NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2348, 25 September 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

ilrs Landsborough ami another lady were coining into town yesterday afternoon in a dog cart, and when turning the corner of the Wai-iti and Main South roads, the vehicle overturned and its occupants were thrown out, but fortunately escaped with a few bruises. The dog cart was considerably damaged. Mr Tarry, of Sandictown, fell over a bank near his house, on Thursday, and broke his leg. A little boy had his thigh fractured yesterday, at I ’arcora, by a sack of grain falling on it. Another little boy, a son of Mr John Macintosh, who attends the Wai-iti school, also broke his leg yesterday while playing with his schoolfellows. The High School hoard of Governors meet on Tuesday week, Oct d, the New Government building for the purpose of considering a report in reference to prizes and transacting routine business. A rod is said to be in pickle for some of the small shining lights of the corporation. The anniversary of the Lifeboat Lodge, 1.0.G.T., was celebrated yesterday evening by a tea and concert in the Oddfellow’s Hall, Bnphia street. Borne of the members had intended performing “Nan the Good for Nothing, - ’ a capital little piece which always takes well when tire parts are fairly tilled as they would have undoubtedly been in this ease, but the idea had to be abandoned in consequence of the smallness of the hall. A number of well-rendered songs and recitations were substituted and were all well received. It was stated that 100 members arc now on the book's of the the lodge, and a credit balance is in hand of T2O, so that the lifeboat lodge may be said to be in a nourishing condition.

.Information lias been received of the arrival at London of the Hawkhopc and May Quean from Oauuuu.

Dr Wallis is building a mansion near the Ilivcrhcad guinfidds. The contract price is thirty shillings.—“ Free Lance.”

The latest returns for the Waikaia election gives Mr Horace Tastings a majority of Lit), the numbers being—Tastings, 808 ; Morris, 170.

Wonders will never cease. Mr Travers of Wellington has been lecturing the Chamber of Commerce on the atrocity of legal bills of costs—-talk of a certain dark personage denouncing sin—what next ? “A late patient” relates Iris adventures during a twenty-four hours sojourn in the Dunedin hospital, at considerable length rn this week's “ .Saturday advertiser.” He alleges that during the brier time mentioned ho was nearly killed with strong medicine and bad diet and that he was glad to get away alive. A letter from a gentleman well known in Dunedin, now on a visit to England, states: “I saw some New Zealand oats in the Mark Lane Corn exchange, London, the other day: there was nothing at all to compare with them from any other part of the world. They had sold at a very high figure.” This is comfort for depressed farmers. Mr Halse,counsel for the Maori prisoners, will appeal to the Supremo Court on four points raised at the trial, viz., (1) that the indictment was bad for uncertainty in description of locality ; (2) that the West Coast Settlement Act 1880 is ultra vires ; (8) that no plan of the highway notilied by the Governor under the Act was deposited in the Survey Ollice ; and (1) that the District Court had no jurisdiction to try an offence when the punishment may be a life one.

The lion. John Dick is not so wedded to the iiiblc in Schools party, who returned him lor Dunedin, as not to have a due regard for the “ root of all evil.” In reply to Miss Dalrymple, who seems toibc as “ cydent and thrifty ” as her namesake of the song, he is reported to have said re penny savings banks in Schools, “ Something is needed to train people to more thoughtful habits about money.” What a capital text this would make for Mr Dick’s next address from the .Sunday evening stage of the Queen’s Theatre.

The “Post” says that at a Cabinet meeting it was decided to throw open for settlement the blocks around Okaiwa, on the AVaimatc Plains, on November 1 next, at Carlyle and Hawera. The terms and conditions on which the settlement will be be open for sale are as lollops; —Land is classed under three schedules, the prices being respectively £5, £O, and £lO per acre. Land specified in the first schedule will be sold for cash, and lands enumerated in the second and third schedules on deferred payments, subject to the provisions relating to suburban and rural land.

An authority in bankruptcy matters writes with reference to the delay in legislation :—“lt is to be regretted that, by these constant delays, the gross abuses arc to continue for another eighteen months, which renders bankruptcy administration almost wholly inoperative for its legitimate purposes, and a mere absorption of estates in ‘costs, charges, and expenses,’ two-thirds of which may be safely characterised as utterly unjustifiable and simple spoliation. The large enrichment, since the present system Iras been at work,of many previously altogether obscure persons by their manipulation of estates, manifests one previous evil that Iras to bo remedied.” —Christchurch “Echo.”

In reference to the trial of u 0 Natives who were charged with committing a breach of the West Coast Settlement Act, by wilfully obstructing the Constabulary road across the Tarihaka block, which commenced to-day at New Plymouth, before DistnctjJudge Shaw, the'Wellington “ Tost” says:—“lt is expected to be concluded early, the case being apparently very simple ; but we understand that a technical difficulty has cropped up which may upset the proceedings. It is said that although the Act was published at Parilraka in due time and tiro road gazetted before the alleged olfencc was committed, the gazetted proclamation had not been published at Parilraka when the natives wort out to attempt the fencing for which they were arrested, in which ease the charge would obviously fall to the ground.”

We have received the first number of “ The Observer.” a new weekly published in Auckland. “ The Observer” is printed on toned paper, and illustrated with well executed woodcuts by “ I’hiz,” after the style of the London “ Figaro.” Individuals acquainted with Auckland celebrities inform us that the portraits arc remarkably faithful, and from a comic point of view, the attitudes arc certainly striking. The present issue contains a very line pen and ink portrait of the newly appointed Governor of New Zealand, it fs smartly written, and if future numbers arc turned out as well, the new journal deserves a wide colonial circulation

The “ Age ” reports that the health of Superintendent Hare has caused considerable anxiety to his friends recently. Ilchas suffered very much from the wound received in his arm. Lately the symptoms wore very unfavorable, the splints and shattered bones not all having' come away, and fears were entertained that the hand would have to bo amputated. A consultation was held by Drs Youl, E-yan, and Fitzgerald, who determined to perform an operation. The arm was cut open, numerous pieces of bone and splints were removed, the shattered bones chiselled smoothly, and any decayed bones also removed. 211 the bones of the arm were found to have been shattered by the rifle ball, which entered on the outside and passed slanting right through the bones and flesh. Hopes are now entertained that the hand will not have to be amputated though the free use of the arm will never bo regained. The editor of the “ Free Lance” Auckland, apologises to a friend in the following characteristic style:—Our bantum contemporary, the Muse seems a little sore over our last notice of his praiseworthy efforts to criticise the Auckland church choirs and live, and takes it rather hard that we should mix him up with petroleum. Mo hasten to assure our spirited “ confrere ” that it is only our fun, and merely meant to bring him into notoriety. If there is any other way we could assist him, we should only be too happy to do it. We arc obliged to him for devoting to ns a small space in his journal, also for his kindness in forwarding a copy of the “Lance” to France. We may say, however, that our paper was circulating in France when our Tetro—our able contemporary was .suffering' for his bleeding country in the hulks of New Caledonia. Au re voir —kisses.

At the E. M. Court this morning,Thomas Johnson, late of Opawa, was summoned by Mary Crawford, of Pleasant Point, and charged with failing to provide for his illegitimate child. The defendant stated that he had never denied his liability, and was ready now to pay anything the Court considered reasonable, for the support of the child. In reply to Mr Tccthara, the mother stated that she was a domestic servant. She supposed the child would have to be put out to nurse. She did not know what would be the charge per week. She supposed she would have to hear a portion of the expenses. The Magistrate said she certainly would. The defendant was then ordered to pay 7s per week towards the support of the child, and also to defray the complainant’s expenses. The complainant was ordered to pay 8s per week for the child. The parties then withdrew.