NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2152, 18 January 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Police Court.—There was a clean charge ■beet at the Police Court this morning. Steamer Stowaways. —Two men, named respectively Michael Haveny and John Canlan, were charged at the Lyttelton Magistrates’ Court this morning with evading payment of their faros from Wellington, they being found on board the s.s. Rotomahana. Haveny’said he was told he could get work in Canterbury, and seeing the steamer leaving Wellington, he thought it a good opportunity to secure the employment reputed to be so abundant. He was sentenced to pay a fine of £4, or suffer imprisonment for seven days. Canlan said he had bought a ticket at Wellington, but had lost both it and a sum of £4 in money. Realising his impeouniosity on the morning the steamer left, he considered his most prudent course was to step on board. The purser of the vessel, Mr Miller, however, gave a different version of the defendant’s cose, and showed that Canlan had not only been “ without visible means," but what he lacked in that respect he had attempted to overcome by a stock of insolence. He was sentenced to ten days, or a fine of £5.

Escaped Lunatic. —On Saturday afternoon last, one of the patients at the Sunnyside Lunatic Asylum, named Claude Downing, escaped from that institution, and, although every effort has been made by the authorities and the police to recapture him, it has as yet been fruitless. Downing is a native of Lincolnshire, England, speaks with a strong accent, is forty-eight years of age, about sft, lOin. iu height, stout built, blaok hair, rather bald on top of head, short black whiskers, beard and moustache, and dressed in the Asylum uniform, viz., white corduroy suit and light-coloured wide-awake hat.

Ancient Oedbb op Foebstbbs.—The ordinary fortnightly meeting of Court Star of Canterbury waa held last evening at the Foresters’ Hall, when there was a very good attendance. The Woodwards gave in their report re eiclc and distressed brothers. The officers for the ensuing term were duly installed as follows : —Chief Banger, Bro. W. H. Howard ; Sub-Chief Banger, Bro. H. W. Newman; Secretary, Bro. W. Buckley; Assistant-Secretary, Bro. F. 0. Phipps; Treasurer, Bro. H. Crooks ; Minute Secretary, Bro. Triggs; Senior Woodward, Bro, G. Baron; Junior Woodward, Bro. W. Weakley ; Senior Beadle, Bro. O. A. Eldridgc; Junior Beadle, Bro. W. H. Payne; Hallkeeper, Bro. H. Crooks. It was resolved unanimously that the name of Bro. J. Swindell, P.0.R., be placed on the Bespeot Board, and that ho be presented with a P.O.R.’s neek-ribbon and certificate. The annual balance sheet was read, received, and adapted. An initiation having been gone through, and several new members proposed, amongst which there were two members of the Juvenile Court, the meeting was formally closed. The receipts of the quarter amounted to 1355 12a 4d. Nobth Kowai Side Schood.—The services held in the new schoolroom by the Bev. H. Q. Gould are very numerously attended, special sitting accommodation beyond that provided for the scholars being required for the congregation. It is expected that the school will be opened early in March, Mr Andrew Fveriss having been appointed master.

Halbwbll Lodge, 1.0.0. F., A.C.— A concert in aid of the Regalia fund of the | above Lodge (recently opened) was given last Thursday, and proved a great success. The performers consisted of Misses Button (2), Miss Sent, Miss Martin, Messrs Rutland, Runcie, Williams, Key and Cameron. The comic songs of the latter gentleman came in for a great amount of applause. Mention might also be made of the instrumental duet, violin and piano, by Miss Button and Mr Rutland, which had to be repeated. The whole concluded with a dance. Attempted Suicide, The “Timarn Herald" records that what appeared to boa very deliberate attempt to commit suicide was made about four o’clock on Thursday afternoon. A well-dressed man deliberately walked into the sea opposite Hallam’s bathe, with all his clothes on. He swam out a considerable distance, and then evidently repenting of his folly, turned towards the shore. By this time, however, he was well-nigh exhausted, and was being rolled over and over by the waves, A young lad, whose name we could not ascertain, at this juncture rushed into the sea, and after a plucky struggle, succeeded in bringing the half-drowned man ashore. Ho sooner, however, did the latter recover his senses, than he again attempted to make for the water, but the lad stuck to him like a brick, and prevented him destroying himself. Had it not been for the heroic conduct of the lad there is little doubt but that the coroner’s services would have been called into requisition.

City Council. — A special meeting of the City Council was held last night, at seven o’clock, to take over a private street named Stuart street. Present—Hie Worship the Mayor, Ore. Lambert, Ayers, Bishop, England, Oherrill, Vincent, Thomson, and Treleaven. Or. Treleaven having made the necessary declaration, took his seat. The Council resolved that the private street should be known as Stuart street, and that the town clerk be instructed to advertise the same in accordance with the Municipal Corporations Act. The Conncil then proceeded to consider the building by-law as drafted by the by-law committee. By-law Ho. 1 was taken as read. By-law Ho. 2 was read and discussed, and after some conversation adopted. This concluded the business. Rangioba Building and Investment Society (Peemanbnt). —A meeting of tbo provisional directors was held in the offices of the society, Colonial buildings, on Saturday evening. Mr J. Johnston presided. It was resolved that seven directors be elected, two to retire by ballot at each annual meeting. After a protracted discussion on the question of nominations and extending the time for election, it was decided that in order to facilitate the printing of the rules and forward the interests of the society, the directors be appointed at that meeting. Messrs J. Johnston, J. Lowthian Wilson, Aqoila Ivory, W, Best, A. B. Blackett, C. J. Leech, and O. J. Chapman were then elected. The offer of the Pbbss Company to print the rules being considered most favorable of the offers sent in, it was accepted. It was decided that Mr J. B. Q-resson, solicitor to the society, be requested to have the rules revised and brought into force in compliance with the Building Society’s Act. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.

Waimakabiei Habbob Boabd. The animal meeting of this Board, for poising the account! and electing a chairman, to have been held on Monday at ten a.m., was adjourned till February 7th in the evening. Thb Colokxai Tbeabubeb. —The Her. Major Atkinson visited Kaiapoi yesterday morning, when he was shown over the Woollen Factory, in which he appeared to take a special interest, and the Kaiapoi Brewery, noticing the improvements being made at both places. Then, accompanied by the Mayor, Mr Blackwell, he visited several points of interest in the town, inclusive of the borough school. They then proceeded for a drive round the island and Flazton, the hon. Treasurer remarking upon the prolific appearance of the crops as well as the apparently advanced state of the farming in the district.

The small-pox is sweeping off, by hundreds, the Canadian Indians on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and such is the panic that those not afflicted flee from the dead and dying. Of the deaths by lightning in France, M. Boudin some years ago collected statistics which showed that during the thirty years, beginning in 1834, and ending in 1863, as many as 2038 people were struck dead by lightning in that country. President Gravy's salary and allowances amount to about 180,000 dollars yearly, the salary proper being 120,000 dollars. At the end of his seven years’ term ho will, consequently, have received 1,260,000 dollars out of the public treasury.