NEWS OF TEE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2609, 1 August 1881, Page 2

NEWS OF TEE DAY.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from Mr Alfred Simpson, bookseller, Christchurch, of a lecture recently delivered by the author W. N. Maskell, Esq., at the St Patrick’s Hall, Christchurch, before the Christchurch Catholic Literary Society and entitled “ Christianity, Modern Science and Evolution.” In the present day when the teachings of modern science are being eagerly examined by the thoughtful and studious, any argument whether pro or con, which tends to throw additional light upon such a doctrine as that of evolution and helps the student to arrive at a conclusion in his own mind, should be welcome, even though it may clash with preconceived opinions on the subject. In a matter of so much importance, the maxim, “Audi alteram partem,"' should be specially applicable.

A billiard match comes off to-night at the Ship Hotel, between a gentleman amateur and W. B. Pierce for £lO, the latter to receive 80 points in 500.

The vital statistics for Timaru. for th e month endel July 31 ; comprise, 47 births, 13 deaths, and 5 marriages. The Customs’ returns for the same month amount to £2087 19 lid, spirits, (£BO9 17s) being the heaviest item.

The Timaru hospital returns for July are as follows :—Patients under treatment at date of last return—Males, 26; females, 6; Admitted during month— Males, 14 ; females, 3. Discharged during month—Cured, males, 12, females, 1; relieved, males, 1, females, 1. Remaining under treatment—Males, 28 females, 7. Out-patients relieved, 35.

It is notified elsewhere that a special train will leave Timaiu for Christchurch at at 8 a.m. on August 5, to carry visitors from here to the Hunt Club Steeplechases, and will return from Christchurch to Timaru at 8.45 o’clock on the same night. This train will stop at Temuka, Winchester, Orari, Ashburton, Rakaia, and Sockburn (Racecourse Junction). Ordinary single fare tickets to Christchurch issued at Timaru and stations North, on August 5, will be available for return on day of issue, only and by the special train.

The Wellington “ Advertiser ” says;— “ I don’t know if the Pirates—they of Penzance—will travel your way. If they do you will confer a benefit on the people of Wellington by killing them. They threaten to return here, and as they have already half killed us—with laughter —we are anxious not to have the other half of us killed. We prefer that they should be annihilated. Joking apart, 1 The Pirates ’ is the biggest theatrical success of the day.” Mr A. Henry Heatley, a well-known resident of this district, and late proprietor of the Woodbury Hotel, whilst shooting on Saturday morning, was killed by a discharge from his own gun. The deceased, accompanied by his son, was shooting at the time near his brother’s house, about midway between Geraldine and Woodbury. The whole charge penetrated his left side, completely shattering his left lung, causing death in a short time. An inquest will be held at the Geraldine Hotel on Tuesday next, and the funeral will take place on the same day at 3 o’clock. The deceased leaves a wife and large family, for whom much sympathy is felt in the district. The natives have again commenced to obstruct the roads near Paribaka, They say the Government is encroaching on (hei r land. The native row at Hokianga is said to be. settled. The lands are to be handed over to Yon Sturmer and Hone Mohi.

At the annual gathering of the Auckland District Grand Lodge of Oddfellows, M.U., the Secretary stated the property held by the order in the Auckland district was worth £20,000 ; the district goods were worth £2510, and the number of members was 1903.

At Auckland on Saturday, the Union Sash and Door Company declared a dividend of per cent, and the Taupiri Coal Company a dividend of 1 0 per cent,

Messrs Gilpin and Pardon of Featherston, who sent a shipment of cheese to England from their factory, have received advices as to its sale, which state that through getting heated on the voyage the oil of the cheese exuded to a great but that the cheese was still of fair quality and sold at s|d per lb, which gives a margin of profit, though a very small one. The fine old hymn, “ Bock of Ages,” was translated by Mr Gladstone in Latin, and fell into the hands of some monks, and was sung in the convent they never dreaming that it was a Protestant hymn, and never having heard of Toplady.

An' abusing incident occurred in the House of Commons lately. Mr Gladstone on rising, was received with loud shouts of “ Order !” It was necessary, according to the rules of the House,to raise the question whilst sealed with his hat on. This was sugge-ted to him, a proposal which he declined, because he was not in the habit of bringing his hat with him into the House. The clamour continuing, the Soli-citor-General, who was sitting near to the right hon. gentleman, took off his hat and placed it on the head of the Premier, This procedure was hailed with loud laughter and prolonged cheering from all parts of the House, which was renewed and continued when it was discovered that the hat was several sizes too small, and that it was only by great dexterity that the Premier was able to balance it over his brows. This he succeeded in doing whilst ho raised his point o f order. The New York papers just now are full of complaints as to the inadequate streetcleaning of the Empire City. One of them says: —“A dramatic company to play ‘ The Streets of New York ’ has just been organised in this city. Among the stage properties are sixty cartloads of mud, twenty dead cats, two deceased dogs, a bushel of empty tomato cans, and a dozen well-filled ash barrels.

The veteran English tenor Sims Beeves calculates he has lost £70,000 during his long professional life from inability to keep all his engagements. Scene, a Wellington street—A cab stops and deposits its occupanton the side walk* He was a portly person, a regular heavy weight, and this was observed by another “ cabby,” who alive to tbe interest of his calling, said “ You should have mads that customer pay double fare, Bill.” “No good trying it on in that quarter,’’ said the other, “them customers is up to everything.” ‘ Ho,” was the contemptuous reply, “ a Member, I suppose.” You are right there, old man, no hope there.”—“ Asmodeus,” in tbe “ N. Z. Mail.”

At the R.M. Court this morning, before F. LeCren,Esti., J.P., Henry Rothwell was charged with leaving a horse unattended in the public street in contravention of the Borough by-law No 6, Clause 11. The de. fendant admitted the charge, and was fined ss,

At the R.M. Court, Temuka, to-day. W. Brown, a laboring man, charged with committing an unmentionable offence, was committed for trial at the next session of the Supreme Court in Timaru. Three witnesses were examined, but the evidence was totally unfit for publication.

The “New York Times” is responsible for the statement that it is becoming fashionable to put wigs upon children, and that if a particular!ly fine bead of bail- is seen on a child now-a-days, the presumption that it is false will be very strong. The follies of fashion are no doubt inexhaustible and the very last, thing exhibited by fashion is taste. It does not require to be said that to make children wear wigs is disgusting and revolting, as well as ineffably silly, but denunciation never yet suppressed an imbecility of this character.

A handball match came off at the Hibernian Ball Court at the rear of the Hibernian Hotel on Saturday afternoon. The match was for the best throe games out of five, the sides being as follows : Messrs McAuliffe and Mahoney v. Messrs Allan and Drury, the latter won the first, third and fourth games and were therefore declared the victors. There were about 80 people present and the proceedings were watched with a lively interest.

That experienced old commander, Dan (

McQuinness, has just supplied his “ Ship ” with a fresh cargo iu the shape of “ fizz ” of the very best, and burgundy that even “ Simon, the cellarer,” who was a bit of a judge in these matters, would have approved. But besides champagne and burgundy the “ Ship’s” lockers will be found stored with a new supply of rare old brandy, “and the real old Jamaica” of the kind Mrs Gamp loved to keep in that teapot. Down in the “ Ship’s ” ,hold will be found countless dozens of sparkling “ bitter ” of Griffiths’ celebrated brand, and as a special novelty, never inindeed seen in the New Zealand market before is a large consignment of Guinness’ stout, put up, for convenience of families, in half-pint bottles of nice appearance. These bottles are furnished with patent stoppers of China, tin and rubber, and are easily opened, no corkscrew or other aid being required. They can be corked or stoppered up at any time, and will preserve their contents in an air-tight condition. When empty, Mr McGuinness means to fill them with soda and being of such a handy size, they will be very convenient for pocket use. The whole of these goods have been selected, we may mentien, expressly for the Ship by Mr Charles Green.

The Dunedin Harbor Board will insure their dredge for £35,000 against all risks on shipment to the colony. The following motion by Dr Wallis is likely to excite some debate to-morrow; — “ That in the opinion of this House, the time has come when the members of the Legislative Council should be elected by the people of the colony.” His motion for annual Parliaments is down on the order paper for the same day. Paragraphs have from time to time appeared concerning the mysterious disappearance of a surrey party (Messrs Lament, Young, and others) .who started in a boat from Bormugai, N.S.W. towards the end of last year. The boat was found bottom up, but nothing could be found of the passengers. The police, it is said, are in possession of facts which have convinced them that the whole party were murdered. A German has since disappeared. The police have a clue to this man, and are now searching for him. It is expected that they will shortly obtain further facts to throw light on this extraordinary affair,

No less than 44,000 persons died in England cl small-pox during the three years 1870-72. A writer to the “ Modern Review ” recently quoted these figures as a proof that vaccination was an inefficient preventative, hut he was replied to by a reviewer in the “ Spectator ” as follows “He (of the " Modern Review ”) is clearly ignorant of the fact that a hundred years ago the small-pox mortality of London alone (with its then population of under a million) was often greater in a six months’ epidemic than that of the 20,000,000 of England and Wales is now in any whole year ; that the average number of deaths by small-pox was estimated [at 8 per cent of the total mortality cf the country ; that of the then enormous mortality of children under 10 years of age the mortality by small-pox constituted one half. The attention of farmers and gardeners is directed to the announcement of Mr E. Cornish, seed importer, next Land office.