South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1881. NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2604, 26 July 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1881. NEWS OF THE DAY .

Owing to pressure on our space we are obliged to hold over the usual leading matter and correspondence. In a supplement to this issue we publish a full report of Sir OeorgeGrey’s speech on local government. As the subject is regarded of very great importance, and is likely to be the test question at the general election which will take place in the course of a few months, the speech is well worth perusal, as the manifesto of the leader of the Opposition. The San Francisco mail arrived at Auckland yesterday morning. The Hawea with the Southern portion may be expected to raach Lyttelton on Thursday night. At a special meeting of the Timaru School Committee held last evening, it was resolved that Miss Haase be recommended to the Board of Education for appointment as mistress to the Side School.

At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council, Mr Lough, Town Clerk, reported having, in accordance with instructions received, visited several neighboring municipal offices, for purpose of inspecting the system of account keeping &c., adopted. He was everywhere courteously received, and every information afforded him. The result of his enquiries bad satisfied him that the system adopted by him would compare favorably with any he had seen at work elsewhere. Mr Lough was highly complimented by the Council on the efficient, manner in which his own books were kept. His Worship the Mayor amidst some laughter remarked, that the best proof of the Timaru Borough Council being all right, was the fact of there being no overdraft.

Work on the Christchurch Cathedral will be finished in three or lour weeks, but the date of the opening ceremony is not yet fixed.

The debate will be resumed this evening on the no-confidence motion. It is stated that Ministers anticipate a majority, though they admit it will be a small one. The result depends upon two or three gentlemen who are “ sitting on a rail,” and who are anxiously waiting to see which way “ the cat jumps.” They are tolerably certain to go with the side that will have a majority. Railers are never in a minority. However, we learn, on the best authority, that the Ministry will probably have a slight majority, but it will be on the understanding that they will withdraw their financial proposals regarding local government. During the course of the debate, several members who stated that they would suppoit the Government, intimated pretty plainly that they would oppose their mea. suras. As oft before, Ministers are tolerably certain to sacrifice their proposals at the shrine of office. Those who do not believe in the Ministry, and yet vote for them, act as if Grey and Macandrew should be kept off the Treasury Benches at all hazards. It is not a question of principles J it is one of men.

His Worship the Mayor referred at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council to the practice of bakers in giving short weight in selling bread. In serving out bread for charitable aid purposes, serious deficiencies had been discovered in the weight. Cr Cullmann, as one “ who has a knowledge of these things,” observed that the remedy lay in the p üblic’s own hands* who should insist on seeing tbeir bread weighed on purchasing it. His Worship said that fancy bread or fancy rolls were not expected to be full weight. After some discu sion the matter was referred to the police authorities to make enquiries.

The “ Bruce Herald ” understands that legal proceedings will shortly be instituted with the view of ousting no less than five members of a Road Board which exercises its administrative powers within the boundaries of the County of Bruce. The gentlemen in question it appears, hold their lofty and dignified official positions upon a tenure which, unfortunately for them, is not in accordance with the Act, the provisions of which will therefore be set in motion to deprive them of their temporary glory and power.

New South Wales enjoys the distinction of being one of the few British communities in which vaccination is not compulsory. This fact will not help Sydney in the present smallpox epidemic. The “ Leviathan,” Joe Thompson, laid a bet last week of £20,000 to £IOO on the double of the Melbourne Derby and Cup, the taker selecting Monmouth for the first event.

Blondin, the great tight-rope walker who twenty years ago performed the feat of walking over the Niagara, is at the Alexandra Palace. Time, they say, has not weakened his nerve, his strength, or his agility.

The King of Ashantee has paid England 2000 ounces of gold, which will be very convenient for paying the expenses of our preparations for war, but it is rather hard that he should pay all his money because (as is generally believed) some panicstricken officials on the Gold Coast imagined he meant to invade our territories.

A Vienna telegram states that the antiJewish craze has spread into the AqstroHungarian Empire, and a horrible murder is reported from Tarpa, in Hungary. Many fires have recently occurred, they were imputed by popular prejudice to the Jews. A few days ago another fire broke out, and a Jew of the neighborhood was present helping to extinguish it, when the mob suddenly turned against him and threw him into the flames, where he was burnt alive.

Germany has not only abstained from any intervention with the Tunisian Question but has earnestly dissuaded the Sultan from having recourse to armed measures against France. The foreign Powers, whose treaties with Tunis retain their validity, have no oause for intercession. The Rev. Mr Tranmar, Anglican clergyman, called a meeting of his creditors at Hamilton, Victoria. A letter was read from the Bishop’s counsel, conditionally offering £IOO towards relieving the rev. gentleman of his difficulties. It was agreed to accept Is fid in the £. The guaranteed income of Bishop Pear son, of Newcastle, New South Wales, is £3OOO. St. James’ is crowded when he preaches. The Bishop is very active, and was recently married.

Oiders have been sent Home from Queensland to send immigrants out by every steamer of the new mail service, and generally to push on immigration and increase it from 2000 to 4000 per annum A great many false reports have been circulated about the Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise. The last story was to to the effect that the Marquis was about to resign his office, and that the Princess Louise would not revisit Canada. The Princess has just declined being present on a certain occasion on the ground that she sails for Canada in the course of the summer. . The people of Seville have lately had the opportunity of witnessing a somewhat extraordinary spectacle, An Englishman staying at Seville, son of a London banker, after looking on at a bullfight, was roused to enthusiasm by the skill and courage of the ffordito, and obtained from him a number of lessons. Quite lately he took his place in the arnea, and is said to hare amazed the spectators by his skill in handling the cloak an i throwing the banderillas, and above all by the c nines with which he faced one of the most savage of the bulls, and killed it by a skilful stroke with the stabbing sword. Mr Samuel Raleigh, on retiring from the management of the Scottish Widows’ Fund Life Assurance Society, a post which he has held since 1859, was presented with £SOOO and a retiring allowance of £2OOO a year.

Mrs L. 8. Iliff, the owner of the largest cattle range in the world, lias sold one-half of her herd of 25,000 cattle to her managers, and will sail for Europe on May 28. Her range extends from Greeley to Julosbnrg, Colorado, embracing a country about one hundred miles wide. Sbe has made a round million since the death of her busband, 1 the cattle king" three years ago.

When an orchard requires fertilising, it is best to do this all over the ground, and not to apply manure [only near the trees. This produces a large growth of roots close to the trees, for roots grow where the soil is richest. Orchards need lime and ashes more than manure, and these soon produce healthy, smooth bark. In Holland, a caricature of English troops—represented as a score of timid hares in the British uniform, running from a Boer with a rifle in his hands is the joke of the day there. Six larrikin tin-kettlers were recently caught serenading a new married couple in New South Wales, and the ringleader was fined £2O, or in default three months imprisonment.