NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2154, 14 February 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The first of our Saturday supplements accompanies this issue. It is a fair specimen of future favors, and we trust it will afford pleasure and satisfaction to our readers.

The San Francisco Mail bags will arrive in Timaru at 5.80 this evning, by special train and letters and newspapers will be sorted out and placed in the different boxes at once.

In our report of the civil business at the R.M. Court yesterday, we inadvertently stated that Judgment was given for the plaintiff, in the case Gibson v. the Crown Brewery Company. Judgment was for the defendant with cofts.

AJpublic meeting takes place this evening at Geraldine, at 7 p.m., to consider the Counties Act.

The Mormon Saints have decided to go in for the conversion of the Temuka people.’ Elder George Batt lectincs on the “ Principles of Mormonism” at the Volunteer Hall, Temuka, at 2.30 to-morrow evening.

The reply of Mr Downic Stewart, the shifty member for Dunedin City, when asked whether he would support Sir G. Grey is characteristic. The following is what occurred at the conclusion of his address on Thursday evening. Mr H. Carrick ; You have complimented Sir George Grey and borne testimony to his honesty. Suppose a party would elect him at their head next session, would you loyally support him ? Mr Stewart: That question may be a proper one, but I have not made up my mind absolutely about it; therefore I cannot promise definitely. I will tell you this candidly, that I think Sir George has been greatly misrepresented.—(Cheers). I have watched him most carefully in the House and in the various places of business he has been connected with, and I do say candidly that the impression which I had formed of Sir George from the information obtained from the Press here —the onlysource of information for me—has altered, and I have altered very considerably my opinion of him. I believe that his policy will be the one ultimately adopted by this colony, and, if ably administered, that it will benefit the colony. (Loud applause.) In the Victorian Parliament recently attention was called to the mode in which the aljihabct had been done up into rhyme for the infant scholars in the State schools. The teachers had been instructed by the department to draw attention to the rhyme. Specimens were quoted as follows : W two hinges together has put, X is the scissors to cut out a suit. I is a post with a lamp on the top, L is a long pole for the clothes rope. C is a hoop made of bad wood, G is another which has picked up some mud. J is a shinty to play a nice game, Y is the school bell that stops every game. T is the table, come set out the tea ;

U is my spur, but it’s lost one strap, see. Major Smith (the Minister for Education) simply replied : “ All these books were ordered by my predecessor.”

There will be three totalisators at the coming meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club —one in the paddock and two outside. These will be under the control and superintendence of the Club.

Pastor Chiniquy will deliver his first lecture in Timaru at the Presbyterian Church, on Tuesday evening next, at 8 o’clock. The opening lecture is entitled, “ Why I, and 25,000 of my countrymen, left the Church of Rome.” The Mayor of a borough between Timaru and Christchurch is said to be in the habit of attaching the title “ Mayor ” to his business correspondence, and considerable amusement has lately been caused by his name in conjunction with the occupation “ Mayor ” heading a local subscription list.

The scare which the potato-digging Maoris created among the military roadmakers on the Plains appears to have been ill founded. It seems that the natives have been complaining of the men at the camp stealing the potatoes, and that was why they were digging them up before they weie ripe.

Mr J. Stanley Bruce, an Ashburton architect threatens the proprietor of the “ Mail ” with an action for £20,000 damages for libel for daring to criticise the way in which the Ashburton County Hospital has been constituted. The editor of the “ Mail’’ taxes Mr 1 >rucc with ingratitude seeing that he suggested that the niche in front of the Hospital should be occupied with a marble bust of its architect.

On Tuesday next the English Opera Bouffe and Comedy Company will open for a short season at the Theatre Royal. The company is select rather than minacious, but the play-going public arc promised a rare treat at the hands of the artistes. The names of these are not unknown to fame in the musical world. Mdlle Muriell has acquired a celebrity for her excellent vocalisation, and Messrs Browning, Crowhers, and Fisher all possess a good stage reputation. During their stay they will produce selections and scenes from “ Maritana, The Bohemian Girl,” “II Trovatore,” “Madame Angot,” “The Chelsea Pensioner,” “My Aunt’s Secret,” “The Barber of Bath,” “Fit of Blues,” Ac. We have no doubt a programme so full of musical gems will attract good audiences. Of one thing we have been assured, that the performance, while rich in amusing details, will contain nothing that is likely to offend. J. Reid and A. Muir, laborers on the Railway works near Hinds, were seriously injured yesterday by blasting powder. They had inserted a charge of powder into some rock, but the charge not going off they endeavored to withdraw it, and whilst so engaged it exploded. Both men had their right arms fractured, and were injured on the face and greatly scorched about the hands.

The railway employees at Christchurch are in an unhappy frame of mind, because the time occupied by their pic-nic is to be stopped from their wages. The New Zealand Shipping Company publishes their first list of 20 iron clippers with a capacity of 30,000 tons, or a million and a quarter bushels of grain. These arc to sail in February, March and April, and other vessels are to follow.

A sale of German canaries took place at Jonas, Hart, and Wildie’s, this afternoon. There were about 40 song birds, and such was their mimic that no bellman was needed to announce them. Their performances attracted a large audience, and they were all sold at prices ranging from 20s to 30s per head. As an illustration of the extent to which political feeling will carry some people, it is stated that during the last general election a number of large Londowners, including an M.L.C., were so incensed at the proprietor of a certain Journal that they re solved to start an opposition paper. With that object, as the story goes, thirty of them guaranteed a bank overdraft of i-UOO to the proprietor of a small printing office. Being men of influence, and holding seats at the various local Boards, they also subsidised their new ventu.e by withdrawing a portion of their patronage from the old journal and handing one third of the County and Hoad Board advertisements to the new one. The transaction has lately obtained confirmation through that useful publication the “ Trade Circular ” and we learn that the ratepayers of the district in which this method of ruling and regulating the Press has been adopted are fearfully disgusted. To make matters worse, it is said, that in spite of the advertisement subsidies, the new journal has turned out such a bad spec that itsjthirfcy patrons will shortly be called upon to meet their guaranteed overdraft to the extent of £SO each. It is needless to add that the solitary journalist whom thirty capitalists and Road Board men conspired in vain to crush, is chuckling at the result of their enterprise. It is probably the first and last time that they will indulge in newspaper warfare. Fifteen pence per bushel for good sound oats is inducing farmers in New Zealand to consult their interests by shipping to foreign markets. The ship Red Gauntlet, which left the Bluff the other day takes 2711 bags of oats of last sMsmva crop, the pi ice being so low in Melbourne that the owners prefer taking the chances of the Knglish market.

Messrs Jonas, Hart, and Wilie, will sell on Monday, at their rooms, valuable Freehold properties, situated in Sandietown and Wai-iti. Sale to commence at 2 p.m.