NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1896, 22 March 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Municipal Committee. — A meeting of the works committee of the City Council was held last evening, at which the surveyor was authorised to have certain work performed on completed private streets, and the financial committee met to pass the ordinary accounts. Both committees will report to the Council this evening. Lyttelton Police Couet. —Robert Turpin, for being drunk and disorderly, was fined 10s. John Anderson, for being drunk on Sunday forenoon and assaulting Constable Kenny, was fined in all 40s, or forty-eight hours’ imprisonment. Two seamen belonging to the British Empire were remanded until to-morrow, for deserting from the ship.

Colombo Road Wesleyan Church.— Harvest Thanksgiving Services were held yesterday morning and evening, and, notwithstanding the bad weather, wore well attended. It was announced that next Sunday the Rev. J. S. Smalley would preach farewell sermons. District Court.— His Honor Judge Ward held the usual monthly sitting of the District Court at 11 a.m. to-day. The only oases tried were that of Kernan v. White and Malley v. Thompson, the first of which was an action for £ll2 3s 4d, work and labour done. Mr Deacon appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Garrick for the defendant. The question in dispute was the price per lb. at which the grass seed was to be cut. After hearing evidence for the plaintiff, and Mr Garrick declining to call any for the defence, judgment was given for the amount claimed and costs. In Malley v. Thompson, which was an action to recover £l3B for rent due, Mr Perceval appeared for the plaintiff. Defendant did not appear, and his Honor gave judgment for the amount claimed and costs. The other cases on the cause list were either discontinued or struck out from non-appear-ance of both parties. The Court then adjourned.

Resident Magistrate's Court.—At the Court to-day John Warden was fined 20a for assaulting Q-. Neggs and 40s for assaulting the constable |who arrested him. J. Magellan and J. Findlay wore each fined 60s for obstructing and resisting the police, and Gregory was fined 20s for the same offence, the costa of the witnesses and Court being added. David Gray, alias MoKillop, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and hard labor for stealing a vest. There wore six previous convictions against him.

Libel Case. —The hearing of the case of criminal libel Stead v the “ Otago Daily Times ” and “ Witness ” Company was resumed to-day at three o’clock in the Resident Magistrate’s Court. Irish Relief Fund. The following amounts have been collected in the Catholic churches in the under-mentioned districts, and forwarded to his Lordship the Bishop of Wellington ; —Leeston, £36 10s 6d ; Lincoln, £29 2s ; Ashburton, £l6 5s 9d ; Soulhbridge, £lO 6s ; total, £92 4s 3d.

Union Rowing Club. —The following crews have been entered to represent the U.R.O. at the Heathoote Regatta on Wednesday next, races to start at I.3o: —Senior Pairs—S. 0. Kesteven and F. D. Kesteven ; Four-oared Sweepstake Race—A. H. N. Campbell, R. Borland, C. F. Bowloy, G. F. Moulo ; Champion Fours—J. S. Smith, S. C. Kesteven, R. D. Petrie, H. Hobday; Junior Fours (under 21) —W. M. Joynt, F. D. Kesteven, F. A. Button, F. Fuller ; Double Sculls —J. S. Smith and D. J. Clifford; Junior Pairs (under 21) —W.M. Joynt and F. Fuller,

Gbbat South Link. — The railway management propose alterations in running trains between Timaru and Christchurch. The new time table is not fixed, but it is probable that a train from Timaru will pass Ashburton about 9.30, and passengers can remain in town two hours, and be in time to got back to Timaru by a train leaving Christchurch about 2 p.m. North Waimakabiei Coksebvahct. —A meeting of the members of the late conference held at Kaiapoi has been summoned by the chairman to be held at 2 p.m. to-day to consider the question of the proportionate cost of Messrs Dobson and Son’s report to be borne by the respective local bodies interested. Pies at Ashbubton. —Mr Lancaster’s slaughter yard and boiling-down premises on the 'Ashburton river were destroyed by fire on Thursday night last. Seven sheep and a dog were roasted alive. Mr Lancaster estimates the damage done at £2OO. The buildings were insured for £l5O. Nothing is known of the origin of the fire.

Kaiapoi Wesleyan Chubch. —In connection with the harvest thanksgiving services conducted throughout the Christchurch district on Sunday, special sermons appropriate to the occasion were preached in this church by Rev. J. Armitage, morning and evening. The interior was profusely decorated with corn, fruit, and evergreens. Across the organ was placed the text, “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness,” tastefully worked in grain ears surrounded with a border of evergreens and flowers.

Voluntkeb Review. —The number of men likely to take part in the Review, on Easter Monday, now amounts to over 1700 rank and file, the latest additions being a detachment of over 100 men from Nelson and the Wellington Guards, who expect to receive their new uniforms from England in time for the Hinemoa, which will bring the men from Northern ports. The influx of visitors for two such attractive events as the Review and the races combined should have a decidedly enlivening effect on the city, and we have no doubt the general public will appreciate the fact and assist the committee of volunteers, who have charge of such portion of the programme as may be outside the pale of military organisation. Kaiapoi Regatta Committee. — A meeting of this committee was held on Friday evening, at the Borough Council Chamber. Eight were present, Mr R, Moore in the chair. Letters were read, from Dr. Dudley, commodore, regretting his in .bility to be present. Prom the manager of railways, consenting to carry boats by rail from Lyttelton or Christchurch to the regatta free of cost. From the railway band and Kaiapoi brass band, offering their services at the regatta. Consideration of the offers was deferred. It was decided that the Mayor be asked to proclaim a holiday on April 6th. The meeting then adjourned till Thursday at 8 p m., when collectors are expected to hand in their lists. Native Land Ooubt. —His Honor Judge Symonds having arrived at a fair statement of the Natives entitled to participate in the lands in the Kaiapoi reserves, with one exception, will proceed to-day, to apportion the same. Should the Maoris agree among themselves as to the various lots, and ask the Court to make its order accordingly, the sittings of the Court will terminate this week, but if they expect the Court to apportion each lot the session of the Court will be considerably extended. His Honor has determined in the cases of the Rev. G. P. Mutu, P. Mutu and W. Mutu, that if the Natives to-day agreed unanimously to admit them as just claimants for a share in the Kaiapoi lands, an order will be made granting them a share, but should they object the claims will be disallowed. In respect to this case the majority of the Natives are desirous that the rev. gentleman and his family should join with them in consideration of his many acta of kindness to their families and assistance rendered in obtaining enquiry into Native affairs. There are one or two old women who on Friday and Saturday expressed an objection to this in both forcible and impolite terms, so much so that one came in for a rough handling outside the Court at the hands of her husband for her conduct.

Rifle Tabget Practice. —The “ Ohiel ” in “ Bell’s Life,” referring to a suggestion made by the “ Globe,” that the third class target used in rifle shooting should be of the same size and shape as an infantry soldier kneeling ; the second-class target the figure of an infantry soldier standing ; the first-class the figure of a cavalry soldier mounted, says : —“ That is not a bad idea, for targets at present in vogue resemble nothing whatever that a man is likely to shoot at in earnest, either as a soldier or a sportsman. They are suggestive of no warlike idea, and yet I suppose the object of training men to be marksmen is not that they may win cups in time of peace, but that they may prove efficient soldiers in time of war. To the man who has never fired at anything except a square white target, with a black square in the middle of it, a human being must be altogether a puzzling object to aim at, hence the ludicrous expenditure of ammunition in a battle in proportion to the result of the killed and wounded. In the late Zulu war, when our men were blazing at closely-packed masses of savages, the execution done was really by no means great, when you take into consideration the wonderful combination of rapidity and precision in the fire of the modern breech-loader.” A Good Young Man. —An audacious theft has come to light in Dunedin. A young man (says the “ Times ”), now in custody on a serious charge, being the possessor of a good voice, favoured the choir of a certain church in this city on a recent Sunday evening by his presence and assistance. Several pieces of sacred music went amissing that evening, only to turn up again in the possession of the young man upon his arrest. To sing in a church choir for the purpose of stealing the music is surely the acme of criminal impudence. A Conscientious Nobleman. —In a biographical sketch of Earl Granville, a writer in “Truth” says of that statesman: —“Lord Granville is fond of playing the grand seigneur. It is a rule of the Foreign Office that no employe shall accept a foreign ; a rule which, indeed, applies to all Brtiish subjects. Foreign sovereigns accordingly give Englishmen whom they wish to thank snuffboxes or other trinkets. Lord Granville wisely thinks these, too, should be declined, and has laid down a very strict rule for himself. When the Shah was in London he presented Lord Granville with his portrait, set in brilliants of great price. Lord Granville withdrew the diamonds and returned them, keeping only the picture. The act was pedantic, if you like, political purism, and so forth, but long may our statesmen be bigoted on this point.” The career of M. Waddington, who according to some good folks, owed his high position in France to the fact of his having been brought up at Rugby, has come to a close for the present; it is now stated that as a manufacturer and employer of labor he always found it hard to sympathise with the working classes, and that he was a bit of a prig. His successor in the Ministry, M. de Preycinet, must be a queer fish. Although like M. Waddington, a Protestant, he recommends one of his Roman Catholic friends, who is an invalid, to visit the scene of the Lourdes Miracles for the benefit of his health. “It couldn’t do me any good,” he says, “ but it may do you.” “ There is only one way of accounting for this,” said A; “he couldn’t have thought that his friend had much the matter with him. Perhaps it was only ‘nerves,’ over which the imagination has groat power.” “ But, indeed,” argued B, “it was ophthalmia.” “Then in that case,” rejoined A, “he must have thought it was ' all my eye.’ ”

Mrs McKie, of Moat, one of| the two last survivors in Dumfries of those who witnessed the funeral of the poet Burns, died recently, aged ninety-two. Strange to say, within twenty-four hours of Mrs McKie's death the other Dumfries survivor who witnessed Burns’ funeral also died. This was Mr William Gordon, of Ironbank, formerly the leading legal practitioner in the town. He was ninety-six years old, and latterly had been bedridden.

Smokers may be interested to learn (a German correspondent writes) that the German Federal Council has resolved to permit the use of cherry leaves in the fabrication of tobicco.

It very frequently happens that the girl who has the most bang to her hair, has the biggest holes in the heels of her stockings.— “ Steubenville Herald.”

When the Khedive of Egypt finds a valuable piece of laud incumbered with a pyramid or obelisk, and feels to poor to remove the obstruction he presents it to America or England, and they get it out of his way. Economy is the watchword in Egypt.—“ Boston Post,”

Newspapeh Wabpabb. Tha brotherly love that exists between the two evening journals in Wellington is pretty well known throughout the colony. The editors of the two papers in question never miss an opportunity to “paste” each other, and it will be seen by the following extract from the “ Times ” of March 19th, that the humbler members of the rival establishments have taken advantage of the example set them by their “ chiefs broken out between the run boys of _ the ‘Evening Post ’ and those of the ‘Chronicle.’ The first intimation of the state of feeling was shown on Wednesday, when the * Post ’ boys, to the number of about twenty, marched up to the ‘ Chronicle ’ office, and made a desperate assault on a somewhat smaller number of the enemy standing in and around the door. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that the attacked party retired discomfited to the back precincts of the shop, when the attacking column, crowding round the camp of the enemy, gave three hearty cheers. At this time there was a considerable crowd of the public outside watching the engagement. The ‘ Chronicle ’ boys sadly wanted a leader, but being without one, they ultimately charged pell-mell into the ‘ Post ’■ boys, and a battle royal took place on the pavement, lasting for several minutes. Victory remained with the boys of the ‘ Post,’ their enemy again retiring discomfited. The victors then gave three more cheers, and returned triumphantly to _ the vicinity of their own camp. The incident occurred just before the publication of our contemporaries, and whan the boys were evidently burning for some passing excitement.”

Thb Candle Teee. —The most important article for illuminating purposes in Japan is the candle made from the fruit of Rhus, a tree about the size and appearance of the common Sumach of California. It is grown more or less extensively almost everywhere in Japan, and especially in the western provinces from the south, north-west to the 35th deg. Specimens of this tree have been imported for introduction. The tree has a quick growth, and attains the diameter of IJft., and a height of 25ft. It begins to yield berries the third year, but in California it may bear the next year after planting. The berry is the size of a small pea, of white color, hanging in clusters, and contains the wax as a thick white coating of the seed. It is a hardy plant, growing on different soils, on embankments, and out-of-the-way places. The wax is obtained by the berries being crushed, steamed, and then placed in hemp bags and pressed in a wedge press. It is also obtained by boiling the bruised seeds and skimming the wax from the top. The wax is a palmatine or glycerine. When first extracted it is yellowish white color, and somewhat softer than bees wax. It melts at 127 deg., and when formed into candles gives a fine clear light. The tree is highly ornamental as well as useful. The wax is in great demand, and commands a good price. It is valuable for candles, making the gloss for linen, for waxing thread, and other purposes for which the ordinary cultivation could undoubtedly be made a source of profit. An Amusing Mistake. —A rather singular incident occurred on the arrival of Pastor Ohiniquy at the railway station on Saturday evening (saysthe “Southland News”). When the train came in the constables on duty formed an opening through the crowd opposite the entrance, so that there should be no hitch or stoppage of any kind, and it was naturally expected that the pastor would avail himself of this lane. It happened, however, that the carriage which he occupied was not quite close to the place, and so the pastor and those who were with him pushed through the crowd, passed out into the passage, and had entered a cab and were being driven off while the majority of those present were awaiting his appearance. At this stage the Rev. Father Larkin, who had travelled in the same carriage, came through the opening, and the impression became general among those to whom the genial priest was not known that he was Pastor Ohiniquy. Any doubt that might have been felt on the point wus removed by a railway official, who took in the situation at a glance and wickedly whispered, loud enough to be heard by those around, “ That’s the man.” And thus it happened that many people left the station without seeing the object of their curiosity. It is said that when the circumstance was mentioned to Father Larkin he fully appreciated the joke, good humouredly remarking, “ You see what a fine presence does.”

St. Andhew’s Chuech.— We arerequested to state that the lecture on “ The Life of Dr. Chalmers,” by the Rev. C. Fraser, intimated for this evening, has been postponed.

Excursion to Akaroa. —As an additional inducement to excursionists desirous of spending a week at Akaroa during Easter, the Union Company announces that the advertised fare by the steamer Wellington, which is to leave here next Thursday, covers the railway fares between Christchurch and Lyttelton. Engineer Cadets. —Those members of the Engineer cadets intending to proceed to the Easter cadet encampment at Waimate are requested to muster at the Drill Shed this evening at 7.15 sharp. City Council. —The usual weekly meeting of the City Council will be held this evening at seven o’clock.