NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2420, 7 January 1882, Page 3

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Alleged Libel. —A case is set down for hearing at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday next, in which J. W. Treadwell charges the “Telegraph” newspaper with publishing a libel on him. The libel is said to consist of certain statements contained in a letter to the editor, published on December Ist, 1881, headed “The Mathematical Carpenter,” and signed “ Threadbare Velveteen.” The Union Bank Fibe.—Notwithstanding the serious nature of last night’s fire, which has rendered it impossible to carry on the business operations of the Bank in the Hereford street premises, not a moment’s time was lost in making arrangements. The manager, Mr D. 8. Melville, at onoe secured the unoccupied portion of the block of offices recently erected by Messrs Lewis and Gould, in Worcester street, westward of tae Qodley statue, and immediately opposite the back entrance to the premises of the Bank. All the Bank officials turned to with hearty will, and the whole of the books, cash, Ac,, wore speedily transferred to the temporary promises, and at ten o'clock this morning business was commenced for the day in a manner as orderly and complete as though no hindrance had occurred, and consequently with no inconvenience whatever to the public. Resident Magistrate's Oouet. This morning, before E. Westenra, Esq., J.P., four cases of drunkenness were disposed of. For a first offence a man was fined ss, and ordered to pay Is cab hire. John Robinson and William Hutton were each fined ss. Mary Cunningham, who was charged with being a habitual drunkard, with three convictions against her in the last six months, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labor.

Release of a Pbisonbb. —John Murphy, who was sentenced fifteen months since to four years’ imprisonment for perjury, was set at liberty yesterday, on a warrant from Wellington, ordering his release from Lyttelton Gaol.

PbbSONAL. —We are glad to welcome Mr James Biokerton Fisher, late M.H.R, for the Buffer, who has returned to Christchurch after an absence of some years on tho West Coast, and commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor. Our contemporary, the “ Westport Times,” expresses great regret at Mr Fisher's departure from Westport in search of a larger field, and intimates that during his residence there he had gained the confidence and respect of the whole community. Resident Magistrate's Couet.—There are set down for hearing at the above Court on Monday next, in addition to the current Police business, no less than forty-one summons cases, the accumulations of business daring tho past holiday weeks. Lyttelton Magistrate's Coubt.—Six of the crew of the ship Phasis were brought before this Court this forenoon charged with being absent without leave. In consequence of there being an insufficient Bench present to dispose of their case the men were liberated on bail until Tuesday. Springston Temperance Society.—The above society held their second public meeting on Wednesday evening, when Mr J. Smith read a very interesting paper on “ Total Abstinence, and the Objects and Benefit of Temperance Societies.” The Rev. J. 8. Smalley occupied the chair, and after some further discussion throe came forward and took the pledge. At this stage of the meeting Mr B Tunmor, on behalf of the bachelors of Springston, presented Miss Alice Willsjwith a beautifully bound book, as a slight mark of their appreciation of her kindness in preparing the bachelors’ tray at the late tea meeting. Mr Smalley thanked tho bachelors on Miss Wills’ behalf in a particularly amusing manner, and after a vote of thanks had been accorded the speaker and the chairman a very pleasant evening was brought to a close in the usual manner. Theatrical.—Mr J, Drayton, who was hero some time back with the Ohevers, Kennedy and Bent Minstrels, arrived last night from Dunedin to arrange for a short season of what is technically known as “ burnt cork business.” The troupe he represents is the Mastodon Minstrels, which numbers some twenty-eight members. They will appear in the Gaiety Theatre probably on Thursday next.

Oxfobd. The vital statistics for the quarter ended December Slat are—Births, 31; deaths, 2; marriage, 1. The totals for the year are —Births, 104 ; deaths, 16; marriages, 8. Eam Faib.—The date for the next Earn Fair has been fixed for March 23rd and 24th. Tbbatbe Eoyaii—“The School for Scandal,” a comedy with which we are hero pretty familiar, formed the bill at the Theatre last night. Miss Pomeroy’s Lady Teazle, though an improvement on her former representation, was not a success. There was a want of naturalness and an artificial style about the rendering which detracted considerably from the effect, The quarrel scene and Lady Teazle’s part in the scandal scene were markedly conspicuous for this defect. There was an entire want of that ease and finished conception of the part whioh have been so characteristic of Miss Pomeroy’s impersonations as a whole. For her rendering of the screen scone, the most difficult portion of the play, Miss Pomeroy deserves great praise. The shame and remorse whioh overwhelms Lady Teazle, coupled with the scorn and contempt she feels for the man who would have betrayed her were most vividly brought out by Miss Pomeroy. So also was the pathos of her appeal to Sir Peter, and could Miss Pomeroy have played with the same ease and finish in the earlier scenes of the piece, her Lady Teazle would have been a very excellent performance. Miss Hettie Lambrctte did the little that Maria has to do fairly well, but she spoke the words too quickly, and besides was not too well acquainted with the text, a fault, by the way, whioh was shared in bj several of the characters. Miss Bessie Vivian made a good Mrs Candour, but Miss Douglas was somewhat overweighted with the part of Lady Sneerwell. Mr Hoskins, as Sir Peter, was excellent, as indeed ho always is in parts of this class. Mr Flemming made a fairly good Charles Surface, but appeared scarcely easy in the part, and was somewhat too forced and unnatural in his acting, a fault rarely noticeable with him. Mr Leake was the Joseph Surface, but it is not a part in whioh he is calculated to make a great hit. Mr Wallace’s Sir Oliver was throughout a very capital piece of acting, and his rendering of the part served to show what a really starling artist ho is. The rest of the characters were fairly filled. To-night “Led Astray” will be repeated.

Heathcotb Road Board District.— The annual meeting of ratepayers of the Heathoote district was held at noon yesterday, when the statement of accounts was adopted. Mr F. Jones has been elected chairman of the new Board. Reaper and Binder Triad. —The trial of the reapers and binders entered in competition for the prize offered by the Agricultural and Pastoral Association has been fixed to take place on Mr ' Boag’s farm at Burnside, Fendalton, on or about the 17th inst. Elgin School. —The monthly meeting of the committee was held on Wednesday evening ; Mr J. Stanley Bruoe in the chair. It was decided to forward the applications received for appointment of teachers to the Board of Education, with a view to its selecting a master and a mistress on behalf of the committee. The Yacht Xaripa. —Captain Butt, of the winning yacht at the Lyttelton regatta, received a telegram yesterday from Wellington requesting him, on his return home, to bring up at Wellington heads, as the Wellington yachts had arranged to give him a good reception, and would welcome the Xarifa’s return by forming an escort to her up the harbor. Road Board Elections. —The results of the following polls have been declared : Wakanui—James Brown, 74 ; Jos. Megson, 74 ; Thos. Walsh, 69; David Wilson, 54. Messrs Brown and Megson wore therefore elected. South Rakaia—D. Q-. Holmes, 235 ; Leonard White, 223 ; John Lambie, 221. Messrs Holmes and White are therefore returned. The closeness of this election caused some excitement. Fire at Oxford Bush. —An extensive fire is raging in Oxford bush at View Hill. It was reported yesterday that Messrs Feary Bros.’ mill was burned down, and that Messrs Anoell and Youngman’s would soon follow. Many families have left their homos, and four or five have been burned out already. If the wind does not change to the southward, the fire will reach to Oxford, a distance of more than seven miles. Several carters who were taking timber away on Thursday wore ordered off the ground for fear of accident.

The Lyttelton Regatta.—The distribution of the prizes won at the Lyttelton Regatta took place on Thursday night in the Colonists’ Hall, the commodore, Mr J. D. Maopherson, in the chair. Of the protests entered by the Dunedin crew against the Lyttelton crew in the four-oared inrigger race, the decision of the judges was that the protest had not been sustained. A resolution was carried that the sum of £lO be voted from the funds to the Dunedin crew, and the Christchurch crow sent word that rather than pull the course over again to decide the tie between the Dunedin crew and themselves, they would allow the second prize of £5 to go to the Dunedin boat. The onnouncement was received with loud applause by the meeting. Lheston Presbyterian Ohubch. —The annual meeting of this congregation took place on Wednesday last, the Rev. J._ W. Oree in the chair. The treasurer submitted the financial statement, which was considered very satisfactory. The receipts were : Balance from last year, £2 3s lOd ; collections, £69 15s 9d; seat rents, £BS j tea meeting, £4O 8s 3d; entertainment, £7 os9d ; total, £204 8s 7d. Expenditure, £lB2 2s 9d ; balance in hand, £22 5s lOd. A cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring committee, and the following gentlemen were elected a committee for the ensuing year : Messrs D. Scott, John Murison, D. Kellahan, Jas, Murison, J, MoYinnie, W. Jamison, W. Nixon, John Lowry, O. Hurst, and B, McOonkey ; auditor, Mr W. Johnston, Inquest. —An inquest was held at the Sonthbridge Hotel touching the death of Q. Shakleton, before B. B. Willis, Esq., coroner, and a jury of sixteen, of whom Mr Thomas Harbottle was ehosen foreman. From the evidence brought forward it appeared that the deceased, who was in the employ of Messrs Bluett, Frankish and Co., at Leeston, had ridden up to Southbridge on business on Wednesday afternoon. He had spent some short time in the township, and started for homo about eight o’clock in the evening. At 830 a man named Baker discovered him lying on the road at Flood’s corner, on the side of the road. The man immediately returned to Southbridge (after placing him on the side ol the road), and gave the police notice. Messrs John Taylor and B. Mcllraith proceeded to the spot with a trap, and on the arrival of Dr. Malone (who lost no time in getting up and pronouncing life extinct) brought the body to the Southbridge Hotel. On Thursday morning Dr. Malone held a post mortem examination, and stated to the jury that in his opinion the deceased met his death through having a fit whilst on his horse, which had caused him to fall off and fracture his scull, which was the immediate cause of death. He had never seen a brain so congested. After a thorough examination of the several witnesses the jury brought in a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence of “Accidental death.” Wesleyan Ohdbch, Durham Steeet. — The quarterly meeting of the Durham street Church was held in the schoolroom, on Friday evening last, the Rev. A. Reid in the chair. There were also present the Bovs. W. Baumber and W. B. Gillam, and a large number of office bearers. The returns of church membership presented by the chairman showed an increase of upwards of ninety on those of the preceding quarter. The Sunday school returns were also satisfactory. The financial statement presented by the circuit stewards, Messrs E. O. Mouldey and W. Martin, showed an income (including a balance of £B7 6s lOd from last quarter) of £564 Is 3£d, and an expenditure (including £135 gran’ed to Home Mission Fund, £2l to connezional funds, and £7O to the various trust funds) of £4lO 5s Bd, leaving a credit balance of £153 15s 7Jd. The trustees of the East Belt Church property were authorised to proceed at once with the erection of a parsonage on the site next the church. It has been arranged that the new church be opened on January 22nd, and that a tea and public meeting be held in connection therewith on the following Thursday. The committee appointed to make arrangements for the forthcoming conference gave in their report. The conference will hold its first sitting on Thursday, January 19th, when it will proceed to the election of its officers, and will continue in session about a fortnight. Upwards of forty ministers from all parts of the colony will be present, and during the second week about the same number of laymen, elected by the different circuits, will be associated with them in the transaction of business. Messrs B. Dawson and B. C. Mouldey were elected by ballot as the lay representatives of this circuit. Some discussion arose out of a recommendation from the local preachers’ meeting that services should be established in certain districts in the neighborhood of Christchurch where openings seem to present themselves, and the matter was eventually left in the hands of the ministers. The chairman closed the meeting by pronouncing the benediction. The Weather about Ashburton. —Yesterday the wind veered in a fickle manner, and a slight relief was experienced from a temporary subsidence of the nor’-westers, but no rain fell. As an example of the mischief that has already arisen may be instanced the case of a farmer in Wakanui district, who had a crop which a couple of weeks ago was tV.e envy of his neighbors, and promised to yield nearly sixty bushels to the acre. He now considers that ho will be fortunate if he takes off an average of thirty bushels from the sadly whitened tops. The dry spell of weather has made the tussocks on the plains as inflammable as tinder, and caution should be exercised by housewives accustomed to having fires outside their houses, and by smokers, as the results of a spark or a carelessly thrown match might just now be disastrous. On Thursday some boys, in a spirit of wanton mischief, ignited some tussocks near Mr Hopkins’ cottage. Preccntly the flames formed a burning ribbon round the premises, and these were saved only by the energetic and hurried aid of some neighbors, who were alarmed by Mrs Hopkins. Yesterday afternoon a fire raged fiercely for some time on the river side of some unoccupied lond west of the Old Men’s Home. The fire-bell was rung, and the Fire Brigade loot no time in going to the spot. A number of townspeople collected, and the flames were soon got under control. It has been suggested that an effort should be made on behalf of Mr Geo. Aston, who lost so heavily by a recent fire in his place at Newlands, as already published. Our correspondent has been given to understand that presents of household goods, clothing, and so forth would be welcome, while the effort would fall lightly if divided amongst a good many contributors. On Thursday several acres of tussock south of Dromoro were quickly burned, the origin of the firo being probably sparks from the engine attached to the morning train for Christchurch,

The Eieb at the Union Bank Mr W. Harrit, the (superintendent of tlio Christchurch Fire Brigade, this morning received the following letter from Mr Joseph Palmer, the chief officer for New Zealand of the Union Bank of Australia: —“Dear Sir, I hasten to tender mj grateful thanks to you and your very efficient brigade, for your valuable services in so promptly extinguishing the fire in our premises in Hereford street. I beg to hand you herewith a cheque for fifty guineas, as a contribution towards the funds of the brigade.” Thb Dkuids.—The half-yearly meeting of the Bud of Hope Lodge took place on Thursday evening, when there was a fair muster of members. After the lodge had been opened in due form the election of officers took place, which resulted as follows :—A.D., Bro. Browne ; V.A., Bro. Kobilliard j A.D. Bards, Bros. Sutcliff and Wilson ; V.A. Bards, Bros. Bridget and Luxton ; treasurer, Bro. Bridget ; 0.G., Bro. H. Jones ; 1.Q., Bro. Hill ; minute secretary, Bro. Gilson ; Bro. Ellis, A.D., Staking I.P.A. chair. Bro. Nathan, P.A., was nominated for D.P. The election of secretory was postponed until next meeting. The lodge then closed in due form, —The half-yearly meeting of the Mistletoe Lodge, No. 96, was held on Thursday evening, A.D. Bro. Hepburn presiding. The auditors reported having examined the accounts, and found everything very satisfactory, the amount that is invested on account of the lodge being about £l7O. The following were elected officers of the lodge for the ensuing term:—A.D, Bro. W. Bailey; Y.A., Bro. William Woolf ; secretary, Bro. J. Milne (re-eleoted) ; treasurer, Bro. K. Johnston (re-elected) ; A.D. Bards, Bros. William Mason and J. Mitchell ; V.A D. Bards, J. Henshaw and J. Burbery ; O.Q-,, James Oonden ; I Q-,, George Lewis ; medical attendants, Drs. Irving and Patrick. The installation ceremony was impressively performed by D.P. Bro. Samuels, assisted by P.A. 8. D. Nathan and A.D. Bro. Lawson, of the Lyttelton Lodge. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring officers and visitors, after which the lodge was duly closed by A.D. Bro. Bailey.

Leeston. —The annual Christmas treat of the Leeston Presbyterian Sabbath School was held on Monday, December 26th, in the grounds of the Ellesmere Agricultural and Pastoral Association, kindly granted for the purpose. The children met at the church at 10 a.m., and after singing and prayer marched in procession to the grounds with their teachers, where they wore regaled with plenty of Christmas cheer in the association building, where a Christmas tree was planted and covered with things useful and ornamental. A number of parents and friends gathered during the day, and altogether a very happy time was brought to a close by the distribution of the prizes won at a previous examination. Oxford Amateur Deamatio Entertainment—An entertainment was given by the Amateur Dramatic Society in the Town Hall, Bust Oxford, on Monday night. The ball was crowded in every part, and additional seats had to bo provided. The pieces chosen were “ The Illustrious Stranger; or, Married and Buried.” The scenery was really very good, and the play went very smoothly, but the acoustics of the hall might be improved by some arrangement to throw the sound forward from the stage. The principal characters were taken by Misses Vernon and E. Thompson, Messrs Parish, Bluett, Lemming and Thomson, who each sustained their parts very creditably. This was followed by “ Black Eyed Susan.” The scenery was most artistically done, and the dresses bowed great taste. Miss Thomson made a very good Susan, and Miss Vernon was a very natural Dolly Mayflower. Mr Kneeshaw.aoted the part of William very nioely indeed, and was well received. Mr A. Cooper as Gnatbrain, and Mr Parish as Doggrass, were excellent. The receipts were over £2O. The Ashbhbton-Foeks Eailway. —The farmers contemplate memorialising the railway authorities for improved regulations touching the grain traffic on this line. Mr Julian Jackson is taking an active part in the matter. Ashley Eoad Board Election.— The candidates nominated, and the show of hands at the election on Thursday were—Messrs J. A. Cunningham, 13 ; D. Dick, 12 ; F. Croft, 11; W. Free, 9 ; E. Brown, 5. The three first-named, who were the retiring members, were re-elected. Cricket.— Practice for All England and Otago matches will be held every evening on Lancaster Park ground, commencing Monday, the 9th inst. Union Eowinq Club. —The following are the crews drawn for the Club Pairs, the race to come off on Saturday next, the 14th inst, : First heat —North bank, Daphne: E. G. Hawkea (stroke), H. W, Piper (bow) v South bank, Dolphin : W. Scouler (stroke), H. Martin (bow). Second heat—H. T. Johnson (stroke), H. li. Welsh (bowy v H. Hobday (stroke), W. Feldwick (bow). The winners of first and second to pull off.