NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2564, 9 June 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The half-yearly session of the’ Supreme Court opens to-morrow. Thprc arc fifteen prisoners awaiting trial. The list of cases appears in another column,'

James McManus was yesterday charged at the R.M. Court, Teniuka, with stealing a cash-box containing £’9 and some valuable papers, ■ the property’ of James’ Swinton, of the Winchester Hotel. Ho was committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. A further charge was then heard against the accused —that of - escaping from the; Geraldine lock-up. Accused said he found the door unfastened and so walked away. Sentenced to seven days’.imprisonment. We would again remind our readers of the service of song entitled “ Eva,” which will be given to-morrow (Friday) evening, in the Oddfellows’ Hall,Barnard street. The entertainment, we believe, is a very pleasing and popular one, and has taken exceedingly well in those parts of the colony whore it has already been delivered. Judging from the character of the entertainment and the moderate charge of admission to be made, it will be largely patronised. We may add that words of the service will be obtainable on entering the hall;

The wet weather has temporarily converted Timaru into a big quagmire. Tons of thick black mud cover every street. To cross one of the main thoroughfares means sinking up to the ancles in slush, while if the unfortunate pedestrian has to explore any of the by-streets he docs so at the peril of his “ understandings,” more especially if his explorations are made by night. Surely, if there is so much distress prevalent in Timaru, it would pay a few of the unemployed to secure brooms without further delay, and by keeping some of the big crossings clear of mud, enable the public to travel the streets without the fear of getting bogged. Cannot the Borough Council see its way to render pedestrianism more comfortable in wet weather by doing something with the mud?

Complaint is made by some Northern settlers of the prevalence of the custom of devoting the Sundays to shooting game.

TUo UVieri I.ioonr.ing Court, of which Mr Fulton, M.H.R., is chairman, declined to grant any new bottle licenses.

John Davis, aged 72, has been committed at Auckland on a charge of violating Alice Messenger, who is under 12 years of age. The old man treated the charge with indifference and levity.

The Auckland Savings Bank Trustees intend to give local stone a trial in the erection of their handsome new three storey buildings. They invite samples.

The Dunedin Jockey Club last night de, dined the offer of the Forbury Park Company, which was to give them the Park for live years at £I2OO a year, and afterwards for five years at £ISOO a year. It was agreed to make a fresh offer of £I2OO a a year with a purchasing clause, the amount to he fixed.

A Northern paper says (but we don’t believe it) that a singular accident happened to Rewi dh his way to the Hikurangi faceting. He fell down a precipice 70 fet deep, from which he was taken up insensible by Messrs. Ross, Thompson, and “ Mokau Jones.” Rcwi, when he recovered consciousness, asked to be dipped in the Punui river, and afterwards found that he had recovered the use of his left arm, which had been for some time previously paralysed. Rcwi was carried back to his residence at Punui, where he remains for the present.

The Wellington correspondent' ‘of' the “ Press ” telegraphs : —“ L incline to believe that Mr Weston will-beat Mr Fitz Gerald for Grey Valley. I hav& pretty authentic information from both sides of West Coast politicians, and they agree that Mr Weston is very popular with a large class of diggers, but in any case it will be a close contest, and the result will be doubtful to the last. Nothing is yet settled regarding the proposer and seconder of the address in reply in both Housrs. Mr Bastings name is mentioned as probable, but I cannot yet learn whether on any good authority. Ministers arc in close consultation in Cabinet to-night over the Governor’s speech, which is likely to be short, sharp and to thq point without waste of words.” The same correspondent, who is in the confidence of the Government, says that there is no doubt that Ministers are much chagrined at Mr Richmoiid’s defeat, especially as it may be deemed a blow to their strength just on the throshhold of the session.

The I’ungarchu correspondent of the Wellington “ Times ” asserts that the discharged Native prisoners complain of gross ill-treatment in the Southern gaols, but the Government expressly invited the prisoners while in ‘Wellington to make any complaints they thought lit, and all agreed that they had been treated as well as possible, the only exception being one old chief, who said he had been told that the meat supplied to thmu was “ horse flesh,” but as the Premier pointed out to him that this would be much dearer than beef, he at once admitted the force of the aigument, and recognised that his informant had been merely joking with him. The Government are making fui; inquiries into this last report, but it is evidently a trumped up yarn.

Boss ;Tyler, ex-champion middle-weight •pf England; Has taken the New Zealand Tavern; Swahston street, Melbourne, where he gives boxing lessons.

At th&'mission of the Church Missionary Society, Frere Town, East Africa, nearly one-fourth of the children at school were rescued from slave-ships.

Melbourne advices states that Mr Armstrong, of Hexham, Victoria, is busy with his second shearing in the twelve months, and his example is being, it is said, followed by other owners of long-woolled sheep in the western districts of Victoria ; while the shearprs themselves.are delighted at the prospect of a double harvest of wages.

The Auckland “ Herald ” says : Some samples of kerosene shale have been"Teft with us for inspection, and were found on the farm of Mr Thomas Moyle, at the Wade. His farm is about 45 acres in extent, and he has traced the scams for a considerable "extent, as they crop out at intervals on the surface.

A San Francisco paper has the following: —“ It would seem that the Pacific Coast was a producer of sufficient gold to render it extremely improbable that foreign gold would ever be shipped hither for coming Nevertheless,.on Wednesday, there arrived here by the Zcnlandia four boxes of gold bars, valued at 98,750 dollars, coining from Australia. The shipment of gold bars went to the mint for coinage, Exports say that so long as the Loudon Exchange preserves its present condition, Australian gold will come here.”

The man Duncan, alias Brown, who was arrested on a charge of setting fire to Brice’s house on Oxford Terraco, Christchurch, last week, was committed for trial yesterday, both on that and on a charge of setting fire to an empty house on the East Belt which was burned down on May 23. The evidence showed that he bad been living in both, begging or stealing food meanwhile, and in Brice’s instance he was watched and seen in it while it was on fire. Brice’s house was one of a block of four just built and never occupied, the whole being insured for £2OOO. About £IOO worth of damage was done, the Fire Brigade having been too smart for tho incendiary. A passenger by this morning’s train informs ub that the Lydia Howarde Company played “Pinafore” last night at Oamaru to a crowded house, although the streets, through the late rains, were in a wretched state. It was quite a treat to see ladies wading through the mud ancle deep. According to all accounts it was a good performance, and well repaid them for their trouble.

11 Pinafore ” will be performed at the Theatre Pioyal to-morrow evening by thy Lydia Howarde troupe, who also play here on Saturday and Monday evenings. A service of song entitled, “Eva,” will be given in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Barnard street, to-morrow (Friday) evening. The performance is in connection with the Primitive Methodist Church, and commences at 8 o’clock.'

Mr John Beecher, a very old Akaroa identity, notifies that he has taken the Wo d bury Hotel, Waihi Bush, which he has thoroughly ••■renovate! and furnished thromrhnnt. for' boarders and visitors.