NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1933, 5 May 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Local Industries Messrs Cook and Ross have on exhibit at their establishment, a fine lump of pure chalk, obtained from the neighbourhood of Oxford. The block measures about a foot each way. and is an excellent sample. Thera are said to be acres of it available, and as pure chalk can be used in a large number of ways, the find is of considerable value.

Post Office Savings Bank. —By an error the words “ on Saturday evening” wore omitted in our local of yesterday on this subject. The local should have read as follows : —We ore requested to call public attention to the fact that the Post Office at Christchurch and Lyttelton will bo open from half-past six until a quarter to eight o’clock on Saturday evenings for the purpose of receiving Saving Bank deposits only.

Resident Magisteate’s Cotjet. —At this Court to day. Henry Hayes, for forging and uttering a cheque for £8 10s, was committed for trial at the'next sessions of the Supremo Court.

Tub Mastbe Passion. —Chinaman, enquiring of passer-by, and pointing to the cathedral : —“ Anybody’s store ?”

Lands Thansfee Office. Referring to the present Chief Clerk in the Lands Transfer Office, who has replaced Mr Dixon, the “ Wellington Post” says : —Mr M. J. Kilgour Chief Clerk in the Land Transfer Department here, who has been promoted to Christchurch, was yesterday presented by the officers and clerks of the Land and Deeds Department with an address, which, while congratulating him on his promotion and wishing him all future happiness and prosperity, expressed regret at losing the companionship of one so highly esteemed. The address was accompanied by a souvenir in the shape of a sot of emerald and gold studs, as a token of respect. A.O.P.—Court Thistle of the Forest held a special summoned meeting last night, to amend the by-laws of the Court. There was a good attendance of members, and it was resolved to initiate new members at the low scale of fee for a period longer, as an inducement for persons to join the order. Three new members were proposed and one initiated. The 0.R., Bro. Jaques, was elected to ‘represent this court at the district meeting on Thursday, May 6th. After the usual routine business the court closed in due form. Peisonee foe Mblboubne. Constable Gorey loft yesterday by the steamer Arawata for Melbourne, taking with him E. F. Graves, who was remanded the other day to answer a charge of larceny from W. T. Coar of the nai of £2BO, committed at Sandridgo.

Anothbe Motive Powee. —At the last meeting of the Liverpool Engineering Society, a paper was road touching the probable exhaustion of coal, in which the author advocated the substitution of the tides as a producer of motion which would outrival all other sources of mechanical power. A correspondent of the “ Builder,” too, is of the same opinion. A compressed air chamber filled by the tide at Brighton, for instance, would, ho is confident, run an atmospheric railway, such as Brunei invented, from that place to London. If the tides could be thus utilised, all our railways and factories—in fact, all the work now done by the steam engine, could be performed by them. There would, moreover, be no Jerk, no steam, no smoko, no noise. Apart from the fact that the present generator of steam will in time cost more to produce than it is worth, coal has so many disadvantages that no one will regret to see tho time when it will bo supplanted by another agent. When is this to bo, is tho question of the future.

Wesleyan Mutual Impeotbment Association. —The above association held their usual weekly meeting on Monday evening, the Kev. Mr Reid in the ohair. The debate, “ Who wields the greatest power—the poet; warrior, or statesman,” was opened by Mr Allan in favor of the statesman, Mr Farley and Mr Goodaill taking the poet and warrior respectively.

Co-opbbativb Land Company. At a general meeting of shareholders of the Cooperative Land Company, Mr G. G. Davidson in the chair, the delegates, Messrs Baseley and Cook, explained the nature and position of the land which they had selected for the society in Taranaki. It was resolved to hold a meeting on Saturday evening for the purpose of allotting the sections. Ohoka. —A horse race took place here on Saturday, which excited some amount of attention. The match was between Mr T. Yinoent’s g m Chance and Mr W. A. Garret’s b m Kallerou, for £lO a-side. The latter went away well from the start, but was passed by Chance, which, after a hard race, won by a length.

Kaiapoi Woollen Factoby. —At a meeting of the directors of this company on Tuesday tenders were opened for the additions to the buildings of the factory, and that of Messrs Boyd and Keir, builders, Rangiora, for £490 accepted. Weaving is now carried on at this factory day and night, and for the latter purpose it is contemplated lighting the premises from a gasoline machine.

Sumnbe Sunday School. —An entertainment for the purpose of raising funds for a treat to the Sunday school children was held at the school house, Sumner, on Friday evening last. The schoolroom was crowded. Some excellent singing and music was rendered by the Misses Morton, Clark, Miles, Horner, Tomes, and Messrs Clark, Pavitt, Snow, C. Martin, Morris, F. Monck, and others. A very substantial sum was realised. Thbatbb Royal. —There was considerable improvement manifested in the performance of the play of “ Alixo” last night. There was a call at the end of the second act for Miss Colville and Mr Boothman, which was responded to, and throughout the play the audience frequently expressed their satisfaction with applause. The same piece will be repeated to-night for the last time, and tomorrow evening the “ Lady of Lyons” will be revived for the benefit of Mr Boothman, who will undertake the brilliant character of Claude Melnotte.

The San Eeanoisco Mail. —Our Wellington correspondent, telegraphing last night, says :—There is the usual muddle in bringing down the San Francisco mail this month. The Taiaroa, which brings it from Manukau, was to have come direct from Taranaki to Wellington, and now, as the mail steamer is a day late at Auckland, the Taiaroa does not leave “Manukau for sixteen hours after the mail reached Auckland, and is to go all round by Nelson and Pioton, losing fully another day. She is not expected to reach Wellington before midnight on Thursday, and will not proceed South until noon on Friday, thus the mail will not be delivered in Christchurch until Saturday morning, instead of two days earlier, as could easily have been done. All this time the Hinemoa is lying idle at the Railway Wharf. This needless delay is the subject of great complaint here. Coursing. —The season opened on the Ist inst., since which several parties have been out in well-known covers. Hares are reported as being fairly plentiful.

Drainage Commission. —Messrs Marshman, Bell, and Low, have been appointed Commissioners to inquire into and report upon the drainage of the Mandeville Swamp and the overflow of the Oust River. It is expected that the Commissioners will sit next week.

Mandbtillb and Rangioba Boasd of Conservators. — A meeting of this Board was held at Rangiora on Tuesday. Present — Messrs Blackett (chairman), Mulcook, and Going. The surveyor reported on the works in progress, and the carrying out of Ross’s contract. It was decided to give Mr Driscol notice to complete Burrell’s drain in a satisfactory manner. Accounts amounting to £lO6 5s were passed. Arrangements were made for the chairman to arrange with the Druipage Commissioners for the time of meeting. The Board then adjourned. Inquest. —An inquest was held at Leoston, before R. B. Willes, Ejq., coroner, to inquire into the cause of destruction of five stacks of wheat, the property of the Bank of New South Wales. Mr McLeod, manager of the Bank’s property at Leeston, on being sworn, said that he had insured the above stacks with seven others for £SOO, and his reason for so doing was because he had heard that there was ill will against the Bank in connection with Mr J. J. Loo’s affairs. Mr James Lindsays said that he first saw the fire about 2 30 a.m., but did not give any alarm. He did not like to in case some people would think ho had done it. Other witnesses were examined, but no information of any value could be obtained. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that there was not sufficient evidence to show how the fire had originated. Ashbubton A. and P. Association. —A meeting of the above association was held at the Somerset Hotel yesterday evening, the president (Mr W. 0. Walker) in the chair. On the motion of Mr Guinness, the resolution of last meeting appointing a general committee was rescinded, and on the motion of Mr Cox the following gentlemen were elected a committee for the ensuing year : —Messrs E. 8, Coster, F, B. Passmore, J. Hunt, A. Leatham, J. Grigg, F. Guinness, E. Wright, H. Eriedlander, W. H. Gundry, B. Saunders, E. T. Mayor, J. Clerk, M. Stitt, H. T Smith, 0. P. Cox, Messrs A. H. Shury and A. Curtiss were elected auditors. Mr Guinness moved—“ That the question concerning yards be left to the general committee, but that this meeting approves of the sale yards being erected by the association.” The motion was seconded by Mr Passmore, and carried. At a committee meeting subsequently held, Mr George Jameson was elected secretary.

Owen Mbeedith as a Vicbeot. —Angels have moved unrecognised among men ; and a Viceroy may be a poet and his aides-de-camp know it not. Sometime ago an ardent admirer of the “ Wanderer, Lueile, Clytomnestra, and other Poems,” received, to his great delight, an invitation to dinner at Government House, Simla. Lord Lytton was, as usual, brilliant and affable at table and in the drawing-room afterwards. The admirer of his verso, on returning to the hotel with a brother guest, a gallant colonel and erst A.D.C., was asked by his comrade what ho thought of the Viceroy. “ I didn’t care about the Viceroy,” was his reply; “I wont to see Owen Meredith.” “ Don’t know him,” said the colonel, “ but I know there was no fellow of that name at the dinner.”—“ London World.”

A Negeo’s Novel Defence. —A negro in Columbus, Galveston (says an American paper), has esccapod the gallows in a very singular manner. Brought before the authorities with what appeared to be over-whelm-ing evidence against him as a murderer, he vainly endeavoured for a long time to clear himself from the charge. As the capital sentence and its speedy execution loomed in view, the coloured prisoner bethought him of his last line of defence. He determined to try an alibi. In the way of doing this there was, fortunately for his nook, no great difficulty. It was impossible for him to show that at the moment when the homicide with which he had been charged was committed be was doing his duty as a citizen, but he had the means at hand to prove that at that precise instant ho was engaged in stealing a horse. So satisfactorily did he do this, in fact, that the Court before which he was on his trial promptly released him from the capital charge, and sent him into penal servitude for ten years for the lesser crime. Had he never been arrested on the suspicion of murder, hio pranks as a horse stealer would have remained undiscovered. On the other hand, had he not stolen a horse, he would most assuredly have been hanged. The Ex-Zulu King. —The “ Cape Times” of February 10th says : —“ Oetewayo is engaged in making mental notes. He has calculated that each charge fired by the foreign ie en of-war now|inTable Bayin saluting the fort was of the value of an ox. He also concludes that it is more expensive to keep up armaments in Europe than in Zululand. His Majesty also regards the Queen’s conduct in not answering hia message of contrition as showing a great lack of courtesy, but ho remains confident of his return to Zululand. For the present his chief regret is that his connubial circle is so unbearably small.” Another paragraph in the same paper says : “Oetewayo, accompanied by Captain Poole, R.A., Mr Interpreter Longcast, and suite, made a semi-official visit to the ex-Ohiof Langalibalele, at the latter’s residence on the Capo Flats, recently. His Majesty drove in a carriage which was hired for the occasion. The first part of the visit was very stiff and formal, but the two illustrious prisoners ‘ thawed ’ during the course of the interview, and the parting was most cordial.”

Police Changes. —Sergeant Felton, who for tome months past has been absent on sick leave, has resumed his charge of the Ashburton station. Sergeant Pratt, who had charge of the station during Sergeant Felton’s absence, left there last night to resume charge of the Rangiora district. Bible Society. —The annual meeting of the Canterbury auxiliary of the above takes place this evening. Ascension Day Service. —The Bishop of Waiapu will preach in St. Luke’s on Thursday (to morrow) evening, at half-past seven o’clock. Masonic. —An emergency meeting of the St. Augustine lodge. No. 609, E.C., will be held to-morrow, when a lecture on Freemasonry will be delivered by Bro. Rev. J. Hill, of Lyttelton. SCHOLARSHIPS EXAMINATION. —The list of candidates for examination for scholarships in June next, closes on the 10th inst. Debating Society. —The second meeting for the session of the Christchurch Debating Society will take place on Friday evening in Gee’s schoolroom. The subject for debate will be, “ Is Manhood Suffrage applicable to New Zealand P ” to be introduced by Mr Spackman. The Camilla Ueso Company.— This company will arrive in a few days, and give a short series of concerts in Christchurch. The Northern press speak in the highest possible terms of the artistic violin playing of Md'ls. Camilla ITrso, and also of the vocal abilities of the other members of the company.