NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2189, 24 March 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Thirty members of the Dunedin Naval Brigade, passed through Timaru yesterday per express train, to attend the review at Christchurch, Six hundred volunteers leave Dunedin on Thursday at 9.30 p.m., per special train for Christchurch, and a second special from Dunedin, will start at 4 a.m. on Friday for Christchurch, with ■IOO more men. The Train will pick up the Oamaru contingent en route. Our Timaru Volunteers will probably proceed by the former train, which passes through have early on Friday morning. Our local pods, and all interested in the art or walking, will have an opportunity on Monday of seeing how the professionals manage these things. On Monday evening Daniel Hcgarty, the long distance walker of Invercargill will attempt the extraordinary feat of walking 112 miles in 24 hours. In addition to this attraction a 3 mile walking handicap for a silver medal is also arranged, to start at 9.30 a.m. on the same day. Nominations may bo left with Mr J. B. Jones, of the Queen’s Hotel. Memorials to departed public benefactors (says an English paper) seem less popular than they were a few years ago. The difficulty of obtaining subscriptions for any kind of “ national memorial ” is illustrated by the practical failure of the appeal for funds in aid of a memorial to the late Sir Howland Hill. This backwardness to recognise the debt due to one whose memory undoubtedly deserves to be held in general respect has excited some surprise, but there arc many reasons to account for it. In the first place, in “hard times” such as these, purse-strings are not readily unloosed. The present generation, moreover, never having tasted the inconvenience of high rates of postage, is hardly able to realise the benefits of the modern system. Again, it is proposed that the memorial shall take the form of a benevolent fund fertile aid of aged and distressed post-office employees and their widows and orphans. This may be a very desirable object, but it can hardly he called “ a memorial to Sir Rowland Hill,” and peojilc object to being cajoled into charitable acts by a side-wind. The popular idea of a “ memorial ” is a statue in a frock-coat.

Alluding to the agitation for the construction of the West Coast railway, a Northern contemporary enumerates the “ wants ” of Wellington :—The city wants —or wanted, for Parliament refused the boon —a present of a quarter of a mi'Uon in the shape of a large piece of land reclaimed at the colonial expense; it wants a grand new Supreme Court, and this it will get; it wants grand new post and telegraph oiliccs ; it wants various other public buildings ; it wants grants for its miserable botanic gardens; it wants grants for its failure of a college; it wants an endowment for its Harbor Hoard—Heaven knows what for; it wants an endowment for the borough ; it wants and gets its patent slip supported by colonial money; it wants more than its share of the education grant, and every other grant; it wants the Government to provide a new cemetery; it wants its hospital supported at the colonial expense; it wants many other things, including about half-a-dozen railways which might pay if constructed a century hence. Friday, Saturday, and Monday next are Bank holidays.

The Arethusa Star Dramatic Company repeated the programme of the previous evening, last night, when “ Formosa” again attracted a crowded house. To-night the highly sensational drama of “ East Lynn ” adapted from Mrs Henry Wood’s well known novel of that name, will be produced, and will doubtless be the means of attracting another large audience. On Thursday evening the Company appear for the last time when they will play the “ Merchant of Venice.” They will open in Christchurch on Saturday night. A meeting of the Committee of the S.C..J.C. took place last evening at the Grosvenor Hotel. Present: Mr Hamcrsley (Chairman), and Messrs Gamack, Gardener, Jonas, Maclean, Mcikle, Taylor, B. Stansell, and J. Stansell (Hon. Sec.) The prices for admission to the Grand Stand and Saddling Paddock were reduced, 7s (id being fixed as the price for gentlemen, and os for ladies. The Course Committee reported that arrangements had been made for the running of two totalisators; the Club to receive o per cent of the takings ; two men (appointed by the Club) to attend to the machines. Mr Jonas reported that he had prepared a requisition asking that half holidays might be granted to the Bank and public office employees for the race days. Certain gentlemen were appointed to collect subscriptions both in town and country on behalf of the Club. Messrs •Murphy, Ford, Beid and Dr Lovegrove were nominated for election to the Club.

The Carandini Opera and Ballad Co. will give the first of their three concerts at the Queen’s Hall this evening. In addition to Madame Carandini and her talented daughter, the company comprises several several talented artists of acknowledged reputation and undoubted ability. The Press is everywhere unanimous in acknowledging the excellence of the company, and the music loving people of Timaru will doubtless accord it liberal patronage.

On Monday night about ten o’clock, Constable Hole, of Southbridge, hearing a man named George MTntyre, inquire for the chemist, and knowing him to be in the habit of Rinsing his wife, suspected that he had been doing so again, and, on proceeding to his house, found the woman to be in an exhausted state, and the floor of the room covered with blood. The man having come down to the house, the constable ar. rested him. After getting the woman some refreshments, Constable Hole got his horse and galloped off to Leeston for Dr. Chapman. The latter, on examining Mrs MTntyre, found that she had been severely kicked in the abdomen, causing great internal hemorrage. She still lies in a precarious condition. Mclntyre will be brought up this morning at the Magistrate’s Court. (“ Lyttelton Times.”) There was only one case at the R.M. Court this morning, when a man was brought up for being drunk and disorderly. The accused was quite unknown to the police, and was found lying helplessly drunk on the footpath at a late hour last evening. On being searched £l4 7s was found on his person. He was lined ss, and 2s for hire of express van, being quite unable to walk to the station house. At 3 o’clock this afternoon another inebriate was captured, and will make his appearance before the Bench to-morrow. Capt. Jackson has received a telegram from Lieut. Kcmnitz, of the Christchurch Cadets, stating that his company would arrive here by the express train on Friday, and march to Waimatc with the local corps. After the meeting of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association to-day, a protest was entered against the election of President on the ground of irregularity.

The aproximatc value of the vessels of all nationalities, with their cargoes, lost during the year 1879 was no less than including British property £19,230,000. The grand total number of wrecks reported was 1,688, which compared with the total at the end of j 1878 shows an increase of 94. British-owned ships number 833, and those of all flags wrecked on the coast of the British Isles were 425. The registered tonnage aggregated upwards of 850,000 tons, inclusive of 170 steam vessels, mostly owned in the United Kingdom. About 5,000 lives were lost, about 150 vessels were lost through collision, and about 40 through fire. During the past week 40 British and foreign wrecks were reported, of the estimated value of £710,000, including British £520,000.

The eighty-third anniversary of the birth of the German Emperor was celebrated by a ball in "Wellington last evening. The number of men likely to take part in the Review at Christchurch, on Easter Monday, amounts to over 1,700 rank and file, the latest additions being a detachment of 100 men from Nelson and the Wellington Guards, who expect to receive their new uniforms from England in time for the Hincmoa, which will bring the men from Northern ports. A general meeting of the Timaru Athletic Club will be held in the Club Hotel tomorrow evening.