CHRISTCHURCH.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 3032, 9 July 1875, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

. Thursday. At the Supreme Court this morning Frederick Pavitt, late steward of the Church Property Trust, found guilty of embezzlement of church funds, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. Charles James, late Treasurer of the Odd Fellows' lodge, was charged with larceny as a bailee of the lodge funds. He was acquitted. Judge Williams said the indictment could not be sustained, as no instructions had been given to the prisoner to pay the particular amount mentioned in the indictment into the bank. He said tho Crown Prosecutor was not to blame for the acquittal of the prisoner, as in the present state of the law the treasurer of a friendly society could rob such societies without rendering himself liable to imprisonment. ; I Mr Evans Brown, M.H.R. for Ashley, met the electors last night, and delivered a speech in favor of the abolition of the proyinces. A vote of confidence in him was passed. : At a meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College last night, a long discussion took place on the charges of a local architect, Mr Armstrong, for plans and specifications of the new public library buildings. It appears Mr Armstrong was instructed to prepare plans at a cost afc most of £60C9, but the lbwest tender was £10,920, and the~ board were unable to go on'with the building. Mr Armstrong then sent in a bill for £275, being 2\ on the lowest tender, asserting that it was in accordance with the scales ■of charges adopted by the Canterbury Association of Architects. It was decided to see if this was correct. All the members of the board spoke strongly against the charge, and the general feeling is in favor of resisting it by law;