NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2220, 29 April 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held yesterday to receive objections and sign the burgess list for 1880-1. No objections were received, and the list was duly signed in pursuance of section 46 of “ The Municipal Corporations Act, 1876,’ and stamped with the seal of tho Corporation.

It was discovered yesterday that the grand stand on tho Amateur Athletic Club’s ground had suffered considerable injury at the hands of some evil-disposed person or persons unknown. The windows have been broken, roof smashed, fittings damaged, and a deliberate attempt made to wreck the structure. The matter has been placed in the hands of the police. The C Battery, N.Z.A, paraded yesterday evening for their monthly inspection, Lieutenant Wardle in command. The inspection was considered very satisfactory. The Battery’s baud was in attendance, and played in the drill shed. This evening’s programme at the weekly meeting of the Literary and Debating Society will consist of readings and recitations by the members.

The annual report of the Patent Slip Company at Wellington, shows a profit of £llsO for the year and a dividend of five per cent is to be declared on receipt of the Government subsidy.

James McNally, subpoenaed to give evidence in a watch stealing case at the Supreme Court, and who was arrested recently nt Dunedin, on suspicion of being about to quit the colony, arrived from the South to-day, and will appear to answer to the charge against him to-morrow at the II.M. Court.

John Pound, a well-known resident of Timaru, was arrested yesterday on board of the San Francisco mail steamer at Auckland, on a warrant charging him with leaving a small illegitimate Pound behind him. The fugitive parent was brought before the Bench, duly impounded, and remanded to Timaru, where lie is to bo confronted with the female “ poundkeeper.” The friends of John Pound hero, say that if he had a pound of sense, he would have arranged about the impounding fees before starting on his American tour.

Something has gone wrong with tho railway department, or at least that branch of it which attends to necessary pniblic works. It seems that the stations at Ashburton, Oanmru, Palmerston, and every other place of the most moderate pirctcnsions have all along been supplied with railway turntables, but such an appliance has apparently been considered quite unnecessary in the case of Timaru. Some months ago, however, a feigned effort was made to supply the want, and an excavation for the reception of the contrivance was made opposite Bruce’s mill. About the same time a turn table addressed to Timaru arrived at Lyttelton. There it took upi its permanent lodgings ; for it lias been “on view" ever since up to yesterday. In the meantime locomotive No. IOS has been travelling daily between Timaiu and Ashburton with the cow-catcher at the wrong cud to the great danger of horses, cattle, and human obstiuetions. The departmental Rip van Winkle has at length awoke, and yesterday, to the astonishment of everybody here, part of the long exhibited matc7ial for the turn-table arrived at this station.

Pour residents of Pairlic Creek had a narrow escape from what might have resulted in a most serious accident, on Tuesday evening last. It appears that Mr Wethcrcll, landlord of the Paiilie Creek Hofei, Ins brother, Mr Hinckley, and a fiicnd, were returning homo from a shooting expedition beyond Burkes’ Pass. They were in an express van, drawn by four horses, and left the Pass shortly after 8 o’clock on Tuesday evening, for Pairlic Creek. Songs and choruses seem to have been the order of the night on the journey homo, and it was perhaps the noise that frightened the horses attached to the vehicle for when within a quarter of a mile of Si Ivor stream they suddenly bolted, and dashed along at such a pace that the vehicle swerved from one side of the road to the other, threatening momentarily to upset ; as it was, both the Messrs Wcthercll were pitched out on to the road, Mr JI ineklcy and his friend managing to keep their scats until the horses could be pulled up about three quarters of a mile from Silvcrstream. Fortunately but little harm was done, the spilled ones escaping with a severe shaking and a few bruises. The demands of Wellington arc thus referred to by the Christchurch “Press ” : The people of Wellington, for example, are determined if they can to force on the speedy construction of the West (.’oast line, and give signs of making their support of the Government depend upon the encouragement they give to the scheme. Meetings have been held, deputations have waited upon Ministers, and the local press has worked itself into great excitement over the matter. But the Government have remained firm. They can make no promise pledging themselves to push on the line to the injury of other portions of the colony. It is not to be tolerated that Wellington above all places should bo so very exceptionally dealt with. Does not its very existence, commercially speaking, depend upon the fact that it is the seat of Government? And yet the people there arc not content with what they are getting, but are continually making complaints about the smallness of the expenditure upon public works there. Why, as a matter of fact, Wellington has been far more liberally dealt with than any other provincial district in New Zealand.

The final collapse of a frisky gentleman who insisted on galloping through the streets of Auckland on April 20, is thus narrated by the “ Herald”: “He was ignominiously unhorsed and handcuffed, amidst the laughter of the by-standers, who enjoyed the cheap show. One policeman caught his legs, as if they had been the handles of a wheelbarrow, and two others took his shoulders, and in this fashion took him to the lock-up. He will awake this morning to appear before the magistrate more sick, sober, and sorry than when ho essayed his equestrian feats in a crowded thoroughfare.

It would appear (says the “ N. 0. Times ”) that a number of persons residing in New Zealand, and for whom the colony has few attractions at the present time, are turning their attention to the Transvaal as a field for their enterprise. A few days ago it was telegraphed that about 60 able-bodied men had applied for passages in a vessel leaving Timaru for Cape Town. This is only a slight indication of the attention which the Transvaal has been absorbing since the British Government annexed it. We believe that a gentleman in this town has written for full information concerning the Transvaal as a suitable field for persons of small means, and this information has been asked for at the request of several who desire to change their abode to a portion of the earth where there is a greater scope for enterprise than exists in New Zealand at the present time. Of course a new country is sure to offer this, at least for a while; but it remains to be seen whether the Transvaal is such a country. The accounts from it arc certainly glowing—that is in regard to its climate and resources, but the Boer population is not yet inclined to accept peacefully the conditions imposed upon them by the annexation. It is said that the Transvaal is as large as France, and at the present time the white population is extremely sparse—in fact it comprises only a handful of people.

Mr Alfred Saunders, M.H.11. (says the “ Bangiora Standard”) was served with a writ for £1(>,000 at Dunedin last week, at the instance of Messrs Edwards, Bennett and Company, of Christchurch. For some years, remarks our contemporary, one of Mr Saunders’ sons was the nominal partner of Mr James Henderson, of Christchurch. They had a large mercantile connection. In due course of time Mr Henderson thought best to retire from the partnership. It was done, a solicitor drawing up a deed of dissolution of partnership, by which Mr Saunders agreed to be held liable for the debts of the firm. Subsequently one of the former, amounting to £IO,OOO, was claimed by Edwards and Co., who being advised that, notwithstanding the clause in the deed of dissolution, Mr Henderson was liable, pressed him for the amount, driving that gentlemen into the Insolvency Court. Proceedings of a similar nature arc now taken against Mr Saunders.

On the late passage of the steamer Wakatipu to Sydney, her popular commander, Captain Wheeler, attained his 50th birthday and on this being made known the occasion was duly celebrated by the saloon passengers. The health of the worthy captain was proposed in the most flattering terms, and the toast was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm. The proposer, in the course of his 'remarks, Avishcd Captain Wheeler and his family many happy returns of the day, to which a fceling'.ancl appropriate response was made. The travelling public who have sailed with him, as (well as numbers of others in New Zealand Avill, we arc sure, warmly echo the good wishes that were expressed on this ausipcious occasion.

The Marlborough “ Times ” says :—The success which has attended lish curing on a .small scale at I’icton, has induced some entei prising persons to go into the business on a larger scale than has hitherto been attempted in the district. It is intended to tin herrings for the local markets and for export in largo quantities, and Mr Turner of this town, has received an order to make 100 gross of tins. The fish are found in groat abundance and of line quality in the Picton waters. The fact that a ready market has been found for all the cured herrings produced from the locality, leads to the natural inference that this is a local industry which may he greatly extended, and that a considerable export may eventually take place, provided of course, that these tinned fish can be produced at a price which will pay the exporter. There is no doubt as to the intrinsic merits of the article; the only question is the price at which it can be produced.

Some Good Templars, says the Auckland “ Herald,” whose names are unknown, are being credited with a circumstance which should not be chargeable against them. It is well known that they arc opposed to the drinking customs of modern society, and do all they can to reform these habits, but we do not think they would be guilty of playing practical jokes upon public-house properties. It was discovered last week that the new building being erected at the corner of Pitt and Edwin streets, Newton, to the order of Mr J. C. King, for a hotel should a license be secured for it, was being erected partly on Pitt and Edwin streets. Of course it had to be shifted back off the public thoroughfares, at a good deal of labour and delay. It is stated that the pegs were put in at one time in their proper places, but that they must have been wilfully shifted, which is alleged as the cause of the mistake iu erecting it partly upon the public road. With this shifting of the pegs the Good Templars are being credited ; but we cannot believe that any of this body would cany their opposition to public houses to such an extent. Not only have the Wellingtonians to suffer from bad water, but their spirits and beer arc drugged. A woman got drunk on brandy the other day, and was at first “howling mad,” but afterwards fell into a stupor, from which the police could not rouse her. She had to be taken to the Hospital. Bo much for the spirits. The beer in Wellington is coloured by aid of chemicals to any required tint. A milk diet appears to be the only wholesome one left open for the residents in the Empire City.—Auckland (Star.

Mr John Thompson, licensed surveyor, of Timaru, has been appointed Assessor, under the Property Tax Act. Mr H. Geaney, of the firm of Peacock and Geaney, butchers, was about to mount his horse opposite their shop, in North street, this morning, when the animal struck out and kicked him. Fortunately the blow took effect in the fleshy part of the leg, above the knee, and he escaped with a few bruises.

To assist in rendering the electoral roll for Timaru as complete as possible, wchavc issued the requisite form of claims required by the Act as a supplement to the Ti.mkh this evening. The process of filling it in is simple, and any adult resident of six months standing, whether he has property or not, can send in his claim for enrolment. The claims must be forwarded by post or otherwise to Mr Thomas Howlcy, Electoral Registrar.

The throne of the Czar is trembling in the balance ! The Wellington Wesleyan Mutual Improvement Society addressed themselves at a recent meeting, to settle the question “ Should the Czar of Russia abdicate the throne ?” It turned out, however, that the members were equally divided in opinion, so that the unhappy Czar is still left in suspense as to his fate.—“ Post.” Another good story is in circulation about the llotomahana’s celebrated passage with the church dignitaries from Wellington to Lyttelton a fortnight ago. On their arrival at the latter port after her long and stormy trip, one of the passengers casually remarked to the captain, who happened to pass by, “ Rather a rough passage, captain !” The gallant skipper replied in a rather aggrieved tone, without his usual bonhommie, “Well, what on earth could you expect with all those parson fellows on board.” Here one of the stewards frantically seized the captain's arm and drew him aside, saying, in a hurried whisper, “ Why, sir, didn’t you know? That was the Bishop of you were talking to about the ‘ parson fellers! ’ ” The captain abruptly turned round and beheld the episcopal “ parson fellow,” evidently retailing the conversation in high glee to some other members of the cloth, who were convulsed with laughter at the story, so he thought it best to beat a hasty retreat. — “ Lyttelton Times.”