LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 181, 24 June 1854, Page 13 (Supplement)

LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

At a meeting of this Society held in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening last, the proposition to alter the night of the ordinary meetings from Wednesday to Tuesday, and the alteration of liule 3, making a uniform price of 2s. 6d. for admission, were unanimously carried. The announcement of the next general meeting of the Society will be found in our 12th page. The examination of the Lyttelton District Schools was held yesterday, and we are glad to learn that the progress of the pupils was considered by the examiners satisfactory. The following children, having passed the best examination, were appointed Free Scholars for the ensuing year, viz., Henry F. Mason and Ann Roberts. The names of the following gentlemen have been added by His Excellency the Officer administering the Government to the Commission of the Peace for this Province, irir Thomas Tancred, Bart. Charles Robert Blakiston, Esq. John Hall, Esq. It is rumoured that the fine boat " Sons of the Thames," 10 tons, Shepherd, master, was upset on Sunday last, in Akaroa harbour, about a mile and a half within the heads, by a sudden burst of wind from the S.W. We can gather no definite particulars ; but as the accident is reported to have taken place near the coast, should the rumour be correct, there is every hope, as Shepherd and his mate were good swimmers, they reached the shore. Akaroa Bridle Track.—We understand from good authority that the cutting of this line, which goes through the heart of Banks' Peninsula, is progressing very satisfactorily, notwithstanding the late continued bad weather. Some of the views, it is said, will be of exceeding beauty. Considerable extent of valuable country will be now rendered available, and a new impetus doubtless will be given to the timber trade of the Peninsula. The track will be cut right through before long so as to be available for foot-passengers. The " Akhbar" is still at Akaroa, loading with timber for South America. Her captain speaks in high terms of some of the woods he has specially chosen with the view of using them for furniture.

Besident Magisxbate's Court.—June 21. Thomas NeivbaU was fined 20s. and costs for being dnmk and disorderly. June 23, Graham v. Gilbert. This was a case of assault. Judgment for plaintiff, with 2s. 6d. damages. Defendant to pay costs. June 21, Charles Smith v. Moore— Plaintiff summoned Mr. Moore for £9., which he represented to be due for wages, but as the plaintiff had left the service of Mr. Moore without due notice, thereby breaking a verbal arrangement between himself and Mr. Moore, judgment was given for £4.

The " Nelson" steamer arrived in this port from Wellington on Saturday last, and steamed for the Northern Provinces on Tuesday about 1 p.m. By an advertisement in our paper this week it will be seen that arrangements have been completed between Messrs. Fell and Co., (the Agents for Messrs. Willis) and the several Provincial Governments, to run the " Nelson " as a trader between the different ports of this country for twelve months.

We extract the following notice concerning the appointment of Dr. Selwyn to the Bishopric of Sydney, from the Sydney Morning Herald, May 17. The Duke of Newcastle has informed the Governor-General that circumstances which have lately occurred in Sydney, and letters received from the Colony, had convinced him that to translate the Bishop of New Zealand to the Metropolitan See, Sydney, would be the best course he could recommend for the interests of the Church and the Colony, and the Queen had been pleased to adopt the recommendation and make the appointment, which only waited the completion of the formal documents and the acceptance of the office by the Archbishop. His Grace also suggests that in the present circumstances of the Colony the salary of the Bishop should be raised to the original amount, £2000 a-year. The Duke says that the See had been refused by several eminent dignitaries, and he had determined to send out no one who had not established his reputation both as a divine and a useful member of society; and this had occasioned the delay in the appointment.

How to Ruin a Pieman.—Some time since (so runs the current narrative), the owner of a thriving mutton-pie concern, which after much difficulty, he had succeeded in establishing with borrowed capital, died before he had well extricated himself from the responsibilities of debt. The widow carried on his business after his decease, and throve so well that a speculating baker on the opposite side of the way made her the offer of his hand. The lady refused and the enraged suitor, determined on revenge, immediately converted his baking into an opposition pie shop, and acting on the principle universal among London bakers, of doing business for the first month or two at a loss, made his pies twice as big as he could honestly afford to make them. The consequence was, that the widow lost her custom, and was hastening fast to ruin, when a friend of her late husband, who was also a small creditor, paid her a visit. She detailed her grievances to him, and lamented her lost trade and fearful prospects. " Ho, ho," said her friend, " that ere's the move, is it ? Never you mind, my dear. If I don't git your trade agin, there ain't no snakes, mark me— that's all!" So saying he took his leave. About eight o'clock the same evening, when the baker's new pie shop was crammed to overflowing, and the principal was below, superintending the production of a new batch, in walks the widow's friend in the costume of a kennel raker, and elbowing his way to the counter, dabs down upon it a brace of huge dead cats, vociferating at the same time to the astonished damsel in attendance, "■ Tell your master, my dear, as how them makes six and thirty this week, and say I'll bring the other four tomorrer arternoon." With that he swaggered out and went his way. So powerful was the prejudice against cat mutton among the population of that neighbourhood, that the shop was clear in an instant, and the floor was covered with hastily abandoned specimens of every variety of segments of a circle. The spirit shop at the corner of the street experienced an unusual large demand for " goes" of brandy, and interjectional ejaculations, not purely grammatical, were not merely audible, but visible, too, in the district. It is averred that the ingenious expedient of the widow's friend, founded as it was upon a profound knowledge of human prejudices, had the desired effect of restoring the v balance of trade." The widow recovered her commerce; the resentful baker was done as brown as if he had been shut up in his own oven; and the friend who had brought about this measure of justice received the hand of the lady as a reward for his interference.