NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2917, 1 August 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Winiata is to be executed on Friday next.

A new grand stand is to be erected at Oamaru racecourse. The Board of Education meets to* moirow. Direct telegraphic communication with Amoy, has been restored. s§j,They have just had in Lawrence the heaviest floods ever experienced in the district. 1

An unusually brilliant meteor was observed in the sky last night, a little before eight o’clock. A number of publicans were yesterday fined in Christchurch for not keeping their lights burning all night. The electors of Stanmore are in a terrible state of ferment about Mr Pilliet’s alleged parliamentary misconduct. The proposed division of the Borough into wards gives rise to considerable difficulty in adjusting the representation according to property. The Comedy and Burlesque Company, whieh opens to-night at the Theatre, is a strong one, comprising a host of talent and possessing a capital repertoire. They should draw a good house, Mr W. Seed has, at the request of the Government, consented to forego his intention of resigning, and will continue as head of the Customs Department.

The promoters of the Auckland Coffee Palace will proceed with the building if 16,500 shares be subscribed in a month, otherwise the company will be wound up.

The Christchurch “ Star ” states that Mr Binnie’s discovery of gas producing from animal fat and water was years ago forestalled in England by a Christchurch resident,

As a proof of the value of city Jproperty the resale by the Union Steamship Company of the old “ Otago Daily Times Office” may be mentioned. They have resold it for £24,000, or £2OOO more than they gave for it two years ago. The rate is £170,000 per acre or £173 per foot frontage.

The proverb “there’s nothing like leather ” is evidently not borne out by the practice of the coaoh-building trade. A “ leather cushion ” (in the trade acceptation of the term) is not made of leather but of something like it, viz :—a combination, of leather and duck.

The body found in the harbor on Saturday has been identified as that of John Pettit, lately a storekeeper at Opotik. He was in Auckland on the 14th inst, and in the evening went down to the wharf to board a vessel. The night was stormy, and he is believed to have fallen over the wharf. A verdict of found drowned was retained.

At the R.M. Court Temuka, yesterday, before S. D, Barker, Esq., and J Mendel* son, Esq., the following civil case was heard :—N. C. Nicholas v. G, F. Innes, claim, £3 10s. The defendant applied by letter for the case to be adjourned, on the ground that he was unable to leave Christchurch. This being proved to be false, judgment was accordingly giyen for the amount claimed.

One of the speakers at the Relief meeting last night, said he hoped those of the Timaru people who were neither Jews nor Christians would, from the dictates of humanity, sympathise with the movement. The expression was somewhat obscure and left people generally in a state of fog. One person suggested that the Rev. gentleman must surely have been referring to Chinamen.

Regarding the fire in the Arcade, Dunedin, news of which was wired yesterday ; —McGill was charged at the Police Court yesterday with arson, but was remanded on bail till Friday. He only arrived on Tuesday from the Home country, and has now a large quantity of drapery on the way out. He was standing at the shop door yesterday morning when the fire was seen by the constable, and as the latter approached, McGill ran up to him stating his place was on fire. The constable got into the cellar and put the fire out.

A match of a singular character is announced to come off in Paris. A French Count has backed his mare to accomplish a distance of 38 kilometres in 2 hours; and a wealthy landowner has wagered that a snail which he brings with him from Burgandy will crawl 2| metres round the edge of a billiard table in the same period of time. As an inducement to the snail to come out of its shell, it is stipulated that a lettuce loaf sprinkled with powdered sugar shall bo held before it at a given distance to stir np its activity. Should both competitors do the required distance in the time named, the bet is to be a drawn one. If one fails the owner is to lose. A 100,000 francs is wagered on the event. It baa often been said that some men have more money than wit, and here is a fresh plank for the old platform.

It is said that General Ignatieff persistently influenced the Caar of Bussia against publishing a Ukase forbidding the persecution of Jews, The only reason assigned Is that he understood the Jews intended to offer him 2,000,000 roubles as a bribe, which he intended at the last moment to decline. Happily for the Jews Ignatieff is now dead.