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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 135, 2 November 1877, Page 2

! TLw Gazette of the 20th instant, notifies thai His ExceUuney t\ie Governor has been ple(v?sti to- disband the Akaroa Artillery VohmtsvjHy iv consequence of which Captain Bridge , and Lieutenant .11. Bridge cease to hold commission? in the Volunteer Service o£ the Colony.

The regular meeting of tlie Borough Council on Wednesday evening last was adjourned to Friday evening, the2udinst., there not beirg sufficient present to form a quorum. By the balance-sheet of the Counties Separate Account for the quarter ended 30th September, 1877, as published in the last Gazette, we notice, that on the 80th June, 1877, the balance to the credit of the Akaroa County was £10,192 Is sil; the receipts, during the quarter £4G9S os 7d j payments, £14,712 7s ; leaving a balance in hand at the end of the quarter of £178.

The election of a member to serve on tha Little lliver itoad Board iv the stead of the late Hugh Buchanan, Esq., took place at their office, Kaituna, on Saturday, October 27. Three persons had been nominated, viz., Messrs J. Gilmour, W. Birolling, sen., and Thomas Leatham. The first-mentioned, however, with drawing in favor of Mr Leatham, the contest lay between that gentleman and Mr Birdiing, and resulted in the following state of the poll:—W. Birdiing, 70 \T. Leatham, 45 ; being a majority for Mr .Birdiing of 25. Both candidates returned thanks to their supporters and the Retnrning-offieer, and the proceedings terminated. Considerable interest was shown in the election, and there was a large attendance of ratepayers, amongst whom active canvass was made in behalf of the Indian Famine Relief Fund, the amount collected during the day being £11 10s,

Our contributor the " Sundowner,", .has sent'to our, office, as the prize which he makes mention of in another column, a lady's work basket, fitted up with the articles generally used in connection with the seamstress' art. We shall be happy to to band the basket over to the committee of the Horticultural Society, to be given by them for the purpose mentioned by its donor. We learn that the proposal to appro-

printe a sum of £2000 in aid .of agricultural.and pastoral societies was rejected by the Assembly by 25 to 34. Some Canterbury members voted against the motion, but Mr Montgomery was not amongst the number. We are of opinion that these societies tend to work a considerable amount of good, which is not confined to tiie mere locality in which the operations of each society are conducted, but extends move or less throughout the whole Colony. The improvement of stock is a nationalbenefit, as well as individual progress and profit, and the conntry lias a right to look for a certain amount of public support towards attaining a better average class of stock, and improving its agricultural productions, implements, &c. It is with no small amount of astonishment that we read that any Canterbury men were found to negative a suggestion calculated to benefit so greatly the Provincial district they more immediately represent, and with the wants and requirements of which they must be perfectly welL acquainted. We are glad to fee that our representative kept clear oli such doubtful company. A meeting of committee of the Akaroa Horticultural Society was held on the evening of the 31st ult., the Rev. W. Aylmer presiding. It was duly proposed, seconded, and carried, that in addition to the usual show of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, which is to be held on the 16th of December next, there bo an exhibition of articles of needlework, knitting, &c., and that special donations for prizes, in different classes of such exhibits, be solicited by the committee. It Avas also propote.l and carried that the Hon. Secretary (Mr S. Watkins) do write to the School Committee, requesting Mie use of the schoolroom for the purpose of holding the exhibition therein. The Rev. chairman offered a special prize for the best collection of vegetables exhibited, and Mr J. D. G-anvood offered a prize for the best table bouquet made up by a lady, In the event of the society obtaining - tJ>e use of the school-room, the Hon Secretary promised that he would loan a piano for the afternoon and evening of the show. The schedule of prizes was considered and approved of, ami the usual vote of thanks to the Rev. chairman brought the meet ng to a close.

In the returns of the Public Accounts for the quarter ended 30th September, 1877, the following statement appears in regard to the Trust Fund of the Ellesmere and , Forsyth Rerlaination and Akarna Rail- ! way : — Balance on 30th June, 1877, ; £.1365 Ma Gil ; receipts, £382-1; pay- | nscnts, £1000 ; balance on 550 th September, 1877, £4189 Us Gd.

A disgraceful scene occurred yesterday at the funeral of M. Guindon in the Catholic Cemetery. After the reading of the burial service, which was conducted by lay members of the Catholic Church, there being no priest in attendance, ana when the coffin had been lowered into thu grave, the Rev. W. Aylmer, a minister of the Church of, England, and for 20 years pastor of the Akaroa parish, who had known the dace sed for many years, and had buried people of all creeds in the old days, addressed those who were assembled in a few appropriate sentences. At the con-

elusion of his address, Mr P. O'Reilly, one of the trustees of the Catholic Cemetery, publicly threatened tho reverend gentleman with a civil action, for trespassing on the Catholic ground. For some I minutes there was considerable excitement on the part present, but, fortunately, nothing further occurred to add fresh disgrace to the unseemly and ill-ad-vised action of the gentleman alluded to, for which, we are pleased to observe, he is unanimously condemned by members of his own church. .;....

The danger of." persons who are unahle to swim bathing in strange waters was all bat fatally exemplified on Wednesday morning last. It appears that a gentleman connected with the oflice of this journal (Mr G. L. Rues) left his lodgings between sis; and seven o'clock in the morning of the tiny mentioned, with the intention of having a bathe. Not knowing the locality he took a header from the top of Daly's jetty, and was considerably surprised to find that he was unable to touch the bottom. Fortunately he retained his presence of mind, and by a series of acrobatic performances and evolutions succeeded ia reaching a fishing boat which was moored some 30 yards off, where, seizing hoid of the gunwale, he supported himself until the opportune arrival of Mr George Earnsay, who pulled the boat by its painter into ihe wharf, .and released him from his uncomfortable position. Mr Rees had a very narrow escape from drowning, and his misadventure will no doubt be a "warning (o others, who may have a fancy for exploring the depths of unknown waters.

We publish elsewhere a protest, signed by all the Catholics who attended the funeral of the late M. Guindon, condemning the action of Mr Patrick O'Reiily on that occasion.

By a paragraph in the Lyttelton . Times of yesterday, we learn that a petition to the Assembly, from 32 inhabitants of the Bays' District, Banks' Peninsula", praying that a subsidy of £100 be granted for a steamer to run to Akaloa and Decanter Bays weekly, has failed to receive any recommendation from the Public Petitions Committee.

A narrow escape from drowning happened at Le Bon's Bay, about 10 p.m. on the 29th ult., to James Barnett and Oliver Evans, two residents of the Bay. It appears that on the evening in question these men were engaged boating timber from Dalglinh'.s jetty, when in tlie river, the boat sprang a leak, iiiled, and capsized pitching , the men out, who with difficulty managed to reach the shore thoroughly exhausted. The boat drifted out to sea, and was afterwards picked up uninjured by the- Master of the ketch " Gypsy."