NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2186, 20 March 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The sheep riot prosecution came to a sudden termination this morning. The bench evidently considered that the parties who had got themselves in trouble had shewn a disposition to resort to violence, when they might have settled their differences quietly, without cither the intervention of the police, or an appeal to cudgelsIt was decided to commit nobody for trial, but to deal summarily with the defendants, and without calling for the defence, the charge of riot was dismissed, and McLeish and Bull were summarily bound over to keep the peace, in very moderate amounts. Mr Michael Studholme has been appointed a member of the Harbor Board, in place of Mr El worthy, resigned. It will be remembered that at their last meeting the Board decided to submit the names of Messrs Granger, Bruce, and Stencker as eligible for the appointment. The challenge issued by John O’Connor, to walk for the Championship of New Zealand, and £2OO a-sidc, has been accepted by Charles Bowlcy, of Christchurch. The match is to take place either on the Christchurch Cricket Ground or the Hagcly Park course. Information has been received in Auckland from New Caledonia that the schooner Oaha, formerly the Peerless, of Auckland, was lost in a hurricane about the 17th nit., when returning to New Hebrides from Noumea with expired-time laborers. It is stated that all the crew and laborers Averc lost, but beyond the fact of the loss no further intelligence has been received. At Hokitika, a man named Symonds has been sentenced to four years’ penal servitude for manslaughter.

Wc have to acknowledge receipt of a pamphlet issued by Air Ivess, of Ashburton, containing a report of the evidence in the recent criminal prosecution for libel.

The following “Gazette” notice will be interesting to Volunteers: —Volunteers in uniform and under arms, when travelling by rail on passes issued by the officer commanding, will be provided with second class accomodation, and charged at the rate of Id per mile, payable by the Defence Department, to take effect from this date.

The Alaori Parliament at Orakei, was opened yesterday. The Chief, Paul, presided, and after delivering a lengthy speech, handed round a programme of subjects for deliberation. These comprised subsides to chiefs, free passes and food and medicine, a demand for exclusion from Road Board taxation, and tlrat they should have six instead of four representatives in Parliament.

At Gisborne, yesterday, a (painter named Kclclbrandt, was found drowned in a well at the back of the Royal Hotel. The aperture through which his body had passed, was only about Id inches square. At the District Court, Wellington, yesterday, a plaintiff named Alould was awarded ■£2oo damages, against the owners of the D’Arcy Pratt, for injuries sustained through the alleged negligence of the servants of the defendants, whereby a piece of timber on the wharf at Wellington was blown on to the plaintiff with sufficient force to break his leg and cause other injuries.

The action for libel, G, (i. Stead v. the Directors of the “ Otago Daily Times” and “ Witness” Company, Limited, was tried at the liesident Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, yesterday, before His Worship G. L. Mellish and Mr John Oliver. After a long argument between counsel as to the necessity of all the defendants being present, it was decided, after hearing what evidence could be then taken, to adjourn to Monday. Mr Fenwick was the only defendant present. A report of the case appears elsewhere.

The Arethusa Star 1 hamatic Company commence a brief season at the Theatre Royal this evening. The piece chosen for representation is “The Two Orphans,” and we have no doubt tire performance jwill be worthy of a company which comprises some of the best histrionic talent in the Colony. All s Walter Hill, Aliss Arethusa Alay, and Air Charles Burford will fill the leading parts, and they will be ably supported.

The “ United Service Gazette ” is opposed to the appointment of Royal Dukes as Commandcrs-in-Chief. After referring to the Duke of Cambridge’s long term of office it says:—“Nothing of the kind should ever happen again. It is very doubtful even whether wc ought to have another Royal Comraander-in-Chief, and certainly not if ho is to be allowed to retain his position so long. Such a practice might be fraught with great constitutional peril. The real objection to the arrangement is that such an official is apt to forget his direct responsibility to the nation. He is really second in control. His action may be criticised, and sharply, hut what does lie care ? He is the man in possession, and he may laugh in his sleeve whatever any may say?” Our American cousins arc very kind in sending us forecasts of storm from their side of the Atlantic. It would only be civil if our political weather-seers wore to return were to return the compliment by some such cablegram as the following, a propos of Mr Darnell, agitator and Al.P.:—Storm Warning: A centre of disturbance has left Irish Coast, travelling Westwards. Will probably roach American side by 80th inst; may he expected to affect all the northern States within their Irish degrees of latitude and longitude. Thunder, lightning, and windy weather, with higher temperatures likely to follow. Warn all parties (particularly Irish) to lay aside metallic substances on their persons, us from highly elcctrica cal conditions of atmosphere such substances may bo likely to melt.—“ Punch.”

In Lima lately the women, hearing that Chilian soldiery had brutally misused Peruvian women, to the number of a thousand gathered in a furious mob last month, and charged on the quarters where dwelt some women from Chili. These they dragged from their houses to the number of one hundred, and beat them with clubs and stones. They killed several of their victims, and mutilated them horribly, and when, after an hour or two of this fury, the Captain of the Post charged with fixed bayonets on the frenzied mob and dispersed it, he released a large number of Chilian women, absolutely nude and nearly dead.

Colonel Wellesley, aide-de-camp to the Queen, and heir presumptive to the Dukedom of Wellington, was not long ago expelled from the mess of his regiment, and his brother officers refused to associate with him. The old Sultan’s question, “Who is she ?” of course supplies the clue to the mystery. Colonel Wellesley had a friend who had a mistress. The friend left the lady in Colonel Wellesley’s charge during a visit to a foreign country, and when he returned, he found, as many others have done before him, that friend and “ companion ” had both proved faithless. No one, perhaps, would have cared about all this, but the injured man challenged the Colonel, who refused to fight. It is for this latter offence that his military associates turned him out of the mess and “ cut” him. To have betrayed his friend as regards the lady would not have been looked upon as a particularly dishonourable act, for it is common enough, but it was held that he had no right to refuse the aggrieved party satisfaction. For a long time no notice of the affair was taken in “official” circles, but the scandal refused to blow over, and at length the announcement has appeared that Colonel Wellesley has ceased to be aide-de-camp to the Queen.

An English paper states that during the past year the income of the three Masonic charitable institutions derived from all sources, amounted to the sum of £11,583 11s Del, far exceeding that of any former year. Thclloyal Masonic Dcncvolent Institution, for the third year in succession, heads the list with £17,781 12s lOd. The second place on the list was taken by the lloyal .Masonic Institution for Hoys, with £13,77(5 (is lOd.

The “New Zealand Herald” for this month contains a view of the comet and several wcll-cxccutcd engravings of Australian harvest scenes.

For sleeping on their swags in a clump of bush, on the Town Belt, Dunedin, a man and woman named Mitchell were sentenced yesterday—the man to seven days imprisonment and the woman to fourteen days. It will be seen that the AYainiate Bush Fire proceedings, have been extinguished in the Supreme Court, Dunedin, a verdict fertile defendant having been entered in the ease of Theobald v. Studholmc. This we presume, will cool the ardour of the otherplaintiff’s, but whether it will prove a check to further litigation is rather doubtful.