NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1674, 2 July 1879, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mb Pendulum.—The town clock, which it is proposed to place in the tower of the Government Buildings for the enlightenment of the public, has arrived. This is pleasant tidings. It appears, however, that the pendulum has been loft in England. Tins discovery was made on unpacking the clock the other day. About Umbeellas.—A misanthrope suggests a way to acquire umbrellas, lie says that when you see a man standing with an umbrella in a dry place, you should rush and seize the article, because the chances are (these wet times) that ho has stolon it, and taking you for the owner, will quietly submit to the seizure. Human Natuee in Pbsth.-—At the entrance of a restaurant in Pesth, where young ladies are employed to stand and wait, is posted a notice reading—“ Gentlemen are requested to abstain from kissing the waitresses on the stairs, as this is a fruitful source of breakage, and impedes the service.” Human, nature being the same the world over, the placard calls in a groat many customers, who are anxious to see the girls whom they are enjoined not to kies on the stairs.

Sydney Exhibition.— The usual weekly meeting of the committee was held at 2.30, when Messrs Turner and Cunningham were the only member present. The business was of the usual character, being mainly desultory conversation. The following additional applications for space were received :—Mr W. Savage, pan and ink picture by Mr Wrigg; Mr J. Hanley, tomato sauce. The meeting then adjourned. Bible Christian Quarterly Meeting. —The quarterly meeting of this church was hold at Addington, last night, commencing at 6 30. The following preachers and officebearers were present —The Rev. W. H. Keast (chairman), and Messrs J. Smith (who was elected secretary), E. Reed, W. Knipe, J. Harding, W. Manhiro, J. Tregeagle, J. J. Class, W. Choverton, J. Peek, P. Guy, J. Farro, F. Manhiro, A. Scott, C. Scawn, and J. Wright. The receipts were highly satisfactory, there being a deficit of only 2s Id, which was more than met in the meeting. The church register showed a membership of over eighty. The vexed question of class meetings again came up. It was introduced by Mr W. Choverton, who submitted five question:—Ho. I—What (constitutionally) relationship does the class meeting bear to the Church?; 2. What (constitutionally) relationship do loaders sustain to the members of the Church generally ? ; 3. What (constitutionally) is the test of membership ? The time being somewhat advanced, the discussion of the questions was adjourned until next week, when a full evening will bo devoted to them. The speedy satisfactory settlement of this subject by the Methodist Churches is extremely necessary. It was proposed by Mr W. Knipe, and seconded by Mr J. Wright “ That the Rev. W. H. Keast’s salary be raised £22 a year. The mooting closed at 9.30. Union Insurance Company. —The second annual general meeting of shareholders of the above company was hold to-day, tho Hon. J. T. Peacock, chairman of directors, occupied the chair, and, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, gave some statistics as to the progress made by the company during tho last twelve months. Tho report and balance-sheet were adopted, and Messrs J. T. Peacock, G. G. Stead, and W. Reeves, retiring directors, were re-elected. Messrs Wright and Harley were re-elected as auditors of the company. Yotes of thanks wore passed to the general manager, agents, and staff, and to the directors of the company. Literate Nihilism. —Assassination (says a contemporary) continues to be on the rampage in Russia. Things must be looking decidedly unpleasant there for officials with any kind of dislike to making a hurried exit from tho stage of life. Another subordinate has been killed in tho usual fashion, and decorated with tho usual red label setting forth that the deceased died because the Nihilists decreed it. To show how instantly the conspirators act, a curious story has just been made public, apropes of the late attempt on the life of General Drentein. When the General received tho first of tho letters which threatened him with tho happy despatch, he glanced over it, and instantly tore it up in a rage, sarcastically saying to the officer who stood near him, “This letter, which threatens me with death, has not even the merit of being grammatically written or correctly spelled.” In the course of the next hour or so, General Drentein received another letter, threatening his death again. This epistle concluded by saying that “ the writers, having been informed that the General had destroyed the preceding letter on account of its bad spelling and defective style, ventured to forward him a notification of his sentence to death by the revolutionary committee, which, so far as punctuation and literary merit were concerned, would, they hoped, leave nothing to bo desired.” The next morning, the General was shot at, and escaped by a miracle. It would seem as though the Nihilists were possessed of a by no means inconsiderable amount of sardonic humour. The Governor, His Mare. —Wo hear, says a contemporary, that there has been a terrific waste of forms, including many printed on parchment, in the Government printing and lithograhic offices in Wellington. It appears that tho authorities went on the assumption that the Marquis of Normanby’s reign in New Zealand was to be perpetual, and printed large quantities of documents, many on parchment, containing the late Governor’s titles, &0., at full length. This printing is now of no value, as the new Governor will not sign documents containing erasures of tho titles of his predecessor. Lyttelton Public School. — A spscial meeting of tho committee of the Lyttelton Borough School was hold on Monday night, at which applications for the position of third master were opened. Mr L. Suckling, of tho Colombo road school, was appointed to the position. Cruelty to a D.oo. — Two youths for pouring kerosene over a dog and sotting fire to the poor animal, at Rangiora, were on uw.,a„ r . x>a c«.-> ’i-v-v. *-1 Bench being unable to send them to a reformatory or order them whippings. Kaiapoi Institute. —Tho book selection committee have obtained a valuable lot of new books from Mr Henry Wood, bookseller, Christchurch, whioh as soon as catalogued will bo ready for issue. It is intended to apply the proceeds of the popular entertainments to pay for them, and the next of tho series is announced to take place on Friday evening at tho Oddfellows’ Hall. Oddfellowship. —At the half-yearly meeting of the Loyal Rangiora Lodge, on Monday evening, tho officers elected wore— Bros. W. Wadey, N.G.; E. J. Jennings, V.G.; and O. A. Tyler, E.S. A resolution was passed to amend the by-laws, so as to allow of lending the surplus lodge funds on mortgage, the same to bo submitted to tho revising barrister for approval. Meteorological. —Prom information supplied by Mr J. B. Stansoll, the meteorological observer at Christchurch, it appears that the total rainfall in Christchurch from Ist to 30th Juno inclusive was 7.31 inches, tho mean 0 2-1-4 inches. Tho number of days on which rain fell during the month was seventeen, and,-, heaviest rainfall in twenty-four hours, as follows :—l-llh, 0.97 ; 28th, 1,25 ; 29th, 1,81. The Commissioner op Railways. —Mr Conyers has been telegraphed for to proceed to Wellington on official business. He will leave to-day by tho Wakatipu. The Late Fire. —Tho insurances on Mr Walsh’s stock, on the premises where the firo occurred on Monday evening, were as follows: Sun office, £l5O ; Victoria, £SO. Supreme Court. —Tho criminal session of the Supremo Court will open on Monday next before his Honor Mr Justice Johnston. The calendar up to the present is not a heavy one. Stoppage of the Akaroa Mail Coach. —Tho mail coach from Akarca to Christchurch did not put in an appearance on Monday evening, being detained by the floods. Mr B. P. Petrie, post-master, at Spreydon, therefore brought on the mails from that place yesterday morning, and took back tho return mails yesterday afternoon. The Mammoth Minstrels. —The performance of the minstrels last evening was well attended, and the various items on the programme were gone through most successfully. To-night the first change of programme will be given, when a number of novelties will be introduced. Trustees in Bankruptcy. —His Honor yesterday in the course of the Chamber sittings took occasion to remark that persons undertook the office of trustee in bankruptcy in many cases without any idea at all of the responsibility they wore assuming, or the proper way to discharge tho duties of the office. Coker’s Hotel. —Yesterday at the invitation of Mr J. Coker a number of his friends assembled atluucheou to celebrate the opening of his now hotel. An excellent spread was provided, and those present were loud in their commendation of tho arrangements of the now house, which is complete in all its details. Congratulatory speeches were made, and success to the -now venture was drunk heartily,