CHRISTCHURCH.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2900, 1 June 1878, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

Friday.

The Agricultural Association, after considering a letter from the. Otago Association respecting the establishment of a National Agricultural Society in the Middle Island on the basis of the Royal Society in England, referred the matter to a committee to report upon. The Board of Governors of the Canterbury College resolved to establish five open scholarships connected with the Girls' High School, which isi making very satisfactory progress, ItTs^also-proposed to estabHsh twelve scholarship-; in connection with the Agricultural College.

The Governor this morning was received by the City Council, and a guard ®f honor formed by the Volunteers. The weather is unusually cold. The Governor arrived shortly after noon to day, and was received by the Mayor and Councillors of Christchurch and Sydenham, and the leading citizens. A guard of honor was formed by the City Guards and Engineers, and an escort of the Yeomanry Cavalry. The Mayor of Christchurch tendered a formal welcome to His Excellency, who acknowledged it, and then drove to the Club. In the afternoon Mr Sbeehan proceeded to Kaiapoi, to have an interview with natives respecting a land grievance. A somewhat exciting incident occurred this afternoon to a Yeomanry trooper, who formed one of the escort for the Governor. He was riding in "an apparently intoxicated state through the square when he collided with a horse and trap, and the shaft of the latter severely wounded his horse. The police attempted to take the trooper into custody, when the latter objected, and some bystanders pr )ceeded to help the constable, when the trooper drew his sword. The sergeant of Yeomaary interfer'd, and a disturbance ensued, the Yeomanry man being ultimately carried off to the lock-up^ The Hon. John Hall and Mr Rolleston are appointed to represent the Selwyn Council at a conference in Wellington.

The grain and produce market is quiet, but prices &re firm. Wheat, f.oib. 4s 9d,

ss; oats, 2s 3d, 3s 6d; barley, scarce, ss, 5s 6d ; flour, £12 to £13 ; bran, £4 10s ; sharps, £5 10s ; havns and bacon, 8d in cloth; potatoes, £3; butter, lOd cheese, 6fd. This day. . Defences of the Colony. The Times this* morning says : Wo are in a position to state that the Government has ordered the whole of the heavy guns recommended by the Imperial Commission, and these, together with the necessary ammunition, are now on their way out. Regarding small arms, we have authority for stating that the Government has in stock 5000 sniders of the ordinary, and 2000 of the shorter pattern, which with another thousand of the former now ordered will soon give the Colony a total of 8000 snider rifles. For theae there are in stock iwo million rounds of ball cartridges for oidinary r.les, and a -larger proportion for carbines. Some of this stock Las only recently arriv-d, having been ordered by the Government shortly after taking office. In addition, to the snider, the Government can muster 13,000 Enfield rifles, and a large quantity of suitable ammunition, making a total of 21,000 rifles at their disposal. The Government have under their consideration a plan of torpedo defence which will probably be undertaken. The intention of the Government is, as soon as war is declared, to bring down a few Armed Constabulary men to each port, as a nucleus of a force of artillery ; to place the naval and artillery volunteers on a satisfactory footing, and to consider the question of enrolling the militia, probably with the advice of Parliament. It will: be interesting to know that the commission of officers that reported on the defence of New Zealand nad the advantage of the. latest charts of the colony, and obtained full information from officers, some of them scientific, of both services who know the localities. They also had before them the report of Colonel Moule, R.E., taken after an inspection of the harbors, and the confidential report made by Sir William Jervois some few years ago, which has been practically adopted by the committee.