NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2541, 13 May 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY .

Byron’s famous burlesque of “ Ivanhoe,” drew another crowded house at the Theatre Royal last evening. Miss Lydia Howard scored another hit as Sir Brian de Bo's Gilbert, Miss Jennie Nye, and Mddle. de Glorian ably supporting her. Messrs Hydes and Power, the funny of men of the troupe, were as mirth provoking as ever, and the piece went merrily. For tonight a double bill is announced, consisting of the comic opera “ The Doctor of Alcantara,” and the well-known comedy of the Jealous Husband.” At the Amateur Athletic sports yesterday two other events were run off too late for publication in our last issue, and which resulted as follows:—150 Yards Handicap Flat Race, (first heat) J. S, Smith, (scr) 1; (second heat,) C. W. Miles, (3yds) 1; (final heat,) J. S. Smith (scr) 1. Two Miles Running Handicap, A. S. Baker (scr) 1. Scurry Race of 120 Yards, W. C. Chapman 1. Consolation Race of 100 Yards, J. Millton 1. Boys Handicap Race of 250 Yasds, Master Fowler 1. The annual dinner of the Club took place at the Ship Hotel in the evening. It was largly attended and passed off most successfully.

Reviewing a volume of sermons by Covenanting worthies lately published, Mr Spurgeon says" Better that Scotland were hacked by Claverhouse for cleaving to the Lord than that she should be flattered by infidels for her gradual departure from the faith. Let not the blood of the Covenanters be spent in vain I”

We direct attention to Mr Strachan’s monster advertisement which appears on the third page-of this paper. Mr Strachan evidently believes in the virtues of printer’s ink, and the extensive nature of his business proves that he is right. It is only by doing a big business, that a tradesman can dispense with large profits, and the only way a big trade can be secured is by making known to the public the advar tages of buying in the best and cheapest market. That i° the very essence of business.

At the Auckland Land Board it was stated that Grant and Foster had paid £3OOO to the Agent-General as a preliminary deposit on the Te Aroha lands.

The Yesey-Stewart settlement has bad a wonderful effect in increasing the population in the Bay of Plenty. The census returns show the population of Tanranga and the Bay of Plenty as 3379, being an increase of 71 per cent since 1878.

Ten years ago the number of persona arrested for drunkenness in Liverpool in one year was 23,000, while last year the number had sunk to 14,000.

The rage for relics is on the decline in England. Belies of great men do not now pay the cost of manufacture. The tooth of Newton, which in 1816 brought £730, can now hardly be given away.

Proudfoot’s railway contract, Riverton to Orepuki, is fast approaching completion. AlP'the workmen are proceeding to Proudfoot’s railway works in New England, New South Wales.

In order not to desecrate the Sunday steamers are not allowed to “ whistle’’ when leaving Wellington on that day. Some people have lost their passage in consequence.

We learn from Auckland that the South British had a risk of £7OO and the Standard one for £3OO on the gear on board the Taupo when she foundered.

An exchange says ; —“ We are told that the Government are about to take away the collection of fees under the Sheep Act from the Inspector, and make all persons pay them to the nearest Post Office. We are further told that it is in contemplation to make rates also payable at Post Offices.’ There are so many beasts and birds in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London, that cannot be kept alive without being fed daily on living fish that the agents of the society are permitted to catch fish in the fresh waters of England during the close season by virtue of a special provision in an Act of Parliment.

Two attempts were recently made to set fire to a house at Leithfield by means of firing a hedge close .to it. A man named Michael Hennessy has been arrested on suspicion. Bail was refused yesterday at the Amberley Court on a remand being granted. A mechanical contrivance to facilitate horse-breaking, invented by Major de Lang, and already introduced into the Russian cavalry, is, on the recommendation of the French Cavalry Commission, about to be tried at Saumur. This “ resort dresseur ” is an artificial hand, attached to the animal’s lower jaw. It combines softness with resistance, and it is a substitute for the breaker’s hand. It is said to obviate much rough treatment. The inventor will afterwards visit England. Not content with showing up Trickett on the Thames, Hanlan has been telling the Transatlantic public what a profoound contempt he entertains for his abilities as a sculler. Says the “Canadian,” “Heis a blowhard, and much inferior to Haycock.” All the time Hanlan was training, so he stales, Trickett was chaffing him, as if the business he had in hand was but a farce, “ That,” goes on the Torontonian, “ was why I played with, and finally gave him such a dressing. I could have had a comortable nap on 1 oard my skiff, so little did I fear him catching me.” Surely (remarks the “Home News”) this seems like adding insult to injury, Hanlan might have been satisfied with winning Trickett’s money without running down his reputation. The Taupeka paper has been told rather a good story in connection with the collecting of papers for the recent census. The sub-enumerator, while on his rounds, had occasion to call at a Chinaman’s hut, and in filling up the paper put the question—“ What is your religious belief? Are you a Christian or a follower of Confucius ? ” John replied—“ No, no. Me Freethinker; all same as Mr Stout.. You savee.”

Some of the more adventurous members of the Alpine Club, who begin to feel that they have now exhausted the Alps, have made known their intention of exploring the high mountains in the Canterbury Province, New Zealand. Mount Cook (remarks a Gloucester paper), will quite suit their taste, as it has an elevation, of between 1300 and 1400 feet, and has never yet been scaled. The Australians make tours to New Zealand to see the scenery just as English and Americans rush to Switzerland in the summer months. The following is from an Australian paper:—The landlady at Apsleyis not to be trifled with. A couple of young, commercial travellers arrived at her hostelry simultaneously. One of them was much taken aback at the horsefeed for his buggy steed being measured out across the bar. Inviting his brother traveller to have a glass of wine, he attempted to be facetious at Mrs MacStirgin’s expense, and called for “ some whisky and oats,” but that young man reckoned without his host, and collapsed as the lady replied with chilling dignity, “We keep our oats for horses—not asses 1” It was his last essay in chaff. For the Sydney tramways there has just been imported an engine, manufactured by Merryweather, London, that is noiseless and smokeless. Neither fire nor machinery is visible. It stops in its own length,takes a load up an incline of one in twenty, and travels from eight to ten miles per hoar.

The yearlings and other blood stock lately sent to Christchurch by Mr Gardiner of Bundoora Park, Victoria, have, we are sorry to say, not met with purchasers, and are being taken back to Melbourne by the Ringarooma. Only one black filly _ by Fortrose, met with a purchaser, and this at £IOO, The whole lot, no doubt woulr have been sold had Mr Gardiner taken the precaution to enter them for the two and three-year-old stakes in this colony.

From Wellington we learn that the Cattle Board yesterday refused an application for the release of two pigs, the property of Mr Canning, of Hawke’s Bay, which arrived per ship Hurunui on January 14th last, and which have remained in quarantine ever since, on account of no certificate from the shippers declaring that they were free from disease at the time of shipment being produced by the consignee. A telegram from Nelson stales that Mr J. C. Richmond is a candidate for the vacant scat in the House. Mr Richmond was formerly a prominent politician and a Minister of the Crown in this colony. He left New Zcalani at the beginning of the public works policy. He was a bitter opponent of Sir Julius Vogel. Some time ago Mr Richmond was engaged in engineering work in Algiers. In the Common Pleas division, quite recently, Mr Justice Hawkins fined one of the spectators in Court £lO for contempt. In a case involving the value of a watch which had been entrusted to a jeweller for repairs, and had been I s*, His Lordship was making a remark on the subject of costs, when a man exclaimed, “ That’s a rum thing, too." For this observation the fine was inflicted.

Mdle Bernhardt is working very hard in America. She gave six performances in four separate cities, each about a day’s journey apart; but the result of her labours appears to have been satisfactory, as the receipts for the week amounted to £3600, making her aggregate receipts for the ninety-four American performances already given amount to £63,980. An American paper states that Sarah Bernhardt was, at an early age, united in the bonds of matrimony to the scion of an old French family, whence sprang the young man.whom she openly acknowledges as her son. She was under the firm impressoin that she was legally married, but discovered, when too late, that the ceremony was null and void through informality. Messrs Cass and Co., of Melbourne, have paid the fine of £1,500 imposed by the Commissioner of Customs for attempting to defaud the revenue in connection with the importation of a quantity of silks, which were seized by the customs officer a few days ago. The firm also paid the duty, amounting to £2OO, and the goods were released. Police court proceedings are also likely to be instituted against the representatives of Messrs Brinsmead and Sons for alleged atempt to defraud the Customs of duty on pianos seized by the Customs officers the other day. It is understood that the Crown Law department has advised the issue of summonses.

A few months ago there was published an account of the shooting of Father H. Gillet, of Baize, in Guatemala, for a breach of the degree of banishment against the Jesuits As FatherGillet is an Eaglish-born subjeot ( stationed in an English colony,* he event, if it had happened, would have been a very serious business for Guatemala ; but that gentleman has written to a New Orleans paper, and declares that he never was in Guatemala, and knows nothing of its politics. The San Francisco ‘ Post’ adds : “ It was with regret we read the announcement of an act of barbarism, under the authority of President Barrios, which could simply be regarded as a judical murder. Senor Jose R. Cassonava, Commissioner for the Guatemala Exhibatkm, has now written to us on the subject, dilating upon the injustice done to President Barrios. Doubtless the rumor emanated from an enemy to his Administration.”