NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2182, 16 March 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

James Brown, a carter, was sentenced by the Christchurch Bench,yesterday,to a fortnight in gaol, without the option of a fine, for leaving a couple of horses, harnessed to a cart, out all night in a storm of rain. It is time that the cruelty of leaving dumb brutes, such as dogs and horses, tied up and exposed to the weather received the attention of the authorities.

An excursionist, who travelled from Auckland to the Bay of Islands by the Te Anau, a few days ago, relates the following humorous incident; Some of the passengers went down to Eussell, where there was some fun to be seen. One of the amusements was the Marionettes, where a good joke occurred, viz.: —The proprietor, feeling very dry, noticed the Maori policeman standing by, and asked him to mind the door for a few minutes, while he had a drink. He went away, and shortly after the guardian of the peace saw a friend of his, who asked him to have a drink. Away they went, when lo! the dusky natives swarmed in and the place was soon full. Just as the tent was nicely full, the policeman returned, and great was his surprise to find the place crowded, when up came the proprietor, delighted of course, to see the dolls drawing such good houses. There and then he asked the blue cloth man for the cash; when lo! what was handed to him but the small sum of one shilling. I was not there myself, so I did not hear the language made use of by the proprietor, but I can imagine his feelings. Commenting on the value of religious influences in political warfare, and especially in reference to the Education question, the Sydney “Herald ” sajs :—“What does all this show ? It shows that the mass of the people, who are politicians more than churchmen, favor a national policy of education ; that the political leaders know this and that they cannot afford to ally themselves with the ecclesiastics. There is more to be lost than gained by such an alliance. Even at a critical election, the whole Catholic vote is not worth purchasing at the cost of running counter to the movement of the age. 1 ’ The Hokitika “ Evening Star ” looks forward to anything but a pleasant future for Westland. Thus does it moralise and prophesy ;—“ The selfishness, as displayed by the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce, and almost all the deputations in Canterbury and Otago, who interviewed the Minister, is commendable. They have no hesitation in asking for the impossible. They know no one but themselves when the taxgather comes round. Then they recollect that they arc neighbours, and at once endeavor to saddle them with the heavier burdens, whether having received any benefits or not. Westland ! your prospects in the face of sleeping-cars, tiger rugs, footwarmers, and perhaps sleeping car maids, are very remote indeed. Yon may pay, which is a privilege you are allowed to enjoy, but you are doomed to tramp, and manuka scrub placed on mother earth is your sleeping car. To the West Coast people, who have been crying out for the inauguration of public works, the Premier has made the following answer, which may he accepted by all districts hungering after the same fashion : “I am afraid that neither you nor the West Coast authorities realise the extent to which the limited resources of the Government are already pledged. The greater part of the five million loan is now cither spent or engaged, and it is out of empower to raise any money for three years to come. Unless, therefore, we are prepared to plunge the colony into inextricable difficulties, it is absolutely indispensible that many works which we should be glad to see prosecuted shall stand over. You are probably aware that the revenue is falling off seriously, more so than ever we anticipated.”

The first of the Waimate hush fire case was commenced before Judge Johnston in the Supreme Court, at Dunedin, yesterday. The plaintiff, a farmer named Theobald, seeks to recover from Studholme M.H.B. £IOOO damages for losses sustained by the plaintiff through the destruction of his property by a large fire at Waimate on 15 Nov. 1879, which fire, it was alleged, was caused by the negligence of the defendant’s servants. The defendant pleads that the plaintiff is not possessed of the land in respect to which he claims, and further that he (the defendant) is not guilty of the grievances complained against him. The case is likely to last the whole week.

A curious incident of the occupants of a small fish pond being destroyed by a flash of lightning is reported from Seek, Grand Duchy of Nassau. The “ Nassauer Bote ” states that during a very heavy thunder and hailstorm at night time, a flash of lightning struck a small p°nd, well stocked with various kinds of fish, the property of the pastor of the parish. The following morning |the whole of the fish were discovered dead upon the surface of the water. They had the appearance of being half boiled. Neither any external nor internal injury could be observed, the scales being intact, and the swimming bladder filled and well preserved. The water in the pond was still muddy and dull the morning after the storm, as if the lightning had only then struck it.

In the “ exchange ” column of a Dunedin newspaper appears: “Beautifully finished house in Dunedin, freehold. Will exchange for farm in the country.” This looks desperate—for any man with a farm to barter.

That Timaru lads are not well up in the art of theiving was proved last evening. Several promising youths put their heads to" gether and resolved to rob an orchard at the rear of a boarding house in a central part of the town. One was appointed to gather the peaches and apples while his confederates kept watch. This innocent being unable to see the fruit commenced his operations with a matchbox. A match falling among the dried leaves lighted up the fruit to his satisfaction, but it also attracted the eye of the old lady who presides over the establishment, and she was down on him in an instant. Luckily for their their bones the young pilferers made good their escape, but we understand the owner is now on the lookout for a vicious mastiff.

W. M. Southan, publican, of Oamaru, has contributed 20s towards the national debt for selling grog on Sunday.

To-morrow being St. Patrick’s clay, it will be observed as a Bank holiday.

The privileges at the Tirnaru races will be sold at Messrs Jonas, Hart, and "Wildies rooms, on Saturday. The Pleasant Point will take place tomorrow. For the convenience of visitors a special train will leave the Tirnaru station at 11.20. and passengers will be able to return by the ordinary train in the evening There are eight events in the programme and some good racing may be anticipated. The Oamaru races will also be held to-mor-row and Thursday. The arrangements for visitors to Oamaru have been advertised by the Railway authorities.

A gentleman left the Te Anau at Auckland, forgetting £lOl which he had placed below his pillow. At the Bay of Islands regatta the money was found where the owner had left it, although the bed had been occupied on the way to Russell, and the lucky man recovered the sum intact.

Says the Dunedin “Star”: —The Good Templars really should interfere in the matter of such notices as the following, which appeared in a morning contemporary the other day:—“Wo have to request the citizens to be as sparing as possible in (heir consumption of water until some rain falls-. The corporation supply is getting rather low. Attention to this request will prevent any serious inconvenience even should the dry weather continue.” That eminent leading citizen, Mr Bardolph, at once on reading this, expressed his intention of fulfilling his duties to the Corporation “ up to the hilt.” He will not, he says water his whiskey until the weather breaks up.

A meeting of householders for the election of a school committee at Livingstone on March 6, terminated in a light, and the battle was fought over again before the Oamaru Magistrate, yesterday —when John Cook, was charged with assaulting James McQuade. McQuade who is a miner stated that after the school meeting he went to put out the lights, when Cook, who was going out called “ You’re a white-washed psalm singer?” Witness replied “You are a specimen of the vulgar minority.” Cook then spat in McQuade’s face and McQuade returned the compliment. Cook was walking off when he repeated the expression about “ Psalm singing,” and McQuade retorted that he did not claim another man’s bullock. Subsequently Cook caught McQuade as he was entering his house and gave him a blow on the ear, and another on the eye. Cook was fined 50s.

At a banquet held in the maritime town of South Australia, says a writer in the “ Australasian,” a newly-appointed Magistrate, who, from his name, should be one of the wisest of men, had entrusted to him the toast of the “ Pastoral and Agricultural Interests.” In proposing the toast, he spoke after this fashion —“I am glad this toast has been placed in my hands, for I know something of the matter. I have been a member of the Wesleyan Church for some years, and greatly rejoice that we have a pastor here—in fact, two pastors—showing that the pastoral interest is increasing. (Cries of ‘ Order,’ and ‘ Come to the point.’) I’m just coming to the point. I’ll show you that I’m coming to the point. Here is a subscription list for a Wesleyan chapel. Now, you who really care for the pastoral interest, just put lyour names down here !" I am sorry to say that the spirit in which the proposal was received promoted the conclusion of that speech.

At a meeting of the citizens of Dunedin on Friday evening the following resolutions were passed:— That in the opinion of the meeting several officers in the various departments might be dispensed with altogether and the offices amalgamated, and that the salaries of the principal officers should be reduced in like proportion to the reduction made in the wages of the working men.” —“ That this meeting considers that the best method of retrenchment will be by reducing the salaries and wages a certain percentage, and that it is inexpedient to dismiss working men in the present depressed state of the labor market, considering the impossibility of their obtaining work at the present time. “That the Committee who prepared these resolutions be a standing one, with power to add to their number and “ That the Chairman send a copy of the resolutions passed to each member of the Council.'’