NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2684, 14 November 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"What will he do with it ?—A -witness at the Eesident Magistrate's Court this morning said he knew how to distinguish a drunken man: he should rather think he did. And, in explanation of his qualifications as a judge, further stated that he himself could drink thirty (30). pints of beer, and then not be drunk ! City Council Accounts.—The collectorof rates for the City Council having to uphold several summonses against defaulting ratepayers, at the Eesident Magistrate's Court this morning, was informed by Mr Ollivier, who was on the Bench, that his

accounts were unintellible. There was no attempt at detail. Hates were charged, but [what rates the accounts attached to the summonses did not specify. The collector said the parties sued had had al those particulars in the usual course, and that the present was the way all accounts;

i- were treated. Mr Ollivier said that way , would not do for. him, and adjourned the . cases for one week for the production of : particulars. l - Bobough of St. Albans.—Respecting--10 the proposed loan of .£IO,OOO for the St. a Albans district, there appears to be conj_ siderable misapprehension among the.ratepayers as to the probable effect on their- * pockets of the special rate which must be d authorised as the security for the loan, ih From enquiries it appears that the loan ta will be asked for to widen existing roads. form footpaths, provide wells for watering stations, and other important works, for 10 which the funds now at the disposal of the l- ■ Council are inadequate. The loan, it is d expected, will be raised at 6 per cent. The j( j amount of interest, therefore, to be anDually raised will be JEGOO. The first year's * interest will be taken from the loan fund, £ " as authorised by the Municipal Corpora- ¥> tions Act. The second year it may be as•e sumed that the roads, having been so rev cently put in order, but little will be*required for repairs and maintenance, and that therefore the interest can covered *"• .out of ordinary revenue and the special l> rate included in the levy of Is in the j£ (1 now annually raised. After the third year s the present councillors are of opinion that . the increased value of the rateable property within the borough will be amply '■ sufficient to defray the annual charges of y the loan without any additional burden--0 upon the ratepayers than the Is in the JJ: a now raised. ■j Scholastic.—Mr J. E. Conner, assistant master of Eangiora school, has been ap--1 pointed master of the Stoke school. t C.J.C. SnMMES Meeting.—The noniina--9 tions for the Christchurch Cup and Sprint r Handicap, to be run at the C.J.C. Summer meeting on New Year's Dav, and for th& 8 Derby 18S4 and Welcome Stakes ISS3, ap--1 pear elsewhere, and are very satisfactory. ;. Prison Labour,.—The steamer Tui, on. s her last trip from Wellington, brought 3 down to Lyttelton gaol a prisoner named Franz Smat, sentenced some years since to . a long -term for a murderous assault on a t man at Mungaroa, and another prisoner, i named Ellis, the perpetrator of an outrage . on a little girl at Wairarapa recently. Lyttelton Eegatta.—A meeting of the Lyttelton Eegatta committee was held on 3 Monday night, the commodore, Dr. H. Mc- • Donald, in the chair. It was decided that I coxswains should be carried in the i- champion four-oared outrigger race instead of leaving it to the option of the competing crews, as was proposed. A resolution wa3 " carried authorising the committee to secure- ' a flagship for the regatta. A second prize , of .£3 was agreed to for the Naval Brigade . race. Mr Mcßeth, one of the collectors, ' stated that his list of subscribers had been lost, someone, as a joke probably, having • taken it out of his pocket. He could not, therefore, definitely report to the meeting, ' but would do so at the meeting next Tuesday night. As such a joke, if joke was intended, will compel him to go over the ground again to get the subscribers* names, it is desirable that whoever has possession of the book in question return i it to the owner. , Ada Mantua's Patbons.—A number of intending subscribers to Ada Mantua's consultation, residing at Auckland, were nicely had by the postal authorities. Ada won't be caught by taking registered letters, and therefore money for tickets hag to be sent in ordinary envelopes through the post in the usual way. The postmaster, however, acting under instructions, registered ali letters addressed ** Ada Mantua, Dunedin," and when they readied their destination, the addressee would not take delivery. The consequence was that the missives went to the Dead Letter Offiee, where the ,£l's were carefully taken out, and paid into the colonial exchequer. The would-be investors are now trying to get their cash back, and probably they will succeed after some circumlocutory correspondence. Sydenham Borough Council. This Council held a lengthy and unusually lively sitting last night. The meeting was a special one, but Cr. Andrew moved the suspension of a standing order which limits from 7 to 10 p.m. the hours during which the Council may sit. The motion was rejected, as also was one by the Fame councillor virtually censuring the Mayor for not having ruled on a point of order when asked. These matters occupied forty-five minutes, after which business began. In discussing a proposal to acquire land for street making some personal reI marks were introduced and promptly mot. A proposal for further deferring the business was negatived, and finally, the order paper being cleared, the Council having, sat up to within a few minute 3 of its limit, adjourned for a week. N.Z. Cyclists' Alliance. The adjourned meeting of the above was held at the Commercial Hotel last night, when it was resolved to procure a piece of land and form a racing track for the members of the Alliance. The rules as proposed were again gone through, and remitted to a committee to report further upon the same.

Shipping.—The Ringarooma arrived at Buss-ll from Sydney early this morning, "bringing a large number of passengers and the Juvenile Opera Company. Minister for Public Wobks. —The Hon. Walter Johnston, who arrived from "Wellington this morning, proceeds to Dunedin to-morrow morning by the express train.

South Waimakariri Board of Conservators.—An ordiuary meeting of this body "was held this afternoon. The chairman reported that the willows were growing rapidly, and fast becoming protective. The works committee reported that three groins at Chaney's were completed, and only needed ballasting, for which rubble "was being sent from Port by rail. _ The secretary, Mr H. Allison, was appointed returning officer for the election of the new Board in January next, when all the members retire. It was agreed that the Board "visit the Tipper Waimakariri works on December sth, and that the Mayors of Christehurch, Sydenham, and St. Albans, and also the chairmen of the various local bodies affected by the Board's action, be invited.

Sporting.—As will be seen by reference to our telegraphic column, the Oamaru races have been put off till to-morrow and the next day, owing to the weather. East and West Coast Railway.—ln another column will be found a full report ofthe interview between the Minister for Public Works and the deputation from the Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the East and West Coa3t railway.