NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2869, 5 June 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

They are going to have tramways in Auckland,

They are short of trucks, on . the. South land Railway. ;

A tobacco growing and manufacturing company is projected in Auckland. ;

H.M.S., Nelson is under orders to be ready for sea on Saturday,and the Governor leaves for Fiji on Monday next. Detective Twohey is To be transferred to Christchurch, after 20 years service in Invercargill.

Measles, scarlctina and typhus are rife in Auckland, and many teachers as well as scholars are absent from the schools.

It is proposed to tunnel from /Dunedin to Kaikori Valley, under Mornington Hill. Our Southern friends are the boys for enterprise. , In tbe Geraldine district the local option polling was against increase of licences.

* There will be a concert • at the Washdyke school to-morrow night. A good programme has been prepared, and our local amateurs will be present in force.

The next issue of gold coin from the Mint will bear a representation of the Queen as she now appears,; with an Imperial Crown.

• It is reported that -Mr Maoandrew is to captain the Opposition this session.

“ Free Beer ” is one of the features of the* Financial Statement. It is confidently asserted that the beer duty is to be abolished.

At Cambridge, West, the ratepayers having declared in favor of an increase of licenses, one man applied, for the sixth time, for a license. The ’Bench exercised a discretionary power beyond the will of the ratepayers, and refused the application on the ground that the house was not needed.

Mr J. J. Daley applied for permission to erect a now hotel in the Pareora district according to plans ; but as no local option poll has yet been held, the Committee could’not grant the request. ' '

Miss Cox, one of the teachers of the Timaru school, has handed to the Chairman of the Committee £3 Gs Bd, gathered by little children for presentation to Mrs Falgar, widow of one of the unfortunate men drowned on the fatal 14th ult. It is very gratifying to record such a kindly act on the part of the young folk.

Messrs Joubcrt and Twopcny have received medals from the French Government, in recognition of their services as Commissioners for South Australia and N.S.W, at the Paris Exhibition.

The number of , shares applied for in the Kaiapoi Woollen 1 Factory,, is greatly in excess of the number available.

Bishop Neville . although physically maigre is .morally formidable, and. is indefatigable. He is going to establish an orphanage, to be under hi§ own and Mrs Neville’s personal supervision.

. The Court of Appeal granted a new trial in re Connor v. Mackay on five issues, and refused .it on . the remaining issues. . In Regina v. Wa'.deman, the conviction was upheld ; in Regina v. Thomas, the conviction was quashed.

Religious mania is i. horribly grotesque phenomenon. Kitto believed himself to be the Saviour, and his brothers and son-in-law, imps of Satan,Boggiero being Satan himself.

The “ Rappel,” a French journal, says, referring to English fears about the Channel Tunnel :—“ It sounds like an opera-bouffe, but it is seriously feared by some Englishmen that their country will be in danger, when it is possible to reach it without being sea sick,”

The Rev. Dr Stuart, of Dunedin, perperhaps one of the: highest authorities living* on schemes of practical benevolence, said the other day that to provide, homes for young men or women who were able to earn good wages, was benevolence run mad ; but that to establish an orphanage would be doing a Divine work. *

It is understood that.a railway employee in the locomotive department in Southland intends to commence an action against the Government for overtime, alleged lo have been promised by one of the Ministers but never paid. He has kept an accurate record of his time for several years, and it is understood that his claim will amount to a tidy sum. Should he succeed there are a number of others prepared to follow suit.

One of the oddest bits of humour ever perpetrated was of a man being hanged,who when the rope broke pleaded pathetically for a “ fair bangin’ ” ; and who, when his friends wanted to get him away, on the ground that the law did not contemplate a second banging, protested that he would never go back to be jeered at as a “ half hangit man.”

Anything more painful than the position of Mr Roy, of the late firm of Halse and Roy, of New Plymouth, cun scarcely he imagined. He joined Mr Halse a short time ago, and invested his all in the business. Mr Halse committed suicide, and the firm was found to be in frightful difficulties, and the surviving partner has to suffer the hardships of a bankruptcy which be had done nothing to bring about.

A sum will be placed on the Estimates for a continuation of the northern line across the Hurunui, where the traffic from the Amuri and Kakoura districts converges. Much satisfaction is felt by the settlers, as if the terminus were loft at the Hurunui the line would be practically useless to the Amuri district.

A guarantee of £6OO has been given by the leading citizens of ’Wellington, towards a ball to be given on Thursday to Commodore Brskine and the officers of H.M.S. Nelson and Miranda, His Excellency, Lady Gordon, and Miss Gordon have accepted invitations to be present. Invitations have also been sent to the members of the Legislature. The guarantee is exclusive of the prices charged for tickets.

At the last meeting of the Invercargill North Licensing Committee, the police drew attention to the want of means of escape from public-houses in case of fire. The Committee cordially concurred with a suggestion, that in the case of two storey houses especially, supplying such appliances should be made compulsory. The applicants for renewal of licenses undertook to h?ive rope ladders or other means of escape from the upper stories provided. It costs something to run a public-house nowadays.

Speaking at Harrow, School lately, and referring to one of the songs which had been sung, bearing 'the title “ Queen Elizabeth,” in connection with the granting of the charter of the school, Mr Gladstone said:—“There is a fashion,-and I think it is a vicious fashion, of decrying that great Queen. .No doubt when the historical student examines her character as a woman, he may detect in it this flaw and that flaw ; but you, gentlemen, when you apply yourselves to - your historical studies, cannot fail to'have your attention drawn by so great and magnificent a figure, and I entreat you—l do not need to ask that you should recollect the connection of this school with her time—but I entreat you when jou are tempted to pass a remark upon her human, infirmities never to forget the immeasurable debt which every Englishman owes, to the memory and name of Queen Elizabeth.”

The following telegram has been received by Sir Maurice O’Borke, Speaker of the House of Representatives:—“ The promoters of the New Zealand; International Exhibition present their compliments, and will be glad if your members of Assembly will honor the Exhibition with a visit. They will be glad to know the day and hour, in order to give visitors a suitable reception.” To this Sir Maurice O’Rorke replied—“ The House has not yet expressed any opinion: about the Exhibition. Personally I hope we shall be afforded an opportunity of doing so.” It is understood that arrangements will probably be made for a visit to take place.