NEWS OF THE DAY.

« • \V*e are requested to state that there will be no "At Home" at Mrs Studholme's this afternoon. The Loyal Troupe will make their appearance on Monday at Tattersall's, when a variety of feats will be performed■We regret to have to record the decease yesterday atTimaru of Mr B. M. Moorhouse. Ihe deceased gentleman was an old colonist, and highly respected by all who knew him. The " Argns " of the 30th ult. states that the proclamation of the 4th July, subjecting vessels arriving from New Zealand ports to quarantine, is, in last night's " Government Gazette," revoked. There was but a moderate attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening. To-night the celebrated drama of " Not Guilty" will be produced. The resignation of Mr K. M. Wright as Fire Inspector at Kaiapoi, has been accepted, and Mr J. C. Porter has been appointed. With his appointment, the public of the Borough are in every way well satisfied. It will be observed from our advertising columns that the Bey the Moderator of the General Assembly will preach on Sunday forenoon at Kaiapoi, and in the afternoon at Bangiora. We beg to call attpntion to Messrs Bird and Bennett's sale of draught horses, at TattereaH'e, to-day, consisting of a number of the fiaest draught stock ever imported from Tasmania. They are an exceedingly nice even lot, and well worthy the attention of farmers. A meeting of the parochial nominators in connection with St Michael's was held on Thursday evening, which resulted in the nomination of Archdeacon Harper, of Westland, to the vacant incumbency of St Michael's, caused by the resignation of the Very Key the Dean.

The - annual meeting for the election of Mayor for the ensuing year will be held on Wednesday next, the 18th instant, at the City C>'Uucil Chambers, at noon. Cr E. P« Bishop is the Mayor elect for the ensuing year, and he will give a civic banquet in the evening, at the Clarendon hotel.

The ball to His Excellency the Governor and Lady Bowen will take place in the Council Chamber on Monday evening. The catering ha& been placed in the hands of Mr J. W. Morton, whose reputation in this respect is a guarantee of success, while Mons Fleury will direct the orchestra.

Last evening the brethren of the Canterbury Masonic Lodge held their annual dinner at the White Hart Hotei. Bro. Booth, the W.M, of the lodge, occupied the chair, and the vice-chairs were occupied by the S.W. and J.W. respectively. About sixty sat down to a splendid spread, provided by Mr J. O. Sheppard. A number of visiting brethren were present.

We were glad to notice in our telegrams of yesterday that the winners in all three events of the Mount Ida meeting have fallen to Canterbury horses ; and Lyndon, who ran second in the Flying Handicap, is also an old Canterbury- horse who has scored more than one win upon the Canterbury course.

The '• Weet Coast Times" of the 9th says : .—Some few of Mr G. S. Sale's friends enter tamed him at dinner, last Saturday evening, at the Cafe de Paris. A very pleasant evening was enjoyed by those who assembled to manifest their regard for one who, though only a visitor now, has been so intimately connected with the affairs of Westland.

A meeting of the Bangiora New Year's sports committee -was held at the Junction Hotel, on Thursday evening. There was a large attendance of members; Mr H. Boyd in the chair. The first business of the meeting was the election of officers for this year, and Mr H. Boyd was elected chairman, Mr Buss treasurer, and Mr Aherne secretary; after which the programme for the coming sports was discussed at some length, and last year's programme, with several additions, was adopted. It was decided to aek Mr George Bailey for the use of his paddock for the occasion, and that gentleman has, we hear, kindly consented to do so. , . ,

After a very warm and animated debate, lasting for an hour, the Provincial Council yesterday adjourned until Wednesday next. It was intended by the Governmeut to get through the business yesterday by Bitting from noon on into the evening, with a short interval, but the House was in no mood for work, besides which several members objected to rushing headlong through a number of items on the supplementary estimates, involving large sums of money, without having time for consideration. After a of the supplementary estimates had been got through, a motion for reporting progress was carried on division, and shortly afterwards the adjournment to Wednesday was carried on the voices. ' ' ' . . The working committee of the Vienna Exhibition are pushing on the work of placing the exhibits in order with commendable rapidity, and already a great show has been made. The western annexe, being the former verandah, has been filled with exhibits of various kinds, one end being appropriated to the specimens of woods which have been sent in great variety, whilst the middle court and end have bten appropriated to exhibits of spices, soaps, candles, beer, sauces, colonially manufactured cod liver oil, fire kindlers (invaluable to bachelors), and a host of miscellaneous articles. In the main buildin". the departments under the active superintendence of the various sub-committees, are rapidly got into shape, the most forward at the present time being the flax exhibits under the care of Messrs Deßourbel and Bird, and the geological specimen maps, photographs, kc, under the supervision of Dγ Haast. During onr visit yesterday, the secretary (Mr Maskell) and the various officers were hard at work opening and disposing of the various kinds of exhibits coming to hand. At the northern end ot the building a -dais has been erected, from which his Excellency will deliver the inaugural address. So far as can at present be seen, the exhibition, when once in fair working order, promises to be a success, and no doubt after the attraction of the anni? vewary «P°rta hae been got rid of, the pub. lie generally will risit the exhibition in jp*tDnmfc*re,

A meeting of the Boating Club was held at the Pier Hotel, Kaiapoi, on Thursday evening last, to consider the question of sending a representative crew to the interprovincial regatta at Wellington. About nine members were present; Mr E. G. Kerr. president, in the chair. After an offer had been made by Messrs Bumip, R. Wright, W. Wright, and W. Mellor to form the crew and go into training for the event, it was Tesolved, on the motion of Mr J. W. Buddie, seconded by Mr A. T. Chirk, that the clnb scud a representative crew to the interprovinci;!! regatta, and undertake to pay their exueuses. It was decided that a sum of £50 be raised by guarantee towards the crew's expenses, and also that, in the event of the crew wiuning, a sum of £o0 be devoted from the prize money towards testimonials to be presented to them. It was resolved that boys be admitted members of the club on payment of a subscription of ss. In reference to races won for the club at the regattas, it was decided that 25 per cent, of winnings be appropriated to the purchasing of a testimonial for the crew. Other routine business having beet considered, the meeting then adjourned.

A meeting of the Popular Entertainments Association Committee was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Captain Wilson, Messrs B. P. Andrews, Mitchell, C. Cuff, Wynn Williams, G. Gordon (hon. secretary), Willcocks. Mr Wynn Williams occupied the chair. Mr ] Gordon reported that the secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association had forwarded a letter stating that the association were willing to lend the telegraph apparatus used by them at the late show. An application from Mr Cripps for a site for " Doodlem Bucks " was received and granted. The appointment of the officials connected with the sports were then, elected :—PatroD, His Excellency the Governor ; president, his Honor the Superintendent ; vice-president, his Worship the Mayor; treasurer, Mr W. H. Wynn Williams, secretaries, Messrs G.Gordon and F. C. Hall; working committee, Messrs J. Q. Walker, H. E. Alport, E. G.Griffith, J.Anderson, M.B. Hart, Captain Wilson, Colonel Packe, J. A. Bird, Wynn Williams, W. Wilson, W. R. Mitchell, J. OUivier, H. Sawtell, E. B. Bishop, S. P. Andiews, and 0. Cuff. The following gentlemen were elected as referees :—Messrs Wynn Williams, E. S. Willcocks, J. Ollivier, and G. Gordon ; judges, Captain Wilson and W. R. Mitchell; starters, Messrs J. Q. Walker and S. P. Andrews ; clerkj of the course, Mr C. Cuff. Mr Williams said that his Honor the Superintendent had given £2 2s in addition to a subscription of £3 3s, for a special prize, and it was now for the committee to say what it was to be applied to. After some discussion it was agreed to have a quarter-mile race for volunteers, in uniform, with side arms, first prize £2 2s ; entrance, 2s. It was resolved that Mr Hesketh. be appointed to take charge of the stand, and that a, corps of money-takers be engaged. The hour of starting the sports was fixed for noon sharp* and no halt being made. The meeting then adjourned.