Christchurch.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 20, 12 August 1893, Page 4

Christchurch.

(from our own correspondent.) LICENSING NEWSBOYS. At the City Council meeting on Monday last Mr Eden George moved —“ That steps be taken by this Council for the purpose of passing a bylaw by which it will be necessary for any person selling newspapers in the streets of Christchurch to obtain a license.” The Council declined to take Mr George seriously, and when moving his motion he was subjected to a deal of interruption, which showed that the sympathy of the Council was not with the speaker. The Mayor' admitted that the motion at first sight might seem foolish, but he was not without support in this matter. Boys under twelve years of age should not be permitted to sell newspapers. He would like to see bo}-s of a proper age licensed, and put on different stations in the city. The license fee should be one shilling per quarter, and this would ensure the boys being licensed who would support their mothers. Mr George appealed to the Council to show that the statement made by a certain paper, to the effect that he had only to bring anything forward to ensure its rejection, was not correct. The Council, however, agreed with the newspaper, and the motion lapsed for want of a seconder. The Mayor is determined to persevere, and he said -that, though he was without a supporter in the Council, he could get four-fifths of the shopkeepers to sign a petition in favour of the motion. A MAYOR IN COURT. However great a misfortune the rejection of his darling newspaper-boy motion might be, a still greater one was yet to follow. On Wednesday last the chief magistrate of the city was charged with using the Tuam st-eet hall (of which he is the licensee) on Sunday, June 11, without a license; “with allowing it to be.used for a public meeting on the same day.” On the day in question the hall had been sub-let to the Rev. John Hosking. Mr George, in defence, said that he had been .subjected to petty annoyance by some of the City: Councillors—especially Councillor Gray; and he explained that although the police had laid the information, the Council’s solicitor conducted the prosecution. The Resident Magistrate (Mr R. Beetham) said that the question the Bench had to decide was whether the defendant was liable to a penaltyunder the inforinatien or not. The disputes with the City Council must, for the present, be left alone, and the defendant must restrict himself to facts relating to the case. The decision of the Bench was reserved, and has not yet been given. NAVAL VISITORS. The officers of the Spanish training ship Nautilus have had no reason to compain of lack of hospitality on the jjart of the Christchurch public. Every- endeavour is being made to make their stay in port a very enjoyable one. The Nautilus arrived from Wellington on Tuesday, and in the afternoon Mr Arenas, (Spanish ViceConsul, -went on board. On the following day the members of the Christchurch Committee of Welcome paid a visit to the Nautilus. The visitors were cordially received, and the crew were drawn up to receive them. The Mayors of Christchurch and Lyttelton welcomed the Spaniards to their respective towns. Colonel Gordon and officers of the volunteers paid a visit to the ship, and on the same evening (Thursday) the visitingofficers were present at the Musical Society’s concert in the Oddfellows’ Hall. The Citizens’ Ball, given in honour of the visitors, took place in the Provincial Council Chambers on Eriday night, and was a decided success. The room was decorated with the Spanish and English colours, and several of the ladies, in compliment to the Spaniards, wore rosettes of Spanish colours. About one hundred and fifty couples were present, while: the City Guards provided/ a complimentary- guard of honour.

The vessel was purchased,! ll b'y the ~ preserik commarider sriven years ago, aud has since been used as a training, ship. The crew all told number 182 souls, and 50 of this number are sons of gentlemen undergoing a course of naval training ■which will qualify them to occupy positions in the Spanish navy. . GOLF MATCH. The first inteiprovincial golf match between teams from Otago and Canterbury took place at Hagley Park on Thursday and Friday last. The Southern players arrived here on Wednesday evening,, and were the guests Sof the Christchurch Club during: their stay. In the single games the local club won by nine holes, but in the foursome matches the Dunedin. players .'won, the scoring being Dunedin 8 : holes, Christchurch 5. On the two days’ play the home team won by .15 holes. The driving of the visiting team was greatly admired by all present. The visitors returned home by Saturday’s express, after having - spent a very enjoyable holiday. FAT STOCK. At the Addington saleyards on Wednesday, three enormous bullocks were sold at equally large prices! One of them, a magnificent wris sold for £l6 10s, while the other two fetched £l3 10s. The cattle were from the Waiau Valley, which is part of the northern bbnndary of the Cheviot estate. The- condition of these bullocks' speaks well for the fattening qualities of this district. OBITUARIES. I regret to have to announce the deaths of two prominent Christchurch gentlemen, Messrs John Ollivier, and W. K. Sprott, artist. Mr Ollivier was an early settler, arriving in Lyttelton in the' year 1853, and almost from date. he had closely identified himself with the politics of his adopted country. His first office was that of Provincial Secietary, under Mr W. S'. Moorhonse’s Provincial Government. To Mr Ollivier belongs the honour of proposing the formation of a railway between Lyttelton and Christchurch, and chiefly by his aid the proposal to' connect the Port and the plains hy tunnel was carried through the Council. After taking a very ' active part in the province’s politics, he was appointed Resident Magistrate at Lyttelton . and Christchurch, from w-hich position he was subsequently superannuated. MrOllivier’s golden wedding was celebrated about four years ago, but since that time Mrs Ollivier died. He was 82 years of age at the time of his death. Mr A. M. Ollivier (of Ollivier and Grierson) and a few years ago a well-known cricketer, is a son of the deceased gentleman. Mr Sprott, whose short career as an artist was a very promising one, had for some time suffered with an affection of the throat, which ultimately resulted iu his death. He was born in Dunedin in 1864, and was a son of Mr Andrew Sprott, solicitor, of that town. He studied at the Christchurch School of Art for nearly two years, and in 1890, after a visit to England, he took the highest prize in the school for painting from life in colour. Mr Sprott’s pictures at the Christchurch Art Gallery were always noticeable for harmony of colour and wonderful g-race of composition. He was greatly admired by his fellow artists, who naturally feel his death very keenly. Mr Sprott died in Auckland, where he had gone for the benefit of his health, arid his body will be brought on to Christchurch for burial. July 31st.