NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2619, 29 August 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Ltttbltok Haebok Boabd. —llii Worship the Mayor of Sydenham received a telegram late last night from Mr W. White, M.H.R., stating that the Lytteltcn Harbor Boird Act Amendment Bill, in which a clause was inierted giving a member on the Board for Sydenham, had successfully passed through both Houses of Parliament. iNCaiTDIAEISM ON THK PhNINSTJIA.—A telegram to bo found in another column will ■how that there exists on the Peninsula an organised soheme of incendiarism. Yesterday wo had to chronicle the burning down of Bailfiy's Hotel, and an attempt on two other hotels in Akaroa. To-day news arrives that the Somerset Hotel, at the Head of the Bay, and the Little Akalo* Hotel, in the bay of that name, have both been destroyed. It if to be trusted that the miscreant or miscreants who have planned and executed these outrages will not long escape i he strong arm of the law. The Somerset Hotel, we learn, is insured for £IOOO in the Union Office, and for £SOO in the Liverpool London and Globe Office.

Thb Moxihintjt Rekpb.—A gentleman, jntt returned from the ilokihinui reef i, which lie about twenty miles north of Westport v reports that the reefs look well, being exposed about 1000 ft and showing gold freely.

Inspection of Lunatic Asylums.— The " Lancet " of the 12ch July states that Dr. Gh W. Grabham, Bssident Physician and Superintendent of the Asylum for Idiots,. Earlswood, has been appointed Inspector of Lunatio As-- luas for New Zaaland. Dr» Grabham studied medicine at St. Thomas' Hospital, and graduated M.8.0.5.E. 1857. L.B.A. and L.M. 1858, M.B. 1865, and M.D. 1867. He held several local government appointments before being entrusted with the charge of the Euliwood Asylum, and ha is the author of a well-known work on lunacy. Lvttblton Naval Bbigade.—This oorps held tbeir usual monthly inspection on Monday evenitg, about fifty men being present, under Lieuts. McLellaa and Dransfield. After the inspection, the men were put through a variety of company movements. A Billet. —At the meeting of the Selwyn County Council this afternoon, there were 151 applications received in answer to an advertisement for a c&retaker for the Hororata water raoe. Amorg the applicants were men of many kinds. Ihe selection made was Mr K. Wilson, formerly in the employment of the South Malvern Bead Board. The salary attached to the situation is £l5O per annum, with a cottage to live in. Lxttblton E M. Court.—This morning, before Dra. Djnald and Bouse, J P.'s, Samuel Hill was charged with being, at noon on Monday, on the railway platform, drunk, and using the vilest language possible to the head porter, Mr Scott. The defendant admitted the charges, and was fined 40s, or seven days,* itnprisonmfnt. A first offender was Sound helplessly drunk on the railway premiitii, and was fined ss. Sydenham Couhotllobb. B£etsra Lang* down, Hall, and Nichoils a; ts the three councillors who retire by rotation early in the ensuing month.

Thh Little Akaxoa Fish.—The rumor that Shis hotel was burnt down on Friday night if now confirmed. The hotel, whioh was reoently the subject of legal proceedings, is in the hands cf the trustee in the estate of T. Oonnon (Mr A, F. de Veani) who had s bailiff in possession. This man was in the honse during the evening, but went out about half-past nir,e o'clook to the neighbouring school-house, where a dance was proceeding. The alarm of fire was given about ten o'clock, and the hotel was speedily reduced to ashes. The property is insured in the South British office, house for £2OO, stock and furniture £IOO. The police hare no suspicion of incendiarism, the fire being supposed to have originated through a defect in the kitchen ehimney, aided by the fact that boarded walls were packed with sawdust, in whioh fire would imon'der for some tim?.

PABUAMEimnr.—In the House of Astembly this afternc on the Protection of Telegrams Bill was reported from the Legislative Council with amendments, which were agreed to. In answer to a question Mr Bryce said the Government considered the police were fairly well paid, and that no addition to the present rate of wages was contemplated. Owing to the Intends of the session the Government did not intend to press the Bankruptcy Act, but would oirculate the Bill during the recess. ' Supbems Cot/bt.—The legal argument by counsel on both sides in Pagan v the Waste Lands Board wac continued to-day, and at its conclusion his Honor reserved judgment. His Honor also delivered judgment in the two cases |argued in banco, viz., Ware and Jones T the Lyttelton Harbor Board and Green's Trustee v Wildi \ In the .first case his Honor allowed the demurrer to the first count of the declaration, and in the scoond held that the tffidavit of the execution of the bill of sale was not sufficient. The Court then rose.

CACTEBBUBT LINBBED Oil; AND FIBBB CoatrAnY (Limited). —A meeting of the provisional direotors was held yesterday, Mr J. P. Jameson in the ohair. The secretary stated that 960 shares had already been applied for, and that he had a communication from Mr Davis to the effeot that he had reoeived another 100 during the past week in the Lincoln district, making a total of 1060, and that he had promises of close on another hundred. It wan moved by Mr J. Cooke, and seconded by Mr Jahn Miln—" That steps be taken for tho incorporation of the company, and that a mb committee be appointed to draw up articles of association and confer with the company's solicitor, such committee to consist of Mesjrs J. P. Jameson, O. Kiver, Murphy, and the mover; the first meeting to be held on Wednesday next, the 30th, at 3.30." Considerable disoupsion arose out of the question of machinery required for immediate nee. It was resolved that it be a recommendation to the new direotors that one of the American Fibre Company's flax ■outohing maohines should be ordered as a test machine, as well as several others better known. The secretary stated that the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association were offering a prize of £l2 10s for a machine -capable of threshing flax seed without impairing the quality of the straw. Mr G. Sing also offered £3 3a for the same machine, to be exhibited at the November show. A communication was received offering to supply a new oil plant. The tenderer was requested to furnish full particulars. After a considerable amount of routine business was got through, the meeting terminated. DBAINAGB Board.—Mr B. Outhbert has been elected resident engineer to the Christchurch District Drainage Board, on the recommendation of the works commit too. A Collbqb Eufpeb.—Mr T. S. Poster was entertained by the Canterbury College students at a supper at Mr Oram's Roys' Hotel on Saturday evening. A large number of students were present, and a very pleasant evening was spent. The occasion was taken advantage of to welcome back Mr Herbert, who, it will be remembered, went to London University some eighteen monthe ago to prosecute his studies there, bnt was compelled by ill health to return to New Zealand. Cabblebs Driving.—About 4 p.m. yesterday a little girl, named Alioe Paul, eleven years of age, was knocked down in Colombo street by a trap driven by two men, the wheel passed over the ankle and instep. The men drove off without rendering any assistance, but the police have obtained their names. The child was taken to her parent's house, in Montreal street, Sydenham.

Thh Egyptian Debt.—The enormous indebtedness of Egypt, amounting to 4GO million dollars, was created in this way. Ismail Pasha, says an exchange, was in part educated in France, and while there he imbibed with eagerness the French ideas of splendour and material progress. A man of ability and with unbounded ambition, he aimed to make Egypt a second France. He borrowed money in England and France with which to build railroad*, factories, bridges, palaces, canals, roads, and to carry on every conoeivable internal improvement, far in advance of the ideas or needs of his people. Taxation, to pay the interest on hia enormous indebtedness, and to run his expensive government, waa laid heavily upon the people, until eaoh cultivated acre paid an average of 12 dole a year, and every fruit tree and shrub paid tribute. The fellaheen were forced to work for him, carrying out his improvements, for nothing. He managed to get nearly one-fifth of the land into his possession, and thia was worked without pay to the laborers. The poor people laid all their troubles to the Europeans and to European ideas. Tbey wish to blot out all European institutions and influences, a feeling that cannot be wondered at, however just the lights that the usurious European nations have obtained through the reckless ■way of the khedives.

Thh Bibbon Gxnr.—The firm of Sir W. Armstrong and Co. hue recently submitted for trial a breech-loading gun upon a peculiar system of cotstruction. This gun, though differing but slightly in its breech-loading arrangement from those of the Government pattern, is altogether unlike those in general appearance and method of building up. The whole of the piece in rear of the trunnions is built up of steel wire, over which is shrunk ordinary yet thinner coils of greator tenacity. The gun's diameter where the charge rests, aa compared with that of the War Office construction, is astonishingly small. Its outlines, therefore, form those of a long slim weapon. Yet it is said to be capable of bearing the explosion of 3001 b of the slowburning service powder, with a muoh heavier weight of shot than that of the 10.4 inch bore Government gun. A 8 * matter of faot, bowever, the exact weight of shot or shell to be fired with the new gun has yet to be determined upon by experiment. So far, the results have bten deemed satisfactory. The weight of the new gun is only 21 tons 4 owts., yet the diameter of its bore is 10.238 inches. Its length is similar to that of the Royal Gun Jfaotory's 9.4 in gun of 26 tons. Should experiments with this gun prove successful, says " Enginearing," a new departure in construction will have been taken, and a great step made towards the improvements of our ships and forts.