NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2921, 5 August 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Diptheria has appeared at Kaiapoi

The N.Z. Electric Light Company decide that their capital shall consist of 20,000 shares of £5 each.

The “ Fidelity ’’ Company put forward in another column a programme on the Melbourne Cup

Mr T. Smith, seedsman and fruiterer) announces a fresh consignment of best seeds from Hurst and Son, of London.

The body of the seaman Hannah, drowned a week ago at Wanganui, has been recovered at the South spit. A miner at Herman Gully, Westport, named MoKinnon, was accidentally killed yesterday by a piece of timber falling on him.

A dividend of three shillings in the pound has been declared in the estate of Chatwin the levanting contractor. It was stated by the Treasurer yesterday that Government resuming the system of nominated immigration.

The Rev, Mr Hallowes' farewell services willjdoubtless be very largely attended. The rev. gentleman has won universal esteem and regard in this town. His Honor Judge Williams proceeds on Monday to Christchurch to finish tne criminal business, and take the civil cases, at the Supreme Court there. The Friendly Societies will be glad to learn that the Treasurer has said Government will in future pay the cost of valuations under the Friendly Societies Act.

The Auckland City Council have refused the Union Soap and Candle Company permission to erect a factory in the city. The Eon. Mr Chamberlain has offered them a site just outside the, city.

An important report was read yesterday at the Taieri County Council, from Mr Hay the Engineer, upon a drainage scheme for the Taieri plain. The area to be drained is 16,000 acres. He recommends that the plain should be laid off in sub-districts, each to carry out a system of draining separately. It was referred to a Committee for consideration.

At the Dunedin Police Court yesterday, a female vagrant was charged, of whom the police reported that she slept in an old shanty, of which the roof had failed in and the walls were open. Her clothing consisted of a hat, gown, and shoes, which she wore night and day, all £the furniture she could boast of consisted of a kerosene tin. Her name was Grace Morris, formerly of the West Coast. She got three months.

A School Committee lor the Woollcombe’s Gully district was elected last night, at Mrs Fonseca’s house, Maori Hill, Mr Hammond attended officially and stated that school work would be begun on the 14th inst., a teaching staff having been engaged. The Committee consists of Messrs Lukey (Chairman), Barber, Fringlei Lewis, Blackmore, Hobbs, and Bowie.

Beligious mania finds its counterpart in sceptical insanity—“An engineer named Purvis threw himself in front of a goods train at Saltash Bridge. The following extraordinary letter was found upon him. It was addressed to bis wife and was as follows ;~‘lf there is another world I shall live in peace. If there Is not I have made the most of this. May the God of nature protect you. I may, and probably before you receive this will, be in the land of the leal. There is no sorrow there, in the land of the leal. May God bless you, if there 5a one, which I very much doubt, but 1 will very soon know the grand secret," The jury returned a verdict of Temporary insanity.” "iEgles” in the “ Australasian" says “ The “ Australasian ” has a namesake in New York, “devoted to the extension of American commerce with Australia,” &c, This guide to exporters evidently knows a lot about us, even more, it may be admitted, than we know ourselves. For instance, on May 27 it says:—" The Australasian papers are filled with complaints of the vast destruction to growing crops in most, if not all, of the colonies by the countless numbers of rabbits, wild horses, and several varieties of birds." Where is it that the mustang of the prairie has been practising the sparrow and grasshopper business If

The Ashburton Racing Club will hold a meeting on the 22nd and 24th November. In the Auckland province, a Magistrate dismissed a charge of card-playing against an hotel landlord on the ground that euchre is not an unlawful game. The publican must have held two bowers.and. an ace,.