South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2261, 16 June 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1880. NEWS OF THE DAY.

A meeting of the Timaru Floral and Horticultural Society was held last evening. Present —Messrs J. S. Gibson (Chairman), Langdon, Knowles, W. Lewis, J. Lewis, J. Eeilly, J. Mair, and E. Morgan. Mr E. Stansell handed in a list of donations received from various persons for special prizes, amounting to £l9 5s in money, besides several useful articles.

At a Committee meeting of the South Canterbury Jockey Club, held at the Grosvenor Hotel, last evening, the following gentlemen were elected members :—His Honor Judge Ward, and Messrs J. Goodall, F, Archer, A. W. Wright, E. A. Chisholm, H. J. Sealy, G. H. Wildie, E. G. Stericker, D. McGuinness, and Dr Hogg. Eesolved that the entrance fee to the lawn and Grand Stand be ss, and that an extra fee of 2s Cd be charged for admittance to the saddling paddock. A capital course has been laid out for the Steeplechase Meeting on Friday. It may be termed a sharp oval, with the Grand Stand occupying a central position. The fences on either side of the road which skirts the course, and the hedges in Stevenson’s paddock have been taken advantage of, and in addition four jumps have been erected within the course. The made jumps are 3ft. 9in. high, capped with iron and strongly fixed. In the Tally-ho Handicap, of three miles, and the Cup race, two and a half miles, there are twenty-two jumps, while in the Maiden, fifteen jumps have to be discussed.

Oats have lately been soiling in Timaru as low as 9d and lOd per bushel. In reference to this cereal the following letter from the Loudon Manager of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company to their Dunedin branch, contains highly important information for South Canterbury farmers; —“ The Edendale shipments have been sold at 29s to 28s per quarter of 3361 b, and at these prices, with freight at -10 s, th-y have netted over 2s Id per bushel in New Zealand. At 28s per quarter they just net 2s Id. The oats areverymuchadmired, notwithstanding their being somewhat thick in their skin. If you can send me bright oats, such as are grown in Canterbury, and free from wild seed, to be landed here in November, Decembar, and January, I think there is every chance of getting 28s for them, especially if fit for seed. With freight at 70s per ton, and primage five percent., such .shipments sold at 28s will net Is 9d per bushel of 401 b, in a Now Zealand port ; with freight at 60s, they will net Is lljd, and with freight at 50s, 2s per bushel. Patrick Kano was charged before Mr Beetham, at the Police Court this morning, with failing to provide for his child. It appeared Kane’s wife is dead, and that in January last he placed his little girl in the care of a person residing in Timaru, agreeing to pay a certain sum weekly for her support. The payments, were, however, soon discontinued, and the woman with whom the child had been placed being unable to get any money from the father, left her charge at the gate of a gentleman’s house near Timaru. This plan, however, was not successful, and the police being apprised of the circumstances, Kane was arrested at Waimato yesterday. A sum of £4 was found on him, and £3 10s of this the Magistrate ordered to be handed over to the woman in whose charge the child had been placed, in payment of arrears due for its keep. The remaining ten shillings Kane was allowed to retain to take him back to Waimate and he was ordered to pay £1 per week until the arrears due for maintenance were liquidated together with 8s per week, to be paid monthly, for the future support of the child. His Worship also remarked to the woman that if she found it necessary to get rid of the child again, she was not to leave it at people’s gates, but bring it to the Police Station. All the parties then left the Court.

A m.eeting of licensed victuallers was held last evening at the Club Hotel to protest against the [recently imposed tax on beer There was a very large attendance, including representatives from several places in the district. It was resolved—" That this meeting considers the beer duty unjust and oppressive, and that the local representatives be respectfully requested to oppose the same.” In reference) to the proposed new Licensing Act, it was resolved ; —“ That all publicans’ licenses shall be from G a.m. until 11 p.m., and that a uniform fee of £3O be charged for the same and that an extra fee bo charged for 12 o’clock licenses.” Eesolved —“ That the Government be requested to expunge clause 31 from the Proposed Act, and that no license be issued to private or family hotels.” Eesolved—- “ That the word ‘club’ in clause 35 should be more clearly defined, that the license should be the same as hotel licenses, and that the same should be under the supervision of the police.” Eesolved—- “ That this meeting recommend that clause 117 be annulled, as it is quite unnecessary to keep a lamp burning within the Borough, more especially after the hours of closing.” Eesolved—“That this meeting confer with the Christchurch Association in reference to our joint interests, and that we co-operate with them.”

Wm England, a surveyor, aged 50 was found dead on the foothpath opposite the Colonial Bank, Dunedin, on Monday night He is supposed to have poisoned himself, a bottle containing oxalic acid having been found alongside of the body. It was discovered at Napier just as the Grand Jury had nearly completed their labors that there were twenty-four jurymen, although the law preacribes that there shall not be more than twenty-three. Judge Eichmond tried to get over the difficulty by declaring that the last called was not a juryman. It turned out, however, that this individual had been chosen foreman, and to discharge him would be to cut off the head of the tribunal. The farce has been adjourned till Friday. In the meantime several prisoners who have been convicted and sentenced are practically in the position of a man who is hanged first and tried afte wards.

A fearfully rowdy election meeting took place at Camara last evening. Messrs Reid and Jones attempted to address the electors, but a scrimmage in which rotten eggs and flour figured prominently about stifled their eloquence. Our usual Oamaru exchange not having come to hand we are unable to give a detailed account of the proceedings.

The largest monolith as yet completed has just been added to the Breakwater. It measures 19 feet, and was commenced yesterday, the men working at it until midnight, when they knocked off, resuming work this morning, and completing their task about 2.30 this afternoon.

There was no sitting of the Supremo Court, to-day, and the court will not sit again until Saturday. The business of the present session here is almost finished, the only cases remaining to be heard (2) being merely for assessment of damages by the jury.

Bell’s Consultation on the Tally-Ho Handicap will be drawn to-morrow night at the Grosvenor Hotel. The tickets are now being disposed of rapidly, consequently {hose who want to try their luck should secure a chance at once.

One of the carnivals or fancy, fairs periodically held in aid of the Dunedin Benevolent Institution was opened on Monday evening in the Garrison Hall. There was a large assemblage and Signor Palma aided the proceedings by conducting the musical opening ceremony and singing the New Zealand National Anthem. The night’s proceeds only amounted to £lO7, showing a serious falling off as compared with the results of past carnivals.

It is understood that Sir Julius Vogel having been offered the alternative of scvcing his connection with the gigantic land companies which he has been promoting,.or resigning his position as agent general, has accepted the latter. As a parting recognition of his borrowing qualities he is to have the agency for the inscription of future loans at a commission of one twelfth per cent. Sir Julius in the meantime holds office until his successor is appointed. The latter is supposed to be cither Sir William Fox, or Mr Header Wood.

It is stated, says the “ Ashburton Mail,” that the enquiry held into the conduct of the volunteers who sacked Mrs Furness’s shop on their way from the South to the Christchurch review, shews that the “ affair was grossly exaggerated.” Did the public know by whom and how the enquiry was held, and what evidence was called, some weight might be attached to the proceedings. The fact, however, is undeniable that the shop was looted of several pounds worth of goods by a gang of Southern volunteers. An enquiry held away from the spot, at a place where everybody’s interest lies in minimising the gravity of the offence, held, too, by officers who paid a Hying visit to Ashburton, for the purpose, apparently, of blustering about what they were going to do in refutatian of the charges, and how they were going to crucify those who made them, is not likely to be accounted as of much weight in the eyes of the public. If the truth was sought, why did not the person most injured have an opportunity afforded of identifying the offenders ? and why were her depositions not taken on oath ?

'The Bay of Plenty “Times” says:— “ During the last six weeks the s.s. Taupo has been lifted by six successive attempts to a height of 7ft 2in aft and blocked up, thus giving an average clearance of about 2£t at the fractured parts. It has now been ascertained that the under part of the keel fills up with sand and shell at each sirring tide or strong breeze from the sea. The fractured portion of tire vessel is now covered with one ply of No 1 canvas, but this is not considered sufficiently strong to lift the ship on, in consequence of the continued silting up, The contractors have therefore deemed it advisable to commence permanent repairs from the inside with concrete, and a large quantity of cement for for this purpose arrived by the Glenelg. We arc glad to be able to state that the late gales have not had the slightest effect on the ship. The proposed work on the inside of the vessel will prevent any attempt being made to raise her for the next four weeks,”

The game of cockfighting (says the “ Auckland Herald ” of June 5) does not seem to have yet become quite extinct, notwithstanding all that has been said and written of its cruelty and debasing effects. A cock main for what we are told was for stakes of £5 a-side was rudely interrupted by Constable Walker on Thursday afternoon. The birds were in full swing, and pitching into each other in that insensate manner characteristic of fighting cocks, surrounded by an admiring group of about thirty people prior to the constable’s arrival; but the “ Office” was given as the constable approached, and the crowd, including the women, made off. The cocks, true to their instinct, continued the war, and remained to be captured. They were brought away ignominiously to the police station. One of them, which in the combat had lost an eye, was yesterday claincd by a man named Ferguson, a baker, and the other is still unclaimed. There was, it appears, a fight between the owners of the birds prior to the arrival of the constable.

A concert will be held in the Queen’s Hall, to-morrow evening in aid of the St Mary’s Sunday School fund. The Zealandia Variety Troupe arc announced to appear at the Theatre Eoyal, on Friday evening next.