chapel, East Oxfoed. The opening of the new chapel on the site of the chapel destroyed by a heavy gale a few months ago took place on Sunday last, when three sermons wen preached ; in the morning and evening by the Rev. S. Macfarlane, and in the afternoon by the Rev. M. Baxter. The services were well attended. On Monday a public tea was provided. The trays wore furnished by members of the congregation, and presided over by Mesdames Pendray, Fenwick, Inch, Coderman, Joansen, Hawke, Newland, and Chivery, the Misses Fee, Evans, Huddleston, Woodfield, and Vincent. An unusually large number of residents, representing all the dissenting denominations in the district, were present. After tea, the circuit minister, the Rev. J. J. Pendray, occupied the chair, and opened the meeting by calling upon the choir to sing one of Sankey’s hymns. After the hymn, Mr J. A. White offered prayer. The chairman then slated that the object of the meeting was to raise funds towards the liquidation of the chapel debt, which ho hoped and believed would bo accomplished when all those who had promised had paid in their subscriptions. The debt on the former chapel still remained, and though the wind destroyed the chapel, unfortunately it did not blow away the debt. Mr Bunn, the Rev. B. Macfarlane, and Rev. M. Baxter delivered addresses, which were interspersed with singing, Miss Woodfield presiding at the harmonium. After the usual votes of thanks to the ladies, 'rlerdswho had assist.'! at the tea, to tie Rev. S Macfarlane for his services in coming up from Christchurch, and Mr T. Woodfield for his kindness in lending his instrument, the meeting was closed by the benedict on from the chairman. Collections were made from time to time during the services.