CHRISTCHURCH.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2152, 12 February 1880, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

TOWN EDITION.

[iMfO.M OUU OWX COli 1( K 8 POX DENT.]

When the issue of the South CantkkisUl!v Timks readied Christchurch, in which it was stated that it was known by some of the police bore that a row would probably take place on Jinxing Day, there was a nice little commotion in the camp, and the subordinate ollicer was immediately sent for. He repeated what is already known to your readers, and was instructed to report fully ; and that report was forwarded to headquarters. It is hardly news to add that Inspector Hickson leaves here on Thursday next to exchange places with SubInspcetor O’Donnell, at present stationed at Clyde. I saw in your paper that some action was about to be taken to reduce the size of the police districts, the intention being to have one inspector for each district, or rather sub-district, as the different divisions would then have become. This little movement was, it seems, well known to the (Government, and merely the action of a big policeman down South. Shortly after the order readied here the Premier arrived from Wellington, and was, it is said, at once interviewed by an ollicer, who represented the injustice of the course intended. The Hon. John knew nothing of the movement, and promised immediate enquiry on his return. This took place a day or two afterwards, and the matter having been investigated by a commission, resulted in the big policeman’s little game being quietly knocked on the head, and this district enlarged, with increased powers to the ollicer in charge.

It has been said that Canterbury is governed by a few ruling families. This may be the case or not, but one thing is certain, that if a person carefully examines the list of those who compose the various Hoards here, who ride pretty well as they like, he will find tlie same names running through the whole of them. Amongst others there is a nominated Hoard (and it has been said that nominated Hoards have been Canterbury's curse, and Sir George Grey vowed that if spared he would, in the people’s interest, wipe them out) who have the disposing of I may say hundreds of thousands of pounds in property and money belonging to the Canterbury people. At one time the church was all powerful on this Hoard, and when a vacancy occurred, the good thing was kept in the family, and one of the

“ faithful ” would be nominated and duly elected. Until two or three years ago all the meetings at which this public money was manipulated used to be held iu private. One of the papers then took the matter up and afterwards I used to see the meetings reported, but I never could pick out a single report without noticing the words “ The Hoard then went into Committee.” Shortly after the newspaper alluded to had referred to the Hoard’s mode of procedure, one or two of the proprietors of that paper were elected on the Hoard (sop-like business), and having then a “.lack Horner” interest in the proceedings no more protests in the interests of the public were heard. Hut this going into Committee when the

proceedings came to an interesting part was something I could not understand, and one day I asked a friend well up in such matters, the object a Board could have in doing so when his cool reply was “ merely to blind the public.” You may imagine after that with what feelings of surprise I sometimes read that the Chairman said “As this is a subject connected with financial matters I -would suggest that some member move the Board into committee.” And the Board was moved, and that was all the public knew of it. Now I suppose if a beavj- haul had been made on a deposit—said haul afterwards nicely arrayed on the Board table—and each of the members filling his pockets while in committee that that would have some financial connection ? and yet a confiding public would not have been one whit the wiser. And really any ordinary person would think financial matters were just what did concern the public, and what they should want to know about. But you see if an instance of the above kind ever occurred in committee, as the newspaper chaps would have their share, there would bo no occasion to let the world know anything about it. And now to point my story. Not many days ago the Board had a meeting, and of course very soon started on the “ blind ” game and went into committee. While in committee several reports were considered, and amongst the rest,one x’elaf ive to lectures given duringtheyearon “Jurisprudence.” It seems in the previous year the number of students attending the lectures on this branch amounted simply to one, and it was held that to pay a lecturer a heavy fee merely to dose one student was too much to stand even for those who work the people’s money in the dark, so when commencing the year just gone an arrangement was made with the lecturer that if he only had one student his fee should be ten guineas for the term. If however, three came up, his fee should be one hundred guineas. By a strange but fortunate coincidence, three actually did attend ; but after everything was passed and settled, it was discovered that two out of the three students were clerks in the lecturer's own office ! And having laughed at the public being done so cleverly out of ninety guineas, the Board got out of committee, and the people now learn about the little business for the first time.

Wc are a religions but not very happy family in Christchurch, and envy and jealousy often rear their unwelcome heads from sources least expected. Everyone will remember the quaint but appropriate silver gilt service presented, among other good things to the Primate and Mrs Harper on the occasion of their golden wedding. Before the day of celebration a number of special invitations were issued to lady friends requesting their presence on that interestingoccasion. It seems now that some ot these invitations were written on fancy paper, while others were inscribed on plain notepaper. Lately a comparison of these notes raised a little feeling of jealousy in some quarters, and Mrs Brown (plain paper) has been heard to remark that the trimmings on Mrs Jones’ (fancy paper) Sunday coal-scuttle were very unbecoming for a person of “ her’’years and really made her look quite ridiculous in church.

A trilling case of tyranny comes to me from the Bailway Department. The other morning one of the employees was walking outside, the rails, lint inside the enclosure,with a pipe in Ids mouth when he was met by the head of a department, who, for that llagrant breach of the regulations, lined him two days pay, and knocked him ofl; work for two days. The southern boundary of the Bussias has evidently been extended lately to the South side of the South belt. But “ wait a wee.”

The recent alleged attempt to poison Pastor Chiniqny gave rise to so many rumours that with such a. number of motives at work it was really hard to get at the exact state of; things. The following, however, are the facts ;—The note was received at the Oddfellows’ hall on Wednesday evening while the lecture was on. All letters addressed to the Pastor are first opened by his secretary, and when this functionary opened the letter, he found, besides the writing, that there was inside a piece of newspaper containing some not very sweet smelling mixture. The Pastor asked if there was any signature to the writing, and was told not, and he then directed it to be thrown away. The secretary crumpled the whole lot in his hand together and threw it into a corner of the hall, and when he did so observed traces of a white powder. A little while afterwards he commenced playing with his moustache, when his lips began to smart and swell. He at once went into an inner room, and one of the committee having got a bottle of whiskey the whole was poured into basin, and in it the secretary bathed his lips, face, and head, the former having by this time swelled very considerably. A detective was sent for, and after the lecture was over, D. Christie, confectioner, Colombo street, picked the paper out of the corner and spread it out on the table. After doing so he nibbed his hands on his trousers, but some little time afterwards having occasion to mb his face with his hands, he too had a touch of this burning sensation, and also washed in spirits. The detective touched the paper with his tongue, and at once spat out, and he afterwards stated that he felt a burning sensation. The officer then took possession of the packet. What was wrapped in the newspaper those in the hall did not know, but it was said to have been handed to Professor Bickerton, with the result already made public. With regard to the writing, one portion which has appeared in print is correct, but this portion “ Iletlect on this, look at your black angels ” was simply guesswork. The words “black angels’’can bo deciphered, but the other part might be asking the Pastor, “ Who's Ids hatter ?” so far as making them out is considered, and they have been seen by one who is not a bad hand at unravelling hieroglyphics. Theer are some who think that the whole affair was a foolish joke, and others who having seen the Secretary and Mr Christie think differently. In my next which I shall send in time for Saturday’s issue, I shall give you an outside opinion of the Pastor, after listening a little while to his lecturing.