NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2487, 10 March 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Timaru portion of the Frisco mail is expected to arrive on Saturday evening. The digging of the foundations for the New Mechanics’ Institute was commenced this morning. The new building will be completed about the first week in July.

Mr Harding’s attempt to eject the Natives from Mount Vernon, Hawke’s Bay, proved unavailing.

Crime is plentiful in Auckland at present Upwards of two dozen prisoners are awaiting trial and the offences comprise murder, arson, rape, stabbing, anu tomahawking. Dysentery still prevails to an alarming extent at Ashburton. Five deaths from this cause were recently registered as the result of a single week’s returns.

The s.s. Taupo after being abandoned as a hopeless case by several speculators who have lost time and money in endeavoring to raise her, has been at length successfully doted by Mr Greenleaf, acting in conjunction with Mr F, Winter, who purchased the vessel as she lay for the sum of £I4OO. According to the “ New Zealand Herald” the Taupo will probably be docked and fitted up handsomely.

Mr Walter Johnston, M.H.R. for Manawatu, has been appointed to the vacant seat in tire Ministry. Yesterday he was sworn in as Postmaster-General This arrangement will enable the Premier to accompany the Governor on his Southern tour, at all events tl.rough Canterbury. It is possible that Mr Dick may attend his Excellency through Otago, but this is not decided.

Mr Thomas Spurgeon, son of the London celebrity, preached at Dunedin on Tuesday evening under the auspices of the Y.M.C. Association. Ho made a powerful appeal on behalf of the Association’s funds, and the collection having been announced, the 2000 individuals who crowded First Church contributed £lB or about two pence per head. Dr Somerville a couple of years ago raised about £IBOO or about one hundred times this collection, for the same object in a Dunedin theatre, by singing the Doxology four times. Mr Spurgeon’s experiences shew the badness of the times in a double sense.

One of the finest pieces of irony which we remember to have heard for some time comes to us from Foxton. A few days ago there was an art union in that town, the prize being a splendid outrigger. The fickle goddess smiled upon Mr Blank, and to the envy of all the shareholders he became the winner of the prize. A little while after the termination of the proceedings, he was interviewed by a prominent member of the Boating Club, who made most strenuous efforts to induce Blank to transfer the prize to the Club upon terras somewhat advantageous to the latter. This the winner steadfastly refused to do, being stone deaf to the appeal of patriotism, philantrophy, and every other lever which could be brought against him. At last, irritated with Blank’s, obstinacy and his own want of snoo.p.ss, the interviewer, as ho let loose his pent up rage, « wen obstinate brute, stick to it ; but I hope to Heaven if you row Hanlan that he will beat you.” “Well, never mind if he does ; it won’t hurt yon,” rejoined Blank in the most innocent manner in the world, never noticing the biting sarcasm which had been conveyed in the wish, and he walked away quite contented. Times.”

A sad case of suicide occurred at Auckland yesterday. A young woman named Emily Barnett, who arrived in the colony about a year and who was lodging with Mrs Alexander, of.Wynyard street, poisoned herself with strychnine. Dr Alexander, recently from the South, was in the garden and heard her screams. He found her in convulsions. She got the poison out of his study.

In a paragraph in our lad evening’s issue it was stated that railway passengers who happen to take their seats without their tickets are, under a new regulation, compelled to pay double fare on alighting. We are assured that this imposition by the railway authorities cannot be sustained in a Court of law. The following brief mention of a case in point is from the “ Illustrated London News ” of Feb. 8,1879 —The Court of Appeal has decided that the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company was wrong in endeavoring to exact from Mr Watson the fare from the place whence a train had started—viz., New Croydon—when he had travelled without a ticket only from Norwood Junction to Lower Norwood. The company had argued that what they sought was a fare, recoverable as a debt. Lord Justice Bramwell, in delivering judgment, held that it was not a debt, out a fare, and the company had not shown that the defendant ought to pay more than the ordinary fare, which in this case, that has now passed through three Courts, amounted to one penny.

Any day in the harbor you can see smart young girls sculling young men about until their pompadours “ run” with the exertion. Yet, if you ask anyone of these charming young creatures to blacklead the family grate she would brain you with a flat-iron.—Wellington paper. A beautiful example of the force of habit is to see a disciple of Sir William Fox fill a cup at a drinking fountain, and dreamily blow the froth oft the innocent water before drinking.

A respectably dressed young woman was charged before E. G. Kerr, Esq., J.P., at the R.M. Court this morning, with being drunk and disorderly and also with doing wilful damage to property by smashing a pane of glass at the Queen’s Hotel. The accused said she was very sorry. His Worship [remarked there was a previous conviction for drunkenness recorded against her. She would therefore be fined 10s besides paying for the brokenglass, valued at 12s 6d. His Worship further alluded to the humiliating position in which the accused had placed herself, and warned her lest her addiction for liquor should lead her into more serious trouble. The money was paid.

General entries for the Point Races close to-morrow evening. Also the acceptances for the Hurdle liace and Point Cup.