NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2536, 7 May 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

By cable we learn that the Union Company’s steamer Hero, arrived at Sydney yesterday from New Zealand. The public collection in aid of the wrecked crew of the Amaranth, resulted in the sum of £6 being collected yesterday. The men were thus enabled to proceed to Lyttelton by this morning’s train, and look out for other berths. Mr P. D. Day, City Council Clerk, at Auckland, having been appointed a Mormon Elder has resigned his appointment and goes to Utah. Thomas Simms, concerned in the Riverhead attempted murder, has been remanded to May 12, Annie Carlinc having not yet recovered sufficiently. The Solicitor to the Wellington Education Beard has given the opinion that a member once elected Chairman retains that position so long as he continues a member of the Board.

Two stacks belong'ng io M Coppin, of the Molueka Hotel,Nelson, were destroyed by fire yesterday. The supposed origin is through children playing with matches.

It is said that Government are taking steps to prevent any land along the pro. jected Christchurch-West Coast railway line being alienated or leased. This is in consequence of efforts to obtain portions of land on the route by certain individuals. The “Bruce Herald ” gives currency to a report that Mr C. S. Reeves will be a probable candidate for Bruce at the] general election.

The disqualification of Byers (owner), Byers (jockey), and the horse Golden Crown by the Auckland Racing Club, has been endorsed by the Dunedin Jockey Club.

There is no fresh news from the wreck of the Tararua, The Union Company have received a telegram from London asking if George Moore Frean was a passenger by the Tararua.' There is no trace of his having booked.

At the coursing at Oamaru yesterday the final course resulted as follows : —Mr A. Thompson’s Don Carlos, Azamut — L’Esprit, beat Mr J. Drum’s Luna, by Handel —Gipsy, and won the stake. The Supreme Court was opened at New Plymouth yesterday by Judge Eichmond. There are eight cases for trial, but no heinous crimes, the offences being for various forms of larceny, two cases of forgery, and one of embezzlement. William Cunningham, for stealing a gold chain from a brewer at Hawera, was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months’ hard labor ; James Smith, for forgery, two years imprisonment. John Wills, charged with stealing a horse, was acquitted. The jury found true bills against Wilkinson, for embezzlement of money from Government at Hawera. The case will be heard on Monday.

The “ Brisbane Courier ” states that Queensland ports are closed against the importation of cattle, sheep, and pigs from all parts beyond the colonies of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Mr F. A. Whitaker, M.H.R., writes a long letter to the Waikato Time?, replying ti Sir George Grey, whom he charges with procuring for the Thames an expenditure on useless reclamations and other works. Beedel’s, late Suiter’s Brewery, on the North road Auckland, was totally destroyed by fire at three o’clock yesterday mornng. It was burned about two years ago. The insurances are ;—National, £IOOO ; Standard, £900; New Zealand, £IOOO on the building and £6OO on the contents. There is no clue to the origin. The whole place was on fire at once.

Grand Flaneur broke down very badly in one of his fore-legs the Saturday before the Sydney races and will race no more. He has been purchased by Mr Andrew Town for stud purposes at the high figure of £5,000.

A correspondent of the *■ Otago Daily Times ” writes :—One man in Milton is reported to have shot 11 hares in one day, and at the Coursing Club meeting in three days only the same number were killed with 19 dogs—so that one man with a gun is equal to 57 dogs i or, in other words, he did as much in one day as the 19 dogs and about 150 men did in three days, using, dogs only.” Mr W. A. Murray, for Bruce has again announced his retirement from public life at the expiration of the present Parliament. A local paper, the “ Bruce Standard,” cruelly adds—“ Shall we ever be able to find a member to fill his place, who will talk as much and accomplish so little. We hope not i” A first offender was charged before Mr Beetham this morning with having being drunk on the railway line at 11 p.m. last evening. He was fined 5s with |the usual alternative, and elected to “ take it out.” The clergyman in a certain town, as the custom is, having published the banns of matrimony between two persons, was followed by the clerk reading the hymn, beginning with these words—“ Deluded souls, that dream of heaven.” The Hawke’s Bay “ Herald ” says “It is stated that on one end of the census papers in this disirict the “head of the house ” filled in the column “ Religion ” with the words "Pay and expect to be paid,” a very good maxim certainly, but scarcely sufficient as a definition of religious belief.

An example of self-possession and devotion to duty worth noting was recently given at Breslau by the compositors of the “ Schlesiche Zeitung.” A serious fire having broken out in one of the buildings of the office, the compositors went on steadily with their work, in spite of the raging of the flames in the adjacent building and the bewildering turmoil and excitement which prevailed. The fire was subdued by the time the compositors had finished their work, and the paper was published without the loss of a minute. From a ''Victorian paper we clip the following :—A serious accident occurred at the Williamstown Junction recently, by which guard Thomas Hancock nearly lost his life. He was jumping into his van as the train moved off, when he slipped and fell between the train and the platform. He maintained his hold upon the handrail, however, and another guard, who was in the van, seeing what had occurred, reversed the lamps and brought the train to a standstill. Hancock was released from his perilous position, when it was found that he had sustained very serious injuries. His thigh was very much cut and lacerated, and his leg much injured, but no bones were broken.